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Two-term Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a high-profile Democrat whom political pundits view as a possible 2028 presidential contender, says she doesn’t plan to run for the White House in the next election cycle.

“There will be a robust group of people running for president,” the term-limited Whitmer told a reporter in Michigan on Thursday. “I will not be one of them in 2028. I can tell you that.”

Whitmer has long been considered one of the leading members of a large group of nationally known Democrats who might jump into what’s expected to be a crowded and competitive field of contenders seeking their party’s presidential nomination in the race to succeed term-limited Republican President Donald Trump. The governor’s new comments appear to shoot down long-held assumptions about her national ambitions.

HARRIS STOPS IN KEY PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY STATE AFTER LEAVING DOOR WIDE OPEN TO 2028

The governor of key Great Lakes battleground state grabbed plenty of attention during Trump’s first term in office as an outspoken critic of his administration and gave the Democratic response to the president’s 2020 State of the Union address.

But throughout Trump’s second term, Whitmer has sought to find policy areas where she and the president can agree. And her image of being a fierce Trump critic took a major hit in April of last year when she appeared in the Oval Office with the president. Pictures of the governor trying to cover her face with folders quickly went viral and angered some Democrats.

The now infamous photo came as the governor was at the White House for a private meeting to push the president on Michigan-specific issues and was then unexpectedly led into a televised news conference and gaggle with reporters. Whitmer later said she didn’t want her pictures taken, and emphasized that while she didn’t agree with much of what Trump said during the news conference, she stayed in the room to advocate on behalf of her state.

LESS THAN 4 MONTHS INTO TRUMP’S 2ND TERM, DEMS ARE ALREADY EYEING THE 2028 RACE

THESE DEMOCRATS MAY RUN FOR THE WHITE HOUSE IN 2028

Whitmer, a former state representative, state senator and Ingham County prosecuting attorney, was elected Michigan governor in 2018.

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She was often in the national headlines during her first term as governor and was on former President Joe Biden’s shortlist for a 2020 running mate.

Whitmer was also viewed as a potential future White House contender and fueled speculation with a stop in the key presidential primary state of New Hampshire in the summer of 2024, to campaign on behalf of then-Vice President Kamala Harris, soon after Harris replaced Biden as the Democratic nominee.

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

The list of possible 2028 Democratic presidential contenders includes Harris, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Govs. Gavin Newsom of California, JB Pritzker of Illinois, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Wes Moore of Maryland, who, similar to Whitmer, has said he isn’t running for the White House in 2028.

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Other potential contenders include Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ro Khanna of California, Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego of Arizona, Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Raphael Warnock of Georgia, and Chris Murphy of Connecticut, former ambassador and former Rep. Rahm Emanuel, who served as White House chief of staff to President Barack Obama before winning election and re-election as Chicago mayor, and Gina Raimondo, a former two-term Rhode Island governor who later served as commerce secretary in the Biden administration.

New Jersey Democratic Sen. Andy Kim fired back after DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin accused him of engaging in “political theater” following a chaotic protest outside Newark’s Delaney Hall detention facility, where Kim was struck by pepper-ball spray while confronting federal officers.

Kim and other New Jersey Democrats, including Gov. Mikie Sherrill, have sharply criticized conditions at Delaney Hall, an immigration detention facility in Newark operated by a private contractor. DHS officials, meanwhile, accuse the lawmakers of escalating tensions and undermining ICE enforcement efforts. The clash intensified after Kim was hit with pepper-ball spray during demonstrations outside the facility earlier this week.

“Secretary Markwayne Mullin in a cabinet meeting today said that I was complaining about being hit by a pepperball spray at Delaney Hall and he said that I shouldn’t be there — I just want to say this was never about me,” Kim said in a response on social media later Thursday.

“I was willing to take that risk. I’m not complaining about the pepperball spraying — for me, I’m complaining about what the treatment is to my constituents, to Americans and to civilians that were in harm’s way.”

ANTI-ICE AGITATORS THROW WOODEN PALLETS, MATTRESSES AT FEDERAL AGENTS DURING CHAOTIC NJ DETENTION CENTER CLASH

Kim said Mullin’s agency is overseeing inhumane treatment of the illegal immigrants inside the facility and is wrongfully awarding a lucrative contract to a Boca Raton-based company to manage it.

“So again, this isn’t about me. I was willing to take on that risk. I’d do it all over again,” he said.

He said he would do “anything that I can to keep my constituents and to keep people safe.”

When asked about Kim’s response, Mullin told Fox News Digital on Thursday that he was sorry to see Kim spread fallacies and inflame the situation unnecessarily.

“It’s unfortunate that Senator Andy Kim (who I’ve had a good relationship with) is spreading this FALSE narrative and adding fuel to the fire for no other reason than political theater,” Mullin said.

“This isn’t a Holiday Inn. Illegal aliens are at this detention facility because they broke our nation’s laws. ICE has arrested brutal criminals in New Jersey, including murders, rapists, sex offenders, child predators, and drug traffickers. “They are provided medical treatment, a clean place to sleep, and 3 meals a day plus commissary,” he added.

DHS CHIEF BLASTS DEMOCRATS FOR STAGING ‘ALL FOR SHOW’ PROTEST AT NEWARK ICE DETENTION FACILITY ON MEMORIAL DAY

“Contrary to what liberal politicians and the leftist media want you to think: DHS does NOT make the laws that govern the United States. Our officers are simply enforcing the laws passed by Congress. 

“If these sanctuary politicians in Congress don’t like our nation’s laws, they have the ability to change them.”

Mullin said the behavior of Kim and other Democrats put their “radical left… priorities” on full display, adding that rapists, child predators and drug dealers are among those the protesters want released back into society.

New Jersey Assemblyman Paul Kanitra, R-Toms River, told Fox News Digital in a separate exclusive interview Wednesday that the food vendor at Delaney Hall is also contracted at nearby Giants Stadium, quipping that if the food is good enough for Big Blue, it should be good enough for the inmates.

Mullin also appeared to fault Newark city government for its hands-off law enforcement approach.

He said ICE has had to conduct typical law enforcement behavior like removing barricades and preventing protesters from restricting ingress and egress – something that Mayor Ras J. Baraka’s Department of Public Safety and Homeland Security should be in charge of.

Baraka announced in 2015 that the Newark Police and fire department now fall under that new agency, and he appoints the leader.

TOP DEM GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE ARRESTED FOR TRESPASSING AT ICE DETENTION CENTER

Kim’s actions have raised ire on both sides of the aisle for opposing reasons, as Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., posted a split image of Kim washing his eyes out with protesters’ water bottles and Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., being detained while attempting to confront then-DHS Secretary Kristi Noem during a Los Angeles meeting.

“When even U.S. Senators are targeted, every American should understand: no one is safe from ICE’s abuses,” Schumer said in a statement. “It’s why I’m fighting tooth-and-nail against additional funds for Trump’s rogue police forces.”

Meanwhile, New Jersey Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia likened Kim’s and other Democrats’ actions to the “Choose Your Own Adventure” books popular among young people in the 1990s.

PADILLA CUFFED, MCIVER INDICTED: CAN CONGRESS COME BACK FROM THE BRINK?

“The Pepper Spray of Destiny,” Fantasia, R-Sussex, entitled her faux-book in a social media post.

The book’s cover shows Schumer with a speech bubble calling the chaos a “peaceful protest,” a dumpster full of trash and barricade material, an ICE agent shooting a pepperball gun and Kim superimposed on the image with an outstretched arm as if to say “no.”

“Federal lawmakers in NJ are out here treating riots like Choose Your Own Adventure books,” Fantasia said. “Instead of going through proper channels, they keep choosing every option labeled ‘This is a terrible idea’.”

“If you’d like to skip Memorial Day ceremonies in favor of an ICE protest, turn to page 3. If you’d like to insert yourself into a volatile situation, turn to page 7. If you’d like to help protesters drag debris from a dumpster to illegally block the entrance, turn to page 11,” she said.

“If you’d like Senator Schumer to explain why none of this was your fault, turn to page 18. If you’d like the mainstream media to call you ‘courageous’ for it, turn to page 20.”

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Agitators returned again Thursday morning to Delaney Hall, according to witnesses on scene. From about sunrise to mid-afternoon, the protests have been largely peaceable this week thus far.

As sundown approaches each day, older daytime protesters often give way to black-clad protesters wearing goggles and masks at night.

The Trump administration is advancing a proposal for federal agencies to use standardized nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) with employees as part of a broader push to stop internal discussions from leaking to the press. 

“This is going through the full regulatory process, so people can give notices and comments,” said Office of Personnel Management (OPM) director Scott Kupor to Fox News Digital in a Zoom interview on Wednesday. “We’ll respond to all those things as well… I’d be surprised, if at the end of the day, we aren’t successful in showing people that this is important for preserving deliberative decision-making in the government.”

The proposal would create a template NDA for federal agencies to use with employees, requiring workers to acknowledge existing confidentiality rules as the Trump administration intensifies its crackdown on internal leaks following incidents including the Venezuela raid leak and the doxing of ICE agents. Officials said the policy is meant to protect sensitive internal discussions, while critics question whether it could chill whistleblower protections and employee speech.

DHS FIRES SENIOR CBP OFFICIAL FOR LEAKING SENSITIVE INFORMATION

Kupor pointed to a “simple example” of why NDAs are needed. OPM functions as the federal government’s human resources agency, overseeing personnel policy and workforce rules for federal employees.

“I had a meeting today… we had 10 people in the room… it’s really hard to run the organization if we have that conversation and then nine out of those 10 people go call the media and say, ‘hey, let me just tell you what we talked about in this conversation.’” 

“It just puts us in a situation where you can’t run an organization. You can’t have a reasonable conversation with your team. It isolates decision-making to a place that I think is just not good for anybody,” he added.

Federal employees are already required to safeguard certain confidential and sensitive government information obtained through their work. OPM said the proposed NDA would not create new substantive restrictions on employee speech, but instead establish a standardized process for federal workers to acknowledge existing legal and regulatory obligations regarding confidential information.

Kupor said the proposal of NDAs is to encourage open and honest dialogue in meetings. 

PENTAGON ANNOUNCES INVESTIGATION INTO LEAKS, WHICH COULD INCLUDE POLYGRAPH TESTS

“We’re just trying to avoid situations where people feel like they won’t express an opinion in a meeting because they are worried that’s going to show up on the front page of the newspaper tomorrow. I just don’t think that helps us actually run the organizations on behalf of the American people,” said Kupor.

Critics have argued the agency is expanding oversight in an effort to control damaging narratives emerging from inside the administration.

Gilbert Employment Law, which specializes in federal employment issues, partner Kevin Owen told the Government Executive that “OPM is now trying to become this super personnel office that centralizes its authority over all federal employees, ostensibly at the direction of the White House. By now controlling how federal employees are even able to communicate about matters of political concern, it’s one further step toward enacting a spoils system and making the civil service a political arm of the White House.”

The proposal also stated that the agreement would explicitly preserve employees’ rights to make disclosures authorized under federal law, including protected whistleblower complaints.

“I think people are thinking [it’s] another way to get rid of people, or we’re trying to squelch people from saying what they want,” said Kupor. “That’s the farthest thing from the truth. People can say whatever they want. The issue is, if we’re having a conversation at work … I think it’s very reasonable for us to say you shouldn’t go basically publish what is otherwise essentially a deliberative process of conversation out there.”

Kupor said the administration should be able to achieve discussions without media leaks and, once it’s decided, journalists can FOIA the information.

“People can appeal that to the [U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board] and forward and stuff like that. That’s how we work today. We’re not taking away any rights anybody has for any other kind of workplace related adverse actions,” said Kupor. “If you read the NDAs, it’s very expressed that nothing here interferes with traditional whistleblower issues with people going to the inspector general.”

Kupor said he is unsure whether the proposal was discussed during the first Trump administration or under previous administrations but argued the rapid expansion of the media landscape has made agencies more vulnerable to leaks.

JUDGES V TRUMP: HERE ARE THE KEY COURT BATTLES HALTING THE WHITE HOUSE AGENDA

“Particularly with the rise of social media and everything else, [federal employees] feel like they want to help people outside the world, understand what we’re doing. And none of this is intended to like to stop that. It’s just intended to allow us to have an open, honest conversation among folks. And if people want to be citizen journalists, they can do that,” said Kupor.

With the Trump administration already facing a series of legal challenges to its policy agenda, Kupor said he expects the NDA proposal could draw scrutiny as well.

“Unfortunately, there are lots of lawyers and organizations who make a living out of basically finding whatever they don’t like with the Trump administration and suing. But in this case I feel very, very comfortable,” he said.

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The proposal is open for public comment on or before June 26, according to OPM.

House Republicans were hit with a minor setback this week in the redistricting war when two states set to redraw maps changed course. 

Alabama and South Carolina were primed for new maps, but a court order and move to buck the process by state lawmakers in the Palmetto State have, for now, nixed the act. It comes as both sides of the aisle are in an arms race to redraw their maps to gain an advantage in the upcoming midterm elections. 

While the South Carolina legislature opted against redistricting, Republican leaders in Alabama have asked the Supreme Court to weigh in on their new map after a lower court halted the process. 

At stake in both states are two new seats in the House that could benefit Republicans as they vie to keep and grow their razor-thin majority.

BLOCKBUSTER SUPREME COURT VOTING RIGHTS RULING IGNITES REDISTRICTING WAR ACROSS SOUTHERN STATES

But compared to the gains the GOP has made across the country in redistricting, particularly after the Supreme Court’s Voting Rights Act decision in April, Republicans aren’t sweating the setback. 

“House Republicans are competing from a position of strength, remain on offense in key battleground districts, and continue to benefit from a battleground that is far more favorable than Democrats want to admit,” Mike Marinella, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, told Fox News Digital. 

On the broader scoresheet in a battle triggered by President Donald Trump and met in kind by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Republicans have the advantage.

REDISTRICTING BATTLES BREWING ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS PARTIES COMPETE FOR POWER AHEAD OF 2026 MIDTERMS

After the Supreme Court’s decision that effectively tossed out the new map in Virginia that Democrats spent millions to enact, Republicans are now looking at a possible gain of 16 seats compared to Democrats’ six. 

That comes from successes in Texas and North Carolina, and new maps in Florida, Ohio, Missouri, Tennessee, Louisiana and Alabama — should the Supreme Court side with Republicans in Alabama. 

Democrats, though hit with a major setback in Virginia, gained five favorable seats in California and are eyeing a battle in Utah to gain at least one more.

BATTLEGROUND GOP LAWMAKER MOVES TO BLOCK WHAT HE CALLS DEMOCRATIC REDISTRICTING ‘POWER GRAB’

Still, Democrats are confident they can gain ground in the fall. 

Viet Shelton, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, told Fox News Digital in a statement that voters “are ready to reject Trump and Republicans for their broken promises on the economy, and they know it.”

“It’s why they’ve given up on trying to win over voters fair and square, so they’re resorting to rigging the midterms through illegal gerrymanders and voter suppression,” Shelton said. “The American people won’t stand for it, and Democrats are poised to take back the majority in November.”

Meanwhile, in the House, the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus launched a gerrymandering working group, co-chaired by Reps. Jeff Hurd, R-Colo., and Ed Case, D-Hawaii, to tackle the issue that has “led to extreme partisan gerrymandering across the country.”

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Hurd said in a statement that redistricting should be approached with “transparency, consistency and respect for the rule of law.” 

“Congressional representation should reflect the people and communities being served, not the political interests of whoever happens to be in power,” Hurd said. 

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is pushing a 100% tax on Californians who receive money from President Donald Trump’s new Anti-Weaponization Fund, a move that comes as critics accuse Newsom of running “slush funds” of his own.

“Anyone from California that receives any of those funds,” Newsom said at a Wednesday news conference. “We want to tax 100% of those proceeds and that’s an action the state of California can take. It’s an action we look forward to taking.”

Newsom’s staunch opposition to the newly created $1.78 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund, which supporters describe as nonpartisan, comes as he is widely viewed as a potential 2028 presidential contender.

Critics have dubbed the fund a “boondoggle” created to line the pockets of Trump’s allies.

APOLOGIES AND CASH HEADED TO ALLEGED ‘WEAPONIZATION’ VICTIMS IN BILLION-DOLLAR TRUMP SETTLEMENT

The chief complaint from Newsom and other Democrats is that the fund could be used to compensate people convicted or indicted in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. On his first day back in office, Trump pardoned or commuted the sentences of more than 1,500 rioters.

“He pardoned all of those folks that were beating up cops and absolved them, providing them 1.776 billion dollars. So not only do you get a pardon, you get rewarded,” Newsom wrote on X. “That’s why this is needed.”

But Newsom’s criticism of Trump’s fund has also drawn accusations of hypocrisy from Republicans and conservative critics on social media, who have long accused the California governor of overseeing politically connected spending programs and “slush funds” of his own.

Among the programs that faced scrutiny was a $25 million California legal fund created to combat what Newsom described as “legal warfare” from the Trump administration. California Republican Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones later deemed the fund a “slush fund.”

Newsom also faced scrutiny during California’s 2021 recall campaign over the state’s use of no-bid COVID-19 contracts. A Kaiser Health News investigation found California awarded billions of dollars in emergency contracts to firms tied to donors, political allies and well-connected insiders. Critics argued the state’s emergency procurement system allowed taxpayer-funded contracts to be awarded with limited competition and oversight.

Newsom’s proposed plan to implement a 100% tax on Californian recipients of the fund comes as the state faces a roughly $2.9 billion shortfall for the 2027 fiscal budget.

DUFFY MOCKS NEWSOM’S ‘BRIDGES TO NOWHERE’ AS CALIFORNIA WILDLIFE CROSSING OVERRUNS BY $21M

Under Newsom’s leadership, California has spent billions of taxpayer dollars on unfinished public works projects, including the state’s high-speed rail project, which carries an estimated cost of $128 billion even though a single track has yet to be laid. Newsom also faced scrutiny in March over an unfinished wildlife crossing bridge in the Golden State that is running $21 million over budget. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy dubbed the project a “bridge to nowhere.”

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Since the Justice Department announced the creation of the Anti-Weaponization Fund last week as part of a lawsuit settlement between Trump and the Internal Revenue Service, Democratic members of Congress from New York have proposed legislation to block the fund, while a Connecticut state lawmaker has also pushed to implement a 100% tax on the proceeds.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and Newsom’s office for further comment.

Former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent claimed that by having military assets in the vicinity of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the U.S. is at risk of being compelled “back into the war on Iran’s terms.”

“A major problem w/ the status quo of having our forces within reach of the Iranians is that we could easily be forced back into the war on Iran’s terms,” Kent asserted in a Thursday post on X.

“If we withdraw now we retain the ability to strike from a distance & take away Iran’s ability to draw us back into the war. Thankfully it appears that we didn’t take casualties, we won’t always be so fortunate,” he added.

IRAN CLAIMS URANIUM ENRICHMENT AS ‘RED LINE’ IN TALKS WITH TRUMP AS US DOWNS DRONES OVER HORMUZ

Kent, who quit the counterterrorism post in March because of his opposition to the Iran war, made the comments when sharing a post issued by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).

“At 10:17 p.m. ET on May 27, Iran launched a ballistic missile toward Kuwait that was successfully intercepted by Kuwaiti forces. This egregious ceasefire violation by the Iranian regime occurred hours after Iranian forces launched five one-way attack drones that posed a clear threat in and near the Strait of Hormuz. All drones were successfully intercepted by U.S. forces which also prevented a sixth drone launch from an Iranian ground control site in Bandar Abbas,” CENTCOM’s Thursday post noted.

TRUMP SAYS IRAN IS ‘NEGOTIATING ON FUMES,’ BELIEVES REGIME THOUGHT THEY COULD OUTWAIT HIM

“U.S. Central Command and regional partners remain vigilant and measured as we continue to defend our forces and interests from unjustified Iranian aggression,” CENTCOM added.

Kent has suggested that it would be in America’s interests to withdraw its forces from the area.

TOP COUNTERTERRORISM OFFICIAL RESIGNS IN PROTEST OF US WAR AGAINST IRAN

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“Operation Midnight Hammer proved we can strike inside Iran from the U.S. without relying on our bases in the region. Operation Epic Fury proved that our bases in the region are a liability not an asset. Our bases give Iran easy to reach targets. Pulling out now works in our favor, not Iran’s,” he wrote in a post.

A federal judge declined Thursday to block President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting mail ballots, delivering a blow to Democrats who claim the order could disenfranchise millions of voters.

The executive order, signed March 31, directs the Department of Homeland Security to compile a list of all adult U.S. citizens living in each state and would direct USPS to deliver mail ballots only to individuals appearing on the lists. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, an appointee of President Donald Trump, ruled that the plaintiffs’ request for an injunction against the order came too early. 

“Given that the Executive Order does not command Plaintiffs to do anything, and that no agency has yet acted pursuant to the Order in a way that could harm Plaintiffs, they have not suffered any harm at present,” Nichols wrote. “For the foregoing reasons, the Court denies Plaintiffs’ Motions for a Preliminary Injunction.”

WITHIN MINUTES OF TRUMP SIGNING VOTER DATABASE ORDER, DEM STATES THREATEN LAWSUITS

Democrats and voting rights groups argued that, under the Constitution, state legislatures and Congress are responsible for regulating federal elections, not the president. The order, according to the plaintiffs, could also force USPS to make rules about elections that go beyond its authority.

Trump’s executive order, meanwhile, frames itself as an attempt to enforce federal voting laws, which the president says the executive branch is obligated to do under Article II of the Constitution.

Though Democratic plaintiffs claimed in court that the order could infringe on the constitutional rights of states to regulate their own elections, Nichols ruled the claim too speculative at the current moment. The judge, however, did not rule on the merits of the Democratic arguments and said that they could demand an injunction again once the federal government begins the process of actually implementing the executive order.

REPUBLICAN SENATORS BLAST DEMOCRATS FOR ‘FEAR-MONGERING’ OVER ELECTION SECURITY SAVE ACT

“The Court recognizes that the Postal Service may ultimately issue a final rule that directly affects Plaintiffs or their members, or that the Government may develop State Citizenship Lists that omit specific individuals due to particularized flaws,” the judge wrote.

“Plaintiffs may, of course, renew their motions if and when those future actions occur. Until then, however, Plaintiffs cannot show that preliminary injunctive relief is warranted,” he added.

POSTAL SERVICE THRUST INTO MAIL-IN BALLOT FIGHT AS TRUMP ORDER GETS TIED UP IN COURT

One of the primary concerns raised by Democrats is that the executive order directs DHS to use Social Security Administration data, which they claim contains errors and could therefore deprive eligible voters of ballots.

Trump’s order requires that the citizenship lists be transmitted to states within 60 days of federal elections and provides opportunities for individuals and states to correct the lists as necessary in order to address concerns about data inaccuracies. 

Trump has long claimed mail voting is vulnerable to widespread fraud, while election officials and voting experts have said such fraud is rare.

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Large numbers of voters identifying with both major parties have reported voting by mail, but Democrats do so more often. 

The White House did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Thursday.

Justice Clarence Thomas declined to immediately hand Alabama Republicans a win Wednesday, but ordered their voting rights challengers to quickly defend a court-drawn congressional map that helped Democrats flip a deep-red state House seat.

Alabama’s Republican Attorney General requested emergency relief, asking the Supreme Court to immediately revive the state’s 2023 legislature-drawn congressional map after a lower court blocked it, ruling that the state must continue using a special-master map approved by the courts that created a second Black-opportunity district and helped elect Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures in 2024. 

On Wednesday, Justice Thomas, who is assigned to the 11th circuit, declined to immediately restore the 2023 congressional map but also ordered the case’s voting rights plaintiffs to provide an explanation by Monday on why that legislature-drawn map should not be used.

Thomas’s ruling is the latest in a years-long redistricting saga that was given new life following an April Supreme Court ruling that narrowed the interpretation of a provision in the Voting Rights Act used by Democrats in their redistricting fights. Prior to the April ruling, the Supreme Court upheld a challenge to the state’s 2020 census-drawn map and a court-approved special-master map preferred by Democrats was implemented, which reshaped the state’s 2nd District and flipped a solidly GOP-held seat that gave Democrats another House seat.

CNN COMMENTATOR SNAPS AT KEVIN O’LEARY TO NOT ‘BE A D—‘ DURING HEATED DEBATE OVER SUPREME COURT RULING

In its emergency application, Alabama argued an immediate stay was needed because the lower-court ruling “defies Callais, manipulates the Purcell principle, and offends the Constitution’s promise of equal protection for all.”

Alabama is leaning on the Supreme Court’s recent April ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, which gave Republicans a new weapon against maps from left-wing voting rights activists by making it harder for them to force additional primarily minority districts under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

The decision from the Supreme Court ultimately fueled a wave of fresh redistricting efforts in GOP-led states, including Alabama, which used the Supreme Court’s new Louisiana v. Callais ruling to ask the justices to revisit the lower-court orders blocking the 2023 legislature-drawn map.

JACKSON PROTESTS AS SUPREME COURT USES LOUISIANA GERRYMANDERING RULING TO INSTRUCT LOWER COURTS

In response to the Louisiana case’s ruling, the Supreme Court ruled earlier this month on May 11 that the lower court’s judgment blocking Alabama’s 2023 map should be vacated and sent back for another look. However, on Tuesday, the three-judge federal district court blocked the 2023 map and ordered the court-approved special master map to continue to be used, leading to Alabama’s request for emergency relief on Wednesday that was ruled on by Justice Thomas.

The timing of Thomas’ order comes as Alabama officials have already tried to prepare for a rapid switch back to the 2023 map. 

After the Supreme Court’s earlier May 11 order sent the case back to the lower court, Gov. Kay Ivey called Aug. 11 special primaries for the affected 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th Congressional Districts, saying the state was ready to move forward with its Alabama legislature-drawn map.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and the American Civil Liberties Union, which is acting as counsel for the left-wing voting rights plaintiffs in the case, but did not receive a response from either parties in time for publication.

The Pentagon recently informed European allies it plans to reduce some U.S. military capabilities available to NATO during a crisis as part of a broader push to shift more of the alliance’s conventional defense burden onto Europe.

The Trump administration plans to reduce certain available capabilities by roughly one-third to one half, officials confirmed to Fox News Digital, including strategic bomber planes, fighter jets and some naval assets. 

Pentagon official Alexander Velez-Green informed officials of the coming changes at the NATO Defense Policy Directors’ meeting in Brussels Friday, according to two officials familiar with the matter.

The Pentagon declined to confirm details about the changes, but chief spokesman Sean Parnell acknowledged the shift in a statement to Fox News Digital, framing it as part of a broader effort to pressure allies to assume greater responsibility for Europe’s defense.

PENTAGON OFFICIAL FLAGS RETURN OF ‘COLD WAR MENTALITY,’ AS TRUMP ADMIN RESHAPES NATO ALLIANCE

“The Department of War announced changes to U.S. contributions to the NATO Force Model at the Defense Policy Directors’ meeting in Brussels,” he said. “These changes represent an opportunity for allies to demonstrate that they have heard President Trump’s call for them to step up and take primary responsibility for Europe’s conventional defense.” 

“Spending more on defense is one thing — and our allies must do so as quickly as possible, consistent with their Hague Summit pledge. It is vitally important, however, for our NATO allies to focus increased defense spending on the combat-credible capabilities most required for Europe’s defense. The Department of War’s announcement offers allies an opportunity to do exactly that.”

The move comes ahead of the NATO leaders’ summit in Ankara, Turkey, in July, where President Donald Trump is expected to intensify pressure on allies to shoulder more of Europe’s defense burden while Washington shifts military focus toward the Indo-Pacific.

RUBIO ARRIVES IN BRUSSELS FOR NATO TALKS AMID UNEASE OVER TRUMP’S AGENDA

While European officials largely have avoided publicly criticizing the changes, several have expressed concern to Fox News Digital about the pace and clarity of the administration’s evolving Europe posture plans. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte sought to reassure allies in recent days, saying any adjustments would occur “over time, in a structured way” and insisting “the U.S. will stay involved in Europe.”

NATO foreign ministers meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, also grappled with uncertainty surrounding recent U.S. troop announcements in Europe. 

Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard described the situation as “confusing indeed,” while Secretary of State Marco Rubio said “it is well understood in the alliance that the United States troop presence in Europe is going to be adjusted.”

Regional officials told Fox News Digital they are still seeking clarity on whether future U.S. troop movements in Poland would expand the current American footprint, replace paused rotations, or involve repositioning forces from elsewhere in Europe.

PENTAGON CUTS BRIGADE COMBAT TEAMS IN EUROPE AS TRUMP PRESSURES NATO ON SPENDING

Defense officials increasingly describe the broader shift as part of a post-Ukraine-war restructuring of NATO focused on territorial defense, rapid mobilization and greater European burden-sharing, while the U.S. redirects more military resources toward Asia.

The U.S. currently maintains its largest European troop presence in Germany, where roughly 36,000 American troops are stationed, along with approximately 12,000 troops in Italy, 10,000 in the United Kingdom and an estimated 10,000 in Poland.

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The Pentagon in 2025 withdrew an armored brigade combat team from Romania following a temporary deployment tied to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, part of a broader effort to rebalance the U.S. military footprint in Europe.

More recently, the Trump administration announced plans to withdraw roughly 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany throughout the next year as part of its ongoing Europe posture review, raising new questions among allies about the future scale of the American military presence on the continent.

FIRST ON FOX: The federal agency that oversees more than $126 billion in federal contracts is joining Vice President JD Vance’s anti-fraud task force, expanding the White House crackdown into the federal government’s contracting system.

The General Services Administration (GSA) calls itself the “engine of government” and serves as the federal government’s central contracting and real estate agency, overseeing the buildings, services and goods agencies rely on to operate. By joining the task force, GSA gives one of the Trump administration’s highest-profile accountability efforts access to its procurement data, acquisition expertise and cross-agency reach as the White House seeks to root out fraud in public programs.

“GSA sits at the center of the federal acquisition and contracting ecosystem, making us a critical force in the fight against fraud,” GSA Administrator Edward C. Forst said in a press release obtained by Fox News Digital. 

VANCE-LED TASK FORCE CUTS OFF $1.4B FROM HOME HEALTH, HOSPICE PROVIDERS SUSPECTED OF FRAUD

“We are proud to join Vice President Vance and this Task Force to aggressively identify abuse, strengthen oversight and protect the integrity of federal procurement. GSA will bring advanced analytical capabilities, investigative support and cross-government coordination to help expose high-risk fraud patterns and stop bad actors from exploiting taxpayer-funded systems,” Frost continued. 

The White House’s task force is a coalition of federal agencies created by President Donald Trump through an executive order to coordinate efforts to reduce fraud, waste and abuse in federal programs. Chaired by Vice President JD Vance, the task force focuses on improving eligibility verification, strengthening payment controls, sharing data across agencies and helping law enforcement disrupt fraud schemes.

DOGE ERA OVERHAUL: GSA TOUTS $60B IN SAVINGS AS TRUMP SHRINKS GOV’T FOOTPRINT: ‘RESULTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES’

The GSA has historically had some problems with improper payments. 

In February, for instance, the agency’s Office of Inspector General released a report finding that “federal customer agencies relying on GSA pricing on schedule contracts are at risk of overpaying” due to failures from government contracting officers or inaccurate information submitted by contractors.

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

The White House fraud task force was established in March, and has racked up a few early wins in the weeks since. Law enforcement, working in conjunction with the task force, arrested eight people in California on suspicion of defrauding public healthcare services out of more than $50 million.

The task force also withheld $1.4 billion in federal funding from home health and hospice providers suspected of defrauding the government.

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“GSA’s participation reinforces a whole-of-government strategy focused on restoring accountability, strengthening operational integrity and ensuring federal programs deliver results for the American people,” the press release reads.

“By combining the Task Force’s investigative mission with GSA’s government-wide infrastructure and procurement expertise, the administration is accelerating efforts to increase transparency, improve efficiency, and reinforce public trust in federal operations.”

Former Attorney General Pam Bondi was diagnosed with thyroid cancer shortly after departing the Department of Justice last month, according to a report.

Bondi, 60, who left her role at the Justice Department in early April, underwent treatment and is recovering, a source told Axios.

Katie Miller, a former White House staffer and podcast host who is married to White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller, reposted the report on X on Tuesday.

“Pam has been quietly kicking cancer’s ass the last few weeks,” she wrote.

PAM BONDI CANCELS APPEARANCE AT ANTI-TRAFFICKING SUMMIT OVER MEDICAL ISSUE

She added that Bondi has “a heart of gold.”

Axios disclosed the health update while reporting that Bondi has been appointed by President Donald Trump to an advisory committee focused on artificial intelligence policy.

The White House confirmed to Fox News Digital that Bondi will serve on the Presidential Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

“Pam has been an enormously valuable asset to the president’s team, and I’m thrilled for her and for all of us that she’s going to remain involved in confronting some of the most important issues the administration faces,” Vice President JD Vance said in a statement.

AG PAM BONDI SUGGESTS TRUMP’S CRIME CRACKDOWN IN DC WILL HELP LATINO RESIDENTS

The council is co-chaired by White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks and White House science advisor Michael Kratsios.

Bondi will reportedly help facilitate coordination between the federal government and technology executives serving on the panel.

News of Bondi’s diagnosis and new advisory role comes weeks after Trump removed her as attorney general.

KARL ROVE: TRUMP DROPPED BONDI, BUT THE REAL POLITICAL FIGHT IS JUST BEGINNING

In a Truth Social post announcing her departure, Trump described Bondi as “a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend.”

“Pam did a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown in Crime across our Country, with Murders plummeting to their lowest level since 1900,” Trump wrote. “We love Pam, and she will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector, to be announced at a date in the near future.” 

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has served as acting attorney general since Bondi’s departure.

BLANCHE INVOKES TRUMP ‘LOVE’ WHEN ASKED ABOUT STAYING ON AFTER BONDI

In a post on X confirming her exit from the Justice Department, Bondi said she remains “eternally grateful for the trust that President Trump placed in me to Make America Safe Again.”

“Over the next month I will be working tirelessly to transition the office of Attorney General to the amazing Todd Blanche before moving to an important private sector role I am thrilled about, and where I will continue fighting for President Trump and this Administration,” Bondi wrote.

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“Leading President Trump’s historic and highly successful efforts to make America safer and more secure has been the honor of a lifetime, and easily the most consequential first year of the Department of Justice in American history.” 

Fox News Digital has reacged out to the Justice Department for comment.

President Donald Trump compared Democrat Texas Senate nominee James Talarico to MAD Magazine mascot Alfred E. Neuman on Wednesday while separately vowing to campaign for his Republican rival, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. 

Paxton, who gained Trump’s endorsement just one week ago, defeated longtime GOP Sen. John Cornyn  by nearly 30 points in Tuesday’s runoff election for the Republican nomination. In a post on Truth Social, Trump congratulated Paxton on his “tremendous win”, and also Cornyn for “having run a strong and powerful race but, more importantly, having had a truly great career.” 

“His opponent, Alfred E. Neuman, may be the worst TEXAS candidate I have ever seen,” Trump then said about Talarico, a state representative. 

“A strong Open Borders advocate, he is WEAK ON CRIME, believes there are 6 genders, is insulting to Jesus Christ, will never support the Military, was a big Mask Wearer until recently, and is a Vegan who dislikes meat, not exactly a good way to be if you’re wanting to win an Election in Texas,” Trump also claimed.

TRUMP ROASTS DEM CANDIDATE AS UNELECTABLE FOR CARDINAL SIN IN TEXAS

A spokesperson for the Talarico campaign told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that “James is a law-and-order Democrat who has a proven track record voting to send billions of dollars to support law enforcement.”

“He supports border security and has criticized both parties for grandstanding on the issue of immigration — it’s why he’s authored legislation to modernize our ports of entry and called for more border patrol agents. As costs continue to rise and corruption in Washington runs rampant, James is focused on taking power back for working people and bringing down the price of gas, groceries, and health care,” added Talarico campaign spokesperson JT Ennis.

Talarico also said during a recent interview on MeidasTouch that “I’ve been eating barbecue since before Ken Paxton’s first indictment.” 

Trump previously compared Pete Buttigieg to Alfred E. Neuman when the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, ran for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.

“Jasmine Crockett, a very low IQ individual, who is no relation to the legendary frontiersman, Davy Crockett, would have been a far better choice for the Dumocrats,” Trump added on Wednesday. “I will do some nice, big, beautiful rallies for Ken. Texas, this will be FUN!”

TEXAS MAGA BATTLE ENDS WITH MIDDLETON VICTORY AS CHIP ROY FALLS SHORT IN ATTORNEY GENERAL RACE

Talarico, who topped Crockett, a vocal Trump critic, in the March primary, is trying to become the first Democrat in nearly four decades to win a Senate election in right-leaning Texas. 

Public opinion polls suggest the general election clash in Texas will be competitive and expensive. Talarico raised an eye-popping $27 million in fundraising the first three months of this year.

Trump’s social media post is the latest push by Republicans to paint a picture of Talarico as a far-left radical.

Paxton on Tuesday night quickly turned his fire on Talarico, charging in his victory speech that “James Talarico is a threat to everything we hold dear in this state and in this country. He’s a threat to our security and our safety. He wants open borders and even said a welcome mat should be at our southern border.”

He mocked the Democratic nominee as “tofu Talarico,” “six-gender Jimmy,” “James Talafreako” and “low-T Talarico.” 

And in an exclusive Fox News Digital interview, he said that “James Talarico doesn’t belong in Texas. We cannot let him be the center of the state of Texas. He fits in California, he does not fit here.”

Looking to the general election showdown, Paxton said, “I think we’re going to try to highlight what he actually believes, because the people of Texas need to know what his views are, and whether they are going to support those views. The only way where they can know what he’s really about is to let people know what he said.”

Fox News Digital was first to report that the Club for Growth, a deep-pocketed conservative political group that’s often aligned with Trump, endorsed Paxton as he clinched the nomination. And the group’s affiliated Win It Back PAC hours later launched an ad attacking Talarico as a “woke weirdo for Senate.”

But Paxton has plenty of political baggage that will also be in the general election spotlight.

Paxton has faced a slew of scandals and legal problems that have battered him over the past decade. In 2023, the Texas House of Representatives voted to impeach Paxton, but he was eventually acquitted of all charges by the state Senate.

And Paxton is dealing with a very messy divorce, with his wife citing “biblical grounds” based on “recent discoveries” in filing last year to end their marriage.

Talarico’s campaign posted a mugshot of Paxton on social media on Tuesday, saying: “He was indicted on 3 felony counts for investment fraud. He was reported to the FBI by his own staff for bribery. He was impeached by his own party for corruption.”

“Now he’s the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas. Together we will stop him,” the Talarico campaign declared. 

And earlier in the week, Talarico pushed back against the claims by Trump and Republicans that he’s a vegan.

“I’ve been eating barbecue since before Ken Paxton’s first indictment,” Talarico said in an interview.

Meanwhile, Trump’s praise of Cornyn in his Wednesday social media post was an abrupt change from his attacks on the senator earlier in the week.

The president targeted Cornyn as “VERY disloyal” as he backed Paxton, a major Trump ally and MAGA firebrand, in the final days of the runoff campaign. 

But Paxton, in a move to consolidate Republican support after a bitter, more than year-long primary battle, praised Cornyn in his victory speech.

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“I want to thank John Cornyn for his service to this state. John has dedicated much of his life to serving Texans. He’s worked diligently for years to help Texas and for that spirit of service to the Lone Star State and our nation, I’m very grateful,” Paxton said.

And Paxton, minutes later, told Fox News Digital, “We need to come together as a Republican Party. I think John Cornyn will be a part of that. I think his voters will be too.”

President Donald Trump on Wednesday dismissed protesters outside Delaney Hall as “fake” and “paid for” as demonstrations continued at the Newark ICE detention facility and Democratic lawmakers increased pressure over conditions inside.

“These aren’t protesters; these people are fake, they’re all paid for,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting Wednesday. “We run the finest facilities anywhere in the world of their type.”

Trump’s comments came after days of protests outside Delaney Hall, where detainees and family members have alleged overcrowding, poor living conditions and inadequate medical care inside the facility. Some detainees have also launched a hunger strike, according to Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J.

The controversy escalated Wednesday as Reps. Daniel Goldman, D-N.Y., and Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., were escorted into the facility amid growing scrutiny surrounding conditions inside the detention center.

PROTESTERS CLASH WITH ICE AS NJ DETENTION FACILITY DEMONSTRATIONS CONTINUE

Protests outside Delaney Hall began Friday and have continued throughout the week, at times turning chaotic as demonstrators clashed with ICE agents outside the facility. On Sunday night, protesters attempted to block vehicles from entering and exiting the detention center.

On Monday, officers deployed tear gas and forcibly removed protesters during confrontations outside the facility. Video from the scene showed officers throwing one protester to the ground and dragging another away from the entrance.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin also defended conditions inside Delaney Hall and dismissed criticism from detainees and Democratic lawmakers.

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

“This isn’t Holiday Inn,” Mullin said when asked about complaints surrounding the facility.

Mullin also criticized elected officials who have appeared outside Delaney Hall, including Kim, who said he witnessed deteriorating conditions firsthand during a recent visit.

“I’m sorry, you probably shouldn’t have been there,” Mullin said when asked about Kim being pepper-sprayed outside the facility.

Kim told CNN detainees showed him spoiled food and described worsening conditions inside the center.

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“A detainee handed me a carton of milk, and I looked at it, and it was just congealed solid, I mean it was absolutely disgusting,” Kim said.

ICE officials have denied allegations that detainees are being held in unsafe or inhumane conditions at the facility.

The official Democratic National Committee  X account ignited a social media firestorm on Wednesday afternoon in a profanity-laden online spat with President Donald Trump’s chief policy advisor, Stephen Miller.

“Shut up, you ugly f—” @TheDemocrats wrote.

The comment was made in response to Miller’s own jeering of James Talarico, the Democratic Senate candidate in Texas.

“The Democrats made history in Texas by nominating their first transgender senate candidate,” Miller said, needling Talarico over his physical appearance.

WHAT THE F—-? DEMOCRATS TURN TO PROFANITY INSTEAD OF POLICY

The moment quickly drew reactions from conservative onlookers online.

Stephen Miller’s wife, Katie Miller, wasted no time and went straight for the DNC’s social media handler.

“Paulina Mangubat is who runs the Democrats’ account. She’s 30, unmarried with no kids. Put your name on it next time,” Miller said. “This is what a sad, unhappy female liberal looks like. It’s why Pew reports 50% of them have been diagnosed with a mental condition,” she added, referring to the Pew Research Center.

TEXAS SENATE HOPEFUL TALARICO IN HOT SEAT FOR CALLING MEN IN WOMEN’S SPORTS A ‘FAR RIGHT CONSPIRACY’

Conservative media personality Benny Johnson also weighed in.

“This is the party that spent years lecturing America about civility, unity and healing. The party that cried when Trump was ‘mean’ on Twitter. This is who they really are. And they wonder why they keep losing,” Johnson said.

“The official Democratic Party,” the Libs of TikTok wrote in its own post, highlighting the spat.

“I’m sure this will get the votes you need,” conservative radio host Dana Loesch posted on X.

“Hilarious these are the same people that complain about Trump being mean,” conservative influencer Caleb Hull posted on X.

“This is where the median Democratic staffer’s comms instincts are,” Manhattan Institute VP Jesse Arm posted on X.

When asked about the post, Talarico’s campaign referred Fox News Digital to their own response online, calling Miller’s comments “Talarico Derangement Syndrome,” a riff on “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” a favorite phase of the president’s to describe his critics.

The exchange also drew some scrutiny for Miller from accounts like Occupy Democrats, a left-leaning account that offered a defense of Talarico.

“To point out the incredibly obvious here: James Talarico is not transgender. He is a cisgender, heterosexual Christian man with a loving girlfriend. Of course, even if he were trans (or nonbinary or gay or any other identity), that would in no way affect his ability to serve the people of Texas. What matters are his politics.”

But at least one Democratic strategist decried the post.

SELECTIVE OUTRAGE: TRUMP, DEMOCRATS MAINLY DENOUNCE THE OTHER SIDE’S SCANDALS

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“As a lifelong Dem who’s donated free consulting to House Dem staffers, I find this so, so embarrassing for us. We complain about the right’s behavior, and now we’re doing stuff like this? Come on, Democrats. Do better,” Jack Appleby wrote in a post of his own.

The DNC post is one of many profanity-laced online posts popping up across social media as Democrats push an aggressive and edgy online strategy to go after Republicans. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s rapid response account has repeatedly cursed out critics, including telling a conservative reporter earlier this year to “f— off.”

The DNC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Attitudes toward higher education have shifted dramatically in the last two decades, as the latest Fox News poll shows voters far less inclined to believe a college degree is still worth pursuing.

In 2006, 65% thought a student with $100,000 should use it for college tuition rather than invest the money and go straight to work, and 84% said college was more important to success than it was 25 years earlier.

FOX NEWS POLL: AS ECONOMIC PAIN DEEPENS, DISAPPROVAL OF TRUMP HITS NEW HIGH

Today, those views have flipped. Two-thirds (65%) now say prospective college goers should invest the money and go straight to work. At the same time, more than 6 in 10 say college is less, rather than more, important to success than it was a generation ago.

Twenty years ago, voters were split on whether a degree should be obtained at any cost (46% agree, 49% disagree). Now, three-quarters of voters say a college degree is not worth getting at any cost (27% agree, 73% disagree).

FOX NEWS POLL: 30% THINK RECENT TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT WAS STAGED

The shift spans demographic groups. In 2006, majorities of voters under age 30, over 65, college graduates, those without college degrees, Democrats, Republicans, and independents all thought college was worth the money and was important to success. Today, those same groups largely hold the opposite opinion.

Additionally, if parents were making recommendations today, they would urge a high schooler to skip college and invest. They also think a degree is less important to success in life these days and disagree it should be obtained at any cost.

Despite these reversals, voters express confidence in certain aspects of higher education. Majorities have a great deal or at least some confidence that universities provide a high-quality education (72% confident), protect free speech (63%), provide fair learning environments (62%), respect all students regardless of political views (60%), and prepare students for the workforce (58%).

But voters are deeply skeptical about the financial motives of universities. Fewer than half, 45%, express confidence in higher education’s ability to put students ahead of profits, making it the only area tested where confidence falls below the majority.

Views on that question also show some of the widest demographic differences. Voters under age 30 (54% have confidence) are more likely than those ages 65+ (38%) to believe universities prioritize students over profits. Black voters (61%) and Hispanic voters (61%) are more likely than White voters (41%) to say students are a priority over profits, as are Democrats (50%) and independents (50%) compared to Republicans (39%), and parents (52%) compared to non-parents (43%).

Voters with and without college degrees are equally likely to have confidence that colleges prioritize students over profits (45% vs. 46% have confidence).

While most demographic groups express confidence in higher education, Republicans are more skeptical. When it comes to providing a high-quality education (62% have confidence), protecting free speech (54%), preparing students for the workforce (51%), providing a fair and unbiased learning environment (50%), respecting students regardless of political views (49%), and putting students ahead of profits (39%), Republicans’ confidence are well below other demographic groups.

Democrats and independents hold more positive views. Majorities say colleges provide a high-quality education (81% of Democrats, 71% of independents), protect free speech (70%, 64%), prepare students for the workforce (66%, 58%), provide a fair learning space (72%, 65%), respect students’ political views (69%, 64%), and put students ahead of profits (50% each).

“Voters in both parties have a beef with higher education, but the grievance is particularly acute among Republicans,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who helps conduct the Fox News Poll with Democrat Chris Anderson. “They not only think universities are too expensive but also that they have been captured by woke, leftist administrators and professors.”

CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE

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.

Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico said he believes state laws have stacked the deck against him as he looks to become the first Democrat to win statewide office since 1994.

“Means you’re probably going to have to win by a little more than we would have to in a completely free and fair election,” Talarico said in a recent podcast interview.

Talarico’s posture towards Texas voting laws reflects a broader Democratic belief that Republican dominance in the Lone Star State is due to low turnout brought on by election security measures rather than the state’s conservative leanings — a theory that continues to drive long-running attempts to flip the state.

Despite having raised an impressive $40 million as of March, Talarico faces an uphill campaign against Republican candidate Ken Paxton, the current Texas attorney general, who has widespread name recognition.

TEXAS MAP FIGHT ESCALATES AS JEFFRIES VOWS ‘ALL OPTIONS’ TO STOP GOP PLAN

“We’re going to have to overcome that. We’re going to have to out-organize, out-work, out-hustle that voter suppression if we’re going to win,” Talarico said.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Texas passed a flurry of election-security bills.

Most notably, the legislature passed SB1, a bill that requires voters to provide specific identification numbers to vote and to register to vote: either a Texas driver’s license, an election identification certificate or the last four digits of a Social Security number.

It also banned drive-through voting and unsolicited mailing of ballot applications.

Talarico said he opposed its passage as a state legislator.

“I will say that we already have a lot of voter suppression in Texas. It’s baked into our laws. I’ve fought fiercely against many of those laws when they were coming through the legislature,” Talarico said.

“Texas is one of the hardest places to vote in the country as a result. It’s why we see such low voter turnout in our state compared to other states,” Talarico said.

RED STATE AG INVESTIGATING MORE THAN 30 POTENTIAL NONCITIZENS WHO VOTED IN 2024 ELECTION

Although it’s true that Texas ranks in the bottom five states for voter turnout, the 56.6% of voters that cast a ballot in the last presidential election was greater than turnout in 2016, 2012 and 2004, according to data from the United States Election Project. Similarly, the 41.8% participation in the 2022 midterms exceeded levels from 2014, 2010, 2006 and 2002.

Talarico’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

To at least one GOP strategist, Talarico’s concern over turnout comes at the expense of his prioritization of election security.

“James Talarico wants illegal aliens to vote in our elections,” Zach Kraft, a Republican National Committee spokesperson, told Fox News Digital.

“While Talarico puts illegals first, Ken Paxton will continue to put Texans first by working with President Trump to get the SAVE America Act signed into law and ensure foreign citizens never vote in American elections,” Kraft said, referring to the national voter integrity bill championed by Republicans in Congress.

Notably, as a state legislator, Talarico also voted against a bill that increased state penalties for illegal aliens voting in Texas elections from a Class A misdemeanor to a second-degree felony.

TRUMP COMPARES DEM SENATE CANDIDATE TO FRECKLE-FACED CARTOON CHARACTER, PROMISES TO CAMPAIGN FOR PAXTON

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Despite his pessimistic outlook on Texas’s voting laws, Talarico urged viewers to draw confidence from other long-shot campaigns, such as civil rights movements and labor organizers.

“They were all up against a rigged system. So, if they can do that, we can certainly do that against this stacked deck,” Talarico said.

Seattle democratic socialist Mayor Katie Wilson is being mocked online over the “irony” of residents in the blue-run city erecting barrier walls in a desperate attempt to stop out-of-control shootings.

Just months after Wilson took office in Seattle, terrified residents in the city’s Aurora Avenue corridor decided to take matters into their own hands to address near-nightly shootings believed to be connected to criminal turf wars, prostitution and illegal trafficking. After weeks of gang-related shootings and high-speed car chases, some residents spent Memorial Day weekend blocking off their own streets using metal planters, dirt, gravel, logs and chunks of concrete. The barricades were set up to block at least three streets leading into the neighborhood.

Though such artifices could incur fines, one resident named Peter Orr told KTVB 7, “It’s either this, or bullets in my neighbor’s houses.”

News of the neighborhood barricades in Seattle has garnered scorn for Wilson’s policies online.

TERRIFIED RESIDENTS IN CRIME-PLAGUED BLUE CITY THROW UP GIANT BARRICADES TO STOP CHAOS

Among these was conservative commentator Paul Szypula, who wrote on X, “The Irony is Undeniable.”

“When progressive policies result in neighborhoods literally barricading themselves off… that says everything,” he wrote, adding, “What should Seattle leaders be doing so residents don’t feel forced to do this?”

Popular conservative account Libs of TikTok mocked, “Seattle residents are now building WALLS on their blocks to keep out criminals.”

Commentator Eric Daugherty posted, “Furious blue city residents in Seattle are now building their OWN BARRICADES to BLOCK streets because shootings are so high Omg. This is MADNESS.”

“The socialist mayor is IGNORING IT,” he added. “BLUE CITIES ARE COOKED!”

Constitutional analyst Jonathan Turley wrote, “Nothing says socialism more than citizen barricades.”

DEM WHO WELCOMED SOCIALIST MAYOR’S ‘CHANGE’ NOW SOUNDING ALARM OVER BILLIONAIRE EXODUS: ‘GRAVELY CONCERNED’

He mocked, “In this case, Les Miserables are seeking to protect their property. After electing a mayor who once called for the defunding of police, Seattle neighborhoods are reverting to self-help measures.”

Wilson, who was sworn into office this January, wrote in a 2020 opinion piece about the defund the police effort that “there’s never been a better time to try.”

In the piece, Wilson posited “there’s a strong argument for simply disbanding police departments and starting over,” reasoning that “institutional culture change is hard.”

“Leaving aside debates on the left about whether police abolition is possible under capitalism, or at all, let’s stick with the current movement demand of cutting the SPD [Seattle Police Department] budget by half. That’s a lot of officers. It may sound alarming, until you realize that U.S. police perform numerous functions for which armed personnel, trained for violent conflict, are unnecessary or unsuited — and often, unsurprisingly, cause harm,” she wrote.

BISHOP BARRON SLAMS ‘BORDERLINE COMMUNISTS’ SANDERS, MAMDANI AHEAD OF TRUMP PRAYER EVENT: ‘ECONOMY THAT KILLS’

As mayor, however, Wilson has not moved to cut the police by half. She has responded to recent shootings by launching a “multi-pronged gun violence strategy,” in which she convened a panel of experts to help the city reduce retaliatory shootings, address youth violence and coordinate efforts between police, schools and community groups.

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Wilson has paused expansion of the city’s CCTV surveillance and license plate reader programs pending a privacy audit, while maintaining existing police camera systems in high-crime areas, including the Aurora Avenue corridor.

Fox News Digital reached out to Wilson for comment.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton added another endorsement to his growing field of backers in the Senate GOP: Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.

Thune announced his support of Paxton on the Hugh Hewitt show Wednesday afternoon, less than a day after the bloody primary fight in the Lone Star State concluded. And the main target now is Texas state Rep. James Talarico, the insurgent Democratic nominee waiting for Paxton in November.

“The voters, Republican voters in Texas spoke last night,” Thune said. “Ken Paxton is their nominee heading into November, and we got to pivot and go all in to make sure that we keep Texas red, that he wins, and that we keep a far left liberal out of the United States Senate.”

MAGA TRIUMPH: TRUMP ALLY KEN PAXTON DEFEATS JOHN CORNYN IN BITTER TEXAS GOP PRIMARY WAR

“And obviously, that seat is gonna be very key to our majority, which will determine the future of this country,” he continued.

Paxton was neither Thune nor the majority of Senate Republicans’ first choice, however.

Most of the Senate GOP backed longtime incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, throughout the grueling battle to elect Texas’ Republican nominee for Senate. And many were shocked when President Donald Trump opted to endorse Paxton at the last minute, one week out Tuesday night’s runoff election finale.

PAXTON RACKS UP TEXAS ENDORSEMENTS AS BITTER CORNYN RUNOFF HITS FEVER PITCH

Republicans feared that if Paxton came out on top, it could tip the balance in favor of Democrats, who haven’t sent a lawmaker to the upper chamber since 1988.

But facing Talarico, who easily toppled his primary opponent Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, has placed the priority of maintaining the GOP’s majority in the Senate over personal choice for Republicans.

“We’ve gotta do everything we can do as a party, to make sure that that we win this race,” Thune said. “Because, you know, losing is not an option when it comes to the state of Texas, and what it means for our majority in the Senate.”

Thune isn’t the first Senate Republican to back Paxton, either.

‘OPEN BORDERS TRUMP-HATING RADICAL’: GOP UNLEASHES EARLY BLITZ ON TEXAS DEMOCRAT TALARICO

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, leapt ahead of the crowd Tuesday night shortly after the race was called and urged the GOP to come together to beat Talarico, who he charged was a “far left freak who supports open borders, trans ideology, and even called the American flag a ‘complicated symbol.'”

“I am proud to endorse [Paxton],” Moreno said on X. “The voters have spoken, now Republicans must unite and win.”

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And the number two Republican in the Senate, Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., soon followed.

“James Talarico is a far-left extremist,” Barrasso said on X. “He is a rubber stamp for open borders, illegal immigrant criminals, and men playing in women’s sports. Talarico is too radical for Texas.”

A traffic stop and chaotic chase involving Texas state troopers and suspected human smugglers led to the discovery of nearly two dozen illegal immigrants, including several minors, in the back of a semitruck near the U.S. southern border.

In a video posted by Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) spokesman Lt. Chris Olivarez, a suspected human smuggler is seen jumping out of a Volvo semitruck and running as troopers chase him down. The incident occurred after a state trooper conducted a traffic stop Monday evening in Webb County, South Texas.

Olivarez said that the driver attempted to flee on foot but was “immediately arrested” by Texas officials. A search of the semitruck revealed 20 illegal immigrants concealed in the truck’s sleeping area.

The video shows troopers pulling back the truck cabin’s curtain to find the illegal immigrants crammed inside. The immigrants remained silent, only nodding as troopers questioned them. Four minors from Mexico and Guatemala were among the group, according to DPS.

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According to Olivarez, the driver was Miguel Angel Velazquez Chavez, a 25-year-old Mexican national. He was charged with evading arrest and smuggling persons and booked into the Webb County Jail.

Meanwhile, the 20 illegal immigrants, including the four minors, were referred to U.S. Border Patrol. The DPS Criminal Investigations Division is continuing to investigate the case.

This comes as Texas officials have continued to respond to human smuggling incidents despite dramatically reduced attempted border crossing numbers under President Donald Trump.

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In nearby Maverick County, Texas, troopers arrested Cuban national Yoisdelvis Nunez Acosta after a high-speed chase that ended with law enforcement performing a PIT maneuver. Acosta fled into nearby brush but was quickly apprehended. Another suspect, American national Alexander Rodriguez Acosta, was also arrested in connection with the smuggling operation. Both men were charged with six counts of smuggling persons, while six illegal immigrants from Mexico and Vietnam were referred to U.S. Border Patrol.

Both attempts occurred along a well-known human smuggling route at the southern border. In 2022, under the Biden administration, law enforcement discovered 53 dead immigrants abandoned inside a sweltering truck in nearby San Antonio. Authorities said the migrants suffered extreme heat exposure after being transported without adequate ventilation or water. The incident is considered one of the deadliest human smuggling incidents in U.S. history.

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Trump border czar Tom Homan has repeatedly emphasized that “illegal immigration is not a victimless crime.”

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In response to criticism of the Trump administration’s border policies, Homan said in April, “If they wore my shoes for 40 years, and talked to a 9-year-old girl that got raped multiple times, or stood in the back of a tractor trailer with 19 dead aliens at my feet, including a 5-year-old boy that baked to death, if they understood the atrocities that happened on the open border, I think their opinion would change.”

“Where President Trump had the most secure border in the lifetime of this nation, right now, lives are being saved,” he emphasized. “He’s saving thousands of lives a year because he has a secure border.” 

The Justice Department sued the University of California, Los Angeles, on Monday, accusing the university of allowing Jewish students to face a “hostile educational environment” during months of anti-Israel protests and encampment unrest that left students assaulted, blocked from campus buildings and fearful of attending class.

“The occupiers largely succeeded in their goal of making the heart of campus Judenrein — or at least free of Jews who did not share their desire to annihilate Israel,” the lawsuit stated.

In the 53-page complaint, the Justice Department accused UCLA of violating Title VI protections by showing “deliberate indifference” toward discrimination against Jewish students, allegations that could jeopardize federal funding.

“UCLA was deliberately indifferent to the suffering of its Jewish and Israeli students and declined to take meaningful action to protect them,” DOJ said.

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The lawsuit is part of a broader Trump administration effort to crack down on antisemitism tied to anti-Israel protests that spread across college campuses following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attacks on Israel

DOJ alleged that UCLA’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion office “routinely ignored” more than 100 complaints of antisemitic harassment, which ranged from Jewish students being blocked from campus buildings to being beaten, pepper-sprayed and slapped with sticks. The Justice Department argued that the university’s “decision to ignore” these complaints violated Title VI, suggesting that the school could lose federal funding and pay restitution to the government.

The lawsuit’s central allegation focuses on UCLA’s handling of the anti-Israel protest encampment that formed on campus in late April 2024 and lasted about a week. At the time, anti-Israel encampments popped up on dozens of college campuses across the country in response to escalating tensions in the Gaza war. The conduct within the encampment prompted the Trump administration to create an antisemitism task force that visited UCLA.

The anti-Israel encampment was set up on April 25, 2024, sparking complaints that protesters formed “human phalanxes” to block Jewish students from accessing buildings and other parts of campus. The lawsuit also alleges that one Jewish student was kicked to the ground and knocked unconscious.

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Police did not clear the encampment until May 2, 2024, during what was described as a chaotic scene in which anti-Israel protesters clashed with officers using pepper spray and fire extinguishers.

Confrontations at UCLA between anti-Israel protesters and police continued as six UCLA police officers were injured on June 10, 2024, during an attempt to create a new encampment.

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Even after voicing concerns over the violence seen during the spring 2024 anti-Israel protests, UCLA school safety officers were instructed to prioritize “de-escalation” rather than aggressively enforcing school policies during future anti-Israel protests that sprang up in 2025 and 2026.

At one Students for Justice of Palestine demonstration held on Oct. 7, 2025, officers stood by and did not engage even though some of the participants were breaking the campus’ “no masking rule.” An officer was asked why they weren’t enforcing the rules, and he replied by saying he “not that high up on that totem pole” to make that call.

The lawsuit heavily cited the findings of UCLA’s own task force in the lawsuit to back up its claims that school leadership failed to properly protect Jewish students on campus.

“Indeed, UCLA’s Task Force found that ‘throughout most of 2023-2024, campus leadership repeatedly decided not to enforce federal law, state law, and University and campus rules,’ ‘resulting in failure to protect the Constitutional rights,’ of Jews on campus,” the lawsuit stated.

The lawsuit cited a poll conducted of Jewish students finding that 59.6% of students “reported spending less time on campus due to antisemitism and anti-Israeli bias” and and that 41.4% considered leaving the school because of antisemitism.

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The Trump administration’s lawsuit comes just months after the Justice Department filed a separate case against UCLA in February, accusing the university of antisemitic discrimination against Jewish and Israeli employees.

Fox News Digital reached out to UCLA for comment.