NationalWatch

An Obama-appointed federal judge temporarily blocked the National Park Service from removing an anti-Trump “86 47” flag near the National Mall, delivering a win to a progressive activist group and drawing sharp pushback from President Donald Trump’s Department of the Interior.

“This opinion is from an Obama-appointed judge. In what world have we lost all decency, to demand that any threat against the President be taken very seriously,” said a DOI spokesperson to Fox News Digital. “While the Department shall and does comply with the Court’s orders, this type of behavior should not be tolerated.”

Progressive group Accountability Now USA flew the flag near the National Mall alleging that the National Park Service violated their First Amendment rights by threatening to revoke their permit. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss in Washington, D.C., granted a temporary restraining order Monday allowing the flag to remain displayed for now.

The dispute comes amid heightened administration scrutiny of “86 47” messages after the Department of Justice charged former FBI Director James Comey over a similar message. 

CALIFORNIA BEACH ‘RESIST!’ PROTEST PUSHES ‘KINDNESS’ WHILE CALLING TO ‘86 47’ IN ANTI-TRUMP MESSAGE

Comey was charged with two federal counts over an Instagram post last year showing seashells arranged to read “86 47,” and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

The administration has interpreted the number “86” as a political threat, pointing to its common use in the restaurant industry to mean removing or refusing service and its perceived connection to Trump as the 47th president.

Comey has denied he intended any violent threat toward Trump, explaining he understood it meant leave or ditch.

LEGAL EXPERTS WARN COMEY ‘8647’ INDICTMENT FACES FIRST AMENDMENT HURDLES

Moss was appointed to the federal bench by Obama after previously serving in Bill Clinton’s Justice Department. He has also contributed to and volunteered for Democratic candidates and causes.

The judge found the meaning of “86” ambiguous, noting the flag itself did not contain violent symbols and bore patriotic colors, writing “the evidence shows that Plaintiff displayed the 8647 flag to urge that Congress impeach and remove President Trump from office.”

Moss did note that “a true threat to the life or safety of the President would undoubtedly outweigh the interest of the public or the speaker in continuing to urge that unlawful conduct.”

Trump has repeatedly been targeted by violence, including just in April at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner.

There were two assassination attempts on Trump’s life in 2024, beginning in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a bullet grazed his ear after a gunman climbed onto a roof during a rally on July 13, 2024.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui recently drew backlash from Trump allies after apologizing to Cole Allen, the suspect accused of plotting an assassination attempt tied to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, over his treatment in custody.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“At a minimum, I should be apologizing to him. We are obligated to make sure he’s taken care of. Mr. Allen, I’m sorry that things have not been the way they are supposed to,” said Faruqui.

The temporary restraining order for the flag case is in place for 14 days as litigation continues.

Fox News Digital reached out to Moss’ chambers for comment.

LOS ANGELES, CA — Outside a Bristol Farms market in LA’s Westchester neighborhood, residents who spoke to Fox News Digital all agreed that homelessness is a top problem facing the city, but disagreed on which mayoral candidate is the right choice to clean it up.

“Love him,” Shelley Zuckerman said about reality television star and independent candidate Spencer Pratt, adding that homelessness is a main motivator of her support for the reality TV star’s mayoral run. 

“The fact that he’s not a politician, so he may or may not be a liar, we don’t know that yet, and I know that he wants to do something for L.A. that the politicians have been saying they’re going to do and then don’t,” Zuckerman added. “And I know politics works, that once you get in there you can’t always do what you want to do, but at least he’s got the passion.”

SPENCER PRATT SAYS HIS POLICY WILL FORCE HOMELESS OUT OF LA AND INTO CITIES LIKE SEATTLE

When asked if crime was a motivating factor to vote for Pratt, Zuckerman’s husband Saul responded, “Of course.”

The couple says they are supporting Republican Steve Hilton for governor.

Patrick Reynolds, who lives in the neighborhood, said he is “not happy with any of the candidates” and called Pratt a “clown” before saying he voted for incumbent Mayor Karen Bass “a little reluctantly.”

Homelessness has been a top-of-mind concern for voters in Los Angeles, and despite Bass being mayor for the last four years, Reynolds said he believes she’s the best choice on that front.

Reynolds, who said he is supporting billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer for governor, spoke at length about the problems with homelessness, including a local park he said has become “too dangerous” to visit in recent years.

KAREN BASS GRILLED OVER BROKEN HOMELESSNESS PROMISE, BLAMES BUREAUCRACY FOR SLOWED PROGRESS

“Homelessness for sure,” a woman named Diane, who said she voted for Bass, told Fox News Digital, “That’s number one on my list, and I think she’s tried very hard to fix that problem. It’s a big problem, I know. And I just think she is down to earth. She’s not some rich billionaire, which I appreciate.”

Diane said she is supporting former Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, a Democrat who served in the Biden administration, for governor because he is a “good guy.”

“I like that he is an immigrant and that he has worked his way up in this world,” Diane said. “I think he has a good sensibility. I like also that he isn’t a billionaire. I can relate to him.”

Dan Madden, a resident of nearby Manhattan Beach, told Fox News Digital that if he could vote in LA proper, he’d go with Pratt.

WHO IS TOM STEYER? ANTI-ICE BILLIONAIRE IN CA GOVERNOR’S RACE FACES SCRUTINY OVER DETENTION INVESTMENTS

“That’d be my man,” said Madden, who added that he is voting for Hilton for governor. “The last 20 years in Los Angeles has been screwed.”

“It’s getting worse,” Madden said about the homeless situation in the Los Angeles area. “They cleaned up here and there. Spots, especially along the beach, coastline, you see it cleaned up. Two months later, everybody’s back.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Pratt, a registered Republican running as an independent, faces off in a nonpartisan mayoral primary against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, and City Councilmember Nithya Raman, a socialist.

Tuesday’s election will determine which two candidates advance to the November general election. If a candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, they will automatically be named the next mayor.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., isn’t going to bat for Graham Platner as his Democratic colleagues tip-toe around the embattled candidate’s growing list of scandals. 

The lawmaker compared Democrats’ willingness to support, or at least not disavow, Platner’s actions to the same support for disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., who resigned from Congress earlier this year over allegations of rape and sexual assault. 

“I’m saying that the last time Democrats leaned in on a guy that was sending, you know, [these] kinds of messages to women, I think that was like Swalwell, you know,” Fetterman said. “I don’t know, that’s not someone I’m never gonna carry water for.”

WATCH: SCHIFF DUCKS PLATNER QUESTIONS AS EMBATTLED DEM SENATE HOPEFUL HITS DC

Platner has been embroiled in controversy since last year when it was revealed that he had a symbol of Nazi iconography tattooed to his chest.

Since then, troves of old Reddit posts under the name “P-Hustle,” explicit texts sent to other women while he was married and the revelation that he has an account on the controversial Kik platform have dogged the candidate in recent weeks and days. 

But Democrats and his top supporters in the Senate, by and large, aren’t breaking with Platner, given that the party is determined to flip Maine in their quest to retake control of the upper chamber. And he is set to meet with Democratic lawmakers in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. 

SANDERS SAYS PLATNER HAS THE ‘GUTS’ TO FIGHT BILLIONAIRES DESPITE GROWING SCANDAL PILEUP

Still, Fetterman, who often breaks with Democrats on anything from funding the government to the war in Iran, was highly critical of Platner, whom he referred to by his online handle “P-Hustle.”

Fetterman didn’t explicitly say that Platner should drop out of the race, however. 

When asked if Maine Gov. Janet Mills, who teased that she was still on the ballot after dropping out of the race over financial woes, should jump back in and Platner step aside, Fetterman said, “I think you shouldn’t send, you know, sexually explicit texts or d— pics or whatever he sends to all these women on Kik.”

PLATNER’S DELETED REDDIT SPARKS OUTRAGE AGAIN AS HE APPEARS TO MOCK WOUNDED SOLDIER: ‘DIDN’T DESERVE TO LIVE’

“I mean, you know, like it’s, it’s truly bizarre. I mean, what’s next? So, I mean, here is a guy that describes an American soldier, a Purple Heart [recipient], a dumb motherf—– that doesn’t deserve to live,” Fetterman said. 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“He smears Chris Kyle, you know, the American Sniper, cheers about the beating [of] IDF soldiers to death,” he continued. “I dig it, like the thing he has going for him, he’s done so much bizarre and tacky and gross stuff that you lose count, you know, it’s like you need to have like a bingo card.”

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., dodged questions when asked whether he stood by Graham Platner, the embattled Maine Democrat whose Senate bid has become too big for his party to ignore and too messy for some Democrats to rally behind.

Schiff declined to answer when asked by Fox News Digital whether he was still supporting Platner, despite the Senate candidate being embroiled in multiple controversies.

“I’m going to an interview upstairs,” he responded.

Schiff later told CNN that he would “wait to learn more about these recent allegations involving his texting other women.”

SANDERS SAYS PLATNER HAS THE ‘GUTS’ TO FIGHT BILLIONAIRES DESPITE GROWING SCANDAL PILEUP

“Ultimately, though it’s going to be up to Maine voters what they decide how important or unimportant that is, and how important to focus on the economy, cost of living,” Schiff said. “And those issues are, but I’m going to wait until I know more about what just came out in the last 24, 48 hours to really say more about it.”

Schiff, like several other Democrats, has not officially endorsed Platner.

Others appear more willing to stomach the seemingly ever-growing list of scandals attached to the scandal-plagued candidate. 

Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., who similarly has not officially endorsed Platner, wants to flip the Senate. 

“I’m supporting all Democrats,” Alsobrooks told Fox News Digital.

DEMOCRATS BREAK WITH SCANDAL-PLAGUED GRAHAM PLATNER, WARN OF ‘CIVIL WAR’ IN PARTY

“I don’t know him. Honestly, I’ve never met him,” she continued. “What I do know is that I’m supporting Democrats. We need Democrats in office to fight back against Donald Trump, and I’m supporting them.” 

The reckoning among Democrats comes months after the start of Platner’s public relations woes, which began when video surfaced of him sporting a totenkopf, or death’s head tattoo, on his chest — a symbol of the Nazi war machine from World War II.

The dam broke in recent weeks, with old Reddit posts resurfacing in which Platner waxes on veterans, sexual assault and other topics. He’s also embroiled in a sexting scandal and was most recently found to have a profile on the controversial Kik platform.

Now he’s coming to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday to hold a confab with Senate Democrats.

PLATNER STILL HAS ACTIVE ACCOUNT ON ANONYMOUS APP DUBBED ‘PREDATOR’S PARADISE’ AMID CHEATING SCANDAL

His most vocal supporter in the Senate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., argued that the deluge of scandals was because of Platner’s stance against billionaires. 

“What we’re looking at right now is a situation where billionaires have already pledged to spend $90 million in a tiny state like Maine,” Sanders said. “Trust me, that is a lot of money. They don’t want him in.”

Others who have backed him, including Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., aren’t cutting the candidate loose. 

Meanwhile, Republicans aren’t letting the moment pass to go after Platner in defense of their colleague and longtime incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., told Fox News Digital what he believed voters thought of the insurgent candidate. 

“Here’s how I think most fair-minded Americans view Mr. Platner. They think that Jesus loves him but, in their opinion, he’s an idiot,” Kennedy said.

FIRST ON FOX: More than 70 lawmakers are lining up against a Colorado county’s effort to hold major oil companies financially liable for alleged climate change damages. 

The group of House Republicans led by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., is calling on the Supreme Court to side with ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy in a hotly contested climate change lawsuit that they argue amounts to a costly “war on American energy.” 

The GOP lawmakers have characterized Boulder County’s lawsuit as a “dangerous overreach” that could leave major fossil fuel companies on the hook for billions of dollars in alleged damages. A positive ruling for the liberal county would encourage more lawsuits that could threaten the financial viability of the fossil fuel industry, they warn.

“Radical activists are trying to use the courts to accomplish what they couldn’t achieve through legislation — forcing their radical agenda on the American people and driving energy costs even higher,” Scalise said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. “These lawsuits would hand local activist politicians the power to dictate national energy policy and threaten the energy producers that power our economy.”

EXPERTS WARN OF BIGGEST ‘SCANDAL IN LITIGATION SYSTEM’ IF SCOTUS DOESN’T NIX LANDMARK ENERGY POLLUTION CASE

Attorneys with the law firm Boyden Gray filed the amicus, or “friend of the court,” brief on behalf of the congressional Republicans. 

The court is expected to hear oral arguments this fall in Suncor v. Boulder about whether federal law preempts localities from seeking relief for alleged climate damages in state courts. A ruling is expected in 2027.

The case reached the nation’s highest court after the Colorado Supreme Court allowed the yearslong case to proceed under state law, despite long-standing questions about whether localities can seek damages over cross-border and global greenhouse gas emissions. Boulder originally sued the major oil companies in 2018, arguing they knowingly contributed to global warming and misled the public about alleged climate harms.

The Republicans’ amicus brief argues that liability claims belong under federal jurisdiction, because allowing state courts to adjudicate global climate damages would result in a “cacophony of competing state commands” that undermine Congress’ role in setting national energy policy.

“The Court should reject this attempt by Respondents to establish their ‘own foreign policy’ from a Boulder courthouse,” the brief reads.

NY HOUSE GOP LAUNCHES PRESSURE CAMPAIGN ON HOCHUL TO SCRAP CLIMATE LAW OVER SOARING ENERGY COSTS

The signers also warned that a ruling in favor of Boulder County could unleash devastating economic losses for U.S. energy producers. 

“The sheer magnitude of the alleged damages would restructure the American energy industry if not bankrupt it altogether — and cause ripple effects worldwide, especially when multiplied by the dozens of similar cases across the country,” the brief continued.

The legal battle is also spilling into Colorado politics, where Republicans argue that climate-related lawsuits championed by Democrats threaten jobs and drive up energy costs.

Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colo., a freshman lawmaker representing a swing district near the city of Boulder, cast the lawsuit as part of Democrats’ efforts to make energy production unaffordable. 

“These lawsuits and regulations aren’t just attacks on oil and gas companies — they’re attacks on Colorado jobs, American energy independence and every family already struggling with higher costs,” Evans, who signed the brief, told Fox News Digital. “I will continue fighting to protect Colorado energy workers and unleash the all-of-the-above energy strategy our nation needs.” 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Republicans’ emphasis on affordability comes as the party grapples with voter frustration about higher-than-usual gas prices tied to the conflict with Iran.

Nearly 90% of voters called rising gas prices a “problem,” according to a Fox News Poll published in May.

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he is appointing Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William “Bill” Pulte to serve as acting director of national intelligence to replace Tulsi Gabbard.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump praised Pulte’s leadership at the FHFA and his oversight of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

“William has deep experience managing the most sensitive matters in America, the safety and soundness of the Markets, and over 10 Trillion Dollars at Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac,” Trump wrote.

Trump said Pulte will remain FHFA director and chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac while serving in the intelligence post.

“Congratulations to Director Pulte!” Trump added.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to face tough questions on Capitol Hill this week as Congress threatens to curb President Donald Trump’s war powers, while the administration pushes for an end to the conflict with Iran.

Rubio will testify in four congressional hearings on Tuesday and Wednesday on the State Department’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year. But the Trump official is likely to be grilled on the ongoing negotiations to end the war and whether the U.S. military campaign should continue against Iranian forces and the country’s nuclear capabilities. 

The U.S. and Iran have yet to agree on terms to end sporadic fighting. Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and potential sanctions relief have emerged as key sticking points in negotiations. 

President Donald Trump said Monday that he “couldn’t care less” if the stalled talks were over, in an interview with CNBC.

TRUMP SAYS IRAN IS ‘NEGOTIATING ON FUMES,’ BELIEVES REGIME THOUGHT THEY COULD OUTWAIT HIM

“I don’t care if they’re over, honestly,” Trump told the outlet. “If they’re over, they’re over. If they’re not, you know, I think they took too much time. Frankly, I thought they started to get very boring.”

The president’s comments followed fresh rounds of fighting over the weekend that tested the fragile ceasefires in place since early April. The U.S. military has shown no signs of ending its blockade of Iranian ports while Tehran has continued to flex its hold over the Strait of Hormuz.

Rubio’s Hill appearances come as both the House and Senate could advance legislation this week that would halt U.S. involvement in the war, absent congressional authorization.

A successful war powers resolution would likely be a symbolic blow to the administration given an expected presidential veto and the lack of a veto-proof majority.

GOP REP MASSIE JOINS DEMOCRATS IN OPPOSITION TO US IRAN STRIKES

But the president may suffer a political setback as a growing number of Republicans are souring on Trump’s handling of the war.

In the House, Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., and Tom Barrett, R-Mich., have joined Democrats in voting to curtail the president’s war powers — and more GOP lawmakers could follow suit this week.

The Trump administration has repeatedly argued that the 1973 War Powers Resolution requiring congressional oversight of military action infringes on the executive branch.

Beyond the war powers debate, Rubio is also likely to face questions about Trump accepting a deal that stops short of dismantling Iran’s nuclear program. The Trump administration has repeatedly said it would never agree to anything that allows Iran to have a nuclear weapon. 

Some Republicans with hawkish national security views have warned Trump against agreeing to a deal that would let Tehran continue to project power across the region.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“Our commander in chief needs to allow America’s skilled armed forces to finish the destruction of Iran’s conventional military capabilities and reopen the strait,” Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., wrote on social media in late May. “Further pursuit of an agreement with Iran’s Islamist regime risks a perception of weakness. We must finish what we started. It is past time for action.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department for comment.

A Democratic candidate waging a high-stakes bid for one of the most competitive congressional districts in the country touted connections to a group pushing to keep laxer restrictions around commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) for undocumented immigrants.

Rebecca Cooke, running in Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District to unseat incumbent Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wisc., highlighted an endorsement from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).

“I’m honored to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the hard-working men and women of AFSCME.,” Cooke wrote.

Cooke’s alignment with AFSCME continues Democrats’ pushback against crackdowns on proof of citizenship status in certain industries.

TRUMP-BACKED VAN ORDEN PROJECTED TO DEFEAT DEM CHALLENGER IN COMPETITIVE WISCONSIN DISTRICT

Cooke did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Over the past year, the Department of Homeland Security has highlighted several instances where Americans were killed by illegal aliens who acquired CDLs.

In one such case, Dawood Hussain, a Pakistani native, was charged in April with vehicular homicide after driving a commercial truck down the wrong way of a highway, killing a U.S. citizen in a collision.

“Illegal aliens should not be operating 80,000-pound tractor-trailers on American roads,” USCIS spokesman Matthew J. Tragesser said of the incident.

TRUCKER SLAPPED WITH CHARGES IN FATAL DRIVING INCIDENT PREVIOUSLY IMMIGRATED TO US ILLEGALLY: SOURCE

“This tragedy, like many others, was completely preventable. Under President Trump’s leadership, USCIS remains committed to safeguarding our communities by helping to ensure dangerous illegal aliens are removed from our country, as well as supporting the president’s call for even tougher measures to prevent future truck tragedies.”

As states and federal lawmakers evaluate rules surrounding CDLs, AFSCME has pushed back, arguing that the standards should remain open to encourage job maximization — even for illegal immigrants.

The group published a toolkit, instructing businesses on how to circumvent restrictions on CDLs to illegal aliens.

Additionally, the group has sued the Trump administration for imposing federal requirements through the Department of Transportation that would require states to secure proof of lawful immigration status.

Cooke’s alignment with AFSCME is especially noteworthy in Wisconsin, a state with a trucking workforce.

CALIFORNIA TO REVOKE 17,000 COMMERCIAL DRIVER’S LICENSES GIVEN TO IMMIGRANTS AMID TRUMP ADMIN PRESSURE

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Over 186,600 residents of Wisconsin are employed in the trucking industry, according to the Wisconsin Motor Carrier Association — a figure accounting for roughly 1 in every 14 jobs in the state.

Cooke last lost a congressional election to Van Orden, 51.3% to 48.6%, in 2024.

Republicans are aiming to break longtime losing streaks by taking first steps toward winning elections for governor and Los Angeles mayor as voters in Democrat-dominated California head to the polls on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump‘s clout over the GOP will once again face a ballot box test, in a gubernatorial showdown in Iowa, while the Hawkeye State’s Democratic Senate nomination is the latest battle between the establishment and progressive wings of the party.

California and Iowa are two of the six states holding primary contests from coast to coast during the first week of June, in elections that will impact November’s midterms, when the GOP’s slim Senate and razor-thin House majorities will be up for grabs.

The election arguably grabbing the most headlines nationally is in Los Angeles, where it’s been three decades since a Republican won a mayoral contest in the nation’s second most populous city. Spencer Pratt, a reality TV star and online influencer-turned-mayoral candidate, is gaining traction, thanks in part to his populist pitch and viral videos.

THE CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENTS BOOSTING SPENCER PRATT IN THE LOS ANGELES MAYOR SHOWDOWN

Pratt, a Republican running as an independent in the left-leaning city, is backed by Trump. His rise is also fueled in part by his well-known status as one of the victims who lost their homes in last year’s devastating wildfires, when over 17,000 homes in Los Angeles County were destroyed, as well as his right-leaning focus on homelessness, crime and government accountability in a city long run by Democrats.

“I keep saying I become the mayor because of moms. Moms are getting me elected. Moms do not feel safe in Los Angeles. Not just feel safe, they are not safe. Nobody’s safe really in LA unless you’re the drug dealer. The drug dealers and the people giving them the needles, the city, our taxpayer money, the needle givers, they’re safe, the meth pipe givers. They’re safe. Everyone else is not safe in LA,” Pratt argued this past weekend in an interview on Fox News’ “Saturday In America with Kayleigh McEnany.”

Pratt is targeting Mayor Karen Bass, a former Democratic congresswoman seeking a second four-year term steering Los Angeles. Bass, who has been endorsed by former Vice President Kamala Harris, a former California senator and state attorney general, as well as the state’s two Democratic senators, Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, last week landed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom’s backing.

IS THERE A ‘GROWING REVOLT’ AGAINST CALIFORNIA’S ONE-PARTY RULE?

Bass is attempting to fend off challenges from the right from Pratt and on the left from progressive City Council member Nithya Raman. If no candidate tops 50% in Tuesday’s nonpartisan mayoral election, the top two finishers will face off in November.

In the race for governor, a whopping 61 candidates are running to succeed Newsom in steering the nation’s most populous state and the world’s fourth-largest-economy.

But heading into the jungle primary, where all candidates regardless of party affiliation appear on the same ballot, with the top two finishers advancing to the general election, only a handful of contenders have a good chance of making the cut.

Among them are Democrats Javier Becerra and Tom Steyer and Republican Steve Hilton.

Becerra, a former longtime congressman and California attorney general who later served as a Cabinet secretary in former President Biden’s administration, would become the first Latino Golden State governor in modern history. Steyer, meanwhile, is a billionaire hedge fund founder turned environmental activist who unsuccessfully ran for his party’s 2020 presidential nomination.

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

Hilton is a one-time British political strategist turned American conservative commentator and former Fox News Channel host who is backed by Trump.

Also in the race is Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican. Hilton and Bianco are both hoping to become the first California Republican win a gubernatorial election since then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 2006 re-election two decades ago.

Bianco has argued that he’s the most conservative candidate in the race.

But Hilton, in an interview on Fox News’ “The Big Weekend Show,” reiterated his argument that “Chad is just too far behind. He can’t make it into the top two. So every vote for him actually helps the Democrats. We have got to make sure of this. We can’t let this opportunity for change slip away.”

Democratic candidates former Democratic Rep. Katie Porter, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, are among the other better-known contenders.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris and Sen. Alex Padilla mulled launching Democratic bids for governor, but both last year announced they would take a pass. That resulted in the lack of a clear Golden State gubernatorial frontrunner for the first time in more than a quarter century.

And the race was overshadowed for much of last year, as the devastation from the LA wildfires and Trump’s immigration raids grabbed headlines in California.

But the showdown for governor entered the spotlight earlier this year when one of the leading candidates, Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, dropped out of the race and then resigned from Congress following a political implosion after facing multiple allegations of sexual assault and misconduct that he continues to deny.

Swalwell’s exit from the race opened the door for first Steyer and then Becerra to rise in the polls. Steyer shelled out more than $200 million of his own money to blanket the airwaves and the internet with ads.

Bianco, who launched his campaign for governor in April of last year, was among the top contenders in the race until Trump’s endorsement of Hilton in early April blunted his momentum.

Iowa showdowns

In Iowa, the retirements of Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds and GOP Sen. Joni Ernst along with the rough political midterm climate facing Republicans, have Democrats optimistic they can flip the seats in a one-time battleground state that turned red the past decade.

Trump, who carried Iowa by 13 points in his 2024 presidential election victory, last week weighed in on the competitive GOP gubernatorial primary,

The president endorsed Rep. Randy Feenstra in a race that also includes entrepreneur and private school co-founder Zach Lahn, who is backed by the influential conservative group Turning Point USA, state Rep. Eddie Andrews, former state Rep. Brad Sherman and former state administrative services director Adam Steen.

The winner will face Democratic state Auditor Rob Sand, who is unopposed in his primary. Sand is the only Democrat currently elected to statewide office.

The brute force of the president’s endorsement power and the immense grip he has on the Republican Party has been on display in GOP primaries the past month, with his candidates ousting incumbents he targeted in showdowns in Indiana, Louisiana, Kentucky and Texas.

Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson of Iowa is the overwhelming frontrunner to secure her party’s Senate nomination in the race to succeed retiring Ernst.

Hinson, a former TV news anchor who is in her third term representing Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, is facing a long-shot challenge from former state senator and former U.S. Senate candidate Jim Carlin. Hinson is backed by Trump, Senate Majority Leader Sen. John Thune, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is the campaign arm of the Senate GOP. Hinson, who in 2020 flipped a Democratic-held seat that covers the northeastern portion of Iowa, is seen as a rising star in the party.

The Republican-controlled seat in Iowa is a top target for Democrats and the race is one of about a dozen crucial showdowns in this year’s midterm elections that will determine whether the Republicans hold on to their current 53-47 majority in the chamber.

Hinson will face off in the general election against the winner of an expensive and contentious Democratic Senate primary between state Rep. Josh Turek, a Paralympian, and state Sen. Zach Wahls.

Wahls, a progressive who Republicans have likened to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, has the backing of liberal champion Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. Turek, the more moderate Senate contender who flipped a GOP-held Iowa House seat in 2022, is backed by former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. He also has the tacit support of longtime Senate Democratic leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. And VoteVets, an establishment-aligned outside group, has spent big bucks on behalf of Turek.

Primaries in Iowa’s 1st and 3rd Congressional Districts will set up general election showdowns in crucial GOP-held seats that Democrats are aiming to flip.

Other showdowns

It’s the same story in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, another purple seat Democrats are eyeing as they try to regain the House majority.

The Republican incumbent, Rep. Tom Kean Jr., has been in the national headlines after being absent from Congress and the campaign trail for three months due to a “a personal medical issue.”

In New Mexico, the race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is taking top billing.

Former Rep. Deb Haaland, who served as Interior Secretary in former President Joe Biden’s administration and made history as the nation’s first Native American woman to serve as a Cabinet secretary, who’s to make history again as the first Native American woman elected as governor. She faces off against Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman. Three major Republicans are seeking their party’s gubernatorial nomination.

Montana voters will select nominees in Tuesday’s primary to replace departing Republican incumbent Sen. Steve Daines.

The senator and Trump are backing former U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme, who jumped into the race in March immediately after Daines announced his retirement just ahead of the state’s filing deadline, in what appeared to be a carefully choreographed move. Alme faces two longshot rivals for the nomination.

Former state Rep. Reilly Neill appears to be the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination in the solidly Republican state.

The Republican and Democratic nominees will face off in the general election against former University of Montana president Seth Bodnar, who is running as an independent and has outraised everyone else in the race.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

In GOP-dominated South Dakota, Gov. Larry Rhoden faces a crowded and competitive field as he seeks a full term as governor.

Rhoden was lieutenant governor in early 2025 when he assumed the top job after then-Gov. Kristi Noem stepped down to become Department of Homeland Security secretary in the Trump administration.

A new report argues that speeding up Food and Drug Administration reviews could unlock trillions of dollars in economic value and get lifesaving treatments to patients faster.

“It takes about a decade from start to finish to come through FDA,” economist and former acting chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers Tomas Philipson told Fox News Digital in an interview. “Most of that time is not spent on safety. Most of it time is spent on effectiveness trials.”

The paper, titled “The Multi-Trillion Dollar Opportunity in Reforming the FDA,” estimates that cutting FDA effectiveness-review timelines by one year could generate more than $10 trillion in economic value by getting new treatments to patients sooner and encouraging additional medical innovation.

19 DRUG APPROVALS IN 2024 THAT HAD ‘BIG CLINICAL IMPACT,’ ACCORDING TO GOODRX

Philipson argued that most delays in the drug approval process stem from determining effectiveness rather than safety.

“FDA is charged by Congress to enhance both safety and effectiveness of new drugs,” Philipson said. “People recognize the role of the government potentially ensuring safety and consumer protection, but it’s a unique role that FDA has of ensuring effectiveness.”

He also argued that faster approvals could help lower prescription drug costs by increasing competition among manufacturers.

“Reforming FDA would have a big impact on drug affordability for patients because it would allow for far more competition between drugs that come out faster,” he said.

OPERATION WARP SPEED WAS MIRACULOUS. TRUMP ADMIN SHOULD NOT ABANDON TECHNOLOGY THAT MADE IT POSSIBLE

The report estimates that accelerating approvals by one to six years could generate trillions in economic value through earlier access to drugs, biologics and medical devices, as well as stronger incentives for innovation.

The authors also warn that China’s faster, lower-cost clinical trial system could lure investment and drug development activity away from the United States.

Philipson said the competitive challenge from China underscores the need for policymakers to rethink the pace of FDA approvals.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“I think there’s a huge role for the president here to push an analogous effort to what he did with Operation Warp Speed during COVID,” Philipson said. “It’s equally urgent for other patient groups who don’t have COVID but other diseases.”

The authors propose reforms including greater use of artificial intelligence in drug reviews, faster clinical trial designs and broader access to “right to try” programs.

Albanian anti-corruption prosecutors are investigating changes to the protected status of a coastal wetland where a luxury resort project linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, has drawn environmental opposition and protests, according to Politico.

SPAK, Albania’s special anti-corruption prosecution office, has opened a probe into changes made to the status of the Vjosa-Narta protected landscape in Zvërnec, Politico reported. The coastal wetland area is home to flamingos, Mediterranean monk seals, and sea turtle nesting sites, Politico reported.

IVANKA TRUMP BREAKS DOWN IN EMOTIONAL INTERVIEW TALKING ABOUT HER MOTHER IVANA’S DEATH, OTHER CHALLENGES

In 2024, Kushner publicly discussed plans for his firm, Affinity Partners, to develop luxury tourism projects in Albania, including in the Zvërnec area. Earlier this year, he visited the area with his wife, Ivanka Trump.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama recently confirmed to Politico that talks were ongoing between the government and Kushner over the deal, which is expected to include roughly 10,000 hotel rooms and villas.

EUROPEAN CAPITAL ROCKED BY VIOLENT PROTESTS AS GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION PROBE FUELS UNREST

“I want to make Albania a country that is a destination to be envied in the region, and this project is part of this effort,” Rama said Monday.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Affinity Partners and SPAK for comment.

Protests by Albanian citizens and nonprofit groups began in May when large, barbed-wire-topped fences were erected at the proposed site, preventing locals and tourists from accessing the beach. On Sunday, protesters assembled outside government offices to demand an end to the project as well as Rama’s resignation.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Following Sunday’s protests, footage emerged showing private security guards appearing to assault and drag a protester along a cliff. Some guards allegedly threatened other demonstrators who were attempting to remove fences and halt construction.

The licenses of two private security companies were revoked following the incident. Meanwhile, around 15 protesters have been charged, and the local police chief has been stripped of his duties.

A Soros-backed nonprofit organized a demonstration outside of New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill’s office on Monday afternoon, saying the Democratic governor is spreading “MAGA propaganda” and not doing enough for the migrants detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at Delaney Hall in Newark, N.J.

The protest reflected the backlash that Sherrill is facing by far-left members of her own party. On its donation page, Cooper River Indivisible directs donors to the politically powerful Indivisible Project, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit group that has been very active in backing Democratic politicians. 

They work closely with Indivisible Civics, their 501(c)(3) sister organization. 

Indivisible receives money from the Open Society Action Fund, a 501(c)(4), which is backed by notorious Democratic donor George Soros.

MEET THE FAR-LEFT GROUPS FUNDING ANTI-DOGE PROTESTS AT GOP OFFICES ACROSS THE COUNTRY

“WE ARE HEADING TO MIKIE SHERRILL’S OFFICE — to demand that she answer for the mess that she has made,” the event’s sign-up page reads on the Mobilize.us platform.

“Governor Sherrill’s response has caused serious harm inside and outside of Delaney Hall. Peaceful protestors and journalists have been arrested, injured, and had their constitutional rights violated, all while GeoGroup Guards and ICE continue to retaliate against strikers,” the announcement continued.

The group is calling on Sherrill to meet with illegal migrants who are detained at the Delaney Hall ICE facility and release young, old or sick detainees.  “GeoGroup Guards” is a reference to the security personnel hired by the government contractor, Geo Group Inc., that is running the facility as part of its national contract with ICE.

SOMETHING TO HIDE? ICE UNDER FIRE FOR SUBSTANDARD CONDITIONS AT FOR-PROFIT DETENTION CENTER

Cooper River indivisible also accused Sherrill of “inciting violence by siccing the police on peaceful protestors” and said she is spreading “MAGA” propaganda after more than a week of protesting at the ICE facility.

In 2023, Open Society Foundations, through the Open Society Action Fund, issued a two-year grant of $3 million to the Indivisible organization. The grant was “to support the grantee’s social welfare activities,” according to the Open Society Foundations’ website.

Indivisible has also played a lead role in the organization of the “No Kings” protests.

ASRA NOMANI: THE $2.1 BILLION MACHINE BEHIND ‘SPONTANEOUS’ ANTI-TRUMP PROTESTS

According to the Open Society Foundations’ website, Soros “has given away more than $32 billion of his personal fortune” to the foundations. His son Alex Soros serves as chairman of the board. 

“We support a wide range of independent organizations that work to deepen civic engagement through peaceful democratic participation, a hallmark of any vibrant society and a right protected by the Constitution,” a spokesperson from Open Society Foundations told Fox News Digital. “Our grantees make their own decisions about their work, consistent with the law and the terms of their grant agreements.”

Protests at Delaney Hall have exploded over the past week. Contrary to the allegations by the demonstrations, local law enforcement hasn’t been involved in arresting agitators or squashing often violent riots but New Jersey State Police did arrest rioters on Friday night.

NEW JERSEY AGITATORS BITE, KICK AND PUNCH ICE AGENTS AS DELANEY HALL CLASHES CONTINUE; 9 MORE ARRESTED: DHS

On Saturday morning, Sherrill said that state police were present at the riot to protect the agitators from ICE agents, but the violent battle that took place the night before was mainly between local law enforcement and the rioters, according to first-hand witness by Fox News Digital.

State troopers, including some on horseback, deployed heavy riot control tactics on Friday night, including noise bombs, tear gas grenades, pepper spray and riot shields in an attempt to disperse the mob. The police had established barriers for the zone earlier in the afternoon, which rioters commandeered to fight back against police.

“My top priority is keeping New Jerseyans and our communities safe – and an increased ICE surge in the area outside of Delaney Hall is a threat to public safety,” Sherrill posted to X Saturday morning. “We know that lives would be at risk were that to happen. And I will not accept that risk.”

By Saturday afternoon, the New Jersey governor held a press conference, issuing a list of demands to the Department of Homeland Security, including visitation for families and medical care for the sick and vulnerable.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

A source at DHS told Fox News Digital that the department wouldn’t accept her demands, and that visitation was only suspended due to the violent riots. The source also said that ICE operations will continue as normal now that Delaney Hall is secure, allowing visitations to resume.

Fox News Digital reached out to Indivisible and Sherrill but did not receive responses. 

The Trump administration has selected a veteran Border Patrol official with more than 26 years of service to lead the agency following the resignation of former Chief Mike Banks.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced Monday that Rosario “Pete” Vasquez will serve as the next chief of the U.S. Border Patrol, overseeing nearly 20,000 agents and professional staff operating across the country.

Vasquez most recently led the Border Patrol’s Blaine Sector in Washington state, overseeing operations along the U.S.-Canada border and coordinating with federal, state, local, tribal and international partners.

CBP Commissioner Rodney S. Scott praised the appointment, calling Vasquez “a Border Patrol agent’s agent.”

US BORDER PATROL CHIEF MIKE BANKS ABRUPTLY RESIGNS, FOX NEWS LEARNS

“He has spent more than two decades leading from the front, earning the respect of the workforce, and delivering results in some of the most challenging operational environments in the country,” Scott said in a statement. “He understands what this mission demands because he has lived it. There is no one better suited to lead the United States Border Patrol into its next chapter.”

Vasquez succeeds former Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks, who announced his retirement in May after leading the agency during President Donald Trump’s second administration.

Banks told Fox News last month that he was stepping down after helping oversee what he described as a dramatic turnaround in border security.

BORDER PATROL CHIEF OWENS ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT, TEXAS BORDER CZAR TO TAKE OVER

“I feel like I got the ship back on course from the least secure, disastrous, chaotic border to the most secure border this country has ever seen,” Banks told Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin at the time. “Time to pass the reins, 37 years, it’s time to enjoy the family and life.”

As chief, Vasquez will be responsible for leading Border Patrol operations across nearly 7,000 miles of international land borders and approximately 2,000 miles of coastal waters.

According to CBP, Vasquez has served in a variety of operational and leadership roles throughout his career, including assignments along the southwest and northern borders, at CBP headquarters and in international postings.

BORDER PATROL ANNOUNCES ‘PHENOMENAL’ TURNAROUND AS NUMBER OF MONTHLY MIGRANT RELEASES DROPS TO ZERO

His résumé includes service with the Border Patrol’s Search, Trauma, and Rescue Unit, the agency’s Special Operations Group and CBP’s Office of Anti-Terrorism. He also served as director of the Alliance to Combat Transnational Threats, assistant attaché for CBP in Canada and acting executive director within CBP’s Office of Trade.

The appointment comes as Border Patrol officials continue focusing on efforts to combat transnational criminal organizations, disrupt human smuggling and narcotics trafficking networks and strengthen border security operations.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“It is the honor of a lifetime to serve as chief of the United States Border Patrol, and I’m grateful for the trust placed in me by President Trump, Secretary Mullin, and Commissioner Scott,” Vasquez said. “Our agents have never backed down from a challenge, and neither will I. As chief, my focus is clear: support our agents, strengthen our operational capabilities, and ensure the U.S. Border Patrol remains the most effective border security force in the world.”

Established in 1924, the U.S. Border Patrol is one of the nation’s largest federal law enforcement organizations and serves as the primary agency responsible for securing America’s land borders.

Isaac Asimov famously declared that he didn’t believe in “flying saucers.” Asimov countered that he believed in “evidence” and “observation.”

“I’ll believe anything, no matter how wild and ridiculous, if there’s evidence for it,” Asimov said. “The wilder and more ridiculous something is however, the firmer and more solid the evidence should be.”

The Trump administration released another batch of UFO files recently. This is part of making good on a promise to release videos and documents related to UAP, unidentified aerial phenomena. Bipartisan lawmakers pressed President Donald Trump to make good on this promise back in March. This release is the second group of material publicized by the government.

And what’s in it?

NEW UFO FILES REVEAL STARTLING REPORTS

A space oddity. Some 57 years in the making.

“They thought it was something, you know, penetrating the spacecraft, if you know what I mean,” said Apollo 12 Command Module 12 pilot about what he and his colleagues saw in outer space in late 1969. That’s one snippet of audio which is now public.

The baffled astronauts tried to unravel a cosmic conundrum when they spotted weird beams of light bouncing around their spacecraft more than half a century ago.

“The streaks I saw were ones that I saw on the horizontal,” said Apollo 12 Lunar Module Pilot Alan Bean. “The horizontal streaks were always a little bit above the center.”

PENTAGON DECLASSIFIES APOLLO 12 AUDIO OF ASTRONAUTS DESCRIBING UNEXPLAINED ‘STREAKS OF LIGHT’ IN SPACE

These were clips of audiotape the government recently dumped. Tales from tape never heard before about what some of humankind’s first space explorers experienced and observed when they slipped the surly bonds of Earth.

The president pledged to publicize as much unexplained material as possible.

“It’s been in the minds of people for a long time,” said President Trump in late April. “And I think some of it’s going to be very interesting to people.”

It’s a document dump that is out of this world. But it’s hard to quantify and understand exactly what it all means. Let alone if it provides “evidence,” as Asimov would say, “which explains something, which to some, could be “ridiculous.”

No one knows exactly what these videos and documents reveal. Especially when it comes to demonstrating that UFOs exist or that there are visitors to Earth from another planet.

But that doesn’t mean that the information isn’t remarkable.

EX-PENTAGON OFFICIAL SAYS UAP FILES REVEAL ‘TREASURE TROVE’ OF INTELLIGENCE DATING BACK TO THE 1940S

“Virtually speechless!” is how one military pilot characterized strange “orange orbs” which materialized near his helicopter during a flight last year.

Then there was a stationary pill-shaped object in the Middle East zipping off at ludicrous speed.

Then there was a celestial trinity of objects synchronously hovering over water in Iran.

One lawmaker who has long called for UAP transparency isn’t starstruck at the releases. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., was skeptical before the Pentagon put out the latest tranche of information.

“The stuff they’re dropping right now is just Deep State classic,” said Burchett. “They won’t show us some of the stuff that we’ve seen. They’re going to show stuff that is easily identifiable.”

But this information is far from easy to identify, quantify or even understand. The government can explain some weird sightings. At a 2022 House hearing on UAP, the Pentagon demonstrated how light refracting through certain military visual aids created an optical illusion. But the stories are legion about what can’t be explained or defined. The difference now is that Congress mandated the Pentagon create an office to document and study UAP.

And the government either can’t – or doesn’t want to explain a lot of what’s out there.

“We have been stonewalled. We have been blocked. We have had witnesses intimidated,” said Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., on Fox. She asserted that former workers at the Pentagon UAP office were even “attacking” some witnesses and whistleblowers who have come forward.

SECRETLY FILMED UFO DOC REVEALS INSIDER VIDEO AS OFFICIALS RELEASE NEW ALIEN RECORDS: ‘SOMETHING IS IMMINENT’

But here’s the other challenge: understanding exactly what documents and videos the government has in its possession.

“This is not an easy thing to do. There’s not one huge repository of all of these documents and videos and photos,” said Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., on Fox.

Burlison is now suggesting the government “reverse engineer” what they find at certain “crash locations” or where people have discovered weird physical material here on terra firma.

“The White House and the DNI (Director of National Intelligence) is now looking at places to go investigate,” said Burlison on Fox.

So people sift through the files in a quest to unearth evidence that is definitely un-Earth. But more information often yields more questions. And that’s to say nothing of the other-worldly expectations set the pending release of files and information. The bar is high. And while the release of information is intriguing, no one quite knows what it all means.

If you wanted proof of ET or revelations of a government conspiracy, you’re better off watching an old VHS tape.

We just don’t know what these files mean. And, in many cases, even are.

The document dump isn’t a nothing-burger. But a something-burger. Still, that doesn’t sate the appetite for those who are on a quest for the truth. And it likely just angers those who are convinced the government has something to hide.

TRUMP ADMIN RELEASES HIGHLY ANTICIPATED FILES DOCUMENTING UFOS, ‘EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE’

On Fox, Burlison said he “personally” experienced “frustration” about declassifying information. But Burlison cautioned the Trump Administration against holding material back.

“I’ve seen those kind of videos,” said Burlison. “I’m telling the administration through you at this moment that if they don’t release those, then I have the capabilities of getting those videos released.”

In the meantime, people are sorting through the recently released material, trying to decode it.

“There’s a whole bunch of big ones out my window now. It’s just bright. Looks like the Fourth of July out around the window,” exclaimed one astronaut in a just released soundbite.

So we’re accumulating a lot of “evidence” and “observation.” Kind of what Isaac Asimov was looking for. But signs of life from other worlds? Not necessarily. This is why the Pentagon says there’s no evidence that the videos reveal something from outer space. But the military concedes that it can’t explain everything.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

So the evidence will pile up.

Figuring out what it means is not the final frontier. But the next frontier.

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, American voters remain attached to the country, even as a majority describe it in negative terms and many believe Americans are more divided by their values than united by them.

That’s according to the latest Fox News national survey released Monday.

When asked what one word best describes the United States today, two-thirds of voters choose a negative word such as “failing,” “divided,” “struggling,” or “corrupt.”  That includes nearly twice as many Democrats as Republicans. 

Only about one-quarter of voters suggest a positive word, such as “freedom,” “great,” “powerful,” or “strong,” and more than four times as many Republicans as Democrats use those terms.

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS SEE AI REGULATION AS URGENT, RANK SAFEGUARDS AHEAD OF INNOVATION

By a 16-point margin, a larger number of voters believe Americans are mostly separated by different values (58%) than bound by shared values (42%). Majorities of Democrats (62%) and independents (65%) think Americans are separated by different values, while views among Republicans are split (49% shared vs. 50% different values).

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS SEE WELFARE FRAUD AS COMMON, STILL MOSTLY FAVOR PROTECTING BENEFITS OVER CRACKDOWNS

Even so, the survey finds broad agreement on some fundamental American principles. When describing the U.S., more than 8 in 10 voters say it’s important to emphasize national unity and shared values (85%) as well as U.S. democratic principles (83%). Three-quarters (77%) prioritize highlighting the country’s multiculturalism and diversity. Of the three, there’s relatively wide partisan disagreement on multiculturalism, with 88% of Democrats viewing it as an important descriptor of the country compared to 67% of Republicans — a 21-point gap.

And while national attachment remains strong, it has noticeably eroded compared to two decades ago when 93% said they would rather live in the U.S. than any other country. Today, that number is 81%, while 19% say they would rather live elsewhere — a share that has more than tripled since 2004 and 2005.

The desire to leave is especially pronounced among voters under age 30 and Democrats, as about 3 in 10 of each group would rather live outside the U.S. By contrast, almost all Republicans (96%) and most voters ages 45 and over would stay in the U.S. (86%).

Enthusiasm about the country’s upcoming 250th anniversary clearly reflects the partisan gap: more than twice as many Republicans (74%) as Democrats (35%) are excited about the milestone. Fully 84% of MAGA Republicans are excited compared to 57% of non-MAGA Republicans. More than half of veterans (55%), White men without a college degree (63%), and White evangelical Christians (70%) are also excited.

“These findings suggest a national mood best described as ‘resilient discontent,’” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts Fox News surveys with Democratic counterpart Chris Anderson. “The growing share who would rather live elsewhere combined with stark partisan differences in enthusiasm for the country’s anniversary, suggests commitment to the nation is becoming less automatic and more conditional.”

Conducted May 15-18, 2026, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,002 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (109) and cellphones (635) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (258). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data.

Fox News’ Victoria Balara contributed to this report.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) pressed pause on the Trump administration’s “anti-weaponization” fund on Monday, giving Senate Republicans runway to hammer through a massive immigration enforcement funding package in the process.

The DOJ announced on X that it would abide by a Virginia federal court’s order to not move forward with the fund. It comes as Republicans in the upper chamber punted their plan to advance a $72 billion immigration enforcement package over deep concerns about who could access the flow of taxpayer dollars from the nearly $2 billion fund.

The DOJ said in a statement that it “disagrees strongly with the decision on the Anti-Weaponization Fund” by the Virginia district court, “wherein the Court stated that, under no circumstances, may the Department of Justice proceed with the Anti-Weaponization Fund recently established in order to make up for the tremendous abuse, harm, and hate unfairly shown to so many people.”

SENATE GOP ERUPTS OVER TRUMP DOJ ‘ANTI-WEAPONIZATION’ FUND, PUNTS ICE, BORDER PATROL FUNDING

“This fund was open to anybody who was so weaponized, targeted, or persecuted, whether they were Democrat, Republican, Conservative, Independent, or otherwise,” the agency said. “The Department will abide by the Court’s ruling.”

For the time being, that could ease Republicans’ concerns over whether those convicted of assaulting police officers on Jan. 6, 2021, could access the money. And it will likely allow the GOP to restart the budget reconciliation process with that political pressure point now sidelined.

It comes as Democrats are gearing up for a deluge of bills and amendments that likely could have passed had the administration not halted the fund. But still, it’s unclear if it means the fund has totally been nixed, or if it’s just a temporary pause.

GOP’S PRIMED FOR PRIMARY SEASON PAYBACK ON TRUMP’S MOST AMBITIOUS, CONTROVERSIAL POLICY

When asked if he thought Democratic amendments and bills would survive, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said that the administration would have to be crystal clear about what happens next.

“If the administration effectively shuts it down, and makes that very, very clear, and that, to me, should answer the question,” Thune said.

Whether the fund has permanently come to an end is still an open question. Fox News Digital was referred to the DOJ by the White House for comment, and the DOJ did not immediately respond. 

Given that grey area, Senate Democrats plan to move full-steam ahead with their slate of legislation and amendments geared toward completely terminating the “anti-weaponization” fund. 

CONGRESS BARRELS TOWARD DEADLINE PILE-UP AS GOP DIVISIONS THREATEN TRUMP AGENDA

“If Trump and Republicans are truly abandoning this corrupt scheme, they should have zero problem banning it in law,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on X. “This week, Senate Democrats will push legislation to ban this slush fund and ensure no president can ever do this again. Trump’s word is nowhere near enough.”

Schumer had already primed Democrats to take advantage of the brewing dissent within the GOP with an aggressive legislative strategy during the forthcoming “vote-a-rama,” where both sides of the aisle will get a near unlimited number of amendments to vote on for the immigration package. 

Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., already plans to introduce three bills that would redirect the funding to address growing affordability concerns in the country. 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“My bills will redirect the $1.8 BILLION slush fund money to SNAP, Medicaid, and law enforcement programs like those that help our local police departments hire more officers,” Rosen said on X. 

“You work hard for your money, and I’ll be damned if I let Donald Trump or anyone else use it for a slush fund for their friends. Let’s see if Washington Republicans agree,” she continued. 

LOS ANGELES — As celebrities continue to rally behind Spencer Pratt’s campaign for Los Angeles mayor, reality TV personality and O.J. Simpson murder trial witness Kato Kaelin tells Fox News Digital that Pratt is the candidate he thinks will bring necessary change to the city.

“It’s clear to me that Karen Bass did an awful job as LA Mayor during the 2025 fires,” Kaelin, a Los Angeles resident who rocketed to fame after testifying in the O.J. Simpson murder trial, told Fox News Digital, alluding to the heavy criticism Bass has faced for being out of the country during the devastating wildfires in 2025 that killed over two dozen people in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena.

“I supported Rick Caruso for Mayor in 2022 and think Spencer Pratt could shake things up this cycle. LA needs a change in leadership.”

LA TIMES OWNER SAYS ENDORSING KAREN BASS WAS A ‘MISTAKE’ DUE TO INCOMPETENCE

Kaelin, who has lived in Los Angeles for decades but who cannot cast a ballot in the race because he lives outside LA proper, said it “shocks” him that anyone would even “consider voting for Bass.”

“Her agenda is not for the people of LA, she’s proven it with policy regarding homeless and drug abuse on the streets,” Kaelin said, adding that the current mayor “has proven to be awful” and Pratt “brings energy and a different perspective.”

Kaelin first became a household name during the 1995 O.J. Simpson murder trial. He testified as a key witness for the prosecution since, at the time of the murders, Kaelin was staying in a guesthouse on Simpson’s Rockingham estate.

The trial transformed Kaelin from an aspiring actor into a pop culture figure, with his distinctive appearance and courtroom testimony drawing intense public attention.

KAREN BASS APPEARS TO LIKEN SPENCER PRATT TO TRUMP AMID TIGHTENING LA MAYORAL RACE

Over a dozen celebrities have rallied behind Pratt, a former reality television star from “The Hills,” as he continues to make the case that his status as a political outsider is what Los Angeles needs.

Others argue that political experience is a prerequisite to running for mayor of the second-largest U.S. city. 

“I relate to Spencer because he receives hate just because he was on a reality show and I was sometimes hated just for being a witness – vote Pratt!” Kaelin said.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Pratt, a registered Republican running as an independent, will square off on Tuesday night in the mayoral primary against Mayor Bass and progressive City Councilwoman Nithya Rahman.

In Los Angeles, the top vote-getters will advance to a November election, unless a candidate receives 50% of the vote, in which case they will automatically claim victory and be named the next mayor.

A congressional candidate in New Mexico is betting that his Hispanic ties — and military background — are just the thing historically Democratic voters will need to go Republican in the fall.

“I connect with them on that level. They wanted somebody with law enforcement or military experience, which, you now know, I have both,” Greg Cunningham said, referring to the Hispanic community in the state’s 2nd Congressional District.

“One of the reasons that I decided to run — that I feel so strongly about this is, you know, Hispanic culture is at its core a conservative culture.”

Cunningham’s hope that the GOP can win over the Hispanic vote, a historically Democratic voting bloc, continues longstanding efforts from Republicans to flip the script among minorities, especially in fringe districts that could decide the balance of power in 2026.

That’s especially true in New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District — currently held by Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M.

It’s one of thirteen that voted for President Donald Trump in 2024, but that sent a Democratic representative to Congress anyway. The Cook Political Report indicates the district “leans” Democratic, despite a D+0 rating.

Cunningham, who became the default GOP candidate after a lone primary challenger dropped out in April, will be the first new GOP candidate voters will consider since 2018. Former Rep. Yvette Herrell, who has been the candidate since then, last lost in 2024 by 4.2% to Vasquez.

Cunningham believes his background is uniquely suited to the challenges of the district.

A Marine reconnaissance veteran who served in combat, Cunningham joined the Albuquerque Police Department, spent years on patrol and narcotics, worked as a DEA task force officer on federal drug and cartel cases and later operated in undercover roles before transitioning into private security.

TRUMP MAKES PLAY FOR BLUE-LEANING STATE AS HE BRIEFLY DETOURS FROM THE BATTLEGROUNDS

“I love Yvette Herrell, but I am a different person in every way, shape, and form. And what I bring to CD2 and to this race is exactly what we need,” Cunningham said.

Specifically, Cunningham believes that his background will help address high levels of crime and narcotics that have persisted despite lowered levels of illegal immigration.

“The human invasion portion of that equation is solved. The law enforcement, human trafficking, narcotics trafficking, all of those challenges are the same exact challenges that I faced when I worked down there 20 years ago. Nothing has changed,” Cunningham said.

But more than his practical knowledge and experience, Cunningham said he hopes to appeal to values central to the Hispanic community.

“We value our families, we value our culture, we value our faith. And so, I think when you take Republican or Democrat, take the donkey or the elephant out of it, and you start speaking to people on a core level, who are you?” Cunningham said.

HOUSE GOP RUSHES TO COURT CRITICAL VOTING BLOC WHILE FACING UPHILL MIDTERM BATTLE

“We all want the very same things,” he added.

New Mexico is roughly 50% Hispanic, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Like all Democratic strongholds and competitive districts, Cunningham believes half the battle will be convincing voters that Republicans can secure the seat in the first place.

“I just have to convince [New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District] why we can win this,” Cunningham said.

France has added a ninth European country to President Emmanuel Macron’s growing nuclear deterrence initiative as European governments move to take on a larger role in its own defense following years of pressure from President Donald Trump to shoulder more of NATO’s security burden.

Norway announced Wednesday that it will join France’s so-called “forward deterrence” initiative, becoming the latest country to participate in discussions over how France’s nuclear arsenal could contribute to European security. The effort also includes Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Greece and the United Kingdom.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre stressed that “our deterrence will continue to be provided by NATO” and said France had consulted both NATO and the U.S. as the initiative expanded.

EUROPE STEPS UP TO FUND ITS OWN DEFENSE, PROVIDE SECURITY FOR UKRAINE AFTER TRUMP THREATS

The expansion comes as European governments race to strengthen its militaries amid concerns that Russia could eventually push beyond Ukraine and threaten NATO territory. It also marks another step in Macron’s effort to position France at the center of a more self-reliant European security framework as NATO allies increase defense spending and military cooperation.

It also follows years of warnings from Trump that the U.S. should not continue carrying a disproportionate share of Europe’s defense burden.

“If they don’t pay, I’m not going to defend them,” Trump said in 2025 when discussing NATO allies that fail to meet defense spending commitments.

Trump repeatedly has argued that European countries relied too heavily on American military power while underinvesting in their own defenses. At NATO’s summit in The Hague earlier in 2026, alliance members agreed to a new goal of spending 5% of GDP on defense and defense-related investments by 2035, a dramatic increase from NATO’s longstanding 2% benchmark.

France has not announced plans to permanently station nuclear weapons in nations participating in the initiative and retains sole authority over any decision involving its nuclear arsenal.

Instead, participating countries will take part in discussions, planning and exercises related to French nuclear deterrence while France signals that the security of its European partners is increasingly tied to its own. Macron also has said participating countries could temporarily host French strategic air forces as part of the initiative.

Macron has increasingly positioned France as a leader in Europe’s push to take greater responsibility for its own security. France is the European Union’s only nuclear-armed country, and the French president has argued that France’s nuclear deterrent should play a larger role in protecting the continent as governments across Europe increase military spending and expand defense cooperation.

MOCKING HIM AS ‘MICRON,’ RUSSIA WARNS MACRON AGAINST MAKING NUCLEAR ‘THREATS’

France built an independent nuclear deterrent during the Cold War under President Charles de Gaulle. France conducted its first nuclear test in 1960 and developed its own arsenal in part to ensure the country would never be entirely dependent on Washington for its security.

The arrangement leaves open questions about exactly what commitments France is making.

For decades, Europe’s ultimate nuclear backstop has been the U.S. which stations nuclear weapons in several NATO countries including Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands as part of the alliance’s broader deterrence posture. France’s proposal is less explicit, seeking to strengthen deterrence by making Russia consider the possibility that threats against European allies could implicate French security interests without offering a formal nuclear guarantee.

The initiative highlights how some European governments are looking to strengthen regional defense arrangements even as the U.S. remains NATO’s dominant military power and primary nuclear guarantor.

It also comes as Trump and Macron continue a relationship marked by both cooperation and public disagreements.

In March, Trump rated Macron an “8 out of 10″ as an ally while discussing French support for a U.S.-led effort to secure the Strait of Hormuz.

“Not perfect, but it’s France,” Trump said. “We don’t expect perfect.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

At the same time, Macron has increasingly pushed for Europe to take greater responsibility for its own defense and has publicly broken with Washington on several foreign policy issues, including criticism of U.S. military actions in the Middle East.

Those tensions reflect a broader challenge facing NATO as European governments seek to strengthen their own military capabilities while continuing to rely heavily on the United States for much of the alliance’s military power and nuclear deterrence.

Google co-founder Sergey Brin just became the latest high-profile member of the tech world to throw his financial support behind a Republican.

Brin gave Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt a maximum donation of $1,800 on May 27, according to municipal campaign finance records. Other big names in tech making contributions to the mayoral hopeful include Palantir’s chief technology officer, SpaceX’s director of solar production, a communications executive at TikTok, the co-chairman and co-founder of Riot Games, Activision Blizzard former CEO and the Winklevoss twins.

Pratt is a registered Republican running in Los Angeles’ nonpartisan mayoral race.

The Google co-founder’s donation may be unsurprising to some, as recent reports indicate that he has somewhat soured on California Democrats over their push for an additional tax on billionaires. Brin has also praised the Trump administration for its approach to artificial intelligence by thanking the president for “supporting our companies instead of fighting with them.”

JEANIE BUSS, SOFIA RICHIE’S HUSBAND AMONG BUSINESS TITANS REPORTEDLY BACKING SPENCER PRATT’S LA MAYORAL RACE

The donations add a local front to a broader political realignment in tech, where some of the industry’s most recognizable names, beginning during the 2024 electoral cycle, grew more willing to back Republicans amid fights over taxes and artificial intelligence policy. Los Angeles’ mayoral race has become a local flashpoint for that trend, with Brin and other prominent tech figures backing a conservative challenger to shake up governance in one of the nation’s most liberal cities.

Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, who first gained notoriety for accusing Meta co-founder Mark Zuckerberg of stealing their intellectual property to create Facebook, have since pivoted to cryptocurrency and broader tech investment and, as of 2024, have become major Republican donors. 

Joining the Winklevoss twins in throwing their support behind Trump in 2024 were tech-focused venture capitalists such as David Sacks, Marc Andreessen, Chamath Palihapitiya, Sequoia Capital partner Shaun Maguire and Shervin Pishevar, as well as Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest man. 

VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE REVEALS BIG TECH ‘VERY MUCH ON NOTICE’ AFTER CEO’S INAUGURAL DONATIONS

Since Trump has taken office, tech firms have taken institutional steps to ingratiate themselves with his administration. Amazon, Apple, Google and Meta, for instance, have all made contributions to his controversial construction of a ballroom on White House grounds. Those same firms, alongside Microsoft, Uber and Nvidia, all donated to Trump’s inaugural fund ahead of him taking office.

Tech was previously one of the chief antagonists of Trump’s movement, with the president’s supporters accusing the industry of suppressing their speech and manipulating information to benefit the Democratic Party – as with the suppression of the New York Post’s reporting on Hunter Biden’s laptop. 

KAREN BASS APPEARS TO LIKEN SPENCER PRATT TO TRUMP AMID TIGHTENING LA MAYORAL RACE

While tech’s leadership seems to have become more friendly toward Republicans, the rank-and-file still overwhelmingly support the Democratic Party. While campaign finance records show that employees at tech firms gave a greater share of donations to the GOP in 2024 compared to past cycles, the vast majority of their donations still went to Democrats. 

In recent years, tech leaders have enjoyed private dinners with Trump both in the White House and at Mar-a-Lago, with some, such as Sacks and Musk, securing formal roles within his administration.

While records do not indicate that Musk has financially supported Pratt’s campaign for mayor, the billionaire has been a vocal supporter of him on social media.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Pratt is running in a nonpartisan primary against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, and Nithya Raman, a Democratic Socialists of America-affiliated city councilwoman. Election Day is set for Tuesday. 

Google and the Pratt campaign did not respond to requests for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Monday.