NationalWatch

The battle for the Democratic Party’s 2028 presidential nomination is already spilling into public view, with a top aide to California Gov. Gavin Newsom taking a swipe at fellow White House hopeful Pete Buttigieg over his effort to build support with Black voters in the South.

Newsom communications director Izzy Gardon mocked Buttigieg’s recent visit to South Carolina, which his representative Aida Ross highlighted with a post on X over the weekend that included a photo of the former Transportation secretary with members of the Orangeburg branch of the NAACP. 

“Pete returned to Orangeburg, SC! Great night with the Orangeburg Branch of the NAACP,” Ross said alongside the photo.

Meanwhile, Gardon responded to the post: “First time in SC in 3 years? Nice!”

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The exchange garnered buzz online, as it placed two of the Democratic Party’s most closely watched potential presidential contenders at the center of a growing fight over Black voter outreach — an issue likely to be central in 2028 as South Carolina again prepares to hold the party’s first nominating contest.

It also comes amid wider Democratic tensions over whether the party is doing enough to engage Black voters and the South, with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens accusing the DNC of “abandoning the South” and “abandoning Black voters” after Atlanta was eliminated from 2028 convention contention last week. 

Meanwhile, South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Christale Spain declared last month, amid debate over the party’s presidential primary calendar, that “the South is not the past, it is the future,” while Democratic chairs from five other southern states also previously warned the DNC against sending Black voters the message that their loyalty is “taken for granted,” according to the Associated Press.

When reached for comment, Gardon told Fox News Digital that the post was made from his personal account and in his “personal capacity,” calling it “simply my own observation.” He stressed that he was “NOT speaking for the Governor or anyone else.”

Ross did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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“Love to watch Gavin Newsom staffers dunk on Pete Buttigieg staffers as they all jostle to catch up to AOC in the 2028 Dem primaries,” Republican strategist Matt Whitlock wrote on X.

“We’re just dropping all pretenses huh,” quipped political polling executive Adam Carlson.

Democrat strategists also weighed in on the in-fighting.

“Staffers of potential 2028ers who denigrate other potential 2028ers at this juncture should be embarrassed. They reflect extremely poorly on their principals,” Democrat strategist Jennifer Holdsworth said in response to Gardon’s jab.

“Weird tweet to send rn – bad look,” Democratic consultant Eric Koch said.

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“Potential 2028 staffers, huddle up: you do not want to start the fighting now or on this platform,” added the Head of Digital Engagement at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Stefan Smith. “It’s too early in the cycle. The longer we play nice (and encourage the principals to play nice) the better it is for everyone.”

DEARBORN, MI – Nearly 25 years after the Sept. 11 attacks, a Smithsonian affiliate in Michigan continues to use its 9/11 exhibits and anniversary programming to focus on discrimination and government actions in the attacks’ aftermath, while giving less attention to the nearly 3,000 people killed that day, Fox News Digital found.

The Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, features an exhibit arguing that Arab Americans “suffered two-fold as a result of the tragic events of September 11th,” both from the attacks themselves and from what the museum describes as unfair treatment by the U.S. government afterward. Since its founding, the museum has repeatedly hosted programs examining what it describes as discriminatory consequences of the U.S. response to 9/11.

Fox News Digital visited the museum earlier this month, reviewed its exhibits and gift shop, and examined years of anniversary programming and federal funding records.

The AANM has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities and is also an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. The Smithsonian has been under intense scrutiny from conservative lawmakers in recent months for allegedly allowing political bias to influence its presentation of history.

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One placard criticizes the government’s post-9/11 detention of immigrants investigated for possible terrorist links, noting that “virtually none were charged” in connection with terrorism.

“The Arab American community suffered two-fold as a result of the tragic events of September 11th. As with all Americans, they suffered the horror and grief. However, Arab Americans were unfairly held responsible, yet not a single Arab American was found guilty of any connection to September 11th,” it reads.

On Sept. 11, 2001, 19 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four passenger planes, crashing two into the World Trade Center, and one into the Pentagon. Passengers and crew fought back aboard United Flight 93, the fourth plane, prompting the hijackers to crash the plane in Pennsylvania. The attacks killed 2,977 people and triggered the largest investigation in FBI history.

The museum placard also argues that Arabs faced harsher immigration enforcement after the attacks, saying some were “deported for minor visa violations or petty offenses which previously would have been overlooked.”

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In the 11 months after the attacks, immigration authorities detained 762 noncitizens on immigration charges in connection with the FBI’s terrorism investigation, including for overstaying visas or entering the country illegally, according to a Justice Department inspector general report. The watchdog found that some detainees with no terrorism ties were treated harshly and held under unnecessarily restrictive conditions.

Public opinion also showed a more complicated picture of the post-9/11 backlash. President George W. Bush publicly urged Americans not to blame Muslims for the attacks, and polling later suggested attitudes toward Muslim Americans actually improved in the immediate aftermath. The share of Americans who viewed Muslim Americans favorably rose from 45% in March 2001 to 59% in November, two months after the attacks, according to the Pew Research Center.

Beyond its permanent exhibit, AANM has repeatedly used programming around the 9/11 anniversary to examine discrimination and law-enforcement policies affecting Arab and Muslim communities.

The museum holds a “solidarity” town hall each year, where criticism of the American reaction to 9/11 is often the focus. The online description of the event does not mention the deaths connected to the attacks themselves, but rather “offers a safe space for communities to reflect and engage in dialogue about the harmful prejudices that Arab and Muslim (and anyone perceived to be Arab or Muslim) individuals face on both an individual and systemic level.”

One such town hall in 2018 examined “how communities of color have been targeted through the frame of national security and profiled as violent threats.”

A year later, the AANM’s annual town, which received support from the National Endowment for the Arts, criticized how “institutions and communities of color have been infiltrated” by law enforcement as well as how leaders of those groups have been “targeted” following 9/11.

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The AANM was founded in 2005, partially in response to the increased scrutiny directed at the Arab American community following the attack on the World Trade Center. In addition to receiving well over half a million dollars in funding from the NEH over its lifetime to support its exhibits and educational programming, the museum also benefited from a $385,000 grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development which helped it expand its physical footprint in 2013. It received further HUD funding, over half a million dollars, between 2017 and 2019 as well as at least $50,000 from the State Department between 2016 and 2017, according to annual reports published by the museum.

Dearborn, where about 54.5% of residents are of Middle Eastern or North African descent, is a key political center in Michigan ahead of one of the country’s most competitive Senate races this year. Socialist-aligned Abdul El-Sayed, who is running for the Senate, drew strong support from the city earlier this month.

The museum’s focus extends beyond its criticism of the U.S. response to 9/11.

On Sept. 10 — the eve of the 25th anniversary of the attacks — the AANM is scheduled to host a screening of “Seeds for Liberation,” a film that portrays Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack as part of a decades-long Palestinian “struggle” and places it within a broader history of “anti-imperialist and decolonial movements.”

During Fox News Digital’s visit earlier this month, a section of the museum was dedicated to art criticizing Israel’s alleged “occupation” of Palestinian land. One piece of art, the word “wall” presented in a stylized print, accuses the Israeli government of perpetuating a system of “apartheid.”

The art installation broadly accuses Israel of targeting civilians in military operations, denying basic necessities to Palestinians and unjustly occupying land.

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One placard accompanying a sculpture states that Israel has killed more than 2,000 Palestinian children since Sept. 29, 2000, citing If Americans Knew (IAK).

The placard’s sourcing is itself controversial. Some pro-Palestinian organizations have distanced themselves from IAK over allegations of antisemitism and ties to white supremacists, allegations the group has disputed. IAK also operates a news site that has published articles rejecting the designation of Hamas as a terrorist organization.

Another placard attached to a sculpture pulls a quote from Defense of Children International Palestine, which the Israeli government designated as a terrorist organization in 2021. DCIP and human rights groups have disputed the designation.

The museum gift shop also sells Palestinian-themed merchandise, including map-shaped magnets and key chains, coloring books promising to help children “explore Palestinian heritage” and keffiyehs.

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The AANM, Smithsonian, NEA and NEH did not respond to requests for comment after being reached by Fox News Digital on Friday.

Smithsonian affiliates, like the AANM, are independently operated museums that maintain formal partnerships with the Smithsonian, providing them with access to artifact loans, educational resources and consultations from institutional experts.

In recent months, the Smithsonian has faced mounting pressure from Republican lawmakers and the president over allegations that its museums advance left-of-center ideological causes through their exhibits. Officials have threatened funding cuts against the institution if it does not root out what the Trump administration characterizes as anti-American bias.

The Department of Homeland Security is calling out Boston Democratic Mayor Michelle Wu’s “unhinged” effort to dissuade business owners from leasing to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the city, equating it to “hunting down” private property owners.

After Boston banned ICE vehicles from using city-owned parking lots to stage operations, ICE issued a notice seeking to rent hundreds of parking spaces in the city for five years. In response, Wu, an outspoken opponent of President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda, issued an open letter to parking garage and lot owners throughout Boston in which she revealed the city had submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request “for any local responses to ICE.”

DHS fired back in an X post, writing that “these actions by sanctuary Mayor Michelle Wu are unhinged.”

“She knows she has NO authority to block us from using private property. So, she’s hunting down private property owners and threatening them for working with ICE — because she’d rather intimidate law-abiding Bostonians than get criminal illegal aliens OFF the street,” wrote DHS.

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ICE issued a “sources sought” notice last month for “surge parking” in 14 cities across the country. The notice revealed ICE was seeking 249 contiguous parking spaces in Boston.

In response, Wu issued an official appeal from the city of Boston for garage and lot owners to “reject ICE staging facilities.” She wrote that “were ICE to procure such resources, it would constitute an unprovoked and unwarranted escalation, creating potentially significant risks to public safety and halting economic activity across our entire region.”

She boasted that she “joined together with six other cities across Greater Boston and signed Executive Orders prohibiting ICE from staging its operations on municipal property and parking lots,” adding, “Today, I ask you to join us: Reject any proposition by ICE to facilitate an attack on the people of Boston.”

Wu also noted that the same day, the city submitted a FOIA request for any local responses to ICE. She told the garage and lot owners, “We will keep you updated as we push for a response,” adding, “Thank you again for your partnership.”

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In its FOIA request, which was submitted to ICE and reviewed by Fox News Digital, the city of Boston states that it is seeking “all submissions and/or responses to ICE Sources Sought Notice with Notice ID ‘DHS-ICE-SurgeParking.’”

DHS responded to Wu’s FOIA request by calling her a “pro-criminal illegal alien politician” in another X post. The agency said the request also indicates that Wu “admits she has no authority to block ICE from utilizing private property.”

“If private citizens want to allow federal law enforcement onto their own property, they should be allowed to do so—free of threats, intimidation and coercion from their radical left-wing mayor who shamelessly compared ICE agents to a neo-Nazi group,” wrote DHS.

Fox News Digital reached out to Wu’s office and the city of Boston for comment.

Wu’s FOIA request came after the Boston City Council adopted an “emergency resolution” earlier this month urging the city to “explore all avenues to oppose” proposed parking leases for ICE in downtown Boston.

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The council said that by adopting the emergency resolution, it was calling on the city to “explore available options to prevent the proposed parking leases and expressed its opposition to an increased ICE presence in the city.”

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Besides Boston, ICE’s notice showed the agency seeking significant numbers of parking spaces in the metropolitan areas of Denver, Seattle, Philadelphia, Dallas, Phoenix, Pittsburgh and several other cities.

Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, a moderate Republican seeking re-election in a blue-leaning state, is not joining Vice President JD Vance on Monday as he stops in her home state of Maine.

Collins, who at times has opposed President Donald Trump’s legislative priorities, is a top target for Democrats this year as she runs in a midterm race that’s among roughly a dozen that will determine if the GOP holds onto its slim Senate majority.

Vance’s stop in Maine comes as Collins opposes Trump’s move this past weekend to impose 50% tariffs on a range of goods from Canada, which shares a long border with Maine. And the senator is also opposed to new U.S. Postal Service rules that, if implemented, could rein in mail-in voting.

The vice president on Monday delivered remarks in Brewer, Maine, at Compotech, a defense technology manufacturer. It’s the second stop this year by Vance in Maine and the second time that Collins has not teamed up with the vice president.

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“I am already scheduled on Monday, so I will not be able to join the vice president,” Collins told reporters on Saturday.

The Senate was in session when Vance held an event in Bangor, Maine, in May, and Collins stayed in Washington. The senator holds a historic attendance record of casting over 10,000 consecutive roll call votes in the Senate dating back three decades.

But Collins, speaking to reporters as she marched in the annual Madison-Anson Days parade, her seventh parade this summer, highlighted that she teamed up last week with Energy Secretary Chris Wright when he stopped in Maine to tour a federally funded battery storage project in Lincoln built on the site of a closed paper mill.

“I really appreciated Secretary Wright’s presence,” Collins said.

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Collins, who was one of a small group of Republicans who voted to convict Trump in a 2021 Senate trial after the House impeached him following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, has at times voted against the Trump administration’s wishes.

“I still think imposing new tariffs on Canada is a mistake,” Collins said on Saturday.

Collins also referred to the proposed U.S. Post Office rule to implement a Trump executive order to rein in mail-in voting by refusing to deliver absentee ballots in states that have not turned over their raw voter rolls to the Justice Department or Department of Homeland Security.

“Mail-in ballots are very important to the people of Maine,” Collins said. “I do not support restrictions that make it more difficult for seniors to cast votes on Election Day via the mail.”

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Collins says she supports the House version of the federal SAVE America Act (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act), which mandates documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote and a photo ID for federal elections. But she joined three other Republicans and all Democrats to vote against advancing a Senate version of the bill, which is a top Trump priority.

Collins has also taken issue with the Trump administration over its crackdown on illegal immigration, and its aggressive deportation efforts. The administration received backlash following the fatal shootings by federal enforcement agents of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota who were protesting immigration operations. And the issue flared again this summer, after a fatal ICE shooting in Biddeford, Maine.

Democrats, including her Senate challenger, former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, have repeatedly linked her to Trump, and heavily criticized her for her past funding for ICE.

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Collins is the only Republican senator running for re-election in a state then-Vice President Kamala Harris carried in the 2024 election. And highlighting her differences with the president and his administration may be beneficial to Collins as she woos independent voters and even some Democrats.

Vance, during his May stop in Maine, said, “Sometimes I get frustrated with Susan Collins.”

“I almost wish that she was more partisan. But the thing I love about Susan is she is independent, because Maine is an independent state. And, frankly, if she was as partisan as I sometimes wish that she was, she would not be a good fit for the people of Maine,” Vance continued.

Vance added, “Let’s give a shoutout to Susan Collins, who’s doing a great job.”

Jackson’s campaign, in a social media post ahead of Vance’s visit, called the vice president “Susan’s pal.”

The vice president reiterated those sentiments in his Monday address in Brewer, Maine, calling Collins his “dear friend.”

“As you know, Susan is the most independent member of the United States Senate and, as the president of the United States Senate, she sometimes makes my job a little bit harder. But she makes it harder because she’s coming to work every single day and fighting not for a political party… she comes to work every single day and fights for the great people of Maine and I’ve seen it,” Vance said.

Jackson, in a social media post and video ahead of Vance’s visit, took aim at Vance and Collins.

“I’m sure JD Vance loves her because she’s doing everything that he wants for her, but she’s not doing it for Maine people,” Jackson argued in an accompanying video.

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Vance was joined in Brewer by former two-term Republican Gov. Paul LePage, who is the GOP nominee in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District.

The most rural district, the largest in the eastern U.S., is a top flip opportunity for the GOP, with moderate Democratic Rep. Jared Golden declining to seek re-election this year.

The college football season kicks off this Saturday with North Carolina playing Texas Christian University in Dublin, Ireland.

This marks the start of a sprint until early April when college football and basketball practically compete on a near-daily basis with MLB, the NFL, the NBA and NHL.

This college football season begins with lawmakers falling short of a goal to pass a bill to alter the flow of money in college sports. And despite recent momentum, lawmakers may be lucky to pass the bill when the clock shows zeroes on April 5 in Detroit and the NCAA crowns its next basketball Final Four champion.

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President Trump demanded that the Senate stay in session this month to pass a bipartisan college sports measure. That wasn’t going to happen simply because the bill’s not ready yet. The measure didn’t even secure a specific agreement for a test vote when the Senate returns in September. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said there was a deal for a vote at some point. However, an unrelated bill to regulate cryptocurrency marshaled a concrete time for a test vote on the afternoon of Tuesday, Sept. 15. The college sports measure didn’t head into the August recess with that level of certainty.

But the one thing that is certain? Intercollegiate athletics face myriad problems.

“College sports right now is in crisis. It is chaos that is ripping college sports apart,” said Cruz.

“I think that the arms race that exists now where people are just paying any amount of money from a system is not the right way to get this done,” said Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. She’s the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee and helped craft the bipartisan legislation with Cruz.

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The measure establishes a national standard for athlete compensation — including NIL — for the use of name, image and likeness of athletes. It also limits them to one transfer without losing eligibility within a five-year window.

But understanding the bill’s remedies is challenging.

“[The bill] seemed pretty dense when I read it,” yours truly observed to Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., one afternoon in a hallway of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

“It’s dense as hell,” replied Kennedy. “And that’s a legal term.”

The measure raises the ceiling of money schools can use to compensate athletes. It essentially allows “third-party entities,” like athletic footwear or equipment manufacturers like Under Armour or Nike, to pipeline additional money to schools.

Naturally, football and men’s basketball score most of the money under the current system. But lawmakers worry that women’s athletics and smaller sports like volleyball, lacrosse and soccer could evaporate unless Congress intervenes.

“It’s the revenue from football and maybe basketball, but mostly football that funds everything else,” said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del.

The college sports bill seemed to gain traction in late July when the Big Ten and SEC — the most muscular of all college athletic conferences — announced their support of the legislation. Lawmakers could try to write a bill all they wanted, but with all due respect to the Mid-American Conference and Mountain West, the measure wouldn’t go anywhere unless the Big Ten and SEC were on board.

It was thought that the college sports package might get a test vote before the August recess, but a band of conservatives claimed the legislation fell short when it came to protecting women from competing against men.

“It looks like a bunch of trial lawyers drew this thing up,” said Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., a former Division I football coach who ran programs at Ole Miss, Auburn, Texas Tech and Cincinnati.

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Tuberville teamed up with Sens. Jim Banks, R-Ind., and Josh Hawley, R-Mo., to craft an amendment going further in the legislation. Banks believed that the bill could undercut Indiana state law, which extends prohibitions on biological males competing in K-12 sports to college athletics. Banks expressed concern that the Cruz/Cantwell bill “would preempt Indiana’s law.” The Indiana Republican asserted that he couldn’t support the legislation as written.

However, President Donald Trump torched those who said the bill failed to bar men from playing women’s sports at any level.

“Nobody has done more to protect Women Athletes than me — and this Bill CLEARLY protects the Laws in 27 States protecting Women’s Sports, and banning Men from Women’s Sports. Anyone who tells you differently is LYING!” thundered the president on Truth Social.

Trump worried that without adoption of this legislation, “Programs will be canceled, Women’s and Olympic Sports will go away, the fans will be robbed, and Universities will go broke.” He then asked the Senate to “stay in D.C. until it passes.”

Despite the president’s advocacy, that wasn’t going to happen. However, the legislation does have a new set of downs — thanks to the Big Ten and SEC.

The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) opposes the bill. In a statement, the CBC said the package fails to incorporate “perspectives of Black athletes.”

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., is the only former Division I football player in the Senate, competing as a tight end for Stanford. He opposes the bill.

“There are a lot of people who have substantive objections with that bill that should give us all pause,” said Booker.

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So the Senate essentially took a timeout on the bill with the August recess. As any fan knows, timeouts are essential in sports. They allow teams to regroup. Rehydrate with water or Gatorade. Players to catch their breath. Coaches to draw up a special play to bring the team to victory.

It’s not known what the play call might be from Cruz, Cantwell or even Trump. Or if anything would work. Some skeptics believe the Senate’s decision to leave Washington without the locked-in test vote could cost the bill momentum — compared to the deal dictating the test vote on the cryptocurrency legislation.

The University of Oklahoma led the nation in red-zone efficiency last season. The Sooners scored touchdowns more than 97% of the time when moving the ball within 20 yards of the end zone.

Ninety-seven percent is a ridiculously efficient figure. The Philadelphia Eagles were the NFL’s best red zone team last season, scoring touchdowns around 70% of the time.

The U.S. Senate is not the gridiron. But it’s clear that the bill to regulate college sports has now entered the legislative red zone. A lot of legislation gets this close to the goal line, but senators rarely enjoy the success of the Sooners or Eagles when it comes to punching it in.

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That’s why it’s possible that this legislative drive could stall — despite a steady march down the field.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner met in recent weeks and spoke about possible issues of common ground, according to reports, landing the top House Democrat in hot water with some on the political left who have taken issue with the reported get-together.

The men talked about housing, immigration and high living costs as possible categories of common ground, the New York Times reported. Kushner, the husband of Trump’s daughter Ivanka, suggested that the lawmaker should meet with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, two individuals with knowledge of the meet-up noted, according to the outlet.

Fox News Digital reached out to Jeffries’ offices and the White House on Monday.

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“Throughout this Congress, Republicans have adopted a my-way-or-the-highway approach to governing that has failed the American people. To stop the madness, we have repeatedly made clear that an extremist approach will not work and will be met with forceful opposition,” Jeffries said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital.

“The American people want bold change and that’s what House Democrats will deliver. In every conversation that we have with the Trump administration, we will continue to make it explicitly clear that the affordability crisis is not a hoax and nothing short of transformational policy change is acceptable. We are fighting for an affordable America. The question is whether Republicans will join us,” he said in the statement.

Some on the left have objected to the reported meeting between the congressman and Kushner.

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Zeteo founder, CEO and editor-in-chief Mehdi Hasan declared in a post on X, “The only meeting Hakeem Jeffries should be having with Jared Kushner is to tell him he’ll be subpoenaed by the House for a corruption investigation on day one of Democratic control of the House. This is just pathetic stuff from the House Dem leader.”

Michelle Kinney, co-founder of The Mayday Network, wrote on X, “They should be f[—]ing hauling Jared Kushner in front of a committee, not MEETING with him. What in the absolute f— WE ARE ALL SO SICK OF THIS S— — ENOUGH!!!!”

Dean Obeidallah wrote on “The Dean’s Report”: “How could Jeffries not know the meeting would get leaked and it was the wrong thing to do?! This meeting doesn’t help Democrats win in November. In fact, now that we know about it, the result has been many Democrats slamming Jeffries online while some still defend him—causing a distraction to our real goal.”

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While Republicans currently hold a slight majority in the House of Representatives, Democrats have the opportunity to win the majority in the upcoming midterm elections.

If Democrats manage to flip control of the House, Jeffries would be a prime candidate for speaker.

Senate Republicans racing to keep their grip on power have beef with President Donald Trump’s latest affordability push.

A handful of Republicans in the upper chamber aren’t happy with Trump’s directive to allow hundreds of thousands of tons of foreign beef into the U.S. in a bid to lower grocery bills. It comes as Americans’ struggles with everyday affordability have erupted as a key issue for voters across the country.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., who is up for re-election this cycle and is one of Trump’s top allies in the Senate, argued that beef prices are high “for a simple reason: Our cattle herd is too small.”

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“Imported beef below market prices will only put more pressure on our cattlemen,” Cotton said on X. “I have advised the President against this ill-advised action in the past and I now urge him to reconsider. We need to support our cattlemen, grow the herd, and let the market work.”

Trump last week announced on Truth Social his intent to flood the market with 300,000 metric tons of imported ground beef with a commitment that the product would be sold at 25% below current market prices over a 90-day span.

It comes as ground beef prices have soared to roughly $7 per pound, while the nation’s cattle herd earlier this year hit historic lows not seen since the 1950s, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

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Trump defended his import plan as he headed to South Carolina to stump for Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., arguing “that’s what the people want.”

“That’s what the voters want, and that’s what I want. The ranchers are great. They’re my people. I love the ranchers,” Trump said. “They’ve done a fantastic job, but they admit that we need a little help in order to get the prices down, so that’s what we’re doing.”

Neither Trump, nor the administration, has so far said which countries the ground beef would come from. But earlier this year, he signed an executive order similarly aimed at lowering beef prices by allowing an influx of 80,000 metric tons of beef trimmings from Argentina.

Republicans at the time privately fumed over the directive in a closed-door meeting in the Senate with Vice President JD Vance.

And now, Republicans running for office in America’s heartland again disagree.

“I want to lower prices, but this is a bad idea,” Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, said on X.

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Hinson is running in one of the tightest races in the country to replace retiring Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. Cook Political Report rated the race a toss-up last week.

Other in-cycle incumbents aren’t thrilled with Trump’s push, either. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., charged, “This Hurts!,” while Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., contended that he appreciated the work to “lower grocery prices,” but warned that “short-term policy shifts do not equal long-term solutions.”

“Flooding the market with lower quality beef compromises Nebraska farmers and ranchers,” Ricketts said.

Trump’s other key Senate allies aren’t thrilled with the plan either.

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Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., said he’s advised Trump not to do this for the last year because it would harm American ranchers, “most of whom are MAGA Republicans.”

“The president’s heart is in the right place on wanting lower prices for the American people, and beef prices have been impacted by the Mexican screwworm,” Sheehy said.

The White House and the USDA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Iran-linked hackers are suspected of forcing a small British power generator offline for four days last month, the latest sign that Tehran-linked cyber activity may be moving from probing vulnerable systems to causing disruptions U.S. officials have long warned about.

Iran-linked hackers were behind the outage, according to British security officials who spoke with multiple news outlets.

“To be clear: there was no threat to the wider grid and nobody lost power. We have one of the most resilient energy systems in the world,” UK Energy Minister Michael Shanks said in a statement.

He described the generator as “tiny” but said his department had briefed CEOs following the intrusion on “steps they should take to stay secure.”

WATER CYBERATTACK HITS AT LEAST 7 STATES

The British shutdown came weeks after hackers struck more than 30 community water systems in Minnesota, accessing technology used to remotely monitor and control pumps and other equipment. Minnesota officials have not publicly attributed the attacks. Several news outlets, citing U.S. officials and a leaked industry threat-sharing memo, reported that Iran was the likely culprit. President Donald Trump has publicly rejected that assessment, saying he did not believe Iran was to blame.

Together, the incidents are putting civilian infrastructure at the center of another front in the conflict between the U.S. and Iran. As the military confrontation stretches into its sixth month, relatively small and often lightly defended water and energy facilities offer hackers a way to cause physical disruption without penetrating a major power grid or striking a military target.

Those facilities can be especially vulnerable because many rely on internet-connected industrial control systems that allow operators to monitor and manage physical equipment remotely. Once inside, hackers can interrupt operations, lock out operators or manipulate controls for pumps and other machinery.

In a July alert, the FBI and Environmental Protection Agency said malicious actors had targeted water and wastewater utilities in at least seven states by accessing exposed programmable logic controllers and changing their internet addresses and passwords. Some incidents disrupted water operations, causing reported pressure loss and flooding.

Federal agencies have also warned that Iranian-affiliated actors have targeted similar industrial devices across water, energy and government sectors, seeking access to the software used to control them. That activity has already caused operational disruptions and financial losses.

IRAN’S PROXY WAR HAS CROSSED OCEANS AND IS NOW KNOCKING ON AMERICA’S DOOR

Iranian hackers have pursued U.S. infrastructure before.

The threat extends beyond industrial systems. On Aug. 18, the Justice Department charged 17 members of an Iran-based company with carrying out a sweeping cyber theft campaign targeting hundreds of universities, private companies and government agencies. Prosecutors said many of the intrusions were conducted on behalf of the IRGC and other Iranian entities and resulted in the theft of more than 31 terabytes of academic data and intellectual property.

In 2016, the Justice Department charged an Iranian hacker with gaining access to the control system for a dam in Rye, New York. The dam’s sluice gate had been disconnected for maintenance at the time, preventing him from manipulating water levels and flow rates.

More recently, U.S. agencies linked an IRGC-affiliated campaign known as CyberAv3ngers to compromises of Israeli-made industrial controllers at dozens of U.S. facilities in late 2023 and early 2024, including water and wastewater systems, energy companies, food manufacturers and healthcare organizations. The campaign exploited devices exposed to the public internet that were still using default passwords.

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The more recent attacks underscore how little access may be required to produce a physical effect. In Minnesota, compromised controllers affected systems used to track water levels, pressure, pump operations and equipment alarms; in some communities, equipment was temporarily taken offline while operators restored systems.

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Whether Tehran intends a wider campaign against Western infrastructure remains unclear. But the four-day shutdown in Britain illustrates what hackers can do once they gain access to a small industrial system: disrupt physical operations without breaching a major grid operator or triggering a blackout large enough to invite an immediate military response.

FIRST ON FOX: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) quietly arrested more than 1,000 illegal immigrants in the Washington, D.C., region in what federal sources said was one of the agency’s most successful operations to date.

Multiple ICE sources told Fox News that the agency arrested 1,328 illegal immigrants over 14 days in the Washington, D.C., suburbs. The arrests took place in Virginia and Maryland, both of which have sanctuary-type policies in place.

Of those arrested, almost 400 illegal immigrants had criminal convictions or pending criminal charges, including a Salvadoran national wanted in Richmond, Virginia, on a murder warrant. Other crimes included rape, sexual assault, kidnapping, DUI, robbery and attempted murder.

Additionally, ICE officers arrested members of the foreign terrorist organizations MS-13 and Tren de Aragua and the 18th Street Gang. 

ABIGAIL SPANBERGER’S VIRGINIA A ‘HOTBED’ FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIME, DHS SAYS AFTER LATEST RAPE CHARGE

The operation comes as Maryland and Virginia, particularly Fairfax County, Virginia, have seen significant crime involving illegal immigrants, including violent and sexual offenses.

The operation, titled “Operation Safe Community — Washington, D.C.,” took place from Aug. 1-14.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told Fox News that “the brave men and women of ICE are hard at work every single day getting these dangerous illegal aliens out of our country.”

“Over the course of just two weeks in Virginia and Maryland, they arrested sexual assailants, kidnappers, drunk drivers, robbers, and gang members,” Mullin said.

Mullin added that “while sanctuary politicians in Virginia and Maryland keep putting the needs of illegal aliens over the safety of the American people, the Trump Administration will always put American citizens first.”

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S IMMIGRATION PUSH FUELS ICE’S BIGGEST ARREST MONTH IN AGENCY HISTORY

“By arresting and removing illegal aliens from our communities, we will make America safe again,” Mullin said.

Among those arrested during the operation was Jamaican illegal immigrant Rowan Andrew Brown, whose criminal history includes convictions for identity theft, kidnapping and illegal reentry and an arrest for fraud. ICE officers arrested Brown in Alexandria, Virginia, a particularly affluent suburb of D.C. 

Also in Alexandria, ICE arrested Angel Gabriel Ortiz-Hernandez, from Guatemala, whose criminal history includes arrests for rape of a mentally incapacitated victim and two counts of aggravated sexual battery of an incapacitated victim. 

While much of the operation was focused on arresting illegal immigrants in the Washington, D.C. suburbs, the ICE sources said officers also conducted targeted immigration enforcement actions throughout the entirety of both Virginia and Maryland. 

In Harrisonburg, Virginia, ICE arrested a Honduran woman named Estrella Reyes-Funez, whose criminal history includes a conviction for felony hit-and-run and arrests for making a threat to bomb or burn, assault and battery on a family member and violating a protective order. 

Meanwhile, in Richmond, ICE arrested Eygner Wilfredo Huezo-Moran, from El Salvador, who has a warrant for murder and use of a firearm in the commission of murder. 

ICE arrested another Salvadoran national and MS-13 member named German Mejia-Baires in Manassas, Virginia. His criminal history includes an arrest for felony malicious wounding and convictions for driving while intoxicated, driving on a suspended license and illegal reentry. 

DHS said that all these individuals arrested will remain in ICE custody pending removal from the U.S. 

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ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Acting Assistant Director Patricia Hyde commented that “our officers are the best in the world at finding people who do not want to be located.”

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“That’s exactly what we did throughout the course of this operation,” said Hyde. “Removing these criminal alien offenders from Virginia and Maryland neighborhoods makes for much safer communities, and that is exactly what the men and women of ICE work to accomplish every day across our great nation.”

The Trump administration unveiled a proposal on Monday to codify an unprecedented fee of more than $100,000 for cap-subject H-1B petitions for highly skilled foreign workers, replacing a charge first imposed by presidential proclamation last year that has thus far been blocked by a federal court.

The Department of Homeland Security’s proposed rule would charge $103,265 as an additional fee for every H-1B petition subject to the annual statutory cap, including petitions eligible for the advanced-degree exemption.

The worker visas are heavily relied on in the tech, education and research industries.

The fee would be used to cover the federal government’s costs of administering the legal immigration system, including actions carried out by DHS and the Department of Justice, Department of State and Department of Labor.

FEDERAL JUDGE STRIKES DOWN TRUMP’S $100K H-1B VISA FEE, RULING IT AN UNCONSTITUTIONAL TAX

“The proposed H‑1B fee is intended to recover the costs incurred across the federal government to adjudicate, vet, and support lawful immigration programs that otherwise must be funded by taxpayers,” U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesperson Zach Kahler said in a news release.

The fee, which was first temporarily imposed by President Donald Trump’s administration last year, was blocked by a federal judge in June in an order that barred the federal government from collecting the money.

An appeals court is reviewing the judge’s decision while a different court considers whether a challenge to the fee by a major business group was properly rejected.

The temporary fee increase expires next month, one year after it was issued. The proposed rule by DHS was posted for public inspection Monday and is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday. It would make the $103,265 fee permanent.

The charge could be finalized by the end of the year.

The H-1B program allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers with training in specialty occupations, with 65,000 of these visas offered annually under the regular cap.

Another 20,000 are offered for workers with a master’s degree or higher from a U.S. institution, generally granted for up to three years but typically extendable to a total of six years. Those visas typically came with fees between $2,000 and $5,000 before Trump’s order, according to Reuters.

The proposed fee would apply to all cap-subject H-1B petitions, including petitions filed for some foreign students already in the United States seeking to change to H-1B status. It would not apply to cap-exempt H-1B petitions; routine extensions for current H-1B holders generally are not subject to the annual cap.

Trump has argued that the H-1B program is abused by many companies who replace American workers with cheaper foreign labor. But business groups and many U.S. companies have contended that the program is needed to address a lack of qualified American workers for certain jobs and to allow American firms to bring in the most skilled workers to support the U.S. economy.

According to court filings, about 70 employers had paid the $100,000 fee on a total of 85 visa applications as of late February.

FEDERAL JUDGE BLASTS RUBIO’S 75-COUNTRY VISA FREEZE AS ‘ORWELLIAN,’ STRIKES DOWN POLICY

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The fee is being challenged by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce of Democratic-led states and a coalition of labor unions and employers.

Those complaints could be altered to challenge the rule proposed this week once it is finalized.

The Trump administration has also ordered increased vetting of H-1B applicants and proposed a new visa selection process that would favor higher-skilled and better-paid workers.

Earlier this month, DHS added fees of up to $4,500 to applications to extend the stay of H-1B workers or to transfer employees based in other countries to the U.S.

Reuters contributed to this report.

The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to revoke business and tourist visas held by as many as 200,000 foreigners who have applied for asylum in the U.S.

The State Department is expected to announce the sweeping action in the coming weeks, The Associated Press reported, citing internal documents and two U.S. officials.

The effort would target B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to foreigners who later sought asylum. If carried out, the move would mark the largest mass visa revocation in U.S. history and could face legal challenges, according to the outlet.

FOREIGN DRUNK DRIVERS COULD FACE SWIFT BOOT OUT OF COUNTRY UNDER TRUMP’S ‘AMERICA FIRST’ CRACKDOWN

“We are coordinating with DHS to identify and revoke the nonimmigrant visas of foreigners who have come to the United States claiming to be short-term visitors, but then file for asylum to stay here permanently,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement.

Pigott did not confirm how many people could be affected, saying the revocations would occur on a “rolling basis” and the total remained “dynamic,” according to the AP.

The move would not automatically lead to immediate deportations.

Foreigners with pending asylum cases would generally be reclassified but would lose their status as business or tourist travelers, officials told the AP.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ORDERS GREEN CARD APPLICANTS TO LEAVE THE US, APPLY FROM THEIR HOME COUNTRIES

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said Monday that asylum should not be used to bypass immigration laws.

“People in the US and all over the world are fed up with bogus asylum claims,” Landau wrote on X. “Asylum isn’t supposed to be a loophole to circumvent immigration law.”

TRUMP TELLS FOREIGN STUDENTS: OVERSTAY YOUR VISA, FACE THE CONSEQUENCES

B1 visas are typically issued for business travel, while B2 visas cover tourism, family visits and medical care. Currently, applicants must demonstrate that they plan to return to their home countries.

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The potential revocations come as the Trump administration cracks down on what it considers abuse of the immigration system. The State Department has revoked roughly 175,000 visas over the past 18 months, according to The Associated Press.

The State Department could not immediately be reached by Fox News Digital for comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A decade before Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed appeared to question how JD Vance’s grandfather would have regarded Usha Vance, the vice president wrote that one of his “great regrets” was that his grandparents never got to meet his wife.

“Last, but certainly not least, is my darling wife, Usha,” Vance wrote in 2016 in the acknowledgments of his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy.” He added, “… though it is one of the great regrets of my life that Mamaw and Papaw never met her, it is the source of my greatest joy that I did.”

The passage was cited repeatedly on social media over the weekend as conservatives dragged the Michigan Senate candidate over his swipe at second lady Usha Vance. The controversy comes as El-Sayed fights for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat against Republican Mike Rogers, putting the Democrat’s rhetoric under a brighter spotlight as the high-stakes general election takes shape.

VANCE UNLOADS ON EL-SAYED OVER SHARIA REMARKS: ‘THAT’S NOT MY GRANDPA’S DEMOCRATIC PARTY’

El-Sayed invoked Vance’s family after the vice president criticized his past comments about Sharia law at an Ohio rally this month, arguing that the Michigan Democrat represented a version of the party his grandfather — whom Vance called “Papaw” — would not have recognized.

“So do we think JD is taking Usha with him back in time to meet Papaw, or no…” El-Sayed said, a remark critics called racist and interpreted as an insinuation that Papaw would not have accepted Usha because of her Indian heritage.

Critics were quick to call out El-Sayed, with many questioning his attitude toward women and others pointing to Vance’s book.

“Why does Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed just assume that all White midwestern grandparents are racist?” asked Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas.

EL-SAYED UNDER FIRE ONLINE AFTER TAKING AIM AT USHA VANCE, FEMALE TRUMP AIDE IN WEEKEND SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS

“El-Sayed is an absolute vile, abhorrent, PIG. Usha Vance is a beloved figure in our country and in my opinion Vice President Vance’s most powerful secret weapon,” said Meghan McCain. “Women in America truly love her – attack her at your own peril democrat psychopaths. It will backfire.”

“If you’re a rural White American living in Michigan, just remember El-Sayed believes you’re a racist,” said commentator Ryan Girdusky.

“You are a racist creep,” said journalist Emily Schrader in response to El-Sayed’s post.

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Fox News Digital reached out to El-Sayed and the Vance family for comment.

“Hillbilly Elegy,” published in 2016, chronicled Vance’s upbringing in Middletown, Ohio, and his family’s Appalachian roots in Kentucky, with his grandparents — whom he called “Mamaw” and “Papaw” — playing central roles in the memoir and his childhood.

Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca contributed to this report.

Sen. Adam Schiff’s latest attack on President Donald Trump was challenged by an IndyCar veteran who pushed back on the California Democrat’s charge that the commander-in-chief was wasting taxpayer funds for his own “self-aggrandizing.”

Schiff criticized Trump for ordering the Washington race by executive order and accused the president of using the motorsports “spectacle” to distract Americans from higher costs and policy failures.

“While you struggle with the cost of gas, Trump offers you the spectacle of an IndyCar race hoping you will not notice,” Schiff said Sunday.

START YOUR ENGINES: HERE IS YOUR CRASH COURSE ON THE INDYCAR FREEDOM 250 GRAND PRIX WEEKEND

“More taxpayer money spent on his self-aggrandizing distractions. And you get higher taxes and higher costs,” he added, although major automotive firm Penske said it bankrolled the event.

Schiff posted the criticism on X alongside video of Trump waving the green flag as FOX Sports announcer Leigh Diffey got the race underway.

PRESIDENT TRUMP REPORTEDLY WILL GO ON A LAP OF HONOR AROUND THE FREEDOM 250 GRAND PRIX STREET CIRCUIT

Race fans and other critics lambasted Schiff’s comments, including IndyCar driver Graham Rahal, who reminded the California Democrat that the race was privately funded and argued it benefited government coffers because thousands of spectators traveled to Washington and spent money.

“No, no, Adam. He wanted you to notice and bask in the pride of being American, watch great racing and patriotism on display,” Rahal responded on X.

DRIVERS JOSEF NEWGARDEN AND KYLE KIRKWOOD TALK INDYCAR’S ‘ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME’ FREEDOM 250 GRAND PRIX

“Not only that, this was privately funded, not government although it drove thousands of folks to the DC area that have never been. That’s economic impact for you,” said Rahal, who finished 13th in the event. His father, Bobby Rahal, is a well-known motorsports driver and executive.

Rahal also argued that the event brought visitors to Washington who might not otherwise have seen the nation’s capital.

WORLD CUP ENERGY CARRIES INTO FREEDOM 250 GRAND PRIX AS GLOBAL FANS CELEBRATE AMERICA’S HISTORIC BIRTHDAY

“And guess what, hundreds of thousands of Americans, blue & red, as well as fans from all over the world loved the Freedom250.”

“What kind of loser posts this?” added Breitbart editor Joel Pollak. “People had fun.”

KYLE KIRKWOOD HANGS ON TO WIN FREEDOM 250 GRAND PRIX IN WASHINGTON

As Rahal noted, Penske Corporation picked up most of the race tab. The automotive and logistics company, based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and Reading, Pennsylvania, is led by Roger Penske, who also owns the Team Penske racing organization with drivers in NASCAR and IndyCar.

When Washington’s NBC affiliate interviewed Penske President Bud Denker at the track and asked who was paying for the Freedom250, Denker responded: “We are.”

TRUMP SHOWCASES RAW AMERICAN MUSCLE IN PREVIEW OF FIRST-OF-ITS KIND AMERICA 250 GRAND PRIX

“When I say vast, the only part we’re not paying is, we’re raising some revenue by having sponsors with the suites I’m building [along the course],” Denker told the outlet, adding it was not intended to be a “break-even” venture.

Penske did not cover every expense. Security was handled by local and federal law enforcement, including through federal funding provided to Washington for major events, according to the NBC station.

RACER STING RAY ROBB GEARS UP FOR FREEDOM 250 GRAND PRIX: ‘THIS IS MORE THAN JUST AN INDYCAR EVENT’

The White House also fired back at Schiff, saying the Democrat put his personal animus ahead of the American people.

“It’s a complete disgrace that Pencil-Neck Adam Schiff is willing to trash the United States of America during its historic 250th birthday celebrations simply because he hates President Trump,” said White House spokesman Davis Ingle.

“The great people of California deserve better,” Ingle said.

Former electronics executive Sam Antar also responded to the senator, saying the lawmaker “apparently didn’t bother checking who actually paid for the race before blaming Trump for ‘more taxpayer money spent’.”

“Schiff saw Trump, started typing, and skipped the part where you check the facts first. That’s how you end up volunteering for your own Community Note,” Antar said.

Conservative commentator “Bad Hombre” replied by posting an image of then-President Joe Biden posing with attendees at a White House lawn gala featuring transgender and LGBT activists.

“The race was privately funded by Penske/IndyCar, pencil neck,” Hombre said.

“But now that we’re on the topic of taxpayer-funded events, why were you cool with forcing taxpayers to spend $1.3 million on this?”

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Trump has shown support for American motorsports, praising his friendship with Penske, becoming the first president since Ronald Reagan to attend a Daytona 500 and hosting several NASCAR drivers and the circuit’s former CEO, Brian France, at campaign rallies.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Rahal and Schiff for further comment.

President Donald Trump on Monday marked the back-to-school season by promoting his administration’s school choice agenda and pledging to put parents “back in charge” of where and how their children are educated.

Speaking at a White House event alongside Education Secretary Linda McMahon, students, parents and educators, Trump said his administration is working to expand school choice while removing what he called “far left extremism” from classrooms.

“We’re putting the parents back in charge,” Trump said. “They’re the ones that love our children. They’re the ones that should be in charge.”

Trump argued that despite how much the U.S. spends on education, student outcomes should be stronger and families need more schooling options.

NEW YORK JOINS FEDERAL SCHOOL CHOICE INITIATIVE DESPITE TRADITIONAL DEMOCRAT OPPOSITION

“We want every parent to have the power to send their child to a high-quality school that shares their values. It’s so important,” Trump said.

The president highlighted the Education Freedom Tax Credit, which beginning in 2027, will offer taxpayers a credit of up to $1,700 for eligible donations to scholarship-granting organizations.

Those organizations can provide scholarships for education-related expenses, including private school tuition, tutoring, school fees and classroom supplies. The funds can also benefit students attending public schools.

The White House said nearly 52 million students could be eligible for the Education Freedom Tax Credit.

DEMOCRATS AIM TO KILL SCHOOL CHOICE FROM WISCONSIN TO THE REST OF THE US

Trump also highlighted changes to 529 education savings plans that allow families to withdraw up to $20,000 annually for K-12 expenses, doubling the previous limit.

Several parents joined Trump at the event to describe how expanded school choice could help their families.

Caleb Griffith, a North Carolina father of five who said his family includes two children with special needs, said the Education Freedom Tax Credit will give his children “access to the services they need to be successful in the most formative years of their lives.”

“I want to tell you, we only get one chance to educate our children, and our children are the future of America,” Griffith said.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TARGETS HEAD START BUREAUCRACY IN MOVE ADVOCATES SAY PUTS PARENTS IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT

McMahon said the administration is seeking what she described as a “hard reset” in American education, with a goal of returning “to common sense.”

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“This school year, American parents and students have so much to be excited about because the Trump administration is steering education back to its rightful focus, serving students so that they are prepared for successful futures,” McMahon said.

The Supreme Court on Monday handed the Trump administration a victory, allowing it to enforce President Donald Trump’s “election integrity” executive order restricting mail-in voting ahead of the November midterms. 

The high court lifted an injunction that had blocked the order in 23 states that challenged it after the administration appealed in July; Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented. 

The U.S. Postal Service and Justice Department said they would immediately implement the revised mail-ballot restrictions after the ruling.

The decision appears to leave room for additional court challenges that could further slow Trump’s order.

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This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: The State Department tore into the “rogue judge” who overturned its freeze on immigrant visas from 75 countries after she blasted the administration’s legal rationale as “an exercise in Orwellian logic.”

“American taxpayer-funded public benefits belong to Americans,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott told Fox News Digital. “President Trump has made clear that immigrants must be financially self-sufficient to protect these public benefits for American citizens.”

“This rogue judge’s misguided opinion wrongfully undermines the longstanding legal authority of the Secretary of State. We will keep fighting for commonsense visa policies that put America First.”

U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas ruled Friday that the State Department could not force consular officers to deny immigrant visas to otherwise eligible applicants solely because they are nationals of one of the 75 countries covered by the policy.

BIDEN JUDGE OVERRULED ON KEY TRUMP IMMIGRATION POLICY

Vargas, a Biden appointee who joined the Southern District of New York bench in November 2024, previously spent more than two decades as a federal prosecutor in Manhattan. She earned her undergraduate degree from Harvard University and a law degree from Yale, then clerked for future Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor on the Second Circuit.

Earlier this year, Vargas temporarily blocked Department of Government Efficiency personnel from accessing sensitive Treasury payment systems, citing privacy and cybersecurity concerns. But she later narrowed that order and allowed vetted and trained DOGE employees to access the systems.

Vargas found that Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s directive required officers to deny visas even after determining an applicant was not barred under any existing provision of immigration law. She vacated the policy and visa refusals based solely on the directive, sending those cases back for further consideration.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ORDERS GREEN CARD APPLICANTS TO LEAVE THE US, APPLY FROM THEIR HOME COUNTRIES

The Immigration and Nationality Act allows consular officers to deny immigrant visas to applicants they determine are likely to become a “public charge,” meaning dependent on government assistance. Consular officers are supposed to make that assessment on an individual basis.

The Trump administration has revived a more expansive approach to that screening, directing officers to weigh factors including an applicant’s age, health, finances, English proficiency and potential need for long-term medical care.

TRUMP SCORES MAJOR IMMIGRATION VICTORY AS JUDGE CLEARS WAY TO END TPS PROTECTIONS FOR THOUSANDS OF SOMALIS

But Vargas found that the State Department went beyond that individualized review when it directed officers to refuse immigrant visas to otherwise eligible applicants from the 75 countries simply because of their nationality.

Fox News Digital first reported in January that the State Department would pause immigrant visa issuances to citizens of 75 countries, including Somalia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Nigeria, Russia and Iran, while it reassessed screening procedures meant to identify applicants likely to become a public charge.

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The policy did not apply to tourist or other nonimmigrant visas. Affected applicants could still submit applications and attend interviews, but consular officers were directed to refuse immigrant visas under the pause.

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The ruling does not require the State Department to issue visas to any particular applicant. Consular officers may still deny a visa based on an individualized public-charge finding or another statutory ground of inadmissibility.

Democratic Senate nominee in Michigan Abdul El-Sayed is trying to put some distance between himself and one of his top supporters, Hasan Piker, after the controversial streamer sparked a new firestorm.

El-Sayed, who is facing off against former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in battleground Michigan in a high-stakes Senate showdown, on Monday emphasized in a statement, “I want to be crystal clear, nobody speaks for this campaign besides me and my campaign spokespeople.”

The statement from El-Sayed came after Piker, on his stream last week, featured an image of state Sen. Jeremy Moss, the Democratic nominee in Michigan’s 11th Congressional District. Moss, who is Jewish, has said that people are sharing a fake audio clip of him claiming that his entire reason for running for Congress is to make sure that America continues to support Israel.

“If Jews in America keep putting this idea out there that they are singularly invested in Israel, eventually someone is going to come around and take action, not against the state of Israel, mind you, but against American Jews,” Piker warned.

DEMOCRATS ‘WHO NEVER VOTED REPUBLICAN’ BACKING THIS GOP SENATE NOMINEE

Piker, who endorsed El-Sayed for the Democratic nomination and appeared at some of the candidate’s campaign events including a primary night party in Detroit, has repeatedly stood by his numerous past comments critical of Israel over its ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza.

Piker’s latest comments have been blasted by a growing number of Republicans and Democrats since they grabbed attention this past weekend. Democratic Rep. Hillary Scholten of Michigan charged that Piker is “a hack who thrives on hate.”

Rogers, in a social media post on Sunday, took aim at both Piker and El-Sayed.

“More calls for violence coming out of the El-Sayed campaign,” Rogers said. And he claimed, “Here is his running mate, Hasan Piker, saying that if AMERICAN JEWS support Israel, they will be violently targeted because of it.”

Rogers added, “Absolutely DISGUSTING. If Abdul El-Sayed had any courage at all, he would call this out and disavow Hasan Piker once and for all. We’re waiting, Abdul…”

DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB

El-Sayed, in his statement, wrote, “I believe all Americans deserve the right to advocate for what they believe without fear of violence. This is particularly true for communities that have been intimidated for their beliefs in the past.”

“My commitment to Jewish safety is the same as my commitment to the safety of my own daughters. Antisemitism is a scourge, and we need to address it in all its forms. And I stand against any rhetoric that puts the community at risk,” he added.

In an apparent jab at Rogers and other Republicans who have repeatedly tied El-Sayed to Piker, the Democratic nominee wrote that “while politicians and pundits try to make this race about a Twitch streamer, we’re going to be talking about gas, groceries, good schools, and healthcare. Because that’s what Michiganders keep asking about.’

A former Wayne County Health Department director, El-Sayed, if elected in November, would make history as the nation’s first Muslim senator. The epidemiologist who unsuccessfully ran for governor as an insurgent candidate in 2018 has made support for Medicare for all a major component of his campaign and has also called for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLL IN MICHIGAN’S BLOCKBUSTER SENATE RACE

But it’s El-Sayed’s stance and comments on Israel that have offended some Jewish people in Michigan, a state that also has a large Arab and Muslim population.

El-Sayed used the word “bloodthirsty” to characterize Israel’s military moves in Gaza in an MS NOW interview this month and accused Israeli leadership of genocide against Palestinians. He has argued against unconditional U.S. military aid to Israel, as have other progressive politicians. And El-Sayed has repeatedly declined to directly answer whether Israel has the right to exist.

But El-Sayed has also repeatedly stated that he stands “in solidarity with my Jewish sisters and brothers” to “condemn antisemitism.”

After falling just 20,000 votes shy of winning the U.S. Senate election in Michigan two years ago, Rogers is urging Democrats, including Jewish voters, to cross party lines and vote for him as he makes a second straight Senate bid.

WHAT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS IN THE MIDTERM RACES SHOW

After a combustible and divisive Democratic Senate primary in which El-Sayed narrowly edged more moderate Rep. Haley Stevens for the nomination, Rogers is heavily courting Democrats disaffected with their left-wing nominee.

A key part of Rogers’ pitch is directed toward Jewish Democrats, who are uneasy with El–Sayed’s vocal criticism of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza and who are outraged by El-Sayed’s association with Piker.

“I usually vote Democrat, but I’m going to be voting for Mike Rogers,” Rabbi Asher Lopatin said as he stood next to Rogers late last week as the former congressman and former FBI agent unveiled his Democrats for Mike coalition at a campaign event on Detroit’s west side.

Lopatin, a rabbi in suburban Detroit who has made trips to the Middle East in search of peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors, argued that El-Sayed “has shown contempt for the Jewish community and, frankly, for American values by making Hasan Piker, a vicious antisemite and racist, his campaign surrogate and somebody he buddies up with.”

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Meanwhile, some Jewish leaders in Michigan are circulating an open letter urging Jewish Democrats and independents in the Great Lakes battleground state to sign their names in support of Rogers. The news was first reported this week by the Jewish Insider and confirmed by Fox News Digital.

“This is sort of a do-or-die moment,” a person involved with the letter who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely told Fox News Digital. “There are many lifelong Democrats who are feeling homeless. … It’s not just a leftward drift but has turned into an anti-Jewish drift as well.”

But Joan Lowenstein, endorsement chair of the Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus, doesn’t condone the letter and told Fox News Digital her group is keeping its distance.

“We are a part of the Michigan Democratic Party, and are not going to advocate that anyone vote for a Republican,” she said.

But Lowenstein, who also sits on the Michigan Democratic Party Central Committee, said those behind the letter “are passionate about this and feel it’s an existential issue, and I think that represents a lot of people. And, so, they have to do what they have to do.”

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El-Sayed Communications Director Roxie Richner last week told Fox News Digital, “Abdul has always stressed the importance of differentiating between criticizing the state of Israel and antisemitism.”

She said El-Sayed “remains in regular dialogue with Jewish leaders across the state while building the broadest possible coalition to defeat Rogers, restore Democratic control of the U.S. Senate and throw sand in the gears of Trump’s agenda.”

President Donald Trump’s trade talks with Canada have stalled – with threats of retaliatory tariffs ramping up again – but Vice President JD Vance was in Maine, explaining to voters that Canada has been friendlier to China on trade than to them, particularly farmers.

“They treat Chinese goods more fairly than they do the goods that come from the people of Maine: It’s insanity,” Vance said during a question-and-answer session in Brewer, Maine, on Monday afternoon. “And what we’ve said to Canada is stop it.”

Vance said he believes the U.S. and Canada had been close to reaching a trade agreement before negotiations broke down, blaming Ottawa for bringing what he described as “unreasonable last-minute demands” to the table.

TRUMP TRADE CHIEF WARNS CANADA WALKED AWAY FROM ‘THE BEST DEAL’ TO TRIGGER 50% U.S. TARIFFS

“I frankly thought we had a deal,” Vance said. “I think that we should have a deal, but I think that we need to send a message loud and clear to the prime minister of Canada: Stop taking advantage of the people of Maine. Stop taking advantage of America. It’s over.”

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Friday that Canada was suspending negotiations. Trump posted Monday on Truth Social that he plans to impose 50% tariffs on Canadian-made vehicles, auto parts and steel beginning in January 2027.

“Canada has been ripping off the United States of America for years,” Trump wrote. “Their ridiculously high tariffs on our Farmers and farm products has made life impossible for these great American Patriots, and has long created a 60 Billion Dollar Deficit between our two Countries. Not sustainable, and NOT ANYMORE!”

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Vance made the remarks during an appearance at Compotech, a defense technology manufacturer in Brewer, as the vice president fielded a question about how the administration’s tariffs could affect Maine businesses and consumers.

“We’re very mindful of the fact that Maine is a border state with Canada,” Vance said. “There’s a lot of cross-border transaction between Maine and Canada. And what we’re trying to do here is just make sure that Maine actually gets a fair deal.”

Vance argued that Canada and China have been among the worst offenders when it comes to trade barriers against the U.S., while drawing a sharp distinction between what Washington expects from an economic competitor and from a longtime ally.

CHAD WOLF: AMERICA CANNOT IGNORE CHINA’S ECONOMIC ATTACK ON US INDUSTRY

“China, you of course expect — they’re our biggest economic competitor,” Vance said. “I would expect that from China. I would not expect that from Canada.”

Vance then briefly referred to Canada as a “state” before immediately correcting himself, referencing Trump’s long-running trolling of Canada, teasing it as the 51st state.

“We have to remember Canada is a state — sorry, Freudian slip — that was actually an accident,” Vance said. “Canada is a country that has underinvested in its military that quite literally would get invaded by a foreign country were it not for the umbrella of protection provided by the United States of America.”

CHAD WOLF: CANADA CAN’T EXPECT FREE TRADE WHILE LEAVING OUR NORTHERN BORDER VULNERABLE

He argued that Canada had responded to that relationship by imposing trade restrictions on American products while expecting the U.S. not to retaliate.

“They apply ridiculous tariffs and other non-tariff duties on Maine products coming into Canada, and they don’t expect Maine or anybody else to fight back,” Vance said. “We’re sick of that.”

“We are actually going to fight back against unfair trade practices, whether it’s coming from China or Canada.”

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Vance pointed specifically to dairy products, contrasting the treatment of Canadian products entering Maine with the tariffs that can apply when U.S. dairy exports exceed Canada’s tariff-rate quotas.

“If a Maine farmer sends dairy products into Canada, they could be paying as much as a 250% tariff,” Vance said. “Now, how is it fair to the farmers of Maine that they pay 250% when the Canadian farmers pay nothing?”

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Canada’s dairy system provides duty-free access for set quantities of U.S. products under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, but steep tariffs can apply once imports exceed those quotas. Canada’s tariff schedule, for example, lists a 241% over-quota rate for certain milk products, while other dairy categories can carry even higher rates.

Vance also accused Canada of allowing Chinese goods to use the country as a route into the North American market, saying that issue had become part of the latest negotiations.

“We know that Canada allows itself to be used as a back door for Chinese goods,” Vance said.

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Vance nevertheless left open the possibility of the two sides returning to an agreement, even as he made clear the administration was prepared to keep tariffs in place without concessions from Ottawa.

“I think that we should have a deal,” Vance said. “We expect fairness in our trade policy.”

Conservatives are blasting the Charleston, South Carolina, chapter of Democratic Socialists of America after the group shared a Facebook ad seeking volunteers to provide child care at meetings and help support its “next generation of comrades.”

“No experience with kids needed! Come ready to learn how to grow and support our next generation of comrades,” DSA Charleston posted to its Facebook page Friday. “If you’d like to help support our next generation of comrades, join this training to review best practices, roleplay through scenarios, and get you feeling confident to welcome and care for our budding comrades.”

The group is offering the virtual Zoom training Monday evening to adults with or without children.

The training comes as DSA’s influence within Democratic politics is growing, with socialist candidates notching primary wins as the midterm campaign intensifies and giving the organization a broader platform for its policies and organizing.

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Critics accused the group of using “indoctrination” tactics, arguing the training reflects a broader push by socialists to court children.

“DSA childhood training for future ‘comrades’ in SOUTH CAROLINA! These people must be investigated,” South Carolina Freedom Caucus founding chairman Adam Morgan wrote.

“They’re indoctrinating them as much as possible and it’s disgusting,” said another user.

“They used to tell us socialism was just a Republican talking point. Now they’re advertising meetings for their ‘comrades.’ Socialism isn’t coming to South Carolina — it’s already here. And we CANNOT afford to ignore it. Far-left socialist groups are organizing in our communities and targeting the next generation with their radical agenda,” wrote the South Carolina Republican Party account.

South Carolina is solid Republican territory, with President Donald Trump carrying the state by nearly 18 points in 2024 after Republicans won it in every presidential election dating back to 1980.

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“Indoctrinate them young before they can become free thinkers,” said one user.

In March, the chapter held their first “Comrades With Kids hangout” in which parents were invited to bring their kids to participate in card games, crafts, and other activities, Fox News Digital found, according to a prior social media post.

“Do you see what’s happening?? Mamdani is offering ‘free’ babysitting so they could turn your kids into socialists. They’re doing this all over the country,” wrote popular conservative accounts Libs of TikTok.

Separately, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, has made child care a central part of his agenda, including through the city’s new “Parents’ Night Out” program.

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Mamdani’s new pilot program titled, “Parents’ Night Out,” offers free-of-charge babysitting to parents for one night.

Nearly 300 children attended the Aug. 16 program at NYC Parks recreation centers across all five boroughs from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Through a separate partnership with the Department of Cultural Affairs, parents were offered free and low-cost cultural experiences while their children participated in the program.

Fox News Digital reached out Mamdani’s office and DSA Charleston.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is opposing a last-minute push to overhaul Brooklyn Democratic Party rules, arguing the proposed changes would undermine voters after reformers made gains in the June primary.

“I very much oppose these proposed changes, by the current Brooklyn Democratic Party chair,” Mamdani said. “I oppose them because they are an attempt to circumnavigate the will of voters.”

The proposals from Brooklyn Democratic Party chair Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn would add more than two dozen voting members to the party’s executive committee, which will choose the party chair this fall, after a slate of reformers won 22 district leader seats in the June primary, according to the City Reporter.

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The newly elected district leaders will not take their seats until the fall, and Bichotte Hermelyn and her supporters still hold a majority as current district leaders prepare to vote on the proposed changes Tuesday night, according to the outlet.

Bichotte Hermelyn has described the changes as an effort to broaden participation in the party.

“We want to create a perception of inclusiveness,” she told NY1. In a video released by the Brooklyn Democratic organization, she said the proposals would “expand leadership” and “expand representation.”

The reformers have backed longtime Sunset Park district leader Julio Peña to become the next party chair. If the proposed changes pass, the additional voting members would take part in the fall leadership election.

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Mamdani said the Brooklyn Democratic Party should reflect what New Yorkers want, rather than the kind of politics that has left people “disengaged and disaffected with politics at large.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams have also urged the party not to move forward with the changes.

“New Yorkers deserve leaders who are committed to serving their communities, not rewriting rules to hold onto power,” they said in a joint statement obtained by City and State New York. “Changing the makeup of an executive committee on the eve of a leadership vote goes against what we believe in as Democrats and should not move forward.”

Another proposal would give former party chairs a vote in future leadership elections even after they are no longer district leaders.

According to the City Reporter, that appears to mean former party chair Clarence Norman could vote on future party leadership. Norman resigned in 2005 after multiple corruption convictions, including one for soliciting bribes from judicial nominees.

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After the leadership election, another proposed change would allow additional voting members to be appointed from each Assembly district, potentially bringing the executive committee to about 90 members.