NationalWatch

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is calling off his planned trip to Jerusalem this coming weekend in light of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.

“Due to the complex situation currently unfolding in Iran and Israel, Speaker Ohana and I have made the decision to postpone the special session of the Knesset,” Johnson said in a statement.

“We look forward to rescheduling the address in the near future and send our prayers to the people of Israel and the Middle East.”

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: WHY THE SENATE IS UNLIKELY TO DEBATE THE ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ UNTIL NEXT WEEK 

Johnson had planned to address the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, this coming Sunday.

It’s a sign of the worsening situation in the Middle East after Israel, which said Iran was dangerously close to a nuclear weapon, launched preemptive strikes in Tehran that hit nuclear enrichment sites and killed top military officials.

Johnson, like most Republicans, backed Israel’s moves.

LIVE UPDATES: ISRAEL-IRAN CONFLICT

“Israel and the United States have been united, including in our shared insistence that Iran must never obtain a nuclear weapon. President Trump and his administration have worked tirelessly to ensure that outcome,” the speaker said in a statement on Friday.

“Unfortunately, Iran has refused to agree and even declared yesterday its intent to build a new enrichment facility. Israel decided it needed to take action to defend itself. They were clearly within their right to do so.”

TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ CRACKS DOWN ON BIDEN’S STUDENT LOAN ‘SCHEME,’ TOP REPUBLICAN SAYS

Israel’s military said Monday that it has established “aerial superiority” over Iran’s forces as the conflict continues into another day.

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President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social Sunday that Israel and Iran “should make a deal, and will make a deal.” 

“[W]e will have PEACE, soon, between Israel and Iran! Many calls and meetings now taking place,” Trump wrote.

President Donald Trump is urging Iran to return to talks with the U.S. over the Islamic State’s nuclear program “before it’s too late.”

The president, making his comments on day four of the missile strikes and aerial attacks between Iran and Israel that were triggered by Israel’s initial attack which killed top members of Iran’s military.

“They should talk, and they should talk immediately,” Trump told reporters on Monday in Canada, where he was attending an annual meeting of top western leaders.

The daily bombardments between the two countries, which have led to rising death tolls in each nation, have dominated global headlines and sparked concerns of an even wider war in the Middle East.

CLICK HERE FOR LIVE FOX NEWS UPDATES IN THE ISRAEL-IRAN ATTACKS

And back in the U.S., the attacks have exacerbated already existing divisions within both the Democratic and Republican parties.

Democrats, who have grappled with internal splits for a couple of years over Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, spoke with two voices in the hours after Israel’s initial attack on Iran and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu’s aggressive military strategy.

ISRAEL AIRSTRIKE HITS IRANIAN STATE TV BUILDING

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, said soon after the first attacks that “I have long said that Israel has a right to defend itself and that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”

And Sen. Jackie Rosen of Nevada, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that “Israel acted in self-defense against an attack from Iran, and the U.S. must continue to stand with Israel, as it has for decades, at this dangerous moment.”

But Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the powerful panel, warned that “Israel’s alarming decision to launch airstrikes on Iran is a reckless escalation that risks igniting regional violence.”

And Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington State, a former head of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said that “Netanyahu must not be allowed to pull America into another forever war. Instead, we must immediately push for negotiated de-escalation.”

But it’s not just Democrats divided over the bloodshed in the Middle East.

Trump, hours before the initial Israeli attacks, said: “I don’t want them going in, because I think it would blow it,” as he referred to U.S. negotiations with Tehran over Iran’s nuclear program.

ISRAELI LEADER SAYS TRUMP WAS MARKED FOR DEATH BY IRANIANS

And Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio, in his initial statement, made clear that the U.S. had not assisted Israel and omitted any mention of support for Israel’s attack.

But while Trump continued to push for negotiations – saying on social media Sunday that “Iran and Israel should make a deal” – he has also made clear U.S. support for Israel and has increasingly warned Tehran that “if we are attacked in any way, shape or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the U.S. Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before.”

The top two Republicans in Congress were quick to back Israel.

“For too long, the mullahs in Iran have publicly aspired to wipe the only democracy in the Middle East off the face of the map via any means possible,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., highlighted on social media immediately after the initial attack that “Israel IS right — and has a right — to defend itself!”

And one of the most vocal GOP hawks – Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina – wrote “Game on” and praised Israel.

“Hats off to Israel for one of the most impressive military strikes and covert operations in Israeli history.”

But the military hawks have lost much of their clout in the GOP, thanks to the rise of Trump’s America First movement over the past decade, which pushes for extremely limited U.S. military involvement overseas.

“Anyone slobbering for the U.S. to become fully involved in the Israel/Iran war is not America First/MAGA. Wishing for murder of innocent people is disgusting. We are sick and tired of foreign wars. All of them,” Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a top Trump ally in the House, wrote on social media on Sunday.

And conservative political commentator Tucker Carlson took aim at what he called “warmongers” as he urged the U.S. to avoid any military involvement in the Israel-Iran war.

Matthew Bartlett, a Republican strategist who served at the State Department during Trump’s first term, noted that “Donald Trump changed the direction of the Republican Party” when it comes to American military engagements around the world. 

“That gave him a new coalition and new political power. This new war in the Middle East is certainly threatening that coalition. While we are not yet involved in a war, chances of escalation are dramatically increased and that certainly has ramifications with the MAGA coalition,” Bartlett warned.

Stoking fears among some in MAGA world were Trump’s comments to ABC News on Sunday that “it’s possible we could get involved.”

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Wayne Lesperance, a veteran political scientist and president of New England College, highlighted that “the divide in the GOP can be traced to Trump’s promises to pull America back from its entanglements in the world.”

But Lesperance noted that “the GOP has a long history of support for Israel and animosity towards Iran.  So, addressing the current conflict between Israel and Iran represents a major decision point for the party’s future outlook on foreign policy.”

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 heads to Canada for first G7 conference, continues focus on Israel as 22nd week back in office kicks off
• USS Nimitz carrier strike group sailing toward Middle East ahead of schedule, US official says
• Lawmaker unveils Riley Gaines-backed bill targeting transgender military academy students

Hillary Clinton’s ‘Utter Contempt’ for Troops Under Fire

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s attempt to mock President Donald Trump’s military parade honoring the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army backfired on social media as conservatives and other critics lambasted her for allegedly holding “utter contempt” for the U.S. military, while others slammed her for spending the weekend in the Hamptons attending her former longtime aide’s wedding while criticizing Trump.  

“This witch was a few votes away from becoming commander in chief. This is what she thinks of our military. Man, @BuzzPatterson was right. Hillary hates the troops,” conservative X commentator Benny Johnson posted in response to Clinton’s post Sunday. 

Clinton posted compare-and-contrast photos of Trump’s military parade that was held on Washington’s Constitution Ave. Saturday evening. Protesters nationwide held “No Kings Day” demonstrations in response to Trump’s parade, and to denounce the Trump administration’s ongoing deportation raids in left-wing cities… READ MORE.

White House

‘THE ONLY WAY’: Obama seems to swipe at Trump immigration crackdown, saying migrants ‘treated as enemies’

RHETORIC UNDER FIRE: Republicans criticize Dem congressional candidate’s ’86 47′ post as call for ‘political violence’

CAMPUS CRACKDOWN: Harvard urges US judge to block Trump’s effort to ban international students

G7 Summit

JETTING TO CANADA: Trump heads to Canada for first G7 conference, continues focus on Israel as 22nd week back in office kicks off

MIDDLE EAST BACKDROP: G7 summit opens in Canada, with leaders to address trade, wars while hoping to avoid clash with Trump

THAT’S ENOUGH: Carney cuts short questions to Trump ahead of G7 summit

G7 GRIEVANCES: Trump slams Obama, Trudeau for pushing Russia out of G8 summit years ago: ‘Wouldn’t have a war’

Israel-Iran Conflict

‘EXPANDING QUIVER’: Israel activates ‘Barak Magen’ aerial defenses for system’s first ever interception

BATTLE READY FLEET: USS Nimitz carrier strike group sailing toward Middle East ahead of schedule, US official says

BIBLICAL BOND: Evangelical leaders praise Trump’s continued support for Israel amid war with Iran

AIR CONTROL: Israel says it has aerial superiority over Tehran, Iranian intelligence leader killed

ON THE BRINK: Momentum for regime change in Iran surges amid Israel’s conflict with Tehran

WAR BY DEGREES: Senate returns amid concerns about deeper US involvement in the Iran, Israel conflict

Capitol Hill

FAITH ON TRIAL: Supreme Court will hear pro-life center’s First Amendment fight against New Jersey

‘BE PROACTIVE’: Minnesota lawmaker shootings prompt security debate in House and Senate

DESIGNED TO DEMONIZE: DHS slams the idea that authorities target people based on skin color: ‘Disgusting and categorically FALSE’

NARROW MARGINS: How Johnson pulled off another impossible win with just 1-vote margin on $9.4B spending cut bill

‘OUT OF STEP’: Randi Weingarten, Lee Saunders quit DNC in latest blow to Dem Party leadership

BATTLE FOR FAIR PLAY: Lawmaker unveils Riley Gaines-backed bill targeting transgender military academy students

CASH CUT: New GOP bill would cut off housing funds to sanctuary cities defying Trump DHS

Across America 

SUPERFUND UNDER FIRE: AG leading suit against NY effort to punish energy firms for climate change warns of major repercussions

FAITH BETRAYED: New ‘Gavin Newsom files’ reveal California governor’s ‘extreme’ agenda: report

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

A Senate panel charged with some of the most hot-button portions of President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” unveiled its portion of the gargantuan package on Monday.

The Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over tax policy, Medicaid and a slew of other items baked into the House GOP’s version of the bill, released its text as Republicans sprint to finish work on the president’s bill ahead of a self-imposed July 4 deadline.

TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ CRACKS DOWN ON BIDEN’S STUDENT LOAN ‘SCHEME,’ TOP REPUBLICAN SAYS

The committee, chaired by Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, walked a tightrope with the legislation, given the push and pull surrounding divisive cuts to Medicaid, an increase to the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap and other provisions in the House’s version of the bill.

Crapo lauded the bill in a statement and noted that it made the president’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent, slashed “Green New Deal” spending and targeted “waste, fraud and abuse in spending programs while preserving and protecting them for the most vulnerable.” 

“I look forward to continued coordination with our colleagues in the House and the Administration to deliver President Trump’s bold economic agenda for the American people as quickly as possible,” he said. 

While House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., pleaded with Senate leaders to change the bill as little as possible after narrowly passing the bill in the House, particularly on the compromises he reached on SALT and Medicaid, the Senate has vowed to leave its imprint on the package. 

‘FULLY JUSTIFIED’: GRAHAM PLOWS AHEAD WITH TRUMP BORDER FUNDING DESPITE PAUL’S OBJECTIONS

Still, the Senate’s offering tweaked or outright changed some of the House’s provisions across the tax and health care policy landscape. 

One of the thorniest issues in the House was the SALT cap hike, and blue-state Republicans vowed to vote against the bill unless their demands for a sizable increase were met. 

The Senate’s offering drastically undercut the House GOP’s negotiated cap, instead permanently extending the current $10,000 deduction cap starting at the end of this year. However, tax writers view the modified cap change as more of a placeholder number while deliberations continue. 

But Republicans from New York and California have already come out in force against the proposed change and contended that lowering the cap at all was non-negotiable. 

“Instead of undermining the deal already in place and putting the entire bill at risk, the Senate should work with us to keep our promise of historic tax relief and deliver on our Republican agenda,” SALT Caucus co-chairs Reps. Young Kim, R-Calif., and Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., said in a joint statement to Fox News Digital.

BLUE STATE REPUBLICANS THREATEN REVOLT AGAINST TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ IF SENATE CHANGES KEY TAX RULE

Another stark departure in the Senate’s healthcare language is Medicaid. Despite a cohort of Republicans warning to avoid deeper cuts that could lead to people being booted from their healthcare or negative effects on rural hospitals, lawmakers on the panel appear to have further dug in on slashes to the program. 

For example, the Senate’s bill proposed halting an increase to the provider tax rate, or the amount that state Medicaid programs pay to healthcare providers on behalf of Medicaid beneficiaries, for non-Affordable Care Act expansion states, and lowering the rate in expansion states annually until it hits 3.5 percent. The House version just paused the increase.

The Senate’s offering also lowered the House’s proposed maximum Child Tax Credit from $2,500 to $2,200 while making the credit permanent. The House’s bill offered the increased credit until 2029, at which point it would revert to $2,000.

And on green energy tax credits, including those for electric vehicles, green energy upgrades to homes and others, the Senate offered more flexibility with their rollback timelines of Biden-era green energy subsidies ushered in by the Inflation Reduction Act.

The House version moved up the expiration date for many credits to the end of this year, while the Senate’s version tweaked the language in some places to allow for 90- and 180-day windows after the bill’s enactment. In some cases, the credits were given an entire year before they were slated to expire.

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Notably, the committee’s legislation would also increase the debt limit to $5 trillion, a $1 trillion hike over the House’s offering. The inclusion of a debt limit hike has been a sore subject for Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who has argued that he would prefer to vote on the debt limit separately. 

Part of the impetus to advance the Senate’s version of the “big, beautiful bill,” however, is to beat the debt guillotine hanging over lawmakers’ heads. The Treasury Department has forecast that Congress has until August to increase the debt limit. 

Fox News Digital’s Liz Elkind contributed to this report. 

Sen. Josh Hawley again drew a line in the sand on proposed cuts to Medicaid benefits, and warned his colleagues to follow President Donald Trump’s lead and leave the widely used healthcare program largely intact.

Republican-led Senate committees have spent the last few weeks since the House GOP advanced its version of the president’s “big, beautiful bill,” preparing their own tweaks to the colossal bill, but much of the focus has been on the work being carried out by the Senate Finance Committee.

BLUE STATE REPUBLICANS THREATEN REVOLT AGAINST TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ IF SENATE CHANGES KEY TAX RULE

The panel, which is responsible for health care, tax and other policy provisions, is expected to release its chunk of the budget reconciliation package Tuesday afternoon. House GOP-authored Medicaid provisions, in particular, have been a sticking point for a small group of Senate Republicans.

What those changes on the Senate side of the bill might look like could jump start or stall the momentum of the massive legislative package in the upper chamber.

Hawley, R-Mo, is among that cohort and has long been outspoken in his position that if Senate Republicans produce a version of the president’s “big, beautiful bill” that strips benefits from his constituents, he won’t support the package. But his vision for Medicaid clashes with fiscal hawks who are in search of deeper spending cuts.

‘FULLY JUSTIFIED’: GRAHAM PLOWS AHEAD WITH TRUMP BORDER FUNDING DESPITE PAUL’S OBJECTIONS

One of his main arguments is to listen to what Trump wants to do.

“This is what I continue to tell my colleagues,” he said. “Anybody who asks me and who’s interested is that, why don’t we just listen to the guy who won the election who said that he doesn’t want any Medicaid benefit cuts, he doesn’t want rural hospitals to close. He wants Medicare not to be touched at all.”

The lawmaker’s remarks came during a press call on Friday discussing the inclusion of his Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), which provides compensation to people who have been exposed to nuclear waste, into the “big, beautiful bill.”

REPUBLICANS CHALLENGE ‘IRRELEVANT’ BUDGET OFFICE AS IT CRITIQUES TRUMP’S ‘BEAUTIFUL BILL’

Hawley said the addition was certainly a sweetener for his support, considering that the measure has been his “leading legislative priority for two years now.” Still, Medicaid is one of his top issues in the broader reconciliation fight.

The lawmaker said that he did not have a problem with some of the marquee changes to Medicaid that his House Republican counterparts wanted, including stricter work requirements, booting illegal immigrants from benefit rolls and rooting out waste, fraud and abuse in the program that serves tens of millions of Americans.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

However, he noted that about 1.3 million Missourians rely on Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and contended that most were working.

“These are not people who are sitting around, these are people who are working,” he said. “They’re on Medicaid because they cannot afford private health insurance, and they don’t get it on the job.”

“And I just think it’s wrong to go to those people and say, ‘Well, you know, we know you’re doing the best, we know that you’re working hard, but we’re going to take away your healthcare access,’” he continued. 

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s camp rejected claims from “Squad” member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that he is only seeking the mayorship to improve his chances of being president.

Cuomo – along with struggling incumbent Eric Adams – is viewed as one of the moderates in this year’s crowded ranked-choice race for the nation’s largest city, and he’s currently leading the field.

Ocasio-Cortez, by contrast, is backing upstart socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani – currently a state assemblyman from Astoria – and trying to prevent the New York Democratic scion from returning to politics.

“I have no idea where the far left got this silly new talking point,” Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi told Fox News Digital on Monday.

ANDREW CUOMO THE BIGGEST TARGET AS NEW YORK CITY MAYORAL PRIMARY SHIFTS INTO HIGH GEAR

“But, the governor has said that – death aside – he’ll be finishing his own term.” 

While Cuomo has said he plans to be a national figure if elected mayor, he has not directly expressed intent to succeed President Donald Trump in 2028.

Ocasio-Cortez, meanwhile, said at a recent Mamdani event that Cuomo supposedly did make “clear he wants to run” for president.

SUBWAY MAYHEM SPURS CUOMO TO URGE HALT TO NYC’S NEW DRIVING TAX

She also bemoaned the “gerontocracy” – an apparent reference to aging politicians, which, as of late, has been more of a feature of the Democratic Party – and said it is “unconscionable” to send the 67-year-old to Gracie Mansion.

Mamdani, who was born in Uganda, has made waves on the far left with a bold progressive platform. His proposals include “city-owned grocery stores,” establishing a rent freeze, free public transit, and a $30 minimum wage. He’s widely seen as a top-tier candidate alongside Cuomo.

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The typically liberal New York Times editorial board, however, warned against ranking Mamdani on the ballot, saying that while he is running a “joyful campaign” with a “fresh political style which many people are hungry for during the angry era of President Trump,” the socialist’s agenda is “uniquely unsuited to the city’s challenges.”

As of Monday, several Cuomo challengers cross-endorsed each other – as voters select a pecking order of preferred candidates on a ranked-choice ballot – which drew a literal “yawn” from the governor’s camp.

Former New York State Assemb. Michael Blake, D-Bronx, Comptroller Bradford Lander and Mamdani all did so, hoping their voters would select the other two as ranking candidates.

“Blake is at zero percent in the polls, so you can quote me yawning,” Azzopardi said.

The Republican in the race, Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, is largely unopposed on the right flank of the ranked-choice system.

Protesters outside Saturday’s military parade in the nation’s capital did not explicitly condemn the violent tactics used at anti-Trump protests across the country in recent days, with at least one saying he “fully support[s]” the recent tactics used by protesters in Los Angeles, such as throwing rocks.

“I’m following my constitutional rights, I’m out here just simply saying what I want to feel. No one here is being violent. As you can see, there’s been no conflict,” said a college-aged protester who declined to identify himself but spoke to Fox News Digital.

“But you’re not worried about being conflated with those who are doing violence?” the activist was asked. 

PHOTOS: SEE THE ANTI-TRUMP VIOLENCE THAT HAS UNFOLDED ON LA’S STREETS ACROSS THE LAST WEEK

“I mean if they want to violate the Constitution, that’s on them. I can’t worry about that,” the protester responded. “I mean, maybe I should [be worried], but I believe in this Constitution, I’m going to live by it, I’m going to support my First Amendment.”

A separate protester in attendance outside Saturday’s parade said he “fully supported” those activists who “want to throw rocks” as long as they don’t hurt anyone in the process.

“Honestly – they have a right to be angry. They have a right to do what they feel like they need to do to stop this issue, to stop fascism,” he said. “And, honestly, I fully support that. I fully support if they’re angry and they want to go out and they want to throw rocks. As long as they don’t hurt anyone, you know, I can understand, I can honestly do.”

‘THE VIEW’ CO-HOST ATTENDS ‘NO KINGS’ PROTEST, CLAIMED ‘INSTIGATORS’ WERE PLANTED IN THE CROWD

The anti-Trump protests that coincided with the military parade in D.C. on Saturday saw a few isolated incidents of violence but appeared mostly peaceful. However, the weekend was preceded by violent riots in Los Angeles that spread to other cities like New York and Chicago – reminiscent of the anti-police protests following the death of Minneapolis man George Floyd in the summer of 2020. 

Protesters in Los Angeles threw rocks at law enforcement and several fires across the city erupted amid the chaos. There were reports of damage to federal buildings, including both immigration and non-immigration-related offices, that included graffiti threatening the lives of federal officials. At least one community care office for veterans, run by the Department of Veterans Affairs, was forced to shut down and cancel hundreds of appointments amid the violence. Many were arrested for clashing with police and the reverberations of the rioting have resulted in other tense clashes between police and activists across the country.

While no deaths have been directly attributed to political violence at recent protests across the country, including Los Angeles, fatalities have occurred at some protests around the country. In Utah, an innocent bystander was shot by a man who had been a part of the protest’s peacekeeping team, according to reports, while in Los Angeles a man was found dead outside a looted T-Mobile store amid the anti-ICE chaos, according to reports.  

The peaceful protesters in D.C. suggested they were not in favor of any violence, but they did signal that they understood why protests in recent days across the country have been so intense that they lead to violence against police officers, property and sometimes more. 

“I mean, I personally won’t do that, but I can understand after all of this, like, people are fed up. People are fed up with how the government has been treating people,” a protester told Fox News Digital Saturday. “The Republicans, the people in Congress, they do not care about people here, and so I can understand why people are that angry to do something like that, so, yeah, I fully understand.”

DAVID MARCUS: IF YOU’RE MARCHING WITH ANTIFA, YOU ARE NOT A ‘PEACEFUL’ PROTESTER

“I think it’s wrong to create violence, but, like, he said, I mean I think people have been angry for a long time,” a second protester added, noting he thinks Trump is the reason to blame for all the aggressive tactics, like throwing rocks, setting fires and vandalism. 

“What Trump is doing, he knows the polarization and the anger he’s causing, so this is all part of his game plan. The National Guard in L.A., he caused that. He said go out there without Newsom saying anything. I mean, he knows what he’s doing, he wants to cause a rise out of people.” 

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Another protester present Saturday, who spoke to Fox News Digital, said she believed “being abrasive” is against the interests of those seeking to make change but that “history has proven that sometimes aggression is needed.”

“All respect to them, I think that they are doing what they think is right, but I think being very abrasive is against our interests, actually. I think it drives away a lot of people, it doesn’t really foster the conversations that we need,” a protester who identified herself as Sophie said. “I don’t think being aggressive is the way to go, but I think history has proven that sometimes aggression is needed, so, but I don’t want to be abrasive.”

Over 200 House and Senate Democrats signed a letter condemning what they called an “unprecedented incident” in which Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., was forcibly removed from a Homeland Security press conference last week.

Signed by 188 House members of Congress and 35 senators, the letter accuses the Trump administration of a “potential violation of separation of powers” and said the incident “raises alarming questions about the conduct of federal law enforcement agencies, the coordination of protective services, and the administration’s posture toward congressional oversight.”

Padilla was handcuffed and briefly detained by officers as he aimed to speak out in opposition to Trump administration immigration raids that sparked unrest in Los Angeles and smaller protests across the country this month.

Videos of the incident showed Padilla attempting to walk up to Noem while she was speaking at a podium and trying to shout over the secretary, but law enforcement stepped in and forcefully stopped Padilla’s advance. 

ESPN STAR CRITICIZES PADILLA FOR BEING ‘OUT OF CONTROL’ IN CRASHING PRESS EVENT

Padilla was eventually taken out of the room, brought to the ground and handcuffed, the videos showed. Fox News reporters who were present at the news conference said Padilla appeared to be detained for a period of time.

Padilla has claimed, “I wasn’t trying to be disrespectful or disruptive, and I don’t think I was” and “I was simply asking a question just as the members of the press corps ask questions, members of the Congress, members of the Senate ask questions to do our job to hold the administration accountable.”

The letter, sent by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and joined by hundreds more other lawmakers, was sent to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., on Monday.

The letter was signed by the likes of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

DEM MAYOR ARRESTED FOR TRESPASSING AT ICE FACILITY FLOATED AS PICK FOR STATE’S NO 2 OFFICE

“We write to express our profound concern regarding the shocking and deeply troubling mistreatment of United States Senator Alex Padilla,” the lawmakers said in the letter.

The letter states that “Senator Padilla clearly identified himself and was acting within his rights as a Member of Congress,” and that “this unprecedented incident is not simply an affront to security protocol—it is a constitutional issue—as these actions may constitute an assault on a sitting senator.”

The Democrats call for “swift and decisive action” from congressional leadership “to uphold the dignity and authority of Congress.”

“If members of the United States Senate can be physically restrained for seeking answers from executive officials, it sets a dangerous precedent for the independence of the legislative branch,” the letter claims.

EXCLUSIVE: NEW ‘GAVIN NEWSOM FILES’ REVEAL CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR’S ‘EXTREME’ AGENDA

Johnson has said that his view of Padilla’s behavior before the incident was “wildly inappropriate,” telling reporters, “You don’t charge a sitting Cabinet secretary, and everybody can draw their own conclusions.”

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Thune spoke to Padilla and Senate Sergeant at Arms Jennifer Hemingway about the incident. 

Responding to the letter, Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, told Fox News Digital that “this letter won’t fool anyone.” 

“Padilla lunged towards Secretary Noem’s podium in the middle of a press conference, resisted law enforcement, and didn’t immediately identify himself,” she said. “Democrats are so desperate to talk about anything other than their supporters violently rioting in L.A. that they’re trying to make a martyr out of a senator who acted like a kindergartner throwing a temper tantrum.” 

Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump decided to cut his trip with the G7 short on Monday shortly after he said on his social media platform Truth Social that “everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!”

In addition to Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was also in Alberta, Canada, this week for the G7 conference, will be cutting his trip short as well, Fox News has learned.

“I have to be back,” Trump said during a ceremonial photo-op with the other world leaders present at the G7 summit on Monday. “You probably see what I see. And I have to be back as soon as I can.”

ISRAEL-IRAN WAR DIVIDES DEMOCRATS, BUT TRUMP’S DIPLOMACY ALSO SPLITTING REPUBLICANS

The president’s comments came amid confirmation from the White House that he would be cutting the trip short “because of what’s going on in the Middle East.” Trump, meanwhile, has requested his National Security Council be prepared for his return, Fox News learned. 

Trump’s change of plans also comes after he sent a message on his Truth Social platform to “everyone” in Iran, telling them they should “evacuate.” 

Following the president’s post, videos purportedly showing Iranians evacuating their capital city have begun surfacing on social media.

TRUMP SAYS IRAN WOULD ‘LIKE TO TALK’ ABOUT DIALING DOWN ISRAEL-IRAN CONFLICT

Officials familiar with the ongoing situation said that the United States is not striking Iran and remains in a defensive posture amid the president’s comments.

Meanwhile, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told Fox News before heading to the situation room Monday night that the U.S. remains “postured defensively.”

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“What you’re watching in real time is peace through strength and America first. Our job is to be strong. We are postured defensively in the region to be strong in pursuit of a peace deal,” Hegseth told Fox News’ Jesse Waters Monday night. 

“My job as the Secretary of Defense is to ensure that our people are safe and that we’re strong so that we can set the conditions for a deal. And President Trump’s made it clear it’s on the table. The question is whether Iran will take it.”

WARNING: This article contains disturbing details. Reader discretion is advised.

A former Coast Guard lieutenant was recently arrested for allegedly making threats to kill President Donald Trump, according to court documents obtained by Fox News.

The suspect, Virginia resident Peter Stinson, served as an officer in the United States Coast Guard from 1988 to 2021. He was a sharpshooter as well as a FEMA instructor during that time.

In an affidavit filed on Friday, a task force officer from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) revealed details about the myriad of online threats that Stinson allegedly made.

In one instance, Stinson reportedly wrote that Trump needed to be “[L]uigied,” on May 9. The post was a reference to Luigi Mangione, who is accused of killing United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson last year.

FLORIDA POLICE ARREST MAN FOR MAKING ‘WRITTEN THREATS TO KILL’ TRUMP

Stinson allegedly made graphic threats aginst Trump involving guns, poisoning and even knives on multiple social media platforms. 

Stinson also allegedly referenced “not having the necessary skills,” to successfully complete an assassination, but also eerily suggested that he wasn’t being entirely truthful.

FEDERAL GRAND JURY INDICTS MAN FOR THREATENING TO ASSASSINATE TRUMP AFTER REELECTION

The document also alleges that Stinson made several references to 8647, which government officials say “is likely in reference to an Instagram post made by former FBI Director James Comey.”

“The post by Comey was interpreted in the news media as a violent threat to President Trump and prompted an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security and the United States Secret Service. STINSON has since made 13 additional posts on Bluesky including the text, ‘8647’,” the document states.

The affidavit also alleges that Stinson “has self-identified as a member of ANTIFA.” 

On Feb. 2, Stinson allegedly posted on his X account, “Sure. This is war. Sides will be drawn. Antifa always wins in the end. Violence is inherently necessary.”

The most recent post referenced in the document was published on BlueSky on June 11, when Stinson allegedly wrote, “When he dies, the party is going to be yuge.”

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Stinson was charged with making threats to kill the president and is slated to make an initial appearance in federal court on Wednesday.

Fox News Digital’s Brooke Curto contributed to this report.

Despite losing his bid for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination last week, progressive Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who was recently arrested outside an ICE facility during a protest, is likely not finished in New Jersey politics, according to political strategists from both sides of the aisle.

According to a New Jersey political insider, Baraka is likely to even be tapped by the now-Democratic gubernatorial nominee Mikie Sherrill for the lieutenant governor role, the No. 2 spot in the state.

Mayor of Newark since 2014, Baraka has garnered a reputation as a progressive. It was his arrest outside an ICE detention facility in Newark on May 9, however, that propelled him to the national stage.

Baraka filed a lawsuit against U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba this month, accusing her of “false arrest and malicious prosecution” in connection with the incident.

WHO IS THE DEMOCRATIC GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE ARRESTED FOR TRESPASSING AT AN ICE DETENTION CENTER?

He was one of several public officials, including Democratic Reps. Robert Menendez, LaMonica McIver and Bonnie Watson Coleman, who allegedly rushed past security through the gates of the facility with a group of protesters, according to officials from the Department of Homeland Security. 

The U.S. attorney’s office has since dismissed the case against Baraka “for the sake of moving forward.” 

Kenny Gonzalez, executive director of the New Jersey Republican State Committee, told Fox News Digital that “the day that his arrest happened, [Baraka] really did become a hero of New Jersey’s Democrat Party.”

Baraka’s campaign took full advantage of the moment, even beginning to send fundraising messages to supporters while he was still incarcerated, according to Politico.

Politico reporter Matt Friedman posted a screenshot of a text message from Baraka’s campaign that reads in all caps “RAS BARAKA HAS BEEN ARRESTED” and “Ras was at Delaney Hall today demanding entry into the ICE detention center where Trump and MAGA extremists are illegally detaining people.” 

The message went on to say, “Ras is ready to do whatever it takes to stop Trump and protect New Jerseyans from his extreme agenda. We need you with us now more than ever. Donate now.” 

ICE BREAKOUT IN NEW JERSEY SYMPTOM OF DEMOCRATIC ‘CHAOS’ ACROSS THE COUNTRY, LOCAL GOP LEADER SAYS

Gonzalez explained that “almost every Democrat elected official, including all of his primary opponents for governor, came out against what had happened, calling it some sort of injustice and saying that it was wrong.” 

“I do believe that we were correct in predicting that this stunt would actually boost him, and it really did,” said Gonzalez.  

He said that though early polling had Baraka in a distant third place, the Newark mayor’s performance, coming in second with 20.6% of the vote, “was really the big news of the night.”

“Mikie Sherrill spent millions and millions more dollars than he did. So it’s no surprise that she emerged as the primary winner. But Ras Baraka was a distant third place, and he came in second,” said Gonzalez. “So the stunt definitely boosted him, and I think to this day he remains very, very popular among the Democrat Party.”

HOMELAND SECURITY REVEALS IDENTITIES OF THE 4 ‘PUBLIC SAFETY THREATS’ WHO ESCAPED NEWARK ICE FACILITY

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Mikie Sherrill picks Ras Baraka to be her lieutenant governor candidate,” he said.

“He put up a formidable performance, and he’s an African-American politician who has very deep ties to many urban communities,” he went on. “Mikie Sherrill couldn’t even win her own home county. So I think she should probably pick somebody who did.”

Gonzalez is optimistic that Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, can flip the New Jersey governorship back red.

“What Ras Baraka did was he failed to fulfill his responsibility as mayor of Newark … he put illegal immigrants over Newark citizens,” he said. “There are so many other issues that New Jerseyans face, such as high property taxes, unsafe neighborhoods, a school funding formula that hasn’t worked in many years. So I believe that commonsense voters think that Ras Baraka should have focused his campaign a little bit more on that.”

US ATTORNEY ALINA HABBA ANNOUNCES REP MCIVER HIT WITH FEDERAL CHARGES OVER NEWARK ICE CLASH

Meanwhile, Kevin Hagan, a New Jersey Democratic political strategist and advisor, told Fox News Digital that “Baraka certainly created a campaign that not only gained attention but earned an impressive result of votes on Election Day.”

Hagan credited Baraka’s success not to the Delaney Hall protest and arrest but to “his willingness to take on President Trump and his policies but also bring to the forefront issues important to the Democratic Party on education, affordability and quality of life in the state.”

Hagan said that based on how well Baraka ran his campaign, he should “certainly” at least “be considered as a potential candidate.”

“But what’s important now is the Sherrill campaign and the congresswoman deciding on who is best to be her partner, to see the campaign’s way to victory in November, but more importantly, a partner to govern in January,” he said.

TRUMP NOT ON BALLOT, BUT PRESIDENT FRONT AND CENTER IN NEW JERSEY’S PRIMARY FOR GOVERNOR

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On whether Democrats will be able to pull off a win in November, Hagan pointed out that over the last 32 years, New Jersey has been governed for 16 years by a Democrat and 16 years by a Republican.

“So, from a partisan perspective,” he said, “Democrats can take nothing for granted in their effort to maintain control of the governor’s office.”

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) says an illegal immigrant with a past robbery conviction, and who was previously arrested on murder and assault charges, was arrested after spitting on an agent last Tuesday.

Omar Pulido Bastida, 41, is facing a federal assault charge for allegedly spitting on an ICE agent while they were trying to arrest him for illegally returning to the United States, as he’s been deported before.

“Despite the Los Angeles riots, ICE law enforcement officers arrested Omar Pulido-Bastida. This criminal illegal alien has been convicted of robbery and has arrests for murder and assault,” Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital about the Mexican national.

FEDERAL AGENTS CAPTURE ALIEN ACCUSED OF RAPE, ASSAULT WHILE LA POLITICIANS CONDEMN ICE OPERATIONS

“This is the type of criminal illegal alien that rioters are fighting to protect. How much longer will Governor Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass continue to prioritize these criminal illegal aliens over their own citizens? Secretary Noem has a message to the LA rioters: you will not stop us or slow us down. ICE will continue to enforce the law and arrest criminal illegal aliens,” McLaughlin continued.

Pulido Bastida resides in South Central Los Angeles, and he could face eight years behind bars if convicted of assault.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

“This defendant found out the hard way: When you spit, we hit – with a felony charge,” U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement last week. “Law enforcement officers risk their lives and safety to uphold the law. To treat them with the disrespect, like this defendant did, mocks our great nation and such behavior will be punished accordingly.”

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

The Department of Justice alleges the man first insulted an ICE officer from his balcony before coming down and spitting on an agent through a gate, saying just before that, “No, get out of here. I know my rights. I’m calling my lawyer.” After that, ICE then “forced entry” into his home and arrested the man, who was hiding and said, “OK, you got me,” before his arrest, the news release added.

Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s office. Bass’s office pointed Fox News Digital to a quote from her press conference last week.

“These aren’t the criminals the administration is allegedly targeting,” Bass said. “These are mothers and fathers, restaurant workers, seamstresses, home care workers, everyday Angelenos trying to make a living. We’ve heard stories of unmarked federal vans parked near LAUSD school graduations, a U.S. citizen nine months pregnant who was hospitalized after being detained by federal agents, and an apparel business in downtown L.A. raided, where many Korean and Latino workers work long hours to support their families.”

The arrest announcement comes after anti-ICE protests and riots broke out in Los Angeles last week as the agency did sweeps throughout the region. On Sunday night, President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social that he wanted to see arrests ramped up further to “achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History.”

ILLEGAL ALIEN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER FOR THROWING MOLOTOV COCKTAIL AT OFFICERS IN LA RIOTS: DHS

The president specifically mentioned that operations in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York could be increased.

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“His plan is clear: Incite violence and chaos in blue states, have an excuse to militarize our cities, demonize his opponents, keep breaking the law and consolidate power. It’s illegal and we will not let it stand,” Newsom posted to X in direct response to Trump’s post.

Despite previous media reporting that the Trump administration is open to allowing Iran to continue its uranium enrichment program, potentially allowing the development of Iranian nuclear weapons, President Donald Trump has taken a strong stance on the issue, repeatedly saying he would not allow the country to develop any nuclear weapons.

Axios reported earlier this month that as part of a deal to ease U.S. sanctions offered to Iran by White House envoy Steve Witkoff, “would allow limited low-level uranium enrichment on Iranian soil for a to-be-determined period of time.” This was something the outlet said risked backlash from Trump allies on Capitol Hill and in Israel.

Shortly after the Axios story, Trump posted on Truth Social that “under our potential Agreement — WE WILL NOT ALLOW ANY ENRICHMENT OF URANIUM!”

The AP reported that Trump’s message “appeared to undercut a proposal that was offered” by his administration and that Witkoff and the president “have repeatedly offered inconsistent public messages about whether Iran would be allowed to retain the capacity to enrich uranium to lower levels for civilian purposes.”

TRUMP SAYS ISRAEL AND IRAN ‘HAVE TO FIGHT IT OUT’ BUT BELIEVES DEAL IS POSSIBLE

Trump, however, has consistently said that he would not, under any circumstances, allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon.

Dating back to 2011, Trump has gone on the record voicing his belief that Iran should not have access to nuclear weapons over three dozen times.

As early as his 2011 book “Time to Get Tough,” Trump said: “America’s primary goal with Iran must be to destroy its nuclear ambitions. Let me put them as plainly as I know how: Iran’s nuclear program must be stopped by any and all means necessary. Period. We cannot allow this radical regime to acquire a nuclear weapon that they will either use or hand off to terrorists.”

He has also made clear his stance that Iran should not even be allowed to further develop nuclear arms, saying in a 2011 tweet that “Iran’s nuclear program must be stopped – by any and all means necessary.”

BREAKING: ISRAEL RESPONDS TO IRAN’S DEADLY CIVILIAN STRIKES

Then, after announcing his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump criticized President Barack Obama for negotiating “a disastrous deal with Iran,” saying, “Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon and, under a Trump Administration, will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.”

Then again, in 2017, Trump was quoted by NPR saying, “We will deny the regime all paths to a nuclear weapon.”

On the 2024 campaign trail, Trump said repeatedly that nuclear ramping up is “the biggest risk we have.” In an interview with Patrick Bet-David “the real threat isn’t global warming. The real threat is — threat is nuclear warming.”  

Referring to Iran, he said, “they’re very close to having a nuclear weapon,” and “I wanted Iran to be very successful. I just don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon.”

ISRAELI SPECIAL OPS VETERAN: IRAN IS ‘RUNNING OUT OF OPTIONS’ 

He also criticized former President Joe Biden, saying he “should never have allowed them to get this far. They’re way — they’re way advanced now.”

While campaigning, Trump was recorded at least 34 times saying Iran should have no way of developing nuclear weapons, a Fox News Digital review of video shows.

“They can’t have a nuclear weapon. And now, they’re very close to having one, and it’s very dangerous for the world, very dangerous for the world. I mean, the biggest — the biggest problem today, in my opinion, the biggest risk is the nuclear weapons, the weaponry. It’s so powerful today,” he said in a campaign rally in Milwaukee in October.

IDF GIVES NEW UPDATE ON STRIKES WITH IRAN: ‘JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL’

“They’re financing Hamas, and they’re financing Hezbollah … they go around, saying, ‘Death to Israel. Death to America.’ And they chant it openly all over the place. Don’t let Iran have nuclear weapons. That’s my only thing I have to tell you today. Don’t let them have it,” he said at a campaign event in Clive, Iowa.

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Iran has repeatedly said it will not agree to a uranium enrichment ban, arguing it has the right to the process, which is also vital for nuclear energy. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on Monday reiterated this point in a press conference from Egypt, and, according to the Tasnim News Agency, said he plans to respond to the U.S. proposal soon.

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

Ten years ago Monday, businessman Donald J. Trump launched his first presidential campaign, marking the beginning of the “Make America Great Again” movement. 

Trump, beside his wife, Melania, famously came down the golden escalator at Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in New York City June 16, 2015, to announce his intention to run for president of the United States. 

FOX NEWS PROJECTS DONALD TRUMP DEFEATS KAMALA HARRIS TO BECOME 47TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

“I am officially running for President of the United States,” Trump posted to his then-Twitter account June 16, 2015, along with a photo of his family after his announcement. “#MakeAmericaGreatAgain.”

“Ten Years Ago Today, President Donald J. Trump came down the Golden Escalator and officially declared his candidacy for President of the United States,” Team Trump posted to Instagram Monday to commemorate the ten-year anniversary. 

10 YEARS LATER: HOW THE MEDIA COVERED TRUMP’S ENTRY INTO THE 2016 RACE FOREVER CHANGING AMERICAN POLITICS

Since, Trump has changed American politics — creating the MAGA movement and serving as the 45th and 47th president of the United States, after beating former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016 and former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2020. 

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Trump is the only president to serve two nonconsecutive terms other than Grover Cleveland who was elected in 1884 and again in 1892.  

“This will truly be the golden age of America,” Trump said, upon winning the 2024 election in a landslide. 

Blue state House Republicans sounded the alarm Monday following reports that a hard-fought increase to the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap would be nixed by Senate GOP taxwriters in President Donald Trump’s mammoth agenda bill.

“Consider this the response to the Senate’s ‘negotiating mark’: DEAD ON ARRIVAL,” Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., posted on X.

‘FULLY JUSTIFIED’: GRAHAM PLOWS AHEAD WITH TRUMP BORDER FUNDING DESPITE PAUL’S OBJECTIONS

The Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over taxes, healthcare and a litany of other divisive policy areas in President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” is expected to release its offering of the mammoth bill later on Tuesday.

Senate Republicans have not shown much interest in heeding the needs of the cohort of blue state Republicans, given that no member of the Senate GOP represents a blue state. Of the tweaks and changes coming in the Senate’s rewrite of the tax package, SALT is among the top of the list.

SALT deductions were initially capped at $10,000 for married and single filers in Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), and GOP lawmakers in front-line districts have made it their mission to raise that cap in the current tax talks.

TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ CRACKS DOWN ON BIDEN’S STUDENT LOAN ‘SCHEME,’ TOP REPUBLICAN SAYS

Conservatives wanted it to remain in place to help pay for the president’s first-term tax cuts, but the issue has since become a rallying cry for House Republicans in New York and California, demanding relief for their constituents in areas with high state and local taxes, such as big cities and their surrounding suburbs.

They say that the current cap in the House GOP’s bill is non-negotiable, and it only takes three “no” votes in the House to kill any bill — Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., is already a hard “no” against the broader bill.

But the Senate Finance Committee is still working out the kinks of its bill, and the lowered SALT cap is not set in stone.

A source familiar with the ongoing negotiations told Fox News Digital that the $10,000 cap was just a placeholder as talks continue ahead of the release of the full bill. The source added that “folks getting outraged are jumping the gun and know it’s still in negotiation.”

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., who represents part of New York City and is a member of the House’s taxwriting panel, the Ways and Means Committee, objected to the Senate’s possible placeholder reversal.

“The $40,000 SALT deduction was carefully negotiated along with other tax provisions by the House of Representatives, and we all had to give a little to obtain the votes to pass the Big Beautiful Bill. For the Senate to leave the SALT deduction capped at $10,000 is not only insulting but a slap in the face to the Republican districts that delivered our majority and trifecta,” Malliotakis told Fox News Digital.

“If we want to be the big tent party, we need to recognize that we have members representing blue states with high taxes that are subsidizing many red districts across the country with constituents who benefit from refundable tax credits despite paying zero in taxes.”

REPUBLICANS CHALLENGE ‘IRRELEVANT’ BUDGET OFFICE AS IT CRITIQUES TRUMP’S ‘BEAUTIFUL BILL’

Increasing the SALT cap was a major line in the sand for House Republicans from New York, New Jersey and California, who vowed to vote against the package unless the deduction was increased and warned that if a solution wasn’t found, the GOP could lose the House.

Last-minute negotiations leading up to the House vote last month raised the cap to $40,000 for both single and married filers making up to $500,000 per year.

The deduction would drop for people making over the $500,000-mark to a minimum deduction of $10,000. Both the cap and income ceiling would increase annually by 1% from 2026 to 2033.

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Indeed, their support helped to squeak the massive bill through the House, which advanced by a one-vote margin. Now Senate Republicans are sprinting to finish their molding of the bill in an attempt to get the entire package back through the lower chamber and onto Trump’s desk by July 4.

SALT Caucus co-chairs Reps. Young Kim, R-Calif., and Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital that the cap negotiated “in good faith with the speaker and the White House must remain in the final bill.”

“It not only upholds President Trump’s commitment to raise the SALT cap, but has been praised by middle-class families, firefighters, law enforcement, small business owners, and hardworking Americans across the country,” they said in a joint statement. “Instead of undermining the deal already in place and putting the entire bill at risk, the Senate should work with us to keep our promise of historic tax relief and deliver on our Republican agenda.”

The weekend shootings of the Minnesota lawmakers profoundly rattled House and Senate members.

The reason? “Minnesota was jarring because (the suspect) went after family,” said one House Member who has faced threats and asked for anonymity. “We’re gone 50 percent of the time. There are no lines anymore.”

There is a Senate-wide briefing on member security Monday. House Republicans received a virtual briefing late Saturday afternoon. House Democrats will receive a remote briefing Tuesday.

SENATE RETURNS AMID CONCERNS ABOUT DEEPER US INVOLVEMENT IN IRAN, ISRAEL CONFLICT

The question is, what can congressional security officials do to keep members safe?

One idea was to force House Speaker Mike Johnson , R-La., to let member offices have even more flexibility to use money – which Congress allocates for the operation of each office – toward additional security measures. Fox is told that it could enable individual offices to hire full-time protective details.

“Then they don’t need to give us any more money,” said one House member.

HOW JOHNSON PULLED OFF ANOTHER IMPOSSIBLE WIN WITH JUST 1-VOTE MARGIN ON $9.4B SPENDING CUT BILL

One Democrat applauded the U.S. Capitol Police but pointed out that it was physically impossible for the USCP to protect all members and their families 24/7, both in Washington and in their home states or districts.

It was also pointed out to Fox that there was zero information on the shooters who carried out two of the most violent episodes involving lawmakers in recent years. That includes the Congressional baseball practice shooting in 2017 and the shooting of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., in 2011.

“We need to be proactive on our own,” said one lawmaker to Fox. “Not reactive.”

Fox is told there has also been discussion about scrubbing the personal information of lawmakers from the web or approving anti-doxxing legislation.

Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., is tinkering with forcing the House into a “Secret Session” to debate the appropriate approach for congressional security. Such a resolution to move the House into a secret session needs a vote. It is also privileged, which means Moskowitz could force the issue. Or, the House could vote to table it. Staff inside the session must sign an oath of secrecy.

The House has not held a clandestine session since 2008 – and only six such conclaves in the history of the republic. Moskowitz would like to get members on the record of voting against a Secret Session for security. If they oppose it, then lawmakers don’t have a right to complain. Otherwise, he believes they can actually figure out a way to keep fellow members safe and their families. 

Several lawmakers with whom Fox spoke over the weekend said the problem is that there is no consensus on how or what members want, or if U.S. Capitol Police have the wherewithal – based on what Congress has appropriated for that department – to assure the safety of family members in 435 far-flung districts.

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Moreover, security officials and those on the GOP telephone call Saturday told Fox there was a lot of criticism by members about the current security posture – from those who don’t take advantage of current programs.

“They like to complain a lot,” said one Republican source of those who haven’t utilized the security options afforded them by USCP.

EXCLUSIVE: Following a week of violent riots in Los Angeles, conservative activist group Catholic Vote has released a report titled the “Gavin Newsom files,” a report highlighting what the group calls the California’s governor’s “extreme” and “viciously anti-Christian agenda.”

Newsom, the Democratic governor of California, is among the top names being rumored for a 2028 presidential run.

Over the last week, he has been locked in a protracted war of words, which has also manifested itself in a court battle, over President Donald Trump’s response to the riots in Los Angeles. Newsom has called Trump’s use of the National Guard and Marines to respond to the rioting both “immoral” and “illegal.”

A longtime progressive, Newsom has recently moved to present himself as more centrist, starting a podcast titled “This is Gavin Newsom” that hosted the likes of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. 

According to Catholic Vote’s report, however, Newsom is “one of America’s most radical, destructive politicians” who “remains the same ideologue who has trampled parental rights, championed the transgender mutilation of children, and taken pro-abortion advocacy to a sickening extreme.”

LOS ANGELES ANTI-TRUMP PROTEST DRAWS THOUSANDS OF PARTICIPANTS 

“California’s governor claims to be a Catholic ‘man of faith,’” says the report. “But he has a viciously anti-Christian agenda for America.” 

‘As California goes, so goes the rest of the nation’

The report highlights how, despite his recent rebranding, Newsom has long been at the forefront of pushing for ever more liberal policies, championing causes such as abortion and transgender treatments for children.

“Gavin Newsom may be adjusting his style and image. But he remains the same ideologue who has trampled parental rights, championed the transgender mutilation of children, and taken pro-abortion advocacy to a sickening extreme,” says the report.

As a politician with rumored presidential aspirations, Catholic Vote highlights how Newsom has advanced his liberal agenda not just in California but across the entire country.

PHOTOS: SEE THE ANTI-TRUMP VIOLENCE THAT HAS UNFOLDED ON LA’S STREETS ACROSS THE LAST WEEK

The group quotes Newsom from a 2008 interview, during a court battle over same-sex marriage, saying: “As California goes, so goes the rest of the nation. It’s inevitable.”

Catholic Vote takes particular issue with Newsom’s abortion advocacy, pointing to how he has aggressively expanded abortion in California, signing 12 pro-abortion bills in a single month in September 2022 and nine more again in 2023. The report says that despite professing to be a Catholic, Newsom has not only advocated for a right to abortion but even used biblical scripture to advertise and promote abortion.

The report points to how, as governor, Newsom commissioned billboards in Oklahoma that advertised “Need an abortion? California is here to help,” with a quote from the Bible saying, “Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment than these.”

“This was deemed ‘unconscionable’ by the California Catholic Conference, and a ‘reprehensible act of gross blasphemy’ by a leading Protestant pastor. A statement from the Catholic League summed it up best, calling the billboard campaign ‘demonic,’” says the report.

GOV NEWSOM ‘HANDCUFFED’ POLICE AS LA RIOTS EXPOSE ‘REACTIONARY’ LEADERSHIP FAILURE: FORMER SHERIFF’ S DEPUTY

Catholic Vote states that “Few figures demonstrate the drift of America’s political Left – away from the Clinton-era language of ‘safe, legal, and rare,’ and toward today’s ‘#ShoutYourAbortion’ attitude – better than Gavin Newsom.”

The report also points to how Newsom has led the nation to “warp” the concept of parental choice to use it as a tool to advance transgender treatments for children. It points to how Newsom signed a bill in 2022 making California the nation’s first “sanctuary state” for parents from other jurisdictions seeking to give their children hormone treatment, puberty-blocking drugs, and more. It says that in 2023, Newsom again “doubled down on this strategy of imposing radical ideology and calling it ‘freedom.’ When he instituted new penalties on public school districts that fail to promote homosexuality and transgenderism to children, he framed this as a matter of ‘families’ having ‘the freedom to decide what’s right for them.’”

According to the report, Newsom’s office released a statement in 2023 after he signed a slate of “Supporting LGBTQ+ Californians” policies that declared “hate-filled attacks” of “far-right extremists” would “not be tolerated.”

Catholic Vote said that “if California is indeed ‘America’s Coming Attraction,’ as Newsom claims, believers in Biblical truth – and biological reality – should be gravely concerned.”

CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL LOS ANGELES HALTS TRANSGENDER CARE AMID PRESSURE FROM TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

“Inevitably, the advance of LGBTQ ideology threatens religious liberty and authentic freedom of conscience in society. These ideologues demand forms of approval and practical compliance that faithful Christians, and other critics of gender nonsense, cannot give them,” says the report.

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 “Americans have been shocked by the rioting and chaos in Los Angeles. But sadly, this reckless governance is all too common in Gavin Newsom’s California,” Catholic Vote Vice President Josh Mercer told Fox News Digital.

“As our new report, Newsom Files points out, the California governor refused to deal with vexing problems like drug dealers, shoplifters and the rampant homeless camps. Instead, Gavin Newsom was busy dreaming of the White House and spending taxpayer funds to put up billboards in Oklahoma that quote the Bible and urge people to fly to California to get an abortion,” he said. “With his wacky priorities, it’s no wonder people are fleeing California in droves.”

Brandon Richards, a spokesperson for Newsom, responded to the report by telling Fox News Digital that “we’re not taking seriously any organization co-founded by a political hack who has sworn allegiance to President Trump,” possibly referring to Catholic Vote’s 2024 endorsement of Trump’s campaign and Catholic Vote founder Brian Burch’s selection to be the U.S. ambassador to the Vatican. 

Richards said “we encourage Catholic Vote, which does not represent the Catholic Church, to read Leviticus: ‘You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.’”

Republicans in swing state New Hampshire are criticizing the move by a Democratic congressional candidate to post a photo of herself next to an “86 47” sign, which some in the GOP see as a shorthand message suggesting violence against President Donald Trump.

Maura Sullivan, a former Marine Corps officer who deployed in the Iraq War and later served at the Pentagon and the Veterans Administration under former President Barack Obama, attended a “No Kings” protest this past weekend in her hometown of Portsmouth, N.H. Demonstrators at thousands of rallies nationwide on Saturday protested what they call the president’s anti-democratic actions and authoritarian tendencies.

Sullivan, while at the rally, posted on social media a photo of herself standing next to a fellow veteran who was holding a sign that read “Veterans for Democracy.”

But the sign also included the phrase “Foxtrot Delta Tango,” as well as the message “86 47.”

HOUSE GOP RESOLUTION CRITICIZES COMEY OVER ‘86 47’ POST

“Foxtrot Delta Tango” is a military-style phrase in the NATO phonetic alphabet that spells out the letters “FDT,” which is seen as a derogatory term towards Trump.

While “86” is a term long used in restaurants to signify when they are out of a food item on a menu, or in bars or military circles to get rid of something – or someone.

And of late, some Republicans perceive it as a message to have Trump eliminated.

MINNESOTA LAWMAKERS SHOOTING SUSPECT HAD CACHE OF WEAPONS, HIT LIST, IN HIS VEHICLE

The Secret Service continues to investigate former FBI director James Comey after he earlier this year posted on social media an image of seashells arranged to spell “86 47.”

Comey, following a conservative uproar, took down his post and apologized.

The social media post by Sullivan, one of two top Democrats running to succeed Rep. Chris Pappas in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District, came hours after the horrific shootings of two leading Minnesota Democratic state lawmakers – one of them fatal.

State Rep. Melissa Hortman, the former speaker of the Minnesota state House, and her spouse were killed, and Sen. John Hoffman and his spouse were severely wounded in the shootings, which appear to be politically motivated attacks.

Sullivan’s congressional campaign, in a statement to Fox News, pointed to the Minnesota shootings.

MARINE VET CRITICIZES TRUMP, MUSK, AS SHE LAUNCHES CONGRESSIONAL RUN

“Maura is outraged and heartbroken about the assassination of a public servant in Minnesota. She believes that there is absolutely no place for violence in our politics, regardless of party or affiliation,” Sullivan campaign manager Nick London said.

London added that on Saturday, “Maura joined thousands of Granite Staters and millions of Americans in peacefully protesting Donald Trump’s use of our servicemembers as props for his political agenda. If the President cared about our veterans, he would be focused on improving healthcare at the VA, expanding mental health services and supporting our military families.”

Republicans in New Hampshire quickly criticized Sullivan over her post.

“I knew Maura was cozying up with the extreme radical left, but this is a step too far. Calls for political violence like this have no place in New Hampshire,” New Hampshire GOP chair Jim MacEachern said in a statement.

And NHGOP vice chair Hollie Novoletsky, who came in second in the 2024 GOP congressional primary in the 1st District, said in a statement, “Whether the target of an assassination is President Trump or a Democrat State Rep in MN, it is unacceptable. You’d think as a ‘Veteran for Democracy,’ Maura would know that.”

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The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), the campaign arm of the House GOP, which is trying to flip the district for the first time in eight years, went further.

“Political violence has no place in our country – and posing with propaganda calling for the assassination of President Trump is dangerous and disqualifying,” NRCC spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole argued. “Maura Sullivan must apologize, take down the photo, and take herself out of the running for New Hampshire’s First Congressional District.”

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s attempt to mock President Donald Trump‘s military parade honoring the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army backfired on social media as conservatives and other critics lambasted her for allegedly holding “utter contempt” for the U.S. military, while others slammed her for spending the weekend in the Hamptons attending her former longtime aide’s wedding while criticizing Trump.  

“This witch was a few votes away from becoming commander in chief. This is what she thinks of our military. Man, @BuzzPatterson was right. Hillary hates the troops,” conservative X commentator Benny Johnson posted in response to Clinton’s post Sunday. 

Clinton posted compare and contrast photos of Trump’s military parade that was held on Washington’s Constitution Ave. Saturday evening. Protesters nationwide held “No Kings Day” demonstrations in response to Trump’s parade, and to denounce the Trump administration’s ongoing deportation raids in left-wing cities. 

“Compare and contrast scenes from yesterday in America,” Clinton posted to X Sunday. “On the one hand, Trump’s low-energy Dear Leader parade (that cost you $45 million). On the other, millions of people across the country gathering peacefully to say: Here, we have no kings.” 

WHITE HOUSE SLAMS ‘UTTER FAILURE’ OF ANTI-TRUMP PROTESTS AS AMERICA CELEBRATES ARMY’S HISTORIC MILESTONE

Clinton’s message was accompanied by photos of protests in Los Angeles and Houston, as well as two shots of the parade showing a military flyover showcasing the Washington Monument, and another picture showing a group of people watching the military parade’s tanks chug down the street. 

The administration reported that more than 250,000 people traveled to Washington for the Saturday parade, which fell on the same day as Trump’s 79th birthday and Flag Day. While thousands of protesters in cities nationwide took to the streets to protest Trump in the “No Kings” demonstrations, which included violence spiraling amid the protests in some cities such as Portland, Oregon, and ongoing violence in Los Angeles. 

Conservatives and other critics slammed Clinton and her post for allegedly showing her dislike of the U.S. military. 

“Hillary Clinton hates the troops, bigtime,” assistant director of Florida’s Voice posted to X. 

“Utter contempt for the 250th birthday of the @USArmy,” another critic posted in response to Clinton. 

“And, we don’t have queens either. We have a duly-elected president…which you’ll never be,” author and retired Air Force Lt. Col. Buzz Patterson posted on X. 

MORE AMERICANS SUPPORT THAN OPPOSE TRUMP’S ARMY CELEBRATION PARADE: POLL

“If the only thing @realDonaldTrump ever did was stop Hillary from being President he would be the greatest American ever born,” another critic posted.

“Basically what you did in Benghazi shows how much respect you have for our military. You really should sit this one out,” another X user posted. 

“We already have a “No kings” day, Hillary. It’s called July 4th aka independence day, where we said no to a monarchy. This is the type of product of the public school system,” an account called Jewish MAGA posted. 

LIBERAL MEDIA MELTS DOWN OVER TRUMP’S MILITARY PARADE PLAN, CALLING IT ‘AUTHORITARIAN’

Other critics slammed Clinton for restricting replies to her post, while others pointed out that while Trump held a parade honoring the military, Clinton was in the Hamptons celebrating her longtime former aide Huma Abedin’s wedding to Alex Soros, the son of left-wing billionaire donor George Soros. 

“On one hand you had shootings and riots .. On another hand, You had happy people celebrating the 250th Army Anniversary … Your Point ? BTW: How was the Democrat Royal Wedding of Alex Soros and Huma Abedin?” one critic posted Sunday. 

‘THE VIEW’ CO-HOST SAYS AMERICA’S TROOPS WILL LOOK LIKE NORTH KOREANS MARCHING THROUGH DC FOR PARADE

“How was the Soros wedding? Chilling with the liberal royalty sounds like fun on No Kings Day!” another critic posted. 

Clinton attended the Abedin–Soros wedding Saturday, which included other Democrat heavyweights, including Bill Clinton, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, former Vice President Kamala Harris — as well as her husband Doug Emhoff — and Pelosi attended the wedding, the New York Times reported. Other celebrities and high-profile attendees included Vogue’s Anna Wintour, socialite Nicky Hilton Rothschild, and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, the outlet reported, citing attendees. 

“I’m looking forward to being a witness to their marriage; to the celebration that we all are going to be part of; to seeing so many longtime friends gathered in one place to really enjoy being part of Huma and Alex’s start of their married life,” Hillary Clinton told Vogue of the wedding in an article published Saturday.  “And I think we all could use some fun, so I’m looking forward to all of it.” 

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The wedding included a live performance from Boyz II Men, the vocal harmony group behind hits such as 1991’s “Motownphilly,” according to the Times, as well as toasts from Hillary Clinton, Wintour and the Albanian prime minister. Abedin wore two custom wedding dresses over the course of the day, Vogue reported.

Fox News Digital reached out to Clinton’s office for comment on the negative reactions, but did not immediately receive a reply.

Former President Barack Obama suggested in social media posts that immigrants are currently “being demonized and treated as enemies” in the U.S.

“Thirteen years ago, my administration acted to protect young people who were American in every single way but one: on paper,” the Democrat said in social media posts on Sunday evening. 

“DACA was an example of how we can be a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws. And it’s an example worth remembering today, when families with similar backgrounds who just want to live, work, and support their communities, are being demonized and treated as enemies,” the former president said, referring to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

OBAMA CALLED OUT BY PROGRESSIVES FOR NOT DOING ENOUGH TO COUNTER TRUMP

“We can fix our broken immigration system while still recognizing our common humanity and treating each other with dignity and respect. In fact, it’s the only way we ever will,” Obama added.

Obama’s comments come as the Trump administration has been cracking down on illegal immigration, working to secure the border and conduct a mass deportation effort.

In a Truth Social post two hours after Obama’s tweet, Trump expressed support for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, commanding them to do everything they can to carry out the biggest mass deportation effort in history.

MICHELLE OBAMA PRAISES BARACK OBAMA’S PARENTING DESPITE THE ‘GRANDEUR’ OF HIS JOB

“Our Nation’s ICE Officers have shown incredible strength, determination, and courage as they facilitate a very important mission, the largest Mass Deportation Operation of Illegal Aliens in History,” Trump declared in the post. “ICE Officers are herewith ordered, by notice of this TRUTH, to do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History.”

The president called for expanding efforts to deport illegal aliens from major U.S. cities. 

JOE MANCHIN DEMANDS DEMOCRATS ADMIT ‘DISGUSTING’ BORDER POLICY MISTAKE AS ANTI-ICE RIOTS ENGULF LOS ANGELES

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“In order to achieve this, we must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside. These, and other such Cities, are the core of the Democrat Power Center, where they use Illegal Aliens to expand their Voter Base, cheat in Elections, and grow the Welfare State, robbing good paying Jobs and Benefits from Hardworking American Citizens,” Trump declared in his post.

“Our Federal Government will continue to be focused on the REMIGRATION of Aliens to the places from where they came, and preventing the admission of ANYONE who undermines the domestic tranquility of the United States,” Trump declared in another part of his lengthy post. “To ICE, FBI, DEA, ATF, the Patriots at Pentagon and the State Department, you have my unwavering support. Now go, GET THE JOB DONE!”