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Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries ripped Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a Fox News Digital interview on Thursday, calling him a “lame duck” after the governor offered to pay for his trip to Florida amid a redistricting push.

Jeffries warned DeSantis he could put Republican seats at risk as the Sunshine State remains in the spotlight of a nationwide gerrymandering battle, with parties reshuffling congressional districts for partisan advantages.

“Ron DeSantis is putting his own congressional delegation in jeopardy, which probably shouldn’t be surprising because all of them, as I understand it, can’t stand the charismatically challenged lame duck governor of Florida,” Jeffries said.

CALIFORNIA REPUBLICANS SUE TO STOP NEWSOM, DEMOCRATS FROM PUSHING REDISTRICTING PLAN

DeSantis extended the invitation to Jeffries at a press conference in Kissimmee, Florida, on Wednesday following Jeffries’ “F around and find out” warning on redistricting.

“Please. Be my guest. I will pay for you to come down to Florida to campaign,” DeSantis told the crowd. “I’ll put you up in the Florida governor’s mansion. We will take you fishing. We’ll do all this stuff. There’s nothing that could be better for Republicans in Florida than to see Jeffries, Hakeem Jeffries, everywhere around this state.”

Jeffries warned DeSantis earlier this week not to follow Texas’s lead, where Republicans pushed a redistricting map to flip up to five Democratic-held seats.

“Our message to Florida Republicans is F around and find out,” Jeffries said. “If they go down the road of a DeSantis dummymander, the Florida Republicans are gonna find themselves in the same situation as Texas Republicans, who are on the run right now. Under no circumstances are Texas Republicans picking up five seats. They’ll be fortunate if they get two or three. While in California, we are going to get all five.”

BATTLE FOR THE HOUSE RUNS THROUGH VIRGINIA AS COURT OKS HIGH-STAKES REDISTRICTING VOTE

Multiple states have moved forward with similar redistricting efforts following a push initiated by President Donald Trump.

Jeffries added that the redistricting war is not over yet.

“The Republicans are dummymandering their way into the minority before a single voter casts a ballot because they started this war and we’re going to finish it.”

With the 2026 midterms approaching, both parties hope to win the House by leveraging gerrymandering.

President Trump urged Virginia voters this week to reject the “blatant partisan power grab” in Virginia before voters headed to the polls to vote on the congressional redistricting referendum, led by Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger.

The referendum was passed on Tuesday night, securing Virginia Democrats a major win and increasing the party’s chances in the midterms.

FIRST ELECTION TEST FOR TRUMP’S TERM SURPRISINGLY CLOSE IN FL, GOP LOOKS TO INCREASE RAZOR-THIN HOUSE MAJORITY

DeSantis called a special session this week to focus on congressional maps that he says will “accurately reflect the population of our state.” Florida’s state constitution bans favoring parties in redistricting.

Eight Democratic-held districts are up for redrawing. Currently, Republicans hold 20 of Florida’s seats, while Democrats hold eight.

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A redistricting plan has not been revealed.

Fox News Digital’s Leo Briceno contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: A conservative policy group is launching an investigation into Virginia’s redistricting amendment vote after a court blocked certification of the results, raising new questions from critics about how the referendum was conducted and whether election procedures were properly followed.

The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) is initiating a multipart probe focused on mail-in ballot handling and alleged classroom political influence, Fox News Digital has learned.

The move comes as the legal fight over the amendment intensifies, with multiple lawsuits pending and the Virginia Supreme Court set to hear oral arguments Monday.

VOTER-ROLL SCRUTINY ESCALATES IN MINNESOTA AS BIGGEST COUNTIES FACE SWEEPING RECORDS DEMANDS

AFPI’s legal team said the first phase of its investigation will involve records requests to several Virginia counties seeking communications and documentation related to how mail-in and absentee ballots were handled during the election. 

The requests target how applications were processed, how ballots were distributed and accepted, how they were stored and what guidance election officials were operating under.

The group argues those materials are public records required under Virginia law and should clarify whether proper procedures were followed.

“The questions we’re asking aren’t complicated,” said Leigh Ann O’Neil, AFPI’s chief legal affairs officer. “Was the election conducted according to state and federal law? Did teachers improperly turn students into a private grassroots army? And, if so, what will the school district do about it? These are basic questions that demand answers no matter how you voted on Tuesday.”

A second component of the investigation focuses on Fairfax County Public Schools, where AFPI is seeking records related to civics class materials and instruction.

CARVILLE AND CO-HOST LAMENT THAT TRUMP SPARKED A REDISTRICTING WAR, MAKING BOTH PARTIES LOOK CYNICAL

According to the group, some parents have alleged that teachers commented on parents’ political beliefs and encouraged students to persuade their parents how to vote on the referendum. AFPI argues that, if confirmed, such conduct could violate state law, federal law and school district policy governing political activity in publicly-funded classrooms.

The group said it is also sending a letter to the Fairfax County superintendent urging an internal investigation into what it described as “highly concerning reports of partisan voter influence.”

The investigation lands amid a growing legal fight over the amendment. A Virginia court has already moved to block certification of the vote, and the dispute is now moving toward the state’s highest court.

VIRGINIA JUDGE VOIDS REDISTRICTING PUSH, RULES LAWMAKERS OVERSTEPPED AUTHORITY

There are currently three legal challenges pending in Virginia courts, including an original lawsuit brought by state Republicans, which the Virginia Supreme Court is set to hear Monday. There is also a separate case filed in Richmond by GOP Reps. John McGuire and Rob Wittman and a challenge in Tazewell County, where Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley ruled the referendum unconstitutional. An appeal from Virginia Democrat Attorney General Jay Jones is expected.

A ruling in the primary case could come within weeks, with courts under pressure to act before Virginia’s August primary and late-July deadlines for voter registration and mail-in ballots.

AFPI said its investigation is intended to ensure transparency as the legal process unfolds, arguing that if election procedures were properly followed, the records will confirm it — and if not, Virginia voters deserve answers.

The Virginia Supreme Court hearing will be livestreamed, allowing the public to follow arguments as the case moves forward. Meanwhile, AFPI said its probe will continue in phases, with additional findings and requests expected in the coming weeks.

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The Virginia Department of Elections and Fairfax County Public Schools did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News’ Bill Mears and Mark Meredith contributed to this reporting.

A Mexican native green card holder who recently served as mayor of a small Kansas town pleaded guilty to voter fraud after illegally voting multiple times, according to federal authorities. He also falsely claimed U.S. citizenship on voter registration documents.

The case comes as debate continues over voter fraud and election integrity, with the Trump administration pushing measures aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration and tightening election safeguards.

Jose “Joe” Ceballos, who formerly served as mayor of Coldwater, Kansas, for two terms, pleaded guilty this week to three counts of disorderly election conduct following a prosecution by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach’s office, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Ceballos also has a prior conviction for battery in 1995. He was issued a green card in 1990 and applied for U.S. citizenship in February.

COLOMBIAN WOMAN CHARGED WITH ILLEGALLY VOTING IN 2024 ELECTION STEALING $400,000 IN TAXPAYER FUNDED BENEFITS

On that citizenship application, federal authorities allege he falsely claimed that he had never previously claimed to be a U.S. citizen.

Assistant DHS Secretary Lauren Bis credited the Trump-era SAVE program for helping bring Ceballos to justice.

The database is used to help states determine who is in the country legally versus illegally, but Democrats, including the Shapiro administration in Pennsylvania, have blamed alleged discrepancies in the system after illegal immigrant truckers were found to hold their state’s CDLs.

“The SAVE program is a critical tool for state and local governments to safeguard the integrity of elections across the country,” Bis said. “President Trump has been unequivocal: Nothing is more fundamental than the integrity and security of our elections.”

Bis said the Ceballos case is an exemplar for why Congress must pass the SAVE America Act, which she called “commonsense legislation that requires voters to present photo ID and implements other critical measures to protect federal elections from fraud.”

“Our elections belong to American citizens, not foreign citizens,” she said.

STATE CONSERVATIVES DEMAND ACTION ON NONCITIZEN VOTING: ‘TIME FOR CONGRESS TO LISTEN’

Bis’ office shared with Fox News Digital a facsimile of a Kansas state voter registration form on which Ceballos falsely claimed to be a citizen, as well as his naturalization application on which he had attested that he had never made such a claim.

Since April 2025, more than 24,000 cases have been identified via the SAVE system as potential noncitizens who were on the voter rolls, according to DHS.

In November, Kobach announced the original charges against Ceballos, describing him as “recently reelected” in Coldwater.

NICK SHIRLEY ALLEGES POTENTIAL VOTER FRAUD LOOPHOLE IN CALIFORNIA THAT COULD ENABLE ILLEGALS TO VOTE

At the time, USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser called the situation “absolutely unacceptable and sad,” but said it was no surprise “given the years of lax voting security in the United States.”

 “From day one, the Trump administration has made strengthening the SAVE program a top priority so states can verify that only U.S. citizens are on the voter rolls,” he said.

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“I’m grateful that President Trump implemented the SAVE program to help states and to prevent situations like this,” added Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab.

Fox News Digital’s Kiera McDonald contributed to this report.

There’s no let up in the verbal fireworks between House Democratic Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida in their war of words over congressional redistricting.

One day after DeSantis on Wednesday taunted Jeffries, saying “there’s nothing that could be better for Republicans in Florida than to see Jeffries … everywhere around this state,” the top Democrat in the House fired back.

Pointing to the announcement Thursday morning from a top super PAC aligned with House Democrats that it will shell out $20 million to target potentially vulnerable Florida Republican members of Congress, Jeffries said the move is “making it clear that we’re on offense. That’s our Democratic gift to Ron DeSantis and the Florida Republicans, who he is putting in jeopardy.“

The trading of trash talk between the congressman from New York and the two-term Sunshine State governor comes ahead of next week’s special session of the Florida legislature that DeSantis called to enact congressional redistricting to create additional right-leaning U.S. House seats.

DESANTIS, JEFFRIES TRADE VERBAL FIRE OVER CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING

Florida is the latest battleground between President Donald Trump and Republicans versus Democrats in the high-stakes showdown over congressional redistricting. Both parties have been redrawing the House district lines in states they control to gain partisan advantages heading into this year’s midterm elections, when the GOP will be defending its razor-thin congressional majority.

Pressure from fellow Republicans is mounting on DeSantis to take action after the passage earlier this week in Virginia of a congressional redistricting referendum, which if it clears legal hurdles, will give the Democrat-controlled legislature — rather than the current nonpartisan commission — temporary redistricting power through the 2030 election.

It could result in a 10-1 advantage for Democrats in Virginia’s congressional delegation, up from their current 6-5 edge.

VIRGINIA VOTE GIVES DEMOCRATS MIDTERM MAP EDGE – SPARKS GOP BLAME GAME

DeSantis called next week’s special session to create more GOP-friendly congressional seats in a state where Republicans currently control 20 of 28 congressional districts.

But the road ahead for Florida Republicans isn’t easy: they already changed the House district lines four years ago, and it’s illegal under the state constitution to draw maps for partisan gain, which is known as gerrymandering.

Jeffries on Wednesday took aim at what he’s dubbed “dummymander,” which is a play on gerrymander, and argued that redrawing the maps in a state where the GOP suffered setbacks earlier this year in special legislative elections would harm Republican members of Congress.

“Our message to Florida Republicans is, ‘F around and find out,’” Jeffries told reporters as he referenced next week’s redistricting legislative session. Jeffries said the redistricting move would lead Democrats to increase their target list of vulnerable Florida House Republicans.

He warned DeSantis and Republicans that “the electoral tide is turning in Florida,”

DEMOCRATS NARROWLY WIN CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING SHOWDOWN IN VIRGINIA

Pushing back, DeSantis said “Please. Be my guest. I will pay for you to come down to Florida to campaign.”

“I’ll put you up in the Florida governor’s mansion. We will take you fishing,” the governor added.

Aiming to prevent what happened during his first term in the White House when Democrats reclaimed the House majority in the 2018 midterms, Trump last spring first floated the idea of rare, but not unheard of, mid-decade congressional redistricting.

The mission was simple: redraw congressional district maps in red states to pad the GOP’s fragile House majority to keep control of the chamber in the midterms, when the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats.

When asked by reporters last summer about his plan to add Republican-leaning House seats across the country, the president said, “Texas will be the biggest one. And that’ll be five.”

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas called a special session of the GOP-dominated state legislature to pass the new map.

But Democratic state lawmakers, who broke quorum for two weeks as they fled Texas in a bid to delay the passage of the redistricting bill, energized Democrats across the country.

Among those leading the fight against Trump’s redistricting was Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California.

DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB

California voters in November overwhelmingly passed Proposition 50, a ballot initiative that temporarily sidetracked the left-leaning state’s nonpartisan redistricting commission and returned the power to draw the congressional maps to the Democratic-dominated legislature.

That is expected to result in five more Democratic-leaning congressional districts in California, which aimed to counter the move by Texas to redraw their maps.

The fight quickly spread beyond Texas and California.

Republican-controlled Missouri and Ohio and swing state North Carolina, where the GOP dominates the legislature, have drawn new maps as part of the president’s push.

In blows to Republicans, a Utah district judge late last year rejected a congressional district map drawn by the state’s GOP-dominated legislature and instead approved an alternate that will create a Democratic-leaning district ahead of the midterms.

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Republicans in Indiana’s Senate in December defied Trump, shooting down a redistricting bill that had passed the state House. The showdown in the Indiana statehouse grabbed plenty of national attention.

Virginia was in the redistricting spotlight the past month, leading up to this week’s election, where the Democrat-supported referendum passed by a narrow three-point margin.

Now, the fight moves to Florida, where the special legislative session gets underway Tuesday.

But no proposed maps have been circulated yet to state lawmakers, and DeSantis and Republicans in the legislature have had strained relations.

Regardless, there’s pressure coming from Washington, in wake of the Virginia vote, for Florida to take action.

“Florida has the right and the intention to do it. And my view is that they should,” House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters on Wednesday when asked if Florida’s maps should be redrawn in time for the midterms.

Navy Secretary John Phelan was removed from his post after months of tensions with senior Pentagon leadership, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.

Multiple officials told Fox News Digital that both War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg had concerns with Phelan’s leadership, and tensions had simmered for months. One flashpoint came after Hegseth fired Phelan’s chief of staff, John Harrison, in October 2025, according to sources.

Those frustrations were in part fueled by concerns over Phelan’s execution of major shipbuilding programs, one source confirmed.

But President Donald Trump struck a different tone publicly, praising Phelan in a post on Truth Social Thursday afternoon. 

NAVY SECRETARY DEPARTS IMMEDIATELY AS UNDERSECRETARY TAKES OVER IN ACTING ROLE

“John Phelan is a long time friend, and very successful businessman, who did an outstanding job serving as my Secretary Of The Navy for the last year,” Trump wrote. “John helped my Administration rebuild Sleepy Joe Biden’s rapidly depleted, and almost abandoned, Navy. Now, because of John, and all of the Great Men and Women lovingly and tirelessly involved, we have the strongest Navy in the World — BY FAR!”

Trump added that he would “certainly like to have him back within the Trump Administration sometime in the future” and said Phelan “decided to move on,” a characterization at odds with what other administration officials have told Fox News Digital.

A senior administration official said Trump and Hegseth “agreed new leadership at the Navy is needed.” 

The official added that Hegseth informed Phelan of the decision before Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell announced the move in a post on X Wednesday. 

The leadership shakeup comes at a critical moment for the Navy, as U.S. forces confront escalating tensions amid a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iranian attacks and mine threats have disrupted a vital global oil choke point. It also comes as Trump has pushed the Navy into a “wartime footing” for expanding the nation’s lagging shipbuilding capacity. 

Phelan, a billionaire and former fundraiser for Trump, and his wife, Amy, hosted a bridal shower for Donald Trump Jr’s fiancé at Mar-a-Lago in mid-April. 

Other Navy insiders described the tensions as more personal, saying Hegseth grew frustrated that Phelan at times bypassed him and took issues directly to Trump.

Phelan declined to comment to Fox News Digital. Hegseth aides could not be reached for comment on the tensions. 

Phelan is the second senior level Pentagon official to lose his job in April after Army chief of staff Randy George, in the midst of the U.S. operation against Iran. His exit also comes amid a broader Cabinet shakeup: Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-Deremer all departed their roles since March.

Phelan’s departure also comes amid heightened pressure on the Navy to address persistent shipbuilding challenges. The Navy’s Columbia-class submarine program — its top priority — remains behind schedule and over budget, with delivery of the lead vessel now expected to be delayed by roughly 17 months into 2029.

More broadly, major Navy shipbuilding programs have continued to face delays and cost pressures during Phelan’s roughly yearlong tenure, even as he made shipbuilding a central focus of his leadership. He launched reviews of major programs and pushed changes aimed at accelerating production, while the Navy has invested heavily in efforts to address workforce shortages and production bottlenecks, including a $900 million initiative in 2026 to automate submarine manufacturing.

Tensions escalated as Feinberg moved to centralize oversight of major shipbuilding programs, in some cases stripping Phelan of authority over key efforts, according to New York Times reporting citing a congressional official.

Phelan also drew scrutiny in recent days after suggesting the Navy could explore alternatives such as outsourcing shipbuilding as it grapples with capacity constraints.

“Everything’s on the table,” Phelan said at the Sea-Air-Space conference Monday. “We just need to look at it, understand it, understand the implications behind it and decide if we think that makes sense or not.”

ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF ORDERED TO RETIRE IMMEDIATELY AS HEGSETH CONTINUES PENTAGON SHAKEUP

Hung Cao, the Navy’s under secretary, has stepped in as acting Navy secretary following Phelan’s removal, bringing a sharply different background and leadership profile to the role. Unlike Phelan, a businessman, Cao is a retired Navy captain and special operations officer who served more than two decades in the military, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, before entering politics and later joining the Pentagon’s civilian leadership.

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Cao has also emerged as a prominent voice within the Trump administration on military culture and readiness, taking a hardline stance on recruiting and force standards.

In a political debate while he was running for the Virginia Senate seat in October 2024, Cao said: “When you’re using a drag queen…to recruit for the Navy, that’s not the people we need. What we need is alpha males and alpha females who are going to rip out their own guts, eat them and ask for seconds.”

Virginia’s redistricting fight is headed to the state’s high court Thursday after a red-county judge who previously tried to spurn the “yes” camp threw a wrench into the certification process late Wednesday.

The situation sets up a clash between the judge who halted certification and the state Supreme Court, which allowed the referendum to proceed while challenges remained under review. Virginia Republicans are urging the courts to take up their challenge to the ballot measure, which voters approved 51%-49% and is expected to redraw the state’s congressional districts to give Democrats a 10-1 majority in the House delegation. GOP officials argue the ballot measure process was illegitimate, and pressure is on to save every Republican-held House seat they can with the U.S. midterm elections fast approaching and the Republican majority in Congress hanging by a thread. 

“[On Tuesday] Virginians saw exactly what happens when a misleading, rigged question is shoved onto the ballot,” state Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover, told Fox News Digital. “If this were really about fairness, the advocates wouldn’t have needed to blow $90 million-plus to trick voters. Litigation is still pending with the courts, but the bottom line is clear: Virginians deserve far better.”

The Supreme Court of Virginia (SCOVA) in March stayed an earlier injunction from Tazewell County Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley Jr., clearing the way for the referendum to advance while making clear it had not ruled on the merits. Hurley ruled again late Wednesday, declaring the ballot language unconstitutional and blocking certification of the results.

JEFFRIES DEFENDS VIRGINIA REDISTRICTING AS ‘TEMPORARY MEASURE’ TO STOP TRUMP FROM TRYING TO ‘RIG’ MIDTERMS

A legislative source familiar told Fox News Digital that SCOVA is not likely to play ball on that matter and instead will continue its own litigation of the cases and potentially rebuke Hurley. Still, certification of the election is now paused despite Thursday’s SCOVA filing date.

Shortly after the ruling came down, Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones, a Democrat who beat GOP incumbent Jason Miyares in November, indicated his office will “immediately file an appeal.”

“As I said last night, Virginia voters have spoken, and an activist judge should not have veto power over the People’s vote.” Jones said in a statement.

Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) chairman Jeff Ryer told Fox News Digital in a Wednesday interview that the party is directly involved in a case before Richmond City Circuit Court that is also challenging the new maps.

According to an RPV statement, that case is titled RNC v. VA State Board of Elections, and a decision on any injunction blocking the new maps is expected next week.

Koski v. RNC and another case, Scott v. McDougle, were filed challenging the allegedly misleading ballot language and procedures that led up to the map redraw and the election itself.

Reps. Morgan Griffith and Ben Cline, R-Va., joined the RNC in its Koski case, which focuses in part on state law requiring an “intervening election” to be held before a referendum can go to voters and argued that early voting having begun before the referendum-drafting process started made the vote “void ab initio.”

DAVID MARCUS: RICH MEN NORTH OF RICHMOND SET TO STEAL THE VOTES OF RURAL VIRGI

McDougle’s case argues lawmakers improperly used an old special session called by then-Gov. Glenn Youngkin to push through the referendum, among other procedural violations — a claim that goes to the heart of whether the process itself was constitutional.

Hurley ruled in McDougle’s favor on January 27 before SCOVA intervened after a Democrat appeal on February 13 to let the election move forward, but said it would still review the merits of that case.

Former U.S. Attorney John Fishwick Jr., of the Roanoke-based Western District of Virginia, told Fox News Digital that the Virginia Supreme Court had issued its postponement hoping that voters would vote “no” and moot any necessary legal action.

“Now there is white heat on this Court but there are strong arguments that the legislature did not follow its own rules when it passed this proposed amendment,” Fishwick said, predicting a “prompt” decision.

FEDERAL COURT CLEARS CALIFORNIA’S NEW HOUSE MAP BOOSTING DEMOCRATS AHEAD OF 2026 MIDTERMS

Del. Wren Williams, R-Stuart, an attorney who had favored allowing counties to decline election preparations until SCOVA stayed Hurley’s ruling, argued the referendum was illegitimate and the results should be tossed.

“There are huge constitutional issues with this process to begin with,” said Williams in an exclusive interview. “There’s a 1952 case where Arlington threw out their own referendum. And in this case, people can say the voters decided all they want, but they didn’t decide based on the process that we have in the Constitution.”

Williams said a short time before Hurley’s ruling that everything is essentially “parked” at SCOVA in Richmond, waiting to be consolidated and ruled upon.

VIRGINIA DEMS ACCUSED OF ILLEGALLY ‘STEAMROLLING’ STATE LAW THAT COULD UPEND REDISTRICTING CRUSADE

Williams said it was clear the election was made to be more about President Donald Trump than Virginia voters.

That assertion would help the case of Reps. Rob Wittman and John McGuire, R-Va., whose filing challenging Democrats’ “to restore fairness” language describing the referendum at the ballot box is being heard.

Ryer said Wittman and McGuire’s case has been consolidated into the Koski-RNC case.

He remained optimistic about all cases, and pledged that either way, the RPV will have nominees for all 11 seats, redistricted or not; calling Tuesday’s vote an encouraging sign.

“This is the best performance for anything that’s been Republican-aligned in the state since the 2021 election and i think it does demonstrate that Virginia is still a purple state,” Ryer said, as the results depicted about a 12-point swing to the right from former Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears’ loss in November.

House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore, R-Gate City, added that rural Virginia came out strong to try to offset the Washington suburbs.

“We’re still fighting. We’re still fighting in the courts. We think we’re going to win in the courts. The language was so misleading. They didn’t follow the statutes they were supposed to follow. There’s a lot of missteps that happened during the process. So we feel comfortable going on to the next phase,” he said.

Democrats remained bullish that the election results will stand in the wake of Hurley’s ruling and court activity commencing at SCOVA Thursday, with “Ready for Hillary” founder Adam Parkhomenko saying on X that “Virginia voters spoke. MAGA lost. And now a rogue Republican judge is trying to override the will of the people because they didn’t like the outcome.”

If the cases fail, many redistricting opponents still have faith.

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Del. Delores Oates, R-Front Royal, said in a statement that the “YES” crew did not get a “mandate” and that the new 10-1 map may also be a sign.

“Isaiah 10:1 [says] woe to those who make unjust laws; to those who issue oppressive decrees.”

“Stop looking at Zillow and start planning for November,” Oates said. “We stay and we fight for Virginia.”

Fox News Digital’s Ashley Oliver and Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, is throwing his hat in the ring for the role of House Oversight and Government Reform Committee chairman.

House Republicans impose a six-year term limit for committee chairs, meaning current Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., can’t serve in the role for an additional term. 

Fallon is now the only declared Republican candidate for the role. 

“I think one of the missions should be to expose the hypocrisy and lack of direction of the left. They’re focusing on divisiveness and opposing President Trump,” Fallon told Fox News Digital during an exclusive interview. “How about focusing on the country and the growth and prosperity of the greatest country history has ever known?”

FLORIDA REPUBLICAN REP NEAL DUNN ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM CONGRESS AFTER FIVE TERMS

The Texas congressman specifically pointed out he intends to tackle and expose the rampant fraud that has rocked the country, COVID-19 misuse of taxpayer dollars, and the foreign funding behind agitator groups that have plagued college campuses and cities across the country. 

“If a foreign national that is beyond our jurisdiction is funding a protest, anti-American protest, we need to expose the Americans that are taking the funds,” Fallon told Fox News Digital. “The left would have you believe that every political protest is organic. It’s just people that are fed up and they get on social media and they talk to other like-minded folks. 

“And they say, the powers that be, we will hold you [accountable]. That’s not what’s going on here,” Fallon added. “If you were in Beijing, if you were a Chinese communist, what better way to chip away at an open society than fund their malcontents?”

MUTINY THREAT SPARKS HOUSE GOP INFIGHTING AHEAD OF TRUMP VISIT: ‘JUST MORE STUPID’

Fallon was sworn into the U.S. Congress in January 2021. A former Air Force captain and graduate of Notre Dame, he represents parts of northeastern Texas.

In regard to widescale Medicare and Medicaid fraud being exposed in various states across the U.S., Fallon said no states are off limits for investigation, but that mismanagement of state policy can make a difference in fraud prevention. 

“Medicare, Medicaid fraud, particularly Medicaid fraud is systemic across the country, red and blue states,” Fallon explained. “The difference is in the red states, where this fraud is occurring, the leadership is far more apt to expose it once they get a hint that something’s going on, [whereas] the blue states largely look the other way. That’s the biggest difference.”

COMER VOWS MINNESOTA FRAUD PROBE WILL EXPAND TO OTHER STATES AMID MOUNTING SCRUTINY

“If you get caught most of the time, and this is what most Americans have no idea, it’s not even, you’re not even criminally prosecuted,” Fallon continued. “It’s a civil action that’s taken. You’re compelled to pay some of that money back and then you just go along your way. And you can’t work with the federal government anymore.”

“That’s a pretty light sentence for stealing a significant amount of funds,” Fallon added. 

The GOP faces an uphill battle in the 2026 midterm elections, which will determine whether the Republican Party maintains the majority in both the House and Senate.

A NARROW MARGIN: TRUMP TAPS HOUSE REPUBLICANS FOR HIS SECOND ADMINISTRATION

President Donald Trump traveled to Nevada and Arizona last week to tout his Working Families Tax Cuts, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which includes policies surrounding no tax on tips and overtime. 

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., as well as other Republican senators have been hitting the road for several weeks as the GOP looks to promote economic opportunity ahead of the midterms. 

“Republicans made big changes to the tax code that benefit millions of Americans, and we need to make sure they know about it. It’s important that Republicans use every opportunity to educate the public on how the Working Families Tax Cuts deliver safe streets, more money in your pocket, and new opportunities to get ahead,” Thune said in a statement.

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Should the Republicans lose the majority in the House, Fallon would be the ranking member of the Oversight Committee.

“God forbid we would go into the minority and I would become a ranking member,” Fallon said. “We have to defend President Trump because these folks are infected with wokeness and all they’re going to do is talk about impeachment, 25th Amendment and take their eye off the ball again for American prosperity.”

Christina Bohannan, a Democratic candidate in a battleground Iowa district, is facing scrutiny from Republicans over past remarks in which she said the state would be viewed as “backwards” without diversity training in schools and argued the nation’s founders were motivated by preserving slavery during the Revolutionary War.

Bohannan, a law professor and former Iowa state representative, is making her third attempt to unseat incumbent Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, in the state’s 1st Congressional District after losing by less than a percentage point in 2024. The razor-thin margin has set up a high-stakes rematch this cycle, as Republicans work to defend one of their most competitive seats while highlighting Bohannan’s past positions on diversity, equity and inclusion.

“DEI Queen Christina Bohannan thinks George Floyd is a role model, and George Washington should be cancelled,” Republican National Committee spokesperson Zach Kraft said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Iowans will channel the spirit of 1776 to reject this two-time loser once again so she can return to her day job calling everyone and everything racist.” 

Bohannan made the remarks now under GOP fire on the podcast “Under the Dome” in 2021.

CROCKETT’S POTENTIAL SUCCESSOR HAS REPEATEDLY RAILED AGAINST US IN REPARATIONS PUSH: ‘IT’S BEEN EVIL’

Bohannan, then a state representative, said she was “really concerned” about a bill in the Iowa legislature banning diversity training, including implicit bias training, from being taught at public schools and universities. She said that implicit bias, an unconscious attitude a person may have toward someone based on race, is “very real,” and is “serious.”

“I think that it is going to be very divisive if passed,” Bohannan said at the time. “I think that it’s going to send a very bad message about Iowa and that it is going to seem like are kind of this backwards state that doesn’t understand there are things like systemic racism.”

Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds signed that bill into law in June 2021.

Bohannan also said on the podcast that she was “glad” that a Republican-backed bill banning the 1619 Project, a New York Times initiative that suggests slavery is central to the nation’s founding, failed during the legislative session.

DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKER SUGGESTS ‘SLAVE MENTALITY’ BEHIND HISPANIC TRUMP VOTERS

The 1619 Project focuses “on the fact that there were some Revolutionary leaders who became supportive of that Revolution because they wanted to preserve the institution of slavery,” Bohannan said, noting there were other reasons for the revolution, such as taxation.

Fox News Digital reached out to Bohannan for comment.

Bohannan has supported diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, as well as police reform and migrant rights groups, for years.

DEMOCRAT IN KEY SENATE PRIMARY SAYS SHE ‘REGRETS’ VOTE ON LAKEN RILEY ACT, DRAWS GOP BACKLASH

While in the Iowa legislature, she co-sponsored a bill requiring implicit bias training for health professionals, but the bill never made it out of committee.

As chairwoman of the University of Iowa law school’s DEI Committee, she pushed students to support the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. In a letter to students, she listed five different funds students can donate to, including the Minnesota Freedom Fund and the National Bail Out Fund, which both support defunding the police.

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During a candidate forum in 2020, at the time of Bohannan’s first congressional campaign, she said she was “very active” in Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa, a group focused on abolishing ICE, the Washington Free Beacon reported. A year prior, Bohannan donated money to the Prairieland Freedom Fund to help bail illegal immigrants out of jail. The Prairieland Freedom Fund seeks to establish a “world without police.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Miller-Meeks’ campaign for comment.

A former CIA officer told senators Wednesday that a Google engineer who stole cutting-edge AI secrets for China went on to use the technology to build a company.

The testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee comes as lawmakers warn of growing national security threats tied to Chinese intellectual property theft in critical technologies like artificial intelligence.

President Donald Trump has made AI a cornerstone of his policy agenda, calling for a single federal regulatory framework instead of a patchwork of state laws. His administration has also pushed to accelerate data center development and strengthen U.S. competitiveness against China.

Tom Lyons, with more than 20 years of experience in the U.S. government and private sector on Chinese economic espionage, told lawmakers the deck is stacked against American companies.

EX-GOOGLE ENGINEER FOUND GUILTY OF STEALING AI SECRETS FOR CHINESE COMPANIES

“American firms are not competing against Chinese rivals in any normal sense,” Lyons said. “They are competing against the largest intelligence apparatus in the world, one whose mission includes putting American companies out of business.”

“This is not GM versus Ford,” he told lawmakers in his opening remarks. “This is a U.S. startup versus the resources of China’s military, the People’s Liberation Army.”

Lyons cautioned that the current approach leaves companies largely on their own to counter state-backed threats, treating what he described as a national security issue as a corporate compliance problem.

His warning reflects concerns raised by a recent high-profile case involving a former Google employee stealing secrets for China.

AMERICA MUST POWER AI WITH SPEED AND DISCIPLINE — OR CHINA WILL DOMINATE

In January, federal prosecutors said Linwei Ding, a former Google software engineer also known as Leon Ding, was convicted on multiple counts of economic espionage and theft of trade secrets after stealing thousands of pages of confidential AI-related information for the benefit of China. The case, tried in federal court in California, marks one of the first major U.S. convictions tied to artificial intelligence espionage.

According to evidence presented at trial, Ding downloaded sensitive data on Google’s AI infrastructure — including chip designs and software used to train advanced models — and uploaded it to a personal account while secretly working with China-based tech firms and launching his own startup.

Prosecutors said he sought to use the stolen technology to build AI systems in China and attract investors, highlighting the case as part of a broader effort by Beijing to acquire advanced U.S. technology.

Lyons argued that cases like this illustrate a wider gap in how the U.S. responds to such threats.

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“If a foreign military were conducting operations on American soil, we would not ask our companies to fund their own defense,” he said.

U.S. officials have long argued that Chinese intellectual property theft has cost the American economy billions of dollars in revenue and thousands of jobs, posing a significant national security risk. China has repeatedly denied engaging in such activity.

FIRST ON FOX: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz is putting state leaders on notice to root out rampant fraud, directing them in letters Thursday to take immediate action within days to identify and remove noncompliant Medicaid providers.

“Corrupt individuals and organizations masquerading as health care providers are defrauding Medicaid, and American taxpayers, of billions of dollars each year, placing valuable resources out of reach for those the program was intended to serve: low-income senior citizens, children, and disabled individuals. Classes of providers with less rigorous [enrollment standards]…” Oz wrote in a letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, sent to each of the nation’s 50 governors on Thursday morning. 

Oz has given governors and state Medicaid leaders 10 business days to tell CMS whether they will commit to conducting a swift “revalidation” of high-risk Medicaid providers and provide a proposed timetable, alongside a separate 30-day deadline for a broader provider-revalidation strategy, escalating federal pressure on states to tighten anti-fraud enforcement.

WALZ’S MINNESOTA MESS COULD SPARK THE TOUGHEST FRAUD REFORMS IN DECADES

Oz said it is “urgent that action be taken immediately.”

“Failure to [commit to the revalidation plan] will be considered as we evaluate the likelihood of fraud in each state moving forward,” Oz stated. 

States must also submit, within 30 days, a broader two-year strategy outlining how they will review healthcare providers for legitimacy and compliance.

The letters sent to the 50 governors all contained the same information directions, with Fox News Digital obtaining a copy sent to the state of Alabama. 

KAROLINE LEAVITT WARNS ‘PEOPLE WILL BE IN HANDCUFFS’ AS FEDS ZERO IN ON MINNESOTA FRAUD SCANDAL

“While the factors contributing to fraud are multifaceted and require a comprehensive approach to address, a revalidation process for high-risk providers will immediately deter criminal actors from continuing their fraud schemes, as the federal and state governments closely review and scrutinize the qualifications of providers to suspend or terminate clearly abusive actors from the program,” Oz wrote.

The letters target providers at “high risk of waste, fraud, abuse, and corruption,” particularly those with “less rigorous enrollment and billing requirements,” with CMS directing states to include any provider operating without a National Provider Identifier.

A second letter was also sent to each state Medicaid director reiterating the call for a revalidation strategy tailored to each state.

JD VANCE SPEARHEADS ‘WAR ON FRAUD,’ PROMISES TO ROOT OUT TAXPAYER MONEY ‘STOLEN’ BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

“Our analysis of national trends strongly suggests a persistent and growing Medicaid threat posed by sophisticated actors knowingly exploiting these complex systems for financial gain,” Oz wrote.

Proposals must include a methodology and timeline for off-cycle provider revalidation (with emphasis on high-risk providers and those without NPIs); metrics to measure effectiveness and progress (including public reporting); processes for ongoing verification of provider information; strategies to ensure consistency and accuracy of provider data across fee-for-service and managed care systems (including oversight of managed care directories); and coordination with relevant law enforcement partners.

Medicaid fraud has been of particular interest to the Trump administration given the massive fraud scandal that has unfolded in Minnesota.

The push comes amid heightened focus on large-scale fraud cases, including Minnesota’s $250 million “Feeding Our Future” scheme, which became a national flashpoint after surfacing in 2022 and has led to a wave of convictions in recent years.

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A separate state-commissioned review of Minnesota’s Medicaid program this year identified vulnerabilities across 14 high-risk services and estimated that up to $1.7 billion in payments over four years may have been improper — findings that have intensified federal scrutiny and calls for reform.

CMS is also weighing Medicaid deferrals in states including California, New York and Maine, signaling potential legal battles as federal and state officials clash over enforcement.

The House Administration Committee is scheduling a hearing in May to question ActBlue CEO Regina Wallace-Jones about allegations of lax security on the Democratic fundraising platform, which the committee says could have allowed illegal foreign donations to flow to candidates. 

The invitation comes after the Administration, Judiciary and Oversight committees released an interim staff report on their ongoing probe into ActBlue Monday. The latest report revealed that five ActBlue fraud prevention and legal personnel pleaded the Fifth a combined 146 times during depositions with the committees. There was a spate of resignations by legal and compliance staff after the 2024 election.

The New York Times also reported this month that ActBlue may have given the Administration Committee false information in a 2023 letter on its security practices, citing a 2025 memo its lawyers wrote to leadership at the organization. 

SCOOP: LIBERAL CITY MAYOR HIT WITH ETHICS COMPLAINT OVER ALLEGED LAVISH GIFTS

“The CEO of ActBlue needs to come clean, provide the information to Congress that we’ve requested,” House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil, R-Wis., said in an interview with FOX Business. “We know that they had a massive staff exodus following the 2024 elections as President Trump came into office. We know that ActBlue does not have all the security protocols that they need to have in place. And I think it’s incumbent for all of us to get to the bottom of this and get the right answer.”

In the letter to Wallace-Jones inviting her to testify, Steil wrote, “Based upon recent reporting, it appears that ActBlue’s production to the committee’s July 2025 subpoena was deliberately incomplete.” He continued to say “there are outstanding questions” on whether ActBlue has sufficiently tightened its fraud protections.

DEM FUNDRAISING GIANT IN THE HOT SEAT AS GOP LAWMAKERS DEMAND ANSWERS OVER DODGED SUBPOENA

Fox News has reached out to ActBlue for comment. 

The House Administration Committee has been investigating ActBlue dating back to 2023, initially probing the platform’s failure to use credit card verification value (CVV) when accepting contributions. This, however, is the first time its CEO has been invited to testify before Congress. The invitation from the committee is not mandatory, but if Wallace-Jones refuses to appear, it could lead the committee to subpoena her in the future. 

Currently, the hearing with Wallace-Jones is scheduled for May 19 at 10 a.m.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, raised the alarm about The New York Times’ reporting in an interview with Liz Macdonald on “Evening Edit” Monday.

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“Their lawyer says, ‘Hey, that response you gave, Miss Wallace-Jones, back in ’23, it looks like you weren’t clear. You weren’t honest and you may have misrepresented the facts,'” Jordan said. “That’s a nice way of saying you lied. And again, we didn’t say that. Their own lawyer at Covington & Burling said that… When you see all this smoke, there’s probably a fire.” 

FOX Business’ Kevin Gora and Nicholas Barry contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump’s administration is reclassifying state-licensed marijuana as a “less-dangerous” drug, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced Thursday.

Blanche signed an order reclassifying marijuana from Schedule I – reserved for drugs like heroin – to the less strict Schedule III.

Blanche said the move is “delivering on President Trump’s promise” to expand Americans’ access to medical treatment options.

“This rescheduling action allows for research on the safety and efficacy of this substance, ultimately providing patients with better care and doctors with more reliable information,” he said in a statement.

This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
 

The Southern Poverty Law Center more than doubled its revenue in the months following the deadly 2017 Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally — a surge now drawing renewed scrutiny after a Department of Justice indictment alleged the group paid an informant tied to the event’s organizers.

The 2017 rally, which left one woman dead, became a cultural flashpoint over White nationalism and political violence, driving widespread condemnation and a surge in donations to civil rights groups, including the SPLC. The fallout also shaped the 2020 presidential election, as President Donald Trump’s response — including his remarks about “very fine people” on both sides — was hammered by the left, with former President Joe Biden later citing Charlottesville as a reason he entered the race.

“For years, the Left used the ‘Jews will not replace us’ 2017 Unite the Right rally as proof of rampant antisemitism on the Right. Turns out, it was underwritten by the Leftist SPLC, which allegedly funded organizers, supervised racist posts, and coordinated transportation. Wild,” journalist Batya Ungar-Sargon wrote on X, one of many conservatives who argue the allegations raise questions about whether the SPLC’s use of paid informants may have played a role in amplifying or facilitating extremist activity.

According to the indictment from the Department of Justice, the SPLC paid an informant network dating back to the 1980s, including a “covert network” that was associated with or infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan and other groups at the organization’s direction.

THE NEW MAFIA: TRUMP, CIVIL RICO AND THE GLOBAL INTIFADAw

One source, identified as “F-37,” was part of an “online leadership chat group that planned the 2017 ‘Unite the Right’ event.”

“[F-37] attended the event at the direction of the SPLC. F-37 made racist postings under the supervision of the SPLC and helped coordinate transportation to the event for several attendees. Between 2015 and 2023, the SPLC secretly paid F-37 more than $270,000.00.”

A spokesperson for the Southern Poverty Law Center told Fox News Digital the organization is reviewing the charges and called the allegations “false,” defending its work monitoring extremist groups and saying its use of informants “saved lives.” The group said it plans to vigorously defend itself and continue its mission of combating hate.

While the indictment alleges the SPLC paid informants tied to individuals involved in White supremacist groups, including organizers of the Unite the Right rally, Fox News found the organization’s revenue surged in the immediate aftermath of the Charlottesville violence.

VIRGINIA SLAMMED FOR ‘TRULY DEMONIC’ ELECTION THAT EXCUSED POLITICAL VIOLENCE TO SPITE TRUMP, CRITICS SAY

In 2016, total public support and net assets topped $51 million, while by October 2017, that figure had grown to $133 million, a surge that followed the Unite the Right rally and was driven in part by donations from prominent public figures, including George Clooney and Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Clooney said at the time that he and wife Amal “wanted to add our voice and financial assistance to the ongoing fight for equality… there are no two sides to bigotry and hate.”

Cook, who also donated to the Anti-Defamation League after the rally, said that what “occurred in Charlottesville has no place in our country. Hate is a cancer, and left unchecked it destroys everything in its path; its scars last generations.”

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Resorts also donated $1 million at the time, according to records uncovered by Fox News Digital.

Following the 2017 rally, national Democrats latched on to anti-hate messaging proliferated by the SPLC and others.

Many critics lambasted Trump’s initial reaction, in which he observed that some people present before the rally turned violent were opposing the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue.

“I was talking about people that went because they felt very strongly about the monument to Robert E. Lee, a great general. Whether you like it or not, he was one of the great generals,” Trump said.

Biden said at the 2024 Democratic National Convention that he “ran for president in 2020 because of what I saw in Charlottesville.”

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“Extremists coming out of the woods carrying torches, their veins bulging from their necks, carrying Nazi swastikas and chanting the same exact antisemitic bile that was heard in Germany in the early ’30s,” Biden said, before characterizing Trump’s comments as an endorsement of White supremacy and violence.

Trump has since referred to criticism of his remarks as the “‘very fine people’ hoax.”

The 11-count indictment charges the SPLC with wire fraud, bank fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, offenses that could carry significant financial penalties, restitution and forfeiture if proven in court.

Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch, David Spunt, Jake Gibson and Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said in a Wednesday post on X that he expects that the U.S. blockade against Iran “could become global soon.”

The long-serving lawmaker noted that he had spoken to President Donald Trump and War Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday morning.

“I had a very good call this morning with @POTUS and @SecWar Pete Hegseth about the way forward regarding the Iran conflict. I think the President’s decision to leave the blockade in place is very smart. It is having a strong effect on the ability of Iran to continue to be the largest state sponsor of terrorism – which they appear intent on doing. I not only expect this blockade to stay in place until Iran shows a commitment to change their ways, I expect the blockade will be growing and that it could become global soon,” Graham said in the post.

IRAN SEIZES SHIPS IN HORMUZ AS US TALKS FALTER AFTER CEASEFIRE EXTENSION

“To those assisting or thinking about assisting the Iranian regime in distributing its oil, which provides resources for terrorism, you do so at your own peril.  Well done to President Trump and his team. This is the best chance since 1979 to change the behavior of the regime and I hope this can be accomplished through diplomacy,” the senator added.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House to request comment on Thursday.

The U.S. has been engaging in a blockade against Iranian ports for more than a week.

TRUMP CLAIMS IRAN ‘STARVING FOR CASH,’ ‘COLLAPSING FINANCIALLY’ AFTER EXTENDING CEASEFIRE

“The U.S. military has global reach. American forces are operating and enforcing the blockade across the Middle East and beyond,” U.S. Central Command wrote in part of a Wednesday post on X.

Trump announced a ceasefire extension on Tuesday afternoon but said the blockade would continue.

SENATE GOP BLOCKS FIFTH DEM BID TO END TRUMP’S IRAN WAR AS DIVISIONS GROW

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“Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal. I have therefore directed our Military to continue the Blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other,” the president said in a Tuesday Truth Social post.

A 56% majority of voters say the Trump administration has not been competent at managing the federal government, according to a Fox News poll released Wednesday. Two in 10 Republicans join most independents (7 in 10) and Democrats (9 in 10) in holding that view, while 4 in 10 non-MAGA Republicans also agree.

Overall, 43% think the White House has been competent at running the government. 

Those numbers aren’t unusual. Trump’s marks are in line with those for the Obama administration in 2015, when a high of 44% said it was competent, and the most recent ratings for the Biden administration, when 38% said it was competent in 2022 (that’s down from 51% competent in 2021). 

FOX NEWS POLL: RECORD NUMBER SAY TAXES ARE TOO HIGH; GOVERNMENT SPENDING SEEN AS WASTEFUL

“It may come as cold comfort to the White House, but there’s a tendency for voters to be harsh toward all presidents,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who helps conduct Fox News polls with Democrat Chris Anderson. “The president’s numbers show how difficult it is to win independents and out-partisans.”

President Trump receives negative job ratings for his handling of immigration (46% approve, 54% disapprove), China (42-57), foreign policy (40-60), Iran (37-63), the economy (34-66), government spending (33-67), and inflation (28-72). His only positive rating is on border security (53-47).

FOX NEWS POLL: BROAD ANXIETY ABOUT AI DOESN’T EXTEND TO JOBS

Most of those marks are lower than Trump’s overall job performance as president: 42% of voters approve, while 58% disapprove. Last month, it was 41-59 (March 20-23, 2026).

Also, some top cabinet officials receive negative ratings. Vice President Vance’s job rating is underwater by 11 percentage points (44% approve, 55% disapprove), while Secretary of State Rubio’s is negative by 12 points (44-56) and Secretary of Defense Hegseth’s is negative by 17 (41-58).

Among Republicans, more approve of Vance’s job performance (84%) than Rubio’s (77%) or Hegseth’s (76%). Each of their ratings is at least 20 points higher among MAGA Republicans than non-MAGA Republicans. Vance’s approval is higher than Rubio’s and Hegseth’s mostly because of support among MAGA Republicans, who rate Vance about 10 points higher.

The new survey also asks voters to rate the president on several traits, and again the findings are more negative than positive. More than half say Trump doesn’t care about people like them and lacks the appropriate judgment, mental soundness, and temperament to serve effectively as the country’s leader.

The 60% who think Trump lacks the right temperament is an increase in negative views since just before the 2024 election when 52% felt that way. However, it’s roughly the same as during most of his 2016 presidential campaign.

While a majority of 57% believe the president lacks the right judgment, some 42% think he has it — that’s unchanged compared to 2023 and an improvement from a low of 36% in 2016. 

More than 6 in 10 say Trump doesn’t care about people like them. The 37% who say he cares is down from a high of 44% in 2024. 

Another 55% say Trump does not have the mental soundness to serve. That’s up 7 points since late 2024 and near the high of 56% in 2023. In comparison, 65% said former President Biden lacked the mental soundness to be president around the time he dropped his re-election campaign in July 2024.

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Among Democrats, 9 in 10 or more say Trump lacks the traits necessary to serve as president effectively. Conversely, at least 9 in 10 MAGA Republicans think he possesses the right qualities, but that drops to about 6 in 10 or fewer among non-MAGA Republicans. Independents are more likely to describe Trump as lacking judgment, temperament, mental soundness, and empathy.

Conducted April 17-20, 2026, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,001 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (116) and cellphones (635) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (250). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data.

Fox News’ Victoria Balara contributed to this report.

Senate Republicans pushed their immigration funding plan forward early Thursday, adopting a budget blueprint after an all-night vote series that sets up billions for ICE and Border Patrol while sidelining Democrats.

Senate Republicans adopted their budget resolution, which tees up funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol, and effectively cuts congressional Democrats out of the process entirely.

It’s the first major step toward unlocking the budget reconciliation process, which Republicans are diving into once again after Democrats refused to fund ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) without stringent reforms.

Despite Republicans largely being on the same page on the approach, Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, voted against the budget blueprint.

SENATE GOP LAUNCHES ALL-NIGHT VOTE-A-RAMA TO FUND ICE, BORDER PATROL THROUGH END OF TRUMP’S TERM

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., panned Republicans for moving to spend billions in taxpayer dollars rather than addressing rising costs.

“America is crying out for relief from high costs, and you’re here adding $140 billion to an agency that nobody — two groups — Border Patrol and ICE, that nobody respects in this country,” Schumer said.

Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., countered that ICE and Border Patrol agents weren’t the problem, “Democrats are.”

“Today’s Democrats are a rogue and radical party,” Barrasso said. “You deserve better than reckless Democrat hostage-taking. You deserve the tools and support from Congress necessary to carry out the mission Congress has given you. Our country depends on you.”

SENATE REPUBLICANS UNVEIL IMMIGRATION FUNDING PLAN WITH $140 BILLION PRICE TAG AS DIVISIONS SIMMER

The Senate GOP’s plan would fund both agencies for the remainder of President Donald Trump’s term. Republicans want to front-load the agencies with over $70 billion out of concern that Democrats would never agree to allocate taxpayer dollars to them again.

Lawmakers dashed through amendment vote after amendment vote, with Democrats teeing up several add-ons to the budget blueprint designed to attack Republicans.

Several of the Democratic amendments targeted affordability and economic issues in the country, and all failed along party lines.

But the night wasn’t without a dash of drama.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., who has pushed to broaden the scope of the forthcoming reconciliation package despite GOP leadership and the White House wanting to keep it narrowly tailored to immigration enforcement, threatened to derail the process.

REPUBLICANS EYE ENDING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWNS FOREVER OVER FEARS DEMS WILL DO IT AGAIN

He wanted to include a swath of amendments that ultimately wouldn’t have been considered germane to the resolution and were destined to fail without support from Democrats. One of those add-ons was a version of the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act.

“If you don’t want to vote for it, don’t,” Kennedy said. “All I ask you is to think about it, to trust our Rules committee, to follow your heart, but take your brain with you. Because the American people, both Democrats and Republicans and independents, are questioning our elections.”

His amendment ultimately failed.

Meanwhile, adoption of the budget resolution doesn’t immediately kick off reconciliation. The House will now have to adopt the same blueprint or modify it — the latter would kick the resolution back to the Senate and trigger another marathon vote session.

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While Republicans are moving forward with the process in response to Democrats not budging on ICE and CBP funding, some are grappling with the ramifications it could have for funding the agencies and, more broadly, the rest of the federal government going forward. 

Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., told Fox News Digital that she was “disappointed that we are where we are, but I understand the need to fund these portions of this agency.”

“I’m really disheartened, because I think it fundamentally changes the way that we move forward with appropriations, and not for the better,” Britt said. “And I’m not for that at all.”

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass met with President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday to push for wildfire relief funding, marking a rare moment of cooperation after months of clashes.

Bass shared a photo on X showing her and Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger meeting with Trump and senior administration officials in the Oval Office.

Bass and Barger said the meeting included a “positive discussion” about Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding and rebuilding efforts following last year’s Palisades and Eaton fires.

“This afternoon we met with President Trump and Administration officials to advocate for families who lost everything,” they said in a joint statement. “We had a very positive discussion about FEMA and other rebuilding funds as well as the support of the President to continue joining us in pressuring the insurance companies to pay what they owe – and for the big banks to step up to ease the financial pressure on L.A. families.”

NEWSOM RIPS NOEM AS ‘KOSPLAY BARBIE’ OVER $220M AD CAMPAIGN, DEMANDS DHS RELEASE $500M FOR LA WILDFIRES

“Our job is to fight for our communities,” they added. “When it comes to this recovery, our federal partners are essential, and we are grateful for the support of the President.”

The meeting comes after a yearlong standoff between California leaders and the Trump administration over wildfire recovery funding and the federal government’s role in rebuilding efforts.

The fires scorched more than 37,700 acres — which is larger than Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm and Universal Studios combined — and destroyed more than 16,200 structures. The fires caused tens of billions of dollars in damage, and rebuilding efforts are ongoing as residents navigate insurance claims and rising costs.

LOS ANGELES MAYOR CALLS FEDERAL AUTHORITIES SOURCE OF ‘DISORDER’ AFTER ICE RAID OUTSIDE GOV. NEWSOM EVENT

FEMA announced more than $3 billion in aid last June, while California Gov. Gavin Newsom later sought $33.9 billion in additional federal funding, according to the Los Angeles Times.

More recently, Newsom criticized Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem over delays in releasing more than $500 million in FEMA funding tied to wildfire recovery.

KAREN BASS’ 2021 TWEET COMES BACK TO HAUNT HER AS LA RESIDENTS DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY

Bass, who has clashed with the Trump administration in recent months, including over immigration enforcement protests in Los Angeles, drew criticism from some online following the meeting.

Reality TV personality Spencer Pratt, who is running for mayor, mocked Bass on social media, posting “MAGA KAREN” in response to the Oval Office photo and accusing her of aligning with Trump ahead of the election.

He added, “Karen Bass sold her soul to Trump in a last-ditch desperation move ahead of the election LMAO.”

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and Bass’ office for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said he was being sarcastic when he called reports that Iranian ships had slipped by a U.S. blockade “Awesome” in a post to X on Monday, responding to the news that as many as 26 vessels had avoided U.S. detection.

Murphy brushed off criticisms that he had celebrated shortcomings in President Donald Trump’s military strategy.

“It’s so unbelievably disingenuous. Obviously, all these Republicans know that I was being sarcastic. They just don’t really want to actually have to answer for the fact that this war has gone off the rails,” Murphy said. “Republicans don’t want to talk about that, so they try to create fake outrage over sarcasm.“

Murphy’s defense of his phrasing highlights the tension Democrats have navigated since the U.S. first began hostilities with Tehran: pushing back on parts of the Trump administration’s Iran strategy without inadvertently sounding sympathetic of a geopolitical adversary.

GOP REP MASSIE JOINS DEMOCRATS IN OPPOSITION TO US IRAN STRIKES

Like many Democrats, Murphy panned Trump’s decision to bomb Iran and, more recently, voiced criticisms of plans to impose a naval blockade on Iran in an attempt to shake Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global oil shipping.

“Let’s talk about Trump’s insane plan to fix Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz: helping them close the Strait,” Murphy said of the administration’s strategy earlier this month.

“He is compounding one mistake after another.”

LIZ PEEK: IRAN WAR COULD BECOME THE ACHIEVEMENT THAT ENSURES TRUMP’S LEGACY

GOP skeptics responding to his post believe Murphy is celebrating the defeat of a strategy he thought was ill-advised to begin with.

“A sitting U.S. Senator is actively rooting for Iran. Crazy as hell. TRAITOR,” the Libs of TikTok, a popular conservative account, wrote in a post of its own.

Murphy told Fox News Digital those criticisms were overblown, calling them a deflection of the war’s political toll.

CRUZ SAYS TRUMP’S MOVE TO STRIKE IRAN ‘MOST CONSEQUENTIAL DECISION’ OF HIS PRESIDENCY

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“You’re talking about a war that’s cost American taxpayers billions of dollars that’s allowed for Iran to control the Strait,” Murphy said. “Over a dozen Americans have been killed. There doesn’t seem to be any endgame.”

Asked to comment on Murphy’s post, at least one other Senator declined to weigh in.

“I’m not familiar with that,” Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., told Fox News Digital.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis blasted Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ invitations to “F around and find out” on redistricting efforts in Florida, the next possible battleground in a nationwide struggle to gain partisan advantages from congressional district maps.

“Please. Be my guest. I will pay for you to come down to Florida to campaign,” DeSantis said. “I’ll put you up in the Florida governor’s mansion. We will take you fishing.

“There’s nothing that could be better for Republicans in Florida than to see Jeffries everywhere around this state.”

His comments follow remarks from Jeffries on Wednesday morning.

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“Our message to Florida Republicans is F around and find out. If they go down the road of a DeSantis dummy-mander … the electoral tide is turning in Florida,” Jeffries said.

The standoff demonstrates both parties’ resolve to double down on gerrymandering as a strategy central to winning control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the upcoming 2026 midterms.

Since President Donald Trump urged state lawmakers to expand the GOP’s 217-213 majority by eliminating five Democratic seats in Texas, states including North Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana, New York and Georgia have followed suit.

Most recently, voters in Virginia approved a redistricting effort spearheaded by Gov. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, to turn her party’s 6-5 advantage in the Commonwealth into a 10-1 majority by extending Republican-leaning districts into Democratic strongholds.

Florida is developing plans to be next.

With a Republican trifecta and eight Democratic-held districts to carve up, DeSantis has called a special session this week to explore the Sunshine State’s options.

“Today, I announced that I will be convening a special session of the Legislature focused on redistricting to ensure that Florida’s congressional maps accurately reflect the population of our state,” DeSantis said in his January announcement, citing changing demographics in the state.

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Florida’s state constitution forbids individual districts from being drawn “with the intent to favor or disfavor a political party or an incumbent.”

Democrats, who have framed their redistricting efforts as retaliatory, have warned that Republicans are stretching their support too thin in some areas, diluting their advantage and inviting challenges in districts that haven’t been competitive in the past.

Jeffries believes that might be the case in Texas, and it could be the case for Florida too.

“The Florida Republicans are going to find themselves in the same situation as Texas Republicans who are on the run right now,” Jeffries said.

“Under no circumstances are Texas Republicans picking up five seats. They’ll be fortunate if they get two or three, while in California, we are going to get all five. The Republicans are dumbly meandering their way into the minority before a single vote is cast.”

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Florida legislators have yet to unveil what their potential redistricting effort could look like.

Republicans hold 20 of the state’s 28 seats.

Former Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., is facing a fresh ethics complaint urging the Justice Department to investigate whether he leveraged his position in Congress to promote a startup business he was running on the side with his chief of staff.

The complaint comes as Swalwell has also been accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct in recent weeks, allegations he has denied despite conceding he has made poor choices in his past with women.

The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), a conservative ethics watchdog, filed a complaint Wednesday calling on the Justice Department’s Office of Congressional Conduct to investigate allegations Swalwell was personally pitching Findraiser, an artificial intelligence political fundraising tool, to Democratic lawmakers, staff and campaigns.

Included in FACT’s complaint is Yardena Wolf, Swalwell’s former chief of staff and also the co-founder of Findraiser. Wolf eventually left her chief of staff role to lead Swalwell’s now defunct gubernatorial campaign.

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Swalwell already is facing multiple investigations related to sexual misconduct allegations, including from the Los Angeles County District Attorney, Manhattan District Attorney and the Justice Department. 

But, prior to sexual misconduct allegations against him coming to light earlier in April, the former member of Congress also was facing heat for his behavior on Capitol Hill as it pertained to promoting Findraiser.

One Democratic operative reportedly told news outlet NOTUS that Swalwell was “peddling the s— out of” Findraiser on Capitol Hill.

NOTUS released a pair of reports in March, one of which cited Federal Election Commission data that showed the artificial intelligence-powered political fundraising tool was getting business from some of Swalwell’s longtime political allies, including Sens. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz. 

NOTUS published a follow-up days later based on interviews with a half dozen Democratic Party political operatives and other unnamed sources and reviews of emailed communications and texts. Both Swalwell and Wolf allegedly would send texts to Democratic staff and lawmakers about their company, according to the subsequent report, in addition to promoting it during in-person interactions.

FACT’s ethics complaint seeks to have the allegations revealed by NOTUS and substantiated by other outlets investigated.  

“Public office is a position of trust, and no individual should be able to skirt accountability for potential abuses of power simply by resigning,” FACT’s Executive Director Kendra Arnold said in a press release accompanying the group’s complaint. 

“The reported actions using an official position to promote a personal business and potentially misusing government resources raise serious legal concerns that warrant a thorough investigation by the Department of Justice. Ensuring accountability in cases like this is essential to maintaining public confidence in government.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Swalwell’s legal team, Wolf and Findraiser for comment but did not receive any responses. 

The Justice Department also did not provide any comment on whether it plans to look into FACT’s complaints.

While lawmakers on Capitol Hill are legally allowed to earn passive income through businesses they own, House rules do prohibit lawmakers and their staff from using their “political influence, the influence of (their) position … to make pecuniary gains.” 

According to the 2022 House Ethics Manual, lawmakers and their staff are expected to avoid even an appearance that they may be using their political influence for financial gain.

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“In any event, the Standards Committee routinely advises Members and staff to avoid situations in which even an inference might be drawn suggesting improper conduct,” the manual states. 

In addition to allegedly pitching the company in-person, Wolf, while still working as Swalwell’s chief of staff on Capitol Hill, allegedly emailed congressional campaigns offering demos for Findraiser and texted congressional staff below her to set up business meetings with her and Swalwell to discuss their startup company, according to the accusations reported by NOTUS.

Democratic operatives described Swalwell’s promotion of Findraiser on Capitol Hill as “relentless” and said he “aggressively” peddled it to Democratic candidates for office and senior campaign officials, according to NOTUS. One of the operatives told NOTUS that being approached by Swalwell or his staff about his company has been “surprisingly universal” in some Democratic circles.

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“They were really hitting up everyone,” a source with knowledge of the situation told the New York Post. “I bet every California member probably got outreach.”

The New York Post also reported it had spoken to sources who indicated Swalwell allegedly would use his company as a legislative negotiating tactic.

“The only way you get Swalwell to sign on to your bills is if you take this weird call from his chief of staff,” a source reportedly told the New York Post.

According to NOTUS’ reporting, Findraiser received about $60,000 from more than a dozen Democratic campaigns. Meanwhile, Swalwell’s congressional financial disclosures have listed his company as being worth between $200,000 and $500,000.

NOTUS did indicate that it was informed by a former Swalwell spokesperson in March, who has since left his position, that both Swalwell and Wolf consulted with the necessary House Ethics personnel about Findraiser. The spokesperson also claimed that Swalwell receives no income from the company.

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“These alleged facts deserve to be criminally investigated,” FACT’s complaint to the Justice Department argues. “This is just one issue of many during Swalwell’s problematic tenure in Congress, which among others includes being accused of using campaign funds to pay for a Brazilian nanny in our country illegally and being removed from the House Intelligence Committee over his association with a Chinese spy.”

Fox News Digital previously reported on the other ethics complaints Swalwell has faced that are mentioned in FACT’s letter to the Justice Department.

Swalwell was accused of paying his nanny, Amanda Barbosa, with campaign funds for roughly two years while she allegedly did not have valid work authorization. Following multiple complaints against Swalwell over the matter, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirmed to Fox News that it has referred the matter to the Department of Homeland Security for investigation.

Swalwell’s removal from the influential House intelligence committee in 2023 involved concerns about the former congressman’s actions related to a decade-old scandal over his ties to a suspected Chinese spy. 

The matter gained new life amid sexual misconduct allegations that came to life earlier in April as FBI officials weighed whether to release documents about Swalwell’s relationship with the alleged spy, Christine “Fang Fang” Fang. 

Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz and Ashley Oliver contributed to this report.