Donald Trump Poll News

Peace negotiations with Iran fell apart after Tehran severely misjudged what kind of leverage the regime believed it held, a U.S. official told Fox News Digital on Sunday.

While Vice President JD Vance left Islamabad, Pakistan, without a deal between the U.S. and Iran, the official said Vance used the talks to measure the Iranians own assessment of their position in the negotiations.

Vance found that Tehran thought they held a strong hand going into negotiations, according to the official, who added that no deal can be achieved when one party deludes itself into believing they have leverage that, in reality, they do not have.

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

The U.S. official described the talks to Fox News Digital as starting out tough, though developing into a more friendly and productive dialogue over the duration of the 21-hour-long negotiations.

The high-stakes talks between the U.S. and Iran ended without a deal after Iranian officials refused to accept American terms, Vance said earlier Sunday during a press conference from the Serena Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan.

“So we go back to the United States, having not come to an agreement. We’ve made very clear what our red lines are, what things we’re willing to accommodate them on and what things we’re not willing to accommodate them on,” Vance said at the time. “And we’ve made that as clear as we possibly could, and they have chosen not to accept our terms.”

TRUMP REVEALS IRAN MADE ‘SIGNIFICANT PROPOSAL’ AFTER ULTIMATUM, BUT ‘NOT GOOD ENOUGH’

The U.S. official said that over the course of the discussions, the Washington delegation determined it was clear that the Iranians did not comprehend that the core of any peace deal hinges on Iran never obtaining a nuclear weapon.

While that point remains the main objective of any potential peace deal, the U.S. has other red lines that it will not compromise on.

The official said that the U.S. and Iran failed to reach an agreement on all of Washington’s red lines, which include: Iran ending all uranium enrichment; the dismantling of all Iran’s major nuclear enrichment facilities; the retrieval of highly enriched uranium; the acceptance of a broader peace, security and de-escalation framework that includes regional allies; an end to the funding of Iran’s terrorist proxies Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis; and Iran fully opening the Strait of Hormuz with no tolls for passage.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The official added that Vance has underscored that while a deal remains on the table, it is up to Tehran to accept the terms.

“And we leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding that is our final and best offer,” Vance said during the earlier press conference before departing Pakistan. “We’ll see if the Iranians accept it.”

FIRST ON FOX: A conservative nonprofit is launching a $5 million nationwide ad blitz pressuring the Senate to pass voter ID legislation as Republicans move to advance parts of the SAVE America Act through Congress in coming months.

Restoration of America (ROA) told Fox News Digital the campaign begins Monday, and includes a $3.1 million national television buy, with a digital push targeting selected swing states.

The group pointed to polling it says shows 83% of Americans support requiring a photo ID to vote, arguing the issue is “overwhelmingly supported by everyday Americans.”

The effort comes as Senate Republicans signal they are prepared to bypass Democrats and move key priorities through reconciliation.

OBAMA-APPOINTED JUDGE REVERSES COURSE, RULES VOTER ID LAW ISN’T DISCRIMINATORY IN GOP WIN

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has said Republicans plan to include elements of the SAVE America Act in a broader legislative package later this year, describing it as a “down payment” on the measure.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., has said Republicans are prepared to “go it alone” using reconciliation — a process that allows them to bypass Democrats — as lawmakers work under a tight timeline set by President Donald Trump, who has pushed for legislation to reach his desk by June 1.

The group said its campaign is aimed at forcing the Senate to act on voter ID legislation.

TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER OVERHAULING MAIL-IN VOTING IN MAJOR ELECTION INTEGRITY PUSH

The centerpiece of the effort is a 30-second ad titled “Save America,” which is set to air on national news shows “both conservative and liberal,” according to the group.

“As Americans, we’re fair and logical,” the ad says. “83% of us favor requiring a photo ID to vote.”

The ad goes on to argue that voter ID is standard elsewhere.

TWO DOZEN HOUSE REPUBLICANS GO TO WAR WITH SENATE GOP OVER SAVE AMERICA ACT

“In fact, most of the civilized world requires it, but not us,” the ad says. “We need to be able to trust that only eligible Americans are casting ballots.”

The spot also takes aim at both parties in Washington, not just Democrats, for the stall.

“Democrats oppose voter ID for no coherent reason. Republicans favor it, but haven’t acted. What are they waiting for?” the ad says.

It closes with a direct call to action: “Call your United States senators and tell them to pass the Save America Act today.”

Restoration of America founder and CEO Doug Truax said the campaign is meant to restore trust in elections.

“There’s nothing more important right now than restoring confidence in our elections,” Truax said. “We can’t have a country where people are dubious about the accuracy and fairness of our elections. The Senate needs to do whatever it takes to pass this law.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Restoration of America described itself as the umbrella for a network of conservative organizations focused on policy and voter-related issues, including the Voter Reference Foundation.

The ads go live Monday, coinciding with a congressional recess that will put senators back in their home states, where the campaign is designed to reach them directly.

Fox News Digital’s Alex Miller contributed to this reporting.

President Donald Trump said the U.S. Navy will begin a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and interdict vessels that have paid a toll to Iran, after U.S. peace talks with Tehran ended in a stalemate.

“Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “At some point, we will reach an ‘ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO IN, ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO OUT’ basis, but Iran has not allowed that to happen… THIS IS WORLD EXTORTION.”

He said the U.S. would deny safe passage to vessels that paid the toll and begin clearing mines.

“I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in international waters that has paid a toll to Iran,” he wrote. “No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage… We will also begin destroying the mines… Any Iranian who fires at us… will be BLOWN TO HELL!”

WHY THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ MATTERS AS TRUMP ISSUES FRESH ULTIMATUM TO IRAN

Iran’s closure of the strait has triggered global economic turmoil, and reopening it was a key condition in U.S. efforts to reach a deal.

In a second post, Trump reiterated the demand: “They better begin… getting this INTERNATIONAL WATERWAY OPEN AND FAST!”

Trump’s warning raises the stakes in the narrow but vital waterway, a critical artery for global energy supplies.

The strait, which lies between Iran, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, is one of the world’s most critical energy choke points, carrying roughly 20 million barrels of oil a day along with about one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas.

The strait is also a vital artery for refined fuels, including products like jet fuel.

The latest threat builds on a pattern of deadlines Trump has imposed on Tehran over the strait. Here is a timeline of those demands:

March 21

In a Truth Social post, Trump declared that if Iran did not “FULLY OPEN” the strait within 48 hours, the United States would “obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!”

Ali Mousavi, Iran’s permanent representative to the International Maritime Organization, responded by saying that the Strait of Hormuz was “open to everyone” except Tehran’s enemies. Meanwhile, other Iranian officials warned that attacks on energy infrastructure would amount to an attack on the Iranian people and would be met with retaliation.

SAN FRANCISCO BECOMES FIRST US CITY WHERE DIESEL PRICES TOP $8 A GALLON

March 23

Two days later, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post that the U.S. had had “productive” conversations with Iran and that he had ordered the Pentagon to delay any strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for five days.

Iranian officials publicly denied that any talks were taking place.

March 26

Trump again extended his deadline — this time by 10 days, to April 6 at 8 p.m. Eastern — saying in a social media post that he was “pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction” at the Iranian government’s request.

WHERE GAS PRICES ARE RISING FASTEST AS TRUMP ISSUES FRESH WARNING TO IRAN

March 30

Trump wrote in a Truth Social post that “great progress” had been made in negotiations to end the conflict. At the same time, he warned that if a deal was not reached and the Strait of Hormuz was not “immediately” opened, the United States would destroy Iran’s power plants, oil wells, Kharg Island — the country’s main oil export hub — and “possibly all” desalination plants.

April 1

Trump said Iran requested a ceasefire, a claim Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson called “false and baseless,” according to the state news agency IRIB.

In a social media post, Trump said the United States would consider a ceasefire only once the strait was “open, free and clear,” adding: “Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!”

WHERE GAS PRICES ARE RISING FASTEST AS TRUMP ISSUES FRESH WARNING TO IRAN

April 4

Trump warned in a Truth Social post that “time is running out — 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them.” 

The post followed several conflicting statements in previous days, in which he alternately criticized allies for not acting to reopen the strait and suggested it would reopen on its own.

April 5

In a profanity-laced post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump wrote: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran.

“There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F—–’ Strait, you crazy b——-, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.”

“Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!” he wrote in a second post.

April 7

Two days later, Trump issued a fresh ultimatum to Iran, demanding that it allow all vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz or face strikes on critical infrastructure. The warning came after weeks of escalating threats and missed deadlines.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “We will find out tonight — one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the world,” he added, referencing his 8 p.m. ET deadline for Iran to agree to a ceasefire and reopen the strait.

A ceasefire was called a few hours before the 8 p.m. deadline.

President Donald Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom construction will be able to continue for at least a little while longer, after an federal appeals court instructed a District Court judge to reconsider the situation.

A three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled Saturday that construction can proceed until Friday, April 17, giving the president time to seek a Supreme Court review as the Trump administration is claiming delaying the prospect leaves the construction site exposed and risks the security of the president and his staff.

The panel instructed U.S. District Judge Richard Leon to clarify whether — and how — his injunction interferes with the administration’s claims over safety and security.

Government lawyers argued that the project includes critical security features to guard against a range of possible threats, such as drones, ballistic missiles and biohazards and that holding up construction “would imperil the president and others who live and work in the White House.”

DEMS MOVE TO SET LIMITS ON TRUMP’S DONOR-FUNDED WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM, CLAIMING ‘BRIBERY IN PLAIN SIGHT’

Trump had also made the case that the U.S. military was installing a “heavily fortified” facility under the ballroom, including bomb shelters and a medical facility.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) sued in December, a week after the White House finished demolishing the East Wing for a 90,000-square-foot (8,400-square-meter) ballroom.

The group claimed Trump exceeded his authority when he demolished the dated East Wing — built in 1902 during Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency and expanded in 1942 — arguing the president needed congressional authorization.

TRUMP SAYS IT ‘IS TOO LATE’ TO STOP THE WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM CONSTRUCTION AMID LAWSUIT

Trump has said the president has historically had say over the White House remodeling, and has long noted Congress does not have to pay for the privately funded project.

A lower court had issued a March 31 injunction to halt ballroom construction, but it also paused that injunction to allow for an appeal.

The White House has argued that the injunction left the White House “open and exposed,” threatening security for the building, the president and his family and staff.

TRUMP UNVEILS NEW RENDERING OF SPRAWLING WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM PROJECT

NTHP CEO Carol Quillen said in a statement that the organization awaited further clarification from the district court.

She said the group was committed “to honoring the historic significance of the White House, advocating for our collective role as stewards, and demonstrating how broad consultation, including with the American people, results in a better overall outcome.”

Judge Leon exempted any construction work necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House, but said he reviewed material the government privately submitted before determining that a halt would not jeopardize national security.

“We cannot fairly determine, on this hurried record, whether and to what extent the district court’s ‘necessary for safety and security’ exception addresses Defendants’ claims of irreparable harm, insofar as it may accommodate the Defendants’ asserted safety and security need for the ballroom itself or other temporary measures to secure the safety and security of the White House, the President, staff, and visitors while this appeal proceeds,” the D.C. Circuit said in its ruling.

WARREN-LED INQUIRY DRAWS NEW DETAILS ON TRUMP BALLROOM DONATIONS FROM MAJOR CORPORATIONS

The appeals panel noted that much of the government’s concerns focused on that below-ground security work, which the White House argued was “distinct from construction of the ballroom itself and could proceed independently.”

The White House is making the case now that those security upgrades are “inseparable” from the project as a whole, the appeals court said, making it unclear “whether and to what extent” moving forward with certain aspects of the ballroom is necessary for the safety and security of those upgrades.

TRUMP PUSHES BACK AFTER MICHELLE OBAMA KNOCKS EAST WING RENOVATION, CALLING OLD ARRANGEMENT ‘A DISASTER’

Although Trump’s project is funded by private donations, public money is paying for construction of underground bunkers and security upgrades.

The three-judge appeals court panel was made up of Judges Patricia Millett, Neomi Rao and Bradley Garcia. Millett was nominated by former President Barack Obama, Rao by Trump and Garcia by President Joe Biden.

Rao wrote a dissenting opinion, which cited a statute that allows the president to undertake improvements to the White House.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“Importantly, the government has presented credible evidence of ongoing security vulnerabilities at the White House that would be prolonged by halting construction,” Rao wrote, adding that such concerns outweigh the “generalized aesthetic harms” presented in the lawsuit.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney defended his country’s NATO commitments after being pressed over alliance spending by President Donald Trump, insisting Ottawa meets the benchmark – even though Canada only reached the 2% defense target in 2025.

Speaking recently at a press conference in Monteregie, Quebec, Carney said Iran remains a “grave threat” to the Middle East and beyond and argued Canada is meeting its obligations to the alliance.

But Canada only reached NATO’s 2% defense spending benchmark in 2025, after spending years well below the target. Carney acknowledged Ottawa had not hit that mark since the Cold War, underscoring the vulnerability in his pushback to Trump.

“I’ll underscore that just a few weeks ago that we’ve met for the first time since the fall of the Berlin Wall our NATO commitments in terms of 2% defense spending,” Carney added. 

ECONOMIST EDITOR SAYS EUROPEAN LEADERS NOW FEAR A TRUE NATO ‘DIVORCE’ AFTER TRUMP PULLOUT THREAT

Trump has blasted some NATO allies over what he sees as weak support during the Iran conflict, warning on Truth Social that the alliance “wasn’t there when we needed them and they won’t be there if we need them again.”

When a reporter pressed that Trump threatened to punish NATO, including conflict-averse members Germany and Spain, Carney boasted that Canada “meet[s] its NATO commitments.”

NATO’s 2014-2025 defense expenditure report estimated Canada’s defense spending at 1.01% of GDP in 2014, and below 1.5% through 2024 before reaching 2.01% in 2025.

NATO CHIEF SAYS WORLD IS ‘ABSOLUTELY’ SAFER UNDER TRUMP

Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has praised Trump for pushing allies to meet the 2% benchmark, as several Eastern Bloc nations have noticeably increased their tithes.

Over the past decade, U.S. defense spending has averaged roughly 3.3% of GDP, compared with about 1.3% for Canada. The U.S. GDP is also a higher gross figure than all other NATO members in dollars.

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

Greece and the U.K. have been the top two countries consistently contributing to NATO’s funding, while Canada, Spain, Belgium, the Czech Republic and Hungary all sit in the lower tier on average. The only outlier below them is Luxembourg, which contributes an average 0.6% of GDP to NATO, according to calculations made from the report’s figures.

TRUMP LASHES OUT AT ‘SICK’ IRANIAN LEADERS, CONFIRMS ESTIMATED TIMELINE FOR ENDING WAR

Rutte previously made waves for appearing to refer to Trump as “daddy,” but said this week the Dutch-to-English translation was flawed and that he meant to refer to the president as a strong disciplinarian-like figure at a time when Trump was angry at both Israel and Iran.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“In Dutch, you would say the translation of your father is ‘daddy’ and I would say hey, yeah, some time, Daddy has to be angry, so I wasn’t going to say [he’s my] daddy,” he said of a meeting between the two men in The Hague last June.

Rutte issued the response after being pressed on whether he still viewed Trump as “Daddy” or an ally amid the president’s issues with some member-nations.

As the debate over birthright citizenship is debated in the Supreme Court, resurfaced videos of top Democrats echoing the argument of the Trump administration sparked a conservative uproar on social media.

“If making it easy to be an illegal alien isn’t enough, how about offering a reward for being an illegal immigrant?” Former U.S. Senator Harry Reid said on the Senate floor in 1993. 

“No sane country would do that. Right? Guess again. If you break our laws by entering this country without permission and give birth to a child, we reward that child with U.S. citizenship and [a] guarantee of full access to all public and social services this society provides — and that’s a lot of services.”

Reid, who served in the Senate as a Democrat for 30 years and was Senate Majority Leader for 8 years, was speaking about the Immigration Stabilization Act of 1993 which he introduced. The legislation was a broad immigration reform package that included a provision to deny birthright citizenship to children born in the U.S. to mothers who were neither U.S. citizens nor lawful permanent residents.

CHINESE ELITES EXPLOITING US BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP AT ‘INDUSTRIAL SCALE,’ EXPERT WARNS

Reid, who died in 2021 at the age of 82, ultimately changed his tune on the legislation and said in 2018 that the bill was a “mistake.”

Many on social media quickly pointed to Reid’s lofty stature within the Democratic Party and wondered aloud why he is not labeled “racist” the same way Republicans who oppose birthright citizenship often are.

“WOW,” conservative influencer Libs of TikTok posted on X. “Senator Harry Reid, a DEMOCRAT, introduced a bill in 1993 to END birthright citizenship for illegal aliens .But if Trump wants to do it, Democrats call it ‘rAcIsT.’”

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE SUPREME COURT’S BLOCKBUSTER BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP CASE

“Lots of Democrats supported him,” actor Kevin Sorbo posted on X. “They change their minds to fit whatever narrative suits them. That’s why they can’t be trusted.”

“Democrats once said ‘no sane country’ would give birthright citizenship to illegal aliens,” Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Texas) posted on X. “Now, breaking our laws is rewarded with full US citizenship and access to every government benefit. SCOTUS should END this exploitation once and for all!”

“Harry Reid was right,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, posted on X.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

 Another Democrat, the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein from California, also became fodder on social media in recent days over similar comments on immigration that were viewed over 8 million times after being posted by MAZE, a conservative influencer account on X. 

“Should you have a system where people can come to this country, even if they’re well-to-do?” Feinstein said in 1993.  Get on Medicaid and give birth to a baby, then go back. The answer is no! And we know that Medicaid laws are being used and abused to do just this in the state of California. I’d like to see that stop.”

The resurfaced posts come as the Trump administration argues at the Supreme Court in favor of an executive order signed on the president’s first day back in office, which seeks to end automatic citizenship for nearly all persons born in the U.S. to undocumented parents, or to parents with temporary non-immigrant visas in the U.S.

The high-stakes case brought into focus more than a century of executive branch action, Supreme Court precedent, and the text of the Constitution itself — or, more specifically, the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment — which the administration argues has been misinterpreted in the more than 100 years since its passage.

Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.

If you thought the Congressional appropriations process couldn’t get any worse, I present you with 2026. And perhaps beyond.

The Department of Homeland Security remains shut down, running on pocket lint, nickels lost between the couch cushions and faded S&H Green Stamps (look ‘em up, kids). Congress hasn’t funded DHS for two months. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., torqued himself into a political pretzel – opposing, then supporting, then not acting on – a Senate-approved package to fund most of DHS.

As we always say, it’s about the math, and when it comes to DHS money, it appears that lawmakers have locked a box to which they lack the combination. There is apparently no sequence of votes in the House and Senate which can crack the DHS safe as a traditional, standalone appropriations bill. 

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: WHY TRUMP MAY NOT BE ABLE TO FORCE CONGRESS BACK OVER THE DHS SHUTDOWN

Now, Congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump are turning to one of the few methods which might work to fund DHS – something called budget reconciliation.

The Congressional budget reconciliation process is not customarily used for appropriations bills – although lawmakers can plug the measure with money to spend on federal programs. However, reconciliation is inoculated from filibusters. Thus, Republicans don’t need 60 votes. They can – ostensibly – pass a DHS bill on its own without help from Democrats if they hold their narrow coalitions together in both the House and Senate.

Congressional Republicans intend to stuff this reconciliation package with only money for ICE and Customs and Border Patrol. Nothing for disaster aid. Nothing for farmers. Nothing about the SAVE America Act. The president agrees. The goal is to finish this by June 1 – months after the latest DHS funding lapse.

But it’s more complicated than that. 

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

The House and Senate must take a number of steps to approve a shell of a budget resolution in order to have the filibuster-proof reconciliation tool available to them. Republicans undertook a similar endeavor last winter and spring. It was absolutely harrowing and consumed months before finally approving the One, Big, Beautiful Bill, via reconciliation. Republicans don’t have that kind of time now. Then again, DHS has either been unfunded or held together by interim spending bills since last October.

We haven’t even mentioned how Trump is using a somewhat dubious authority to pay TSA workers and others from other funds – without Congressional approval.

That leaves some to question why the administration didn’t do this to start with. But the bigger issue is an alarming pattern of Congress ceding its most precious prerogative – the power of the purse – to the executive branch. That’s to say nothing as to whether Trump’s gambit to pay workers is even Constitutional. And, it establishes a precedent which may be hard to ignore during other funding impasses.

However, here’s the bigger problem: the Congressional paralysis to pass appropriations bills on a timely basis. That’s been an issue for years now.

Historically, Congress has missed the Oct. 1 fiscal deadline, relying on “Continuing Resolutions” (CR’s) which simply renew all funding on a temporary basis. Or, lawmakers cobble together a set of the 12 annual spending bills in a “minibus” appropriations package. Lawmakers who might oppose an individual bill are willing to support a group of bills – because there’s something in there which they like or support.

But turning to reconciliation as a way out of the appropriations box canyon is also another precedent which likely agitates Congressional appropriators. Sure. They’ve done that before. And in this instance, it might finally get DHS funded. But what does this mean for the future?

Which brings us to Oct. 1, 2026. That’s when the federal government pivots from Fiscal Year 2026 to start Fiscal Year 2027. 

Congress has struggled to fund the federal government since early 2025, when it began work on appropriations bills for this year. The FY ’26 funding crisis – which spawned the record-breaking, 43-day, government-wide shutdown in the fall, another partial government shutdown last winter and the current DHS stalemate – has been an issue since lawmakers were working on bills for this cycle around this time LAST spring. So how pray tell is Congress going to avoid a shutdown THIS autumn for FY ’27?

In fact, few are even speaking about that possible peril – because no one can wrap their heads around the present appropriations saga. And it’s possible that this fall’s problems could be worse than last fall’s impasse. The reason? The midterm elections hit in November. It’s doubtful that either side will be willing to make much of a deal right before voters head to the polls.

The scenarios are frightening to fathom, so people are just kind of ignoring them.

SEE IT: LAWMAKERS CAUGHT ON VACATION AMID RECORD-BREAKING SHUTDOWN WHILE DHS WORKERS GO UNPAID

We have entered a new period of semi-perpetual funding standoffs – exacerbated by mistrust between the sides, narrow Congressional margins in both the House and Senate, parliamentary mathematical equations which don’t balance and an unwillingness by Trump to broker deals or even negotiate with Democrats.

Yes. They have options to cover DHS into next year, but it’s the other 11 spending bills which could be problematic.

Imagine trying to pass a defense spending bill which has a price tag 44% higher than the one last year? Or tacks a bunch of money on for the war in Iran?

Where’s the vote combination to approve a CR, let alone an individual bill? Will Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., be willing to help Republicans hit the 60 vote threshold to fund things? Especially if he sees the possibility of emerging again as Majority Leader? Probably not.

And let’s say Democrats win the House, Senate or both in the fall? Do you really think these spending standoffs get better over the final two years of Trump’s term?

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Back to Chevy Chase and Clark Griswold. There’s a second part to that iconic quotation from Christmas Vacation: “We’re at the threshold of hell!” he declares.

Pretty funny, but not if you’re trying to keep the government open after the adventures of the past year. This is not hilarious to millions of federal workers who suffer from paycheck PTSD. Another round of spending mayhem could only erode further trust between federal workers and their employers. It will damage morale – which is already subterranean. That’s to say nothing of courting people to work for the government.

Yes. Things can get a lot worse. The political schisms are deep and the vote matrices to pass the bills simply don’t exist.

It may be spring, but the Christmas Vacation movie provides insight into where we stand with the Congressional appropriations bills: “It’s Christmas and we’re all in misery,” declares Ellen Griswold, played by Beverly D’Angelo.

Yeah. And wait to see what Congress has in store for THIS Christmas.

Vice President JD Vance said Sunday that high-stakes talks between the U.S. and Iran ended without a deal after Iranian officials refused to accept American terms.

Speaking during a press conference from the Serena Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan, Vance said Iran has “chosen not to accept our terms.”

“The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement,” Vance said. “And I think that’s bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America.”

The vice president said talks with Iranian officials lasted 21 hours, describing them as “substantive discussions,” but adding the U.S. was unwilling to compromise on its “red lines.”

VANCE WARNS IRAN WILL ‘FIND OUT’ TRUMP IS ‘NOT ONE TO MESS AROUND’ IF CEASEFIRE DEAL FALLS APART

“So we go back to the United States, having not come to an agreement. We’ve made very clear what our red lines are, what things we’re willing to accommodate them on and what things we’re not willing to accommodate them on,” Vance added. “And we’ve made that as clear as we possibly could, and they have chosen not to accept our terms.”

Fox News Digital’s Preston Mizell asked Vance if he had been in contact with President Donald Trump during the talks, and the vice president said he had been “consistently.”

“I don’t know how many times we talked to him — a half dozen times, a dozen times over the past 21 hours,” Vance said, adding that the U.S. team was also communicating with other members of the Trump administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

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

“So, look, we were constantly in communication with the team because we were negotiating in good faith,” Vance said. “And we leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding that is our final and best offer. We’ll see if the Iranians accept it.”

Vance arrived in Pakistan early Saturday to lead high-stakes negotiations with Iran aimed at preserving a fragile ceasefire announced by Trump earlier this week and preventing a broader regional war.

Vance was joined by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, as part of a senior delegation engaging Iranian officials in Islamabad.

TRUMP AGREES TO 2-WEEK CEASEFIRE IF IRAN OPENS STRAIT OF HORMUZ

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf were negotiating for Iran. 

While Vance declined to elaborate on which terms Iran rejected, he said the U.S. sought assurances that Iran would not develop a nuclear weapon.

“The simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,” Vance said. “That is the core goal of the president of the United States. And that’s what we’ve tried to achieve through these negotiations.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The talks came over a month after the U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28.

Fox News Digital’s Preston Mizell and Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.

A Pennsylvania-linked manufacturer has been stripped of control over its Russian operations under a Kremlin order, raising fresh risks for Western companies as Moscow courts renewed economic ties with the United States.

CANPACK, a global aluminum beverage can manufacturer owned by a Pennsylvania-based holding company, operates in multiple countries across Europe and North America and said its Russian business — valued at roughly $700 million — was placed under state “external administration” by a Dec. 31, 2025, decree signed by President Vladimir Putin, effectively transferring control of 100% of its shares to state-appointed managers.

CEO Peter Giorgi said the company lost all operational authority after administrators arrived in mid-January.

“I’m only a nominal shareholder,” Giorgi said in an interview with Fox News Digital. “I lose all control of the company.”

BIPARTISAN SENATORS PROBE KREMLIN-LINKED DELEGATION’S MEETINGS WITH US OFFICIALS

The case underscores the risks facing Western companies that remained in Russia during the war, even as Moscow signals interest in rebuilding economic ties with Washington as part of potential peace negotiations.

Putin’s envoy for foreign investment, Kirill Dmitriev, is in the United States meeting with officials in President Donald Trump’s administration to discuss a potential Ukraine peace deal and future economic cooperation, according to Reuters.

Analysts say the move is part of a broader shift in Russia’s handling of foreign-owned assets since the Ukraine War.  

“Let’s not be U.S.-centric about that,” said Alexander Kolyandr, a fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis. “CANPACK is not alone.”

CANPACK has operated in Russia for nearly 30 years and held an estimated 35%–40% share of the country’s aluminum beverage can market, according to the company, underscoring the scale of the takeover.

The company has had no direct access to or communication with its Russian operations since the move, according to a person familiar with the matter, and several senior executives — including the general manager and chief financial officer — were removed following the takeover.

Company officials say executives in Russia have faced pressure from state-appointed administrators, including demands to approve financial decisions under threat of dismissal or other consequences.

The situation has not changed in recent months, according to the officials. The company’s Russian operations remain under external administration, with no restoration of control or ownership as of April.

The move falls under a legal framework introduced in 2023 allowing the Russian government to place certain foreign-owned assets under temporary state control.

The decree identified a company called Stalelement as the entity overseeing the assets, which company representatives describe as a shell entity with ties to the Russian government.

The company has raised the issue with U.S. officials, but no formal action has been taken.

Russian business daily Vedomosti reported in February that CANPACK’s Russian division donated approximately 500 million rubles to a pro-Kremlin fund supporting Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.

The company believes roughly $18 million was directed to state-linked funds supporting Russian operations, with an additional approximately $6 million sent to a Russian Orthodox church, based on Russian media reports and information relayed by former executives. Fox News has not independently verified those claims.

The estimated transfers represent a small portion of the company’s overall value, but underscore how quickly financial control can shift under external administration.

The company continued operating in Russia after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, even as many Western firms exited the market.

Giorgi said the company considered leaving but faced challenges unwinding decades of investment and could not find a buyer at a fair price.

“We decided to stay the course,” he said, adding that the company hoped conditions would eventually stabilize.

The same December 2025 decree also targeted the Russian subsidiary of Danish insulation manufacturer Rockwool. Other Western companies, including France’s Danone and brewer Carlsberg, have faced similar actions by Russian authorities in recent years.

“We are talking about dozens of companies,” Kolyandr said.

Kolyandr said U.S.-linked companies have in some cases been treated more cautiously than their European counterparts.

“American companies fared much better than the European ones,” he said, pointing to Moscow’s interest in preserving the possibility of improved ties with Washington.

He said the trend accelerated after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when Western companies began suspending operations or exiting the market.

“It all started in earnest with the beginning of the war,” he said, adding that it became easier for authorities to take control of assets.

Kolyandr said the policy reflects a wider redistribution of property aimed at bringing profitable or strategic assets under closer state influence.

“It sends a signal across the system that if you do not toe the line, your property may be taken away,” he said.

He added that while the process may generate some revenue for the state, funding the war is unlikely to be the primary driver.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“On the one hand, it helps to generate a bit of cash for the budget,” he said. “But I don’t think it’s the main reason.”

The Russian Embassy in Washington and the Russian foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment.  

President Donald Trump slammed Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger ahead of meetings in the state on Saturday, warning her policies are triggering a tax base exodus similar to New York and California.

Trump, in an early morning Truth Social post, said the Democratic governor had imposed a wave of taxes that he argued were draining the state’s economic strength.

“She is adding so many Taxes, a Food and Beverage Tax, Digital Services Tax, Utilities Tax, and more,” Trump wrote. “It has lost its Energy, Vitality, and Strength. People are leaving that would never have even thought of doing so!”

Trump’s comments come as Spanberger faces Republican criticism over a slate of tax and revenue proposals, with GOP lawmakers warning the measures could hurt Virginia’s business climate, while her office argues they are needed to fund key priorities.

GLENN YOUNGKIN ACCUSES GOV SPANBERGER OF ‘ILLEGAL AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL’ GERRYMANDERING IN VIRGINIA MAP FIGHT

Spanberger has backed a series of revenue measures since taking office, including proposals to expand taxes on digital services and business activity, as part of a broader effort to fund priorities such as education and health care. Republicans have criticized those efforts as tax hikes that could make the state less competitive.

Trump said companies that committed to moving into Virginia under former Gov. Glenn Youngkin were now reconsidering those decisions.

“New companies that signed to come into the Commonwealth under Governor Youngkin are now looking for ways to get out — Break their Deal,” he said.

VA DEM REJECTS ‘POWER GRAB’ CLAIMS ON SPANBERGER REDISTRICTING AS GOP WARNS 10–1 MAP WOULD SPLIT RURAL VOTE

The president, who said he was heading to Virginia for meetings at Trump National Golf Club, drew comparisons to high-tax states like New York and California, which he has frequently criticized.

“We have a similar situation in New York and, most of all, in California, where Rich, Job Producing people and companies are being forced to FLEE at levels never seen before,” Trump wrote.

He added that California’s tax base was “literally disappearing” as wealthy individuals and corporations relocate, warning Virginia could face a similar trajectory.

“Remember, once people and companies leave, they are never coming back!” Trump said.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

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

Spanberger defeated Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in the 2025 gubernatorial race, securing a Democratic win. Youngkin was not eligible for re-election under state law.

She campaigned on issues including health care and abortion rights, while positioning herself as a more moderate alternative despite GOP criticism of her voting record.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he revoked the lawful permanent resident status of family members linked to Masoumeh Ebtekar, a spokeswoman for the Islamic terrorists who stormed the U.S. Embassy during the 1979 hostage crisis.

Rubio said the individuals were placed in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody pending removal from the United States. 

He said the Obama administration granted visas to Ebtekar’s son and his family in 2014 and later approved green cards through the Diversity Visa Program in 2016.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“Masoumeh Ebtekar —  also known as ‘Screaming Mary’ —  was the spokeswoman for the Islamic terrorists who stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and held 52 Americans hostages for 444 days — subjecting them to beatings, starvation, and mock executions,” Rubio wrote on X.

Rubio said her family should never have been allowed to benefit from the extraordinary privilege of living in the United States.

“America can never become home for anti-American terrorists or their families — and under the Trump administration, it never will,” Rubio said.

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

Former vice president and failed presidential candidate Kamala Harris was roasted online Friday after she introduced another accent while trying to impersonate President Donald Trump as a “mob boss.”

“You know, the way that he’s thinking of foreign policy, it seems, is when he talks about America First, it’s to withdraw from these relationships and these connections,” Harris said while arguing that the administration has lost sight of international cooperation as a means to address regional conflict.

“And then he kind of acts like a mob boss. So, then he’s kind of like, ‘Oh, well, you know, you take Eastern Europe, and I’ll take the Western Hemisphere. And then you over there, you, you get Asia, and we’ll just divide it up,’ right?”

Harris made her comments while speaking at a forum with the National Action Network, which was founded by the controversial civil rights activist Al Sharpton.

RUBIO MEETS G7 MINISTERS IN FRANCE AS US LEADS ON IRAN — ALLIES UNDER FIRE FOR TEPID RESPONSE

Almost immediately, the mimicry prompted criticism online.

“JUST IN: CRINGE,” Eric Daugherty, a right-leaning social media personality, said in a post to X.

“Add ‘mafia boss’ to Kamala Harris’ list of embarrassing accents,” a Republican campaign account said in its own note.

WHY TRUMP’S WAR SPEECH FAILED: DECLARING VICTORY BUT STILL BOMBING IRAN BACK TO THE ‘STONE AGES’

A former Republican staffer for Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, included her Friday moment alongside a series of other impersonations.

“Kamala Harris just debuted a new accent: Mob boss. Despite a childhood in Berkeley, California and Montreal, Canada, Kamala has what she thinks is a Detroit accent,” Steve Guest wrote.

“Kamala Harris’ ‘Trump Impersonation’ is the worst thing I have ever seen,” conservative influencer Benny Johnson said. “Total cringe.”

Harris’ remarks come as Trump attempts to broker peace negotiations with Iran while also inviting European allies to put pressure on Tehran to reopen waterways vital to international energy trade.

LEAVITT REBUKES MEDIA OUTLETS RUNNING WITH IRANIAN NARRATIVES ON 10 DEMANDS

Trump blasted allies on social media for not joining the U.S. in its conflict with Iran.

“NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN,” Trump said in a post to Truth Social on Wednesday.

Earlier this week, the president reached a tentative two-week ceasefire agreement with Iran despite uncertainty about its exact terms.

Iran has presented a list of 10 demands that appear to contradict the U.S.’s own set of expectations for ending the conflict.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

In a post to state media, Iran demanded the lifting of all sanctions on Iran, continued control over key waterways in the region, U.S. military withdrawal from the Middle East and a suspension of hostilities against Iran and its allies, among other demands.

The two countries are set to continue negotiations in Pakistan on Saturday.

FIRST ON FOX: Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche huddled with President Donald Trump in the hours after Pam Bondi was forced out last week to make his pitch for the job full-time, Fox News Digital confirmed. 

Blanche was encouraged by top White House officials to speak with the president while other names, like Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, briefly circulated as possible contenders, two sources familiar told Fox News Digital. During that conversation, Blanche made his case for why he should be the next attorney general.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed to Fox News Digital that the president and his then-deputy attorney general spoke on Thursday, as did a source familiar with Blanche’s movements that day. 

Trump announced Bondi’s departure from the Justice Department and in the same social media post last Thursday said that Blanche would be taking over the role in an acting capacity, as Fox News and Fox News Digital previously reported.

HOMAN VOWS IMMIGRATION MISSION ‘WON’T SKIP A BEAT’ AS BONDI EXITS DOJ

The next moves could prove crucial for Blanche if he wants to clinch the president’s nomination – and with the countdown ticking to the midterm elections, he only has a few months to convince the president he can lead the roughly 120,000-employee DOJ before a potential party power change in Congress.

“It’s really Todd’s role to lose at this point,” one of the sources who spoke with Fox News Digital said. 

A 30-year department veteran, however, speculated that Blanche won’t get the nomination and will continue to run the DOJ in an acting capacity.

PAM BONDI ALREADY FIRED AS ATTORNEY GENERAL, CABINET OFFICIAL TEED UP AS REPLACEMENT: SOURCES

“The safest thing for Trump to do is just to keep Blanche, the ultimate loyalist, in place as Acting, at least through the midterms, and avoid a confirmation fight,” former DOJ prosecutor Kevin Flynn told Fox News Digital. “In terms of advancing Trump’s retribution agenda, I think Blanche could do pretty much everything as Acting [Attorney General] as a confirmed AG could do.”

Trump fired Bondi on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, during an Oval Office meeting ahead of his speech to the nation on the war in Iran, Fox News Digital first reported a day after her ouster.

Trump confirmed her departure on Truth Social at 1:17 pm, roughly 45 minutes after the report became public. 

In the hours after Bondi was dismissed and before Trump made his official DOJ personnel announcement, Blanche allegedly had a consequential conversation with the president where he was informed he would be acting attorney general. Blanche lobbied to get the full-time position in a following discussion, one source familiar said. 

They also said that Blanche went to the White House a few times for various reasons in the days after he became acting AG.

The other source said it was this follow-up conversation that provided the president with the confidence to give Blanche the nod – at least for now.

Trump told his one-time personal attorney, “Here’s your audition,” the source paraphrased.

Blanche “got a call from POTUS after leaving a podcast taping on Thursday following the report on Fox,” a spokesperson for the Justice Department told Fox News Digital.

When Leavitt was asked if the two chatted on Thursday, the president’s spokesperson replied, “Yes they spoke.”

Neither the DOJ nor White House would comment on what the two discussed last week and whether Blanche made his case for a promotion.

Either way, now it’s up to Blanche to prove he’s up for the job full-time. 

His first test was a Tuesday afternoon press conference focused on Trump’s push to crack down on fraud.

Blanche likely passed the pulse test as he showered praise on the president and said there would be no love lost if he wasn’t selected to be the next attorney general. “I love working for President Trump,” he said. “It’s the greatest honor of a lifetime. And if President Trump chooses to nominate somebody else and asks me to go do something else, I’ll say, ‘Thank you very much, I love you, sir.'”

He got to work right away shaping the DOJ. 

On Thursday, Blanche announced his appointment of Trent McCotter as the principal associate deputy attorney general. He also stood up the new DOJ fraud division at Tuesday’s press conference and put Colin McDonald in charge as assistant attorney general for the Fraud Division.

Additionally, he took two trusted advisers with him to the attorney general’s office, Shane Hedges and James McHenry.

Blanche will likely need to differentiate himself from Bondi and distance himself from her failures – namely the Jeffrey Epstein files debacle – if he wants longevity in the role, one of the sources familiar told Fox News Digital.

US INTERIM ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE CALLS SPECULATION SURROUNDING BONDI’S FIRING ‘SIMPLY NOT TRUE’

In February 2025, Bondi said she had the Epstein files on her desk. A trickle of releases over the next year would yield no new investigations or prosecutions related to the sex trafficker’s crimes and left Americans unsatisfied. 

The source familiar said every move Bondi made after that was an effort to “clean up” her broken promise to release the Epstein client list. 

Convincing Trump he’s the right guy for the job is only the first hurdle. Blanche would also need to get past Congress and a confirmation process that is sure to be grueling. 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Bondi passed with a Senate vote of 54–46, with all 53 Republicans and lone Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., voting for her to be attorney general. Every other Democrat voted against her confirmation. 

Blanche, with the legacy of Bondi tied to his tenure in the Trump administration, could face an uphill battle even with some Republicans who have grown critical of the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein files.

One blue state is failing to enact adequate voting safeguards and refusing to correct its mistakes ahead of November’s midterm elections, an election integrity watchdog warns.

Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections (RITE), a nonpartisan organization focused on election security, alleges the New York State Board of Elections (NYSBOE) stonewalled a request to fix the state’s voter registration form to comply with federal voting law.

The watchdog sent the NYSBOE a letter in late 2025 outlining several violations they claimed could undermine the state’s election integrity if left unaddressed. 

After the board failed to correct most of the violations, RITE and Tenney are demanding the board hand over comprehensive records and data to identify additional shortcomings in the state’s voter registration system.

TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER OVERHAULING MAIL-IN VOTING IN MAJOR ELECTION INTEGRITY PUSH

 “Your lack of a response is troubling and disregards the need to ensure public trust that New York is maintaining accurate voter rolls as required by federal law,” they wrote in a letter to the NYSBOE earlier this week that was obtained by Fox News Digital. 

If the board does not meet their May 2026 deadline, RITE and Tenney say they are prepared to go to federal court to enforce compliance with federal law.

The watchdog alleges two errors in New York State’s voter registration forms that violate the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).

First, New York State did not instruct individuals that they must provide their driver’s license information if they have one. It also continued registering individuals who did not provide a driver’s license, the last four digits of their Social Security number or a declaration that the applicant has neither, as required by federal law.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT’S TWO DECADES OF UNLAWFUL VOTES EXPOSE THE REAL ‘THREAT’ TO DEMOCRACY: EXPERTS

These errors have, in part, led to millions of New York voters providing incomplete information during the registration process, making it more difficult for the state to accurately maintain voter lists, according to RITE.

RITE and and Tenney also allege the board did not perform a requested audit to identify how many incomplete voter registration applications have been processed.

A 2022 report from the conservative Public Interest Legal Foundation found that at least 3.1 million New York registered voters have not provided a driver’s license or Social Security number on their application form.

“The law is clear: states may not accept registration forms that lack required identifying information,” RITE President Justin Riemer said in a statement. New York’s own regulations direct officials to do exactly that. This flagrant violation of an important federal safeguard significantly erodes the integrity of New York’s voter registration system.”

“We are committed to getting answers about the breadth of the problem and ensuring the state fixes it,” Riemer added.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Tenney, who is chair of the Election Integrity Caucus, said she has called for an investigation into the NYSBOE since 2022.

“Transparency and accurate voter rolls are essential to maintaining public trust in our elections,” the New York Republican said in a statement. “The people of New York deserve answers, accountability, and full compliance with HAVA to ensure the integrity of every vote.”

The New York City Board of Elections system has also come under recent scrutiny for failing to enact adequate safeguards.

One of its employees declined to block a reporter who was posing as a noncitizen from attempting to register to vote, according to video footage obtained by Fox News Digital in February.

Fox News Digital reached out to the New York State Board of Elections for comment.

One of President Donald Trump’s top Democratic foes running for the Senate is taking a page from his and conservatives’ playbook in their pitch to reform the filibuster.

Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills, who is running to unseat longtime Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, released her policy platform in recent days. Among several pitches to voters is a call to reform the filibuster. 

Mills, if elected, said in the 19-page document that she would require “Senators to remain on the Senate floor and actually speak, rather than simply threatening a filibuster to delay action.”

The filibuster has become a flashpoint in the Senate, particularly for Republicans, given that its current 60-vote threshold requires legislation to be bipartisan in nature. And Mills’ position, which has been previously supported by Democrats, is one Trump and some in the GOP are pushing for to pass a massive election integrity bill.

GRAHAM EYES ‘DOWN PAYMENT’ ON TRUMP-BACKED SAVE ACT WITHOUT DEMOCRATIC SUPPORT

Her desire to change the filibuster echoes one made by Trump and conservatives, both in Congress and online, that have demanded Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., launch a talking filibuster to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act.

“Washington is broken, and Maine people are paying the price,” Mills said in a statement introducing the platform. “Donald Trump and Washington Republicans are undermining our fundamental rights and driving up costs, all while Congress fails to solve the big problems facing Maine people. Enough is enough. Maine people deserve better than what D.C. is giving them.”

Mills and Trump have an adversarial relationship that reached a chaotic crescendo in 2025 when, during a meeting of governors at the White House, she declared, “We’ll see you in court,” over the president’s executive order to deny federal funding to states that allowed transgender athletes to participate in sports.

THUNE ACCUSES CRITICS OF ‘CREATING FALSE EXPECTATIONS’ AMID BACKLASH OVER STALLED SAVE AMERICA ACT

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the Senate GOP’s main campaign arm, warned that Mills’ desired change to the filibuster was a dog whistle for Democrats’ plan to slow-walk Trump’s agenda.

“Janet Mills is saying the quiet part out loud: If she goes to Washington, she will use every tool at her disposal to push her radical anti-Trump agenda on Americans,” NRSC spokesperson Samantha Cantrell told Fox News Digital.

Trump has asked Republicans to go a step further and nuke the filibuster altogether — an unlikely scenario in the Senate, given the lack of support to do away with the guardrail in its current form.

MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE CITES COMBAT TRAUMA WHEN CONFRONTED ON ‘TERRIBLE’ POSTS ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT

A talking filibuster, as Mills suggested, would require senators to debate a bill rather than falling back on the typical 60-vote threshold.

The Senate is currently doing a version of the talking filibuster in the GOP’s bid to shine a light on Senate Democrats’ refusal to support the SAVE America Act. But it won’t lead to the legislation passing because the GOP isn’t unified to block Democratic amendments that could drastically alter the bill.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who handpicked Mills to run in Maine against Collins, has dubbed the legislation “Jim Crow 2.0” and rallied his caucus behind defeating the measure.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Before Mills has a chance to square off against Collins, she’ll first have to survive a tough primary battle against insurgent candidate Graham Platner, an oyster farmer who has the backing of Schumer’s left flank.

Fox News Digital reached out for comment from Mills, Platner and Collins, but did not hear back by publication.

California Republicans this weekend will vote to endorse their pick for California governor in the race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The vote, this Sunday in San Diego at the California GOP’s annual convention, comes a week after President Donald Trump took sides between the two major Republican candidates in the race, backing conservative commentator and former Fox News Channel host Steve Hilton over Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.

Trump, whose endorsements are extremely influential in GOP primaries, argued in his endorsement statement that California had “gone to hell” and that “Steve can turn it around, before it is too late, and, as President, I will help him to do so!”

The president’s support for Hilton is expected to pay immediate dividends at the state GOP convention.

HERE’S WHO TRUMP IS BACKING IN THE GOLDEN STATE GUBERNATORIAL SHOWDOWN

“I think it definitely can help rally the base behind a candidate and generate some noise and some enthusiasm,” California Republican Party chairwoman Corrin Rankin told Fox News Digital.

Bianco is a loyal Trump supporter who has plenty of friends and support among California Republican insiders. But Trump’s endorsement of Hilton, a top adviser to then-British Prime Minister David Cameron a decade and a half ago before moving to the U.S. and becoming an American citizen in 2021, may boost him at the GOP convention, where backing from 60% of delegates is needed to land the party’s endorsement.

But Bianco, the sheriff who recently grabbed plenty of national attention for seizing ballots in Riverside County, appeared defiant.

“For too long, politicians and insiders from Sacramento to Washington have tried to pick our leaders for us. That’s not leadership, that’s a coronation, and it’s exactly how we ended up with the failed leadership Californians are living with today,” he said in a social media video. “This election belongs to the people, not the political class.”

TOUGH ON CRIME REPUBLICAN SHERIFF LAUNCHES BID FOR CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR

Trump’s endorsement may have another unintended consequence.

Candidates from both major political parties appear on the same ballot in the left-leaning state’s June primary, with the top two finishers advancing to November’s general election.

Some Democrats were concerned that with nine candidates in the race, support among Democratic voters would be so badly divided in the primary that no contender would reach the general election. Hilton and Bianco had been the top two candidates in some public opinion polls, giving some in the GOP hope of a final face-off between two Republicans.

That scenario may be less likely now, as Hilton’s support is expected to rise and Bianco’s drop in light of the president’s endorsement. Polling in the past week gave a hint of a Hilton surge.

“Trump kills any GOP hopes of an R vs R runoff in the California governor’s race,” Rob Pyers of California Target Book, which describes itself as a non-partisan and unbiased political almanac, wrote last week in a social media post.

MEDIA PERSONALITY STEVE HILTON ENTERS CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL RACE

But Hilton dismissed as a pipe dream talk of shutting out the Democrats from the general election ballot.

“That scenario of two Republicans [making the general election ballot], I’ve been saying this for months, was always a fantasy,” Hilton said on Fox Business’ “The Bottom Line.” “The idea that the Democrat machine in California was just going to hand over the state to two Republicans was never serious. It was never, never going to happen.”

He further argued, “What was more likely was actually…you were going to have two Democrats in the top two and then we’ll have no chance of change. So this really makes sure that we have a Republican in the top two.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

No Republican has won a statewide election in California since then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s 2006 re-election victory.

And with the president’s approval rating in California hovering in the 30s, Trump’s endorsement will likely do Hilton no favors if he makes it onto the November ballot.

This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

The nation’s second-largest school district is under federal scrutiny for a policy allowing staff to hide students’ gender identity from parents, after federal officials cited allegations tied in part to a student’s suicide.

The Los Angeles Unified School District, comprising hundreds of K-12 schools and more than a half a million students according to public data, recently received notice from the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division indicating that it had come under investigation for the policy.

The investigation follows a broader parental rights battle that the Supreme Court recently weighed in on. The high court found last month that California must give school districts the option to have policies that require education administrators to notify parents if their child engages in gender transition, which dealt a massive religious freedom win to the parents who sued, and sent a warning shot to other states and school districts across the country.

PARENTS, NOT BUREAUCRATS, RAISE AMERICA’S CHILDREN AND THE SUPREME COURT AGREES 

The Civil Rights Division sent a letter on March 25 to the school district informing it of the investigation and that division head Harmeet Dhillon had authorized it, the New York Times reported this week. The DOJ “will not tolerate policies that deny parents’ fundamental rights,” Dhillon told the newspaper.

Reached for comment by Fox News Digital, Dhillon said some allegations against the school were confidential and that she could not provide additional information.

The letter from the Civil Rights Division reportedly cited a lawsuit brought by parents of a high school student who died by suicide, which the parents directly attributed to the controversial policy.

The letter, according to the New York Times, also cited a female student’s sexual harassment claim.

FBI RAIDS HOME AND OFFICES OF MAJOR LOS ANGELES SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT

The lawsuit was brought by the parents of Dylan Parke, who said their son suffered from serious depression and that they had been pursuing professional help for him when his school intervened without telling them.

“These harmful actions by employees and agents of Palisades Charter High School and Los Angeles Unified School District included referring Dylan to a counselor not employed by Palisades Charter High School without notifying Plaintiffs or seeking their consent or involvement,” lawyers for the parents wrote in the complaint. “These policies and practices promoted the intentional withholding of material information from parents regarding their child’s gender identity in furtherance of gender-affirming care.”

Parke disclosed to the school that he was “coming out publicly as transgender,” and “school personnel engaged in gender affirming care to facilitate Dylan’s social gender transition at school without parental knowledge, involvement, or consent,” the parents’ lawyers alleged.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP 

When asked for comment about the DOJ probe, a school district spokesperson said, “Because this matter involves a pending investigation, we are unable to comment on the specifics.” 

Israel Flores Ortiz, an 18-year-old illegal immigrant accused of groping more than a dozen high-school girls in Fairfax County, Virginia, was found guilty on nine counts Thursday. The guilty verdict came after critics of Soros-funded Democratic Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano accused him of flubbing the case by not subpoenaing witnesses until the day before. 

After an all-day hearing in which a dozen victims testified, a judge found Flores Ortiz guilty of nine misdemeanor counts of assault and battery and not guilty of three other counts, reported local outlet WUSA9. One charge was thrown out by the judge, according to WJLA reporter Nick Minock. 

Flores Ortiz, 18, was facing 13 counts of assault and battery for allegedly inappropriately touching female classmates at a Fairfax County, Virginia, school, according to police. 

Flores Ortiz is an illegal immigrant from El Salvador who was released into the U.S. under the Biden administration in 2024, according to the Department of Homeland Security. He was attending 11th grade. 

‘VIRGINIA FATHER’ CHARGED WITH MURDERING INFANT DAUGHTER IS ILLEGAL ALIEN, SAYS DHS

Local police were alerted March 5 by Fairfax High School about reports of multiple assaults on campus. An arrest warrant was issued, and Flores Ortiz turned himself in March 7.

His sentencing is set for April 21. 

During the hearing, Sean Kennedy, president of Virginians for Safe Communities, accused Descano of intentional “incompetence” and of reducing the charges so that it would be harder to deport Flores Ortiz. Descano’s entry into political office was propelled by a massive $627,653 donation from the Soros family’s Justice and Public Safety PAC which made up roughly 70 percent of his 2019 campaign budget. 

“DESCANO DOES IT AGAIN(,) Fairfax HS illegal alien groping case collapsing TODAY because FFX Soros DA Steve Descano only subpoenaed victims & witnesses yesterday!” Kennedy wrote on X Thursday. “This IS NOT incompetence—it’s intentional.” 

A spokesperson for Descano’s office called Kennedy’s claims “blatantly untrue” and clarified that charges are set by a magistrate, not the commonwealth attorney. She also said that subpoenas were sent weeks in advance with “some additional subpoenas” being sent closer to the trial.

After the hearing, Kennedy, who was present in court during the hearing, told Fox News Digital that Descano’s office “deserves no credit for this verdict — a Pyrrhic victory as it is.” 

“First, Descano undercharged the illegal alien groper with simple assault and battery instead of sexual battery which would have entailed registering as a sex offender or the more serious charge of aggravated sexual battery carrying a felony sentence of 20 years,” he said. “Then, Descano sought to release the offender on bail which the judge rightly rejected. Next, prosecutors sent out the witness and victims subpoenas only the day before — imperiling the case altogether.” 

Despite this, he credited the guilty verdict to the victims, saying, “the girls showed up in force and forced Descano to try the case.”

“Disgustingly, Descano’s chief deputy diminished Flores Ortiz’s sexual assaults as ‘grabbing butts’ in her opening statement supposedly advocating on behalf of victims after having tried to block the media from covering the case,” he said. “This victory belongs entirely to the courageous and relentless victims who got themselves a modicum of justice.”

“Fortunately,” he concluded, “despite the likely light sentence Flores Ortiz will get ICE will provide him with free transportation home to El Salvador.” 

WATCH: ICE IMPERSONATOR BRUTALLY BEATEN BY STREET MOB, DHS SAYS MAN NOT ASSOCIATED WITH AGENCY

In response, Descano told Fox News Digital, “Today, my office went to trial on all 13 assault charges, giving each victim the opportunity to share their experiences with the court. After listening to the testimony and reviewing other evidence, the judge ultimately convicted the defendant of nine of those charges.”

Descano shared, “I was concerned when I learned of the defendant’s pattern of assault against minors in school – a place where all children should feel safe.” He added, “I’d like to extend my appreciation to all the victims for their bravery in sharing their testimony publicly, which is always a daunting task, but was made even more so in the face of the significant attention on this case.”

Additionally, Laura Birnbaum, a spokesperson for Descano’s office, dismissed Kennedy as “a political hack who regularly lies about Fairfax cases.” 

Birnbaum added that, “Each of the claims here are blatantly untrue.”

She clarified that charges in Virginia are set by a magistrate, saying, “Our office was not involved in determining them” and “any claims that we downplayed the facts reflect a lack of understanding of the Virginia legal system.” 

Birnbaum further stated that prosecutors “have never requested to release” Flores Ortiz and that the case “was never ‘in peril.’” According to Birnbaum, subpoenas were sent weeks ago, while “some additional subpoenas were sent closer to trial, and all of the people who received them came to court.” 

She asserted that “It’s clear that Sean Kennedy will find any excuse to criticize our office, including making up facts when the facts don’t fit his narrative.” 

This comes as Fairfax County, Virginia’s most populous county and a major suburb of Washington, D.C., is facing increased national scrutiny for a spate of crimes and violence by criminal illegal immigrants. The Trump administration has appealed to the county’s Democratic leadership, as well as new Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger, to not release illegal immigrants being charged with serious crimes.

During the hearing, the Department of Homeland Security revealed that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were prepared to arrest Flores Ortiz for deportation if he was released Thursday. 

“If Fairfax County’s sanctuary politicians choose to release this predator back into our communities, (ICE) stands ready to take him into custody and deport this sexual deviant,” DHS posted on X. 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said a detainer has been filed and that he could face removal from the country.

CHILD OF CHINESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CHARGED WITH PLANTING EXPLOSIVE AT US MILITARY BASE

Virginia parents expressed disgust, frustration and fear about Fairfax High School’s handling of complaints alleging Flores Ortiz groped several girls from behind on school grounds.

Parent Stacy Langton told Fox News Digital recently, that “it’s terrifying as a parent, because when I send my daughters to school, I think they’re safe in the care of the school.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“And in this case, they absolutely were not safe, and I don’t know what parent wouldn’t be completely distraught at the idea that their daughters could be getting sexually battered while they’re changing classes,” Langton said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Descano’s office for comment. Public defenders representing Flores Ortiz declined to comment, citing the case having not yet concluded. 

Before The Baltimore Sun published a word of its reported investigation into Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s record, the Democrat state leader and his team were already blasting the paper’s new ownership as “right-wing” and cozy with President Donald Trump. 

The Baltimore Sun, which was purchased by Sinclair executive chairman David D. Smith in 2024, is reportedly examining Moore’s military record, scholastic sports tenure and other parts of his background, Semafor reported earlier this week, citing the Sun has brought on investigative reporters from sister outlets under the Sinclair umbrella. 

“It’s actually a very sad day because the Baltimore Sun used to be our paper of record. It’s now become the paper of the right wing,” Moore told former Biden spokeswoman Jen Psaki in a recent interview, after Psaki noted the Sun was purchased in 2024 by Smith.

Moore, who has downplayed talks of a 2028 presidential bid, has previously faced scrutiny for listing a Bronze Star on a Bush-era White House fellowship application before he received the award, as well as questions about the depth of his Baltimore roots during his 2022 race against then-Gov. Larry Hogan. Moore ultimately received the Bronze Star in 2024.

WES MOORE WARNS DHS FEDERAL OCCUPATION OF NEW ICE COMPOUND NOW UNDER STATE INVESTIGATION

“[Y]ou’ve had a MAGA billionaire who is now currying favor for [President Donald Trump] and utilizing what used to be a prized paper for our region and now turning it to something that is not much more than right-wing drivel,” Moore said.

The governor added that Army members he served with don’t question his integrity in the same way and that Smith is the “canary in the coalmine” for wealthy conservatives trying to use their resources to please Trump, including using the media.

The interview elicited a lengthy rebuttal from the managing editor of the Smith-linked outlet investigating Moore: Spotlight on Maryland. The outlet is a collaboration between the Sinclair-owned FOX affiliate in Baltimore, ABC affiliate in Washington and the Sun.

“Democrats sure are putting in a lot of work to discredit a series before it’s even started running. That alone should raise a question: why?,” Spotlight on Maryland managing editor Candy Woodall tweeted, captioning Moore’s interview.

Woodall claimed Moore’s office threatened to disseminate files to “every media reporter” to try to discredit her investigation.

“We saw the same playbook in 2022 when a FOX-45 reporter asked why Moore allowed claims that he had received a Bronze Star that he didn’t have at the time. His team accused the reporter and media outlet of bias and a smear campaign,” she wrote.

“Two years later, after the New York Times wrote about the Bronze Star Moore hadn’t received, the narrative changed, and the governor said it was ‘an honest mistake’. In an August 2024 statement on his military record, Moore acknowledged he knew before leaving Afghanistan that he had not received the award.”

In that statement, Moore said his deputy brigade commander encouraged him to apply for a White House fellowship and simultaneously recommended him for a Bronze Star and told him to include that on his application.

He added that in his officer evaluation, his superiors ranked him in the top 1% of Operation Enduring Freedom officers and called him “the best lieutenant I’ve encountered…” before later noting he “sincerely wish[ed he] had gone back to correct the note on my application.”

Woodall pushed back again in her tweet, saying that her journalists’ loyalties aren’t to officials but to Marylanders and that her team sent “hundreds” of questions to Moore and his staff to scant responses.

She claimed a Moore official admitted Spotlight doesn’t deserve to be treated like a news outlet and “nothing that comes out of Sinclair should be taken seriously.”

“If you want to know more, keep reading The Baltimore Sun, a 200-year-old newspaper that has survived many governors,” she quipped.

When asked for a response, Moore press secretary Ammar Moussa told Fox News Digital that “in light of revelations that Sinclair owner and Trump-donor David Smith is personally involved in Spotlight on Maryland’s reporting, what is the extent of Sinclair owner and Donald Trump ally David Smith’s influence in the FOX-45 and Baltimore Sun newsrooms?”

He also said Spotlight reporter Gary Collins is “not a journalist,” directing Fox News Digital to an X response to Collins, criticizing him as a former Maryland Republican Party official “working at the direction of your Trump-supporting boss.”

ANTI-ICE LEGISLATION HEADS TO DESK OF RISING STAR DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR, TESTING HIS PRESIDENTIAL AMBITIONS

“I will continue to report facts, just like my colleagues do,” Collins said.

Collins had also published a March 26 report on a roundtable Moore participated in near a Washington County warehouse rumored to be destined as an ICE facility.

Collins’ piece noted Moore’s complaint about the feds’ “lack of transparency” and contrasted it with what he said was a similar dynamic in Annapolis.

“[Moore’s] administration has yet to release full documentation tied to his military record, academic history, and prior credentials — records Spotlight On Maryland has requested for months,” Collins wrote, going on to scribe that Sun co-owner and Moore friend Armstrong Williams penned a column calling on the governor to “tell the truth and release the facts.”

Moussa also took aim at Woodall, asking her if Smith was behind her lengthy tweet.

“Did your Trump-supporting boss write this? Or does he only monitor your emails?” Moussa said.

Smith previously ruffled feathers on the left when Sinclair pulled “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from its lineup following the controversial comic’s reaction to Charlie Kirk’s murder. Sinclair is reportedly the largest owner of affiliates of ABC – the network that employs Kimmel.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital reached out to Sinclair and Smith for additional comment on Friday. 

Vice President JD Vance is set to arrive in Pakistan early Saturday, where he will lead high-stakes negotiations with Iran aimed at preserving a fragile ceasefire and preventing a broader regional war.

Vance is joined by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, as part of a senior delegation engaging Iranian officials in Islamabad.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf will be negotiating for Iran. 

The talks, scheduled for Saturday, come over a month after the U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury Feb. 28 — a sweeping military campaign targeting Iran’s military infrastructure following the collapse of nuclear negotiations.

IRAN REVEALS 10-POINT PLAN FOR PEACE WITH THE US – HERE’S WHAT’S IN IT

That operation pushed the U.S. and Iran to the brink of a ground war before a tenuous diplomatic breakthrough in recent days. 

Trump announced a two-week ceasefire Tuesday, agreeing to suspend further U.S. strikes on the condition that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route.

While Iran signaled it would allow passage through the strait as part of the agreement, traffic remains severely disrupted, with shipping companies hesitant to resume normal operations amid ongoing security concerns and uncertainty over enforcement.

Vance struck a cautious tone before departing, warning Iran not to test the U.S. negotiating posture.

“If they’re gonna try and play us, then they’re gonna find that the negotiating team is not that receptive,” Vance said, adding he still expects the talks to be “positive.”

The outcome of the talks could determine whether the ceasefire holds or collapses into renewed hostilities, as both sides remain deeply divided after weeks of conflict.

Iranian officials have struck a cautious and conditional tone ahead of the talks. 

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said it accepted the two-week ceasefire but warned “this does not signify the termination of the war,” adding that “our hands remain upon the trigger” if the agreement is violated.

Vance described the agreement Wednesday as a “fragile truce.”

Iran also has tied the success of the ceasefire to developments in Lebanon, insisting that Israeli strikes on Hezbollah must stop as part of any broader agreement. Tehran has warned that continued attacks could jeopardize the talks, highlighting a key dispute with Israel and the U.S., which have argued Lebanon is not covered by the truce.

VANCE WARNS IRAN WILL ‘FIND OUT’ TRUMP IS ‘NOT ONE TO MESS AROUND’ IF CEASEFIRE DEAL FALLS APART

Pakistan has emerged as a key intermediary, positioning itself as a neutral venue between Washington and Iran after helping broker the initial truce. But that role is already facing scrutiny.

Pakistan’s defense minister, Khawaja Asif, sparked backlash recently after calling Israel’s actions a “curse on humanity” in a now-deleted X post and, in a separate exchange, saying critics should “burn in hell.”

The remarks drew a sharp response from Israeli officials, who questioned Pakistan’s credibility as a neutral broker. Israeli leaders described the comments as “outrageous” and warned such rhetoric was incompatible with serving as a mediator, while Israel’s ambassador to India publicly said, “we don’t trust Pakistan.”

Pakistani officials have not directly addressed the controversy surrounding Asif’s remarks but have defended their broader role, emphasizing Islamabad’s efforts to broker the ceasefire and facilitate talks. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for “dialogue and diplomacy,” while officials say both Washington and Iran have expressed confidence in Pakistan’s mediation.

The talks are also unfolding against a challenging security backdrop.

U.S. officials have long treated Pakistan as a high-threat environment for official travel, with strict movement controls and layered security measures typically required for American personnel.

Bill Gage, a former Secret Service agent who traveled to Islamabad with President George W. Bush, told Fox News Digital the threat environment in Pakistan historically has ranked among the most severe faced by U.S. protective teams, requiring constant coordination and heightened precautions.

“The threat environment in Pakistan was one of the worst the Secret Service had ever operated in,” Gage said of his experience in 2006. “We were briefed that al-Qaeda wanted to kidnap an agent, so we always had to be in pairs.”

Pakistan continues to grapple with persistent terrorism threats. 

The State Department currently classifies the country as a Level 3 travel risk, warning of potential attacks, crime and kidnapping, and noting that extremist groups have carried out strikes in major cities, including Islamabad.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Still, U.S. officials view the Islamabad meeting as a rare opening for diplomacy, with discussions expected to include nuclear restrictions, sanctions relief and broader regional security issues.

Whether the talks produce a lasting breakthrough or plunge the Middle East back into conflict may hinge on whether both Washington and Iran are willing to move beyond decades of mistrust.