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Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said on Tuesday he supports a full impeachment trial for Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the border crisis.

“I think that would be the best way to go forward,” McConnell told reporters after the weekly Senate GOP leadership press conference.

Top GOP leader behind McConnell, Republican Whip Sen. John Thune, also called for a full impeachment trial, while more GOP lawmakers argue Democrats are attempting to short circuit a trial. 

“The House of Representatives has determined that Secretary Mayorkas has committed impeachable offenses. That issue will come before the United States Senate. I believe the Senate needs to hold a trial,” Thune announced. 

CONGRESS LIKELY TO PUNT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN DEADLINES AGAIN, SOURCES SAY

“I’m going to make the argument — and I’m sure the Democrats will try to dismiss it — that we ought to be having a trial, conducting a trial of the United States Senate to determine whether these are impeachable offenses,” he went on.

Senate conservatives have been putting pressure on Republican leadership to push forward with a trial as it’s unclear whether the Democrat-controlled Senate will move forward with the House’s articles. 

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., is one of the lawmakers pushing for a full trial. He told Fox News Digital Tuesday that “we have got to make sure we have a real trial and get to real facts about what’s going on here.”

“So if he thinks he’s done such a great job come and explain it. But what they want to do is they want to short circuit this,” he said. 

TRUMP MOVES CLOSER TO LOCKING UP GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION WITH 20-POINT WIN IN SOUTH CAROLINA

Scott, alongside nearly a dozen Senate Republicans, signed a letter led by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, last week urging McConnell “ensure that the Senate conducts a proper trial, and that every senator, Republican and Democratic, adjudicates this matter when the Senate returns.”

“According to multiple briefings by your staff, Majority Leader Schumer and Senate Democrats intend to dispense with the articles of impeachment by simply tabling both individually,” Lee wrote. “This is an action rarely contemplated and never taken by the U.S. Senate in the history of our Republic.”

Meanwhile, Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., didn’t give clarity on Tuesday about whether a trial would be scheduled. After the House voted to impeach Mayorkas earlier this month, Schumer assured a trial would proceed this week. That now appears to be unlikely as a partial government shutdown looms. 

HOUSE VOTES TO IMPEACH DHS SECRETARY MAYORKAS OVER BORDER CRISIS

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“Look, as I’ve said, the impeachment of Mayorkas is absurd. There’s not one drop of evidence that leads to any kind of charge of impeachment, and we’re going to handle it in the best way possible,” Schumer told reporters on Tuesday.

There is also growing frustration among the 11 House impeachment managers about when they will present their articles to the Senate in the case of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. 

House managers serve as “prosecutors” and argue the impeachment case before the Senate. 

One impeachment manager told Fox they had been given “no clear guidance” about the roles they might play or when the House may even transmit the articles to the Senate. 

Fox News’ Chad Pergram contributed to this report. 

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Tuesday said President Biden has no plans to issue executive action during his scheduled visit to the border later this week, reiterating the administration’s stance that legislation is the best solution to address the border crisis. 

Asked by a reporter whether the president had anything planned during his scheduled visit Thursday to Brownsville, Texas, Jean-Pierre said the White House had nothing to announce. 

“We’ve spoken to executive [action] many times. We think the bottom line is the way to deal with the challenge that we see at the border, what we see with this immigration, a broken immigration system that has been broken for decades, is if Republicans have moved forward with the bipartisan deal that came out of the Senate.” 

The Biden administration has repeatedly slammed Republicans for backing out of the bipartisan border deal earlier this month, after Trump came out in opposition to the plan to tighten asylum restrictions and create daily limits on border crossings. 

REP. KATIE PORTER SAYS MURDER OF GEORGIA STUDENT BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ‘SHOULDN’T SHAPE’ IMMIGRATION POLICY

Jean-Pierre later reiterated the White House’s position that executive action would not amount to what bipartisan legislation could achieve if enacted into law. 

“What [the bipartisan legislation] would have done is been the toughest but also the fairest deal with providing resources,” Jean-Pierre said.

Biden and former President Donald Trump are both scheduled to make dueling trips to the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas on Thursday. Biden will travel to Brownsville, Texas, in the Rio Grande Valley, an area that often sees large numbers of border crossings. 

Trump, meanwhile, will go to Eagle Pass, Texas, about 325 miles away from Brownsville, another hot spot. 

Brandon Judd, the president of the National Border Patrol Council which endorsed the bipartisan border deal, is expected to join Trump at the border. Jean-Pierre declined to comment on why Judd was not invited to meet with Biden. 

Tuesday’s press conference came after congressional leaders held what was described as an “intense” meeting in the Oval Office with Biden about a legislative logjam that has major ramifications not just for the U.S. but for the world as Ukraine struggles to repel Russia’s invasion with weapons and ammunition starting to run short.

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Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-LA, who rejected a U.S. Mexico border security compromise that was eventually stripped from the final product, signaled no change in his position on Ukraine aid. He said the Senate’s package “does nothing” to secure the U.S.-Mexico border, the GOP’s demand in return for helping Ukraine.

“The first priority of the country is our border, and making it secure,” Johnson said.

Former law firm partner and divorce attorney Terrance Bradley testified under oath Tuesday regarding what he knew about Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis and special prosector Nathan Wade’s personal relationship. Bradley took the stand after Judge Scott McAfee determined Bradley couldn’t claim attorney-client privilege.

Bradley, when pressed under oath, said he couldn’t recall several details and timelines about conversations he had with former client Nathan Wade about Wade’s romantic relationship with Fani Willis. 

Defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant at one point referenced text messages between her and Bradley in which she had asked Bradley if he thought their relationship started before Willis hired Wade in 2021. Bradley responded “absolutely” in the text exchange. 

But in court Tuesday, Bradley claimed he was “speculating” in those comments. 

FANI WILLIS’ TESTIMONY WAS ‘BELLIGERENT’ AND COULD DAMAGE HER CREDIBILITY, FORMER PROSECUTOR SAYS

Attorney Richard Rice later asked Bradley if he makes a habit of passing on “lies about your friends.” 

“Do you tell lies about your friends? About a case of national importance?” Rice asked. 

“I could have had, I don’t know,” Bradley responded. 

Bradely said he couldn’t recall key details or specific information over two dozen times in the roughly two-hour testimony in Fulton County Superior Court Tuesday. He also claimed he had only ever discussed Wade’s relationship with Willis once with Wade.

FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS ACCUSED OF LYING ABOUT TIMING OF AFFAIR WITH TRUMP PROSECUTOR

Bradley earlier this month avoided answering certain questions, citing attorney-client privilege. Judge McAfee said he would hold an “in-camera” meeting with Bradley to determine if his privilege assertions are accurate. He said it appeared Bradley may have been misusing his attorney-client privilege. 

Bradley is the former law firm partner to Nathan Wade, who is accused of having an affair that financially benefited Willis after she hired him to help prosecute the election interference case against former president Donald Trump. 

On Tuesday, Bradley said he hadn’t spoken to Wade in two years after having been friends for over 10 years.  

Bradley had refused to answer some of the questions asked by defense counsel about what he knew about Wade and Wills’ relationship and when he knew, citing attorney-client privilege. Bradley, for a brief time, was Wade’s lawyer during Wade’s divorce.

Judge McAfee determined after the in-camera meeting that Bradley’s testimony was not covered by privilege, leading to Tuesday’s testimony, which is likely the last installment of evidentiary hearings before both sides present final arguments Friday. 

Lawyers for Trump and his co-defendants who are accusing Willis of having had an “improper” affair with Wade will try to connect evidence that Willis and Wade lied about when their relationship began and should therefore be disqualified from the case. 

Earlier this month, Willis’ father, John C. Floyd III, took the stand and confirmed what Willis testified to on Thursday — that her father taught her to keep large amounts of cash on hand at all times. She claimed it was from these funds that she reimbursed Wade for luxury trips, which is why she had no record of the payments.

He also said he did not meet Wade until 2023, and that he was unaware his daughter had a romantic relationship with Wade until about seven weeks ago, when allegations of Willis’ impropriety were first made in court filings. 

During their romantic relationship, which ended last summer, Wade and Willis vacationed to wine country in California, the Caribbean and other destinations. 

Michael Roman, a GOP political operative and co-defendant in the Trump case, first alleged that Willis had a conflict of interest in the case because she benefited financially from hiring her lover. Four co-defendants have made similar accusations. 

The crux of the defense’s case is whether it can prove with a money trail that Willis has a conflict of interest in the case against Trump and should be disqualified. 

GEORGIA DA FANI WILLIS WILL NOT TESTIFY FOR SECOND DAY ON ‘IMPROPER’ AFFAIR WITH NATHAN WADE

Willis testified Thursday that she reimbursed Wade for her share of vacation expenses in cash, but she and Wade testified there were no receipts for those transactions.

The defense, led by Ashleigh Merchant, is also trying to prove Willis and Wade were romantically involved prior to Wade’s employment in the DA’s office.

Both Willis and Wade insisted that their relationship started in 2022, after Wade was hired. But they contradicted testimony from Robin Yeartie, a former “good friend” of Willis and past employee at the DA’s office. 

Yeartie said she had “no doubt” Willis and Wade’s relationship started in 2019, after the two met at a conference. 

Yeartie testified to observing Willis and Wade “hugging” and “kissing” and showing “affection” prior to November 2021 and that she had no doubt that the two were in a “romantic” relationship starting in 2019 and lasting until she and Willis last spoke in 2022. 

Willis dismissed Yeartie’s testimony and said she no longer considers Yeartie a friend. 

The highlight of the two-day proceeding was Willis’ own — and unexpected — testimony Thursday, which was described by one expert as “belligerent.”

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She verbally sparred with lawyers for hours, at one point prompting the judge to threaten to strike her testimony. She also raised eyebrows for appearing to be wearing her dress backward. She did not return to the witness stand Friday. 

Judge McAfee said at the start of the proceedings earlier this month that it’s “clear that disqualification can occur if evidence is produced demonstrating an actual conflict or the appearance of one.”

Michigan’s presidential primary was the first time that communities in the state had the ability to count absentee ballots days before the Tuesday election.

Absentee voting is a popular way to participate in Michigan since eligibility rules were greatly eased in 2018. But it took another change in law in 2023 to give local clerks more time to handle the flood of envelopes.

MICHIGAN PRIMARY PUTS MAJOR BATTLEGROUND STATE IN PLAY FOR 2024

Many cities and townships now can run absentee ballots through tabulator machines starting eight days before the election. No results could be publicly released, however, until after 8 p.m. Tuesday.

“That took a lot of the burden off Election Day tabulation of absentee ballots,” said Michael Siegrist, the clerk in Wayne County’s Canton Township. “Michigan had been held hostage by antiquated laws and procedures.”

He said 10,000 of Canton’s 11,000 absentee ballots were processed by Tuesday morning.

More than 1.2 million absentee ballots were issued to Michigan voters, according to the secretary of state.

In the 2020 general election, more than 3 million absentee ballots were cast in the state, overwhelming some communities, which couldn’t open envelopes until election eve. Then-President Donald Trump and his allies falsely said delays in finalizing results were evidence of fraud.

“When it takes a while for results to come in, there’s a vacuum,” Siegrist said. “Sometimes misinformation or disinformation fills that vacuum. That’s what we saw in the 2020 election.”

In Warren, a Detroit suburb, election workers were sworn in Tuesday before handling thousands of absentee ballots.

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“Our absentee counting board workers are well-trained and work very hard to process each and every ballot received,” said Sonja Buffa, the city clerk.

Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. 

What’s Happening? 

– Biden calls for ceasefire over ice cream

– Squad member Tlaib proposes paying homeless people $1400/month

– Poll reveals what Americans think of the border crisis

Michigan’s Muslims

Michigan holds presidential primaries Tuesday, and for once there’s more drama on the Democratic side than the GOP. 

A campaign to vote “uncommitted” on the Democratic Party’s ballot has been gathering steam, fueled by anger over President Biden’s support for Israel in its war against Hamas.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich. — the first Palestinian-American elected to the U.S. House — has urged Michigan Democrats to vote “uncommitted” in protest of Biden’s Israel policy.

Democratic strategist James Carville said Monday that the Michigan protest vote against Biden is a “huge problem” for the party. But how much Biden will be embarrassed by the vote in the Michigan primary today remains to be seen.

“I think we just kinda have to wait until they count the ballots tonight and see what it does and make a determination,” Carville told CNN this week. “But regardless of what happens, this Gaza thing is really tearing the Democratic Party, I don’t want to say tearing apart, but it certainly, there are certainly divisions within the party, and a lot of people just don‘t like this,” he said during the media appearance. 

Follow results from Michigan’s presidential primaries at the Fox News election center

White House

BRAIN FREEZE: Biden on ice cream outing with Seth Meyers says he hopes for Gaza ceasefire by ‘end of the weekend’ …Read more

‘BLOOD MONEY’: Scathing details reveal why Biden appears ‘silent’ on China’s role in fentanyl crisis: book …Read more

BEEF WITH BIDEN: Biden under bipartisan fire for lifting ban on Paraguayan beef imports …Read more

Capitol Hill

BIG SPENDING: Squad member Tlaib proposes paying some homeless people $1,400 per month for 3 years …Read more

‘UGLY RECORD’: Sen Hawley warns consulting firms against working with China to ‘undermine America’ …Read more

‘CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS’: McCaul makes harshest threat yet accusing Biden official of stonewalling Afghanistan probe …Read more

BLOCKBUSTER WEEK: Congress has Hunter’s testimony, impeachment chaos and more — all with a shutdown looming …Read more

Tales from the Campaign Trail

‘UP THERE WITH CHLAMYDIA’: Sen. Kennedy compares Biden’s polling numbers to an STD after failure of ‘Bidenomics’ …Read more

MICHIGAN VOTES: Republicans, Democrats in major battleground state to cast votes in party primaries …Read more

‘I’LL BRING THE HEAT’: Pro-Trump House candidate takes flamethrower to ‘Biden’s agenda’ in fiery new ad …Read more

COMING OUT SWINGING: GOP becoming ‘playpen’ for Trump, Nikki Haley claims …Read more

‘NO PEACE’: Dems thrust Kari Lake, McCain feud into spotlight as crucial Senate battle heats up …Read more

Across America

‘REAL ISSUE’: Ex-Obama aides worry about Biden’s age, say he appears ‘frail’ …Read more

TARGETING TRUMP: NY AG taunts former president about interest he owes on civil fraud judgment …Read more

FLAG BAN: Tennessee House passes bill that would largely ban LGBTQ flags in public school classrooms …Read more

‘PURVEYOR OF CCP PROPAGANDA’: Controversial Chinese official celebrates Lunar New Year parade alongside top New York Dems …Read more

‘CRITICAL THREAT’: Poll shows how Americans view border crisis …Read more

SMEARED BY AI: Google AI caught inventing fake reviews attacking book on Big Tech’s political bias …Read more

Subscribe now to get Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

Special Counsel Jack Smith’s prosecutors said that former President Trump’s handling of classified documents is not “remotely” similar to how President Biden also handled sensitive national security information as laid out in dueling Special Counsel Rob Hur’s report released this month. 

The 12-page filing Monday countering Trump’s motion to dismiss the indictment “based on selective and vindictive prosecution” serves as Smith’s first response to the blistering Hur report. 

“The defendants have not identified anyone who has engaged in a remotely similar suite of willful and deceitful criminal conduct and not been prosecuted. Nor could they. Indeed, the comparators on which they rely are readily distinguishable,” Assistant Special Counsel David Harbach wrote.

Harbach said the “primary comparator” of Trump and co-defendants, body man and valet Walt Nauta and Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos de Oliveira, is President Biden, whose conduct is described in the recently issued Hur report on the investigation of classified documents recovered from Biden’s primary resident in Delaware and the Penn Biden Center.

“But as the Hur Report itself recognizes, ‘several material distinctions between Mr. Trump’s case and Mr. Biden’s are clear,’” Harbach wrote. “Most notably, Trump, unlike Biden, is alleged to have engaged in extensive and repeated efforts to obstruct justice and thwart the return of documents bearing classification markings. And the evidence concerning the two men’s intent – whether they knowingly possessed and willfully retained such documents – is also starkly different, as reflected in the Hur Report’s conclusion that ‘the evidence falls short of establishing Mr. Biden’s willful retention of the classified Afghanistan documents beyond a reasonable doubt.’”

NO CHARGES FOR BIDEN AFTER SPECIAL COUNSEL PROBE INTO IMPROPER HANDLING OF CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS

Hur’s report, which concluded that no criminal charges were warranted, surmised that at trial, Biden “would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” The special counsel, therefore, asserted that it would be difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him, “by then a former president well into his eighties-of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness.” It also cited how Biden mixed up the date of the death of his son, Beau. 

The White House and Biden allies have deemed the details from the Hur report on Biden’s age and mental fitness as “gratuitous” political attacks.

Although, as Harbach laid out Monday, many government officials have possessed classified documents after the end of their terms in office – often inadvertently, sometimes negligently, and very occasionally willfully – as well as a “very small number of cases in which former government officials who have been found in possession of classified documents have briefly resisted the government’s lawful efforts to recover them,” the special counsel’s team considers Trump’s actions unique.

SPECIAL COUNSEL HUR TO TESTIFY PUBLICLY ON DAMNING REPORT THAT REVEALED BIDEN’S MEMORY, AGE ISSUES: REPORT

“There has never been a case in American history in which a former official has engaged in conduct remotely similar to Trump’s,” Harbach wrote. 

“He intentionally took possession of a vast trove of some of the nation’s most sensitive documents – documents so sensitive that they were presented to the President – and stored them in unsecured locations at his heavily trafficked social club,” he wrote. “When the National Archives and Records Administration (“NARA”) initially sought their return (before learning that they contained classified national defense information), Trump delayed, obfuscated, and dissembled. Faced with the possibility of legal action, he ostensibly agreed to comply with NARA’s requests but in fact engaged in additional deception, returning only a fraction of the documents in his possession while claiming that his production was complete.”

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Harbach goes on to highlight how, when presented with a grand jury subpoena demanding the return of the remaining documents bearing classification markings, “Trump attempted to enlist his own attorney in the corrupt endeavor, suggesting that he falsely tell the FBI and grand jury that Trump did not have any documents, and suggesting that his attorney hide or destroy documents rather than produce them to the government.” The prosecutor said Trump enlisted Nauta “in a scheme to deceive the attorney by moving boxes to conceal his (Trump’s) continued possession of classified documents” and continued a pattern of “obstructive conduct” by allegedly seeking to have some security camera footage deleted.

READ THE JACK SMITH FILING – APP USERS, CLICK HERE:

Trump has said the security camera footage in fact was never deleted, dismissing the assertion as “prosecutorial fiction.”

House Republicans have subpoenaed Special Counsel Robert Hur for the transcript and any recordings of President Biden’s interview from the investigation into the president’s mishandling of classified documents.

Republicans leading the impeachment inquiry — House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan and House Ways & Means Committee Chair Jason Smith — requested the materials related to Biden’s October 2023 interview be turned over to Congress earlier this month and set a deadline of Feb. 19. That deadline was not met, but the Justice Department said it was “working to gather and process” responsive documents. 

HOUSE REPUBLICANS DEMAND TRANSCRIPT OF BIDEN’S INTERVIEW WITH SPECIAL COUNSEL AS PART OF IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

The subpoena, reviewed by Fox News Digital, compels the Justice Department to produce all documents and communications, including audio and video recordings, related to Hur’s interview of Biden. 

The subpoena also covers all documents and communications, including audio and video recordings, related to Hur’s interview of the ghost writer of Biden’s memoir, Mark Zwonitzer; documents identified as “A9” and “A10” in the Appendix A of Hur’s report, which relate to then-Vice President Joe Biden’s Dec. 11, 2015 call with Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk; and all communications between or among representatives of the Department of Justice, including the Office of Special Counsel, the Executive Office of the President, and President Biden’s personal counsel referring or relating to Hur’s report.  

BIDEN, NOT SPECIAL COUNSEL HUR, BROUGHT UP SON’S DEATH IN QUESTIONING

Fox News Digital obtained a letter the Republicans sent to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Tuesday, notifying the department of the subpoena, and taking issue with the fact that the DOJ, earlier this month, “offered no timeframe by which it expected to make any productions or, indeed, any commitment that it would produce all of the material requested.” 

“The Oversight and Judiciary Committees, in coordination with the Ways and Means Committee, are investigating whether sufficient grounds exist to draft articles of impeachment against President Biden for consideration by the full House,” they wrote. “The Committees are concerned that President Biden may have retained sensitive documents related to specific countries involving his family’s foreign business dealings.” 

SPECIAL COUNSEL ROBERT HUR TO TESTIFY PUBLICLY AT HOUSE HEARING ON BIDEN CLASSIFIED RECORDS PROBE

The Republicans are also seeking information on “whether the White House or President Biden’s personal attorneys placed any limitations or scoping restrictions during the interviews with Special Counsel Hur or Mr. Mark Zwonitzer precluding or addressing any potential statements directly linking President Biden to troublesome foreign payments.”

“Additionally, the Judiciary Committee requires these materials for its ongoing oversight of the Department’s commitment to impartial justice and its handling of the investigation and prosecution of President Biden’s presumptive opponent, President Donald J. Trump, in the November 2024 presidential election,” the letter states. “The documents requested are directly relevant to both the impeachment inquiry and the Judiciary Committee’s legislative oversight of the Department.” 

DOJ DEFENDS SPECIAL COUNSEL REPORT ON BIDEN’S MEMORY: ‘CONSISTENT WITH LEGAL REQUIREMENT,’ NOT ‘GRATUITOUS’

Hur, who released his report to the public earlier this month after months of investigating, did not recommend criminal charges against Biden for mishandling and retaining classified documents and stated that he wouldn’t bring charges against Biden even if he were not in the Oval Office.

Those records included classified documents about military and foreign policy in Afghanistan and other countries, among other records related to national security and foreign policy, which Hur said implicated “sensitive intelligence sources and methods.”

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Hur did not recommend any charges against the president but did describe him as a “sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory” — a description that has raised significant concerns for Biden’s 2024 re-election campaign.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., said she was “proud” to cast a protest vote against President Biden in Michigan’s Democratic primary on Tuesday.

Tlaib’s comments were shared in a video by Listen To Michigan, a group dedicated to getting Democrats in the Great Lakes State to vote “uncommitted” in the primary election. 

Biden’s stance on Israel’s war in Gaza has earned him fierce backlash from Arab American and Muslim community leaders, particularly in Michigan, which is home to one of the largest Muslim communities in the U.S.

“Hi everyone, it’s Rashida. I was proud today to walk in and pull a Democratic ballot and vote uncommitted. We must protect our democracy, we must make sure that our government is about us, about the people,” Tlaib said. “When 74% of Democrats in Michigan support a ceasefire yet President Biden is not hearing us, this is the way we can use our democracy to say listen.”

TRUMP SAYS SOUTH CAROLINA IS ‘BIGGER WIN THAN WE ANTICIPATED,’ LOOKS FORWARD TO SAYING ‘JOE, YOU’RE FIRED’

“Listen to the families right now that have been directly impacted, but also listen to majority of Americans that are saying enough. No more wars, no more using our dollars to fund a genocide. No more. So please, take your family members, use our democratic process to speak up about your core values, where you want to see our country go.”

Tlaib said it was the first time her 18-year-old son had voted in an election.

Progressive-led campaigns and lawmakers have hammered Biden’s re-election campaign over the U.S.’s handling of the Middle East conflict.

In addition to Listen To Michigan, a group called Abandon Biden has been pushing voters to actively oppose the president for his failure to call for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza. 

TRUMP ‘REALLY NOT THINKING ABOUT’ HALEY AFTER SOUTH CAROLINA VICTORY, SAYS HE’S FOCUSED ON BEATING BIDEN

Abandon Biden is specifically targeting voters in swing states, which could prove critical in the 2024 race that is likely to pit Biden against his old political foe, former President Trump.

Tlaib has been among Biden’s most vocal left-wing critics in Congress in the wake of Oct. 7, when Hamas militants launched a surprise invasion in southern Israel, killing over 1,000 people and taking dozens more hostage.

NATO MEMBERS BRACE FOR TRUMP WIN AS RECORD NUMBER OF MEMBERS MOVE TO MEET SPENDING PLEDGES

Israel has responded with heavy bombardment and a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. The Hamas-run Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and fighters, has said nearly 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in the resulting conflict.

Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American in Congress, has spent the last day urging Michiganders on social media to also protest Biden in the Democratic primary.

She wrote in one post on her Instagram Story, “We attend marches and protests all the time! We can stand at a polling station for EVERY CHILD KILLED in Gaza. Don’t stay home. Help the uncommitted campaign.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to Tlaib’s campaign to ask whether she would similarly oppose Biden in the general election if he did not call for a permanent cease-fire. 

Biden’s campaign did not immediately return a request for comment.

There are blockbuster weeks on Capitol Hill, and then there are weeks like this one. 

Hunter Biden is testifying. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is explaining. A partial government shutdown is looming.

“Congress hasn’t even finished our deadlines from the previous fiscal year. I mean, Oct. 1 was the deadline,” fumed Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, on FOX Business. “Before I was in Congress, I was in manufacturing. And if you were making bad parts, you would at least stop making bad parts.”

Davidson observed that Congress continues to even make “bad parts, and we’re not even in session.” 

Some conservatives say they are okay with a shutdown starting this weekend. They believe a shutdown would at least harness some spending.

“A government shutdown is not ideal. But it’s not the worst thing,” said the House Freedom Caucus Chairman Rep. Bob Good, R-Va. “The only leverage we have, when we have one branch, is to be willing to say no. To be willing to walk away.”

BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE: FEBRUARY HAS BEEN AN UNMITIGATED DISASTER FOR REPUBLICANS

Conservatives are begging House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to abandon a government spending pact he crafted with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and others in early January. The accord did not fund the government — hence the funding problem lawmakers face this weekend. That agreement simply established the size of the money pie for fiscal year 2024. Leaders agreed that Congress would spend a grand total of $1.59 trillion for fiscal year 2024. But on what? And how? Those issues remain unresolved. That is why lawmakers have toiled over for nearly two months now – trying to slice $1.59 trillion into 12 separate appropriations bills. It was thought there may be an agreement over the weekend. However, matters imploded. 

Johnson told Fox News Tuesday that he is working to prevent the government spending from lapsing. 

“We’re gonna prevent the shutdown. We’re working on it,” Johnson said.

“The problem is that Speaker Johnson is indecisive. He’s weak. He’s inexperienced and he does not have the votes. Not only because it’s a tight majority. But also because there is a far right group of House Republicans who are blocking him everywhere he wants to go,” said Tom Kahn, a distinguished fellow at American University and former House Budget Committee staff director. “I think he’s afraid to make decisions because he’s afraid to lose his job. He saw what happened to his predecessor, (former House Speaker) Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.”

So, conservatives are now pushing an interim spending bill — something which was anathema to many on the right just a few months ago. They used to demand that Congress pass spending bills “by the book.” One by one. Now, conservatives are okay with a stopgap plan, known as a continuing resolution (CR). Federal spending climbs year after year. A CR simply renews all the old funding — without an increase. This gambit maintains the old spending levels. It is not a cut, but there is no new funding. Thus, to conservatives, it saves money.

“This is why I support a continuing resolution, which actually is going to force a 1% cut. $100 billion savings and maybe stabilize this inflation issue” said Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., on Fox.

Democrats — and some Republicans — find this thinking outrageous.

“It’s very disappointing to see that the House has been so unwilling to compromise and work together,” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H. “We’ve just had obstacles every step of the way.”

However, most lawmakers are resigned to believing a CR may be the only way to avoid a shutdown. 

“Things are pretty uncertain right now,” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Tex. “I think we’re heading toward a CR for some uncertain duration.”

The deadline is Friday night at 11:59:59 p.m. ET. 

“It’s going to be hard enough to meet that 72-hour requirement by Friday,” said Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill. “So I don’t know if a CR is possible.” 

Here is what is at stake. A partial shutdown stalls transportation and housing programs. It suspends money for agriculture and military construction. A government closure holds up energy and water projects.

However, a full shutdown for the entire federal government could hit at the end of the day on March 8. 

Top bipartisan Senate leaders are trying to avert a shutdown. 

“The margin for error on any of these is razor thin. And unfortunately, the temptation to choose chaos and disorder instead of cooperation will be strong for some here in the Capitol,” said Schumer. 

Schumer secured backup from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. 

“Once more, a shutdown this week is entirely, avoidable,” said McConnell. “Shutting down the government is harmful to the country. And it never produces positive outcomes – on policy or politics.” 

However, not all lawmakers are focused on government spending.

Hunter Biden testifies behind closed doors on Wednesday before House investigators. Austin will explain to livid lawmakers on Thursday as to why he failed to inform the president or other Pentagon officials about his medical leave. Then, we’re on to a partial government shutdown Friday. 

This is just an average winter in Congress these days.

GROWING FRUSTRATION AMONG MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT MANAGERS ABOUT NOT STARTING A TRIAL

What about an impeachment trial for Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas? The House impeached Mayorkas on Feb. 13. No one really knows the timing of a Senate trial. Eleven House members will serve as “impeachment managers” to prosecute the case before the Senate. But as to their roles and when a Senate trial might begin? The new uniform pants in Major League Baseball are more transparent. 

Several of the managers expressed frustration at the dearth of information about what roles they might play in an impeachment trial. One told Fox they had “no clear guidance” from the GOP brass as to what to expect. 

In late 2019 and early 2020, Democratic House impeachment managers held “mock trial” sessions and engaged in parliamentary calisthenics behind closed doors to prepare for the first impeachment trial of former President Trump. The Mayorkas managers have held no such sessions. That was why at least one impeachment manager worried that the Senate might demand the trial begin right away. That could make the House members appear foolish and amateurish. 

However, a senior House Republican leadership aide said that the brass had briefed all managers — adding they would be “fully prepared” when a trial starts.

It was thought that the Senate may begin its trial as early as Wednesday, but Fox is told not to expect a trial this week. In fact, the impeachment trial may be on hiatus — until lawmakers figure out how to fund the government. 

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So this week is a blockbuster as it is. 

But imagine what it would have been like had there also been the impeachment trial of Mayorkas — the first impeachment trial of a cabinet secretary since the 1870s.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, is threatening to hold Secretary of State Antony Blinken in contempt of Congress, accusing him of failing to hand over key documents related to the U.S.’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan.

At the heart of the issue are interview notes that were used to put together the State Department’s After-Action Review (AAR) of the Afghanistan withdrawal.

“The Committee’s patience has been exhausted, and it requires these files to complete its investigation and make legislative recommendations for this Congress to consider,” McCaul wrote.

“Should the Department fail to produce the… files outlined below by March 6, 2024, the Committee is prepared to hold you in contempt of Congress.”

‘UNACCEPTABLE’: TALIBAN DEMANDED TREATMENT ‘SIMILAR TO RECOGNITION’ TO ATTEND UN MEETING

He also accused Blinken of choosing “politics over policy” with the State Department’s decision to “withhold” the documents.

It’s notably harsh language for McCaul, whose relationship with Blinken is relatively more cordial than that of other House Republican committee chairs investigating the Biden administration.

In his letter, he noted multiple instances in which McCaul accused the department of stonewalling, including after he first requested notes from interviews with State officials taken by then-Ambassador Dan Smith, who led the AAR in September 2023. 

He also listed ways in which the committee sought to accommodate the department. For example, McCaul wrote that the committee offered to redact names and address security concerns after State officials told him providing the notes would have a “significant chilling effect on the Department’s ability to conduct thorough and impactful lessons learned efforts to improve our foreign policy-making.”

THINK THE US EXIT FROM AFGHANISTAN WAS BAD? LOOK WHAT’S BREWING IN THE PACIFIC

“On November 28, 2023, the Committee once more requested the interview notes, stating that the Department had failed to produce any high-priority items in its last eight productions,” the letter said. “For the next month, the Department stated the priority items requested, including the AAR team’s interview notes, ‘either belong to a third agency or implicate significant Executive Branch confidentiality interests.’”

When committee staff stressed that the documents were critical to the House’s probe, State officials responded that the decision was above their “paygrade,” according to the letter.

BIDEN’S BOTCHED AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL HAUNTS 2024 ELECTION AS BOOK CLAIMS ‘13 AMERICANS NEVER HAD TO DIE’

“The Department’s stated reasons for withholding the interview notes are not rooted in law and, in fact, contravene Congress’s constitutional and statutory oversight authority,” McCaul wrote. “It is appalling that over two years after the deadly and chaotic withdrawal, the Department continues to choose politics over policy.”

The Afghanistan AAR placed blame on both the Trump and Biden administrations for the disastrous withdrawal in August 2021.

It said, “there was insufficient senior-level consideration of worst-case scenarios and how quickly those might follow.”

The report said President Biden’s decision to follow through with former President Donald Trump’s vow to withdraw troops from Afghanistan – and to set a Sept. 11 deadline for it – ultimately “compounded the difficulties the Department faced in mitigating the loss of the military’s key enablers.”

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It was also critical of the Biden administration’s decision to hand over control of Bagram Air Base to the Afghan government, a decision that also earned Biden bipartisan condemnation from national security hawks.

Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department about McCaul’s letter but did not immediately hear back.

Presidential candidate Nikki Haley is warning the Republican Party that it is becoming former President Donald Trump’s “playpen.”

Haley made the comments while speaking in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on the campaign trail following a brutal defeat in her home state of South Carolina. 

“Look at what’s happening at the RNC. The idea that they would be choosing a chair and a director before a primary is over is a massive control move by Donald Trump,” Haley warned. 

KOCH-BACKED NETWORK DROPS FUNDING FOR NIKKI HALEY CAMPAIGN AFTER SOUTH CAROLINA DEFEAT

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel will formally resign her position after the Super Tuesday primaries on March 5.

The announcement comes weeks after Trump revealed his recommendations for changes within the RNC earlier this month. He proposed that North Carolina GOP chair Michael Whatley take over as chairman, while his daughter-in-law Lara Trump and campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita also receive leadership positions.

“The idea that there is a resolution out there in the RNC saying ‘Donald Trump can’t use [the RNC] for his legal slush fund’ – and he’s upset that that was proposed – tells you everything you need to know,” Haley continued. 

DEMOCRATS REACT TO TRUMP GOP VICTORY IN SOUTH CAROLINA: ‘HE’S IN A WEAK POSITION’

Lara Trump told reporters earlier this month that “every single penny” would go to the campaign effort if she were appointed. 

“Every single penny will go to the No. 1 and the only job of the RNC – that is electing Donald J. Trump as president of the United States and saving this country,” she added.

“The idea that those now moving into the RNC are saying the RNC is only going to be about Donald Trump – you can hang up House, you can hang up Senate and the rest of the ticket,” Haley told the crowd at Grand Rapids. “Donald Trump is now turning the Republican Party into his own playpen.”

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Nearly 800 delegates are up for grabs on Super Tuesday, with over 150 at stake over the following two weeks. Among the states holding contests on Super Tuesday are delegate-rich California and Texas, while other big states like Florida, Illinois and Ohio will hold winner-take-all primaries on March 19. Polling in many of those states indicates Trump holds large leads over Haley.

The Trump campaign predicted in its memo that the former president would secure the nomination on March 19, even under a “most generous model” for Haley.

“Let’s see if it happens,” Haley quickly responded when asked by Fox News what she would do if Trump clinches the nomination next month.

Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: Ohio state senator Niraj Antani wants to “bring the heat” to Congress in 2024, taking a hit at both Democrats and Republicans in a six-figure ad buy.

In a fiery campaign ad Tuesday, shared first with Fox News Digital, Antani is seen with a flamethrower as he makes a case to voters in Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District.

“President Trump is right,” Antani is seen saying before a clip plays of the former president saying “Biden. Worst president in our history.”

Antani, who is the “youngest currently serving member” of the Ohio state senate, speaks while a flamethrower casts flames onto “Biden’s agenda” in a field.

REPUBLICAN PARTY INFIGHTING ESCALATES IN OHIO AS MARCH PRIMARY NEARS

“The spineless establishment of Republicans surrender to him every time,” Antani continued. “In Congress, I’ll take a flamethrower to the Biden agenda and the weak Republicans who betray us.”

The six-figure ad buy is being broadcast on cable in Cincinnati and Charleston.

TRANSGENDER CANDIDATES IN OHIO COULD BE DISQUALIFIED FROM BALLOT FOR FAILING TO DISCLOSE ‘DEADNAMES’

“That’s why Niraj Antani stood with Trump to stop election fraud and forced wishy-washy Republicans to defend the Second Amendment,” a narrator says.

“I’m Niraj Antani,” the Republican candidate said while holding a flamethrower. “I approve this message, because in congress, I’ll bring the heat to the trader Republicans who sell out our values.”

Antani, who was elected to the Ohio House at the age of 23 and is the son of immigrants who legally came to the United States from India, is running for the House seat currently held by GOP Rep. Brad Wenstrup, who announced in November that he wasn’t running for reelection.

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Earlier this month, Antani released another ad targeting Biden on the ongoing border crisis, demanding Congress “build Trump’s wall” and “defund sanctuary cities.”

Antani is running in a crowded GOP primary that will take place on March 19th, 2024. The winner of the GOP primary will face Democrat candidate Samantha Meadows, the only remaining Democrat on the ballot after Democrat Joe Wessels dropped out of the race and endorsed one of Antani’s GOP opponents.

A record-high number of Americans see large numbers of illegal immigrants coming into the U.S. as a “critical threat” to U.S. interests, according to a new poll published Tuesday.

The Gallup poll found that 55% of U.S. adults say that “large numbers of immigrants entering the United States illegally” are a “critical threat” to U.S. vital interests. That is up 8% from 2023 and higher than the previous high of 50% in 2004.

Of those polled, 31% said large numbers of immigrants entering illegally is an “important” threat while 14% said it was not important.

BIDEN ADMIN WEIGHS EXECUTIVE ACTION ON BORDER CRISIS, DRAWING FIRE FROM LEFT AND RIGHT

The country is now in the third year of a historic border crisis. The record for yearly encounters at the southern border was broken last fiscal year when more than 2.4 million migrants were encountered at the border. The monthly record for encounters was set in December when there were more than 300,000 encounters for the first time.

In the poll, 28% of Americans say immigration is the most important problem facing the U.S., sharply higher than in January when the number was 20%. The polling highlights immigration as the most-named problem, above government (20%), the economy (12%) and inflation (11%).

That 28% essentially ties the 27% recorded in July 2019 as the highest since Gallup began polling mentions of immigration in 1981.

The poll was conducted between Feb. 1 and Feb. 20, based on a sample of 1,016 adults via telephone interviews. It comes as immigration remains in the spotlight due to a debate in Congress over a supplemental border funding bill, which stalled amid opposition from Republicans and some Democrats, and the continued impact the migrant crisis is having on cities and states across the country.

Republicans have blamed the crisis on the policies of the administration, including the rollback of Trump-era policies like border wall construction and the Remain in Mexico policy. The administration and Democrats have instead blamed Republicans for failing to approve funding and a comprehensive immigration reform bill to fix a broken system.

7.2M ENTERED US UNDER BIDEN ADMIN, AN AMOUNT GREATER THAN POPULATION OF 36 STATES

The Senate bill would have increased personnel at the border, provided additional funding and imposed some limits on migrant releases into the U.S., but conservatives warned that it would normalize an already high level of illegal immigration.

The polling comes just days after it was revealed that the suspect charged in connection with the murder of 22-year-old Georgia nursing student Laken Riley is an illegal immigrant originally from Venezuela.

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Meanwhile, as Congress continues to struggle to find legislation it can pass and send to the president’s desk, Gallup finds its approval rating has fallen to 12%, just a few points higher than the all-time low of 9% in November 2023.

Michigan voters hit the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots in the state-run primary, with both Republicans and Democrats making their pick for their party’s 2024 nominee. 

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time. Most of the state runs on Eastern Standard Time, but four counties in the Upper Peninsula observe Central Time.

Democrat primary voters can choose from President Biden and his challengers, Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota and author Marianne Williamson. Those voters will also have the option to cast an “uncommitted” vote.

Meanwhile, Republican voters on Tuesday will have their choice from former President Trump and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, the only two GOP candidates left in the race, and others who have since dropped out, including former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson. There are 16 delegates at stake.

TRUMP SAYS SOUTH CAROLINA IS ‘BIGGER WIN THAN WE ANTICIPATED,’ LOOKS FORWARD TO SAYING ‘JOE, YOU’RE FIRED’

Michigan’s Democrat-controlled legislature set the state’s primary date earlier than usual this year to comply with the wishes of the Democratic National Committee. But shifting the date for the Democrats pushed the Republicans out of compliance with the Republican National Committee (RNC). 

To avoid a penalty from the RNC, Michigan Republicans came up with a split-primary system, with voters casting ballots on Tuesday and on March 2.

TRUMP ‘REALLY NOT THINKING ABOUT’ HALEY AFTER SOUTH CAROLINA VICTORY, SAYS HE’S FOCUSED ON BEATING BIDEN

On Saturday, the Michigan GOP will hold a party-run convention in Detroit. The winner of that contest could receive up to 39 delegates, although they will be distributed by district. There are 13 total districts and three delegates per district. 

During that contest, voters only have the choice between Trump and Haley.

Michigan has a total of 55 pledged delegates.

Trump previously dominated the Iowa Caucuses, left New Hampshire with a commanding victory, swept the caucuses in Nevada and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and then won South Carolina with a “bigger win” than he anticipated, he said.

“I’m very honored by the elections,” he told Fox News Digital during an exclusive interview after his South Carolina victory on Saturday. “We’re setting records in every single state.”

Trump on Saturday looked ahead to Michigan and predicted a victory because “the autoworkers are going to be with us 100% because they got sold out by this country.” 

FOX NEWS POLL: BIDEN AND TRUMP IN CLOSE RACE IN MICHIGAN

Haley, despite losing another contest — this time in her home state of South Carolina — vowed to stay in the race.

Michigan’s government is under full control by the Democrats.

Republicans dominated in Michigan elections from 1972 through 1988. But the state became part of a so-called “blue wall” that backed Democrat nominees in six straight presidential elections from 1972 through 2012.

Trump changed the equation in 2016, and his narrow flipping of the state helped him win the White House over Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton.

But President Biden captured Michigan by nearly three points in the 2020 election as he brought Michigan back into the Democrats’ column and denied Trump reelection.

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Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

House Democrats have found a new political cudgel for the November 2024 elections after the Alabama Supreme Court’s recent ruling triggered a stoppage to IVF treatment around the state.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), House Democrats’ campaign arm, held a press conference on Monday morning to tie House Republicans to the ruling, even as top GOP figures continue to speak out for IVF access and accuse Democrats of twisting the issue.

“House Republicans have furthered this agenda at every turn. They want a national abortion ban, full stop. With their razor-thin majority, they have pushed anti-abortion, anti-freedom policies, including legislation that would double down on the Alabama court’s ruling and ban IVF nationwide,” DCCC Chair Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., told reporters.

It’s a similar playbook to the one Democrats followed after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022.

ALABAMA IVF RULING REIGNITES DEBATE ON ABORTION, A MOTIVATING ISSUE FOR DEMOCRATS AHEAD OF ELECTION

Indeed, DelBene pointed to Democratic victories in states where abortion access was on the ballot and suggested the left would keep that momentum up in the wake of Alabama’s ruling.

“It has proven to be a losing issue for Republicans, whether in New York, Wisconsin, Ohio, Kansas, or dozens of other states across the country, we’ve seen voters head to the ballot box to defend their rights,” DelBene said. “And in this election, we’re fighting for our rights, our freedoms, our families, and Republicans keep making clear that they’re willing to do anything to rip those away.”

A cornerstone of House Democrats’ push is the GOP’s Life At Conception Act, which says life starts at the moment of conception and which critics warn could lead to nationwide abortion restrictions. With no mention of IVF, Democrats have argued that the bill’s lack of protections for the procedure could allow for its restriction as well. 

But Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., one of the 125 Republicans supporting the bill who is also one of the right’s leading voices on reproductive health access, said the accusation is “a leftist myth.”

TRUMP BREAKS SILENCE ON ALABAMA SUPREME COURT IVF RULING: ‘FIND AN IMMEDIATE SOLUTION’

“Some people are getting knocked for signing on to the Life of Conception Act, but that act doesn’t do anything to ban or prohibit access to IVF. That’s a leftist myth. What it does do is, it says the scientific fact that life begins at conception. That’s basic science, most people feel that way,” Mace said.

Alabama’s conservative Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that three couples trying in vitro fertilization (IVF) who lost their frozen embryos in an accident at a storage facility in the state are able to sue the medical providers for wrongful death of a child.

Since then, three Alabama medical facilities have stopped providing IVF treatment.

UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM PAUSES IN VITRO FERTILIZATION FOLLOWING STATE SUPREME COURT EMBRYO RULING

It’s prompted pushback from key national Republicans like Mace, who told Fox News Digital she plans to introduce a resolution to support IVF access on a federal level.

“It’s a lie,” Mace said of the left-wing efforts to lump Republicans together on reproductive rights. “I’ve always believed that life begins at conception, that’s a belief of mine. That doesn’t mean I want to ban IVF.”

Mace warned fellow Republicans on Monday that IVF could be a “huge issue” and urged them to be “on board” with speaking out in support of the procedure.

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She dismissed concerns that it could be an election problem for Republicans, however, pointing to IVF access’ support from high-level Republicans like former President Donald Trump. Trump said at a rally over the weekend that he would “strongly support the availability of IVF.”

“I really liked seeing Donald Trump’s comments at the rally at Rock Hill on Friday. He’s spot on, 100%. That is where we need to be as a party,” Mace said.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., also spoke out in favor of IVF access, as have a large share of establishment and moderate Republicans.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) told Fox News Digital, “Republican mothers, grandmothers, and foster parents all looked voters directly in the eyes and said they support IVF access. Democrats are cynically twisting a serious family issue and expecting voters to believe their lies; they’re going too far, and it will blow up in their faces.”

The NRCC also pointed out that Republicans targeted by the DCCC over the IVF ruling have spoken out in favor of the procedure.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has requested a judge impose a gag order on former President Donald Trump with less than a month to go until the hush money criminal court case goes to trial.

In three separate court filings dated Feb. 22, 2024, Bragg and his team asked for an order preventing Trump from making statements attacking others involved in his legal cases, sought a protective order to prohibit the names and addresses of jurors from being disclosed to anyone other than attorneys and requested evidence and testimony regarding campaign finance be limited.

Prosecutors claim Trump has a history of verbally attacking people involved in his cases.

“Defendant has a long history of making public and inflammatory remarks about the participants in various judicial proceedings against him, including jurors, witnesses, lawyers, and court staff,” prosecutors state. “Those remarks, as well as the inevitable reactions they incite from defendant’s followers and allies, pose a significant and imminent threat to the orderly administration of this criminal proceeding and a substantial likelihood of causing material prejudice.”

COURT DATES AND PRIMARIES: TRUMP FACES COMPETING CALENDARS IN 2024

Jury selection for the criminal trial is scheduled to begin on March 25.

The DA’s office requested the names and addresses of those jurors who are selected not to be disclosed to anyone other than counsel, citing the former president’s conduct toward jurors in other court proceedings.

The DA’s office cites Trump’s “conduct in this and other matters – including his extensive history of attacking jurors in other proceedings,” saying the conduct presents a “significant risk of juror harassment and intimidation that warrants reasonable protective measures to ensure the integrity of these proceedings, minimize obstacles to jury selection, and protect juror safety.”

TRUMP SLAMS BRAGG AFTER PLEADING NOT GUILTY: ‘I NEVER THOUGHT ANYTHING LIKE THIS COULD HAPPEN IN AMERICA’

In the filing, Bragg provided several examples of times when Trump made public statements directed at two different Fulton County grand juries.

“Thank you to the Special Grand Jury in the Great State of Georgia for your Patriotism & Courage. Total exoneration. The USA is very proud of you,” Trump said in one instance. “Would someone please tell the Fulton County Grand Jury that I did not tamper with the election,” he said in another.

The DA said in March 2023, Trump “repeatedly directed extrajudicial statements” toward members of the grand jury using social media and commented on the credibility of witnesses who testified before the grand jury, as the grand jury investigation was underway.

TRUMP PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO 34 FELONY COUNTS OF FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS LINKED TO 2016 HUSH MONEY PAYMENTS

One other example brought up by the DA in the filing was that Trump “frequently promises to seek revenge and retribution against his perceived opponents.”

Specifically, the DA pointed to a book published in 2007, in which Trump wrote, “My motto is: Always get even. When somebody screws you, screw them back in spades.”

The third motion filed looked to limit evidence and expert testimony that could be presented during the hush money trial, including campaign finance, “federal prosecutors’ purported views of Michael Cohen’s credibility,” and evidence that had already been rejected.

Judge Juan Manuel Merchan did not immediately rule on the filings, according to The Associated Press.

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

“Today, the 2-tiered system of justice implemented against President Trump is on full display, with the request by another Deranged Democrat prosecutor seeking a restrictive gag order, which if granted, would impose an unconstitutional infringement on President Trump’s First Amendment rights, including his ability to defend himself, and the rights of all Americans to hear from President Trump,” Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said. “This is election interference pure and simple. This case, like the others, is a sham orchestrated by partisan Democrats desperately attempting to prevent the reelection of President Trump and distract from the decrepit presidency of Crooked Joe Biden. The Radical Left will fail, and President Trump will Make America Great Again.”

Trump is already subject to a gag order in another federal case, in which Washington, D.C. charges him with scheming to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

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The order was imposed in October by the judge overseeing the case, and then upheld by a federal appeals panel two months later. Still, the court drew in the initial speech restrictions and will allow Trump to criticize the special counsel who brought the case against him.

Trump was also under a limited gag order during his New York civil fraud trial and fined $15,000 for violating the order twice. The gag order was imposed by Judge Arthur Engoron on Oct. 3 after the former president posted on social media about his chief law clerk.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., sent a “Dear Colleague” letter Monday ahead of the government funding deadline later this week urging Republicans to reauthorize the federal radiation compensation policy.

The policy, known as the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), is on track to expire this spring. It was originally enacted in 1990 to compensate Americans exposed to radiation during the Manhattan Project and Cold War testing. While RECA has compensated many, there are still people awaiting claims, and certain affected groups have been overlooked, Hawley said.

“It is our duty to reauthorize and update RECA this spring. I emphasize that this is not a welfare program. It is a matter of basic justice for those the government poisoned,” Hawley wrote in the letter. “We’ve developed the most advanced nuclear weapons on earth, but we cannot forget the working people of this country who were sacrificed for it.”

BIDEN CALLS JOHNSON, SCHUMER FOR WHITE HOUSE MEETING AMID CONGRESSIONAL CHAOS STIRRING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN FEARS

Hawley, a skeptic of additional funding to Ukraine, added, “If we can send hundreds of billions of dollars in security assistance to foreign nations, we can spend a fraction of that on our own constituents who deserve help.”

Studies show that radiation from decades of mining, processing and enriching continues to permeate sites used during World War II and the Cold War.

In the 1940s, the U.S. was ramping up its military production to prepare for WWII, which included the government converting farmlands in Weldon Springs, Mo. into the Weldon Spring Chemical Plant. The plant produced a massive amount of TNT and DNT explosives for the war effort.

For Hawley, the issue hits close to home. In his home state of Missouri, nuclear waste was reportedly mishandled at one processing site, with leaky barrels left in the open air and contaminating a nearby creek where children have played for years. Hawley says in the letter many of those children have since developed cancer. 

CONGRESS LIKELY TO PUNT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN DEADLINES AGAIN, SOURCES SAY

“Tens of thousands of other Americans were exposed to radiation ‘downwind’ from over 100 atmospheric tests in western States,” Hawley wrote. “In most cases, nobody was warned of this danger. In others, the government simply lied. Repeatedly.”

But this could slow up the legislative process to approve government funding at the end of the week, as the upper chamber scrambles to pass full-year appropriations bills that would fund several federal agencies. The current temporary spending patch, known as a Continuing Resolution (CR), expires Friday and Congress will have to pass legislation by then to avert a partial government shutdown. The Senate has not introduced spending agreements yet for the remaining nine bills. 

Hawley’s office told Fox News Digital it will seek to attach the RECA reauthorization to any legislative proposal that is likely to get signed into law. 

EXCLUSIVE: SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADER JOHN THUNE ENDORSES TRUMP IN 2024 REPUBLICAN PRIMARY

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This isn’t the first time Hawley has tried to increase RECA’s reauthorization chances by attaching it to any legislative vehicle that has a chance of passing. Last year, the Senate initially amended the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to include Hawley’s RECA amendment, but it was later removed right before the package passed. Hawley’s office has speculated it was removed due to cost. 

Last year, some Republicans opposed a similar bill by Hawley that included RECA, arguing it would cost $100 billion over the course of a decade. Hawley proceeded to revise that portion of the bill and slashed the multi-billion dollar price tag, but his colleagues were still not convinced. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson has opposed the proposal to reauthorize RECA, citing a commitment to shrink the federal deficit. 

Fox News’ Lawrence Richard contributed to this report. 

President Biden said Monday a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip is close and hoped to see one materialize by “the end of the weekend.”   

The seemingly casual comments, carrying massive geopolitical significance, came during the president’s stop at an ice cream parlor near Peacock Network’s headquarters, where he had just wrapped up an interview with Seth Meyers on the “Late Night” show. 

Asked by a reporter when he expected the ceasefire to begin, Biden, with a mint ice cream cone in hand, said he hoped by at least “the end of the weekend.” 

“At least, my national security advisor tells me that we’re close. We’re close. It’s not done yet,” Biden said. “And my hope is by next Monday, we’ll have a ceasefire.” 

ISRAELI AIRSTRIKE KILLS 2 PEOPLE DEEP INSIDE LEBANON, HEZBOLLAH RESPONDS WITH 60 ROCKETS

Biden also spoke about his planned trip to the southern border this Thursday where he will meet with border agents and discuss the need for bipartisan legislation. 

Biden joked that “my good friend” would be making a border stop as well, a subtle nod to GOP rival, former President Trump, who is traveling to the border as well. 

Biden’s visit comes after the murder of Augusta University student Laken Riley on the University of Georgia campus in Athens last week allegedly at the hands of an illegal immigrant. Her murder has reinvigorated calls for Biden to take more stringent border measures. 

The stop in Van Leeuwen came after a taped interview with Meyers, where dozens of pro-Palestinian activists were arrested for demonstrating in the lobby. 

Negotiations are underway for a weekslong cease-fire between Israel and Hamas to allow for the release of hostages being held in Gaza by the Iranian-backed terrorist group in return for Israel releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The proposed six-week pause in fighting would also include allowing hundreds of trucks to deliver desperately needed aid into Gaza every day.

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Negotiators face an unofficial deadline of the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan around March 10, a period that often sees heightened Israeli-Palestinian tensions.

Opponents of California Gov. Gavin Newsom are making another attempt to recall him from office, citing the state’s looming budget deficit, among other policy issues that have negatively impacted the Golden State because of his alleged mismanagement. 

Rescue California, a citizen-led group, said it planned to serve Newsom’s office on Monday with recall papers, the first step in what could be a lengthy and expensive process to put the recall question before voters. 

The group said that Newsom’s response to a range of pressing issues – including homelessness, the increased cost of living, his response to the COVID-19 pandemic, illegal immigration and crime — has been largely inadequate. On their website, the group said Newsom “has abandoned the state to advance his Presidential ambitions.”

BIDEN PRAISES NEWSOM, JOKES ABOUT CALIFORNIANS FLEEING STATE AS 2024 SPECULATION SWIRLS

“California needs a full-time governor who is fully focused on the serious problems the state and its citizens are facing,” the campaign’s director Anne Dunsmore said in a statement. “This may be our last opportunity to rescue and restore our state, while we highlight for the rest of the country the destruction Newsom has left in his wake.”

Newsom, a strong supporter of President Biden, has been seen as a likely choice to launch a presidential bid in the future. Future speculation about his aspirations arose after he visited Israel and China last year. 

Specifically, Rescue California criticized Newsom for approving legislation that provided 700,000 immigrants free health care at an annual cost of $3 billion to taxpayers, “while cutting vital programs for veterans, school children, the disabled and the homeless.”

He also kept schools closed and ordered the release of criminals during the COVID-19 lockdowns and weakened public safety so much that it’s created an “epidemic” of smash-and-grab robberies that have plagued the state, the group said. In addition, Rescue California cited California’s high tax rate, increased home prices that have put home ownership out of reach for many and the spending of billions of dollars on homeless programs that have “repeatedly failed.”

JOE ROGAN SAYS DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS ‘SETTING UP GAVIN NEWSOM’ FOR 2024 PRESIDENTIAL RUN 

The Democratic governor has faced attempts to oust him from office before. This will be the fifth effort against him.  

Newsom responded to news of the recall on X, formerly Twitter. 

“Trump Republicans are launching another wasteful recall campaign to distract us from the existential fight for democracy and reproductive freedom,” he wrote. “We will defeat them.”

Fox News has reached out to the governor’s office, which cited his social media post. 

Newsom easily beat back the last recall effort in 2021 when he beat conservative radio host Larry Elder by a wide margin. Despite the governor’s success, Rescue California appears undeterred. 

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“We did it before. We will do it again,” the group wrote on Facebook. 

The group will need about 1.38 million verified signatures by May for their recall effort to qualify for the November ballot.

The Border Patrol Union on Monday ridiculed President Biden’s planned visit to the border this week as a cynical ploy to save his presidency at the expense of Americans’ safety. 

In a statement received by Fox News Digital, the union said Biden’s planned border visit, three years into his term, “after repeatedly stating there is no crisis is too little, too late.” 

The union argued that “there would be no point in visiting the border now” if the president’s assertions that he has done everything he can to secure the border were true. 

“But even if he were to put the proper policies in place at this late hour, he’d be doing it only to try to save his Presidency. And self-serving actions when time is winding down should always give Americans pause. Common sense dictates that as a lame duck, he’d revert to his open border policies if re-elected,” the union said. 

“Biden is going to the border now solely to try to save himself. Border security should never be about politics, it should always be about the safety and security of this great nation and the American people.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for a response. 

The union’s statement comes as President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will make dueling trips to the U.S-Mexico border this week, as both candidates try to turn the nation’s broken immigration system to their political advantage in an expected campaign rematch this year.

GOP AGS PRESS BIDEN ADMIN TO ACT AFTER REPORTS THAT 85,000 MIGRANT CHILDREN ARE MISSING, POSSIBLY TRAFFICKED

Biden will travel to Brownsville, Texas, in the Rio Grande Valley, an area that often sees large numbers of border crossings. He will meet border agents and discuss the need for bipartisan legislation. It would be his second visit to the border as president. He traveled to El Paso in January last year.

The trips underscore immigration’s central importance in the 2024 presidential race, for Republicans and increasingly for Democrats, particularly after congressional talks on a deal to rein in illegal immigration collapsed.

Biden has blamed Republicans for a collapsed bipartisan border deal after Trump came out in opposition to the plan to tighten asylum restrictions and create daily limits on border crossings, which reached record highs in December. 

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The Biden administration has been pairing crackdowns at the border with increasing legal pathways for migrants designed to steer people into arriving by plane with sponsors, not illegally on foot to the border. But U.S. policy right now allows for migrants to claim asylum regardless of how they arrive. And the numbers of migrants flowing to the U.S-Mexico border have far outpaced the capacity of an immigration system that has not been substantially updated in decades.