NationalWatch

The federal prosecutor handling the Justice Department’s criminal case against former FBI Director James Comey over his “86 47” seashell Instagram post has stepped down, according to a new court filing.

A notice of substitution filed Friday in the Eastern District of North Carolina says Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo will replace Matthew Petracca “as counsel for the government.”

The filing from U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Ellis Boyle requested that Petracca be removed from the court docket but did not explain the change. Boyle had hired the rookie prosecutor for the case months ago.

Comey is facing two federal charges and up to 10 years in prison for his sharing the Instagram post showing seashells arranged to read “86 47,” potentially signaling would-be political assassins. Prosecutors have alleged the post amounted to “a serious expression of an intent to do harm” to President Donald Trump, the 47th president.

JAMES COMEY TELLS COLBERT WHAT LED TO HIM POSTING CONTROVERSIAL ’86 47′ INSTAGRAM POST

The number “86” is a common restaurant term for getting rid of or stopping service of an item, but Trump and his prosecutors argue it is also well known to law enforcement as a mob term for assassination.

“Threatening the life of the President of the United States is a grave violation of our nation’s laws,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in an April 28 statement at the time the two-count indictment for threatening the president and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce was announced.

“The grand jury returned an indictment alleging James Comey did just that, at a time when this country has witnessed violent incitement followed by deadly actions against President Trump and other elected officials,” he added. “The temperature needs to be turned down, and anyone who dials it up and threatens the life of the President will be held accountable.”

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

Comey has denied any threatening intent, saying he viewed the image as a political statement and not a dog whistle for assassins.

“James Comey disgracefully encouraged a threat on President Trump’s life and posted it on Instagram for the world to see,” FBI Director Kash Patel added in a statement. “As the former Director of the FBI, he knew full well the attention and consequences of making such a post. This FBI and our DOJ partners pursued a rigorous investigation that followed the facts – and now Mr. Comey will be held fully accountable for his actions.”

FEDERAL JUDGE DISMISSES JAMES COMEY, LETITIA JAMES INDICTMENTS

The case is being prosecuted in North Carolina, the location where the infamous seashells were photographed.

“No one is above the law in the Eastern District of North Carolina,” Boyle wrote in a statement. “Our office regularly pursues threat cases including those against public officials. The Grand Jury examined the evidence in this case and found probable cause to indict Mr. Comey.”

The change comes as the case heads toward an October trial after U.S. District Judge Louise Wood Flanagan granted Comey’s request for a delay.

NBC News first reported Petracca’s departure from the Comey case and said he has also recently come off other criminal cases in the district. The network reported that Petracca had considered leaving the Justice Department altogether but decided against it after taking a week off, according to sources.

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“If Comey is charged for the shell picture, it would face a monumental challenge under the First Amendment,” constitutional law expert Jonathan Turley told Fox News in April. “In my view, the image itself is clearly protected speech. Absent some other unknown facts or elements, it would be unlikely to survive a threshold constitutional challenge.”

Comey has portrayed the prosecution as politically motivated, and has said he will continue speaking out about what he views as threats to the rule of law.

Senate Democrats are doing everything they can to kill President Donald Trump’s “anti-weaponization” fund, and Republicans may be keen on helping them.

The nearly $2 billion fund has drawn heavy criticism from both sides of the aisle since its announcement last month as part of the settlement between Trump and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). 

It also, for now, has blown up the GOP’s push to advance billions in immigration enforcement funding. And as lawmakers return from a week-long break, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Democrats aren’t going to let the issue die quietly. 

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

“This week, Senate Democrats will launch a coordinated effort to kill the slush fund before one cent goes out the door,” Schumer wrote in a letter to his colleagues. “And no matter what Republicans do, we will force them to vote.”

“If Republicans return to reconciliation, we will be ready with amendments to shut the fund down,” he continued. “If they try to bury the issue, we will force them to the Senate floor. If they try to sneak behind appropriations, we will fight them there too.”

The Senate is returning to pick up where lawmakers left off on budget reconciliation, the party-line process that the GOP is using to ram through $72 billion to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol for the next three and a half years.

REPUBLICANS RECOIL AS TRUMP’S BILLION-DOLLAR DOJ ‘SLUSH FUND’ FOR ALLIES THREATENS ICE, BORDER PATROL PLAN

Part of that process includes a “vote-a-rama,” where unlimited amendment votes happen.

Democrats already have several amendments in the works to curtail the fund, including one that would prevent those convicted of rape and sexual assault from gaining access to the taxpayer-funded pot of money. 

And Republican leaders feared that many in the GOP would support those amendments. The relationship between Senate Republicans and Trump is not on its highest note, either, following the president’s decision to back successful primary challengers to Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and John Cornyn, R-Texas. 

But the dissent within the GOP against the Department of Justice (DOJ) fund is far broader than just two Republicans, with at least half the conference taking issue with it during a fiery closed-door meeting with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

REPUBLICAN BREAKS WITH TRUMP AFTER PRIMARY LOSS, CALLS FOR ‘STEADY, NOT ERRATIC’ LEADERSHIP

Several wanted to know what kind of action, if any, would be taken by the administration to put guardrails on the fund to prevent those convicted of assaulting police officers during the riots of Jan. 6, 2021, from gaining access to the money. 

Many see this as an issue that Trump and the administration need to solve, especially with how close Republicans were to ramming the broader reconciliation package through. 

But the DOJ has argued that they aren’t seeking reconciliation money for the fund, and that it’s an issue that has nothing to do with the process. However, Republicans see it differently, given that the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has oversight of the Justice Department, plays a significant role in the legislative package. 

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Schumer and Democrats, however, want to outright demolish the fund.

“There will be no escape hatch,” Schumer said. “No fake guardrails or backroom promises to hide behind. No Justice Department announcement that makes this corruption acceptable.”

“Republicans are scrambling for a way out — not to end the corruption, but to manage it,” he continued. “That will not be enough. You do not fix a corrupt slush fund by promising to manage it better. You end it.”

The U.S. military conducted a deadly strike against a vessel in the Pacific on Saturday, killing several alleged “narco-terrorists,” according to U.S. Southern Command.

That attack, which killed three men, was one of four such military strikes announced by SOUTHCOM last week.

“On May 30, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Three male narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed,” the post on X noted.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CRACKS DOWN ON BRAZIL’S BIGGEST DRUG GANGS WITH ‘GLOBAL TERROR’ DESIGNATION

A strike on Friday killed three men, while a strike on Wednesday killed two, SOUTHCOM reported.

A strike on Tuesday killed one person but others survived: “One male narco-terrorist was killed during this action, and there were two survivors. Following the engagement, USSOUTHCOM immediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivors,” SOUTHCOM noted in a post on X.

U.S. MILITARY KILLS ALLEGED NARCO-TERRORIST IN LETHAL STRIKE ON DRUG-TRAFFICKING VESSEL IN EASTERN PACIFIC

The U.S. conducted what it characterized as “self-defense strikes” against Iran over the weekend.

“U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) conducted self-defense strikes on Iranian radar and command and control sites for drones in Goruk, Iran and Qeshm Island this weekend. The measured and deliberate strikes occurred on Saturday and Sunday in response to aggressive Iranian actions that included the shootdown of a U.S. MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters. U.S. fighter aircraft swiftly responded by eliminating Iranian air defenses, a ground control station, and two one-way attack drones that posed clear threats to ships transiting regional waters,” according to a press release.

“No American service members were harmed. CENTCOM will continue to protect U.S. assets and interests in response to unwarranted Iranian aggression during the ongoing ceasefire,” the release added.

US MILITARY ATTACKS IRAN IN ‘SELF-DEFENSE STRIKES’ OVER WEEKEND

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CENTCOM noted in a Monday post on X, “Last night at 11 p.m. ET, U.S. forces successfully intercepted two Iranian ballistic missiles targeting American forces based in Kuwait. These missiles were immediately defeated and no American personnel were harmed. U.S. Central Command remains vigilant and will continue to protect our forces from Iranian aggression while supporting the ongoing ceasefire.”

President Donald Trump is turning foreign-influence laws that once ensnared figures in his own orbit toward left-wing activist networks accused of benefiting from overseas money and support.

Once seldom enforced criminally, FARA and related foreign-agent laws became a more prominent DOJ enforcement tool after 2016, including in cases involving several figures in Trump’s orbit, as well as the Biden administration. Now, legal experts say that FARA and other laws dealing with foreign influence are emerging as a potential weapon in Trump’s campaign against left-wing activist networks.

“Unfortunately, it seems clear that the Biden administration went overboard and tried to use FARA as a political weapon against allies and supporters of President Trump instead of concentrating on real national security threats and those acting on behalf of foreign governments and principals without disclosing it as required by the law,” Hans von Spakovsky, senior legal fellow at Advancing American Freedom, a think tank founded by former Vice President Mike Pence, told Fox News Digital. 

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FARA requires people acting in the United States on behalf of foreign governments or political parties to disclose their relationships, activities and funding to the Justice Department. While the law has been on the books for decades, criminal prosecutions related to it have become more common from 2016 onwards, engendering resentment among conservatives who feel they were unfairly targeted by the Justice Department.

“Prior to the Mueller gang and the deep state using it against Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn, FARA was rarely, if ever used for criminal purposes,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton told Fox News Digital. “It was seen as a paperwork issue … anti-Trump fanaticism turned it into a weapon to put people in jail.”

FARA prosecutions were relatively rare prior to the first Trump administration, with only seven criminal cases being prosecuted between 1966 and 2015. In 2018 alone, however, the Department of Justice charged more than 20 individuals and entities with FARA violations.

FEDS SUBPOENA HASAN PIKER, MEDEA BENJAMIN OVER CUBA TRIPS

During the first Trump administration and the Biden administration, many of those targeted by the Department of Justice for undisclosed links to foreign governments were viewed as close allies of Trump.

Paul Manafort, Trump’s 2016 campaign chair and a long-time GOP consultant, for instance, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States in 2018 in connection with his activity as an unregistered foreign agent for Ukraine. 

Michael Flynn separately came under scrutiny for his firm’s work tied to Turkish interests, while his criminal plea involved false statements to the FBI about conversations with Russia’s ambassador. Flynn’s business partner was convicted of acting as an undisclosed agent of Turkey, though the conviction was eventually overturned and the investigation was dropped by the Justice Department.

Conservatives were not exclusively targeted during the last two administrations, however.

Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Texas Democrat, Sen. Bob Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, and Linda Sun, a former Democratic staffer, all faced foreign influence investigations under the Biden administration. 

TAX COMMITTEE REPUBLICANS PRESS FOR TREASURY CRACKDOWN ON NONPROFITS PROMOTING FRAUD, ‘ANTI-AMERICAN’ HATE

The pattern of right-wing politicos getting caught up in alleged foreign influence schemes continued into the Biden administration, with Rudy Giuliani, GOP megadonor Stephen Wynn and Trump associate Tom Barrack all being investigated for foreign ties.

Former Attorney General Pam Bondi wound down FARA enforcement upon taking office in 2025, narrowing prosecutions to activities resembling traditional espionage, citing the law’s purported weaponization under President Joe Biden. Fitton characterized this as a “reversion to the norm.”

In a departure from the prior two administrations, Spakovsky told Fox News Digital that the Trump administration is working to “implement a comprehensive national security strategy that integrates FARA as a tool,” citing a national security memo issued by the president in 2025.

NSPM-7, the memo referenced by Spakovsky, is a Trump administration directive ordering federal agencies to investigate and disrupt alleged networks behind domestic terrorism and organized political violence. It specifically directs the Department of Justice to scrutinize foreign ties and investigate possible FARA violations in order to investigate advocacy groups, nonprofits, donors and activists linked to alleged political violence.

Some groups on the right and left have criticized the memo for potentially targeting constitutionally protected expression. The ACLU, for instance, argued that it could chill free speech since the document explicitly calls out “anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism and anti-Christianity” as dangers to the United States.

FOREIGN BILLIONAIRES FUNNEL $2.6B TO US ADVOCACY GROUPS TO INFLUENCE POLICY, WATCHDOG REPORT CLAIMS

Spakovsky, however, argued that the memo simply implements changes that were recommended by career civil servants during the Obama administration.

“When looking at the directive, another important point on FARA is to go back to a very revealing report issued by DOJ’s Inspector General in 2016 in which it criticized DOJ’s lack of enforcement of FARA, including during the Obama administration,” he said. “It recommended that DOJ develop a comprehensive enforcement strategy that was integrated with DOJ’s overall national security efforts … This relatively new directive seems to be an effort to do exactly what the DOJ IG recommended ten years ago – implement a comprehensive national security strategy that integrates FARA as a tool.”

Though FARA is seen by many as the obvious mechanism to address foreign influence, if it is indeed being exerted on American activists, some legal experts are skeptical about relying on it alone.

“FARA is a powerful tool. It’s just a difficult tool to use,” Jason Torchinsky, a partner at the law firm Holtzman Vogel, told Fox News Digital. “It is a powerful tool, but there’s other tools they can use too.”

Torchinsky pointed to the recent investigation into Twitch streamer Hasan Piker and Code PINK co-founder Medea Benjamin, initiated by the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, as an example of this.

TOP GOP SENATOR CALLS OUT CODE PINK, THE PEOPLE’S FORUM ALLEGEDLY PUSHING CCP PROPAGANDA IN US

“If these guys literally are shipping things to Cuba in violation of sanctions, that’s pretty easy,” he said. “You don’t have to prove any intent … OFAC sanctions are just such an easy crime to prosecute, because it’s like, you did X, I have evidence you did X, and it was prohibited …  it’s a really nice sort of cut and dry criminal case.”

Trying to bring FARA charges into the mix, according to Torchinsky, could lead to unnecessary complications.

Torchinsky, who specializes in government ethics laws, noted that prosecuting violations of FARA often proves problematic as defendants can sometimes credibly claim their actions are protected by the First Amendment. Other options, he said, may be more attractive to prosecutors attempting to address foreign political influence.

Heritage Foundation senior legal fellow Zack Smith, added that prosecutors need to prove that those accused of violating FARA knew they were breaking the law at the time of their conduct, which he called “a very high standard.”

BIDEN DOJ WEAPONIZED FACE ACT AGAINST PRO-LIFE AMERICANS, 882-REPORT ALLEGES

“The IRS has tools that allow them to revoke the nonprofit status of nonprofits that are acting illegally,” Torchinsky continued. “There’s a concept in internal revenue law called the illegality doctrine. The idea is that you can’t set up and operate as a nonprofit, something that’s illegal.”

Nonprofit organizations accused of providing material aid to foreign terrorist organizations, for instance, could be prosecuted by the administration without the Justice Department having to prove that they acted as unregistered foreign agents.

“Criminal statutes like wire fraud, bank fraud, those types of statutes could come into play, particularly if those carrying out these foreign influence operations are receiving cash or payments or some other type of compensation for taking part in these operations,” Smith added.

‘RIOT INC.’: TRUMP LAUNCHES ‘WHOLE-OF-GOVERNMENT’ PUSH TO EXPOSE ANTIFA FUNDING NETWORKS, DARK MONEY SOURCES

Some, however, see FARA as an indispensable tool in fighting foreign influence.

“I look forward to a quiet life outside of politics. With a fire-pit and beehives,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican from Florida, posted to X on Wednesday. “Until then I am going to make it my mission to get the FARA office back up and running. The political divide in this country is a foreign op from multiple countries and it’s sad.”

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT TUESDAY’S HOUSE HEARING ON FOREIGN INFLUENCE IN AMERICAN NONPROFITS: ‘FOLLOW THE MONEY’

Torchinsky noted that the presidential national security memo laid out some laws other than FARA that the administration could use to target foreign-backed political agitators. 

“You can go after these folks, particularly these entities that are engaged in violence,” he said. “They’ve got conspiracy against rights, solicitation of a crime or violence, money laundering, funding terrorist acts or facilitating terrorism, arson offenses, RICO, and fraud against the United States.”

“For example, organizing protests and violence at companies that are in the F-35 supply chain, like Palestinian groups are doing, is potentially a solicitation of acts of violence,” Torchinsky added.

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“Now, I suspect this is the beginning of a larger conversation over FARA, whether it needs to be revised, how it needs to be revised, what this regime will look like going forward to combat foreign influence in the United States,” Smith, the Heritage fellow, said. “But fundamentally, there should be broad agreement that foreign influence, particularly foreign influence directed at influencing our elections, our political discourse, is very problematic. Appropriate action should be taken to combat it.”

The Department of Justice, Treasury Department, and Code PINK did not respond to requests for comment when reached by Fox News Digital.

Congress returns facing looming deadlines, unfinished business and internal Republican divisions as the midterm elections draw closer.

Lawmakers left Washington ahead of Memorial Day on the cusp of passing a massive immigration enforcement funding package. Doing so would have allowed Republicans to tackle other outstanding priorities.

Instead, the budget reconciliation process — which Republicans planned to use to funnel roughly $72 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol — stalled after a surprise move by the Trump administration exposed deep divisions within the GOP. 

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

Now, the setback in the reconciliation process threatens to further push back other key agenda items, including the fast-approaching deadline to reauthorize a critical spy law, a colossal defense policy bill and a potential affordability-focused legislative package.

The Senate is currently stuck on the reconciliation package after the Department of Justice unveiled its nearly $2 billion “anti-weaponization” fund geared to provide payouts to those who feel wronged by the government. 

Senate Republicans erupted over the fund during a closed-door meeting with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, demanding answers on whether people convicted of assaulting police officers during the riots of Jan. 6, 2021, would be allowed to get access to the taxpayer-funded money. 

Little has changed between the Senate GOP and administration since then, with Republicans putting the onus of dealing with the issue onto the White House.

“The administration appreciated last week’s conversation and feedback,” a White House official told Fox News Digital. “We look forward to additional conversations as needed.”

TRUMP DOUBLES DOWN ON $1.8 BILLION ‘SLUSH FUND’ THAT KILLED HIS AGENDA, SPURRED REPUBLICAN REBELLION

The House is expected to take up the budget reconciliation bill upon Senate passage. 

But with no clear path forward, other pressing issues are beginning to crowd the congressional calendar.

Congress will soon have to address the looming June 12 deadline to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). It’s a fight that lawmakers have punted on twice now over bipartisan demands for reforms to the program, despite the Trump administration pushing for a clean reauthorization. 

The spy law fight is one of the few horseshoe issues in Congress that blends Democrats and conservatives in a push for stronger privacy protections. While Section 702 allows the government to spy on foreign nationals abroad, there’s nothing in the law to prevent it from collecting data on Americans if they’re ensnared in those communications. 

House conservatives are seeking reforms that would require warrants to surveil Americans’ communications, close loopholes allowing the government to buy sensitive data from brokers without a warrant, and curb overly broad authorities permitting the incidental collection of information, according to a source familiar with the discussions.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: CONGRESS PASSES SHORT-TERM FISA 702 FIX, DELAYS LONG-TERM RENEWAL

GOP privacy hawks in the Senate, including Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Rick Scott, R-Fla., are expected to push for similar priorities in the upper chamber.

Meanwhile, in the House, Democrats are likely to force a vote to rein in the president’s Iran war powers that could pass with modest GOP support. House GOP leadership shelved a war powers vote last week amid poor attendance from Republicans.

Democrats are also expected to trigger a vote on legislation authorizing $1.3 billion in military aid to Ukraine and levy new sanctions on the Russian war effort. The measure faces an uphill battle to become law due to expected opposition from Republican leadership and the Trump administration.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is also facing pressure from a swath of House Republicans to get the ball rolling on a third budget reconciliation package ahead of the midterm elections.

Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital that GOP lawmakers are having “great meetings” and he expects the conference to pass another budget reconciliation package by the end of July. 

Pfluger’s Republican Study Committee has consistently advocated for a package focused on affordability issues across the housing, energy and healthcare sectors. Enthusiasm for a third reconciliation bill has been less pronounced in the Senate. 

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Congress is also beginning to make moves with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the colossal package that would open up $1.15 trillion to fund the Pentagon. It’s an annual must-pass piece of legislation that could be slowed by the more pressing fights on the Hill.

Several lingering issues facing Congress come as time is dwindling to complete work before the midterm elections. Lawmakers will be gone for their typical August recess, but will also have almost the entirety of October off to campaign. 

That means that the next few weeks will be crucial, particularly for Republicans, who are trying to pass any outstanding parts of President Donald Trump’s agenda.

It hasn’t been a great last few days for Marxist political influencer Hasan Piker.

First, as Fox News Digital reported exclusively last week, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) sent Piker an administrative subpoena seeking financial, logistical and communications records related to his March trip to Cuba as part of an investigation into whether he violated U.S. sanctions laws against doing business with the communist regime running the island nation.

Then last night, during protests outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Newark, N.J., hecklers confronted Piker, calling him a “f—ing fraud, ” “fake-a– grifter” and “dog abuser,” telling him, “Go back to the desktop.” (Piker has denied allegations he trained his dog, Kaya, with a shock collar.)

Now, Piker told his loyal following on the gaming platform Twitch that British authorities denied his Electronic Travel Authorization, or ETA, preventing him from traveling to the United Kingdom for a series of scheduled appearances, including events at SXSW London and the Oxford Union. Approved U.S. travelers to the UK can enter the country with a simple Electronic Travel Authorization, which is easier to get then a formal visa.

“I’ve been banned from the UK,” Piker told viewers. “I’ve been to the UK on numerous occasions, and all of the things they’re complaining about now are things I’ve said before.”

He went on to say, “It’s f—ing ridiculous.”

HASAN PIKER DEFENDS PRO-COMMUNIST, ANTI-ICE SINGHAM NETWORK ACTIVISTS AS ‘WONDERFUL PEOPLE’

Although Fox News Digital could not confirm Piker’s claim, such a move by the UK would be significant because it would mark a potential red line that a Western government has drawn regarding the importation of extremist ideas and ideological movements that officials believe may contribute to social unrest, extremism or political violence.

At the tail end of a long livestream, Piker said he was denied entry for alleged antisemitism, which he denied, and then proceeded to lash out at Jewish organizations that he said had campaigned against his visit, claiming they wielded excessive influence over British policy.

“Israel advocacy organizations have unbelievable amounts of power over what even the United Kingdom has to say and do,” Piker said. “If you’re an avowed anti-Zionist, your travel will be restricted.”

Piker accused the UK government of bowing to pressure from pro-Israel advocacy groups and described the decision as evidence of a growing crackdown on political dissent across Western democracies.

The comments came weeks after several British Jewish organizations publicly urged the government to block Piker’s entry into the country, citing remarks they described as antisemitic and supportive of extremist groups. Piker has said he believed the U.S. deserved the 9/11 attack as “backlash” for its foreign policy decisions. The Jewish Leadership Council and Community Security Trust argued that Piker’s presence in Britain would not be “conducive to the public good,” pointing to his comments about Hamas, Hezbollah, Zionism and Orthodox Jews.

Labour MP David Taylor also called on the Home Office to revoke Piker’s visa ahead of scheduled appearances at SXSW London, arguing that his rhetoric had contributed to concerns within Britain’s Jewish community.

Punctuating his commentary about the UK decision with deep sighs, cursing and rage at suggestions from his followers, Piker repeatedly rejected accusations of antisemitism, saying criticism of Israel was being conflated with hatred of Jews. He said the decision reflected a broader trend in which governments are suppressing anti-Israel voices.

“This is straight-up fascism,” Piker said. “Being critical of Israel while combating antisemitism is not a good enough reason to bar someone entry into the country.”

HOW A RHODES SCHOLAR WITH TIES TO CUBA’S PRESIDENT ORGANIZED THE CONVOY THAT BROUGHT HASAN PIKER TO HAVANA

The streamer said he had planned a week-long trip that included appearances alongside former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, a live podcast recording and an event at Oxford Union.

Varoufakis is the co-founder of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit group, Progressive International, which Piker credits with getting him to Cuba for a March aid convoy that may have violated U.S. laws. A Fox News Digital investigation chronicled how Progressive International and its co-founder David Adler have allegedly been a critical part of a foreign influence operation by the Communist Party of Cuba. Progressive International and Adler didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The U.K. government didn’t respond to a request for comment. However, in recent weeks, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, a critic of Israeli policies, recently revoked the travel authorization of Piker’s uncle, Cenk Uygur, founder of “The Young Turks,” after concluding his presence would not be “conducive to the public good.”

During the livestream, Piker warned that the alleged UK decision could set a precedent for other Western countries, including Australia and Canada, potentially restricting his future travel.

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

“I genuinely did not think this would happen,” he said. “We’re moving into a very different timeline.”

Piker said he and his team were exploring whether he could apply for a standard visa despite the denial of the Electronic Travel Authorization, though he acknowledged it was a long shot.

Piker’s case intersects with a broader inquiry into the influence of transnational activist networks operating in the United States. During a livestream this week, Piker said that the Treasury Department’s investigation into his Cuba trip may ultimately be focused on Neville Roy Singham, an American Marxist businessman living in Shanghai who has funded a network of nonprofit organizations and activist groups that have drawn scrutiny from lawmakers and administration officials.

Among the organizations funded by Singham is CodePink, which also received a Treasury Department administrative subpoena related to its participation in the March convoy to Cuba, as well as groups such as the Party for Socialism and Liberation and the ANSWER Coalition. All three organizations openly identify with socialist or communist political traditions and have been prominent organizers of anti-Israel demonstrations across the United States since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas against Israel.

Critics argue that some of those demonstrations have created hostile environments for Jews in the UK, U.S., and elsewhere, including the use of slogans such as “From the river to the sea,” which calls for the elimination of Israel.

Trump administration officials are investigating the groups tied to Singham as a transnational network advancing anti-American, pro-Chinese Communist Party and anti-Western narratives while exploiting political and social divisions inside the U.S.

Lawmakers, Treasury officials and national security analysts have increasingly examined whether such networks are helping to amplify polarization, social discord, and hostility toward democratic institutions. Meanwhile, last night at the ICE protest, Piker defended the groups as led by “wonderful” people.

The debate has been particularly acute in Europe, where governments have grappled with alliances between far-left activists and Islamist organizations that have joined forces around anti-Israel activism and antisemitism. Critics argue that some of these coalitions have fomented rhetoric and violence hostile to Jews, leading to rising antisemitism in the UK, much like in the U.S.

For his part, Piker ended his podcast defiant, angry and seemingly deflated for the moment, repeating again, “Bro, they banned me from the UK,” and then finally closing the podcast, saying, “I’m done for the day.”

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Marxist political commentator and Twitch streamer Hasan Piker blasted New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill during a livestream Sunday, accusing the Democratic governor of aiding the Trump administration’s immigration agenda through her response to anti-ICE protests outside a Newark detention facility.

Piker’s criticism came after Sherrill defended the deployment of state police around demonstrations outside Delaney Hall, an ICE detention center in Newark, saying she would not allow unrest to provide a pretext for expanded federal immigration operations in New Jersey.

“I refuse to let that happen in New Jersey. I will not give ICE a pretext,” Sherrill said in remarks aired during a news segment Piker was reacting to on stream.

Piker quickly mocked the governor’s explanation.

GOV. SHERRILL BLAMES ICE, DEFENDS RIOTERS AFTER DEPLOYING TROOPERS TO QUELL VIOLENT MOB

“Yeah, I won’t give ICE a pretext. So I’m going to ensure that they don’t have to do anything because I’m going to do it myself,” Piker said. “That’s basically what the meta is here for this blue state and its new blue governor.”

The political commentator then broadened his criticism beyond Sherrill’s handling of the protests.

“This is the centrist wing of the Democratic Party, ladies and gentlemen. This is what happens,” Piker said.

ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS CLASH WITH AGENTS OUTSIDE NEW JERSEY DETENTION CENTER AS GOV. SHERRILL DENIED ENTRY

The comments came as anti-ICE demonstrations continued outside Delaney Hall, where activists have alleged detainees are being held in poor conditions and not receiving adequate food. The Department of Homeland Security has disputed those claims.

Later in the stream, Piker accused Sherrill of helping advance President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

“The story is not the far-left activists continuing to rage at ICE in New Jersey,” Piker said. “The real story is the horrifying conditions inside of this facility … and the governor acting as though she’s powerless to put a stop to it, and using what power she does have to basically work alongside the MAGA movement alongside the Trump administration, because these are state troopers in anti-riot gear on horseback.”

FEDERAL AGENTS IN NEW JERSEY BEAT BACK ANTI-ICE AGITATORS IN CHAOS OUTSIDE DELANEY HALL DETENTION FACILITY

“These are state troopers that are brutalizing New Jerseyans,” he added.

Piker further accused authorities of mistreating journalists covering the demonstrations.

“They’re doing Israeli occupying force s—. It’s disgusting,” he said while discussing reports that an Associated Press photographer was injured while covering the protests.

WATCH: POLICE ABSENT FROM DELANEY HALL CHAOS AS AGITATORS BLOCK ICE VEHICLES AND AGENTS USE PEPPER SPRAY

The streamer also used the broadcast to criticize Democratic lawmakers over immigration policy.

“Democrats have absolutely participated in this process,” Piker said, arguing that some members of the party have supported legislation and funding measures related to immigration enforcement.

“I want to change that system,” he later added. “Part of that also revolves around getting people elected who will make a big fuss.”

NJ DEMOCRATS PUSH ‘F—ICE ACT’ TO LET RESIDENTS SUE OVER IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT

Later in the stream, Piker told viewers, “That’s what I’m trying to f—ing change.”

In recent months, Piker has crisscrossed the country canvassing for candidates endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America.

During Sunday’s livestream, he also voiced support for billionaire gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer and quoted Mao Zedong, the founder of the Chinese Communist Party.

Piker has previously drawn scrutiny for his support of progressive candidates and activism surrounding immigration policy.

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Earlier this year, he campaigned in New Jersey for congressional candidate Adam Hamamy, a Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidate whom Piker publicly defended following media scrutiny over his background.

Sherrill’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

President Donald Trump is warning against obstruction of the $400 million White House ballroom and rooftop drone base, directly calling out U.S. District Judge Richard Leon for giving in to a “serial plaintiff” and a “ridiculous lawsuit” putting U.S. national security at risk.

“The DronePort at the White House Ballroom will be, perhaps, the most sophisticated anywhere in the World!” Trump wrote Sunday on Truth Social. “It will safeguard our Nation’s Capital, Washington, D.C., long into the future.

“Judge Richard Leon should stop playing games with America’s Security!”

Trump urged Leon to dismiss the lawsuit from a person he described as a “highly litigious woman,” warning the judge would be “held responsible” if an attack hits the White House.

FEDERAL JUDGE QUESTIONS TRUMP AUTHORITY ON WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM PROJECT

“If anything happens, he will be held responsible for the Death and Destruction caused to our Country,” Trump added. “He has already created enough problems by allowing ‘Top Secret’ information to be released and exposed based on a ridiculous lawsuit started by a highly litigious woman (serial plaintiff!) whose ‘strolling,’ in her opinion, will be disturbed by the new, desperately needed structure – In any event, a woman who has absolutely no STANDING!

“With the advent of highly sophisticated, and powerful, modern day weaponry, we can no longer defend Washington, D.C., with rifles and pistols, alone. This ridiculous lawsuit must be dismissed, IMMEDIATELY!” Trump added.

The post came as the Justice Department again pressed Leon to lift an injunction that has held up parts of the project, arguing in a court filing that a shooting outside a White House checkpoint earlier this month underscored the need for stronger security measures at the executive mansion.

TRUMP PULLS BACK CURTAIN ON WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM’S FORTRESS-LIKE DEFENSES ABOVE AND DEEP BELOW

“In light of the recent attacks against President Trump’s life — including two attempts in less than a month — the injunction entered by this Court for the benefit of a strolling woman, who filed suit against the East Wing Project long before she knew what was going to be built (This is a woman who is a known serial plaintiff throughout Washington, D.C.), and who has absolutely no standing, must be immediately vacated, and this suit, which is a complete embarrassment to our Country, must be dismissed,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote in the five-page filing.

“This is a terrible, tremendously harmful case to the United States of America, and all it stands for!” .

The gunman who opened fire at the White House checkpoint was shot by officers and later died at a hospital.

APPEALS COURT LETS TRUMP RESUME WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM CONSTRUCTION, SEEKS LOWER COURT CLARITY

Leon ruled in April that Trump lacked the legal authority to build the ballroom without congressional approval. He issued an injunction halting “above-ground construction of the planned ballroom,” though an appeals court quickly put that order on hold, allowing construction to continue until June.

The lawsuit was brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a congressionally chartered nonprofit organization. The group has said it would not drop the case, even after the Justice Department cited a foiled attack at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in April as a reason to dissolve the injunction and dismiss the lawsuit.

Trump previously disclosed that the ballroom project would include a rooftop drone base and a six-story underground military complex with a hospital and research facilities.

During a tour with reporters , Trump said the ballroom’s roof would be built for military use and designed to withstand a direct attack.

“The entire roof is built for military,” Trump said. “They have a massive drone capacity. Not only is it drone-proof, if a drone hits it, it bounces off, it won’t have any impact. But it’s also meant as a drone port that would protect all of Washington.”

The proposed 90,000-square-foot ballroom would dwarf the historic White House complex and has become a flashpoint in a broader fight over presidential authority, security spending and the preservation of historic federal buildings.

WHITE HOUSE SAYS EAST WING DEMOLITION WAS NECESSARY DUE TO STRUCTURAL ISSUES

Trump has argued that the ballroom is necessary to host large events of up to 1,000 people in a secure location, saying current White House entertainment spaces are too small.

The White House has said the project’s security features include titanium fencing, hardened roofing, thick special glass and underground facilities. Trump told reporters the roof would be made of “impenetrable steel,” and said the fencing was strong enough that “a bulldozer cannot knock it over.”

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Leon has not yet ruled on the Justice Department’s latest request to dissolve the injunction and dismiss the case.

Reuters contributed to this report.

This is part five of a series examining the challenges confronting the NATO alliance.

For more than three decades, the U.S. carried the largest share of NATO’s military burden while many European allies spent far less on defense than Washington wanted.

The imbalance survived the Cold War, multiple U.S. administrations and repeated debates over burden sharing. Only in recent years — following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and renewed pressure from President Donald Trump — have many NATO members begun significantly increasing defense spending.

So why did the gap persist for so long?

Defense analysts say the answer lies in a combination of post-Cold War optimism, domestic political priorities and an American defense umbrella that convinced much of Europe it could safely spend less on defense without sacrificing its security.

GLOBAL SYSTEM TOOK ADVANTAGE OF AMERICA ON TRADE AND DEFENSE. THAT FREE RIDE IS OVER

“For much of the post–Cold War period, it is fair to say that Europeans underinvested in defense, partly because threats were low, and partly because a series of U.S. presidents did everything they could to convince Europeans that we would stay there forever,” Barry Posen, a professor of political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told Fox News Digital.

The collapse of the Soviet Union reinforced that mindset. 

With the primary threat NATO had been created to deter suddenly gone, governments across Europe moved to collect a so-called “peace dividend,” redirecting resources toward domestic priorities and away from their militaries.

Between 1992 and 1999, defense spending among European NATO members fell 22%, helping establish a pattern of underinvestment that would persist for decades even as the United States maintained troops in Europe and continued serving as NATO’s ultimate security backstop.

GERMANY UNVEILS NEW INCENTIVES TO BOOST MILITARY RECRUITMENT AMID GROWING RUSSIA THREAT

As defense spending declined, many European governments expanded or maintained social welfare systems that consumed a growing share of public budgets. Programs such as healthcare, pensions and higher education became deeply embedded in domestic politics, often making them harder to cut than military spending.

With the U.S. continuing to provide the bulk of NATO’s military power, many governments faced little immediate pressure to reverse course. Critics of the alliance’s spending imbalance argued that American taxpayers were effectively subsidizing Europe’s security, allowing allies to devote a larger share of public resources to domestic priorities.

The result was what some defense analysts describe as a “moral hazard” problem: because the U.S. commitment to NATO was viewed as ironclad, allies could spend less on their own militaries without facing the full consequences of those decisions.

NATO CHIEF WARNS EUROPE CAN’T DEFEND ITSELF WITHOUT US AS TENSIONS RISE OVER GREENLAND

Over time, that dynamic became self-reinforcing. As European militaries shrank, many allies grew increasingly dependent on American capabilities ranging from logistics and intelligence to missile defense, strategic airlift and nuclear deterrence.

“We are still having a strong, conventional U.S. presence in Europe,” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said earlier in 2026, “and, of course, the nuclear umbrella as our ultimate guarantor.”

American frustration over burden sharing is nearly as old as NATO itself.

In 1953, President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned European allies that “the American well can run dry” and pressed them to assume a larger share of the alliance’s defense burden. The issue resurfaced repeatedly over the following decades as successive administrations sought greater European contributions to collective defense.

The concern persisted long after the Cold War. In a blunt 2011 farewell speech in Brussels, then-War Secretary Robert Gates warned of a “dim if not dismal future” for NATO if European governments continued underinvesting in their militaries. Gates cautioned that there would be “dwindling appetite and patience” among American lawmakers and taxpayers to bear a disproportionate share of the alliance’s defense costs.

Yet despite decades of warnings, the underlying incentives changed little. 

Washington repeatedly reaffirmed its commitment to NATO and maintained a large military presence on the continent, reducing pressure on allies to rapidly increase defense spending.

“Every administration has been pushing allies to spend more money on their own defense,” former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Europe and NATO Jim Townsend told Fox News Digital.

The issue gained renewed urgency after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, when NATO established a benchmark for members to spend at least 2% of GDP on defense. While spending gradually increased, progress remained uneven across the alliance.

“Nations slowly began going to that. But it’s been slow,” Townsend said.

For years, burden-sharing disputes followed a familiar pattern: American officials urged allies to spend more, European leaders promised improvements and NATO continued to rely heavily on American military power. What finally broke that cycle, Townsend said, was the combination of Russia’s growing aggression and Trump’s willingness to challenge assumptions that had shaped the alliance for decades.

“What really woke everyone up were two things,” Townsend said. “One was the 2022 invasion by Putin the second time. And then the second was Trump.”

Unlike previous presidents, Trump openly questioned whether the United States should defend allies that failed to meet defense spending commitments. During his first term and again during his return to office, Trump argued that NATO members were taking advantage of American taxpayers and suggested U.S. protection should not be unconditional.

Whether European leaders viewed Trump’s approach as pressure, a warning or a negotiating tactic, it altered assumptions that had shaped the alliance since the end of the Cold War and accelerated a debate that had simmered for decades.

The shift culminated at NATO’s summit in The Hague, where allies agreed to a new goal of spending 5% of GDP on defense and defense-related investments by 2035. The agreement marked a dramatic leap from NATO’s long-standing 2% benchmark and reflected a growing consensus that the alliance faced a far more dangerous security environment than the one that emerged after the Soviet Union’s collapse.

The agreement also signaled that many allies had come to the same conclusion American presidents had voiced for decades: the post-Cold War era of reduced military spending was over.

TRUMP PUSHED NATO TO SPEND BIG — NOW COMES THE HARDER QUESTION: CAN EUROPE ACTUALLY FIGHT?

But analysts caution that rebuilding military power is far more complicated than increasing budgets.

Europe remains dependent on the U.S. for capabilities ranging from air defense and logistics to intelligence and defense industrial capacity, Townsend said. Even as governments commit more money to defense, translating those investments into military readiness will take years.

John Byrne of Concerned Veterans for America said the challenge extends beyond equipment and spending levels.

“They don’t have the experience,” Byrne told Fox News Digital, referring to the decades in which large multinational military commands were overwhelmingly led by American officers.

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Running large coalition military operations requires years of institutional knowledge and leadership experience, he said — something that cannot be rebuilt overnight.

“You can buy equipment,” Byrne said. “You can’t instantly buy command experience.”

U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack is getting expanded duties from President Donald Trump to serve as special envoy to Syria and Iraq as the administration tries to forge lasting peace in the Middle East.

“I am pleased to announce that United States Ambassador to Türkiye, Tom Barrack, who has done an outstanding job, will be named Special Presidential Envoy to Syria and, likewise, Special Presidential Envoy to Iraq, as we advance our strategic cooperation with the Governments of Syria and Iraq, our relationship with them continues to grow,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Sunday.

Syria, a longtime Iranian terrorist proxy battleground, has moved to make peace with the Trump administration and Israel in recent years. It has largely been moved in that direction with the guidance of Turkey, the northern neighbor of Iraq and Syria.

“Tom will remain Ambassador to Türkiye, and operate with the full backing of the United States Department of State,” Trump’s post continued. “We greatly appreciate the work that Tom Barrack has done, and his continued willingness to serve our Country.”

US AMBASSADOR BARRACK NAMED SPECIAL ENVOY TO SYRIA AMID SANCTIONS RELIEF PLAN

The announcement came as Washington remains locked in high-stakes negotiations with Iran and as Tehran’s Revolutionary Guards launched new attacks on separatist groups in northern Iraq, according to Reuters.

Barrack’s expanded assignment places him at the center of several overlapping pressure points in the region: the future of U.S. engagement with Syria, the stability of Iraq, Turkey’s role as a regional power broker and the broader fallout from the U.S.-Iran conflict.

The move also follows earlier reporting that Barrack had already been playing a major role in Syria policy, including discussions involving Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the administration’s approach to Damascus.

TRUMP TENTATIVELY MAKING PEACE WITH IRAN, BUT POTENTIAL FUTURE STRIKES REMAIN AS LEVERAGE

Trump’s announcement landed during a tense weekend for U.S. diplomacy. The president has not announced a final decision on a proposed Iran agreement, and recent reports said he requested changes to a draft deal negotiated by his envoys, including tougher provisions related to Iran’s nuclear materials.

Trump said in a Fox News interview that he was “in no hurry” to finalize a deal with Tehran, while warning the U.S. could resume military action if negotiations fail. War Secretary Pete Hegseth also said the U.S. military remained poised to resume strikes against Iran.

The administration’s core peace demands have centered on preventing Iran from developing or acquiring nuclear weapons, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and securing terms that Trump has described as tougher than earlier proposals. The Strait of Hormuz remains a central point of contention because of its importance to global energy shipments.

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The northern Iraq strikes underscored the risk that the conflict could continue to spill across borders even as diplomacy continues. Iranian forces have repeatedly targeted Kurdish opposition groups based in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, accusing them of threatening Iran’s security. Those attacks have placed additional pressure on Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government while complicating U.S. efforts to stabilize Iraq.

Barrack, a longtime Trump ally and businessman, is now expected to help manage U.S. relationships with three countries that sit at the heart of the administration’s Middle East strategy.

Graham Platner’s wife Amy Gertner came out to defend her husband’s Senate campaign Saturday, but X reactions to the five-minute video are rebuking it as damage control that did not dispute recent allegations against the Maine Democrat.

“So it makes me really angry, disappointed, and I find it really shameful that there’s a group of media outlets and people who are willing to spread gossip, instead of talking about real issues that Graham is running on — like healthcare and education and childcare,” Gertner said hours after the Wall Street Journal reported that Platner exchanged sexual text messages with several women after he and Gertner were married.

“Being newly married is hard. Being newly married and going through infertility is hard. Being newly married, going through infertility, and a Senate campaign is hard.”

The wife speaking for her husband after the surfacing of allegations against him – and not the candidate himself – was seized on by critics and social media users replying to the video post.

SPURNED SPOUSES CASH IN AS NORTH CAROLINA’S ‘HOMEWRECKER’ LAW TURNS CHEATING INTO A COURTROOM JACKPOT

“Graham Platner admitted to sexually explicit text messages with over a dozen women and having an account on a ‘predator paradise’ child exploitation app, then had his wife – a victim of his deviant actions – defend it,” National Republican Senatorial Committee press secretary Samantha Cantrell told Fox News Digital on Sunday.

Fox News Digital reached out to Platner’s campaign for a response but they did not immediately respond.

“It looks and sounds like a hostage video,” one X user responded to the video. “Blink twice if you need rescuing, Amy.”

The controversy comes as Platner, a progressive oyster farmer and military veteran running to unseat moderate incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, has drawn support from national Democrats, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who previously praised him by saying, “That’s my kind of man.”

TOP OFF-THE-WALL REDDIT POSTS HAUNTING GRAHAM PLATNER’S MAINE SENATE BID

“I don’t even know if I have the right words to describe what we’ve been going through, but our marriage counselor helps, my personal counselor helps, Graham’s personal counselor helps, and we work on our mental health every day,” Gertner added.

“No marriage is perfect, and I don’t want a perfect marriage. I want my marriage, and I want to be married to Graham.”

But X users rebuked the use of the wife to defend the Senate campaign.

“It’s not your wife’s job to defend your infidelity, creep,” writer Emily Zanotti wrote on X.

“The big problem here is that this story only covers what exists out there: potentially dozens of emails, text messages, and videos Platner sent to who-knows-how-many women, which the campaign is now praying aren’t next to be leaked,” she added in another post.

TOP OFF-THE-WALL REDDIT POSTS HAUNTING GRAHAM PLATNER’S MAINE SENATE BID

Another X user, who is a self-proclaimed 2028 Kamala Harris for president supporter, denounced the fact a campaign “has forced his wife to make a #hostage video,” urging “Amy, please reach out to .@MEStatePolice so they can remove his firearms from your home.”

“Shame on Graham for putting her in this position,” another poster wrote on X.

Despite the blowback, Gertner did stress they have “a great marriage.” 

But critics note the video did little to answer allegations surrounding the Democrat Senate hopeful, particularly with the admission of mental health and infidelity struggles in a still-new marriage.

“I have incredible empathy for a woman who’s just had a miscarriage having to make a video defending her husband’s infidelities,” Moms Demand Action founder Shannon Watts wrote on X. “But a man so damaged by combat – according to him and his family – that he’s said and done destructive things for decades needs to recover, not run for Senate.”

GISELE FETTERMAN LAMBASTS ‘TERRIBLE’ MEDIA, SAYS JOURNALISTS BOMBARDED HER WHEN HUSBAND WAS SICK

Gertner’s video statement confirmed the mental health questions and notably did not deny the reporting.

“I knew the man that I married is wonderful and dynamic and probably a genius,” Gertner said. “I knew the man that I married had been through an immense amount of violent active combat. He’s been in therapy for years. I just I admire the f— out of him.

“So when there are news articles about our marriage, it’s just extra sh—-. Can I say that online? I hope I can.”

Earlier Saturday, Platner’s campaign confirmed the controversial text exchanges to Politico following a report from The Wall Street Journal that noted a former campaign aide seeking to get ahead of opposition research leaked the damning allegations.

DEMOCRATS ‘SELLING THEIR SOUL’ TO EMBRACE PLATNER ARE IN FOR RUDE AWAKENING WITH MAINE VOTERS: GOP LAWMAKER

“They’re trying to make this woman a scapegoat when she was clearly the canary in a coal mine,” Watts added in another X post, sharing a Facebook message from alleged whistleblower Genevieve McDonald, who rebuked those defending Platner’s campaign: “We cannot be this painfully stupid.”

“So I think I’m feeling angry today, and I don’t normally make public statements, but it’s really important for me to tell all of you out there — especially people who are voting in Maine — that I think it’s shameful behavior to spend time and energy and resources on negative ads and negative stories on Graham when all he’s trying to do is improve the lives of people who work for a living,” Gertner added.

The irony of rebuking “attacks” was not lost on critics.

“Have you read your husband’s campaign attacks, press releases and X posts?” former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell wrote on X, replying to the campaign video post. “You think you all get a free ride to brutally attack others and not get criticized yourself?”

SUSAN COLLINS SHRUGS OFF ATTACKS BY DEMOCRATS AND TRUMP, SAYS MAINE VOTERS ‘DON’T VOTE PARTY LINE’

“Put on your big girl pants – he’s running for 1 of the 100 Senate seats,” he added.

Among the “attack” posts noted by Grenell was one from the same Platner campaign X account earlier in the day.

“Susan Collins is spineless and corrupt,” the campaign post read. “And in 157 days, we will defeat her.”

MORNING GLORY: DEMS’ BERNIE-BACKED OYSTER FARMER HANDS SUSAN COLLINS A MASSIVE 2026 ADVANTAGE

Among the reactions to Gertner’s video post were shock that infidelity in their marriage allegedly happened so quickly after she admittedly “got married in 2023.”

Also, critics noted the scripted and rehearsed reaction video where she admitted that “this is like my 20th take.”

After the withdrawal of Maine Democrat Gov. Janet Mills from the primary, Platner is his party’s presumptive nominee in Maine’s Senate race before the June 9 primary.

Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass., is the most prominent Democrat publicly pushing back, calling Platner’s Nazi-linked tattoo (Totenkopf/SS Death’s Head) “personally disqualifying” and urging Maine voters to reject him.

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Collins is in a vulnerable seat in the closely held Republican Senate majority 53-47, having served for 29 years since Jan. 3, 1997. Democrats have long targeted Collins for a potential Senate seat flip, particularly because of her checkered voting past that historically has not been a rubber stamp for President Donald Trump’s agenda.

President Donald Trump fired back at critics of his health and cognitive abilities just two weeks before his 80th birthday, repeating his new favorite moniker for his Democrat critics, calling out the “Dumocrats.”

“All people running for President and Vice President should be forced to take high difficulty Cognitive Tests,” Trump wrote in an overnight Truth Social post.

“Congress, and the Dumocrats, should demand it!”

Trump is set to become only the second president to serve at the advanced age of 80 after former President Joe Biden.

TRUMP LASHES OUT AT CROCKETT, RENEWS CALL FOR COGNITIVE TEST

“The results of my Physical Examination, taken at Walter Reed Military Medical Center, and just released, were extremely good,” Trump’s post began. “Unlike other U.S. Presidents, none of whom have ever taken an approved, high difficulty, Cognitive Test, I scored a perfect 30 out of 30, considered ‘extreme intelligence.’

“Are the Dumocrats really surprised?”

Trump has long touted his cognitive test scores, using it as one of his campaign rally staples in contrast to his predecessor Biden, who was the oldest U.S. president in history at 82 when he left office in January 2025.

TRUMP DECLARED IN ‘EXCELLENT OVERALL HEALTH’ BY DOCTOR AFTER WALTER REED VISIT

The White House released a memorandum Friday night from Capt. Sean P. Barbabella, the physician to the president, detailing Trump’s May 26 annual medical examination. The memo said the evaluation included diagnostic studies, laboratory testing conducted over the past year and consultations with 22 specialty providers.

The physician’s summary said Trump “remains in excellent health,” with “strong cardiac, pulmonary, neurological, and overall physical function.” It also said his cognitive and physical performance were “excellent” and that he is “fully fit to carry out all duties of the Commander-in-Chief and Head of State.”

“His demanding daily schedule, including multiple high-level meetings, public engagements, and regular physical activity, continues to support his overall well-being,” Barbabella wrote.

TRUMP CLAIMS WHITE HOUSE DOCTORS REPORT HIM IN ‘PERFECT HEALTH,’ SAYS HE ‘ACED’ THIRD STRAIGHT COGNITIVE EXAM

The memo said Trump’s neurological exam showed normal mental status, cranial nerves, motor strength, sensation, reflexes, gait and balance. It said he completed the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, known as the MoCA, and scored 30 out of 30.

“In fact, this is my fourth such test, all PERFECT or, 120 correct answers out of 120 questions asked!” Trump added in his post. “It is very rare that anyone gets a Perfect Score, especially when achieved four times in a row.”

Screenings for depression and anxiety were also listed as normal, but the report noted slight lower leg swelling, improved from last year, and bruising on the backs of his hands, which the physician attributed to minor soft tissue irritation from “frequent handshaking” while taking aspirin for cardiovascular prevention. The bruising is “common and benign,” according to the physician.

Trump’s lab results were listed largely within normal ranges. His total cholesterol was 143, LDL cholesterol was 53, HDL cholesterol was 70 and triglycerides were 104. His fasting glucose was 83.2, hemoglobin A1c was 5.3 and PSA was 1.0. The memo also listed normal kidney, liver, thyroid and cardiac-related markers.

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Trump’s current medications include rosuvastatin and ezetimibe for cholesterol control and aspirin for cardiac prevention.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and her challengers spent the final weekend before Election Day crisscrossing the city as a surprisingly competitive mayoral race heads toward a likely runoff.

Bass, who is seeking a second term, is up against former reality star Spencer Pratt and city council member Nithya Raman in Tuesday’s primary election.

Recent polling has shown a competitive race as no candidate is expected to receive more than 50% of the vote. The top two finishers would then advance to a November runoff.

On Saturday, Bass — who is backed by high-profile Democrats, including former Vice President Kamala Harris and California Gov. Gavin Newsom — stopped at Yosemite Recreation Center in Eagle Rock.

WATCH: LEFT-WING LA MAYOR FACES REALITY TV CHALLENGER’S BLUNT TAKEDOWNS IN HEATED MAYORAL DEBATE

She was seen serving tacos while wearing an apron bearing the slogan “Common Sense and Carne Asada.”

During an Instagram livestream Saturday, Bass also took aim at Pratt.

“You have a failed reality TV star who wants to be famous,” she said while speaking with two actresses before appearing to reference President Donald Trump. “We know what it means if you put somebody who is a reality TV star in a seat of power.”

BAN ON BACKYARD BARBECUES ON CERTAIN DAYS IN CALIFORNIA FLOATED AS OTHERS PUSH BACK HARD

Pratt spent part of Saturday criticizing Raman on X, including attacking her recent campaign advertisements.

In a video posted to Instagram, Raman pointed to a recent poll and urged supporters to vote.

“After millions of dollars of spending against us, we are still here and we are still competitive,” she said.

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

Pratt, who is best known for his role on “The Hills,” has gained attention in the race by criticizing Bass over the response to the January 2025 wildfires that destroyed thousands of structures, including his Pacific Palisades home.

He has also sharply criticized Bass over homelessness, drug addiction and crime.

Pratt has gained momentum in recent weeks and secured endorsements from fellow reality television personalities, actors, musicians and media figures.

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Still, Pratt — a registered Republican — faces significant challenges in a city where Democratic candidates have historically dominated local elections.

Fox News Digital’s Adam Pack, Kiera McDonald and Andrew Mark Miller, along with The Associated Press, contributed to this report.

NEWARK, N.J. – As he navigated the crowds in an impromptu appearance at a protest outside the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility, Marxist political influencer Hasan Piker defended figures in the pro-China activist network funded by American Marxist tech millionaire Neville Roy Singham as “wonderful people,” while dismissing scrutiny surrounding his Cuba trip.

Asked about reporting on Singham’s network and its connections to far-left activism, Piker said there is “this environment of suspicion” surrounding Singham and his activities, taking a “sinister shape,” but they are “totally above board and totally legal.”

In recent months, many agitators from the Singham network have fueled, coordinated and organized fiery protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis, New York City, Los Angeles, New Jersey and elsewhere.

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

The remarks by Piker are noteworthy because the online influencer isn’t just a livestreamer on the Twitch platform. With millions of mostly young followers across Twitch, YouTube and social media platforms, he has emerged as one of the most influential — and polarizing — figures on the American left, regularly mobilizing support for candidates and causes aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America. Piker wore a baseball cap emblazoned with the group’s logo.

Piker has used his platforms to interview, promote and campaign alongside candidates backed by Democratic Socialists of America, helping introduce them to younger voters who consume political content online. His audience reach has made him a significant force in Democratic politics, giving him the ability to shape narratives and drive grassroots enthusiasm for candidates running on socialist and anti-establishment platforms.

As reported, Singham is an American Marxist tech tycoon who has pumped $285 million since 2017 into a network of nonprofits that have organized and coordinated divisive anti-American street protests, such as the one unfolding in New Jersey.

“I don’t have any personal contact with Roy Singham or any of these other people,” Piker said, in response to questions from Fox News Digital. “I mean, I know some of these people. They’re wonderful people in general. They’re activists….None of it is actually hidden or illegal in any way, shape or form.”

The remarks come as federal investigators have expanded scrutiny of activists involved in travel to communist Cuba, including organizations and individuals linked to the broader network of nonprofits and advocacy groups that have received funding from Singham and his wife, Code Pink co-founder Jodie Evans.

GOP LAWMAKERS URGE TREASURY TO PRESS AHEAD WITH PROBE OF HASAN PIKER OVER CUBA TRIP

As reported exclusively by Fox News Digital last Saturday, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sent Piker and CodePink an administrative subpoena as part of an investigation into a March convoy to Cuba. Piker claimed he hadn’t personally received any legal notice.

“Fox News Digital says I have a subpoena, but I have yet to be served one,” Piker said. “So I don’t even know what’s going on. It kind of feels like you guys have more insight into what the federal government’s doing than I do, and I’m supposed to be subpoenaed.”

Piker’s comments follow disclosures by CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin that Evans received the query via an email that initially landed in a spam folder.

“We heard this on Fox News, that there was this subpoena out,” Benjamin said in an interview shared publicly by BreakThrough News, another nonprofit that Singham has funded. “I was going outside my front door looking around for somebody to serve me. And it turns out that it was an email that was sent to Code Pink co-founder Jodie Evans, and it was so unofficial that it landed in our spam box.”

As reported, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sent investigative letters seeking financial, logistical and communications documents about the March convoy. The Office of Foreign Assets Control administers and enforces U.S. sanctions programs, including restrictions governing financial transactions and certain travel-related activities involving Cuba.

Fox News Digital has reported that the March 2026 convoy to Cuba involved a transnational network of activists organized by another Singham-funded group, the People’s Forum, and a nonprofit, Progressive International, both with close ties to the communist regime in Cuba.

DAVID MARCUS: HASAN PIKER, USEFUL IDIOT FASHIONISTAS WANT TO MAKE AMERICA INTO COMMIE CUBA

The activists are protesting U.S. sanctions on the communist island. Piker participated in the trip alongside members of Code Pink and a network of 145 organizations, according to a Fox News Digital investigation.

Piker framed the investigation as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to target political activists and protesters, arguing that scrutiny of Cuba travel conflicted with Trump’s campaign promises to defend free speech.

“I feel like there are a lot of people who believed in that message, and now he’s betrayed that message,” Piker said.

Piker told Fox News Digital that he welcomed a debate with Fox News host Sean Hannity.

Piker, who was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, was visiting his home state from his $2 million home in West Hollywood, California, canvassing at a Saturday rally in Trenton for a controversial candidate, Adam Hamamy, endorsed by Democratic Socialists of America in his race for the U.S. Congress. 

The New York Times published a profile on Saturday, noting the candidate’s “ties to a militant cleric.” Piker defended Hamamy.

Last week, on a livestream on the Twitch platform where he talked for about six hours nonstop, the influencer dismissed concerns about his connections to organizations involved in the Cuba convoy, while acknowledging that Singham finances a network of left-wing nonprofits engaged in “political advocacy” and “a lot of political movements.”

Critics have argued the network functions as a coordinated activist infrastructure advancing pro-communist causes, including support for Cuba, China and other authoritarian governments opposed to U.S. foreign policy.

As Fox News Digital asked Piker about concerns related to malign foreign influence from China, including at far-left activist events such as the anti-ICE protest unfolding around him, Piker walked away without answering the question.

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Piker has polarized people in many communities, including among leftists and Democrats.

An activist shouted, “Get out of here,” as Piker walked away, punctuating his derision with, “Dog abuser,” a reference to allegations Piker trained his dog, Kaya, with a shock collar.

Piker has denied the allegations.

President Donald Trump on Saturday floated the idea of hosting a massive MAGA rally to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary after numerous artists pulled out of a planned concert this summer.

In a lengthy Truth Social post, Trump suggested scrapping the Great American State Fair’s Freedom 250 concerts. He also took aim at a federal judge who on Friday ordered that his name be removed from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

“We should have a giant MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN RALLY, for 250, instead of having overpriced singers, who nobody wants to hear, whose music is boring, and yet who do nothing but complain,” Trump wrote.

“Cancel it, just like I canceled my involvement with the failing and unsafe to be in Kennedy Center, because a Highly Conflicted, Crooked Federal Judge, said that I should not be allowed to spend my time and money in order to MAKE THE CENTER GREAT AGAIN, actually, far greater than it ever was before!” he continued.

AMERICA 250 EVENTS TAKING PLACE THIS SUMMER CALLED ‘ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME’ TRAVEL OPPORTUNITIES

The comments came as several artists backed out of performing at the Great American State Fair, a large-scale national celebration planned on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., stretching from the U.S. Capitol to the Washington Monument.

The event is scheduled to run from June 25 through July 10, 2026, as part of the nation’s America 250 celebration.

Earlier this week, Freedom 250 organizers released a list of performers slated to appear at the event, but several artists later withdrew, including Martina McBride, Bret Michaels, Young MC, Morris Day and The Time, and C+C Music Factory.

FIVE ARTISTS PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SHOULD CALL TO PERFORM AT FREEDOM 250 CONCERT THIS SUMMER

Other performers, including rapper Vanilla Ice, have said they are “honored” to participate.

In a separate social media post Saturday, Trump suggested he could replace the concert with a major speech after several artists got “the yips.”

“I understand Artists are getting ‘the yips’ having to do with their performance on Wednesday, so I am thinking about bringing the Number One Attraction anywhere in the World, the man who gets much larger audiences than Elvis in his prime, and he does so without a guitar, the man who loves our Country more than anyone else, and the man who some say is the Greatest President in History (THE GOAT!), DONALD J. TRUMP, to take the place of these highly paid, Third Rate ‘Artists,’ and give a major speech, rallying the Country forward like I have done ever since being President!” Trump wrote.

TRUMP CALLS ON AMERICANS TO PRAY FOR NATION AS 250TH BIRTHDAY APPROACHES: ‘ONE NATION UNDER GOD’

Trump said he was considering delivering the speech and holding a rally June 24 to kick off the festivities.

“I don’t want so-called ‘Artists’ that get paid far too much money, who aren’t happy,” he wrote. “I only want to be surrounded by Happy People, Smart People, Successful People, and People that know how to WIN.”

Freedom 250 later announced that Trump would, in fact, deliver a speech ahead of the Great American State Fair.

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“As the visionary behind the Great American State Fair, we are excited to announce that President Trump will personally kick off this historic celebration on Wednesday, June 24 in an opening ceremony celebrating America’s 250th birthday,” Freedom 250 spokeswoman Danielle Alvarez wrote on X.

Fox News Digital’s Lori A Bashian and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump’s threat to “blow up” Oman if the Gulf kingdom didn’t “behave” has exposed a rare rupture with one of Washington’s most valuable Middle East partners — a country that has spent decades quietly serving as America’s backchannel to Iran.

“The strait’s gotta be open to everybody,” the president said during a Cabinet meeting Wednesday. “It’s international waters. Nobody’s going to control it. We’re going to watch over it. We’ll watch over it, but nobody’s going to control it. That’s part of the negotiation that we have. They would like to control it; nobody’s going to control it. It’s international waters. And Oman will behave just like everybody else, or we’ll have to blow ’em up. They understand that. They’ll be fine.” 

The remark came amid a dispute over the future of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes. The Trump administration has strongly opposed reported discussions involving Iran and Oman over a potential tolling system or joint management arrangement for the strait, arguing such a move would threaten freedom of navigation and give Tehran greater influence over one of the world’s most important shipping routes.

The comments reflected a broader dispute over how far Oman should go in its efforts to engage Iran as the two countries discuss proposals related to the future management of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important shipping routes.

STRAIT OF HORMUZ TOLL WOULD SET ‘DANGEROUS PRECEDENT,’ UN SHIPPING AGENCY WARNS

The Omani embassy and the White House could not be reached for comment on the underlying tensions or negotiations on the Strait of Hormuz.

Situated on the southeastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, Oman occupies the southern side of the Strait of Hormuz and has long pursued a foreign policy distinct from many of its Gulf neighbors.

While maintaining close security ties with the U.S., Muscat also has preserved relations with Iran, allowing it to serve as one of the region’s key intermediaries. Oman helped facilitate secret U.S.–Iran talks that paved the way for nuclear negotiations, has repeatedly served as a diplomatic channel between Washington and Tehran and has played a role in negotiations involving Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

“Oman’s role as the Switzerland of the Middle East has advanced U.S. interests,” April Alley, a senior fellow at The Washington Institute, told Fox News Digital.

“They have facilitated numerous rounds of talks between U.S. and Iranians,” she said. “They were also able to broker a truce between the US and the Houthis in the Red Sea. Their neutrality allows them to be quiet facilitators when adversaries are ready to talk.”

Oman’s value to Washington historically has stemmed from its ability to maintain communication channels with actors that many U.S. partners cannot or will not engage directly.

The Gulf kingdom has served as a go-between in negotiations involving the United States and Iran, supported diplomatic efforts related to Yemen and frequently positioned itself as a neutral intermediary during regional crises.

Yacoubian described that role as “indispensable” to previous diplomatic efforts.

“Oman has long played an important role as a quiet mediator, acting as a go-between for the United States and Iran in various negotiations including for the Obama-era JCPOA and more recently with the Trump administration and its efforts to negotiate with Iran prior to the 12-day war in June 2025,” she said.

A real dispute beneath the rhetoric

While Trump’s remarks drew attention, experts said they reflected a substantive disagreement over the future of the Strait of Hormuz rather than a purely rhetorical outburst.

“I think it was both,” Alley said when asked whether the remarks were simply an unusual threat directed at a longtime U.S. partner or reflected deeper concerns.

“Oman is an important defense partner, and the Trump administration has a record of working with them on mediation initiatives. The President has an unconventional style, but still this comment was shocking.”

“Beyond the shock value, I think it reflects clear frustration on the part of the administration with the Omani approach to the Strait,” she said. “The President is signaling that Oman has gone too far in discussions with Iran on options for opening the Strait that could give Iran administrative control and interfere with freedom of navigation.”

The administration’s concerns center on reports that Iran and Oman have discussed arrangements involving tolls, fees or joint administration of the strategic waterway.

“The administration is right to be concerned about tolls, fees, or joint management of the Strait,” Alley said. “All of these things are a recipe for Iran interfering with freedom of navigation in the long term and they could set a dangerous precedent for other international waterways.”

She warned that if Iran were able to exert administrative control over Hormuz, other Iran-backed groups could seek similar arrangements elsewhere.

 “I could see the Houthis trying for the same in the Bab al-Mandeb,” she said.

Mona Yacoubian, senior adviser and director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, similarly argued that any arrangement that financially benefits Iran through management of the strait would be cause for concern.

“If in fact under discussion, a joint management scheme that accrues monetary benefit to Iran, Oman, and possibly other GCC countries would be a justifiable cause for U.S. concern as this would undermine broader principles of freedom of navigation and set a worrying precedent globally,” she told Fox News Digital.

Yacoubian said Oman likely is attempting to serve as a bridge between Iran and Gulf Arab states amid concerns over future shipping disruptions in the strait.

“Oman is likely seeking to serve as a bridge between Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council states,” she said.

But, Yacoubian added, “It is important to underscore that these types of threats are not well-received globally and contribute to an overall erosion of trust in the United States as a credible negotiator and leading global power.”

WHY GULF STATES AREN’T JOINING THE WAR AGAINST IRAN — DESPITE ATTACKS ON THEIR SOIL

Oman’s role has not been without controversy. Unlike many of its Gulf neighbors, Muscat has often sought to maintain relationships with rival regional powers even during periods of heightened tension.

Michael Rubin, a senior fellow at the Middle East Forum, argued that concerns about Muscat extend beyond the current dispute over the Strait of Hormuz.

“Oman often acts as Qatar-lite,” Rubin told Fox News Digital. “They like to mediate but, in the past at least, they appear to have turned blind eyes to terror finance and weapons smuggling.”

Rubin pointed to what he described as three longstanding concerns: alleged Iranian weapons smuggling through Oman to Yemen’s Houthi rebels, Oman’s hosting of Houthi leaders and what he characterized as financial incentives tied to disruptions in Red Sea shipping.

“It’s no secret that Oman has kind of chosen its own path, and sometimes split the difference between Iran and the rest of the Gulf in ways that have concerned U.S. policymakers,” Daniel Beinam, fellow of the Middle East Institute and former senior State Department official for Middle Eastern affairs, told Fox News Digital.

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Even so, Beinam emphasized the depth of the relationship between the two countries.

“For a century and a half, Oman has been a close partner to the United States,” he said.

NEWARK, N.J. — The continued unrest outside Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, took on a distinctly ideological tone during ICE demonstrations Saturday, as far-left communist-socialist activists and a far-right group clashed, transforming a protest over the center’s conditions into a broader political spectacle.

The standoff began more than a week ago, when illegal immigrant detainees penned an open letter alleging physical and psychological torture, claiming they were being denied medical care and adequate food. 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) quickly denied the allegations, releasing facility menus to prove detainees are provided three daily meals with options like chicken fajitas and Salisbury steak.

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

After violent skirmishes earlier in the week, where federal agents were assaulted by agitators, Democrat Gov. Mikie Sherrill ordered the New Jersey State Police to take over security, claiming the move was necessary to protect the demonstrators from an “ICE surge.”

By Saturday morning, the immigrant detention center had been transformed into a fortified zone surrounded by large orange plastic barricades and metal fencing. 

State officials admitted the chaos is being driven by outside instigators rather than local residents, with state Attorney General Jennifer Davenport confirming five of the six people arrested by state police this week were not from New Jersey.

A crowd of roughly 200 anti-ICE demonstrators, heavily intertwined with far-left and socialist organizations, dominated the scene Saturday, chanting, “Stop ICE Gestapo! Communist revolution!” while distributing radical literature reading “LONG LIVE COMMUNISM!” and “NO PAPERS, NO BORDERS, NO BOSSES.”

ICE supporters, including members of the far-right Proud Boys, also made an appearance at the protest Saturday carrying pro-ICE flags, food and cases of water for law enforcement.

Their arrival sent a shockwave through the heavily outnumbering anti-ICE crowd, with far-left agitators immediately rushing toward the barriers, screaming profanities and shifting their chants to “Proud Boys go home.” 

During a news conference Saturday afternoon, Sherrill claimed ICE engagement “creates an incredibly dangerous situation” adding she refuses to “back down in fighting the Trump administration and the threats they’ve made.”

Sherrill acknowledged that “national extremist groups” have infiltrated the protests to create chaos, warning out-of-state actors that they are endangering the public and not helping the detainees.

“You’re not helping detainee families, and you’re certainly not keeping new Jersey safe today,” the governor said. “Going forward, I urge those protesting outside of Delaney Hall to bring the temperature down so we can focus on the detainees and their families. Comply with the lawful orders from local and state law enforcement and let advocates, faith leaders and members of this community continue their work here in America.”

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She added state health inspectors were recently blocked from viewing anything other than the facility’s kitchen, and called on the Department of Homeland Security to stop pressuring detainees into signing deportation documents.

Maryland Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller pushed back on President Donald Trump’s call for a Justice Department investigation into a state mail-in ballot error, rejecting allegations of corruption and arguing election administration mistakes occur in almost “every election.”

Trump called for the DOJ to open an investigation into some Maryland voters receiving incorrect mail-in ballots for the upcoming primary elections, after election officials admitted to an error by the state’s election board. This prompted Trump to put the blame on Democrat Gov. Wes Moore, accusing him of corruptly interfering with the election process to ensure a win for Democrats.

The Maryland State Board of Elections announced that it had been “made aware of an error by our mail-in ballot vendor,” Taylor Print & Visual Impressions (TPVI), Inc.

TRUMP CALLS FOR DOJ PROBE INTO MARYLAND MAIL-IN BALLOT ERROR, SUSPECTING ‘CORRUPT’ GOV. WES MOORE TIES

“This was done by the Corrupt Governor of the State, Wes Moore,” Trump wrote on Truth Social May 18. “He allowed this to happen in order to make sure that Democrats win. 

Miller told Fox News Digital that the Maryland State Board of Elections operates independently from the governor’s administration and characterized ballot-distribution errors as a recurring issue in election administration. 

“The administration, they’re a separate body from us, the board of elections,” Miller said.

“And it happens, sometimes,” she continued. “Ballots get mailed the wrong way. It happens almost in every election.

While election administration errors have occurred in Maryland, including a voter-roll software glitch in 2018, there is no publicly available evidence showing that incorrect mail ballots are an “every election” occurrence.

The state elections board will send out new ballots to all voters who were mailed one before May 14, acknowledging that many voters receiving new ballots may not have been affected by the mishap. 

The state elections board said there was “no risk of duplicate voting as a result of this issue,” claiming the state has safeguards in place to avoid this from happening. 

Trump also questioned how the issue would be resolved without any potential threat of duplicate voting.

POLITICAL STINK: MARYLAND GOV. WES MOORE CALLS TRUMP’S SEWAGE SPILL BLAME ‘ABSURD’

“In Maryland, they sent out 500,000 Illegal Mail In Ballots, and they got caught!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “So now, they’re going to send out 500,000 more Mail In Ballots, but nobody knows what’s happening with the first 500,000 they sent.” 

“In addition, many of these Ballots went to Democrats, so any Republican running in Maryland doesn’t have a chance!” 

Miller rejected the idea that this issue was intentional or was the result of corruption within the state.

“I don’t think it was in malice, in any bad way that this happened,” she told Fox News Digital. “I think it was just error by the vendor.”

State Administrator of Elections Jared DeMarinis also denied Trump’s claim that any “illegal” ballots were distributed. 

MARYLAND BALLOT BLUNDER TRIGGERS GOP PUSH FOR FEDERAL REVIEW OF BLUE STATE’S VOTER ROLLS

Trump said he has asked Attorney General Todd Blanche and the Justice Department to investigate the ballot error, but the DOJ has not publicly announced the opening of an investigation.

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Miller also said that she has not had any information shared with her by the DOJ into what the investigation will entail. 

“We’ll see what the investigation shows,” Miller said.

An anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agitator was hit with federal charges after gnarly photos showed bloody bite marks he allegedly made into federal agents’ arms during violent clashes outside Delaney Hall detention center in Newark, New Jersey.

Brendan John Geier, a 26-year-old man from Madison, New Jersey, was part of a group of agitators blocking the road near Delaney Hall on Thursday night when ICE deportation officers instructed the group to move away, the U.S. Department of Justice said. He was charged with 

The group allegedly ignored the commands and instead violently engaged with the officers, according to the DOJ. Geier then “engaged in a struggle with deportation officers, kicking officers and ultimately biting an officer’s forearm, and another’s knuckle. Both victims received treatment at a local hospital,” prosecutors said. He was charged with assaulting federal officers and causing bodily injury and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cari Fais on Friday, the DOJ said.

“We will not tolerate the vicious attacks on ICE officers we’ve seen in New Jersey the last few days. These riots are clearly not ‘peaceful protests’ as you can see from the photos of these horrific wounds. Assault a federal officer, you’ll be held accountable,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote in a Friday afternoon post on X.

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

Blanche posted to X photos of bloodied ICE agents displaying their wounds.

“Peaceful protest doesn’t translate to violently attacking federal law enforcement officers,” Blanche said in a statement. “Federal officers are protecting United States’ property and facilities. With virtually no local law enforcement support from New Jersey, rioters are regrouping and attacking. We will not tolerate the vicious attacks we have seen in Newark the last few days, and we will make arrests and hold people accountable for criminal conduct.”

“As alleged in the Justice Department’s complaint, this violent rioter savagely bit an ICE law enforcement officer outside of Delaney Hall. The Trump Administration will always stand with our law enforcement officers,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin also added in the statement. “Anyone who assaults a law enforcement officer will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

ANTI-ICE AGITATORS THROW WOODEN PALLETS, MATTRESSES AT FEDERAL AGENTS DURING CHAOTIC NJ DETENTION CENTER CLASH

“As alleged, this defendant responded to lawful orders from federal officers by kicking one and biting two others who were performing their official duties,” U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer for the District of New Jersey also said in the statement. “Assaulting law enforcement officers is unacceptable. Period. Federal officers must be able to carry out their responsibilities without being subjected to violence, intimidation, or obstruction. This Office will continue to prosecute those who, as alleged here, assault officers and interfere with the lawful execution of their duties.”

“To be clear, peaceful protest does not mean biting, kicking, or punching law enforcement officers,” Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark added in the statement.

“The repeated assaults on federal officers at Delaney Hall are criminal acts — not protected speech. Homeland Security Investigations is unwavering in its commitment to hold those who attack law enforcement fully accountable under the law,” Karabinas concluded.

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Ongoing demonstrations outside Delaney Hall are entering their second week.

Fox News Digital contacted the DOJ for additional information.

On Saturday morning, anti-ICE agitators and counterprotesters were both seen outside Delaney Hall. A crowd was growing, and many officers were seen patrolling on bikes, with a visible divide between pro-ICE protesters and anti-ICE agitators.

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, who spent Memorial Day at Delaney Hall supporting the anti-ICE crowds, announced Friday that she was instructing New Jersey State Police to assume responsibility for public safety outside the detention center. Earlier in the week, Mullin had placed the blame on Sherrill for not allowing local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. DHS said local police were largely absent as federal agents were met with violent demonstrators.

Fox News’ Kimberly Ruiz contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump remains in “excellent health,” his physician said in a memo released Friday following the president’s annual physical earlier this week.

The report came after Trump underwent his annual examination Tuesday at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

“President Donald Trump remains in excellent health, demonstrating strong cardiac, pulmonary, neurological, and overall physical function,” Navy Capt. Sean P. Barbabella, the president’s physician, wrote in the memo.

“His demanding daily schedule, including multiple high-level meetings, public engagements and regular physical activity, continues to support his overall well-being,” Barbabella continued. “Cognitive and physical performance are excellent.”

JAKE TAPPER REFUTES JILL BIDEN’S CLAIM SHE FEARED FOR HUSBAND’S HEALTH AT CNN DEBATE

“He is fully fit to carry out all duties of the Commander-in-Chief and Head of State,” he added.

The evaluation included diagnostic studies, laboratory testing and consultations with 22 specialty providers.

Trump, who turns 80 in June, is 75 inches tall and weighs 238 pounds. He has a resting heart rate of 73 beats per minute, a blood pressure reading of 105/71 mmHg and an oxygen saturation level of 98% on room air, according to the report.

WASHINGTON POST DECLARES AMERICANS DESERVE THOROUGH INVESTIGATION INTO BIDEN’S HEALTH, POSSIBLE COVER-UP

The examination did not identify any major health concerns.

Barbabella noted scarring on Trump’s right ear from the gunshot wound he suffered during an assassination attempt in 2024.

The physician also reported mild lower-leg swelling, which he said had improved from the previous year.

WHITE HOUSE EXPLAINS BRUISE ON TRUMP’S HAND SEEN DURING MACRON MEETING

Trump underwent a neurological examination that demonstrated “normal mental status,” including cognitive screening in which he scored 30 out of 30, according to the report.

Barbabella also noted bruising on the president’s hand “consistent with minor soft tissue irritation related to frequent handshaking in the setting of aspirin use for cardiovascular prevention.”

The physician reported no significant abnormalities in Trump’s laboratory results.

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Trump’s “lifelong abstinence from tobacco and alcohol” was also highlighted in his medical history.

According to the memo, Trump currently takes three medications: Rosuvastatin and Ezetimibe for cholesterol management, along with aspirin for cardiovascular prevention.