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A new report argues that speeding up Food and Drug Administration reviews could unlock trillions of dollars in economic value and get lifesaving treatments to patients faster.

“It takes about a decade from start to finish to come through FDA,” economist and former acting chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers Tomas Philipson told Fox News Digital in an interview. “Most of that time is not spent on safety. Most of it time is spent on effectiveness trials.”

The paper, titled “The Multi-Trillion Dollar Opportunity in Reforming the FDA,” estimates that cutting FDA effectiveness-review timelines by one year could generate more than $10 trillion in economic value by getting new treatments to patients sooner and encouraging additional medical innovation.

19 DRUG APPROVALS IN 2024 THAT HAD ‘BIG CLINICAL IMPACT,’ ACCORDING TO GOODRX

Philipson argued that most delays in the drug approval process stem from determining effectiveness rather than safety.

“FDA is charged by Congress to enhance both safety and effectiveness of new drugs,” Philipson said. “People recognize the role of the government potentially ensuring safety and consumer protection, but it’s a unique role that FDA has of ensuring effectiveness.”

He also argued that faster approvals could help lower prescription drug costs by increasing competition among manufacturers.

“Reforming FDA would have a big impact on drug affordability for patients because it would allow for far more competition between drugs that come out faster,” he said.

OPERATION WARP SPEED WAS MIRACULOUS. TRUMP ADMIN SHOULD NOT ABANDON TECHNOLOGY THAT MADE IT POSSIBLE

The report estimates that accelerating approvals by one to six years could generate trillions in economic value through earlier access to drugs, biologics and medical devices, as well as stronger incentives for innovation.

The authors also warn that China’s faster, lower-cost clinical trial system could lure investment and drug development activity away from the United States.

Philipson said the competitive challenge from China underscores the need for policymakers to rethink the pace of FDA approvals.

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“I think there’s a huge role for the president here to push an analogous effort to what he did with Operation Warp Speed during COVID,” Philipson said. “It’s equally urgent for other patient groups who don’t have COVID but other diseases.”

The authors propose reforms including greater use of artificial intelligence in drug reviews, faster clinical trial designs and broader access to “right to try” programs.

Albanian anti-corruption prosecutors are investigating changes to the protected status of a coastal wetland where a luxury resort project linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, has drawn environmental opposition and protests, according to Politico.

SPAK, Albania’s special anti-corruption prosecution office, has opened a probe into changes made to the status of the Vjosa-Narta protected landscape in Zvërnec, Politico reported. The coastal wetland area is home to flamingos, Mediterranean monk seals, and sea turtle nesting sites, Politico reported.

IVANKA TRUMP BREAKS DOWN IN EMOTIONAL INTERVIEW TALKING ABOUT HER MOTHER IVANA’S DEATH, OTHER CHALLENGES

In 2024, Kushner publicly discussed plans for his firm, Affinity Partners, to develop luxury tourism projects in Albania, including in the Zvërnec area. Earlier this year, he visited the area with his wife, Ivanka Trump.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama recently confirmed to Politico that talks were ongoing between the government and Kushner over the deal, which is expected to include roughly 10,000 hotel rooms and villas.

EUROPEAN CAPITAL ROCKED BY VIOLENT PROTESTS AS GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION PROBE FUELS UNREST

“I want to make Albania a country that is a destination to be envied in the region, and this project is part of this effort,” Rama said Monday.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Affinity Partners and SPAK for comment.

Protests by Albanian citizens and nonprofit groups began in May when large, barbed-wire-topped fences were erected at the proposed site, preventing locals and tourists from accessing the beach. On Sunday, protesters assembled outside government offices to demand an end to the project as well as Rama’s resignation.

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Following Sunday’s protests, footage emerged showing private security guards appearing to assault and drag a protester along a cliff. Some guards allegedly threatened other demonstrators who were attempting to remove fences and halt construction.

The licenses of two private security companies were revoked following the incident. Meanwhile, around 15 protesters have been charged, and the local police chief has been stripped of his duties.

A Soros-backed nonprofit organized a demonstration outside of New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill’s office on Monday afternoon, saying the Democratic governor is spreading “MAGA propaganda” and not doing enough for the migrants detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at Delaney Hall in Newark, N.J.

The protest reflected the backlash that Sherrill is facing by far-left members of her own party. On its donation page, Cooper River Indivisible directs donors to the politically powerful Indivisible Project, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit group that has been very active in backing Democratic politicians. 

They work closely with Indivisible Civics, their 501(c)(3) sister organization. 

Indivisible receives money from the Open Society Action Fund, a 501(c)(4), which is backed by notorious Democratic donor George Soros.

MEET THE FAR-LEFT GROUPS FUNDING ANTI-DOGE PROTESTS AT GOP OFFICES ACROSS THE COUNTRY

“WE ARE HEADING TO MIKIE SHERRILL’S OFFICE — to demand that she answer for the mess that she has made,” the event’s sign-up page reads on the Mobilize.us platform.

“Governor Sherrill’s response has caused serious harm inside and outside of Delaney Hall. Peaceful protestors and journalists have been arrested, injured, and had their constitutional rights violated, all while GeoGroup Guards and ICE continue to retaliate against strikers,” the announcement continued.

The group is calling on Sherrill to meet with illegal migrants who are detained at the Delaney Hall ICE facility and release young, old or sick detainees.  “GeoGroup Guards” is a reference to the security personnel hired by the government contractor, Geo Group Inc., that is running the facility as part of its national contract with ICE.

SOMETHING TO HIDE? ICE UNDER FIRE FOR SUBSTANDARD CONDITIONS AT FOR-PROFIT DETENTION CENTER

Cooper River indivisible also accused Sherrill of “inciting violence by siccing the police on peaceful protestors” and said she is spreading “MAGA” propaganda after more than a week of protesting at the ICE facility.

In 2023, Open Society Foundations, through the Open Society Action Fund, issued a two-year grant of $3 million to the Indivisible organization. The grant was “to support the grantee’s social welfare activities,” according to the Open Society Foundations’ website.

Indivisible has also played a lead role in the organization of the “No Kings” protests.

ASRA NOMANI: THE $2.1 BILLION MACHINE BEHIND ‘SPONTANEOUS’ ANTI-TRUMP PROTESTS

According to the Open Society Foundations’ website, Soros “has given away more than $32 billion of his personal fortune” to the foundations. His son Alex Soros serves as chairman of the board. 

“We support a wide range of independent organizations that work to deepen civic engagement through peaceful democratic participation, a hallmark of any vibrant society and a right protected by the Constitution,” a spokesperson from Open Society Foundations told Fox News Digital. “Our grantees make their own decisions about their work, consistent with the law and the terms of their grant agreements.”

Protests at Delaney Hall have exploded over the past week. Contrary to the allegations by the demonstrations, local law enforcement hasn’t been involved in arresting agitators or squashing often violent riots but New Jersey State Police did arrest rioters on Friday night.

NEW JERSEY AGITATORS BITE, KICK AND PUNCH ICE AGENTS AS DELANEY HALL CLASHES CONTINUE; 9 MORE ARRESTED: DHS

On Saturday morning, Sherrill said that state police were present at the riot to protect the agitators from ICE agents, but the violent battle that took place the night before was mainly between local law enforcement and the rioters, according to first-hand witness by Fox News Digital.

State troopers, including some on horseback, deployed heavy riot control tactics on Friday night, including noise bombs, tear gas grenades, pepper spray and riot shields in an attempt to disperse the mob. The police had established barriers for the zone earlier in the afternoon, which rioters commandeered to fight back against police.

“My top priority is keeping New Jerseyans and our communities safe – and an increased ICE surge in the area outside of Delaney Hall is a threat to public safety,” Sherrill posted to X Saturday morning. “We know that lives would be at risk were that to happen. And I will not accept that risk.”

By Saturday afternoon, the New Jersey governor held a press conference, issuing a list of demands to the Department of Homeland Security, including visitation for families and medical care for the sick and vulnerable.

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A source at DHS told Fox News Digital that the department wouldn’t accept her demands, and that visitation was only suspended due to the violent riots. The source also said that ICE operations will continue as normal now that Delaney Hall is secure, allowing visitations to resume.

Fox News Digital reached out to Indivisible and Sherrill but did not receive responses. 

The Trump administration has selected a veteran Border Patrol official with more than 26 years of service to lead the agency following the resignation of former Chief Mike Banks.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced Monday that Rosario “Pete” Vasquez will serve as the next chief of the U.S. Border Patrol, overseeing nearly 20,000 agents and professional staff operating across the country.

Vasquez most recently led the Border Patrol’s Blaine Sector in Washington state, overseeing operations along the U.S.-Canada border and coordinating with federal, state, local, tribal and international partners.

CBP Commissioner Rodney S. Scott praised the appointment, calling Vasquez “a Border Patrol agent’s agent.”

US BORDER PATROL CHIEF MIKE BANKS ABRUPTLY RESIGNS, FOX NEWS LEARNS

“He has spent more than two decades leading from the front, earning the respect of the workforce, and delivering results in some of the most challenging operational environments in the country,” Scott said in a statement. “He understands what this mission demands because he has lived it. There is no one better suited to lead the United States Border Patrol into its next chapter.”

Vasquez succeeds former Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks, who announced his retirement in May after leading the agency during President Donald Trump’s second administration.

Banks told Fox News last month that he was stepping down after helping oversee what he described as a dramatic turnaround in border security.

BORDER PATROL CHIEF OWENS ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT, TEXAS BORDER CZAR TO TAKE OVER

“I feel like I got the ship back on course from the least secure, disastrous, chaotic border to the most secure border this country has ever seen,” Banks told Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin at the time. “Time to pass the reins, 37 years, it’s time to enjoy the family and life.”

As chief, Vasquez will be responsible for leading Border Patrol operations across nearly 7,000 miles of international land borders and approximately 2,000 miles of coastal waters.

According to CBP, Vasquez has served in a variety of operational and leadership roles throughout his career, including assignments along the southwest and northern borders, at CBP headquarters and in international postings.

BORDER PATROL ANNOUNCES ‘PHENOMENAL’ TURNAROUND AS NUMBER OF MONTHLY MIGRANT RELEASES DROPS TO ZERO

His résumé includes service with the Border Patrol’s Search, Trauma, and Rescue Unit, the agency’s Special Operations Group and CBP’s Office of Anti-Terrorism. He also served as director of the Alliance to Combat Transnational Threats, assistant attaché for CBP in Canada and acting executive director within CBP’s Office of Trade.

The appointment comes as Border Patrol officials continue focusing on efforts to combat transnational criminal organizations, disrupt human smuggling and narcotics trafficking networks and strengthen border security operations.

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“It is the honor of a lifetime to serve as chief of the United States Border Patrol, and I’m grateful for the trust placed in me by President Trump, Secretary Mullin, and Commissioner Scott,” Vasquez said. “Our agents have never backed down from a challenge, and neither will I. As chief, my focus is clear: support our agents, strengthen our operational capabilities, and ensure the U.S. Border Patrol remains the most effective border security force in the world.”

Established in 1924, the U.S. Border Patrol is one of the nation’s largest federal law enforcement organizations and serves as the primary agency responsible for securing America’s land borders.

Isaac Asimov famously declared that he didn’t believe in “flying saucers.” Asimov countered that he believed in “evidence” and “observation.”

“I’ll believe anything, no matter how wild and ridiculous, if there’s evidence for it,” Asimov said. “The wilder and more ridiculous something is however, the firmer and more solid the evidence should be.”

The Trump administration released another batch of UFO files recently. This is part of making good on a promise to release videos and documents related to UAP, unidentified aerial phenomena. Bipartisan lawmakers pressed President Donald Trump to make good on this promise back in March. This release is the second group of material publicized by the government.

And what’s in it?

NEW UFO FILES REVEAL STARTLING REPORTS

A space oddity. Some 57 years in the making.

“They thought it was something, you know, penetrating the spacecraft, if you know what I mean,” said Apollo 12 Command Module 12 pilot about what he and his colleagues saw in outer space in late 1969. That’s one snippet of audio which is now public.

The baffled astronauts tried to unravel a cosmic conundrum when they spotted weird beams of light bouncing around their spacecraft more than half a century ago.

“The streaks I saw were ones that I saw on the horizontal,” said Apollo 12 Lunar Module Pilot Alan Bean. “The horizontal streaks were always a little bit above the center.”

PENTAGON DECLASSIFIES APOLLO 12 AUDIO OF ASTRONAUTS DESCRIBING UNEXPLAINED ‘STREAKS OF LIGHT’ IN SPACE

These were clips of audiotape the government recently dumped. Tales from tape never heard before about what some of humankind’s first space explorers experienced and observed when they slipped the surly bonds of Earth.

The president pledged to publicize as much unexplained material as possible.

“It’s been in the minds of people for a long time,” said President Trump in late April. “And I think some of it’s going to be very interesting to people.”

It’s a document dump that is out of this world. But it’s hard to quantify and understand exactly what it all means. Let alone if it provides “evidence,” as Asimov would say, “which explains something, which to some, could be “ridiculous.”

No one knows exactly what these videos and documents reveal. Especially when it comes to demonstrating that UFOs exist or that there are visitors to Earth from another planet.

But that doesn’t mean that the information isn’t remarkable.

EX-PENTAGON OFFICIAL SAYS UAP FILES REVEAL ‘TREASURE TROVE’ OF INTELLIGENCE DATING BACK TO THE 1940S

“Virtually speechless!” is how one military pilot characterized strange “orange orbs” which materialized near his helicopter during a flight last year.

Then there was a stationary pill-shaped object in the Middle East zipping off at ludicrous speed.

Then there was a celestial trinity of objects synchronously hovering over water in Iran.

One lawmaker who has long called for UAP transparency isn’t starstruck at the releases. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., was skeptical before the Pentagon put out the latest tranche of information.

“The stuff they’re dropping right now is just Deep State classic,” said Burchett. “They won’t show us some of the stuff that we’ve seen. They’re going to show stuff that is easily identifiable.”

But this information is far from easy to identify, quantify or even understand. The government can explain some weird sightings. At a 2022 House hearing on UAP, the Pentagon demonstrated how light refracting through certain military visual aids created an optical illusion. But the stories are legion about what can’t be explained or defined. The difference now is that Congress mandated the Pentagon create an office to document and study UAP.

And the government either can’t – or doesn’t want to explain a lot of what’s out there.

“We have been stonewalled. We have been blocked. We have had witnesses intimidated,” said Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., on Fox. She asserted that former workers at the Pentagon UAP office were even “attacking” some witnesses and whistleblowers who have come forward.

SECRETLY FILMED UFO DOC REVEALS INSIDER VIDEO AS OFFICIALS RELEASE NEW ALIEN RECORDS: ‘SOMETHING IS IMMINENT’

But here’s the other challenge: understanding exactly what documents and videos the government has in its possession.

“This is not an easy thing to do. There’s not one huge repository of all of these documents and videos and photos,” said Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., on Fox.

Burlison is now suggesting the government “reverse engineer” what they find at certain “crash locations” or where people have discovered weird physical material here on terra firma.

“The White House and the DNI (Director of National Intelligence) is now looking at places to go investigate,” said Burlison on Fox.

So people sift through the files in a quest to unearth evidence that is definitely un-Earth. But more information often yields more questions. And that’s to say nothing of the other-worldly expectations set the pending release of files and information. The bar is high. And while the release of information is intriguing, no one quite knows what it all means.

If you wanted proof of ET or revelations of a government conspiracy, you’re better off watching an old VHS tape.

We just don’t know what these files mean. And, in many cases, even are.

The document dump isn’t a nothing-burger. But a something-burger. Still, that doesn’t sate the appetite for those who are on a quest for the truth. And it likely just angers those who are convinced the government has something to hide.

TRUMP ADMIN RELEASES HIGHLY ANTICIPATED FILES DOCUMENTING UFOS, ‘EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE’

On Fox, Burlison said he “personally” experienced “frustration” about declassifying information. But Burlison cautioned the Trump Administration against holding material back.

“I’ve seen those kind of videos,” said Burlison. “I’m telling the administration through you at this moment that if they don’t release those, then I have the capabilities of getting those videos released.”

In the meantime, people are sorting through the recently released material, trying to decode it.

“There’s a whole bunch of big ones out my window now. It’s just bright. Looks like the Fourth of July out around the window,” exclaimed one astronaut in a just released soundbite.

So we’re accumulating a lot of “evidence” and “observation.” Kind of what Isaac Asimov was looking for. But signs of life from other worlds? Not necessarily. This is why the Pentagon says there’s no evidence that the videos reveal something from outer space. But the military concedes that it can’t explain everything.

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So the evidence will pile up.

Figuring out what it means is not the final frontier. But the next frontier.

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, American voters remain attached to the country, even as a majority describe it in negative terms and many believe Americans are more divided by their values than united by them.

That’s according to the latest Fox News national survey released Monday.

When asked what one word best describes the United States today, two-thirds of voters choose a negative word such as “failing,” “divided,” “struggling,” or “corrupt.”  That includes nearly twice as many Democrats as Republicans. 

Only about one-quarter of voters suggest a positive word, such as “freedom,” “great,” “powerful,” or “strong,” and more than four times as many Republicans as Democrats use those terms.

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS SEE AI REGULATION AS URGENT, RANK SAFEGUARDS AHEAD OF INNOVATION

By a 16-point margin, a larger number of voters believe Americans are mostly separated by different values (58%) than bound by shared values (42%). Majorities of Democrats (62%) and independents (65%) think Americans are separated by different values, while views among Republicans are split (49% shared vs. 50% different values).

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS SEE WELFARE FRAUD AS COMMON, STILL MOSTLY FAVOR PROTECTING BENEFITS OVER CRACKDOWNS

Even so, the survey finds broad agreement on some fundamental American principles. When describing the U.S., more than 8 in 10 voters say it’s important to emphasize national unity and shared values (85%) as well as U.S. democratic principles (83%). Three-quarters (77%) prioritize highlighting the country’s multiculturalism and diversity. Of the three, there’s relatively wide partisan disagreement on multiculturalism, with 88% of Democrats viewing it as an important descriptor of the country compared to 67% of Republicans — a 21-point gap.

And while national attachment remains strong, it has noticeably eroded compared to two decades ago when 93% said they would rather live in the U.S. than any other country. Today, that number is 81%, while 19% say they would rather live elsewhere — a share that has more than tripled since 2004 and 2005.

The desire to leave is especially pronounced among voters under age 30 and Democrats, as about 3 in 10 of each group would rather live outside the U.S. By contrast, almost all Republicans (96%) and most voters ages 45 and over would stay in the U.S. (86%).

Enthusiasm about the country’s upcoming 250th anniversary clearly reflects the partisan gap: more than twice as many Republicans (74%) as Democrats (35%) are excited about the milestone. Fully 84% of MAGA Republicans are excited compared to 57% of non-MAGA Republicans. More than half of veterans (55%), White men without a college degree (63%), and White evangelical Christians (70%) are also excited.

“These findings suggest a national mood best described as ‘resilient discontent,’” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts Fox News surveys with Democratic counterpart Chris Anderson. “The growing share who would rather live elsewhere combined with stark partisan differences in enthusiasm for the country’s anniversary, suggests commitment to the nation is becoming less automatic and more conditional.”

Conducted May 15-18, 2026, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,002 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (109) and cellphones (635) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (258). 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.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) pressed pause on the Trump administration’s “anti-weaponization” fund on Monday, giving Senate Republicans runway to hammer through a massive immigration enforcement funding package in the process.

The DOJ announced on X that it would abide by a Virginia federal court’s order to not move forward with the fund. It comes as Republicans in the upper chamber punted their plan to advance a $72 billion immigration enforcement package over deep concerns about who could access the flow of taxpayer dollars from the nearly $2 billion fund.

The DOJ said in a statement that it “disagrees strongly with the decision on the Anti-Weaponization Fund” by the Virginia district court, “wherein the Court stated that, under no circumstances, may the Department of Justice proceed with the Anti-Weaponization Fund recently established in order to make up for the tremendous abuse, harm, and hate unfairly shown to so many people.”

SENATE GOP ERUPTS OVER TRUMP DOJ ‘ANTI-WEAPONIZATION’ FUND, PUNTS ICE, BORDER PATROL FUNDING

“This fund was open to anybody who was so weaponized, targeted, or persecuted, whether they were Democrat, Republican, Conservative, Independent, or otherwise,” the agency said. “The Department will abide by the Court’s ruling.”

For the time being, that could ease Republicans’ concerns over whether those convicted of assaulting police officers on Jan. 6, 2021, could access the money. And it will likely allow the GOP to restart the budget reconciliation process with that political pressure point now sidelined.

It comes as Democrats are gearing up for a deluge of bills and amendments that likely could have passed had the administration not halted the fund. But still, it’s unclear if it means the fund has totally been nixed, or if it’s just a temporary pause.

GOP’S PRIMED FOR PRIMARY SEASON PAYBACK ON TRUMP’S MOST AMBITIOUS, CONTROVERSIAL POLICY

When asked if he thought Democratic amendments and bills would survive, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said that the administration would have to be crystal clear about what happens next.

“If the administration effectively shuts it down, and makes that very, very clear, and that, to me, should answer the question,” Thune said.

Whether the fund has permanently come to an end is still an open question. Fox News Digital was referred to the DOJ by the White House for comment, and the DOJ did not immediately respond. 

Given that grey area, Senate Democrats plan to move full-steam ahead with their slate of legislation and amendments geared toward completely terminating the “anti-weaponization” fund. 

CONGRESS BARRELS TOWARD DEADLINE PILE-UP AS GOP DIVISIONS THREATEN TRUMP AGENDA

“If Trump and Republicans are truly abandoning this corrupt scheme, they should have zero problem banning it in law,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on X. “This week, Senate Democrats will push legislation to ban this slush fund and ensure no president can ever do this again. Trump’s word is nowhere near enough.”

Schumer had already primed Democrats to take advantage of the brewing dissent within the GOP with an aggressive legislative strategy during the forthcoming “vote-a-rama,” where both sides of the aisle will get a near unlimited number of amendments to vote on for the immigration package. 

Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., already plans to introduce three bills that would redirect the funding to address growing affordability concerns in the country. 

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“My bills will redirect the $1.8 BILLION slush fund money to SNAP, Medicaid, and law enforcement programs like those that help our local police departments hire more officers,” Rosen said on X. 

“You work hard for your money, and I’ll be damned if I let Donald Trump or anyone else use it for a slush fund for their friends. Let’s see if Washington Republicans agree,” she continued. 

LOS ANGELES — As celebrities continue to rally behind Spencer Pratt’s campaign for Los Angeles mayor, reality TV personality and O.J. Simpson murder trial witness Kato Kaelin tells Fox News Digital that Pratt is the candidate he thinks will bring necessary change to the city.

“It’s clear to me that Karen Bass did an awful job as LA Mayor during the 2025 fires,” Kaelin, a Los Angeles resident who rocketed to fame after testifying in the O.J. Simpson murder trial, told Fox News Digital, alluding to the heavy criticism Bass has faced for being out of the country during the devastating wildfires in 2025 that killed over two dozen people in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena.

“I supported Rick Caruso for Mayor in 2022 and think Spencer Pratt could shake things up this cycle. LA needs a change in leadership.”

LA TIMES OWNER SAYS ENDORSING KAREN BASS WAS A ‘MISTAKE’ DUE TO INCOMPETENCE

Kaelin, who has lived in Los Angeles for decades but who cannot cast a ballot in the race because he lives outside LA proper, said it “shocks” him that anyone would even “consider voting for Bass.”

“Her agenda is not for the people of LA, she’s proven it with policy regarding homeless and drug abuse on the streets,” Kaelin said, adding that the current mayor “has proven to be awful” and Pratt “brings energy and a different perspective.”

Kaelin first became a household name during the 1995 O.J. Simpson murder trial. He testified as a key witness for the prosecution since, at the time of the murders, Kaelin was staying in a guesthouse on Simpson’s Rockingham estate.

The trial transformed Kaelin from an aspiring actor into a pop culture figure, with his distinctive appearance and courtroom testimony drawing intense public attention.

KAREN BASS APPEARS TO LIKEN SPENCER PRATT TO TRUMP AMID TIGHTENING LA MAYORAL RACE

Over a dozen celebrities have rallied behind Pratt, a former reality television star from “The Hills,” as he continues to make the case that his status as a political outsider is what Los Angeles needs.

Others argue that political experience is a prerequisite to running for mayor of the second-largest U.S. city. 

“I relate to Spencer because he receives hate just because he was on a reality show and I was sometimes hated just for being a witness – vote Pratt!” Kaelin said.

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Pratt, a registered Republican running as an independent, will square off on Tuesday night in the mayoral primary against Mayor Bass and progressive City Councilwoman Nithya Rahman.

In Los Angeles, the top vote-getters will advance to a November election, unless a candidate receives 50% of the vote, in which case they will automatically claim victory and be named the next mayor.

A congressional candidate in New Mexico is betting that his Hispanic ties — and military background — are just the thing historically Democratic voters will need to go Republican in the fall.

“I connect with them on that level. They wanted somebody with law enforcement or military experience, which, you now know, I have both,” Greg Cunningham said, referring to the Hispanic community in the state’s 2nd Congressional District.

“One of the reasons that I decided to run — that I feel so strongly about this is, you know, Hispanic culture is at its core a conservative culture.”

Cunningham’s hope that the GOP can win over the Hispanic vote, a historically Democratic voting bloc, continues longstanding efforts from Republicans to flip the script among minorities, especially in fringe districts that could decide the balance of power in 2026.

That’s especially true in New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District — currently held by Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M.

It’s one of thirteen that voted for President Donald Trump in 2024, but that sent a Democratic representative to Congress anyway. The Cook Political Report indicates the district “leans” Democratic, despite a D+0 rating.

Cunningham, who became the default GOP candidate after a lone primary challenger dropped out in April, will be the first new GOP candidate voters will consider since 2018. Former Rep. Yvette Herrell, who has been the candidate since then, last lost in 2024 by 4.2% to Vasquez.

Cunningham believes his background is uniquely suited to the challenges of the district.

A Marine reconnaissance veteran who served in combat, Cunningham joined the Albuquerque Police Department, spent years on patrol and narcotics, worked as a DEA task force officer on federal drug and cartel cases and later operated in undercover roles before transitioning into private security.

TRUMP MAKES PLAY FOR BLUE-LEANING STATE AS HE BRIEFLY DETOURS FROM THE BATTLEGROUNDS

“I love Yvette Herrell, but I am a different person in every way, shape, and form. And what I bring to CD2 and to this race is exactly what we need,” Cunningham said.

Specifically, Cunningham believes that his background will help address high levels of crime and narcotics that have persisted despite lowered levels of illegal immigration.

“The human invasion portion of that equation is solved. The law enforcement, human trafficking, narcotics trafficking, all of those challenges are the same exact challenges that I faced when I worked down there 20 years ago. Nothing has changed,” Cunningham said.

But more than his practical knowledge and experience, Cunningham said he hopes to appeal to values central to the Hispanic community.

“We value our families, we value our culture, we value our faith. And so, I think when you take Republican or Democrat, take the donkey or the elephant out of it, and you start speaking to people on a core level, who are you?” Cunningham said.

HOUSE GOP RUSHES TO COURT CRITICAL VOTING BLOC WHILE FACING UPHILL MIDTERM BATTLE

“We all want the very same things,” he added.

New Mexico is roughly 50% Hispanic, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Like all Democratic strongholds and competitive districts, Cunningham believes half the battle will be convincing voters that Republicans can secure the seat in the first place.

“I just have to convince [New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District] why we can win this,” Cunningham said.

France has added a ninth European country to President Emmanuel Macron’s growing nuclear deterrence initiative as European governments move to take on a larger role in its own defense following years of pressure from President Donald Trump to shoulder more of NATO’s security burden.

Norway announced Wednesday that it will join France’s so-called “forward deterrence” initiative, becoming the latest country to participate in discussions over how France’s nuclear arsenal could contribute to European security. The effort also includes Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Greece and the United Kingdom.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre stressed that “our deterrence will continue to be provided by NATO” and said France had consulted both NATO and the U.S. as the initiative expanded.

EUROPE STEPS UP TO FUND ITS OWN DEFENSE, PROVIDE SECURITY FOR UKRAINE AFTER TRUMP THREATS

The expansion comes as European governments race to strengthen its militaries amid concerns that Russia could eventually push beyond Ukraine and threaten NATO territory. It also marks another step in Macron’s effort to position France at the center of a more self-reliant European security framework as NATO allies increase defense spending and military cooperation.

It also follows years of warnings from Trump that the U.S. should not continue carrying a disproportionate share of Europe’s defense burden.

“If they don’t pay, I’m not going to defend them,” Trump said in 2025 when discussing NATO allies that fail to meet defense spending commitments.

Trump repeatedly has argued that European countries relied too heavily on American military power while underinvesting in their own defenses. At NATO’s summit in The Hague earlier in 2026, alliance members agreed to a new goal of spending 5% of GDP on defense and defense-related investments by 2035, a dramatic increase from NATO’s longstanding 2% benchmark.

France has not announced plans to permanently station nuclear weapons in nations participating in the initiative and retains sole authority over any decision involving its nuclear arsenal.

Instead, participating countries will take part in discussions, planning and exercises related to French nuclear deterrence while France signals that the security of its European partners is increasingly tied to its own. Macron also has said participating countries could temporarily host French strategic air forces as part of the initiative.

Macron has increasingly positioned France as a leader in Europe’s push to take greater responsibility for its own security. France is the European Union’s only nuclear-armed country, and the French president has argued that France’s nuclear deterrent should play a larger role in protecting the continent as governments across Europe increase military spending and expand defense cooperation.

MOCKING HIM AS ‘MICRON,’ RUSSIA WARNS MACRON AGAINST MAKING NUCLEAR ‘THREATS’

France built an independent nuclear deterrent during the Cold War under President Charles de Gaulle. France conducted its first nuclear test in 1960 and developed its own arsenal in part to ensure the country would never be entirely dependent on Washington for its security.

The arrangement leaves open questions about exactly what commitments France is making.

For decades, Europe’s ultimate nuclear backstop has been the U.S. which stations nuclear weapons in several NATO countries including Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands as part of the alliance’s broader deterrence posture. France’s proposal is less explicit, seeking to strengthen deterrence by making Russia consider the possibility that threats against European allies could implicate French security interests without offering a formal nuclear guarantee.

The initiative highlights how some European governments are looking to strengthen regional defense arrangements even as the U.S. remains NATO’s dominant military power and primary nuclear guarantor.

It also comes as Trump and Macron continue a relationship marked by both cooperation and public disagreements.

In March, Trump rated Macron an “8 out of 10″ as an ally while discussing French support for a U.S.-led effort to secure the Strait of Hormuz.

“Not perfect, but it’s France,” Trump said. “We don’t expect perfect.”

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At the same time, Macron has increasingly pushed for Europe to take greater responsibility for its own defense and has publicly broken with Washington on several foreign policy issues, including criticism of U.S. military actions in the Middle East.

Those tensions reflect a broader challenge facing NATO as European governments seek to strengthen their own military capabilities while continuing to rely heavily on the United States for much of the alliance’s military power and nuclear deterrence.

Google co-founder Sergey Brin just became the latest high-profile member of the tech world to throw his financial support behind a Republican.

Brin gave Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt a maximum donation of $1,800 on May 27, according to municipal campaign finance records. Other big names in tech making contributions to the mayoral hopeful include Palantir’s chief technology officer, SpaceX’s director of solar production, a communications executive at TikTok, the co-chairman and co-founder of Riot Games, Activision Blizzard former CEO and the Winklevoss twins.

Pratt is a registered Republican running in Los Angeles’ nonpartisan mayoral race.

The Google co-founder’s donation may be unsurprising to some, as recent reports indicate that he has somewhat soured on California Democrats over their push for an additional tax on billionaires. Brin has also praised the Trump administration for its approach to artificial intelligence by thanking the president for “supporting our companies instead of fighting with them.”

JEANIE BUSS, SOFIA RICHIE’S HUSBAND AMONG BUSINESS TITANS REPORTEDLY BACKING SPENCER PRATT’S LA MAYORAL RACE

The donations add a local front to a broader political realignment in tech, where some of the industry’s most recognizable names, beginning during the 2024 electoral cycle, grew more willing to back Republicans amid fights over taxes and artificial intelligence policy. Los Angeles’ mayoral race has become a local flashpoint for that trend, with Brin and other prominent tech figures backing a conservative challenger to shake up governance in one of the nation’s most liberal cities.

Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, who first gained notoriety for accusing Meta co-founder Mark Zuckerberg of stealing their intellectual property to create Facebook, have since pivoted to cryptocurrency and broader tech investment and, as of 2024, have become major Republican donors. 

Joining the Winklevoss twins in throwing their support behind Trump in 2024 were tech-focused venture capitalists such as David Sacks, Marc Andreessen, Chamath Palihapitiya, Sequoia Capital partner Shaun Maguire and Shervin Pishevar, as well as Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest man. 

VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE REVEALS BIG TECH ‘VERY MUCH ON NOTICE’ AFTER CEO’S INAUGURAL DONATIONS

Since Trump has taken office, tech firms have taken institutional steps to ingratiate themselves with his administration. Amazon, Apple, Google and Meta, for instance, have all made contributions to his controversial construction of a ballroom on White House grounds. Those same firms, alongside Microsoft, Uber and Nvidia, all donated to Trump’s inaugural fund ahead of him taking office.

Tech was previously one of the chief antagonists of Trump’s movement, with the president’s supporters accusing the industry of suppressing their speech and manipulating information to benefit the Democratic Party – as with the suppression of the New York Post’s reporting on Hunter Biden’s laptop. 

KAREN BASS APPEARS TO LIKEN SPENCER PRATT TO TRUMP AMID TIGHTENING LA MAYORAL RACE

While tech’s leadership seems to have become more friendly toward Republicans, the rank-and-file still overwhelmingly support the Democratic Party. While campaign finance records show that employees at tech firms gave a greater share of donations to the GOP in 2024 compared to past cycles, the vast majority of their donations still went to Democrats. 

In recent years, tech leaders have enjoyed private dinners with Trump both in the White House and at Mar-a-Lago, with some, such as Sacks and Musk, securing formal roles within his administration.

While records do not indicate that Musk has financially supported Pratt’s campaign for mayor, the billionaire has been a vocal supporter of him on social media.

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Pratt is running in a nonpartisan primary against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, and Nithya Raman, a Democratic Socialists of America-affiliated city councilwoman. Election Day is set for Tuesday. 

Google and the Pratt campaign did not respond to requests for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Monday.

The federal prosecutor handling the Justice Department’s criminal case against former FBI Director James Comey over his “86 47” seashell Instagram post has stepped down, according to a new court filing.

A notice of substitution filed Friday in the Eastern District of North Carolina says Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo will replace Matthew Petracca “as counsel for the government.”

The filing from U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Ellis Boyle requested that Petracca be removed from the court docket but did not explain the change. Boyle had hired the rookie prosecutor for the case months ago.

Comey is facing two federal charges and up to 10 years in prison for his sharing the Instagram post showing seashells arranged to read “86 47,” potentially signaling would-be political assassins. Prosecutors have alleged the post amounted to “a serious expression of an intent to do harm” to President Donald Trump, the 47th president.

JAMES COMEY TELLS COLBERT WHAT LED TO HIM POSTING CONTROVERSIAL ’86 47′ INSTAGRAM POST

The number “86” is a common restaurant term for getting rid of or stopping service of an item, but Trump and his prosecutors argue it is also well known to law enforcement as a mob term for assassination.

“Threatening the life of the President of the United States is a grave violation of our nation’s laws,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in an April 28 statement at the time the two-count indictment for threatening the president and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce was announced.

“The grand jury returned an indictment alleging James Comey did just that, at a time when this country has witnessed violent incitement followed by deadly actions against President Trump and other elected officials,” he added. “The temperature needs to be turned down, and anyone who dials it up and threatens the life of the President will be held accountable.”

LEGAL EXPERTS WARN COMEY ‘8647’ INDICTMENT FACES FIRST AMENDMENT HURDLES

Comey has denied any threatening intent, saying he viewed the image as a political statement and not a dog whistle for assassins.

“James Comey disgracefully encouraged a threat on President Trump’s life and posted it on Instagram for the world to see,” FBI Director Kash Patel added in a statement. “As the former Director of the FBI, he knew full well the attention and consequences of making such a post. This FBI and our DOJ partners pursued a rigorous investigation that followed the facts – and now Mr. Comey will be held fully accountable for his actions.”

FEDERAL JUDGE DISMISSES JAMES COMEY, LETITIA JAMES INDICTMENTS

The case is being prosecuted in North Carolina, the location where the infamous seashells were photographed.

“No one is above the law in the Eastern District of North Carolina,” Boyle wrote in a statement. “Our office regularly pursues threat cases including those against public officials. The Grand Jury examined the evidence in this case and found probable cause to indict Mr. Comey.”

The change comes as the case heads toward an October trial after U.S. District Judge Louise Wood Flanagan granted Comey’s request for a delay.

NBC News first reported Petracca’s departure from the Comey case and said he has also recently come off other criminal cases in the district. The network reported that Petracca had considered leaving the Justice Department altogether but decided against it after taking a week off, according to sources.

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“If Comey is charged for the shell picture, it would face a monumental challenge under the First Amendment,” constitutional law expert Jonathan Turley told Fox News in April. “In my view, the image itself is clearly protected speech. Absent some other unknown facts or elements, it would be unlikely to survive a threshold constitutional challenge.”

Comey has portrayed the prosecution as politically motivated, and has said he will continue speaking out about what he views as threats to the rule of law.

Senate Democrats are doing everything they can to kill President Donald Trump’s “anti-weaponization” fund, and Republicans may be keen on helping them.

The nearly $2 billion fund has drawn heavy criticism from both sides of the aisle since its announcement last month as part of the settlement between Trump and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). 

It also, for now, has blown up the GOP’s push to advance billions in immigration enforcement funding. And as lawmakers return from a week-long break, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Democrats aren’t going to let the issue die quietly. 

SENATE GOP ERUPTS OVER TRUMP DOJ ‘ANTI-WEAPONIZATION’ FUND, PUNTS ICE, BORDER PATROL FUNDING

“This week, Senate Democrats will launch a coordinated effort to kill the slush fund before one cent goes out the door,” Schumer wrote in a letter to his colleagues. “And no matter what Republicans do, we will force them to vote.”

“If Republicans return to reconciliation, we will be ready with amendments to shut the fund down,” he continued. “If they try to bury the issue, we will force them to the Senate floor. If they try to sneak behind appropriations, we will fight them there too.”

The Senate is returning to pick up where lawmakers left off on budget reconciliation, the party-line process that the GOP is using to ram through $72 billion to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol for the next three and a half years.

REPUBLICANS RECOIL AS TRUMP’S BILLION-DOLLAR DOJ ‘SLUSH FUND’ FOR ALLIES THREATENS ICE, BORDER PATROL PLAN

Part of that process includes a “vote-a-rama,” where unlimited amendment votes happen.

Democrats already have several amendments in the works to curtail the fund, including one that would prevent those convicted of rape and sexual assault from gaining access to the taxpayer-funded pot of money. 

And Republican leaders feared that many in the GOP would support those amendments. The relationship between Senate Republicans and Trump is not on its highest note, either, following the president’s decision to back successful primary challengers to Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and John Cornyn, R-Texas. 

But the dissent within the GOP against the Department of Justice (DOJ) fund is far broader than just two Republicans, with at least half the conference taking issue with it during a fiery closed-door meeting with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

REPUBLICAN BREAKS WITH TRUMP AFTER PRIMARY LOSS, CALLS FOR ‘STEADY, NOT ERRATIC’ LEADERSHIP

Several wanted to know what kind of action, if any, would be taken by the administration to put guardrails on the fund to prevent those convicted of assaulting police officers during the riots of Jan. 6, 2021, from gaining access to the money. 

Many see this as an issue that Trump and the administration need to solve, especially with how close Republicans were to ramming the broader reconciliation package through. 

But the DOJ has argued that they aren’t seeking reconciliation money for the fund, and that it’s an issue that has nothing to do with the process. However, Republicans see it differently, given that the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has oversight of the Justice Department, plays a significant role in the legislative package. 

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Schumer and Democrats, however, want to outright demolish the fund.

“There will be no escape hatch,” Schumer said. “No fake guardrails or backroom promises to hide behind. No Justice Department announcement that makes this corruption acceptable.”

“Republicans are scrambling for a way out — not to end the corruption, but to manage it,” he continued. “That will not be enough. You do not fix a corrupt slush fund by promising to manage it better. You end it.”

The U.S. military conducted a deadly strike against a vessel in the Pacific on Saturday, killing several alleged “narco-terrorists,” according to U.S. Southern Command.

That attack, which killed three men, was one of four such military strikes announced by SOUTHCOM last week.

“On May 30, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Three male narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed,” the post on X noted.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CRACKS DOWN ON BRAZIL’S BIGGEST DRUG GANGS WITH ‘GLOBAL TERROR’ DESIGNATION

A strike on Friday killed three men, while a strike on Wednesday killed two, SOUTHCOM reported.

A strike on Tuesday killed one person but others survived: “One male narco-terrorist was killed during this action, and there were two survivors. Following the engagement, USSOUTHCOM immediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivors,” SOUTHCOM noted in a post on X.

U.S. MILITARY KILLS ALLEGED NARCO-TERRORIST IN LETHAL STRIKE ON DRUG-TRAFFICKING VESSEL IN EASTERN PACIFIC

The U.S. conducted what it characterized as “self-defense strikes” against Iran over the weekend.

“U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) conducted self-defense strikes on Iranian radar and command and control sites for drones in Goruk, Iran and Qeshm Island this weekend. The measured and deliberate strikes occurred on Saturday and Sunday in response to aggressive Iranian actions that included the shootdown of a U.S. MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters. U.S. fighter aircraft swiftly responded by eliminating Iranian air defenses, a ground control station, and two one-way attack drones that posed clear threats to ships transiting regional waters,” according to a press release.

“No American service members were harmed. CENTCOM will continue to protect U.S. assets and interests in response to unwarranted Iranian aggression during the ongoing ceasefire,” the release added.

US MILITARY ATTACKS IRAN IN ‘SELF-DEFENSE STRIKES’ OVER WEEKEND

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CENTCOM noted in a Monday post on X, “Last night at 11 p.m. ET, U.S. forces successfully intercepted two Iranian ballistic missiles targeting American forces based in Kuwait. These missiles were immediately defeated and no American personnel were harmed. U.S. Central Command remains vigilant and will continue to protect our forces from Iranian aggression while supporting the ongoing ceasefire.”

President Donald Trump is turning foreign-influence laws that once ensnared figures in his own orbit toward left-wing activist networks accused of benefiting from overseas money and support.

Once seldom enforced criminally, FARA and related foreign-agent laws became a more prominent DOJ enforcement tool after 2016, including in cases involving several figures in Trump’s orbit, as well as the Biden administration. Now, legal experts say that FARA and other laws dealing with foreign influence are emerging as a potential weapon in Trump’s campaign against left-wing activist networks.

“Unfortunately, it seems clear that the Biden administration went overboard and tried to use FARA as a political weapon against allies and supporters of President Trump instead of concentrating on real national security threats and those acting on behalf of foreign governments and principals without disclosing it as required by the law,” Hans von Spakovsky, senior legal fellow at Advancing American Freedom, a think tank founded by former Vice President Mike Pence, told Fox News Digital. 

TRUMP, DEMOCRATS LOCKED IN ENDLESS CYCLES OF PAYBACK AFTER COMEY INDICTMENT AND TARGETING PRESIDENT’S ENEMIES’

FARA requires people acting in the United States on behalf of foreign governments or political parties to disclose their relationships, activities and funding to the Justice Department. While the law has been on the books for decades, criminal prosecutions related to it have become more common from 2016 onwards, engendering resentment among conservatives who feel they were unfairly targeted by the Justice Department.

“Prior to the Mueller gang and the deep state using it against Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn, FARA was rarely, if ever used for criminal purposes,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton told Fox News Digital. “It was seen as a paperwork issue … anti-Trump fanaticism turned it into a weapon to put people in jail.”

FARA prosecutions were relatively rare prior to the first Trump administration, with only seven criminal cases being prosecuted between 1966 and 2015. In 2018 alone, however, the Department of Justice charged more than 20 individuals and entities with FARA violations.

FEDS SUBPOENA HASAN PIKER, MEDEA BENJAMIN OVER CUBA TRIPS

During the first Trump administration and the Biden administration, many of those targeted by the Department of Justice for undisclosed links to foreign governments were viewed as close allies of Trump.

Paul Manafort, Trump’s 2016 campaign chair and a long-time GOP consultant, for instance, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States in 2018 in connection with his activity as an unregistered foreign agent for Ukraine. 

Michael Flynn separately came under scrutiny for his firm’s work tied to Turkish interests, while his criminal plea involved false statements to the FBI about conversations with Russia’s ambassador. Flynn’s business partner was convicted of acting as an undisclosed agent of Turkey, though the conviction was eventually overturned and the investigation was dropped by the Justice Department.

Conservatives were not exclusively targeted during the last two administrations, however.

Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Texas Democrat, Sen. Bob Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, and Linda Sun, a former Democratic staffer, all faced foreign influence investigations under the Biden administration. 

TAX COMMITTEE REPUBLICANS PRESS FOR TREASURY CRACKDOWN ON NONPROFITS PROMOTING FRAUD, ‘ANTI-AMERICAN’ HATE

The pattern of right-wing politicos getting caught up in alleged foreign influence schemes continued into the Biden administration, with Rudy Giuliani, GOP megadonor Stephen Wynn and Trump associate Tom Barrack all being investigated for foreign ties.

Former Attorney General Pam Bondi wound down FARA enforcement upon taking office in 2025, narrowing prosecutions to activities resembling traditional espionage, citing the law’s purported weaponization under President Joe Biden. Fitton characterized this as a “reversion to the norm.”

In a departure from the prior two administrations, Spakovsky told Fox News Digital that the Trump administration is working to “implement a comprehensive national security strategy that integrates FARA as a tool,” citing a national security memo issued by the president in 2025.

NSPM-7, the memo referenced by Spakovsky, is a Trump administration directive ordering federal agencies to investigate and disrupt alleged networks behind domestic terrorism and organized political violence. It specifically directs the Department of Justice to scrutinize foreign ties and investigate possible FARA violations in order to investigate advocacy groups, nonprofits, donors and activists linked to alleged political violence.

Some groups on the right and left have criticized the memo for potentially targeting constitutionally protected expression. The ACLU, for instance, argued that it could chill free speech since the document explicitly calls out “anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism and anti-Christianity” as dangers to the United States.

FOREIGN BILLIONAIRES FUNNEL $2.6B TO US ADVOCACY GROUPS TO INFLUENCE POLICY, WATCHDOG REPORT CLAIMS

Spakovsky, however, argued that the memo simply implements changes that were recommended by career civil servants during the Obama administration.

“When looking at the directive, another important point on FARA is to go back to a very revealing report issued by DOJ’s Inspector General in 2016 in which it criticized DOJ’s lack of enforcement of FARA, including during the Obama administration,” he said. “It recommended that DOJ develop a comprehensive enforcement strategy that was integrated with DOJ’s overall national security efforts … This relatively new directive seems to be an effort to do exactly what the DOJ IG recommended ten years ago – implement a comprehensive national security strategy that integrates FARA as a tool.”

Though FARA is seen by many as the obvious mechanism to address foreign influence, if it is indeed being exerted on American activists, some legal experts are skeptical about relying on it alone.

“FARA is a powerful tool. It’s just a difficult tool to use,” Jason Torchinsky, a partner at the law firm Holtzman Vogel, told Fox News Digital. “It is a powerful tool, but there’s other tools they can use too.”

Torchinsky pointed to the recent investigation into Twitch streamer Hasan Piker and Code PINK co-founder Medea Benjamin, initiated by the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, as an example of this.

TOP GOP SENATOR CALLS OUT CODE PINK, THE PEOPLE’S FORUM ALLEGEDLY PUSHING CCP PROPAGANDA IN US

“If these guys literally are shipping things to Cuba in violation of sanctions, that’s pretty easy,” he said. “You don’t have to prove any intent … OFAC sanctions are just such an easy crime to prosecute, because it’s like, you did X, I have evidence you did X, and it was prohibited …  it’s a really nice sort of cut and dry criminal case.”

Trying to bring FARA charges into the mix, according to Torchinsky, could lead to unnecessary complications.

Torchinsky, who specializes in government ethics laws, noted that prosecuting violations of FARA often proves problematic as defendants can sometimes credibly claim their actions are protected by the First Amendment. Other options, he said, may be more attractive to prosecutors attempting to address foreign political influence.

Heritage Foundation senior legal fellow Zack Smith, added that prosecutors need to prove that those accused of violating FARA knew they were breaking the law at the time of their conduct, which he called “a very high standard.”

BIDEN DOJ WEAPONIZED FACE ACT AGAINST PRO-LIFE AMERICANS, 882-REPORT ALLEGES

“The IRS has tools that allow them to revoke the nonprofit status of nonprofits that are acting illegally,” Torchinsky continued. “There’s a concept in internal revenue law called the illegality doctrine. The idea is that you can’t set up and operate as a nonprofit, something that’s illegal.”

Nonprofit organizations accused of providing material aid to foreign terrorist organizations, for instance, could be prosecuted by the administration without the Justice Department having to prove that they acted as unregistered foreign agents.

“Criminal statutes like wire fraud, bank fraud, those types of statutes could come into play, particularly if those carrying out these foreign influence operations are receiving cash or payments or some other type of compensation for taking part in these operations,” Smith added.

‘RIOT INC.’: TRUMP LAUNCHES ‘WHOLE-OF-GOVERNMENT’ PUSH TO EXPOSE ANTIFA FUNDING NETWORKS, DARK MONEY SOURCES

Some, however, see FARA as an indispensable tool in fighting foreign influence.

“I look forward to a quiet life outside of politics. With a fire-pit and beehives,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican from Florida, posted to X on Wednesday. “Until then I am going to make it my mission to get the FARA office back up and running. The political divide in this country is a foreign op from multiple countries and it’s sad.”

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT TUESDAY’S HOUSE HEARING ON FOREIGN INFLUENCE IN AMERICAN NONPROFITS: ‘FOLLOW THE MONEY’

Torchinsky noted that the presidential national security memo laid out some laws other than FARA that the administration could use to target foreign-backed political agitators. 

“You can go after these folks, particularly these entities that are engaged in violence,” he said. “They’ve got conspiracy against rights, solicitation of a crime or violence, money laundering, funding terrorist acts or facilitating terrorism, arson offenses, RICO, and fraud against the United States.”

“For example, organizing protests and violence at companies that are in the F-35 supply chain, like Palestinian groups are doing, is potentially a solicitation of acts of violence,” Torchinsky added.

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“Now, I suspect this is the beginning of a larger conversation over FARA, whether it needs to be revised, how it needs to be revised, what this regime will look like going forward to combat foreign influence in the United States,” Smith, the Heritage fellow, said. “But fundamentally, there should be broad agreement that foreign influence, particularly foreign influence directed at influencing our elections, our political discourse, is very problematic. Appropriate action should be taken to combat it.”

The Department of Justice, Treasury Department, and Code PINK did not respond to requests for comment when reached by Fox News Digital.

Congress returns facing looming deadlines, unfinished business and internal Republican divisions as the midterm elections draw closer.

Lawmakers left Washington ahead of Memorial Day on the cusp of passing a massive immigration enforcement funding package. Doing so would have allowed Republicans to tackle other outstanding priorities.

Instead, the budget reconciliation process — which Republicans planned to use to funnel roughly $72 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol — stalled after a surprise move by the Trump administration exposed deep divisions within the GOP. 

SENATE GOP ERUPTS OVER TRUMP DOJ ‘ANTI-WEAPONIZATION’ FUND, PUNTS ICE, BORDER PATROL FUNDING

Now, the setback in the reconciliation process threatens to further push back other key agenda items, including the fast-approaching deadline to reauthorize a critical spy law, a colossal defense policy bill and a potential affordability-focused legislative package.

The Senate is currently stuck on the reconciliation package after the Department of Justice unveiled its nearly $2 billion “anti-weaponization” fund geared to provide payouts to those who feel wronged by the government. 

Senate Republicans erupted over the fund during a closed-door meeting with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, demanding answers on whether people convicted of assaulting police officers during the riots of Jan. 6, 2021, would be allowed to get access to the taxpayer-funded money. 

Little has changed between the Senate GOP and administration since then, with Republicans putting the onus of dealing with the issue onto the White House.

“The administration appreciated last week’s conversation and feedback,” a White House official told Fox News Digital. “We look forward to additional conversations as needed.”

TRUMP DOUBLES DOWN ON $1.8 BILLION ‘SLUSH FUND’ THAT KILLED HIS AGENDA, SPURRED REPUBLICAN REBELLION

The House is expected to take up the budget reconciliation bill upon Senate passage. 

But with no clear path forward, other pressing issues are beginning to crowd the congressional calendar.

Congress will soon have to address the looming June 12 deadline to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). It’s a fight that lawmakers have punted on twice now over bipartisan demands for reforms to the program, despite the Trump administration pushing for a clean reauthorization. 

The spy law fight is one of the few horseshoe issues in Congress that blends Democrats and conservatives in a push for stronger privacy protections. While Section 702 allows the government to spy on foreign nationals abroad, there’s nothing in the law to prevent it from collecting data on Americans if they’re ensnared in those communications. 

House conservatives are seeking reforms that would require warrants to surveil Americans’ communications, close loopholes allowing the government to buy sensitive data from brokers without a warrant, and curb overly broad authorities permitting the incidental collection of information, according to a source familiar with the discussions.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: CONGRESS PASSES SHORT-TERM FISA 702 FIX, DELAYS LONG-TERM RENEWAL

GOP privacy hawks in the Senate, including Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Rick Scott, R-Fla., are expected to push for similar priorities in the upper chamber.

Meanwhile, in the House, Democrats are likely to force a vote to rein in the president’s Iran war powers that could pass with modest GOP support. House GOP leadership shelved a war powers vote last week amid poor attendance from Republicans.

Democrats are also expected to trigger a vote on legislation authorizing $1.3 billion in military aid to Ukraine and levy new sanctions on the Russian war effort. The measure faces an uphill battle to become law due to expected opposition from Republican leadership and the Trump administration.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is also facing pressure from a swath of House Republicans to get the ball rolling on a third budget reconciliation package ahead of the midterm elections.

Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital that GOP lawmakers are having “great meetings” and he expects the conference to pass another budget reconciliation package by the end of July. 

Pfluger’s Republican Study Committee has consistently advocated for a package focused on affordability issues across the housing, energy and healthcare sectors. Enthusiasm for a third reconciliation bill has been less pronounced in the Senate. 

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Congress is also beginning to make moves with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the colossal package that would open up $1.15 trillion to fund the Pentagon. It’s an annual must-pass piece of legislation that could be slowed by the more pressing fights on the Hill.

Several lingering issues facing Congress come as time is dwindling to complete work before the midterm elections. Lawmakers will be gone for their typical August recess, but will also have almost the entirety of October off to campaign. 

That means that the next few weeks will be crucial, particularly for Republicans, who are trying to pass any outstanding parts of President Donald Trump’s agenda.

It hasn’t been a great last few days for Marxist political influencer Hasan Piker.

First, as Fox News Digital reported exclusively last week, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) sent Piker an administrative subpoena seeking financial, logistical and communications records related to his March trip to Cuba as part of an investigation into whether he violated U.S. sanctions laws against doing business with the communist regime running the island nation.

Then last night, during protests outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Newark, N.J., hecklers confronted Piker, calling him a “f—ing fraud, ” “fake-a– grifter” and “dog abuser,” telling him, “Go back to the desktop.” (Piker has denied allegations he trained his dog, Kaya, with a shock collar.)

Now, Piker told his loyal following on the gaming platform Twitch that British authorities denied his Electronic Travel Authorization, or ETA, preventing him from traveling to the United Kingdom for a series of scheduled appearances, including events at SXSW London and the Oxford Union. Approved U.S. travelers to the UK can enter the country with a simple Electronic Travel Authorization, which is easier to get then a formal visa.

“I’ve been banned from the UK,” Piker told viewers. “I’ve been to the UK on numerous occasions, and all of the things they’re complaining about now are things I’ve said before.”

He went on to say, “It’s f—ing ridiculous.”

HASAN PIKER DEFENDS PRO-COMMUNIST, ANTI-ICE SINGHAM NETWORK ACTIVISTS AS ‘WONDERFUL PEOPLE’

Although Fox News Digital could not confirm Piker’s claim, such a move by the UK would be significant because it would mark a potential red line that a Western government has drawn regarding the importation of extremist ideas and ideological movements that officials believe may contribute to social unrest, extremism or political violence.

At the tail end of a long livestream, Piker said he was denied entry for alleged antisemitism, which he denied, and then proceeded to lash out at Jewish organizations that he said had campaigned against his visit, claiming they wielded excessive influence over British policy.

“Israel advocacy organizations have unbelievable amounts of power over what even the United Kingdom has to say and do,” Piker said. “If you’re an avowed anti-Zionist, your travel will be restricted.”

Piker accused the UK government of bowing to pressure from pro-Israel advocacy groups and described the decision as evidence of a growing crackdown on political dissent across Western democracies.

The comments came weeks after several British Jewish organizations publicly urged the government to block Piker’s entry into the country, citing remarks they described as antisemitic and supportive of extremist groups. Piker has said he believed the U.S. deserved the 9/11 attack as “backlash” for its foreign policy decisions. The Jewish Leadership Council and Community Security Trust argued that Piker’s presence in Britain would not be “conducive to the public good,” pointing to his comments about Hamas, Hezbollah, Zionism and Orthodox Jews.

Labour MP David Taylor also called on the Home Office to revoke Piker’s visa ahead of scheduled appearances at SXSW London, arguing that his rhetoric had contributed to concerns within Britain’s Jewish community.

Punctuating his commentary about the UK decision with deep sighs, cursing and rage at suggestions from his followers, Piker repeatedly rejected accusations of antisemitism, saying criticism of Israel was being conflated with hatred of Jews. He said the decision reflected a broader trend in which governments are suppressing anti-Israel voices.

“This is straight-up fascism,” Piker said. “Being critical of Israel while combating antisemitism is not a good enough reason to bar someone entry into the country.”

HOW A RHODES SCHOLAR WITH TIES TO CUBA’S PRESIDENT ORGANIZED THE CONVOY THAT BROUGHT HASAN PIKER TO HAVANA

The streamer said he had planned a week-long trip that included appearances alongside former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, a live podcast recording and an event at Oxford Union.

Varoufakis is the co-founder of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit group, Progressive International, which Piker credits with getting him to Cuba for a March aid convoy that may have violated U.S. laws. A Fox News Digital investigation chronicled how Progressive International and its co-founder David Adler have allegedly been a critical part of a foreign influence operation by the Communist Party of Cuba. Progressive International and Adler didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The U.K. government didn’t respond to a request for comment. However, in recent weeks, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, a critic of Israeli policies, recently revoked the travel authorization of Piker’s uncle, Cenk Uygur, founder of “The Young Turks,” after concluding his presence would not be “conducive to the public good.”

During the livestream, Piker warned that the alleged UK decision could set a precedent for other Western countries, including Australia and Canada, potentially restricting his future travel.

HASAN PIKER NAMES PRO-CCP TYCOON SINGHAM AS FINANCIER OF ‘POLITICAL MOVEMENTS’ DESPITE NONPROFIT VENEER

“I genuinely did not think this would happen,” he said. “We’re moving into a very different timeline.”

Piker said he and his team were exploring whether he could apply for a standard visa despite the denial of the Electronic Travel Authorization, though he acknowledged it was a long shot.

Piker’s case intersects with a broader inquiry into the influence of transnational activist networks operating in the United States. During a livestream this week, Piker said that the Treasury Department’s investigation into his Cuba trip may ultimately be focused on Neville Roy Singham, an American Marxist businessman living in Shanghai who has funded a network of nonprofit organizations and activist groups that have drawn scrutiny from lawmakers and administration officials.

Among the organizations funded by Singham is CodePink, which also received a Treasury Department administrative subpoena related to its participation in the March convoy to Cuba, as well as groups such as the Party for Socialism and Liberation and the ANSWER Coalition. All three organizations openly identify with socialist or communist political traditions and have been prominent organizers of anti-Israel demonstrations across the United States since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas against Israel.

Critics argue that some of those demonstrations have created hostile environments for Jews in the UK, U.S., and elsewhere, including the use of slogans such as “From the river to the sea,” which calls for the elimination of Israel.

Trump administration officials are investigating the groups tied to Singham as a transnational network advancing anti-American, pro-Chinese Communist Party and anti-Western narratives while exploiting political and social divisions inside the U.S.

Lawmakers, Treasury officials and national security analysts have increasingly examined whether such networks are helping to amplify polarization, social discord, and hostility toward democratic institutions. Meanwhile, last night at the ICE protest, Piker defended the groups as led by “wonderful” people.

The debate has been particularly acute in Europe, where governments have grappled with alliances between far-left activists and Islamist organizations that have joined forces around anti-Israel activism and antisemitism. Critics argue that some of these coalitions have fomented rhetoric and violence hostile to Jews, leading to rising antisemitism in the UK, much like in the U.S.

For his part, Piker ended his podcast defiant, angry and seemingly deflated for the moment, repeating again, “Bro, they banned me from the UK,” and then finally closing the podcast, saying, “I’m done for the day.”

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Marxist political commentator and Twitch streamer Hasan Piker blasted New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill during a livestream Sunday, accusing the Democratic governor of aiding the Trump administration’s immigration agenda through her response to anti-ICE protests outside a Newark detention facility.

Piker’s criticism came after Sherrill defended the deployment of state police around demonstrations outside Delaney Hall, an ICE detention center in Newark, saying she would not allow unrest to provide a pretext for expanded federal immigration operations in New Jersey.

“I refuse to let that happen in New Jersey. I will not give ICE a pretext,” Sherrill said in remarks aired during a news segment Piker was reacting to on stream.

Piker quickly mocked the governor’s explanation.

GOV. SHERRILL BLAMES ICE, DEFENDS RIOTERS AFTER DEPLOYING TROOPERS TO QUELL VIOLENT MOB

“Yeah, I won’t give ICE a pretext. So I’m going to ensure that they don’t have to do anything because I’m going to do it myself,” Piker said. “That’s basically what the meta is here for this blue state and its new blue governor.”

The political commentator then broadened his criticism beyond Sherrill’s handling of the protests.

“This is the centrist wing of the Democratic Party, ladies and gentlemen. This is what happens,” Piker said.

ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS CLASH WITH AGENTS OUTSIDE NEW JERSEY DETENTION CENTER AS GOV. SHERRILL DENIED ENTRY

The comments came as anti-ICE demonstrations continued outside Delaney Hall, where activists have alleged detainees are being held in poor conditions and not receiving adequate food. The Department of Homeland Security has disputed those claims.

Later in the stream, Piker accused Sherrill of helping advance President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

“The story is not the far-left activists continuing to rage at ICE in New Jersey,” Piker said. “The real story is the horrifying conditions inside of this facility … and the governor acting as though she’s powerless to put a stop to it, and using what power she does have to basically work alongside the MAGA movement alongside the Trump administration, because these are state troopers in anti-riot gear on horseback.”

FEDERAL AGENTS IN NEW JERSEY BEAT BACK ANTI-ICE AGITATORS IN CHAOS OUTSIDE DELANEY HALL DETENTION FACILITY

“These are state troopers that are brutalizing New Jerseyans,” he added.

Piker further accused authorities of mistreating journalists covering the demonstrations.

“They’re doing Israeli occupying force s—. It’s disgusting,” he said while discussing reports that an Associated Press photographer was injured while covering the protests.

WATCH: POLICE ABSENT FROM DELANEY HALL CHAOS AS AGITATORS BLOCK ICE VEHICLES AND AGENTS USE PEPPER SPRAY

The streamer also used the broadcast to criticize Democratic lawmakers over immigration policy.

“Democrats have absolutely participated in this process,” Piker said, arguing that some members of the party have supported legislation and funding measures related to immigration enforcement.

“I want to change that system,” he later added. “Part of that also revolves around getting people elected who will make a big fuss.”

NJ DEMOCRATS PUSH ‘F—ICE ACT’ TO LET RESIDENTS SUE OVER IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT

Later in the stream, Piker told viewers, “That’s what I’m trying to f—ing change.”

In recent months, Piker has crisscrossed the country canvassing for candidates endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America.

During Sunday’s livestream, he also voiced support for billionaire gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer and quoted Mao Zedong, the founder of the Chinese Communist Party.

Piker has previously drawn scrutiny for his support of progressive candidates and activism surrounding immigration policy.

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Earlier this year, he campaigned in New Jersey for congressional candidate Adam Hamamy, a Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidate whom Piker publicly defended following media scrutiny over his background.

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

President Donald Trump is warning against obstruction of the $400 million White House ballroom and rooftop drone base, directly calling out U.S. District Judge Richard Leon for giving in to a “serial plaintiff” and a “ridiculous lawsuit” putting U.S. national security at risk.

“The DronePort at the White House Ballroom will be, perhaps, the most sophisticated anywhere in the World!” Trump wrote Sunday on Truth Social. “It will safeguard our Nation’s Capital, Washington, D.C., long into the future.

“Judge Richard Leon should stop playing games with America’s Security!”

Trump urged Leon to dismiss the lawsuit from a person he described as a “highly litigious woman,” warning the judge would be “held responsible” if an attack hits the White House.

FEDERAL JUDGE QUESTIONS TRUMP AUTHORITY ON WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM PROJECT

“If anything happens, he will be held responsible for the Death and Destruction caused to our Country,” Trump added. “He has already created enough problems by allowing ‘Top Secret’ information to be released and exposed based on a ridiculous lawsuit started by a highly litigious woman (serial plaintiff!) whose ‘strolling,’ in her opinion, will be disturbed by the new, desperately needed structure – In any event, a woman who has absolutely no STANDING!

“With the advent of highly sophisticated, and powerful, modern day weaponry, we can no longer defend Washington, D.C., with rifles and pistols, alone. This ridiculous lawsuit must be dismissed, IMMEDIATELY!” Trump added.

The post came as the Justice Department again pressed Leon to lift an injunction that has held up parts of the project, arguing in a court filing that a shooting outside a White House checkpoint earlier this month underscored the need for stronger security measures at the executive mansion.

TRUMP PULLS BACK CURTAIN ON WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM’S FORTRESS-LIKE DEFENSES ABOVE AND DEEP BELOW

“In light of the recent attacks against President Trump’s life — including two attempts in less than a month — the injunction entered by this Court for the benefit of a strolling woman, who filed suit against the East Wing Project long before she knew what was going to be built (This is a woman who is a known serial plaintiff throughout Washington, D.C.), and who has absolutely no standing, must be immediately vacated, and this suit, which is a complete embarrassment to our Country, must be dismissed,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote in the five-page filing.

“This is a terrible, tremendously harmful case to the United States of America, and all it stands for!” .

The gunman who opened fire at the White House checkpoint was shot by officers and later died at a hospital.

APPEALS COURT LETS TRUMP RESUME WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM CONSTRUCTION, SEEKS LOWER COURT CLARITY

Leon ruled in April that Trump lacked the legal authority to build the ballroom without congressional approval. He issued an injunction halting “above-ground construction of the planned ballroom,” though an appeals court quickly put that order on hold, allowing construction to continue until June.

The lawsuit was brought by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a congressionally chartered nonprofit organization. The group has said it would not drop the case, even after the Justice Department cited a foiled attack at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in April as a reason to dissolve the injunction and dismiss the lawsuit.

Trump previously disclosed that the ballroom project would include a rooftop drone base and a six-story underground military complex with a hospital and research facilities.

During a tour with reporters , Trump said the ballroom’s roof would be built for military use and designed to withstand a direct attack.

“The entire roof is built for military,” Trump said. “They have a massive drone capacity. Not only is it drone-proof, if a drone hits it, it bounces off, it won’t have any impact. But it’s also meant as a drone port that would protect all of Washington.”

The proposed 90,000-square-foot ballroom would dwarf the historic White House complex and has become a flashpoint in a broader fight over presidential authority, security spending and the preservation of historic federal buildings.

WHITE HOUSE SAYS EAST WING DEMOLITION WAS NECESSARY DUE TO STRUCTURAL ISSUES

Trump has argued that the ballroom is necessary to host large events of up to 1,000 people in a secure location, saying current White House entertainment spaces are too small.

The White House has said the project’s security features include titanium fencing, hardened roofing, thick special glass and underground facilities. Trump told reporters the roof would be made of “impenetrable steel,” and said the fencing was strong enough that “a bulldozer cannot knock it over.”

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Leon has not yet ruled on the Justice Department’s latest request to dissolve the injunction and dismiss the case.

Reuters contributed to this report.

This is part five of a series examining the challenges confronting the NATO alliance.

For more than three decades, the U.S. carried the largest share of NATO’s military burden while many European allies spent far less on defense than Washington wanted.

The imbalance survived the Cold War, multiple U.S. administrations and repeated debates over burden sharing. Only in recent years — following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and renewed pressure from President Donald Trump — have many NATO members begun significantly increasing defense spending.

So why did the gap persist for so long?

Defense analysts say the answer lies in a combination of post-Cold War optimism, domestic political priorities and an American defense umbrella that convinced much of Europe it could safely spend less on defense without sacrificing its security.

GLOBAL SYSTEM TOOK ADVANTAGE OF AMERICA ON TRADE AND DEFENSE. THAT FREE RIDE IS OVER

“For much of the post–Cold War period, it is fair to say that Europeans underinvested in defense, partly because threats were low, and partly because a series of U.S. presidents did everything they could to convince Europeans that we would stay there forever,” Barry Posen, a professor of political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told Fox News Digital.

The collapse of the Soviet Union reinforced that mindset. 

With the primary threat NATO had been created to deter suddenly gone, governments across Europe moved to collect a so-called “peace dividend,” redirecting resources toward domestic priorities and away from their militaries.

Between 1992 and 1999, defense spending among European NATO members fell 22%, helping establish a pattern of underinvestment that would persist for decades even as the United States maintained troops in Europe and continued serving as NATO’s ultimate security backstop.

GERMANY UNVEILS NEW INCENTIVES TO BOOST MILITARY RECRUITMENT AMID GROWING RUSSIA THREAT

As defense spending declined, many European governments expanded or maintained social welfare systems that consumed a growing share of public budgets. Programs such as healthcare, pensions and higher education became deeply embedded in domestic politics, often making them harder to cut than military spending.

With the U.S. continuing to provide the bulk of NATO’s military power, many governments faced little immediate pressure to reverse course. Critics of the alliance’s spending imbalance argued that American taxpayers were effectively subsidizing Europe’s security, allowing allies to devote a larger share of public resources to domestic priorities.

The result was what some defense analysts describe as a “moral hazard” problem: because the U.S. commitment to NATO was viewed as ironclad, allies could spend less on their own militaries without facing the full consequences of those decisions.

NATO CHIEF WARNS EUROPE CAN’T DEFEND ITSELF WITHOUT US AS TENSIONS RISE OVER GREENLAND

Over time, that dynamic became self-reinforcing. As European militaries shrank, many allies grew increasingly dependent on American capabilities ranging from logistics and intelligence to missile defense, strategic airlift and nuclear deterrence.

“We are still having a strong, conventional U.S. presence in Europe,” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said earlier in 2026, “and, of course, the nuclear umbrella as our ultimate guarantor.”

American frustration over burden sharing is nearly as old as NATO itself.

In 1953, President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned European allies that “the American well can run dry” and pressed them to assume a larger share of the alliance’s defense burden. The issue resurfaced repeatedly over the following decades as successive administrations sought greater European contributions to collective defense.

The concern persisted long after the Cold War. In a blunt 2011 farewell speech in Brussels, then-War Secretary Robert Gates warned of a “dim if not dismal future” for NATO if European governments continued underinvesting in their militaries. Gates cautioned that there would be “dwindling appetite and patience” among American lawmakers and taxpayers to bear a disproportionate share of the alliance’s defense costs.

Yet despite decades of warnings, the underlying incentives changed little. 

Washington repeatedly reaffirmed its commitment to NATO and maintained a large military presence on the continent, reducing pressure on allies to rapidly increase defense spending.

“Every administration has been pushing allies to spend more money on their own defense,” former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Europe and NATO Jim Townsend told Fox News Digital.

The issue gained renewed urgency after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, when NATO established a benchmark for members to spend at least 2% of GDP on defense. While spending gradually increased, progress remained uneven across the alliance.

“Nations slowly began going to that. But it’s been slow,” Townsend said.

For years, burden-sharing disputes followed a familiar pattern: American officials urged allies to spend more, European leaders promised improvements and NATO continued to rely heavily on American military power. What finally broke that cycle, Townsend said, was the combination of Russia’s growing aggression and Trump’s willingness to challenge assumptions that had shaped the alliance for decades.

“What really woke everyone up were two things,” Townsend said. “One was the 2022 invasion by Putin the second time. And then the second was Trump.”

Unlike previous presidents, Trump openly questioned whether the United States should defend allies that failed to meet defense spending commitments. During his first term and again during his return to office, Trump argued that NATO members were taking advantage of American taxpayers and suggested U.S. protection should not be unconditional.

Whether European leaders viewed Trump’s approach as pressure, a warning or a negotiating tactic, it altered assumptions that had shaped the alliance since the end of the Cold War and accelerated a debate that had simmered for decades.

The shift culminated at NATO’s summit in The Hague, where allies agreed to a new goal of spending 5% of GDP on defense and defense-related investments by 2035. The agreement marked a dramatic leap from NATO’s long-standing 2% benchmark and reflected a growing consensus that the alliance faced a far more dangerous security environment than the one that emerged after the Soviet Union’s collapse.

The agreement also signaled that many allies had come to the same conclusion American presidents had voiced for decades: the post-Cold War era of reduced military spending was over.

TRUMP PUSHED NATO TO SPEND BIG — NOW COMES THE HARDER QUESTION: CAN EUROPE ACTUALLY FIGHT?

But analysts caution that rebuilding military power is far more complicated than increasing budgets.

Europe remains dependent on the U.S. for capabilities ranging from air defense and logistics to intelligence and defense industrial capacity, Townsend said. Even as governments commit more money to defense, translating those investments into military readiness will take years.

John Byrne of Concerned Veterans for America said the challenge extends beyond equipment and spending levels.

“They don’t have the experience,” Byrne told Fox News Digital, referring to the decades in which large multinational military commands were overwhelmingly led by American officers.

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Running large coalition military operations requires years of institutional knowledge and leadership experience, he said — something that cannot be rebuilt overnight.

“You can buy equipment,” Byrne said. “You can’t instantly buy command experience.”