NationalWatch

Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds will not seek re-election in 2026 after nearly 10 years serving in the state’s highest office, teeing up what may be a competitive Republican gubernatorial primary in 2026. 

In a video announcement released on Friday, Reynolds thanked Iowans for their support throughout her political career and said she will not campaign for another term as governor to focus on her family.

“Today, I want to share a personal decision with you; one that was not made lightly, but comes with a full heart and a deep sense of gratitude. After a lot of thought, prayer, and conversations with my family, I have decided that I will not seek re-election in 2026,” she said. 

Reynolds began her political career in the Clarke County treasurer’s office, before winning election as a state senator and later as the state’s lieutenant governor.

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She has served as governor since 2017, when then-Gov. Terry Branstad was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as ambassador to China during President Donald Trump’s first term in office. Reynolds was elected to a full term as governor in 2018 and re-elected in 2022.

“This wasn’t an easy decision, because I love this state and I love serving you,” Reynolds said in a video posted on social media. “But, when my term ends, I will have had the privilege of serving as your governor for almost 10 years.”

Reynolds said the work isn’t over yet and is committed to “working hard for you every single day until my term ends,” referring to her time as governor as the “greatest honor of my life.”

“This public service has been an incredible journey — one I wouldn’t trade for anything, but as Iowans know, family is everything,” she said. “Through the years, my parents and my husband Kevin, our daughters, and our grandchildren have stood by my side, supporting me through every challenge and every victory. Now, it’s time for me to be there for them.”

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Seasoned Iowa-based Republican strategist Jimmy Centers, who served in the Reynolds administration, said “her governorship is historic” for more than being the first female elected Iowa governor.

“It’s more than just her agenda; it’s about what she accomplished as governor. She was bold. She went out and sold her vision and she got it passed,” Centers told Fox News.

Nicole Schlinger, a longtime Iowa and Washington D.C.-based conservative strategist who is well-connected with evangelical groups, said that Reynolds “has been a transformation governor.”

But Schlinger told Fox News that “Kim Reynolds has put a lot of things in her life on hold for the state of Iowa and if you’re going to decide what you’re doing for re-election in 2026, now is the time you’re going to be making that decision.”

The Republican Governors Association (RGA) praised Reynolds for “her bold vision and conservative leadership” and said she “delivered transformational results for Iowa.”

Iowa, which was once a key general election battleground state, has turned red over the past decade, and RGA communications director Courtney Alexander said “we are confident that Iowa will continue to remain in Republican control.” 

But the rival Democratic Governors Association (DGA), pointing to Trump’s sweeping and controversial agenda during his first three months back in the White House, said that “even former RGA Chair Governor Kim Reynolds knows she can’t defend her party’s destruction of the economy and extreme, unpopular agenda for the next two years.”

DGA communications director Sam Newton argued that “in addition to leaving behind a failed record of corruption, gutting public education, and banning abortion, Gov. Reynolds has thrown the wide-open GOP field for governor into complete chaos. We look forward to holding Iowa Republicans accountable as this competitive race ramps up.”

Following Reynolds’ announcement, there was instant speculation that Iowa attorney general Brenna Bird, who was a top surrogate for now-President Donald Trump during the 2024 campaign and who spoke at last summer’s Republican National Convention, may make a bid to succeed the governor.

Bird, in a statement posted to social media, praised Reynolds but added that she and her husband will “consider what this decision means for our future.”

“I appreciate the calls of encouragement I’ve already received. I am committed to continuing my work on behalf of Iowans and to support President Trump,” she added.

Among the Republicans who may also have an interest in potentially running in 2026 to succeed Reynolds in the governor’s office in Des Moines are longtime state agriculture secretary Mike Naig; state House Speaker Pat Grassley, the grandson of longtime Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa; and all four members of Iowa’s all-GOP congressional delegation — Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01), Ashley Hinson (IA-02), Zach Nunn (IA-03) and Randy Feenstra (IA-04).

Two other names that are mentioned are Matt Whitaker, who ran statewide twice in Iowa but who is known nationally for serving as U.S. attorney general for a couple of months during the first Trump administration and who is currently serving as U.S. representative to NATO; and state Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, son of longtime Iowa GOP chair Jeff Kaufmann.

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Longtime Republican strategist David Kochel, who has worked in Iowa politics for decades, noted that the Republicans have a “deep bench.”

When it comes to the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, speculation centers on Iowa state auditor Rob Sand, who is currently the only Democratic statewide officeholder in the Hawkeye State. 

Reynolds, pointing to Iowa’s shift to the right in recent election cycles, said the GOP “will remain in great hands” as the next generation of Iowa Republicans build on her legacy. 

Reynolds saw her national profile rise in recent years, through her previous tenure as RGA chair and by welcoming Republican presidential candidates to Iowa’s first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses, which remain the lead-off contest in the race for the White House on the GOP calendar.

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In the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, Reynolds’ endorsement was coveted by the crowded GOP primary field. Reynolds ultimately endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and joined him repeatedly on the campaign trail in the lead-up to the caucuses. 

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee grilled whistleblower Dr. Eithan Haim this week over his criticism of transgender medical treatments, months after the Biden Justice Department dropped criminal charges against him.

During a Wednesday hearing titled “Ending Lawfare Against Whistleblowers Who Protect Children,” Haim defended his decision to leak documents to the media, revealing that Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston performed transgender medical procedures on minors through May 2023.

“I wouldn’t want this to be done to anyone, not even liberals, even if they’re the craziest communists ever,” Haim said during the hearing. “There’s no one in this country who should be falsely accused and the entire power of the federal government be brought down on them.” 

DOCTOR TARGETED BY BIDEN DOJ FOR EXPOSING TRANS MEDICINE FOR MINORS INVITED TO TRUMP CONGRESSIONAL ADDRESS

At one point during the hearing, ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., questioned Haim’s lawyer, Mark Lytle, about the precedent behind Haim’s case, drawing a comparison to a hypothetical scenario involving vaccination records for measles. 

“If I’m in Texas, and there’s a law requiring children to get measles vaccines, and I learn that another doctor’s patients aren’t vaccinated, does that give me the right to access their medical records and release them to the media or an ideological group?” Raskin asked.

“Dr. Haim didn’t break into any systems,” Lytle responded. “He was authorized to see these records by Texas Children’s Hospital, and the prosecutor knew that.”

“Was he authorized to release the information?” Raskin asked.

“He was because he was a whistleblower, and he was reporting wrongdoing,” Lytle said.

HOUSE JUDICIARY CALLS ON BIDEN DOJ PROSECUTOR TO TESTIFY IN DR ETHAN HAIM CASE

Raskin asked Lytle to explain why Haim “did not follow Texas State law and go to the Department of Social Services or another medical authority or law enforcement authority” and instead “went to an ideological organization in the media.”

Lytle responded that Haim went to the Texas Attorney General’s office as well as the media, adding, “Congress favors going to the media for whistleblowers.”

Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., asked Haim whether the charges against him were “a case of the administration using weaponizing law enforcement to intimidate you and other dissenters.”

“There has to be a certain standard with our justice system, where people can’t just bring these charges and power through the courts and send these people to prison, because that’s what was going to happen to me,” Haim said.

Cline also asked Lytle whether the federal government treats whistleblowers differently depending on who’s in office.

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“This case is an example of that,” Lytle said. “It’s extremely rare for anyone to be charged with criminal HIPAA [Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act] violations, let alone the maximum 10-year charge. It’s really outrageous, and the fact that he was charged in this way shows that the prosecutor was out to get him. He was biased.”

Later in the hearing, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., further pressed Haim about releasing the medical records, asking whether children and their families should worry about their private information being released. 

“When children are being mutilated and sterilized,” Haim said, adding that personal information, like the names of the patients, was not included. 

Haim, a surgeon formerly affiliated with Texas Children’s Hospital, was indicted on federal charges last year for allegedly accessing and sharing private medical records of minors receiving transgender medical procedures. 

Haim’s whistleblower report occurred during a transitional period in Texas’ policies regarding transgender treatments for minors. In March 2022, Texas Children’s Hospital announced it would stop such services to children following Gov. Greg Abbott’s directive to investigate such treatments as potential child abuse. The hospital later resumed these services after determining compliance with existing laws. In June 2024, the Texas Supreme Court upheld Senate Bill 14, which prohibits gender-affirming care for transgender minors in the state, with the law taking effect on Sept. 1, 2024.

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DOJ prosecutors claimed Haim obtained these records under false pretenses, violating the HIPAA and providing them to the media to harm the hospital’s reputation. Facing up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, Haim pleaded not guilty, arguing that no personally identifiable information was disclosed and that he was blowing the whistle on “child abuse” in the hospital. 

In January, the DOJ dismissed the case “with prejudice,” preventing future prosecution on the same grounds. Four days later, President Donald Trump signed the “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation” executive order, suspending federal funds for gender-transition procedures for minors, including coverage under Medicaid.

After finding $382 million in fraudulent unemployment payments since 2020, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) identified California, New York and Massachusetts as the primary culprits. 

The three Democrat-led states accounted for $305 million in improper claim payments, DOGE said Thursday.

The group added that California also accounted for 68% of the benefits that were dispensed under former President Joe Biden to parolees identified by federal authorities as being on the government’s terrorist watchlist, or who had criminal records.

California, New York and Massachusetts all have a Democratic trifecta — meaning Democrats control the state House, Senate and the governor’s office. They also have a Democratic triplex, which includes party control of the Attorney General, Secretary of State and governorship.

MUSK SAYS DOGE SET TO TOP $150B IN FRAUD SAVINGS IN FY 2026

“There’s a reason for the mass exodus from Democrat-run states that have mismanaged their economies and driven residents to the nearest Republican-led state,” White House spokesperson Harrison Fields told Fox News Digital. “High taxes, poor stewardship of taxpayer dollars and progressive policies continue to yield negative results, which is why Americans overwhelmingly support the work of DOGE.” 

Earlier this week, DOGE reported that since 2020, hundreds of millions in fraudulent unemployment benefits went to tens of thousands of recipients listed as over 115 years old, between ages 1 and 5, or even with birthdates that haven’t occurred yet.

“This is another incredible discovery by the DOGE team, finding nearly $400 million in fraudulent unemployment payments. The Labor Department is committed to recovering Americans’ stolen tax dollars. We will catch these thieves and keep working to root out egregious fraud,” said Labor Department Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer.

Additionally, DOGE also found this week that it was “routine” under the Biden administration to admit immigrants into the country with minimal screening and, as a result, led to more than 6,000 people — either with criminal records, or flagged on the FBI’s terror watchlist — entering the country. 

DOGE ENDS 108 ‘WASTEFUL’ CONTRACTS, INCLUDING FOR AN ‘EXECUTIVE TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM’

Furthermore, DOGE found, hundreds of these people were able to collect public benefits — including approximately $42,000 through the government’s unemployment insurance program. These people also collected money from federal student loan programs, food stamp programs and IRS tax refunds. 

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The Trump administration ended parole for everyone identified as having a criminal record, or being on the FBI’s terror watchlist.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not hear back in time for publication. 

President Trump said on Friday that the first physical examination of his second term went well, and overall he feels he’s in “very good shape.”

The president told reporters on board Air Force One while en route to his home in West Palm Beach Friday evening that the yearly presidential physical at Walter Reed Medical Center showed he has a “good heart, a good soul,” and “overall, I think I’m in very – I felt I was in very good shape.” 

He also took a cognitive test.

“I don’t know what to tell you other than I got every answer right,” the president told reporters.

PENNSYLVANIA MAN CHARGED WITH THREATENING TRUMP, ICE AGENTS, OTHER OFFICIALS

He added, “I think it’s a pretty well-known test. Got it all right. I’ve taken the cognitive test, I think, four times and gotten nothing wrong. That’s what the American people want. Biden refused, Kamala refused.” 

He also said that doctors gave him “a little bit” of advice on lifestyle changes that could improve his health without going into detail. 

Biden’s yearly presidential exam at Walter Reed last year didn’t include a cognitive test. 

The former president’s mental abilities became a concern during the presidential election last year after he struggled in a June debate against Trump, which led to former Vice President Kamala Harris taking over as the Democratic nominee. 

Trump said he expected the report from the exam to be released by Sunday. 

The president was at Walter Reed for five hours undergoing “every test you can imagine.”

TRUMP THREATENS TARIFFS AND SANCTIONS ON MEXICO FOR ‘STEALING’ WATER FROM TEXAS FARMERS

“I was there for a long time,” Trump said. “I think I did very well.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Friday that a readout of the exam would be released “as soon as we possibly can.”

The White House earlier this week promised to release the full results of Trump’s examination. 

“I have never felt better, but nevertheless, these things must be done!” Trump wrote on Truth Social before the exam earlier this week. 

The exam was also his first presidential physical since his ear was grazed by a bullet during an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July. 

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Both Biden and Trump’s health have come under increased scrutiny as they are the two oldest U.S. presidents to ever serve, and Trump became the oldest president to be sworn into office in January. 

A federal judge has upheld a Trump administration policy that allows U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to carry out enforcement operations at churches and other places of worship despite lawsuits against it from faith-based groups.

U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich, appointed by Trump during his first term, denied a request from more than two dozen Christian and Jewish organizations to block the policy. The groups said it infringes on religious freedoms and is causing drops in attendance, especially among immigrants worried about being detained by ICE.

The court found little evidence that ICE is targeting churches or that the change in policy is solely to blame for fewer people attending services. Friedrich noted that only a few enforcement actions have actually taken place at or near religious sites.

MARYLAND IMMIGRANT WRONGLY DEPORTED TO EL SALVADOR MUST RETURN TO US, SUPREME COURT RULES

“That evidence suggests that congregants are staying home to avoid encountering ICE in their own neighborhoods, not because churches or synagogues are locations of elevated risk,” Friedrich wrote in her opinion.

The policy at the center of the lawsuit took effect Jan. 20, Trump’s first day back in office. 

On that day, the Department of Homeland Security rescinded an Obama-era guideline that had discouraged ICE agents from making arrests in “sensitive locations,” including schools, hospitals and places of worship. Under the new rule, ICE officers no longer need special approval to act at these locations as long as they apply “common sense” and “discretion.”

Religious leaders said that change went against more than three decades of precedent, which aimed to protect immigrants and other vulnerable populations from being targeted at sacred or essential community spaces.

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The judge, however, said bringing back the old policy might not change attendance numbers, since broader immigration enforcement actions could still keep people away.

Other legal challenges to immigration enforcement in sensitive locations are also making their way through the courts.

A federal judge in Maryland temporarily blocked operations at religious sites for some groups, including Quakers. But a judge in Colorado ruled in the administration’s favor in a similar case involving enforcement at schools.

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Friedrich’s decision means the current policy will remain in place as the lawsuit proceeds. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

A Maryland federal judge on Friday told the Trump administration to comply with a Supreme Court order “in good faith” regarding the ordered return of an alleged MS-13 gang member erroneously deported to El Salvador. 

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national and Maryland resident, was deported to El Salvador last month for being an alleged MS-13 gang member. His attorneys have maintained that he does not have any ties to the violent gang. 

In a Friday hearing, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ordered the government to provide daily updates as they comply with Thursday’s Supreme Court order upholding her previous order to return Abrego Garcia to U.S. soil. 

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“I hope you will, in good faith, comply and we’ll take it from there,” Xinis said Friday. “I want daily updates until this matter is resolved.”

Deputy Assistant Attorney General Drew Ensign and Xinis made clear during the hearing that they did not agree on their understanding of the high court’s order. 

On Thursday, the Supreme Court wrote that Xinis’ order “properly requires the government to ‘facilitate’ Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador.”

The high court also said the “intended scope of the term ‘effectuate’” in Xinis’ order is “unclear, and may exceed the District Court’s authority.”

“For its part, the Government should be prepared to share what it can concerning the steps it has taken and the prospect of further steps,” the Court wrote. 

“It’s going to be very difficult for the parties and for the trial court to understand what the scope is of the Supreme Court’s order once the trial court takes the issue back up,” defense attorney Phil Holloway told Fox News Digital. 

MARYLAND IMMIGRANT WRONGLY DEPORTED TO EL SALVADOR MUST RETURN TO US, SUPREME COURT RULES

Holloway said that the ambiguity in the high court’s order could lead to the case ending up in the justices’ hands again for further clarification. 

“The government is going to say that they are operating in good faith to comply with an order from the Supreme Court that is murky, and they’re trying their best to comply with it,” he said. “At the same time, the president’s trying to exercise his executive authority under Article II, which also the Supreme Court said the lower court must recognize.”

Holloway said the government can take various routes as it moves forward, including seeking a reprieve from Xinis’ order and arguing that it is “unduly burdensome, and it hinders the president’s executive authority.”

“I think they may wind up trying to get him out of that prison and sending him to a different location,” Holloway said. “But I think they’re going to fight pretty hard on whether they actually have to bring him back to U.S. soil.“

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Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University and a Fox News contributor, said that the extent of the district court’s power to order the government to comply with the Supreme Court’s order is also in question. 

“It’s entirely unclear what, if anything, the court can do beyond other than nudge the administration in this direction,” he said. 

Heritage Foundation Legal Fellow Hans von Spakovsky specifically pointed to the Supreme Court noting that the district court must give “[d]ue regard for the deference owed to the Executive Branch in the conduct of foreign affairs.” 

“So while the government has to act in good faith to use diplomatic efforts to negotiate Garcia’s return and keep the district court informed of its efforts, the district court cannot give the government direct orders on how to accomplish this foreign policy task or penalize the government if it is not successful,” von Spakovsky said.

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“The assumption is that if the court determines that the administration is acting in bad faith, it could take some other action,” Turley noted. “The question is, how do you make that determination?” 

Turley said the district court could hold the government in contempt if it determines the administration acted in bad faith. However, enforcement may be challenging, given Abrego Garcia is overseas and the president’s Article II authority over foreign affairs.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins is turning up the pressure on Mexico over a growing water crisis that’s threatening South Texas farmers, announcing Friday that high-level talks with Mexican officials may finally lead to a breakthrough.

“Just finished a productive call with our great deputy Secretary of State, Chris Landau, and my counterpart in Mexico to tackle the urgent crisis arising from Mexico’s failure to deliver water to American farmers, as obligated by treaty,” Rollins posted on X. 

“We’re moving fast — stay tuned for updates.”

Rollins didn’t hold back, adding, “American agriculture has been asking for this relief for years and didn’t get it. What’s changed now is an American President willing to do what’s necessary to make it happen.”

TRUMP THREATENS TARIFFS AND SANCTIONS ON MEXICO FOR ‘STEALING’ WATER FROM TEXAS FARMERS

During an interview Friday on AgriTalk radio, Rollins revealed just how quickly things are moving. She said that shortly after President Donald Trump’s post on Truth Social Thursday night about Mexico “stealing our farmers’ water,” she was contacted by officials in Mexico to schedule talks.

“Let me give you an example. Last night, that Truth Social came out, as I mentioned, on the Mexican water and on how Mexico has been stealing our farmers’ water, and it’s not going to go on anymore,” Rollins said.

“Whether it’s tariffs or sanctions, we are going to stand up for our citrus growers and others that rely on that Mexican water. And I’m telling you, last night, within two hours after that Truth Social going up, the people from Mexico were calling to set up a call with me this morning.”

Her message comes as frustration builds over Mexico falling short on its water deliveries under the 1944 Water Treaty. 

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The treaty requires Mexico to send 1.75 million acre-feet of water to the U.S. every five years from tributaries that feed the Rio Grande. Trump says Mexico is more than 1.3 million acre-feet behind, hitting South Texas farmers hard, especially during the ongoing drought conditions.

Speaking to reporters outside the White House Thursday, Rollins said the administration is in regular contact with governors and agriculture leaders.

After speaking with “ten governors” earlier that morning, Rollins said the team is focused on supporting farmers, especially those growing wheat and sorghum. 

“We believe that these changes will, in short order, create unlimited and unprecedented prosperity for these farmers,” she said.

President Trump also addressed the water issue Thursday on Truth Social, blasting Mexico for failing to meet its obligations and warning of consequences if it doesn’t step up. 

“This is very unfair, and it is hurting South Texas Farmers very badly,” he wrote. “Last year, the only Sugar Mill in Texas CLOSED, because Mexico has been stealing the water from Texas Farmers.

“We will keep escalating consequences, including tariffs and, maybe even sanctions, until Mexico honors the Treaty. That ends now!”

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, backed the administration’s stance, calling the water shortfall a “man-made crisis” and vowing to keep up the pressure. 

“Texas farmers are in crisis because of Mexico’s noncompliance,” Cruz wrote on X. “I will work with the Trump administration to pressure Mexico into complying and to get water to Texas farmers.”

The Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs denied Mexico’s request for a special water delivery to Tijuana last month.

“Mexico’s continued shortfalls in its water deliveries under the 1944 water-sharing treaty are decimating American agriculture,” the agency posted. “Today, for the first time, the U.S. will deny Mexico’s non-treaty request.”

It’s not the first time the U.S. and Mexico have clashed over the 1944 treaty, but officials say the current drought, one of the worst in nearly 30 years, is making matters worse. 

Rollins thanked her Mexican counterpart, Agriculture Secretary Víctor Manuel Villalobos Arámbula, for his “swift and focused attention,” but made it clear that time is running out.

Secretary Rollins joined RFD-TV Friday morning to weigh in on the negotiations.

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“Well, there will be, without giving, you know, too much information that’s still confidential, we immediately began moving out and setting up discussions,” Rollins said. 

“Of course, this is not necessarily USDA, although I’ll be partnering with Secretary Rubio over at State and also talking to some other counterparts today, but hopefully we’ll have a resolution very, very quickly. And we’ll get some water moving, perhaps.”

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

Fox News’ Greg Wehner contributed to this report.

White House envoy Steve Witkoff was in Russia on Friday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin after peace talks with Ukraine stalled out in recent weeks, “frustrating” President Donald Trump.

“This is another step in the negotiating process towards a ceasefire,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said of the meeting. “I think the president has been quite clear that he’s been continually frustrated with both sides of this conflict, and he wants to see this fighting, and he wants the war to end.”

Russian media broadcast images of Putin and Witkoff meeting at the presidential library in St. Petersburg. 

Leavitt said the U.S. had “leverage” over Ukraine and Russia to pressure them to agree to peace.

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“We believe we have leverage in negotiating a deal… And we’re going to use that leverage. And the president is determined to see this through,” Leavitt said.

Trump has demanded that both sides agree to an immediate 30-day ceasefire while they hash out a longer peace deal. Ukraine has agreed to this, while Russia has not. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed Ukraine had found two Chinese men fighting on behalf of Russia within their borders, a development that would suggest Russia is receiving direct manpower aid from both North Korea and China. 

Zelenskyy said at least 155 Chinese citizens were fighting for Russia as he accused Putin of “prolonging the war” — a claim the Kremlin denied Thursday, stating that China takes a “balanced position” to the war and that “Zelenskyy is wrong.” Fox News Digital has reached out to the Russian Ministry of Defense for further comment.   

Ahead of Witkoff’s meeting with Russian officials, Trump ramped up pressure on Putin, writing on Truth Social: “Russia has to get moving. Too many people are DYING, thousands a week, in a terrible and senseless war – a war that should have never happened, and wouldn’t have happened, if I were President!!!”

Trump said on March 31 that he was “pissed off” with the Russian leader and threatened to put “secondary tariffs” on Russia’s oil exports, its financial lifeline for the war effort. That could mean sanctioning countries that buy Russian oil or cracking down on its “shadow fleet” of tankers carrying oil across the globe in disguise.

Trump has previously aired out complaints about Zelenskyy, too, calling him a “dictator without elections.” A public White House meeting last month erupted into a near-shouting match where Zelenskyy abruptly left the premises. 

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Ukraine agreed to both the unconditional ceasefire and a more tailored maritime ceasefire, but Russia has made a fresh round of demands, including the lifting of some sanctions. 

“We are making progress. We hope that we are getting relatively close to getting a deal between Russia and Ukraine to stop the fighting,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting on Thursday. 

The U.S. and Russia carried out a prisoner exchange deal that saw the return of ballerina and U.S.-Russian citizen Ksenia Karelina to the U.S. on Friday. Karelina was sentenced to 12 years in prison at the start of the war in 2022 for donating $51 to a Ukrainian charity. 

On Thursday, U.S. and Russian officials met in Istanbul to discuss reopening operations at each other’s embassies. 

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The St. Petersburg gathering is Witkoff’s third meeting with Putin this year. Over the weekend he will head to Oman to negotiate with Iran in nuclear talks.

Ahead of Friday’s meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there was “no need to expect breakthroughs” and the “process of normalizing relations is ongoing.”

Reuters contributed to this report.

EXCLUSIVE: One day after the House passed its version of the “big, beautiful” budget bill demanded by President Donald Trump, Senate Republican leaders were bullish on the prospects of a deal coming together when lawmakers return from Passover/Easter break.

“Republicans have a bold agenda. The sooner we pass it, the sooner we can reverse the damage that Democrats have done over the last four years,” Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., told Fox News Digital, as Senate leaders made a high-dollar budget cut promise earlier in the week.

“The American people need certainty that they aren’t going to face the Democrats’ $4 trillion tax increase,” said the lawmaker, whose role is to “whip” or tally Republicans’ planned votes ahead of them being cast on the floor.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota remains under pressure to deliver on $1.5 trillion in budget cuts he pledged to secure some of the votes from waffling House conservatives. The Senate version of the bill that passed earlier this month only called for $4 billion in spending cuts – a massive discrepancy from the House’s version.

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In exchange for their votes, Thune and Barrasso must coax Senate GOP moderates and members with concerns over potential Medicaid or entitlement cuts that they won’t be part of the sizable slice.

Additionally, the debt ceiling is projected to be hit during the summertime, which Republicans will have to reckon with financially as well. A failure to adjust for that ceiling could result in default.

TRUMP’S BIG, BEAUTIFUL TAX AGENDA SCORES MAJOR VICTORY

However, Thune was equally optimistic as Barrasso about pushing through Trump’s agenda, saying the upper chamber’s agenda will be “packed” overall.

“More nominations to confirm. More burdensome Biden regulations to repeal. A tax bill – and border, energy, and national security bill – to continue drafting,” he said.

Speaking to Fox News Digital, Thune said committee leaders were working through the holiday on varying legislation planned to come for votes soon after they return.

“And, of course, appropriations season is almost upon us. And I remain committed to considering as many appropriations bills as possible under regular order,” he said.

Regular order refers to matriculating bills through the committee process, which Thune previously said promotes bipartisanship and trust between lawmakers and the parties.

The practices of governing by long-term continuing resolutions, or CRs, are considered antithetical to regular order.

Barrasso said the American people need to know that Republicans will stand firm on investing in domestic energy and border security in their post-Easter return.

“Our goal is to get this bill passed and sent to the president’s desk as quickly as possible. We’ll work towards that every day until it’s done.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., for comment on Democrats’ short-term plans but did not receive a response.

Thursday’s House bill passed generally along party lines, after fiscal conservatives largely balked at the financial figures.

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The number of GOP holdouts was eventually whittled down to two – Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Victoria Spartz of Indiana – who voted with the Democrats, albeit for ideologically opposing reasons.

“Our first big, beautiful reconciliation package here involves a number of commitments. And one of those is that we are committed to finding at least $1.5 trillion in savings for the American people, while also preserving our essential programs,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said.

Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

A Pennsylvania man has been charged with making threats against President Donald Trump, other U.S. officials and U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) officials, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. 

Shawn Monper, 32, lives in Butler, Pennsylvania, where the president was shot during a campaign rally last July. 

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“I want to applaud the outstanding and courageous investigative work of the FBI and the Butler Township Police Department, who thankfully identified and apprehended this individual before he could carry out his threats against President Trump’s life and the lives of other innocent Americans,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Rest assured that whenever and wherever threats of assassination or mass violence occur, this Department of Justice will find, arrest, and prosecute the suspect to the fullest extent of the law and seek the maximum appropriate punishment.”

This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.

The Biden administration engaged in a “cover-up” by failing to disclose details about the health of former President Joe Biden, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. 

“I can tell you there was certainly a lack of transparency from the former president, from the entire former administration,” Leavitt told reporters on Friday. “And frankly, a lot of people in this room, when it came to the health in the competence of the former President of the United States, Joe Biden — there was one of the greatest cover-ups and, frankly, political scandals this nation has ever seen. It’s been unraveled in some recent books that are being written by journalists who engaged in that cover-up in scandal, which is quite ironic.” 

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

BIDEN AIDES ‘SCRIPTED’ EVERYTHING, ALLOWED HIS FACULTIES TO ‘ATROPHY,’ NEW BOOK CLAIMS

New books out have detailed Biden’s mental and physical well-being during his time in the White House. 

“Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History,” published Tuesday and authored by Chris Whipple, a former producer for CBS’ “60 Minutes,” claims that the White House kept Biden from socializing with those who previously worked alongside him — a tactic that backfired and contributed to his declining mental agility. 

EX-BIDEN AIDE SAYS FORMER PRESIDENT WAS ‘FATIGUED, BEFUDDLED, AND DISENGAGED’ PRIOR TO JUNE DEBATE: BOOK

Leavitt’s remarks come as President Donald Trump is receiving an annual physical at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday. The White House says it will provide a readout of the appointment. 

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“But this president is clearly committed to transparency,” Leavitt said. “You in this room see him and hear from him on a daily basis. You in this room know from covering him. It’s hard to keep up with him. He is a machine working around the clock every single day. And the physician, after today’s physical, will provide an update on the report in the effort of transparency.”

FIRST ON FOX: A conservative nonprofit is warning Tennessee lawmakers about a hospital group it says is quietly pushing radical DEI policies — even as some of those lawmakers have taken the group’s donations.

As institutions begin aligning their policies with President Donald Trump’s efforts to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, Consumer’s Research Group, a nonprofit conservative consumer agency, sent a letter to several Tennessee Republican lawmakers urging them to cut ties with the Tennessee Hospital Association (THA).

“Tennessee representatives who accept DEI Dollars from woke institutions like the Tennessee Hospital Association are putting themselves directly at odds with President Trump,” executive director Will Hild told Fox News Digital. “The President was clear: organizations continuing to push discriminatory DEI policies should be investigated.”

RED STATES GET IN LINE WITH TRUMP’S DEI BAN IN SCHOOLS AS COMPLIANCE DEADLINE NEARS

The letter, sent to Lt. Gov. Randy McNally and House Speaker Cameron Sexton, both Republicans, comes after the group launched a campaign last month titled “What Is Vanderbilt University Medical Center Hiding?” after finding that the university had been not just deleting some of its references to DEI commitments and resources, but also hiding them behind password-protected web pages. 

The letter was also cc’d to state House Majority Leader William Lamberth, state Sens. Shane Reeves, Jack Johnson, Ed Jackson, Becky Massey, Ferrell Haile and state Reps. Gary Hicks, Sabi “Doc” Kumar and Ryan Williams.

Public documents indicate the lawmakers received financial backing from the THA, which the association found still promotes DEI and “‘health equity’ through its Council on Inclusion and Health Equity.”

“Our campaign asking what is Vanderbilt University Medical Center hiding exposed the health system’s frantic and futile attempts to cover its widespread DEI tracks – essentially waving a great big red flag asking to be investigated,” Hild added.

TRUMP ADMIN WARNS STATES TO COMPLY WITH HOUSING PRISONERS BY THEIR BIOLOGICAL SEX OR FACE FUNDING CUTOFF

From 2020 through 2024, the Tennessee Hospital Association’s political action committee (PAC) made $707,950 in contributions to candidates and PACs in the state, which includes both the House and Senate Republican caucuses. 

“This is why Consumers’ Research has significant concerns that your acceptance of THA’s DEI Dollars signals an organizational effort to prevent state investigations into hospitals, like VUMC, that have faced criticism for prioritizing equity over healthcare and providing irreversible gender transition procedures to minors,” the letter to lawmakers on Friday states.

“This should be alarming to you and your constituents who rely on hospitals to provide exceptional care to patients, free of a political agenda.”

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DOLED OUT OVER $200M TO UNIVERSITIES TO INJECT DEI INTO COUNSELING COURSES: REPORT

In a previous statement to Fox News Digital, VUMC spokesperson John Howser said that in light of Trump’s recent executive actions mandating an end to DEI programs, particularly in educational institutions, VUMC “is undertaking a thorough review” of its programs to figure out “where revisions may be required to remain in compliance, including updating information on websites and other public platforms.”

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Trump signed the “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” order in January to eradicate all DEI programs within federal agencies and among federal contractors. It revoked previous directives that had promoted affirmative action and required contractors to implement DEI initiatives, arguing that these programs led to “preferential treatment.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to VUMC, the Tennessee Hospital Association and Tennessee Republican lawmakers who received financial donations from them.

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

President Donald Trump’s longtime legal counsel and appointee as U.S. attorney for New Jersey announced Thursday she will launch a probe into Gov. Phil Murphy and Attorney General Matt Platkin over reports that state police were asked to ignore new immigration warrants.

Alina Habba said on “Hannity” she decided to launch the probe following a Shore News Network report that an internal memo from New Jersey State Police (NJSP) Col. Patrick Callahan revealed Murphy and Platkin ordered that officers not pursue thousands of immigration warrants recently added to the National Crime Information Center.

The move was reportedly meant to be in line with former Attorney General Gurbir Grewal’s 2018 “Immigration Trust Directive,” which limited the types of voluntary assistance state and local police could offer the feds.

“We know that the governor has on his website, currently, dos and don’ts for his local state of law enforcement. Those dos and don’ts instruct them not to cooperate with illegal immigrants who have administrative warrants that have been issued by the court after due process,” Habba said.

NJ GOV SAYS HE’LL ‘FIGHT TO THE DEATH’ AGAINST TRUMP ACTIONS HE DEEMS ‘CONTRARY TO VALUES’

“It is instructing them to go against our federal rules, our executive orders.”

She said her new probe into Murphy and Platkin should be a warning to all other state leaders that if they hinder the FBI, DEA or other federal law enforcement agencies, they will be held accountable.

“[W]e are to take all criminal, violent criminals and criminals out of this country and to completely enforce federal law. And anybody who does get in the way of what we are doing – which is not political, it is simply against crime – will be charged in the state of New Jersey for obstruction, for concealment, and I will come after them hard.”

Habba, whose office is based in Newark, said she met with state law enforcement on Thursday and noted they do not have the same authority as federal officers, but they can still legally notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hand off or alert them to immigration-related investigations.

DEMOCRATS RAIL AGAINST ‘EGREGIOUS’ ICE RAID IN NEW JERSEY AFTER MILITARY VETERAN QUESTIONED 

“If anybody wants to use politics or their position to go and violate any federal law or any executive order in this state, and that includes sanctuary cities, and I’m looking at you in Paterson – I will be investigating you, and if you did commit a crime, if you ordered obstruction, if you are ordering concealment and harboring, you will be charged.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Murphy, Platkin and Paterson, New Jersey, Democratic Mayor Andre Sayegh for comment.

Sayegh recently made waves politically last month, when he declared Paterson the American “capital of Palestine.” The city has a large Muslim and Arabic population.

Murphy recently suggested he was housing a migrant at his Monmouth County home and went on to dare Trump to do something about it.

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In February, he said he and New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy were talking about “someone in our broader universe whose immigration status is not yet at the point that they are trying to get it to.”

“And we said, you know what? Let’s have her live at our house above our garage,” Murphy said.

“Good luck to the feds coming in to try to get her.”

Fox News Digital reached out to NJSP for more information on the memo and its actions in regard to Murphy’s order.

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

The Pentagon fired the commander at the U.S. Space Force base in Greenland after she distanced herself from Vice President J.D. Vance, who recently visited the headquarters. 

After the vice president’s visit, Col. Susannah Meyers emailed base personnel on March 31, writing, “I do not presume to understand current politics, but what I do know is the concerns of the U.S. administration discussed by Vice President Vance on Friday are not reflective of Pituffik Space Base.”

She added that she had “spent the weekend thinking about Friday’s visit – the actions taken, the words spoken, and how it must have affected each of you.” The email was first reported by Military.com.

The Space Force said in a public statement Meyers had been relieved of command “due to loss of confidence in her ability to lead.” 

US ACCUSES DENMARK OF TREATING GREENLANDERS AS ‘SECOND-CLASS CITIZENS’ DURING VANCE VISIT TO ARCTIC BASE

“Commanders are expected to adhere to the highest standards of conduct, especially as it relates to remaining nonpartisan in the performance of their duties,” the statement read. 

Col. Shawn Lee has now assumed the command, Space Force said. 

“Actions to undermine the chain of command or to subvert President Trump’s agenda will not be tolerated at the Department of Defense,” Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell posted on X. 

Meyers became commander of the 821st Space Base Group in July, according to a Facebook post about the change-of-command ceremony. 

Republican Sens. Tommy Tuberville, Ala., Eric Schmitt, Mo., and Jim Banks, Ind., all praised the firing of the commander on X. 

“Colonel Meyers tried to politicize the Space Force and was held accountable. Lloyd Austin isn’t SecDef anymore,” Banks wrote. 

‘MIND-BOGGLING’: SPACE FORCE CHIEF FIRES OFF DIRE WARNING ABOUT CHINESE CAPABILITY TO KNOCK OUT US SATELLITES

Vance, during his visit to the snow-covered island, criticized Denmark for treating Greenlanders as “second-class citizens.” 

“Our message to Denmark is very simple,” Vance said. “You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland. You have underinvested in the people of Greenland, and you have underinvested in the security of this incredible, beautiful landmass.”

The vice president further accused Denmark of not keeping Greenland safe from China and Russia. 

Vance was the highest-ranking official to ever travel to the base in Pituffik, the White House said. 

The Trump administration has made acquiring Greenland a top goal. 

“We need Greenland for national security and international security,” Trump said on March 11. 

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“So, we’ll, I think, we’ll go as far as we have to go,” the president continued, speaking from the Oval Office. “We need Greenland. And the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark. Denmark has to have us have Greenland. And, you know, we’ll see what happens. But if we don’t have Greenland, we can’t have great international security.”

“I view it from a security standpoint, we have to be there,” Trump added.

President Donald Trump is weighing in on a national debate, apparently calling on Congress to make Daylight Saving Time permanent.

“The House and Senate should push hard for more Daylight at the end of a day. Very popular and, most importantly, no more changing of the clocks, a big inconvenience and, for our government, A VERY COSTLY EVENT!!!” the president declared Friday morning in a post on Truth Social.

Senators debated the annual changes between Daylight Saving Time and Standard time during a hearing Thursday.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
 

A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from revoking temporary legal status for hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans, Venezuelans, Cubans and Haitians who were initially granted parole.

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani said on Thursday the Department of Homeland Security incorrectly read the law when it made a decision to end a two-year parole given to them by the Biden administration.

Talwani, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, said the revocation of temporary legal status would open up around 450,000 individuals to an expedited deportation process.

“What you’re prioritizing is not people coming over the border but the people who followed the rules,” Talwani said.

TRUMP ADMIN PULLING LEGAL STATUS FOR MORE THAN 530K MIGRANTS

Justice Department lawyer Brian Ward argued during a Thursday hearing that parole programs were always discretionary.

“The nub of the problem here is that the secretary, in cutting short the parole period afforded to these individuals, has to have a reasoned decision,” Talwani said, according to Time magazine. “There was a deal and now that deal has been undercut.”

Immigration advocacy groups initially sued the Trump administration for its plan to end the parole program which began under the Biden administration.

SANCTUARY GOVERNORS WALZ, PRITZKER, HOCHUL CALLED TO TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS

The Trump administration attempted to revoke the temporary legal status of migrants from the four countries on March 25.

They flew to the United States after submitting their application under a Biden-era policy that was closed by Trump when he took office for a second time.

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The program let migrants and their immediate family members fly to the United States as long as they had sponsors in America, then they would be placed on parole for two years.

Fox News’ Landon Mion and Reuters contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: House Republicans passed a key hurdle to move forward President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful” tax agenda on Thursday without the support of a single Democrat, prompting the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) to launch ads against over a dozen vulnerable Democrat incumbents.

“The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) launched a paid digital advertising campaign targeting 25 vulnerable House Democrats for voting against the budget resolution, leading to higher taxes for Americans by slashing the child tax credit in half and making families pay thousands more,” the NRCC said in a press release on Friday morning.

The paid digital ad campaign will target 25 House Democrats identified as vulnerable heading into next year’s midterms. The list of Democrats targeted includes: (CA-09) Josh Harder, (CA-13) Adam Gray, (CA-27) George Whitesides, (CA-45) Derek Tran, (CA-47) Dave Min, (FL-09) Darren Soto, (FL-23) Jared Moskowitz, (IN-01) Frank Mrvan, (ME-02) Jared Golden, (MI-08) Kristen McDonald Rivet, (NC-01) Don Davis, (NJ-09) Nellie Pou, (NM-02) Gabe Vasquez, (NV-01) Dina Titus, (NV-03) Susie Lee, (NV-04) Steven Horsford, (NY-03) Tom Suozzi, (NY-04) Laura Gillen, (NY-19) Josh Riley, (OH-09) Marcy Kaptur, (OH-13) Emilia Sykes, (TX-28) Henry Cuellar, (TX-34) Vicente Gonzalez, (VA-07) Eugene Vindman and (WA-03) Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.

“Once again, House Democrats made their priorities crystal clear: They’re taking a wrecking ball to America’s economy and sticking the working class with higher taxes just to ram their radical agenda down the throats of all Americans,” NRCC spokesperson Mike Marinella told Fox News Digital. 

‘A GREAT TRIBUTE’: TRUMP TOUTS ‘RECORD’ FUNDRAISING FROM NATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE

“Voters will consistently be reminded of this betrayal all the way through next Fall.”

The NRCC ad campaign makes the case that by voting against the resolution, Democrats are supporting raising taxes on Americans at every income level and supporting the lowering of key tax credits. 

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) spokesperson Viet Shelton said, “This is what happens when the same people who want to eliminate the Department of Education write political ads.”

“If they actually read the bill, they would realize their budget takes away health care, cuts off food assistance, and raises costs to pay for massive tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy while sticking working families with the bill. The Republican budget is exhibit A of their failure to make life affordable for Americans.”

While the party in power, which clearly is the Republicans, traditionally faces serious political headwinds in the midterm elections, the NRCC chair told Fox News last month he is optimistic.

TRUMP HAULS IN MILLIONS FOR HOUSE GOP 2026 WAR CHEST AS DEMS TAUNT THEY ARE ‘RUNNING SCARED’

Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., emphasized in an interview on Fox News’ “Fox and Friends” that 13 of the 26 House Democrats they are targeting are in districts that “were carried by President Donald Trump in the last election.”

Hudson characterized the upcoming midterms as an “opportunity election for House Republicans.”

Additionally, Hudson, who is steering the House GOP’s campaign arm for a second straight cycle, added, “We are bullish. Republicans are on offense thanks to Donald Trump.”

The Cook Political Report unveiled its first rankings for the next midterm elections in February and listed 10 Democrat-held seats and eight Republican-controlled seats as toss-ups. 

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Courtney Rice, communications director for the rival DCCC, emphasized that “voters will hold House Republicans accountable for failing to lower costs while fostering a culture of corruption that benefits their billionaire backers.”

“The political environment is in Democrats’ favor heading into 2026 — and with stellar candidates who are focused on delivering for their districts, House Democrats are poised to take back the majority in 2026,” Rice predicted.

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

President Donald Trump has extended the deadline to April 24 for states and school districts to certify compliance with his executive order banning DEI policies, a Department of Education spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital.

“Federal financial assistance is a privilege, not a right. When state education commissioners accept federal funds, they agree to abide by federal anti-discrimination requirements,” acting Assistant Secretary Craig Trainor said in a statement. 

“Unfortunately, we have seen too many schools flout or outright violate these obligations, including by using DEI programs to discriminate against one group of Americans to favor another based on identity characteristics in clear violation of Title VI.”

So far, several states have either certified their compliance or signaled their intent to do so, while blue states like New York, Minnesota and Illinois signaled defiance this week in the face of the administration’s funding threat. Education Secretary Linda McMahon commended Puerto Rico in a post on X “for being the first to certify that discrimination or harmful race-preferencing is not allowed in your classrooms.”

TRUMP ADMIN WARNS STATES TO COMPLY WITH HOUSING PRISONERS BY THEIR BIOLOGICAL SEX OR FACE FUNDING CUTOFF

“Every state that wants to continue receiving federal funds should follow suit,” McMahon said Tuesday. 

On Monday, Willie Jett, Minnesota’s education commissioner, said DEI-related funding threats “without backing in law or established requirements put key programs at risk that students and schools depend on every day.”

Illinois’ education board also issued a scathing response to the threats, saying the administration “is once again threatening funding for Illinois’ children and attempting to exert power over every district in the country — even as it claims it’s returning education to the states.” 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DOLED OUT OVER $200M TO UNIVERSITIES TO INJECT DEI INTO COUNSELING COURSES: REPORT

“Illinois will never waver in its commitment to helping every child from every community, background, socioeconomic status, gender, and race — which is consistent with federal and state laws and our values,” the board said in a statement.

Federal funding accounts for 16% of the Chicago Public Schools budget — over $1 billion — and $6.4 billion statewide, according to a report from Axios Thursday.

Wisconsin is also bucking Trump’s demands, and the state’s Department of Public Instruction published a letter raising “several concerns” with the president’s certification requirements Wednesday.

Benjamin Jones, an attorney representing Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction, wrote in a letter that Wisconsin had already “certified assurances of compliance with federal law,” including “federal statutes related to nondiscrimination.”

He called Trump’s order “unauthorized, unlawful and unconstitutionally vague.”

NEW YORK PREPARES TO BATTLE TRUMP’S DEI FUNDING THREATS IN FIGHT OVER SCHOOLS

“We are deeply concerned that the [certification requirement] allows the federal bureaucracy to threaten the loss of crucial education funding in order to dictate local education agency policies and decisions on what is best for kids,” the letter states. 

But Trump is gaining support from other Republican-led states, and several are already pushing for stricter bans on DEI initiatives at public colleges. States like West Virginia, Iowa, Indiana, Texas and Ohio have considered or put forth measures to restrict DEI programs, training and scholarships. In Ohio, the state Senate passed a bill to eliminate DEI-related activities, while Indiana’s Senate proposed legislation that would prohibit faculty members from endorsing DEI with penalties for noncompliance.

New Hampshire’s Department of Education has advised school leaders to evaluate their DEI programs for compliance with the new federal directives, and the Indiana Department of Education also announced it will collect signatures from districts and schools verifying their compliance.

The certification document cites Title IX, stating no one “shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

The certification comes after a Dear Colleague letter from the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights was sent in February telling K-12 school districts and universities to end all “admissions, hiring, promotion, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies, and all other aspects of student, academic, and campus life” on the basis of race.

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​In January, Trump issued the “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling,” executive order, which prohibits K-12 schools from teaching materials considered anti-American or promoting “gender ideology” and critical race theory. The order mandates that law enforcement investigate educational institutions suspected of promoting such content and criminally prosecute educators who assist in the social transition of minors.

After Columbia University took steps to align itself with President Donald Trump’s demands regarding antisemitism on its campus, the Trump administration now reportedly wants to take additional steps to ensure Columbia does not falter. 

Sources in the administration leaked to the Wall Street Journal that it is pursuing a legal arrangement, known as a consent decree, that would create a court-enforced compliance agreement to make certain that Columbia continues to align its policies and practices with executive directives on antisemitism laid down by Trump. 

After facing the threat of losing $400 million in federal funding over its response to alleged antisemitism on its campus, Columbia took steps to revise its policies and practices. These included changes to its protesting policies, an expansion of the school’s Jewish studies program, placing the school’s Middle Eastern studies program under new supervision, alterations to student disciplinary procedures and more.  

IVY LEAGUE ANTI-ISRAEL RINGLEADER MAHMOUD KHALIL DENIES ALLEGATIONS AS JUDGE AWAITS DEPORTATION EVIDENCE

To ensure those changes last, the Trump administration is reportedly moving to usher in a consent decree, which could place Columbia in contempt of court if a judge determines that the school is not in compliance with the administration’s directives. 

Such violations could lead to further monetary penalties for Columbia. While the Trump administration has said Columbia is on the “right track” to restore its $400 million in federal funding, no formal announcement has been made indicating it has been.

The consent decree must be voluntary, so Columbia must be a willing partner in the arrangement, or it can fight the matter in court.

“The University remains in active dialogue with the Federal Government to restore its critical research funding,” a spokesperson for the University told Fox News Digital.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT QUESTIONED FORMER COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT OVER CAMPUS ANTISEMITISM

Consent decrees are not an unusual tool for an administration to use to ensure its policy priorities are being implemented. Under former President Joe Biden, the government entered into consent decree arrangements with police departments to ensure they were implementing the president’s desired criminal justice reforms. Biden also pursued these legal arrangements with various universities, including Brown and Rutgers, over antisemitism concerns after the Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack in Israeli, according to the Wall Street Journal.

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According to the sources who leaked the information about the consent decree arrangement, the Trump administration is pursuing the matter because it has doubts about Columbia’s desire to follow the president’s federal directives on antisemitism in good faith, despite its public actions to do so. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.

EXCLUSIVE: Freshman GOP Congressman Gabe Evans revealed during an interview with Fox News Digital how Republicans have fared, and what’s next, after 90 days of the new session of Congress have now passed.

“Obviously, the Republican conference has come together three times to do things that all the pundits said weren’t going to happen,” Evans told Fox News Digital this week. 

“We had a speaker on the first ballot and people said we weren’t gonna be able to do that. We passed the reconciliation resolution out of the House. Folks said that that was gonna be a long shot. And we kept the government funded by passing a clean CR. And so three different times we’ve seen the conference pull together to do things many folks were doubtful that we could get done.”

Evans said he believes that success will continue to “breed success.”

“I think that is going to lay just some absolutely fantastic foundational groundwork for being able to actually deliver the big things that we need to deliver, particularly around cost of living and affordability,” Evans said. 

‘FULL COURT PRESS’: FRESHMAN GOP LAWMAKER REVEALS BLUEPRINT TO FLIP SCRIPT ON GREEN ENERGY MANDATES

Evans, a former captain in the National Guard and former police officer, was elected to Congress in November, defeating incumbent Democrat Yadira Caraveo in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District. 

Evans told Fox News Digital he has been very “excited” over the past three months to work on issues he campaigned on, including securing the border, ending the “scourge of fentanyl” and working to lower crime rates. 

“It’s been really, really rewarding to be able to do things like pass the the Halt Fentanyl Act out of the U.S. House, introduce my bill, the Uplift Act, unhandcuffing police to locate and interdict foreign transgressors so that we can empower state and local law enforcements and sanctuary states like Colorado to work with their federal counterparts to get violent criminals and cartel members who are illegally present in the country and committing other crimes out of the community. For me that’s been the flavor of the first three months.”

TRUMP SAYS HE’LL ‘TAKE A LOOK’ AT EXEMPTING SOME LARGER US COMPANIES HIT ESPECIALLY HARD BY TARIFFS

Evans, who has introduced six bills since becoming a member of Congress, said he is looking forward to continuing moving legislation forward, including the bipartisan Medicare and Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act and the Uplift Act. 

Over the next few months, Evans told Fox News Digital that his constituents in Colorado want Congress to focus on issues like cost of living. 

“We actually just did a town hall earlier this week. We had over 8,500 people dial in and stay on the line for that town hall and we did some just unofficial polling with all of the people who were on the line and the number one issue, no surprise, that came up was cost of living,” Evans said. “So being able to deliver relief in that cost of Living space by being able to work on cutting through just some of the absolute punitive red tape that’s out there that particularly impacts my district around things like energy production, like agricultural production, like air quality permitting.”

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Evans told Fox News Digital that Republicans will also continue to address crime and illegal immigration, which he says the president has already made important strides on. 

“In the crime space, what we’re really seeing now is a push-pull between the priorities of the new administration and Congress and blue sanctuary cities and states like Colorado and like Denver,” Evans explained. “So here’s the fact, Denver’s homicide rate in 2024 was double San Francisco’s homicide rates. Colorado is number one in the nation again, three of the last five years running, for our auto theft rate. We’re number two in the nation for teenagers overdosing and dying on fentanyl. We’re the third most dangerous state in the country and so that fixing that problem requires a partnership between the federal state and local government.”

“Under the new administration in this Congress, the federal government has suddenly gotten back to business and is doing their part. The border is secured. Border crossings are at historic lows and we have federal law enforcement agencies. who are going out into communities like mine and getting violent criminals and gangs and drug traffickers out of the community.”