NationalWatch

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is capitalizing on Democrats’ internal civil war as he crisscrosses the country in a bid to keep the House majority for Republicans in November.

During a campaign stop in Virginia Beach on Monday, Johnson name-checked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., as he described the wave of socialist-linked primary wins in Jeffries’ home state.

“It’s a fascinating thing to see the Democrat Party, they’re in the midst of, now, an open civil war. Truly, they don’t know who they stand, what they stand for, or who stands with them. They don’t have a leader,” Johnson said.

It comes after candidates linked to the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani toppled establishment-backed candidates, including two sitting House Democrats.

JOHNSON TURNS DEMOCRATS’ SOCIALIST CIVIL WAR INTO NEW WEAPON FOR MIDTERMS

“Hakeem Jeffries is the top leader, the Democrat leader in the House. But he lost his slate of candidates in his own backyard,” Johnson said. “Several weeks ago, you saw Mamdani endorsed a slate of radical far-left candidates, DSA-approved and endorsed candidates, and they all won. And one of those races was in the Bronx, in Hakeem Jeffries’ own backyard.”

The specific race Johnson was referring to saw Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., defeated by socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier in New York’s 13th Congressional District. The area spans parts of the Bronx and Upper Manhattan.

In the 10th Congressional District, encompassing part of western Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan, former DSA member Brad Lander defeated Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y.

SOCIALISM VS CAPITALISM: HOUSE DEMS CLASH OVER WHAT NY ELECTION RESULTS MEAN FOR PARTY

Both incumbents were endorsed by Jeffries, as is usually the case. Both Chevalier and Lander were backed by Mamdani, himself a DSA member.

Socialist Claire Valdez, also a Mamdani-backed candidate, won a Brooklyn- and Queens-area House seat being vacated by Rep. Nydia Velázquez. Jeffries did not endorse in that race, but it’s notable that Velázquez’s chosen successor lost.

Jeffries’ own district sits entirely in Brooklyn. Despite that, however, neither Chevalier nor Valdez has publicly backed Jeffries to remain House Democrats’ leader.

It’s a microcosm of the wider fight playing out across the country between the establishment party and a far-left insurgency. The war has proved to be a boon for Republicans who are facing an uphill battle to keep their razor-thin House majority.

100 DAY SPRINT TO THE MIDTERMS KICKS OFF AS REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS CLASH FOR CONTROL ACROSS THE COUNTRY

Johnson, who was in Virginia campaigning for endangered House Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., compared Democrats to a “rudderless ship.”

“But the thing that is so, I think alarming — let me use that word, alarming, for the American people — is that you have open Marxists who are winning primaries in that party,” Johnson said before referencing the DSA’s own platform.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES CONFRONTED ON ‘YOU’RE NEXT’ CHANTS FOLLOWING NY DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST VICTORIES

“The challenge is coming from people who, you know, they put their platform out, they published it. They want to abolish the border. They want to abolish all prisons in America. They want to abolish the U.S. Senate. They want to remove the president. They want to expand the House and make it a unicameral governing body over the country. Why? Because they believe that over two or three cycles, they’ll be able to bring a wave of Marxists, communists into the Congress and take it over.”

When reached for a response, a spokesperson for Jeffries referred Fox News Digital to an exchange between the House Democratic leader and NBC’s “Meet the Press” host Kristin Welker on Sunday.

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“I expect that there will be at least 220 members of the House Democratic Caucus when we take back the majority, if not a number much greater than that,” Jeffries said in response to a question about challengers from the left toppling incumbents. “We as House Democrats are committed to fighting for an affordable America every day, every week, every month until we solve this crisis.”

Attorney General Todd Blanche on Monday launched a new process to allow certain people who are barred from possessing firearms to apply for restoration of their federal firearm rights.

Under a final rule issued by Blanche, applicants must establish the circumstances of their prohibition, as well as show that they are not likely to pose a danger to public safety.

“The Second Amendment is not a second-class right, and the federal government should not permanently deprive Americans of a constitutional right without regard to whether they pose a danger to public safety,” Blanche said in a statement. “This rule establishes a rigorous, commonsense process that protects the public while giving deserving Americans a real path to restoration.”

INSIDE TRUMP’S UNPRECEDENTED BATTLE PLAN TO EXPAND SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS THROUGH JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

Along with the circumstances of the prohibition, the applicant’s record, reputation and subsequent conduct will also be taken into consideration, the Justice Department said.

“Absent extraordinary circumstances, violent felons, registered sex offenders, illegal aliens, and other individuals who present an ongoing danger will remain presumptively ineligible for relief,” the agency said. “Any relief granted under the rule removes only applicable federal firearms disabilities and does not override independent restrictions imposed by state law.”

The National Rifle Association (NRA) told Fox News Digital that it has long championed the restoration of Second Amendment rights for individuals who paid their debts to society and who are not demonstrably dangerous to public safety. 

“NRA submitted extensive comments in response to the original proposal to ensure the process was fair, accessible, and consistent with the underlying statute,” the group said in a statement. “While the final rule falls short on a few of these suggestions, it is an important step in the right direction. As ever, we will continue our advocacy to ensure no American is unduly deprived of the right to keep and bear arms.”

Monday’s announcement is another win for gun-rights advocates.

Last week, the Trump administration declined to pause a judge’s ruling that allows people to possess short-barreled rifles, shotguns and silencers without registering them with the federal government.

GUN RIGHTS GETS ‘GREATEST RESTORATION’ IN 100 YEARS WITH LATEST TRUMP DOJ MOVE, LAWMAKER HAILS

The National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA) established a $200 tax on silencers, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns and other firearms that also required additional federal registration to obtain.

Republicans reduced that tax to zero in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), prompting gun rights groups to successfully argue that the added registration requirement was unconstitutional.

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“Our court victory against NFA registration is the greatest Second Amendment legal win in American history,” U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., wrote on X last week.

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

A top commander responsible for defending the U.S. homeland warned Thursday that American military bases are “ill-equipped” to repel a swarm of small attack drones.

The vulnerability that persists even as the Pentagon seeks billions for new counter-drone weapons, and Army Lt. Gen. Joseph Jarrard said the shortfall begins well before troops try to shoot down a drone.

Some bases do not have the sensors to spot and track an incoming swarm or the weapons to take it out, the deputy commander of U.S. Northern Command and vice commander of the American contingent at North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

“We don’t have the sensors, and depending on where that swarm is going to attack, it depends on whether we have any sensors at all, and also whether we’ve got any effectors to go after that problem,” Jarrard said at the annual Space and Missile Defense Symposium.

Jarrard said NORTHCOM is folding counter-drone tactics into Operation Noble Eagle, the long-running U.S.-Canada homeland air-defense mission. For now, he said, NORAD is relying on radars already in its inventory while working to connect with local law enforcement and other agencies that operate detection systems beyond military installations.

“Detection is obviously the biggest issue, and so how we are able to detect is one of our biggest concerns right now,” Jarrard said. “That’s where we’ve got to get to with respect to the interoperability between not just military systems, but also those that are protecting our cities, critical infrastructure, etc., that are off our installations.”

PENTAGON CONSOLIDATES DRONE OVERSIGHT AS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PUSHES RAPID UNMANNED WARFARE EXPANSION

Jarrard’s assessment offers a blunt measure of the gap between the Pentagon’s rapid counter-drone push and the protection available at installations today. Cheap, one-way attack drones have changed the battlefield calculus in Ukraine and the Middle East, where adversaries can threaten equipment, infrastructure and personnel without expending the missiles or aircraft traditionally associated with a strike on a military target.

“We are ill-equipped right now to handle something like that, and obviously we’ve seen it used,” Jarrard told the audience. “We’re seeing it used on a daily basis around the world, and we’ve got to figure out how to mitigate that threat.”

His warning echoed concerns raised in May by NORTHCOM commander Gen. Gregory Guillot, who said troops deployed along the southern border lacked adequate counter-drone tools. The Pentagon has since sought a record $21 billion for drones, counter-drone weapons, munitions and other related capabilities as it tries to close the gap.

The warning also comes as President Donald Trump moves ahead with the Golden Dome plan, his broad homeland missile-defense initiative intended to protect the United States and critical infrastructure from ballistic, hypersonic and cruise missiles, as well as other advanced aerial threats.

The issue has resurfaced as it relates to the administration’s broader discussion of unidentified objects around U.S. military sites.

Earlier this week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the government should take seriously reports of objects flying over military installations — more recently called unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs) rather than unidentified foreign objects (UFOs).

“I don’t know who it is. I don’t know what it is, but there are things flying over our military installations, and they’re not ours, and we should look into this, be serious about it,” Rubio said while discussing UAPs in an interview with Katie Miller, wife of top White House aide Stephen Miller.

Rubio was not specifically referring to drone swarms, and Jarrard did not suggest that every unidentified object reported near a military site is a drone. Still, the two officials’ comments point to the same practical concern for U.S. forces: an aircraft does not need to be mysterious to present a danger.

Jarrard, in his remarks, was describing a more immediate and localized vulnerability: the ability to detect and defeat low-cost drones flying toward a base before they can strike.

The military is pursuing several answers, from radio-frequency systems that can jam drone communications or interfere with satellite navigation to high-powered microwave weapons designed to disrupt the electronics of multiple nearby drones at once.

PENTAGON RACES TO BUY 10X MORE MISSILES AS IRAN WAR DWINDLES ARSENAL, THREATENS READINESS FOR CHINA AGGRESSION

It is also moving closer to fielding high-energy lasers. Fox News Digital reported this month that the Army is nearing a contract award for the Enduring High Energy Laser, or E-HEL, program, which could become the service’s first permanent operational capability for a family of high-energy laser systems.

Army acquisition chief Lt. Gen. Frank Lozano said in July that the technology had shown “a lot of recent promise and capability” during testing at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

A laser could allow troops to engage drones that have entered a defended area without relying solely on expensive missile interceptors, but it is not a complete solution: lasers are line-of-sight weapons, which limits their reach, and they must be integrated with the sensors, command-and-control networks and other systems Jarrard said are lacking at some locations.

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In an era when small drones can be cheap, expendable and deployed in numbers, the military must be able to identify the threat quickly and prevent it from reaching the installation it is meant to protect.

Los Angeles teachers are patrolling neighborhoods near schools for ICE agents — a rogue effort the school district disavowed as it ramps up support for immigrant families, while DHS blasts critics for pushing a “false narrative” about enforcement at schools.

“We recognize the fear and uncertainty that immigration enforcement activity can create for students, families, and staff,” a Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Friday. “Our responsibility is to ensure our schools remain safe, supportive, and welcoming places for every student. We have strengthened communication and coordination with city leaders and municipal partners, increased our presence in impacted communities, and established rapid-response protocols should enforcement activity occur.”

The spokesperson was responding to a report that teachers were participating in “ICE Patrols” before the school day begins, driving through neighborhoods near schools to search for signs of federal immigration agents. CBS Los Angeles reported on the patrols, joining a ride-along with Los Angeles teacher Lupe Carrasco Cardona and other members of an anti-immigration enforcement group, called Unión del Barrio. When the group spots suspected ICE activity, members document what they see — including photographing license plates — and alert families and others in the community.

The patrols are not sanctioned by LAUSD, according to the district, but they come as the nation’s second-largest school system has built its own network of services for families worried about immigration enforcement — including legal referrals, “Know Your Rights” resources, transportation assistance and alternative learning options.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS REPORTEDLY DONATE $1.1 MILLION TO PRO-IMMIGRATION GROUPS AFTER 2025 FEDERAL ENFORCEMENT

“Tinted windows, that is a red flag. We’re looking for double-parked like this one; that would be a red flag,” another teacher riding with Cardona told the outlet.

The teachers say their patrols have helped families, with Cardona saying some community members plan their days around the group’s reports.

“It’s been really beautiful to witness teachers devoting their own personal time to just watching the neighborhood and making sure that it’s safe,” said United Teachers Los Angeles Chapter Chair Jon Paul Arciniega. “It’s been really beneficial.”

The district provides families with “24/7 access to Know Your Rights resources, legal referrals, mental health services, and a dedicated hotline” through its “We Are One” campaign, said the spokesperson. LAUSD also offers a multilingual Family Preparedness Packet to help families understand their rights and prepare for encounters with immigration officers.

GEORGIA ICE SWEEP NABS OVER 700 CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS, INCLUDING SEX OFFENDERS, CHILD ABUSERS

“We do not ask about or share a student’s immigration status unless required by law, and we remain committed to maintaining safe zones around our schools,” said the spokesperson.

The schools also offer access to transportation assistance, alternative learning options through the Virtual Academy and referrals to legal service providers.

“ICE is not going to schools to make arrests. If a dangerous or violent illegal criminal alien felon were to flee into a daycare, or a child sex offender is working as an employee, there may be a situation where an arrest is made to protect the safety of the children,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

“This is just another false narrative to try and demonize our brave ICE law enforcement who are facing a 1,300% increase in assaults against them and an 8000% increase in death threats,” the DHS spokesperson added. “Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, ICE is targeting the worst of the worst. Nearly 70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S. “

TRUMP’S DC LAW-AND-ORDER BLITZ MARKS ONE YEAR WITH EYE-POPPING HAUL OF SUSPECTS

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ICE amped up operations in Los Angeles last year, with Mayor Karen Bass recently reaffirming her support for immigrant communities, saying, “We will always protect our neighbors, and we continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with immigrant families in LA and everywhere.”

A top House GOP firebrand is accusing a multibillion-dollar global corporation of injecting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into the U.S. economy at a time when Americans are struggling with rising cost of living.

Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, who chairs the House Oversight Committee’s Task Force on Defending Constitutional Rights and Exposing Institutional Abuses, is targeting McKinsey & Company in a new probe over DEI reports that he says were “highly influential in American corporations.”

He’s accusing the massive consulting firm of publishing reports that say race- and gender-based hiring practices are beneficial to U.S. companies, which he argues are a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Meanwhile, Americans are at the mercy of many of the same companies as they grapple with high prices across housing, food, and other areas.

GEORGIA GOP GUBERNATORIAL HOPEFUL VOWS TO ‘BAN DEI’ IN STATE BUT HIS OWN NONPROFIT URGED CEOS TO INVEST IN IT

“These McKinsey reports have been highly influential, being cited by publicly traded companies, asset managers, proxy advisory firms, and banking institutions, among others, as cause for embedding illegal racial and sex-based targets into hiring, promotion, executive compensation, and asset manager proxy voting policies,” Gill wrote in a letter sent Monday.

“With the support of the previous administration, progressive activists cited McKinsey’s reports to push companies, governments, and stock exchanges to implement rules which forced or incentivized illegal corporate racial or gender-based hiring and disclosure policies.”

Gill also questioned whether the findings of that report were legitimate.

“Although in 2024 McKinsey stated that it ‘stands by its findings,’ other researchers have found zero statistical correlation between a company’s gender and racial diversity and its financial performance,” the letter said. “Racial discrimination in the employment context, including under the guise of DEI, has been pervasive despite being plainly illegal for over half a century.”

LEGAL EXPERT CALLS FOR SMITHSONIAN LEADERSHIP OVERHAUL OVER ‘SELF-LOATHING’ PORTRAYAL OF HISTORY: ‘IT’S BILE’

It comes just after Gill’s panel led high-profile hearings into the Smithsonian Institute’s teaching of American history, bringing national attention to what Republicans are calling a warped and politicized version of the U.S.

Gill accused National Museum of American History director Anthea Hartig of pushing a left-wing ideological agenda rather than facilitating a straightforward education on the country’s past. Hertig stood by the museum’s teachings, which she called apolitical.

In the letter sent Monday, Gill cited a 2026 White House Economic Report that said DEI initiatives cost the U.S. economy roughly $94 billion in 2023.

He also pointed out that four reports published by McKinsey between 2015 and 2023 argued that companies with increased racial and gender diversity financially outperformed companies without.

NEW YORK TIMES SUED BY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OVER ALLEGED ‘DEI-RELATED’ EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION

“Researchers assessing the McKinsey DEI studies cannot recreate the results and also find that McKinsey likely swapped the cause and effect of its DEI conclusions,” Gill wrote. “The Executive Office of the President has identified $94 billion in annual economic costs to the U.S. economy due to promotion of otherwise illegal race and gender-based hiring practices, perhaps in part motivated by the findings of McKinsey’s DEI reports that are partially inaccurate or wholly incorrect.”

McKinsey’s corporate website states, “The business case for gender equality, diversity, and inclusion is strong and growing stronger.” The website estimated that the national GDP would go up by $12 trillion if the workforce gender gap is narrowed by 2025, but no update appears to be provided. Another statistic cites $2 billion in additional revenue “if financial inclusion efforts broaden services for black Americans.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to the company for comment on Gill’s letter.

The Department of War announced Monday that the U.S. Navy has awarded Raytheon, an RTX business, a $22.9 billion contract to accelerate production of Tomahawk missiles, as the Pentagon moves to expand the nation’s munitions capacity and replenish critical long-range strike weapons.

The news came after President Donald Trump pushed back on concerns over the strain the Iran conflict might be placing on U.S. weapons stockpiles.

“What we’ve used is peanuts,” Trump told Fox News’ Trey Yingst in an exclusive phone interview earlier Monday. “We have a lot of mid-level weapons.”

PENTAGON RACES TO BUY 10X MORE MISSILES AS IRAN WAR DWINDLES ARSENAL, THREATENS READINESS FOR CHINA AGGRESSION

The massive Tomahawk award is intended to give RTX the stability needed to expand its workforce, increase manufacturing output and strengthen supply chains while speeding deliveries of the long-range cruise missile to U.S. forces, according to the department.

“The Department called upon industry to expand munitions production, and RTX has answered that call,” Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael Duffey wrote in a statement. “This Tomahawk award increases our ability to equip the Joint Force, ensuring our Warfighters never face a fair fight.”

Pentagon officials have increasingly focused on expanding the U.S. defense industrial base and shortening the time required to produce key weapons as military operations and heightened global tensions put renewed attention on the size and resilience of American weapons stockpiles.

“Guaranteeing our naval and joint forces have the lethal firepower they need to deter aggression and protect the homeland is paramount,” acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao wrote in a statement. “This landmark $22.9 billion investment will accelerate Tomahawk missile delivery to our warfighters at unprecedented speed.

TIM SHEEHY EXPOSES A ‘SCARY’ SHIPBUILDING COLLAPSE THAT LEAVES THE US VULNERABLE TO CHINA

“By working closely with industry to expand our munitions industrial base’s capacity, the Department is utilizing every available tool to meet the demands of our current operations, ensuring they are equipped to fight, win, and come home safe.” 

The Navy said the agreement also supports the Department of War’s Acquisition Transformation Strategy, which is aimed at accelerating weapons deliveries and reducing procurement lead times.

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The Tomahawk is one of the U.S. military’s primary long-range strike weapons and can be launched from Navy ships and submarines against targets hundreds of miles away. The Navy’s Portfolio Acquisition Executive Munitions oversees procurement and delivery of the service’s munitions and strike capabilities and is working to coordinate weapons programs with the industrial base to expand production capacity.

Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., the candidate who placed third in the Aug. 11 South Carolina special Republican U.S. Senate primary, has endorsed top-finisher Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C.

“President Trump needs fighters and allies in the Senate who will show up every day and get results. I believe Darline Graham will be exactly that,” Fry said in part of a Friday post on X.

“Darline knows what it means to struggle, persevere, and keep fighting when life deals you a difficult hand. Those experiences shaped her, and I believe they give her a real understanding of the challenges families across South Carolina face,” he continued.

MARK LYNCH ENDORSES RALPH NORMAN AS CONGRESSMAN HEADS INTO RUNOFF AGAINST DARLINE GRAHAM

“On August 25, I’m asking everyone who supported our campaign to join me in supporting Darline Graham for the United States Senate. Campaigns are temporary. The cause is bigger than any one candidate. Now let’s get it done,” he noted.

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., who placed second in the South Carolina special GOP U.S. Senate primary, will face Graham in the Aug. 25 runoff.

SOUTH CAROLINA GOP SENATE SHOWDOWN HEADS TO RUNOFF IN RACE TO SUCCEED LINDSEY GRAHAM

Last month, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham, the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, to serve the remainder of her brother’s term.

President Donald Trump, who backed Graham ahead of the special primary contest, is continuing to support her for the runoff.

DARLINE GRAHAM DETAILS HOW SHE’D FORGE OWN PATH IN SENATE WHILE CARRYING ON BROTHER LINDSEY’S LEGACY

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“SOUTH CAROLINA: GET OUT AND VOTE FOR DARLINE GRAHAM ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 25TH. DARLINE HAS MY COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT — SHE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!” he wrote in a Friday Truth Social post, which included an image of Fry’s post on X endorsing Graham.

President Donald Trump is blaming vandals for large spots of dead grass on the National Mall near the World War II Memorial, the same area where the president hosted crowds for a 4th of July celebration.

Trump made the claim without providing evidence or explaining why he believes vandals damaged the grass. He shared a photo showing an area by the World War II Memorial with patches of brown and dead grass across much of the sprawling turf that was previously full of green grass.

“Look what VANDALS did to the grass connecting the vandalized World War II Monument and the vandalized Reflecting Pool, which will be opened again, and better than ever, shortly,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“Anybody who thinks the Reflecting Pool wasn’t vandalized should go back to Law School!” he continued.

TRUMP URGES JEANINE PIRRO TO REVISIT DROPPED LINCOLN MEMORIAL REFLECTING POOL VANDALISM CASE

Trump had a large stage built and invited crowds to the same lawn for his Independence Day celebration last month. He is now blaming vandals for the grass damage. Crowds gathered to hear from the president and watch fireworks to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Photos from the celebration show a large bandstand and seating areas covering nearly the entire lawn Trump now says was damaged by vandals. Photos from subsequent days showed workers removing the structures, revealing brown and damaged grass underneath. The photographs show that event infrastructure occupied much of the affected lawn, but do not by themselves establish what caused all of the grass damage.

Trump has repeatedly blamed vandals for damage to his renovation projects in Washington, D.C., often without evidence and contradicting accounts from his officials.

Earlier this month, Trump criticized U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro after her office moved to dismiss the vandalism case after newly disclosed evidence showed widespread liner damage stemming from a flawed installation and the rush to complete the project ahead of Independence Day events, undermining the case against the defendant.

On Friday, an arrest was made in connection with vandalism at the World War II Memorial after the words “Clean hands dirty $” were found painted on the monument and bubbles filled a fountain.

Felony charges in that case are being brought against Melissa Farris, according to Pirro.

Charging documents in that case do not mention the once-grassy area Trump referred to in his new social media post. Authorities said Farris was previously arrested for camping on federal property a few blocks from the World War II Memorial, but not the spot referenced by Trump.

OBAMA JUDGE HANDS PROGRESSIVES A WIN OVER ANTI-TRUMP ’86 47′ MESSAGE AMID RISING THREATS

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On Aug. 1, Trump posted a different photo of the same area of dead that appears to show the numbers “86 47,” which federal officials argue is a threat against Trump. The numbers are not visible in the photo Trump shared on Sunday.

Trump cited that image as evidence against Pirro’s conclusion, describing it as “a pure case of VANDALISM, that included the grass.”

“There may have been some contractor difficulty, but the major damage was caused by VANDALS!” he wrote.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday said he supports U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro after her office moved to dismiss the vandalism case involving the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Federal prosecutors on July 31 moved to drop the case against Olympic canoeist David Hearn, who was accused of damaging the $14 million project after cracks, algae growth and peeling sealant were discovered. Prosecutors cited evidence indicating the damage may have stemmed from a botched renovation rather than vandalism.

Blanche said he and President Donald Trump both support Pirro, but acknowledged that he could not fault the president for his reaction to the case dismissal, as “potential vandalism” may still be involved.

“I absolutely support U.S. Attorney Pirro, as does President Trump,” he said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

TRUMP URGES JEANINE PIRRO TO REVISIT DROPPED LINCOLN MEMORIAL REFLECTING POOL VANDALISM CASE

“Now, that’s different than whether the president is extraordinarily frustrated at what happened in that case. And I don’t in any way fault him for that.”

Blanche clarified that the court filings did not conclude that all of the damage was caused by faulty construction, noting that a witness reportedly claimed to have seen Hearn vandalizing the reflecting pool. However, he acknowledged that witness accounts alone are not sufficient evidence to prove the case.

“Well, there’s a witness that said, ‘I observed the defendant vandalizing the reflecting pool.’ Now, that’s different than whether ultimately we have the proof.”

Hearn has maintained his innocence. 

TRUMP DOUBLES DOWN ON REFLECTING POOL VANDALISM ALLEGATIONS, CITES NEW WITNESS ACCOUNT

Despite the evidentiary issues surrounding the case, Blanche said Pirro is doing a “phenomenal job” prosecuting vandalism involving memorials and monuments. 

His comments came after Pirro’s office pursued a separate $1,000 property-destruction case involving a veterans memorial last Thursday. A female suspect, Melissa L. Farris, allegedly spray-painted the words “clean hands, diary money” in bright pink paint and dumped bubble soap into the memorial’s fountain.

“U.S. Attorney Pirro is doing a phenomenal job enforcing that, going after anybody who’s doing it. And I think judging her on a single case because of the evidence that we had is not fair,” he said.

Blanche also said he would also consider last Thursday’s White House request asking the Justice Department to explore whether a new misdemeanor prosecution could be brought against Hearn after Pirro’s office dropped the original vandalism case.

WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL ON NATIONAL MALL VANDALIZED WITH PINK SPRAY PAINT; FOUNTAIN OVERFLOWING WITH BUBBLES

“Will I take the President of the United States’s view on something into consideration? Yes, of course,” he said.

“That’s certainly something that I listen to.”

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The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to scale back upcoming U.S.-South Korea military exercises on Sunday, arguing that the operations cost too much and send a hostile message to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

At the same time, the president went on to criticize Seoul for declining to join U.S. war efforts to denuclearize Iran.

Writing on Truth Social, Trump noted that while it was too late to cancel the drills entirely, he was dissatisfied with the longstanding military arrangement between Washington and Seoul.

“Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, of North Korea, I am not happy with the fact that the United States has, long ago, agreed to participate in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea,” Trump wrote.

NORTH KOREA LAUNCHES ANOTHER BALLISTIC MISSILE AS US, SOUTH KOREA PREPARE FOR MILITARY DRILLS

“These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile, to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful.”

In the same post, Trump linked his frustration over the military exercises to a separate diplomatic exchange regarding Iran.

“While somewhat unrelated (?), I recently asked the President of South Korea if they would like to join us in the Denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and they said, ‘No thanks!’” Trump wrote, referring to Lee Jae Myung.

NORTH KOREA EXPERT WARNS US CAN ‘NEVER TAKE THEIR EYE OFF’ KIM JONG UN FOLLOWING MISSILE TEST DURING IRAN WAR

Trump’s directive came a day before what is known as the Ulchi Freedom Shield, an 11-day annual joint military exercise scheduled to begin Monday.

The routine maneuvers are to strengthen defense readiness across the Korean Peninsula, where about 28,500 U.S. service members are stationed as part of U.S. Forces Korea.

This year’s exercise is set to involve roughly 18,000 South Korean troops, a level similar to previous years.

Pyongyang, however, has consistently opposed the annual drills, with North Korea’s Foreign Ministry calling the exercise “a rehearsal for an aggressive war” last week in a statement carried by state media, Reuters reported.

Trump’s order to scale back operations also follows a fresh surge in weapons testing by Pyongyang, which conducted two ballistic missile launches within six days this month.

MOSCOW, KYIV ASSASSINS HUNT WEAPONS BOSSES AS UKRAINE WAR SPILLS BEYOND THE BATTLEFIELD

Following the most recent test on Aug. 12, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said it was consulting closely with regional allies, adding that its assessment indicated the launch did not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel, territory or allies.

U.S. officials issued a smiliar response after the earlier launch on Aug. 6, saying Washington remained committed to defending the U.S. homeland and its regional allies.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also warned that Pyongyang is using Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to test and refine its military hardware on active battlefields.

In a statement posted to social media, Zelenskyy said Moscow is preparing to deploy additional North Korean troops and has received additional North Korean ballistic missiles.

“For the first time in its history, Russia cannot wage war without reinforcements from North Korea,” Zelenskyy said.

“North Korea’s ballistic missiles and other weapons are being improved through its collaboration with Russia,” Zelenskyy said.

“The more North Korean strikes there are here in Ukraine, in Europe, the more their missiles and soldiers are used, the more they correct their shortcomings and blind spots, the greater the danger will later be for Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, and other countries in the region.”

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This is also not the first time Trump has scaled back joint exercises with South Korea.  During his first term as well, following his initial Singapore summit with Kim Jong-un, he called the “war games” “provocative” and expensive. 

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) on Sunday said the USS Abraham Lincoln has recorded one of the lowest numbers of mental health cases in the Navy, amid mounting allegations of poor conditions aboard the carrier.

The Lincoln, which has been at sea for more than 260 days supporting the war with Iran, has been at the center of a dispute over allegations of supply shortages, plumbing problems and crew members threatening to jump overboard. Officials have repeatedly denied such claims and announced Friday that the carrier is expected to be replaced soon.

In a statement posted by CENTCOM, commander Adm. Brad Cooper touted the carrier’s mental health record among the Navy’s 11 active aircraft carriers after reportedly visiting the ship over the weekend.

“My time aboard USS Abraham Lincoln yesterday was awe-inspiring. I wish every American could see the crew in action. You would beam with absolute pride when witnessing their camaraderie, teamwork and resilience,” Cooper said, according to the post on X. “Here’s an important fact: Of the U.S. Navy’s 11 active aircraft carriers, the Lincoln currently has among the lowest number of cases related to mental health.”

US NAVY RELEASES PHOTOS OF ‘FRESH MEALS,’ PUSHES BACK ON REPORTS OF FOOD SHORTAGES ON MIDDLE EAST WARSHIPS

In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Cooper added that many of the allegations involving food and hot water were old concerns raised months ago that have since been addressed by the ship’s leadership.

“Recent media reporting has portrayed varying perspectives on operational tempo, crew morale and the realities facing our deployed forces. What I found aboard the Lincoln is that many elements of those stories are old news. I chatted with junior enlisted personnel and junior officers in small groups. Issues related to food, hot water and other concerns raised months ago were addressed by leadership and resolved,” he said.

In his CENTCOM statement, Cooper acknowledged that despite the ship’s low number of mental health cases and improved conditions, extended deployments at sea can still be challenging, as some sailors may respond differently than others to the demands of prolonged missions.

“This doesn’t mean that all is perfect. Find any of the nearly 4 million Navy veterans in America today and they will likely tell you that service at sea for long periods isn’t for everyone. It is uniquely challenging and tough, and every single one of us, including me, reacts to stressors in different ways,” he said.

TANKERS ATTACKED AS TEHRAN, TRUMP BATTLE OVER CONTROL OF STRAIT OF HORMUZ

Cooper credited the ship’s leadership with fostering a culture that supports crew resilience and gives mental health the same necessary attention as “physical health and spiritual health.”

“I applaud Lincoln’s leadership — the senior enlisted leaders in the Chief Petty Officers Mess in particular — for stepping up and making mental health and crew resilience a leadership priority,” Cooper said.

“To all our Sailors and Marines aboard the ship, keep up the great work and fair winds and following seas on the journey home.”

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President Donald Trump said Friday that the Lincoln will soon be “replaced with another very similar ship,” which is currently en route to the Middle East. The WSJ reported Thursday that the USS George Washington is heading to the region from the Pacific.

Allegations about conditions aboard the Lincoln emerged following reports of numerous complaints, including food shortages, contaminated water, toilet problems, and a spike in suicidal ideation after months without a port call.

Sean Parnell, who said he experienced a 485-day deployment in Afghanistan, blasted the media reports Friday, calling the accusations twisted.

“The media treatment of the USS Abraham Lincoln is something different. Legitimate challenges of a long combat deployment are being twisted into a false narrative, while the genuine difficulties faced by military families are being used for headlines. That is shameful,” he said in a post on X.

Social media is erupting over a viral video of Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey showing off his awkward dance moves while attending the Black Entrepreneur State Fair, with the clip quickly spreading across X as users call the dance a “cringe” performance.

The clip, posted on TikTok last week, shows Frey moving his hips and shoulders to hip-hop music while wearing sunglasses and interacting with an emcee on the dance floor, prompting a wave of mockery from conservative commentators.

“Why are they always like this? This is almost worse than when he pretended the Somali food he was choking down his throat was delicious. He’s a walking humiliation ritual,” said conservative commentator Benny Johnson.

“What an embarrassment,” said one user.

SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS WITH MOCKERY AS DEM SENATE CANDIDATE’S PEP TALK GOES VIRAL: ‘IS THIS FOR REAL?’

“I’d honestly prefer that he defund the police,” joked commentator Emily Jashinsky.

“One of the worst parts of Democrats becoming the party of theater kids isn’t just that they’re destroying American cities, it’s that they were clearly the worst and least talented theater kids, which is why they went into politics,” said Outkick writer Ian Miller.

“The world is full of white liberals willing to play the fool,” wrote a user.

MILLION-DOLLAR SNAP FOOD STAMP FRAUD SCHEME IN WALZ’S BACKYARD SPARKS OUTRAGE: ‘CRUEL JOKE’

“Mayor Frey is out here dancing like his state his city is not in complete disarray and plagued with rampant fraud at every level. His ability to put on blinders and just vibe is unmatched,” said X host Mario Nawfal.

“Cringe: Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey looking like the classic white guy dancing caricature,” said one user.

Fox News Digital reached out to Frey’s office for comment.

The annual Black Entrepreneur State Fair, a weeklong celebration of Black-owned businesses, was held Aug. 9-15 at Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis.

The video comes amid a string of Democratic lawmakers and candidates drawing online mockery over attempts to connect with voters through dance and other lighthearted performances, with critics branding the moments awkward and bizarre.

HASAN PIKER CALLS FOR DEMOCRATS WHO OPPOSE ABDUL EL-SAYED TO BE ‘PUNISHED’

Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed also faced criticism after a campaign video parodying Blue’s Clues to explain voting by mail resurfaced online.

Wearing a green-striped shirt, he recreated the show’s “Mail Time” song and dance, while pulling an “Abdul for Senate” ballot from a mailbox to explain ballot deadlines and voting procedures in the style of the children’s program.

He ended the video by adapting the show’s “Blue’s Skidoo” catchphrase to “Vote ski-doo. We can too!” and disappearing into a campaign-themed picture frame.

The internet piled on El-Sayed, with critics calling the video “the most cringeworthy political advert” and “disgusting.”

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

A federal judge in Arizona cleared the path for border wall construction in the state after a Native American tribe attempted to block its construction.

The Tohono O’odham Nation had argued that constructing the border wall along its southern border with Mexico would constitute illegal trespassing on tribal lands as well as effectively shrink the reservation.

Judge Richard Leon noted in his ruling a federal proclamation in 1907 that the first 60 feet of the reservation could be taken for federal use.

“Given the national security and foreign policy considerations related to the border wall, deference to the government is warranted,” he said.

‘AMERICA FIRST’ IMMIGRATION OVERHAUL BILL WOULD CODIFY TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN PROMISES ONCE AND FOR ALL

Members of the Tohono O’odham Nation had erected “no trespassing” signs in reaction to federal workers visiting the border sites to scope out construction.

The reservation’s shared border with Mexico extends roughly 62 miles.

“ANY construction related activities to the illegal and destructive border wall be warned, informed of trespass and escorted off the Nation’s land by law enforcement,” the tribe wrote on its Facebook page on Aug. 8.

Judge Leon pointed to a proclamation by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1907 stating that all public land within 60 feet of an international boundary is under the exclusive control of the federal government.

The proclamation argued it was necessary “as a protection against the smuggling of goods between the United States and the Republic of Mexico.”

Leon further noted that the Tohono nation was not declared a reservation until 1917, after Roosevelt’s proclamation.

The legal win for the federal government comes after President Donald Trump’s administration celebrated 15 consecutive months of having zero border releases at the U.S.-Mexico border last week.

OPINION: THE BORDER IS CLOSED THANKS TO PRESIDENT TRUMP. IN VIRGINIA, THAT DOESN’T MATTER

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s office said daily apprehensions at the border are down 94% compared to former President Joe Biden’s administration and are at the lowest level seen in 30 years.

“Again this month, the results are clear: President Trump’s border security agenda is restoring order and putting the safety of the American people first,” Mullin said in a statement.

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“DHS remains focused on enforcing our immigration laws, securing the border, and ensuring those who enter our country illegally are removed swiftly. Thanks to the strong leadership of President Trump, we have the most secure border in history,” he added.

Humanoid robots capable of autonomously navigating rugged terrain and detecting people could eventually join federal agents patrolling the southern border, with one U.S. robotics company telling Fox News Digital it has already demonstrated the technology to Department of Homeland Security officials.

Sankaet Pathak, founder and CEO of Foundation, spoke with Fox News Digital to discuss the company’s development of humanoid robotics and their potential applications at the border.

Pathak said Foundation is in talks with several national security agencies.

“We’re in conversations with almost all national security government bodies, so Air Force, Navy, Army, DHS,” Pathak said. “We continue to have dialogues. We’re starting to negotiate contracts and some applications for them.”

PALANTIR’S SHYAM SANKAR SAYS ‘EVERY DAY WE’RE MAKING PROGRESS’ AS AI SUPERCHARGES AMERICAN WORKERS

A DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital that no formal arrangement is currently in place.

“The Department of Homeland Security currently does not have any non-contractual agreements, pilots, or active prime contracts with Foundation.”

Pathak envisions Phantom conducting reconnaissance and surveillance in terrain that can be difficult for humans, vehicles, aerial drones or fixed cameras to navigate.

“If drones and watchtowers were able to solve for everything, why do we still have humans at the border?” Pathak told Fox News Digital.

Pathak said existing automated solutions struggle with tasks ranging from logistics to navigating complex terrain, adding that he thinks “humanoids will fill that gap quite well.”

Pathak said Phantom can distinguish humans from other obstacles, autonomously traverse uneven terrain and map its environment. The company’s goal is for robots to conduct those reconnaissance functions autonomously before flagging potential border crossings for human officers.

TRUMP ADMIN MARKS 15 STRAIGHT MONTHS WITH ZERO BORDER RELEASES AS APPREHENSIONS PLUNGE 94%

Pathak also pointed to tunnels along the border as another potential application for the technology, saying Foundation would explore underground operations as part of its use cases.

“Our biggest thing is if we can keep our officers in a safe place, and these robots can continue to surveil 24/7,” Pathak said.

He said robots could flag significant activity and allow human officers to respond when intervention is necessary.

“Tomorrow I think we could do a pilot. Next couple of months, we can do something much larger.”

Pathak said weather resistance remains one of the principal limitations of the current Phantom, but a second-generation model expected in the coming months is designed to be waterproof, dustproof and substantially more rugged for outdoor deployment.

While Foundation’s immediate vision centers on surveillance and reconnaissance, Pathak said the company would be willing to arm robots for border operations if requested by the federal government. He stressed, however, that the machines are not envisioned making enforcement decisions independently in the near future.

INSIDE CHINA’S AI ‘WOLF PACK’ DRONES BUILT WITH TAIWAN CONFLICT IN MIND

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“They will detect and then flag and then a human would decide kind of like what the next step it needs to be,” Pathak said.

Shannon Watts, a Democratic political operative and gun control activist, torched a rising progressive kingmaker on Friday, accusing him of trying to brush off his past controversial comments online.

In her view, Hasan Piker, a far-left streamer, used the same playbook to downplay his unhinged claims after facing backlash on social media.

“Hasan Piker defense Bingo card: ‘It’s a joke, satire, hyperbole. It’s out of context. It was years ago,’” Watts said in her post. “’English is my second language. I stream for hours. Bad faith clipping. Smear campaign. Critics are being paid for Israel.’”

HASAN PIKER NAMES PRO-CCP TYCOON SINGHAM AS FINANCIER OF ‘POLITICAL MOVEMENTS’ DESPITE NONPROFIT VENEER

It didn’t take long for Piker to fire back — even as he admitted the pattern.

“All of that is true and valid. You behave as a GOP operative. You’re a shameless grifter who doesn’t care about the Dem Senate majority or punishing Trump,” Piker wrote.

“And you are a copycat of MAGA tactics engaging in alternative facts,” Fred Guttenberg, a Democratic activist whose daughter was murdered in the Parkland shooting, fired back. “As a Jewish person whose daughter was murdered in the Parkland shooting and whose brother died because of 9/11, your attack on Shannon is batsh– crazy and your comparison of the NRA and AIPAC only confirms your insanity. 

“Using your MAGA styled attacks against someone like Shannon or me won’t work. Stop being a copycat,” he continued.

Watts’ online clash with Piker showcases the concern some Democrats have shown over comments, posts and videos that have resurfaced among progressives.

For example, concerns about former Senate candidate Graham Platner started as eyebrow-raising Reddit posts ballooned into sexual assault allegations. 

Michigan’s Senate Democratic nominee, Abdul El-Sayed, came under fire for past calls to defund the police. Watts’ spat with Piker puts a question mark on whether the party’s banner carriers should shoulder more responsibility for their past rhetoric.

Watts, who has dedicated the last 14 years to gun control advocacy, has boldly argued in recent months that Democrats are turning a blind eye to the online histories of some of their candidates at the expense of their electability and trustworthiness.

Although he himself is not running for office, Piker has drawn scrutiny for a long list of controversial remarks, especially as he acts as a surrogate for El-Sayed and other progressive candidates.

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

In 2019, Piker famously said that “America deserved 9/11,” arguing later that the U.S. had “brought it on itself.” He would later walk it back and call it “inappropriate” after massive backlash online.

Once, when asked if he supported terrorism, Piker answered by saying, “No, I don’t. I don’t support the state of Israel, and I don’t support the state of the United States of America.”

Piker’s clash with Watts began when some of those past comments cost him on Thursday after the University of Washington said it had decided to cancel an upcoming event with him, citing his rhetoric on Israel.

In response, Piker took to X, arguing that Democrats should stand up for First Amendment principles.

“We must fight back against the undemocratic & unamerican forces of Trumpism, which means protecting free speech and due process, two fundamental rights Trump is actively seeking to destroy at this moment!” Piker wrote.

The comment prompted a retort from Watts, noting that Piker has a seemingly uneven track record of calling for the defense of rights.

She recalled an instance where Piker had encouraged President Donald Trump to “lock up” a longtime Dem nemesis.

“When Trump threatened to arrest Adam Schiff for being his political enemy, Hasan Piker said: ‘Oh my God, I hope they arrest him. Oh my God, I hope he goes to prison. Yeah, this is political. Sure. I don’t care. Lock him up. Lock him up,’” Watts reminded audiences.

Piker has repeatedly criticized Schiff for receiving contributions from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and for, in his view, not doing enough to push back against U.S. ties to Israel.

HASAN PIKER CALLS FOR DEMOCRATS WHO OPPOSE ABDUL EL-SAYED TO BE ‘PUNISHED’

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In 2019, Piker told Schiff to “suck my entire d—” while bashing the senator for hosting a fundraiser hosted by Raytheon, a prominent U.S. defense contractor.

Piker, faced with his own past words, said his remarks about Schiff had been a joke.

“I voted for him. This is a joke, you dumb—,” Piker responded to Watts.

A Democratic commentator fired back at Piker’s comment, asking, “How is it a joke? You just gonna say that for every single thing you’ve said? You are very clearly serious in this video.”

Representatives for Piker did not respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital on whether the party’s base was placing enough emphasis on past online comments, or at what point online rhetoric should be disqualifying for political candidates.

The DOJ’s expanded anti-fraud task force made its first sweeping bust of Medicaid scofflaws in Pennsylvania this month, drawing comparisons to the massive fraud scandals that rocked Minnesota — but with one major difference.

Republicans and Democrats in the state united in outrage after nearly two dozen people were charged in Philadelphia and elsewhere. The DOJ noted Pennsylvania spends $8 billion on Medicaid home-care services, more than almost any other state, and those services were the target of the busts.

“The allegations are really disturbing just as they are in Minnesota and other places where we’ve seen this,” House Ways & Means Committee member Lloyd Smucker, R-Pa., told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview.

PENNSYLVANIA AG EXPLAINS WHY STATE LEADS NATION IN MEDICAID FRAUD CONVICTIONS WHILE OTHERS BATTLE MASS SCHEMES

“It’s criminal activity that is taking money from individuals who really need it. And this is this is Medicaid — It’s not Medicare, which is more for seniors. But this is for people who truly need help, who are disabled — these are individuals who are relying on Medicaid to help them get through every day. And these are criminals who are taking that money and lining their pockets with it,” said Smucker, whose Lancaster-area district has an older population and has anywhere from two in 10 to four in 10 constituents enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid or both, according to reports.

The DOJ’s anti-fraud chief echoed those sentiments while describing some of the most egregious cases among the 19 Pennsylvania defendants charged as of last week.

One suspect billed Medicaid for services that supposedly occurred while police had pulled him over for a moving violation and charged him on suspicion of marijuana possession, according to the DOJ.

Another suspect billed Medicaid for services during a period when he was in court watching a family member get sentenced for Medicaid fraud-related offenses, according to Colin McDonald.

I’M OHIO’S STATE AUDITOR — MEDICAID FRAUD IS NOT JUST A WASHINGTON PROBLEM

Another suspect billed Medicaid for home-care services that McDonald said were supposedly provided while the suspect was driving for a rideshare company. Another billed for services while in prison, according to McDonald.

Smucker said Pennsylvania welcomes fellow Keystone Stater and CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz and his investigators, adding that he is grateful state officials in Harrisburg are also taking note.

That cooperation sets the Pennsylvania busts apart from those in Minnesota, where Gov. Tim Walz has faced accusations of inaction over what has become a multibillion-dollar scandal.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signaled cooperation and collaboration with Republicans in going after Medicaid fraudsters in remarks his office made to Fox News Digital.

TIM WALZ BECOMES GOP PUNCHLINE IN SWEEPING NEW WAR ON WELFARE FRAUD

Shapiro, a Democrat and the commonwealth’s former attorney general, prosecuted public assistance-related crimes and now governs the state with the nation’s highest number of criminal convictions for Medicaid fraud.

The governor — who was considered a runner-up to Walz in then-Vice President Kamala Harris’ search for a running mate — said the commonwealth is a “national leader in stopping fraud.”

“Here in Pennsylvania, we combat fraud wherever we find it. In 2024, we charged 119 cases of Medicaid fraud — recovering more than $11 million for taxpayers,” Shapiro said in a recent statement.

“Governor Shapiro has made fighting public assistance fraud a cornerstone of his career in public service, rooting out waste, fraud and abuse as Attorney General where he cracked down on fraud and public assistance benefit theft, charging dozens of people who stole millions in taxpayer dollars,” Shapiro spokeswoman Rosie Lapowsky told Fox News Digital.

READ: DR. OZ PUTS ALL 50 GOVERNORS ON NOTICE OVER BILLIONS LOST TO MEDICAID FRAUD

Lapowsky said the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) brought one of the cases referenced by McDonald to the Justice Department for further investigation during Shapiro’s tenure.

“[That is] clearly showing our system works,” she said, adding that Pennsylvania’s high number of home-care service providers is not by itself an indicator of fraud. Conservative critics in Minnesota and Washington state have pointed to similar provider numbers to raise suspicions about fraudulent activity.

Pennsylvania — the fifth-most populous state, behind California, Texas, Florida and New York — has seen a 20% increase since 2018 in the number of adults in home-care programs, according to DHS.

DHS said it employs “ongoing monitoring,” including an electronic visit-verification system, to ensure proper billing and curtail fraud. The department refers potential fraud cases to Republican Pennsylvania Attorney General David Sunday’s office.

WATCH: DR. OZ SAYS NEWSOM, OTHER BLUE STATES HAVE TURNED MEDICAID FRAUD INTO A ‘FEATURE’

“This criminal conduct is much more than someone ‘working the system’ — the impact is deep and wide-ranging, as every dollar diverted deprives someone in need of care,” Sunday said in a statement.

“In collaboration with our partners, my office last year convicted more than 100 defendants, and clawed back more than $40 million that was intended for Pennsylvanians in need.”

In 2025, Sunday’s office handled 744 referrals from DHS alone, according to Harrisburg sources.

Smucker said all stakeholders must continue being vigilant for both Medicaid and Medicare-related fraud.

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“People like the four seasons here,” he said, referring to the high number of retirees who call Amish Country home.

“But we have a lot of people who are relying on these programs… and we have seen fraud across the system in federal programs. This is probably hundreds of billions per year that is being siphoned-off from taxpayer dollars,” he said.

Pennsylvania officials say investigators continue to make progress fighting Medicaid fraud.

“We are coming for you,” said former Pittsburgh U.S. Attorney Scott Brady, whom President Donald Trump tapped to lead the White House’s nationwide anti-fraud task force

The DOJ’s “Northeast Strike Force” was originally organized in Brooklyn and Newark before expanding into Pennsylvania as part of the broader crackdown.

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“Our message is clear: if you are a medical provider who chooses greed over your professional responsibility, DEA will hold you accountable,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Philadelphia chief Timothy Flaherty, whose agency is one of several participating in the new task force.

Fox News Digital’s Hannah Brennan contributed to this report.

New York Attorney General Letitia James has drawn a Trump-backed challenger, with President Donald Trump throwing his “complete and total endorsement” behind Republican Saritha Komatireddy in a bid to oust his longtime political foe.

“It is my Great Honor to endorse America First Patriot, Saritha Komatireddy, who is running to be the next Attorney General of the once wonderful State of New York,” Trump wrote in a Friday Truth Social post. “Between Kathy Hochul and the Most Corrupt Attorney General in the Country, Letitia James, it has gone to HELL!”

Trump’s endorsement of Komatireddy, who he nominated to U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in 2020, comes as he continues pressing for James to be prosecuted over mortgage fraud allegations, adding another front to his years-long feud with the Democratic attorney general who once took him to court.

TRUMP’S JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SUES NEW YORK, OTHER BLUE STATES OVER TUITION FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

Trump did not mince his words in his criticism of James, who successfully sued Trump and The Trump Organization in 2022, accusing them of fraudulently inflating the value of assets on financial statements to obtain more favorable loans.

An appeals court later wiped out the nearly $465 million financial penalty against Trump, ruling the massive disgorgement award violated the Constitution’s prohibition on excessive fines.

“Letitia ‘Peekaboo’ James, is considered by many to be the WORST Attorney General in our Country. She is a Complete and Total Disaster, who tried running against Kathy Hochul for Governor, and got less than 1% of the Vote in the Polls, and QUIT, taking many innocent suckers down with her,” Trump wrote. “She then went back to her WITCH HUNT against your favorite President, (ME!), and others, yet Murder and other Violent Crime is RAGING OUT OF CONTROL in New York, as People and Businesses flee, in Record Numbers, to other States!”

He contrasted James to Komatireddy, touting her qualifications as Drug Enforcement Administration chief of staff, a former federal prosecutor, and that she clerked for Brett Kavanaugh, who went on to become a Supreme Court justice.

“On the other hand, as your next Attorney General, Saritha Komatireddy will fight tirelessly to Ensure LAW AND ORDER, Grow our Economy, Champion our Law Enforcement and First Responders, Support our Military/Veterans, Advance Election Integrity, Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Uphold our Constitution, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment,” Trump wrote.

TRUMP MAY HAVE ENDORSED DARLINE GRAHAM, BUT GOP SENATE HOPEFULS AREN’T BACKING DOWN

Komatireddy, who has been outspoken against James’ handling of the state’s fraud investigations, thanked Trump for his endorsement.

“I was honored to be nominated to be a federal judge by the President in 2020 and I’m honored to receive his endorsement today. I’m working hard to win the support of all New Yorkers and defeat Letitia James this November,” Komatireddy wrote on X.

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Fox News Digital reached out to James’ campaign for comment.

A Bernie Sanders-backed California congressional candidate who touts his career as an educator has used the classroom and academia to push diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and activist groups, according to his own writings and reports on his work with students.

Randy Villegas is taking on Republican Rep. David Valadao in California’s 22nd Congressional District in a high-stakes Central Valley showdown that could help determine control of the House.

Democrats have made the seat a top pickup target as the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the district a “toss-up” and gives the district a razor-thin D+1 partisan lean.

Villegas, a political science professor at College of the Sequoias and Visalia school board trustee, co-authored a 2022 academic paper arguing that DEI is central to the mission of community college educators and describing it as a “social justice-driven duty.”

The paper, titled “A Commitment to Teaching, Learning, and Student Advocacy: Community College Careers,” was published by the American Political Science Association as a chapter in Strategies for Navigating Graduate School and Beyond.

“At the heart of community college teaching is diversity, equity, and inclusion, and culturally responsive teaching,” Villegas wrote. “Community colleges commit to teaching excellence and to a social justice-driven duty to accessibility. Most community colleges have similar institutional characteristics as a result. For example, community colleges are open access institutions. This means that all students are accepted.”

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Villegas and his co-authors framed diversity and inclusion as a responsibility that extended beyond campus, writing that “a commitment to diversity and inclusion expands from the classroom to the communities in which students live” and arguing that students’ “social and economic realities” should also shape course design.

While the paper pre-dates President Donald Trump’s push to eliminate DEI mandates across the federal government and education system, it sheds light on Villegas’ views on DEI and social justice in higher education.

In his dissertation, “Voices from the Valley of Vulnerability,” written for the University of California, Santa Cruz, Villegas identifies himself as a “former community organizer and scholar activist” and makes the case that activism can be part of his scholarly work.

He bats away concerns that activism could affect academic objectivity, arguing that his activism gave him access to information and that his identity and life experiences made his research stronger. He cites scholar Zepeda-Millán, who argued that researchers’ “biases can actually be assets.”

MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE ABDUL EL-SAYED DODGES QUESTION ON WHETHER HE STILL SUPPORTS DEFUNDING THE POLICE

Throughout the paper, Villegas described taking part in grassroots activism that included organizing May Day demonstrations, protesting outside an immigrant detention center and working with community groups to advocate for far-left causes.

He argued that schools often failed to sufficiently engage students in politics, describing educational institutions as “anti-political” while praising community organizations for “actively politicizing and socializing youth” and empowering them to become “agents of change.”

That push to turn students into political activists went beyond his academia research. In 2018, Villegas helped lead the Central Valley Freedom Summer (CVFS), a program that connected students with community organizations for voter outreach, civic engagement and grassroots organizing. Participants worked on issues including LGBTQ rights, immigration, environmental justice and racial inequality while conducting voter-registration and turnout efforts. Among those groups that teamed up with CVFS was Jakara Movement. In 2020, the group launched a campaign seeking the removal of a statue of Mahatma Gandhi, citing what it described as Gandhi’s “history of anti-Blackness and racism,” Breitbart reported.

Some CVFS graduates went on to launch activist groups of their own, including LOUD for Tomorrow, a self-described “queer and trans BIPOC youth-led” organization that has hosted youth drag events across the Central Valley.

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“Randy Villegas was cooked up in a lab to be the radical left’s perfect woke freak. The only thing he cares about is political power and his far-left agenda,” Republican National Committee spokesperson Nick Poche told Fox News Digital.

Meanwhile, Villegas did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions about his statements that educators also wear the hat of a “social activist.” Instead, a spokesperson made remarks about incumbent Valadao.

“David Valadao ripped away healthcare and food assistance from Valley families to hand his billionaire buddies a tax break,” the spokesperson said in an email. “These desperate attacks won’t hide his toxic record, or the domestic abusers bankrolling his campaign.”

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The comments appear to refer to Valadao voting in favor of President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill”, a sweeping tax and spending package that included roughly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts. Democrats have argued the cuts could cause tens of thousands of people in Valadao’s heavily Medi-Cal-dependent district to lose coverage.

Fox News Digital reached out to Valadao’s chief of staff and communications director for comment, as well as Villegas’ campaign for clarification on the allegation that “domestic abusers” are financing Valadao’s campaign.

Kieran Ramsey, the chief investigative officer for Global Reach, detailed the horrific conditions U.S. Marine veteran Robert Gilman experienced while wrongfully detained by Russia and urged the immediate release of five other Americans held in Russia in an interview with Fox News Digital.

Ramsey, who worked with U.S. authorities to secure Gilman’s release after 1,666 days in a Russian prison, praised President Donald Trump’s efforts to secure Gilman’s return on humanitarian grounds.

“Mr. Gilman’s home, no doubt, because of the leadership from President Trump. He made a full court press with his senior most team requesting that the Russians release him on a humanitarian basis, which is exactly what happened. And no doubt it was the work of some good, quiet diplomacy on the part of people like Steve Witkoff, his special envoy and Secretary Rubio, and even the CIA director was involved,” Ramsey told Fox News Digital.

Gilman was released to U.S. authorities on Tuesday after Russian police arrested him in the city of Voronezh in 2022 after he made an unplanned diversion to Russia on his way to a new teaching job in Moldova. Ramsey detailed the circumstances that led to his arrest.

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“The start of this horrific nightmare comes from the fact that he was actually transiting Moscow. He never intended to stay or visit Russia. He was en route to a new teaching job in Moldova. And while en route, he became really sick. He had to stay and recuperate. And he does have some extended family in Russia. His father had immigrated from Russia years ago. So after he recuperated to where at least he thought he was well enough, he decided to go to the U.S. Embassy in Moscow to renew his passport. But again, en route to the embassy, he became violently ill and that’s where Russian police came upon him, thought he was drunk, assaulted him, said that he assaulted them, and then it just snowballed from there,” Ramsey revealed.

Ramsey also revealed the treatment Gilman received while in a Russian prison, which included an extensive campaign of beatings and apparent psychological torture.

“Never have we seen the treatment that Mr. Gilman suffered as bad as anybody else. He was provoked in prison. He was beaten in prison, He was forced to exercise, he was forced to fight, and then he was told just some crazy things like, you know, there was a hit team to go assault his father in Boston. And things like that, when they’re all together and you’re cut off from the outside world and you have no idea if there’s any hope, you can imagine how that compounds on somebody,” Ramsey explained.

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When asked if there was any legitimacy to the Boston hit team, Ramsey said “totally psychological mumbo-jumbo disinformation campaign to make him feel awful.”

Gilman, Ramsey told Fox News Digital, is now recuperating in a U.S. hospital alongside family, and while he “still has a long road to go,” was able to receive immediate medical care thanks, in part, to the State Department designating him as a wrongful detainee.

But Global Reach is representing five other Americans detained in Russia who Ramsey argues also deserve that status and have yet to receive it.

“All five of those we would assert are wrongfully detained do meet the criteria under the Robert Levinson Hostage-Taking and Accountability Act,” Ramsey told Fox News Digital, referencing the 2020 bill that grants the president “visa- and property-blocking sanctions against any foreign person responsible for or complicit in the unlawful or wrongful detention of a U.S. national abroad.”

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But Ramsey also detailed the political hurdles that may prevent the U.S. from immediately recognizing the detainees as wrongfully detained.

“There’s been a policy debate inside the State Department as to whether classifying them or categorizing them as wrongfully-detained will raise the price in that diplomacy or that hostage diplomacy negotiations with the Russians to get their release,” he explained.

Ramsey then told the stories of his five clients, each facing debilitating health conditions in their imprisonment.

Alexander Antonov, the first of Ramsey’s clients he described to Fox News Digital, is an international businessman from California. “He’s a proud husband and father. He’s an international businessman. He had business interests in Russian-occupied Crimea and Ukraine,” Ramsey explained.

Antonov was on his way home from a business trip from Ukraine and transited through Russia “which obviously is a risky venture,” Ramsey said.

Russian authorities stopped him and found his U.S. passport and “immediately he became a target for them,” Ramsey also said.

Antonov is now sitting in a Russian prison and was recently violently assaulted by another inmate, Ramsey said, adding that he continues to hear reports that Antonov’s being harassed simply for being an American.

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Antonov was detained just over a year ago, Ramsey told Fox News Digital.

He then detailed the case of David Barnes, a Texas native who traveled to Russia to retrieve his children after his Russian ex-wife fled and took them to Russia.

Barnes was embattled in a contentious custody battle with his ex-wife, Ramsey explained, in which she allegedly made unsubstantiated claims about him.

“Mr. Barnes went to Russia to recover his children and his ex-wife yet again made claims of criminality against him and the Russians acted upon it. And he’s been sitting in a prison now for over four years, and he’s got his own health issues,” Ramsey explained.

Olga Jezler, a 36-year-old green card holder who lived in New York, is another detainee Ramsey represents who was taken after flying to Russia to take care of her sick sister.

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After flying to Russia to take care of her sister with cancer, Russian authorities detained her because she was carrying CBD oil, which Ramsey said was legal in Russia.

“Nevertheless, the Russians saw an opportunity and they charged her with drug trafficking. And today she still sits in a Russian prison,” he told Fox News Digital.

Jezler has significant health issues and is at risk of losing her ability to have children, Ramsey said. The condition she has is easily treatable in the U.S., he explained.

Andre Khachatoorian is, Ramsey said, yet another case of somebody who was not supposed to be in Russia.

Khachatoorian was transiting through Russia to reach Armenia while transporting a rifle, Gilman said. He allegedly had all the proper paperwork.

Khachatoorian also has an autoimmune disease that continues to get worse while he been sitting in a Russian prison for more than four years, Ramsey said.

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Ramsey also named Chuck Zimmerman, who Russian authorities nabbed in international waters.

“Chuck Zimmerman is originally from Virginia. He set sail on his lifelong dream with his life savings to sail around the world and end up in New Zealand where he was planning to be a master electrician,” Ramsey detailed.

Zimmerman, Ramsey told Fox News Digital, had planned to travel through the Red Sea to reach his final destination, but he rerouted after the war in Iran began.

“He could even hear the bombs from his sailboat where he was at the time. So he decided to divert to the Black Sea. While in the Black Sea, in international waters, the Russian Navy approached him and told him, under threat of force, you will follow us to the Russian port of Sochi or we will sink you,” Ramsey told Fox News Digital

Zimmerman had a firearm on board his vessel, leading Russia to charge him with international arms trafficking, Ramsey told Fox News Digital.

He has been in a Russian prison for over a year.

“He has very serious medical issues. We’ve consulted medical authorities even recently who have told us he either needs to be treated for a bleeding gastric ulcer or perhaps something worse. But at this time, as we sit here, He’s unable to eat without having to throw up immediately after. He’s losing weight at a very rapid pace. And quite honestly, he’s losing hope that he’s ever gonna make it out of there,” Ramsey said.

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Ramsey again iterated the urgent need for the U.S. to designate his five clients as wrongful detainees.

“We don’t want to lose momentum right now,” he said.

“Seeing Mr. Gilman come home was fantastic. And I’ve been asked, ‘well, you guys should be, you know patting yourselves on the back or people should be celebrating.’ Well, no. It’s fantastic. Mr. Gilman’s in a hospital in the US with his family right now, but…. We alone have five other families that are going, ‘when can we expect the same for our loved one?’ And we have to keep the pressure up everywhere we can to make sure people know these folks’ names and have an expectation that the U.S. Government is going to do everything they can to convince the Russians to let these people go,” he said.

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Fox News Digital contacted the U.S. State Department for further comment.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., an outspoken critic of Israel, was set to headline a rally in South Florida boosting three progressive Democratic candidates before the Jewish-owned venue hosting the event backed out a day before.

The “Chomp the Oligarchy” rally to support two U.S. House candidates and one Senate candidate was scheduled for Friday night at The Venue in Fort Lauderdale, just four days before Florida’s primary election.

State Rep. Michael Gottlieb, a Democrat, posted Thursday morning calling the event “anti-Jew,” while also accusing House candidates Elijah Manley and Oliver Larkin, along with state Rep. Angie Nixon — who is seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate — of being part of an “Anti-Israel and Anti-Zionism coalition.”

Gottlieb then said Tlaib “has by far the deepest record of antisemitic allegations and is being brought here to help these candidates raise funds for their campaigns.”

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Following Gottlieb’s post, The Venue posted a statement Thursday night indicating that the event was canceled, citing “increased security concerns.”

The statement did not mention Tlaib by name but said management pulled out after becoming aware of the “full scope” of the event and reviewing promotional materials.

“Due to the increased security concerns as well as the welfare of attendees and staff, the decision was then made that the event would not proceed at our property,” the statement said. “The Venue Fort Lauderdale is Jewish-owned and operated and our values and commitment to the Jewish community are deeply important to us.”

Fox News Digital reached out to The Venue for additional comment. Tlaib’s representatives did not immediately return a request for comment.

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Prior to the event being canceled, The Venue reached out to Gottlieb asking him to take down his post, something he refused to do, The New York Times reported.

Cameron Driggers, a lead organizer for the rally, told the Times that the Venue reached out to the rally organizers saying it would only host the event if Tlaib was uninvited, but the organizers refused.

Manley, who has been endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, is facing off against Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., while Larkin, a self-identified DSA member, is challenging incumbent Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla.

Nixon is running against Alexander Vindman, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel known for testifying during President Donald Trump’s first impeachment inquiry.

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The “Chomp the Oligarchy” event’s organizers said on Instagram that they “will not be silenced by racist right-wing agitators and conservative Democrats,” adding that they will “keep fighting to deliver for working-class Floridians.”

The rally ended up taking place at an alternate outdoor location reportedly with about 300 supporters in attendance.

In his speech, Larkin addressed the tumult surrounding the event.

“What we’ve seen in the last 36 hours is a mobilization campaign to try to intimidate and harass us with a campaign of Islamophobia. A campaign that seeks to excuse AIPAC’s corrupting influence over our elections,” Larkin said to a chorus of boos from the crowd.

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Tlaib also appeared at the rally as planned, introducing Nixon before she delivered her remarks.

Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital on Wednesday “it’s no coincidence” Tlaib would be appearing at an event supporting candidates seeking to defeat Jewish Democrats.

Tlaib, the first Palestinian American woman in Congress, has faced bipartisan criticism for her comments on Israel and Jewish people. The Michigan congresswoman has denied accusations of antisemitism.

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Congress censured Tlaib in 2023 for her embrace of the slogan “from the river to the sea,” which she says is an “aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence” from Palestinians. Many Jews view the slogan as a veiled call for genocide against Israelis.