NationalWatch

Officials from the first Trump administration are alleging they received notices from Google shortly before they returned to office that they were being probed by the FBI under the Biden administration and the web giant was unable to tell them because of a court order. 

Dan Scavino, who is now White House Deputy Chief of Staff and assistant to the president, described the matter as “Biden lawfare” kicking in after he “patriotically and proudly” served during Trump’s first term. 

“Google received and responded to a legal process issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation compelling the release of information related to your Google account. A court order previously prohibited Google from notifying you of the legal process…” Scavino shared on X from an email he said he received from Google five weeks before Trump returned to the White House. 

“I’ve never shared this — but this is a small taste of the INSANITY that many of us went through — right here in the United States of America. LAWFARE at its finest. A Complete and Total Disgrace!!!!!” he added. 

TOP GOP SENATOR DEMANDS PROBE INTO WHETHER JACK SMITH ‘UNLAWFULLY’ TRIED TO INFLUENCE 2024 ELECTION 

Less than a half-hour after Scavino’s post, FBI Director Kash Patel responded to him saying “I got one of those too…” 

Jeff Clark, the current acting administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, then chimed in Saturday morning, saying that he, too, received a similar message.

“Indeed, a whole Jack Smith team was assigned to go through my emails after there was a privilege review,” Clark wrote on X in reference to the former special counsel. 

“But that group of lawyers ignored my religious pastor privilege, marital privilege, and other privileges and basically shipped all they could to Jack Smith. But it still cost me tens of thousands to try to protect my communications,” he added. 

FORMER CIA DIRECTOR JOHN BRENNAN ‘CLUELESS’ ABOUT WHY FBI WOULD INVESTIGATE HIM 

Smith was tapped by former Attorney General Merrick Garland to probe allegations that Trump sought to overturn the 2020 election results, and later investigated the handling of classified documents that were uncovered during a raid at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago compound. 

“My medical records and other private communications had nothing to do with the 2020 election. They were no one’s business. But it didn’t matter to these thugs with law degrees and the willingness to abuse government power,” Clark said Saturday.  

“They were trying to bait me to go to court to get them to destroy their secret copies of the emails, so they could try to break even my lawyer-client privilege with President Trump. But my team and I didn’t fall for it,” Clark also said. “Moreover, the whole thing was a blatant attempt to intimidate me. It didn’t work and I didn’t fold under the pressure.” 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

The FBI did not immediately respond Saturday to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

Fox News’ Alex Miller contributed to this report. 

A federal judge in California delayed the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) decision to terminate protections for immigrants from three countries, a move that adds to the legal hurdles for the Trump administration as it pushes to carry out its deportation agenda.

Judge Trina Thompson said that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s terminations of temporary protected status, also known as TPS, for immigrants from Honduras, Nicaragua and Nepal were likely “preordained decisions” that violated the Administrative Procedure Act and were driven by racial animus.

“The freedom to live fearlessly, the opportunity of liberty, and the American dream. That is all Plaintiffs seek,” Thompson, a Biden-appointee, wrote in an order. “Instead, they are told to atone for their race, leave because of their names, and purify their blood. The Court disagrees.”

Thompson later added: “Color is neither a poison nor a crime.”

DHS TERMINATES TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS FOR AROUND 76K HONDURAN, NICARAGUAN MIGRANTS

The lawsuit was brought by a group representing TPS holders, including some who have lived in the country for more than two decades.

Attorneys wrote in court papers on behalf of the immigrants that they were “laborers, health care workers, artists, and caretakers” who have “relied on TPS to provide the most basic forms of human security — a stable place to live and a chance to work for a living during a time of severe crisis in their home countries.”

They argued that Noem declining to extend their TPS status was, by law, supposed to be reached based on an individualized analysis of each country. The judge found that Noem likely failed to condition TPS termination on factors specific to the immigrants’ countries of origin.

They also said Noem had given the immigrants a historically short notice period of 60 days before they would lose their TPS status. And she and other Trump administration officials have normalized using “racist invective” to explain their TPS decisions, the attorneys said.

FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION POLICY IN SHOCKING DECISION ON HAITIAN PROTECTIONS

The attorneys cited dozens of examples of Trump or Noem describing migrants as MS-13 gang members, murderers, terrorists and people who have it in their “genes” to commit crime. They pointed to Trump’s viral debate moment in which he made the unproven claim that Haitian immigrants were eating Ohioans’ house pets.

The TPS program gives the DHS authority to permit immigrants who might otherwise have no legal status to temporarily reside in the United States because of extraordinary circumstances in their home countries, such as wars or natural disasters.

The plaintiffs argued that roughly 61,000 people would lose their TPS as a result of Noem’s decision, which would end the immigrants’ legal status and work authorizations and make them eligible for deportation.

The Trump administration has argued that the statute governing TPS gives DHS secretaries sole discretion over TPS designations and that Noem should be allowed to end the status using the same authority that past secretaries used to grant it.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

In May, the Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration in an emergency order related to a case involving TPS for Venezuelans. The order temporarily paused a lower court order, clearing the way for Noem to end TPS for about 350,000 immigrants.

Thompson’s decision will stay in place until at least November, when the next hearing is scheduled. DHS told Fox News Digital it plans to appeal the decision. 

Steve Ricchetti was the gatekeeper for former President Biden.

But House Republican investigators hoped Ricchetti was the key to unlocking answers about Mr. Biden’s cognitive state when he was commander in chief.

The House Oversight Committee summoned Ricchetti for a closed-door deposition recently. Ricchetti worked for President Clinton, was Biden’s top aide when he was Vice President and served as a key advisor in the Biden White House. He frequently visited Capitol Hill as President Biden and Congressional Republicans negotiated a debt ceiling pact in the spring of 2023.

“What’s your message to the committee today?” yours truly asked Ricchetti when he materialized on the third floor of the Rayburn House Office Building for a voluntary, transcribed interrogation.

“I’m not going to say anything on the way in. I’m just going to go in and give an interview,” replied Ricchetti.

“Was the President up for the job?” I inquired.

“Of course he was,” answered Ricchetti. “Of course he was.”

SENATE REPUBLICANS PLAN HEARING ON BIDEN’S ALLEGED COGNITIVE DECLINE COVER-UP

In a statement, Ricchetti conceded that former President Biden “occasionally stumbled.” But he argued the former president was fit for the job. Ricchetti added that no one “usurped President Biden’s Constitutional duties.”

 In their inquest, Republicans have specific questions about the former President’s use of the autopen and about legal documents bearing Mr. Biden’s signature.

“Who was signing any of these documents and who was running the White House?” asked Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., on Fox. “That’s the biggest, weirdest scandal probably in American history since Woodrow Wilson’s wife was running the White House.”

That refers to First Lady Edith Wilson. Historians generally believe that she took over day-to-day executive functions after President Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke.

“Anything that had the force of (law) that was signed by autopen should be null and void,” argued Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, on Fox Business.

Unlike Ricchetti, three other Biden figures have ducked questions when summoned for closed-door interviews. The Oversight Committee issued subpoenas for former Biden administration aide Annie Tomasini, former Jill Biden aide Anthony Bernal and the President’s former physician, White House doctor Kevin O’Connor. All three invoked the Fifth Amendment during their sessions before the House Oversight Committee, declining to answer questions.

BIDEN’S AUTOPEN USE QUESTIONED AMID RELEASED AUDIO FROM SPECIAL COUNSEL HUR INTERVIEW

“I think the real witness is the doctor. And unfortunately, he took the Fifth,” said Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan.

 Marshall himself is an OB-GYN.          

“A doctor certainly has an obligation ethically to protect (a patient) for privacy. But the needs of the country – the national security issue, legal issues – trump that relationship as well,” said Marshall.

Democrats contend Republicans are flailing in their probe of the former President. Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., believes the GOP should focus on the economy and affordability issues.

“Message to House Republicans,” declared Welch. “You won the election. I mean, I’m not quite sure why they want to waste time on this.”

“He’s not the president,” said Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., of former President Biden. “I think we really should just move (on).”

Fetterman himself faced questions about his health after suffering a stroke during his 2022 campaign and hospitalization for depression after taking office as a senator in 2023.

But Republicans contend the Biden investigation is critical. Former President Biden’s medical state isn’t clear, although the public saw his performance in the debate last June. Republicans insist their probe is about figuring out what to do if a future President struggles cognitively.

SENATE HEARING ON WHO WAS ‘REALLY RUNNING’ BIDEN WHITE HOUSE KICKS OFF WEDNESDAY

“What we’re doing today is setting sort of a template for the future,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. “How can we make it better? Because it’s a Democratic President today. It may be a Republican President tomorrow.”

It’s not just a challenge for the presidency. But for lawmakers, too. In recent years, Capitol Hill has witnessed uncomfortable, steady declines of late Sens. Strom Thurmond, R-S.C., Thad Cochran, R-Miss., Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Rep. Kay Granger, R-Tex.

“Hopefully all of us make the right decision when it’s appropriate,” said Welch. “And we have people around us to do the right thing.”

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., is one of the most conservative, politically pragmatic Democrats in the House. She represents a district President Trump carried three times. And even though Sens. Patty Muray, D-Wash., and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., routinely win statewide, they fail to carry Gluesenkamp Perez’s district. Gluesenkamp Perez bested GOP nominee Joe Kent – for a second time – by four points in 2024.

The 36-year-old Gluesenkamp Perez introduced a plan requiring cognitive standards for persons to serve in the House.

The House Appropriations Committee rejected her amendment late last month.

However, there are Constitutional and legal problems with imposing a cognitive exam on prospective lawmakers.

Article, I, Section 5 of the Constitution says the House and Senate “may determine the Rules of its Proceedings.” So, it’s possible the House or Senate could impose a “rule” dictating a test. The same part of the Constitution says each body may judge “the qualifications of its own Members.”

INSIDE THE BIDEN COVER-UP PROBE: 8 AIDES QUESTIONED, MORE ON THE WAY

But imposing an additional provision for eligibility to serve could be extra-constitutional. For instance, Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution says House Members must be at least 25-years-old, have been a citizen for seven years and reside in the state from which they were elected. A senator must be 30, a citizen for nine years and live in the state they represent. However, heaping another mandate on top of that is a problem.

This is why the Supreme Court found term limits to be unconstitutional. An additional “rule” – such as how long one can serve – introduces an extra qualification not outlined in the Constitution. That’s why the Supreme Court ruled against term limits proposals. It’s likely the High Court would follow suit with additional stipulations to serve in Congress.

Moreover, installing an acuity credential holds the potential to undo the will of the voters.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

Late Rep. Adam Clayton Powell, D-N.Y., faced ethics issues in the late 1960s. Voters re-elected Powell in 1966. But the House refused to seat him. Powell sued. In Powell v. McCormick, the Supreme Court found that the House didn’t have the right to exclude Powell. The High Court argued that the House’s refusal to seat Powell wasn’t Constitutional since it placed additional conditions on his service in Congress.

There’s no easy solution on how to handle an impaired President or lawmaker. It is often said Congress simply reflects the rest of the country. There are cognitively-diminished persons serving in every walk of life in the U.S. And that’s a reality for those in government, too.

Rep. Debbie Dingell has held office for a decade, but her family has represented in the same general region of Michigan for almost a century, since Rep. John Dingell Sr. took office in 1933.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, however, Dingell, a Democrat, stressed she is not concerned with the idea she is continuing a record-breaking family legacy but instead the “quality” of work she does in-the-moment for the people in her district.

“I love my husband very much. And I’m proud of my last name. But I have to get up every day and earn the respect of the people that I represent. And I have to deliver for my constituents every day,” Dingell said. 

“Most important to me is being a voice in a room and at the table for the people that I represent.”

JOHN DINGELL, LONGEST-SERVING MEMBER OF CONGRESS, DIES AT 92

Dingell’s own lineage, like her husband’s (Rep. John Dingell Jr.) and father-in-law’s, is also one that epitomizes the area she represents. She is the great-granddaughter of one of the Fisher Brothers – whose Fisher Bodyworks company became an early component of what is now General Motors.

“Home is home to me,” she said. “My district is a very complicated district. [It’s] Mini-America. Downriver (southwest of Detroit) is home – they have a manufacturing legacy, but they have a lot of environmental issues, and I’m really proud of some of the things I did from the moment I stepped into this job.”

Dingell spoke of regularly being on the phone with agencies from FEMA to healthcare, saying she always wants to “talk to people directly” and not politicize pressing issues.

“I don’t have entourages because I don’t believe in them. I love my staff… but I want people to talk to me directly … I go to farmer’s markets every weekend because that’s where [constituents are].”

Dingell supporters point to her willingness to work across the aisle, as the congresswoman said: “We’ve got to respect … [and] listen to each other.”

In the century since Dingell Sr. took office, politics has gotten nastier, or as Dingell put it, “what we’ve lost in the legislative process is trust – people don’t get to know each other anymore.”

LIBERALS BLAME BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL LOSS ON DYING DEMS: IMAGINE IF THEY ‘RETIRED INSTEAD OF DIED IN OFFICE’

National Wildlife Federation CEO Collin O’Meara called Dingell and Dingell Jr. the “hardest-working people” he’s worked with.

“I think in the conservation world, they’re just kind of legendary figures,” he said, noting that Dingell Sr. was a leader in the space as well, drafting the “Dingell-Johnson Act” in 1950 that helped restore sportfishing and continues to be utilized today.

The Dingells were instrumental in the Clean Air Act, the Endangered Species Act and other key laws, he said, adding Dingell has led major cleanup efforts around Michigan while also leading nationally on conservation, including via caucus chairmanships.

O’Meara said that Dingell and her family have been “versatile lawmakers” in a Washington full of “one-trick ponies.”

David Hecker, a former state president of American Federation of Teachers, said Dingell has supported domestic manufacturing, workers’ rights and education issues.

“The congresswoman is everywhere, informing, but moreso listening: to needs and concerns of her constituents and supporting community organizations,” Hecker said.

85-YEAR-OLD LONGTIME HOUSE DEMOCRAT FACING PRIMARY CHALLENGER WHO’S MAKING AGE A KEY ISSUE

Trenton, Mich., Mayor Steve Rzeppa told Fox News Digital that Dingell and Dingell Jr., could not be “bigger fighters” in Congress.

Rzeppa’s earliest political work was in Dingell Jr.’s district office. 

“It’s tough to even put into words what you learn working for someone like that,” he said. “It was really more a way of living and serving others than it was a set of certain skills.”

Rzeppa said the political family have been “champions” of the local auto industry, universal healthcare and conservation – recalling them also greeting workers at plants’ shift-change.

Bentley Johnson of the League of Conservation Voters called the Dingells’ district a “fascinating case study” as the home of UAW and heavy-industry workers who were longtime Democrats who have been trending more toward President Donald Trump or independent affiliation.

“In a lot of ways, it’s a microcosm of the country in terms of political polarization. But what is interesting is that we see water and outdoor recreation as classic examples of issues that are top priorities for people across the entire political spectrum,” Johnson said.

Johnson said the Dingells recognize that and that as “problem-solvers,” there is “no situation too complex or politically sticky that they won’t throw themselves into to try and find a solution.” 

Local colleges also praised the Dingells’ tenure, with spokespeople for both the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University crediting their support for the institutions.

“Congresswoman Debbie Dingell has been an incredible supporter of Michigan Medicine, and we are fortunate to have someone of her caliber represent our students, faculty, staff and patients,” said Mary Masson, a spokesperson for UMich-Health.

“As a lifelong resident of Ann Arbor and former local elected official, I’ve had the honor of working over many years with Debbie Dingell and, before her, John Dingell,” added Eastern Michigan administrator Leigh Greden.

REP. DEBBIE DINGELL: DEMOCRATS NEED TO EXAMINE WHY MILLIONS OF VOTERS SUPPORTED TRUMP

“The district has changed a lot over the years… What hasn’t changed between John and Debbie is their omnipresence in the community.”

The lack of change, however, has been something critics of term limits and “dynastic” political families have in turn called out.

Writer Andrew Sullivan previously dove into the “Dingell Dynasty” and cited several critiques of having a family in office that long.

He cited journalist Philip Klein’s take that it is an indictment of incumbency.

“[Dingell Jr.] was re-elected over and over again due to the way congressional districts are drawn up and because incumbents have such a huge money and influence advantage that it creates a barrier to entry for any potential challengers,” he said according to Sullivan.

“The United States was created by a revolution against a monarchy, and yet Americans have had an unhealthy obsession with political dynasties,” added Klein, who noted that at the time, the nation was flirting with dynastic presidencies of Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush.

“And seriously, does anybody believe that Caroline Kennedy is the most qualified person in the country to serve as ambassador to Japan?” he wrote.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Outside The Beltway writer Doug Mataconis said following Dingell’s primary win to succeed her husband, “as a general rule, there is something unhealthy about both political dynasties and long-term incumbency, and the Dingell case provides ample examples of both.”

“Congressional seats such as Dingell’s are made virtually immune from challenge by the opposing party … there is just something distasteful about the fact the same family has held the same congressional seat since Franklin Roosevelt was first elected to the presidency.”

Dingell Jr.’s tenure by itself remains the longest of any member – at 59 years.

Former Democratic Sens. Robert Byrd of West Virginia, Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, and Carl Hayden of Arizona, and ex-Rep. Jamie Whitten of Mississippi all served about 50 years as did Dixiecrat Strom Thurmond of South Carolina. Former Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, served 49.

At the state level, the “Byrd Machine,” led by Democratic Sen. Harry Byrd, famously controlled Virginia’s politics for almost all of the 20th century.

President Donald Trump wrapped up his second term’s 28th week in office announcing he would reposition two nuclear submarines amid increased tension with Russia, after just adding new tariffs to a host of countries. 

On Monday, Trump unveiled a new deadline for Russia to end its conflict with Ukraine, and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said the announcement is an additional “step towards war.” 

In response, Trump made a rare announcement Friday that he would reposition two submarines to best respond to the escalated tension between the two countries. 

TRUMP MOVES NUCLEAR SUBMARINES WEEKS AFTER PRAISING SUB’S POWER IN IRAN STRIKES

“Based on the highly provocative statements of the Former President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, who is now the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that,” Trump said in a Friday post on Truth Social. 

Trump did not disclose any additional details regarding the submarines, and defense officials rarely comment on submarine placement given the highly classified nature of their operations. 

Here’s what also happened this week:

New tariffs

Trump also signed several executive orders Thursday related to tariffs, including raising the tariffs on Canada from 25% to 35%. 

The president raised the tariff rate due to Canada’s contribution to the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs into the U.S., according to the Trump administration. However, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney challenged that assessment. 

“Canada accounts for only 1% of U.S. fentanyl imports and has been working intensively to further reduce these volumes,” Carney said in a Friday statement.  

TRUMP THREATENS 35% TARIFF ON CANADA GOODS OVER DANGEROUS CROSS-BORDER FENTANYL DISPUTE

Trump also modified reciprocal tariffs on a series of countries Thursday, bumping up the tariff rate on Brazil to 50%. 

Meanwhile, Trump reached a trade deal on Thursday with South Korea, driving down tariffs against South Korea from 25% as pitched in the spring to 15%. Additionally, Trump agreed Thursday to continue trade talks with Mexico for another 90 days. 

Veterans housing legislation

Trump also signed the VA Home Loan Program Reform Act into law Wednesday, which would make permanent a partial claims program that seeks to keep veterans from losing their homes to foreclosure. 

The new partial claims program under the Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ (VA) Home Loan Program permits veterans who are behind on mortgage payments to tack on those payments to the tail end of their loans, while also offering them an interest-free loan in the interim. 

TRUMP SIGNS NEW LAW HELPING VETERANS AVOID FORECLOSURE WITH PARTIAL CLAIMS PAYMENT PROGRAM 

“This legislation provides desperately needed relief to veterans and their families who have fallen behind in their mortgages,” Trump told reporters Wednesday. “It’s a really sort of an amazing situation, and it helps keep our promise to end veterans homelessness. And, we’re going to do that for America. We’re going to do that for our great veterans.”

Estimates suggest the partial claim program could assist up to 3.7 million veterans, according to Trump. 

“It’s common sense legislation,” Trump said. “My administration is committed to doing everything possible to ensure that our veterans are treated with respect and treated as well as anybody in this country.”

House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., is investigating whether former President Joe Biden’s closest aides worked to conceal evidence of mental decline in the octogenarian Democrat during his White House term, and whether an autopen was used for executive decisions without his knowledge.

Biden himself asserted to the New York Times that he “made every decision” regarding autopen pardons specifically, and his allies have dismissed the GOP-led probe as a partisan show.

Several ex-senior White House officials are due in the coming weeks, including former press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and ex-White House chief of staff Jeff Zeints.

But Comer’s staff have also met with a number of people so far – some who have said very little, while others have given no information at all.

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

Below are the eight people who have sat down with House investigators so far:

Neera Tanden

Former White House staff secretary Neera Tanden appeared for a voluntary interview on June 24.

A source familiar with Tanden’s interview said she described having “minimal interaction” with Biden during her sit-down with investigators.

Tanden also said she would submit requests for autopen signatures to members of Biden’s team, but was not aware of what actions or approvals occurred between the time she sent the memo and the time she received it back with the president’s approval, the source said.

Tanden’s lawyer told Fox News at the time that she “consistently followed a protocol” that was used by both Republican and Democratic administrations in the past.

“That same protocol existed in the Clinton and Obama administrations, which Ms. Tanden learned in discussions with previous staff secretaries from those administrations. She further understood and believed that the same process was followed in the Trump 1 and Bush administrations,” the lawyer said.

Tanden had been tapped to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) early in Biden’s term, but she withdrew after bipartisan pushback in the Senate.

Kevin O’Connor

Former White House physician Kevin O’Connor was the second ex-Biden administration official to appear when he came in on July 9, and the first to appear under subpoena.

Before serving as White House doctor, however, O’Connor was known to be a close associate of the Biden family for years. 

Investigators were hoping to learn whether O’Connor knowingly obscured signs of advanced aging or loss of mental acuity in Biden. He notably met with a Parkinson’s Disease expert at the White House at one point, according to the New York Times – though the revelations were downplayed by the White House at the time.

O’Connor’s lawyers had attempted to delay his scheduled deposition date over concerns that the scope of the committee’s investigation would violate doctor-patient confidentiality.

He ultimately did appear when Comer rejected his delay request, but O’Connor was in and out of the committee room in less than an hour after pleading the Fifth Amendment to all questions, save for his name.

FAR-LEFT FIREBRAND SAYS SHE ‘NEVER HAD A CONCERN’ ABOUT BIDEN’S MENTAL STATE AS HOUSE PROBE HEATS UP

Ashley Williams

Ashley Williams is a longtime Biden advisor who still works for the former president, according to her LinkedIn. She appeared for a voluntary transcribed interview on July 11.

The close Biden ally’s time with him goes back to assisting then-second lady Jill Biden during the Obama administration, according to a 2019 profile of Biden staffers.

She served as his trip director for the 2020 campaign before being hired to the White House as deputy director of Oval Office Operations and a special assistant to the president.

Williams repeatedly told committee staff during her sit-down that she did not “recall” various things “an untold number of times,” but that she believed Biden was fit to be president today, a source told Fox News Digital.

“Examples include she could not recall if she spoke with President Biden in the last week, if teleprompters were used for Cabinet meetings, if there were discussions about President Biden using a wheelchair, if there were discussions about a cognitive test, if she discussed a mental or physical decline of President Biden, if she ever had to wake President Biden up and how she got involved with his 2020 campaign,” the source said.

Anthony Bernal

Anthony Bernal, who was nicknamed Jill Biden’s “work husband” for their close relationship, was the second person subpoenaed to appear. 

Like O’Connor, Bernal’s July 16 deposition lasted less than an hour after he pleaded the Fifth Amendment to investigators.

Bernal served as former Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor to the First Lady. He also still appears to work for the Bidens, according to LinkedIn, which says he works for Jill Biden specifically.

“During his deposition today, Mr. Bernal pleaded the Fifth when asked if any unelected official or family members executed the duties of the President and if Joe Biden ever instructed him to lie about his health,” Comer said in a statement after Bernal’s deposition.

RON KLAIN DODGES REPORTERS AFTER MARATHON GRILLING IN BIDEN COVER-UP PROBE

Annie Tomasini

Former Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Oval Office Operations Annie Tomasini had been scheduled to appear for a transcribed interview, before her counsel requested a subpoena from Comer shortly before her July 18 appearance.

Tomasini followed O’Connor and Bernal’s lead in pleading the Fifth Amendment, which people coming in voluntarily cannot do.

“During her deposition today, Ms. Tomasini pleaded the Fifth when asked if Joe Biden, a member of his family, or anyone at the White House instructed her to lie regarding his health at any time,” Comer said in a statement after her deposition.

“She also pleaded the Fifth when asked if she ever advised President Biden on the handling of classified documents found in his garage, if President Biden or anyone in the White House instructed her to conceal or destroy classified material found at President Biden’s home or office, and if she ever conspired with anyone in the White House to hide information regarding the Biden family’s ‘business’ dealings.”

She first worked for Biden as a press secretary when he chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as a U.S. senator from Delaware.

Ron Klain

Ron Klain served as Biden’s chief of staff for the first two years of his White House term and played a key role in preparing him for his disastrous 2024 presidential debate against former President Donald Trump.

Klain told investigators that he believed Biden’s memory got worse over time, but he still had the ability to govern, a source familiar with his interview told Fox News Digital.

The source said Klain also claimed to have heard concerns about Biden’s political viability from both former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Biden’s own national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, by 2024, though it’s not clear if those concerns are tied to his mental acuity nor that they spoke to Klain together.

A spokesperson for Sullivan vehemently denied the account.

Klain also told investigators that Biden appeared tired and ill before the 2024 debate, the source said.

In a letter requesting his appearance, Comer quoted Klain as cutting Biden’s debate prep short last year, “due to the president’s fatigue and lack of familiarity with the subject matter,” adding that Biden “didn’t really understand what his argument was on inflation,” citing a POLITICO report from earlier this year. 

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

Steve Ricchetti

Former counselor to the president Steve Ricchetti sat down with House investigators earlier this week on voluntary terms.

Unlike the vast majority of others before him, who did not acknowledge media gathered outside the committee room, Ricchetti told Fox News’ Chad Pergram that “of course” Biden was up to the job of president.

Ricchetti’s interview was also the longest by far – running roughly eight hours on Wednesday.

A source familiar with Ricchetti’s sitdown described him as “combative and defensive” during exchanges with House Oversight staff.

Ricchetti asserted he had personal relationships with Jill Biden and Hunter Biden in addition to the former president, the source said.

His own family had relationships with the Biden administration as well – three of his four children worked in the Treasury, State Department and in the White House.

The longtime Democratic operative and lobbyist was one of two longtime trusted aides reportedly with Biden in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, when he drafted his bombshell letter announcing he was dropping out of the 2024 presidential race.

Mike Donilon

Former senior advisor to the president Mike Donilon is the latest member of Biden’s inner circle to appear before House investigators, sitting down with them voluntarily on Thursday for roughly five hours.

Donilon first began working for Biden in 1981 as a pollster when Biden was the junior U.S. senator from Delaware.

Alongside Ricchetti, he was one of two Biden aides who were present when he drafted his announcement dropping out of the 2024 presidential race.

Donilon told investigators he received $4 million to work for Biden’s 2024 re-election campaign and would have gotten $4 million more if Biden had won, a source told Fox News Digital.

He staunchly defended Biden during his interview, the source said, accusing Democrats of overreacting in the wake of Biden’s debate.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Donilon told investigators Biden is “a leader who was deeply engaged and in command on critical issues,” according to his opening statement obtained by Fox News Digital.

“Every president ages over the four years of a presidency and President Biden did as well, but he also continued to grow stronger and wiser as a leader as a result of being tested by some of the most difficult challenges any president has ever faced,” Donilon said.

Fox News Digital’s Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report.

Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed Department of Justice (DOJ) officials to probe election practices throughout the country as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on federal election laws.

The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division is largely leading the effort, which has involved seeking information from states about their election practices and voter registration lists, sometimes known as “voter rolls,” and placing an emphasis on identifying any noncitizens on them. 

“Election integrity starts with clean voter rolls. That’s the foundation for secure elections,” a DOJ source told Fox News. “There’s been a culture of noncompliance from several states that don’t keep their roles updated. This DOJ is cracking down.” 

TRUMP APPOINTEE VOWS TO FOCUS DOJ’S LARGEST DIVISION ON DEI, DENATURALIZATION

Some states, like Wisconsin and Utah, shared recent election-related correspondence they had with the DOJ on state websites. New Hampshire’s Republican secretary of state rejected a request to provide the DOJ with a statewide database of voters, saying laws do not allow the state to do that.

The department sent more unusual demand letters to numerous local election offices in California, asking for extensive personal data about any noncitizens who ended up on voter registration lists.

At least one of the recipients, Orange County, resisted the request, prompting the DOJ to sue. Attorneys for the county responded that county election officials were authorized under federal law to withhold sensitive information about voters.

The flurry of activity stems from an executive order Trump signed in March tasking the attorney general with coordinating with states on election integrity, which has been a top priority for him since his 2020 election loss. Trump ordered the DOJ to review how states manage their voter registration lists, enter into information-sharing agreements with the states, aid states with prosecuting election-related crimes, and punish uncooperative states where possible.

DOJ LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO BLUE STATE CITY OVER ALLEGED RACE-BASED HIRING

Several Democrat-led states sued over the order, and a federal judge in Massachusetts temporarily blocked parts of it, saying “the Constitution does not grant the President any specific powers over elections.” The DOJ is appealing the ruling.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., blasted the DOJ’s efforts, suggesting they were designed to hinder racial minorities’ ability to vote.

“These efforts, made under the guise of combating fraud, will disproportionately endanger voters of color, low-income communities, and active-duty military personnel,” Durbin said.

Trump has frequently voiced his grievances about voter fraud, saying it is widespread and that illegal immigrants are voting, but there is scant evidence to support those claims.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

While states have identified noncitizens on voter rolls and removed them as part of routine voter list maintenance, rarely have they been found to have cast ballots. “Existing safeguards are broadly effective,” a Center for Election Innovation and Research analysis recently found.

Last October, a Chinese national allegedly voted in the 2024 election in Michigan. The suspect, a University of Michigan student living legally in the country, used his student identification information and other data to complete a same-day voter registration form. He was charged with voter fraud and perjury.

After Democratic lawmakers filed a lawsuit over being denied access to a Maryland ICE facility, DHS is clarifying its simple procedures for members of Congress to request a visit to its facilities.

According to ICE’s Office of Congressional Relations website, members of Congress need only submit a request via email at least seven days in advance of their desired visit.

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson explained to Fox News Digital that the seven-day requirement is to “prevent interference with the President’s Article II authority to oversee executive department functions.”

“A week is sufficient to ensure no intrusion on the President’s constitutional authority,” the spokesperson said, adding, “To protect the President’s Article II authority, any request to shorten that time must be approved by the Secretary.”

BORDER APPREHENSIONS HIT RECORD LOW IN DRAMATIC TURNAROUND FROM BIDEN ERA

The spokesperson also noted that “ICE law enforcement has seen a surge in assaults of 830%, as well as disruptions and obstructions to enforcement, including by politicians themselves.”

A dozen Democrats are suing the Trump administration for “unlawful obstruction of congressional oversight” after Democratic members of the Maryland congressional delegation were denied entry to a Baltimore ICE facility on Monday.  

Maryland Democratic Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, along with Reps. Glenn Ivey, Johnny Olszewski, Sarah Elfreth and Kweisi Mfume, showed up in Baltimore at the Fallon Federal Building on Monday but were denied entry into an ICE detainment facility in the building. 

After being denied access to the facility, the group held a press conference outside the building in which Mfume said, “We had to stand outside, bang on the door and ultimately sit in front of the door.”

The Democrats filed their lawsuit against the administration on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. 

Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., said in a statement announcing the suit that “blocking Members of Congress from oversight visits to ICE facilities that house or otherwise detain immigrants clearly violates Federal law — and the Trump administration knows it.” 

FEDERAL JUDGE HALTS TRUMP TPS POLICY, ACCUSES DHS OF MAKING MIGRANTS ‘ATONE FOR THEIR RACE’

In response, DHS Assistant Secretary for Communications Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News that “these Members of Congress could have just scheduled a tour; instead, they’re running to court to drive clicks and fundraising emails.” 

After the incident, Ivey’s office shared a letter with Fox News Digital dated July 21 in which the delegation informed Noem and acting ICE Director Todd Lyons of their intent to visit the Baltimore facility. The letter did not appear to be making any request. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and Ranking Member Robert Garcia, D-Calif., were also included in the letter. 

A person familiar with the Democrats who attempted to visit the Maryland facility told Fox News Digital that “the letter sent to Secretary Noem was a notice given, not a ‘request,’  because under the law, Members of Congress, doing their oversight responsibilities, don’t have to ask for permission, but as a courtesy, they notified DHS a full seven days before the visit.”

The person added that “under the law the co-equal branch of government has the right to conduct ‘surprise’ inspections to ensure American taxpayer dollars are being spent appropriately.”

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

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Commenting on the lawsuit, National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Mike Marinella remarked to Fox News Digital that Democrats “have gone from ignoring the border to targeting the men and women who enforce it.”

“This is the Democrat Party’s platform, and they’re not even trying to hide it,” said Marinella.  

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday rejected the Trump administration’s request for an emergency stay of a federal injunction restricting federal immigration agents from targeting migrants in Southern California based on characteristics such as ethnicity or language.

The three-judge panel issued a unanimous ruling that maintains the restraints on federal agents during immigration raids in the Los Angeles area.

The limitations include prohibiting targeting people based on their ethnicity, accent, language or location, including being at a Home Depot or a car wash.

The ruling requires federal agents to have more specific probable cause to make an arrest instead of generalized suspicion about a person’s citizenship status.

TRUMP ADMIN ENDS DEPLOYMENT OF ADDITIONAL NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS TO LOS ANGELES

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass celebrated the court’s decision as “a victory for the rule of law and for the City of Los Angeles.”

“The Temporary Restraining Order that has been protecting our communities from immigration agents using racial profiling and other illegal tactics when conducting their cruel and aggressive enforcement raids and sweeps will remain in place for now,” Bass said in a statement.

“We must still fight for justice,” she continued. “Los Angeles will stand together against this Administration’s efforts to break up families who contribute every single day to the life, the culture and the economy of our great city. No matter what, I will continue to stand by you and fight for your rights, your dignity and your place in this city we all call home.”

This comes after recent raids in the Los Angeles area targeted illegal immigrants working at local businesses, sparking weeks of unrest over immigration arrests and the administration’s mass deportation efforts.

About 4,000 National Guard soldiers and 700 Marines were deployed to Los Angeles to gain control over the protests despite opposition from state and local leaders. At this point, most of the National Guard troops and all the Marines have since been withdrawn.

The administration was sued last month over alleged “unlawful stop-and-arrest practices” and “illegal conditions of confinement.” A federal judge then issued two temporary restraining orders, including one to stop generalized raids based on the idea that many Spanish-speaking Hispanics are known to be in a certain location.

Lawyers for the administration filed an emergency appeal asking the court to temporarily pause the injunction as it would cause “irreparable harm” and put immigration officials in a “straitjacket.” The appeal was denied in court on Friday.

PENTAGON ORDERS 700 MARINES TO WITHDRAW FROM LOS ANGELES AS STABILITY RETURNS FOLLOWING ICE PROTESTS

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

During arguments, one of the judges repeatedly asked the lawyer for the government about a reported 3,000 daily quota for immigration-related arrests — a quota policy the lawyer claims does not exist — in reference to comments made by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller during an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity in May.

“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are looking to set a goal of a minimum of 3,000 arrests for ICE every day, and President Trump is going to keep pushing to get that number up higher each and every single day,” Miller said at the time.

Fox News’ Lee Ross contributed to this report.

Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman admitted that his party had gotten it wrong about President Donald Trump’s tariffs, saying that, so far, the U.S. trade war is “going well.” 

Asked by Fox News Digital whether he thought the Trump administration was winning the trade war, Fetterman responded, “Absolutely.”

“I’m a huge fan of Bill Maher, and I mean, I think he’s really one of the oracles for my party, and he acknowledged it, it’s like, hey, he thought that the tariffs were going to tank the economy, and then he acknowledged that it didn’t,” said Fetterman.

“So, for me,” he went on, “it seems like the E.U. thing has been going well, and I guess we’ll see how it happens with China.”

This comes as Trump is increasing the tariff on Canada from 25% to 35% beginning on Friday, after the U.S. neighbor to the north failed to help curb the imports of fentanyl and other illicit drugs. The White House noted that Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to increase the tariff in an effort to hold Canada accountable for its role in the flow of illicit drugs into the U.S.

Additionally, Trump signed another executive order on Thursday to modify the reciprocal tariff rates for some countries to further address the United States’ trade deficits. The action reflects Trump’s efforts to protect the U.S. from foreign threats to national security and the economy by securing “fair, balanced and reciprocal trade relationships,” the White House said.

 TRUMP AIMS TO RESHAPE GLOBAL ECONOMY WITH HISTORIC NEW TARIFFS

Earlier this year, Trump announced an additional 10% tariff on all countries as well as higher tariffs for countries the U.S. has large trade deficits with. The tariffs became effective on April 9. Since then, Trump and his team have since made several trade deals with several countries.

The U.S. struck a deal with the European Union in which the EU agreed to purchase $750 billion in U.S. energy and make new investments of $600 billion by 2028. The EU also agreed to accept a 15% tariff rate. The U.S. also made a deal with Japan, which agreed to invest $550 billion in the U.S. to rebuild and expand core American industries. Japan also agreed to further its own market to U.S. exports, and like the EU, Japan agreed to a baseline 15% tariff rate.

However, many Democrats are digging in their heels against Trump’s tariffs strategy, saying the negative effects are still on the horizon.

Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., forecast that, despite the increased revenue, “within a few weeks or months, you’ll start seeing significant increases in most things you buy. And also, you will see disruption in terms of a lot of our industries, because they’re not able to access product or supply.”

TRUMP IMPOSES SWEEPING TARIFFS ON DOZENS OF COUNTRIES AFTER LANDING MASSIVE TRADE DEALS

“When you have across-the-board tariffs, it does operate like a national sales tax, and I think people are going to be more and more hurt,” predicted Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.

“This is the president who said he was going to come in and reduce prices. Prices are going to rise, and they’re going to rise more over time,” said Van Hollen.

Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren said that “Donald Trump may beat his chest and say, ‘Man, I made him take a 15% tariff or 25% tariff,’ but also understand that every one of those trading partners is now looking hard all around the rest of the world to find other customers, because Donald Trump is signaling loud and clear that the United States under Donald Trump is not a reliable trading partner. And that’s not good for any of us.”

Warren also claimed that Trump’s tariffs are the reason the Federal Reserve has not lowered U.S. interest rates.

“Jerome Powell said last month that he would have lowered interest rates back in February if it hadn’t been for the chaos that Donald Trump was creating over trade. And the consequence has been that American families have, for six months now, been paying more on credit cards, more on car loans, more home mortgages, all because Donald Trump has created chaos,” she said.

US-CHINA TRADE DEAL ON THE HORIZON, SAYS TREASURY SECRETARY

Meanwhile, Republicans whom Fox News Digital spoke with urged the president to double down on his tariff strategy.

“I think it’s exactly the right approach. It’s what I have been urging the president to do, and I think the successes he’s winning are big wins for America,” said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.

In response to Democrats still predicting economic fallout because of the tariffs, Cruz sarcastically remarked, “I’m shocked, shocked that Democrats are rooting for the economy to do badly under President Trump.”

“It’d be nice if some Democrats would put their partisan hatred for Trump aside and actually start working together for American workers and American jobs. Unfortunately, I don’t see a whole lot of Democrats interested in doing that right now,” said Cruz.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., while agreeing that the tariffs have been successful, voiced that he hopes the goal is to ultimately achieve reciprocal zero percent tariffs between the U.S. and its trade partners.  

DEMOCRATIC SENATOR ADDRESSES WHETHER KAMALA HARRIS HAS REACHED THE END OF HER POLITICAL CAREER

“Clearly, the president got a good deal from one perspective. The Europeans just caved, they did. Fifteen percent tariffs on them, zero on us, commitment to invest in our country. But the part of the deal I like the most, the E.U. and the president agreed that a whole bunch of goods would be tariff-free. That is, no American tariffs and no E.U. tariffs. It’s called reciprocity, and ideal reciprocity is zero on both sides,” he explained.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“That’s what I would like us to achieve in all the trade deals,” Kennedy explained. “Let the free enterprise system work. May the best product at the best price win. That, to me, would be the perfect situation.”

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

A federal appeals court will hear oral arguments Friday afternoon in a challenge to President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship in the U.S., one of several lower court cases that took shape after the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in June. 

The three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit agreed this summer to hear arguments in two consolidated cases centered on the matter, O. Doe. v. Trump, and the State of New Jersey v. Trump, joining several other appeals courts in reviewing the legality of Trump’s executive order.

The hearing comes roughly five weeks after the Supreme Court partially sided with the Trump administration in a case centered on the birthright citizenship order. Justices narrowed when lower courts can issue so-called “universal injunctions” blocking the president’s orders from taking effect nationwide. 

Trump signed his birthright citizenship executive order on his first day in office. It seeks to clarify the 14th Amendment, which states, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”

NINTH CIRCUIT REJECTS TRUMP’S BID TO REINSTATE BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ORDER

Instead, the language put forth by the Trump administration, and subsequently blocked, would have clarified that individuals born to illegal immigrant parents, or those who were here legally but on temporary non-immigrant visas, are not citizens by birthright.

The Supreme Court declined to rule on the merits, instead giving the Trump administration 30 days to outline how it would enforce the order — effectively punting the issue back to the lower courts. So far, the administration hasn’t found much success there.

A federal judge in New Hampshire issued a nationwide injunction last month blocking Trump’s order from taking force, and certified as a class all infants born in the U.S. who would be denied citizenship under the order. 

Arguments before the First Circuit come just one week after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals also blocked Trump’s birthright citizenship order from taking force nationwide. 

Judges on the Ninth Circuit voted 2-1 to block the order, siding with the Democratic-led states in ruling it unconstitutional.

They also ruled it “is impossible to avoid this harm” caused by the order “absent a uniform application of the citizenship clause throughout the United States,” prompting them to issue the nationwide injunction. 

“The district court below concluded that a universal preliminary injunction is necessary to provide the states with complete relief,” U.S. Circuit Judge Ronald Gould, writing for the Ninth Circuit majority, said in the ruling.

“We conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion in issuing a universal injunction in order to give the states complete relief.”

It’s unclear how judges on the First Circuit will rule. But their oral arguments come days after the Trump administration detailed new specifics on how it plans to enforce its order in question. 

Guidance from roughly half a dozen U.S. agencies outlines these new requirements for parents. One document published by the Social Security Administration outlines new requirements parents will need to meet to prove their child is a U.S. citizen at birth.  

“With respect to citizenship, an SSN applicant may currently demonstrate U.S. citizenship by providing a birth certificate showing a U.S. place of birth,” a document from SSA said. 

“Once the EO takes effect, a birth certificate showing a U.S. place of birth will not be sufficient documentary evidence of U.S. citizenship for persons born after the EO takes effect.”

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The policy, which remains halted by the lower courts, is widely unpopular. 

More than 22 U.S. states and immigrants’ rights groups have sued the Trump administration to block the change to birthright citizenship, arguing in court filings that the executive order is both unconstitutional and “unprecedented.”

And to date, no court has sided with the Trump administration’s executive order seeking to ban birthright citizenship, though multiple district courts have blocked it, including in wake of the Supreme Court ruling, from taking effect.

Anti-Israel protesters were arrested after storming the lobby of Sen. Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s offices in New York City. The NYPD confirmed to Fox News Digital that officers made arrests at “an unscheduled demonstration” at 780 Third Avenue, where both senators’ NYC offices are located. 

The protesters, clad in black and yellow, put out signs with various slogans, including two that addressed Schumer and Gillibrand directly, demanding they “stop starving Gaza.” They also chanted “Free, free Palestine, stop the genocide.” Among the activists was actor Sara Ramirez, who starred in “Grey’s Anatomy” and “And Just Like That,” according to Reuters.

TRUMP: HAMAS SURRENDER, HOSTAGE RELEASE IS ‘FASTEST WAY’ TO END GAZA WAR

It is unclear exactly how many people were arrested, as the NYPD was not disclosing that information at the time of this writing.

Earlier this week, Schumer released a statement decrying the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

“The reporting and images out of Gaza – depicting the devastating levels of hunger, starvation, suffering, and death – are wholly unacceptable and underscore the dire human cost of this ongoing conflict that cannot be ignored,” the statement read.

PRO-ISRAEL DEM SAYS THOSE WHO WON’T DECRY HAMAS OVER OCT. 7 ATTACK ‘HAVE NO BUSINESS’ POSING AS HUMANITARIANS

“Regardless of the status of negotiations, the Trump administration and the Israeli government must urgently work with experienced and long-standing humanitarian and development partners of the United States to surge the delivery of food, services, and humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza. The action taken by the Israeli government to lift some restrictions on aid is a step forward – but much more must be done,” Schumer added.

On Friday, President Donald Trump told Axios that he is working on a plan to “get people fed” in Gaza. The outlet noted that the president was concerned about starvation in Gaza, but placed the blame on Hamas. Additionally, Trump told Axios that Witkoff was “doing great work,” but that he had not gotten a briefing from his special envoy yet.

DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKER ‘NO LONGER ON SPEAKING TERMS’ WITH SOME FAMILY OVER ISRAEL SUPPORT

Also on Friday, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff visited aid distribution sites run by the U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

“Went into Gaza today [and] observed humanitarian food program by U.S.-launched GHF. Hamas hates GHF [because] it gets food to [people without] it being looted by Hamas. Over 100 MILLION meals served in 2 months,” Huckabee wrote on X. In a separate post, Huckabee hailed GHF’s work as “an incredible feat.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Huckabee also told Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade that the situation in Gaza is “a mess” because of Hamas. He added that he had seen evidence of the terror group stealing aid and selling it on the black market. According to Huckabee, a 4-kilogram (8.8-pound) bag of sugar is being sold on the black market for as much as $200.

Witkoff said that he and Huckabee spent five hours in Gaza “level setting the facts on the ground, assessing conditions and meeting with [GHF] and other agencies.” He added that the aim of the visit was to give President Donald Trump “a clear understanding of the humanitarian situation and help craft a plan to deliver food and medical aid to the people of Gaza.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the NYPD as well as the offices of Schumer and Gillibrand.

EXCLUSIVE: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will announce Friday that it is reversing a Biden-era exception allowing abortion services to be provided to veterans, in what the department cited as likely counter to the current medical benefits package prescribed by law.

In a memo obtained by Fox News Digital, the VA said it will return its medical package and “CHAMPVA” benefits to the time preceding a September 2022 agency rule that removed the long-standing abortion restrictions.

The 1999 medical benefits package that remains intact, prescribed under the outline of a 1992 law, does not authorize abortion services because they are not considered “needed” under the statute.

“It is without question that VA has the authority to bar provision of abortion services through the VA medical benefits package to veterans,” the memo read, adding that the former VA leadership made its adjustment in favor of providing abortions in response to the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision that effectively overturned Roe v. Wade.

VA CHIEF BLASTS RIOTERS AFTER LA CLINIC SHUTTERED AMID CHAOS

Then-Rep. Gillespie Montgomery, D-Miss., laid out in his 1992 Veterans Health Care Act that the agency could provide women with multiple healthcare services, including Papanicolaou Tests (“Pap-smears”), mammography and “general reproductive care, including the management of menopause.”

However, the law explicitly precluded “infertility services [and] abortions” unless they relate to a pregnancy with “risks of complication [that] are increased by a service-connected condition.”

“Prior to the Biden administration’s politically motivated change in 2022, federal law and longstanding precedent across Democrat and Republican administrations prevented VA from providing abortions and abortion counseling,” a VA spokesperson told Fox News Digital in discussing the policy reversal.

VA SEC HITS BACK AT FAKE NEWS CRITICS, DEFENDS DOGE ON VETERANS HEALTH CARE

“VA’s proposed rule will reinstate the pre-Biden bipartisan policy, bringing the department back in line with historical norms.”

The VA memo added that the Dobbs decision was intended to prevent federal overreach and return control of abortion policy to the states, and that the agency prior to current Secretary Doug Collins’ tenure “did the exact opposite” of what it said its 2022 policy change was intended to do in that regard.

“[It] creat[ed] a purported federal entitlement to abortion for veterans where none had existed before, and without regard to state law,” the VA said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“For nearly 50 years, and across a slew of federal programs, including Medicaid, the Child Health Insurance Program, TriCare, Federal Employee Health Benefits Program, and others, Congress has consistently drawn a bright line between elective abortion and health care services that taxpayers would support.”

The agency also emphasized that its policy reversal will not prevent pregnant women facing life-threatening circumstances from receiving care in those instances.

A Washington-based government transparency watchdog has referred former FBI Director Christopher Wray to the Department of Justice and the FBI, urging a criminal investigation into allegations that he had made false statements to Congress and obstructed proceedings in two high-profile cases.

Oversight Project President Mike Howell told Fox News Digital that the group is specifically asking officials to examine Wray’s congressional testimony on the so-called Richmond memo from the FBI office in Virginia that exposed an anti-Catholic bias there, and his testimony about a Chinese plot to disseminate illicit driver’s licenses before the 2020 election.

In July 2023, Wray testified before the House Judiciary Committee on the FBI-Richmond memo that had labeled Catholics as potential domestic threats.

TRUMP SAYS BRENNAN, COMEY ‘CROOKED AS HELL’ AMID FBI PROBE, MAY HAVE TO ‘PAY THE PRICE’

“Well, what I can tell you is you’re referring to the Richmond product, which is a single product by a single field office, which as soon as I found out about it, I was aghast and ordered it withdrawn and removed from FBI systems,” Wray said.

The Oversight Project alleges that statement was ultimately misleading or false.

Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., pressed Wray on the Richmond memo and so-called “Trump questionnaire,” which was circulated at the FBI and asked about allegiance to the president and whether agents had attended any protests or rallies associated with the Jan. 6 Capitol Breach.

“We keep hearing about these ‘isolated examples’ whether it’s Richmond Catholics, this [questionnaire] — isn’t it a pattern?” Tiffany asked.

The Oversight Project pointed to Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Charles Grassley’s opening remarks from a June hearing on Biden-era “cover-ups,” in which Grassley said the Richmond memo “used the shoddy research of the radical Southern Poverty Law Center to accuse traditional Catholics of being violent extremists.”

“Based on records I released the other week, there wasn’t just one FBI document that used biased anti-Catholic sources, but over a dozen,” Grassley said. The referral also notes that this remark by Grassley belies Wray’s testimony suggesting a one-off incident.

FBI LAUNCHES CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS OF JOHN BRENNAN, JAMES COMEY: DOJ SOURCES

“And more FBI field offices were involved than we’d been led to believe,” Grassley, R-Iowa, said.

A second Richmond memo similar to the first that went unreleased following the backlash was part of a partially redacted series of documents Grassley’s committee transmitted to FBI Director Kash Patel in June. It stated that the bureau “assesses RMVE (Racially Motivated Violent Extremism) interest in RTC (Radical Traditional Catholic) ideology is likely to increase … in the run-up to the [2024] general election cycle.”

“Director Wray’s testimony was inaccurate not only because it failed to reveal the scope of the memo’s production and dissemination, but also because it failed to reveal the existence of a second, draft product on the same topic intended for external distribution to the whole FBI,” the Oversight Project said in a separate statement. “That draft product was intended for distribution as a Strategic Perspective Executive Analytic Report (“SPEAR”). It was clearly a separate product.”

The Oversight Project specifically alleged violations of obstruction of proceedings before Congress, perjury and false statements.

Fox News Digital reached out to Grassley, who also told Fox News’ Bill Hemmer in June that he had found 13 other documents similar to the Richmond memo. Grassley said the documents had gone out and that “at least 1,000 people had access to information that … was telling people that the Catholic Church needed to be watched because it could be considered a terrorist organization.”

Fox News Digital reached out to a phone number connected to Wray but did not receive a response.

FBI BLOCKED PROBE INTO ALLEGED CHINESE 2020 ELECTION MEDDLING TO PROTECT WRAY FROM FALLOUT, DOCUMENTS SHOW

Patel cited the CCP influence case in a June statement, declaring that “former FBI leadership withheld the facts and misled the public on China’s 2020 election interference. And they did so for political gain. This FBI is exposing all of it and giving Americans the truth they deserve.” 

Patel claimed the FBI in 2020 “buried” evidence “for political convenience” and thanked Grassley for helping the current FBI brass bring the topic to light.

During September 2020 testimony, Wray told Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., that the FBI had “not seen historically any kind of coordinated national voter fraud effort in a major election, whether by-mail or otherwise.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Wray added that the FBI had identified localized voter fraud and that his testimony was not intended to downplay the overarching threat.

Howell’s group argues those statements were belied by documents Patel gave to Congress in June that reportedly showed concerns in August 2020 that China had mass-produced such fake IDs to help former President Joe Biden.

The criminal referral against Wray also cites a related August 2020 seizure of 20,000 counterfeit licenses by Customs and Border Protection in Illinois. A Chicago port official told Fox News at the time that the proliferation “can lead to disastrous consequences.”

It is unclear if any ballots were cast as part of the scheme.

During a 2020 address to the Hudson Institute, Wray did warn of the CCP threat to the upcoming election and beyond:

“China’s malign foreign influence campaign targets our policies, our positions, 24/7, 365 days-a-year. So it’s not an election‑specific threat. It’s really more of an all‑year, all‑the‑time threat. But certainly that has implications for elections, and they certainly have preferences that go along with that,” he said.

The FBI and Department of Justice did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Iran still has the capabilities to enrich uranium — despite U.S. and Israeli strikes — and could restart its nuclear program if it wanted to, Tehran’s foreign minister claimed. 

While the U.S. struck three key Iranian nuclear sites, Israel destroyed much of its air defenses, took out top military commanders and killed at least 13 nuclear scientists and more than 1,000 people, according to figures put out by Tehran. Israel claims it killed 30 senior security officials and 11 top nuclear scientists. 

“Buildings can be rebuilt. Machines can be replaced, because the technology is there. We have plenty of scientists and technicians who used to work in our facilities,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a recent interview with the Financial Times. 

“But when and how we restart our enrichment depends on the circumstances.”

IRAN WILL NOT GIVE UP NUCLEAR ENRICHMENT, TOP OFFICIAL CONFIRMS IN EXCLUSIVE FOX NEWS INTERVIEW

Washington maintains that it inflicted significant damage to Iran’s two main uranium enrichment sites, Fordow and Natanz, and fired missiles that rendered the Isfahan facility essentially inoperable, setting Iran’s nuclear program back “years.” 

Now, the world is watching to see whether Iran and the West will be able to come to a deal that ensures Iran does not work towards a nuclear weapon in exchange for sanctions relief. 

Araghchi said the U.S. must offer funds to Iran to compensate for last month’s strikes in order to move forward with negotiations. 

“They should explain why they attacked us in the middle of . . . negotiations, and they have to ensure that they are not going to repeat that [during future talks],” Araghchi said. “They have to compensate [Iran for] the damage that they have done.”

Araghchi claimed the so-called 12-Day War “proved there is no military solution for Iran’s nuclear program.”

Araghchi also said the strikes had prompted calls from within the regime to weaponize Iran’s nuclear program but claimed Iran would continue to abide by a two-decade-old fatwa banning the production of nuclear weapons. 

“Anti-negotiation feelings are very high,” Araghchi said. “People are telling me, ‘Don’t waste your time anymore, don’t be cheated by them . . . if they come to negotiations it’s only a cover-up for their other intentions.’”

The minister repeated Iran’s insistence that it would not give up its ability to enrich uranium for civil purposes — a sticking point for Washington. “With zero enrichment, we don’t have a thing.” 

IRAN’S NUCLEAR CAPABILITIES CRUSHED, BUT REGIME’S DESIRE FOR THE BOMB MAY PERSIST

The White House could not immediately be reached for comment on Araghchi’s remarks. 

Israeli officials have admitted that some of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium did survive the attacks.  

European powers have threatenaed to trigger “snapback” United Nations sanctions against Iran if there isn’t a breakthrough in nuclear talks.

Any of the current members of the 2015 nuclear deal, Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — France, the UK, Germany, China, and Russia –  can invoke the snapback mechanism if they determine Iran hasn’t held up its end of the deal. The U.S. can’t trigger the sanctions because it pulled out of the deal and enacted unilateral “maximum pressure” sanctions under Trump’s first administration. 

The U.S. heaped more pressure onto Tehran this week with new sanctions on the nation’s oil network and military drone enterprise. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

European diplomats have been meeting with Iran to relay how it could avoid snapback sanctions, including resuming cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to monitor its compliance with nuclear limits. 

Araghchi said Iran would stop negotiating with Europe if they were to trigger the sanctions. “If they do snap back, that means that this is the end of the road for them.”  

Senate Republicans are still trying to hash out a deal with their Democratic counterparts to push through a package of President Donald Trump’s nominees as their scheduled departure from Washington has come and gone.

Republicans are under pressure from the White House, and their own members, to find a path forward, but Senate Democrats have largely dug their heels into the dirt in opposition in a bid to slow down the confirmation process. Lawmakers are still in town hammering toward a deal, while growing frustrations and weariness simmer in the upper chamber. 

SENATE GOP EYES RULES REVOLT AS DEMS STONEWALL TRUMP NOMINEES

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., appeared more upbeat about the state of affairs, despite rumblings that negotiations were faltering.

“Democrats aren’t negotiating with us, we’re negotiating among ourselves,” he told Fox News Digital. “I think we found, I think we may have found a landing spot.”

Underscoring negotiations with Senate Democrats are threats of rule changes to the confirmation process, which could speed things up but drive a partisan wedge even deeper between the aisles.

Trump had initially called on Senate Republicans to consider canceling their August recess to ram through as many of his nominees as possible. But late Thursday night, he took a more stern tone.

‘ALL THE OPTIONS’: GOP EYES CUTTING AUGUST RECESS TO MOVE DOZENS OF TRUMP NOMINEES STALLED BY DEMS

“The Senate must stay in Session, taking no recess, until the entire Executive Calendar is CLEAR!!! We have to save our Country from the Lunatic Left,” Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social. “Republicans, for the health and safety of the USA, DO YOUR JOB, and confirm All Nominees. They should NOT BE FORCED TO WAIT. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has been locked in negotiations with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., throughout the week to hammer out a deal that would allow lawmakers to vote on a tranche of nominees quickly.

He told reporters Friday evening that he didn’t have a “report that adds any certainty to the question of schedule at the moment.”

“It’s still in flux,” he said.

Senate Republicans have moved at a rapid pace to add more and more nominees to the calendar, and so far have placed nearly 160 onto the schedule. Should a deal not be reached, and the GOP adheres to Trump’s demands, leaving Washington to return to their home states until early September may be out of the question.

THUNE VOWS TO ‘GRIND DOWN’ DEMOCRATS AS TRUMP’S NOMINEES FACE ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ SENATE OBSTRUCTION

While most Republicans are on board with trying to ram through Trump’s picks, the desire to leave Capitol Hill after a blistering seven-month stretch — where lawmakers have already confirmed over 120 of the president’s nominees — is palpable.

Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., said that the idea that lawmakers would leave town in the next few days “seems to have disappeared.”

“Grumpiness is here already, as you can hear from my tone, but we’re still here. We know the factor of weariness and other commitments outside of Washington, D.C., they work, but there is still a whole set of … nominations that need to be completed,” he said.  

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

A bright spot for Republicans is that the resistance to advancing nominees and confirming them is not across the board among Senate Democrats.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., told Fox News Digital that he has plans for recess, but he’s ready to cancel those if need be.

“My hope is that we’ll move a number of nominees through and get out fairly soon,” he said. “But I’m not the one doing the negotiating.”

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is delaying Ghislaine Maxwell’s planned deposition until after the Supreme Court weighs her request to overturn her conviction, according to a letter obtained by Fox News Digital.

Committee investigators were set to travel to a Tallahassee prison for an Aug. 11 sit-down with Maxwell after lawmakers voted to subpoena her over her close ties to late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

In a letter sent to Comer earlier this week, Maxwell’s lawyer claimed she “did not receive a fair trial” and petitioned to delay the deposition date until after her case before the Supreme Court was resolved.

“On July 30, the U.S. Supreme Court noticed that your petition for writ of certiorari will be considered at its conference on September 29. In light of this notice, the Committee is willing to delay your deposition until a date following the Court’s certiorari determination,” Comer wrote on Friday.

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

According to the Kentucky Republican’s letter, Maxwell’s lawyer warned she would invoke the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering any questions unless certain conditions were met.

“These conditions include: (1) a grant of immunity, (2) the deposition occurring outside of FCI Tallahassee, (3) access to the Committee’s questions in advance, and (4) the conclusion of your recent appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court and potential future habeas petition,” Comer wrote.

He denied her requests for congressional immunity and to get the questions in advance, but wrote the committee would continue to “engage in good faith negotiations.”

Comer also vowed the committee would honor its “long-standing practice of engaging in forthright and detailed discussions about scoping.”

The subpoena was issued to Maxwell after a unanimous vote by both Republicans and Democrats on the committee in late July. 

The motion to subpoena Maxwell was offered by Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn.

“Your testimony is vital to the Committee’s efforts regarding Mr. Jeffrey Epstein, including the 2007 non-prosecution agreement and the circumstances surrounding Mr. Epstein’s death,” Comer wrote. “These investigative efforts may be used to inform potential legislation to improve federal efforts to combat sex trafficking and reform the use of non-prosecution agreements and/or plea agreements in sex-crime investigations.”

The letter comes hours after Fox News learned Maxwell had been transferred from Florida to a federal prison camp in Bryan, Texas.

GOP LAWMAKERS CLASH OVER STRATEGY TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CRISIS

Congressional investigators are looking to speak with Maxwell over her longstanding close ties to Epstein, who was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges when he died by suicide at a jail in New York City in 2019.

Maxwell herself was sentenced to 20 years in prison in June 2022 “for her role in a scheme to sexual exploit and abuse multiple minor girls with Jeffrey Epstein over the course of a decade,” according to a press release by the Southern District of New York.

In the delay request, Maxwell’s attorney argued that “Any testimony she provides now could compromise her constitutional rights, prejudice her legal claims, and potentially taint a future jury pool.”

Maxwell had already met with federal investigators last week when Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche sat down with her in Tallahassee at the direction of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Bondi said in a statement announcing the meeting, “President Trump has told us to release all credible evidence. If Ghislaine Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say.”

Maxwell’s lawyers told Fox News in response to Comer’s letter, “We acknowledge Chairman Comer’s letter and appreciate the Committee’s willingness to delay Ms. Maxwell’s deposition while her case is pending before the Supreme Court. We will continue to engage with Congress in good faith to find a way for Ms. Maxwell to share her information without compromising her constitutional right.”

The Senate advanced a package of spending bills late Friday night, breaking a partisan gridlock that threatened to derail the government funding process.

Moving the three bills, including funding bills for military construction and Veterans’ Affairs, agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the legislative branch, appeared on ice for much of the week as lawmaker after lawmaker on either side of the aisle looked to block the bills.

But a path forward was found, and the bills were put on the floor, and after several votes on amendments, the final package passed. However, the bill to fund the legislative branch was added to the package separately in response to a roadblock by Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., who ultimately relented to allow the bill to hit the floor. 

He announced his plan to vote against that piece of the package because the bill increased spending, like the others, but specifically for Congress. 

SCHUMER, DEMOCRATS TRY TO SAVE FACE, BLAME GOP FOR POSSIBLE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

“I just think we need to set an example, and when we’re increasing our spending 6% and others less,” Kennedy said on the Senate floor. “We’re sending a message that we’re special, and I don’t think we are.”

Now it heads to the House, where Republicans are already incensed that the Senate’s bills go over their approved spending levels. 

The advancement of the bills is a victory for members of the Senate Appropriations Committee and for Republican leadership, who are working to ward off a possible government shutdown as tensions over the “big, beautiful bill” and President Donald Trump’s $9 billion clawback package linger. It’s also the first time since 2018 that the upper chamber passed spending bills before September. 

SENATE WEATHERS DEM OPPOSITION, ADVANCES FIRST GOVERNMENT FUNDING BILL

“These bills all mean a great deal to each of us,” Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine, said on the Senate floor.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., previously threatened that if Republicans went through with the rescissions package, it would have grave effects on the forthcoming sprint to fund the government.

But, with the deadline to fund the government by Sept. 30 — or to pass a short-term funding extension — fast-approaching, neither party wants to carry the blame for blowing up the appropriations process, at least for now.

CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS FACE BRUISING BATTLE TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

While passing the spending package out of the upper chamber proved a bright spot, lawmakers are still looking for a path forward in confirming a slew of Trump’s nominees.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The president re-upped his call for Senate Republican leadership to cancel recess to pass each nominee on the Senate’s calendar, which has now ballooned to over 150 picks, as Democrats continue their blockade of the process.

Lawmakers are set to vote on a trio of nominees Friday night and are expected to run through nearly a dozen more over the weekend, unless a deal is made. 

President Donald Trump unveiled plans Friday to reposition two nuclear submarines as he and Russia’s former president sparred over Trump’s increased pressure on Moscow to end the war with Ukraine. 

After Trump announced a new deadline for Russia to end the conflict with Ukraine in early August, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday that the announcement is an additional “step towards war.” 

“Based on the highly provocative statements of the Former President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, who is now the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social Friday. 

MEDVEDEV WARNS THAT TRUMP’S NEW DEADLINE TO END RUSSIA-UKRAINE CONFLICT IS A ‘STEP TOWARDS WAR’

The announcement comes just weeks after Trump praised the contributions of a guided-missile submarine involved in the strikes against Iran, which launched more than two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at key Iranian targets, officials said. 

“By the way, if anyone thinks our ‘hardware’ was great over the weekend, far and away the strongest and best equipment we have, 20 years advanced over the pack, is our Nuclear Submarines,” Trump said June 23 in a Truth Social post. “They are the most powerful and lethal weapons ever built, and just launched the 30 Tomahawks — All 30 hit their mark perfectly. So, in addition to our Great Fighter Pilots, thank you to the Captain and Crew!”

The mission, which targeted Iranian nuclear facilities Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, also involved more than 125 U.S. aircraft, including B-2 stealth bombers, according to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine. 

TRUMP ATTACKS IRAN NUCLEAR SITES: ARE OUR TROOPS IN DANGER FROM RETALIATORY STRIKES?

Caine did not disclose the name of the submarine that was involved in the Iran strikes. However, he said that a “guided-missile submarine” was involved. 

Four of the U.S. Navy’s Ohio-class submarines were converted into guided-missile submarines to accommodate conventional land attacks, as well as Special Operations Forces platforms. These submarines are the Ohio, Florida, Michigan and Georgia, according to the U.S. Navy. 

All U.S. Navy submarines are nuclear-powered, and Trump did not disclose additional details surrounding the submarines that would be repositioned amid increased tension with Russia. It is incredibly rare for defense officials to comment or reveal the locations of submarines, given the highly classified nature of their deployments and movements.  

Trump initially announced on July 14 that he would sign off on “severe tariffs” against Russia if Moscow were to fail to agree to a peace deal within 50 days. However, Trump said Monday that waiting that period of time was pointless as negotiations have continued to drag on for months. 

“I’m going to make a new deadline, of about 10 — 10 or 12 days from today,” Trump told reporters in Scotland Monday. “There’s no reason for waiting. It was 50 days. I wanted to be generous, but we just don’t see any progress being made.”

RUSSIAN LEADER CLAIMS MULTIPLE COUNTRIES PREPPED TO PROVIDE IRAN NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOLLOWING US STRIKES

In response, Medvedev, now the deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, accused Trump of playing the “ultimatum game.” 

“Trump’s playing the ultimatum game with Russia: 50 days or 10 … He should remember 2 things: 1. Russia isn’t Israel or even Iran. 2. Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country,” Medvedev said in a post on X on Monday.

Trump’s new deadline comes amid heightened frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid stalled progress toward peace between Russia and Ukraine, and just days after Russia launched more than 300 drones, four cruise missiles and three ballistic missiles into Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian air force.

Speaking with reporters on Friday afternoon, President Donald Trump expressed that he is hopeful former presidential opponent Hillary Clinton will finally be investigated for election fraud. 

Shortly before departing for New Jersey, Trump was asked by a reporter, “Will Hillary Clinton finally be investigated for election fraud?”

Trump answered, “I hope so, I hope so. I don’t know whether or not that’ll happen, but I hope so.” 

During his brief exchange with reporters outside the White House, Trump also repeatedly criticized Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer, whom he recently removed. The president connected his recent decision to fire McEntarfer, whom he accused of falsifying jobs report numbers, to efforts to sway previous elections against him. 

TRUMP CLASHES WITH REPORTER OVER TARIFFS, CITING PANDEMIC AND ‘FIGHTING LUNATICS’

“You have to have honest reports and when you look at those numbers or when you look at just before the election and then after the election, they corrected it by 8 or 900,000 jobs,” he said. 

“Why should anybody trust numbers? You go back to election day. Look what happened 2 or 3 days before with massive, wonderful jobs numbers, trying to get him elected or her elected, trying to get whoever the hell was running because you go back and they came out with numbers that were very favorable to Kamala,” he went on. “And then on the 15th of November or thereabouts, they added 8 or 900,000 overstatement reduction right after the election.” 

Addressing a reporter directly, Trump added, “It didn’t work because, you know who won, John? I won.” 

Trump’s comments regarding Clinton hearken back all the way to his first presidential campaign during which he warned that if he were president he would get his attorney general to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate her behavior. In one of the 2016 debates Trump famously quipped to Clinton that if he was president: “you’d be in jail.”

CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING ANNOUNCES IT WILL SHUT DOWN AFTER TRUMP, CONGRESS CUT FUNDING

As president, however, Trump has not moved to prosecute Clinton, who served as former President Barack Obama’s secretary of state from 2009 to 2013. 

This July, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released evidence that she said suggest the Obama administration promoted a “contrived narrative” that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.  

“There is irrefutable evidence that details how President Obama and his national security team directed the creation of an intelligence community assessment that they knew was false,” Gabbard said. “They knew it would promote this contrived narrative that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help President Trump win, selling it to the American people as though it were true. It wasn’t.” 

“We have referred and will continue to refer all of these documents to the Department of Justice and the FBI, to investigate the criminal implications of this for the evidence,” Gabbard said. “The evidence that we have found, and that we have released, directly point to President Obama leading the manufacturing of this intelligence assessment. There are multiple pieces of evidence and intelligence that confirm that fact.”

FEDERAL APPEALS COURT WEIGHS TRUMP BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ORDER AS ADMIN OUTLINES ENFORCEMENT DETAILS

In a July interview, Trump described the Russiagate allegations against Obama and members of his administration as “serious treason.” 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“What they’ve done is so bad for this country. And it really started right at the 2016 election,” Trump claimed of Gabbard’s findings. “And there’s a difference when you know it — and when you know it, and it’s all written down for you. I mean, it’s all there. It’s right there. The orders, the memos, the whole thing. It’s right there.”

Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy and Hanna Panreck contributed to this report.