NationalWatch

FIRST ON FOX: The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) announced two Arctic Security Cutters will be homeported in Alaska by the end of 2028 and will serve to strengthen American maritime in the Arctic region.

The USCG, which operates under the Department of Homeland Security, could potentially award up to 11 Arctic Security Cutter contracts in 2026 using roughly $3.5 billion in funding provided by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

“Homeporting these two Arctic Security Cutters in Alaska is a decisive step forward in securing America’s Arctic frontier,” Secretary Markwayne Mullin told Fox News Digital in a statement.

TRUMP UNVEILS $1.5T DEFENSE SURGE, DEEP DOMESTIC CUTS — WHAT’S ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK

“I want to thank President Trump for his bold leadership and vision in directing this critical investment, as well as Senator Sullivan and the entire Alaskan Congressional delegation for championing the funding that made these icebreakers possible,” he said.

“These vessels will deliver the enduring operational presence our nation needs to protect sovereignty, deter foreign adversaries, and safeguard vital resources for the American people,” Mullin added. 

Arctic Security Cutters create opportunities for operations in frozen regions where ship transport is normally challenging or impossible to navigate. The vessel is structured with a rounded and sloped bow, allowing the ship to ride up on top of the surface of the ice and smash through using the weight of the ship. 

Where most ships would get stuck, icebreakers use reinforced hulls, high-powered engines and special propellers to plow through dense ice fields, creating a passageway after the ice separates. 

CHAD WOLF: TRUMP IS SERIOUS ABOUT THE CHINA THREAT AND IS REBUILDING OUR ARSENAL

Coast Guard Arctic District has a total of 16 cutters homeported in Alaska, according to the USCG

The move also comes as Russia and China have both increased interest in the Arctic and icebreaker production.

Russia has roughly 40 icebreakers in the polar region, according to multiple reports, and has been developing the Northern Sea Route (NSR) using the vessels in an effort to establish a potentially dominant trade route as ice melts and paths are cleared. 

The China Research Center reported that the NSR would be a 40% faster trading route than the Suez Canal traditionally used for trade between China and Europe. 

The Arctic is known to have high levels of oil, gas, minerals, hydrocarbons and rare elements, sparking moves from prominent countries to have more presence in the region.

WHY TRUMP ZEROED IN ON GREENLAND AND WHY IT MATTERS IN 3 MAPS

Reports indicate that China and Russia are collaborating on patrols, research and shipping in the Arctic, as China is reliant on the Russians for access to Arctic routes.

Last October, President Donald Trump signed a $6.1 billion agreement with President Alexander Stubb of Finland to acquire four icebreakers for the U.S. 

“We need these ships very badly because we have a lot of territory, more than anybody. And so, I’m very honored to have this deal. And thank you very much. It’s going to be great,” Trump said.

TRUMP’S $12B RARE EARTH PLAN TARGETS CHINA AS EXPERTS WARN US IS ‘ONE CRISIS AWAY’

U.S. defense officials have identified the Arctic as a top national security priority, noting the importance of early-warning systems and missile detection networks.

“Homeporting Arctic Security Cutters in Alaska underscores the United States’ leadership as a maritime power in the Arctic,” USCG Commandant Adm. Kevin E. Lunday told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

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“By strategically positioning these state-of-the-art icebreakers in Alaska, the Coast Guard will maximize our ability to defend our northern border and approaches, while reinforcing America’s maritime dominance in a crucial region of strategic importance,” Lunday explained.

The USCG said that a revitalized icebreaker fleet will also counter malign influence in the Arctic as well as allow for faster response to crises and contingencies in the region.

The California Supreme Court has disbarred John Eastman, an attorney with ties to President Donald Trump’s efforts to contest the 2020 presidential election outcome.

“The California Supreme Court disbarred attorney John Charles Eastman today,” the State Bar of California said in a statement.

“This after the State Bar Court Review Department in July 2025 affirmed the findings of the State Bar Court Hearing Department’s March 2024 recommendation, which found Eastman culpable of 10 out of 11 charges for egregious and deceitful conduct and recommended his disbarment,” the statement added.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PRESSES SUPREME COURT ON EXECUTIVE ORDER RESTRICTING BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP

Eastman, a close adviser to the president leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, authored a memo regarding a plan for then-Vice President Mike Pence to reject electoral votes for Joe Biden while presiding over the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress in a bid to keep Trump in office, according to The Associated Press.

State Bar Chief Trial Counsel George Cardona said, “After extensive proceedings before the State Bar Court’s Hearing and Review Departments, both of which found Mr. Eastman culpable of serious ethical violations, the Court has imposed the discipline warranted by the clear and convincing evidence that he advanced false claims about the 2020 presidential election to mislead courts, public officials, and the American public.”

“The Court’s order underscores that Mr. Eastman’s misconduct was incompatible with the standards of integrity required of every California attorney,” Cardona added in a statement released by the State Bar of California.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House on Thursday.

TRUMP DEMANDS SPECIAL PROSECUTOR INVESTIGATE ‘STOLEN’ 2020 ELECTION, LOSS TO BIDEN

A statement provided to Fox News Digital by Eastman’s attorney Randall Miller declared plans to pursue review by the U.S. Supreme Court.

“The California Supreme Court has allowed to stand a State Bar Court recommendation that we contend departs from long-standing United States Supreme Court precedent protecting First Amendment rights, especially in the attorney discipline context,” the statement said.

EASTMAN’S ADVICE WAS IN THE REALM OF GOOD FAITH: HARVEY SILVERGLATE

“We disagree with that outcome and believe it raises pivotal constitutional concerns regarding the limits of state regulation of attorney speech. We will seek review in the U.S. Supreme Court to repudiate this threat to the rule of law and our nation’s adversarial system of justice,” the statement added.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

House Republicans blocked a new attempt by Democrats to halt the U.S. military campaign against Iran, standing by President Donald Trump, who has voiced confidence that the conflict in the Middle East could wrap up soon.

Lawmakers voted 213 to 214 against approving the resolution introduced by Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., which would have required Trump to end hostilities with Iran absent congressional approval. Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, was the lone Democrat to join Republicans in opposing the measure. 

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who has repeatedly called on Congress to end the Iran conflict, was the sole Republican to back the war powers resolution. Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, voted present. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., could afford to spare just two GOP defections in a party-line scenario.

GOP BLOCKS BOOKER-LED PUSH TO CURB TRUMP’S MILITARY AUTHORITY IN IRAN

The failed vote comes as House Democrats have been engaged in a relentless pressure campaign to force Republicans to assert congressional oversight over the conflict.

“This is not a skirmish. This is not a military operation. This is a war,” Meeks said Thursday. “Now we’re not the Iranian parliament, and we should not be rubber stamps.”

But House Republicans are largely standing by the president and argue that a successful war powers resolution would undermine him.

“This has been the most successful military operation considering the breadth, the depth, the scope of the enemy that’s involved and the danger that they presented not only to the U.S. homeland and the U.S. military personnel, but to the entire region and world,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News Digital on Wednesday.

“I believe we will be rewarded for the president’s efforts,” he added.

Trump told Fox Business on Monday that the conflict is “very close to over” with the U.S. military blockading Iranian ports. Hostilities are currently paused due to a two-week ceasefire, and the Trump administration has floated a second round of U.S.-Iran peace talks.

Democrats’ failed push comes after the party attempted to pass a war powers measure by unanimous consent last week during a brief pro forma session while the chamber was in recess. Republicans effectively blocked the request by refusing to recognize the group of Democrats in the chamber who were yelling “Shame!”

TRUMP PUSHED IRAN TO THE BRINK — BUT DID WE WIN ANYTHING THAT LASTS?

Across the Capitol, Democrats in the upper chamber have been similarly thwarted by Republicans in their efforts to end the conflict.

Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked another war powers resolution that would have halted Trump’s use of military force absent congressional authorization. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was the lone GOP lawmaker to support the measure.

The resolutions are largely symbolic given that Trump would likely issue a veto if a measure were to reach his desk.

Still, congressional Democrats are vowing to keep forcing votes on ending the conflict, which they argue is putting increasing pressure on Republicans to break with Trump.

“We’re going to have a debate and a vote every week in the United States Senate until either this war comes to an end or our Republican colleagues decide to do their constitutional duty,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told reporters.

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Trump only has until April 28 before Congress will be forced to weigh in on a prolonged military campaign. Both chambers are required by the War Powers Act to authorize or block the use of force once hostilities hit the 60-day mark.

The Trump administration would have 30 days to withdraw forces in the event Congress were to vote to end the conflict.

More Senate Democrats than ever before voted to halt arms sales and military bulldozers to Israel as an act of protest against President Donald Trump’s war in Iran.

The late-night vote on Wednesday, which saw both of Sen. Bernie Sanders’, I-Vt., resolutions fail, signaled a shift among Senate Democrats, who in several previous attempts by the progressive had joined Republicans to support the Jewish state.

Combined, Sanders’ resolutions would have blocked nearly $500 million in arms and equipment sales to Israel. One resolution would have halted to sale of roughly $295 million in Caterpillar bulldozers, while the other would have stopped the sale of nearly $152 million worth of 1,000-pound bombs.

Though they failed without Republican support, Sanders viewed the swell of Democratic backing as “progress.”

GOP HOLDS WITH TRUMP ON IRAN WAR, BUT CRACKS EMERGE AS DEADLINE NEARS

“Today, more than 80% of the Democratic caucus stood with the American people and voted to block U.S. military aid to [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and his horrific, illegal wars,” Sanders said in a statement.

“When we started this effort there were just 11 votes,” he continued. “Now, there are 40. That shift reflects where the American people are.”

The shift comes after Israel’s strikes in Lebanon threatened a fragile ceasefire, and broader peace talks, to end fighting in Iran.

Senate Democrats weren’t fully aligned on both resolutions — 40 supported halting the sale of bulldozers to Israel, while 36 voted to block bomb sales. Notably, the last time the Senate voted to disapprove arms sales to Israel, 27 Democrats voted yes. Before that, only 19 did.

ROGUE DEM BUCKS PARTY ON TRUMP WAR POWERS, CALLS IRAN ‘47-YEAR-OLD WAR CRIME’

Notably, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who has been a vocal critic of the war, voted against Sanders’ resolutions.

Lawmakers who flipped their votes were quick to stress that they still support Israel but viewed their votes against the sale of weapons and military equipment as a referendum on the war in Iran.

Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., who previously voted against Sanders’ attempts to halt arms sales to the Jewish state, said in a statement that her decision to flip was “informed by President Trump’s and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s reckless decision to go to war.”

“I have serious questions about any supplemental expenditures for this war, let alone additional sales of weapons for the same war to Israel,” Hassan said.

SCHUMER BLASTS TRUMP’S IRAN WAR AS FAILURE, MOVES TO REIN IN HIS WAR POWERS AMID CEASEFIRE

The vote, coupled with overwhelming Democratic support to rein in President Donald Trump’s war powers in the Middle East earlier on Wednesday, could be viewed as a preview of the power Democrats may wield over an expected supplemental spending request to fund the war in Iran, which the administration has yet to send to Congress.

The price tag of that package has fluctuated from as much as $200 billion to as low as $50 billion. Because of the influence Senate Democrats could have over funding the war effort, Republicans are considering including the request in a party-line package.

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Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., explained her vote against “1,000 pound so-called ‘dumb bombs’ and military bulldozers” was meant to highlight a stark contrast between supporting Israel and supporting the war.

“But being pro-Israel today is not simply about supporting the political or military agenda of Prime Minister Netanyahu, just like being pro-American should not be equated with loyalty to President Trump,” she said.

Four Democrat-led states that rejected President Donald Trump‘s policy of no taxes on tips and overtime pay are getting called out by Republicans for going against efforts to increase affordability.

The governors of the three largest Democrat-run states, California, New York and Illinois, are continuing to tax tips and overtime against Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, while Colorado will require taxpayers to report how much is deducted federally so it can be added back for state taxes in future years.

“Gov. Hochul and Albany Democrats believe your money is their money: They are picking the pockets of waitresses, bartenders, and first responders who work overtime just to make ends meet in a state that already has the highest tax burden in the country,” Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital.

“No wonder working people and jobs continue to flee New York in record numbers, and we’re consistently among the worst in outmigration every year.”

AVERAGE TAX REFUND TOPS $3,700 MIDWAY THROUGH FILING SEASON, TREASURY SAYS

With “affordability” a key political issue, Republicans countered with a Tax Day narrative against the governors of those four blue states that are facing midterm gubernatorial campaigns, including Hochul, who is running for reelection and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who terms out this year.

“California Democrats talk a lot about making life more affordable, but when given the chance to let hardworking Californians keep more of what they earn, Gov. Newsom and the state legislature refused to update the state’s tax code,” Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., told Fox News Digital.

“No tax on tips or overtime would provide real relief to service workers, first responders, and families across our state, and it’s disappointing to see Sacramento turn its back on them.”

DOORDASH DRIVER HAILS KEY TRUMP POLICY AFTER DELIVERING MCDONALD’S TO WHITE HOUSE: ‘I’M GOING TO ENJOY IT’

Illinois Republican Party Chair Kathy Salvi says that while Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is running for reelection in the nation’s third-largest blue state, he is really positioning himself for a 2028 presidential campaign on the agenda of obstructing Trump.

“Last year, President Trump delivered the largest tax cut in American history, putting millions of dollars back in the pockets of Americans; this commonsense legislation is good for Illinois, but wannabe president, JB Pritzker would rather slam the door shut on opportunity and relief, knowing full well that he supported and empowered Joe Biden’s economic disaster,” Salvi told Fox News Digital.

“The sad truth is that if President Trump is for it, JB Pritzker will always be against it.”

NASHVILLE ARTISTS PRAISE TRUMP’S NO-TAX-ON-TIPS POLICY ONE YEAR INTO PRESIDENCY

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, who is termed out and among names potentially running in the 2028 Democrat presidential primary, was called out by Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colo., for action to tax overtime pay in future years.

“As a former cop in Colorado, I know firsthand how important overtime pay is to first responders, blue collar workers, and hardworking families across America — that’s why I was proud to stand with Republicans to deliver no tax on overtime at the federal level,” Evans told Fox News Digital.

“But while we fought to give Coloradans relief, Gov. Polis and state Democrats held a special session to re-tax overtime pay, ensuring families never see the benefits they earned. The contrast couldn’t be clearer.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Hochul, Newsom, Pritzker, and Polis for comment, but they did not immediately respond.

SCOOP: HOUSE SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON’S ALLIES UNLEASH $10M CAMPAIGN TO SPOTLIGHT TRUMP TAX CUTS

While the governor’s seats in those four blue states are likely safe due to deep Democrat voter registration advantages, down ballot races do have a narrative to carry under the Trump banner and the no tax on tips or overtime policy.

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The Senate Finance Committee charted the One Big Beautiful Bill Act “wins” in all 50 states, including those four blocked by Democrat leaders where there still remains a permanent 20% deduction for many small business owners and a $1,500 increase in the standard deduction for millions of families.

• California: More than 3.1 million small business owners and 15.3 million families benefitted.
• New York: More than 1.5 million small businesses, nearly 8.6 million families.
• Illinois: More than 1 million small businesses, almost 5.5 million families.
• Colorado: Almost 600K small businesses, nearly 2.6 million families.

A federal judge this week blocked Indiana from enforcing a law that bars college-issued student identification cards from being used for voting, ruling that the measure likely violates the constitutional rights of students and young voters.

U.S. District Judge Richard Young granted a preliminary injunction on Tuesday against Senate Bill 10, a 2025 law that removed student IDs from Indiana’s list of acceptable voter identification even though such cards had been accepted for nearly two decades if they included a voter’s name, photograph, expiration date and were issued by the state or federal government.

“Plaintiffs have shown that they are likely to succeed on their claim that SB 10 imposes unconstitutional burdens on students and young voters in violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments,” Young, appointed by former President Bill Clinton, wrote in a 34-page order. “They have also established irreparable harm and satisfied the remaining requirements for a preliminary injunction.”

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita’s office said Wednesday it intends to appeal, arguing that the state’s voter ID law should not be weakened by court-ordered exceptions.

GOP GOVERNORS, AGS BACK TRUMP SAVE ACT PUSH, WARN SYSTEM GIVES ‘UNDUE INFLUENCE’ TO STATES WITH ILLEGAL ALIENS

“Indiana’s voter ID law is critical to election security and integrity,” the office told the Indiana Capital Chronicle in a statement. “Courts shouldn’t be watering the law down by doling out special exemptions to some students and faculty. We’ll keep fighting to uphold commonsense election rules.”

Notably, out of state college students might be registered in another state, perhaps a nexus for the state’s requiring a state or federal-issued ID.

Still, Young concluded that rejecting student IDs for voters “is probably unconstitutional.”

FLORIDA, MISSISSIPPI JOIN WAVE OF STATES TIGHTENING VOTER CITIZENSHIP RULES

“While it’s true that an injunction would override a democratically adopted law, Indiana has no valid interest in enforcing ‘a statute that is probably unconstitutional,'” Young wrote.

The ruling is a setback for Republican state lawmakers who approved SB 10 last year after arguing that student IDs were not issued with the same rigor as Indiana driver’s licenses and state identification cards. Young found the state’s position undercut by the fact that Indiana still allows other non-driver forms of identification — including military, Veterans Administration and tribal IDs — many of which, he wrote, are “less uniform than student IDs.”

“By eliminating student IDs as an acceptable form of identification, Defendants selectively excluded a form of identification that otherwise complies with the neutral criteria established by Indiana’s voter ID law and that has been accepted as a form of voter identification for nearly two decades,” Young wrote.

CONSERVATIVE GROUP LAUNCHES $5M AD BLITZ PRESSURING SENATE ON VOTER ID AS GOP EYES SAVE AMERICA ACT PUSH

The judge said he did not need to decide, at this stage, a separate claim that the law intentionally discriminates on the basis of age in violation of the Twenty-Sixth Amendment.

The lawsuit was filed in May 2025 by Count US IN, Women4Change Indiana and Indiana University student Josh Montagne, who had used his IU-issued student ID to vote three times but said he lacked another form of qualifying identification after the law took effect.

Young’s order described student IDs as a long-standing, widely used tool for voting on Indiana campuses. The opinion cited evidence that nearly 200,000 students attend Indiana public universities whose IDs previously qualified under the voter ID law, and noted a Monroe County election supervisor’s estimate that about two-thirds of voters at an on-campus Indiana University polling place used student IDs in the 2024 general election.

DAVID MARCUS: SENATE GOP SHOULD TAKE FETTERMAN’S DEAL ON VOTER ID

The judge estimated that the actual number of students affected by the ban was likely about 40,000, though he noted the plaintiffs’ expert had produced higher estimates. He said the record showed the law falls hardest on college students and younger voters because they are less likely than the general electorate to possess Indiana driver’s licenses or state IDs and often face added hurdles in getting alternative documentation.

Young rejected the state’s argument that the public interest in election integrity justified the change, writing that Indiana had produced no evidence that student IDs had been used in voter fraud or that they had caused meaningful problems for election administration.

TRUMP-BACKED VOTER ID BILL FACES GOP RESISTANCE AS TILLIS VOWS TO STOP IT

“To eliminate the ID that students and young voters are far more likely to rely on, Defendants must better document the unique problems student IDs raise,” Young wrote. “On this record, SB 10 looks more like a solution in search of a problem.”

The court also concluded that blocking the law weeks before Indiana’s May 4 primary would not create the kind of disruption federal courts are warned to avoid close to an election. Young said the injunction would mainly restore a practice Indiana had followed for years and would require only minor updates to election materials and training.

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Because the case is at the preliminary injunction stage, the ruling does not permanently strike down the law. But it means student IDs that otherwise satisfy Indiana’s voter ID requirements can be used in the upcoming elections while the lawsuit moves forward.

Maine is on the verge of becoming the first state in the nation to slam the brakes on energy-hungry AI data centers, as lawmakers push back against tech giants over fears of higher power bills, strained grids and environmental impact.

The measure, now headed to Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, would pause approvals for data centers requiring more than 20 megawatts of power until October 2027, while a state-appointed council studies their impact on the power grid, energy bills and the environment.

The legislation passed the state’s Democrat-controlled House 79-62 and Senate 21-13, marking one of the most aggressive moves yet against the rapid expansion of data centers tied to artificial intelligence and Big Tech.

Supporters say the pause is needed to protect residents from the massive energy demands of so-called “hyperscale” facilities, which can consume as much electricity as small cities.

SEN BERNIE SANDERS: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS COMING FOR THE WORKING CLASS. WE MUST FIGHT BACK

“It’s not that there’s no place for data centers in Maine,” Democratic Rep. Melanie Sachs, who sponsored the measure, told The Associated Press. “Frankly, the tradeoffs have not been shown to be of benefit to our ratepayers, water usage or community benefit in terms of economic activity.”

Opposition to data centers has been building nationwide as communities raise alarms about strain on power grids, higher electricity bills and heavy water use. Analysts have warned that parts of the U.S. grid could face reliability issues in the coming years if demand continues to surge.

In February, Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., introduced a bill aimed at ensuring the electricity costs of data centers are not passed on to American consumers.

At least 11 other states are considering restrictions like Maine’s, but Maine’s bill is the first to pass both legislative chambers, potentially setting a precedent.

MAJOR TECH COMPANIES BACK TRUMP PLEDGE TO PAY MORE FOR DATA CENTER ELECTRICITY AHEAD OF SIGNING

Critics argue the move could drive away investment and jobs.

“We think that these data centers could bring good jobs, good opportunities to these regions,” Montana Towers, a policy analyst with the free market Maine Policy Institute, told the AP. “And a lot of these concerns about them are luddite in nature.”

The Trump administration has backed data center expansion as critical to competing with China in artificial intelligence, even as it recently pushed tech companies to commit to covering the cost of new power generation needed to run their facilities.

Mills has not said whether she will sign the bill, though she has sought an exemption for a smaller project already underway that would reuse existing infrastructure.

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If enacted, Maine’s moratorium would serve as a test case for how states balance economic growth against the mounting energy demands of the AI boom.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Weeks after now-former Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., invited an Epstein survivor to attend the State of the Union earlier this year in an attempt to highlight victims of sexual abuse, his political career collapsed after multiple women accused him of sexual assault.

“Like every American, I want the President to do his job. I have always attended the State of the Union, and I will again tonight. I invited Teresa Helm as my guest because she has been waiting for justice for more than two decades,” Swalwell said in a press release, referring to Teresa Helm, his guest.

“Teresa’s bravery exposed the Epstein cover-up. The President owes her — and all survivors — answers,” Swalwell added.

Weeks later, Swalwell would ultimately suspend his gubernatorial campaign and resign his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives over women who exposed his own improprieties.

SWALWELL ACCUSERS DETAIL EXPERIENCES WITH LAWMAKER AFTER HE ANNOUNCES HIS RESIGNATION FROM CONGRESS

Bombshell reporting from CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle last Friday recounted allegations from several women, providing detailed accounts of how Swalwell had pursued intoxicated women, pressured employees into intimate situations and asked for explicit images from female contacts.

Swalwell’s office did not respond to requests for inquiries from Fox News Digital.

Helm serves as Survivor Services Coordinator at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) where she partners with survivors of abuse to hold corporations and individuals who profited from and facilitated their exploitation accountable.

KASH PATEL TAUNTS SWALWELL WITH FBI SIT-DOWN AS RESIGNATION FALLOUT GROWS

Helm, a survivor of Epstein’s sex trafficking, had urged lawmakers to release the Epstein files in the lead up to the 2026 State of the Union Address.

“At the heart of this matter is HUMAN DIGNITY and JUSTICE FOR ALL,” Helm said in a press release ahead of the State of the Union.

Epstein, a financier with a prolific social circle, rubbed shoulders with the rich and powerful, including figures like Bill Gates, former President Bill Clinton, President Donald Trump, Billionaire Les Wexner and the United Kingdom’s Prince Andrew.

Epstein died while incarcerated in 2019 on charges of sex-trafficking minors, leaving behind questions of whether he used his wide-ranging contacts to facilitate illegal sexual encounters.

Swalwell, like a wide range of lawmakers from both parties, had urged the DOJ to publicly release documentation on its investigation of Epstein, arguing for public accountability on the matter.

Helm echoed those calls.

SWALWELL’S ‘BEST FRIEND’ IN CONGRESS TURNS ON HIM AFTER BOMBSHELL ALLEGATIONS TORPEDO HIS POLITICAL CAREER

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“It is crucial to join forces, lead by example and continue lighting the way for generations to come. To me, it is both an assignment and an honor to be a guest here today at the 2026 State of the Union Address,” Helm said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Helm for comment.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris is blaming President Donald Trump as Americans feel pain at the pump amid high fuel prices.

“Here in North Carolina and around the country, gas prices are too high,” Harris wrote in a post on X. “This is a direct result of Donald Trump’s war of choice in Iran, and the American people are paying the price.”

The post features a video of Harris delivering remarks while standing outside in front of a sign displaying fuel prices.

DEMOCRATS POUNCE ON $4 A GALLON GAS, BLAME TRUMP’S IRAN WAR FOR ‘BROKEN PROMISE’

“We’ve got a president who is paying more attention to what he thinks is in his best political interests and personal interests, as opposed to what is in the best interest of working people in America,” Harris declares at the end of the brief video.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment on Thursday.

BESSENT WARNS GAS STATIONS THAT TREASURY DEPT WILL KEEP THEM ‘HONEST’ AFTER SPIKE IN PRICES

Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah shared Harris’ post on Wednesday and wrote, “The Biden-Harris administration did everything it could to chill the production and use of gasoline and diesel Don’t tell us you’re on the side of the consumer here.”

The AAA national average for regular gas is $4.093 as of April 16, 2026.

The highest recorded average price for regular was $5.016 back on June 14, 2022 during President Joe Biden‘s White House tenure, when Harris was still serving as vice president.

KAMALA HARRIS DROPS BIGGEST HINT YET ON 2028 WHITE HOUSE RUN

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Trump defeated Harris in the 2024 presidential election. When asked last week by Al Sharpton if she will run again in 2028, Harris said, “I might,” noting, “I am thinkin’ about it.”

President Donald Trump is heading this week to two crucial swing states in this year’s midterm elections to highlight the tax cuts that Republicans in Congress passed, and which he signed into law, last year.

He will visit Nevada on Thursday and Arizona on Friday. The stops follow Wednesday’s deadline for Americans to file their taxes with the IRS.

Trump’s western swing comes as the GOP works to protect its razor-thin House and slim Senate majorities in the midterms, when the party in power typically faces political headwinds and loses congressional seats. The GOP also faces a challenging political climate fueled by persistent inflation, rising gas prices tied to what polls show is an unpopular war with Iran, and the president’s low approval ratings.

But Republicans have for weeks spotlighted the tax cuts, which they insist will give them a political boost with voters in the midterms.

TRUMP HITS THE ROAD TO SELL ECONOMIC WINS, AS REPUBLICANS BRACE FOR HIGH-STAKES MIDTERM SHOWDOWN

In an interview Wednesday on Fox Business’ “Mornings with Maria,” Trump touted the tax cuts, telling host Maria Bartiromo that “the refunds are really significant, and it makes it less complicated to do your tax return. Much less complicated.”

“People are getting refunds of $5,000, $8,000, $11,000 that they had no idea they were getting. It’s turned out to be better, as good or better than I said it would,” the president emphasized.

The tax cuts were a key component of Republicans’ massive domestic policy measure, which passed almost entirely along party lines in the GOP-controlled House and Senate.

FIRST ON FOX: GOP TAKES AIM AT DEMOCRATS FOR OPPOSING TRUMP TAX CUTS

The law, originally titled the One Big Beautiful Bill Act but rebranded as the Working Families Tax Cuts, is stuffed full of Trump’s 2024 campaign trail promises and second-term priorities, including extending the president’s signature 2017 tax cuts and eliminating taxes on tips and overtime pay. 

Trump will spotlight the tax cuts on Thursday at a roundtable discussion at the AC Hotel in Las Vegas. The city, a popular entertainment and gaming mecca, has an outsized population of service industry workers who rely on tips and overtime pay.

EXCLUSIVE: HOUSE REPUBLICANS TARGET ‘VULNERABLE’ DEMOCRATS FOR VOTING AGAINST TAX CUTS

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president on Friday will deliver remarks at a Turning Point USA event at Dream City Church in Phoenix.

“You’ll hear a lot from the president about how his policies have benefited the American people,” Leavitt said.

Democrats have criticized the tax cuts, arguing they disproportionately benefit the wealthy and corporations.

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“Donald Trump promised Americans lower prices, lower taxes, and bigger refunds, and what have they gotten instead? Massive tax breaks for Trump and his wealthy friends, a reckless trade war that has hiked prices, and a deadly and costly taxpayer-funded war with Iran,” Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin argued in a statement.

Martin charged that “Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ stole from nursing homes, rural hospitals, and hungry families to give a windfall to the ultra-rich.” And he claimed “Americans are seeing lower-than-promised refunds hit their bank accounts that won’t even cover the higher costs Trump has forced them to shoulder.”

Former first son Hunter Biden acknowledged he is “completely biased” about the sweeping pardon his father granted him in 2024, renewing attention on former President Joe Biden’s decision to reverse course after publicly ruling out clemency for his son.

“I’m completely biased as it relates to what my dad did for me. I fully understand how uniquely situated I am in being privileged enough to have received a pardon from my father,” Hunter said in an interview published Tuesday by liberal outlet MediasTouch, when asked if there should be reforms made to presidential pardons. 

The remarks put fresh attention on Biden’s decision to pardon his son after repeatedly pledging he would not – a reversal that undercut Democrats’ longtime “no one is above the law” message as Hunter Biden faced federal gun and tax charges.

Hunter Biden added that he was not in the position to weigh in on potential presidential pardon reforms following his father’s order, but went on to slam the Trump administration for its pardons since 2025 – including more than 1,000 individuals pardoned from prosecution related to the Jan. 6, 2021 protest at the U.S. Capitol. 

PRESIDENT BIDEN PARDONS HIS SIBLINGS JUST MINUTES BEFORE LEAVING OFFICE 

Biden reversed course in the final months of his presidency, and issued a sweeping pardon to his son. Hunter Biden was pardoned for any offense he “has committed or may have committed” from Jan. 1, 2014, to Dec. 1, 2024.

Hunter Biden said that he was “filled with gratitude” to his dad when discussing the pardon. 

In September 2024, Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to nine federal tax charges in California for a scheme evading over $1.4 million in taxes from 2016 to 2019. He was also convicted in Delaware in June 2024 for lying on a federal form about his drug use to purchase a firearm in 2018. 

Hunter Biden also pointed fingers at the current first family in the interview, saying, “I don’t think that the founders ever imagined Donald Trump. I don’t think they ever imagined the Trump family.”

DAVID AXELROD QUESTIONS BIDEN’S MASCULINITY AFTER LAST-SECOND FAMILY PARDONS: ‘MAN UP’

“I don’t think people understand is that, in the first year, I think—I don’t know the exact number—I think my dad gave 80 or so pardons over a four-year period of time. I think that that’s about the number,” said Hunter Biden. 

He added, “Donald Trump has given over 1,500 pardons in the first year alone. But I’m obviously—I’m not the one to be, I don’t think, fairly or unbiasedly talking about the presidential pardon vote.”

Trump did not pardon any of his children during his first administration. He did pardon the father of his son-in-law, Charles Kushner, in December 2020. Charles Kushner had served over a year in federal prison for tax evasion, witness retaliation, and campaign finance violations. 

“President Trump has exercised his constitutional authority to issue pardons and commutations for a variety of individuals, including those who have been victims of Biden’s weaponized justice system,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital on Tuesday. 

“And the only pardons anyone should be critical of are from President Autopen, who pardoned and commuted sentences of violent criminals including child killers and mass murderers – and that’s not to mention the proactive pardons he ‘signed’ for his family members like Hunter on his way out the door.” 

Biden also issued pardons to his brother James, sister-in-law Sara, sister Valerie, and brother Francis, defending the move as protection from attacks and threats from Trump.

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Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: Financial officers from 12 states are backing a proposed Department of Labor rule that targets healthcare “middlemen” by demanding more transparency, rallying behind the Trump administration’s waste, fraud, and abuse crackdown as well as the goal of lowering healthcare costs.

In a letter to the Labor Department obtained by Fox News Digital, over a dozen state financial officers in the State Financial Officers Association (SFOF) offered their support of a proposed rule being evaluated by the Labor Department targeting pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) that would expose hidden fees, conflicts of interest and overcharging that drive up costs.

“Healthcare purchasers are operating in the dark, paying inflated costs because hidden pricing and middlemen obscure where every dollar goes,” OJ Oleka, CEO of the State Financial Officers Foundation, told Fox News Digital. “By bringing those hidden prices into the light, companies can finally identify waste, negotiate better deals, and redirect those savings toward higher wages, more jobs, stronger benefits for workers, and increases to shareholder value.” 

Oleka went on to explain that on a state level, the transparency brought on by the new rule is “essential to safeguarding taxpayer resources and fulfilling fiduciary responsibilities.”

LABOR DEPT DEPLOYS ‘STRIKE TEAM’ TO CALIFORNIA OVER $21B UNEMPLOYMENT DEBT, FRAUD CONCERNS

“Transparency isn’t just about accountability; it’s critical to detecting waste, preventing fraud, and ensuring that healthcare spending delivers value to the workers, businesses, and taxpayers who ultimately bear these costs.”

If implemented, the rule would require full disclosure of these “middlemen” revenue streams, expand beyond pharmacy benefit managers to insurers and third-party administrators, and allow access to claims and pricing data, which SFOF says will be a key tool in combating fraud while outlining in the letter that the administration shouldn’t stop there.

“As the guardians of billions of taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars, we support the Labor Department’s proposed rule and hope the administration goes even further,” Tina Cannon, Utah’s state auditor, told Fox News Digital.

“Enforcing price transparency is essential for us to perform our fiduciary duties effectively,” she said. “Greater oversight and accountability for employer-based health plans will help prevent waste, fraud, and abuse in federal healthcare programs, such as the $463.7 million in inappropriate hospital payments my office uncovered in Utah last year. Expanding this rule would help us do our jobs, root out fraud and waste, and reduce the cost of healthcare for all Americans.”

A “complex web” of hidden rebates, fees, and incentives, driven by pharmacy benefit managers, has allowed fraud to go undetected for years, according to the letter.

SENATE DOGE LEADER MOVES TO FORCE ‘RECEIPT’ FOR EVERY TAX DOLLAR AFTER MINNESOTA FRAUD SCANDAL

The push follows months of action from the Trump administration and SFOF to crack down on waste, fraud, and abuse across government. Trump recently named Vice President JD Vance the nation’s “fraud czar” to lead an anti-fraud task force, and in February the SFOF uncovered billions in taxpayer waste.

Treasurers and auditors from 12 states — including Nebraska, Louisiana, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, North Dakota, Indiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, Mississippi and Kansas — signed onto the effort.

More than $50 billion annually in undisclosed rebates and fees is retained by top pharmacy benefit managers, which has “prevented effective oversight,” according to the letter. The letter details methods used to generate this hidden fraud.

“Healthcare overcharging in the United States erodes shareholder value by driving up costs for employers (and patients),” the letter states.

VANCE REVEALS $19B FRAUD UNCOVERED IN MINNEAPOLIS, HINTS CALIFORNIA IS NEXT TARGET

One major concern is that pharmacy benefit managers charge more for a drug than they pay at the dispensing pharmacy “to keep the difference or ‘spread’ as profit.” In turn, money hidden from regulators drives price spikes. 

The letter also states that pharmacy benefit managers are buying more expensive drugs from manufacturers for higher rebates without those incentives ever being disclosed.

“These arrangements are generally not made public, so plan sponsors often do not have insight into how much pharmacy benefit managers are actually paying for drugs on their formularies,” according to the letter.

It adds that pharmacy benefit managers are steering patients away from cheaper pharmacy options to their own affiliated pharmacies to boost profits.

In 2023, U.S. healthcare spending reached nearly $5 trillion, about 17.6% of GDP, while employers spent roughly $1.3 trillion in 2024, with costs rising more than 5% annually, according to the letter.

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The letter builds on recent pressure from these same officials on Fortune 500 companies to more closely examine healthcare spending data, signaling a growing investor-driven push for cost transparency.

It also follows a recent SFOF report showing that financial officers prevented $28 billion in waste and abuse in 2025 alone, along with new polling indicating that Americans view fraud as a major driver of rising living costs.

David Axelrod, a senior advisor to former president Barack Obama, put out a statement on X quelling rumors that a Thursday meeting between himself and Pope Leo XIV was a precursor to a potential Leo-Obama summit.

“To be clear, I was gratified and honored that Pope Leo XIV granted my request for an audience and thrilled to spend a some time with him last week,” Axelrod wrote.

“It was scheduled months ago and unrelated to any prospective meeting with President Obama,” his Tuesday post concluded.

Despite the statement, Obama has been open about his desire to meet with Pope Leo. Obama-Biden White House alum Christopher Hale posted on X that there are “early talks” about a potential one-on-one.

POPE WARNS ESCALATING IRAN CONFLICT COULD TIP MIDDLE EAST INTO ‘IRREPARABLE ABYSS’

Axelrod, now a CNN analyst, was responding to a video from his own network in which conservative commentator Hal Lambert accused Pope Leo’s recent criticisms of President Donald Trump and the war in Iran of being politically motivated.

“David Axelrod goes and visits Pope Leo last week. They’re talking about Obama going to visit. Pope Leo is from Chicago. All of a sudden, now Pope Leo is out attacking Trump and the policies of the United States and Israel,” Lambert said during a CNN panel show.

“Axelrod is the chief strategist for Obama. The pope was saying he’s not political. Why is he meeting with the chief strategist for both Obama’s campaign and in the White House?” Lambert asked.

POPE LEO PICKS NEW VATICAN AMBASSADOR TO US AS TRUMP TENSIONS MOUNT OVER POLICIES

In addition to being a senior advisor to Obama in the White House, Axelrod was also the chief strategist for both Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns and was widely seen as the brains behind his successful runs.

The veteran politico met with Pope Leo on April 9. The pope’s criticism’s of Trump’s military actions predate the meeting. He’s been critical of both military actions in Venezuela and in Iran, telling a Palm Sunday Mass in March that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.”

But one day after his meeting with Axelrod, Pope Leo wrote what appeared to be a direct rebuke to the administration.

POPE LEO CALLS OUT ‘DELUSION OF OMNIPOTENCE’ FUELING IRAN WAR IN VIGIL FOR PEACE AT ST. PETER’S BASILICA

“God does not bless any conflict. Anyone who is a disciple of Christ, the Prince of Peace, is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs,” Pope Leo wrote in an April 10 post on X.

“Military action will not create space for freedom or times of Peace, which comes only from the patient promotion of coexistence and dialogue among peoples,” he concluded.

The post, which has been followed with at least 10 direct or indirect references to war and peace in the five days since, came days after Secretary of War Pete Hegseth spoke of the rescue mission to save a downed airman in Iran.

POPE LEO XIV INVOKES POPE FRANCIS’ FINAL WORDS IN EASTER PLEA AGAINST GROWING ‘INDIFFERENCE’ TO WAR

“Shot down on a Friday — Good Friday — hidden in a cave — a crevice — all of Saturday and rescued on Sunday,” Hegseth said. “Flown out of Iran as the sun was rising on Easter Sunday, a pilot reborn. All home and accounted for. A nation rejoicing. God is good,” Hegseth said in an April 6 press conference.

Trump responded to comments from Pope Leo, calling him “weak on crime and “terrible for foreign policy,” in a post on Truth Social.

“Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church,” Trump also wrote.

FROM IRAN TO THE FAKE JESUS IMAGE, TRUMP IS FACING A GROWING BACKLASH FOR HIS INFLAMMATORY RHETORIC

The heightened rhetoric has contributed to an atmosphere that many are increasingly viewing as political.

“It’s not about when it was scheduled. It’s about why? David Axelrod is a powerful Democrat political strategist. That’s his job for the past 30 years. Millions of people would like a private audience with the pope, but he is meeting with a powerful strategist for the opposition party to President Trump,” Lambert told Fox News Digital.

“This is all about the midterms and trying to turn Catholics against President Trump and Republicans,” Lambert concluded.

BISHOP BARRON SAYS TRUMP ‘OWES THE POPE AN APOLOGY’

Besides incurring the pope’s ire, Trump has also irked Christians across the board after posting an AI-generated image of himself on Truth Social that many viewed as depicting himself as Jesus Christ.

Trump deleted the photo and denied the charge, claiming he thought the photo was depicting him as a doctor.

“I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor and had to do with Red Cross… which we support, and only the fake news could come up with that one,” Trump told reporters.

“As a Chicagoan, I’ve been eager to meet Pope Leo from the moment he stepped out on the balcony,” Axelrod told Fox News Digital.

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“My admiration for him as a great moral leader has only grown since. The audience, which I requested, was scheduled months ago. No one sent me and the only mission I was on was to visit with him and pay my respects,” he concluded.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Vatican and an Obama representative for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

House Democrats filed formal articles of impeachment against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, accusing the Trump Cabinet member of abusing his office and committing war crimes.

Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., introduced six articles of impeachment against Hegseth along with 12 other House Democrats.

“Pete Hegseth broke his oath to the Constitution, put U.S. troops at grave risk through the unauthorized disclosure of classified information, engaged in abuse of office and conduct beneath the dignity of his office, and carried out unlawful military actions despite his obligation to refuse — including strikes on civilians and a girls’ school in Minab, Iran,” Ansari said in a statement announcing formal filing of the resolution.

She further claimed Hegseth’s “conduct meets the threshold of high crimes and misdemeanors and warrants immediate removal by Congress.”

HEGSETH REVEALS COVERT VISIT TO TROOPS FIGHTING IN OPERATION EPIC FURY

Axios first reported the impeachment push after obtaining a copy of the resolution.

The first article of impeachment accuses Hegseth of an “unauthorized war against Iran and reckless endangerment of United States service members.” It focuses on strikes the U.S. launched without seeking a formal mandate from Congress and accuses Hegseth of recklessly endangering U.S. service members by signing off on ground operations that involved extreme and unnecessary risks.

The second article accuses Hegseth of “Violations of the Law of Armed Conflict and targeting of civilians,” alleging the secretary of authorizing or failing to prevent operations that resulted in significant civilian casualties. It cited the bombing of a girls’ school in Minab, Iran, and reports of “double tap” strikes on alleged drug vessels in the Caribbean.

LONGTIME TRUMP CRITIC REVEALS WHY SHE THINKS HIS IRAN ACTIONS ARE WRONG, WARNS IT’S A ‘MUCH BIGGER WAR’

The third article accuses Hegseth of “Negligence and Reckless handling of sensitive military information,” focusing on an incident in which Hegseth and other top officials used a Signal chat to discuss active strikes in Yemen — and inadvertently included a prominent magazine editor in the chat.

The remaining three articles accuse Hegseth of obstructing congressional oversight, abuse of power and the politicization of the armed forces, and a broader charge of bringing “disrepute” upon the U.S. and its armed forces.

Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson told Fox News Digital in an emailed statement that the impeachment push “is just another charade” by Democrats.

“This is just another Democrat trying to make headlines as the Department of War decisively and overwhelmingly achieved the Presidents’ objectives in Iran,” Wilson said. “Secretary Hegseth will continue to protect the homeland and project peace through strength. This is just another charade in an attempt to distract the American people from the major successes we have had here at the Department of War.” 

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The other Democrats who signed onto the resolution include Reps. Sarah McBride, D-Del., Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., Al Green, D-Texas, Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, Nikema Williams, D-Ga., Dina Titus, D-Nev., Dave Min, D-Calif., Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., Mike Quigley, D-Ill., and Brittany Pettersen, D-Col.

President Donald Trump said he is “prepared” to appoint up to three Supreme Court justices if vacancies arise, signaling he is ready to further reshape the high court as speculation swirls around a potential retirement from Justice Samuel Alito.

Trump told Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo that Alito, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, could retire and that he has a shortlist of nominees in mind, though he did not mention any names. 

The remarks sharpen the stakes around any potential vacancy, as Trump signaled he is ready to seize the opportunity to deepen the court’s conservative majority. With retirement speculation around Alito intensifying and Republicans eyeing the window before the 2026 midterms, the prospect of an opening is already putting fresh focus on succession politics. 

“In theory, it’s two — you just read the statistics — it could be two, could be three, could be one,” Trump said. “I don’t know. I’m prepared to do it. But when you mention Alito, he is a great justice.”

JONATHAN TURLEY: KAMALA HARRIS BACKS RADICAL PLAN TO BLOCK TRUMP SCOTUS PICKS

Rumors about Alito, 76, potentially retiring have grown because of his age, his two-decade tenure on the bench and speculation that he may want to make sure a conservative successor is confirmed by the current Republican-led Senate, especially before the upcoming midterm elections in which Republicans are at risk of losing or seeing a diminished majority.

The rumors were further fueled when it was revealed Alito was treated last month for dehydration after becoming ill at a Federalist Society dinner. A Supreme Court spokesperson clarified at the time that the justice was “thoroughly checked” and returned to the bench the following Monday.

TRUMP DISMISSES CALLS FOR ALITO, THOMAS TO STEP DOWN FROM SUPREME COURT, CALLING THEM ‘FANTASTIC’

Justice Clarence Thomas, an appointee of President George H.W. Bush, has drawn less retirement speculation despite being one year older than Alito at 77 and his own lengthy tenure. Thomas has been a conservative fixture on the court for more than three decades and holds a record as the second-longest serving justice in history.

Trump noted what he viewed as an upside to replacing Alito, who sides with him on nearly every high-profile court case, but said it would come at a cost.

“Justice Alito is an unbelievable justice, and a brilliant justice, and he gets the country,” Trump said. “He does what’s right for the country. It’s the law, and he goes by it as much as anybody, but he gets to the point. That’s good for our country. So … one way you should be, ‘Oh, I’m thrilled,’ but he’s so good.”

While many prominent conservative judges, from appellate court Judge James Ho to Florida-based federal Judge Aileen Cannon, have been floated as options in legal circles, Trump has not publicly revealed any of his preferences at this stage.

Senate Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, told reporters this week he would recommend Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, or Mike Lee, R-Utah, as top candidates if Alito were to retire. Grassley emphasized that he hoped Alito would not step down but said his committee is “fully prepared” to process a nominee before the upcoming midterm elections if needed.

Cruz said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital that having his name in the mix was a “high honor” but that he did not want the job.

“The reason I’ve said no is that a principled federal judge stays out of policy fights and stays out of political fights. … But I don’t want to stay out of policy fights. I don’t want to stay out of political fights,” Cruz said. “I want to be right in the middle of them.”

Lee’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

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No president since Ronald Reagan has influenced the Supreme Court more than Trump, who secured three appointments during his first term, underscoring how Trump has shaped the 6-3 ideological divide on the court in favor of conservatives. 

George H.W. Bush appointed two, as did George W. Bush and former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. Former President Joe Biden appointed one, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt closed Wednesday’s daily press briefing with more renderings of President Donald Trump‘s new 250-foot “United States Triumphal Arch.”

The Interior Department will submit plans for the “architectural masterpiece” to honor the “enduring triumph of the American spirit” in Washington, D.C., as part of the nation’s 250th birthday celebrations, Leavitt told the White House press corps.

“It’s quite beautiful, as you can see,” Leavitt said, sharing poster renderings. “And this monumental arch will beam at 250 feet tall in honor of 250 years.”

It will rise on vacant green space at Memorial Circle on Columbia Island, a National Park Service-managed island in the Potomac River, according to Leavitt, adding that plans would be submitted Thursday.

AMERICA 250 ORGANIZERS UNVEIL SWEEPING PLANS FOR THE COUNTRY’S HISTORIC BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

“The United States Triumphal Arch will be outfitted with beautiful artwork and depictions celebrating the success of the American people over our 250-year history and the enduring triumph of the American spirit,” she continued.

“Long after everyone in this room is gone, our children and grandchildren will remain inspired by this national monument. Beginning construction this year on the architectural arch is a fitting way to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence.”

While Trump has faced obstruction in the building of his privately funded $400 million White House ballroom, Leavitt said the arch project should draw bipartisan backing.

FAMED NATIONAL PARK DROPS ‘ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANT’ BAN AHEAD OF AMERICA’S 250TH BIRTHDAY

“Great nations build beautiful structures that cultivate national pride and love of country, and this Triumphal Arch should be a project that all Americans of all political persuasions can support, because it’s a monument for every American to celebrate 250 years of our nation’s proud history,” Leavitt concluded.

The announcement adds a large-scale capital project to the White House’s expanding Freedom 250 agenda, which the administration has been promoting across official White House channels in recent weeks.

Leavitt did not disclose a cost estimate, construction timeline beyond this year, or details on how the project would be reviewed under federal planning and preservation rules. She also did not say whether Congress would need to authorize funding.

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The proposed site, Memorial Circle at the northern end of Columbia Island, sits just off the approaches to Arlington Memorial Bridge and near the George Washington Memorial Parkway, placing the project in a prominent ceremonial corridor linking Washington and Arlington.

Leavitt said the administration would have “many more announcements” tied to the 250th anniversary in the coming months.

EXCLUSIVE: The Office of the Director of National Intelligence sent criminal referrals to the Justice Department for the whistleblower whose complaint helped trigger President Donald Trump’s 2019 impeachment and for the former intelligence community inspector general who notified Congress of the allegations, Fox News Digital has learned.

“I want to refer information that may constitute possible criminal activity in violation of federal criminal law committed by one or more former employees of the intelligence community,” ODNI’s general counsel wrote in the referral to the Justice Department.

Fox News Digital on Wednesday reviewed the referrals ODNI sent to the Justice Department. 

“The possible criminal activity concerns the circumstances described in the following congressional briefings: Discussion with Intelligence Community Inspector General, House Permanent Select Comm. on Intel., 116th Cong. (2019); Briefing by the Intelligence Community Inspector General, House Permanent Select Comm. on Intel., 116th Cong. (2019),” it continued.  

GABBARD CLAIMS ‘COORDINATED EFFORT’ BY INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY TO ADVANCE NARRATIVE TO IMPEACH TRUMP 

The referrals come after DNI Tulsi Gabbard released documents earlier this week exposing what was described as a “coordinated effort” by elements within the intelligence community—including then-Inspector General Michael Atkinson, to “manufacture a conspiracy” that was used as the basis to impeach Trump in 2019.

An intelligence official told Fox News Digital that the language in the referral is broad, but that it’s specifically directed at Atkinson and the whistleblower who reported concerns about President Trump’s July 2019 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 

FLASHBACK: NUNES THREATENS TO REFER WATCHDOG’S HANDLING OF WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINT TO DOJ

ODNI directed Fox News Digital to a recent X post from Gabbard when asked for comment on the referrals. 

“Newly-declassified records expose how deep state actors within the Intelligence Community concocted a false narrative that Congress used to usurp the will of the American people and impeach duly-elected President @realDonaldTrump in 2019,” Gabbard posted to X on Monday. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Justice on Wednesday afternoon regarding the referrals. 

The documents Gabbard released earlier this week include transcripts from Atkinson’s closed-door testimony before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, which were withheld from the House Judiciary Committee during the first impeachment trial. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford, R-Ark., led a vote to release the transcripts in March.

ODNI said the documents confirmed that Atkinson “failed to conduct basic due diligence and willfully exceeded his statutory jurisdiction to mischaracterize the president’s phone call with Zelensky as an ‘urgent concern’ to Congress.”

Atkinson, during his investigation, found that the whistleblower showed indications of “political bias” and was “in favor of a rival political candidate,” while still deeming the complaint a matter of “urgent concern.”

Atkinson received a complaint in August 2019 from the whistleblower, who was raising concerns about Trump’s July 2019 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, pressing him to launch investigations into the Biden family’s actions and business dealings in Ukraine. The president specifically suggested Zelensky look into Hunter Biden’s ventures with Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings and former President Joe Biden’s successful effort to have former Ukrainian prosecutor General Viktor Shokin ousted.

Hunter Biden was quietly under federal investigation, beginning in 2018, at the time of the call, a probe prompted by suspicious foreign transactions.

Trump’s request was regarded by Democrats as a quid pro quo because millions of dollars in U.S. military aid to Ukraine had been frozen. Democrats also said Trump was meddling in the 2020 presidential election by asking a foreign leader to look into a Democrat political opponent.

Biden has acknowledged that when he was vice president, he successfully pressured Ukraine to fire Shokin. At the time, Shokin was investigating Burisma Holdings and Hunter had a highly lucrative role on the board, receiving thousands of dollars per month. The then-vice president threatened to withhold $1 billion of critical U.S. aid if Shokin was not fired.

“I said, ‘You’re not getting the billion.’ … I looked at them and said, ‘I’m leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you’re not getting the money,’” Biden recalled telling then-Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. Biden recollected the conversation during an event for the Council on Foreign Relations in 2018.

FLASHBACK: HOUSE INTEL REPUBLICANS INVESTIGATING ICIG HANDLING OF WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINT

“Well, son of a b—-, he got fired,” Biden said during the event. “And they put in place someone who was solid at the time.”

Biden allies maintain the then-vice president pushed for Shokin’s firing due to concerns the Ukrainian prosecutor went easy on corruption, and they say that his firing, at the time, was the policy position of the U.S. and international community.

Meanwhile, House Republicans, back in 2019 and 2020, sought to refer Atkinson and the whistleblower to the DOJ for investigation. 

Republicans, at the time, complained that the whistleblower made contact with the staff of then-Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., in advance — though Schiff downplayed the nature of that contact.

The White House, under Trump’s first term, released a declassified version of the whistleblower complaint, which revealed that the whistleblower’s concerns stemmed from the secondhand accounts of “more than half a dozen U.S. officials.”

The declassified whistleblower complaint, though, stated: “I was not a direct witness to most of the events described. However, I found my colleagues’ accounts of these events to be credible, because, in almost all cases, multiple officials recounted fact patterns that were consistent with one another.”

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Trump was impeached in the House of Representatives in December 2019. He was acquitted by the Senate in February 2020. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment on the matter Wednesday.  

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor said Wednesday she regretted “hurtful” remarks about a colleague, apologizing in a court-issued statement after seemingly taking aim at Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s perspective on immigration enforcement.

During a prior appearance at the University of Kansas School of Law, Sotomayor, without mentioning him by name, criticized Kavanaugh, “for failing to grasp the real-world effects of an unsigned order last year that allowed immigration enforcement sweeps in Los Angeles to resume.”

“I had a colleague in that case who wrote, you know, these are only temporary stops,” Sotomayor said during the appearance, noting a Kavanaugh concurrence in an emergency appeal filed by the Trump administration, Noem v. Perdomo, a case SCOTUS stayed 6-3 in September allowing ICE to use “apparent race or ethnicity,” language and work location to justify immigration stops in California. “This is from a man whose parents were professionals. And probably doesn’t really know any person who works by the hour.”

CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS WARNS AGAINST PERSONAL ATTACKS ON JUDGES AS ‘DANGEROUS’ AFTER TRUMP COURT TIRADE

In his concurrence opinion of the Sept. 8, 2025 stay, Kavanaugh wrote that legal residents’ encounters with immigration agents are “typically brief, and those individuals may promptly go free after making clear to the immigration officers that they are U.S. citizens or otherwise legally in the United States.”

Sotomayor, who filed the dissenting opinion, alleged in her remarks at KU that Kavanaugh failed to grasp that even short detentions can have major “financial consequences” for hourly workers, despite him having cited the legal reasoning of immigration stops being longstanding and based on reasonable suspicion.

JONATHAN TURLEY: LIBERAL JUSTICE’S SWIPE AT KAVANAUGH LATEST SIGN OF SCOTUS’ SLIPPING STANDARDS

She added her “life experiences” taught her how to “think more broadly and to see things others may not,” seemingly in reference to racial profiling as the first Hispanic justice.

TRUMP REVEALS HE HAS MULTI-PICK SCOTUS PLAN READY AS RETIREMENT SPECULATION HEATS UP

In a statement released by the Supreme Court on Wednesday, Sotomayor said she “referred to a disagreement with one of my colleagues in a prior case,” but “made remarks that were inappropriate.”

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“I regret my hurtful comments,” she wrote in the statement. “I have apologized to my colleague.”

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s tariffs could be restored as early as July, signaling a rapid pivot by the Trump administration after the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s IEEPA-based tariffs earlier this year, forcing the administration to turn to other trade authorities.

“We had a setback at the Supreme Court in terms of the tariff policy,” Bessent said Tuesday at an event hosted by the Wall Street Journal. “But we will be implementing or conducting Section 301 studies — so the tariffs could be back in place at the previous level by [the] beginning of July.”

His remarks come after the Supreme Court ruled in February that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, does not authorize tariffs.

Trump has billed tariffs as “life or death” for the U.S. economy — underscoring the outsize importance the administration has placed on the issue. 

TRUMP TARIFF PLAN FACES UNCERTAIN FUTURE AS COURT BATTLES INTENSIFY

Bessent’s comments also come as the U.S. collected more than $133 billion in IEEPA tariff duties as of mid-December, according to data published by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency, a figure that later grew to roughly $166 billion by early March 2026.

The administration moved to preserve tariffs in the weeks since the Supreme Court’s ruling to find new ways to implement the import fees, invoking several provisions of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974 in order to do so. 

Bessent’s remarks, first reported by Bloomberg, are a sign that the Trump administration plans to enact a combination of statutes under the trade law as it looks to move past the high court’s ruling and find new ways to sustain U.S. tariff pressure. 

The strategy, long-term, appears to focus largely on Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows the president and the U.S. Trade Representative’s office (USTR) to implement “retaliatory import restrictions” against a country that is found to have engaged in unfair or “discriminatory” trade policies or practices towards U.S. businesses. 

Section 301 allows the U.S. Trade Representative to investigate and respond to “unfair” foreign trade practices flagged by the president, though they require a formal period of notice and public comment, delaying enforcement. 

Since the Supreme Court’s ruling, the Trump administration has initiated a flurry of more than 75 investigations under Section 301, according to a report from Alan Wm. Wolff, a senior fellow for the Peterson Institute for International Economics — far outpacing the average annual number of Section 301 investigations initiated during the past five decades.

TRUMP WARNS SUPREME COURT TARIFF SHOWDOWN IS ‘LIFE OR DEATH’ FOR AMERICA

That’s not the only lever administration officials have pulled in an effort to keep Trump’s tariffs in place, however.

Trump last month announced new 10% global tariffs — an emergency provision under the trade law that allows a president to unilaterally impose import fees of up to 15% on U.S. trading partners for a period of 150 days, to respond to large and serious “balance of payments deficits,” or instances that risk immediately depreciating the power of the dollar.  

The Section 122 announcement prompted a lawsuit from 24 attorneys general, who argued the move was an illegal attempt to “sidestep” the Supreme Court’s ruling. It also prompted another lengthy hearing before the U.S. Court of International Trade in Manhattan Friday, as judges on the three-member panel weighed the legality of Trump’s effort.

Lawyers for the challenges told the court Friday that upholding the administration’s broader view of the law would effectively turn Section 122 into an all-purpose trade weapon. 

US COURT OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE SIDES WITH TRUMP IN TARIFF CASE

But Justice Department lawyer Brett Shumate argued that Congress had provided presidents with broad discretion to assess economic conditions.

“A trade deficit was a large driver of a balance of payments deficit in 1974 as it is today,” Shumate said. 

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“We’re not on the gold standard anymore,” he said. “We don’t have a fixed currency, but we can still have balance-of-payment problems.”

First lady Melania Trump delivered a plea to lawmakers on Wednesday, demanding “action over awareness” to secure the futures of America’s foster children by turning her recent executive action into permanent law.

During a bipartisan congressional committee meeting, Trump outlined her vision to transform vulnerable youth into financially independent business owners, explaining the American dream should be “their birthright.”

While describing the Fostering the Future executive order she signed in November as a “transformative vision,” she said Congress now has an opportunity to create a lasting, positive impact by passing permanent legislation.

Since the start of her nationwide initiative, Fostering the Future, in 2021, the program has a footprint in more than 20 universities across the country, including major institutions like LSU, the University of Virginia, University of Texas and Ohio State University.

FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP: AI COULD IMPROVE TEACHING AND HELP DELIVER A WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION TO OUR CHILDREN

Rather than relying on perpetual government assistance, Trump said her goal at the university level is to prepare those in foster care to secure entry-level jobs, become financially independent, create new businesses and generate employment opportunities.

She also highlighted roadblocks within the current system, noting that only roughly 3% of people in the foster care community earn a college degree.

“We can close this gap, but still, foster youth face a special set of challenges outside the classroom that have a serious impact on their academic performance,” Trump said.

“These issues include housing instability, educational advocacy, financial barriers [and] transportation continuity,” she continued.

“New legislation for the foster care community is a moral imperative.”

The first lady added that safeguarding foster children’s well-being helps “shape the integrity of our nation” and reminded bipartisan lawmakers that “America’s children are our moral equals.”

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“As parents and leaders, it is our ethical obligation to ensure American children develop emotionally and physically within a safe environment,” Trump said. 

“As a community, we strive to nurture our children’s curiosity, protect their innocence and guide them with hearts full of care. … But to get there, a strong knowledge base is required. Education is the cornerstone of a child’s future.”