Alito rips race-based claim in high-stakes migrant protections case at SCOTUS


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Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito pushed back on claims this week that ending deportation protections for Haitian migrants was racially motivated, pressing an attorney to explain how that argument works when the policy has been applied broadly to migrants from many countries.

“You have a really large — you have a really broad definition of who’s White and who’s not White,” Alito, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, said during oral arguments, challenging a claim leveled by the migrants’ lawyer that the Trump Department of Homeland Security (DHS) intentionally targeted non-White migrants when it decided to terminate their temporary protected status (TPS).

The exchange came as the Supreme Court weighed a high-stakes case over the Trump administration’s authority to end TPS protections for tens of thousands of Haitian and Syrian migrants. 

The high court’s decision could strip their legal protections and have similar implications for hundreds of thousands of other migrants, meaning DHS could then move to detain and deport them.

TRUMP FOES MELT DOWN THAT SCOTUS IS UNLEASHING ‘RACIAL TERROR’ ON US WITH ICE RAID RULING

Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito standing in Washington D.C.

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito pushed back on claims that ending deportation protections for Haitian migrants was racially motivated.  (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Congress created temporary protected status as a form of protection for migrants fleeing war and natural disaster, and the law requires DHS officials to periodically review whether an origin country qualifies under those terms.

Attorney Geoffrey Pipoly, representing the migrant plaintiffs during oral arguments, argued the courts had some authority to review the government’s TPS decisions and that the decision to end the protected status for Haitians, in particular, did not follow the law because it was driven by racial bias against “non-White immigrants.”

“The president has disparaged Haitian TPS holders specifically as undesirables from a ‘s—hole country,’ and days after falsely accusing them of ‘eating the dogs and eating the cats of Americans,’ he vowed that he would terminate Haiti’s TPS, and that is exactly what happened,” Pipoly said.

Alito grilled the lawyer over the claim, noting the government’s TPS terminations applied to a range of countries.

“Do you think that if you put Syrians, Turks, Greeks and other people who live around the Mediterranean in a lineup, do you think you could say those people, that all of them, are they all non-White?” Alito asked.

“I don’t like dividing the people of the world into these groups.”

Alito began to test Pipoly on which bucket he would sort various nationalities into, White versus non-White, leading Pipoly to argue that the bar for finding racial animus was low.

SCOTUS TO REVIEW TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER ON BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP

Judge Ana Reyes speaking during a court proceeding

A protester raises a sign seeking protection for Haitians in the U.S.  (Lynne Sladky/AP)

“Irrespective of how you do the classification … bare dislike of an unpopular group is a sufficient basis,” Pipoly said.

The case is centered on whether courts can review the government’s TPS decisions and the processes that went into reaching those decisions. Migrants’ lawyers have also made arguments that DHS officials failed to properly assess a country’s conditions or relied on unlawful factors, such as whether termination was of national interest.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) told the Supreme Court those decisions are not subject to judicial review and fall solely under the purview of the executive branch. The DOJ warned that allowing challenges could open the door to widespread litigation over immigration policy. 

The migrants’ lawyers, meanwhile, argued in court papers that the DOJ had taken an “extreme position that would insulate flagrantly unlawful executive action from judicial review.”

COURT OF APPEALS TO HEAR ORAL ARGUMENTS IN HIGH-PROFILE DEPORTATION SUIT INVOLVING VENEZUELAN NATIONALS

The facade of the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C.

The facade of the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., in October 2024. (Valerie Plesch/picture alliance)

The conservative justices appeared largely sympathetic to the Trump administration’s arguments, while the liberal justices zeroed in on whether the government’s alleged racial bias could be unconstitutional.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, an Obama appointee, suggested Trump’s public claim that migrants are “poisoning the blood of America” would be a violation of constitutional prohibitions on discrimination by the government, since it was “showing that a discriminatory purpose may have played a part in this decision” to end temporary protected status. 

Homeland Security has already terminated the legal status of migrants from six countries, including Venezuela and Honduras, moves that the Supreme Court temporarily greenlit through previous emergency requests. The high court is making a decision on the merits regarding the Haitians and Syrians, meaning it will carry finality and could apply more broadly.

The status of migrants from seven other countries remains on hold while the case is pending, including more than 6,000 Syrian and almost 350,000 Haitian migrants, as well as those from Ethiopia, Myanmar, Yemen, Somalia and South Sudan.

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The Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling by the end of June.

Fox News’ Bill Mears contributed to this report.



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Pentagon withdraws 5,000 troops from Germany amid Trump-Merz feud


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The Pentagon will withdraw 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany, a spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital.

The redeployment comes amid President Donald Trump’s escalating feud with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other NATO allies after tensions over their response to the conflict involving Iran.

“The Secretary of War has ordered the withdrawal of approximately 5,000 troops from Germany,” chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told Fox News Digital. 

EUROPEAN LEADERS ON EDGE AS PROSPECT LOOMS OF TRUMP PULLING 20K TROOPS FROM CONTINENT

“This decision follows a thorough review of the Department’s force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theater requirements and conditions on the ground.

“We expect the withdrawal to be completed over the next six to twelve months.”

Ramstein Air Base overview

About 38,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Germany, where U.S. European Command is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base. (Getty Images)

About 38,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Germany, where U.S. European Command is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base. The base and other American installations have long served as key logistics hubs and command centers supporting U.S. military operations in Europe and the Middle East.

The U.S. troop presence in Germany has been a point of political debate in recent years. In 2020, Trump ordered the withdrawal of roughly 12,000 troops from the country, but the plan faced bipartisan resistance in Congress and was not completed before President Joe Biden took office.

Merz, speaking Monday in Marsberg, criticized the U.S. approach to Iran, saying Washington was being “humiliated by the Iranian leadership” and expressing hope the conflict would end “as quickly as possible.”

EU PUSHES FOR END OF IRAN WAR IN A MANNER WHERE ‘EVERYBODY SAVES FACE’

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and President Donald Trump speaking in the Oval Office

President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., March 3, 2026, to discuss issues including U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Trump’s comments followed those remarks, marking the latest flash point between the two leaders, who have previously clashed on issues, including tariffs and defense spending.

On Wednesday, Trump said in a Truth Social post his administration was “studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany,” adding that a decision would be made “over the next short period of time.”

He also sharply criticized Merz, saying he “doesn’t know what he’s talking about” regarding Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

“The Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Tuesday.

TRUMP’S ‘ECONOMIC FURY’ SQUEEZES IRAN — BUT CAN TEHRAN OUTLAST THE PRESSURE?

President Donald Trump speaking in the Cross Hall of the White House

President Donald Trump speaks about the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House in Washington on April 1, 2026. (Alex Brandon/AP)

“He doesn’t know what he’s talking about! If Iran had a Nuclear Weapon, the whole World would be held hostage.

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“I am doing something with Iran, right now, that other Nations, or Presidents, should have done long ago. No wonder Germany is doing so poorly, both Economically, and otherwise!”

Fox News Digital’s Alex Koch and Peter Doocy contributed to this report.



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Trump teases US will be ‘taking over’ Cuba ‘almost immediately’


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President Donald Trump appeared to joke during remarks at the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches in Florida on Friday that the U.S. would be “taking over” Cuba “almost immediately,” while recognizing attendees including former Rep. Dan Mica.

“And he comes from originally a place called Cuba, which we will be taking over almost immediately,” Trump said.

“Cuba’s got problems. We’ll finish one first. I like to finish a job,” he continued.

TRUMP AIMS TO RESET WAR POWERS CLOCK WITH CONTROVERSIAL BID TO BYPASS CONGRESS

President Donald Trump speaks during an event at The Villages Charter School in Sumterville, Fla., on Friday.

President Donald Trump speaks during an event at The Villages Charter School in Sumterville, Fla., on Friday. (Thomas Simonetti/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Trump then riffed on a hypothetical show of American force.

“On the way back from Iran, we’ll have one of our big — maybe the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier — the biggest in the world,” he said. “We’ll have that come in, stop about 100 yards offshore, and they’ll say, ‘Thank you very much, we give up.’”

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The president did not elaborate further.

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for clarification if the remarks were hypothetical or outlining policy plans.



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Trump jokes about bad microphone during freewheeling speech at The Villages


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President Donald Trump turned a microphone problem into a comic riff during remarks at The Villages in Florida, asking staff to “turn the mic up please” before joking he was “screaming my a– off because the mic is no good.”

The moment came during a wide-ranging, joke-heavy speech before the Florida retirement community, where Trump bounced between policy remarks, crowd work and off-the-cuff riffs, and, at one point, quipping, “What’s more secure than The Villages?” as he played to the audience.

Trump first flagged the audio issue while discussing immigration and inflation under former President Joe Biden.

“Tell them to turn up the microphone,” Trump said. “Will you please turn up the mic?”

TRUMP HIT IN THE FACE WITH MICROPHONE, QUIPS OPERATOR ‘BECAME A BIG STORY’

U.S. President Donald Trump arriving to speak at The Villages Charter School in Florida

President Donald Trump arrives to speak at The Villages Charter School in The Villages, Fla., on Friday. He discussed economic development, his administration’s tax plan and Social Security. (Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images)

“You pay these guys a lot of money, and then you get up, and the mic isn’t on properly. And then they want their money,” he continued. “And I don’t believe in paying people to do a bad job.

“I’m screaming my a– off because the mic is no good,” he added. “Turn the mic up please.”

Trump opened the speech by joking about why he chose to appear at The Villages despite recent security concerns after the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner shooting Saturday night.

TRUMP JOKES HE’D LOOK ’20 POUNDS HEAVIER’ IN A BULLETPROOF VEST, SAYS HE DOESN’T THINK ABOUT THREATS

US President Donald Trump speaking at a podium outdoors in The Villages, Florida

President Donald Trump arrives to give a speech about taxes and Social Security at The Villages, Fla. (Jim Watson/AFP)

“They say on my life I should be indoors at a secure facility where I can quietly, beautifully and safely play out my term,” Trump said. “I said, what’s more secure than The Villages?”

He also praised the Florida community as “the single largest community of seniors anywhere in the world,” before joking about the size of the overflow crowd.

“They have an overflow room that’s bigger than this,” Trump said. “Why the h— didn’t I go there? To start off.”

He repeatedly teased the crowd about age while arguing his administration had delivered for seniors.

“I don’t happen to be a senior,” Trump said. “I’m much younger than you. I’m a much younger man than you. Look at you old guys.

“But I feel I can relate to you anyway.”

TRUMP SAYS ‘LEGENDARY’ CROWD REACTION AT UFC 314 SHOWS THE ADMINISTRATION IS ‘DOING A GOOD JOB’

US President Donald Trump arriving to give a speech in The Villages, Florida

Supporters cheer as President Donald Trump arrives to give a speech about taxes and Social Security at The Villages in Florida. (Jim Watson/AFP)

Trump also singled out his regular rally supporters near the stage, calling them “front row Joes.”

“They’re all over. I can’t get rid of them,” Trump said. “They are sick individuals, but we love them.”

At another point, Trump defended what he calls “the weave,” his term for jumping between topics mid-speech.

“I love the weave because the weave is great,” Trump said. “Someday, I won’t come back, and they’ll say, ‘all right, he shot.’ That’s the weave. I call it the weave because you get a lot of stories into one little sentence.”

Trump later joked about traveling with Dr. Mehmet Oz while discussing Medicare and Medicaid.

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

“We have a man here who knows more about Medicaid, Medicare, medical crap than any human being,” Trump said.

“It’s the most boring trip I’ve ever made,” he added. “He’s telling me about Medicare, Medicaid. All I want to do is take care of you. I don’t care, I said, ‘You work out the details.'”

While discussing prescription drug costs, Trump also recounted a conversation with what he described as a wealthy friend seeking cheaper weight loss medication overseas.

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“He called it the fat shot,” Trump said. “I’ve given it that name, the fat shot.”

The microphone complaint was ultimately one of several unscripted moments as Trump moved between policy and personal banter, delivering a speech that, at times, resembled a stand-up-style riff more than a traditional political address.



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US says Iran ceasefire resets war powers clock amid legal dispute


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President Donald Trump informed Congress Friday that a ceasefire with Iran has ended hostilities and reset the clock on congressional war powers limits, but legal experts say ongoing military operations complicate that claim.

“For War Powers Resolution purposes, the hostilities that began on Saturday, February 28 have terminated,” a senior administration official told Fox News Digital. 

“Both parties agreed to a 2-week ceasefire on Tuesday, April 7 that has since been extended,” the official went on. “There has been no exchange of fire between U.S. Armed Forces and Iran since Tuesday, April 7.”

The White House formally notified Congress in a letter Friday under the War Powers Resolution that it considers hostilities to have ended following the ceasefire.

LIVE UPDATES: IRAN THREATENS ‘LONG AND PAINFUL STRIKES’ ON US POSITIONS AS TRUMP FACES WAR POWERS DEADLINE

Marines enforce blockade in the Strait of Hormuz

U.S. Marines aboard USS New Orleans (LPD 18) stand watch in the Arabian Sea during naval blockade operations against Iran. As of today, 44 commercial vessels have been directed to turn around or return to port, according to U.S. Central Command. (U.S. Central Command)

“Despite the success of United States operations against the Iranian regime and continued efforts to secure a lasting peace, the threat posed by Iran and its proxy forces remains significant. Accordingly, the Department of War continues to update its force posture in the AOR in select areas to counter Iranian proxy forces’ threats and to protect the United States and its allies and partners,” Trump wrote in a letter to Congress Friday.

“As the situation evolves, I will continue to update the Congress on noteworthy changes in the United States Armed Forces presence, consistent with the War Powers Resolution.”

For decades, presidents of both parties have pushed the limits of the War Powers Resolution, seeking flexibility to conduct military operations without being hindered by a congressional vote.

The law requires the president to end the use of U.S. forces within 60 days of entering hostilities unless Congress authorizes the operation, with a limited extension allowed for withdrawal.

The more than two-month conflict has exposed sharply different interpretations of the law and whether the White House must seek congressional approval. Bombing ceased on April 7, but U.S. forces continue enforcing a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz — an operation widely considered an act of war.

“A ceasefire does not automatically suspend the War Powers 60-day clock,” said John Bellinger, who served as legal adviser to the State Department and National Security Council under President George W. Bush.

Apaches patrolling Strait of Hormuz

The U.S. military has been enforcing a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, even during the ceasefire. (U.S. Central Command)

He pointed to the continued presence of U.S. warships and thousands of troops enforcing a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, arguing American forces “are clearly still conducting military operations and are in potential danger.”

U.S. forces have continued boarding and seizing vessels suspected of violating the blockade, at times using force to disable ships before Marines conduct inspections.

Stephen Pomper, policy chief at the International Crisis Group and a former senior National Security Council official, was more direct.

“I don’t think it’s a very credible interpretation. It’s certainly not based on the text of the statute,” Pomper said.

“There’s still an enormous American deployment. There’s an active blockade, which is an act of war.”

Trump is far from the first president to test the limits of the War Powers resolution, experts noted. 

During the late 1980s “Tanker War” with Iran, the George H.W. Bush administration argued that individual naval engagements did not amount to sustained hostilities. In 1999, the Clinton administration maintained that congressional funding for the Kosovo campaign effectively constituted authorization.

More recently, the Obama administration argued that U.S. involvement in Libya did not rise to the level of “hostilities” under the War Powers Resolution, even as American forces supported air operations. The Biden administration made similar arguments in defending certain U.S. deployments tied to Yemen.

“We have seen Republican and Democratic administrations alike bypass the act in creative ways,” Nicholas Creel, Associate Prof. of Business Law at Georgia College and State University told Fox News Digital.

PELOSI’S WAR POWERS FLIP-FLOP EXPOSED IN RESURFACED OBAMA-ERA CLIP CONTRADICTS TRUMP CRITICISM ON IRAN

Congress has periodically challenged similar interpretations in past conflicts but has rarely forced a withdrawal of U.S. forces. Courts have also largely stayed out of War Powers disputes, leaving presidents with significant latitude to define the scope of hostilities.

If Congress does not act, the administration could continue operations without new authorization.

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“It’s really up to Congress, and as often as not, Congress doesn’t want to push back,” Pomper said.

Matt Zierler, an international relations professor at Michigan State University, told Fox News Digital that Congress likely does not have the “real will” to fully execute the War Powers Act because other powers, such as passing appropriation bills that would restrict defense spending, would be more effective. Even so, Zierler said sequestration measures could come at a political loss.

“It’s a big political loss, potentially for Congress, if they start cutting off funding,” Zierler said, suggesting that the president could claim the cut in funds by Congress is hurting troops and national security. 

“It is a political or symbolic game, but it’s not necessarily something that most members of Congress want to play, because, you know, they don’t have all the intelligence,” Zierler said. “They don’t know what’s going on, and it can get really messy.”

Asked about the 60-day clock on Thursday, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., told reporters: “I have not spent a great deal of time worrying about that.”



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Pope Leo XIV appoints former undocumented immigrant as West Virginia bishop


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A large Roman Catholic diocese pushed back at criticism Friday after Pope Leo XIV appointed a former illegal immigrant as a bishop amid heightened tensions between the Vatican and Washington over refugees and ICE enforcement.

Leo nominated Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala as bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, which covers all of West Virginia. Menjivar-Ayala originally arrived in San Ysidro, California, smuggled in a car trunk after making several prior attempts as a teenager to flee guerrilla war-torn El Salvador.

The bishop has also been critical of increased immigration enforcement measures, calling them a human rights concern and responding directly to critiques of the church from fellow Catholics in the Trump administration like border czar Thomas Homan.

After commentary piled up on social media Friday, Wheeling diocese spokesman Tim Bishop told Fox News Digital Menjivar-Ayala’s appointment is a blessing to West Virginians, praising the clergyman’s pastoral work and service.

POPE LEO SAYS COUNTRIES HAVE RIGHT TO CONTROL THEIR BORDERS, ADVOCATES FOR HUMANE TREATMENT OF MIGRANTS

Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala was named to the diocese of Wheeling.

Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala walks at the front of the procession of the 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees in Washington. (Sarah Voisin/Getty Images)

“Bishop Evelio came [to America] some time ago looking for a better life and better opportunities, and thank God he did because he will shepherd the faith of our diocese,” Bishop said.

“Any insinuation that the Holy Father made this or any other appointment in any way to increase vitriol or insinuate that it gets back at the president of the United States is absurd,” Bishop added, noting he was not speaking for Leo.

The Roman Catholic Church “worries about the lamb, not the elephant or the donkey,” he said.

Meanwhile, “Letters from Leo” publisher and former DNC delegate Christopher Hale tweeted the bishop is a “remarkable choice” by Leo to lead a “state that is over 90% White and voted for President Trump by 42 points.”

Media outlets in the United States and France highlighted the appointment in light of Leo’s reported aversion to Trump’s immigration enforcement policies.

At a 2025 forum, Menjivar-Ayala said criticism of the Catholic Church’s stance toward immigration enforcement is not a question for him to answer but for those officials to discern how they are living the Gospel after he was asked about Homan’s comments that bishops at a national conference in Baltimore were “wrong” in rebuking illegal immigration enforcement.

US CATHOLIC BISHOPS PRESIDENT SAYS DEPORTATIONS INSTILLING ‘FEAR’ IN ‘WIDESPREAD MANNER’: ‘CONCERNS US ALL’

“The question is for them, for those who claim to be Catholic but are not seeing the face of Christ in the migrants,” Menjivar-Ayala said, according to World Catholic Report, which also said the newly minted West Virginian advised caution about characterizing illegal immigration as similar to murder and theft.

Menjivar-Ayala tried as many as three times as a teenager to flee to the U.S. but was caught each time, including once by Mexican authorities who imprisoned him.

Amid guerrilla warfare and extreme poverty in his home country in the 1980s, Menjivar-Ayala was first deported to Guatemala by Mexican authorities who caught him in the border town of Tijuana, according to an interview with U.S. Catholic. He then attempted to travel through the Guatemalan jungle on a second attempt but returned home on his own.

MIAMI CATHOLIC CHARITIES LOSES $11M CONTRACT PROVIDING CARE FOR MIGRANT CHILDREN UNDER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

Finally, Menjivar-Ayala was successful after a bribe was paid to secure his release from a Mexican prison in Chiapas, and an elderly American smuggled him and three others through the San Ysidro border checkpoint while they were crammed in the trunk of the man’s car, according to The Washington Post.

Menjivar-Ayala told U.S. Catholic he found odd janitorial jobs but eventually relocated to Hyattsville, Maryland, near extended family, where he cleaned a UPS site.

It was there in Prince George’s County where he first began working as a youth minister and was able to obtain a green card for legal residence through what he said was an extant religious visa policy.

The Washington Post characterized Leo’s move Friday as another effort to “elevate” American clergy relevant to tension points with the Trump administration.

President Donald Trump has lambasted Leo — born Robert Prevost in Illinois — and quipped that he much prefers his “brother [Louis who] is MAGA all the way.”

Trump has said he has “nothing against” Leo, who has a right to disagree on subjects like the legitimacy and human rights aspects of the Iran conflict and illegal immigration crisis.

POPE LEO XIV STRONGLY SUPPORTS US BISHOPS’ CONDEMNATION OF TRUMP IMMIGRATION RAIDS: ‘EXTREMELY DISRESPECTFUL’

In 2025, Menjivar-Ayala criticized Trump’s immigration enforcement push in a Catholic Standard column, “This Ordeal is the Passion,” which featured an image of a suspect being detained by federal authorities.

“The Church remembers Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus in a spiritual and sacramental way during Holy Week and the Easter Triduum, but some people actually experience the Passion in a tangible and personal way in their very lives. Among them are members of the immigrant and refugee communities today,” Menjivar-Ayala wrote, referring to the Passion of Christ, Jesus’ crucifixion, death and resurrection.

“Yet, while redemptive suffering is a grace, it would be better still if these injustices and infamies did not happen at all,” the bishop later added, calling for people to speak up in the style of martyred St. Oscar Romero.

He went on to say that the “dark side of anti-immigrant animus” cannot be allowed to take hold and called some recent enforcement behavior a “violation of fundamental human rights,” while also appearing to reference actions taken against the Catholic Church in that regard.

Trump’s Department of Health & Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement recently canceled an $11 million contract with Catholic Charities of Miami that had aided in housing unaccompanied minors, according to the Miami Herald.

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While Trump has not yet been able to meet with Leo, the first American pope has held audiences with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Obama confidant David Axelrod.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Vatican, White House and DHS for additional comment.



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Fox News Campus Radicals Newsletter: Educators disciplined after Trump comments


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PINK SLIPS COMING: Educators fired or suspended after lamenting Trump survived dinner shooting

FREE SPEECH FIGHT: University sued for allegedly stonewalling probe into violent protest at TPUSA event

POISON LECTURE: Ex-professor canned for supporting terrorists now touring colleges with talks

A Hamas supporter protesting against Israel in Washington D.C.

A protester waves a Hamas flag while remaining masked during a Washington, D.C., protest in July 2024. (Lucas Tomlinson/Fox News Digital)

TOXIC CULTURE: Board member claims he was ousted for reporting misconduct at major Arab advocacy org

DOUBLE STANDARD: University dean warned conservative group it would face discipline for naming protesters

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REVERSED COURSE: College reinstates Students for Justice in Palestine after suspension over antisemitism

PROBLEMS AHEAD: Education on verge of being completely upended if Mamdani gets his way, expert warns

Zohran Mamdani

Zohran Mamdani speaks to members of the media at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in the Queens borough of New York on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025.  (Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

TABLES TURNED: Private Catholic school buckles on conservative club it once rejected as conflicting

CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Teacher fired over video seeming to wish Trump was killed in shooting

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Trump signs 45-day FISA extension after Senate rejects House bill


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President Donald Trump signed a 45-day extension for Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Thursday night after the Senate rejected the three-year extension passed by the House, the White House confirmed to Fox News Digital.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., warned House leaders Tuesday that including a provision in the FISA extension to permanently ban the Federal Reserve from issuing central bank digital currencies (CBDC) would make it “dead on arrival” in the Senate. As Thune suggested, the three-year extension ultimately failed to pass the Senate due to opposition from Democrats.

As a temporary measure, the Senate approved a 45-day extension of the controversial national security law by unanimous consent. Trump subsequently approved the short-term renewal. 

TRUMP-APPROVED PLAN TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN SCUTTLED BY SENATE

Once the 45-day period ends, Congress will be forced to begin the FISA extension process all over again.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune speaking to media at the US Capitol in Washington DC

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., spoke to the media at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 2, 2026, expressing hope that the White House could find a “sweet spot” in negotiations with Senate Democrats to reopen the government amid ongoing political turmoil. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

FISA allows the federal government to compel phone and internet providers to provide information about foreigners using their platforms without a warrant, including communications with American citizens. 

Civil libertarians long have argued that the law undermines the privacy of Americans and potentially violates the Fourth Amendment. Those working in law enforcement and intelligence agencies, meanwhile, maintain that FISA is an indispensable tool in thwarting terrorism, drug trafficking and ransomware attacks.  

HOUSE PASSES FISA RENEWAL IN BIPARTISAN VOTE, PUTTING PRESSURE ON SENATE BEFORE LOOMING DEADLINE

Rep. Chip Roy speaking at a news conference on Capitol Hill

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a member of the House Rules Committee, is pushing for amendments to the three-year FISA renewal bill drafted by House leadership. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

More than 20 Republicans maintained their opposition to the FISA extension, even with the CBDC ban attached. 

HOUSE CONSERVATIVES ERUPT OVER SENATE GOP, WHITE HOUSE DEAL AMID SAVE ACT FIGHT

“We should all be standing up for the Fourth Amendment,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said during a debate over the extension Tuesday. 

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson speaking to reporters at the Capitol in Washington

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., meets with reporters as House Republicans advance a GOP spending bill to fund federal agencies through Sept. 30 at the Capitol in Washington, March 11, 2025. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

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Republican leadership included the CBDC ban to appease conservative holdouts concerned that a government-issued digital dollar could expand federal visibility into Americans’ transactions.



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USDA’s Brooke Rollins claims 14,000 SNAP recipients drove luxury cars


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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is ramping up efforts to crack down on food stamp fraud nationwide, targeting what officials say is a loophole allowing some wealthy individuals to qualify for government benefits.

Secretary Brooke Rollins posted on X this week that a single state has 14,000 individuals on SNAP benefits who also drive luxury vehicles like Ferraris, Bentleys and Lamborghinis. 

She warned fraudsters the USDA is working to close a loophole under the Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility policy used to qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits despite having the financial means to purchase cars for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Rollins told Fox Business this week that the department is “getting very, very close to being able to fix that” loophole.

FOOD-STAMP FRAUD NUMBERS EXPOSE WHICH STATES ARE DRAINING THE MOST TAXPAYER DOLLARS

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins speaking with canned food visible

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins says changes are coming to the food stamp program. (Kaylee Greenlee Beal/Reuters/iStock)

SNAP, the largest federal anti-hunger program in the United States, has long been a target of conservatives pushing for reforms, and Rollins spoke to “The Ingraham Angle” on Thursday night to shed light on just how widespread some of the issues are.

“We’ve found 500,000 people getting more than one benefit illegally. We found 244,000 dead people. This is just the red states,” Rollins said about what she’s discovered going through the data from the states that have agreed to provide it since her first day on the job.

“We have arrested 895 different people in the last year for illegally using the food stamp system and, of course, now we’re talking about what is happening with that money.”

USDA data shows 4.2 million fewer food stamp recipients during President Trump’s first year in office as the administration continues to crack down amid reports from all across the country that food stamps are being misused.

NEW SNAP WORK REQUIREMENTS TAKE EFFECT IN MORE STATES UNDER TRUMP-BACKED LAW

A We Accept Food Stamps sign hanging in a grocery store window in Miami

A “We Accept Food Stamps” sign hangs in the window of a grocery store in Miami, Fla., on Oct. 31, 2025. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

“Food stamp waste and fraud is out of control,” Republican congressional candidate in Orange County and CAL DOGE Director Jenny Rae Le Roux told Fox News Digital. “California alone loses nearly $14 million every day from SNAP to EBT skimming, out-of-state and country beneficiaries and eligibility lapses at a time when technology exists to close every gap, quickly.”

In March, Fox News Digital reported on a Minnesota man, Rob Undersander, who said that despite being a millionaire, he was able to qualify for food stamps. Undersander has been sounding the alarm on the issue ever since and has testified on the issue in Minnesota and before Congress.

“Reintroducing basic guardrails like an asset test is a commonsense step to restore integrity, ensure benefits go to those who truly need them and protect the long-term viability of the program,” America First Policy Institute Health & Harvest Campaign Director Matt Schmid said in March. 

“This isn’t about taking help away. It’s about making sure SNAP works the way it was intended to.”

Additionally, the USDA issued a press release Thursday outlining the “reorganization” plan Rollins has within the SNAP program, which includes moving food nutrition resources and staff out of Washington, D.C. to other cities like Indianapolis, Dallas, Denver and Kansas City.

A USDA spokesperson told Fox News Digital Friday the announcement “aligns with the Food and Nutrition Administration’s mission, to nourish those in need through financially sound programs that promote health and work, as well as champion the productivity of American agriculture.”

“As the Food and Nutrition Administration begins its refocusing of operations, all 16 federal nutrition programs will continue without disruption. Pertaining to Indianapolis, it has a lower cost of living, one of the top airports in the country, and has excelled at innovative program delivery.”

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Ultimately, the administration says the reforms will end up helping the people who depend on the assistance the most.

“Since its inception, SNAP has helped our most vulnerable citizens afford the essential and nutritious food they need,” Rollins and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote in a Fox News op-ed in March. “At least, that is what the program is supposed to do.

“Over time, however, SNAP has been taken advantage of, allowing many to game the system and leaving millions of vulnerable Americans without healthy, nutrient-dense food options.”

Fox News Digital’s Katelyn Caralle contributed to this report.



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DC police captain’s email on avoiding arrests rescinded by MPD brass


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A political firestorm erupted this week after a Washington, D.C., internal police email appeared to reprimand rank-and-file officers for body camera footage allegedly showing them “finess[ing]” their way out of making arrests on reasonable grounds.

The news comes as the Trump administration cracks down on crime in the District of Columbia at the federal level. While crime rates have steadily declined from a peak in 2023, the nation’s capital continues to suffer per-capita violent crime at higher rates than the national average, according to FBI data.

The Metropolitan Police Department confirmed to Fox News Digital that its brass had rescinded an email sent by the captain for Sector 2 of the Sixth Police District, which covers areas north of Marion Barry Avenue and east of the John Philip Sousa Bridge.

“We are seeing more and more BWCs [body-worn cameras] where officers are not making arrests where probable cause or RAS [reasonable amount of suspicion] is apparent. This is leading to complaints to IAD (internal affairs division) and OPC, and it is also leaving victims and complainants unprotected by the police,” wrote Capt. Jerome Merrill.

CRIME-RIDDEN BLUE CITIES STRUGGLE TO COMBAT SHRINKING POLICE FORCES AS FEDS STEP IN TO CLEAN UP CHAOS

Police officers securing crime scene with tape in downtown Washington, D.C.

Police officers secure the area with crime scene tape after a shooting in downtown Washington, D.C., on Nov. 26, 2025. Two National Guard members were shot near the White House, and police detained a suspect. (Drew Angerer/AFP)

Merrill’s letter, first obtained by Washington’s CBS affiliate, said the situation is getting many police officials in trouble for failing to recognize or correct classifications of interactions with the public.

“Please do not try and finesse your way out of an arrest it is not worth the consequences I assure you,” the memo said, urging police to make arrests or apply for warrants before detectives need to follow up on them.

The department told Fox News Digital the information in the email was “incorrect” and that MPD is investigating.

Asked about the situation and whether arrests can be made on reasonable suspicion in any context, former Supreme Court Chief of Police Ross Swope told Fox News Digital that the distinction is “not only typical of most departments, it is the law.”

Swope, who served for decades with the MPD and later wrote texts on police ethics and internal operations, said probable cause requires more than reasonable suspicion.

“It requires a higher degree of certainty,” he said. “[Probable cause] is when the facts and circumstances within an officer’s knowledge would lead a reasonable person to believe that a crime has been committed for which a summary arrest may be permitted.”

DC MAYOR REPORTS ‘GREAT MEETING’ WITH TRUMP AFTER PAST PUBLIC FEUDS, TOUTS ‘COMMON GROUND’ ON NATION’S CAPITAL

He said Merrill may have viewed body cams and believed in his own view that arrests should have been made, but that he was wrong to instruct officers to make arrests based solely on reasonable suspicion.

Fox News Digital also reached out to the D.C. Police Union for comment but did not receive a response.

But Union President Gregg Pemberton told the CBS affiliate after the fact that he essentially, independently, agreed with Swope.

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“The Union has reviewed Captain Merrill’s email and determined that the reason that our members are not making arrests based on reasonable articulable suspicion is because that’s illegal,” Pemberton told the outlet.

“We would expect a captain of a police patrol district to know that, but unfortunately, this command staff official has proven himself uninformed and incapable of managing police operations in the District of Columbia,” he added.



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Dem says ‘white nationalists’ are joining immigration enforcement to ‘hunt down people’: ‘Always down to race’


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A controversial Democratic congressional candidate running in a South Texas border district is under fire again as critics accuse him of smearing Border Patrol agents as racists, an allegation his campaign dismissed as “desperate attacks.”

Bobby Pulido, a former Latin music star running to unseat Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz, is taking heat for a recent interview in which he asserted, “It’s always down to race.”

During the interview, which was on a podcast called “Mind of Geniuz,” Pulido accused the Trump administration and Republicans’ immigration enforcement agenda of being motivated by the “theory of White replacement.”

“When President Trump ran, he ran on getting rid of the bad guys. They lied to us,” Pulido said.

“It’s race. It’s always down to race. And I hate to say this, because I hate to inflame it, but I’m going to call it out because that is what it is. Look, when they have this theory of White replacement, they’re saying, ‘Oh, no, no, if it weren’t for this and this and crime,’ they’ll throw in all these other things to dance around the true issue,” he said. “Which is there’s too many Brown and Black people, which they’re saying they’re just going to stay the same and be poor.”

CRITICS ROAST JASMINE CROCKETT AFTER SHE CALLS HERSELF ‘ONE OF THE 535 MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE’ IN US

Bobby Pulido

Democratic congressional candidate Bobby Pulido is running to unseat Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz in a South Texas district along the border. (Norte Photo/Getty Images)

Pulido noted during the interview, “I do not want to demonize law enforcement.” However, he expressed that when it comes to immigration enforcement, “a lot of the people that are joining, not all of them, okay, there’s a lot of White nationalists that want to join because they want to go hunt down people, right, they’re yahoos.”

“It’s a shame,” he went on, “because then you start branding all ICE agents.”

A spokesperson for De La Cruz’s campaign decried Pulido’s comments as insulting Border Patrol agents.

Notably, just over 50% of Border Patrol personnel are Hispanic. The Rio Grande Valley Sector of the southern border, along which De La Cruz’s district sits, is home to roughly 3,100 Border Patrol agents and personnel, according to Texas Monthly.  

The spokesperson said that “Monica is proud to be raising her kids in South Texas,” emphasizing that “the Border Patrol agents our opponent insults are the same people she spends Friday nights with at a carne asada, sees at her kids’ schools, and prays with at church on Sunday.”

“That’s why she has their back in Congress, and that’s why she’s fighting every day to lower costs for families, protect Social Security and Medicare for our abuelitos, and keep our communities safe,” said the spokesperson.  

SUPREME COURT RULES ON KEY VOTING RIGHTS ACT RULE AS REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS WAGE REDISTRICTING WAR

Republican candidate Monica De La Cruz posing for a digital campaign ad

Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz. (National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC))

In response, a Pulido campaign spokesperson dismissed the accusations, telling Fox News Digital in an emailed statement, “These desperate attacks prove one thing, the GOP establishment is in full panic mode because Mentirosa [Spanish for ‘liar’] Monica De La Cruz is running a dumpster fire of a campaign and they know they’re going to lose.”

“Bobby Pulido has family and friends who serve in Border Patrol and he has been a lifelong supporter of our law enforcement — South Texas knows that and they’re going to make it loud and clear in November,” the spokesperson added.

Since launching his congressional campaign, he has faced scrutiny for an array of matters, including a resurfaced music video depicting him engaging in lewd acts as well as his long-time prior association with a bandmate convicted as a child sex offender. He has firmly denied knowing the bandmate’s conviction and said he immediately cut off ties when he found out.

He has also faced criticism for sharing the stage with Julión Álvarez, a cartel operative sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department, according to the Daily Wire. A spokesperson for Pulido’s campaign told the outlet that despite the singer-turned-politician calling him “amigo” in a Facebook post, “Bobby and Álvarez are not friends.” The spokesperson said, “This is just another case of Republicans not understanding our culture – ‘amigo’ is a common expression.”

Zach Kraft, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, told Fox News Digital in an emailed statement that “there’s a clear pattern” with Pulido.

“He sides with criminals over law enforcement and families, every time,” said Kraft, adding, “He smears Border Patrol agents after spending decades bringing a convicted child predator, who raped an eight-year-old girl, to local parks and festivals. South Texans know he has no business being anywhere near Congress, and they will reject him in November.”

DNC CHAIR GRILLED BY LIBERAL PODCAST HOST FOR NOT RELEASING 2024 POLITICAL AUTOPSY REPORT

US Border Patrol agents securing the border fence in El Paso, Texas

U.S. Border Patrol agents take security measures at the border fence in Texas. (Can Hasasu/Anadolu)

Meanwhile, Paul Perez, president of the National Border Patrol Council, told Fox News Digital that “Bobby Pulido insults the Border Patrol agents protecting our community, but he had no problem spending decades knowingly bringing a convicted child sex predator into our neighborhoods or palling around with a sanctioned cartel operative.”

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“The agents who patrol this border, most of them Hispanic, know exactly whose side Bobby Pulido is on. It isn’t ours,” said Perez.

Fox News Digital also reached out to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic National Committee for comment.



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Amazon reportedly eyes Donald Trump Jr. to host ‘Apprentice’ reboot


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With President Donald Trump “hired” by the American people for a second term, Amazon — which now owns production rights to NBC’s “The Apprentice” — is looking for a new host to potentially reboot the once No. 1-rated television program, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Trump leveraged decades of media coverage as a New York mogul amid the ups and downs of the 1980s and 1990s into a smash-hit program that premiered in 2004, following several wannabe business executives through a several-week “job interview” to work for the Trump Organization.

Fifteen seasons and a presidency-compelled hiatus later, Amazon is reportedly considering Trump Organization Executive Vice President Donald Trump Jr. for the role, as the eldest son has served as a frequent stand-in “boardroom adviser” for Trump executives Carolyn Kepcher and George Ross.

Trump addressed rumors of a reboot on Thursday, telling Fox News’ Peter Doocy that his son is a “good guy” and would “probably be good” in the role.

JIMMY KIMMEL JOKES TRUMP SHOULD LET HIM HOST WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS’ DINNER TO ‘THINK OF THE RATINGS’

Donald Trump and Donald Trump Jr. on the set of "The Apprentice" in 2009

Donald Trump and Donald Trump Jr. during the Season Finale of the Celebrity Apprentice on May 10, 2009 in New York City.  (ill Tompkins/Getty Images)

“He’s got a little charisma going. You need a little charisma for that sucker. So, we’ll see what happens,” Trump said.

Several people familiar with the discussions told the Wall Street Journal that Amazon executives have internally discussed casting Trump Jr. as a host for an “Apprentice” reboot if they do indeed launch the project.

The Journal reported Amazon has not yet approached Trump Sr., Trump Jr., or any Trump family members, but that, instead of NBC, it would air the show on Amazon Prime.

A source close to Trump Jr. told Fox News Digital on Thursday that the Journal report was indeed the first time the 48-year-old father of five had heard his name was in the pot.

Fox News Digital also reached out to the Trump Organization for comment, as well as Amazon and Amazon’s production company.

An Amazon spokesperson told the Journal that the Jeff Bezos-led company previously acquired MGM, which itself bought a majority stake in reality-show impresario Mark Burnett’s company several years earlier.

TRUMP’S KENNEDY CENTER HONORS OVERHAUL DELIVERS STAR-STUDDED LINEUP, NEW MEDALLION AND HISTORIC HOSTING ROLE

Donald Trump standing with Donald Trump Jr and Ivanka Trump at Celebrity Apprentice season finale

Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump attend the season finale of Celebrity Apprentice in New York City on May 10, 2009. (Bill Tompkins/Getty Images)

Burnett has launched several reality shows, including “The Apprentice” and CBS-aired contests “The Amazing Race” and “Survivor,” with the latter now in its 50th season. The credits for “The Apprentice” list Trump Sr. as executive producer.

A reboot would be Amazon’s second foray into Trumpworld in recent months, as it recently debuted a $40 million biopic of first lady Melania Trump that drew praise from supporters and mockery from critics like ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel.

“Melania” was directed by Brett Ratner of “Rush Hour” fame, as Trump reportedly pressed Paramount Pictures to revive the Jackie Chan-Chris Tucker series and put Ratner back at the helm, according to CNBC, which further reported the original New Line Cinema films are now subject to a distribution pact between Paramount and New Line parent Warner Bros.

Trump Sr. regularly touted his “Apprentice” success across his political tenure, once telling the National Prayer Breakfast that attendees should “pray” for former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger after the Terminator took over the show and oversaw what the president called a ratings collapse.

KIMMEL FIRES BACK AT TRUMP’S DEMAND TO TAKE HIM OFF THE AIR, SAYS ‘I’LL GO WHEN YOU GO’

Donald Trump, John Rich and Melania Trump standing together at an event

Donald Trump, John Rich and Melania Trump attend “The Celebrity Apprentice” Season 4 finale at Trump SoHo in New York City on May 22, 2011. (Jim Spellman/WireImage)

Schwarzenegger, the most recent Republican to serve as governor in Sacramento, occasionally spars with Trump, as he is seen as less bombastic and more politically moderate than the president.

“Hey Donald, I have a great idea,” Schwarzenegger shot back at Trump in an X video at the time.

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“Why don’t we switch jobs — you take over TV — since you’re such an expert in ratings, and I take over your job so that people can finally sleep comfortable again — hmm?” the Austria native, who voted for then-Ohio Gov. John Kasich in 2016, quipped.

Fox News Digital reached out to NBCUniversal for additional comment on the potential resurrection of their onetime series. Neither Amazon nor the Trump Organization responded by publication time.

Fox News Digital’s Janelle Ash contributed to this report.



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Rep. Jasmine Crockett calls Gov. Abbott a DEI hire over disability


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Outgoing Texas Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett is drawing fresh criticism after appearing to mock Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s disability, reopening scrutiny over her past remarks about the paralyzed governor.

“It was a tree that ended up making [Abbott] a part of the DEI class, just so y’all know. He is DEI, yes, because he is uniquely-abled, or actually he ain’t abled, child,” said Crockett in a video posted to her X account on Wednesday

Crockett claimed Abbott became “wealthy after legislation allowed him to sue” following an incident when a tree fell and crippled him while on a jog. The incident left Abbott partially paralyzed and wheelchair-bound at the age of 26.

Crockett’s comments on Abbott’s disability follow outrage over her “Governor Hot Wheels” remark in 2025, which the lawmaker denied was tied to the Republican governor’s disability. 

TEXAS DEMOCRAT FEUD GROWS AS COLLIN ALLRED CLAIMS JAMES TALARICO MADE OFFENSIVE REMARK ABOUT FAMILY, CAMPAIGNS

Rep. Jasmine Crockett

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, has been called out on social media after she called herself one of the 535 most powerful people in the U.S. (Mark Felix/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The office of the governor directed Fox News Digital to Abbott’s X post when approached for additional comment on the matter. 

‘STRAIGHT OUTTA CONGRESS’: TOP PROGRESSIVE CONCEDES RACE AFTER VIRAL MOCKERY FOR ‘EMBARRASSING’ DEFEAT

“Uniquely abled,” wrote the governor along with an AI photo of him in a superhero suit while in his wheelchair.

Critics called the remarks “low IQ” on social media or responded with their own mockery and confusion. 

“‘I only mocked a paraplegic and suddenly people have a problem with me,'” said Fox News Contributor Joe Concha quipped on X.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett speaking with supporters at election night party in Dallas

Crockett claimed Abbott became “wealthy after legislation allowed him to sue” following an incident when a tree fell and crippled him while on a jog.  (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

“Uh. What.” one account posted

“How does she think of this ridiculous stuff she says,” another account posted

“DEI? Disgraced Jasmine Crockett claims Governor Abbott is a DEI hire as a result of his disability,” X account Amuse wrote.

CROCKETT FIRES BACK AT JD VANCE’S ‘STREET GIRL’ COMMENTS, SAYS IT’S A RACIST TROPE 

Fox News Digital reached out to Crockett’s office on Thursday for additional comment.

Last year, Crockett landed in hot water for another comment about Abbott that was viewed as a jab at his disability. 

“We in these hot a– Texas streets, honey. Y’all know we got Governor Hot Wheels down there, come on now! And the only thing hot about him is that he is a hot a– mess, honey!” she said, laughing.

Crockett issued a statement at the time, without an apology, and said she “wasn’t thinking about the governor’s condition,” but his policies to deport illegal immigrants. 

“At no point did I mention or allude to his condition. So, I’m even more appalled that the very people who unequivocally support Trump—a man known for racially insensitive nicknames and mocking those with disabilities—are now outraged,” she added. 

jasmine crockett , greg abbott in wheelchair on street

Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett called Texas Gov. Greg Abbott “uniquely disabled.” (Tommaso Boddi/Variety via Getty Images, Peter Nicholls/Getty Images)

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Crockett launched a Senate bid but lost the Democratic primary in March and did not seek re-election to her House seat, bringing her time in Congress to an end in 2027.



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600 groups with $2B in revenue back May Day protests, critics say


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FIRST AT FOX: Some 600 groups, including hard-line communists and groups affiliated with the Democratic Party, are mobilizing all over the country today to demonstrate for May Day, socialism’s high holy day.

A Fox News Digital investigation has identified a sprawling “red-blue” network with combined annual revenue of about $2 billion organizing some 3,000 protests and events and advancing what critics describe as an anti-American agenda. They have called for Americans to skip work, school and shopping.

At the center of the May Day mobilization, which has expanded from earlier indications, is a network of communist, socialist, Marxist and other far-left organizations, led by chapters of the Democratic Socialists of America and a network of groups – including the People’s Forum, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, ANSWER Coalition and Code Pink – funded by an American-born tech tycoon, Neville Roy Singham, based in Shanghai, promoting the propaganda of the Chinese Communist Party. 

The Communist Party of the USA has rallied workers to “rise against MAGA on May Day,” promoting leaflets by the “People’s World,” its Marxist-Leninist publication. The Revolutionary Communist Party has put out a call to dismantle the “capitalist-imperialist system.” The Maoist Communist Union has summoned members to join the “Anti-Imperialist Contingent” at the New York City protests.

The deeper concern, critics say, is that the pro-communist and pro-socialist network, symbolized by the color of red, is promoting May Day events with traditionally blue organizations that make up the Democratic Party network, including nonprofits Indivisible, MoveOn.org and the American Federation of Teachers, as well as at least 13 state and local chapters of the Democratic National Committee, including the California Democratic Party.

MAY DAY PROTESTS TO TAKE PLACE FRIDAY AS AGITATORS ACROSS THE US PUSH “WORKERS OVER BILLIONAIRES” MOTTO

The California Democratic Party is using the pro-Democratic tech platform, Mobilize.us, to promote “Workers over Billionaires May Day rally” protests, like at the corner of Monroe Street and Highway 11 in Indio, Calif. In its publicity material, the California Democratic Party notes it’s “the largest state party in the nation with more than 10 million members.”

The Ohio Democratic Party Progressive Caucus, North Carolina’s Young Democrats of Moore County, Young Democrats of Wisconsin and the Yuba County Democratic Central Committee are on the official list of organizers for a coalition, “May Day Strong,” promoted online. 

In Ohio, the Licking County Democrats organization is hosting a “May Day Strong” protest at the courthouse in Newark, promoting the national event’s official mantra: “No Work No School No Shopping.” The groups didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Meanwhile, local chapters of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, an openly communist group in the Singham network, organized “Art Build” projects across the country, including in Washington, D.C., and Chicago, to build May Day signs at its “Liberation Centers,” located in about 25 metropolitan U.S. cities. Members shuttled inside, painting banners and readying their protest gear.

The Party for Socialism and Liberation Center's Chicago "Liberation Center"

Leaders at the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s Chicago “Liberation Center” post anti-ICE signs on its window, seen on Jan. 29, 2026, promoting student walkouts and the message, “Chicago Resists.” It later hosts an “Art Build” session to support teacher and student walkouts for May Day 2026. (Kamil Krzaczynski for Fox News Digital)

“The increasing willingness of mainstream Democrats to align with extremist socialist groups is a major factor in why the Democratic Party is losing the center more and more, and why so many lifelong Democrats find themselves feeling politically homeless,” Democratic strategist Melissa DeRosa told Fox News Digital.

“May Day has a proud history of honoring workers,” she said, “but too many Democratic organizations have allowed that tradition to be hijacked by the activist fringe — including groups aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America, pushing a fantasy agenda that has failed everywhere it has been tried.”

“The increasing willingness of mainstream Democrats to align with extremist socialist groups is a major factor in why the Democratic Party is losing the center more and more, and why so many lifelong Democrats find themselves feeling politically homeless.”

— Democratic strategist Melissa DeRosa

Together, political analysts say the new May Day network shows how a once-fringe ideological coalition has moved into the bloodstream of Democratic-aligned organizing — linking communist groups, socialist chapters, anti-Israel activists, labor unions, immigration groups, climate organizations and Democratic Party affiliates in a national protest campaign critics say is less about worker solidarity than about advancing a radical political agenda.

AFTER 30 YEARS, 5 THINGS I LEARNED FROM MY STUDENTS WHY THEY LIKE SOCIALISM

"May Day Strong" issued a media advisory

On the eve of May Day, organizers sent out a professionally composed media advisory, with the email’s metadata directing readers to reply to a name associated with public relations for a Chicago teachers’ union. (Fox News Digital)

In a reflection of the coordination of the red-blue alliance, the “May Day Strong” coalition issued a press release at 4:39 p.m. on Thursday with the email’s metadata identifying the sender as Adolfo Flores, a public relations expert at On Point, a media relations firm that has done public relations for the Illinois Federation of Teachers, which works closely with the Democratic Party. Flores didn’t return a request for comment.

In his press release, Flores wrote, organizers say more than “3,000 May Day events” nationwide will mobilize workers and students under the banner “Workers Over Billionaires,” framing the protests as a response to what they call an “authoritarian billionaire takeover of government.” The advisory highlights large-scale actions, including “more than 100,000 students expected to walk out” and coordinated efforts in multiple cities urging “No Work, No School, No Shopping,” with some leaders stating “we can and will shut it down to secure prosperity for all working people.” 

The coalition’s core demands – “Tax the rich,” “No ICE. No War,” and “Expand Democracy, not corporate power” – are paired with broader claims that the system is “rigged” by elites, that policies are “attacking our neighbors” and “turning ICE loose on our neighborhoods” and that current leadership is “seeking to end democracy as we know it,” according to the press release.

Across statements, participants, including traditionally Democratic-aligned leaders from the Illinois Federation of Teachers and Chicago Teachers Union, the National Education Association, the AFL-CIO, the American Federation of Teachers, 50501 and the United Auto Workers, among others, emphasize mass mobilization and collective action, arguing “we are organizing… to demand change” and that “real change happens when working people act together.”

COMMUNISTS, DEMOCRATS USE #NOKINGS RALLY TO CALL FOR MAY DAY STRIKE: “SHUT IT DOWN”

General strike literature on a table during a No Kings protest in St. Paul, Minnesota

General strike literature is displayed on a table during a No Kings protest at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota, on March 29, 2026. Protesters gathered with flags from various organizations, including the Freedom Road Socialist Organization. (Derek Shook/Fox News Digital)

The so-called “red-blue” alliance exposes a growing challenge inside Democratic politics, political experts say, as the Democratic Party’s activist infrastructure increasingly overlaps with groups and influencers, like controversial Democratic Socialists of America influencer Hasan Piker, as they echo anti-American rhetoric and propaganda narratives promoted by U.S. adversaries, including China.

In the 600 estimated total, Indivisible, one of the largest Democratic Party-aligned grassroots networks in the country, has at least 200 chapters nationwide supporting May Day events, from Yorktown, N.Y., to Tempe, Ariz., appearing alongside about 80 chapters of the Democratic Socialists of America. 

Indivisible has received millions of dollars in funding over the years from billionaire George Soros’ philanthropy network, and it has led the organizing for three “No Kings” protests produced after Trump’s inauguration to protest his administration. Many of the groups involved in “No Kings” protests are organizing the May Day events, reflecting the shared ecosystem of anti-Trump rhetoric built around this professional protest infrastructure.

Law enforcement officials said alleged would-be assassin Cole Allen attended a “No Kings” protest in Los Angeles, according to his family, before attempting to kill Trump the night of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner this past weekend. His manifesto parroted the precise language that the groups rallying for May Day have alleged against Trump, calling him a “pedophile,” “traitor” and “rapist,” among other unsubstantiated aspersions.

Allen’s hometown of Torrance, Calif., where he lived with his parents before boarding an Amtrak to allegedly kill Trump and cabinet members, is hosting a May Day protest Friday evening at the corner of Hawthorne Boulevard and Sepulveda Boulevard, where local activists have regularly held “No Kings” protests. 

In its promo, the Torrance protest organizers noted: “A core principle behind all our events is a commitment to nonviolent action.”

However, they wrote more prominently: “Because when the billionaires break every rule, it’s going to take more than a rally to stop them.” 

Among the strongest forces behind the protest ecosystem, fusing increasingly with Democratic groups, is the network tied to Singham, the American-born tech tycoon living in Shanghai. A Fox News Digital investigation found that Singham pumped an estimated $278 million into the constellation of groups driving divisive street mobilizations in the U.S., like the May Day protests. BreakThrough News, a media outlet in the Singham-funded network, regularly parrots language the tycoon delivered at a conference in Shanghai last fall, expressing support for the Marxist “new world order” of the Chinese Communist Party and decrying the “fascism” of the U.S.

POWER COUPLE OF CHAOS: HOW A TYCOON AND ACTIVIST BUILT A ‘REVOLUTIONARY BASE’ AT THE HOUSE OF SINGHAM

For some political analysts in the Democratic center, the alliance with socialists represents an ill-fated quest to win over working people.

“The Democratic Party used to speak the language of work, wages, dignity, family, safety and upward mobility,” said Derosa, the Democratic strategist. “Now it’s morphing into a pamphlet for the Democratic Socialists of America: slogans instead of policy, disruption instead of leadership and the demonization of free enterprise instead of a serious plan to help working families get ahead.” 

“That is not how you build a majority. That is how you turn a governing party into a protest movement — and a losing one,” she said.

Undeterred, late Thursday afternoon, the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s chapter in North Carolina reminded members to meet at “the Quad” on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for the May Day protests, pressing the narrative, “We are many. They are few.”

Fox News Digital’s Kyle Schmidbauer contributed to this report.

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Top Virginia school district threatened with suit over secret gender transition policies


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FIRST ON FOX: A major Virginia school district outside Washington, D.C., is facing a demand to rescind one of its policies that is alleged to be keeping parents in the dark if their child begins showing signs of transitioning genders at school.

America First Legal (AFL), a Trump-aligned lawfare group, is threatening litigation against the Fairfax City Public Schools (FCPS) system unless it rescinds Regulation 2603 and its accompanying policies, arguing it creates “a dual-track system in which FCPS actively supports and documents a student’s social transition at school while presenting parents with an incomplete—and materially misleading—account.”

In particular, AFL is taking issue with some of the district’s guidance that tells educators to refrain from “out[ing]” a student to their parents in district-wide information systems that they have access to, while requiring name and pronoun changes that students request to be made in the district’s information systems that are faculty-facing only. The policy also includes guidance notifying educators they do not need to obtain parental permission to affirm a student’s new gender identity, and permits students to choose the locker or bathroom of their choice without parental permission, or even notifying them.

The legal demand, on behalf of a client with students in the district, follows a Supreme Court decision in March that America First Legal says has proven withholding a student’s desire to transition genders from their parents is against the law. “There can be no serious dispute that FCPS’s policies mandate the very conduct the Supreme Court has now condemned,” AFL’s letter to FCPS Superintendent, Dr. Michelle Reid, states.

SCHOOL DISTRICT’S TRANS POLICY BLASTED FOR FOSTERING ‘DECEPTION’ UNDER SHADOW OF SCOTUS RULING

Judge's gavel next to transgender rights flag

A transgender flag waves at an undisclosed location on an undisclosed date (left). A judge uses his gavel (right). (Getty Images/iStock)

AFL is referring to Mirabelli v. Bonta, during which the Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling that rejected pleas from parents of students in California schools to cease hiding their children’s gender transitions. AFL also argues in its letter to FCPS that Mirabelli v. Bonta “built directly on” Mahmoud v. Taylor, another case that invalidated school policy related to giving parents the right to opt their children out of educational programming. A school district blocked the opt-out policy, but parents demanded it was their right to know what their kids were being taught and, if they wish, excuse them from certain programming that may violate their sincerely held religious beliefs.

“The Court also made clear that the constitutional violation is not confined to the Free Exercise Clause. The policies independently implicate the fundamental Due Process right of parents—religious and nonreligious alike—to direct the upbringing and education of their children, including decisions bearing on a child’s mental health,” AFL adds in its letter. “Because gender dysphoria ‘has an important bearing on a child’s mental health,’ policies that both conceal relevant information from parents and affirmatively facilitate a child’s social transition at school likely infringe these constitutional protections.”

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION INVESTIGATES MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL DISTRICT OVER TRANSGENDER BATHROOM POLICY

Meanwhile, AFL says that FCPS’s policies also violate the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, which guarantees parents the right to view their child’s educational records while they are under 18.

A school bus reading "Fairfax County Public Schools."

Fairfax County Public Schools bus is seen outside of Lutie Lewis Coates Elementary School in Herndon, Virginia, Thursday, May 11, 2023. (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

The guidance on gender identity from FCPS appears to be aware of potential FERPA violations, with the policy warning educators that if a parent or guardian requests access to see their child’s records, they will have access to both the child’s chosen and given name.

“If a student transitioning at school is not ready to share with their family about their transgender status, this should be respected,” the guidance instructs. “In this scenario, school staff should make a change socially, calling the student by the chosen name, while their official [school database] information remains the same.”

FCPS told Fox News Digital it is reviewing the letter from AFL.

In January, AFL also filed a federal civil rights complaint over this same matter. In response to that, the district told Fox News Digital in a statement that “FCPS remains committed to fostering a safe, supportive, welcoming, and inclusive school environment for all students and staff.”

“FCPS policies and regulations will continue to stay aligned with Virginia and federal law,” the district added in a separate statement in response to this article. “We continue to partner with all families to provide a safe, supportive, and inclusive school environment for all students and staff members, including our transgender and gender-expansive community.”

A transgender rights supporter holds a sign while standing outside the Supreme Court during a rally.

A transgender rights supporter takes part in a rally outside of the U.S. Supreme Court as the justices hear arguments in a case on transgender health rights in Washington, DC, on Dec. 4, 2024. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

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Last year, the Trump administration put FCPS and a handful of other Northern Virginia school districts on a “high risk” status due to their policies on intimate spaces for females and transgender students, threatening their federal funding and putting it in a “reimbursement only” payment status.

“The Department of Education has already placed FCPS on a restricted status related to Title IX noncompliance, with related proceedings pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit,” AFL’s civil rights complaint points out. “This complaint independently establishes that FCPS’s current practices also risk federal education funding for violations of FERPA. I invite the Department of Education to take official notice of the existing Title IX enforcement posture as relevant context for federal oversight and remedial measures.”



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Trump DOJ report alleges Biden DOJ built dossiers on pro-life activists


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The Trump administration is accusing President Joe Biden’s Justice Department of colluding with pro-abortion organizations to create personal “dossiers” on Christian pro-life advocates that included personal information and photographs of their children as part of a wider campaign by Biden officials to prosecute them under the FACE Act.

The Justice Department published “The 2026 Report by the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias,” which details in more than 200 pages incidents that occurred under and policies from the Biden administration alleging that Biden Justice Department officials “zealously pursued” prosecuting Christians.

“The Biden Administration’s policies regularly clashed with a Christian worldview and burdened traditional religious practices,” the report stated. “These conflicts frequently arose over abortion, gender ideology, and sexual orientation. Ultimately, the Biden Administration penalized Christians who lived in accordance with their beliefs.”

The report, compiled based on an executive order signed by President Donald Trump, alleged that former Attorney General Merrick Garland “weaponized” the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act) against pro-life protesters and activists through the revival of the National Task Force on Violence Against Reproductive Health Care Providers.

FAITH RETURNS TO THE PUBLIC SQUARE DURING TRUMP’S SECOND TERM, CHRISTIAN LEADER SAYS

Anti-abortion rights demonstrators marching near the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.

Anti-abortion rights demonstrators march to the Supreme Court for the 52nd annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 24, 2025. (Bryan Dozier/Middle East Images/AFP)

The FACE Act makes it illegal to obstruct or block entrances to reproductive health care centers, including both pregnancy resource centers and abortion clinics, but the report alleged that Biden Justice officials worked closely with abortion clinics and advocacy groups to prosecute pro-life protesters.

The report alleged that Garland’s Task Force would ask abortion groups about the travels and advocacy work of pro-life individuals, which prompted a warning from the FBI. The bureau told the Justice Department that pro-choice groups were tracking pro-life activists engaged in “1st Amendment protected activity.”

Despite the warning, the Task Force “monitored” pro-life activists who were flagged by abortion groups, which alleged the activists were in violation of the FACE Act for participating in protests outside clinics.

CLINTON-ERA LAW ‘WEAPONIZED’ BY BIDEN AGAINST PRO-LIFERS MUST GO, PENCE GROUP URGES HOUSE GOP

Planned Parenthood building exterior on Newtown Road in Virginia Beach

Planned Parenthood is shown on Newtown Road in Virginia Beach on Thursday, April 24, 2025. (Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot/Tribune News Service)

Garland’s Task Force would monitor suspected FACE Act violators for years, and abortion groups allegedly sent the Justice Department “security reports” or “dossiers” detailing the activities of pro-life activists, including their addresses and their driver’s license numbers, as well as photos of their families and minor children.

In 2021, a pro-choice group sent the Task Force and the FBI a 137-page memorandum detailing a pro-life conference, including the schedule, lodging, and several dossiers on numerous “anti-choice individuals.” Many of the individuals included in the dossiers were later prosecuted by the Justice Department.

The report said abortion groups repeatedly complained to the task force about a particular female pro-life activist.

TRUMP’S ‘TWO SEXES’ EXECUTIVE ORDER COMES ON HEELS OF SCOTUS ACCEPTING ANOTHER CHALLENGE TO LGBT AGENDA

Anti-abortion demonstrators holding a banner in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C.

Anti-abortion demonstrators hold a banner in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building during the annual March for Life rally in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 24, 2025. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)

“The Biden DOJ investigated this woman’s conduct around the country until one of the United States Attorney’s Offices brought charges,” the report stated. “After her conviction and lengthy sentence, the NGOs stopped complaining about her.”

The report alleged that the Task Force director would text with the National Abortion Federation’s security team and was in regular communication with Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Feminist Majority Foundation. NAF’s security team was dubbed the “MVP” by the Task Force for its ability to flag protests for the Justice Department “often in real-time, which usually result[ed] in an investigation/prosecution.”

The report suggests that in many instances the Task Force was alerted before local law enforcement could respond.

Concerned Women for America CEO and President Penny Nance called the Biden administration’s “unlawful weaponization and imprisonment” of pro-lifers “unconscionable.”

“And it’s an insidious revelation that the Biden Administration was working so intimately with abortion providers to persecute pro-life Americans,” Nance said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “No American should be subjected to the kind of partisan, politically motivated attacks pro-lifers have had to face — prosecution and imprisonment — for their freedom of speech.”

DOJ TASK FORCE FINDS ‘NUMEROUS INSTANCES’ OF ANTI-CHRISTIAN GOVERNMENT BIAS UNDER BIDEN

Attorney General Merrick Garland looking on as President Joe Biden speaks in the White House Rose Garden

President Joe Biden speaks in the White House Rose Garden as Attorney General Merrick Garland looks on during an event highlighting state and local leaders investing American Rescue Plan funds to improve community safety on May 13, 2022, in Washington, D.C.

In January 2025, Trump issued full and unconditional pardons to 23 pro-life activists and protesters who were prosecuted under the FACE Act.

The report comes just weeks after the Justice Department published an 800-page report revealing 700,000 internal records from the Biden administration that showed how the SAVE Act was unfairly used against conservative activists.

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“This Department will not tolerate a two-tiered system of justice,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “No Department should conduct selective prosecution based on beliefs. The weaponization that happened under the Biden Administration will not happen again, as we restore integrity to our prosecutorial system.”

A source close to Biden declined to comment. Fox News Digital reached out to the National Abortion Federation for comment.



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Vance and Ted Cruz head to Iowa for midterms and 2028 positioning


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Two of the biggest names in the Republican Party are making stops the next few days in Iowa, a key 2026 midterm battleground state whose caucuses, for a half century, have kicked off the GOP’s presidential nominating calendar.

Vice President JD Vance and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas will have the midterms on their minds during their visits, which come with just over six months to go until this year’s elections, when Republicans will be defending their slim Senate and razor-thin House majorities.

But the moment the midterms are over, the next presidential race officially gets underway. So the trips by Vance and Cruz may also pay dividends if either move forward and launch 2028 White House runs in the race to succeed term-limited President Donald Trump.

With three competitive House seats as well as what are expected to be close Senate and gubernatorial showdowns, veteran Republican strategist David Kochel said “Iowa’s important.”

KAMALA HARRIS FUELS MORE 2028 SPECULATION WITH A STOP IN THIS KEY PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY STATE

“Because of how competitive Iowa looks to be right now… there’s going to be a lot of money coming in and a lot of attention paid and because it’s Iowa, I think we’ll have a pretty healthy parade of 2028 potentials coming through to try to do what they can to help in the midterms,” Kochel emphasized. “It’s the best excuse to come to Iowa and get to know people and get seen and road test some messaging.”

Cruz heads to Iowa on Friday, where he’ll deliver the keynote address at the Annual Spring Kickoff for the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition, a very influential Iowa social conservative political advocacy group.

The title of the firebrand conservative senator’s speech is “Constitutional Courage — ‘Cruzing’ Toward Victory: A Roadmap for 2026.”

Cruz won the 2016 Iowa presidential caucuses, and was runner-up to Trump in that cycle’s combustible GOP presidential primaries. The senator took a hard look at making another run in the 2024 cycle before deciding to seek re-election to the Senate.

“There will be plenty of time to make those decisions. I don’t have an announcement for you today,” Cruz answered when asked by Fox News Digital recently if he was seriously considering another White House campaign.

STEPHEN A. SMITH WARNS ‘NOT A DAMN SOUL’ CAN BEAT VANCE-RUBIO TICKET IN 2028 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Sen. Ted Cruz speaking at a press conference with families at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Sen. Ted Cruz holds a press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 15, 2025. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)

But he appears to be laying the groundwork for a possible bid, as he positions himself as a conservative alternative to Vance, who is currently the odds-on favorite to be Trump’s MAGA and America First heir.

Cruz has grabbed plenty of attention with his clashes with far-right figures, such as Tucker Carlson, and he’s enhanced his already strong standing among conservative leaders and donors. And he’s bolstered his grassroots outreach with his popular and widely downloaded podcast, ‘Verdict with Ted Cruz.’

Vance stops in Iowa on Tuesday, where he’ll appear with Republican Rep. Zach Nunn, who’s facing a tough re-election this year in a swing district in southwestern portion of the state.

The trip — Vance’s first as vice president to either Iowa or New Hampshire, which follows Iowa and holds the first presidential primary in the GOP’s nominating calendar — comes before what is widely expected to be a Vance 2028 campaign for the White House in the race to succeed his boss.

WHITE HOUSE RACE UNDERWAY: WITH 2026 LOOMING, BOTH PARTIES ARE ALREADY PLAYING FOR 2028

Vice President JD Vance speaking at a Turning Point USA event in Athens, Georgia

Vice President JD Vance speaks at a Turning Point USA event at Akins Ford Arena at the Classic Center in Athens, Ga., on April 14, 2026. (Chip Somodevilla/Reuters)

“He’s going to get a lot exposure and TV coverage,” Kochel said of Vance.

Vance has demurred when questioned about 2028, labeling speculation as “premature” and “disloyal” to Trump. He has said he’s focused on his job as vice president and on helping Republicans defend their slim Senate and fragile House majorities in the midterms.

But Vance has built a political team of advisers who, if he runs as expected, would quickly build out a presidential campaign.

While Vance is the clear front-runner in the very early 2028 Republican presidential nomination polls, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has seen his support for a possible presidential bid soar this year, thanks to an increase in his responsibilities and public profile, most recently around the U.S. operation in Venezuela and the Iran war.

Rubio — who as a senator from Florida was part of the large field of GOP White House contenders who Trump defeated en route to winning the 2016 presidential election — finished a strong second to Vance last month in the 2028 Republican presidential nomination straw poll at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).

Partially fueling Rubio’s rise is Trump, who has lavishly praised his secretary of state.

The president recently declared that Rubio would go down as “the greatest secretary of state in history.”

‘ROCK STAR’ NEWSOM STEALS THE SHOW AT DNC SUMMIT AS DEMOCRATS HUNT FOR 2028 CONTENDER TO TAKE ON TRUMP

Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaking at the State Department in Washington, D.C.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks at the State Department, April 14, 2026. The U.S. announced sanctions on a Nicaraguan official tied to alleged human rights abuses under the Ortega-Murillo government. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Trump has also promoted a Vance-Rubio ticket — calling it “unstoppable” a few months ago—but has not said who should be at the top of the ticket.

But the president did say last year that Vance is “most likely” his heir apparent. “In all fairness, he’s the vice president,” Trump added.

Rubio told Vanity Fair late last year, “If JD Vance runs for president, he’s going to be our nominee, and I’ll be one of the first people to support him.”

Regardless, Republican sources earlier this year confirmed to Fox News that a group of GOP donors who support the secretary of state are quietly working on ways to boost Rubio’s political profile.

That’s not sitting well with some in the president’s political orbit.

“Vice President Vance is the future of the Republican Party and Marco Rubio is one of his closest friends in the administration,” an operative in Trump’s political orbit told Fox News.

“The divisive stories from some donors trying to cause chaos are not helpful,” the operative, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, emphasized.

Vance has also weighed in, telling Fox News’ Martha MacCallum in February that “Marco is my closest friend in the administration.”

And the vice president, in an interview on Fox News’ “The Story,” said, “I think it’s so interesting the media wants to create this conflict where there just isn’t any conflict.”

In addition to Vance, Cruz, and Rubio, political pundits consider a number of other well-known Republican politicians as possible 2028 presidential contenders.

VANCE IN ‘CATBIRD SEAT’ FOR 2028 GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION, BUT THESE REPUBLICANS MAY ALSO RUN

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaking at a news conference in Fort Lauderdale

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a news conference in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on July 22, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

They are Govs. Ron DeSantis of Florida, Brian Kemp of Georgia, Sarah-Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas, former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, and Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Josh Hawley of Missouri, and Rick Scott of Florida.

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Also not to be ignored is Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida, a MAGA champion who’s running for governor this year.

Then there is Donald Trump Jr., the president-elect’s eldest son and MAGA warrior. However, the younger Trump is very close to Vance, which would likely prevent him from making any White House bid in the next cycle.



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Congress faces Iran war deadline as Republicans block war powers vote


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Senate Democrats again failed to splinter Republicans’ unified support for President Donald Trump’s conflict with Iran amid the looming Friday deadline to curb his war powers.

The vote marks the sixth time Republicans have rejected a Democrat-led resolution aimed at handcuffing the president’s authority and halting the conflict. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., made one final push to limit Trump ahead of the deadline requiring Congress to decide whether the U.S. should or should not continue fighting in the Middle East. 

Sixty days after Trump’s first notification to Congress of his strikes in Iran is when lawmakers are supposed to either authorize or halt the war. That deadline hits Friday, May 1, when lawmakers are expected to be gone from Washington, D.C., for a weeklong recess.

HEGSETH TESTIFIES AT SENATE AS IRAN WAR’S $25B PRICE TAG AND 60-DAY WAR POWERS DEADLINE LOOM

President Donald Trump waves

U.S. President Donald Trump waves after landing at Joint Base Andrews as he returns to Washington on April 25, 2026, in Maryland. (Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images)

While some Republicans have raised issue with extending the conflict past the 60-day mark and are mulling an Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF), Schiff said that side effort was “too late.

“The mere introduction of one is not sufficient,” Schiff said. “And there’s no way that’s going to pass both houses and get signed by the president today.” 

Meanwhile, Republicans argue that Trump has unilateral authority, without Congress’ explicit say-so, to continue the war for 30 more days. However, that window is meant to be a drawdown period to pull out military assets and prevent a sudden and possibly chaotic exit rather than continue a raging and active conflict.

So far, Trump’s move to indefinitely extend the ceasefire in the region has held.

AFTER THIRD ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, DEBATE GROWS OVER WHETHER TRUMP ATTACK WARRANTS ANOTHER INVESTIGATION

Sen. Adam Schiff speaking on Meet the Press in Washington D.C.

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., appears on “Meet the Press” in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 5, 2025. (Shannon Finney/NBC)

For now, it appears there isn’t a desire to put an authorization vote on the floor. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has deferred that decision to his Republican colleagues, rather than unilaterally force the issue.

“At this point, I don’t see that,” Thune said. “I mean, I think they’re, you know, obviously getting readouts from our military leadership on a somewhat regular basis that, I think, will be helpful in terms of shaping the views of our members about how comfortable they are with … everything that’s happening there and the direction heading forward. But as of right now, I’m not hearing that.”

The decision to punt Congress’ authority comes as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth this week made his first appearance on Capitol Hill since the war began.

REPUBLICANS EYE PICKING UP $400M TAB FOR TRUMP’S BALLROOM AS SOME DEMS OPEN TO ‘DISCUSS’ IDEA

Senate Majority Leader John Thune speaking at a press conference in Washington, D.C.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., speaks at a press conference with Senate Republican leaders following a policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on April 21, 2026. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Though his hearings before the House and Senate Armed Services committees were billed as an opportunity to dig into the Pentagon’s eye-popping $1.5 trillion budget request, lawmakers instead used their time to grill Hegseth on the Iran war.

One made-for-TV back-and-forth included the revelation that the war has so far cost taxpayers $25 billion.

Democrats contend that figure doesn’t add up and argue that the money could be spent elsewhere to combat rising costs for Americans.

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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said it was past time for Republicans to break from the administration, and he blamed Trump and Hegseth for the ongoing war.

“Our greatest challenge in Iran is Donald Trump and Secretary Hegseth, and Americans know it,” Schumer said. “The war is unpopular. They blame Trump for it, of course.”

“The greatest obstacle to peace is the incompetence of the Secretary of Defense and of the President of the United States,” he continued. 



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House, Senate approve 45-day Section 702 extension


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Congress punted a long-term fix for a controversial spy law for the second time in a month as lawmakers raced to avoid a lapse in the government’s warrantless surveillance powers set to expire Friday at midnight.

Both chambers approved a 45-day extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) before leaving Washington on Thursday, allowing lawmakers more time to negotiate reforms to the hotly contested program.

President Donald Trump, who wants a clean extension of the surveillance program, is expected to sign the measure into law.

The Senate first agreed to extend the law to mid-June by voice vote, which was quickly followed by the House of Representatives clearing the extension measure in a bipartisan manner.

HOUSE PASSES FISA RENEWAL IN BIPARTISAN VOTE, PUTTING PRESSURE ON SENATE BEFORE LOOMING DEADLINE

Speaker Mike Johnson standing still and looking toward reporters in a hallway at the Capitol.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., pauses for questions from reporters as he arrives for an early closed-door Republican Conference meeting at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and the majority of GOP lawmakers argued the spy authority was too critical to lapse.

“If we go to bed tonight and we don’t have that program in place, I fear there will be blood on our hands,” Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., said earlier on Thursday.

“We can’t have FISA go dark,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told reporters prior to the vote.

The bicameral agreement for a short-term fix came after the Senate swiftly rejected a House bill extending the Section 702 program for three years. The lower chamber’s measure included modest reforms to the program and a permanent ban on central bank digital currencies (CBDC) — a priority of conservatives associated with the House Freedom Caucus. 

But the inclusion of that provision was a nonstarter in the Senate, given that it was unrelated to the underlying bill and was already baked into a housing affordability package passed by the Senate in March that the House has yet to move on.

“We’ll kick it over there and process it quickly, and we’ll kick the can down the road again,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told Fox News Digital.

More than two dozen GOP privacy hawks voted against the Senate-passed measure. The group sharply criticized the Senate for quashing the House proposal and argued the upper chamber was trying to jam them with a clean extension including none of their reforms.

“The House needs to stand strong and send it back and say we won’t accept that,” Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, a GOP privacy hawk, told Fox News. “You need to have a warrant or CBDC on it.”

“Everything that we did yesterday, the Senate has said we won’t take,” the Texas Republican added. “That’s what the Senate thinks of the House.” 

House Democrats were split over the 45-day extension with 94 lawmakers voting in the affirmative and 85 opposing the measure.

The process in the upper chamber was nearly derailed when Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., announced that he planned to block the Senate’s alternative plan in favor of a shorter, three-week extension. 

HOUSE PUNTS TRUMP SPY POWERS EXTENSION AFTER CONSERVATIVES BLOCK DEAL, FORCING END-OF-MONTH SHOWDOWN

Senate Majority Leader John Thune speaking to reporters outside the Senate Chamber in Washington, D.C.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., talks to reporters before entering the Senate chamber in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 5, 2026. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)

The spy law fight is one of the few horseshoe issues in Congress that blends Democrats and conservatives in a push for stronger privacy protections. That’s because of the Section 702 spying powers, which allow the government to spy on foreign nationals abroad. 

However, nothing in the law prevents it from collecting data on Americans if they happen to be involved in those communications. To stop that, Wyden and others are demanding warrant requirements to add a layer of protection for Americans’ whose conversations are ensnared under Section 702. 

The House’s version lacked that reform, but Wyden agreed to an extension after working with Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Mark Warner, D-Va., the top lawmakers on the Senate Intelligence panel, to send a letter to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and the acting Attorney General to declassify a FISA court ruling to show how the program is being used against Americans. 

Meanwhile, conversations on reforms are still ongoing. 

Ron Wyden looks on

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., leaves a Senate Democratic meeting at the U.S. Capitol Building on Oct. 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

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Thune said that there was “already a pretty substantial dialogue” between Cotton, Warner, their House counterparts and the White House to address reforms while ensuring that the “program works.” 

“So we’re entertaining those ideas at the moment, and we’ll see where that conversation goes,” Thune said. “We got 45 days. I don’t like kicking the can down the road, not my jam.”

The Trump administration has lobbied Congress for weeks to pass a long-term FISA renewal bill with little to no modifications, but has repeatedly failed to make headway. 

“This department strongly supports the reauthorization of FISA 702,” Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers Wednesday. “It is not hyperbole to say many of the most important missions we have executed could not have happened without the intelligence gathered through FISA 702.”



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Trump calls Sen. Bill Cassidy ‘disloyal’ over Surgeon General block


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President Trump accused Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., on Thursday of being “very disloyal” and playing “political games” over his opposition to the confirmation of the commander-in-chief’s second Surgeon General nominee.

The President concluded his remarks by urging voters to replace the Louisiana Republican. In a Truth Social post, Trump assailed Cassidy over the failure to secure D. Casey Means’ confirmation.

“For months, Senator Bill Cassidy (of the GREAT State of Louisiana!), a very disloyal person whose ‘TRUMP’ Endorsement got him elected, but later voted to impeach ‘President Trump’ on what has now proven to be a total Hoax and Scam, has stood in the way of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Nominee, Casey Means, for the important position of U.S. Surgeon General,” Trump wrote.

He described Means as a “strong MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) Warrior” who “will continue to fight for MAHA on the many important health issues facing our Country.”

TRUMP BLASTS GOP WAR POWERS DEFECTORS, SAYS THEY ‘SHOULD NEVER BE ELECTED TO OFFICE AGAIN’

Dr. Casey Means speaking at a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Casey Means appears at a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 25, 2026. She is the nominee for medical director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service and U.S. surgeon general. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Means’ brother, Calley Means, who serves as a White House advisor, also blamed Cassidy for the failed nomination.

“Bill Cassidy is a mindless avatar for his donors and a blind defender of the status quo system that is profiting from American sickness,” he wrote on X. “At every turn during Casey’s confirmation, Bill Cassidy worked to delay her and smear her. For several months last year, Bill Cassidy knew Casey’s due date. He demanded to schedule her hearing on her due date, and at the last minute scheduled it two days later.”

“He could have scheduled it weeks before,” he added. “Casey ended up having her baby the hour her first hearing was scheduled.”

TRUMP PRESSURES 4 GOP SENATORS AHEAD OF ANTI-CANADIAN TARIFF VOTE, ACCUSING THEM OF ‘TDS’

Sen. Bill Cassidy

Chairman Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) speaks during a nomination hearing for Dr. Casey Means, for the medical director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service and U.S. surgeon general during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on February 25, 2026 in Washington, DC.  (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images))

In a subsequent post, Trump announced the nomination of Dr. Nicole Saphier, a former Fox News Channel contributor. He called her “a STAR physician” who has spent her career guiding women through breast cancer diagnoses while “tirelessly advocating to increase early cancer detection and prevention for both men and women.”

Trump further urged voters to replace Cassidy, who faces primary challenges from Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming and Rep. Julia Letlow, R-La.

President Donald Trump standing next to surgeon general nominee Dr. Casey Means

President Donald Trump announced Dr. Casey Means as his nominee for surgeon general. (Getty Images/AP Newsroom)

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Means had previously appeared before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, which Cassidy chairs. During the proceeding, Cassidy raised concerns regarding her views on vaccinations.

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



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