NationalWatch

Rep. Donald Norcross, D-N.J., “suffered an emergency medical event likely related to his gallbladder” over the weekend while traveling, his office said in a statement on Monday.

Norcross “was admitted to UNC Rex Hospital in North Carolina on Sunday and is in stable condition, where he is receiving exceptional medical treatment” while traveling over the weekend.

His office says he “is currently in good spirits and wants to thank the doctors, nurses, and support staff at UNC Rex Hospital for all their work on his behalf during his stay.”

The legislator will be transferred to Cooper University Healthcare in New Jersey “in the coming days to complete his recovery.” 

TOP DEMS SUE TRUMP OVER EXECUTIVE ORDER REQUIRING PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS

The Democrat posted to X once on Monday evening about bills he and Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Penn., introduced, the No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act and Tax Fairness for Workers Act.

“The No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act and Tax Fairness for Workers Act both focus on protecting America’s workers,” Norcross said in a statement. “Every worker deserves a free and fair choice to join or form a union, and it’s time that our tax code reflects that.” 

HOUSE DEM TO BLOCK VA NOMINEES TO PROTEST DOGE CUTS

“The No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act will end corporate handouts for union-busting campaigns, make our tax code fairer, and level the playing field for workers,” he continued.

“The Tax Fairness for Workers Act will restore fairness and put money back into the pockets of workers who bet on themselves. During a time when the Trump Administration is attacking workers’ rights, I’m honored to have Representatives Brendan Boyle and Judy Chu partner with me in the fight to put more money into the pockets of hardworking Americans,” he said. 

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Norcross is 66 years old, according to the New York Post. He and his wife have three adult children and four grandchildren, according to his biography.

President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs imposed a 10% baseline on all imports — with steeper rates for countries with trade deficits — sparking pushback from Democratic governors trying to shield their states from any fallout.

While the Trump administration has maintained that the aggressive new tariffs will ultimately strengthen the U.S. economy and protect American workers, Trump’s new tariff orders have impacted global markets as Democratic governors unite in opposition.

Govs. Gavin Newsom, J.B. Pritzker, Josh Shapiro, Jared Polis, Tim Walz and Kathy Hochul are among the growing list of Democratic governors speaking out against Trump’s tariffs – and, in some cases, working to blunt the impact on their local economies.

“Democrats should focus on out-of-control homelessness, crime, regulations, and unaffordability in blue states instead of trying their hand at international dealmaking,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

THE LOSERS AND WINNERS OF TRUMP’S ‘LIBERATION DAY’ TARIFF PLAN

Newsom, considered a potential 2028 presidential contender, announced plans to seek “strategic” international partnerships to exclude California from the retaliatory tariffs imposed on the U.S. by countries caught in the crosshairs of Trump’s tariffs. 

TRUMP URGES AMERICANS TO ‘HANG TOUGH’ ON TARIFFS PLAN AS MARKETS TUMBLE

“I’m pursuing trading relationships with our global partners to combat the pain of Trump’s tariffs and exclude California-made products from retaliation. As the world’s 5th largest economy, California remains open for business — no matter the turbulence in Washington,” Newsom said in an X post. 

However, within the U.S. Constitution, trade policy is a power reserved to the federal government, and states do not have legal authority to independently negotiate with foreign governments on tariffs or make global trade deals. 

Pritzker, another potential 2028 presidential candidate who has rejected Trump’s second term at every executive order, led a delegation of Illinois lawmakers to Mexico last week and signed an agreement with the state of Mexico City to strengthen economic cooperation. 

As Pritzker was securing an independent economic relationship on his “trade mission” to Mexico, he slammed Trump’s tariffs as a “tax” on Americans. 

“Donald Trump may want to call this ‘Liberation Day,’ but there is nothing liberating for working families who are grappling with the high costs of food, housing, and utilities,” Pritzker said. “Tariffs are a tax. They are a tax on working families, a tax on groceries, and a tax on other everyday necessities.”

Shapiro, who was on Democratic nominee Kamala Harris’ vice presidential shortlist, also likened the new tariffs to a “tax” and reiterated their negative impact on Pennsylvania families. 

“The reality is Donald Trump’s economic policies are making things harder for the good people of Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said in an MSNBC interview.

Democratic governors continued to pile on the “Liberation Day” criticism on the airwaves over the weekend. 

Former Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz took aim at Trump’s intelligence in an MSNBC interview, saying Trump “doesn’t fundamentally understand how trade works.” 

“This is a tax on working people,” Walz added. 

Hochul, who has sparred with the Trump administration on abortion and immigration, said in an interview that Trump’s tariffs “are the largest tax increase in American history” and argued they aren’t “liberating” but “hurting real people in our state and across this country.”

“This is one of the biggest tax hikes in American history. It’s not Liberation Day, it’s Recession Day,” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis added on Bloomberg this weekend. 

Trump has continued to defend his tariffs since “Liberation Day.”

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“The United States has a chance to do something that should have been done DECADES AGO,” Trump said on Truth Social on Monday. “Don’t be Weak! Don’t be Stupid! Don’t be a PANICAN (A new party based on Weak and Stupid people!). Be Strong, Courageous, and Patient, and GREATNESS will be the result!” 

Despite the market panic and uncertainty following his tariff implementation, Trump has reiterated that “some day people will realize that Tariffs, for the United States of America, are a very beautiful thing!” 

Fox News Digital’s Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.

The House Democrats’ campaign arm is taking aim at nearly three dozen Republican-held seats in the chamber as they aim to win back the majority in next year’s midterm elections.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) on Tuesday released its initial 2026 target list, which included 35 GOP-controlled seats, and launched an effort to fundraise for the party’s eventual nominees in each of the districts.

The DCCC emphasized that their moves signal that “Democrats are on offense and poised to win the majority in 2026.”

The unveiling of the DCCC list comes three weeks after the rival National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) went up with its initial target list, which took aim at 26 districts controlled by House Democrats.

REPUBLICANS TO TAKE AIM AT THESE 26 DEMOCRAT-HELD HOUSE SEATS IN 2026 MIDTERMS

Republicans currently control the House, when the chamber returns to full strength, with a razor-thin 220-215 majority.

“House Republicans are running scared, and they should be. They’re tanking the economy, gutting Medicaid, abandoning our veterans, and making everything more expensive. In short, they’ve lost the trust of their constituents, and it’s going to cost them the majority,” DCCC Chair Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington State charged in a statement announcing the moves.

WERE LAST WEEK’S ELECTIONS IN WISCONSIN AND FLORIDA A CRYSTAL BALL FOR THINGS TO COME IN NEXT YEAR’S MIDTERMS?

While the Democratic Party experienced major setbacks in last November’s elections – losing control of the White House and their Senate majority – House Democrats took a small bite out of the GOP’s House majority.

The DCCC noted that their 2026 map “is more expansive than at the start of the 2024 cycle, reflecting a political environment of eroding public support for House Republicans.” 

Democrats, pointing to last week’s elections in Wisconsin and Florida, emphasize that their voters are angry and energized to resist President Donald Trump’s sweeping and controversial moves during the opening months of his second tour of duty in the White House, and claimed that the contests were an appetizer of things to come in next year’s midterms.

And the DCCC argued that the House GOP’s “refusal to stand up to Donald Trump and Elon Musk threatens the health care benefits and income security millions of Americans have earned, makes our country less safe, and has sent our economy into a tailspin.”

DelBene, pointing to the NRCC earlier this year urging its members to avoid holding town hall discussions, also claimed that “House Republicans are so scared, they’ve decided to hide from the public.”

POLL POSITION: WHERE TRUMP STANDS WITH AMERICANS 11 WEEKS INTO HIS SECOND TOUR OF DUTY IN THE WHITE HOUSE

The districts the House Democrats are targeting are currently held by Rep. Nick Begich of Alaska (AK-AL), Reps. David Schweikert (AZ-01), Eli Crane (AZ-02), and Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06) of Arizona, Reps. David Valadao (CA-22), Young Kim (CA-40), and Ken Calvert (CA-41) of California, Rep. Gabe Evans (CO-08) of Colorado, Reps. Cory Mills (FL-07), Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13) and Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27) of Florida, Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01), Ashley Hinson (IA-02) and Zach Nunn (IA-03) of Iowa, Rep. Andy Barr (KY-06) of Kentucky, Reps. Bill Huizenga (MI-04), Tom Barrett (MI-07), and John James (MI-10) of Michigan, Rep. Ann Wagner (MO-02) of Missouri, Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02) of Nebraska, Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (NJ-07) of New Jersey, Rep.  Mike Lawler (NY-17) of New York, Reps. Max Miller (OH-07), Mike Turner (OH-10) and Mike Carey (OH-15) of Ohio, Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Ryan Mackenzie (PA-07), Rob Bresnahan (PA-08) and Scott Perry (PA-10) of Pennsylvania, Rep. Andy Ogles (TN-05) of Tennessee, Rep. Monica De La Cruz (TX-15) of Texas, Reps. Rob Wittman (VA-01) and Jen Kiggans (VA-02) of Virginia, and Reps. Bryan Steil (WI-01) and Derrick Van Orden (WI-03) of Wisconsin.

The DCCC said it was also launching nominee fund pages, which it said provides “a way for grassroots donors to contribute now so that resources are available to the eventual Democratic nominee in these Districts in Play.”

While the party in power, which clearly is the Republicans, traditionally faces serious political headwinds in the midterm elections, the NRCC is optimistic they can defend their majority.

“If you look at the landscape for the 2026 election, there are only three Republicans in districts that [former vice president and 2024 Democratic presidential nominee] Kamala Harris carried, but there are 13 Democrats in seats that Donald Trump carried, and half of those are majority Hispanic districts that President Trump has really put in play for us,” NRCC chair Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina reiterated Monday in a Fox News Digital interview.

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The NRCC also points to the growing number of House Democrats who are seeking statewide office in 2026 rather than running for re-election.

Hudson said the trend would “absolutely” help the GOP defend the majority next year.

“It’s much easier to win an open seat than a seat with a Democrat incumbent who’s entrenched.,” Hudson said. “I think it’s incredibly helpful, and I think you’re going to see a whole lot more Democrats running for other offices and retiring.”

There is serious consternation among House conservatives about the updated budget framework the Senate approved early Saturday morning for the tax cut and spending cut package.

Fox is told there are at least five to 10 House Republicans who cannot support this plan. The reason is that the measure doesn’t cut nearly enough spending to satisfy conservatives.

President Trump has signaled that he wants the House to accept the Senate’s blueprint. But these House conservatives are adamantly against it. We’ll see if they fold.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: POWER PLAYER ON CAPITOL HILL

Fox asked one archconservative if pressure by President Trump would get them to come around. Fox was told they wouldn’t do so this time.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has set Wednesday as the day for the House to vote on the new framework. Fox is told that the House wants to do it Wednesday in case GOP leaders need to take a mulligan and try again later in the week.

It’s about the math.

Here’s the current House breakdown:

433 members. 220 Republicans. 213 Democrats.

That means Republicans can only lose three votes and still pass a bill if all House members cast ballots.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: THE GAME OF DEATH

Here’s why the framework is so important:

The House and Senate must be on the same page and adopt the same budget blueprint in order for the Senate to use a process called “budget reconciliation” to avoid a filibuster. A filibuster would kill the bill because Republicans lack 60 yeas to break a filibuster in the Senate. So they have to use budget reconciliation. The House and Senate cannot delve into the guts of the “big, beautiful bill” until they both adopt the same budget framework. Otherwise, they are dead in the water.

The Senate prepped a measure that didn’t include cuts as deep as demanded by the House for a reason. First, such deep cuts would never command the necessary votes to pass the bill in the Senate. Secondly, Senate Republicans are bound by special budget rules. Thus, their cuts can’t be as deep. However, Senate GOP sources have repeatedly told Fox that they are trying to establish a “floor” for cuts. Not a “ceiling.”

The budget framework already has a fraught legislative history.

The Senate approved its initial blueprint in February. The House approved a different framework a week later. But they were different documents.

So, the Senate approved yet another version over the weekend. The House now needs to align with the Senate — or approve something different.

Either way, the House and Senate are not on the same page. And they cannot begin dealing with the actual bill until they are. After two “vote-a-ramas” in the Senate (where senators vote round-the-clock for hours on a budget measure), some Senate GOPers have indicated that the Senate would not do a third vote-a-rama. Moreover, Johnson has set a deadline of Memorial Day to pass the plan.

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One item expected to be included in the package: a debt ceiling increase. The Senate budget package hiked the debt ceiling by $5 trillion. Considering volatility in the markets and overall economic uncertainty, there is concern that Congress may need to address the debt ceiling sooner rather than later. The current estimation is that lawmakers have until summertime to address the debt ceiling. But there could be problems if Congress can’t greenlight any bill to address the debt ceiling — this one or something else.

Hamish McKenzie, the co-founder of Substack, is suddenly speaking out.

“We are living through the most significant media disruption since the printing press, and it explains everything from why you can’t stand your neighbor to our current political tumult.”

Today, he says on his site, “we live in a more chaotic environment, where the narrative frenzy of social media has given rise to political movements that gain power through exploiting attention of any kind, positive or negative, from moral panics to fulminating podium-thumpers. We’ve gone from ‘Ask not what your country can do for you’ to dunk tweets and death-by-emoji.”

HOW DONALD TRUMP DOMINATES THE NEWS, BOTH POSITIVELY AND NEGATIVELY

Obviously, it’s in McKenzie’s interest to portray a media revolution with him as the chief rebel. When Substack launched in 2017, it was viewed as an intriguing experiment, an outlet largely for those who didn’t have one.

But in the Trump era, with his constant cable appearances and Truth Social posts, there’s little question that we’re submerged in a toxic environment. The president gets this, which is why he’s done a number of podcast interviews. 

He went on Joe Rogan and Kamala, uh, did not. 

Now, with big-name journalists giving up prime television gigs in favor of the site’s independence, we are living in the Substack Era. What was once viewed as the Holy Grail – an anchoring or hosting job on a major network – is now dismissed as old-school legacy media with too many corporate constraints.

Take my former Fox colleague Chris Wallace. He left for CNN (actually CNN-plus, which was euthanized in three weeks) and then launched a Saturday talk show. But Chris recently announced he’s leaving the network to go independent, which undoubtedly includes Substack.

Another ex-Fox colleague, Megyn Kelly, had a similar experience. Having been dropped by NBC after a bad experience there, she started a daily show and video podcast on Sirius XM, and now has 3.2 million subscribers on YouTube.

MICHELLE OBAMA’S ‘IMO’ PODCAST RANKS 34TH ON SPOTIFY PODCASTS CHART

Chuck Todd, having been eased out of his “Meet the Press” job, was given an online streaming show. But not long ago he announced he was leaving NBC to go independent. 

When Dan Abrams gave up his NewsNation show after three years, he said: “As much as I love this show and the mission of this network, I just can’t continue to give this show the attention it needs and deserves with all of my other professional commitments.” The Mediaite founder later announced that he is concentrating on creating a YouTube channel for the site, working with other media folks.

McKenzie’s great insight is that he could connect writers and podcasters directly to their audience, with Substack taking a cut. They can opt for a revenue-sharing agreement. Now you might ask, what if you’re not a famous former anchor or commentator?

Turns out that niche sites do really well. They can work at other jobs at the same time. Many users report a six-figure income. 

This is especially striking in that most Substack people let you read their sites for free, or a shortened version, with the full column and special features available only for paying subscribers. The hope is that some of the freeloaders will become subscribers over time.

Not everyone winds up at Substack voluntarily. Chris Cillizza, the former Washington Post columnist, is quite candid in saying he came to Substack after being laid off at CNN. He found himself with little to do after dropping the kids at school.

TRUMP, EYEING 3RD TERM, KEEPS ATTACKING ELITE INSTITUTIONS – AND MANY ARE CAVING

“I started this Substack — selfishly — to help me grapple with my changed life. To give me a platform where I could express myself — hopefully to an audience — about the world of politics, yes, but also how I was navigating a new reality.”

He has slowly built a following and chats with Todd once a week, which is something that Substackers do.

Casandra Campbell of Really Good Business Ideas analyzed the 29 most popular Substacks.

The first two are Letters from an American (hundreds of thousands of paid subscribers for political history) and Broken Palate. Michael Moore was No. 3, and the only other names I recognized were former candidate Allen West, the Bulwark, and ex-Labor Secretary Robert Reich.

The others had names like Dr. Mercola’s Censored Library, DeLa Soul, The Pragmatic Engineer and The Cryptonite Weekly Rap.

“Our political culture now mirrors chaos media culture,” McKenzie says. “Opponents are not just to be argued against, but humiliated.” Good luck changing that.

SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE’S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A RIFF ON THE DAY’S HOTTEST STORIES

Look, I subscribe to several Substack accounts. I’d like to subscribe to more but, with fees ranging from $5 to $40 a month, it gets expensive. So I read others for free and ponder whether to upgrade.

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I don’t agree that this is the biggest deal since the Gutenberg press, around 1440, but it’s having an impact on the media and political culture. Substack is hot, and there are competitors, mainly because journalists and politicos crave a connection that goes beyond the craziness of the Trump age. 

The Senate voted Monday to invoke cloture on Elbridge Colby’s nomination, moving the national security strategist one step closer to confirmation as undersecretary of defense for policy, the Pentagon’s No. 3 post. 

The procedural vote, which limits debate and tees up a final confirmation vote, passed by a margin of 53 to 49. Colby’s nomination advanced out of the Armed Services Committee last month, overcoming skepticism from hawkish Republicans like Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., during a closed-door vote.

Three Democrats broke with their party and voted in favor of Colby: Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and Jack Reed, R.I., the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee. 

Colby, a co-founder of the Marathon Initiative and a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development under the Trump administration, is best known for his role in authoring the 2018 National Defense Strategy, which reoriented long-term military strategy toward a great power competition with China. 

He has long argued the U.S. military needs to limit its resources in the Middle East in a pivot to the Indo-Pacific region. 

Colby has scored staunch backing from a number of figures in Trump world, increasing the pressure on GOP skeptics to get on board with his nomination. 

VANCE VISITS CAPITOL HILL TO URGE SENATORS TO CONFIRM ELBRIDGE COLBY FOR PENTAGON NO. 3 POST

Vice President J.D. Vance paid a visit to Capitol Hill last month to offer support for his “friend” Colby. 

“In so many ways, Bridge predicted what we would be talking about four years down the road, five years down the road, 10 years down the road. He saw around corners that very few other people were seeing around,” Vance said at the time. 

“If you look at his long career in defense policy, he has said things that, you know, frankly, alienated Democrats and Republicans. He’s also said things that I think both Democrats and Republicans would agree with.” 

During the hearing, Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker, R-Miss., questioned Colby on his previously stated position, “America has a strong interest in defending Taiwan, but Americans can survive without it.” 

“Your views on Taiwan’s importance to the United States seems to have softened considerably,” Wicker told Colby. 

Colby disputed that point, arguing he had been sounding the alarm that the U.S.’ “military balance has declined” in relation to China.

DISPUTED DOD NOMINEE IS ‘BEST PERSON’ TO IMPLEMENT TRUMP AND HEGSETH AGENDA, KEY CONSERVATIVE GROUP SAYS

“What I have been trying to shoot a signal flare over is that it is vital for us to focus and enable our own forces for an effective and reasonable defense of Taiwan and for the Taiwanese, as well as the Japanese, to do more,” said Colby.  

When pressed by Cotton during the hearing, Colby said he believes Iran to be an “existential” threat to the U.S. 

“Yes, a nuclear-armed Iran – especially, Senator, given that … we know they’ve worked on ICBM-range capabilities and other capabilities that would pose an existential danger to the United States,” Colby said.

He promised to provide “credible good military options” to the president if diplomacy with Iran fails. 

It was a different tune than he’d sung in years past. 

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“The only thing worse than the prospect of an Iran armed with nuclear weapons would be consequences of using force to try to stop them,” Colby had said in 2012. 

“I would say a lot of what I was arguing against at the time, these conversations 15 years ago, a lot of the opponents I felt had a casual or in some cases even flippant attitude towards the employment of military force,” Colby said. “That’s a lot of what I was arguing against. Was my wording always appropriate, was my precise framing always appropriate? No.”

The Supreme Court on Monday granted President Donald Trump’s request to vacate a lower court’s ruling barring the administration from using a 1798 wartime immigration law to immediately deport Venezuelan nationals – including alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang – from the U.S., marking a significant victory for the administration as it advances key immigration priorities.

Justices on the high court ruled 5-4 to grant the administration’s request to lift the stay, in a temporary victory for Trump and his allies.

At issue was the Alien Enemies Act, or the immigration law passed by Congress in 1789 to immediately remove certain migrants from U.S. soil. 

Prior to Trump’s second White House term, it had been invoked just three times in U.S. history: During the War of 1812, during World War I, and most recently, World War II.

JUDGE BOASBERG POISED TO HOLD TRUMP ADMIN IN CONTEMPT, TAKES DOWN NAMES OF DHS OFFICIALS: ‘PRETTY SKETCHY’ 

Lawyers for the Trump administration had urged the court to vacate the lower court ruling, arguing in a Supreme Court filing that the lower court orders “rebuffed” their immigration agenda, including their ability “to protect the Nation against foreign terrorist organizations and risk debilitating effects for delicate foreign negotiations.”

“Today’s a bad day to be a terrorist in the United States of America,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a video posted to X, adding that Trump “was correct in using his authority on using the Alien Enemies Act to deport terrorists out of this country.”

Meanwhile, Attorney General Pam Bondi called the “landmark” decision a “victory for the rule of law,” adding that an “activist judge” in Washington, D.C., “does not have the jurisdiction to seize control of President Trump’s authority to conduct foreign policy and keep the American people safe.”

“The Department of Justice will continue fighting in court to make America safe again,” Bondi concluded in her statement responding to the ruling.

APPEALS COURT BLOCKS TRUMP ADMIN’S DEPORTATION FLIGHTS IN ALIEN ENEMIES ACT IMMIGRATION SUIT

“This is a major loss for the lunatics and a major win for the American people,” Vice President J.D. Vance responded following the High Court’s ruling. “Onward!”

The Supreme Court’s ruling follows a temporary order from U.S. District Judge James Boasberg last month blocking the administration’s use of the 1798 law for 14 days while he considered the case on its merits – a pause upheld by a federal appeals court in a 2–1 decision.

“Nazis got better treatment” than some of the migrants deported under the law, Judge Patricia Millett, an Obama appointee, remarked during the appellate hearing.

Both Boasberg and the appellate panel sharply questioned the administration over Trump’s proclamation invoking the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan nationals – and over the three planes that removed hundreds of migrants to El Salvador the very next day.

At least 261 migrants were deported that day, including more than 100 Venezuelans removed “solely on the basis” of the 1798 statute.

The deportation flights reportedly landed around the same time Boasberg issued his temporary halt, raising questions about whether administration officials knowingly defied the order. Boasberg had issued a bench ruling requiring any flights that had already taken off to return “immediately.”

That did not happen.

JUDGE BOASBERG SHOULD ‘RECUSE’ HIMSELF FROM TRUMP DEPORTATION CASE, GOP LAWMAKER ARGUES

Boasberg said on April 3 that he was weighing whether to hold certain Trump administration officials in contempt of court for refusing to provide information, even after the court issued repeated requests regarding the deportation flights and the number of individuals sent to El Salvador.

Government lawyers cited national security concerns as the reason for refusing to comply with the court’s request for information.

But during the April 3 hearing, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Drew Ensign told Boasberg the flight information likely wasn’t classified — prompting the judge to question why the administration had declined to provide it on more than four occasions, including under a court-imposed deadline.

“Pretty sketchy,” Boasberg mused in court.

WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S DEPORTATION EFFORTS? 

Boasberg also pressed the government to disclose the names, locations, and agencies of individuals involved in the removals, as well as any internal conversations with officials who may have been monitoring the court proceedings.

The hearing marked the latest in a flurry of legal battles over the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act. It followed Boasberg’s order requiring officials to explain why they failed to comply with his directive to return the deportation flights – and whether they knowingly defied the court.

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The Supreme Court ruling may not mark the end of Trump’s push to invoke the Alien Enemies Act.

Boasberg is still weighing potential contempt charges against administration officials. As of this writing, a preliminary injunction hearing is set for April 8.

President Trump took to Truth Social to react to the decision in a post: “The Supreme Court has upheld the Rule of Law in our Nation by allowing a President, whoever that may be, to be able to secure our Borders, and protect our families and our Country, itself. A GREAT DAY FOR JUSTICE IN AMERICA!”

Fox News’ Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.

EXCLUSIVE: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have come to an agreement to permit ICE to access taxpayer information to locate illegal immigrants subject to deportation. 

The Trump administration filed a memorandum of understanding late Monday with a court to create guardrails and a process for ICE requests to the IRS to further investigations of criminal illegal immigrants who have failed or refuse to leave the United States 90 days after a judge has issued a final order of removal. 

“The Internal Revenue Service and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement have entered into a memorandum of understanding to establish a clear and secure process to support law enforcement’s efforts to combat illegal immigration,” a Treasury Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

COURT ORDER HALTING DEPORTATION FLIGHTS ‘UNCONSTITUTIONALLY IMPEDES’ EXECUTIVE BRANCH, TRUMP ALLIES ARGUE

“The bases for this MOU are founded in longstanding authorities granted by Congress, which serve to protect the privacy of law-abiding Americans while streamlining the ability to pursue criminals,” the statement said. “After four years of Joe Biden flooding the nation with illegal aliens, President Trump’s highest priority is to ensure the safety of the American people.”

A senior Treasury Department official said the illegal immigrants have been given due process but have overstayed 90 days post a judge’s removal order. 

The MOU outlines a process to ensure that sensitive taxpayer data information is protected while allowing law enforcement to pursue criminal violations, the official said. 

The Treasury Department is committed to protecting the privacy of law-abiding taxpayers, but a criminal exception obligates the agency to assist law enforcement, the senior official said. 

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TELLS FEDERAL JUDGE IT MIGHT INVOKE STATE SECRETS ACT ON HIGH-PROFILE DEPORTATION CASE

A draft agreement reported last month by the Washington Post said it would limit ICE to confirm the addresses of illegal immigrants who have final removal orders.

The deal would allow ICE to submit the names and addresses of illegal immigrants to the IRS, who could then cross-check those immigrants’ tax records and provide the immigration agency with current address information.

Some veteran IRS officials have expressed concerns, arguing that the narrow exception was meant only for criminal investigations and not for immigration enforcement. They also worry that the policy will hinder tax collection from illegal immigrants, who are still subject to federal taxes despite being in the country illegally.

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The agreement comes as President Donald Trump has continued to ramp up the deportation effort he promised on the campaign trail, while attempting to use every available resource in order to aid immigration authorities. 

Fox News Digital’s Michael Lee contributed to this report. 

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the State Department called out practices under the Biden administration that required diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts to account for 20% of performance evaluations for foreign service officers.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the reforms of the Biden administration’s DEI policies “important and historic.”

“Now our incredible Foreign Service Officers will be evaluated on true merit, not on arbitrary immutable characteristics,” he wrote on X.

Rubio shared a post from DOGE, which noted that under the policy, diplomats were assessed on whether they avoided “gendered adjectives” or “faint praise.”

US NAVAL ACADEMY ENDS AFFIRMATIVE ACTION IN ADMISSIONS: ‘IMPLEMENTING ALL DIRECTIVES’

The department shared PowerPoint slides providing examples of phrases to avoid.

One of the slides gave descriptive phrases that can unintentionally influence a reader. It then gave examples of gendered adjectives like, “Dr. Sarah Gray is a caring compassionate physician” vs. “Dr. Joel Gray has been very successful with his patients.”

Faint praise was also discouraged. One example the slide provided was, “S/he worked hard on projects that s/he was assigned” or “S/he has never had temper tantrums.”

JASMINE CROCKETT SETS OFF SOCIAL MEDIA AFTER TOUTING BEING BLACK AS QUALIFICATION FOR PUBLIC DEFENDER JOB

The slides discouraged using first names for women or minorities and titles for men, as well.

Additionally, as DOGE pointed out in its post, the slides asked local organizations to promote diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) programs, training and lectures as well as annual DEIA awards ceremonies.

The foreign service officers were also encouraged to set race and gender quotas on embassy speaking panels and other diplomatic events.

TRUMP’S DOGE TARGETS BLUE STATES WITH MASSIVE CUTS IN ‘DIVISIVE’ DEI CONTRACTS

“Working with DOGE, [Secretary Rubio] has ended this discrimination and restored merit to the foreign service,” DOGE wrote.

The elimination of the DEIA requirement on performance evaluations for foreign service officers comes a week after the Trump administration slashed $15 million from the Institute of Museum and Library Services in the form of DEI grants to align with DOGE and President Donald Trump’s executive orders aimed at eliminating DEI from the federal government.

The grants include $6.7 million to the California State Library to enhance equitable library programs and $4 million to the Washington State Library for diverse staff development and incarcerated support. 

TRUMP LABOR DEPARTMENT SECURES EYE-POPPING SUM TO RETURN TO TAXPAYERS AMID DOGE PUSH

A $1.5M DEI grant to the Connecticut State Library system to “integrate social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion” into their daily operations is also being cut along with $700,000 for a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit to study “post-pandemic DEI practices” in American children’s museums that would formulate “enhanced equity-focused strategies.”

Trump’s DOGE efforts have saved the American taxpayer $140 billion, according to its website, which represents about $870 saved per taxpayer.

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The Trump administration says it has slashed hundreds of millions of dollars in DEI contracts, including at least $100 million at the Department of Education.

Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

Two key bills backed by President Donald Trump are set to get a vote this week after advancing through the House Rules Committee on Monday evening.

The No Rogue Rulings Act (NORRA Act) by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., would limit district court judges’ ability to issue orders blocking Trump policies nationwide. The Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, is aimed at requiring proof of citizenship in the voting registration process.

The former legislation is a response to Trump’s ongoing standoff with judges paralyzing his agenda, while the latter is a bill that the president and his allies have long pushed for.

Issa’s bill is slated to get a vote on Tuesday afternoon, while Roy’s is expected on the House floor Thursday morning.

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That’s provided they pass a procedural hurdle known as a “rule vote.” A simple majority of House lawmakers is needed to pass a “rule” to allow for debate and eventual House-wide votes on legislation.

The House Rules Committee, the final gatekeeper before most legislation reaches the entire chamber, advanced a “rule” combining Issa and Roy’s bills with two financial regulatory measures that are also due for a vote this week if the rule passes.

Both pieces of legislation were slated to get House votes last week, but a showdown over an unrelated measure on proxy voting for new parents in Congress wound up paralyzing the chamber floor on Tuesday afternoon, less than 24 hours after the House’s first votes of the week.

“The Committee on Rules made efforts to protect this body from a take-it-or-leave-it, all-or-nothing proposal to impose proxy voting, which, while limited, would take us down the slippery slope and return us to the rampant abuse of unlimited proxy voting for members on both sides of the aisle that we witnessed when the Democrats imposed the practice during the COVID era, yet the body felt otherwise,” House Rules Committee Chair Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., said at the outset of Monday’s meeting.

Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., the top Democrat on the committee, said during his opening statement, “A supposedly pro-family party worked to block a simple, commonsense policy that supports working moms in Congress. It was a move that was unprecedented, and thankfully, a majority of members in our chamber pushed back.”

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“When he lost the vote, Speaker Johnson sent everyone home, blaming the few Republicans who had the guts to take a stand for family values,” McGovern said.

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With the matter resolved, both the rule vote and both measures themselves are expected to pass with little drama.

It’s likely a different matter in the Senate, however, where both bills would need help from at least some Democrats to meet the body’s 60-vote threshold for advancement.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced $51 million in cuts from the U.S. African Development Foundation, which included hundreds of thousands of dollars for marketing shea butter and pineapple juice, as well as mango drying facilities.

DOGE made the announcement on X, highlighting several initiatives the money was put toward.

For instance, $229,296 was used to market 100% organic shea butter in Burkina Faso; $246,217 was spent on mango drying facilities in the Ivory Coast; and $239,738 was spent on marketing pineapple juice in Benin.

The department also said $99,566 was spent to increase yogurt production in Uganda; $84,059 was spent on a business incubator for spa and wellness entrepreneurs in Nigeria; $50,000 was spent to train farmers how to grow dragon fruit in Senegal; and $48,406 was spent on a WhatsApp marketing chatbot in Kenya.

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DOGE, led by Elon Musk, is a temporary organization within the White House created via executive order earlier this year.

President Donald Trump tasked the organization with optimizing the federal government, streamlining operations and slashing spending and gave the agency 18 months to do it.

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Late last month, DOGE shared that it had terminated 113 contracts valued at $4.7 billion, including a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) consulting contract valued at $145,000 for Peru climate change activities.

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The funding that was canceled also included $10 million for “gender equity in the Mexican workplace,” $12.2 million for “worker empowerment in South America” and $6.25 million for “improving respect for workers’ rights in agricultural supply chains” in the countries of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.

The department has canceled numerous diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at federal agencies, consulting contracts, leases for underused federal buildings and duplicate agencies and programs.

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As of Monday, DOGE claims on its site that it has saved Americans $140 billion, or about $870 per taxpayer.

President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he plans to undergo a physical examination on Friday, marking his first annual physical in his second administration.

Trump announced the plans in a Truth Social post, noting that the exam would take place at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Trump was treated for COVID-19 at the same hospital in 2020.

“I am pleased to report that my long scheduled Annual Physical Examination will be done at Walter Reed Army Medical Center on Friday of this week,” the Republican wrote. “I have never felt better, but nevertheless, these things must be done!”

Trump’s stamina and physical health have been a center of attention since his July 13 assassination attempt, which he miraculously survived. At the time, Dr. Marc Siegel noted that Trump showed an “adroitness.”

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“I’ve been talking to emergency room doctors, vascular surgeons and trauma surgeons all over the country this morning, and nobody can remember a case like this,” he said. 

Months later, in November, Florida neurosurgeon Dr. Brett Osborn told Fox News Digital that Trump remained in good health.

“The fact that he attended 120 events in seven months, often multiple rallies in a single day in different states, is proof-positive that Trump has a tremendous amount of stamina, mentally and physically,” Osborn noted.

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But Democrats have disputed Trump’s health in the past, and members of the medical community have demanded Trump release his medical records. In an open letter from Oct. 13, over 230 doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals asked for a record release.

“On August 20, Donald Trump said he would ‘very gladly’ release his medical records. In the 55 days since, he has yet to do so,” reads the letter, signed largely by supporters of former Vice President Kamala Harris. “With no recent disclosure of health information from Donald Trump, we are left to extrapolate from public appearances.”

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“And on that front, Trump is falling concerningly short of any standard of fitness for office and displaying alarming characteristics of declining acuity,” the petition claimed.

Fox News Digital’s Melissa Rudy and Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.

Another leader and military veteran has thrown his name into the growing list of candidates in Michigan’s governor’s race to replace term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

On Monday, Republican Rep. John James, a Trump ally, announced he was launching his bid for governor, becoming the latest GOP candidate to jump in the primary. 

“I’m running for Governor of the great state of Michigan,” James shared in a statement on X. “This decision comes after deep reflection, prayer, and a conversation with my wife and children.”

James now joins the state’s Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt as the latest major Republican to jump into the gubernatorial primary, the Hill reported. Meanwhile, the candidates in the race for the Democratic primary include Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson, while Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is running as an independent. 

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“Faith and Family. God and Country. Service Before Self. Michigan First,” James posted in the announcement. 

James stated that “our state has suffered long enough” and says they are being held back by a “lack of strong, competent leadership.”

“For the past seven years, Michigan has been dominated by radical, out-of-touch policies that have hurt our families, our communities, and our economy,” James explained in his reasons for running for governor. 

James said that the state has lost over 300,000 manufacturing jobs since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which he equated to nearly a third of their industrial base, saying “that’s unacceptable.” 

“It’s time to get Michigan’s government out of fantastyland and back to common sense,” James wrote.  

“President Trump and I have been in each other’s corner through thick and thin for eight years-no reason that will end now. He’s doing his part to Make America Great Again, and I’ll do mine to bring prosperity and sanity back to Michigan,” James pledged.

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James was first elected to Congress in 2022, becoming Michigan’s first Black Republican member of Congress, and represents the state’s 10th Congressional District. 

James would also become the first Black governor of Michigan if elected. 

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He ran unsuccessfully for the Senate twice before, losing to Democrat Debbie Stabenow in 2018 and to Democratic Sen. Gary Peters in 2020.

“Make Michigan Great Again,” James wrote in a previous post on X, sharing a video from Rapid Response 47 about Flint, MI.

James served eight years of active duty military service as a Ranger-qualified aviation officer, according to his biography on the district’s website.

National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Zach Bannon said that James’ announcement is good news for Republicans for continued growth in Congress. 

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“Republicans are well-positioned to hold Michigan’s 10th congressional district as we retain and grow our majority in Congress. Michiganders rejected the out of touch Democrats’ radical agenda in 2024, and they’ll do it again in 2026,” Bannon shared in a statement. 

Bannon noted that both President Trump and Rep. James won Michigan’s 10th district by over 6% in 2024.

Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has helped the U.S. Coast Guard save $32.7 million by eliminating an “ineffective IT program” known as the Logistics Information Management System (CG-LIMS), the Department of Homeland Security confirmed to Fox News Digital.

“Another win for government efficiency at DHS!” Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a statement to Fox News Digital on Monday. “Continuing the crucial work of DOGE, the Coast Guard eliminated an ineffective IT program, saving over $32 million and focusing its resources where they’re most needed to protect the homeland. The USCG continues to deliver on the President’s priorities, maximizing its efficiency while securing our borders and maritime approaches.”

Originally anticipated to begin operating in 2027 and reaching full capability in 2031, the CG-LIMS was expected to integrate existing and future capabilities with the Coast Guard while supporting operations.

As designed, CG-LIMS would have modernized the Coast Guard’s IT systems, which, according to the military branch’s website, would have gained increases in capabilities and resources while resulting in “substantial cost savings and improved integration of logistics” between the services.

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CG-LIMS would also have been utilized on 245 cutters, 200 aircraft, 1,800 boats, shore-based systems, aids to navigation equipment and command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment.

But starting no later than May 1, 2025, all program activities regarding CG-LIMS will end.

According to the Coast Guard, the termination is the result of the program’s inability to deliver on its full requirements in the near future.

The $32.7 million saved will instead be used “to address emergent Coast Guard needs,” according to the military service. Personnel that worked on CG-LIMS will be “reassigned to fill critical personnel shortages” within the Coast Guard, it said.

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The Coast Guard said it will continue to search for alternatives to resolve gaps in IT logistics, and achieve the necessary functionality envisioned by the Service.

“The Coast Guard upholds a longstanding tradition of meticulous stewardship, driven by our talented, innovative and resourceful workforce,” Rear Adm. Mike Campbell, the Coast Guard’s director of acquisition programs and program executive officer, said. “The termination of the Logistics Information Management System acquisition program continues that legacy under Force Design 2028 (FD 2028). Through Force Design 2028, we are renewing our efforts to maximize efficiencies, identify cost savings and maximize the return on America’s investment in the Coast Guard.”

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FD 2028, the Coast Guard said, focuses on people, organization, contracting and acquisition, and technology. It is also described as a “once-in-a-generation” effort to investigate and transform the Coast Guard so it can adapt to the current and future environment.

EXCLUSIVE: Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen is asking the Department of Justice to scrap a report that could lead to intense federal oversight of the Phoenix Police Department.

In a letter to newly sworn-in Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon, Petersen asked the DOJ to retract a report from the Biden administration about civil rights issues within the department. The report would essentially try to get the city of Phoenix to agree to high federal involvement through the DOJ.

The June 2024 report said that the department and the city “engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the U.S. Constitution and federal law,” including “excessive force” and discriminatory practices against minorities and homeless people.

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“The DOJ’s report contained a host of biased and inaccurate findings against the City’s Police Department, putting Phoenix on a path for a destructive and costly consent decree that would discourage our brave men and women in blue from reducing crime and protecting innocent Phoenicians. It would also have a tremendous impact on the agency’s ability to recruit and retain enough officers to service our communities report,” Petersen wrote.

Petersen argued that if the police department went under a consent decree with the DOJ, it would create similar challenges to what the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office deals with now after coming under a consent decree in 2015, which is expected to exceed a $310 million price tag in the coming months, the Republican lawmaker argued.

“Former Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone, a Democrat, resigned from his position last year, in large part, due to frustration from the consent decree hanging over his office. He said, ‘I’ll be damned if I do three terms under federal court oversight, for a debt I never incurred, and not be able to serve this community in the manner that I could if you took the other hand from being tied behind my back. Because the future without law enforcement doesn’t look good,’” he said.

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He acknowledged that the department has pushed for reforms on their terms, saying that there should be accountability for issues with “rogue police agencies or officers,” but noted that this is not the way to go about it.

“In short, these consent decrees are nothing more than backhanded attempts to hijack police departments and bring them under the control of the federal government,” he added. “The consent decrees are unconstitutional and exploited by overreaching presidential administrations.”

Before being elected to the Senate, Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego used his official House office to write to the Biden DOJ voicing opposition to a consent decree in August.

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“I strongly urge DOJ to consider entering into a technical assistance letter with the City of Phoenix rather than continue to pursue a consent decree,” Gallego wrote. “While the DOJ raises several valid points in its findings report, both PPD and the City of Phoenix already welcome reforms to advance the mission to protect Phoenix’s residents from crime and safeguard their civil rights.”

While Biden was still in office, many progressives in the state argued that there should be federal accountability for the agency.

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“Phoenix PD needs federal oversight,” the American Civil Liberties Union tweeted in October 2024 following an incident in which officers allegedly severely mistreated a deaf, disabled Black man, Tyron McAlpin, who is now suing the city and the offices involved. His charges were scrapped, and the officers received a 24-hour suspension, according to Fox 10 Phoenix. 

The DOJ did not respond in time to Fox News Digital for comment.

The Maryland House of Delegates passed a bill that will prohibit agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) from entering sensitive locations without a warrant.

The legislation, Senate Bill 828, which will ban ICE agents from schools, libraries and churches unless the agency is able to obtain a warrant, passed the Democratic-dominated House of Delegates on a 98-39 vote. 

It now returns to the state Senate where, if approved as amended, it will proceed to Democratic Gov. Wes Moore’s desk.

The bill comes as President Donald Trump has ramped up deportation efforts across the country, seeking to make good on a campaign promise that became central to his third bid for the White House.

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That effort has led to over 100,000 deportations between when Trump took office on Jan. 20 and the end of March, according to numbers provided to Newsweek, a number that was already over a third of the 271,000 deported during the final year of the Biden administration.

But Maryland lawmakers are putting a roadblock in front of that effort, with the state’s Democratic-controlled legislature arguing that ICE tactics have spread fear through local communities.

“People in my community have been afraid for far too long,” Democratic Delegate Karen Simpson told Fox affiliate WBFF. “I am thankful to everyone in this body who has voted for this so that we can get rid of 287(g) who has scared our community.”

The new legislation also incorporates Maryland’s House Bill 1222, which seeks to eliminate ICE’s 287(g) program from being used in the state. That program allows local law enforcement agencies to partner with ICE and assist in immigration enforcement efforts, including cooperating with ICE detainers that instruct local jurisdictions to hold illegal immigrants in jail until they can be apprehended by ICE for deportation proceedings.

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The legislation was opposed by Republican Delegate Kathy Szeliga, who told WBFF that the bill was nothing more than “fear mongering by the left” that is “stirring up the immigrant community.”

Szeliga was able to successfully add an amendment to the legislation that would ensure that criminal illegal aliens who are on the state’s sex offender registry would be turned over to ICE, though that provision would not go into effect until June 1.

The legislation will not return to the Senate, where Szeliga believes it will pass despite opposition to such amendments.

“I hear that the Senate doesn’t love the bill the way it’s been amended. But I believe that they will pass this bill,” Szeliga said.

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The Maryland Senate has until midnight tonight to vote on SB 828 before the Maryland General Assembly adjourns for the year. If passed, it heads to Moore’s desk.

Reached for comment by Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for ICE said the agency does not comment on legislation.

A group of universities, many of which receive significant federal funding, could soon rebel against President Donald Trump’s executive orders clamping down on progressive initiatives in public education, if campus activists have their way.

Members of a Rutgers University advisory board recently passed a resolution for establishing a “Mutual Defense Compact” to pool legal and policy resources of the member institutions within the Big Ten Academic Alliance in opposition to the Trump administration’s orders. The resolution calls on Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway to spearhead the effort and to “take a leading role in convening a summit of Big Ten academic and legal leadership to initiate the implementation of this Compact.”

One professor who spoke with Fox News Digital quipped in response that “the left has discovered free speech.”

“These are the same people who had who would punish other members of the university community for using the wrong pronouns for so-called microaggressions,” Dr. Kevin Jon Williams, a cardiovascular sciences professor at Temple University, told Fox News Digital in an interview. 

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“They banned conservative speakers and engage in violence to stop conservative speakers from coming to campus, they would rescind offers to prospective applicants who had been accepted based on someone finding something they had done maybe when they were 11 or 12 years old,” Williams said. “I mean, they were totally vicious and totally against any sort of freedom of expression.”

Williams was one of the professors the measure – formally titled the Resolution to Establish a Mutual Defense Compact for the Universities of the Big Ten Academic Alliance in Defense of Academic Freedom, Institutional Integrity, and the Research Enterprise – was initially sent to before it was passed by the Rutgers University Senate.

The resolution states that “recent and escalating politically motivated actions by governmental bodies pose a significant threat to the foundational principles of American higher education, including the autonomy of university governance, the integrity of scientific research, and the protection of free speech,” and as such, the “Trump administration and aligned political actors have signaled a willingness to target individual institutions with legal, financial, and political incursion designed to undermine their public mission, silence dissenting voices, and/or exert improper control over academic inquiry.”

The defense-compact resolution was drafted by the Big Ten Academic Alliance, an organization composed of more than a dozen universities of the Big Ten Conference, which includes both public and private institutions. Originally known as the Committee on Institutional Cooperation, the alliance was established to foster research collaboration and shared resources.

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“I don’t think they’re hypocrites, I think they’re liars,” Williams added. “I think what they’re doing is they’re hiding behind the cloak of free speech, which they do not believe in, to try to maintain their control over the university environment. It’s a ploy. It’s a strategy, and we should not take them seriously when they say that they’re interested in free speech, because they demonstrated that they are most certainly opposed to free speech.”

Under the proposal, participating universities would contribute to a shared defense fund to provide immediate support for what they determine are legal and political infringements. It’s unclear which universities in the Big Ten may support the resolution.

The resolution will also “be transmitted to the leadership of all Big Ten universities and their respective governing boards and shared governance bodies,” while the president of Rutgers University “take a leading role in convening a summit of Big Ten academic and legal leadership to initiate the implementation of this Compact.”

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“This is a remarkably politically partisan document,” said Williams, who is also a fellow for the conservative Do No Harm medical advocacy group. “This is a broad brush condemnation of the Trump administration. Now, for sure, by free speech, they absolutely have the right to do that, but if they do that, they cease being nonpartisan, and I would bring their tax-exempt status into question.”

Many Big Ten universities have historically received federal grants for research from agencies like the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy.

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The resolution comes at a time when the Trump administration has taken a critical look at universities receiving federal funding. In March, the administration revoked $400 million in federal grants to Columbia University, citing concerns over antisemitism on campus following the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. This action was part of a broader initiative scrutinizing elite universities for alleged civil rights violations, particularly toward Jewish students.

The administration has also shifted its focus to eliminating universities’ diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives to align with Trump’s executive orders while also banning biological males from women’s sports. The Department of Education announced investigations into over 50 colleges for alleged racial discrimination, challenging race-based admissions and scholarships in February.

Trump also signed an executive order significantly reducing the size of the Department of Education in March. While the department’s operations are scaled back, it retains control over critical functions such as Title I funding, Pell grants, student loans and special education funding.

FIRST ON FOX: An email sent to New Jersey State Police staff revealed that officers were asked not to comply with federal arrest warrants, bringing attention to the state’s “sanctuary” policies.

The email sent on March 24 was made public by Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli, who said he does not fault the head of the department, Col. Patrick Callahan, but the state’s policies that are in place, as well as Democratic leaders.

“The fact that my campaign received this email is evidence that brave and courageous law enforcement officers throughout New Jersey are angry about being handcuffed by liberal Democrat policies in Trenton, making our communities less safe,” Ciattarelli said in a statement.  

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“The blame goes to Governor Murphy, Attorney General Platkin, and the Democrat legislature for mandating absurd policies like the Immigrant Trust Directive,” the Republican continued.

“We will be partners with the Trump Administration in fixing our immigration system and restore law and order,” he said if elected governor in November, as Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy will be termed out of office after serving two terms.

The email from Callahan, which was obtained from the Ciattarelli campaign and reviewed by Fox News Digital, said his team is not legally permitted to follow “Outstanding Administrative Warrants of Removal from the United States,” as 27,000 “hits” were recently added to the National Crime Information Center.

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“Taking law enforcement action by arresting a subject based solely on an ‘Outstanding Administrative Warrant’ would violate the Attorney General’s Immigration Trust Directive,” the email states. The email, which was sent out to police personnel, “operational dispatch units” and “public safety telecommunicators,” also noted that NJSP employees cannot reach out to Immigration and Customs Enforcement through the phone number given.

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The directive from the Attorney General’s Office says authorities in New Jersey, at any level of government besides federal, can help federal law enforcement “when the sole purpose of that assistance is to enforce federal civil immigration law.”

In the state governor’s race, many of the Democratic candidates’ views differ from the Trump administration’s illegal immigration policies.

During a recent debate, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop and Rep. Josh Gottheimer disagreed on the Laken Riley Act, federal bipartisan legislation signed by President Donald Trump that expands the crimes that could get somebody into custody of the Department of Homeland Security. 

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“The Laken Riley Act served to undermine the authority of the attorney general here in New Jersey,” Fulop said at the time. “It is a very dangerous piece of legislation as it relates to autonomy of the governor and the attorney general here, and it should not have been supported.”

Last month, Murphy suggested he had a migrant living with him and it was unclear if the person was in the country legally.

“Tammy [Murphy] and I were talking about – I don’t want to get into too much detail, but there is 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,” the Democratic governor told Blue Wave New Jersey.

“And good luck to the feds coming in to try to get her,” he continued.

Attorney General Matt Platkin explained his perspective on the directive in a statement to Fox News Digital.

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“Our number one priority is keeping New Jerseyans safe. The Immigrant Trust Directive ensures that New Jersey police officers spend their time tackling pressing public safety issues like violent crime, gun violence, and drug trafficking, while also ensuring that victims of crime and witnesses can safely come forward to police and report crime regardless of their immigration status,” he stated. “Under the Immigrant Trust Directive, state and local law enforcement have and will continue to work with federal authorities to remove violent criminals from this country. Plain and simple, there is no ‘sanctuary’ for criminals in New Jersey.”

“The directive was drafted and is enforced with the support and cooperation of law enforcement leaders. The Office of the Attorney General, the County Prosecutors Association of New Jersey, and the New Jersey Association of Chiefs of Police, together, recently released guidance for law enforcement on the Immigrant Trust Directive and its importance,” the attorney general continued.

Murphy’s office and DHS did not comment in time for publication. 

It appears that President Donald Trump has buried the hatchet when it comes to former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, who for years was a top Republican critic of the former and current president.

Trump now says that if Sununu runs for the Senate in 2026 for the seat currently held by retiring Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, his former antagonist would have his full support.

Sununu, who in January completed his fourth and final two-year term steering swing state New Hampshire, told Fox News Digital in an interview last month that he aimed to make a decision regarding a 2026 campaign in the “next few weeks.”

He emphasized that “I have no doubt I’d have the president’s support,” if he decided to make a bid for the Senate.

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Trump, when asked by reporters about Sununu as he flew to Washington, D.C., on Sunday night aboard Air Force One, revealed that the two politicians met recently at the White House.

“I told him — He came to my office, came to the Oval Office, and [I] met with Chris Sununu, and I support him fully. I hope he runs,” Trump said. “He’s been very nice to me over the last year or so, but no, I hope he runs. I think he’ll win that seat.”

Sununu supported Trump during the 2016 general election and again when Trump unsuccessfully ran for re-election in 2020. The then-governor had a strong working relationship with the Trump White House, including close ties with then-Vice President Mike Pence.

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However, Sununu pushed back against Trump’s unproven claims that the 2020 presidential election was “rigged” and “stolen.” He also started stating in early 2021 that the GOP was larger than any one person, which was perceived as a swipe at the then-former president.

Sununu amped up his criticism of the former president during numerous national interviews on cable news networks and Sunday talk shows, repeatedly arguing that Trump had too much political baggage to win back the White House. Additionally, Sununu began mulling a possible 2024 White House run of his own, which he ultimately decided against. 

However, he ended up backing and becoming a top surrogate of former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in the 2024 GOP presidential primary. Haley ended up being the final rival to Trump in the nomination race.

Trump occasionally returned fire at Sununu, calling him a “spoiled brat” and a “nasty guy,” among other things.

However, after Trump clinched the 2024 GOP nomination, Sununu said he would vote for his party’s presidential nominee.

WHAT SUNUNU TOLD FOX NEWS ABOUT POTENTIALLY RUNNING FOR THE SENATE

Earlier this year, Sununu said in a Fox News Digital interview that “Donald Trump is the head of the party, and he’s the voice of the Republican Party, and I got to say, I think he’s doing a pretty darn good job in the first couple months.”

Regarding a potential 2026 Senate run for a seat Republicans are aiming to flip from blue to red as they hope to expand their current 53-47 majority in the chamber, Sununu told Fox News Digital last month that while “the door’s open” to running, he emphasized “it’s not open a lot, to be honest.”

Sununu, who was elected and re-elected to four straight two-year terms as governor, touted that “I have no doubt I can win.”

The former governor’s comments in recent interviews are a switch from last year, when he repeatedly said he would not seek to run for the Senate in 2026.

Four years ago, Sununu expressed interest in running for the Senate against his predecessor as governor, Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan, who was up for re-election in 2022. The popular governor was heavily courted by national Republicans to take on Hassan, but on Nov. 9, 2021, Sununu announced that he would instead run for a fourth term as governor, upsetting many Republicans in the nation’s capital. 

Additionally, he heavily criticized the Senate. “They debate and talk and nothing gets done,” he said at the time.

Sununu, who left office in January with very positive approval and favorable ratings, is seen by national Republicans as the best candidate to win the seat. However, he is not the only Republican mulling a Senate bid in New Hampshire.

Former Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts, who later narrowly lost to Shaheen in New Hampshire in the 2014 election, is seriously considering a 2026 run.

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Brown, who served four years as U.S. ambassador to New Zealand during Trump’s first administration, has been holding meetings with Republicans across New Hampshire for a couple of months and has met multiple times with GOP officials in the nation’s capital.

Earlier this year, Brown met with top Trump administration political officials at the White House, sources told Fox News.

When asked about the president’s comments regarding Sununu, Brown told Fox News in a statement that “President Trump is the leader of the party, and he has earned the right to endorse whoever he supports. There is no path to a Republican nomination running against President Trump-backed candidates.”

In the race for the Democratic Senate nomination in New Hampshire, four-term Rep. Chris Pappas formally launched his campaign last week. 

Using clips of a listening tour he made through all ten of New Hampshire’s counties last month as he ramped up toward running for the Senate, Pappas said voters feel like “the system’s rigged.”

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“You think about the Social Security office that’s going to be closed in Littleton, drastic cuts to Medicaid, all in the name of giving big tax breaks to billionaires like Elon Musk,” he argued, as he pointed to Trump’s top donor and the world’s richest person, who is leading the administration’s controversial downsizing of the federal government workforce.

Pappas emphasized, “I do get angry, because when you’re talking about public service, you should be focused on how you can help people, how you can make people’s lives better.”

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Pappas may not have the Democratic Senate primary in New Hampshire all to himself.

Sources close to Rep. Maggie Goodlander, New Hampshire’s other House member, said last month that the first-term representative is considering a Senate run.

EXCLUSIVE: House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., said he would oppose the Senate’s version of sweeping legislation to advance President Donald Trump’s agenda if it was voted on in his chamber this week.

“At this point, I would vote against it,” Harris told Fox News Digital in an interview on Monday morning.

He is also calling for the House and Senate to get to work on their own versions of the plan, after the latter passed an amended version of the former’s legislation in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The Maryland Republican, who leads the House GOP’s most conservative group, is the highest-ranking GOP lawmaker to come out against the legislation so far.

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It comes as other fiscal hawks voice concerns about the Senate’s version of the legislation – specifically, that it mandates at least $4 billion in spending cuts, compared to $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion in the House.

“I mean, if the Senate actually is able to deliver on meaningful deficit reduction, we could just pass the Senate amendments to the House budget resolution,” Harris said.

“But again, I’m not willing to do that until I see what the deficit reduction, the actual deficit reduction that the Senate has in mind, is.”

Congressional Republicans are working on a massive piece of legislation that Trump has dubbed “one big, beautiful bill” to advance his agenda on border security, defense, energy and taxes.

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They can pass such a measure via the budget reconciliation process. Traditionally used when one party controls all three branches of government, reconciliation lowers the Senate’s threshold for passage of certain fiscal measures from 60 votes to 51.

As a result, it has been used to pass broad policy changes in one or two massive pieces of legislation.

The House’s framework passed in late February, and included some new funding for defense and border security, along with $4.5 trillion for extending Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and implementing newer Trump proposals like no taxes on tipped wages.

The framework also called for between $1.5 trillion and $2 trillion in spending cuts, dependent on how much Trump’s tax policies would add to the national deficit – something that was key to winning support from deficit hawks.

It also raised the debt limit, something Trump has specifically asked Republicans to deal with, by $4 trillion. The Senate’s version would raise the debt limit by $5 trillion.

In a letter to House GOP colleagues on Sunday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said lawmakers would vote on the Senate’s amended version this week. 

However, Johnson insisted that the Senate’s passage of its framework simply allows the House to begin working on its version of the bill passed in February – and that it does not impede their process in any way.

“The Senate amendment as passed makes NO CHANGES to the House reconciliation instructions that we voted for just weeks ago. Although the Senate chose to take a different approach on its instructions, the amended resolution in NO WAY prevents us from achieving our goals in the final reconciliation bill,” the letter said.

“We have and will continue to make it clear in all discussions with the Senate and the White House that—in order to secure House passage—the final reconciliation bill must include historic spending reductions while protecting essential programs.”

Johnson’s office pointed back to the letter when reached for comment on Monday.

Passing a reconciliation framework, which merely outlines top-line spending figures, allows Congress to move on to the next step of actually crafting policy to accompany those top-lines.

However, conservatives like Harris have countered that they see no need to vote on the Senate’s version of the bill to begin work in the House.

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“They just think that we have to keep the train moving forward. But again, if we just begin to craft the actual reconciliation packages, that keeps the train moving forward as well,” Harris said.

He left the door open to supporting the Senate’s work, despite ruling out support for its immediate offering.

“I still think that we should just ask the Senate to begin crafting their reconciliation bill, and then if they deliver on their promise of deficit reduction, then I’m fine with their budget resolution,” Harris said.