NationalWatch

Senate Republicans blasted through Democratic and internal opposition to pass President Donald Trump’s multibillion-dollar clawback package early Thursday morning.

The $9 billion rescissions bill tees up cuts to “woke” spending on foreign aid programs and NPR and PBS that Congress previously approved. Republicans have pitched the bill as building on their quest to root out waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government.

SENATE MARCHES TOWARD PASSING TRUMP’S $9B CLAWBACK BILL AFTER DRAMATIC LATE-NIGHT VOTES

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said that it was a mission shared by the GOP and Trump, whose Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) identified many of the cuts included in the package.  

“I appreciate all the work the administration has done in identifying wasteful spending,” Thune said. “And now it’s time for the Senate to do its part to cut some of that waste out of the budget. It’s a small but important step toward fiscal sanity that we all should be able to agree is long overdue.”

The president’s rescissions package proposed cutting just shy of $8 billion from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and over $1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the government-backed funding arm for NPR and PBS.

TRUMP’S $9 BILLION CLAWBACK PASSES FIRST SENATE TEST, WHILE MORE HURDLES AWAIT

It’s likely the first of many to come from the White House.

Unlike the previous procedural votes, Vice President JD Vance was not needed to break a tie, with only two Republicans, Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Susan Collins, R-Maine, joining all Senate Democrats to oppose the bill. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., voted against the preceding procedural votes to advance the package on Tuesday night, but ultimately backed the bill. 

It now heads to the House, where Republicans have warned the Senate to not make changes to the package. But just like during the budget reconciliation process earlier this month, the warnings from House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and fiscal hawks fell on deaf ears in the upper chamber.

The Senate GOP’s version of the bill is indeed smaller, by about $400 million, after Senate leaders agreed to make a carveout that spared international Bush-era HIV and AIDS prevention funding.

SENATE GOP BRACES FOR TEST VOTE ON TRUMP’S $9.4B CLAWBACK PACKAGE

Other attempts were made during a marathon vote-a-rama process to make changes to the bill, but none were able to surmount the 60-vote threshold in the upper chamber.

Senate Democrats tried to kneecap the bill with amendments that targeted what they argued were cuts that would diminish emergency alerts for extreme weather and disasters, erode America’s and isolate rural Americans by creating news deserts with cuts to public broadcasting, among others.

“Why are we talking about cutting off emergency alerts,” Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash, said. “That’s 1,000 times these stations were warned to tell people that their lives were in danger.”

Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, contended that much more was at stake than the spending cuts.

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The Washington Democrat charged that lawmakers were also “voting on how the Senate is going to spend the rest of this year, are we just going to do rescission after rescission, because we know Russ Vought is just itching to send us more.”

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., rebuked Democrats’ assertions against the bill, and pitched the legislation as a way for lawmakers to “course correct” wasteful spending that shouldn’t have ever been green-lit.

He told Fox News Digital that what Democrats want to do is “keep as much of this money for their woke pet projects as they can.” 

“They were able to do that for four years,” he said. “That’s how you got to, you know, DEIs in Burma and Guatemalan sex changes and voter ID in Haiti, which is ironic, because Democrats don’t support voter ID here, but they’re willing to pay it for it in another country.”

Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani’s stunning Democratic Party primary victory in the nation’s most populous city appears to be the gift that keeps on giving for Republicans aiming to paint Democrats as extreme radicals.

Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley told Fox News Digital this week that Mamdani “is the face of the new Democratic Party” and argued that “everybody who wants to lead that party wants to lead it to the left.”

But for Democrats, the capturing of the party’s nomination by the 33-year-old Ugandan-born state assemblyman from Queens is more complicated.

The victory by Mamdani, who convincingly topped former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and nine other candidates last month to take a big step toward becoming the city’s first Muslim and first millennial mayor, has put long-standing divisions within the Democratic Party back in the national spotlight.

TOP REPUBLICAN CLAIMS MAMDANI ‘FACE OF THE NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY’

It has reignited ongoing debates within the party between its more moderate and progressive wings, and between outsiders and the establishment, and highlighted the Democrats’ generational divide.

And it’s inflamed the debate over whether the party’s policy or messaging was to blame for last November’s election setbacks, when Democrats lost control of the White House and Senate and failed to win back the House majority, and whether the party needs to veer to the left or the center to escape the political wilderness.

POTUS PUNDITRY: TRUMP WEIGHS IN ON MAMDANI-CUOMO NYC MAYORAL FACEOFF 

Many of those fault lines were rocked earlier this year, as then-Democratic National Committee (DNC) vice chair David Hogg sparked a firestorm within over his efforts to back primary challenges against what he called “asleep at the wheel” older, longtime incumbents in safe, blue House districts.

The 25-year-old Hogg, the gun-control crusader who, as a teenager, survived a horrific school shooting in Florida, later stepped down from his vice chair position and left the DNC due to the controversy.

“Democrats continue to have a fissure in their own party, which has been made worse by Mamdani’s candidacy,” Wayne Lesperance, a veteran political scientist and the president of New England College, told Fox News Digital.

Democratic strategist Lauren Hitt, who worked for Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, served on the Biden-Harris 2024 presidential campaign, and this year helped a super PAC boost Mamdani, told Fox News that his primary victory was a “clear rejection of the old guard.”

It’s a similar take from Stephanie Taylor, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee.

“Zohran Mamdani’s likely victory shows that a new direction for the Democratic Party is possible – a future of dynamic candidates who appeal to young voters and working-class voters with a platform that fights for people, not corporations,” Taylor highlighted.

REPUBLICANS RELENTLESSLY USE MAMDANI AS ‘SOCIALIST’ CUDGEL TO BASH VULNERABLE DEMOCRATS

Even Matt Bennett, executive vice president for the moderate Democratic-aligned group the Third Way, acknowledged that Mamdani “focused on affordability,” which he said is “great.”

Bennett added that Mamdani is “young, charismatic, a great communicator. All that is great. We want to see that.”

But Bennett told Fox News “the problem is he has the wrong prescription.”

Mamdani’s victory over the 67-year-old Cuomo was also a victory for millennial Democrats against the old guard.

“I think there is a definite transition happening in the Democratic Party, perhaps not as quickly as folks would like to see, between the next generation of leaders stepping up,” Democratic strategist Lucas Meyer told Fox News.

Meyer, the former longtime president of the New Hampshire Young Democrats, and founder of the advocacy group 603 Forward, spotlighted that “people are looking for that next generation and I think that’s where the energy resides in the party.”

And pointing to the next White House race, where the very early moves are underway, he added: “I hope this definitely motivates younger candidates to start looking at the presidential race.”

But Mamdani’s victory was not repeated in Tuesday’s Democratic primary in a special congressional election in Arizona, where the 54-year-old daughter of late Democratic Rep. Raul Grijalva took a big step toward succeeding her father in Congress.

Former Pima County Supervisor Adelita Grijalva convincingly topped four other candidates in the heavily blue district.

Deja Foxx, a 25-year-old social media influencer and progressive activist who was hoping to follow in Mamdani’s footsteps by pulling off a stunning, come-from-behind victory, surged in the final weeks of the campaign but came up short. She finished second, ahead of a well-known local lawmaker and two other candidates.

Foxx, who grabbed national attention in part for her social media posts, was backed by Hogg, who campaigned with the candidate this past weekend in southern Arizona.

Michael Ceraso, a longtime Democratic strategist and veteran of statewide and presidential campaigns, said Mamdani and Foxx are “two very clear examples of the party moving in a direction that the establishment may feel uncomfortable with because they don’t necessarily know how to navigate that.”

And he argued that “the electorate is moving in a very particular direction.”

Mamdani, meanwhile, is giving Republicans plenty of fodder.

He’s proposed eliminating fares to ride New York City’s vast bus system, making CUNY (City University of New York) “tuition-free,” freezing rents on municipal housing, offering “free childcare” for children up to age 5 and setting up government-run grocery stores.

Also fueling the Republican attacks are recent news items that have gone viral. They include a 2020 photo Mamdani posted online that shows him flipping off a statue of Christopher Columbus, stories about comments Mamdani made last December when he said as mayor he would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and his recent comments in a cable news interview that “I have many critiques of capitalism.”

Republicans have been relentless in trying to anchor Mamdani to Democrats across the country who are running in competitive races in elections this year and in next year’s midterms.

“He certainly is going to fit right into that upper echelon of Democrats who are vying for a lead in that party,” Whatley said of Mamdani. He claimed that “they’re just unabashedly in that radical woke part of the party.”

Pointing to last year’s elections, when the Republicans won back the White House and Senate and held onto their razor-thin House majority, Whatley argued that “every single candidate right now on the Democratic side of the aisle is buying into the same failed agenda that they lost with in 2024.”

Democrats question the effectiveness of the GOP push.

They argue that there’s a world of difference between heavily blue New York City, where Democrats outnumber Republicans by a roughly six-to-one margin, and some key battleground states and swing districts across the country.

Rep. Steve Cohen of Tennessee, a Democrat, told reporters the day after Mamdani’s victory, “I love New York, but it’s a very liberal place, and I don’t know that you can necessarily apply that to the rest of the country.”

In the high-profile 2026 race to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Republican candidate and former Sen. Scott Brown went up last week with a digital ad that edits a picture of Rep. Chris Pappas, the Democratic candidate in the race, alongside photos of Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez, the progressive rock star who backed Mamdani.

Pappas, speaking with Fox News Digital last week, said, “Republicans have spent tens of millions of dollars running attack ads against me through the years, trying to paint me as someone that I’m not.”

“People know me. They know the work that I’ve been doing. They know that I’m one of the most bipartisan members of the House of Representatives because I believe in solving problems and getting things done,” Pappas said. “I’m a New Hampshire Democrat. I’m proud of my track record in Congress.”

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Pappas was joined on the campaign trail by longtime Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, who spent plenty of time in New Hampshire ahead of her third-place finish in the state’s 2020 Democratic presidential primary.

“It’s about New Hampshire. They’re going to do this in all these races across the country. They try to attach people. People have never even met some of these people. And they keep doing it,” Klobuchar told Fox News when asked about the Republican ad anchoring Mamdani to Pappas. “To me this is about what’s going on for the people of this state.”

FIRST ON FOX: The mother of a young girl who was murdered by an MS-13 gang member in 2022 is speaking out after Congressman Russell Fry, R-South Carolina, introduced a bill that could have saved her daughter’s life. 

Kayla Hamilton was just 20 years old when she was sexually assaulted, tied up, and strangled to death by Walter Javier Martinez, a 17-year-old illegal migrant in the U.S. under Unaccompanied Alien Child (UAC) status who was sentenced to 70 years in prison this April. 

This week, Rep. Fry introduced the Kayla Hamilton Act, which would mandate the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary to consider whether a UAC, an illegal immigrant under the age of 18, poses a danger to themselves or the community. 

PROGRESSIVE DEM REP FACES BACKLASH FOR CALLING ICE ‘NAZI THUGS’ WHILE DEFENDING MS-13 GANG MEMBER

“No one else should ever again have to suffer the way my daughter Kayla did,” Tammy Nobles, Kayla’s mother, told Fox News Digital. “The Biden-Harris Administration’s policies prioritized the comfort of illegal aliens, like Kayla’s murderer, over the safety of innocent Americans.” 

“The Kayla Hamilton Act is necessary to ensure background checks of unaccompanied alien children occur before they are released. If that had happened in the case of Kayla’s murderer, authorities would have known he was an MS-13 gang member.”

Currently, laws surrounding UACs who enter the U.S. illegally without a parent or legal guardian to provide care, require illegal minors to be sent to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) under HHS rather than being immediately deported. 

ICE SWOOPS IN ON MS-13 KINGPIN HIDING IN AMERICA’S HEARTLAND AFTER INVESTIGATION

Rep. Fry’s bill would create tighter restrictions on how HHS should assess illegal migrants who are minors by requiring HHS to contact the consulate or embassy of a UAC’s home country to determine any criminal history or gang affiliation, mandate screening for gang tattoos, and ensure UACs with known gang ties or tattoos must be housed in secure HHS facilities, not released into communities.

“The Kayla Hamilton Act is a critical step toward restoring accountability and protecting American communities,” Fry told Fox News Digital. “The tragic murder of Kayla Hamilton was entirely preventable—a failure by the Biden-Harris Administration to enforce basic vetting protocols.” 

“As the House Judiciary Committee report revealed, Walter Javier Martinez had MS‑13 tattoos and a gang-related arrest in El Salvador long before HHS released him to a sponsor,” Fry continued. “The Kayla Hamilton Act eliminates this reckless discretion and mandates that HHS conduct full background checks, evaluate gang indicators like tattoos, and house dangerous UACs in secure facilities.”

ASSAULTS ON ICE OFFICERS SURGE 830% AS DEMOCRATS CAUGHT ‘DOXING AND PHYSICALLY ASSAULTING’ AGENTS: DHS

The bill is in line with the executive branch and President Donald Trump’s movement to secure the U.S. border and hold dangerous illegal migrants accountable through deportations and criminal penalties. 

It is estimated the Trump administration has deported more than 250,000 illegal migrants, according to the Department of Homeland Security. 

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“This legislation ensures that public safety will never again be an afterthought,” Fry added.

Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News Digital covering breaking news. Story tips can be sent to Preston.Mizell@fox.com and on X @MizellPreston

Salvadoran migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia appeared in federal court in Tennessee on Wednesday for a second detention hearing, after a federal judge agreed to hear an appeal from the Justice Department to keep him detained in criminal custody pending trial.

The Justice Department’s request to U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw caps off months of confusing and contradictory statements from the Trump administration in the case of Abrego Garcia, who was erroneously deported to El Salvador in March in violation of a court order, and returned to the U.S. three months later in June.

The acting U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, Robert McGuire, urged Crenshaw in a court filing ahead of Wednesday’s hearing to keep Abrego Garcia detained in criminal custody pending trial, arguing that “there is no combination of bail conditions that can reasonably assure either the safety of the community or the defendant’s appearance in future court proceedings.”

Crenshaw wrapped the hearing after roughly three hours, telling both parties that he would take the case under advisement. 

ABREGO GARCIA LAWYERS ASK US JUDGE TO ORDER RETURN TO MARYLAND AMID ONGOING CRIMINAL CASE

He did suggest he will take his time in reviewing the evidence, however, telling lawyers for the Justice Department and Abrego Garcia that they should not expect a ruling imminently, or even this week. He did suggest he would issue an order next week shortly before adjourning court.

The longer timeline is likely a welcome relief for Abrego Garcia’s lawyers as they continue to wait for U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, the federal judge in Maryland, to issue an order blocking ICE from immediately deporting their client to a third country pending release from U.S. criminal custody.

Judge Xinis, who has presided over the civil case since March, suggested after a days-long evidentiary hearing Friday that she planned to issue a temporary restraining order requiring ICE to keep Abrego Garcia in custody for a set amount of time before they can deport him to a third country, such as Mexico or South Sudan, as officials indicated last week that they plan to do.

Much of Wednesday’s hearing played out similarly to Abrego’s arraignment in June, led by U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes. Judge Holmes had ruled that Abrego Garcia should be released pending trial in the criminal case, though she later agreed to a request from his attorneys to keep him in federal custody to avoid deportation.  

Holmes later amended her order to allow Abrego Garcia to be kept in federal custody at the request of his own legal team. His lawyers cited concerns that ICE would immediately take him into immigration custody and deport him to a third country upon his release.

As the hearing on Wednesday stretched into its third hour, there appeared to be scant new evidence or testimony provided that might compel Crenshaw to break with Holmes’s original determination, that Abrego should be released pending trial.

Crenshaw told the Justice Department that he’s having a “hard time understanding” the government’s argument that there is “clear and convincing evidence” that “no conditions” set by a community could control the danger posed by Abrego ahead of his criminal trial. 

“That’s a pretty high standard,” he said.

JUDGE SETS STRICT CONDITIONS FOR ABREGO GARCIA’S RELEASE AS TRUMP OFFICIALS PURSUE CASE AGAINST HIM

The government said it planned to call just one witness in the hearing— Homeland Security Investigations Agent Peter Joseph, who was also the sole witness last month. 

Lawyers for Abrego Garcia told the court ahead of the hearing that they did not plan to call any witnesses. 

But even that filing highlights the Justice Department’s conflicting statements about its plans for Abrego Garcia, whose case is at the center of two high-profile hearings in Maryland and Tennessee.

After months of delay, the Trump administration returned Abrego Garcia to the U.S., where he was immediately slapped with a newly unsealed federal indictment charging him with crimes stemming from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee. 

Abrego Garcia pleaded not guilty to those charges, and was ordered released pending trial by U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes.

Senior Justice Department officials and ICE officials conceded to this plan last week, telling U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland that the government would immediately begin removal proceedings to deport Abrego Garcia to a third country, regardless of the status of his criminal case. In doing so, they broke with previous assertions from U.S. officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, who vowed when he was returned that he would remain in U.S. custody for the duration of his trial and any prison time.

SUPREME COURT GRANTS TRUMP REQUEST TO LIFT STAY HALTING VENEZUELAN DEPORTATIONS

Asked by Judge Xinis last week whether the government planned to hold Abrego Garcia in ICE custody until his criminal case in Tennessee is over, lawyers for the administration did not mince their words.

“No,” Justice Department attorney Jonathan Guynn answered simply. 

“There’s no intention to just put him in limbo in ICE custody while we wait for the criminal case to unfold,” Guynn told Xinis. “He will be removed, as would any other illegal alien in that process.”

Abrego Garcia’s second detention hearing in Tennessee comes after his legal team asked a federal judge in Maryland last week to impose sanctions on the Trump administration for the administration’s “egregious” and “repeated violations” of discovery obligations, according to the filing. 

FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS RETURN OF DEPORTED MIGRANT TO US, REJECTING TRUMP REQUEST

Xinis also pressed Justice Department officials for details as to when they opened a federal investigation into Abrego Garcia in a separate district in Tennessee, and how the timing of the investigation and federal indictment squared with the government’s testimony in her own court. 

She noted that, by the government’s own admission, it began investigating Abrego Garcia in the Middle District of Tennessee on April 28, 2025 — the same time officials were telling the court that the administration was powerless to order a foreign government to return him, in compliance with the court order.

“At the same time that [the government] was saying it had ‘no power to produce’” Abrego Garcia in the U.S., Trump administration officials had “already secured an indictment against him in the Middle District of Tennessee, right?” Xinis asked Justice Department lawyer Bridget O’Hickey.

“Yes your honor,” O’Hickey replied. 

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An incredulous Xinis noted that, just six days later, the government testified they had no power to bring him back to the U.S. “Now I have real concerns — as if I haven’t for the last three months,” Xinis noted in response.

“Given the series of unlawful actions” here, I feel like it’s well within my authority to order this hearing — perhaps more than one — to hear testimony from at least one witness with firsthand knowledge, who can answer these questions about the immediate next steps” from the government pending Abrego Garca’s release from custody, she said.

Iran has until the end of August to agree to a nuclear deal with the United States and its allies, Fox News has learned. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of France, Germany and the United Kingdom set the de facto deadline, according to three sources with knowledge of a call Wednesday among the officials. 

If Tehran fails to agree to a deal, it would trigger the “snapback” mechanism that automatically reimposes all sanctions previously imposed by the United Nations Security Council. 

IRAN’S LEADER THREATENS ‘EVEN BIGGER BLOW’ AGAINST US; TRUMP SAYS HE’S IN ‘NO RUSH’ TO TALK

The sanctions were lifted under the 2015 Iran deal. 

The Trump administration has tried pressuring Iran to accept a deal to walk back its nuclear program after U.S. and Israeli strikes targeting nuclear sites. 

United Against Nuclear Iran, a nonprofit that opposes Tehran’s effort to develop a nuclear weapon, applauded Wednesday’s news. 

IRAN VOWS RETALIATION IF UN SECURITY COUNCIL ISSUES SNAPBACK SANCTIONS ON ANNIVERSARY OF NUCLEAR DEAL

“Tehran has learned that, for the Trump administration, a deadline means a deadline,” UANI Chairman and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace said in a joint statement. 

“After failing to agree to a deal within 60 days of diplomacy, the United States and Israel undertook targeted military action against the regime in June. Consequently, Tehran should take this new deadline seriously.”

On Monday, Iran warned it would retaliate if the U.N. Security Council imposes the snapback sanctions. 

“The threat to use the snapback mechanism lacks legal and political basis and will be met with an appropriate and proportionate response from the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei claimed during a press conference, according to a Reuters report.

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Baghaei didn’t specify how Tehran would retaliate. 

Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., got in on TikTok’s “aura farming” trend, posting a clip of himself dancing solo in the congressional subway, captioned “omw to hold this administration accountable.”

In the short clip, Subramanyam appears on the House subway wearing sunglasses, striking poses and waving his arms before locking in on the camera.

Subramanyam’s “aura farming” appears to have backfired, with some commenters calling it out as tone-deaf, hypocritical and “cringe.”

Left-leaning viewers frustrated with perceived inaction from Democrats under President Donald Trump took aim at the VA-10 congressman in the comment section. One of the top-liked comments asked flatly, “By doing nothing…?” Another read, “Representatives have got to stop doing this. Actually do something.”

THE REVOLUTION WILL BE LIVESTREAMED: HOW ZOHRAN MAMDANI WON THE NYC PRIMARY ONLINE

Many commenters linked the post to Subramanyam’s past voting record, including his controversial decision against his party just weeks ago not to move forward with a House impeachment resolution against Trump.

On June 24, 2025, Subramanyam voted to table (i.e., block) a resolution to impeach President Trump over “high crimes and misdemeanors.” The resolution was introduced by Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, but was halted by a wide House majority.

Several comments mocked the tone and delivery of the video. One read, “-1000 aura,” while another said, “Our taxpayer money hard at work…” Another commenter wrote, “So what exactly are you on your way to do? Because so far democrats have not really done anything at all.”

A top comment simply read, “This feels weird idk.”

FAR-LEFT LAWMAKER BREAKS SILENCE AFTER UNEARTHED SOCIAL MEDIA POST IGNITES FIRESTORM

One lengthy reply said, “Not trying to be disrespectful. But? Less of this sh–. More fire on the floor please. I get wanting to do outreach. But this? Isn’t the action an average American needs from their representatives right now. We’re approaching no taxation without representation territory here. Do better.” 

Another suggested, “Introduce a new amendment for every one performative TikTok a Congress person posts they have to cosign 3 bills that work to limit the power of money in politics.”
 

Subramanyam, a former tech advisor in the Obama White House and the first South Asian elected to Virginia’s General Assembly, has gained a reputation as a more moderate Democrat. He won Virginia’s 10th District in 2024 and often plays up his immigrant roots in political messaging.

The “aura farming” trend, popular among Gen Z and Gen Alpha, refers to pulling off effortless, cool gestures usually while standing still. It took off after a now-viral video of 11-year-old Indonesian boy Rayyan Arkan Dikha danced stone-faced and confident while wearing sunglasses aboard a racing boat.

Most “aura farming” clips on TikTok are soundtracked to “Young Black & Rich” by Melly Mike, which includes the lyric “I ain’t even gon’ get mad, I’m young, black and rich.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to Subramanyam’s office and TikTok for comment.

After President Donald Trump federalized California National Guard troops in response to anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles, progressive Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom told reporters, “It’s about time Donald Trump grow up. I want to get them back under my control.”

Speaking outside a Los Angeles church Wednesday, Newsom, who is believed to have presidential aspirations, urged Trump to release the remaining National Guard troops in LA. He called the deployment a waste of hundreds of millions of dollars.

The governor, who tried to sue the Trump administration over its use of the National Guard to respond to the rioting, called the president a “chaos agent” who has “torn asunder” California communities.

PENTAGON SCALING DOWN NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT TO LA

This comes after Newsom called Trump a “son of a b—-,” something he did not back away from when asked about it during the news conference.

“I don’t think they understand any other kind of language,” and “I have no apologies for standing tall and firm and pushing back against their cruelty,” Newsom said. 

“It’s a disgrace,” Newsom said. “The president of the United States decided to advance his rote cruelty by utilizing the brave men and women of the National Guard as pawns in an effort to theatrically show his strength.”

Newsom claimed the deployment was a massive waste of time and money.

He accused Trump of having “burned” hundreds of millions of dollars “just to try to sear in your mind that he’s some tough guy because he didn’t get enough hugs from his parents growing up.”

“This is about families. It’s about community. It’s about the sense of place. It’s about our economy. And it’s about time Donald Trump grow up. It’s about time Donald Trump understand what the hell he is doing,” he added. 

“And, so, I’m here in front of a church, on church grounds, mindful that our democracy is not on firm ground. And mindful of our responsibility to be assertive at this moment.”

The governor also criticized Trump for sending troops to a U.S. city rather than overseas.

“He deployed roughly 5,000 military, not overseas. In fact, his entire first term the president of the United States did not even send military boots on the ground overseas his entire first term. [In] the first six months of his administration, he decides to send them to the United States of America.”

NEWSOM, VANCE EXCHANGE JABS OVER IMMIGRATION AFTER VP’S CALIFORNIA VACATION: ‘HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR FAMILY TIME’

He said the deployment “is a preview of things to come.”

“If you think this is about California, you are fooling yourself. These are operations you’re going to see all across the United States of America,” Newsom added. “This cruelty, isn’t about terrorizing communities. It’s about appearing tough.”

The governor also said he wanted to regain control over “my National Guard or your National Guard.”

“I want to get them back under my control so we can get them back doing the kind of work to control wildfires, to keep our community safe, to address the issue of counter-narcotics, to address the issue of fentanyl,” he said.

SANTA MONICA BUSINESS OWNER OFFERING ONE-WAY FLIGHTS TO GET HOMELESS OUT OF CALIFORNIA

In response, Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman, told Fox News Digital in an emailed statement that Newsom “is on the wrong side of history, and he will have to answer for his atrocious policies.”

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“This is what’s actually harming our communities: Gavin Newscum’s pro-criminal illegal alien policies,” said Jackson, adding the governor “recently protested a successful immigration raid at a California marijuana farm that rescued children who were victims of labor exploitation and detained rapists, pedophiles and other criminals.

“The American people elected President Trump to deport these sick criminals, and a vast majority of American voters — including Democrats — support these policies.”

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton recently announced the launch of an investigation into more than 100 potential noncitizens who allegedly cast at least 200 ballots in the 2020 and 2022 election cycles.

The majority of the suspected illegal ballots cast by potential noncitizens were in Harris County, but Paxton’s office is also investigating possible instances in Guadalupe, Cameron and Eastland counties using information from the Texas Secretary of State, according to a news release.

The discovery was made possible by an executive order signed by President Donald Trump directing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service’s SAVE Database to the states.

TEXAS GOVERNOR MAKES IT ‘CRYSTAL CLEAR’ ONLY U.S. CITIZENS CAN VOTE IN STATE ELECTIONS

Paxton, a Republican running against fellow Republican John Cornyn in the Senate primaries, said Texans who vote illegally will be held accountable.

“Illegal aliens and foreign nationals must not be allowed to influence Texas elections by casting illegal ballots with impunity. I will not allow it to continue,” Paxton said in the release. 

RED STATE AG INVESTIGATING MORE THAN 30 POTENTIAL NONCITIZENS WHO VOTED IN 2024 ELECTION

“Thanks to President Trump’s decisive action to help states safeguard the ballot box, this investigation will help Texas hold noncitizens accountable for unlawfully voting in American elections,” he continued. “If you’re a noncitizen who illegally cast a ballot, you will face the full force of the law.” 

In June, Paxton opened an investigation into an additional 33 potential noncitizens who allegedly voted illegally in the 2024 general election.

ELECTION INVESTIGATION UNCOVERS ALLEGED ILLEGAL VOTING BY NONCITIZENS AND DOUBLE VOTERS IN MULTIPLE STATES

Rep. Troy E. Nehls, R-Texas, reacted to the latest investigation in an X post Wednesday.

“Great work! We must do everything we can to protect the integrity of our elections,” Nehls wrote.

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The crackdown comes after Gov. Greg Abbott in 2024 announced 1.1 million people were removed from Texas’ voter rolls.

Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.

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

– Jill Biden ‘work husband’ pleads Fifth Amendment, dodges House GOP cover-up probe questions

– Israel strikes Syria’s military headquarters as the regime clashes with Druze civilians

– Senate marches toward passing Trump’s $9B clawback bill after dramatic late-night votes

Trump Housing Official Flags California Dem for Alleged Mortgage Fraud

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., has been referred to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution regarding mortgage documents. 

The director of the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in May citing alleged misconduct by Schiff, who owns homes in California and Maryland. 

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

White House

DIPLOMATIC DEMOLITION: ‘It’s sort of scary’: Officials flag surprising revelations from deep State Department cuts

PINK SLIP POLITICS: Trump’s controversial plan to fire federal workers finds favor with Supreme Court

NO MORE SECRETS: Bondi should release ‘credible’ Epstein files, Trump says

LEGAL SHELL GAME: Judge weighs Abrego Garcia detention status as Trump admin confirms plans to immediately deport him

HHS SHAKEUP: RFK Jr. fires two top aides at HHS

LOYALTY FIRST: Loyal Jill Biden aide arrives for sworn deposition in Comer’s cover-up probe

HIDING THE DECLINE: Jill Biden’s ‘work husband’ pleads Fifth Amendment, dodges House GOP cover-up probe questions

OVERRULED: Conservative legal group presses agency to act on Trump’s voter citizenship mandate despite court injunctions

FAITH TAKES PRIORITY: EXCLUSIVE: Trump admin strengthens religious accommodations in federal workforce

World Stage

TRIPLE THREAT RISING: Japan says China, North Korea and Russia represent biggest threat since WWII, US is ‘cornerstone of peace’ in the region

BLAME GAME BEGINS: Israel slams UN for ignoring aid already in Gaza while demanding more

AYATOLLAH ULTIMATUM: Iran’s leader threatens ‘even bigger blow’ against US, Trump says he’s in ‘no rush’ to talk

TRADE ON THE ROCKS: From bourbon to bordeaux: Trump’s tariffs spill into global booze markets

BATTLE HEATS UP: Israel strikes Syria’s military headquarters as the regime clashes with Druze civilians

Capitol Hill

PROMISES DELIVERED: RNC chair says ‘big, beautiful bill’ key part of GOP’s strategy to win seats in midterm elections

SPENDING CUT SPRINT: Senate marches toward passing Trump’s $9B clawback bill after dramatic late-night votes

BIDEN BORDER FAILURE: FIRST ON FOX: Mother of daughter murdered by alleged MS-13 gang member speaks out in favor of new house bill 

BENEFIT BATTLE: Workers striking by choice could lose unemployment benefits in blue states under GOP proposal

FOREIGN TOURISTS PAY UP: Congress considers permanent national park fee increase for foreign visitors

‘SERIOUS LOWLIFE’: WATCH: Adam Schiff silent after Trump accused him of mortgage fraud

MESSAGE LOST: Speaker Johnson reveals Musk left MAGA ally’s lengthy text hanging in ‘the ether’ after Trump blowup

Across America 

TENSIONS BOIL OVER: Dem Disorder: DNC squabbles play out in NYC mayoral race for all to see

THE HOT SEAT: Former DC council member wins back seat months after being expelled over bribery charge

SWEET DECEPTION: Texas AG Paxton office launching investigation into M&Ms and Skittles manufacturer Mars for “deceptive” practices promising to remove artificial dyes

CRYING FOUL: Ghislaine Maxwell’s family insists she received unfair trial in high-profile Epstein case

TRUMP’S ‘BACKUP’: Aiming to give Trump ‘backup,’ second Republican enters swing state race for Democrat-held Senate seat

PAST EXPOSED: Unearthed social media posts expose radical anti-Israel views of Mamdani’s dad: ‘Colonial occupation’

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

New Yorkers are expressing skepticism after Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani appeared to try to distance himself from the phrase “globalize the intifada,” after spending months refusing to condemn the phrase many interpret as a call for violence against Jewish people.  

The New York Times reported that Mamdani, who is Muslim and a self-professed socialist who has been highly critical of the state of Israel, told city business leaders that he would not use the phrase and that he would “discourage” others from doing so.

The Times reported that Mamdani told some 150 business executives present at the meeting, which took place in the Rockefeller Center, that while many use the phrase to express solidarity with Palestinians, others see it as a call to antisemitic violence.

This comes after Mamdani refused to condemn intifada language throughout his campaign for the Democratic mayoral nomination. During an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” in June, Mamdani said, “My concern is, to start to walk down the line of language and making clear what language I believe is permissible or impermissible, takes me into a place similar to that of the president, who is looking to do those very kinds of things, putting people in jail for writing an op-ed, putting them in jail for protesting.”

AOC WELCOMES SOCIALIST MAMDANI TO NATION’S CAPITAL AS DEM LEADERS WITHHOLD ENDORSEMENTS

He said that “ultimately, it is not language that I use. It is language, I understand there are concerns about, and what I will do is showcase my vision for the city through my words and my actions.”

Now, weeks after winning the Democratic nomination and facing general election voters, he appears to finally be backing away from the intifada language.

Joe Borelli, a former Republican New York City Council member, responded to the shift, telling Fox News Digital it is “hard to imagine any change of heart being genuine when it occurs right after you’ve won a primary and have to pivot for the general, which happens to include a heck of a lot of Jews.” 

Rory Lancman, a Democrat and former New York City councilmember and state assemblyman, told Fox News Digital that “a putative mayor of New York City needs to be able to repudiate calls for ‘intifada’ without ambiguity or qualification as morally repugnant and unacceptable.”

‘EXISTENTIAL THREAT’: JEWISH LEADERS WARN OF NYC ‘MASS EXODUS’ IF ZOHRAN MAMDANI WINS IN NOVEMBER

“There is no ‘threading the needle’ or middle ground on this issue, or, for that matter, on the issue of whether Israel should be extinguished as a Jewish state,” Lancman went on.

“These are basic, straightforward ‘good vs. evil’ questions that Mr. Mamdani struggles with because, frankly, he’s on the wrong side of that equation,” said Lancman.

Meanwhile, Christopher Hahn, a Democratic strategist and former aide to Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told Fox News Digital that “while Mandani has made statements that show he is not an anti-Semite some of his past statements can be construed that way.”

Hahn said that if Mamdani “hopes to be mayor he needs to make it very clear, early and often, he is not anti-Semitic.”

“If he doesn’t his opponents will try to paint him as one,” said Hahn.

TRUMP SAYS CUOMO’S GOT A ‘GOOD SHOT’ OF BEATING MAMDANI IN NYC MAYOR ELECTION

Top Democratic leaders have also been demanding that Mamdani condemn calls to globalize the intifada.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said during an interview with WNYC radio host Brian Lehrer in late June that the phrase is received by the public as a call to “slaughter the Jews,” and that Mamdani needed to understand how the word is received by the Jewish community.

“It doesn’t matter what meaning you have in your brain. It is not how the word is received. When you use a word like intifada — to many Jewish Americans and Jewish New Yorkers, that means you are permissive of violence against Jews,” said Gillibrand.

ACTOR SAYS MAMDANI NOT DOING ENOUGH TO ADDRESS ANTISEMITISM, FEELS ‘UNCOMFORTABLE’ ADMITTING HE’S JEWISH

House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has also said the mayoral candidate would have to clarify this position on the phrase.

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“Globalizing the intifada, by way of example, is not an acceptable phrase,” Jeffries said. “He’s going to have to clarify his position on that as he moves forward.”

He added, “With respect to the Jewish communities that I represent, I think our nominee is going to have to convince folks that he is prepared to aggressively address the rise in antisemitism in the city of New York, which has been an unacceptable development.”

Mamdani is running to unseat current New York City Mayor Eric Adams who is running for re-election as an independent. He is also facing off against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, whom he defeated in the Democratic Primary and who is also running as an independent. Activist Curtis Sliwa is also running for mayor as a Republican.

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

The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday defended its agents after Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said they were being diverted from targeting dangerous criminals to rounding up illegal immigrants, like gardeners, “many of whom pose no threat whatsoever.”

Durbin, a ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, was speaking at a Tuesday hearing titled “Beyond the Smash and Grab: Criminal Networks and Organized Theft” when he noted the various roles federal law enforcement plays in combating organized crime and organized retail theft, specifically Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). 

ASSAULTS ON ICE OFFICERS SURGE 830% AS DEMOCRATS CAUGHT ‘DOXING AND PHYSICALLY ASSAULTING’ AGENTS: DHS

“But we acknowledge this administration has announced different priorities,” he said. “Under this administration, HSI has been diverted to rounding up immigrants, many of whom pose no threat whatsoever to this country.”

In a post on X, DHS noted that Durbin’s own state, Illinois, provides sanctuary to criminal illegal immigrants. 

“The brave men and women of HSI that Durbin attacks are getting the worst of the worst off our streets,” the post states. “The Senator should be thanking them, not attacking them.”

The DHS post said remarks like those made by the senator have contributed to more than an 830% increase in attacks on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel, “who put their lives on the line every day to arrest violent criminal illegal aliens to protect and defend the lives of American citizens.”

DEMOCRAT ACCUSES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OF DIVERTING ‘CRITICAL RESOURCES’ FROM FIGHTING ORGANIZED RETAIL THEFT

Durbin cited a report that he said states HSI agents have been moved off new cases to make time for immigration enforcement arrests.

“One veteran agent said ‘no drug cases, no human trafficking, no child exploitation.’ It’s infuriating. Instead, he said, HSI is ‘arresting gardeners.’ These are not the actions of an administration serious about combating crime,” Durbin concluded. “Diverting federal resources endangers Americans and leaves us less equipped to target and disrupt criminals like those in organized retail theft.” 

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Fox News Digital has reached out to Durbin’s office and the White House. 

House Oversight Committee Republicans are not ruling out potentially compelling former President Joe Biden and former First Lady Jill Biden to appear before Congress as part of an investigation into whether signs of Biden’s mental decline were covered up during his time in the White House.

“Every option’s on the table. We’re going to try to get answers. We’re going to try to do this rapidly,” House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., told reporters when asked if the former president could be brought in for questioning.

“We’ll decide as a committee what steps to take next and who to bring in. But I think right now every option is on the table.”

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., was more forceful in his demands for more high-profile witnesses – noting he was speaking for himself, rather than the committee.

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

“As far as I’m concerned, every member of the Biden administration at this point needs to be subpoenaed. I don’t care if they were a secretary. I don’t care if they were a janitor working in there. They’ve all got to come in and answer questions,” Donalds said.

When asked if that meant the former first lady as well, Donalds responded, “Of course.”

He and Comer were both present for the closed-door deposition of Anthony Bernal, a longtime aide to Jill Biden who was subpoenaed in the Oversight Committee’s probe.

“Her right-hand man – listen, Anthony Bernal was the right-hand man. That’s her guy, her chief of staff,” Donalds said. “If he came in here and pleaded the fifth, I’m sorry, the former first lady, she’s got to come in here and answer questions.”

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

Comer is investigating allegations that Biden’s former top White House aides covered up signs of his mental and physical decline while in office, and whether any executive actions were commissioned via autopen without the president’s full knowledge. Biden allies have pushed back against those claims.

In an interview with The New York Times on Thursday, Biden affirmed he “made every decision” on his own.

Bernal is the fourth former White House aide to sit for questioning in Comer’s Oversight probe. He and his lawyer left the committee room less than an hour after entering.

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Comer and Donalds said Bernal argued that invoking the Fifth Amendment was not an admission of guilt, though the GOP lawmakers pushed back on the assertion.

Donalds said it was a “stunning” move.

So far, three Biden aides have been subpoenaed in the investigation. Like Bernal, former White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor invoked the Fifth Amendment. Former deputy Chief of Staff Annie Tomascini was also subpoenaed at her lawyer’s request. 

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Republicans fixated on Jeffrey Epstein are getting “duped” by Democrats, further defending Attorney General Pam Bondi’s handling of the case. 

During an Oval Office meeting with the crown prince and prime minister of Bahrain, Trump said his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, reversed his first-term energy policies, leading to higher inflation. 

“What Biden did is he ended our policies,” Trump told reporters. “He doesn’t have a policy. Some lunatic around the desk had a policy. Whoever operated the autopen had a policy which is, by the way, I think the biggest scandals – that’s the scandal they should be talking about, not Jeffrey Epstein, the scandal you should be talking about is the autopen because I think it’s the biggest scandal, one of them, in American history.” 

JILL BIDEN ‘WORK HUSBAND’ PLEADS FIFTH AMENDMENT, DODGES HOUSE GOP COVER-UP PROBE QUESTIONS

In early June, Trump directed Bondi and the White House counsel to investigate whether Biden’s aides used an autopen to sign official documents – such as pardons, executive orders, and judicial appointments – without his personal awareness. Biden has denied the claim. The House Oversight Committee is also investigating the conspiracy and has issued letters and subpoenas for testimony from several former White House aides, as well as Biden’s former White House physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor. 

Trump said Wednesday that Bondi could release “whatever’s credible” related to the Epstein case before addressing Republican infighting about what some categorize as an about-face on transparency by the administration. 

“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.”

Trump said he couldn’t speak to FBI Director Kash Patel’s comments on the case but further defended Bondi.

“I really think that she’s done very good. She says, ‘I gave you all the credible information,’ and if she finds any more credible information, she’ll give that too. What more can she do than that?” Trump said. “I mean, honestly, what more can she do?”

His comments come after FBI deputy director Dan Bongino reportedly had a heated argument with Bondi over the Epstein case last week and took a day off from the job to cool down, sources previously told Fox News. 

BONDI SHOULD RELEASE ‘CREDIBLE’ EPSTEIN FILES, TRUMP SAYS

A growing list of Republicans have demanded greater transparency from the Justice Department on the case. Trump earlier Wednesday said on social media that Democrats had come up with another “hoax,” this time on Epstein, after previously being responsible for the widely discredited “Steele dossier” during the Trump-Russia probe, as well as the cover-up of Hunter Biden’s laptop story ahead of the 2020 presidential election. 

“Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this ‘bull—-’ hook, line, and sinker,” Trump wrote on TRUTH Social. “They haven’t learned their lesson, and probably never will, even after being conned by the Lunatic Left for 8 long years.” 

In the Oval Office, Trump said the Justice Department, and administration more broadly, are dealing with “bigger problems.” 

“We have problems with millions of illegal people that came in here, and they’re killers and murderers. We have 11,888 murderers that were allowed into our country by Biden. Sleepy Joe Biden, stupid Joe Biden, he allowed them into our country. And you know what we got to do something about? She’s got a lot of things she’s working on,” Trump said. “It’s very sad that somebody can be waylaid, just get waylaid… I think she’s doing a great job.” 

Trump said he has “lost faith” in certain people in his own party regarding the Epstein case. 

“I lost that because they got duped by the Democrats. The Democrats are good for nothing. They’ve done a terrible job. They almost destroyed our country,” Trump said, championing how the passage of his “big, beautiful bill” ensures “the biggest tax cut in history” and the “biggest regulation cuts in history.” 

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“These are the things that they should be talking about,” Trump said. “The ‘big beautiful bill’ is one of the greatest pieces of legislation ever in this country, and the Democrats have nothing to combat it.” 

Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California refused to answer repeated questions from Fox News Digital about his alleged mortgage fraud, which President Donald Trump has accused him of committing over 10 years.

The long-time Trump critic, who as a congressman was instrumental in the House of Representatives’ first and second impeachments during Trump’s first term, was accused by the president of committing fraud to obtain lower rates on a second home in Maryland.

Trump alleged that Schiff listed a Maryland property as his primary residence in 2009 to obtain a lower mortgage rate, despite being a congressman and then a senator representing California.

Schiff has called the accusations “baseless.”

ADAM SCHIFF HAS A ‘LOT OF ISSUES’ IN THIS CASE, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR REVEALS 

However, Schiff ignored a Fox News Digital reporter who asked him, “Do you have a response to Trump saying you’re guilty of mortgage fraud?”

The Fox News Digital reporter later asked Schiff, “Why did you decide to make your primary residence Maryland for ten years, for a decade, not California? Any comment on Trump accusing you of committing mortgage fraud, sir? Any response?”

Schiff ignored the questions, simply responding, “Have a nice day.”

TRUMP CALLS SEN. ADAM SCHIFF A ‘SERIOUS LOWLIFE’ 

Trump posted his allegations on Truth Social on Tuesday morning.

“I have always suspected Shifty Adam Schiff was a scam artist. And now I learn that Fannie Mae’s Financial Crimes Division have concluded that Adam Schiff has engaged in a sustained pattern of possible Mortgage Fraud,” Trump wrote.

“Adam Schiff said that his primary residence was in MARYLAND to get a cheaper mortgage and rip off America, when he must LIVE in CALIFORNIA because he was a Congressman from CALIFORNIA. I always knew Adam Schiff was a Crook. The FRAUD began with the refinance of his Maryland property on February 6, 2009, and continued through multiple transactions until the Maryland property was correctly designated as a second home on October 13, 2020.”

“Mortgage Fraud is very serious, and CROOKED Adam Schiff (now a Senator) needs to be brought to justice.”

Trump did not provide any evidence of the alleged fraud. 

SCHIFF RESPONDS TO TRUMP ACCUSATIONS, CALLS FOR HIS REMOVAL FROM OFFICE 

When asked about the accusations later on Tuesday, Trump appeared to soften on the specific accusation. 

“I don’t know about the individual charge, if that even happened, but Adam Schiff is a serious lowlife,” Trump said.

Schiff was not barred from listing the Maryland homes as his primary residence during his term in Congress, since the Constitution only requires that he be an “inhabitant” of California at the time of his election, not throughout his entire service.

However, Schiff cited two residences, one in California and one in Maryland, as his “principal residence” on multiple mortgage and election forms dating back to 2003, Just the News reported in October. 

GAVIN NEWSOM ‘DETRANSITIONED’ CALIFORNIA FROM BEING THE RICHEST TO THE POOREST

In at least three cases — in 2009, 2011 and 2013 — Schiff refinanced his Maryland home and declared it his “principal residence,” while also listing his Burbank, California condo as his primary residence in separate financing documents, the outlet reported. He then changed the notations on his Maryland mortgage to be a secondary residence.

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The pattern was first detected by Christine Bish, a Sacramento-based real estate investigator who ran for Congress as a Republican last year. She filed an ethics complaint against Schiff in Congress.

Schiff said Trump’s comments were the latest attempt at political retaliation against his perceived enemies and said it would not distract from “his Epstein files problem.”

“Since I led his first impeachment, Trump has repeatedly called for me to be arrested for treason,” Schiff wrote on X. “So in a way, I guess this is a bit of a letdown. And this baseless attempt at political retribution won’t stop me from holding him accountable. Not by a long shot.”

FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump’s executive order increasing fees at National Parks for foreign tourists could soon be made permanent by a new bill led by Indiana Senator Jim Banks.

The Patriot Parks Act looks to address the U.S. National Park Service’s (NPS) $23 billion maintenance backlog that threatens repairs to visitor facilities, trails, roads, and NPS conservation needs.

“Americans already pay for our parks through federal taxes on top of standard admission fees, so it’s fair to ask foreign visitors to chip in more,” Banks told Fox News Digital. “This bill codifies President Trump’s executive order and helps protect our national treasures for future generations.” 

‘AMERICA FIRST’ NATIONAL PARKS PLAN FROM TRUMP SLAPS HIGHER FEES ON FOREIGN TOURISTS

Some factors that contributed to the major deferred maintenance shortfall in funding include aging infrastructure of equipment and facilities, federal budget restraints and cuts, and a steadily increasing number of visitors to parks across the US. 

The fight to erase the roughly $23 billion backlog has been a key issue in Congress for a number of years.

The landmark Great American Outdoors Act, which was introduced in 2019 by then-Senator Cory Gardner, R-Colorado, and sitting Senator Steve Daines, R-Montana, included $6.5 billion for NPS from 2021-2025. As that funding is set to expire and foot traffic at national parks increases, the Patriot Parks Act could play a new role in reining in the maintenance backlog.

OPINION – MAKE AMERICA BEAUTIFUL AGAIN: LET’S RESTORE OUR NATURAL LEGACY FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA

The NPS recorded 331.9 million visits in 2024 alone, and roughly one-third of all international travelers take time to visit a national park during their visit. There are more than 400 national parks in the US, which include landmarks like the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Yosemite.

On July 3, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled: “Making America Beautiful Again by Improving Our National Parks,” which established an increased fee for international travelers.

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

The NPS operates under the US Department of Interior, led by Secretary Doug Burgum, who posted to X that the executive order “will ensure our parks stay accessible, sustainable, and protected for generations to come.” 

A House version of the legislation is expected to be introduced by Congressman Riley Moore, R-West Virginia, making the bill a bicameral effort to back up President Trump’s executive order. 

“From the New River Gorge in my home state to Shenandoah, the Great Smoky Mountains, the Everglades, and the Grand Canyon – God blessed our nation with a tremendous natural heritage,” Moore told Fox News Digital. 

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“We owe it to future generations to ensure these natural marvels are protected.”

Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News Digital covering breaking news. Story tips can be sent to Preston.Mizell@fox.com and on X @MizellPreston

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has fired two of his top aides. 

The biographies of Heather Flick Melanson, his chief of staff, and Hannah Anderson, deputy chief of staff of policy, are no longer pictured on the department’s leadership page. 

“Secretary Kennedy has made a leadership change within the Immediate Office of the Secretary,” an HHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “Effective immediately, Matt Buckham will serve as Acting Chief of Staff.” 

“Mr. Buckham currently serves as the Kennedy’s White House liaison at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where he oversees the recruitment and onboarding of political appointees across the agency. He brings valuable experience in personnel strategy and organizational management to this new role,” the spokesperson added. 

BIDEN-APPOINTED JUDGE HALTS TRUMP HHS OVERHAUL AFTER DEMOCRAT-LED LAWSUIT 

“Secretary Kennedy thanks the outgoing leadership for their service and looks forward to working closely with Mr. Buckham as the Department continues advancing its mission to Make America Healthy Again,” the spokesperson also said. 

Melanson is a lawyer who previously served in multiple top roles at HHS during the first Trump administration. 

MEDICAL GROUPS URGE KENNEDY, FDA TO REEXAMINE BROAD APPROVAL OF ABORTION DRUGS 

She previously was HHS’ acting general counsel before becoming its acting secretary for administration and then eventually a senior adviser to then-HHS Secretary Alex Azar. 

Prior to joining HHS for the first time, Flick was an attorney at Dhillon Law Group, a firm founded by Harmeet Dhillon, who Trump has tapped this time around to be his assistant attorney general. 

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“Heather Flick is outstanding and will most definitely help soon to be Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,” former Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn said in a post on X after news of Flick’s new role. 

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

House Speaker Mike Johnson revealed that a lengthy text he sent Elon Musk amid his feud with President Donald Trump earlier in 2025 was delivered “into the ether” after the tech billionaire allegedly changed his cell phone number after spatting with the president. 

“I sent him a long text message, and then his phone number changed, because after the blow-up, something happened with his …” Johnson, R-La., told New York Post columnist Miranda Devine on her podcast published Wednesday before trailing off that he realized the number was no longer a direct line to Musk. 

“I got the number later and realized I was sending it out into the ether somewhere and he never read it,” he continued. “So I look forward to meeting with him in person. We got to make that right. I’ve got nothing against Elon, obviously. I’ve got great respect for what he’s done.”

High-profile individuals such as celebrities and billionaires are known to frequently change their cell phone numbers out of privacy and security concerns. 

Johnson said that before the spat, he had met with and sent other “long text messages” to keep Musk in the loop on the big, beautiful bill. 

MIKE JOHNSON SAYS HE HOPES TRUMP, MUSK ‘RECONCILE’ AMID ONGOING FEUD

Musk and Trump’s previously tight relationship fell to tatters in May, as Trump promoted the passage of his One Big, Beautiful Bill Act. Musk served as the public leader of the Department of Government Efficiency, which works to strip the federal government of overspending, corruption and mismanagement, as a special government employee — a job position that permits an individual to work for the federal government for “no more than 130 days in a 365-day period.”

Musk’s tenure ran dry at the end of May, and was shortly followed by the tech billionaire behind massive companies such as SpaceX and Tesla launching a campaign on X in an attempt to rally Republican lawmakers to vote against the legislation, slamming it for increasing the U.S. debt ceiling by $5 trillion. 

FLASHBACK: MUSK ACCUSED TRUMP, GOP LEADERS OF NOT WANTING TO CUT SPENDING — HERE’S WHERE THEY SAID THEY WOULD

Trump argued Musk publicly condemning the legislation was actually rooted in the president axing electric vehicle mandates and subsidies, which impacts Musk’s Tesla company. On June 12, Trump signed a trio of congressional resolutions ending California’s restrictive rules for diesel engines and mandates on electric vehicle sales, with Trump celebrating that his signature “will kill the California mandates forever.”

Musk has since said he intends to launch a new political party to counter Republicans and Democrats. 

Johnson continued in his interview on Devine’s podcast that he did get a response back from Musk through a third-party after realizing the tech billionaire had seemingly changed his phone number. 

REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS STAND FIRM AGAINST MUSK’S ‘KILL THE BILL’ ASSAULT ON TRUMP’S AGENDA

Johnson said “a multitude of factors” likely caused the rift, but that Musk was aware of the contents in the big, beautiful bill before its final stages this spring and summer after months of lawmakers ironing out provisions in the legislation. 

HERE’S THE MONEY PEOPLE IN EACH STATE COULD POCKET UNDER TRUMP’S ‘BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL’ SAVINGS

“But clearly, (Musk) got unhappy in a very short period of time,” Johnson said. “I mean, he generally knew what we were doing, and we talked about it. I mean, he knew for months, many months we worked on this, and I was keeping him apprised of it.”

“But I’ll let other people judge that,” he added. “I’ve got to keep my eyes on the prize and keep going forward, and I’m trying to be a peacemaker in all of it.” 

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Trump signed the legislation into law on the Fourth of July, touting that its tax cuts will make the U.S. economy similar to a “rocket ship” as Americans begin feeling its effects. 

Fox News Digital attempted to reach Musk, as well as emailed Johnson’s office, for additional comment on the matter, but did not immediately receive replies. 

Pro-Trump legal advocacy nonprofit America First Legal (AFL) is calling on the federal Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to begin requiring proof of citizenship for all federal voter registration applicants after the president’s effort to do so by executive order was blocked by the courts. 

AFL filed a petition on Wednesday with the EAC, calling on the agency to amend the national voter registration form to require applicants to provide any one of the following documents proving U.S. citizenship: a U.S. passport, birth certificate, consular report of birth abroad, certificate of naturalization, certificate of citizenship, state-issued REAL-ID compliant license, or other reliable government-issued identification. 

The move follows a March executive order issued by President Donald Trump, titled “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections,” which sought to compel the EAC to begin requiring a proof of citizenship requirement on the national voter registration form, in addition to other provisions pertaining to the prohibition of non-citizen voting. 

A US JUDGE PARTIALLY BLOCKED TRUMP’S ELECTION INTEGRITY ORDER FROM TAKING FORCE. IS THAT LEGAL?

Trump’s move has been slammed by critics who have argued that it is already illegal for non-U.S. citizens to vote in federal elections. However, a hopeful voter does not need to provide any proof of citizenship and can just self-attest.

The portion of Trump’s March executive order calling on the EAC to amend the national voter registration form and require all states to comply and use it was ultimately blocked by multiple federal judges following lawsuits that challenged Trump’s authority.

SECOND FEDERAL JUDGE SIDES AGAINST TRUMP’S ELECTION EXECUTIVE ORDER

In AFL’s petition to the EAC, the group argues that even though the legal challenges and their resulting temporary injunctions from federal judges are still being adjudicated, the injunctions “are based entirely on separation of powers principles,” which leaves the EAC with room “to take commonsense election integrity measures on its own volition.”

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“The executive order used spending powers to have the EAC ensure state election officers were enforcing the law by requiring proof of citizenship,” Vice President of America first Legal, Daniel Epstein, further clarified to Fox News Digital. “What we are doing is forcing a change in the forms EAC distributes and we have the ability to enforce in court.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the EAC for comment but did not receive a response.

EXCLUSIVE — New Hampshire state Sen. Dan Innis pledges that if he wins election to the U.S. Senate and makes it to Washington D.C., “I’ll call bull when I see it.” 

Innis, a three-term Republican state senator, made his pledge on Wednesday as he launched his Senate campaign in the key New England swing state in the 2026 race to succeed retiring longtime Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.

It’s expected to be a competitive and expensive race for a seat the GOP is working to flip from blue to red. New Hampshire, along with Georgia and Michigan, are the three top targets for Senate Republicans as they aim to expand their 53-47 majority in the chamber.

“I built businesses, raised cattle, balanced budgets. I believe in borders, law and order, and putting Americans first. I’ve worked to lower your taxes and to stop illegal immigration,” Innis, a small business owner, said in a campaign launch video.

FORMER TRUMP AMBASSADOR LAUNCHES SENATE CAMPAIGN IN KEY SWING STATE

Pointing to President Donald Trump, he said that “Trump needs backup in the Senate.”

In his first national interview after announcing his candidacy, Innis told Fox News Digital that “we need New Hampshire values in Washington, D.C., and I don’t think we have them right now.”

BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL FRONT-AND-CENTER IN KEY SENATE RACE

While Republicans enjoy total control of New Hampshire’s state government, the Granite State for nearly a decade has had an all-Democrat congressional delegation. 

Innis argued that the state’s congressional delegation “isn’t carrying the message that we’re hearing on the ground in New Hampshire and that is keep government out of my life, keep taxes low, secure the border and help grow the economy.”

He also took aim at four-term Rep. Chris Pappas, who, at this early point in the cycle, has no opposition in the race for the Democratic Senate nomination.

“I don’t think Rep. Pappas has represented us well at all,” Innis charged. “We need someone new down there who’s going to take New Hampshire to Washington and show them how to get things done.”

ONLY ON FOX NEWS: SENATE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN CHAIR REVEALS HOW MANY SEATS HE’S AIMING FOR IN 2026

Innis becomes the second Republican to jump into the Senate race in New Hampshire.

Former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, who served as ambassador to New Zealand during Trump’s first term in the White House, announced his candidacy last month. Ahead of his campaign launch, Brown had been crisscrossing New Hampshire since late last year, meeting with Republican and conservative groups.

When asked how he will compete with Brown, who is much more well-known in New Hampshire, Innis told Fox News “everyone has an impression of him [Brown]. Not everyone knows me yet, so I have an opportunity to show people who I am …to help them to see that I’m the best candidate to beat Chris Pappas.”

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Both Brown and Innis have traveled to the nation’s capital to meet with the National Republican Senatorial Committee and with Trump’s political team. 

“President Trump will pay close attention and my guess is he will probably play in this race and I hope I’m his choice,” Innis said.

When senior State Department officials set out to trim the agency in the “biggest reorganization since the Cold War,” they couldn’t get a total headcount on employees — for months, they say.

“It took us three months to get a list of the people that actually work in the building,” one senior State Department official told reporters during a briefing at Foggy Bottom on Monday, defending the job cuts that detractors have claimed will damage U.S. diplomacy. 

“They couldn’t tell you how many people worked here,” the official said. “It’s sort of scary as a taxpayer and as a public servant to think that we don’t even know how many employees we have. This is a national security agency, you know. Who are these people?”

The reorganization will result in a department with about 3,000 fewer employees. Around half of those took a voluntary buyout, and the other half were given reduction in force (RIF) notices.

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

A handful of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s closest advisors evaluated over 700 domestic offices within the State Department, submitting RIF (reduction in force) notices to employees in those they found to be “duplicative” or “inefficient.” 

The idea, officials said, was to put a “maximum of 12 clearances on any piece of paper,” meaning documents would go through 12 layers of approval instead “40, 50 clearances.”

The department had dozens of different offices handling human resources, and when a new employee was hired, they were accepting faxed records on their past work with other agencies. 

“It’s crazy that a department that’s tasked with so many critical diplomatic, national security functions, with a $50 billion plus budget is running its affairs that way,” an official said. 

The investigation found three separate offices dealing with sanctions, two handling arms control issues. 

“Some of these regional offices within this sort of functional civil liberties, civil society, bureaus of democracy, human rights and labor, population, refugees and migration each had their own regional offices in addition to the country desk, regional bureau, construct,” the official said. “Every independent bureau and office had its own executive director, its own HR department, its own payments.We were making payments out of like 60 plus different offices.”

Rubio’s team maintains the reductions focus on nonessential bureaucratic layers while preserving frontline diplomacy. A Supreme Court decision in late June reopened the door for mass federal layoffs after a lower court had blocked the cuts. Legal challenges from unions remain pending, though the reorganization is moving forward. 

The officials shuttered a “diplomats in residence” program, which they determined to be a “cushy job.” 

“State Department employees are getting paid to go hang out at Georgetown, and sort of recruit for the Foreign Service,” one official said, “without any sort of metrics or accountability.”

They didn’t touch the country desks, those specifically focused on nations like Iran or China, and didn’t fire anyone from passport services or diplomatic security. They did not make cuts at embassies or foreign posts. 

“We touched the people that are doing these sort of like wasteful, sort of mindboggling functions or places where we found natural efficiencies in combining two offices.”

WHITE HOUSE PROPOSAL AXES UN, NATO FUNDS AND HALVES STATE DEPARTMENT BUDGET

Critics have warned that cuts to the diplomatic corps could damage U.S. presence globally and cede soft power to China. 

“A climate change office is not countering China,” an official shot back. 

The department also shuttered an office that had been tasked with resettling Afghan refugees seeking to flee Talliban rule and culled the Bureau of Population, Refugees & Migration.

“That office was not doing work that was countering China or serving the national interest,” the official said. “China has overtaken the United States in a number of those countries. So I would argue growth at the State Department has not coincided with a growth of outcomes for the American taxpayer.” 

In another example, an official told of a Gulf state foreign minister who complained that the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor under the Biden administration kept pushing them to unionize foreign workers. 

“This created huge diplomatic tension with them,” the official said. “That foreign minister was delighted and wants to work with us on shared prosperity and trade agreements that aren’t trying to to be patronizing to other countries about their domestic affairs.”

Still, the process has sparked palpable tension within the department. Employees gathered tearfully in the Foggy Bottom lobby to say goodbye, some displaying signs reading, “Diplomacy matters.” 

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Signs with messages like “resist fascism” and “you made an impact” were taped up throughout the department. 

A group of more than 130 former senior officials, including former National Security Advisor Susan Rice, signed an open letter expressing concern that deep staff reductions could endanger U.S. foreign policy effectiveness.

Some have seized on the results of a whittled-down State Department and foreign aid apparatus: A report by The Atlantic found the Trump administration had given an order to incinerate 500 tons of emergency food that had been purchased during the Biden administration as aid to be distributed in Afghanistan and Pakistan. 

“It’s a little bit of a shame to see people behaving that way. You sort of wonder whether they had any interest in following the president and sort of, upholding their oath to listen to the commands of the people,” one official said.