NationalWatch

The House of Representatives unanimously voted to memorialize a Texas girl who was slain last year. 

Two illegal immigrants were charged with her killing.

The bill renames the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge in Texas as the “Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge” in honor of the late 12-year-old. The vote was 372 – 0, with 59 lawmakers not voting. 

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

It’s not uncommon for members of Congress to miss uncontroversial votes if they have other matters at hand. In this case, the bill to remember Nungaray was virtually guaranteed to overwhelmingly pass.

The bill was originally led in the Senate earlier this year by Texas Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz.

A ceremony to rename the preserve was initially held in April, but the legislation’s Monday evening passage makes it permanent.

148 DEMOCRATS BACK NONCITIZEN VOTING IN DC AS GOP RAISES ALARM ABOUT FOREIGN AGENTS

Now, it’s expected to go to President Donald Trump, whose signature on the legislation will make the renaming official.

Nungaray was sexually assaulted and killed in North Houston, Texas, in June 2024, and found with her hands and ankles bound in a bayou. Venezuelan nationals Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, and Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 21, are charged with her murder.

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At the time, her killing put a spotlight on the worsening border crisis in the U.S., which Republicans blamed on the former Biden administration’s lax border enforcement. 

Nungaray’s case was one of multiple high-profile killings involving accused illegal immigrants last year.

A panel of federal judges declined to permanently appoint an interim U.S. attorney who reportedly claimed just days ago that his extension was approved. 

The term of John Sarcone — who was appointed to the role of United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York on an interim basis by Attorney General Pamela Bondi in March – is set to expire Tuesday, according to WXXI. 

“The Board of Judges of the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York declines to exercise the authority granted pursuant to 28 U.S. Code § 546(d) to appoint a United States attorney for the Northern District of New York,” the panel said in a statement Monday, without elaborating further. 

Last month, Sarcone told Fox News that he feared for his life after allegedly being confronted by a knife-wielding illegal immigrant in Albany, the capital of New York. The Department of Homeland Security said on June 17, Saul Morales-Garcia, who is from El Salvador, “lunged at Sarcone with a knife while yelling aggressively in a foreign language.” 

KNIFE-WIELDING ILLEGAL MIGRANT ACCUSED OF THREATENING US ATTORNEY ON ALBANY, NY STREETS 

In the lead-up to the panel’s statement, Sarcone said Friday he received word that the federal judges had voted to extend his appointment, WNYT reported. 

However, the panel later issued a statement to the station saying “The Board of Judges of the Northern District of New York has taken no action with respect to U. S. Attorney Sarcone.” 

Sarcone’s hopes of returning to the position on a permanent basis now rely on being formally nominated by President Donald Trump and then being confirmed by the Senate, WXXI reported. 

The Northern District of New York stretches from central New York all the way to the Canadian border and includes the cities of Albany, Syracuse and Binghamton. 

US ATTORNEY NARROWLY ESCAPES KNIFE ATTACK BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT, BLAMES NEW YORK’S SANCTUARY POLICIES 

“Thank you, Attorney General Bondi, for trusting me to carry out this important mission and most importantly thank you President Trump for once again having faith and confidence in me to do my part to accomplish one of your most important tasks – to restore public confidence and trust in our government and the Department of Justice,” Sarcone said when he was appointed on an interim basis in March. 

The Department of Justice said Sarcone would be based in Albany and “has been a dedicated public servant and lawyer for many years.  

“From 2018 to 2021, Mr. Sarcone served as Northeast and Caribbean Regional Administrator for the U.S. General Services Administration, overseeing a large team responsible for federal buildings and facilities, procurement, and IT initiatives, and working with dozens of federal agencies and courthouses, including in the Northern District of New York. Earlier in his career, he served as Town Attorney in Eastchester, New York, and General Counsel to the United Federation of Special Police Officers, Inc. and to the Association of Commuter Rail Employees,” it said. 

“Mr. Sarcone also founded and built a general practice law firm, providing advice to small businesses and family-owned corporations, handling large real estate transactions, and litigating and arbitrating in areas including business and construction disputes, insurance defense, and toxic torts,” the Department of Justice added. 

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In the Western District of New York, U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo was permanently appointed last month before his interim appointment expired, according to WXXI. 

Former National Security Advisor Mike Waltz is poised to face members of the Senate on Tuesday to get the ball rolling on his nomination to represent the U.S. at the United Nations.

Waltz’s appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee comes months after he exited his job at the White House amid controversy surrounding his role in a Signal group chat with other top administration officials. 

Democrats vowed to grill Waltz during his confirmation process in the aftermath of The Atlantic magazine’s reporting about a Signal group chat that his team had set up to discuss strikes against the Houthis in March.

Even so, the tough questioning from Democrats on the so-called “Signalgate” issue isn’t expected to derail Waltz’s confirmation to the post, given that Republicans hold a 53–47 majority in the Senate. 

“It’s all theater — you know he’s going to get confirmed,” a GOP foreign relations source told Fox News Digital. “If Signalgate’s a big thing against him, it wasn’t enough to get anyone else fired or impeached or anything like that.” 

SENATE DEMOCRATS PREDICTING ‘BRUTAL’ UN AMBASSADOR CONFIRMATION HEARING FOR MIKE WALTZ

Waltz, a former congressman who represented Florida’s 6th congressional district, is a retired Army National Guard colonel and former Green Beret. During his time in uniform, he served four deployments to Afghanistan and earned four Bronze Stars — the fourth-highest military combat award, issued for heroic service against an armed enemy.

Waltz and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth were both entangled in the Signal chat that Waltz’s team created where members of the Trump administration discussed strike plans against the Houthis. 

Waltz in March said he took “full responsibility” for the Signal group chat, and the Trump administration has maintained that no war plans were shared in the chat. The Atlantic published the full exchange of messages, which included certain attack details such as specific aircraft and times of the strikes from Hegseth. 

On May 1, President Donald Trump announced Waltz’s departure from his role as national security advisor and hours later unveiled the former Florida congressman’s nomination to represent the U.S. at the U.N. 

Democrats called for Hegseth’s resignation as a result of the chat and warned that Waltz would face the heat during the confirmation process for U.N. ambassador. 

Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois said in a May interview with CBS News that Waltz could count on a “brutal, brutal hearing” from senators, and described his nomination as “failing up.” 

“He’s not qualified for the job, just by nature of the fact that he participated in this Signal chain,” Duckworth, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told CBS News. 

Duckworth, who served in the Illinois Army National Guard as a Blackhawk helicopter pilot and lost both of her legs during a 2004 deployment to Iraq, told Fox News Digital Monday that Waltz’s involvement in the group chat should disqualify him from serving as U.N. ambassador. She also said that every official included in the chat should be fired. 

“As a retired Soldier, Waltz should have shut the unclassified chain down as soon as he saw Hegseth share such classified information that could’ve gotten our pilots killed,” Duckworth said in a statement. “It’s clear Waltz cannot be trusted to make critical and sensitive national security decisions, and I look forward to pressing him on his conduct and holding him accountable.”

NEXT US NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR? HERE’S WHOM TRUMP MIGHT PICK TO REPLACE WALTZ 

Duckworth has pinned most of the blame on Hegseth for Signalgate. Prior to Trump’s announcement on Waltz’s U.N. ambassador nomination, Duckworth said in a May post on X that of “all the idiots in that chat, Hegseth is the biggest security risk of all — he leaked the info that put our troops in greater danger.” 

In addition to Waltz and Hegseth, administration officials including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe were part of the group chat. 

Additionally, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Sen. Chris Coons, D-Conn., said that Waltz could brace for a meticulous confirmation hearing before the committee’s members. 

“I look forward to a thorough confirmation hearing,” Coons said in a post on X in May. 

A spokesperson for Coons did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

MIKE WALTZ, OTHER NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL STAFFERS OUT IN LATEST TRUMP PURGE FOLLOWING SIGNAL CHAT LEAK

The GOP foreign relations source described the fallout from Signalgate a “huge nothing burger,” and pointed out that Democrats’ previous efforts to use Signalgate against Waltz and Hegseth have proven unsuccessful. 

“If this was their deathly bullet, it would have killed Hegseth, and it would have killed Waltz, but they’re both left standing,” the source told Fox News Digital. 

A Senate aide told Fox News Digital that while Waltz took the brunt of the blame for Signalgate because his team created the chat, Democrats’ expected questioning of the group chat during the hearing is actually about finding a new avenue to go after Trump. 

“I don’t think he’s the target. He’s just the mechanism to go after the target,” the Senate aide said. “At the end of the day, Democrats want to criticize and go after the president, so these guys are just a mechanism to get there.” 

Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers have voiced support for Waltz, with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, calling him a “great choice” for the position in a post on X in May. Additionally, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said at the time that the Senate would “for sure” confirm Waltz. 

“Some things I know for sure: the sun rises in the East, sets in the West and Mike Waltz will be confirmed as the next UN Ambassador,” Graham said in an X post in May. “He is highly qualified, well-positioned, and will be a strong voice for our nation at the UN.”

Since Waltz’s departure as serving as national security advisor, Rubio has stepped in to fill that role. 

Trump previously nominated Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., to represent the U.S. at the U.N. However, her nomination was pulled in March, and Trump claimed at the time that the House could not give up another Republican seat with its slim 220–212 Republican majority. 

If confirmed as U.N. ambassador, Waltz would be responsible for representing U.S. interests at the U.N.’s New York headquarters, weighing in on resolutions, treaties and other global matters.  

Waltz could not be reached for comment by Fox News Digital. 

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The 80th session of the U.N. General Assembly is scheduled for Sept. 9, providing a window of time for Waltz’s nomination to make it through the entire confirmation process beforehand. 

“The hope is to have him in place before the U.N. General Assembly is in session,” the GOP foreign relations source told Fox News Digital. 

FIRST ON FOX: As the messaging battle over the GOP’s sweeping domestic policy package takes center stage in the battle for the 2026 midterm elections, the House Republican campaign committee is launching its first ads since President Donald Trump signed the massive measure into law.

“Republicans took action with President Trump to make America more affordable again, passing a Working Families Tax Cut, saving families thousands a year. Plus, no tax on tips and a tax cut on Social Security, benefiting workers and seniors,” says the narrator in new ads from the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC).

The ads, which will run digitally nationwide, were shared first with Fox News on Tuesday. The spots will be backed by a modest ad buy, according to officials.

The Republican-controlled House and Senate, in near-party lines, two weeks ago narrowly passed the measure, known as the “one big, beautiful bill.” And the president signed the bill into law during a July 4 ceremony at the White House.

THE BATTLE OVER THE ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ MOVES FROM CAPITOL HILL TO THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL 

The measure is stuffed full of Trump’s 2024 campaign trail promises and second-term priorities on tax cuts, immigration, defense, energy and the debt limit. 

It includes extending the president’s signature 2017 tax cuts and eliminating taxes on tips and overtime pay. 

By making his first-term tax rates permanent — they were set to expire later this year — the bill will cut taxes by nearly $4.4 trillion over the next decade, according to analysis by the Congressional Budget Office and the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. 

POLITICAL FIGHT OVER ‘BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL’ IS FRONT-AND-CENTER IN KEY SENATE RACE

The measure also provides billions for border security and codifies the president’s controversial immigration crackdown.

And the new law also restructures Medicaid — the almost 60-year-old federal program that provides health coverage to roughly 71 million low-income Americans. 

The changes to Medicaid, as well as cuts to food stamps, another one of the nation’s major safety net programs, were drafted in part as an offset to pay for extending Trump’s tax cuts. The measure includes a slew of new rules and regulations, including work requirements for many of those seeking Medicaid coverage.

The $3.4 trillion legislative package is also projected to surge the national debt by $4 trillion over the next decade.

WHAT’S ACTUALLY IN TRUMP’S ‘BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL’

Democrats for months have repeatedly blasted Republicans over the social safety net changes.

“BREAKING: House Republicans vote to kick 17 million people off health care,” the headline in an email from the Democratic National Committee to supporters emphasized moments after the bill passed the House earlier this month.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries charged that “extreme House Republicans just approved the largest cut to Medicaid and food assistance in American history to fund tax breaks for their billionaire donors.”

And Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) chair Rep. Suzan DelBene pledged that “the DCCC will make sure every battleground voter knows how vulnerable House Republicans abandoned them by passing the most unpopular piece of legislation in modern American history, and we’re going to take back the House majority because of it.”

Democrats spotlighted a slew of national polls conducted last month, before the measure was passed into law, that indicate the bill’s popularity in negative territory.

But Republicans have also been going on offense, targeting Democrats for voting against tax cuts.

“Republicans are delivering real relief while Democrats deliver excuses. President Trump and House Republicans are cutting taxes, lowering costs, and putting working families first, just like we did before, and just like we’ll do again,” NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella told Fox News in a statement on Tuesday.

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And NRCC chair Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, in an opinion piece published earlier this month, charged that House Democrats “rejected common sense” by voting against the bill.

“And we will make sure each one of them has to answer for it,” he vowed, as he pointed to next year’s congressional elections, when the GOP will be defending its razor-thin majority in the House.

FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump will recognize CEOs and business leaders who donate their time to faith-based charitable works and encourage them to continue investing with the White House Faith Office during a luncheon at the White House on Monday.

The president and the White House Faith Office are expected to host the luncheon, which will include more than 60 CEOs and business leaders, in the State Dining Room.

TRUMP TO SIGN EXECUTIVE ORDER ESTABLISHING WHITE HOUSE FAITH OFFICE

Founder of Hobby Lobby David Greene, Chairman and CEO of Jockey International, Inc. Debra Waller, Quest Events founder Lee Dunlap, Aethon Energy founder Albert Huddleston, Shoppa’s Material Handling founder Jimmy Shoppa and others are expected to attend.

The president will be joined by Cabinet secretaries for the event, where he is expected to deliver remarks to thank the business leaders and encourage a continued partnership with the White House Faith Office.

White House Faith Office senior advisor Pastor Paula White, Faith Director Jenny Korn, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler will attend the event and also deliver remarks.

INSIDE THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S WHITE HOUSE FAITH OFFICE

The luncheon Monday is the first event of its kind, with White House Faith Office officials telling Fox News Digital that they have invited business leaders who work with faith-based charitable organizations “in a big way domestically and internationally.”

The president, in his remarks, is expected to explain why the White House Faith Office is so important to his agenda. He will also encourage business leaders to help the Trump administration, specifically on programs concerning foster care and adoption, fatherhood initiatives, poverty alleviation, substance abuse and prisoner reentry.

“These are purpose-driven individuals who use their wealth for good in the Earth,” the official said. “Faith and Economy come together to Make America Great Again—spiritually and financially.”

“President Trump is not only making America affordable, prosperous and strong again — he is making our country faith-centered again,” Paula White, senior advisor to the White House Faith Office, told Fox News Digital. “CEOs and business leaders who give back their time and treasure is what America is all about.”

Trump signed an executive order establishing a White House Faith Office in February. 

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The office empowers faith-based entities, community organizations and houses of worship “to better serve families and communities,” according to the White House. 

The office is housed under the Domestic Policy Council and consults with experts in the faith community on policy changes to “better align with American values.” 

More details are being learned about another suspect in the anti-ICE Texas attack that took place on Independence Day, including his alleged involvement in an Antifa protest that resulted in assault charges in 2023, as a manhunt continues in Texas and Oklahoma.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is looking for Benjamin Song, 32, for his alleged role in the Alvarado, Texas, attack targeting ICE agents, which left a local police officer shot in the neck and cars vandalized. The police officer is expected to recover. A $25,000 reward is being offered for information leading to his arrest and conviction.

There were ten suspects already facing federal charges for the attempted murder of federal officers and for “discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.” Song is now facing the same charges. 

Song is a former U.S. Marine Corps reservist, and the FBI warns that he should be considered “armed and dangerous.”

MAN BUSTED WITH ANTI-GOVERNMENT, ANTI-TRUMP DOCUMENTS AFTER TEXAS ICE AMBUSH SUSPECT PHONE CALL, FEDS SAY

Song was mentioned as an alleged member of an Antifa group in a 2023 lawsuit after three people protesting a drag queen brunch near Fort Worth, Texas, were assaulted by the members, according to the Post Millennial.

According to KERA News, Song was part of the Elm Fork Brown Gun Club that was both counter-protesting and doing security at the event, with the outlet reporting that they wore face coverings. 

The group made headlines at the time for its Fort Worth counter-protest, including Rolling Stone, as those protesting were part of a Christian nationalist group.

His father is Tailim Song, a Dallas-based business attorney, and his mother is Hope Song, the program director of an Arlington, Texas, martial arts studio, according to online records reviewed by Fox News Digital. The father is involved in various local community groups, including the Dallas Asian American Cultural Center. 

FBI SEEKING MILITARY VET SUSPECTED IN ICE AMBUSH AT TEXAS DETENTION FACILITY

A twelfth suspect, Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada, is also facing conspiracy to tamper evidence charges. He is reportedly the husband of one of the alleged attackers. He was granted a green card under the Biden administration and is a prior recipient of DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

Some of the suspects charged in the Independence Day incident met in an online chat group on Signal, and court records show it could have been worse.

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A July 7 criminal complaint filed by the U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas alleges that assailants shot 20 to 30 rounds from an AR-15-style rifle before it jammed, causing it to malfunction, on Independence Day. 

Investigators continued on Tuesday to look into how the suspects were linked, including through a possible Signal group chat. 

ICE AGENTS TARGETED IN 2 AMBUSH ATTACKS IN RECENT DAYS

Court records revealed extensive planning as well as anti-government literature obtained in an apartment tied to a suspect, including literature entitled “Organising for Attack! Insurrectionary Anarchy.”

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Another suspect allegedly had flyers in his backpack with “Fight ICE terror with class war!” and “Free all political prisoners.” Cars in the parking lot were spray-painted with “Ice pig” and “traitor.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the FBI as well as Song’s parents. 

Fox News’ Brooke Taylor and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

Fox News’ William La Jeunesse and Brooke Taylor contributed to this report.

Donald Trump stands accused of trying to repeal the 20th century.

That’s how the New York Times puts it, and there is ample reporting to back that up.

But I would add this bit of perspective.

When Joe Biden came into office, he was widely portrayed as making important, progressive, reforms. He was depicted as undoing the damage of Trump’s first term. He was one of the good guys.

WHY TRUMP’S UNDENIABLE WINNING STREAK IS DRAWING A BARRAGE OF NEGATIVE COVERAGE

(Biden was also derided as too old for the job and mentally declining, and shielded from the press, and botching the border, but his heart was seen as being in the right place.)

When Trump won a second term, he was immediately viewed as a human wrecking ball.

He’s been absolutely aggressive, taking on elite law firms, Ivy League universities and the media, winning big settlements from two of the three broadcast networks, ABC and CBS. He’s sealed the border, backed stronger tactics by ICE agents, and slapped even longtime allies with sky-high tariffs–all of which he had promised during the campaign. 

But most in the media have portrayed this as moving backwards, undoing important reforms and damaging the country. They have slid back into the familiar role of the Resistance. 

DOJ CRIMINALLY INVESTIGATING FORMER OBAMA OFFICIALS FOR HANDLING OF RUSSIA PROBE

The framing is that Trump is destroying democracy, ruining the economy, yadda yadda yadda. He is one of the bad guys. Never mind that he won the popular vote. 

Trump is undoing what Biden did, as Biden did after Trump’s first term, and that is a catastrophe. 

The president also successfully bombed Iran’s nuclear sites, and despite the debate over how much of a setback that was, most Democrats and media people refused to credit him, or did so grudgingly. 

(At the same time, Trump and his Justice Department also bungled the Jeffrey Epstein case, refusing–after a big buildup–to release anything, on grounds that there was no client list and that the convicted pedophile did commit suicide in prison.)

On Sunday’s Mediabuzz, Sarah Bedford, investigations editor of the right-leaning Washington Examiner, called it “a huge PR disaster for the Trump administration. There’s no way for them to spin their way out of this.”

I’ve been trying to figure out why this is striking such a deep chord among MAGA loyalists, rather than being a two-day story, and this is my take.

The no-need-to-release-anything about this “creep,” as Trump calls him, is a proxy for a broader sentiment that the rich and powerful always get away with things. They protect each other. They’re never held accountable for actions that would sink the rest of us.

I’ve been trying to figure out why this is striking such a deep chord among MAGA loyalists, rather than being a two-day story, and this is my take.

The no-need-to-release-anything about this “creep,” as Trump calls him, is a proxy for a broader sentiment that the rich and powerful always get away with things. They protect each other. They’re never held accountable for actions that would sink the rest of us.

DEMOCRATS SEIZE ON EPSTEIN FILES DRAMA WITH NEW TRANSPARENCY CALLS

From the New York Times: “On matters big and small, Mr. Trump has hit the rewind button. At the broadest level, he has endeavored to reverse the globalization and internationalism that have defined U.S. leadership around the globe since World War II, under presidents of both parties. But even at a more prosaic level, it has become evident that Mr. Trump, 79, the oldest president ever inaugurated, simply prefers things the way he remembers them from his youth, or even before that.”

In the well-reported piece, Peter Baker says Trump wants has called into question fluoride in water, flu vaccine and car safety standards. 

“He has made clear that he wants to return to an era when ‘Cats’ was the big hit on Broadway, not ‘Hamilton;’ when military facilities were named after Confederate generals, not gay rights leaders; when coal was king and there were no windmills; when straws were plastic,  not paper; when toilets flushed more powerfully; when there weren’t so many immigrants; when police officers weren’t discouraged from being rough on suspects; when diversity was not a goal in hiring or college admissions or much of anything else–all to save America from “radical left lunatics.”

You may or may not agree with this analysis, but there’s little question that Donald Trump wants to hit the time machine and return the country to a time when he was growing up, or even decades before that.

That, after all, is why we have elections.

Footnote: President Trump posted this, seemingly out of the blue:

“Because of the fact that Rosie O’Donnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship. She is a Threat to Humanity, and should remain in the wonderful Country of Ireland, if they want her. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”

I don’t think he has the power to do this to a natural-born American citizen. And I don’t think he will. But even if he did, wouldn’t it have to be tied to some kind of national security threat? Rosie, with whom he’s been feuding for years? 

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She has hit back, probably thankful for the publicity:

“The president of the usa has always hated the fact that i see him for who he is – a criminal con man sexual abusing liar out to harm our nation to serve himself – this is why i moved to ireland – he is a dangerous old soulless man with dementia who lacks empathy compassion and basic humanity.”

Zero evidence that he has dementia, of course. But why go there?

The Supreme Court cleared the way for the Education Department to fire hundreds of employees on Monday, a move that advances President Donald Trump’s plans to dismantle the department.

The high court’s decision in McMahon v. State of New York was issued 6-3 along ideological lines.

The decision temporarily pauses an order by a lower court judge that had reinstated roughly 1,400 laid-off employees at the Education Department.

In a statement later Monday evening on Truth Social, Trump celebrated the Supreme Court’s order, which marked the latest in a string of emergency decisions by the high court that have been favorable to Trump as he attempts to reshape the federal government.

“The United States Supreme Court has handed a Major Victory to Parents and Students across the Country, by declaring the Trump Administration may proceed on returning the functions of the Department of Education BACK TO THE STATES,” Trump wrote.

DEM AGS SUE OVER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION LAYOFFS

In March, Education Secretary Linda McMahon laid off half of the department’s workforce as part of the Trump administration’s broader reduction in force efforts. Later that month, Trump announced in an executive order that he planned to shutter the department altogether.

The Supreme Court’s order arose from two lawsuits, including one brought by 20 Democratic-led states that challenged the Education Department’s layoffs and planned closure.

The plaintiffs argued to the high court that the Trump administration’s actions have rendered the Education Department incapable of carrying out legally mandated work, such as reviewing certifications of higher education institutions for federal aid purposes.

Judge Myong Joun agreed in May, finding that the “record abundantly reveals” that the administration’s “true intention is to effectively dismantle the Department without an authorizing statute.”

The Trump administration responded that the layoffs did not prove the department was being shuttered and that the department is still carrying out its legally required functions. Trump would need Congress’s approval to fully shut down the department’s work.

SPARKS FLY BETWEEN EDUCATION SECRETARY LINDA MCMAHON AND DEM REP. WATSON COLEMAN: ‘YOU SHOULD FEEL SHAMEFUL’

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, one of the three dissenting justices, said the majority’s emergency decision was “indefensible.”

“When the Executive publicly announces its intent to break the law, and then executes on that promise, it is the Judiciary’s duty to check that lawlessness, not expedite it,” Sotomayor wrote.

McMahon said in a statement at the time of Trump’s executive order that the Education Department’s legally required obligations would still be met.

“Closing the Department does not mean cutting off funds from those who depend on them – we will continue to support K-12 students, students with special needs, college student borrowers, and others who rely on essential programs,” McMahon said in March. “We’re going to follow the law and eliminate the bureaucracy responsibly by working through Congress to ensure a lawful and orderly transition.”

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The education secretary celebrated the Supreme Court’s temporary ruling on Monday, saying her department would “now deliver on its mandate to restore excellence in American education.”

“As we return education to the states, this administration will continue to perform all statutory duties while empowering families and teachers by reducing education bureaucracy,” McMahon said. 

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., on Monday announced that he would revive his criminal referral against Dr. Anthony Fauci, adding yet another wrinkle to the ongoing Biden White House autopen saga.

“Today I will reissue my criminal referral of Anthony Fauci to Trump DOJ,” Paul said on X.

It’s not the first time that Paul has issued a criminal referral against Fauci, who is the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and medical adviser to former President Joe Biden.

BIDEN CHIEF OF STAFF REPORTEDLY GAVE APPROVAL FOR AUTOPEN PARDONS ON FINAL DAY IN OFFICE

The first came in 2021, when Paul accused Fauci of lying to Congress about funding gain-of-function research for the COVID-19 virus at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The next came in 2023, again as part of Paul’s efforts to investigate the origins of the virus.

“Perjury is a crime,” Paul said. “And Fauci must be held accountable.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Paul’s office for comment.

‘PRESIDENTIAL INCAPACITY’: SENATE REPUBLICAN SEEKS PAPER TRAIL OF BIDEN’S AUTOPEN USE

This time, Paul’s reupping of his criminal referral comes after a new report added another chapter to the ongoing autopen saga, in which President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans have accused Biden of shrugging off his authority to aides and top officials in the White House to authorize his signature on a slew of pardons and documents.

The New York Times reported that emails showed that Biden’s Chief of Staff Jeff Zients gave final approval for the use of the autopen for preemptive pardons for Fauci and former Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, two of Trump’s top critics.  

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

Biden signed the bulk of his over 4,000 clemency documents in the waning months of his presidency, a point that Trump and congressional Republicans have pounced to hammer in the claims that the former president’s cognitive ability was declining and his staff were running the White House.

Trump has gone so far as to request Attorney General Pam Bondi open an investigation into Biden’s usage of the autopen, while Republicans in the Senate and House have all held their own committee hearings on the matter.

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And earlier Monday, Trump told reporters that Biden’s alleged use of the autopen amounted to possibly “one of the biggest scandals that we’ve had in 50 to 100 years.”

“I guarantee you he knew nothing about what he was signing, I guarantee you,” Trump said. 

Diana Stancy contributed to this report. 

More than 20 Democratic attorneys general on Monday announced they are suing the Trump administration over its abrupt decision to withhold roughly $6.8 billion in spending for K-12 programs, describing the freeze as both unconstitutional and “debilitating” to states just weeks ahead of a new school year.

The lawsuit, announced by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, comes just weeks after the Department of Education announced on June 30 that it would be pausing distribution of the federally approved grant money, which had been approved by Congress and was slated to be distributed just one day later, on July 1.

“The Department remains committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the President’s priorities and the Department’s statutory responsibilities,” the department said in a statement then, directing any questions to the Office of Management and Budget. 

JUDGE XINIS GRILLS TRUMP LAWYERS OVER PLANS TO DEPORT ABREGO GARCIA IN HIGH-PROFILE HEARING

The department did not immediately give a reason for the pause.

Speaking to reporters on a call on Monday, Democratic attorneys general from California, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Colorado highlighted the myriad ways in which the education freeze has injected chaos and uncertainty into public schools nationwide – keeping on ice important budget decisions for public school educators, at a time when they should be focused on hiring staff and getting ready for the year ahead. 

Bonta argued the freeze has already been a “devastating blow” to state learning programs, including some migrant education centers and tutoring and adult literacy programs.

“It’s unconscionable, unlawful, and can’t go unchecked, and it won’t,” he said.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW EL SALVADOR DEPORTATION FLIGHT CASE

They noted that some statewide education programs have already been forced to close their doors completely due to the loss of funds, and education officials have cited the uncertainty facing public schools in the longer term.

“Thoughtful, strategic budgets, staffing plans, and contracts for the upcoming school year hang in the balance,” as public schools race to adjust their budgets, Bonta said.

The group argued it is the latest in a string of unconstitutional efforts by the Trump administration to withhold federal funds approved by Congress, and, in their view, outside the reach of the administration.

The federal funding includes some $2 billion in grants to fund teachers’ continued development and education programs; millions of dollars in tutoring programs; $1 billion for academic enrichment grants for STEM and accelerated learning programs; and hundreds of millions of dollars to fund adult literacy programs nationwide.

Other programs, such as the 21st Century Community Learning Center, funnel money to states to fund roughly 10,000 after-school programs and summer school programs for students nationwide. 

State leaders argued Monday that the freeze ordered by the Education Department is illegal, risking near- and long-term harm to students and educators.

“President Trump and Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon have dealt a debilitating blow to our schools, throwing them into chaos just weeks ahead of the first day of school,” Bonta said. 

More broadly, the attorneys general also argue that Trump’s spending freeze violates the Constitution and the Impoundment Control Act, since it froze the K-12 funding without reason, and without the prior notice or earlier steps required under the ICA. 

FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP’S BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP BAN FOR ALL INFANTS, TESTING LOWER COURT POWERS

This lawsuit comes as Democratic-led states have filed a flurry of others aimed at blunting Trump’s executive orders and actions in the first six months of his second term.

To date, the Democratic attorneys general have filed 31 lawsuits against the Trump administration in the 25 weeks since he took office, as Bonta said on Monday. Eight lawsuits have been focused on cuts to education programs.

On Monday, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha likened the abrupt freeze on public education funding to a popular children’s cartoon.

“It is impossible for states to effectively budget for an upcoming school year through their Departments of Education and through our Departments of Education to our local communities, when the president takes the football away from us like Lucy in a Charlie Brown cartoon,” Neronha said.

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“So when this happens, as it’s happened before, we’re going to bring actions, and frankly, we’re going to win.”

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is urging Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem to declassify all documents related to the assassination attempt on then-presidential candidate Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024.

Hawley’s request comes a year after 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks fired off several shots at Trump from a rooftop near the presidential rally grounds. The gunman had a clear shot and grazed the president’s ear.

Even after a year, though, questions still remain about how Crooks was able to get a clear shot.

In his letter to Noem, Hawley mentions the one-year anniversary of the first assassination attempt on Trump.

RAND PAUL SAYS WE ‘AREN’T GOING TO KNOW’ THE MOTIVE OF TRUMP’S WOULD-BE ASSASSIN

“This occasion marks a deeply troubling chapter in our nation’s history and serves as a reminder of the importance of transparency in preserving public trust during moments of national crisis,” he wrote. “To that end, I urge you to take the necessary steps to declassify all documents within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) related to the events of July 13, 2024.

“As you know, assassination attempts against current and former presidents are rare but profoundly consequential events in American life,” Hawley continued. “And the American people rightly expect full transparency from their government.”

The senator pointed to investigation stonewalling tactics from the Biden administration’s Secret Service and DHS, which he said ultimately denied basic facts to the American people.

COULD BUTLER HAPPEN AGAIN? FORMER SECRET SERVICE AGENTS WEIGH IN ON POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN 2025

“The public learned far more from whistleblowers than they did from public officials, and I released a report documenting these disclosures, many of which have been corroborated to date,” Hawley wrote. “In October of last year, in a unanimous vote, the Homeland Security Committee passed my legislation requiring the Secret Service release to the public all pertinent documents.

“Now, I am requesting that you immediately declassify and release all documents relating to the first assassination attempt on President Trump within the full extent of your authority, subject only to the narrowest possible redactions necessary to protect ongoing operations or individual safety,” he said. “The public deserves a full and accurate account of this event, the circumstances that allowed it to happen, and the steps the government has taken since to strengthen protective measures.”

Hawley requested a complete inventory of all classified or non-public materials related to the first assassination attempt on Trump, including reports, internal communications, threat assessments, after-action reviews and coordinated records with other agencies.

CRITICAL SECURITY LAPSES BY SECRET SERVICE EXPOSED IN NEW REPORT ON TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

He also requested a formal explanation for the continued classification of materials Noem believes must remain restricted, as well as a proposed plan and timeline for the immediate declassification and public release of all remaining documents, all by July 30, 2025.

Fox News Digital has reached out to DHS for comment on the matter.

Hawley released a report in September, detailing the failures of the Secret Service in connection with the attempted assassination of Trump in July, which included whistleblower allegations that are “highly damaging to the credibility” of the agency.

The report uncovered a “compounding pattern of negligence, sloppiness, and gross incompetence that goes back years, all of which culminated in an assassination attempt that came inches from succeeding.”

ONE YEAR AFTER TRUMP RALLY SHOOTING, WITNESSES SAY INVESTIGATIONS LEAVE MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS

Hawley accused the Secret Service, FBI and DHS of all trying “to evade real accountability.”

“These agencies and their leaders have slow-walked congressional investigations, misled the American people, and shirked responsibility,” the report states. 

After the first of two assassination attempts against Trump in just over two months, Hawley visited the Butler rally site to interview whistleblowers and opened up a whistleblower tip line, encouraging those with relevant information to share with officials. 

Documents subpoenaed by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs also show major failures among the six U.S. Secret Service (USSS) agents who were suspended without pay in response to the assassination attempt.

The documents were based on interviews with the agents and their colleagues and revealed that several agents admitted the existence of major security concerns at the Butler rally, but none of them elevated the concerns or helped produce a plan to properly cover the roof that provided Crooks a clear shot of Trump.

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The documents show that some agents in charge never even conducted walk-throughs of the site. For example, the lead advance agent, documents show, never did a final security walk-through of the rally site because she was in the hospital for heat exhaustion, the special agent in charge said when questioned.

Some of the agents were suspended without pay for various terms, though none of the agents were fired.

An endorsement event for Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, came to an abrupt end Monday when he was pulled offstage by a campaign aide. 

After accepting the American Federation of Musicians, Local 802’s endorsement, Mamdani answered a few questions about former Gov. Andrew Cuomo deciding to stay in the race as an independent candidate and his upcoming meeting with House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

About 20 minutes into the event, before Mamdani could continue answering reporters’ questions, his campaign staffers stepped in to say: “I think we’re done here. We’re going to go. Come on. We’re wrapping up, folks. Sorry folks. We’re wrapping up.”

But Mamdani stood by the podium, attempting to hear the reporters’ questions over the chorus of campaign aides’ voices, until the band on site for the event began playing “When the Saints Go Marching In.” With a smile on his face, Mamdani was pulled away when a campaign aide grabbed his arm.

MAMDANI LANDS ENDORSEMENT OF A TOP CUOMO BACKER IN NYC MAYORAL PRIMARY

Mamdani has kept a busy campaign schedule since securing the Democratic nomination last month. 

MAMDANI’S PRIMARY WIN EXPOSES DEMOCRAT DIVIDE AS TOP LEADERS WITHHOLD ENDORSEMENTS

He has hosted several endorsement events, including from the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) and New York Democratic Rep. Adriano Espaillat. The campaign has opened up questions to reporters at the end of these endorsement events.

The 33-year-old candidate is expected to host an event with fellow self-described democratic socialist, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., on Wednesday in Washington, D.C. Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Mamdani ahead of his primary win last month.

And during the endorsement event Monday, Mamdani confirmed his meeting with Jeffries later this week. Jeffries told Fox News Digital he would meet with Mamdani at home in Brooklyn at the end of the week. 

The House Minority Leader has yet to endorse Mamdani since he secured the Democratic nomination. 

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“I’m looking forward to that meeting with Congressman Jeffries,” Mamdani said Monday before adding, “I’m looking forward to being a partner to Congressman Jeffries in winning back the House and continuing to fight back against Donald Trump’s agenda, and in delivering, at the same time, for New Yorkers across the five boroughs.”

The Trump administration filed a request with the courts to suspend a temporary restraining order (TRO) that was issued on Friday against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that ruled the agency likely violated constitutional protections through its immigration enforcement practices in Los Angeles.

In a 53-page order issued Friday, U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, a Biden appointee, barred ICE from conducting detentive stops in the Central District of California unless agents have “reasonable suspicion” that a person is in the country unlawfully. 

Frimpong’s ruling explicitly prohibits ICE from relying solely on race or ethnicity, speaking Spanish or English with an accent, location, or type of work when forming suspicion, citing the Fourth Amendment.

In its filing on Monday, the Trump administration said the lawsuit was originally filed by three individual aliens requesting to be released from immigration detention.

LOS ANGELES JUDGE WEIGHS SEVERE LIMITS ON TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT IN CALIFORNIA

“But, apparently seeking to manipulate the process of judicial assignment, the original petitioners’ counsel then filed an amended complaint adding a host of new individual and organizational plaintiffs, leveling systemic challenges to federal immigration enforcement in the Los Angeles area,” the Trump administration wrote. “And a day later, on the eve of the July 4 holiday, they filed an ‘emergency’ ex parte motion asking the court to impose a straight-jacket injunction that would vastly restrict the government’s ability to stop and detain anyone on suspicion of being unlawfully present in the United States.”

The Trump administration also said the court gave them just two business days to respond to hundreds of pages of discovery.

“The result is a sweeping, district-wide injunction that threatens to bobble lawful immigration enforcement by hanging a Damocles sword of contempt over every immigration stop,” the Trump administration said. “The government seeks an immediate stay of that untenable order pending appeal, and an administrative stay in the meantime.”

The Trump administration argued that Frimpong ignored the recent Supreme Court ruling involving the president that rejects universal injunctions – the judge’s ruling on Friday was not nationwide but instead was focused on Los Angeles and the Central District of California.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SUES LOS ANGELES OVER SANCTUARY POLICIES THAT ‘IMPEDE’ ICE OPERATIONS

“Immediate relief is warranted here not only because of the magnitude of the court’s legal errors, but also their practical consequences for the separation of powers and the government’s sovereign prerogatives,” the filing reads. “It is untenable for a district judge to single-handedly ‘restructure the operations’ of federal immigration enforcement and usurp ‘ongoing judicial supervision of an agency normally, and properly, overseen by the executive branch.’”

Frimpong presided over a hearing Thursday where she considered granting the request that will have major implications for immigration enforcement in California, a state that has become a focal point in President Donald Trump’s aggressive deportation plans.

The judge heard arguments about whether to grant the TRO against ICE over allegations the agency is violating constitutional rights during its immigration arrests.

FEDERAL JUDGE HALTS TRUMP’S PLAN TO CUT FUNDING FOR SANCTUARY STATES THAT REFUSE TO COOPERATE

Frimpong said during the hearing on Thursday that she was leaning toward granting the TRO Friday.

“I think it’s important for the court not to burden otherwise lawful law enforcement activities,” the judge said.

The case was initially brought in June as a routine petition from three detainees, but it has ballooned into a weighty lawsuit challenging the way ICE operates.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, on Friday, praised the federal court’s decision to issue a temporary restraining order halting what she described as “unconstitutional and reckless raids conducted under the Trump Administration.”

She characterized the federal actions as aggressive and harmful and reaffirmed Los Angeles’ commitment to protecting its residents’ rights.

Immigration rights groups and local governments, including the cities of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Culver, and West Hollywood, have all intervened in the case and Democrat-led states have filed an amicus brief in support of them.

FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS TRUMP TO RETURN CONTROL OF CALIFORNIA NATIONAL GUARD TO NEWSOM

The plaintiffs alleged in court papers that ICE is “indiscriminately” arresting people with “brown skin” at Home Depots, car washes, farms and more. Authorities made the arrests with no “reasonable suspicion” and sometimes mistakenly apprehended U.S. citizens in the process, all in violation of the Fourth Amendment, attorneys wrote.

The plaintiffs argued the Trump administration gave ICE an unrealistic quota of 3,000 arrests per day, causing officers to feel pressured to blow past legal requirements to achieve those numbers.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is disputing the allegations and denies wrongdoing.

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Department of Justice attorneys wrote that immigration arrests, of which there have been nearly 3,000 across California since early June, have been carried out legally.

Fox News’ Ashley Oliver, Bill Melugin, Cameron Arcand, Jasmine Baehr and Stepheny Price contributed to this report.

President Trump on Monday suggested that first lady Melania Trump convinced him that Russian President Vladimir Putin has continually backed out of his promises over a possible peace deal with Ukraine. 

Trump was meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte when he spoke with reporters about the ongoing war. 

He explained that his wife pointed out Putin’s false promises following Trump’s phone calls with the Russian leader amid calls for a deal to end the conflict. 

TRUMP’S BOLD PIVOT ON UKRAINE SENDS MAJOR SIGNAL

“I go home. I tell the first lady, ‘You know, I spoke to Vladimir today. We had a wonderful conversation.’ She said, ‘Oh, really? another city was just hit,'” he said. 

“There’s times I’d get home. I’d say, ‘First lady, I had three most wonderful talk with Vladimir. I think we’re finished.’ And then I’ll turn on the television, or she’ll say to me one time, ‘Wow, that’s strange because they just bombed a nursing home,'” Trump recalled in another conversation. “I’d say, ‘What?’”

Moscow has repeatedly attacked Ukraine with drones and missiles following calls between Putin and Trump.

TRUMP SAYS US WILL SEND PATRIOT MISSILES TO UKRAINE, ADDS THAT PUTIN ‘TALKS NICE AND THEN HE BOMBS EVERYBODY’

Last week, Trump appeared frustrated, saying he wasn’t happy with Putin “because he’s killing alot of people.”

He said he was considering giving Ukraine more aid to help it resist the Russian attacks. On Monday, Trump confirmed that he has agreed to sell arms to NATO just moments after he said Putin has 50 days to secure a peace deal with Ukraine or face “100%” tariffs. 

“This is again European nations standing up,” Rutte said. “I’ve been in contact with many countries. I can tell you at this moment Germany, massively, but also Finland and Denmark and Sweden and Norway — we have the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Canada — they all want to be part of this.”

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“And this is only the first wave. There will be more,” Rutte confirmed. “So what we will do is work through the NATO systems to make sure that we know what Ukrainians need.”

Documents subpoenaed by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs show major failures among the six U.S. Secret Service (USSS) agents who were suspended without pay in response to an assassination attempt on then-presidential candidate Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024.

While the USSS had previously told Fox News that the agents were disciplined in February, the paperwork shows that five of the agents were not disciplined until April, which is when Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., subpoenaed the records.

USSS interviews show that the main site agent was unprepared and undertrained, and fellow agents said she had no idea what she was doing in Butler.

The campaign rally marked the first time the agent had secured an outdoor rally, and agents on the ground claimed she lacked basic knowledge, according to the report.

TRUMP DIRECTS SECRET SERVICE TO GIVE HIM ‘EVERY BIT OF INFORMATION’ ABOUT HIS ATTEMPTED ASSASSINS: REPORT

The interviews also unveiled that several agents admitted the existence of major security concerns at the Butler rally, but none of them elevated the concerns or helped produce a plan to properly cover the roof that provided 20-year-old Thomas Crooks a clear shot of Trump.

The documents show that some agents in charge never even conducted walk-throughs of the site. For example, the lead advance agent, documents show, never did a final security walk through of the rally site because she was in the hospital for heat exhaustion, the special agent in charge said when questioned.

But the documents also provide a deeper dive into the six agents who were disciplined because of failures in the security detail.

SECRET SERVICE SUSPENDS 6 AGENTS TASKED WITH PROTECTING TRUMP DURING JULY 2024 ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

LEAD ADVANCE AGENT

The lead advance agent had 21 years with the USSS, with six of those years spent in the vice-presidential protective division.

Despite April documents showing the agent was suspended without pay for 21 days, the agent ended up getting a 14-day suspension. According to the Secret Service, the agent was the most senior and experienced agent on the advance team, yet she failed to secure the rally site.

The documents show the lead agent was aware of line-of-sight concerns, but she failed to address the issue or produce a plan to secure the building.

SECRET SERVICE CHANGES THE AGENCY HAS MADE POST-TRUMP BUTLER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

During her interview, the lead agent said she did not know three local snipers were inside the AGR building instead of on the rooftop where Crooks was perched when he shot Trump.

COUNTER SNIPER TEAM LEAD

The counter sniper team lead had 10 years of experience with the USSS, with two years in the uniformed divisions and eight with the counter sniper program.

The counter sniper lead was suspended for 52 days without pay in April, but only had to serve 35 days. He is currently on official restricted duty status.

The agent is accused of not walking the entire Butler rally site and instead using “Google and stuff” to get a look at the grounds. He also failed to talk or collaborate with local sniper teams and never picked up radios offered by local law enforcement to communicate with other teams.

‘ABSOLUTE BARE MINIMUM’: CALLS FOR MORE ACTION AFTER SECRET SERVICE AGENTS SUSPENDED FOR SECURITY FAILURE

The Secret Service said with the lead sniper’s level of experience, he should have known how to successfully secure the grounds. The sniper also said during interviews that he received text messages about Crooks being suspicious, but failed to alert the lead site agent and security room.

SITE AGENT

One of the site agents who was disciplined had five years of experience with the USSS and was originally notified in April that she would be suspended for three days. But the Secret Service changed the length of discipline to 42 days without pay, documents show.

The Secret Service said the agent failed to communicate that there was an active threat on the day of the rally, to the team on the ground. The Secret Service also said the agent blamed others for the security failures, but she was the one who was ultimately responsible for all security.

CRITICAL SECURITY LAPSES BY SECRET SERVICE EXPOSED IN NEW REPORT ON TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

After the assassination attempt, the agent spoke with a reporter and shared information about the behind the scenes of the rally, the documents show.

SENIOR SPECIAL AGENT SITE COUNTERPART

The senior special agent site counterpart had 20 years of experience, including experience dealing with presidential details. According to the documents, the counterpart was disciplined in April for 14 days without pay, though she argued she should not be punished. Instead, the agent blamed the site agent.

The senior special agent site counterpart was supposed to be responsible for securing the site and identifying threats, the documents show.

COULD BUTLER HAPPEN AGAIN? FORMER SECRET SERVICE AGENTS WEIGH IN ON POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN 2025

During interviews, the counterpart told the USSS that the site agent she was working with did not know “basic things,” adding that it was not her job to “coach” the site agent. 

The Secret Service also said local police emailed the senior counterpart their plans to secure the area, but she never opened or read the plans.

SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE PITTSBURGH FIELD OFFICE

The special agent in charge from the Pittsburgh field office had 24 years of experience with the USSS, and just days after the rally was placed on telework status. In November, the agent was reassigned to work with the cybertraining program, and in January he was told he would be suspended for 14 days without pay.

According to the documents, the agent said under questioning that he did not know there was a threat against Trump before the rally. The agent told the Secret Service that if he had known about the threat, he would have recommended moving the rally inside or would have asked for more resources. 

The agent also told the Secret Service that the team assigned to Trump’s protective detail knew about the threats and were the ones who should have changed the plans.

ASSISTANT TO SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE OF PITTSBURGH OFFICE

The sixth agent who was disciplined was the assistant to the special agent in charge from the Pittsburgh field office.

The assistant had 24 years of experience with the USSS and admitted he did not prepare for the Butler rally. Documents show that without preparation, the assistant had little to no understanding of the security plan for Butler.

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Additionally, the assistant never met with the lead agent and never did a site walk though, nor did the agent participate in a site briefing or look at a diagram of the site.

As a result, the assistant was suspended for 10 days without pay in April.

The Department of Justice on Monday asked the Supreme Court to deny Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghilaine Maxwell’s appeal of her sex-trafficking conviction, a move that comes as the department has recently come under fire for its handling of Epstein’s case files.

Maxwell, 63, was convicted by a jury in New York in 2021 of five counts involving sex trafficking of a minor and conspiracy. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Maxwell appealed her conviction, saying it should be tossed out for several reasons, including that a plea deal Epstein reached with the federal government in 2007 immunized her and that statutes of limitations had run out.

JEFFREY EPSTEIN DIED BY SUICIDE, DID NOT HAVE CLIENT LIST: DOJ

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit denied her appeal, but Maxwell argued that circuit courts have issued disparate orders about what kind of immunity is granted through non-prosecutorial agreements, such as the one Epstein received in 2007, and that the Supreme Court should weigh in.

Maxwell is serving out her prison sentence in Tallahassee, Florida. It is set to end in 2037.

The DOJ’s response to the high court comes after the department recently ignited fury among a faction of President Donald Trump’s supporters by announcing it had no new information to release related to Epstein’s case. Epstein was charged in 2019 with sex trafficking underage women, but he died before he could stand trial. Authorities ruled his death was caused by suicide.

BONDI UNDER SIEGE AFTER DOJ REVEALS NO EPSTEIN CLIENT LIST

Some Trump DOJ officials had advanced theories that the government was hiding information related to Epstein’s case, but they have since walked back those claims.

Congress could call on Maxwell to testify before lawmakers. Citing anonymous sources, the Daily Mail reported Monday that Maxwell is interested in doing that. Maxwell’s attorney did not respond to a Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the report.

Her attorney did, however, take a jab at Trump over the DOJ’s position on Maxwell’s appeal.

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“I’d be surprised if President Trump knew his lawyers were asking the Supreme Court to let the government break a deal,” attorney David Oscar Markus said. “He’s the ultimate dealmaker — and I’m sure he’d agree that when the United States gives its word, it should keep it. With all the talk about who’s being prosecuted and who isn’t, it’s especially unfair that Ghislaine Maxwell remains in prison based on a promise the government made and broke.”

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…

– Trump’s whirlwind week ahead to include meeting with NATO chief, ‘major’ announcement on Russia

– UK to roll out red carpet in ‘unprecedented’ second Trump visit hosted by King Charles

– Democrats seize on Epstein files drama with new transparency calls

Top Biden Aide Gave OK for 11th Hour Autopen Pardons, Email Reveals

Former President Joe Biden’s chief of staff issued final approval for multiple high-profile preemptive pardons during Biden’s final days in office, according to a new report. 

Biden’s alleged use of the autopen has become a sticking point for months, as President Donald Trump has said thousands of pardons Biden signed were void and claimed that the former president did not know what documents he was signing through the automated device. 

Biden issued a series of preemptive pardons on his final day to officials, including former chief medical advisor to the president Anthony Fauci and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, in an attempt to safeguard them from retribution from Trump… READ MORE.

White House

FAITH MEETS FORTUNE: Trump gathers CEOs for unprecedented faith, economy meeting to renew US ‘spiritually and financially’

PUTIN’S RECKONING: Trump’s whirlwind week ahead to include meeting with NATO chief, ‘major’ announcement on Russia

‘GOD ALONE SAVED ME’: Trump says ‘American spirit’ triumphs over ‘forces of evil’ on anniversary of Butler assassination attempt

CLOCK TICKING: Mother of slain soldier held by Hamas terrorists for 4,000 days makes plea to Trump

PROJECT UNDERWATER: Navy delays next-gen submarine to 2040, threatening US sea power

NO CUTS AHEAD: Trump urges rate cuts to boost savings, but Fed says economy is strong

DEAL OR TARIFFS: Trump, Rutte announce ‘really big’ NATO arms package amid new 50 day deadline to Putin

World Stage

‘NATO IS PAYING’: Trump says US will send Patriot missiles to Ukraine, adding Putin ‘talks nice and then he bombs’

SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP: UK to roll out red carpet in ‘unprecedented’ second Trump visit hosted by King Charles

‘BLOOD COVENANT’: Iranian crowdfunding campaign claims to raise $40M as reward for assassinating Trump

ALLIES ON NOTICE: Pentagon presses Japan, Australia on role in possible Taiwan conflict

Capitol Hill

‘PUT UP’: Democrats seize on Epstein files drama with new transparency calls

‘TRUE WARRIOR’: FIRST ON FOX: ‘A true warrior’: Retiring Rep Mark Green endorses his potential replacement in GOP race

Across America 

TRADE TIDE TURNS: From cattle to crude: How Trump’s tariffs are rattling the Lone Star State

CASH AMID CHAOS: Hochul hauls in big bucks amid lackluster poll numbers and calls to endorse Mamdani

‘FIVE-ALARM WARNING’: Mamdani’s failure to walk back these positions could cause reckoning in Democratic Party: ‘Five-alarm warning’

QUIET EXIT: Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell’s secluded hideout hits the market

‘HAD A GREAT TIME’: Newsom, Vance exchange jabs over immigration after VP’s California vacation: ‘Hope you enjoy your family time’

ARMED AND DANGEROUS: Suspect wanted in anti-ICE Texas ambush previously sued in past protest incident

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

The Sunshine State ranks as the nation’s number one defender of religious liberty out of all 50 states, according to the First Liberty Institute’s fourth annual Religious Liberty in the States (RLS) index. 

For the first time, Florida tops the national rankings, followed by Montana, Illinois, Ohio and Mississippi. Illinois and Mississippi have garnered a spot in the top five every year since the index was first released by the First Liberty Institute’s Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy (CRCD) in 2022.

The index uses a detailed scoring system measuring legal protections and ranking states based on the percentage of possible safeguards they have adopted. 

This year, with 2025’s rankings, nearly 55 percentage points separates Florida from the last-place state, West Virginia, which has been last on the index for three years in a row.

PARENT GROUPS, RELIGIOUS LIBERTY EXPERTS HAIL SCOTUS UPHOLDING PARENTS RIGHTS IN LGBTQ BOOKS CASE

“We find that the states are laboratories of religious liberty where different protections for free exercise can be implemented and tested,” CRCD Executive Director Jordan Ballor wrote in an introduction for the 2025 index. “One of the major goals of the RLS project is to raise awareness of what different states are doing. There are positive lessons to be learned from this experimentation, as states that have been at the vanguard of protecting religious liberty can serve as exemplars for states that have lagged behind.”

The index’s accompanying report points out that Florida “is an exemplar” for how state lawmakers can improve their protections around religious freedom. According to the report, the Sunshine State has improved nearly 20 percentage points since the first RLS index was released in 2022.

Much of this improvement came from legislation passed in 2023 strengthening religious protections that allow healthcare providers to refuse to participate in medical procedures or services, such as abortion or sterilization, based on their religious or moral beliefs. The report also pointed to Florida’s passage of legislation in 2022 protecting houses of worship from discriminatory treatment during pandemics and other emergencies.

“Florida holds several #1 rankings, leading the nation in education, economy, and tourism – and now, Florida is #1 in religious liberty,” said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. “We’re grateful for this recognition from the First Liberty Institute, which has just named Florida the number one state in the nation for protecting religious liberty.”

PASTOR URGES TRUMP TO PROTECT RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AFTER ALLEGED BIDEN CRACKDOWNS

“This year’s findings show clearly that states taking legislative action are pulling ahead,” added Kelly Shackelford, president, CEO and chief counsel at First Liberty. “Under the leadership of Gov. DeSantis, Florida passed real laws that protect real people, and now the Sunshine State is the national leader in protecting religious liberty. It’s time for more states to follow Gov. DeSantis’s example and adopt strong religious liberty laws.”

While Florida was pointed to in the RLS index as an “exemplar,” the report stated that religious freedom was becoming increasingly “tenuous” in the blue state of Illinois. The move downward for the Land of Lincoln was not because the state repealed protections, but mainly because it has not implemented new protections that other states, like Florida, have, the report noted.

Per the 2025 RLS report, almost all of Illinois’ protections came when the state was more conservative between 1934 and 1998.

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In an effort to demonstrate the dangers of “complacency,” the report also pointed to Colorado when Republicans “routinely” had control of both houses of the state legislature. The environment was friendly toward religious liberty, but lawmakers did not pass much in the way of protections, according to the report. It said the state’s complacency contributed to Colorado’s “abysmal” 43rd-place finish in the 2024 RLS rankings and 34th finish in the 2025 rankings released Monday.    

The First Liberty Institute said the results of the 2024 election may give some people the idea that passing laws protecting religious liberty is not as important, but the conservative Christian legal group warned this is “emphatically not the case,” noting that data shows passing such laws is just as critical amid a “favorable” political climate.

The Pentagon is reportedly pressuring Indo-Pacific allies Japan and Australia to clarify what roles they would play in the event of a war with China over Taiwan.

Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon’s policy chief, raised the question during recent meetings with Japanese and Australian defense officials, the Financial Times first reported.

While the United States has long urged Indo-Pacific allies to increase defense spending as China escalates its military activity around Taiwan, this push for specific wartime commitments is a new development — and reportedly caught foreign officials off guard.

Australia responded by stressing it would not commit troops in advance of any conflict.

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“The decision to commit Australian troops to a conflict will be made by the government of the day, not in advance,” Defense Minister Pat Conroy told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “We won’t discuss hypotheticals.”

Australia and the U.S. are currently leading a major joint exercise in Sydney involving 30,000 troops from 19 countries.

Pentagon officials have cited NATO’s efforts to boost European defense spending as a model for what Asian allies should consider. At the same time, Colby has advised European allies to prioritize threats closer to home rather than focus on the Indo-Pacific, sources told Fox News Digital.

“Some among our allies might not welcome frank conversations,” Colby posted on X in response to the report.

“But as the department has made abundantly and consistently clear, we at DOD are focused on implementing the president’s America First, common-sense agenda of restoring deterrence and achieving peace through strength. That includes urging allies to step up their defense spending and other efforts related to our collective defense.”

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The question of allied commitments is further complicated by the U.S. policy of strategic ambiguity, under which Washington does not explicitly state whether it would defend Taiwan if China invades.

“As Secretary Hegseth said, the Department of Defense is focused on preventing war, with a strong shield of deterrence,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell wrote on X in defense of Colby’s approach. “That requires strength — but it is a simple fact that our allies must also do their part. We do not seek war. What we are doing is ensuring the United States and its allies have the military strength to underwrite diplomacy and guarantee peace.”

Former President Joe Biden had repeatedly said the U.S. would defend Taiwan, only for White House staff to later walk back those comments and insist that U.S. policy has not changed.

President Donald Trump has maintained the tradition of ambiguity, refusing to publicly declare how he would respond. However, new audio obtained by CNN revealed that Trump told donors last year he threatened both Russia and China with military force.

“With Putin I said, ‘If you go into Ukraine, I’m going to bomb the [expletive] out of Moscow,’” Trump said. “‘I’m telling you. I have no choice.’ And then [Putin] goes, like, ‘I don’t believe you.’ But he believed me 10%.”

“I said the same thing to [Xi],” Trump added. “I said, ‘If you go into Taiwan, I’m going to bomb the [expletive] out of Beijing.’ I said, ‘I have no choice. I’ve got to bomb you.’”

At other times, Trump has criticized the cost of defending Taiwan and argued the island should dedicate 10% of its budget to defense.

Wargaming simulations suggest Japan would be the most crucial ally to the U.S. and Taiwan, as South Korea has not authorized American forces to launch combat operations from its territory. Australia does not permit permanent foreign military bases, but the U.S. is expanding its rotational presence at Australian facilities.

“Japan is always critical, and when I say critical, like we can’t win the war without them,” Mark Cancian, defense expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies who regularly briefs lawmakers on China wargames, told Fox News Digital. 

“Their forces are important, but our ability to use our bases in Japan is critical,” he said, adding that other U.S. bases in the Indo-Pacific like Guam were too far away to serve as a hub. 

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Whether Japan allows the U.S. to center its wartime operations on its territory would be a critical question certain to come up in preparations for a wartime contingency. 

The U.S. and Japan have practiced moving forces down the Japanese Ryukyu island chain, the closest of which is only 80 miles off the coast of Taiwan. 

Colby’s push for defined allied roles comes on the heels of his initiation of a review of the AUKUS security pact, which aims to supply Australia with U.S.-built nuclear-powered submarines.

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The Pentagon recently defended Colby after reports emerged that he had temporarily halted military aid to Ukraine — an order quickly reversed by Trump.

Under the AUKUS agreement, Australia would purchase several Virginia-class submarines in the early 2030s, while a new class of submarines would be jointly developed by the U.S., U.K., and Australia. Production in Australia is expected to begin in the 2040s. However, the U.S. is already struggling to produce enough submarines for its own Navy.

Former President Joe Biden’s chief of staff issued final approval for multiple high-profile preemptive pardons during Biden’s final days in office, according to a new report. 

Biden’s alleged use of the autopen has become a sticking point for months, as President Donald Trump has said thousands of pardons Biden signed were void and claimed that the former president did not know what documents he was signing through the automated device. 

Biden issued a series of preemptive pardons on his final day to officials, including former chief medical advisor to the president Anthony Fauci and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, in an attempt to safeguard them from retribution from Trump. 

In an article intended to be his defense for the autopen issue, it emerged that, although Biden reportedly made the decision in a meeting, Biden’s chief of staff Jeff Zients is the one who gave final approval for the use of the autopen, at least in the case of Fauci and Milley, the New York Times reported. 

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On Biden’s final day as president, Jan. 19, Biden had a meeting with his aides until nearly 10 p.m. to talk about various preemptive pardons, the Times reports. Emails obtained by the Times show that an aide sent a summary draft of the decisions formalized during that meeting to Zient’s assistant at 10:03 p.m. 

The assistant sent the email to Zients and others present in the meeting, requesting approval from Zients and White House deputy chief of staff Bruce Reed at 10:28 p.m., the Times reported. Zients replied all to the email three minutes later, the outlet said. 

“I approve the use of the autopen for the execution of all of the following pardons,” Zients said in the email, according to the Times. 

Zients could not be immediately reached for comment by Fox News Digital. 

Additionally, the Times report said Biden did not personally approve each name included in the broad, categorical pardons. 

“Rather, after extensive discussion of different possible criteria, he signed off on the standards he wanted to be used to determine which convicts would qualify for a reduction in sentence,” the Times reported. 

When asked about the Times’ report, Trump told reporters at the White House Monday that Biden’s alleged use of the autopen amounted to possibly “one of the biggest scandals that we’ve had in 50 to 100 years.” 

“I guarantee you he knew nothing about what he was signing, I guarantee you,” Trump said. 

Additionally, the White House said the report shed light on Biden’s trustworthiness, and accused the Biden administration of engaging in a cover-up. 

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

“The same president who lied through his teeth to the American people for four years about everything from his health to the state of the economy should not be trusted again,” White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said in an email to Fox News. “The Biden administration conducted the most egregious cover-up scheme in American politics… The truth will come out about who was, in fact, running the country sooner or later, just as the truth is emerging about the state of Joe Biden’s cognitive and physical health.” 

Biden granted a total of 4,245 acts of clemency during his administration, 96% of which were granted during his final months in office between October 2024 and January, according to the Pew Research Center.

Trump first accused Biden of using an autopen to sign important clemency documents in March. He has continued to bring up the issue, and sent a memo ordering Attorney General Pam Bondi to launch an investigation into Biden’s autopen use in June, and to probe if the usage stemmed from a decline in Biden’s mental acuity. 

“In recent months, it has become increasingly apparent that Biden’s aides abused the power of presidential signatures through the use of an autopen to conceal Biden’s cognitive decline and assert Article II authority,” Trump wrote in the memo. 

BIDEN’S ‘AUTOPEN SIGNATURE’ APPEARS ON MOST OFFICIAL DOCS, RAISING CONCERNS OVER WHO CONTROLLED THE WH: REPORT

“This conspiracy marks one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history. The American public was purposefully shielded from discovering who wielded the executive power, all while Biden’s signature was deployed across thousands of documents to effect radical policy shifts.”

A White House official previously told Fox News Digital that Trump uses his hand signature for every legally operational or binding document. Even so, Trump has admitted that he uses an autopen for letters. 

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An autopen is 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 like a ballpoint to a permanent marker, according to descriptions of autopen machines available for purchase. 

Fox News’ Andrea Margolis and Pat Ward contributed to this report.