NationalWatch

EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Ron Johnson is demanding the National Archives turn over all records related to former President Joe Biden’s “mental and physical health and cognitive decline,” Fox News Digital has learned.

Fox News Digital exclusively obtained a letter Johnson, R-Wis., sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is serving as the acting archivist of the United States.

Johnson, who leads the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, said he is now conducting an investigation into “the cover-up of former President Biden’s health and cognitive decline.”

“My office has been reviewing the allegations that former President Biden, cabinet members, and his staff covered up his declining mental and physical health over the course of his presidency,” Johnson wrote to Rubio, adding that the allegations “raise serious questions about who was making key presidential decisions if the former president was incapable of doing so.

EXCLUSIVE: WHITE HOUSE INVESTIGATING BIDEN USE OF AUTOPEN IN SPRAWLING PROBE OF ‘INCOMPETENT AND SENILE’ FORMER PRESIDENT

“One of these key decisions may have involved the presidential power to grant clemency or pardons — a matter that the White House Counsel’s Office, among other entities, are currently investigating,” Johnson wrote.

BIDEN ONLY HAND-SIGNED ONE PARDON DURING FINAL SPREE, AND IT WAS HIS MOST CONTROVERSIAL ONE

Fox News Digital exclusively reported Tuesday that the White House Counsel’s Office, in conjunction with the Justice Department, is investigating Biden’s use of an autopen and already is reviewing more than 27,000 documents turned over by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

“The reporting further suggests that these records represent only a portion of the information in NARA’s possession that may be related to the coverup of former President Biden’s alleged mental and physical decline,” Johnson wrote to Rubio, referring to the Fox News Digital exclusive report.

Johnson is now demanding that NARA turn over all records provided to the White House Counsel’s Office referring to or relating to Biden’s mental or physical health or the alleged cover-up, including all communications.

Johnson also is demanding communications between or among any former White House officials, members of Biden’s Cabinet or their staff or other staff relating to Biden’s mental or physical health.

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Specifically, Johnson is demanding records belonging to former White House chief of staff Ron Klain, former White House chief of staff Jeff Zients, former advisor Mike Donilon, former counselor to the president Steve Ricchetti, Biden personal attorney Bob Bauer, Biden senior advisor Anita Dunn, former White House Physician Kevin O’Connor and others.

Johnson gave Rubio until July 30 to turn over the records.

Trump sent a memo in June to the Department of Justice directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate the autopen use and to determine whether it was related to a decline in Biden’s mental state.

The White House Counsel’s Office is investigating Biden’s use of an autopen, a machine that physically holds a pen and features programming to imitate a person’s signature. Unlike a stamp or a digitized print of a signature, the autopen has the capability to hold various types of pens, from a ballpoint to a permanent marker, according to descriptions of autopen machines available for purchase. 

Biden used an autopen to sign a slew of documents while in office. He also used an autopen to sign final pardons, including preemptive pardons for members of his family, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Gen. Mark Milley and members and staff of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots. He only signed one pardon by hand, for his son Hunter, after vowing to the American people for months he would not pardon Hunter.

TRUMP CLAIMS BIDEN PARDONS ARE ‘VOID,’ ALLEGING THEY WERE SIGNED VIA AUTOPEN

In his final weeks in office, Biden granted clemency and pardoned more than 1,500 individuals in what the White House described at the time as the largest single-day act of clemency by a U.S. president.

Biden, in a recent interview with The New York Times, defended his use of an autopen, saying he “made every decision” on his own.

“We’re talking about (granting clemency to) a whole lot of people,” Biden said. 

However, the Times reported that Biden “did not individually approve each name for the categorical pardons that applied to large numbers of people,” according to the former president and his aides.

Congressional committees, like the House Oversight Committee, are also investigating the autopen use and Biden’s health while in office. 

A senior administration official recognized the simultaneous efforts but stressed that the White House Counsel’s investigation is separate from any congressional probes. 

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Officials told Fox News Digital the investigation is a “massive effort,” and one that they hope to finish “as soon as possible.” 

As for Trump, officials told Fox News Digital he does not use an autopen for anything that could be considered official business.

The only time Trump may use the autopen is for unofficial business, including correspondence, letters for birthdays or commissioned records for widely shared documents, his office said.  

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was recently granted access to Medicaid enrollee data, aiding officers tasked with fulfilling the Trump administration’s objective of tracking down and deporting illegal immigrants. 

Medicaid, which uses taxpayer dollars to provide health insurance to low-income adults and children, has more than 71 million enrollees as of March 2025.

The information shared with ICE will include home addresses and ethnicities, according to a report from The Associated Press. 

The agreement, brokered between the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), was signed Monday, according to the report. 

CALIFORNIA SUES TRUMP ADMIN AGAIN, THIS TIME OVER MEDICAID DATA TRANSFER TO DHS

Though the true number of illegal immigrants on Medicaid is unknown, about 1.4 million people currently on Medicaid do not meet citizenship and immigration status requirements for Medicaid enrollment, according to a document from the Congressional Budget Office.

DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital the initiative will ensure illegal immigrants do not receive taxpayer-funded health benefits.

“President Trump consistently promised to protect Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries,” McLaughlin wrote in a statement. “To keep that promise after Joe Biden flooded our country with tens of millions of illegal aliens CMS and DHS are exploring an initiative to ensure that illegal aliens are not receiving Medicaid benefits that are meant for law-abiding Americans.”

CONGRESSMAN CALLS ON NOEM, DR. OZ WITH PLAN TO ‘SWIFTLY REMOVE’ 1.4 MILLION ILLEGAL MIGRANTS ON MEDICAID

The deal was signed weeks after California and 19 other states sued the Trump administration for transferring Medicaid data to the DHS. 

“The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) handed over a trove of individuals’ protected health data obtained from States, including California, Illinois, and Washington, to other federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS),” according to court documents. “Millions of individuals’ health information was transferred without their consent, and in violation of federal law.”

BLUE STATE GOP LAWMAKERS URGE MAJOR HEALTHCARE CHANGE FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

The lawsuit claims the public’s sensitive health data can only be used for purposes that Congress has authorized, accusing the Trump administration of violating federal laws including the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

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The Associated Press and Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

Despite some claiming they spent money out of their own pockets, several Democrats spent thousands in campaign funds to visit illegal alien and alleged MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador, according to reporting by the New York Post.

Democrats rallied around Abrego Garcia after they claimed he was wrongly deported by the Trump administration to his home country of El Salvador in March.

Several Democrats, including representatives Maxwell Frost, D-Fla.; Robert Garcia, D-Calif., Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., Maxine Dexter, D-Ore.; and Glenn Ivey, D-Md., flew to El Salvador to advocate for Abrego Garcia’s return.

The New York Post reported that Frost, Garcia, Ansari and Dexter, all of whom made a joint trip to San Salvador to pressure the Trump administration to return Abrego Garcia April 21, paid for the trip through campaign funding, despite all except Garcia claiming they paid out of pocket.  

TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN IN LA IGNITES ‘SAME EMOTIONAL NOTES’ FOR DEMS, TOP LOCAL GOP LEADER SAYS

The New York Post wrote that Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings show Frost’s campaign reported spending $1,362 on Salvadoran-Colombian airline Avianca May 8, about a week after his trip to visit Abrego Garcia.

Dexter’s campaign similarly reportedly spent $1,315 on travel with Taca Airlines April 18, despite the representative saying he had self-funded the trip.

Despite telling a local news outlet she had used her own money for the trip, Ansari’s campaign reported in FEC filings that the congresswoman spent $2,616 on travel with Salvadoran airline Avianca the same month she flew to visit Abrego Garcia.

Meanwhile, California Democrat Garcia’s office confirmed he spent $1,982 on another Salvadoran airline, Taca International Airlines, in April, and an additional $502 for “event space rental” at the Hilton San Salvador, the outlet reported.

FEDS CHARGE 3 MORE MEN IN MARYLAND MS-13 RACKETEERING CONSPIRACY INVOLVING MURDER: ‘REIGN OF TERROR’

Ivey, who attempted to visit Abrego Garcia in late May, spent $291 in campaign funds, according to the Post report.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., the first Democrat to make the trip and who remained an outspoken voice on Abrego Garcia’s behalf, notably did not report any campaign spending for Salvadoran air travel or lodging in mid-April, when he made his trip.

Abrego Garcia, who was returned to the U.S. in June, faces charges of human smuggling and conspiracy.

MEXICAN WOMAN IN US ILLEGALLY CHARGED WITH FAKING HER OWN ICE ‘KIDNAPPING’

According to an indictment, Abrego Garcia played a “significant role” in a human smuggling ring operating for nearly a decade. Attorney General Pam Bondi described him as a full-time smuggler who made more than 100 trips, transporting women, children and MS-13 gang-affiliated persons throughout the U.S.

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According to police and court records shared with Fox News Digital, Abrego Garcia was arrested in Hyattsville in October 2019, at which point he was identified by the Prince George’s County [Maryland] Police Gang Unit as a member of MS-13. 

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the United States does not support recent Israeli airstrikes on Syria and called for “dialogue” between the two Middle East powers.

“The United States unequivocally condemns the violence. All parties must step back and engage in meaningful dialogue that leads to a lasting ceasefire,” Bruce announced at a State Department press briefing Thursday afternoon. 

WHY SYRIA PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN TRUMP’S PLANS FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE

On Wednesday, Israeli airstrikes in the Syrian capital of Damascus struck the country’s Defense Ministry headquarters and an area near the presidential palace, killing three and injuring dozens of others, according to reports. 

The Israeli military said it was intervening to defend the minority Druze population in southern Syria, a community that shares a border with Israel, amid armed skirmishes between local Bedouin Sunni tribes and the recently installed Syrian government.

“We are acting decisively to prevent the entrenchment of hostile elements beyond the border, protect Israeli citizens and prevent harm to Druze civilians,” Eyal Zamir, chief of the Israeli Defense Forces’ general staff, said during a situational assessment at the Syrian border.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday afternoon that an agreement had been reached between Israel and Syria to end the “troubling and horrifying situation.”

“This will require all parties to deliver on the commitments they have made, and this is what we fully expect them to do,” he added.

TRUMP’S PUSH FOR ISRAEL-SYRIA PEACE GETS MAJOR BACKING AS ACTIVIST BRINGS MESSAGE TO JERUSALEM

“Thankful to all sides for their break from chaos and confusion as we attempt to navigate all parties to a more durable and peaceful solution in Syria,” U.S. Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack added.

When asked Thursday what prompted the Israeli strikes and whether the U.S. suspected any foreign fighters, like ISIS, of being involved in the conflict in Syria between the Bedouins and the Druze, Bruce said there will need to be continued investigation to figure out exactly why this Israeli airstrike occurred.

Rubio said Wednesday he believed Israel’s strike on the Syrian capital of Damascus was “likely” due to “a misunderstanding.”

Bruce on Thursday responded to reporters’ questions about what U.S. officials meant when they said “confusion” and “misunderstanding” from Israel were what led to their involvement. 

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“This is an ancient rivalry between the Druze and the Bedouins and violence ensued, the Syrians moving to that area to quell and stop that violence. And the Israelis, who see that occurring to the Druze community and their concerns, then entered what they assessed was something larger than what, or even not what it was at all,” Bruce said at Thursday’s briefing. 

“The good news is, the story is, it stopped, as within the management of that larger conflict. Again, there’s still skirmishes and other issues. … The Syrian government is going to have to lead — obviously, there will be other involvement — but lead in to this de-escalation and to the stability.”

Fox News Digital’s Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is applauding a letter sent Thursday by Republican lawmakers to National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, urging the agency to stop using taxpayer dollars for experiments on animals conducted in foreign laboratories. 

The letter, signed by Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., highlights concerns about the lack of oversight and inadequate standards in certain foreign facilities. 

The bipartisan Cease Animal Research Grants Overseas (CARGO) Act—led by the Republicans along with Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.—seeks to end NIH funding for animal experiments outside the U.S. and ensure taxpayer dollars are not misused for the unnecessary suffering of animals.

Between 2011 and 2021, the NIH issued more than $2.2 billion in grants for controversial research in 45 countries.

NAVY HALTS DOG AND CAT EXPERIMENTS AFTER PETA WRITES HEGSETH ABOUT US TAXPAYER-FUNDED ANIMAL TESTS

According to the letter, the “research” included genetically altering cats to be born with deformed legs, infecting bats with diseases that were transmissible and fatal to humans, and force-feeding mice human feces.

NIH CLOSES EXPERIMENTATION LABS ACCUSED OF BRUTALLY KILLING THOUSANDS OF BEAGLES FOR 40+ YEARS

Nehls and Scott noted there are little to no inspections at the facilities where research is conducted or where the animals are housed, and there is inadequate auditing of foreign NIH-funded animal studies, resulting in significant gaps in oversight and accountability of how taxpayer dollars are being used. 

“It is deeply concerning that American taxpayer dollars have been used to fund harmful and abusive animal experiments overseas that lack the same oversight and accountability as labs here in the United States,” Nehls and Scott wrote in the letter. “…It is a waste of resources that should be allocated to more ethical and effective research practices that do not involve animals.”

PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo said the organization is grateful to Nehls, Scott, Titus and Booker for serving as the lead sponsors of the CARGO Act.

“This effort represents a significant step in halting cruel and wasteful animal experimentation abroad, and it aligns with the Trump Administration’s broader shift toward more relevant, non-animal research methods,” Guillermo wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital. “We are excited to continue working alongside these dedicated lawmakers to pass the CARGO Act and ensure that taxpayer money is no longer used to support pointless and unethical research.”

SCOOP: HOUSE REPUBLICANS REQUEST BAN ON FEDERALLY FUNDED ‘TRANSGENDER ANIMAL’ EXPERIMENTS IN 2026 BUDGET

The CARGO Act was introduced following a PETA investigation into Caucaseco Scientific Research Center, a discredited Colombian laboratory with a history of violating animal care standards. 

Caucaseco Scientific Research Center received more than $17 million in U.S. funding, and the Biden administration’s NIH encouraged additional funding, even after it was caught confining monkeys in filthy conditions, leaving them to die from infected wounds, and starving mice to the point of cannibalism, according to PETA.

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The PETA investigation reportedly led to multiple investigations by local authorities, the rescues of 108 monkeys and 180 mice, and the retraction of a research publication.

“The letter’s request for NIH to immediately cease funding animal experiments in foreign labs is a crucial step toward protecting animals and ensuring taxpayer dollars are used responsibly,” Guillermo wrote. “PETA remains committed to advocating for legislative and policy changes that prioritize ethical, practical, and non-animal research.”

Congress is officially sending a package detailing $9 billion in spending cuts to President Donald Trump’s desk. 

The bill, called a “rescissions package,” passed the House of Representatives in a late-night vote after intense debate between Republicans and Democrats. 

It’s a victory for House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., but a mostly symbolic one – the spending cuts bill was largely seen by Trump allies as a test run of a fiscal claw-back process not used in more than two decades.

“This bill tonight is part of continuing that trend of getting spending under control. Does it answer all the problems? No. $9 billion, I would say is a good start,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said during debate on the bill.

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

When signed by Trump, it will block $8 billion in funding to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and $1 billion to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for the remainder of the fiscal year. The dollars had been allocated by Congress for the duration of fiscal year 2025.

Republicans celebrated it as a victory for cutting off the flow of U.S. taxpayer dollars to what they called “woke” initiatives abroad, while Democrats accused the right of gutting critical foreign aid.

Rescissions packages are a way for the president to have input in Congress’ yearly appropriations process. The White House sends a proposal to block some congressionally obligated funds, which lawmakers have 45 days to get through the House and Senate.

Republicans have also been able to sideline Democrats so far, with the rescissions process lowering the Senate’s threshold for passage from 60 votes to 51.

The last time a rescissions package was signed into law was 1999.

Consideration of the bill began with a House Rules Committee hearing at 6 p.m. on Thursday evening.

Democrats attempted multiple times throughout the process to weaponize the ongoing inter-GOP fallout over the Jeffrey Epstein case, both in the House Rules Committee and on the chamber floor during debate on the bill. 

Multiple calls were made for votes to force the release of the so-called Epstein “files.”

“If every Republican votes to block our attempt to release the records, they are telling Epstein’s victims, you don’t matter as much as our political convenience. And that should disgust every single one of us,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass.

Far-right GOP figures are demanding accountability, while Trump has called on his base to move on after the Department of Justice (DOJ) signaled the case was closed.

Initial plans to begin advancing the bill earlier in the day were quickly scuttled, with Republicans on the committee being concerned about being put into a difficult position with potential Epstein votes.

In the end, a compromise led to the House Rules Committee advancing a separate nonbinding measure dealing with Epstein transparency, on a parallel track to the rescissions bill.

THOM TILLIS ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM SENATE AFTER CLASH WITH TRUMP

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“All the credible evidence should come out. I’ve been very clear with members of the House Rules Committee. Republicans have been taking the incoming criticism because they voted to stop the Democrats’ politicization of this, and they’re trying to stick to their job and move their procedural rules to the floor so we can do our work and get the rescissions done for the American people,” Johnson told reporters during negotiations earlier in the day.

Democrats nevertheless pressed on, mentioning Epstein multiple times on the House floor. McGovern even briefly led a chant of “release the files” when closing debate on the bill.

Republicans, in turn, accused Democrats of hypocrisy.

“Interesting how they talk about Jeffrey Epstein, because for four years, Mr. Speaker, President Joe Biden had those files, and not a single Democrat that you’re hearing tonight tried to get those files released,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said at one point during the House floor debate.

The House initially voted to advance a $9.4 billion rescissions package, but it was trimmed somewhat in the Senate after some senators had concerns about cutting funding for HIV/AIDS prevention research in Africa.

Trump is expected to sign the bill on Friday.

EXCLUSIVE: Fox News was granted access to Alcatraz Island Thursday as U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum toured the infamous former prison in California’s San Francisco Bay at the direction of President Donald Trump. 

The visit was part of an official review to determine whether the site could be brought back into use as a high-security federal detention center.

“This was an idea of the president,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt explained during a White House briefing Thursday in Washington, D.C. “He spoke about it in May and directed his administration to review a reopening plan for Alcatraz if it is possible.”

TRUMP PUSHES TO REOPEN ALCATRAZ, BUT PELOSI AND NEWSOM DISMISS IT AS A ‘DISTRACTION’

After Trump’s May 5 announcement about reopening Alcatraz as a working prison, Bondi and Burgum joined Fox News correspondent David Spunt to visit “the Rock” to receive a briefing on the site and assess the 91-year-old former federal prison’s infrastructure. 

The visit, which included walk-throughs of the main cell blocks and off-limits areas normally closed to the public, was a fact-finding mission and not an official announcement of reopening.

Bondi and Burgum spent several hours inspecting the crumbling infrastructure while discussing the island’s potential for future federal use. They toured the prison and surrounding island, met with National Park Service (NPS) officials and directed staff to collaborate on a preliminary plan to rehabilitate the complex.

The island is managed by the NPS under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior. 

If reactivated, it would be operated by the Bureau of Prisons, a division of the Department of Justice (DOJ).

“So many people remember Al Capone, but this isn’t about the past. It’s about what Alcatraz could be again,” Spunt reported from the island. “They believe, along with their boss, the president, that this may be the symbol of law and order this administration is looking for.”

Alcatraz operated as a federal prison from 1934 to 1963, originally operating as a military prison in the 1850s. The name derives from “Alcatraces” after Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala’s 1775 exploration mission of San Francisco Bay. While its etymology has inspired debate, the Bureau of Prisons contends it most likely means “pelican” or “strange bird.”

LEGAL EXPERTS SAY TRUMP CAN DEFINITELY REOPEN ALCATRAZ, BUT COULD FACE ‘AVALANCHE OF LAWSUITS’

Alcatraz as a federal prison had a maximum capacity of 336 inmates, plus over 150 staff members and their families. At its peak in the early 1960s, the prison’s operating cost per inmate was over $10 per day, nearly double the national average, according to Bureau of Prisons data.

“This is a terrific facility,” Bondi said. “It needs a lot of work, but no one has been known to escape from Alcatraz and survive.”

Bondi told Fox News the prison could theoretically hold a range of offenders, including “violent criminals, federal predators and illegal aliens.” She emphasized the symbolic value of its isolation and reputation for strict control.

Burgum said the goal is to evaluate the feasibility of restoring Alcatraz to its original use. 

“It’s a federal property. Its original use was a prison. We’re here to take a look at whether it can serve that purpose again,” he said.

The island poses serious logistical challenges. Alcatraz has no direct power or water lines from the San Francisco mainland more than a mile away, and over 1 million gallons of water per month were once ferried in. Restoration would also require major upgrades to meet modern codes, including ADA compliance, environmental regulations and approval from the Bureau of Prisons and federal courts.

The DOJ this week sent letters to California sheriffs seeking information on undocumented migrants being released from state prisons. An administration official noted to Fox News Digital that while these letters reflect the DOJ’s ongoing public safety mission, they are not directly related to the Alcatraz review.

Not everyone is on board. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who represents San Francisco in Congress, called the initiative “the stupidest yet” from Trump.

The administration has not announced a timeline for a decision. Bondi and Burgum will report their findings to the president before any formal steps are taken.

After its closure in 1963 due to high costs and decaying infrastructure, Alcatraz reopened to the public in 1973 under the Department of the Interior. It is now one of the most visited national historic landmarks in the country, drawing more than 1.5 million tourists annually. That popularity could become a factor in any decision to return it to a secured corrections site.

Alcatraz has long captured the American imagination. Between 1934 and 1963, 14 escape attempts involving 36 men were recorded, but the Bureau of Prisons maintains that no escapee ever made it to freedom. 

Officials believe that frigid, high currents may have claimed the lives of those who vanished.

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“This is Alcatraz,” Burgum said. “The name still means something.”

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

What can you get for $9.4 billion?

3G Capital recently purchased footwear giant Skechers for $9.4 billion. 

$9.4 billion could cover your rent for a pretty nice apartment in New York City for more than 40,000 years. 

Yes, it will just be you and the cockroaches by then. 

Or, you could pay the cost of every major disaster in the past four decades – ranging from Chernobyl to Fukushima to Hurricane Sandy. 

‘LONG OVERDUE’: SENATE REPUBLICANS RAM THROUGH TRUMP’S CLAWBACK PACKAGE WITH CUTS TO FOREIGN AID, NPR

But $9.4 billion isn’t a lot when cast against nearly $7 trillion in annual spending by the federal government. 

And it’s really not much money when you consider that the U.S. is about slip into the red to the tune of $37 trillion. 

Which brings us to the Congressional plan to cancel spending. That is, a measure from Republicans and the Trump Administration to rescind spending lawmakers already appropriated in March. The House and Senate are now clawing back money lawmakers shoved out the door for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and foreign aid programs under USAID. The original proposal cut $9.4 billion. But that figure dwindled to $9 billion – after the Senate restored money for “PEPFAR,” a President George W. Bush era program to combat AIDS worldwide. 

In other words, you may have a couple thousand years lopped off from your rent-controlled apartment in New York City. Of course that hinges on what Democratic mayoral nominee Zorhan Mamdani decides to do, should he win election this fall. 

Anyway, back to Congressional spending. Or “un-spending.” 

The House passed the original version of the bill in June, 216-214. Flip one vote and the bill would have failed on a 215-215 tie. Then it was on to the Senate. Republicans had to summon Vice President Vance to Capitol Hill to break a logjam on two procedural votes to send the spending cancellation bill to the floor and actually launch debate. Republicans have a 53-47 advantage in the Senate. But former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., along with Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska and Susan Collins, R-Maine, voted nay – producing a 50-50 tie.

Fox is told some Senate Republicans are tiring of McConnell opposing the GOP – and President Trump – on various issues. That includes the nay votes to start debate on the spending cancellation bill as well as his vote against the confirmation of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in January.

“He used to be the Leader. He was always telling us we need to stick together,” said one GOP senator who requested anonymity. “Now he’s off voting however he wants? How time flies.”

Note that McConnell led Senate Republicans as recently as early January.

But McConnell ultimately voted for the legislation when the Senate approved it 51-48 at 2:28 am ET Thursday morning. 

Murkowski and Collins were the only noes. The services of Vice President Vance weren’t needed due to McConnell’s aye vote and the absence of Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn. She fell ill and was admitted to George Washington Hospital for exhaustion. 

As for the senior senator from Alaska, one GOP senator characterized it as “Murkowski fatigue.”

“She always asking. She’s always wanting more,” groused a Senate Republican.

Murkowski secured an agreement on rural hospitals in exchange for her vote in favor of the Big, Beautiful Bill earlier this month. However, Murkowski did not secure more specificity on the DOGE cuts or help with rural, public radio stations in Alaska on the spending cut plan.

SENATE TO DEBATE TRUMP’S $9B CLAWBACK BILL AFTER DRAMATIC LATE-NIGHT VOTES

“My vote is guided by the imperative of coming from Alaskans. I have a vote that I am free to cast, with or without the support of the President. My obligation is to my constituents and to the Constitution,” said Murkowski. “I don’t disagree that NPR over the years has tilted more partisan. That can be addressed. But you don’t need to gut the entire Corporation for Public Broadcasting.” 

In a statement, Collins blasted the Trump administration for a lack of specificity about the precision of the rescissions request. Collins, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee in charge of the federal purse strings, also criticized the administration a few months ago for a paucity of detail in the President’s budget. 

“The rescissions package has a big problem – nobody really knows what program reductions are in it.  That isn’t because we haven’t had time to review the bill,” said Collins in a statement. “Instead, the problem is that OMB (the Office of Management and Budget) has never provided the details that would normally be part of this process.”

Collins wasn’t the only Republican senator who worried about how the administration presented the spending cut package to Congress. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss.,  fretted about Congress ceding the power of the purse to the administration. But unlike Collins, Wicker supported the package.

“If we do this again, please give us specific information about where the cuts will come. Let’s not make a habit of this,” said Wicker. “If you come back to us again from the executive branch, give us the specific amounts in the specific programs that will be cut.”

DOGE recommended the cuts. In fact, most of the spending reductions targeted by DOGE don’t go into effect unless Congress acts. But even the $9.4 billion proved challenging to cut. 

“We should be able to do that in our sleep. But there is looking like there’s enough opposition,” said Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., on Fox Business.

So to court votes, GOP leaders salvaged $400 million for PEPFAR.

“There was a lot of interest among our members in doing something on the PEPFAR issue,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. “You’re still talking about a $9 billion rescissions package – even with that small modification.”

The aim to silence public broadcasting buoyed some Republicans.

HOMELAND SECURITY HALTS $18.5M IN TAXPAYER FUNDS FOR ‘RADICAL’ PROGRAMS

“North Dakota Public Radio – about 26% of their budget is federal funding. To me, that’s more of an indictment than it is a need,” said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D. 

But back to the $9 billion. It’s a fraction of one-tenth of one percent of all federal funding. And DOGE recommended more than a trillion dollars in cuts.

“What does this say for the party if it can’t even pass this bill, this piddling amount of money?” yours truly asked Sen. John Kennedy, R-La.

“I think we’re going to lose a lot of credibility. And we should,” replied Kennedy.

But the House needed to sync up with the Senate since it changed the bill – stripping the cut for AIDS funding. House conservatives weren’t pleased that the Senate was jamming them again – just two weeks after major renovations to the House version of the Big, Beautiful Bill. But they accepted their fate.

“It’s disappointing that we’re $37 trillion in debt. This to me was low-hanging fruit,” said Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo. “At the end of the day, I’ll take a base hit, right? It’s better than nothing.”

White House Budget Director Russ Vought is expected to send other spending cancellation requests to Congress in the coming months. The aim is to target deeper spending reductions recommended by DOGE. 

But it doesn’t auger well for future rescissions bills if it’s this much of a battle to trim $9 trillion.

What can you get for that much money? For Republicans, it’s not much. 

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Republicans were swinging for the fences with spending cuts.

But in the political box score, this is recorded as just a base hit.

President Donald Trump is calling for an immediate end to the trial of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who he said is the victim of “unjust” politically motivated attacks. 

The Brazilian leader is facing an investigation and an upcoming trial accusing him of leading an attempted coup to stay in office after his 2022 election defeat. Earlier this week, Bolsonaro’s son, Eduardo, was at the White House for meetings.

He later said in a video posted to social media that “decisions are being made” with respect to possible sanctions against Brazilian Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes that the U.S. has been considering.

“I have seen the terrible treatment you are receiving at the hands of an unjust system turned against you. This should end immediately!” Trump wrote in a letter he sent to Bolsonaro, which the president posted on his Truth Social account Thursday evening. 

PROSECUTORS TIED TO JAN. 6 CAPITOL RIOT CASES FIRED BY JUSTICE DEPARTMENT: REPORTS

“I share your commitment to listening to the voice of the people and I am very concerned about the attacks on free speech – both in Brazil and in the United States – coming out of the current government. I have strongly voiced my disapproval both publicly and through our Tariff policy.” 

Last week, Trump threatened a 50% tariff on products from Brazil in a letter to the country’s president that cited the ongoing case against Bolsonaro.

In November, Federal Police filed a 884-page report with Brazilian Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet detailing the scheme that alleged Bolsonaro and 33 others participated in a plan to remain in power despite losing to current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. They allege it involved systematically sowing distrust of the electoral system among the populace, drafting a decree to give the plot a veneer of legality, pressuring top military brass to go along with the plan and inciting a riot in the capital.

A panel of justices on Brazil’s Supreme Court accepted the charges against Bolsonaro in March, and it ordered the former leader to stand trial. All five justices ruled in favor of accepting the charges, which included accusations involving a plan to poison Bolsonaro’s successor and kill a Supreme Court judge.

WHITE HOUSE PUSHES BACK FORCEFULLY ON EPSTEIN FILE CRITICISM: ‘ASININE SUGGESTION’

Under Brazilian law, a coup conviction carries a sentence of up to 12 years. When combined with the other charges, it could result in a sentence of decades behind bars.

In his letter to Bolsonaro, Trump said it was his “sincere hope” that the government in Brazil “changes course, stops attacking political opponents, and ends their ridiculous censorship regime.”

“I will be watching closely,” Trump added.

For his part, Bolsonaro has denied any wrongdoing, telling reporters, “I have no concerns about the accusations, zero.” 

TRUMP’S TREASURY DEPARTMENT TARGETS DANGEROUS VENEZUELAN PRISON GANG WITH SANCTIONS ON 6 TOP LEADERS

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The Washington Post reported Thursday that, according to four sources familiar with the situation, the U.S. is considering levying sanctions against Judge Moraes, who is leading the case against Bolsonaro. The sanctions, according to the sources who spoke with the Post, would come under the Magnitsky Act, which allops the U.S. to impose sanctions against foreign nationals accused of corruption. 

After Trump threatened 50% tariffs on Brazil over the case against Bolsonaro, his successor, Lula, vowed retaliation. 

“If there’s no negotiation, the reciprocity law will be put to work. If he charges 50 (% tariffs) from us, we will charge 50 from them,” Lula said, according to The Associated Press. “Respect is good. I like to offer mine, and I like to receive it.”

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) said Thursday it was adding “enhanced oversight” of agency decisions about new wind and solar projects in an effort to end “favoritism” of these “unreliable” and “subsidy-dependent” energy systems from the previous administration.

The new directive updates review procedures that will require senior leadership at the Interior Department, including the office of the secretary, to conduct a final review of any relevant decisions, including leases, rights-of-way, construction and operation plans, grants, consultations and biological opinions.

“Today’s actions further deliver on President Trump’s promise to tackle the Green New Scam and protect the American taxpayers’ dollars,” said acting Assistant Secretary for Lands and Minerals Management Adam Suess. 

“American energy dominance is driven by U.S.-based production of reliable baseload energy, not regulatory favoritism towards unreliable energy projects that are solely dependent on taxpayer subsidies and foreign-sourced equipment.”

DOUG BURGUM EXPLAINS HOW WIND AND SOLAR DO NOT ‘RUN AMERICA’

A source familiar with the DOI’s new enhanced oversight directive said the agency had serious concerns the Biden administration gave preferential treatment for permitting to new wind and solar projects, which a DOI press release Thursday described as “unreliable” forms of energy. 

The press release argued that, with the removal of “artificial advantages,” the Trump administration is “leveling the playing field” for “dispatchable, cost-effective and secure energy sources, such as clean coal and domestic natural gas.”    

“These actions mark a return to commonsense permitting standards that support national security, grid stability and American job creation,” the press release says.

WHAT AI’S INSATIABLE APPETITE FOR POWER MEANS FOR OUR FUTURE

The actions are in alignment with an executive order signed by President Donald Trump earlier this month, “Ending Market Distorting Subsidies for Unreliable, Foreign-Controlled Energy Sources” and other presidential directives, while also serving to implement certain provisions of the newly passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

The “big, beautiful bill” provisions that the directive supports ask the Interior Department to eliminate right-of-way and capacity fee discounts for existing and future wind and solar projects, which the DOI said Thursday will end “years of subsidies for economically unviable energy development.”

“For too long, the federal government has forced American taxpayers to subsidize expensive and unreliable energy sources like wind and solar,” Trump’s executive order says. “The proliferation of these projects displaces affordable, reliable, dispatchable domestic energy sources, compromises our electric grid, and denigrates the beauty of our Nation’s natural landscape.

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“Moreover, reliance on so-called ‘green’ subsidies threatens national security by making the United States dependent on supply chains controlled by foreign adversaries. Ending the massive cost of taxpayer handouts to unreliable energy sources is vital to energy dominance, national security, economic growth, and the fiscal health of the Nation.”

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…

– Hamas losing iron grip on Gaza as US-backed group gets aid to Palestinians in need

– Two Republicans vote against Trump’s $9 billion clawback of foreign aid, NPR funding

– AOC talks meeting with Zohran Mamdani, ICE activity in NYC

Tipping the Scales of Justice?

EXCLUSIVE: An environmental advocacy group accused of trying to manipulate judges organized a years-long, nationwide online forum with jurists to promote favorable info and litigation updates regarding climate issues – until the email-styled group chat was abruptly made private, Fox News Digital found.

The Climate Judiciary Project (CJP) was founded in 2018 by a left-wing environmental nonprofit, the Environmental Law Institute (ELI), and pitches itself as a “first-of-its-kind effort” that “provides judges with authoritative, objective, and trusted education on climate science, the impacts of climate change, and the ways climate science is arising in the law.”

But critics, such as Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, say CJP is funded by China and left-wing activists for one purpose… READ MORE.

White House

NO MORE GAMES: Trump signs fentanyl bill into law, earning praise from state attorneys general

REIGN OF TERROR: Trump’s Treasury Department targets dangerous Venezuelan prison gang with sanctions on 6 top leaders

‘DEAR GOD’: Democrats storm out of vote on controversial Trump nominee

‘DEEPLY INAPPROPRIATE’: Exclusive: Army secretary vows ‘grievous error’ targeting pro-life groups will never happen again

‘POLITICAL RETRIBUTION’: Civil rights group declares ‘state of emergency,’ pointing at Trump admin

NOT BACKING DOWN: Powell shares what it would take for him to leave the Fed, book reveals

World Stage

EUROPE PAYS UP: Trump’s NATO deal to arm Ukraine wins over GOP skeptics

BITTERSWEET 16: UK government to lower voting age to 16 before next national election despite strong conservative opposition

‘UNACCEPTABLE’: Pope demands ceasefire after Gaza’s Catholic church is hit in apparent Israeli strike

BYPASSING TERROR: Hamas losing iron grip on Gaza as US-backed group gets aid to Palestinians in need

KREMLIN IRE RISES: Russia threatens West with ‘preemptive strikes’ as NATO looks to deliver Patriots ‘as quickly as possible’

POWER PLAY: Ukraine’s Zelenskyy names new prime minister for first time since Russia’s war began

MILITARY PIVOT: Calls for Trump to dislodge Iran-backed Houthis as terrorist movement continues attacks on commercial ships

Capitol Hill

THUMBS DOWN: Democrats hit rock bottom as American voters turn away in record numbers from liberal agenda: poll

ANTISEMITISM EXPOSED: Bipartisan House resolution condemns phrase that’s created firestorm for Zohran Mamdani

SHOWSTOPPER: Cornyn says he’s spoken to Trump about a potential endorsement: ‘If he endorsed me, the race would be over’

NAMING NAMES: Karine Jean-Pierre, more top Biden aides to appear in House cover-up probe

MOVING ON: Senate panel advances Trump’s former defense attorney Emil Bove toward federal appeals court position

‘SUSTAINED PATTERN’: Timeline of ‘scam artist’ Adam Schiff’s mortgage fraud allegations stretching back years

BUDGET BATTLE LINES: SCOOP: House fiscal hawks warily accept Senate’s $9B Trump spending cuts package

BROADCAST BRAWL: Two Republicans vote against Trump’s $9 billion clawback of foreign aid, NPR funding

‘SQUAD’ GOALS: AOC talks meeting with Zohran Mamdani, ICE activity in NYC

Across America 

‘IT IS DISTURBING’: Mamdani sparks firestorm with resurfaced comment on abolishing private property: ‘He’s a communist’

‘CRAZED RHETORIC’: ICE mask debate heats up as doxxing and agent assaults surge

‘I’M AN IMMIGRANT’: Trump’s immigration crackdown in LA ignites ‘same emotional notes’ for Dems, top local GOP leader says

‘ROCK BOTTOM’: Trump Jr. rips ‘communist’ Mamdani with dire prediction about NYC if he wins mayoral race

DIRTY DISTRICTS: Big government, big problems: Public corruption highest in places with large bureaucracies, report says

TRUTH COMES OUT: Mamdani sparks social media frenzy with viral clip discussing what happens if he runs out of money

FLYER RELIEF: Noem teases ‘next big announcement’ that may change airport security rule

‘FISCAL WATCHDOG’: DeSantis taps Florida’s ‘most conservative senator’ for state CFO

LINGERING QUESTIONS: Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide but ‘likely’ had help, former lawyer claims

VETERAN TAKES FLIGHT: SCOOP: Former CIA officer, Air Force veteran launches GOP campaign for Dem-held Ohio district

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

A Mexican illegal alien living in Los Angeles was charged with orchestrating her own fake ICE “kidnapping” to generate sympathy and solicit donations, the Justice Department announced Thursday.

Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, 41, a resident of South Los Angeles, was charged with conspiracy and making false statements to federal officers, the DOJ said.

Calderon had been living in the U.S. based on a federal law enforcement parole that expired in 2023. She is in federal custody after she allegedly faked her kidnapping.

This comes after local outlet KTLA reported on a news conference held by Calderon’s “loved ones and attorneys,” who claimed she had been “kidnapped” by uniformed men in unmarked cars June 25.

TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN IN LA IGNITES ‘SAME EMOTIONAL NOTES’ FOR DEMS, TOP LOCAL GOP LEADER SAYS

The outlet reported that a woman identified as an attorney named Stephano Medina claimed Calderon was cornered in a Jack in the Box parking lot in Los Angeles by men who did not identify themselves but were possibly bounty hunters. Medina claimed Calderon was taken to the border and presented to an “ICE staffer,” who demanded she sign self-deportation paperwork.

Medina said that when Calderon refused to sign the paperwork, she was taken to a warehouse until she agreed to sign the document.

Fox News Digital obtained a copy of the criminal complaint against Calderon, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. An affidavit filed with the complaint alleges that Calderon and others “planned a hoax kidnapping” for their benefit, “including their own pecuniary gain.”

The affidavit said that Calderon’s daughter set up a GoFundMe page to raise $4,500 after her mother was “taken by masked men in an unmarked vehicle.”

ICE MASK DEBATE HEATS UP AS DOXXING AND AGENT ASSAULTS SURGE

The daughter filed a missing person report with the Los Angeles Police Department, which notified Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) of Calderon’s supposed kidnapping.

HSI determined Calderon was not in DHS custody and, out of concern for her safety, the agency launched its own investigation to find her. During the investigation, HSI noticed several irregularities, including that the phone calls to loved ones that Calderon had supposedly made via borrowed phones were made from her cell phone, intentionally masked to appear as an unknown number.

According to the affidavit, video surveillance of Calderon’s alleged forced abduction further showed her calmly leaving the Jack in the Box parking lot and getting into a nearby sedan. Despite the video showing a marked LAPD car in the vicinity, Calderon did not make any attempts to alert officers that she was in danger.

The affidavit states that “when confronted with true information that contradicted their kidnapping story,” Calderon and others lied to federal agents and “attempted to thwart law enforcement efforts” by keeping her whereabouts from law enforcement.

FEDS CHARGE 3 MORE MEN IN MARYLAND MS-13 RACKETEERING CONSPIRACY INVOLVING MURDER: ‘REIGN OF TERROR’

According to a DOJ statement, HSI agents tracked Calderon down July 5 in a shopping plaza parking lot in Bakersfield, California. The statement said Calderon continued to claim she was taken by masked men and held in custody with others.

She is in U.S. immigration custody and is facing a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for conspiracy and up to five years for false statements if convicted of the charges.   

Commenting on the charges, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli thanked HSI and “all federal agents facing unprecedented levels of assaults” for “providing cool heads and professionalism during these difficult times.”

Essayli said “dangerous rhetoric that ICE agents are ‘kidnapping’ illegal immigrants is being recklessly peddled by politicians and echoed in the media to inflame the public and discredit our courageous federal agents.”  

ILLEGAL MIGRANT ENTERS PLEA IN CRASH THAT KILLED BOY ONE DAY BEFORE HIS 12TH BIRTHDAY

HSI Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang also decried the scheme, saying, “My office invested valuable time and resources working this alleged kidnapping investigation only to discover that it was a hoax.

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“Diverting critical law enforcement resources is not only reckless and irresponsible, but it also endangers the community,” Wang added.  “The real cost of a fraud like this is the amount of fentanyl not seized, child predators not removed from the communities and human trafficking victims not rescued because law enforcement redirected resources to recover the defendant.

“We want to assure the public that allegations of criminal activity will be thoroughly investigated by HSI and our law enforcement partners and that those who engage in fraud and deception will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”   

EXCLUSIVE: New legislation would create harsher penalties for executives of publicly traded companies who knowingly fail to comply with federal employment eligibility verification laws. 

The proposal comes as federal immigration authorities continue to crack down on alleged violations of immigration laws, including a criminal search warrant that was executed in California earlier this month on a cannabis facility, which resulted in multiple arrests of illegal immigrants and a child labor investigation.

“While liberals like Gavin Newsom pretend to care about human rights, the sad truth is that the Democrats’ open-borders agenda is really about undercutting American wages and ensuring their billionaire donors have a constant supply of cheap, foreign labor,” Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, said in a statement.

TRUMP ‘WORKING ON’ DEPORTATION EXEMPTIONS FOR ILLEGAL FARM AND HOSPITALITY WORKERS

“So, let’s make this simple, executives who abuse illegal immigrants with slave wages should be held personally liable and face severe consequences if they’re caught. This cannot be a country built on servitude. American workers must come first,” he added.

Specifically, Moreno’s “Strengthening Accountability for Employers Hiring Individuals and Reforming Enforcement Act” (SAFE HIRE Act) would require a company’s CEO and chief human resources officer to sign off on their employment practices in annual SEC reports, including confirming that the company verified the legal work status of all employees.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

In addition, companies will certify in their SEC reports that they have disclosed to the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice any “significant deficiencies” that would interfere with their ability to follow federal employment eligibility requirements or of any known violations.

IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES HIGHLIGHT CRIMINAL HISTORY OF MULTIPLE MIGRANTS ARRESTED IN LOS ANGELES

Executives could face up to 10 years in prison and up to a $1 million fine for knowingly making false certifications. Those found responsible for violations involving employing people in the country illegally can face up to 20 years behind bars and a $5 million fine.

“This isn’t about labor laws or penalizing employers – and the federal government has made that clear. They care more about lining the pockets of private for-profit detention centers than the children and families wasting away in their care or the billions spent by taxpayers to hold them in these facilities indefinitely,” a spokesperson for Gov. Gavin Newsom told Fox News Digital.

It’s been against the law to intentionally hire people who cannot work in the country legally since the passage of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

ICE BEGINS NEW, NATIONWIDE EFFORT TO ARREST ILLEGAL ALIENS AT IMMIGRATION HEARINGS

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In Congress, Republicans and Democrats continue to face off on immigration policy, most recently with the passage of the reconciliation bill signed by President Donald Trump, which ramps up resources for Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.

The White House is pushing back against criticism of the administration’s handling of files pertaining to Jeffrey Epstein as figures on both sides of the aisle demand their release.

“The fact that Democrats have now seized on this as if they ever wanted transparency when it comes to Jeffrey Epstein, which is an asinine suggestion for any Democrat to make. The Democrats had control of this building, the White House, for four years, and they didn’t do a dang thing when it came to transparency in regards to Jeffrey Epstein and his heinous crimes,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday. 

Leavitt then attempted to shift focus, saying that President Donald Trump cared more about other issues, such as the GENIUS Act and the border. This echoed a sentiment expressed by Trump, who said that the Justice Department has “bigger problems” than the Epstein case.

DEMOCRATS CAPITALIZE ON GOP JEFFREY EPSTEIN FALLOUT WITH NEW DEMANDS FOR JIM JORDAN

Additionally, Leavitt told reporters that Trump is not recommending a special prosecutor in the Epstein case, saying that “the idea was floated from someone in the media to the president.”
A recent joint Justice Department-FBI memo obtained by Axios showed the department and the bureau concluded they had no evidence of Epstein blackmailing powerful people, keeping a client list or being killed.

Republicans have grown frustrated with what they see as a lack of transparency from the Trump administration. The president has lashed out amid the criticism, claiming that it is a “hoax” and that those on the right concerned about the release of the files were being “duped” by Democrats. 

BONDI SHOULD RELEASE ‘CREDIBLE’ EPSTEIN FILES, TRUMP SAYS

On Wednesday, Trump said Attorney General Pam Bondi would release “whatever’s credible” related to the Epstein case.

“He’s dead. He’s gone,” Trump said of Epstein. “And, all it is, is the Republicans, certain Republicans got duped by the Democrats, and they’re following a Democrat playbook and no different than Russia, Russia, Russia and all the other hoaxes.”

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The infighting isn’t limited to Republican lawmakers. A source recently told Fox News Digital that FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino was considering resigning over the handling of the files. However, he has not made any announcements about leaving.

Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace and Amanda Macias, and Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich, David Spunt and Jake Gibson contributed to this report.

The State Department will now only weigh in on foreign elections when there is a “clear and compelling” U.S. interest to do so, focusing on strategic significance over spreading democratic values. 

“Consistent with the administration’s emphasis on national sovereignty, the Department will comment publicly on elections only when there is a clear and compelling U.S. foreign policy interest to do so,” according to a new memo articulating Secretary Marco Rubio’s directive obtained by Fox News Digital. 

“Messages should avoid opining on the fairness or integrity of an electoral process, its legitimacy, or the democratic values of the country in question.”

The memo, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, said the U.S. would “hold firm to its own democratic values and celebrate those values when other countries choose a similar path,” but would continue relationships where “strategic interests align,” instead of focusing on values. 

IT’S SORT OF SCARY’: OFFICIALS FLAG SURPRISING REVELATIONS FROM DEEP STATE DEPARTMENT CUTS

Overseas outposts can still post public messages congratulating the winner of an election without high-level signoff, unless the outcome is contested, but are instructed to focus on the “outcome of an election, not the process.” 

If a bureau wants to post messages denouncing the process of an election, such as in the case of violence during voting or sham elections, they need a senior-level signoff from the bureau and such permissions will be “rare.” 

RUBIO SPEARHEADS MASSIVE STATE DEPT REORGANIZATION SET TO ELIMINATE, MERGE MORE THAN 300 OFFICES 

“DO use messaging on elections to advance a U.S. foreign policy goal,” the memo read. “DON’T use it to promote an ideology.” 

Those writing official statements are instructed to ask themselves, “Would the president say it?” 

The U.S.’ view on an election is closely watched by opposition groups and human rights activitists, and sometimes defines whether a nation is sanctioned or granted foreign aid. 

In a speech in Saudi Arabia in May, President Donald Trump said the U.S. would refrain from telling other countries how to manage their domestic affairs, reorienting U.S. policy that prompted interventions across the Middle East for decades. 

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But still, in some cases, Trump has weighed in on the affairs of other countries: last week he imposed a 50% tariff on Brazil due to the trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who prosecutors accuse of trying to overturn the 2022 election results in a violent coup plot. 

FIRST ON FOX: Kentucky’s attorney general filed a lawsuit Thursday against e-commerce giant Temu, alleging that its app illegally gives the Chinese government access to Americans’ user data and that the company lifts intellectual property from U.S.-owned companies.

In a complaint filed in Woodford County Circuit Court, state attorneys asked for an injunction against Temu, an Amazon rival with a China-originating parent company, for what they described as “multifold” harms.

Kentucky investigators identified “code-level behaviors” in the Temu app that involved the collection of users’ sensitive personal data in a manner that was not secure, in violation of state consumer protection laws, the attorneys said.

PRESSURE FROM SHEIN, TEMU ACCELERATE RETAIL CLOSURES

“These privacy and security harms are compounded both because the Temu app is purposely designed to evade detection … and because Defendants — by their own [acknowledgment] — have a portion of their operations located on mainland China, where cybersecurity laws allow the government unfettered access to data owned by Chinese businesses whenever it wishes,” the attorneys wrote.

The complaint alleged that Temu improperly collects users’ Wi-Fi and GPS information, as well as camera data without appropriate permission.

The attorneys also alleged that Temu brazenly sells products using stolen intellectual property of large and small brands, including that of Kentucky’s historic horse racetrack in Louisville.

“As of the date of this filing, Temu features dozens of what appear to be unlicensed products claiming to be from Kentucky brands like the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, Buffalo Trace Distillery and Churchill Downs,” the complaint reads.

TEMU, SHEIN TO RAISE PRICES FOR US CONSUMERS STARTING NEXT WEEK AS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CLOSES TARIFF LOOPHOLE

Temu’s parent company is PDD Holdings, which originated in China but moved to Ireland. Before launching Temu in the United States in 2022, PDD Holdings founded Temu’s sister company, Pinduoduo, a Chinese online retailer.

Temu has become known for its heavily discounted products and aggressive advertising strategy, which included three multimillion-dollar animated Super Bowl ads last year. Temu was Apple’s most downloaded free app in 2023, according to TechCrunch.

Temu’s tagline is “Shop like a billionaire,” though its pricing structure has in recent months been disrupted by Trump’s trade war with China.

Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman said the company’s “cheap products and flashy marketing” distract from more insidious problems.

“Their platform can infect Kentuckians’ devices with malware, steal their personal data and send it directly to the Chinese government,” Coleman, an elected Republican and former U.S. attorney, said in a statement. “At the same time, they’re eroding trust in some of Kentucky’s most iconic brands, which could lead to job losses and hardship.”

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The lawsuit is the latest instance of Temu coming under scrutiny, mainly by Republicans, for its ties to China, a top U.S. adversary. Last year, 20 GOP state attorneys general demanded information from Temu’s ownership about allegations brought by Congress that its China-based suppliers used forced labor. Temu denied the claim at the time.

Fox News Digital reached out to Temu for comment.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas — who is up for re-election next year and facing a primary challenge from Lone Star State Attorney General Ken Paxton — told NBC News that he has spoken to President Donald Trump about a potential endorsement.

“I’ve talked to him about it a number of times. He is not ready to make that endorsement,” Cornyn told the outlet. “I think as we start advertising and closing the gap in the polls, hopefully he’ll see fit to make that endorsement, but we can’t wait.” 

“I pointed out to him, and he knows this, that if he endorsed me, the race would be over,” the senator noted, according to the outlet.

FIRST ON FOX: RED STATE INVESTIGATING M&MS AND SKITTLES MANUFACTURER FOR ‘DECEPTIVE’ PRACTICES

Cornyn has spent more than two decades in the Senate — prior to taking office in late 2002, he served as Texas attorney general, the post that Paxton currently occupies.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Cornyn campaign senior adviser Matt Mackowiak said that “President Trump’s endorsement is the most powerful endorsement in the modern history of the Republican Party.” 

JOHN CORNYN SCORES TIM SCOTT ENDORSEMENT, BUT JOHN RICH CALLS CORNYN ‘THE LINDSEY GRAHAM OF TEXAS’ 

“Senator Cornyn and President Trump are good friends and close allies and Senator Cornyn is proud to have voted with President Trump 99.2% of the time while he has been in office. We respect that the President will take his time to make a decision and in the meantime we are focused on running a first rate, winning campaign, as Senator Cornyn always has.”

Fox News Digital also reached out to the White House and to Paxton’s campaign for comment.

‘SACRED COVENANT’ – HOW THE PAXTON DIVORCE ROCKS THE BRUISING REPUBLICAN SENATE PRIMARY IN TEXAS

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Paxton’s wife, Texas state Sen. Angela Paxton, a Republican, declared in social media posts last week that “after 38 years of marriage” she “filed for divorce on biblical grounds.”

The federal immigration operations in Los Angeles have created a sense of “political irony” in the Golden State, according to Los Angeles County Republican Party Chair Roxanne Hoge.

The region continues to make waves after anti-ICE riots in June, as well as authorities recently conducting a massive operation on a cannabis farm in Southern California that resulted in a riot, hundreds of illegal immigrant arrests and a child labor investigation into the company. The operation was the result of a criminal search warrant, and the company, Glass House Brands, has denied intentional wrongdoing.

“The political irony of the Trump administration coming in to clean up the mess that the California Democrats has made, is it will make Los Angeles livable, right?” Hoge said.

CALIFORNIA CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR BLASTS NEWSOM WHILE WALKING THROUGH LA RIOT AFTERMATH

“They’re gonna end up looking better because the traffic will be easier, ERs will be easy to get to, and people will realize that there isn’t a two-tiered justice system,” Hoge continued. “If you want to open a restaurant in Los Angeles, you’re looking at years before you can get the permits and build something. Just look at the poor people in the Palisades. If you’re illegal, Karen Bass and Gavin Newsom have rolled out the welcome mat for you and your cart on the street. And people are noticing that.”

In a deep blue area, Republicans generally have an uphill battle, and Hoge said that the message for the party to Independents and “disaffected Democrats” is to “continue to espouse public safety.” In November, Los Angeles County voters ousted progressive District Attorney George Gascon and swapped him out with Nathan Hochman, an independent, by a wide margin.

“That really is the number one role of government, and it is the thing that the Democrats have completely failed at,” Hoge said. “They own Los Angeles, all of it. The encampments, the inability to run a business, the inability of your kids to get a good education. That all lies on the feet of California Democrats, and we’re just going to keep pointing out that we can do better.”

The fires in Los Angeles brought heightened scrutiny to California leadership earlier this year, but the attention on them quickly shifted to immigration nationally. Mayor Bass and Gov. Newsom have been vocal opponents of the administration, with the mayor even directly meeting with ICE during a sweep earlier this month near MacArthur Park.

ANTI-ICE RIOTS REVEAL THE LEFT HAS LEARNED NOTHING. IT’S JUST HANDED TRUMP A GIFT

“They need to leave, and they need to leave right now. They need to leave because this is unacceptable!” Bass said at the time, and later said at a press conference that ICE needs to “go home.”

“I don’t know if there’s a deal to be made. Like I told you, the deal that needs to be made is for them to go home,” the Democrat said at the press conference.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

Newsom has also remained firm in his stance against the administration, including a lawsuit against National Guard troop deployment by President Donald Trump over the riots in June.

“For more than a month, [Trump] has been exploiting [the California National Guard] as his political pawns,” Newsom posted to X on July 15, as some of the troops were taken off their orders. “Thousands of members are still federalized in Los Angeles for no reason and unable to carry out their critical duties across the state. End this theater and send everyone home.”

Hoge said voters should consider the broader issues that stem from the border crisis and illegal immigration, created in her view.

ICE RAMPS UP ARRESTS OF CONVICTED CRIMINALS AS RIOTS RAGE IN BLUE CITY: ‘YOU WILL NOT STOP US’

“My message is the same to everyone, including disaffected Democrats, of which I was a classic liberal. I’m an immigrant. I came here legally and became a naturalized citizen,” Hoge said, adding that Democrats are “taking advantage” of people coming to the country illegally and opening the door to “exploitation by employers,” sex crimes, and “all sorts of horrible things.”

“I would say just remember that the fruit of the poison tree is the original sanctuary laws,” Hoge said.

However, the Republican noted that the political implications are “tough to tell,” adding that the left “has the advantage of just playing the same emotional notes over and over.”

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“Sometimes people are swayed by that,” she added.

Los Angeles is considered a sanctuary city as of November 2024, which acts as a roadblock for the city to be “utilized” or “to cooperate” with the federal government on “immigration enforcement,” according to a news release. The policy is currently facing a federal lawsuit.

As for the state of California, the governor’s office recently said to Fox News Digital on background that state law “does not impede criminal investigations or sharing of information about an individual’s criminal history. California does not interfere with the federal government’s authority to enforce federal immigration laws with federal resources.”

The governor’s office noted on background that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has “coordinated” on over 11,000 cases with ICE, including serious crimes. 

Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday voted to advance President Donald Trump‘s former defense attorney Emil Bove to serve as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, clearing his nomination out of the committee to the full Senate for a vote.

The narrow vote came after roughly an hour of sharp debate from Democrats on the panel, who stormed out of the committee room shortly before the vote was held. Sens. Cory Booker, D-NJ, and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-NY, had unsuccessfully urged Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa to allow for more time to consider Bove’s nomination, citing concerns made by a former Justice Department attorney and whistleblower, Erez Reuveni. 

The lack of candor prompted Whitehouse to declare, “there’s something rotten in Denmark,” invoking Shakespeare and Booker, moments later, to unsuccessfully appeal to Grassley’s “decency and decorum.”

“Debating the nomination, putting things on the record — Dear God, that’s what we are here for,” Booker erupted. “What are you afraid of?” 

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In the end, their appeal was unsuccessful, and Booker joined Democrats on the panel in walking out of the room before the vote was held.

The narrow confirmation vote from Republicans on the panel advances Bove’s nomination to the full Senate for a vote. It comes as Bove, a hard-charging former federal prosecutor whom Trump installed earlier this year as a senior official at the Justice Department, faces fresh scrutiny over his role in the administration. In recent weeks, a group of former federal judges and several Democrats on the committee have urged senators to reject his nomination.

If confirmed by the Senate, he would serve a lifetime appointment on the federal bench, which has jurisdiction in the districts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

Grassley rejected a request Tuesday afternoon from Democrats on the panel to hold a second round of hearings on Bove’s nomination, noting that, under the Democrat majority, the panel rejected at least four such requests made by Republicans.

“Many times during the last Administration, then-chairman Durbin said ‘there cannot be one set of rules for Republicans on this committee and another set of rules for Democrats,’” Grassley said. “I agree with this statement and intend to adhere to the precedent of then-Chairman Durbin.”

Grassley added that Bove had participated in a lengthy confirmation hearing last month, testifying under oath about whistleblower allegations made by a former Justice Department attorney.

Bove said under oath at the time, “I have never advised a Department of Justice attorney to violate a court order.” Grassley also noted that Bove provided members of the panel with 165 pages of written responses to their questions.

“Following a comprehensive review of the additional documents that you published following the hearing and discussed in the media, I do not believe that they substantiate any misconduct by Mr. Bove,” Grassley said, outlining plans to move forward with the vote as planned.

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“I am not anybody’s henchman,” Bove told the committee at his confirmation hearing last month. “I’m not an enforcer. I’m a lawyer from a small town, who never expected to be in an arena like this.”

Bove, who spent nearly 10 years as a prosecutor for the Southern District of New York, previously represented Trump as his personal attorney in two criminal cases following his first term as president. As a prosecutor and at the Justice Department, he has earned a reputation for his fierce — and at times, aggressive — leadership style.

One longtime defense lawyer who crossed paths with Bove in New York told Fox News Digital the nominee was an arrogant “bully” and browbeat people.

At the Justice Department, Bove has also emerged as the man behind some of the administration’s most contentious actions, including the decision to drop federal corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams, prompting some officials to resign rather than carry out his marching orders.

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These allegations were detailed in part by an explosive whistleblower report last month from former Justice Department attorney Erez Reuveni, who also detailed Bove’s role in ousting some federal prosecutors involved in the investigations into the January 6 U.S. Capitol riot, and his alleged role in ordering department officials to ignore court orders with regard to the Alien Enemies Act

According to Reuveni, Bove “explicitly plotted to violate court orders” and directed law enforcement officers “to engage in illegal acts,” among other things.

Reuveni, a 15-year DOJ veteran who was fired after struggling to defend the Trump administration’s deportations in a U.S. court case in Maryland, said in the whistleblower complaint that Bove shocked longtime career officials handling immigration cases by telling them they would “need to consider telling the courts ‘f*** you’ and ignore any such court order.”

The report prompted new concerns from former judges, including a group of more than 75 former federal and state judges, who urged lawmakers Tuesday to reject Bove’s nomination — citing what they described in a letter as his “egregious record” at the Justice Department, according to the allegations from Reuveni.

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“These are not actions of someone committed to equal justice under the law,” the group said in a letter. “Rather, they reflect a troubling pattern of abusing prosecutorial discretion to shield political allies.”

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who has worked closely with Bove for years, told Fox News Digital in an interview ahead of the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing last month that Bove is a “freaking brilliant lawyer,” and described  his nomination to the appellate court as a “no-brainer.”

Blanche described his colleague as the “most gentle, empathetic, great person that anybody could ever work with.” 

The National Urban League is sounding the alarm, asserting that there is a “state of emergency” in the country.

The organization’s “State of Black America” report for 2025 titled “State of Emergency: Democracy, Civil Rights, and Progress Under Attack,” takes aim at the Trump administration.

“Almost daily, since January 20, 2025, the federal government, at the direction of the White House, has set fire to policies and entire departments dedicated to protecting civil and human rights, providing access to an equal education, fair housing, safe and effective healthcare, and ensuring that our democratic process is adhered to across the nation,” the report claims.

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White House spokesman Harrison Fields pushed back in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“These so-called civil rights groups aren’t advancing anything but hate and division, while the President is focused on uniting our country, improving our economy, securing our borders, and establishing peace across the globe,” Fields said in the statement. “This is the same vision for America that a record number of Black Americans supported in the resounding reelection of President Trump. The Democrats have sold out Black voters to appease their base, which consists of illegals, the pronoun police, purple-haired lunatics, and radical anti-Semites.”

National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial declared in the report, “The notion that we are living through a ‘state of emergency’ is not rhetorical flourish. It is an honest reckoning with a government increasingly determined to sacrifice its founding principles—equality, liberty, and justice—rather than accept the truth of a diversifying nation and deliver equitable opportunity to all.”

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The report claims that the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department has been twisted “into a tool for political retribution.”

“Under its new leadership, the Civil Rights Division has been hollowed out and repurposed— transforming from a guardian of justice into a tool for political retribution,” the report asserts. “The radicalization of the DOJ is more than bureaucratic rot—it is an existential threat to civil rights enforcement, allowing discrimination to flourish unchecked under the false guise of ‘reverse racism.’”

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The report, which includes House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. and several other U.S. lawmakers among the list of contributors, speaks favorably about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.

“In short, DEI policies don’t just level the playing field in education and employment; they fortify democracy itself. By expanding opportunities, ensuring equitable access to information, and creating leadership pipelines, DEI helps guarantee that every American—not just the privileged few— can contribute to the nation’s future,” the report declares.