NationalWatch

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia asserted that she is “radically AMERICA FIRST,” shaming those who are not and labeling them as “the enemy.”

The congresswoman said that the nation is “falling apart.” 

“I’m America First. Maybe even America only. I don’t care if you call me an isolationist. America is our home. And it’s falling apart,” she wrote on social media.

MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE URGES TRUMP TO COMMUTE GEORGE SANTOS’ FEDERAL PRISON SENTENCE: ‘FAR WORSE OFFENSES’

“When my children’s generation are buried in credit card debt, student loan debt, can’t afford rent, can’t afford car insurance, health insurance, and feel like they will never be able to afford to buy a home, Yes. I’m unapologetically and radically AMERICA FIRST. AND SHAME ON EVERYONE ELSE WHO IS NOT. As a matter of fact YOU are the problem. YOU are the enemy. As a mother, I can’t see it any other way,” she declared.

Greene has been expressing frustration with the GOP. 

MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE RULES OUT 2026 BID FOR TOP GEORGIA POLITICAL POST: ‘WE ALL KNOW I WOULD WIN’

“I don’t know if the Republican Party is leaving me, or if I’m kind of not relating to Republican Party as much anymore,” she told the Daily Mail. 

“I think the Republican Party has turned its back on America First and the workers and just regular Americans,” Greene said, according to the outlet.

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE AIRS FRUSTRATIONS, WARNS THAT SHE REPRESENTS A ‘NOT HAPPY’ REPUBLICAN BASE

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

She has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2021.

Lockheed Martin is designing a space-based missile interceptor and aims to test the technology for potential integration into President Donald Trump’s “Golden Dome” defense shield within the next three years.

The defense contractor revealed this week that it hopes to test a satellite defensive weapon capable of destroying hypersonic missiles by 2028.

If successful, this would mark the first time in history the United States has deployed interceptors in space to destroy enemy missiles before they reach the homeland. Lockheed is still weighing different technologies, ranging from lasers to kinetic satellites that could maneuver and strike high-speed targets in flight.

“We have missile warning and tracking satellites made by Lockheed Martin in orbit today that provide timely detection and warning of missile threats,” said Amanda Pound, mission strategy and advanced capabilities director at Lockheed Martin Space, told Fox News Digital.

“We are committed to making space-based interceptors for missile defense a reality, leveraging our decades of experience, investments, and industry partnerships, to be ready for on orbit testing in 2028.”

TRUMP UNVEILS ‘GOLDEN DOME’ MISSILE SHIELD, BLINDSIDES KEY SENATORS

Lockheed’s space interceptor project directly supports Trump’s “Golden Dome for America” initiative, first unveiled in May 2025. The ambitious missile defense concept calls for a global constellation of satellites armed with sensors and interceptors, designed to detect, track and eliminate advanced missile threats – including hypersonic and ballistic weapons – before they can strike U.S. soil.

The idea echoes President Ronald Reagan’s 1983 Strategic Defense Initiative, often dubbed “Star Wars,” which was dismissed at the time as science fiction. But today, the technologies once seen as far-fetched are rapidly advancing, according to defense leaders.

Gen. Michael Guetlein, appointed by the Trump administration to head Golden Dome, emphasized that key components of the system already exist, expressing confidence in achieving a test-ready platform by 2028. Still, it’s no easy feat.

“Intercepting a missile in orbit is a pretty wicked hard problem physics‑wise,” said Jeff Schrader, vice president of Lockheed’s space division. “But not impossible,” he added, noting breakthroughs in maneuverability and guidance systems.

Analysts caution that to make the Golden Dome vision a reality, the U.S. may need to launch thousands of interceptors into orbit. Some have compared it to the Cold War–era “Brilliant Pebbles” program, which proposed a similar space-based missile shield but was eventually shelved due to skyrocketing costs and technical hurdles.

Golden Dome is currently projected to cost $175 billion, with $25 billion already approved by Congress. But long-term estimates range anywhere from $161 billion to over $830 billion over two decades – raising questions about the program’s affordability and long-term sustainability.

TRUMP’S ‘GOLDEN DOME’ WILL NEED MANHATTAN PROJECT-SCALE WHOLE-OF-GOVERNMENT EFFORT, SPACE FORCE GENERAL WARNS

Meanwhile, Lockheed is bolstering ground-based missile defense systems to complement the orbital layer. In March 2025, the company’s Aegis Combat System aboard the USS Pinckney successfully simulated the interception of hypersonic medium-range missiles during the FTX-40 exercise, codenamed Stellar Banshee.

The company is also advancing infrared seeker technology for interceptors, which would enhance the tracking and targeting of fast-moving missiles in their terminal phase.

Lockheed remains a central player in the Pentagon’s broader missile defense and hypersonic weapons development effort. It is the prime contractor for the Next Generation Interceptor (NGI), which is targeting an initial operating capability by the end of fiscal year 2028.

Simultaneously, the company is fulfilling Navy contracts for its Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic weapons system. Sea-based deployment of CPS is expected to begin between 2027 and 2028.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

President Trump has publicly stated he wants Golden Dome operational by the end of his term. But industry officials warn that supply chain limitations and the Pentagon’s slow-moving procurement system make full deployment by 2029 unlikely.

Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard told a New York Post podcaster that she believes aliens could possibly be real.

Speaking on the New York Post’s “Pod Force One,” Gabbard answered “yes” when pressed about whether she believes in the possibility of extraterrestrial life, according to the outlet.

A former Democratic presidential candidate turned Republican, Gabbard leads President Donald Trump’s intelligence community and serves as his principal advisor on intelligence.

Asked on Miranda Devine’s Pod Force One podcast whether “there could be aliens,” Gabbard started answering by saying, “I have my own views and opinions” and “in this role, I have to be careful with what I share.”

MILITARY JET’S MYSTERIOUS COLLISION RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT ADVANCED UFOS IN US AIRSPACE: ‘BEEN HERE ALL ALONG’

Pressed further on whether she believes in the possibility of extraterrestrials and UFOs, she answered “yes.”

The outlet reported that Gabbard noted she was not prepared to talk further on the issue, she said her team will be transparent with the public when the time comes, saying, “We’re continuing to look for the truth and share that truth with the American people.”

Gabbard also mentioned that she still has “a lot of questions” about the mysterious flurry of drone sightings over New Jersey late last year.

At the time U.S. national security officials in the Biden administration sought to dispel concerns about the sightings, with one FBI official describing the nationwide uneasiness as “a slight overreaction.”

OVER 60 UFO SIGHTINGS REPORTED WHIZZING ACROSS STATE IN FIRST HALF OF 2025, NATIONAL TRACKING GROUP SAYS

“I still have a lot of questions around that,” Gabbard said, adding, “I’ve heard what the public official line is.”

“I just personally still have a lot of questions that are unanswered, because it wasn’t just New Jersey. It was happening in different parts of the country,” she told the podcast host.

The DNI did, however, say “there’s a lot of classified information” in the U.S. intelligence community about the suspected Chinese spy balloon that was spotted flying over several states in 2023.

PENTAGON SAYS THERE’S ‘NO VERIFIABLE EVIDENCE’ OF EXTRATERRESTRIAL TECHNOLOGY, BEINGS OR ACTIVITY

After allowing the balloon to fly over much of the U.S. for about a week, former President Joe Biden eventually ordered it shot down over South Carolina.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Gabbard declined to tell the host more about the intelligence community’s information on the balloon. 

A total of 22 mRNA vaccine development contracts totaling roughly $500 million have been canceled, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Tuesday.

The mRNA investments were part of the government’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a division of HHS that drives some of the country’s most advanced scientific research, such as the development of vaccines, drugs and other tools to fight national health threats. The termination of the 22 BARDA contracts follows a several-weeks-long internal review to determine a path forward when it comes to these investments.

“We reviewed the science, listened to the experts, and acted,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Tuesday. “BARDA is terminating 22 mRNA vaccine development investments because the data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu. We’re shifting that funding toward safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate.”

RFK JR SCRAPS VACCINE COMMITTEE MEMBERS IN EFFORT TO RESTORE ‘PUBLIC TRUST’

In a short video explaining the move, Kennedy said the benefits simply do not outweigh the risks associated with mRNA vaccines. 

Kennedy went on to point out that not only do mRNA vaccines – as shown during the COVID-19 pandemic – not perform well against viruses that infect the upper respiratory tract, but they also do not defend against mutations of the viruses they are intended to go after.

“This dynamic drives a phenomena called anogenic shift, meaning that the vaccine paradoxically encourages new mutations and can actually prolong pandemics as the virus constantly mutates to escape the protective effects of the vaccine,” Kennedy said in the video.

For example, the HHS secretary pointed to the omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus, which infected many millions, including those who had been vaccinated against COVID. 

“A single mutation can make mRNA vaccines ineffective,” Kebbedy added, noting that the same risks also apply to the flu virus. 

HHS SLAMS ‘UNDER-TESTED’ MRNA TECHNOLOGY AS TRUMP CUTS MODERNA’S VACCINE FUNDING

The move to cancel the mRNA contracts under BARDA will not entirely cancel all mRNA vaccine research done by the government, a source familiar with the move indicated. In addition to allowing some final-stage contracts to run their course to completion in an effort to preserve prior taxpayer investments, ongoing mRNA research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will not be impacted by this latest move. 

Meanwhile, in lieu of the terminated mRNA research and investments at BARDA, HHS will focus on “safer, broader vaccine strategies,” Kennedy indicated.

“To replace the troubled mRNA programs, we’re prioritizing the development of safer, broader vaccine strategies like whole virus vaccines and novel platforms that don’t collapse when viruses mutate,” Kennedy said in his video explanation about the terminated mRNA investments.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

During the video, Kennedy reiterated his support for “safe, effective vaccines” for any American who wants them.

“That’s why we’re moving beyond the limitations of mRNA for respiratory viruses and investing in better solutions.”

Longtime progressive activist Katie Wilson will face off against incumbent Mayor Bruce Harrell in November’s general election after securing the top two places in Tuesday’s nonpartisan mayoral primary.

Wilson secured around 46% of the vote to Harrell’s 45%, according to reporting from FOX 13.

Widely known for her role in helping establish and continuing to lead the left-wing Transit Riders Union, Wilson champions progressive positions such as minimum wage increases, better access to public transit and affordable housing. She has also pledged to “Trump-proof” the City of Seattle, and has been likened to New York City’s Zohran Mamdani by political pundits.

Harrell, who served on the Seattle City Council for more than a decade before being elected mayor in 2021, is considered the establishment candidate in the race.

SEATTLE MAYORAL CANDIDATE VOWS TO ‘TRUMP-PROOF’ THE CITY IF ELECTED

Both candidates raked in far greater campaign war chests than the other seven candidates who ran in Tuesday’s primary, according to Seattle Ethics and Elections records.

Harrell, who received nearly 100 endorsements from current elected officials, narrowly beat out Wilson when it came to fundraising ahead of the primary, bringing in a little over $500,000, according to filings. Wilson, meanwhile, brought in about $475,000 in campaign contributions. 

Moving on to the general election, Wilson is hoping to prevent Harrell from becoming Seattle’s first mayor to win re-election in two decades.

THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEEDS ‘GENERATIONAL CHANGE,’ FORMER WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL SAYS

Meanwhile, Wilson has criticized Harrell for being more focused on dismantling homeless encampments than boosting the availability of shelters, and accused him of being part of the political status quo.

“We need leadership that is going to listen to voters and govern in the interest of people in the city and not corporate backers,” Wilson said, referring to Harrell, in a March interview with PBS. During the interview, Wilson cited Harrell’s work on affordable housing, arguing he was “the face of the campaign to undermine” a proposition that would have boosted affordable housing development. 

But Harell has defended his record as mayor, touting to local news outlet My Northwest that his administration has “put over a billion dollars in affordable housing.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“My re-election is supported by 100+ current and former elected officials, labor, as well as affordable housing, environmental, community, and transportation leaders,” Harrell wrote on social media last week. “I’m proud of the broad and diverse coalition we’ve built to keep Seattle moving forward.”

The upcoming general election that will see Wilson and Harrell face off head-to-head is slated for Tuesday, Nov. 4.

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

President Donald Trump said Tuesday evening that the FBI “may have to” round up a group of Democratic lawmakers who fled Texas to avoid voting on the state’s proposed redistricting map.

This comes as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and several Texas leaders, including Attorney General Ken Paxton, have demanded that the 50 Democratic members of the state legislature who fled the state return or face consequences.

The Democrats fled the state in an effort to deny Republicans the necessary two-thirds quorum required to vote on the redistricting map, which would likely give the GOP an edge in elections and potentially add five House seats to the Texas Republican congressional delegation.

National Democrats have praised the stunt. During a press conference on Sunday, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a leading Democratic figure, shared his support for the Texas Democrats, describing their departure as a “righteous act of courage,” while claiming Republicans want to silence “millions of voices, especially Black and Latino voters.”

FBI URGED TO LOCATE OR ARREST TEXAS DEMOCRATS WHO FLED STATE TO STALL REDISTRICTING VOTE

Abbott said the lawmakers’ commitment to voting as elected state officials is a duty and is “not optional.” The governor also said a legislator determined to have “forfeited his or her office due to abandonment” can be removed from office under the Texas Constitution, thereby creating a vacancy, which the governor can “swiftly fill” under Article III, Section 13. 

After the Democrats failed to meet Abbott’s 4 p.m. CT Monday deadline to return, Texas Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows announced he would sign arrest warrants against any absent Democrat lawmakers if authorized by a vote of the chamber. Shortly thereafter, the House did approve the warrants and Abbott then swiftly called on the Texas Department of Public Safety to arrest the “delinquent Texas House Democrats.”

The attorney general has stated that the lawmakers “should be found and arrested no matter where they go.”

Trump weighed in on the political intrigue Tuesday at the White House when he was asked by a reporter, “Do you want the federal government and the FBI to help locate and arrest these Texas Democrats who have left the state?”

‘ALL-OUT WAR’: FLEEING TEXAS DEMS SIDE WITH NEWSOM AS REDISTRICTING STANDOFF CONTINUES: ‘FIRE WITH FIRE’

The president responded that it is a bad look for Democrats to “abandon” the state rather than fight it out in the legislature.

“Well, I think they’ve abandoned the state,” he said. “Nobody’s seen anything like it, even though they’ve done it twice before. And, in a certain way, it almost looks like they’ve abandoned the state. Looks very bad.”

Pressed further on whether the FBI should get involved, Trump answered, “Well, they may have to.”

“They may have to,” he repeated. “No, I know they want them back. Not only the attorney general, the governor wants them back. If you look, I mean the governor of Texas is demanding they come back. So, a lot of people are demanding they come back. You can’t just sit it out. You have to go back. You have to fight it out. That’s what elections are all about.”

‘BUTTER KNIFE TO A GUNFIGHT’: DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKER RIPS HIS PARTY’S STRATEGY IN REDISTRICTING BATTLE

Asked by Fox News Channel’s Peter Doocy whether he thought Texas’ redistricting plans were worth risking blue states similarly retaliating, Trump answered, “They’ll do it anyway.”

“Why, if we stop over there, they would have done it anyway,” he said. “Look, a lot of these states, you know, I watched this morning as Democrats are complaining and they’re complaining from states where they’ve done it, like in Illinois, like in Massachusetts.”

“The Democrats have done it long before we started. They’ve done it all over the place. They did it in New York. They did it in a lot of different states,” Trump went on.

CALIFORNIA GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM’S ‘HYPER-PARTISAN’ MAP IS ‘UNIQUELY CORRUPT,’ GOP LAWMAKER ARGUES

The president went on to praise Texas’ redistricting plans, saying, “There’s tremendous support for it.” He also praised Abbott, saying the future of the plans depends on him.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

“Texas is a place that’s done very well with a free enterprise kind of an attitude, with the exact opposite of what’s happening in New York with a communist mayor. And they know what they’re doing. And they’re doing the right thing,” he said. “So, we’ll see what happens. We have a wonderful governor in Texas. He feels strongly about it. It’s going to be up to him.”

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Pritchett and Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.

EXCLUSIVE: Indiana will be getting their own version of Alligator Alcatraz in Florida with 1,000 beds.

The “Speedway Slammer” will be located at the Miami Correctional Center in Miami County, which is in between Indianapolis and Fort Wayne. The name is a nod to Indiana’s racing culture, such as the annual Indianapolis 500. 

“We are proud to work with President Trump and Secretary Noem as they remove the worst of the worst with this innovative partnership,” Indiana Gov. Mike Braun said in a statement on Tuesday. “Indiana is taking a comprehensive and collaborative approach to combating illegal immigration and will continue to lead the way among states.”

RED STATES CONSIDER ‘ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ’ SPINOFFS AS WH URGES THEM TO FOLLOW DESANTIS’ LEAD: ‘LOTS OF BEARS’

The funds are sourced from a reconciliation bill signed by President Donald Trump last month, dubbed the “one big, beautiful bill.” 

According to DHS, it provided the funding for the 287(g) program, which fosters collaboration between Immigration and Customs Enforcement and local governments, in addition to 80,000 ICE detention beds.

“COMING SOON to Indiana: The Speedway Slammer. Today, we’re announcing a new partnership with the state of Indiana to expand detention bed space by 1,000 beds,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. “Thanks to Governor Braun for his partnership to help remove the worst of the worst out of our country. If you are in America illegally, you could find yourself in Indiana’s Speedway Slammer. Avoid arrest and self deport now using the CBP Home App.”

TRUMP SAYS ONLY WAY OUT OF ‘ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ’ IS DEPORTATION

The Trump administration has continued deportation operations as it encourages people who are in the country illegally, but do not have an additional criminal record, to self-deport. The administration is offering $1,000 and free travel out of the country if people exit on their own, which opens up the door for the individual to return legally, according to DHS.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

Alligator Alcatraz opened this summer under the purview of federal officials and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and it’s meant to be a stopping point before individuals in the country illegally are deported. The facility used state funds at first, but will also get money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It can hold 2,000 people but is expected to hold 4,000 in the future, and deportation flights already started at the end of last month.

“I’m pleased to report that those flights out of Alligator Alcatraz by DHS have begun. The cadence is increasing. We’ve already had a number of flights, in the last few days, we’ve had hundreds of illegals [that] have been removed from here,” DeSantis said at the time.

SELF-DEPORT OR END UP IN ‘ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ,’ NOEM WARNS MIGRANTS DURING TRUMP VISIT

The facility was a defunct airport in the Everglades, and a second center is likely to be built in Florida, according to WJHL. Sunshine State leaders faced scrutiny from both left-wing immigration and environmental activists due to its location and purpose.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Building a bare-bones tented detention center on hot tarmac in the middle of the Everglades and exposing imprisoned immigrants to the elements is a cruel and absurd proposal,” Melissa Abdo, PhD, National Parks Conservation Association Sun Coast Regional Director, said in a July 1 statement in opposition to the facility. “The Everglades’ intense heat, humidity, and storms can be hazardous without proper precautions. This facility’s remote, harsh nature could leave people in very real danger, especially as Florida’s heat index skyrockets and hurricane season escalates.”

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

Former White House physician Kevin O’Connor previously dismissed cognitive tests as “meaningless,” ex-Biden administration aide Bruce Reed told House investigators on Tuesday, according to a source familiar with the proceedings.

Reed, who served as White House deputy chief of staff for policy, is the ninth member of former President Joe Biden’s inner circle to sit down with House Oversight Committee lawyers.

A source familiar with his interview told Fox News Digital that Reed attributed Biden’s disastrous 2024 debate performance against then-candidate Donald Trump to the former president’s stutter, a condition that’s been well-documented and Biden himself has publicly acknowledged. 

But his meandering and seemingly tired demeanor on stage with Trump alarmed both Democrats and media pundits, who saw it as a glaring sign of Biden’s advanced age. It precipitated both a public and private push by left-wing lawmakers to get Biden to drop out of the race — which he did in July 2024.

COMER DISMISSES BIDEN DOCTOR’S BID FOR PAUSE IN COVER-UP PROBE: ‘THROWING OUT EVERY EXCUSE’

When asked whether public concerns about Biden’s mental acuity were legitimate, however, the source told Fox News Digital that Reed said he believes Americans should not have had any concerns about the ex-president’s mental faculties.

Reed also told investigators that “the president’s communications team anticipated that the issue of a cognitive test would likely be raised” in Biden’s interview with ABC News host George Stephanopoulos following the debate.

“Mr. Reed further explained that President Biden’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, dismissed cognitive tests as ‘meaningless,'” the source said.

O’Connor was among the first former White House officials summoned by House investigators, and sat down with them last month after being compelled via subpoena. 

But his sit-down lasted less than an hour, with the doctor opting to invoke the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering all questions but his name. His lawyers said at the time that was due to concerns about violating doctor-patient confidentiality. 

In his own interview Tuesday, Reed also defended the Biden 2024 campaign’s preference to hold the debate earlier than typical for a presidential cycle, the source said.

“During his interview, Mr. Reed stated that the decision to hold the debate early was a deliberate strategy to get ahead of early voting and the Olympics. He emphasized that the campaign’s push for the early debate was unrelated to concerns about President Biden’s age,” the source said.

Excerpts of Reed’s opening statement to investigators, obtained by Fox News Digital via a second source familiar with the interview, show he emphatically defended Biden’s cognitive abilities.

“While I can only speak to my own observations, I had the benefit of working with President Biden nearly every day of his presidency. Despite his age, President Biden maintained an unrelenting work ethic, embraced complex policy issues, and approached decisions with diligence and deliberation,” Reed said, according to the source.

LONGTIME BIDEN AIDE SAYS HE STOOD TO EARN UP TO $8M HAD PRESIDENT WON RE-ELECTION

Reed also described Biden as “a demanding boss who routinely grilled staff members on a topic until he reached the limits of our knowledge so he could judge whether to have confidence in our advice,” though “that didn’t mean he’d take it.”

“From the first days in the White House to the last, President Biden governed the same way he’d gotten there, by trusting his own values and instincts,” Reed said, according to the source.

“There is no tougher test than the presidency: President Biden asked tough questions, made tough decisions, and led his country well in challenging times for the nation and the world.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is probing whether Biden’s senior aides worked to cover up evidence of mental decline in the former president, and whether that meant Biden was not making the final decision on executive matters signed by autopen.

Of particular interest to Comer is the myriad of clemency orders Biden signed in the latter half of his presidency, though the former president told The New York Times last month that he was behind every decision.

His allies have also dismissed Comer’s probe as purely political.

Fox News Digital reached out to Reed’s counsel and lawyers for O’Connor for comment but did not hear back by press time.

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., is under criminal investigation for mortgage fraud, a Trump administration source told Fox News.

Fox News host Laura Ingraham broke the news on Tuesday night on “The Ingraham Angle,” saying the source said a criminal investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland on possible charges involving mortgage fraud.

The investigation comes a month after a story broke about the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) sending a criminal referral to the Department of Justice (DOJ) alleging that Schiff, in multiple instances, falsified bank documents and property records to acquire more favorable loan terms.

In a 2011 affidavit signed by the then California congressman, Schiff certified that a property in Montgomery County, Maryland, is his primary residence.

HOW TRUMP’S ‘NO SHRINKING VIOLETS’ DOJ IS DIGGING IN ON SCHIFF’S MORTGAGE DEALINGS AS LEGAL PERIL LOOMS

Schiff also owns a condominium in Burbank, California, which he has also claimed as his primary residence as recently as 2023, during his campaign for Senate.

Schiff’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the matter.

The director of the UFHFA sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in May citing alleged misconduct by Schiff.

COULD SENATOR ADAM SCHIFF REALLY GO TO JAIL OVER ALLEGED MORTGAGE FRAUD?

“Based on media reports, Mr. Adam B. Schiff has, in multiple instances, falsified bank documents and property records to acquire more favorable loan terms, impacting payments from 2003-2019 for a Potomac, Maryland-based property,” FHFA Director William Pulte wrote in the letter. “As regulator of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks, we take very seriously allegations of mortgage fraud or other criminal activity. Such misconduct jeopardizes the safety and soundness of FHFA’s regulated entities and the security and stability of the U.S. mortgage market.” 

Pulte later received a memo from the Fannie Mae financial crimes investigations concluding that Schiff allegedly engaged in “a sustained pattern of possible occupancy misrepresentation” on five Fannie Mae loans, Fox News has learned. 

Schiff and his wife purchased a home in Potomac, Maryland, in 2003 for $870,000, according to the letter. They entered into a Fannie Mae-backed mortgage agreement for $610,000 at a rate of 5.625% over a term of 30 years, asserting the property would be their primary and principal residence. 

The letter said they reaffirmed that the Maryland home was their primary residence in mortgage refinancing filings in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013, despite Schiff being an elected official representing the state of California at the same time. 

Fox News obtained a copy of the 2011 affidavit showing Schiff signed certifying that the Maryland house is his primary residence. 

Pulte said Schiff and his wife did not list the Maryland home as their secondary residence until 2020. 

Over the same time frame, Schiff took a homeowner’s tax exemption on a condo that he owns in Burbank, California, also claiming that home as his primary residence for a $7,000 reduction off of the 1% property tax, Pulte wrote, citing media reports. 

In 2023, the letter notes, a spokesperson for Schiff asserted that, “Adam’s primary residence is Burbank, California, and will remain so when he wins the Senate seat.”

The federal housing official wrote that he believes Schiff’s alleged misconduct could be violations of federal criminal codes banning wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud and false statements to financial institutions. 

Schiff “appears to have falsified records in order to receive favorable loan terms, and also appears to have been aware of the financial benefits of a primary residence mortgage when compared to a secondary residence mortgage,” Pulte wrote.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

According to the letter, a spokesperson for Schiff in 2023 told CNN that, “Adam’s California and Maryland addresses have been listed as primary residences for loan purposes because they are both occupied throughout the year and to distinguish them from a vacation property.” 

Last year, the letter notes, a federal jury convicted Marilyn Mosby of making false statements on a mortgage application for a Florida condominium when she was the Baltimore City state’s attorney.  

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

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…

-Justice Department weighing release of Ghislaine Maxwell interview

–Hunter Biden says he’s started new job with California nonprofit

-Fifth Cincinnati brawl suspect’s mugshot released after FBI arrest

California Dem Subject of US Attorney Probe Involving Maryland Mortgage

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., is under criminal investigation for mortgage fraud, a Trump administration source told Fox News.

Fox News host Laura Ingraham broke the news on Tuesday night on “The Ingraham Angle,” saying the source said a criminal investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland on possible charges involving mortgage fraud…. READ MORE

White House

‘COOLEST GUY’: Michelle Obama celebrates Barack as ‘coolest guy’ on his birthday after the pair joked off divorce rumors

UP TOP: Trump appears on White House roof amid talks of historic renovations

THE BIG HYPOTHETICAL: Trump answers question on whether he’ll try to run again

Zohran Mamdani 

BENCHING THE BLUE: Replace cops with social workers, ‘transit ambassadors’ on some 911 calls

MISSING IN ACTION: Mamdani’s attempted police pivot continues after Adams asks ‘Where was he?’

‘DARK MOMENT’: Mamdani preaches from pulpit of radical pastor pushing reparations, abolishing police: ‘Brother and friend’

SNUBBING THE BLUE: Adams asks ‘where was’ Mamdani at previous NYPD funerals

SOCIALIST SURGE: Will progressive challenger top incumbent mayor in Seattle’s primary?

LEFTIES UNITE: Zohran Mamdani in position to help socialist party ‘seize state power,’ DSA leader admits

World Stage

DUTCH DOLLARS: Netherlands becomes first NATO ally to buy US weapons for Ukraine

PUTIN’S PAYDAY: Witkoff scrambles for peace deal with Russia as sanctions loom targeting India, China

URGENT EFFORT: Fox News gets inside look at Gaza humanitarian situation as Israel weighs next steps

NUCLEAR SHOWDOWN: Russia drops missile deployment moratorium amid tensions with Trump admin

Capitol Hill

PRIMARY CHALLENGE: Iowa Republican targets GOP Sen. Joni Ernst for ouster, saying ‘she doesn’t vote like’ Republicans

GOP SHOWDOWN: South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson accuses Rep. Nancy Mace of ‘ranting and raving’

INNER CIRCLE SECRETS: 9th ex-Biden aide appears before House Oversight investigators in autopen probe

BILL ON THE HILL: Comer subpoenas the Clintons, Trump’s DOJ in House Oversight’s Epstein probe

Across America 

NAMED AND SHAMED: DOJ names and shames 35 sanctuary cities that ‘put American citizens at risk’

TAXPAYER WATCHDOGS: Florida dispatches DOGE agents to Fort Lauderdale, Gainesville to analyze tax hikes, ‘reckless’ trends

SHELTERS SHUT DOWN: Left-wing governor scraps migrant shelter plan after $1B blowup

POWER LINES: Supreme Court orders new arguments in pivotal elections case

TRANSCRIPT RELEASE: Ghislaine Maxwell opposes release of grand jury transcripts

DEBT DIAGNOSIS: Parental rights group on new healthcare price transparency tool for families to Make America Healthy Again

STAMP OF APPROVAL: Voter ID law in Texas wins at appeals court after Biden admin lawsuit

ARNOLD’S NEW ROLE: Schwarzenegger pushing back back against Newsom redistricting bid in California 

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

Vice President JD Vance would be favored to secure the Republican nomination for president in 2028, President Donald Trump said Tuesday. 

Trump was at the South Court Auditorium where he signed an executive order to create a 2028 Los Angeles Olympics task force when senior Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked him if Vance was likely to become the face of the Make America Great Again movement after noting the president said he wouldn’t be running for a third term. 

“You could clear the entire Republican field right now,” Doocy told Trump. “Do you agree that the heir-apparent to MAGA is JD Vance?” 

RUBIO DOWNPLAYS 2028 TALK, TOUTS VANCE AS TRUMP’S SUCCESSOR

In his answer, Trump noted that Secretary of State Marco Rubio could team up with Vance to create a formidable ticket. 

“Well, I think most likely. In all fairness, he’s the vice president, and I think Marco is also somebody that maybe would get together with JD in some form,” Trump replied.

“I also think we have incredible people, some of the people on the stage right here. So it’s too early, obviously, to talk about it, but certainly he’s doing a great job,” he added. “And he would be probably favored at this point.”

CHARLIE KIRK NAMES JD VANCE AS GUIDING LIGHT FOR YOUNG CONSERVATIVES, BUT SAYS GOP MUST DELIVER ON PROMISES

The president also said others in his Cabinet could possibly lead the MAGA movement. Trump and some of his allies have previously floated the idea of him running for a third term, which is constitutionally prohibited.

Rubio ran against Trump during the 2016 primary but has since positioned himself as a Trump ally. 

Last month, Rubio dismissed speculation that he could be the Republican Party’s 2028 presidential nominee. Instead, he threw support behind Vance. 

“I think JD Vance would be a great nominee if he decides he wants to do that,” Rubio said during an interview with Lara Trump that aired on the Fox News Channel.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

He also commended Vance’s performance as vice president during the segment on “My View with Lara Trump” and made clear he is satisfied with his current role in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., is urging that President Donald Trump commute former Rep. George Santos’ seven-year sentence, calling the punishment “a grave injustice” and an “abusive overreach by the judicial system.”

The former New York congressman was sentenced to 87 months, or just over seven years, after pleading guilty in 2024 to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Santos reported to prison on July 25 to begin serving his sentence.

Santos was assessed the maximum sentence in April by U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert. He was also ordered to pay nearly $374,000 in restitution and forfeit more than $205,000 in fraud proceeds.

Santos’ guilty plea followed an investigation into campaign finance fraud, donor identity theft and false COVID-era unemployment claims.

FORMER CONGRESSMAN GEORGE SANTOS DELIVERS ‘GLAMOROUS’ FAREWELL BEFORE GOING TO PRISON: ‘THE CURTAIN FALLS’

On Monday, Greene said in a post on X that she sent a letter to the Office of the Pardon Attorney urging Trump to commute Santos’ sentence.

“A 7-year prison sentence for campaign-related charges is excessive, especially when Members of Congress who’ve done far worse still walk free,” she wrote in the post. “George Santos has taken responsibility. He’s shown remorse. It’s time to correct this injustice. We must demand equal justice under the law!”

Greene addressed her letter to the Honorable Edward R. Martin Jr., pardon attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and she acknowledged the gravity of the actions by her former colleague.

ABREGO GARCIA LAWYERS SEEK SANCTIONS ON TRUMP OFFICIALS OVER STONEWALLING, DEFYING COURT ORDERS

“As a Member of Congress, I worked with Mr. Santos on many issues and can attest to his willingness and dedication to serve the people of New York who elected him to office,” she wrote. “He is sincerely remorseful and has accepted full responsibility for his actions. Furthermore, my office has spoken with a pastor of his who discussed the regret and remorse of Mr. Santos, agreeing that the sentence imposed is a grave injustice.

“While his crimes warrant punishment, many of my colleagues who I serve with have committed far worse offenses than Mr. Santos yet have faced zero criminal charges,” Greene continued. “I strongly believe in accountability for one’s actions, but I believe the sentencing of Mr. Santos is an abusive overreach by the judicial system.”

Prosecutors shared how Santos and his campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, doctored donor reports to qualify for national Republican Party funding. They fabricated contributions from Santos’ family and falsely reported a $500,000 loan from Santos, though he had under $8,000 in his accounts.

TRUMP COMMUTES SENTENCE OF MAJOR POLITICAL DONOR IN LATEST ROUND OF CLEMENCY

He also stole credit card information from donors, including “victims he knew were elderly persons suffering from cognitive impairment or decline” and made unauthorized charges to fund both campaign and personal expenses, according to the DOJ. Santos also used a fake political fundraising company to solicit tens of thousands of dollars, which he spent on “designer clothing.”

During the pandemic, Santos fraudulently claimed over $24,000 in unemployment benefits while employed at an investment firm. He also submitted false congressional financial disclosures to the House.

Santos was elected in 2022 after flipping New York’s 3rd District for the GOP. His resumé was easily debunked. He falsely claimed academic degrees, Wall Street jobs and family ties to the Holocaust and 9/11. 

He was expelled from Congress in December 2023 after a scathing ethics report, becoming just the sixth member ever removed from the People’s House.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Santos has remained publicly active after his sentencing, selling video messages on Cameo and making social media posts.

Unless pardoned, Santos is expected to remain incarcerated until at least early 2032. He has reportedly appealed to President Donald Trump for clemency. 

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

Fox News Digital’s Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.

Rwanda has agreed to take in illegal immigrants deported from the United States amid the Trump administration’s plans to send deportees to third countries.

Under the agreement, the country will take up to 250 deportees from the U.S., with “the ability to approve each individual proposed for resettlement,” Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo told The Associated Press. 

DHS ANNOUNCES ‘THIRD COUNTRY DEPORTATION FLIGHT’ LANDED IN SOUTHERN AFRICA’S ESWATINI

Fox News Digital has reached out to the State Department.

Rwanda would be the third country to take in illegal immigrants from the U.S. 

Last month, the Trump administration sent 13 men it described as dangerous criminals who were in the U.S. illegally to South Sudan and Eswatini in Africa after their native countries refused to take them back. 

The U.S. has said it is seeking more agreements with African nations. 

“The United States is constantly engaged in diplomatic conversations with foreign nations who are willing to assist us in removing the illegal aliens that Joe Biden allowed to infiltrate American communities,” a White House official told Fox News Digital. 

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

In addition to Rwanda, the U.S. has also deported hundreds of Venezuelans and others to Costa Rica, Panama and El Salvador.

In early July, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration, allowing it to deport certain migrants to countries other than their homeland.

In 2022, Rwanda struck a deal with the United Kingdom to accept migrants who arrived there to claim asylum. The deal was scrapped once Britain’s Labour government took over. 

Criticis of the deal voiced concerns regarding Rwanda’s human rights record and the possible dangers for refugees. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

In addition, Britain’s Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that the deal was unlawful because Rwanda was not a safe third country for migrants.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

A group of six criminal illegal aliens have been arrested by ICE in Houston after having collectively illegally entered the country a staggering 42 times. 

The six criminal aliens were finally arrested by ICE in the final days of July after two decades’ worth of illegal reentries and after racking up an equally astounding 48 criminal convictions, according to a statement released on Tuesday. 

Criminal convictions among the group include cocaine trafficking, grand theft auto, assault, domestic violence and multiple DWIs. One of the illegals is a documented member of a cartel-connected gang. 

According to ICE, one illegal, Oscar Moran Valle, a 43-year-old Mexican national and documented Paisas gang member, illegally entered the U.S. 12 times. He has been convicted of 11 criminal offenses, including three convictions for illegal entry, two for DWI, and one each for drug possession, larceny, giving a false ID to law enforcement, illegal reentry and driving without a license. He was arrested by ICE on July 29.

ICE LODGES DETAINER AGAINST ILLEGAL MIGRANT CHARGED WITH KIDNAPPING, SEXUALLY ASSAULTING NEIGHBOR IN TEXAS

Another, Alex Salomon Reyes-Chavez, a 46-year-old from Honduras, illegally entered the U.S. five times. Reyes-Chavez has been convicted of seven criminal offenses, including two convictions for burglary and heroin possession, as well as convictions for grand theft auto and cocaine trafficking. He was arrested by ICE on July 30.

Another Honduran national, Angel Bonilla Barahona, 38, was arrested by ICE after illegally entering the U.S. seven times and being convicted of seven criminal offenses, including three convictions for assault as well as convictions for resisting arrest, criminal mischief and flight to avoid arrest.

Marvin Javier Marquez Celaya, a 38-year-old criminal alien from Honduras, arrested by ICE July 30. He illegally entered the U.S. five times and has been convicted of eight criminal offenses, including three convictions for burglary, two for cocaine possession, and one each for larceny, domestic violence and illegal reentry.

Thanh Van Nguyen, a 53-year-old from Vietnam, illegally entered the U.S. and has criminal convictions for burglary, larceny, assault and obstructing police and damaging private property. 

DHS SCOOPS UP TRANS ILLEGAL ALIEN CHARGED WITH HEINOUS CRIME ON CHILD IN SANCTUARY CITY: ‘WORST OF THE WORST’

The last of the six, Jose Angel Munoz Saucedo, a 40-year-old from Mexico, illegally entered the U.S. 12 times and has been convicted of eight criminal offenses, including four convictions for DWI, two for illegal entry, and one for fleeing from a police officer.

ICE said the six were arrested by multiagency targeting teams established under the Trump administration to target the “worst of the worst” criminal illegal aliens for removal. 

Commenting on the arrests, Gabriel Martinez, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston acting field office director, thanked the administration for making immigration enforcement a priority so that such criminal illegals “will no longer be able to prey on innocent Americans.”

VENEZUELAN SUSPECT ‘SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN IN THE UNITED STATES,’ POLICE CHIEF SAYS AFTER DEADLY SHOOTING

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“For the past 20 years, these six violent criminal aliens have brazenly violated our nation’s immigration and criminal laws, wreaking havoc in our local communities and leaving countless victims in their wake,” said Martinez. “Thanks to the current administration’s focus on securing the border and making immigration enforcement a priority, they have been removed from the local community.”

The redistricting battle across the country is bringing renewed attention to how the census counts people who are non-citizens, and if people here illegally are inflating the statistics that ultimately decide congressional seats and the Electoral College.

Texas is looking at redistricting, as blue states like California are eyeing the possibility of also redistricting to counter any potential Republican seat additions. 

Still, there’s been a debate about whether to include a question asking to verify somebody’s citizenship on the census, and only use the citizen figures to determine congressional district and Electoral College numbers.

SENATE REPUBLICANS LAUNCH CRACKDOWN ON DC PERMITTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, NONCITIZENS TO VOTE IN ELECTIONS

Meanwhile, blue states and cities, particularly sanctuary jurisdictions, have faced major sweeps from federal immigration authorities, leading to questions about the number of illegal immigrants that could have been counted in the 2020 census, even though it was before the Biden-era border crisis.

The Office of Homeland Security Statistics reported in 2024 that there were roughly 2.6 million “unauthorized immigrants” living in California, and just over 2 million living in Texas as of 2022.

Many other states, like Florida, New Jersey, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Georgia, Washington, and Arizona, also had numbers in the hundreds of thousands, according to the office’s estimates at the time.

TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION RESET IS LIFTING WAGES AND FORCING REAL ECONOMIC REFORM

The “Equal Representation Act” was re-introduced in the Senate in June with heavy Republican support, which would add the question and leave out non-citizens from being counted in the apportionments, as they have a major political impact.

“It is unconscionable that illegal immigrants and non-citizens are counted toward congressional district apportionment and our electoral map for the presidency, which also heavily skews the seat count in the U.S. House of Representatives,” Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., said in a statement in June on the legislation. 

“While people continue to flee Democrat-run cities, desperate Democrats have back-filled the mass exodus with illegal immigrants so that they do not lose their seats in Congress or their electoral votes, hence artificially boosting their political power and in turn diluting the power of other Americans’ votes. I’m pleased to lead my colleagues in reintroducing this legislation that would require a citizenship question on the census and will ensure that only citizens are counted in congressional redistricting,” he added.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

“Most Americans would be surprised to learn that states with more illegal immigrants are awarded greater representation in Congress as a result. Addressing this perverse feature of reapportionment needs to be part of any discussion about redistricting reform going forward,” Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., told Fox News Digital in a statement.

TRUMP, REPUBLICANS RACE TO REDRAW TEXAS CONGRESSIONAL MAP AS DEMOCRATS THREATEN LEGAL WAR

The argument from Republicans is that if people who are non-citizens and in the country illegally are being counted, it creates an artificially high number for representation. While there’s been discussion in the past, the millions of illegal immigrants that arrived in the country during the Biden administration brought the concern back.  

A proposal from Rep. Chuck Edwards passed the House last year during the Biden administration, but it never became law and was brought back by the Republican this session.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“But even if not a single illegal alien casts a vote, the mere presence of illegal immigrants in the U.S. is having a profound impact on the outcome of elections, skewing the representation of Americans,” Edwards said at the time.

“Mr. Biggs points out that the U.S. Constitution mandates that a census be carried out every ten years, where everyone who is present in the United States, regardless of their citizenship and immigration status, is counted. But the Constitution does not specify whether non-citizens or illegal aliens must be counted for the purpose of apportioning House seats,” he added.

Senate Republicans are mulling whether to go nuclear after negotiations with Senate Democrats to ram through President Donald Trump’s nominees fell apart over the weekend.

The path to confirming dozens of Trump’s outstanding nominees was destroyed when the president accused Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., of “political extortion,” and charged that the Democratic leader’s asking price for nominees was too high.

TRUMP TELLS SCHUMER TO ‘GO TO HELL’ OVER SENATE NOMINEE DEAL FUNDING DEMANDS AFTER NEGOTIATIONS COLLAPSE

Now, lawmakers have left Washington without a deal to bundle dozens of nominees that made it through committee with bipartisan support, and a change to how the Senate handles the confirmation process is on the horizon.

Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., berated Schumer and Senate Democrats for their “unprecedented” blocks of the president’s nominees, and noted that every pick had been filibustered save for Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who glided through the Senate earlier this year.  

“We have been working through the list, but there is still a large backlog because of the unprecedented filibuster by the Democrats of every nominee,” Barrasso said. “And if they don’t change their behavior, we’re going to have to change how things are done here, because a president needs to have his or her team in place.”

DEMS DIG IN, TRUMP DEMANDS ALL: NOMINEE FIGHT BOILS OVER IN SENATE AS GOP LOOKS FOR A DEAL

Under normal circumstances, changing the rules in the Senate would require 67 votes, meaning that Senate Democrats would have to be on board with a change. However, there is a path that lawmakers refer to as the nuclear option, which allows for rules changes to only need a simple majority.

There is the political will among Republicans to change the rules, but doing so would open the door for Senate Democrats to do the same when they get into power once more.

“I think that way is going to happen anyways, because of what Schumer has done. He’s forced this, and it’s ridiculous that he’s doing this,” Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., said. “And so, whatever, we’re at this point, and we’ll do, you know what they say, every action requires an equal [reaction], and that’s what we’re at right now.”

Some of the options on the table include shortening the debate time for nominees, getting rid of procedural votes for some lower-level nominees, grouping certain civilian nominees “en bloc” – something that is already done for military nominees – and, at the committee level, deciding whether to lower the number of nominees subject to the confirmation process.

GRIDLOCK CRUMBLES AS SENATE ADVANCES SPENDING BILLS IN RACE AGAINST SHUTDOWN

Currently, over 1,200 positions go through Senate confirmation. Senate Republicans have been able to confirm over 130 of Trump’s picks so far, but had a loftier goal of doing at least 60 more before leaving town until September.

And there are over 140 nominees still pending on the Senate’s calendar. 

“I think they’re desperately in need of change,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters. “I think that the last six months have demonstrated that this process, nominations, is broken. And so I expect there will be some good robust conversations about that.”

As to when lawmakers will try to run with a rules change is still in the air. The Senate is gone from Washington until early September and will return to a looming deadline to avert a partial government shutdown.

Before leaving town, the Senate did advance a trio of spending bills – a first in the upper chamber since 2018 – but those same bills are unlikely to pass muster in the House, given that they spend at higher levels than the ones greenlit by the House GOP.

Ramming a rules change through without Democrats could also come at a price for government funding negotiations. Schumer said a possible rules change would be a “huge mistake” for Republicans to do on their own.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Because when they go at it alone, they screw up for the American people and for themselves,” he said.

When asked if there were any possible rule changes that he and Senate Democrats could agree to, Schumer said, “We should be working together on legislation to get things done for the American people.”

“That’s the way to go, not changing the rules, because when they change the rules, they say, ‘Only we’re going to decide what’s good for the American people,’ and every time they do that, the American people lose,” Schumer said.

Still, Republicans were unhappy with the way negotiations devolved after days of back and forth.

“We actually, we wanted a deal,” Mullin said. “And these people deserve to be put in position… they’re going to say that we’re trying to do a nuclear option. The fact is, they – Schumer – went nuclear a long time.”

Two Chinese nationals — one of them an illegal immigrant — were arrested for allegedly shipping tens of millions of dollars’ worth of sensitive microchips used in artificial intelligence (AI) applications to China, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.

The federal criminal complaint charges Chuan Geng, 28, of Pasadena, California, and Shiwei Yang, 28, of El Monte, California, with violating the Export Control Reform Act. 

Prosecutors said the felony offense carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Yang — an illegal immigrant who overstayed her visa — was arrested on Saturday. Geng surrendered to federal authorities later that day, the DOJ said.

PATEL SOUNDS ALARM AS CHINESE NATIONALS CHARGED WITH SMUGGLING ‘AGROTERRORISM AGENT’ INTO US: ‘DIRECT THREAT’

They made their initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on Monday but no pleas were taken. At that time, a federal magistrate judge ordered Geng — a lawful permanent resident — released on $250,000 bond. 

The judge also scheduled an Aug. 12 detention hearing for Yang. Their arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 11. 

Through their El Monte-based company, ALX Solutions Inc., Geng and Yang allegedly “knowingly and willfully” exported from the United States to China sensitive technology, including graphic processing units (GPUs) — specialized computer parts used for modern computing — without first obtaining the required license or authorization from the U.S. Department of Commerce, according to affidavit filed with the complaint. The activity allegedly began in October 2022 and continued until July 2025.

According to the complaint, ALX Solutions Inc. was founded shortly after the Department of Commerce began requiring licenses for the advanced microchips that Yang and Geng are alleged to have illegally exported.

The Justice Department said that a review of export records, business records and company websites indicates that a December 2024 shipment and at least 20 previous shipments by ALX Solutions involved exports from the U.S. to shipping and freight-forwarding companies in Singapore and Malaysia — commonly used as transshipment points to conceal illegal shipments to China. According to the complaint, ALX Solutions has not received payments from the entities to which they purportedly exported goods. Instead, prosecutors say, ALX Solutions received numerous payments from companies based in Hong Kong and China, including a $1 million payment from a China-based company in January 2024.

CHINESE CITIZEN ADMITS STEALING US TRADE SECRETS FOR NEXT-GENERATION NATIONAL SECURITY TECH

Prosecutors allege that ALX Solutions sent a shipment in December 2024 that falsely labeled that it was sending GPUs subject to federal laws and regulations. The complaint says the shipment actually contained GPUs that required a license for export to China. Neither Geng nor Yang (nor their company) applied for or obtained a license from the Department of Commerce. 

The Justice Department said the chip was “made by a manufacturer of high-performance AI chips” and is considered the “most powerful GPU chip on the market.” According to the complaint, the chip is “designed specifically for AI applications,” such as “to develop self-driving cars, medical diagnosis systems, and other AI-powered applications.”

Law enforcement searched ALX Solutions’ office last week and seized phones belonging to Geng and Yang. The DOJ said the phones “revealed incriminating communications between the defendants, including communications about shipping export-controlled chips to China through Malaysia to evade U.S. export laws.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The Trump administration has sounded the alarm over Chinese nationals infiltrating U.S. institutions — including American tech companies and universities — for potential sabotage or to gain access to proprietary information worth millions.  

Last month, President Donald Trump delivered an AI summit speech asserting that the United States must “win the global race with China” regarding the rapidly evolving technology. The president emphasized the need to remove barriers to maintain U.S. leadership in A.I. and signed three executive orders to expedite federal permitting for AI data centers and infrastructure, expand U.S. AI exports to allied nations and prohibit AI tools in government that are considered ideologically biased or “woke.” 

A former deputy to Lois Lerner — who oversaw the IRS division accused of targeting conservative groups during the Obama years — was placed on leave after lawmakers raised alarms that a new sub-department she was leading was becoming politicized.

In 2013, Lerner was hauled before Congress, where it was revealed her agency had wrongfully scrutinized tax-exempt applications related to the phrases “Tea Party,” “9/12” and “Constitution.” The Treasury’s inspector general later confirmed “inappropriate criteria” was used to target conservative groups and criticized ineffective oversight of systemic bias.

IRS Commissioner of Large Business and International Division Holly Paz – Lerner’s then-deputy – was placed on leave last week as lawmakers drew attention to a subordinate work-unit aimed at auditing pass-through businesses that Biden-era Commissioner Danny Werfel had created and assigned her to lead.

Werfel called the new work-unit a big step in “ensur[ing] the IRS holds the nation’s wealthiest filers accountable,” and Paz called it an “important change” in the IRS structure.

TRUMP SCORES MAJOR WIN AS SENATE INSTALLS IRS CRITIC TO LEAD THE AGENCY

However, by 2025, lawmakers, including Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., warned that the pass-thru-business compliance unit had transformed to be “motivated by ideology rather than principles of sound tax administration.”

“Pass-through entities form the bulk of Main Street businesses across the country. This includes countless family businesses, professional services firms, and real estate ventures that serve as the backbone of our local economies,” Blackburn and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., wrote to the Treasury in May.

Around that time, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa., warned Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that Paz’s team “has made tongue-in-cheek political comments,” including their stated wish to “make basis great again” – a phrase regarding taxation loss/gain that hearkens to President Donald Trump’s MAGA slogan.

In that regard, Rep. Lloyd Smucker, R-Pa., wrote to IRS Commissioner Billy Long in July that a Biden-era “basis-shifting transaction rule” had “extended the scope” of enforcement.

SENATE DOGE LEADER SEEKS CRACKDOWN ON TAX-DODGING GOVERNMENT WORKERS

“American taxpayers and businesses deserve clear and consistent tax rules that allow them to confidently comply with the law,” Smucker wrote, adding he and Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., are seeking to have that rule “reconsidered” for the sake of unburdening “Main Street” businesses.

Chuck Flint, a former top aide to Blackburn and president of the Alliance for IRS Accountability, told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that Paz’s past targeting of conservative groups makes her “unfit for government service.”

Flint said her statements to Congress and role as LB&I chief “places a cloud over the IRS.”

“Paz’s Biden-era pass-through unit is now bludgeoning conservative businesses with fines and must be disbanded. Commissioner Long is flexing his muscles on the IRS Deep State and sending a signal to rogue bureaucrats by placing Paz on leave.”

Blackburn warned in her letter to Bessent that an IRS news release referencing targeting “complex arrangements” lacked clear definitions and created the impression that legitimate business structures could be unfairly targeted based on legal structure versus actual tax compliance risk.

“Even more concerning, the announcement explicitly states that the bureaucratic changes were designed primarily to ‘achieve its goal of increased audit rates in this complex area’.”

LAWMAKERS TAKE ACTION AFTER REPORT SHOWS BIDEN-ERA SBA FAILED TO PROBE 2 MILLION ALLEGED COVID AID FRAUDSTERS

“This focus on increasing audits rather than improving compliance suggests an agenda-driven approach to enforcement,” Blackburn said.

In her letter, Ernst warned Bessent that Paz’s team members “have also undermined their appearance of impartiality by comparing legally acceptable transactions to obscene material, saying, ‘It’s one of those ‘You know it when you see it’ – a joking reference to [Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart’s] attempt to define pornography.

“This team is reportedly acting independently and duplicating existing IRS processes, wasting taxpayer money, and not coordinating with the pre-existing offices,” Ernst said.

“Most concerning of all, the new pass-through auditors even use a new template for requesting taxpayer information they’ve deemed ‘The Art of the IDR,’ (versus ‘The Art of the Deal’) which treats taxpayers as guilty until proven innocent.”

“Unfortunately, the Biden administration picked up right where Ms. Lerner and her team left off. On September 20, 2023, then-Commissioner Daniel Werfel announced, with language that resembled Democrat talking points, the creation of a duplicative new work unit [led by Paz] to specifically audit pass-through businesses and partnerships. The new office subjects these businesses to potentially two separate IRS examinations in the same year.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“One would think Commissioner Werfel would go to great lengths to avoid hearkening back to previous scandals. Instead, he thumbed his nose at taxpayers by placing Lois Lerner’s deputy— Holly Paz—at the helm,” Ernst wrote.

Lerner was front-and-center during the Obama-era scandal, testifying before Congress as head of the tax-exempt organizations division, as a deluge of reports of targeting right-leaning nonprofits abounded.

During the 2013 investigation by the House Oversight Committee, Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Darrell Issa, R-Calif., demanded Paz answer for “inconsistencies” from a transcribed interview with committee staff involving statements about “intervention” against Tea Party groups.

A 2015 report by then-Senate Finance Committee leaders Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Ronald Wyden, D-Ore., found that in other cases, some liberal terminology was also flagged, including “ACORN,” “progressive” and “medical marijuana.”

“While handled poorly, groups on both sides of the political spectrum were treated the same in their efforts to secure tax-exempt status,” Wyden said at the time, while then-Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, said Democrats should be equally outraged as Republicans.

Fox News Digital reached out to Treasury, the IRS and an email connected to Paz for comment.

FIRST ON FOX: New York City socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani appeared at a church over the weekend led by a pastor with a history of controversial statements on race, anti-Israel ties and support for reparations.

“My profound thanks to Rev. Stephen A. Green and the Greater Allen AME for the honor of addressing their beautiful congregation in Jamaica, Queens this morning,” Mamdani posted on X late Sunday.

Mamdani spoke at the church for over 10 minutes and delivered a politically charged sermon that weaved in Scripture in an attempt to justify his campaign platform. Near the end of his sermon, Mamdani said New York City and the United States are facing a “dark moment.” He then called the Trump administration an “authoritarian government” and slammed ICE for “abduct[ing]” immigrants.”

“That is not justice. It is cruelty and it is criminal. These are our neighbors. These are people who are guilty of only wanting a field of their own to harvest,” he continued.

NEW YORK LAWMAKER SOUNDS ALARM ON POTENTIAL ‘DEVASTATING’ EFFECTS OF MAMDANI VICTORY: ‘CHAOS’

He went on to target the issue of affordability in New York City, an issue that has resonated with his supporters, and asked, “What good is New York City being the greatest city in the world if New Yorkers cannot afford to live here?”

Green, who called Mamdani his “brother and friend,” repeatedly said, “Amen” after the sermon and thanked him for attending. Like Mamdani, who has espoused several controversial political views, Green is no stranger to pushing his radical views on social media. In 2021, he called for a “new U.S. Constitution” on social media, saying the country needs a document that “guarantees the right to vote, abolishes the electoral college, provides reparations for slavery, guarantees annual income, and so much more.”

In a 2022 Facebook post, Green, who calls himself a “global thought leader at the intersection of faith and social justice” and an “activist,” called on President Joe Biden to establish a commission on reparations because the “impact of slavery and its vestiges are felt in every aspect of life for Black people.”

“I was proud to be arrested at the DC Airport with my comrades to protect voting rights, DC Statehood, and reparations,” Green said in a 2021 Facebook post that included a video of him being arrested. “We must continue to escalate our actions across the nation in order to protect voting rights. This is our revolutionary summer. Hold on, we must keep our eyes on the prize.”

“Trump’s executive order is still entrenched in White Supremacist nationalism,” Green posted on Facebook in June 2018. “We can not ease up on our pressure to abolish ICE and open our borders.”

In another Facebook post that year, Green insisted on “abolish[ing] the system of policing in this nation” and amplified a separate post accusing the system of policing in the United States as being anti-Black.

One month after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, Green participated in a rally calling for a ceasefire. Pastor Jamal Bryant, who Fox News Digital previously reported has a long history of praising notorious antisemite Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, was one of the leaders at the rally. 

Bryant is the leading voice behind the recent boycott of Target. Liberal activists urged the public not to shop at the retailer in response to the company’s rollback of DEI guidelines.

Green also led another rally the following February that was promoted as a “peace pilgrammage” for Gaza, saying, “We walked 150 miles to push the Biden administration to demand a ceasefire to protect the lives of all precious Palestinians and to pursue the beloved community.”

“The Black prophetic tradition calls me to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God as we speak out against genocide, occupation and war,” he continued, appearing to take a shot against Israel.

TIMELINE: EVOLUTION OF MAMDANI’S DEFUNDING POLICE RHETORIC TO THIS WEEK’S ‘DAMAGE CONTROL’
 

In recent weeks, Mamdani has faced an onslaught of attacks as old interviews and past social media posts were unearthed, including several from 2020 and 2021 calling for defunding police.

“We need a socialist city council to defund the police,” Mamdani posted on X in July 2020.

“Queer liberation means defund the police,” Mamdani posted on X in November 2020.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Nature is healing,” Mandani posted on X in response to a user mocking and laughing at seeing a police officer “crying inside his car.”

However, last week, in the wake of a Midtown Manhattan shooting that left a NYPD officer dead, Mamdani said his calls to defund the police were made out of “frustration” over George Floyd’s death and appeared to distance himself from his past rhetoric.

His comments left several in the community unconvinced that he had genuinely turned the page from antagonizing the police, believing the walkback was politically driven as the city reels from the worst mass shooting in half a century.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Mamdani campaign and Green for comment.

President Donald Trump appeared on the roof of the White House on Monday, indicating to the press that he was reviewing potential renovations for the presidential residence.

Trump specifically appeared above the West Wing and the press briefing room, with reporters crowded on the White House lawn to see him. There was also heavy security during the appearance due to the president’s exposure.

Trump spoke with several people while on the roof, though the White House has not identified them or said what they discussed.

The appearance comes just days after Trump announced that he and private donors will fund an estimated $200 million cost of a new ballroom at the White House.

TRUMP CONFIRMS 2 NUCLEAR SUBMARINES ARE ‘IN THE REGION’ TO COUNTER RUSSIA

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday during a briefing that the construction is scheduled to begin in September and will be “completed long before the end of President Trump’s term.”

TRUMP INSTALLS MASSIVE NEW US FLAGS AT THE WHITE HOUSE – AND THEY DON’T COST TAXPAYERS A PENNY

Trump similarly financed the installation of two 88-foot American flags flanking the White House earlier this year, each reportedly costing around $50,000.

“The White House is currently unable to host major functions honoring world leaders in other countries without having to install a large and unsightly tent approximately 100 yards away from the main building’s entrance,” Leavitt said, adding the new ballroom will be “a much-needed and exquisite addition.”

She said the United States Secret Service will provide the necessary security enhancements and modifications during the construction.

The project is intended to provide a dedicated space for hosting official events, state dinners and large ceremonial gatherings.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The planned 90,000-square-foot addition will accommodate approximately 650 seated guests and will stay true to the classical design of the White House.

Fox Business’ Amanda Macias contributed to this report