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The nation’s most populous state is growing again.

California gained population last year for the first time since 2019, according to a new estimate released Tuesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration.

The net increase of just over 67,000 residents in 2023 — a 0.17% increase — stopped a three-year trend of population decline, which included the state’s first-ever year-over-year loss during the pivotal census year of 2020 that later led to California losing a congressional seat. The state estimates California now has more than 39.1 million residents.

AMID CALIFORNIA EXODUS, STATE POPULATION PROJECTED TO BE SAME IN 2060 AS TODAY, DATA SHOWS

The Newsom administration had blamed the decline on a combination of increased mortality rates during the coronavirus pandemic, a declining birth rate and a slowdown in legal international immigration caused by the pandemic and stricter immigration rules during President Donald Trump’s administration.

But critics pointed to a surge of people leaving California for other states, interpreting it as residents fed up with higher taxes, a larger homeless population and a shortage of housing while Democrats have been in power.

More people still left California in 2023 than moved here from other states, but it was far less than previous years. In 2021 — when the coronavirus was still surging and more people were transitioning to remote work — California lost a net 355,648 people because of domestic migration.

In 2023 — with the pandemic winding down and companies placing more emphasis on returning to in-office workspaces — 91,189 more people moved away from California than into the state. That number is much closer to pre-pandemic trends, according to Walter Schwarm, chief demographer for the California Department of Finance.

“We saw it increase at the beginning of the pandemic because there was a certain amount of individuals who moved out of state associated with the ability to work remotely, but we’ve seen that trend reverse,” said H.D. Palmer, spokesperson for the California Department of Finance.

Meanwhile, growth from legal international immigration — which has been California’s growth engine for decades — rebounded with a net gain of 114,200 people in 2023, or almost back to the same level it was before the pandemic.

“With immigration processing backlogs largely eliminated and deaths returning to long-term trends, a stable foundation for continued growth has returned,” the Department of Finance noted in a news release announcing the estimate.

California’s economy has shown signs of strain recently. The state is in the middle of back-to-back multi-billion dollar budget deficits because of declines in state tax revenue. California’s unemployment rate is 5.3%, which is above the national average and the highest of any state. And the state’s stalwart technology industry has been beset by layoffs as companies deal with a slowdown in investments.

Despite that, the population increased in 31 of California’s 58 counties — including nine of the 10 counties with populations over 1 million. Los Angeles County — the nation’s most populous with more than 9 million residents — grew slightly by 0.05%, while nearby Orange County grew by 0.31%.

California’s population had been booming ever since it became a state in 1850 as a gold rush prompted a surge of people crossing the frontier to seek their fortune in the West. The state had notable surges following World War II fueled by a burgeoning aerospace industry and again in the 1980s and 90s with the technology boom in Silicon Valley.

By 2019, California was threatening to break the 40 million population threshold. But that milestone never happened as the state began a period of population decline in 2020.

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The California Department of Finance releases two population estimates each year: One for the previous calendar year and one for the previous fiscal year, which runs from July 1 to June 30. The estimate released Tuesday was for the previous calendar year, offering an estimate of the state’s population as of Jan. 1, 2024.

California bases its estimate on a number of factors, including births and deaths, drivers license address changes, vehicle registration and enrollment in the government-funded health insurance programs of Medicaid and Medicare.

U.S. Census data released in December showed California with a population of 38.9 million people as of July 1, 2023. The Newsom administration’s estimate is higher, they said, because it includes more updated data from driver’s licenses changes and tax filings.

The Biden administration is considering welcoming certain Palestinians to the U.S. as refugees as they seek to escape war-torn Gaza amid the ongoing war in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas.

Senior officials across several federal U.S. agencies have discussed in recent weeks the details of potential options to accept Palestinians from Gaza who have immediate family members who are American citizens or permanent U.S. residents, internal federal government documents show, according to CBS News.

One proposal involves using the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program to bring Palestinians with U.S. connections who have escaped Gaza and entered neighboring Egypt, the documents reveal.

U.S. officials have also considered welcoming additional Palestinians out of Gaza and are processing them as refugees if they have American relatives, according to the documents. This proposal would have to rely on coordination with Egypt, which has thus far been reluctant to welcome large numbers of people from Gaza.

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People from Gaza who pass a series of eligibility, medical and security screenings would qualify to be flown to the U.S. with refugee status, which includes permanent residency, resettlement benefits like housing assistance and a path to American citizenship.

The number of people eligible is expected to be relatively small, but the proposed plans could provide a lifeline to some Palestinians seeking to escape the Israel-Hamas war.

This, as the Hamas-run government’s Health Ministry estimates more than 34,000 dead, more than 77,000 injured and hundreds of thousands of civilians displaced in Gaza.

Hamas terrorists launched a surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, killing more than 1,200 people, prompting military retaliation from Israeli forces. Hamas also kidnapped more than 200 people, with many of them still in captivity.

“Since the beginning of the conflict, the United States has helped more than 1,800 American citizens and their families leave Gaza, many of whom have come to the United States,” a White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “At President Biden’s direction, we have also helped, and will continue to help, some particularly vulnerable individuals, such as children with serious health problems and children who were receiving treatment for cancer, get out of harm’s way and receive care at nearby hospitals in the region.”

HOUSE REPUBLICANS URGE BIDEN TO PRESS ICC NOT TO CHARGE NETANYAHU, ISRAEL OFFICIALS WITH WAR CRIMES

“The United States also continues to be the largest contributor of humanitarian assistance to Gaza to address the dire conditions, and we are pressing hard to get more urgently-needed aid in to more people as soon as possible,” the spokesperson continued. “We have also been clear and consistent: the United States categorically rejects any actions leading to the forced relocation of Palestinians from Gaza or the West Bank or the redrawing of the borders of Gaza. The best path forward is to achieve a sustainable cease-fire through a hostage deal that will stabilize the situation and pave the way to a two-state solution.”

The proposals also come after President Biden issued a memorandum on Deferred Enforced Departure in February for certain Palestinians who were already in the U.S.

The plan to bring certain Palestinians to the U.S. as refugees would represent a shift in longstanding U.S. government policy and practice, as the U.S. refugee program has not resettled Palestinians in large numbers since its inception in 1980.

In the past decade, the U.S. has resettled more than 400,000 refugees fleeing violence and war across the world, but less than 600 were Palestinian. In fiscal year 2023, the U.S. accepted 56 Palestinian refugees out of the more than 60,000 refugees resettled during that 12 month span, according to data from the State Department.

For applicants to qualify to enter the U.S. as a refugee, they must prove they are fleeing persecution based on certain factors, such as nationality, religion or political views.

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The administration’s plans to welcome Palestinian refugees, even if only a small number, could lead to criticism from Republican lawmakers who look to make the illegal immigration crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border a central issue ahead of the November elections.

Shortly after Hamas’ attack against Israel on Oct. 7, top Republicans said the U.S. should not welcome Palestinian refugees, claiming that they are antisemitic and potential national security risks.

The Biden administration in recent years has dramatically increased refugee resettlement. Officials have established a goal of accepting up to 125,000 refugees in fiscal year 2024, which ends at the end of September.

The refugee resettlement was cut to record lows during the Trump administration.

Members of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus and their allies are signaling that the push by some GOP rebels to oust Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is not gaining traction within the Republican base.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., has for weeks insisted that the GOP voter base is infuriated with Johnson and is behind her push for his removal. 

But her resolution, known as a motion to vacate, has sat untouched for nearly 40 days. And after a weeklong recess, even Johnson’s conservative critics returned to Washington on Monday saying they heard little to none from their constituents about the matter.

“I think the GOP base wants Republicans to live up to what they ran on,” Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital. “Look, if you could go down any street in America and say, ‘What’s your top 10 priorities?’ Would [motion to vacate] come up? No. Will what they’re paying? Yes.”

TENSIONS ERUPT ON HOUSE FLOOR AS CONSERVATIVES CONFRONT JOHNSON ON $95B FOREIGN AID PLAN

Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., conceded that all lawmakers must answer to their individual districts, but when speaking for his own, he said voters are far more concerned about the border than about House GOP party politics.

“You’ve got terrorists on known watch-lists coming from the north and south borders. And meanwhile, we’re talking about inner squabbling,” Mills said. “I’m sorry, but like, my constituents are less concerned about who’s sitting as speaker right now and are more concerned about securing the border and being able to afford how to live.”

Another conservative Freedom Caucus ally, Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, similarly said he has heard little from Republicans in his Texas district on the motion to vacate.

3RD REPUBLICAN CALLS FOR SPEAKER JOHNSON’S OUSTER OVER $95B FOREIGN AID PLAN

“I don’t think the average citizen … is concerned about who the speaker of the House is. They’re concerned about what I’m doing, and they’re concerned about the nation as a whole, but the speaker doesn’t impact them day to day,” Self said. “There are people who are very energized about it, don’t get me wrong, but the bulk are not.”

One GOP lawmaker granted anonymity to speak freely said their constituents outright rejected Greene’s effort when they spoke with them back home. 

“Nobody is pushing it except [Greene],” the GOP lawmaker said. “At home, no one wants it.”

House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Josh Brecheen, R-Okla., suggested that toppling Johnson could lead to a worse result for the GOP in the end.

“I think what the base wants is just the opportunity for the things that we all believe in to start coming to fruition. That’s what the base cares about,” he said. “When you have the makeup of our conference like we do, I don’t know how we come out of a motion to vacate with a more conservative solution.”

Greene filed her resolution in late March in protest of Johnson’s bipartisan work on government spending and foreign aid. 

Her resolution earned two co-sponsors in Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., after the House passed a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine this month, but for the most part, it has fallen flat within the GOP.

MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE CALLS JOHNSON’S FOREIGN AID PACKAGE HIS ‘3RD BETRAYAL’ OF AMERICAN PEOPLE

Even Johnson’s critics in the House Freedom Caucus have distanced themselves from the push to oust Johnson, signaling little appetite for the three weeks of chaos that followed the ouster of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., last fall.

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Greene told Steve Bannon on his “War Room” podcast last week that Johnson “betrayed” Republican voters and suggested they were as angry – if not angrier – than when former President Trump lost re-election.

“This is different,” she said. “They’re angry on a whole other level. And here’s what really worries me: They’re done with Republican leadership like Mike Johnson, who totally sold us out to the Democrats.”

Trump spoke out in support of Johnson last week.

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

FIRST ON FOX: The House Judiciary Committee is investigating a top prosecutor on Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case against former President Trump for his past work as a senior Justice Department official during the Biden administration. 

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is demanding that Attorney General Merrick Garland turn over records related to the employment of Bragg prosecutor Matthew Colangelo amid a “perception” of coordination. 

Colangelo delivered opening arguments for Bragg in the Trump trial alleging “a criminal conspiracy and a cover-up.” 

BRAGG ‘ALLOWED POLITICAL MOTIVATIONS’ TO ‘INFECT’ PROSECUTION OF TRUMP, HOUSE JUDICIARY GOP SAYS

“The Committee on the Judiciary is conducting oversight of politically motivated prosecutions by state and local officials,” Jordan wrote in a letter to Garland, obtained by Fox News Digital. “Since last year, popularly elected prosecutors—who campaigned for office on the promise of prosecuting President Trump—engaged in an unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial authority: the indictment of a former President of the United States and current leading candidate for that office.” 

Jordan pointed to Bragg’s indictment of Trump, charging the former president with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. Trump pleaded not guilty to all counts. His unprecedented and historic criminal trial is underway for its third week. 

A charge of falsifying business records typically is a misdemeanor, but Bragg must convince the jury that Trump allegedly falsified those records in the furtherance of “another crime.” Prosecutors suggest that other crime is a violation of New York State Law — to prevent or promote election. On its face, as a stand-alone offense, that charge is also typically a misdemeanor. Coupling the alleged falsification of business records with alleged prevention or promotion of election becomes a felony crime, according to Bragg. 

“New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg is engaged in one such politicized prosecution, which is being led in part by Matthew B. Colangelo, a former senior Justice Department official,” Jordan wrote. “Accordingly, given the perception that the Justice Department is assisting in Bragg’s politicized prosecution, we write to request information and documents related to Mr. Colangelo’s employment.” 

Jordan claims that Colangelo’s employment history “demonstrates his obsession with investigating a person rather than prosecuting a crime.” 

NY VS TRUMP: THE EVIDENCE PROSECUTORS CAN PRESENT IF FORMER PRESIDENT TESTIFIES

Jordan pointed to Colangelo’s work at the New York Attorney General’s Office, where he ran investigations into Trump and led a “wave of state litigation against Trump administration policies.” 

Jordan said on the first day of the Biden Administration, Jan. 20, 2021, Colangelo began serving as an acting associate attorney general. Colangelo then became the Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General. 

Colangelo joined Bragg’s office in December 2022, after the resignations of Mark Pomerantz and Carey Dunne — prosecutors who were investigating Trump and resigned in protest of Bragg’s initial unwillingness to indict the former president. 

“Bragg hired Mr. Colangelo to ‘jump-start’ his office’s investigation of President Trump, reportedly due to Mr. Colangelo’s ‘history of taking on Donald J. Trump and his family business,” Jordan wrote. “Mr. Colangelo is now a lead prosecutor in President Trump’s trial.” 

NY PROSECUTORS REVEAL ‘ANOTHER CRIME’ TRUMP ALLEGEDLY TRIED TO CONCEAL WITH FALSIFIED BUSINESS RECORDS

Jordan reminded Garland that Bragg’s prosecution of Trump “concerns federal subject matter identical to a matter that the Justice Department closed in 2018, raising concerns that a state-level prosecutor is seeking to relitigate an issue on which the federal government previously declined prosecution.” 

Bragg’s prosecution relies “heavily” on testimony of ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations, making false statements to Congress and tax evasion. He was sentenced to three years in prison. 

“In the years since, Cohen has been vocal about his deeply personal animus toward President Trump,” Jordan wrote. 

Jordan went on to demand documents and information about Colangelo’s work at the Justice Department related to Trump and Cohen. 

“As the Committee has previously explained, Bragg’s politicized prosecution of President Trump has serious consequences for federal interests,” Jordan wrote. “That a former senior Biden Justice Department official is now leading the prosecution of President Biden’s chief political rival only adds to the perception that the Biden Justice Department is politicized and weaponized.” 

TRUMP TRIAL: FORMER PRESIDENT ‘INNOCENT,’ DEFENSE SAYS AS DA ALLEGES ‘CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY’

Jordan requested documents from January 2021 through December 2022 between or among Colangelo and any employee of Bragg’s office, New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office, Fulton County, Ga. District Attorney Fani Willis’ office or the Justice Department’s special counsel office referring or relating to Trump, the Trump Organization, or any other entity owned by or associated with Trump. 

Trump has argued that the cases against him in all jurisdictions — Bragg’s; Special Counsel Jack Smith’s election interference charges; Smith’s classified records charges; and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ charges — have been brought against him for the purposes of election interference and in coordination with President Biden. 

Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges. 

Trump also was hit with a now-slashed $454 million judgment out of a non-jury civil fraud trial stemming from New York Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit. He is appealing that ruling. 

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Meanwhile, Jordan is requesting all personnel files related to Colangelo; all communications between the DOJ and Bragg’s office relating to the prosecution of Trump; all records relating to the conviction of Cohen at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York. Jordan requested Garland produce the records by May 14. 

The investigation into Colangelo comes just days after the Jordan and Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee released their 300-page report saying Bragg  “allowed political motivations and animus to infect its prosecutorial discretion.” 

FIRST ON FOX: U.S. troops could be forced into a Russian war if the surrounding NATO countries fail to increase their military spending, according to former President Mike Pence’s lobbying group, Advancing American Freedom (AAF).

In a memo sent to Congress on Tuesday, AAF claims several countries have not fulfilled their NATO-sanctioned 2% obligation, leaving the heaviest burden on the U.S. In 2014, only the U.S., U.K., and Greece upheld its treaty obligations during Russia’s Crimea invasion, with non-compliant countries averaging 1.3% of GDP on defense.

What’s more, under the Biden administration, some countries like Turkey, Norway and Italy have regressed, moving closer to 2014 levels despite overall spending growth, according to the memo.

“By contrast, the Trump-Pence Administration made improving allied-burden sharing a major priority for foreign policy to significant effect,” the memo reads. 

UKRAINE IMPLEMENTS PASSPORT RENEWAL RESTRICTION FOR MILITARY-AGE MEN OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY

“This trend is especially alarming to observe in countries bordering Russia and Ukraine,” the memo said, adding that “the countries closest to the conflict ought to be carrying the lion’s share of the burden.”

The 2% obligation refers to the commitment made by NATO allies to allocate at least 2% of their GDP to defense spending. 

While all NATO countries in the region raised defense spending after Crimea’s annexation, Norway and Romania reduced military expenditures during the Biden administration, despite increased Russian activity as it launched a full scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. AAF concluded the U.S. “must find ways to encourage and, if necessary, pressure its allies” to uphold its end of NATO’s burden-sharing commitment.

“Unless these trends are reversed, our deterrence strategy will fail, Russia will likely invade a NATO ally, and the U.S. will be required to send troops overseas to honor our Article 5 mutual defense pledge,” the memo reads.

KEY NATO ALLY SHOCKS WITH ITS ‘SINGLE LARGEST’ PLEDGE TO UKRAINE: ‘THEY NEED OUR SUPPORT’

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Marc Short, chairman of the AAF board, told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that “NATO has been rightly criticized by many conservatives for the United States paying the bill while our European allies skimp out and fail to meet basic spending requirements for membership despite flush social spending.”

“Amid a new Cold War with the Chinese Communist Party, a resurgent Russia, and their partner in crime in the Middle East, Iran, the Biden Administration has neglected to strengthen NATO by holding members accountable for the 2% obligation,” Short said. “Under the Biden Administration, just one NATO member has joined the 2% club.”

CHINA IS RAPIDLY EXPANDING ITS INFLUENCE IN OUR BACKYARD AND US MUST ACT NOW

On Monday, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that vital U.S. weapons were starting to arrive in Ukraine in small amounts, but that it needed to move faster. NATO boss Jens Stoltenberg also told Ukrainians on Monday that his alliance’s members had failed to live up to their promises of military aid in recent months, but said the flow of arms and ammunition would now increase.

Last week, U.S. Congress also passed a months-long debated $60 billion aid package for Ukraine’s continued war endeavors against Russia. The controversial aid was tacked onto a $95 billion foreign aid package that President Joe Biden signed shortly after. 

Reuters contributed to this report.

So far, it’s been all talk and no action from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and her threat to call a vote to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

A phalanx of reporters peppered Greene with questions as she left the U.S. Capitol Tuesday about why she didn’t trigger her resolution to dump Johnson or if she had a sense of what would prompt her to act against the Speaker.

“Have you made a decision yet on when to move ahead?” hollered one scribe.

“Are your threats kind of a blank right now when you do anything with your resolution?” asked yours truly.

“How soon do you plan to make a decision,” asked another reporter. 

 THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO WHAT HAPPENS IF GREENE TRIES TO OUST SPEAKER JOHNSON

Greene didn’t respond in public. But she did weigh in with a statement – moments after House Democratic leaders announced they would formally protect Johnson if Greene tried to vacate the chair.

In an extraordinary move, the House Democratic leadership team of Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., and Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., declared “the time has come to turn the page on this chapter of Pro-Putin Republican obstruction. We will vote to table Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Motion to Vacate the Chair. If she invokes the motion, it will not succeed.” 

Greene immediately shot back at Johnson and the Democrats.

“What slimy backroom deal did Johnson make for the Democrats’ support?” Greene asked. 

The Georgia Republican went on to say that “Mike Johnson is officially the Democrat Speaker of the House.” She vowed to call a vote “because putting Congress on record allows every American to see the truth.”

Johnson wasn’t even apprised that the Democratic cavalry was coming.

“First I’ve heard of it,” quipped Johnson at a press conference when asked about the Democratic backup. 

So is there essentially a Democratic Speaker of the House now?  

“It makes no difference to me if it’s Hakeem Jeffries as Speaker or Mike Johnson right now,” said Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo. “I mean we’re passing the Democrat agenda anyway.”

I asked Rep. Chip Roy, R-Tex., if Johnson was now weaker, relying on Democratic votes.

“He’s already been relying on Democrat votes,” replied Roy.

That’s true. Johnson turned to Democrats to avoid multiple government shutdowns and pass the foreign aid package. Most Democrats were especially pleased that Johnson greenlighted a bundle of money for Ukraine. 

So is this great for Johnson and stability in the House?

Maybe right now. But there could be a major downside here for Johnson. 

The maneuver by Democrats could embolden the smaller coterie of Republicans who want to oust Johnson. And even some rank-and-file Republicans could see that Johnson is only in the job because of the Democrats. This might not undercut Johnson right away. But it could give those who might want his job – potentially House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio – an opportunity to use Democratic support as a wedge and perhaps challenge Johnson for Speaker next year or a leadership post in the new Congress if Republicans lose the majority. 

Let history be our guide: 

Late House Speaker Joe Cannon, R-Ill. relied on DEMOCRATS to survive a vote of no confidence in the early 20th Century. Cannon retained the Speakership. But largely with help from across the aisle.

EXPERTS WARN SENATE GRIDLOCK COULD WORSEN WITH ROMNEY, SINEMA, MANCHIN RETIREMENTS

That could be the same situation here. 

And perhaps a point in Johnson’s favor is that they eventually named a House office building after Cannon.

So, there’s that.

Prior to Democratic leaders announcing their support for Johnson, it was thought a few Democrats could simply vote to guard Johnson. The other option was that they might “take a walk.” If Democrats don’t vote, that assists Johnson, changing the math in the House necessary to remove the Speaker.

It should be noted that another Member besides the Greene could trigger the resolution to “vacate the chair” and force the House to tangle with the possibility of removing the Speaker.

Or, in a particularly audacious move, Johnson himself or an ally could trigger the resolution, confident that their forces will defeat Greene soundly. Such a scenario could embarrass Greene and likely euthanize any effort to remove the Speaker for the rest of the Congress.

So here’s what happens if Greene’s resolution is triggered:

The first vote is likely on a motion to table or kill the resolution. If the House votes to table, the gig is up. The House will have vanquished Greene’s effort. That’s where Democrats say they will help.

Democrats parsed the parliamentarily process of what they would do for Johnson. 

“None of the discussion that we had in caucus was about saving Mike Johnson,” said Aguilar. “The underlying motion to vacate was not discussed. The motion to table was.”

Aguilar alluded to Johnson’s efforts to help former President Trump win the election, despite the Electoral College results. Other Democrats have reservations about Johnson because of his evangelical faith and staunch opposition to abortion. So this is not a full-throated endorsement of Johnson. This was more about cutting off Greene

“We want to show that the emperor or the empress has not clothes,” said Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y. “We have a group of people with no sense of responsibility to the nation. They have been empowered for too long. And this is a way to disempower them.”

I had questions for leading Democrats about their decision to throw Johnson a lifeline.

“Do Democrats seem like they have a piece of Mike Johnson now or that he’s somehow beholden to Democrats if you protect him?” I asked Katherine Clark.

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“We will continue to extend our hand to Mike Johnson in bipartisanship and hope that they will continue to learn a lesson about putting the American people’s voices back on the floor of the House,” replied Clark. “We are saying no to the extremism and the chaos that Marjorie Taylor Greene continues to peddle.”

But let’s presume that the House fails to protect Johnson. If the motion to table fails, the House then immediately votes, up or down, on whether to remove Johnson. This is the actual “motion to vacate the chair.”

If the House votes in favor of removing Johnson, chaos ensues. 

The House ceases to function, much like last fall when Members removed former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. The House is paralyzed and cannot take any legislation action until it picks a new Speaker. An acting Speaker Pro Tempore, like House Financial Services Committee Chairman Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., would take over. But have little power other than to gavel the House into session and out. 

By rule, the next order of business is for the House to take names in nomination for a new Speaker. The House then votes on Speaker. In the case of last fall, it took several days before the House was even ready to consider a new Speaker. The Speakership sat vacant for 22 days.

Greene is following a very familiar path. 

In the summer of 2015, former Trump White House Chief of Staff and former Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., also introduced a resolution remove then-House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. But much like Greene, Meadows never pulled the trigger, forcing a vote on the floor. 

But after an audience with Pope Francis at the Capitol and an address to a Joint Meeting of Congress, Boehner gave it all up. He wouldn’t leave immediately. The Speaker said he would first “clean the barn” of nettlesome issues like funding the government and grappling with the debt ceiling. That would give the new Speaker time to get their political sea legs. 

Barring a major domestic or international crisis, Mike Johnson has essentially “cleaned the barn” until fall. The “must do” list for Congress is rather anemic between now and September 30. That’s the next big deadline: fund the government. Again. That’s why Greene – and some who support her position – hope Johnson gets the message. 

It’s unclear if that message is loud enough right now. There are lots of unhappy Republicans. But few have the stomach to endure another tempestuous period like last autumn when the House voted out McCarthy. 

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If Greene can’t gin up the support to remove Johnson, the next vote for House Speaker likely comes around 1 pm et on January 3, 2025. The 119th Congress – the new Congress – convenes at noon et under the Constitution. After a quorum call to determine who all is there, the first order of business is the election of a House Speaker. Republicans will nominate one candidate. Democrats will nominate another. However, Members – who are technically Representatives-elect at that point – can vote for anyone they want. 

And during that election, Democrats won’t protect Johnson. Either they will have the majority and elect Jeffries the next Speaker of the House. Or, if Democrats are in the minority, Democrats will vote for Jeffries and watch the donnybrook on the other side of the aisle.

LAS VEGAS – What is expected to be one of this year’s most closely watched Senate races has morphed into a one-sided slugfest for the Republican nomination as a well-funded former Trump official continues his relentless onslaught against the national party-backed candidate.

Dr. Jeffrey Gunter, who served as former President Trump’s ambassador to Iceland, made waves in Nevada last month when he announced a multimillion-dollar ramp up of his Senate campaign, causing heartburn for national Republicans who had already thrown their support behind former U.S. Army Captain Sam Brown.

Gunter touts himself as “the MAGA guy” and “110% pro-Donald Trump” and is making a potential endorsement from the former president a central factor in his effort to overtake Brown, whome he calls “Scam Brown,” and accuses of being a “Never Trumper.”

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“Nevada voters deserve truthful, honest, straightforward politicians. … I’m the MAGA guy. I’m 110% pro-Donald Trump. That’s who I am,” Gunter told Fox News Digital in an interview. 

“The reality is Sam Brown, Scam Brown, whatever you want to call him … he’s a Mitch guy. He’s a Nikki guy. That’s who he’s beholden to. I’m only beholden to one group, and that’s the Nevada voters,” he said, referencing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Republicans who have often broken with Trump on various issues.

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Brown, however, avoided directly engaging with Gunter while speaking with Fox News Digital over the weekend and has attempted to keep his focus on incumbent Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen, as well as President Biden.

“Look, my record has been clear. I’ve been on the campaign trail effectively for the last three years,” Brown said, alluding to his unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination for Senate against Adam Laxalt in 2022. 

“I have been consistent. My issues have never changed. I am a pro-America First candidate, and I am extremely conservative. What other candidates do is just an indication of how desperate people are,” he added, not mentioning Gunter by name.

Brown described his campaign as an “indictment” against Rosen and Biden, saying their policies had not served Nevadans well, and, in contrast to Gunter’s argument that he is a “Never Trumper,” defended the former president concerning his ongoing trial in New York City.

“It seems to be motivating people to get engaged, to voice their concerns, and, frankly, to see that Trump is taking heat on their behalf,” he said. “A lot of this didn’t start until he announced he was running for re-election, and I do expect that it will play a part in driving people to participate in voting this year.”

BLACK REPUBLICAN WHO SHUNNED DEI BY IDENTIFYING AS ‘AMERICA’ SAYS DEMS’ ‘FREE PASS’ TO MINORITIES IS OVER

Gunter pushed back when asked about Brown’s “desperate” comment, arguing he was trying to meet the desire of Nevadans to have “truthful politicians,” a jab at Brown’s standoffish approach to Trump before finally endorsing his bid for the White House in January. 

Gunter, likewise, blasted the Trump trial as “election interference,” and praised the former president’s record while in office, a common theme on the campaign trail as he continues to seek his endorsement in the race.

Despite largely keeping his focus on Rosen, Brown has also made it a point to applaud Trump while on the trail and has been proactive in seeking the former president’s endorsement.

In a recent interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, he praised Trump’s “America First vision” as the reason he “enthusiastically” voted for the former president, and, the same week, visited Mar-a-Lago to try and secure his support, according to a report by CNN.

Additionally, Kristy Wilkinson, Brown’s campaign communications director, told Fox News Digital he “would be thrilled to have President Donald J. Trump’s endorsement.” 

WHITE HOUSE DENIES SECRET PLOT TO OUST KARINE JEAN-PIERRE AS BIDEN FACES MORE BAD NEWS

“He is the most powerful endorsement in politics, and Sam greatly appreciates all that President Trump is doing to save our country,” Wilkinson said.

Brown is the only battleground Republican Senate candidate backed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee not to have Trump’s endorsement. 

It’s unclear why Trump has yet to endorse in the race, but pro-Gunter and pro-Brown sources each expressed confidence to Fox that the former president’s backing is well within reach.

Aside from the rhetoric surrounding Trump, both candidates argue they’re the only one who can take on Rosen and flip the seat for Republicans, who have struggled to produce wins in the Silver State in recent election cycles. According to the Rosen campaign, that’s far from a foregone conclusion.

“Jacky Rosen has been ranked one of the most bipartisan and effective senators in the nation because of her proven record of political independence and her work across party lines to deliver for Nevada,” Rosen campaign spokesperson Johanna Warshaw told Fox News Digital.

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“While extreme MAGA Republicans are busy tearing each other down in a divisive and expensive primary, Sen. Rosen is focused on communicating directly to voters about the work she’s doing to fight for Nevadans.”

Little polling has been done on the race to indicate a clear leader in the Republican primary. However, Brown maintains a fundraising advantage and, in the few polls that have been conducted, appears to pose more of a challenge to Rosen than his GOP opponents, including Gunter, veteran Air Force pilot Tony Grady and former state Assemblyman Jim Marchant.

Elections analysts rate the race as either a toss-up, “tilt Democratic” or “lean Democratic.”

The primaries will be held Tuesday, June 11.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub

A former Republican governor from Louisiana railed against Obamacare as “the worst kind of political corruption” that he claims was designed to establish reliance on the federal government – an ideology he also suggested is not unique to health care.

Bobby Jindal, a former GOP congressman who unsuccessfully ran for president in 2016, said Obamacare was “sold on a lie” by President Barack Obama in a new video for American First Policy Institute’s (AFPI) Center for a Healthy America – pointing to rising costs and fewer health care options over the years.

“President Obama was a very eloquent politician and a lot of what he said sounded great. When he was campaigning to run for president, when he was campaigning to try to pass Obamacare, he made some great promises,” Jindal told Fox News Digital in an interview. “All of that sounded great. Here’s the problem. Every single one of those promises was a lie.”

Jindal detailed rising costs that he says resulted from Obama-era policies, and that “it is time for us to get beyond the failed policies, the failed promises of Obamacare.”

LIBERAL IDEOLOGY ‘QUITE DANGEROUS’ IN HEALTH CARE, DO NO HARM FOUNDER SAYS: ‘POISONS THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE’

“I think you’re going to see more and more crony capitalism, where these big companies become dependent on their friends in DC. And it’s the worst kind of political corruption,” the former congressman said.

5 STEPS TOWARD A FRESH APPROACH TO HEALTH CARE REFORM

Republicans have made attempts to reform Obamacare over the years, failing to pass a reform to the Affordable Care Act in 2017 after former President Trump took office.

Jindal highlighted that the 2024 election will play a key role in future attempts to reform the health care system and that Republicans will be more prepared to create tax cuts and pass legislation than in previous years if they capture a majority in Congress.

Jindal added that “we need a different approach” than the current system under President Biden, who he says has signed “dangerous” executive orders since his first day on the job.

“Biden has made it clear he wants to raise taxes. Biden has made it clear he wants to make us less energy secure. Biden has made it clear he wants to leave the borders open. Biden has made it clear that they will not take decisive action to crack down on anti-Semitism and radical protests on our college campuses. Biden has made it clear he won’t stand with our strongest ally in the Middle East consistently. He won’t stand with Israel consistently,” he told Fox, referencing recent anti-Israel protests that have plagued college campuses in recent weeks.

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The Republican claimed that Obamacare was implemented because believes Democrats “trust government bureaucrats more than they trust the American people” to make health care decisions.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Biden and Trump campaigns.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., called on President Biden to visit Columbia University as students there and at colleges across the country hold demonstrations in protest of Israel’s war in Gaza.

Johnson led House GOP leaders and the chairs of six top committees in a press conference announcing a wide-ranging congressional probe into instances of antisemitism at those demonstrations.

“Yes, I do,” Johnson said when asked if he thinks Biden should go to the New York City Ivy League university. Johnson himself visited the school last week, addressing anti-Israel agitators at a public press conference after meeting with Jewish students who have said they feel unsafe on campus amid the demonstrations.

Johnson said he connected with the White House soon after that visit.

ANTISEMITIC RIOT AT COLUMBIA REACHES BOILING POINT AS AGITATORS TAKE OVER ACADEMIC BUILDING, BARRICADE DOORS

“In fact, after we left the campus, I made a call to senior policy advisers in the White House. The president was on the road as I was, and we did not connect immediately. But I’ve encouraged him to go and see it for himself,” he said. 

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

Earlier Tuesday, White House spokesman Andrew Bates released a statement condemning Columbia student protesters’ takeover of a campus building called Hamilton Hall.

“President Biden has stood against repugnant, antisemitic smears and violent rhetoric his entire life. He condemns the use of the term ‘intifada,’ as he has the other tragic and dangerous hate speech displayed in recent days,” Bates said. “President Biden respects the right to free expression, but protests must be peaceful and lawful. Forcibly taking over buildings is not peaceful — it is wrong. And hate speech and hate symbols have no place in America.”

It comes as college campuses around the country are seeing a wave of anti-Israel demonstrations that sparked when Columbia University students and those at their sister school, Barnard College, were arrested for setting up an encampment on the Manhattan Ivy League’s grounds. The protests, done in opposition to Columbia’s investments in companies with Israeli ties, have continued since then.

The committees involved are Education & the Workforce, Energy & Commerce, Oversight, the Judiciary, Ways & Means and the committee on Science, Space & Technology. 

TRUMP SAYS 4 WORDS ABOUT ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES AS ARRESTS SKYROCKET

The investigation is an expansion of the probe being led by Education & Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, R-N.C. 

Foxx announced a new hearing on the matter on May 23 in her own remarks during the press conference. She invited officials from Yale University, University of California at Los Angeles and the University of Michigan to testify, she said.

House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who is on the same committee, said during the press conference, “Enough is enough. It is time to restore, restore law and order, academic integrity and moral decency to America’s higher education institutions. Joe Biden has been deafeningly silent.”

The other committees will be focusing on parts of the investigation relevant to their panels’ work. 

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY STUDENT FILES CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST SCHOOL TO PROTECT JEWS ON CAMPUS

A spokesperson for the Energy & Commerce Committee, for example, told Fox News Digital that Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., would look into taxpayer-funded National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants that go to colleges and universities.

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House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., indicated his panel would look into where the nationwide protests’ funding was coming from — suggesting he suspected a coordinated effort.

“It appears global elites are funding these hateful protests and pop-up tent cities. These are the same groups that fund other radical agendas, including diminishing America’s energy production and pushing soft on crime policies that harm the American people,” Comer said. “The House Oversight Committee will follow the money trail, expose it to the American people, and seek to hold bad actors funding hate accountable.”

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? 

-White House condemns antisemitism at Columbia University

-Ex-lawmaker George Santos offering cameos in drag queen persona

-Trump permitted to attend son’s graduation

‘Potentially Incarcerated’

The judge presiding over the NY v. Trump trial in Manhattan lamented not being able to fine former President Trump more than $1,000 for each violation of his gag order amid the trial. 

Judge Juan Merchan fined Trump $9,000 Tuesday morning for violating a gag order that bans him from speaking publicly about witnesses and family members of court officials. The judge found he violated the order on nine separate occasions, with each violation resulting in a $1,000 fine. 

The judge detailed in the order that if Trump carries out “continued willful violations” of the gag order, he could face “incarceratory punishment” if “necessary and appropriate.”

White House

‘NO PLACE IN AMERICA’: White House condemns antisemitism, violent anti-Israel anarchy at Columbia University: ‘No place in America’ …Read more

GENDER FIGHT: DeSantis touts Florida lawsuit seeking to block Biden’s Title IX changes …Read more

Capitol Hill

‘HOSTILE ATMOSPHERE’: Experts warn Senate gridlock could worsen with Romney, Sinema, Manchin retirements …Read more

‘She’s Back’: Ex-lawmaker George Santos offering Cameo videos with his drag queen alter ego in latest scheme …Read more

FREE SPEECH: Conservative groups iffy about House push for college antisemitism monitors …Read more

TIPPING THE SCALES: Stefanik hits Jack Smith with ethics complaint, election meddling accusations …Read more

FEELING BLUE?: House Dems vow to block Marjorie Taylor Greene from ousting Johnson …Read more

BACK TO SCHOOL: Johnson schools universities on antisemitism, announces massive House probe …Read more

Tales from the Campaign Trail

‘PEANUTS’: Trump decries Columbia agitators, calls Charlottesville ‘peanuts’ compared to today’s unrest …Read more

Across America

JAIL ‘MAY BE’ NECESSARY: NY v. Trump judge laments not being able to fine former president more …Read more

POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE: Judge makes ruling on Trump’s request to attend son’s graduation …Read more

CALIFORNIAN GROWTH: California’s population has grown for the first time in 3 years …Read more

‘GUT PUNCH’: Red state’s Dem governor wins battle over banning minor transgender surgeries …Read more

‘A BETRAYAL’: Judge hits ‘treasonous’ ex-NSA worker with 21-year sentence for trying to sell secrets to Russia …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.

Former President Trump accused the judge presiding over his trial in Manhattan of “rigging” the 2024 election after ruling the 45th president violated a gag order stemming from the case.

“This Judge has taken away my Constitutional Right to FREE SPEECH. I am the only Presidential Candidate in History to be GAGGED,” Trump wrote Tuesday on Truth Social. 

“This whole ‘Trial’ is RIGGED, and by taking away my FREEDOM OF SPEECH, THIS HIGHLY CONFLICTED JUDGE IS RIGGING THE PRESIDENTIAL OF 2024 ELECTION. ELECTION INTERFERENCE!!!” Trump continued. 

Earlier Tuesday, Judge Juan Merchan ruled Trump violated a gag order that bans him from speaking publicly about witnesses and family members of court officials. The judge ruled Trump violated the order on nine separate occasions in social media posts, with each violation resulting in a $1,000 fine. Trump was ordered to pay $9,000 for violating the gag order. 

LIVE UPDATES: NEW YORK V TRUMP TRIAL ENTERS 3RD WEEK AS JUDGE FINES TRUMP FOR GAG ORDER VIOLATIONS

Following the ruling, Trump removed the social media posts found in violation of the order from his Truth Social account. Merchan’s ruling comes after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office accused Trump of violating the order 14 times since it was imposed last month.

Merchan detailed in the order that if Trump carries out “continued willful violations” of the gag order, he could face “incarceratory punishment” if “necessary and appropriate.”

NY V TRUMP: JUDGE REGRETS HE ‘UNFORTUNATELY’ CAN’T FINE 45TH PRESIDENT MORE IN GAG ORDER RULING

Trump has repeatedly railed against the gag order, calling the case overall a “scam” promoted by the Biden administration and saying the gag order has stripped him of the ability to defend himself against accusations in the case.

“We have a gag order, which to me is totally unconstitutional. I’m not allowed to talk, but people are allowed to talk about me. So, they can talk about me,” Trump said outside the New York City courtroom last week. “They can say whatever they want, they can lie, but I’m not allowed to say anything. I just have to sit back and look at why a conflicted judge has ordered me to have [a] gag order,” Trump said in comments outside the courtroom last week. 

Trump on Tuesday morning called on Merchan to recuse himself from the case, citing again that he’s “conflicted.”

“This is a hoax. This is a judge who is conflicted – badly, badly, badly conflicted. I’ve never seen a judge so conflicted and giving us virtually no rulings,” Trump said outside the courtroom before the trial kicked off its ninth day.

“I’m going to sit in the freezing cold icebox for eight hours, nine hours or so. They took me off the campaign trail. But the good news is my poll numbers are the highest it’s ever been. So, at least we’re getting the word out. And everybody knows this trial is a scam. It’s a scam. The judge should be recused; that he should recuse himself today, he should recuse himself today. And maybe he will,” Trump said.

The former president had previously cited Merchan’s daughter and her work as a political consultant for Democrat politicians as a reason the judge is “conflicted.”

JUDGE FINES TRUMP THOUSANDS OVER VIOLATING GAG ORDER, WARNS ‘INCARCERATORY PUNISHMENT’ COULD BE NEXT

In Merchan’s ruling regarding the gag order on Tuesday, the judge lamented not being able to fine Trump more than $1,000 per violation. He wrote in the order that it would be “preferable” if the court “could impose a fine more commensurate with the wealth of the contemnor.”

“In some cases that might be a $2,500 fine, in other cases it might be a fine of $150,000. Because this Court is not cloaked with such discretion, it must therefore consider whether in some instances, jail may be a necessary punishment,” he wrote, highlighting again that Trump could face time behind bars if he continues violating the order.

Trump is on trial for 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. He has pleaded not guilty to each charge and slammed the case as a “witch hunt” and “scam.”

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The NY v. Trump case focuses on Trump’s former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, paying former pornographic actor Stormy Daniels $130,000 to allegedly quiet her claims of an alleged extramarital affair she had with the then-real estate tycoon in 2006. Trump has denied having an affair with Daniels.

Prosecutors allege that the Trump Organization reimbursed Cohen and fraudulently logged the payments as legal expenses. Prosecutors are working to prove that Trump falsified records with the intent to commit or conceal a second crime, which is a felony, in violation of a New York law called “conspiracy to promote or prevent election.”

As he aims to close his fundraising gap with President Biden in their 2024 election rematch, former President Trump is likely to get an assist from his former top rival for the 2024 GOP nomination.

“I am very happy to have the full and enthusiastic support of Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida,” Trump proclaimed in a social media post Monday.

As a result of a meeting over the weekend between the two GOP leaders, expect to see top dollar Republican contributors from the formidable DeSantis donor network show up in the coming days at a major Trump world donor summit in Palm Beach, Florida.

Trump called his Sunday morning breakfast with DeSantis at a Hollywood, Florida, golf course “a great meeting” that aimed to thaw relations between the one-time bitter rivals on the presidential primary campaign trail.

BREAKING THE ICE: FORMER BITTER RIVALS TRUMP AND DESANTIS MEET FACE-TO-FACE 

“The conversation mostly concerned how we would work closely together to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,” Trump detailed.

The meeting appears to be the first time DeSantis and Trump have spoken, let alone met in person, since the governor ended his White House bid in January after a disappointing second-place finish in the Iowa caucuses that was far behind Trump.

NEW POLL REVEALS WHICH PARTY IS MORE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT A TRUMP-BIDEN REMATCH

The former president and his allies spent nearly a year repeatedly attacking DeSantis, who was viewed as the top threat to Trump in a presidential nomination field that last summer grew to over a dozen GOP White House contenders.

DeSantis endorsed Trump as he suspended his presidential campaign just two days ahead of the New Hampshire primary. But, to date, DeSantis hasn’t campaigned on Trump’s behalf.

During a February call with supporters, the governor took aim at Trump and his top political advisers.

“I think he’s got people in his inner circle who were part of our orbit years ago that we fired, and I think some of that is they just have an ax to grind,” DeSantis said at the time.

In response, top Trump campaign aide Chris LaCivita called DeSantis a “sad little man.”

TRUMP AIMS TO LEVEL FUNDRAISING PLAYING FIELD WITH BIDEN – WITH HELP FROM TOP GOP DONORS

While many on Trump’s team and his wider political orbit detest DeSantis, the former president may be more forgiving if it benefits him.

In his read-out of their meeting, Trump said “I greatly appreciate Ron’s support” and appeared to praise the two-term conservative governor’s performance steering the Sunshine State, noting that “also discussed was the future of Florida, which is FANTASTIC!”

While DeSantis was unsuccessful in dethroning Trump for the Republican nomination, he has been successful in assembling a wide network of wealthy donors who helped fund his convincing 2022 gubernatorial re-election and his 2024 White House bid.

DeSantis said at a recent donor retreat with his contributors that he would raise money for the entire Republican field, from Trump to school board races, sources confirmed to Fox News.

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“He’s going to fulfill his pledge to help the party,” said Dan Eberhart, an oil drilling CEO and a prominent Republican donor and bundler who raised big bucks for Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign but who backed DeSantis in the 2024 nomination race.

Eberhart, who is back supporting Trump and attended a major fundraiser earlier this month for the former president, said DeSantis is “absolutely still a formidable machine. Who in the party has raised more money than DeSantis except for Trump?

“I absolutely think Gov. DeSantis can help put together some decent money for Trump, and Trump needs the money.”

According to sources in Trump’s political orbit, the meeting between the former president and the Florida governor was proposed by DeSantis and his allies a couple of weeks ago and was orchestrated by Steve Witkoff, a Florida real estate broker Trump referred to as a “mutual friend.”

Those familiar with the meeting told Fox News that Trump and DeSantis met for a couple of hours at Witkoff’s Shell Bay golf club “and ended with Gov. DeSantis committing to do whatever would be helpful.”

While the meeting between Trump and DeSantis will likely pay short-term dividends for the former president as his general election showdown with Biden heats up, it may also benefit DeSantis down the road.

DeSantis enjoyed nationwide support among conservatives as the Florida governor highlighted his battles the past couple of years against what he called “woke” culture in politics, business and education. But his brand took a major hit after the onslaught from Trump, which resulted in the governor dropping his White House bid.

As DeSantis eyes his political future after his term-limited tenure as Florida governor comes to a close, which potentially may include another presidential run, sources in his political orbit say it would be difficult for him to succeed if he continued to have strained relations with Trump.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub

The judge presiding over the NY v. Trump trial in Manhattan lamented not being able to fine former President Trump more than $1,000 for each violation of his gag order amid the trial. 

Judge Juan Merchan fined Trump $9,000 Tuesday morning for violating a gag order that bans him from speaking publicly about witnesses and family members of court officials. The judge found he violated the order on nine separate occasions, with each violation resulting in a $1,000 fine. 

The judge detailed in the order that if Trump carries out “continued willful violations” of the gag order, he could face “incarceratory punishment” if “necessary and appropriate.”

In the text of his order, Merchan lamented that the fines’ costs “unfortunately will not achieve the desired result in those instances where the contemnor can easily afford such a fine.” 

LIVE UPDATES: NEW YORK V. TRUMP TRIAL ENTERS THIRD WEEK AS JUDGE FINES TRUMP FOR GAG ORDER VIOLATIONS

“Criminal contempt is punishable by a fine not exceeding $1,000, by jail not exceeding 30 days or by both in the discretion of the court, for each violation of a court order,” Merchan wrote. 

NY V TRUMP CRIMINAL TRIAL BEGINS ITS 3RD WEEK AS FORMER PRESIDENT ACCUSED OF GAG ORDER VIOLATIONS

“However, the Judiciary Law, does not vest the Court with authority to craft an appropriate punishment when a $1,000 fine will not achieve the intended purpose. While $1,000 may suffice in most instances to protect the dignity of the judicial system, to compel respect for its mandates and to punish the offender for disobeying a court order, it unfortunately will not achieve the desired result in those instances where the contemnor can easily afford such a fine,” he continued. 

Merchan continued that it would be “preferable” if the court “could impose a fine more commensurate with the wealth of the contemnor.”

NY PROSECUTORS REVEAL ‘ANOTHER CRIME’ TRUMP ALLEGEDLY TRIED TO CONCEAL WITH FALSIFIED BUSINESS RECORDS

“In some cases that might be a $2,500 fine, in other cases it might be a fine of $150,000. Because this Court is not cloaked with such discretion, it must therefore consider whether in some instances, jail may be a necessary punishment,” he said, highlighting again that Trump could face time behind bars if he continues violating the order. 

TRUMP TRIAL: FORMER PRESIDENT ‘INNOCENT,’ DEFENSE SAYS AS DA ALLEGES ‘CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY’

Trump is on trial regarding 34 felony counts of falsifying business records during the 2016 election cycle. He has pleaded not guilty to each charge and slammed the case as a “witch hunt” and “scam.”

The NY v. Trump case focuses on Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen paying former pornographic actor Stormy Daniels $130,000 to allegedly quiet her claims of an alleged extramarital affair she had with the then-real estate tycoon in 2006. Trump has denied having an affair with Daniels. 

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Prosecutors allege that the Trump Organization reimbursed Cohen and fraudulently logged the payments as legal expenses. Prosecutors are working to prove that Trump falsified records with the intent to commit or conceal a second crime, which is a felony. Prosecutors this week said the second crime was a violation of a New York law called “conspiracy to promote or prevent election.”

The judge presiding over the NY v. Trump trial in Manhattan granted former President Trump permission on Tuesday to attend his son’s high school graduation in Florida next month. 

“I don’t think the May 17 date is a problem,” Judge Juan Merchan told the court Tuesday morning of Barron Trump’s graduation date. 

Trump had pushed for weeks to attend his son’s high school graduation on May 17, but a decision on the matter was left in limbo until Tuesday, with Trump speculating earlier this month he would be denied leaving Manhattan for the event. 

“(Barron’s) a great student and he’s very proud of the fact he did so well and was looking forward for years to having his graduation with his mother and father there, and it looks like the judge isn’t going to allow me to escape this scam. It’s a scam trial,” the former president said earlier this month when the trial kicked off. 

LIVE UPDATES: NEW YORK V. TRUMP TRIAL ENTERS THIRD WEEK AS JUDGE FINES TRUMP FOR GAG ORDER VIOLATIONS

It is unclear if trial proceedings will pause on May 17 or if the president will simply be absent from the courtroom that day, which falls on a Friday. 

TRUMP SHOULD RISK ARREST AND ATTEND SON’S GRADUATION, PIERS MORGAN SAYS, FORCE DEMS INTO ‘POLITICAL SUICIDE’

Barron Trump attends a private high school near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in south Florida. 

Trump is currently on day nine of his ongoing trial in Manhattan, where he is facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. The case has heard from three witnesses as of late Tuesday morning, including former American Media Inc. CEO and former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, former executive assistant to Trump and a senior vice president of the Trump Organization Rhona Graff, and Gary Farro, who served as senior managing director at First Republic Bank in 2016. 

JUDGE FINES TRUMP THOUSANDS OVER VIOLATING GAG ORDER, WARNS ‘INCARCERATORY PUNISHMENT’ COULD BE NEXT

On Tuesday, Merchan ordered Trump to pay $9,000 in fines for violating a gag order that bans him from speaking publicly about witnesses and family members of court officials. The judge found he violated the order on nine separate occasions, with each violation resulting in a $1,000 fine. 

The judge detailed in the order that if Trump carries out “continued willful violations” of the gag order, he could face “incarceratory punishment” if “necessary and appropriate.”

In remarks ahead of court Tuesday morning, Trump called on Merchan to recuse himself, calling the case a “hoax” that is overseen by a “badly conflicted judge.” 

NY V TRUMP CRIMINAL TRIAL BEGINS ITS 3RD WEEK AS FORMER PRESIDENT ACCUSED OF GAG ORDER VIOLATIONS

“This is a hoax. This is a judge who is conflicted. Badly, badly, badly conflicted. I’ve never seen a judge so conflicted and giving us virtually no rulings,” Trump said outside the courtroom. 

“I’m going to sit in the freezing cold icebox for 8 hours, 9 hours or so. They took me off the campaign trail. But the good news is my poll numbers are the highest it’s ever been. So at least we’re getting the word out. And everybody knows this trial is a scam. It’s a scam. The judge should be recused, that he should recuse himself today he should recuse himself today. And maybe he will,” Trump said. 

NY PROSECUTORS REVEAL ‘ANOTHER CRIME’ TRUMP ALLEGEDLY TRIED TO CONCEAL WITH FALSIFIED BUSINESS RECORDS

Trump has previously slammed Merchan, including railing against him on Truth Social last month, when he called on the judge to recuse himself and cited Merchan’s daughter and her work as a political consultant for Democratic politicians. 

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“Judge Juan Merchan, who is suffering from an acute case of Trump Derangement Syndrome (whose daughter represents Crooked Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Adam ‘Shifty’ Schiff, and other Radical Liberals, has just posted a picture of me behind bars, her obvious goal, and makes it completely impossible for me to get a fair trial) has now issued another illegal, un-American, unConstitutional ‘order,’ as he continues to try and take away my Rights,” Trump posted on Truth Social last month after he was given a gag order limiting what he could publicly say about the case. 

Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report. 

Former President Trump was found guilty of violating a gag order at least nine times in the NY v. Trump case in Manhattan, the presiding judge ruled Tuesday.

Judge Juan Merchan fined Trump $9,000 for violating a gag order that bans him from speaking publicly about witnesses and family members of court officials. The judge found he violated the order on nine separate occasions, with each violation resulting in a $1,000 fine. 

The judge detailed in the order that if Trump carries out “continued willful violations” of the gag order, he could face “incarceratory punishment” if “necessary and appropriate.”

Trump attorneys argue the gag order is a violation of the former president’s First Amendment rights. District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his office alleged Trump violated the order at least 14 times, as of last week. The gag order was imposed on Trump in the lead up to the trial last month. 

LIVE UPDATES: NEW YORK V. TRUMP TRIAL ENTERS THIRD WEEK AS JUDGE FINES TRUMP FOR GAG ORDER VIOLATIONS

During a hearing on the gag order last week, Merchan argued the Trump team was “losing all credibility” while defending the 45th president’s comments on social media that violated the order. 

“I’ve asked you eight or nine times, ‘Show me the exact post that he was responding to,’ and you haven’t been able to do that once,” Merchan told the Trump team last week. 

The defense team argued in the hearing that Trump was responding to attacks when he made comments that allegedly violated the order. Merchan pressed Trump attorney Todd Blanche to provide instances that showed Trump was responding to a specific incident. 

“I have to tell you right now, you’re losing all credibility in the court,” Merchan told Blanche last Tuesday. 

NY V TRUMP CRIMINAL TRIAL BEGINS ITS 3RD WEEK AS FORMER PRESIDENT ACCUSED OF GAG ORDER VIOLATIONS

Trump has meanwhile slammed the case overall as a “scam” promoted by the Biden administration, and has argued the gag order has stripped him of the ability to defend himself against accusations in the case. 

NY PROSECUTORS REVEAL ‘ANOTHER CRIME’ TRUMP ALLEGEDLY TRIED TO CONCEAL WITH FALSIFIED BUSINESS RECORDS

TRUMP TRIAL: FORMER PRESIDENT ‘INNOCENT,’ DEFENSE SAYS AS DA ALLEGES ‘CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY’

“We have a gag order, which to me is totally unconstitutional. I’m not allowed to talk, but people are allowed to talk about me. So, they can talk about me,” Trump said outside the New York City courtroom. “They can say whatever they want, they can lie, but I’m not allowed to say anything. I just have to sit back and look at why a conflicted judge has ordered me to have [a] gag order,” Trump said in comments outside the courtroom last week. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“I don’t think anybody’s ever seen anything like this. I’d love to talk to you people. I’d love to say everything that’s on my mind, but I’m restricted because I have a gag order,” he continued.

Former President Trump blasted the antisemitic unrest taking place at Columbia University on Tuesday, while describing the violent 2017 Charlottesville rally as “peanuts” compared to the unrest on the college campus. 

Trump spoke to reporters outside the courtroom on Tuesday before the third week of his unprecedented criminal trial stemming from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation begins. 

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LOCKS DOWN CAMPUS BUILDINGS FOLLOWING OVERNIGHT MUTINY: ‘EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY’

The former president and presumptive Republican presidential nominee decried agitators at Columbia University, who have created massive pro-Palestinian encampments on the campus in recent weeks. 

But on Monday night, a massive mob of anti-Israel students broke into an academic building — the iconic Hamilton Hall on the Manhattan campus — and barricaded its doors. A university facilities worker said the protesters “held me hostage.” 

Outside of Hamilton Hall, the anti-Israel agitators formed a human barricade by linking their arms and vowing to remain until the university meets their three demands.

The students are demanding the university divest from financial support of Israel, become more transparent with its investments, and provide blanket amnesty to the protesting students for any consequences.

The university has since been forced to close its campus indefinitely “until circumstances allow otherwise.” 

“The Biden protests that are going on are horrible — it is all caused by him because he doesn’t speak — he can’t put two sentences together,” Trump said. “He’s got to get out and make a statement because the colleges are being overrun in this country.” 

Trump said “the antisemitism, all of the problems going on, they’re being overrun.” 

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Trump said. 

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY FACILITIES WORKER SPEAKS OUT AFTER TERROR TAKEOVER: ‘THEY HELD ME HOSTAGE’

“[Biden] said he ran because of Charlottesville,” Trump said, referring to the 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Violence broke out between White nationalists and counterprotesters. A counter-protester was killed in a car attack during the chaotic scene. 

Trump has been criticized for his comments surrounding the incident, particularly his statement that there were good people on “both sides.” Trump, at the time, also blamed “many sides” for the violence. 

“Well, if the people that know Charlottesville, when you extend that statement, it’s a big hoax,” Trump said Tuesday. “Charlottesville is peanuts compared to what you’re looking at now.” 

Trump said the entire country “is up in arms.”

“Breaking into colleges, knocking the hell out of Columbia University, I mean — they took over the building. I know the building very well,” Trump said. “They took over a building and that is a big deal.” 

Trump also questioned whether the students would be held accountable. 

“I wonder what’s going to happen to them, or anything comparable to what happened to J6, because they’re doing a lot of destruction, a lot of damage, a lot of people are getting hurt very badly,” Trump said, comparing the Columbia University protest to the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. 

ANTISEMITIC RIOT AT COLUMBIA REACHES BOILING POINT AS AGITATORS TAKE OVER ACADEMIC BUILDING, BARRICADE DOORS

Many who stormed the Capitol that day have been prosecuted. 

“I wonder if it’s going to be the same kind of treatment they gave J6—let’s see how that all works out,” he said. “I think I can give you the answer right now and that’s why people have lost faith in our court system.” 

Trump went on to blast Biden, saying “the violent protests are a disaster and he hasn’t even made a statement.” 

“Because he’s not capable of making a statement,” Trump said. “I’m still waiting for him to debate…We would love to debate any time.” 

ANTI-ISRAEL MOB REBRANDS ICONIC HAMILTON HALL FOLLOWING INSURRECTION AT COLUMBIA

Biden has not yet spoken publicly on the anarchy at Columbia University, but the White House released a statement on his behalf Tuesday morning. 

“President Biden has stood against repugnant, Antisemitic smears and violent rhetoric his entire life,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates said in a statement. “He condemns the use of the term ‘intifada,’ as he has the other tragic and dangerous hate speech displayed in recent days.” 

The White House said “President Biden respects the right to free expression, but protests must be peaceful and lawful.” 

“Forcibly taking over buildings is not peaceful – it is wrong,” Bates said. “And hate speech and hate symbols have no place in America.”

Meanwhile, Columbia University Tuesday morning said it would remain closed.

“Effective immediately, access to the Morningside campus has been limited to students residing in residential buildings on campus …. and employees who provide essential services to campus buildings, labs and residential student life (for example, Dining, Public Safety, and building maintenance staff). There is no additional access to the Morningside campus,” a statement from the university said.

It added: “This access restriction will remain in place until circumstances allow otherwise.”

In the post, the university said that the safety of students remained “paramount” and thanked the community for “understanding” the current crisis.

“The safety of every single member of this community is paramount. We thank you for your patience, cooperation and understanding,” the statement read.

The lockdown came as an unruly mob of anti-Israel protesters broke into Hamilton Hall shortly before 1 a.m.

Last week, Trump blasted the university for its initial campus closure amid the encampment. 

“Columbia should gain a little strength, a little courage and keep their school open.”

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Trump’s comments came after students at Columbia University were instructed that classes had shifted to virtual or hybrid amid ongoing safety concerns stemming from the anti-Israel demonstrations on the campus.

“It’s crazy because that means the other side wins,” Trump said Tuesday. “When you start closing down colleges and universities — that means the other side [wins.]”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has announced his state will not be implementing changes to Title IX protections propagated by President Biden’s administration.

Abbott, in a letter sent to the White House on Monday, rebuked the Biden administration’s expansion of Title IX protections to protect “gender identity.”

“Title IX was written by Congress to support the advancement of women academically and athletically,” the letter states. “The law was based on the fundamental premise that there are only two sexes — male and female. You have rewritten Title IX to force schools to treat boys as if they were girls and to accept every student’s self-declared gender identity.”

FLORIDA, OKLAHOMA INSTRUCT SCHOOLS TO IGNORE BIDEN’S TITLE IX CHANGES, PENDING LEGAL CHALLENGES

The letter continued, “This ham-handed effort to impose a leftist belief onto Title IX exceeds your authority as President. I am instructing the Texas Education Agency to ignore your illegal dictate.”

The Biden administration unveiled the new rules earlier this month to address concerns expressed by LGBTQ+ groups regarding gender identity protections.

“No one should face bullying or discrimination just because of who they are, who they love,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said. “Sadly, this happens all too often.”

GEORGIA AG FILES SUIT AGAINST BIDEN ADMINISTRATION FOR TITLE IX REVISION: ‘DESTROYING WOMEN’S SPORTS’

The unveiled rule changes also rolled back regulations put in place by former Trump Education Secretary Betsy DeVos that ensured due process for those accused of misconduct.

Abbott’s letter declining to comply with the updated federal protections focused solely on the expansion to cover “gender identity,” which he claimed was an illegitimate overreach and would be challenged in court.

“Your rewrite of Title IX not only exceeds your constitutional authority, but it also tramples laws that I signed to protect the integrity of women’s sports by prohibiting men from competing against female athletes,” Abbott wrote. “Texas will fight to protect those laws and to deny your abuse of authority.”

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Texas is not alone in opposition to the Title IX updates — state officials from Florida, Oklahoma, Georgia, and elsewhere have expressed intentions to legally challenge the federal government on implementing the protections. 

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has already filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration, accusing the White House of “gutting commonsense provisions that protect female athletes.”

State attorney generals from Alabama, South Carolina, and Florida have joined Georgia in the suit.

House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., is filing an ethics complaint against special counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday, accusing him of violating Department of Justice (DOJ) standards and trying to tip the election against former President Trump.

In a letter sent to the DOJ’s Office of Professional Responsibility, Stefanik urged the government watchdog to investigate Smith over accusations of “abusing the resources of the federal government to unlawfully interfere with the 2024 presidential election.”

“Jack Smith’s multiple attempts to rush to trial the federal January 6th case against President Trump violated long-standing, explicit Justice Department policy,” Stefanik wrote.

“Further, Jack Smith’s repeated violations of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia’s stay of proceedings are a lawless breach of trial ethics and lawyerly conduct. Jack Smith’s actions brought disrepute to the Justice Department and the federal government as a whole, and he should face discipline appropriately.”

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Smith’s case against Trump, stemming from accusations he tried to overturn the 2020 election, was supposed to go to trial in March but has been stuck in limbo as the Supreme Court weighs the ex-president’s claim he is immune to criminal prosecution for actions taken while in the White House.

The former U.S. attorney and human rights prosecutor petitioned the high court multiple times to reject Trump’s immunity claims and bid to delay his trial, including most recently on April 8.

Stefanik’s complaint accused him of first trying to influence the election in August 2023, when Smith petitioned for a Jan. 2, 2024 trial.

ERIC TRUMP WARNS BRAGG, WILLIS ‘WANT TO TORTURE MY FATHER’ BUT NO ONE ‘IS BELIEVING IT’

“There exist approximately thirteen million pages of discovery for President Trump to review, plus thousands of hours of camera footage. Prosecutors bringing a case of this complexity — with so many consequential and novel legal issues to sort out — would normally never seek to bring it to trial within five months,” she argued. 

“The only reason to push for such an early trial date was to work to get the case tried before the November election, and the Justice Department Manual clearly forbids Jack Smith from taking any action on that basis.”

She also cited Smith’s petitions with the Supreme Court and used his own comments in court that no American is “above the law” as further argument that he should support an investigation into his conduct.

FANI WILLIS SHOULD FACE GAG ORDER IN TRUMP ELECTION CASE, SAYS LEGAL ANALYST

“If that is true, then he should be open to, and welcome, an ethics investigation into conduct that, on its face, implicates potential violations of DOJ policy and multiple rules of professional conduct,” Stefanik said. “Biden special counsel Jack Smith’s highly unusual and clearly improper attempts to expedite trial, and his blatant violation of District Court orders, evidence his partisan attempt to influence the results of the 2024 presidential election.”

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The Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, heard arguments in Trump’s immunity case last week. A final decision is expected in June — with the likelihood of a trial before the presidential election being slim.

Fox News Digital reached out to the DOJ for comment.

• Mississippi lawmakers are set to vote on a proposal to expand Medicaid coverage, potentially benefiting tens of thousands more people.
• The proposal includes a work requirement that might not receive federal approval.
• Georgia is currently the only state with a Medicaid work requirement.

Mississippi lawmakers are expected to vote this week on a proposal that would expand Medicaid coverage to tens of thousands more people, but it includes a work requirement that might not win federal approval.

The state House and Senate passed separate expansion plans earlier this year. With the four-month legislative session pushing into its final days, negotiators from the two chambers submitted a compromise moments before a Monday night deadline. They declined to answer questions after emerging from a closed-door meeting, but the proposal was filed in legislative clerks’ offices.

The plan would require the new Medicaid recipients to be employed at least 100 hours a month in a job that does not provide private health insurance. Or, they could fit into other categories, such as being a fulltime student or the parent of a child younger than 6.

HEALTH CARE OR HOUSING? MORE STATES ARE USING MEDICAID FUNDS TO HELP THE HOMELESS

If the federal government rejects Mississippi’s work requirement, the state Division of Medicaid would be required to continue seeking approval each year — an acknowledgement that a different federal administration might provide a different decision.

Georgia is the only state with a Medicaid work requirement, and it is suing the federal government to try to keep the mandate in place. The work requirement was approved by then-President Donald Trump’s administration, but the Biden administration announced in December 2021 that it was revoking the approval. That prompted Georgia officials to sue.

Mississippi is one of the poorest states in the U.S., and advocates say covering tens of thousands more people with Medicaid could help them manage chronic health conditions such as asthma and diabetes.

The federal health overhaul signed by then-President Barack Obama in 2010 allowed states to expand Medicaid, largely to people who work low-wage jobs without insurance. Mississippi is among the 10 states that have resisted expansion.

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Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said for years that he does not want to put more Mississippi residents on government programs. But dynamics in the Republican-controlled Legislature changed this year with the selection of a new House speaker, Jason White, who said expansion could help some of Mississippi’s financially struggling hospitals.

The House voted by a wide bipartisan margin in late February to expand Medicaid coverage to about 200,000 people who earn up to 138% of the federal poverty level, or $20,120 annually for one person. Mississippi has about 3 million residents, and its Medicaid program covered 374,823 people in March.

In late March, the Senate passed its own pared-down version that would extend eligibility to people earning up to 100% of the federal poverty level, just over $15,000 for one person. Senate Medicaid Committee Chairman Kevin Blackwell, a Republican from Southaven, said about 80,000 people would become eligible for coverage but he thought about half that number would enroll.

A spokesperson for a Democrat mayor is defending a recent meeting with a controversial Chinese diplomat, who has repeatedly praised the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

“Met with Philadelphia’s Mayor Parker together with Tianjin’s Executive Deputy Mayor Liu Guiping,” Huang Ping, who’s been the consul general of China’s New York Consulate since 2018, recently posted on X.

“Exchanges at the subnational level keeps fueling China-US relations. Let’s keep it going,” he added.

Over the last year, Huang has appeared at several prominent universities to meet with officials despite his past statements as well as rising concerns from the American public about China’s aggressive presence in the United States.

HUANG PING, ‘PURVEYOR OF CCP PROPAGANDA,’ JOINS SCHUMER, TOP NEW YORK DEMS AT CHINESE NEW YEAR PARADE

Huang, who met with Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, has previously called the CCP a “great party” and has denied that China is targeting the Muslim Uyghur population in China.

“There are lots of lies here, fabricated by some people with their own political agenda,” Huang said in an August 2021 interview, denying the existence of genocide and internment camps targeting Uyghurs. “As I said, there’s no genocide, not a single evidence to prove that there’s a genocide or something there. It’s just a slandering.”

The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the State Department under both the Trump and Biden administrations have assessed that China is committing genocide against the Uyghurs. Since 2017, the Chinese government has reportedly imprisoned more than a million Uyghurs in concentration camps where, according to leaked documents from inside China, detainees are subjected to rape, torture, forced labor, brainwashing and forced sterilization.

PROMINENT NYC VENUES REPEATEDLY HOST CHINESE OFFICIAL WHO PRAISED CCP, DENIED UYGHUR GENOCIDE

“The Mayor and city officials engaged, as protocol and respect dictates, with the official representatives of China,” a spokesperson for Mayor Parker’s office told Fox News Digital in a statement when asked if the mayor was aware of Huang’s previous statements when she met with him.

“This meeting was about greeting and welcoming the representatives of our Sister City Tianjin and celebrate our 45th anniversary as Sister Cities – as we were amongst the first pairs of sister cities to be established following the reestablishing of diplomatic relationships between the U.S. & China,” the spokesperson added. “Also the occasion to cheer the 50th anniversary of the first tour of the Philadelphia Orchestra in China.”

In addition to praising the CCP, Huang has repeatedly promoted CCP talking points on X and amplified the agenda of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Huang previously met with Democrat lawmakers in Pennsylvania as well as with a local economic council. He has also met with a long list of officials at Ivy League and other prestigious universities. 

Earlier this year, Huang joined Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Gov. Kathy Hochul, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams during the Lunar New Year Parade in Manhattan. Huang has met with New York’s elected officials several times in the past. 

Last year, he stood beside Adams at the New York China Day Celebration Parade Festival. Fox News Digital previously reported that Hochul and Huang met in April 2019 when she was the lieutenant governor to discuss cooperation between New York and China.

Huang’s visits with top officials come amid growing concerns about China’s presence in the United States in a variety of sectors, from academia to government to health care to social media.

“The Chinese Communist Party is playing for keeps at the nuclear level and every layer below that,” Michael Sobolik, author of “Countering China’s Great Game: A Strategy for American Dominance,” told Fox News Digital. “And it’s not just the universities. The Chinese Communist Party is looking to infiltrate every aspect of American society.”

“If we try to edit undo our way out of this whole list of infiltrations and threats that the CCP sends our direction that’s good policy work. We need to insulate ourselves. But good housekeeping is the bare minimum of waging a cold war and winning a cold war,” Sobolik continued. 

“If we’re serious about winning a cold war, it’s not enough to just address these problems that the Chinese Communist Party has created for America. American policymakers need to go on the offensive and create problems for the CCP to respond to. We need to seize the initiative of this competition.”

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“Mayor Parker cares about the many different communities and groups in our respective cities, and will engage with stakeholders who serve and may represent them,” Parker’s office told Fox News Digital when asked about her concerns over China’s growing presence in the U.S.

“President Biden and the Biden administration handle the foreign relations of the United States.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Huang’s office but did not receive a response.

Fox News’ Jamie Joseph contributed reporting.