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Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., was forced to make an emergency landing Friday after experiencing an in-flight engine failure while piloting a plane.

According to Sheehy’s chief of staff, Mike Berg, the senator was conducting a routine flight training exercise that he completes twice a year.

“This afternoon, Sen. Sheehy was engaged in a routine flight training exercise which he completes twice a year,” Berg said in a statement. “The aircraft experienced a mechanical engine failure.”

Berg said Sheehy and his co-pilot made an emergency landing in a field.

EMERGENCY LANDING ENDS IN TRAGEDY AS PLANE CRASHES ON NEW MEXICO GOLF COURSE

Neither pilot was injured,” he added.

PLANE DOOR OPENS IN MIDAIR MOMENTS AFTER TAKEOFF, LEAVING FLIGHT PASSENGERS STUNNED AND SOCIAL MEDIA BUZZING

The plane landed in a field in Ennis, Montana, according to KBZK.

The outlet reported that Sheehy is an FAA-certified commercial pilot and certified flight instructor.

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Reached for comment, Sheehy’s office referred Fox News Digital to Berg’s statement.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

A group of at least seven law professors have mounted a campaign to challenge the longstanding interpretation of birthright citizenship, arguing in favor of former President Donald Trump’s effort to narrow the constitutional provision, even as Supreme Court justices signal skepticism.

The legal scholars’ arguments aim to persuade the Supreme Court and opponents of Trump’s efforts that there are serious originalist and historical arguments for narrowing birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment that deserve consideration rather than dismissal as a fringe political theory.

Ilan Wurman, a law professor at the University of Minnesota, told Fox News Digital the recent wave of support is intended to reinforce the point that birthright citizenship is not a settled matter despite the institutional consensus on it.

“That several prominent law professors have come out over the past year, including a few in the past month, in varying degrees of support for the Trump Administration’s birthright citizenship executive order, shows that their position is serious,” Wurman said. “The Supreme Court cannot simply rely on the conventional wisdom. It will have to show its work.”

TRUMP ELEVATES IMMIGRATION FIGHT AT SUPREME COURT, TURNING UP HEAT ON DEMOCRATS AHEAD OF MIDTERMS

Wurman, who specializes in constitutional law, was one of dozens who also weighed in on the case by submitting amicus briefs to the high court ahead of April 1 oral arguments on birthright citizenship, which grants automatic citizenship to most babies born on U.S. soil under the 14th Amendment.

He argued, in part, that the amendment never intended to grant illegal immigrants’ babies citizenship, saying that in the 19th century, parents who were residents of a country owed allegiance to the country in exchange for protections from its government.

“This exchange of allegiance and protection was often described as a ‘mutual compact,’” Wurman wrote. “Lawful aliens generally fell within the scope of the rule, while foreign soldiers and ambassadors did not. … Illegally present aliens would likely have fallen outside the scope of the rule.”

The other law professors include Randy Barnett of Georgetown University, Kurt Lash of University of Richmond, Richard Epstein of New York University, Tom Lee of Fordham University, Adrian Vermeule of Harvard University and, most recently, Philip Hamburger of Columbia University, each of whom has argued in varying degrees that Trump’s birthright citizenship order is constitutionally defensible.

SCOTUS SLATED TO WEIGH FUTURE BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP PROTECTIONS FOR MILLIONS — HERE’S WHAT AT STAKE

Trump’s order, signed soon after he took office, would prevent children born to mothers who are illegal immigrants or legal temporary visitors from gaining automatic citizenship. While all the justices, aside from Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, appear poised to toss out Trump’s order, the case has nevertheless invited polarizing debate. If approved by the high court, it could strip citizenship from those ineligible for it under Trump’s new interpretation and broadly shift immigration policy.

The Trump administration has contended that temporary visitors and illegal immigrants are not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States and that that phrasing in the amendment was intended to apply to freed slaves in the Civil War-era. The administration has argued that birth tourism companies have illegally exploited the generous citizenship policy and that it also incentivizes illegal immigration.

Chief Justice John Roberts challenged Solicitor General John Sauer during oral arguments on the small exceptions built into the 14th Amendment, such as children born to foreign diplomats, saying they were not comparable to a wide category of illegal immigrants.

JUSTICE JACKSON SPARKS ONLINE UPROAR AFTER LINKING BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP TO STEALING A WALLET IN JAPAN

“The examples you give to support that strike me as very quirky,” Roberts said. “You know, children of ambassadors, children of enemies during a hostile invasion, children on warships, and then you expand it to a whole class of illegal aliens. … I’m not quite sure how you can get to that big group from such tiny and sort of idiosyncratic examples.”

The American Civil Liberties Union lawyer who argued against the executive order told the Supreme Court the policy was enshrined in the 14th Amendment to “put it out of reach of any government official” and that its exceptions were intentionally narrow.

“It excludes only those cloaked with a fiction of extraterritoriality because they are subject to another sovereign’s jurisdiction even when they’re in the United States, a closed set of exceptions to an otherwise universal rule,” ACLU lawyer Cecillia Wang said.

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Wurman noted that the professors siding with Trump’s executive order have been met with “swift and vicious” reactions. David Bier, immigration expert at the libertarian CATO Institute, said the bloc of dissenters was unserious.

“Oh SEVEN!? That’s remarkable given that to qualify as a judge or appointee you need to align yourself with the president,” Bier wrote on X. “The case is a joke. It’s sad that these people are debasing themselves in a losing effort for an ignoble cause.”

Sexual harassment allegations have been amplified online by Democrat-aligned politicos targeting Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., one of the leading Democratic candidates in California’s gubernatorial race.

Amid repeated denials and cease and desist letters sent by Swalwell’s lawyer, one of the alleged victims shared her story publicly for the first time, accusing Swalwell of taking advantage of her while she was intoxicated on multiple occasions, according to a bombshell report published by the San Francisco Chronicle Friday. The alleged victim’s story also included claims that Swalwell pressured her to send naked pictures of herself and sent sexually explicit photos of his own, pulled out his private parts while driving in a car with her and requesting she perform oral sex on him, among other incidents the victim said exposed how Swalwell treated her.

The unnamed female accuser, who spoke to the San Francisco Chronicle, reportedly worked for Swalwell for about two years and revealed that he started pursuing her, despite being married, shortly after she was hired as a young 21-year-old staffer in his district office. On multiple occasions, the young staffer recalls blacking out from alcohol consumption, before waking up naked in Swalwell’s hotel bed with signs she had engaged in intercourse. Swalwell allegedly distanced himself after the incident, and their relationship faded, before reuniting when she no longer worked for him, during which another incident allegedly took place. 

DEM SENATOR RIPPED FOR ‘SMEAR’ OF FEMALE ACTIVIST ADVOCATING FOR SWALWELL’S ACCUSERS 

“Eric Swalwell should immediately drop out,” Democratic strategist Bhavik Lathia said after the San Francisco Chronicle’s report dropped. “It is damning.” 

Former San Jose Mayor and fellow Democratic Party gubernatorial candidate in California, Matt Mahan, also called on Swalwell to “drop out.”

“To the survivor who risked everything to come forward – I believe you,” he said. “To the Democratic Party – you’d better hold him accountable,” Mahan said.

 “If we don’t, we have no credibility asking anyone else to do the same,” he continued.

Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., a longtime friend of Swalwell who faced backlash earlier this week for trying to discredit allegations against the California Democrat, posted on Friday that he “regret[s] having come to his defense on social media prior to knowing all the information. I am equally as shocked and upset about what has transpired.”

“What is described is indefensible. Women who come forward with accounts like this deserve to be heard with respect, not questioned or dismissed,” Gallego said. “I am withdrawing my endorsement of Congressman Swalwell, effective immediately.”

Swalwell’s team did not respond to Fox News’ request for comment, but he recently said during a press gaggle that the allegations are “false,” including allegations that Swalwell previously pressured female staffers to sign non-disclosure agreements so they cannot speak out, or that he was involved in an alleged hush money settlement. 

“It’s false. And also some of the allegations I’ve seen, which is that we’ve had NDAs in the office – never. There’s never been an allegation, and there’s never been a settlement,” Swalwell insisted this week.

“This false, outrageous rumor is being spread 27 days before an election begins by flailing opponents who have sadly teamed up with MAGA conspiracy theorists because they know Eric Swalwell is the frontrunner in this race,” Micah Beasley, a spokesperson for Swalwell, also said on Tuesday.

Cheyenne Hunt, a former Capitol Hill staffer who is currently a nonprofit director at the group Gen-Z for Change, is among the voices acting as a proxy for alleged Swalwell accusers and has been helping amplify their stories. On Friday, she blasted Swalwell for “tak[ing] a page out of the Trump playbook by attempting to silence women,” with cease and desist letters he allegedly sent out late Thursday night ahead of the San Francisco Chronicle’s report sharing a first-hand account from one of Swalwell’s alleged accusers. 

Fox News Digital  has not independently verified the allegations from the report.

The alleged victim, who began working for Swalwell during his short-lived presidential campaign in 2019, said a married Swalwell, who was 38, began pursuing her, including through messages on Snapchat, which allows users to send photos that subsequently disappear after someone has looked at them. She claimed the relationship rapidly progressed as Swalwell began asking for pictures of her face, then her naked body and eventually her genitalia. When messaging, the victim alleged Swalwell would sometimes send shirtless selfies or other images of his own genitalia.

SWALWELL THREATENS FBI WITH LEGAL ACTION AS PATEL REPORTEDLY WEIGHS ‘FANG FANG’ FILES RELEASE

Swalwell tried to kiss the alleged victim in her car when she drove him home from a donor meeting one night, and on another occasion he allegedly pulled out his penis while in the vehicle and asked her to perform oral sex on him. She admitted to doing so in a parking lot, but soon stopped out of fear someone might see them.  

Meanwhile, in September 2019, the alleged victim, who was then working in Swalwell’s Castro Valley district office, reportedly said Swalwell invited her out for dinner and drinks when she drank too much and blacked out. She claimed to have not even remembered leaving the restaurant, but was woken up in Swalwell’s hotel room the next day with vaginal soreness indicative of sexual intercourse. She also reportedly had a brief memory of Swalwell sucking her toes.

After the September 2019 incident at Swalwell’s hotel, the victim said the pair’s relationship faded as Swalwell distanced himself from her and began treating her more formally during public interactions. She eventually stopped working for Swalwell, but stayed in politics and noted Swalwell would occasionally remain in touch with her, including reaching out when she was looking for a job. 

However, she claimed that five years later, while attending an April 2024 charity event Swalwell was being honored at, the pair reunited. She was not working for Swalwell at this later date, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The woman indicated that she and Swalwell went out for drinks after the event, during which, once again, she became inebriated and could only remember bits and pieces about the night. 

“Even though he had hurt me in the past, I felt like he was someone I could trust,” the alleged victim said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. “Because we shared this secret together, it pulled me closer to him.”

According to the San Francisco Chronicle’s reporting on the alleged victim’s experiences, one moment she did remember from the night was pushing Swalwell away and telling him “no” as he allegedly tried to force her to have sex with him. The woman reportedly texted a friend after the incident telling her she had been sexually assaulted by Swalwell. Other messages reviewed by the San Francisco Chronicle reportedly showed the victim indicating she had “blacked out” but “woke up once during it and even told him to stop at one point.”

“This happened one other time when I was working with him, but I convinced myself I was an equal party in it even though same pattern: I blacked out and he had sex with me,” the alleged victim wrote, referring to the 2019 incident, according to the San Francisco Chronicle’s reporting.

ERIC SWALWELL CAMPAIGN SETS OFF ALARM BELLS AFTER ACCEPTING $25K DONATION FROM CCP-TIED LAWYER: ‘OUTRAGEOUS’ 

The outlet also indicated it spoke with the friend the victim was allegedly texting, as well as the woman’s then-boyfriend who she reportedly told about the assault the next day. The boyfriend reportedly encouraged her to report Swalwell at the time. 

However, she did not go to the authorities at the time, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, because she was afraid she would not be believed. Medical records reportedly showed she did obtain a pregnancy and STD test a week following the incident.

Swalwell subsequently messaged the alleged victim after the 2024 incident and told her not to tell anyone about their interaction that night, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. “He even sent me a message: you said you didn’t remember anything last time i hope you do now,” the alleged victim reportedly texted her friend three days after the incident. “And i said: yeah I’m trying to forget thanks.” 

“He was sending messages like we just had a romantic encounter like he knows what he’s doing,” the alleged victim also allegedly wrote to her friend at the time. “He was gaslighting me into thinking it was consensual.”

Swalwell’s alleged victim began talking to the San Francisco news outlet roughly a month ago, as she was weighing whether to go public with her allegations as they began anonymously surfacing online. 

The victim was confused how the rumors began, considering she only told family and a small group of friends about the incident. The victim reportedly called the Swalwell campaign in March to see if her name had surfaced among the rumored victims, to which one of Swalwell’s staffers reportedly asked her to vouch for Swalwell. 

“He was so confident that I would stay silent that he wasn’t scared,” she said of Swalwell.

“I have no skin in the game of who becomes governor of California, but I feel people have a right to know whether the person who leads a state that is a safe haven for so many women actually treats women with dignity and will protect their rights,” continued the woman, who still works on Capitol Hill, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. “No one protected me from him, and so I have to protect the other young women like me who aspire to work in this field and he could prey upon.”

Late Thursday night, Swalwell’s attorney, Elias Dabaie, sent a cease-and-desist letter that Hunt, one of the individuals amplifying Swalwell’s accuser’s claims, argues is an effort to intimidate those trying to speak up about Swalwell’s history with women. 

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“Today we learned [Swalwell] is intimidating survivors, serving cease and desist letters on those coming forward with stories of sexual harassment and abuse. He sent this threat in the dead of night — another attempt to delay the truth,” Hunt wrote on social media, attaching a copy of the first letter of the cease and desist letter she claimed to have obtained.

“This is what it looks like when powerful men get caught,” Hunt continued. “These cease and desists are a disgusting abuse of power against brave women who are courageously working together to share their stories. It begs the question: if Swalwell has done nothing wrong, as his campaign claims, why not let the women tell their stories in the light of day? Our team remains steadfast. We will not relent. The women will not recant.”

The Los Angeles Times reported Friday that it had confirmed the authenticity of the letter. Fox News Digital reached out to the attorney who sent the letter to confirm the authenticity of the letter independently, but did not immediately receive a response. 

A Senate Republican wants federal funding revoked from Yale for a forthcoming speech from a controversial streamer who once called for him to be “killed.”

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., blasted an upcoming event at the Ivy League university featuring Twitch streamer and political commentator Hasan Piker, who has become a flashpoint for Democrats and fodder for conservatives because of his views and alignment with the far-left of the party.

Piker, who has come under fire for his previous comments that “America deserved 9/11” and for excusing sexual violence committed on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack against Israel, is set to appear at the Yale Political Union for an event dubbed “Resolved: End the American Empire” Tuesday.

SENATE GOP VOWS TO ‘GO IT ALONE’ ON ICE FUNDING AS DEMS DOUBLE DOWN ON SHUTDOWN

“This is WILD,” Scott said on X. “I spoke at the Yale Political Union last year on why we need to buy made in America products. Now, they are hosting a guy who said I should be killed.”

“Yale receives billions from the federal government — President Trump and Congress need to IMMEDIATELY revoke it,” he continued. “An elite private university that hosts an antisemite who says a Senator should be killed, capitalists should be killed, and the U.S. deserved 9/11, shouldn’t get ONE CENT from taxpayers.”

The Yale Political Union did not respond to a request for comment on Scott’s push to nix funding for the university.

Scott and Piker have had a run-in, indirectly, before.

MICHIGAN DEMOCRAT DEFENDS APPEARING WITH HASAN PIKER, DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM PODCASTER’S CONTROVERSIAL REMARKS

When Republicans were crafting President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” in 2025, Piker said during a stream — in reaction to comments from House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., that Republicans were targeting Medicaid fraud — that Scott should be killed.

“The reason why I’m saying, if you cared about Medicare or Medicaid fraud, you would kill Rick Scott is because — and not make him a prominent part of the Republican Party — is because he, to this day, is still also known as committing the largest Medicare fraud in U.S. history,” Piker said.

At the time, Republicans were trying to include several provisions in the budget reconciliation process that they pitched as reforms to Medicaid designed to cut costs and root out fraud in the system.

SQUAD MEMBER SUMMER LEE CALLS ‘UPPER CLASS’ THE ‘ENEMY’ AT EL-SAYED RALLY

A provider rate crackdown; denying states Medicaid funding for having illegal immigrants on the benefit rolls; preventing illegal immigrants from participating in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP); and preventing Medicaid and CHIP funding from going toward gender-affirming care were all on the table.

However, those provisions were gutted from the bill for not complying with the strict guardrails that dictate the reconciliation process. Still, Republicans were able to include stringent work requirements for the healthcare program.

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Scott’s office didn’t comment on Piker’s Medicare fraud accusation but told Fox News Digital that “no Democrat elected official calls this guy out and the press seems to give all the Democrats a pass for actively campaigning with him.”

Piker’s management team and Yale did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Nerdeen Kiswani, a Palestinian-American activist, blasted what she called Zionist aggression after investigators foiled a Molotov cocktail plot against her life — but refused to condemn political violence across the board.

In the past, Kiswani’s organization, Within Our Lifetime (WOL), has drawn scrutiny for refusing to condemn U.S.-designated terror organizations.

“For years, I and so many other Palestinian organizers have been the targets of coordinated harassment, threats, stalking,” Kiswani said at a press event.

Undercover investigators prevented Alexander Heifler, 26, from carrying out a plan to make and use Molotov cocktails against Kiswani late last month. According to court filings, Heifler had made as many as 12 incendiary devices and was preparing to throw them at Kiswani’s car and home.

NURSE FIRED FOR RANT AGAINST ISRAELIS IN TIMES SQUARE AS SPIDER-MAN TRIES TO STOP CONFRONTATION

She also said she believed Palestinians had the right to act in their own interests.

“I believe that in accordance with international law, the victims of a genocide have the right to defend themselves, and I also believe the American people should be concerned about Zionist terrorist organizations attempting to assassinate their critics on the streets of American cities.”

She did not clarify if self-defense also included acts of violence.

CONTRIBUTOR FOR FAR-LEFT OUTLET CALLS FOR ‘WIPING OUT ISRAEL,’ SAYS ISRAELIS ‘MUSTN’T FEEL SAFE’

NYC MAYOR MAMDANI’S WIFE LIKED POSTS CELEBRATING OCT 7 TERROR ATTACKS BUT GETS SOFT TREATMENT FROM THE PRESS

Reacting to Kiswani’s statement, Yuval David, a fellow with the Middle East Forum, a pro-Israel research group, said Kiswani’s framing did not come as a surprise.

“She refuses to condemn political violence, and she also refuses to condone terrorism because she tries to manipulate the narrative to justify terrorism by calling it resistance,” David said.

David noted that Kiswani’s organization has shied away from condemning violence against Israel in the past.

WOL made headlines in the wake of Hamas’ terror attack on Israel in October 2023 for its anti-Israel support, stating in online messaging that “we are anti-Zionists” and that the “liberation of Palestine requires the abolition of Zionism.”

David recalled WOL’s messaging to its followers at the outset of the Israel-Hamas war.

“A month after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad attacks [Kiswani] and her organization published maps of Jewish organizations across New York City, labeled them as having, quote, ‘blood on their hands.’ And told followers to, quote, ‘know your enemy.’ She said that the map should serve as a call for every struggle to act,” David said.

The Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism has said WOL demonstrates “very explicit support for violence against Israeli civilians in support of terrorist organizations like Hamas, Hezbollah, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.”

For its part, WOL has said it is anti-Zionist, not antisemitic.

After news of the plot against Kiswani broke, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called on viewers to denounce violence across the board.

“We do not tolerate any kind of violent extremism in this city. No one should face violence for their political beliefs or for their advocacy. And I am relieved she is safe,” Mamdani said in a press event.

NYC BOOSTS PATROLS AMID ‘HEIGHTENED THREAT ENVIRONMENT,’ AFTER GUNMAN RAMS TRUCK INTO MICHIGAN SYNAGOGUE

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When asked if she would condemn political violence in the wake of the foiled plot, Kiswani blasted the inquiry.

“Since its inception, Fox News has not only cheerled the Israeli occupation of Palestine, it has spread lies that launched the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, which led to the deaths of over a million people, and it presently supports Trump and Israel’s war on Iran,” Kiswani told Fox News Digital.

“It is ironic that a news network that glorifies violence when carried out in the interest of American imperialism puts the burden on me, the Palestinian victim of a Zionist terrorist plot, to explain my position on political violence,” she continued.

The Court of International Trade on Friday appeared skeptical of President Donald Trump‘s use of a little-known emergency trade law to justify his sweeping, 10% global tariffs — teeing up a familiar, if technically new, legal fight focused on when and how a sitting president can act to unilaterally impose steep import fees on most U.S. trading partners.

During nearly two hours of arguments, a three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of International Trade grappled with Trump’s use of Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 — an emergency provision designed to address “large and serious” balance-of-payments problems — and its applicability in today’s economy.

Under Section 122, a president has the authority to unilaterally impose import fees of up to 15% on U.S. trading partners for a period of 150 days, to respond to large and serious “balance of payments deficits,” or instances that risk immediately depreciating the power of the dollar.  

Arguments before the court hinged on interpretation of the “balance of payments deficits” phrase, and whether the persistent U.S. trade deficits cited by Trump in invoking Section 122 aligned with the kind of crisis that Congress had envisioned when it passed the trade law in the mid-1970s. 

TRUMP WARNS SUPREME COURT TARIFF SHOWDOWN IS ‘LIFE OR DEATH’ FOR AMERICA

Members of the three-judge panel appeared skeptical of the Trump administration’s arguments, and questioned whether Congress intended the statute to apply to specific instances of international currency pressures, rather than long-running trade imbalances.

“Are you really saying that a large trade deficit alone is sufficient?” the judge asked Justice Department lawyer Brett Shumate, adding, “I don’t think it is, and I think Congress didn’t think it is.”

Congress, Shumate argued, had provided presidents with broad discretion to assess economic conditions, and to identify what “balance of power” deficits warrant emergency intervention. 

Shumate also ticked through a list of other economic indicators Trump cited in his proclamation — including the current account deficit, and the “net international investment” position, among other things.

“The important point,” Shumate said, “is that Congress provided the president [with] discretion.”

FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS 5 TRUMP TARIFF EXECUTIVE ORDERS 

The arguments come weeks after a group of 24 attorneys general sued the administration over Trump’s use of Section 122, arguing that the move was an illegal attempt to “sidestep” the Supreme Court’s ruling in February that blocked Trump’s use of an emergency economic powers law to unilaterally impose his so-called “Liberation Day” tariffs. 

Shumate said Friday that both authorities — IEEPA and Section 122 — were available to Trump, and told the court that Trump could have invoked Section 122 earlier.

Lawyers for the challenges told the court Friday that upholding the administration’s broader view of the law would effectively turn Section 122 into an all-purpose trade weapon. 

TRUMP TARIFF PLAN FACES UNCERTAIN FUTURE AS COURT BATTLES INTENSIFY

Jeffrey Schwab, a lawyer representing one set of challengers in Friday’s case, said the government’s theory was “very, very, very broad,” adding that it could allow the president to act “at any point, at any moment that he wants, forever.”

Trump is the first president to attempt to use both IEEPA and Section 122 to unilaterally impose tariffs. 

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The case is seen broadly as one that could help define the outer bounds of presidential tariff authority.

If nothing else, the novelty of both cases, and the skepticism on display by the trade court Friday suggests the new Section 122 tariffs might follow a legal fight that is similar to his first.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell summoned Wall Street bank heads to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday for a flash meeting to warn them of cybersecurity threats posed by AI giant Anthropic, according to a Thursday night report from Bloomberg.

Bessent and Powell convened the last-minute meeting at Treasury’s D.C. headquarters in order to ensure the banks were ready to guard against risks from Anthropic’s latest model, Claude Mythos Preview, a powerful new AI model that experts warn marks a profound shift in the technology.

Each bank summoned is marked by the Fed as “structurally important” to the global financial system. The attendees included chief executives from Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America and Wells Fargo.

Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan was in attendance, a source with knowledge of his schedule told Fox News Digital. Spokespeople for Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo declined to comment. Citigroup and Morgan Stanley did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

PENTAGON’S AI BATTLE WILL HELP DECIDE WHO CONTROLS OUR MOST POWERFUL MILITARY TECH

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon was also summoned but was unable to attend, Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar. JPMorgan, notably, is a member of Anthropic’s “Project Glasswing,” an initiative to use Mythos as a defense against future similar models. JPMorgan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Mythos has garnered a swell of intrigue online thanks to Anthropic’s claims that the AI can autonomously identify and exploit software weaknesses.

The company touted Mythos as a “frontier model” that can outperform “all but the most skilled humans at finding and exploiting software vulnerabilities.” It claimed the model has already identified thousands of software flaws previously unknown to their developers, including some that were decades old inside companies widely considered to be security strongholds.

“This could make cyberattacks of all kinds much more frequent and destructive, and empower adversaries of the United States and its allies,” Anthropic wrote in a blog post. “Addressing these issues is therefore an important security priority for democratic states.”

ANTHROPIC’S DEMOCRATIC TIES UNDER FIRE AS TRUMP ADMIN SEVERS PENTAGON CONTRACTS

In light of the security risks, a source close to Anthropic told Fox News Digital that the company has briefed senior U.S. government officials about Mythos, though did not specify which agencies.

The increasingly relevant AI titan was once a core partner of the U.S. military, securing a $200 million contract with the Pentagon in July 2025.

However, the partnership split open in February after the company drew redlines against the War Department using its technology for autonomous weapons and domestic surveillance. After issuing the company an ultimatum, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth designated Anthropic as a supply chain risk, barring federal contractors from using its products.

Anthropic sought to appeal that designation, but a federal appeals court rejected their plea Wednesday.

When asked to comment on the Treasury’s Tuesday meeting, the Department of War referred Fox News Digital to a statement in support of the Wednesday ruling from Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

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“Today’s D.C. Circuit stay allowing the government to designate Anthropic as a supply chain risk is a resounding victory for military readiness,” Blanche posted on X Wednesday. “Our position has been clear from the start — our military needs full access to Anthropic’s models if its technology is integrated into our sensitive systems. Military authority and operational control belong to the Commander-in-Chief and Department of War, not a tech company.”

The Department of Treasury and the Federal Reserve Board did not immediately return requests for comment.

An immigration appeals board has issued a final order of removal for anti-Israel protester Mahmoud Khalil, advancing the Trump administration’s effort to deport the Columbia University graduate, according to his legal team.

The Justice Department’s Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) ruled Thursday to deny Khalil’s bid to dismiss the case, marking a significant development in the administration’s push to deport him from the U.S.

Khalil, a 31-year-old lawful permanent resident, has been at the center of a broader federal crackdown on noncitizens involved in anti-Israel campus protests tied to the war in Gaza. He was the first person whose arrest became publicly known as part of the crackdown.

His legal team blasted the decision as “baseless and politically motivated,” arguing the government is retaliating against his speech and lacks evidence to support the case.

MAHMOUD KHALIL AVOIDS EXPLICIT HAMAS CONDEMNATION, CRITICIZES ‘SELECTIVE OUTRAGE’ AMID PALESTINIAN SUFFERING

“In all my decades as an immigration lawyer, I have never seen such a baseless and politically motivated decision,” Khalil’s lead attorney, Marc Van Der Hout, said in a statement issued by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). “The BIA’s decision has absolutely no support in the record, violates a federal court order, and we’ll be fighting it until the end.”

The Trump administration has argued Khalil’s protest activity was “aligned with Hamas,” a claim cited by the Department of Homeland Security and other officials, though authorities have not publicly detailed specific evidence linking him to the terrorist group.

Khalil has also denied allegations of antisemitism. Officials have also cited a rare foreign policy provision of U.S. immigration law, sometimes referred to as a “Rubio determination,” as well as alleged issues tied to his green card application.

Despite the ruling, Khalil’s attorneys say he cannot be deported while his separate federal habeas case continues to play out in court.

A federal judge in New Jersey previously found the government’s justification for detaining Khalil was likely unconstitutional and ordered his release.

After his arrest, Khalil spent 104 days in immigration detention, missing the birth of his first child before a federal judge in New Jersey ordered his release.

Khalil later suffered a setback in his federal case when a U.S. appeals panel ruled that the New Jersey judge overstepped his authority by ordering his release. In a 2-1 decision, the panel found the case must proceed through the immigration court system before it can be challenged in federal court.

His lawyers are now requesting the full appeals panel reconsider that decision and have asked one of the judges to step aside over his prior role as a Justice Department official involved in investigating student protesters.

Khalil has denied wrongdoing and said the case is an attempt to silence him.

“I am not surprised by this decision from the biased and politically motivated Board of Immigration Appeals. I have committed no crime. I have broken no law. The only thing I am guilty of is speaking out against the genocide in Palestine — and this administration has weaponized the immigration system to punish me for it,” Khalil said in a statement released by the ACLU.

DHS FIRES BACK AFTER MAHMOUD KHALIL TARGETS TRUMP ADMIN FOR $20M OVER DETENTION

“My family is here. My life is here. I reject any attempt to intimidate me out of my home based on lies and ideological attacks,” he said. “This is not justice. This is just another attempt to retaliate against me.”

Khalil, a prominent organizer of anti-Israel protests at Columbia University in 2024 who the Trump administration is seeking to deport, was initially arrested in 2025 at his university-owned apartment in New York City.

Homeland Security Investigations, a division of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), told him at the time they were revoking his green card, according to his attorney, Amy Greer. He was later transferred to a detention center in Louisiana.

Khalil played a major role in protests against Israel that rocked Columbia University in 2024 and met with school officials on behalf of Columbia University Apartheid Divest, a coalition of student groups pushing the university to divest from Israel. He completed the requirements for a Columbia master’s degree in late 2024.

Born in Syria, he is the grandson of Palestinians who were forced to leave their homeland, his lawyers said in a legal filing. His wife, a U.S. citizen, gave birth to the couple’s child while he was in detention.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt previously defended the Trump administration’s actions following Khalil’s arrest in March, saying he allegedly distributed pro-Hamas propaganda fliers on campus.

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“This administration is not going to tolerate individuals having the privilege of studying in our country and then siding with pro-terrorist organizations that have killed Americans,” Leavitt told reporters at a White House press briefing at the time, noting that on her desk were the “pro-Hamas propaganda fliers with the logo of Hamas” on them that Khalil allegedly was distributing.

“We have a zero-tolerance policy for siding with terrorists, period,” she said.

Fox News Digital has contacted the Justice Department for comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Congressional Democrats want President Donald Trump ousted through extraordinary measures, despite previously dismissing similar calls targeting former President Joe Biden.

More than 50 Democratic lawmakers have called on Trump’s Cabinet to effectively depose him using the 25th Amendment, arguing that the president is unfit to serve over his comments and actions regarding Iran. Their demands were sparked by his social media declaration that a “whole civilization will die” unless the Iranian government agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

“I certainly think the president should be removed,” Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., said. “I mean, he’s unfit for office. I think the 25th Amendment, and if not, then impeachment.”

But less than two years ago, Republicans made the same argument against Biden that Democrats ignored.

SENATE DEM ACCUSES TRUMP OF BEING ‘UNFIT FOR OFFICE,’ JOINS GROWING CALL TO IMPEACH, OUST PRESIDENT

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., at the time wrote a letter to then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling for him, along with Vice President Kamala Harris, to invoke the 25th Amendment.

“If President Biden is unwilling to resign, for the sake of our great nation, you must do your duty to relieve him of his constitutional powers and duties,” Schmitt wrote.

Now, only a small group of Senate Democrats have made the case for Trump’s ouster, while most of the enthusiasm has come from the House.

Democrats’ calls to remove Trump through impeachment and conviction or the 25th Amendment cannot happen without widespread GOP support. House Democratic leadership, however, continues to provide a platform for those discussions.

House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin, D-Md., will hold a caucus-wide briefing on the workings of the 25th Amendment Friday afternoon.

EX-TRUMP ALLY MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE JOINS LEFT-WING CALLS FOR THE 25TH AMENDMENT AS IRAN DEADLINE NEARS

In the summer of 2024, Republicans demanded that Biden be removed from office after a disastrous debate performance against Trump and following a report from former Special Counsel Robert Hur that called into question the then-president’s cognitive ability and handling of classified documents.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said at the time, “There’s a lot of people asking about the 25th Amendment, invoking the 25th Amendment right now, because this is an alarming situation.”

GOP INFIGHTING REPLACES CLASH WITH DEMS, DERAILS PATH TO END HISTORIC DHS SHUTDOWN

“Our adversaries see the weakness in this White House, as we all do,” Johnson added. “I take no pleasure in saying that. I think this is a very dangerous situation.”

Democrats quickly closed ranks and disputed accusations that Biden’s mental acuity was rapidly declining. Some, however, did call for Biden to drop out of the race against Trump over fears he would not be able to beat his political foe in a rematch after stumbling during their only debate.

Top congressional Democrats, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., reportedly urged Biden privately to step aside, and dozens of Democrats publicly called on him to exit the race while there was still time to find a replacement.

Neither, however, called for the 25th Amendment to be invoked against Biden. Pelosi did, however, renew her call to see Trump ousted through that process in recent days. 

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“Donald Trump’s instability is more clear and dangerous than ever,” Pelosi said on X. “If the Cabinet is not willing to invoke the 25th Amendment and restore sanity, Republicans must reconvene the Congress to end this war.”

Schumer has so far stopped short of calling for Trump’s removal from power.

Trump, when pressed on next moves in Iran, joked in April during a Cabinet meeting that if he revealed what comes next, his own Cabinet would oust him.

“I can’t say what we’re going to do because if I did, I wouldn’t be sitting here for long. They’d probably — what is it called? The 25th Amendment — They’d institute the 25th Amendment,” Trump said. “Which they didn’t do with Biden, which is shocking.”

It’s only 2026, but the first major cattle call of potential Democratic presidential contenders in the 2028 White House race is underway.

Eight Democrats who may launch presidential campaigns are speaking in New York City at the National Action Network’s 35th Anniversary Convention.

The gathering, hosted by the civil rights organization’s founder, the Rev. Al Sharpton, gives White House hopefuls an opportunity to speak directly to an influential group of Black leaders and activists who are key players in the Democratic Party’s base.

Govs. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, JB Pritzker of Illinois and Wes Moore of Maryland, along with Rep. Ro Khanna of California, spoke over the past two days, while Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona are scheduled to appear Saturday.

KAMALA HARRIS’ TRAVELS AND COMMENTS CLEARLY POINT TO 2028

On Friday, two veterans of former President Joe Biden’s administration are in the spotlight: former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and the convention’s biggest draw, former Vice President Kamala Harris.

The preseason moves in the next race for the Democratic presidential nomination have been underway for a year, with the potential contenders making stops in the early voting nominating states, such as New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada and Iowa, as well as in other key electoral battlegrounds.

The showdown for the 2028 Democratic nomination is expected to draw a crowded and competitive field.

“We have a pretty good bench. In fact, you’ve invited so many of them to come right here, they’ve been on this stage, or they’re going to be,” Pritzker told Sharpton on Thursday.

HARRIS, NEWSOM, STIR 2028 SPECULATION AT MAJOR DEMOCRATIC PARTY MEETING

Sharpton said earlier this week that when it comes to the potential contenders, he wants to “know what their vision is now, and what they’re doing now. So I’ve invited all of the people that could run.”

Black voters have long played a very influential role in Democratic Party presidential politics.

Case in point: the 2020 White House race.

After fourth and fifth place finishes in the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, a battered and bruised Joe Biden finished a distant second to Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Nevada caucuses.

21 DEMOCRATS WHO MAY RUN FOR THE WHITE HOUSE IN 2028

But a major backing from Black voters fueled Biden’s landslide victory in the next contest, the South Carolina primary, which launched him towards the Democratic nomination and eventually the White House.

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The Republican National Committee (RNC) is giving thumbs down to the White House hopefuls appearing at Sharpton’s confab.

“Democrats are kicking off the 2028 primary by parading Kamala Harris and a roster of failed governors trying to outrun their own records,” RNC national press secretary Kiersten Pels told Fox News.

Fox News’ Alexis McAdams contributed to this report

The Navy is canceling a long-delayed overhaul of the USS Boise after costs ballooned toward nearly $3 billion, with War Secretary John Phelan saying the submarine no longer made financial or strategic sense to repair.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Phelan said the Los Angeles-class attack submarine already had consumed roughly $800 million and would require another $1.9 billion to complete — despite offering only about 20% of its remaining service life. Instead, the Navy plans to redirect funding and skilled labor toward building and delivering newer Virginia- and Columbia-class submarines, part of a broader push to accelerate ship production and overhaul troubled acquisition programs.

“At some point, you just cut your losses and move on,” Phelan said.

The Navy originally awarded a roughly $1.2 billion contract in 2024 under the Biden administration to overhaul the submarine, nearly a decade after it was first slated for repairs, but updated estimates later showed the total cost to complete the work had surged far beyond initial projections.

“The Boise has been pier-side since 2015, cost nearly $800 million already and it’s only 22% complete—the math really does not work,” he added.

TRUMP UNVEILS MARITIME ACTION PLAN AS CHINA DOMINATES GLOBAL SHIPBUILDING

The decision comes as the Navy faces mounting pressure to expand and maintain its fleet amid growing competition with China, which has built the world’s largest navy by number of ships. U.S. officials increasingly have emphasized the need to speed up shipbuilding and submarine production to keep pace with rising global demands.

The Boise’s problems long predate the canceled contract.

The submarine last deployed in 2015 and was slated to begin a routine overhaul the following year, but delays at Navy shipyards left it waiting years for an available dry dock.

As maintenance was pushed back, the situation worsened. The submarine lost its full operational certification in 2016 and its ability to dive in 2017, effectively sidelining it from combat operations.

Despite being a frontline attack submarine, Boise remained tied up at port for years as the Navy struggled with a growing backlog of repairs across its fleet, driven by limited dry dock space, workforce shortages and competing maintenance priorities.

The overhaul originally was planned to begin in 2016 but was repeatedly delayed for nearly a decade before the Navy finally awarded a contract in 2024 — by which point the submarine had already spent years out of service.

US TO EXPEDITE NUCLEAR-POWERED SUBS TO AUSTRALIA THAT WILL SIT NEAR CHINA’S DOORSTEP

Even after work began, the timeline stretched further, with repairs not expected to be completed until 2029 — meaning the submarine would have spent roughly 15 years inactive by the time it returned to sea.

Over time, the Boise became one of the clearest examples of the Navy’s broader maintenance and shipyard challenges, frequently cited by lawmakers and defense analysts as a case study in delays, rising costs and declining readiness.

Phelan said a key factor in the decision was freeing up scarce shipyard labor and engineering talent currently tied up in the Boise overhaul, which he said could be better used to accelerate construction of newer submarines.

“One of our big constraints in our shipyards, particularly in submarine building, is labor and engineering talent,” Phelan said. “We have a lot of that dedicated to this, which we could free up and put onto the Virginia-class submarine or Columbia and try to shift the schedule left on those.”

He argued the overhaul no longer made sense from a return-on-investment perspective, comparing the cost of repairing the aging submarine to building a new one.

“The Boise represents 65% of the cost of a new Virginia-class submarine, yet it only delivers 20% of the remaining service life,” Phelan said, adding that equates to roughly three deployments.

The Boise, commissioned in 1992, is a Cold War-era attack submarine designed primarily for open-ocean combat, while newer Virginia-class submarines are quieter, more versatile and better suited for modern missions, including intelligence gathering, special operations and operating in contested coastal environments.

“Is it time we just simply pull the plug on that one?” Sen. Mike Rounds, R-N.D., asked during a confirmation hearing in June 2025.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle called the situation “an unacceptable story” and “like a dagger in the heart” for the submarine force.

No public criticism immediately surfaced after the decision was announced Friday.

Phelan described the program’s failure as the result of multiple factors over more than a decade, including engineering challenges, shifting priorities and strain on the Navy’s industrial base.

“I can’t point to one thing that killed it,” he said. “I think it was a combination … the complexity of the engineering, COVID impacts, and pressure on the industrial base.”

The cancellation is part of a broader effort by Navy leadership to reevaluate underperforming programs and change how the service approaches acquisitions, Phelan said.

“We’re reviewing every program,” he said, adding the Navy is pushing for “radical transparency” and a shift away from what he described as a culture of accepting delays and rising costs.

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Phelan said the decision reflects a broader push to prioritize speed and efficiency in delivering war-fighting capability to the fleet.

“We need to be more disciplined and move out faster,” he said. “The president wants things yesterday.”

House Democrats are weighing a long-shot scenario to remove President Donald Trump using the 25th Amendment but are declining to say whether they’ll act before the November midterm elections.

House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin, D-Md., will brief congressional Democrats Friday afternoon on the constitutional mechanism that would rely heavily on Trump’s Cabinet agreeing to push him out of office.

The 25th Amendment has never been used before to involuntarily remove a president and is effectively moot without widespread Republican buy-in. But a bevy of House Democrats have embraced that scenario following the president’s escalating conflict with Iran.

“Donald Trump’s deranged threat to destroy ‘a whole civilization’ in Iran is a threat to commit war crimes and genocide,” Raskin wrote on social media Tuesday. “Republicans in Congress must prevail upon Vice President Vance, now campaigning for Putin’s puppet Viktor Orban in Hungary, to return to the U.S. and invoke Section 4 of the 25th Amendment.”

MASSIE-LED PUSH TO HANDCUFF TRUMP ON IRAN GETS JEFFRIES’ BACKING

“The 25th Amendment should be invoked to spare our country and the world from his increasingly unhinged behavior,” Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., a member of the Judiciary Committee, also said Tuesday. 

Dozens of House Democrats have continued to press for the president’s ouster despite the announcement of a two-week ceasefire.

“All options should be on the table,” Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., said Thursday.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has offered support for the briefing and ongoing discussions about the president’s removal, saying Democrats are considering a “range of accountability mechanisms.”

The lead Democrat, however, has remained ambiguous about his personal views despite signaling that all options remain on the table. That is largely in keeping with Jeffries’ efforts over the past year to keep the focus away from impeachment talk while leaning into policy fights over health care costs, tariffs and immigration enforcement. 

Fox News Digital reached out to members of House Democratic leadership but did not receive a response before publication.

A spokesperson for the House Judiciary Committee declined to comment on the 25th Amendment briefing. 

LONGTIME TRUMP CRITIC REVEALS WHY SHE THINKS HIS IRAN ACTIONS ARE WRONG, WARNS IT’S A ‘MUCH BIGGER WAR’

Jeffries largely sidestepped a question Thursday regarding why Democrats are having conversations about removing Trump during a news conference in New York City.

“We have a responsibility as a separate and co-equal branch of government to defend the American people, and we want to be able to do it in an informed way,” Jeffries said before pivoting to criticizing Republicans over the cost of living.

“We’ve ruled nothing out, and we’ve ruled nothing in,” Jeffries told MS NOW when asked about whether he thought the 25th Amendment should be invoked.

In both appearances, Jeffries did not acknowledge that Democrats, who are effectively powerless in Washington, lack the numbers to successfully push impeachment or constitutional mechanisms to oust Trump. 

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In the 25th Amendment scenario, the power rests with Vice President JD Vance and Trump’s Cabinet, who would have to agree the president is unfit to serve. Assuming Trump were to challenge that decision, two-thirds of the House and Senate — meaning a significant number of Republicans in Congress — would have to vote in support of that judgment.

At present, Democrats also have a math problem when it comes to impeachment and conviction, which requires a two-thirds majority in the Senate. Congressional Democrats failed twice to convict Trump in his first term. 

Democrats are united in their opposition to President Donald Trump and his unprecedented second-term agenda. 

But as the Democratic National Committee (DNC) huddles in New Orleans for its spring meeting, the party is once again coping with deep internal divisions over Israel’s military actions and a powerful pro-Israel lobbying group’s recent meddling in Democratic Party primaries.

The DNC’s Resolutions Committee debated and held test votes Thursday on resolutions recognizing a Palestinian state, putting limits on military aid to Israel and taking aim at what one resolution calls the “growing influence” of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which is best known by its acronym AIPAC, and other so-called dark money groups.

Two resolutions on placing conditions on military aid to Israel and recognizing a Palestinian state were referred to the DNC’s Middle East Working Group. The resolution calling out AIPAC was defeated after the Resolutions Committee passed a broader resolution targeting all dark money groups. The nonbinding resolutions were among more than 100 on a range of issues that are being considered.

SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL DROPS AS DEMOCRATS TURN AGAINST KEY US ALLY: POLL

The resolutions were the latest face-off between DNC leaders who support Israel and a growing base of progressives who give Israel a thumbs down. One DNC committee member, speaking anonymously, called the resolutions “problematic” for the party.

The potential for divisive dialogue and verbal explosions over these issues comes eight months after similar showdowns at the DNC’s 2025 summer meeting in Minneapolis.

This year’s spring meeting also comes as a Pew Research national survey released this week showed that 80% of Democrats and independents who lean toward the party hold unfavorable views of Israel, up nearly 30 points since 2022. An NBC News poll conducted earlier this year indicated that 57% of Democrats held a negative view of Israel, up from 35% after Hamas killed roughly 1,200 people in a sneak attack on Israel Oct. 7, 2023.

JOHN FETTERMAN CALLS OUT AOC’S ‘CLUELESS’ ANTI-ISRAEL COMMENTS IN MUNICH

But negative opinions have surged since Israel’s ensuing military campaign in Gaza over the past two and a half years has resulted in more than 72,000 people being killed, according to health officials in the Palestinian territory. And Israel joined the U.S. in attacking Iran in a nearly month-and-a-half long war which polls suggest is unpopular with most Americans.

“Israel’s behavior has turned Americans against it,” longtime DNC member James Zogby, the president of the Arab American Institute and a critic of Israel, said in a social media post this week. “It seems that Americans don’t like folks using our money & weapons to commit genocide & steal Palestinian land.”

The resolution criticizing AIPAC and other corporate-aligned spending in Democratic primaries was authored by Allison Minnerly, a DNC member from Florida who at last year’s summer meeting grabbed a spotlight as she unsuccessfully pushed for a resolution urging an arms embargo on Israel.

DEMOCRATS FACE-OFF OVER ISRAEL AT KEY PARTY MEETING

After Minnerly’s resolution was defeated, DNC Chair Ken Martin pulled his own resolution, which called for “unrestricted” aid to Gaza and a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian crisis. Martin then created the Middle East Working Group, which will meet for a fourth time at the spring meeting.

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Some Democrats blame the party’s support for Israel for their 2024 election setbacks, when they lost control of the White House and Senate and fell short in winning back the House majority.

Fox News reached out to the DNC and AIPAC for comment.

First lady Melania Trump delivered a rare, brief statement Thursday afternoon at the White House, coming out swinging at those who have linked her to Jeffrey Epstein, calling them “devoid of ethical standards.”

The remarks lasted roughly three minutes and did not include questions from the press.

“The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” she said. “I do not object to their ignorance, but rather I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation.”

A White House official told Fox News ahead of the event that the appearance would be a “statement” rather than a formal announcement.

VOGUE’S ANNA WINTOUR TAKES SWIPE AT MELANIA TRUMP’S STYLE WHILE PRAISING LIBERAL FAVORITES

Trump clarified the history between herself, her husband, President Donald Trump, and Epstein, during her remarks.

“I [have] never been friends with Epstein. Donald and I were invited to the same parties as Epstein from time to time. Since overlapping in social circles is common in New York City and Palm Beach,” she said.

President Donald Trump spoke with MS NOW on the first lady’s remarks, reportedly saying he didn’t “know anything about” the statement beforehand. 

He added: “[Melania] didn’t know him,” referring to Epstein, before hanging up with the journalist.

The first lady went on to reference several named accusers, including Democrat insider James Carville and The Daily Beast, as those who publicly apologized after linking Trump to Epstein.

DAILY BEAST APOLOGIZES TO MELANIA TRUMP OVER RETRACTED EPSTEIN ALLEGATIONS ARTICLE

“To date, several individuals and companies have been legally obligated to publicly apologize and retract their lies about me, such as The Daily Beast, James Carville and Harper Collins, UK,” Trump said. “The false smears about me from mean-spirited and politically motivated individuals and entities looking to cause damage to my good name, to gain financially and climb politically, must stop. My attorneys and I have fought these unfounded and baseless lies with success, and will continue to maintain my sound reputation without hesitation.”

The Daily Beast pulled a story about Melania Trump being “very involved” with Epstein, based on an interview with Michael Wolff, last July after the outlet said the “article did not meet our standards.”

Mrs. Trump further clarified the historical record in her statement, explaining that she met Epstein in 2000, two years after she met her husband, Donald.

DAILY BEAST PULLS STORY ALLEGING MELANIA-EPSTEIN CONNECTION AFTER LAWYERS DISPUTE FRAMING

“I am not Epstein’s victim,” Trump said. “Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump. I met my husband by chance at a New York City party in 1998. This initial encounter with my husband is documented in a detail in my book ‘Melania.’ The first time I crossed paths with Epstein was in the year 2000 at an event Donald and I attended together. At the time, I had never met Epstein and had no knowledge of his criminal undertakings.”

The first lady also cautioned Americans concerning ‘fake images’ on social media related to the matter.

“Numerous fake images and statements about Epstein and me have been calculating on social media for years now,” Trump said. “Be cautious about what you believe. These images and stories are completely false.”

The first lady called on Congress to act on Epstein’s circle, saying ‘each and every woman’ should have her moment to share testimony.

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“I call on Congress to provide the women who have been victimized by Epstein with a public hearing specifically centered around the survivors,” she said. “Give these victims their opportunity to testify under oath in front of Congress with the power of sworn testimony. Each and every woman should have her day to tell her story in public if she wishes, and then her testimony should be permanently entered into the Congressional Record.”

“First Lady Melania Trump spoke out now because enough is enough. The lies must stop,” Mrs. Trump’s senior advisor Marc Beckman told the New York Post. “It is time for the public and media to focus on her incredible achievements as First Lady, the lives she has positively impacted, and her commitment to our nation.”

Melania’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for additional comment.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Fox News Digital’s Brian Flood contributed to this reporting.

Republican Rep. Randy Fine of Florida has joined the ranks of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.

“HUGE NEWS: I’m proud to announce that I have officially joined the strongest group of conservative patriots in Congress,” he declared in a Thursday post on X.

“The House @freedomcaucus exists to save our country and preserve freedom, not manage our decline. That’s what I love about this group. I look forward to continuing the fight alongside my HFC colleagues to advance the MAGA agenda and fight for conservative principles,” he added.

GOP REP RANDY FINE DECLARES THAT DEPORTING ALL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IS THE TOP WAY TO MAKE THE US AFFORDABLE

Fine, who represents Florida’s 6th Congressional District, took office last year after winning a special election to fill the seat previously held by Republican Mike Waltz.

President Donald Trump backed Fine shortly before he launched his congressional bid. In a November 2024 Truth Social post, the president declared, “Should he decide to enter this Race, Randy Fine has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, RANDY, RUN!”

REPUBLICAN LABELS MAMDANI AS ‘LITTLE MORE THAN A MUSLIM TERRORIST,’ ADVOCATES YANKING CITIZENSHIP, DEPORTATION

Trump declared in a Truth Social post last year that the lawmaker “is doing a fantastic job representing Florida’s 6th Congressional District!” The president said the congressman “has my Complete and Total Endorsement.”

“I found in my first year in Congress that there are two types of Republicans: those who want to save America and those who want to manage our decline politely,” Fine noted, according to The Daily Signal. “They were unquestionably the group whose values were most in line with mine.”

LAWMAKER SAYS IRAN TARGETED HIM IN PHISHING ATTACK DISGUISED AS TV INTERVIEW

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“Trying to manage the budget, trying to get the government under control, trying to stand up to the Left — they seemed to be the group whose values were most in line with mine,” he said, according to the outlet.

Oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively halted despite a U.S.-backed ceasefire that hinged on reopening the critical waterway, raising fresh questions about whether Iran is following through on a central condition of the truce.

A backlog of roughly 3,200 vessels — among them 800 tankers and cargo ships — has built up west of the strait, with ships idling as operators wait for clarity on whether it is safe to pass.

No oil tankers have risked the journey in recent days, according to Matt Smith, an analyst at Kpler, a data and intelligence company. 

“We’re not seeing any, any, any oil products passing through there,” Smith said. “So for all intents and purposes, the strait remains closed. And this is the leverage that Iran has.”

GEN JACK KEANE ‘SKEPTICAL’ THAT IRAN CEASEFIRE WILL HOLD, WARNS TEHRAN WILL ‘DELAY AND OBFUSCATE’

Three vessels passed through the Strait on Thursday, according to Smith, two of them Iranian-flagged and one a dry bulk carrier.

“Iran is doing a very poor job, dishonorable some would say, of allowing Oil to go through the Strait of Hormuz. That is not the agreement we have!” President Donald Trump warned on Wenesday. 

Nearly 20,000 mariners essentially are stranded in the Persian Gulf throughout the crisis, according to the International Maritime Organization.

On Wednesday, one Sri Lanka-flagged vessel passed inbound through the strait, while four dry bulk carriers — flagged in Botswana, Liberia, Panama and St. Kitts and Nevis — and one Iranian vessel sailed outbound, according to Windward AI, a maritime data platform.

The few vessels that are transiting are doing so through a corridor near Iran’s Larak Island rather than standard commercial lanes, according to Windward, with some ships switching off tracking systems as they pass.

At the same time, cargo is increasingly being rerouted through ports in Oman and along the United Arab Emirates’ east coast, adding roughly two weeks to some voyages and increasing costs by about 25%.

The continued standstill comes despite President Donald Trump saying the ceasefire hinged on “Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz.”

TRUMP’S APOCALYPTIC IRAN WARNING RAISES STAKES FOR SWEEPING US STRIKE THREAT

While the truce has paused U.S. military action, shipping through the critical waterway has yet to resume — underscoring the gap between the agreement on paper and conditions on the ground.

Some 20% of the world’s oil supply typically passes through the strait, and analysts say shipping companies have a far lower risk tolerance than governments, meaning a fragile ceasefire alone is not enough to bring vessels back onto the waterway.

“We don’t know whether the Strait of Hormuz is mined. Even if it isn’t, the risk of being hit by a missile or a drone is a big enough deterrent,” Smith said. “No one’s willing to take the chance.”

He added that insurance constraints are making it difficult for ships to transit even if operators are willing to move.

War-risk insurance remains available in some cases, but at sharply elevated premiums and with added restrictions, further discouraging operators from entering the strait.

Sultan Al Jaber, head of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, posted on LinkedIn Thursday: “This moment requires clarity. So let’s be clear: the Strait of Hormuz is not open.”

“Access is being restricted, conditioned and controlled,” he said. “Iran has made clear — through both its statements and actions — that passage is subject to permission, conditions and political leverage.”

Meanwhile, Iran is demanding the right to charge a toll of $1 per barrel of oil on board, paid in cryptocurrency, according to the Financial Times.

Iranian state media reported Wednesday that Iran was keeping the strait closed in response to continued Israeli attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon, which the U.S. claims was not part of the ceasefire.

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Still, Vice President JD Vance and President Donald Trump have said Israel will scale down its attacks in Lebanon to allow breathing room for the ceasefire to succeed.

Despite the standoff, talks between top U.S. and Iranian leaders aimed at securing a permanent ceasefire are scheduled for Saturday in Pakistan.

Senate Republicans are meeting with President Donald Trump Friday to crystallize a plan to fund immigration operations that would cut out Democrats altogether.

Congressional Republicans are turning to the party-line budget reconciliation process to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for years to come in a move that can’t be blocked by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Republicans have a short timetable to get the job done given that Trump has set a deadline for the bill to be on his desk by June 1.

‘WE DIDN’T CAVE’: THUNE HIGHLIGHTS SCHUMER, DEMS’ LOSSES IN DHS FUNDING DEAL

Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said he and Senate Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., are meeting with Trump on Friday to prepare the framework of the package.

“We’re going to have to go it alone because Democrats aren’t interested in funding national security at a time of increased concerns around the world,” Barrasso said.

Republicans will first have to produce a budget resolution to provide guardrails for the forthcoming package. Barrasso said Senate Republicans plan to do it in a “targeted way, focused and get it done fast.”

A key hurdle in the process, however, is getting both House and Senate Republicans aligned on a plan. Senate Republicans want to keep a reconciliation package as narrow as possible, while some in the House are eyeing funding the entire Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in one massive bill.

GOP RAILS AGAINST ‘S— SANDWICH’ DEAL AS ALL EYES TURN TO HOUSE TO END DHS SHUTDOWN

Graham said recently that he envisions two reconciliation bills in 2026, one targeting ICE and CBP and another serving as a vehicle for several GOP priorities, including portions of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act and provisions to tackle fraud.

“Reconciliation has limits, but we’re going to make a down payment on the SAVE Act in reconciliation in the fall,” Graham said Monday on a South Carolina radio show, “Straight Talk with Bill Frady.”

But a key House GOP voice won’t be there.

A source told Fox News Digital House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, Graham’s counterpart in the process, will not attend the White House meeting Friday, and noted that it was a Senate-only confab.

Barrasso said there would likely be discussions on a “number of topics” for reconciliation, but the end goal for Senate Republicans remains funding ICE and CBP.

GOP RACES TO PASS ICE, BORDER PATROL FUNDING BILL AS PRIORITIES PILE UP, DIVISIONS EMERGE

“What I’m telling you today is we’re moving ahead in spite of incredible obstruction by the Democrats,” Barrasso said. “We’re focusing immigration and funding, immigration custom enforcement and border patrol, with Republican votes alone using reconciliation.”

Senate Democrats aren’t backing down from their shutdown position. Their demand for reforms to immigration operations, like requiring judicial warrants to search people’s homes and unmasking DHS agents in exchange for funding ICE and CBP has led the ongoing shutdown to stretch beyond 50 days.

Despite being cut out of the funding process altogether under Republicans’ reconciliation plan, Democrats still view their position as a winning strategy.

Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., argued that, as with the creation of the 2025 “big, beautiful bill,” Republicans will likely look for areas to cut spending to fund ICE and CBP, a move that could come back to bite them in the midterm elections.

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Kim told Fox News Digital Republicans bypassing Democrats to fund immigration operations does not make their shutdown posture “moot.”  

“We’re trying to make sure we’re standing up for the voice of the American people. If Republicans want to go around the American people, then they will answer to voters in November,” Kim said.

“And the Democrats, we will find our way back into gavels and power, and we will do what we can at that point to do what the American people wanted from the start, which is to focus on their concerns and not have this, you know, army of masked ICE agents without identification, without judicial warrants, terrorizing our neighborhoods.”

NATO’s chief signaled Thursday that European allies may move to help secure the Strait of Hormuz following talks with President Donald Trump — even as the White House declared the alliance had already “failed” and was not being asked to assist.

Secretary-General Mark Rutte, speaking at The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute in Washington a day after meeting Trump at the White House, pointed to a potential coalition effort among allied nations to keep the critical waterway open.

“If NATO can help, obviously, then there is no reason not to be helpful,” Rutte said.

But a White House official pushed back sharply on the notion that the alliance would play any role.

TRUMP SEEKS WARSHIPS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES TO HELP SECURE STRAIT OF HORMUZ

“As President Trump said yesterday, NATO was tested, and they failed,” the official told Fox News Digital Thursday. “He has zero expectations for NATO at this point and did not ask them for anything, even though it’s a fact that they benefit from the Strait of Hormuz far more than the United States.”

The split messaging underscores a growing rift between Washington and its European allies over how — or whether — NATO should be involved in the escalating Iran conflict.

Rutte framed the tension as part of a deeper structural imbalance, warning Europe’s reliance on U.S. military power had created what he called an “unhealthy codependence.”

MORE KEY US ALLIES BLOCK MILITARY FLIGHTS AS IRAN WAR RIFT WIDENS WITH TRUMP

A European diplomat confirmed to Fox News Digital that Rutte conveyed Trump expects a plan from allies within days, underscoring the urgency behind U.S. demands — even as the White House publicly denies seeking NATO’s involvement.

NATO also signaled the U.S. is pressing for concrete commitments.

“The secretary-general is in contact with allies about his discussions in Washington,” NATO spokesperson Allison Hart told Fox News Digital. “It’s clear that the United States expects concrete commitments and action to ensure the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.”

Rutte suggested the disagreement reflects a broader divide among allies rather than a failure of NATO as an institution.

“It’s not so much NATO, it is the allies,” he said, pointing to what he described as obligations by individual countries to support U.S. operations when prior agreements are in place.

The dispute highlights a deeper clash over NATO’s role, with the Trump administration pressing allies to back U.S.-led military action against Iran while several European governments have resisted, arguing the conflict falls outside the alliance’s core collective defense mission.

NATO HEAVYWEIGHTS BALK AT HORMUZ MISSION AS TRUMP WARNS ALLIANCE AT RISK

That friction had already surfaced during the early stages of the conflict. 

Spain denied Washington access to key military bases at Rota and Morón and blocked U.S. aircraft involved in strikes against Iran from using its airspace, complicating American operations. France also restricted some airspace access tied to military logistics during the conflict, including denying Israeli aircraft permission to transport U.S. weapons, drawing pushback from U.S. and Israeli officials. 

French officials said overflight requests are handled case by case.

Several European countries also have said the Iran conflict is “not our war,” declining to deploy naval forces to reopen the Strait of Hormuz during active fighting and instead signaling support for maritime security efforts only after hostilities ease.

Trump repeatedly has criticized NATO allies for what he sees as insufficient support, warning the alliance risks becoming a “one-way street.”

“You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore,” Trump said in a Truth Social post in March. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has similarly warned that Washington may “reexamine the value of NATO” following the conflict, citing frustration over European restrictions on U.S. basing and operational access.

Despite the tensions, Rutte emphasized that many European allies have provided support — including access to bases, logistics and overflights.

“He is clearly disappointed with many NATO allies, and I can see his point,” Rutte said. “But… the large majority of European nations has been helpful with basing, with logistics, with overflights, with making sure that they lived up to the commitments.”

Rutte also pointed to an emerging coalition model outside NATO’s formal structure, with countries coordinating directly to maintain security in the Strait of Hormuz.

“When it comes to the Strait of Hormuz, what you see now is countries coming together to make sure that the strait stays open,” he said. “If countries work together with the United States, that is a shared commitment that we cannot accept the strait being closed.”

He said the United Kingdom has taken a leading role in organizing that effort.

“This is about practical support,” Rutte added. “Each country is now looking at what they can do to contribute — whether that is minehunters, frigates, or surveillance and technology.”

Rutte returned to that broader critique of Europe’s defense posture, arguing the alliance had grown too dependent on Washington.

“Western European forces shrank, and defense budgets shriveled… in favor of what I would call an unhealthy codependence,” he said.

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Still, he argued that the alliance is beginning to shift.

“This is a move from codependence to a transatlantic alliance grounded in true partnership,” Rutte said. “There will be no going back.”

Former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares is taking aim at Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger as he helps steer Republican efforts to defeat a Democrat-backed congressional redistricting referendum that would create up to four additional left-leaning U.S. House seats ahead of the midterm elections.

“She told voters in August of 2025 that she had no plans, no intention to do redistricting. And then the very first bill that she signed into law was the enabling legislation for this monstrosity of gerrymandering to go forward,” Miyares told Fox News Digital on Thursday, as he pointed to Spanberger.

Miyares’ comments come as early voting is underway in Virginia ahead of an April 21 election on the ballot initiative, which, if passed, would give the Democrat-controlled legislature — rather than the current nonpartisan commission — redistricting power through the 2030 election. It could result in a 10-1 advantage for Democrats in the state’s congressional delegation, up from their current 6-5 edge.

Republicans call the Democrats’ redistricting effort an “unconstitutional power grab.” Democrats counter that it’s a necessary step to balance out partisan gerrymandering already implemented by Republicans in other states under the urging of President Donald Trump.

SPANBERGER ONCE BLASTED GERRYMANDERING AND NOW BACKS AMENDMENT CRITICS SAY COULD ERASE VIRGINIA GOP

Spanberger, a former CIA officer who served three terms in Congress, won election last year by a larger-than-expected 15-point margin in a state that is usually competitive between Democrats and Republicans.

But a poll last week from The Washington Post indicated that the new governor’s approval rating was barely above water, with the highest unfavorable rating for a new Virginia governor in two decades.

Miyares, speaking with Fox News Digital, argued that Spanberger “is the most unpopular governor in modern Virginia political history.”

OBAMA ENDORSES VIRGINIA REDISTRICTING CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT THAT COULD HELP DEMS GAIN 4 SEATS

“She’s an unpopular governor with an unpopular agenda and she lied to the voters,” he charged as he pointed to her comments on the gubernatorial campaign trail last year regarding redistricting.

And in a social media post on Wednesday, Miyares took aim at Spanberger, writing, “Governor ‘Bait and Switch’ is what people hate about self serving politicians.”

Miyares is co-chair for Virginians for Fair Maps, a GOP-aligned group that is working to defeat the redistricting referendum.

The group is currently running an ad statewide on TV and online that uses a 2019 quote from Spanberger, in which she wrote, “gerrymandering is detrimental to our democracy.”

“Trust me, we will be putting your face on a bunch of mailers reminding voters how you lied & previously stated you wouldn’t gerrymander Virginia into oblivion and then promptly did the opposite,” Miyares wrote in his social media post.

SOROS-BACKED GROUP AMONG LIBERAL ORGS PUMPING EYE-POPPING CASH INTO VIRGINIA GERRYMANDERING EFFORT

Along with former President Barack Obama, Spanberger has become one of the most visible faces in support of the amendment.

“I’m voting yes on Virginia’s redistricting amendment,” the governor says in an ad by Democratic-aligned Virginians for Fair Elections, the top political group backing the ballot initiative. The group is spending seven figures to run the ad statewide.

In the spot, Spanberger says she’s supporting the referendum because “it’s directly in response to what other states decide to do and a president who says he’s quote entitled to more Republican seats before this year’s midterms. Our approach is different. It’s temporary. It preserves Virginia’s fair redistricting process into the future.”

And Spanberger, in a statement last month, emphasized, “I supported the formation of Virginia’s bipartisan redistricting commission in 2020, and that support has not changed.”

Virginia is the latest battleground in the high-stakes fight between Trump and the GOP versus Democrats over congressional redistricting.

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

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 razor-thin House majority to keep control of the chamber in the midterms, when the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats.

Trump’s first target was Texas.

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.

SPANBERGER DENIES ‘DEAL’ WITH SWING-DISTRICT DEMOCRAT AS GERRYMANDERING CLAIMS ABOUND STATEWIDE

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

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 up by the state’s GOP-dominated legislature and instead approved an alternate that will create a Democratic-leaning district ahead of the midterms.

Meanwhile, 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.

Florida’s next up.

Two-term Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and state lawmakers in the GOP-dominated legislature are hoping to pick up an additional three to five right-leaning seats through a redistricting push during a special legislative session that kicks off on April 20.

Hovering over the redistricting wars is the Supreme Court, which is expected to rule in Louisiana v. Callais, a crucial case that may lead to the overturning of a key provision in the Voting Rights Act.

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If the ruling goes the way of the conservatives on the high court, it could lead to the redrawing of a slew of majority-minority districts across the county, which would greatly favor Republicans.

But it is very much up in the air — when the court will rule, and what it will actually do.

A foreign fugitive who illegally entered the U.S. and is wanted for killing a woman in Mexico was caught near the southern border after evading notice for possibly years.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Mexican illegal immigrant Jose Gustavo Angulo Bernal outside a residence in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, last week. Though Angulo Bernal had no criminal record in the U.S., he is wanted in the Mexican state of Sinaloa on homicide charges connected to the 2018 murder of a woman. He was arrested during a targeted traffic stop while driving a vehicle registered in his name.

In a public statement, the Department of Homeland Security mockingly referred to Angulo Bernal as “one of the Media’s ‘Non-Criminals.’” The agency emphasized that while nearly 70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of crimes in the country, those with foreign charges are not part of that statistic.

DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis commented that while “nearly 70% of ICE arrests have been convicted or charged with a crime in the United States,” the “actual arrests of public safety threats and criminals is much higher.”

HOMELAND SECURITY VOWS DEPORTATION OPERATIONS ‘WILL CONTINUE’ AS ICE AGENTS HELP TSA, AGENCY DEFUNDED

“Jose Gustavo Angulo Bernal is a cold-blooded killer and an example of who the media often refer to as a ‘non-criminals,’ [sic] because they only have heinous convictions in their home country,” said Bis.

According to DHS, Angulo Bernal is charged with participating in the murder of a woman alongside two other accomplices in Nov. 2018. The agency said that after killing her, the trio allegedly dumped the woman’s body in the town of El Tamarindo, Sinaloa.

Then, Angulo Bernal entered the U.S. at an unknown date and time.

He evaded detection until recently. On March 31, ICE officers staking out a residence in Lake Havasu City observed Angulo Bernal entering his vehicle around 5:50 a.m. The federal officers conducted a targeted vehicle stop, during which Angulo Bernal was positively identified through his Mexican identification card. He was arrested and taken to ICE’s field office in Phoenix for processing.

VICTIM’S FAMILY THANKS TRUMP FOR DEPORTING MIGRANT CRIMINAL

DHS said he will remain in ICE custody pending the outcome of his immigration proceedings.

“Thanks to ICE law enforcement, this monster wanted for murdering a woman in Mexico is off our streets.

From foreign fugitives, gang members, and terrorists, ICE is getting the worst of the worst off our streets and out of our country.”

MEET THE FAIRFAX KILLERS: TOP VIOLENT ILLEGAL ALIEN CRIMINALS WREAKING HAVOC ON MAJOR AMERICAN SUBURB

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This comes as DHS continues to undergo a lapse in funding due to a partial government shutdown. The shutdown has been brought on by disagreements in Congress over ICE and Border Patrol enforcement tactics, with Democrats making renewed funding contingent on significant changes to the agency’s current posture.