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FIRST ON FOX: The brother-in-law of a top Democratic senator has repeatedly hosted diplomats working on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) at his office and recruited multiple Chinese businesses to lease office space as part of his family’s sprawling real estate empire, a Fox News Digital review found.

Anthony “Tony” Malkin is the Harvard-educated brother-in-law of Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and the chairman and CEO of Empire State Realty Trust, Inc., which includes nearly 600 tenants and 732 residential units. He has hosted multiple consuls general of the People’s Republic of China in New York dating back over 15 years and reportedly traveled to China to recruit companies to lease office space in New York City.

In 2011, Chinese state media outlet China Daily published a profile piece on Chinese companies helping boost office rentals overseas in the United States. Malkin, the brother of Sen. Blumenthal’s wife, Cynthia, was featured in the profile that noted how he “recently visited China to find tenants, hoping to benefit from the previous flood of Chinese buyers of commercial housing who are now spilling into the office rental market.”

The profile piece continued by highlighting how Malkin “secured leases” with multiple Chinese companies, including state-owned Air China LTD, Hong-Kong-based telecommunications company PCCW-HKT DataCom Services Ltd, and People’s Daily Online, which is controlled by People’s Daily, the Chinese propaganda network directly run by the CCP’s Central Committee, according to the China Media Project. 

COZY TIES BETWEEN TOP NEWSOM ALLY AND CCP OFFICIAL UNEARTHED ON NETWORKING SITE: ‘SHE HELPED ME A LOT’

The brother-in-law of Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., has repeatedly hosted diplomats working on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party at his office. (Getty/Consul General Chen Li via X)

The China Media Project went on to highlight how People’s Daily Online “runs the Chinese Communist Party News Network” and requires applicants applying for jobs to “[love] the party,” which refers to the CCP.

“People’s Daily Online left its space at the Empire State Building nearly a decade ago,” an Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT) spokesperson told Fox News Digital about the former tenant’s lease. “Air China, which is defined as a publicly traded company that is partially owned by the Chinese government, has an office at the Empire State Building, but is only about 3,000 square feet in the 7.8 million square feet of our office portfolio.”

However, a multinational Hong Kong-based group called Li & Fung Ltd, whose chairman has multiple CCP ties, reportedly rented the largest office space from Malkin, according to the 2011 China Daily article. While Li & Fung no longer has the largest office space, it is still currently a tenant of the ESRT, according to financial data reviewed by Fox News Digital. A 2024 ESRT report lists the Chinese company occupying over 149,000 square feet, having multiple leases ending in October 2028 and an annual rent of over $8.3 million.

A Fox News Digital review found that Victor Fung, who has played an instrumental leadership role for several years with the company that his grandfather founded, was a longtime member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) between 2003 and 2018 and is currently serving as a vice chairman of the China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF). He was also reportedly one of the business executives who met with Chinese President Xi Jinping last year to lay out his vision for Hong Kong becoming a supply chain center for Chinese businesses.

The CPPCC is the “key mechanism for multi-party cooperation and political consultation” under the leadership of the CCP, according to the CPPCC website. CUSEF is the CCP front group founded by Tung Chee-hwa, who served as a vice chair of the CPPCC and has colluded with U.S. leaders to gain influence. Fox News Digital previously exposed how Julia Wilson, a Black public relations consultant, was paid over $1 million by Chee-hwa’s CUSEF to help the Chinese government learn about Black Americans and gain influence with Black universities and leaders.

SCHUMER SPOTTED POSING FOR PHOTO WITH CCP OFFICIAL AS WARNINGS SWIRL ABOUT CHINA INFLUENCE

Tung Chee-hwa, vice chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. (YouTube/Screenshot)

In addition to securing these leases, Malkin reportedly launched a “China business desk” in an attempt to keep up with the demand of Chinese businesses and was “cooperating with Chinese tour groups,” which was seen as a lucrative business opportunity. However, an ESRT spokesperson pushed back and claimed, “Mr. Malkin had never seen this 2011 article” and added that the quote in the story “is not part of any attributed quote, and not something Mr. Malkin or Malkin Holdings ever did.”

The ESRT spokesperson continued by pointing out that China was a “large growth market” in 2011 for inbound tourism and that Malkin’s business trip to China revolved around that, adding, “On behalf of our stakeholders, ESRT will always from around the world solicit tenants and tourists.”

The China National Tourism Office of New York, which was under the control of China National Tourism Administration, a state-owned travel agency that had overseas offices in several countries and was previously in coordination with the CCP’s chief administrative State Council authority, used to be located in the Empire State Building in the early 2000s until it appeared to have moved locations in 2009. Malkin was the president of Malkin Holdings LLC, the predecessor to Empire State Realty Trust’s REIT, when this office was operating in the Empire State Building. 

‘WARM HOSPITALITY’: UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT HAS REPEATEDLY COZIED UP TO TOP CCP OFFICIALS

Sen. Blumenthal’s office told Fox News Digital that the Connecticut senator “has absolutely nothing to do with any of this.”

“Senator Blumenthal’s wife is one of literally thousands of shareholders in a publicly traded real estate company, and just like the rest of those shareholders, she doesn’t have control over anything this company does. Senator Blumenthal has absolutely nothing to do with any of this,” Blumenthal spokesperson Maria McElwain said. 

“Senator Blumenthal supports a ban on Members of Congress and their spouses as well as the Vice President and President from holding individual stocks,” she continued. “He also voted in favor of the STOCK Act, and supports more stringent measures to further eliminate conflicts of interest.”

In addition to Blumenthal’s brother-in-law leasing out rental space to Chinese companies, he has repeatedly given a major platform to multiple Chinese diplomats working in New York City on behalf of the Chinese government over the last 15-plus years. 

In November, the newly-installed Chinese Consul General Chen Li, who was recently photographed posing with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and anti-Trump Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, posted on his X account that he met with Malkin and looked forward to “working with Tony to promote connections and friendship between our peoples!”

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut and chair of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, speaks during a hearing in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. (Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

A couple of months later, Chen posted photos and a video of the Empire State Building and touted how “NYC’s icon will Turn CHINESE RED for the 25th consecutive year TONIGHT!”

Chen, like his predecessor Huang Ping, has repeatedly praised the CCP and denied China’s alleged genocide against the Uyghur population, which has been condemned by many on the world stage, including the United Nations. Malkin also had a cozy relationship with Ping while he served as the Chinese consul general between 2018 and late 2024. 

Michael Sobolik, an expert on U.S.-China relations and a Hudson Institute senior fellow, told Fox News Digital that the “Chinese Communist Party is always looking for ways to penetrate U.S. businesses and civil society. We shouldn’t make their job easier for them.”

Ping’s exit from the position occurred shortly after he was referenced dozens of times in an unsealed indictment against Gov. Kathy Hochul’s former deputy chief of staff, Linda Sun, who was charged “with violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling, and money laundering conspiracy,” according to a Justice Department press release. 

Now-former Chinese Consul General Huang Ping, left, and Chairman, President and CEO of Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. Anthony E. Malkin light the Empire State Building in celebration of the Lunar New Year at the Empire State Building on Jan. 20, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images for Empire State Building)

The indictment revealed then-Lt. Gov. Hochul wanted to mention the “Uyghur situation” in China for her 2021 Lunar New Year message, but the plight of the minority group being persecuted by the Chinese government was ultimately omitted after Sun overruled the speechwriter. 

The indictment alleges Sun revealed to Ping what the speechwriter wanted to include, but insisted that she would not let her boss mention Uyghurs after admitting that she was “starting to lose her temper” with the speechwriter. The indictment later detailed other exchanges she had with Ping and said he gifted her parents with Nanjing-style salted ducks prepared by his chef in exchange for her help in influencing the governor’s policies.

Fox News Digital pressed Blumenthal’s office on whether the senator, who has been a key voice on Uyghur human rights issues, was concerned about his brother-in-law recruiting Chinese businesses to New York and partnering with CCP diplomats who have denied Uyghur genocide. However, his spokesperson did not address this in the office’s response.

When asked about Malkin’s relationship with the Chinese consuls general, an ESRT spokesperson told Fox News Digital that “Throughout its nearly 94-year history, the Empire State Building has partnered with countless government organizations, charities, and companies to celebrate important international celebrations and events.

CHINA’S US INFLUENCE COULD FACE CRACKDOWN UNDER SLATE OF NEW BILLS

“The Lunar New Year lighting of the Empire State Building, for example, has been celebrated for more than 15 years in partnership with the local Chinese consulate and local Chinese organizations, shops, bakeries, and teahouses,” the spokesperson added.

Ping and Malkin have met several times, including an October 2021 virtual meeting that revolved around cooperation between the United States and China, according to a press release from the Chinese Consulate General, which noted their relationship with the Empire State Building dates back to 2008.

“Malkin said the pandemic has dramatically changed the world and the U.S., which also highlights the significance of international cooperation to meet challenges. The enhancement of cultural exchanges really matters to the U.S.-China relations,” the press release continued. “Hope the two peoples can overcome obstacles and deepen mutual understanding by exchanges and communications. I am willing to keep on working closely with Mr. Consul General as well as the Chinese Consulate General in New York, contributing to the friendship between the two peoples.”

Huang Ping meets with Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker. (China Consulate of New York)

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In 2023, the Chinese Consulate shared multiple photos of Ping and Malkin at the Empire State Building with the caption, “Chinese Consulate General in NY and [Empire State Building] held a Chinese New Year Lighting Ceremony today, to celebrate the [Year of the Rabbit] CG Huang Ping and ESB Chairman Mr. Anthony Malkin attended the event and together lit up the building with Chinese Red.” 

Malkin and Ping also met in 2019 to light up the Empire State Building in honor of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, which was amplified by Chinese state media.

Prior to Ping serving as the Chinese consul general, Malkin repeatedly met with then-Consul General Zhang Qiyue, who previously served in several top CCP positions, including the deputy director of the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2017, Qiyue and Malkin smilingly posed for a photo ahead of the lighting of the Empire State Building to celebrate the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. They also met in 2015 and 2016 to light up the Empire State Building to celebrate the Lunar New Year, a Fox News Digital review found.

Sun Guoxiang, who served as a consul general between 2011 and 2014 in New York and held multiple CCP titles, also repeatedly visited the Empire State Building. In a 2014 ESRT press release, the group said, “To kick-off the festivities, Ambassador Sun Guoxiang, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in New York, will preside over a lighting ceremony.” Jean-Yves Ghazi, who currently serves as the president of the ESRT Observatory TRS, L.L.C., appears to have been the ESRT executive who oversaw that lighting.

WASHINGTON – EXCLUSIVE: Seventeen Department of Energy National Laboratories represent the legacy of American scientific research, development and technological innovation stemming from collective postwar investment – but in the decades since, some of their work has been stymied by ever-increasing regulation, the U.S. energy chief tells Fox News Digital.

In an interview Wednesday, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said he took what lab officials told him was the rare step of meeting with all 17 to find out what they needed to be most effective in their work. When he came back to Washington, Wright compiled an order implementing the most common fixes laboratory leaders asked for.

Wright quipped that “as a kid who was in love with physics in high school, the national labs are simply scientifically tremendous” and that they had been neglected by past energy secretaries – which led him to make them an early focus of his tenure.

In an order obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital, Wright demanded several actions by lab officials seeking to streamline what has been considered a burdensome permitting process for new lab buildings, as the postwar infrastructure in many have well served their purpose, he said, but must be more easily replaced. 

ENERGY SEC WRIGHT OUTLINES DAY-1 PRIORITIES: REFILLING SPR, NIXING BIDENESQUE APPLIANCE RULES, NUKE UPDATES

Energy Secretary Chris Wright, President Donald Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum (Reuters)

One effort will expand the use of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) “OSHA-Plus” framework for subcontracted construction projects at the National Laboratories, increasing competition for contracts and reducing costs while not sacrificing safety.

Another topline piece of the four-part order seeks to analyze risks and benefits to cutting some labor-agreement provisions from contracts. The order was dated the 21st but will be made public midday Friday.

“These measures are representative of focused and purposeful actions to prudently streamline our processes, place decision-making authority at the appropriate level, and reduce unnecessary administrative burden on both the laboratories and federal stewards to more efficiently and effectively enable critical mission objectives,” Wright said in the order.

Wright said that while many of the labs may not be known by name, Americans recognize their immense contributions to science and national security.

Los Alamos, in New Mexico, was where J. Robert Oppenheimer developed and tested the atomic bomb. Oak Ridge in Tennessee is the nation’s premier energy technology development incubator.

“They are the biggest factories for producing Nobel prizes on the planet. These are national gems, and they came out of World War II,” he said, adding that bureaucracy has stifled some of their luster. 

“If something went wrong, they have a new rule passed; there’s people’s pet issues; or they’re layered with DEI and cultural stuff; crazy safety regulations with impossible permitting. 

CHRIS WRIGHT CONFIRMED SECRETARY OF ENERGY

Los Alamos labs in 2000 (Getty)

“So what we’ve done is we’ve taken these great laboratories of science and innovation, and we’ve shackled them with bureaucracy and inefficiency – those don’t go together.”

Wright recounted a top issue from his meetings with laboratory leaders, who collectively said it can cost them 60% more to build or purchase a building than it does standard businesses located even just across the street.

Dr. Steven Ashby, director of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, lauded the order, saying Wright’s “bold action to empower the national laboratories to more efficiently deliver transformative scientific and technological outcomes” will benefit American taxpayers. 

“This is the most substantive and quickest change in improving lab operations that I have seen in my many years with DOE.”

The secretary underlined that additional regulations that may increase costs are wise for Energy Department installations that deal with plutonium pits or dangerous or sensitive technologies – but that an environmental or energy-production-focused laboratory shouldn’t be held to the same standard as others.

“We said you no longer have to pay more. For all other buildings that are in all senses commercial facilities, we’re going to get rid of that bureaucracy and make buildings able to be built faster and built simpler,” he said.

Labs have been weighed down by an additional set of safety regulations on top of OSHA, which itself is considered the gold standard – and when the labs seek contracts, they don’t get the highest quality bidders because the contractors don’t want to deal with unnecessary, additional red tape.

“You get a small number of bidders that are willing to go into a much more cumbersome regime, means it can be more expensive to build that building,” Wright said.

These orders and changes, he said, are directly in line with President Donald Trump’s overall effort to streamline government and make it more cost-efficient for the taxpayer.

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The Y-12 complex near Knoxville (Reuters)

Separate from the labs, but near the Oak Ridge installation, Wright also spoke of a building he visited at the Y-12 National Security complex so decrepit that part of its roof was falling in.

The facility, outside Knoxville, was built around 1943 in under 18 months, Wright said – comparing that efficiency to today’s as an aside.

“It is in that building that the majority of the enriched uranium you need to build a bomb, was produced in these Calutron machines. So this played a huge legacy role in the United States’ weapons program. Here we are 80 years later, it is still in operation and still a key part of our nuclear fabrication facilities,” he said.

EXCLUSIVE: After a hard-hitting hearing by the House DOGE Subcommittee, Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, is introducing a bill Thursday to pull all government funding from “chronically biased” outlets NPR and PBS, which he says have been “pushing Democrat talking points under the fake banner of ‘public media.’”

Jackson’s bill – titled the “No Partisan Radio and Partisan Broadcasting Services Act” or simply the “NPR and PBS Act” – would fully cut off any direct and indirect government funding for both outlets, forcing them to compete instead of being propped up by the government.

This comes amid Elon Musk’s sweeping cuts to wasteful government programs through the Department of Government Efficiency.

The move also follows a high-intensity House DOGE Subcommittee hearing in which NPR’s Katherine Maher and PBS’ Paula Kerger attempted to explain why their outlets still deserve public funding.

DEMOCRATS INVOKE CHILDREN’S SHOWS IN BIZARRE DEFENSE OF PBS, NPR: ‘FIRE ELON, SAVE ELMO’

After a hard-hitting hearing by the House DOGE Subcommittee, Rep. Ronny Jackson is introducing a bill Thursday to pull all government funding from “chronically biased” outlets NPR and PBS. (Getty Images)

During the hearing, Maher conceded that NPR botched coverage of Hunter Biden’s infamous laptop, saying, “We made a mistake.” At the time, NPR representatives publicly called the story unserious and a distraction. During the hearing, Maher said, “We were mistaken in failing to cover the Hunter Biden laptop story more aggressively and sooner.”

She also expressed regret about remarks she made about President Donald Trump, calling him “a fascist and a deranged racist sociopath.”  

Meanwhile, Kerger’s PBS was slammed for producing such programs as “Real Boy,” which follows a transgender character exploring sexuality.

DOGE Subcommittee Chair Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., bashed PBS as “one of the founders of the trans child abuse industry.” 

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE SCOLDS NPR CEO OVER PERSONAL VIEWS DURING FIERY DOGE SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING

President and CEO of National Public Radio Katherine Maher testifies during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing at the U.S. Capitol on March 26, 2025. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Following the NPR and PBS leaders’ testimonies, Greene called the outlets “out of touch with everyday Americans,” saying: “I think from what we have heard here today, the American people will not continue to allow such propaganda to be funded through the federal government with their hard-earned tax dollars.”

Jackson told Fox News Digital that though NPR and PBS were originally founded to produce non-biased, informational and educational content, the outlets have since “turned into taxpayer-funded propaganda machines for the radical left, pushing Democratic talking points under the fake banner of ‘public media.’”

A statement by Jackson’s office further said the two outlets’ “chronically biased” programming has made them simply a “messaging arm for woke, radical Democrats.”

“Hardworking Americans are sick of footing the bill,” said Jackson. “It’s time to cut them off and stop forcing taxpayers to pay for their liberal lies!”

EXCLUSIVE: HOUSE GOP FIREBRAND DRIVES DOGE COMMITTEE INVESTIGATION OF GOVERNMENT MEDIA AGENCY CORRUPTION

Rep. Ronny Jackson on the House steps of the Capitol on Jan. 4, 2021. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Trump has expressed he is open to defunding NPR and other “biased” publicly funded outlets, meaning he would be likely to sign a bill doing so if passed by Congress.

“They spend more money than any other network of its type ever conceived, so the kind of money that’s being wasted, and it’s a very biased view, you know that better than anybody,” said Trump. “And I’d be honored to see it end.”  

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Musk has also called to defund NPR. In February, he posted a 2022 video of Maher in which she said, “Our reverence for the truth might have become a bit of a distraction that is preventing us from finding consensus and getting things done.”

Commenting on Maher’s speech, Musk said NPR “should survive on its own.”  

Fox News Digital’s Brian Flood and Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump is expected to take aim at so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions with an executive order on Thursday in what is likely to become another legal battle for the administration.

Trump hinted earlier this week that an executive order on sanctuary cities may be in the works, telling reporters that he planned to “end sanctuary cities for some of these jurisdictions that aren’t cooperating with law enforcement.”

“They’re guarding criminals… we may just end the entire thing all together,” Trump said.

YOUNGKIN TO DRAFT SANCTUARY CITY BAN, MAKING STATE FUNDING CONTINGENT ON ICE COOPERATION

President Donald Trump has battled with sanctuary cities since taking office in January. (Getty Images)

Sanctuary jurisdictions, or those that limit or completely ban local agencies from cooperating with federal immigration authorities, have come under fire since Trump took office in January, hindering the president’s campaign promise to swiftly deport illegal immigrants from the country.

However, what Trump could do with executive action to force more compliance from the jurisdictions remains a question, opening up the possibility of even more legal action against the administration.

“While [Trump] works tirelessly to safeguard our communities and strengthen our national security, the radical left continues to weaponize the legal system to oppose common-sense policies,” former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel J. Cameron, who currently serves as the CEO of the 1792 Exchange, told Fox News Digital. “It will surprise no one that the radical left will double and triple down on this strategy.”

Trump has faced an unprecedented number of court obstacles during the first few months of his administration, with legal challenges resulting in 15 injunctions at least temporarily blocking his executive actions as of February, according to data compiled by Harvard Law Review. That number already outpaces the total injunctions faced by former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, who saw 12 and 14 during their entire terms in office, respectively.

President Donald Trump is expected to sign multiple executive orders on Thursday. (REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY STUDENT PROTESTER SUES TRUMP ADMIN TO PREVENT DEPORTATION

Cameron expects more of the same when it comes to Trump’s looming order on sanctuary cities. “It will surprise no one that the radical left will double and triple down on this strategy,” he said.

Given the limitations, Cameron expects Trump’s order to target federal funding for jurisdictions who fail to comply.

“Inside of the United States, your zip code should be irrelevant when it comes to enforceable federal law.,” he said. “Cities and states that harbor illegal aliens from federal authorities or otherwise actively interfere with the enforcement of federal law do not deserve taxpayer money or support. Plain and simple. I suspect the executive order will stop taxpayers from being on the hook for the unsafe immigration decisions of local authorities.”

ICE agents get very little, if any, help from the local law enforcement agencies of sanctuary cities. (ICE Seattle)

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Overall, Cameron believes that Trump’s plan to sign an executive order would be a good start, noting the success the president has had with executive actions to close down the southern border.

“Executive orders are a good first step,” Camerson said. “Look at the southern border. We didn’t need new laws for border crossings to plummet from the Biden-era highs. All we needed was a new president with the courage to do something.”

Reporters are claiming to have found private contact information online for top Trump administration officials at the center of a Signal text chain leak disclosing U.S. plans to attack Yemen’s Houthi rebels. 

Germany’s Der Spiegel said national security advisor Mike Waltz, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth are among those affected.  

The outlet reported that phone numbers, email addresses and even some passwords belonging to the officials were found on the internet by its staff after they “used commercial people search engines along with hacked customer data that has been published on the web.” 

“Most of these numbers and email addresses are apparently still in use, with some of them linked to profiles on social media platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn. They were used to create Dropbox accounts and profiles in apps that track running data,” Der Spiegel reported. “There are also WhatsApp profiles for the respective phone numbers and even Signal accounts in some cases.” 

TRUMP SAYS HE ‘ALWAYS THOUGHT’ WALTZ WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR SIGNAL CHAT SCANDAL 

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he did not share classified plans to strike Houthi targets in a Signal group chat on March 26, 2025.

The outlet, citing publicly available information, claimed an email address linked to Hegseth was in use just a few days ago. 

It said WhatsApp and Signal accounts purportedly belonging to Waltz appear to have been deactivated after it reached out to both accounts for comment. 

ATLANTIC REPORTER PUBLISHES MORE TEXTS ABOUT ATTACK ON HOUTHI TARGETS 

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, center, is flanked by FBI Director Kash Patel, left, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, as the Senate Intelligence Committee holds its worldwide threats hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Tuesday, March 25. All three answered questions about the Signal text chain leak. (AP/J. Scott Applewhite)

Der Spiegel reported that its staff also found private Google accounts linked to Gabbard in use as recently as two weeks ago.

A spokesperson for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence told Fox News Digital Thursday that “this occurred almost 10 years ago, and the platforms mentioned haven’t been used in years and the passwords have changed multiple times.”

National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, left, and President Donald Trump  (Reuters)

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Neither the White House nor the Department of Defense responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on Thursday.

President Donald Trump appeared to place the blame for the Signal chat scandal on national security adviser Mike Waltz. The president was asked who was responsible for the scandal while signing an executive order on Wednesday evening.

“It was Mike, I guess. I don’t know, I always thought it was Mike,” Trump told reporters before calling the media’s reaction to the scandal a “witch hunt.” 

This marks a significant change of tune for the president, who blamed someone else for the scandal when speaking to NBC. During the Tuesday phone interview, Trump told NBC that he believed that “it was one of Michael’s people on the phone. A staffer had his number in there.”

National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and President Donald Trump pictured side by side. (Reuters)

RUBIO BREAKS SILENCE ON LEAKED SIGNAL CHAT: ‘SOMEONE MADE A BIG MISTAKE’

A reporter then asked if Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth should be worried about his position amid the scandal, and Trump rushed to his Cabinet member’s defense. 

“Hegseth, he was doing a great job… How do you bring Hegseth into it? He had nothing to do with this,” Trump said in response. He also told reporters that he believes Signal, an encrypted messaging app, “could be defective” in light of the scandal.

While speaking to reporters, Trump dismissed the significance of the scandal and instead touted the “unbelievably successful” attack, saying that the media should be focusing on the outcome rather than the chat group.

Trump speaks to the media in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., March 26, 2025.  (REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)

ATLANTIC REPORTER PUBLISHES MORE TEXTS ABOUT ATTACK ON HOUTHI TARGETS

The Atlantic’s Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg sent the Trump White House reeling after he broke the bombshell story on Monday. Goldberg was inadvertently included in a Signal chat group with senior Trump administration officials who were discussing a planned attack on the Houthis in Yemen.

Goldberg said he “had very strong doubts” about the chat’s authenticity. However, once he verified that the actions discussed in the group were occurring, he knew it was real. 

The Atlantic editor-in-chief said he had “never seen a breach quite like this.” While Goldberg acknowledged that it’s not uncommon for U.S. officials to use Signal, he said it was primarily used as a logistics tool and not a place to discuss “imminent war plans.”

U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stand, as U.S. President Donald Trump (not pictured) meets French President Emmanuel Macron (not pictured), at the White House in Washington, D.C., Feb. 24, 2025. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)

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The Trump administration has worked to downplay the report for days, and even claimed victory when The Atlantic published a follow-up describing what was discussed as “attack plans,” rather than “war plans.” 

“This entire story was another hoax written by a Trump-hater who is well-known for his sensationalist spin,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote in a post on X.

Leavitt confirmed to reporters on Wednesday that Elon Musk was helping lead an investigation of the Signal chat leak. However, it is unclear what will happen to those found responsible, as Trump has already said that he would not fire Waltz over the scandal.

President Donald Trump endorsed Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., describing the lawmaker as “a wonderful friend.” 

Graham, who has served in the Senate for more than two decades, will be up for re-election again in 2026.

“Senator Lindsey Graham is working incredibly hard for the Great People of South Carolina, a State I love and WON BIG in 2016, 2020, and 2024!” Trump declared in a Truth Social post on Wednesday night.

JOHN FETTERMAN AND LINDSEY GRAHAM ADVOCATE FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM

Left: President Donald Trump departs the U.S. Capitol following a Friends of Ireland luncheon on March 12, 2025 in Washington, D.C.;  Sen. Lindsey Graham speaks during briefing on Aug. 12, 2024 in Kyiv, Ukraine (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; Vitalii Nosach/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

“Lindsey has been a wonderful friend to me, and has always been there when I needed him. As the Chair of the Senate Budget Committee, Lindsey is fighting tirelessly to Grow the Economy, Lower Taxes, and Eliminate Government Waste. Lindsey is also relentlessly focused on helping us Secure the Border, Stop Migrant Crime, Strongly Support our Great Military/Vets, Promote American Energy DOMINANCE, Defend our always under siege Second Amendment, and ensure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH,” he continued.

“Senator Lindsey Graham has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election — HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN. Everyone in South Carolina should help Lindsey have a BIG WIN next year!”

Some of the president’s supporters will likely disagree with the endorsement decision — people at a Trump rally in Graham’s own state booed the senator when he spoke at the event in 2023.

OBAMA VS TRUMP: POLITICAL GIANTS BACK OPPOSING CANDIDATES IN WIDELY-WATCHED WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT CONTEST

People booed when Trump mentioned Graham at another rally later in 2023.

Graham thanked the president for his support on Wednesday night.

“President Trump’s endorsement means the world to me. I am humbled by his faith in me as a Senator and as a friend. On a professional level, I am proud to have been there at the beginning when President Trump — through sheer force of will —achieved the greatest political comeback in American history,” the senator wrote in a post on X.

BYRON DONALDS POINTS TO TRUMP ENDORSEMENT WHILE ADDRESSING CASEY DESANTIS RIVALING CAMPAIGN RUMORS

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“On a personal level, I genuinely enjoy our friendship. He’s an awesome golfing buddy, who I have yet to beat. I look forward to being one of the driving forces in the U.S. Senate to enact President Trump’s agenda to make America more prosperous and more secure. Thank you, Mr. President.”

The president also issued posts backing several other Republican lawmakers on Wednesday night, including Sens. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, and Rep. John McGuire of Virginia.

President Donald Trump sounded off on Truth Social early Thursday after Judge James Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia was assigned to preside over a lawsuit lodged against several Trump administration officials and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

The Obama-nominated judge has also been presiding over a lawsuit challenging Trump’s invocation of the Alien Enemies act for authority to deport Venezuelan members of Tren de Aragua, which the U.S. has designated as a foreign terrorist organization.

“How disgraceful is it that ‘Judge’ James Boasberg has just been given a fourth ‘Trump Case,’ something which is, statistically, IMPOSSIBLE. There is no way for a Republican, especially a TRUMP REPUBLICAN, to win before him. He is Highly Conflicted, not only in his hatred of me — Massive Trump Derangement Syndrome! — but also, because of disqualifying family conflicts,” Trump asserted in a post.

JUDGE FIGHTING TRUMP OVER EL SALVADOR DEPORTATIONS ASSIGNED TO LAWSUIT OVER SIGNAL CHAT LEAK

Left: President Donald Trump on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One in Washington, D.C., on Friday, March 21, 2025; Right: James Boasberg, incoming chief judge of the US District Court, in Washington, D.C., on Monday, March 13, 2023. (Left: Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Right: Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“Boasberg, who is the Chief Judge of the D.C. District Court, seems to be grabbing the ‘Trump Cases’ all to himself, even though it is not supposed to happen that way. Is there still such a thing as the ‘wheel,’ where the Judges are chosen fairly, and at random?” he continued.

“The good news is that it probably doesn’t matter, because it is virtually impossible for me to get an Honest Ruling in D.C. Our Nation’s Courts are broken, with New York and D.C. being the most preeminent of all in their Corruption and Radicalism. There must be an immediate investigation of this Rigged System, before it is too late!”

Trump called for Boasberg to be impeached earlier this month.

NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR MIKE WALTZ TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR ‘EMBARRASSING’ SIGNAL CHAT LEAK

After calling him a “Radical Left Lunatic of a Judge, a troublemaker and agitator,” Trump declared in a post on Truth Social, which did not refer to Boasberg by name, “This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges’ I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!!!”

The new lawsuit Boasberg has been assigned was brought by the self-described “watchdog” group American Oversight.

Defendants named in the suit include Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as dependents, along with the NARA.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION INVOKES STATE SECRETS ACT ON HIGH-PROFILE DEPORTATION CASE

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“Plaintiff American Oversight brings this action … to prevent the unlawful destruction of federal records and to compel Defendants to fulfill their legal obligations to preserve and recover federal records created through unauthorized use of Signal for sensitive national security decision-making,” the suit declares.

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content.

Here’s what’s happening…

–Hunter Biden atty Lowell drops from LA case; replaced by Alex Murdaugh’s lawyer Harpootlian

-Trump administration asks SCOTUS to approve DEI-related education cuts

-How Mike Johnson and Jim Jordan could hit back at judges blocking Trump’s agenda

Hoax Signal

Trump administration officials say the Atlantic “conceded” that its article providing a firsthand account of a Signal group chat involving the nation’s top national security leaders discussing an attack on terrorists in Yemen did not contain “war plans.”

“The Atlantic has conceded: these were NOT ‘war plans,'” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted to X Wednesday morning. “This entire story was another hoax written by a Trump-hater who is well-known for his sensationalist spin.”

National security advisor Mike Waltz posted to X Wednesday, “No locations. No sources & methods. NO WAR PLANS. Foreign partners had already been notified that strikes were imminent. BOTTOM LINE: President Trump is protecting America and our interests.”…Read more

The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg published a piece stating he was inadvertently invited to a Trump administration text groupchat discussing the White House’s plans to strike Houthi militants in Yemen. (Reuters )

White House

FIRST ON FOX: Top agency staffer trying to block crucial Trump directive previously managed DEI team 

World Stage

SEARCH UNDERWAY: 4 American soldiers missing from training area in Lithuania found dead, NATO leader says

Capitol Hill

‘MY STATEMENT WAS CLEAR’: Rep Jasmine Crockett refuses to apologize for ‘Gov Hot Wheels’ comment

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-TX, is claiming her recent comment seeming to mock a disabled Republican leader as “Governor Hot Wheels” was misinterpreted. Her previous comments about the governor, however, indicate otherwise. (Fox News Photo/Joshua Comins/(Photo by ALLISON BAILEY/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images))

OFFENSIVE LINE OF QUESTIONING’: CIA director blasts Democrat’s ‘offensive line of questioning’ about Hegseth’s ‘drinking habits’

ELMO COMMUNIST SPY?: Democrats invoke children’s shows in bizarre defense of PBS, NPR: ‘Fire Elon, Save Elmo’

‘WITH REGARD TO THAT ARTICLE’: Ratcliffe says new Signal texts show he ‘did not transmit classified information’

‘APPALLING’: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene scolds NPR CEO over personal views during fiery DOGE subcommittee hearing

‘MASSIVE ERROR’: Veteran Dem senator demands Hegseth resign over Signal chat leak

Across America

‘MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN’: West Virginia passes first-of-its-kind law banning food dyes and preservatives; Gov cites MAHA movement

CUT ‘GREEN TAPE’: Cutting the ‘green tape’: Conservation group offers top 10 ways for Dept of Interior to streamline

‘VETO CORLEONE’: Youngkin kills left-wing dreams with record-setting bill nixing spree

CUT THE CRAP: Republican bills put taxpayer-funded junk food on the chopping block

Background: Cases of Pepsi soda; Left: Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.; Right Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah (Background: Kevin Carter/Getty Images; Left: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Right:  Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

TUFTS LUCK: ICE detains Tufts University student amid Trump admin’s campus crackdown

DEATH’S DOOR: Florida Republicans open door to firing squads, lethal gas as they push death penalty expansion

UNNECESSARY ROUGHNESS: Former NFL player LeShon Johnson charged in FBI’s largest dog fighting bust, 190 animals seized: indictment

Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

Democrats are once again giving the silent treatment to violence and vandalism against Tesla cars and dealerships. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., refused to condemn the violence against Tesla when confronted on Capitol Hill. 

Few Democrats have unequivocally denounced the ongoing attacks on Tesla showrooms, charging stations and vehicles, even as the FBI has launched a task force to crack down on Tesla crime, the Justice Department announced charges against arson suspects, and Attorney General Pam Bondi labeled the attacks “domestic terrorism” — an issue Democrats have railed against for years. 

House Democratic leaders Jeffries and Pelosi gave Fox News Digital the cold shoulder when asked to respond to the string of violent attacks against Tesla, as Democrats’ silence on the “domestic terrorism” against Tesla grows louder by the day. 

Jeffries refused to acknowledge the question when asked to denounce the violence as his staff ushered him inside the Capitol, earning a disapproving shake of the head from one staffer. Pelosi brushed off a question about her take on the situation with a polite wave, telling Fox News Digital she was running late. Yet, both Democratic leaders have been steadfast in their rejection of “domestic terrorism” — until now. 

DEMS WHO RAILED AGAINST DOMESTIC TERRORISM SILENT AS TRUMP FLOATS 20-YEAR JAIL SENTENCE FOR TESLA VANDALS

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., refused to comment on the violence against Tesla when confronted on Capitol Hill.

“We have to act decisively to address the poison of White supremacy and domestic terrorism in America. It’s a poison, it’s a cancer, it’s destroying our society. It shouldn’t be a partisan issue. It’s not a Democratic issue or Republican issue, dealing with the crisis of violent White supremacy. It is an American issue,” Jeffries said in 2022. 

DEMS WHO HAVE SPOKEN PASSIONATELY AGAINST DOMESTIC TERRORISM GO SILENT AS TESLA TORCHERS ARE CHARGED

Pelosi applauded her Democratic colleagues in 2018 for “refusing to accept the House GOP’s continued failure to investigate domestic terrorism.” Pelosi has yet to condemn the House Democrats for failing to condemn domestic terrorism against Tesla. 

Jeffries and Pelosi are just the latest Democrats to brush off questions from Fox News Digital about the attacks on Tesla. Fox News Digital asked 13 Democrats who sponsored legislation to combat domestic terrorism if they agreed the attacks are “domestic terrorism” and if the government should target the people vandalizing Tesla. None of the lawmakers responded. 

Hundreds protest outside a Tesla showroom. (Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., responded after publication to imply President Donald Trump should serve time for his own convictions after the president last week floated 20-year prison sentences for “people that get caught sabotaging Teslas,” including their “funders.”

“People who violate the law and have 34 convictions should serve time. In addition, the convicted criminals who were documented participants of the Jan 6th insurrection should not be pardoned by the president,” Waters told Fox News Digital. 

Waters has yet to call for an investigation into how Tesla protests are being funded as many conservatives are pointing the finger at liberal activist groups. Musk recently blamed left-wing billionaire George Soros, billionaire Democratic mega-donor and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and others, claiming they are bankrolling the destructive “protests.”

Waters did, however, call for an investigation in 2022 into how domestic extremists are funded. “We are deeply concerned about the financing of domestic violent extremist activities in the U.S.,” Waters and her Democratic colleagues said in 2022. 

Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., gestures at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 19, 2024. (Reuters/Mike Segar)

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., however, was clear in calling for an end to the violence when asked about the string of Tesla attacks.

“I’m opposed to violence. I don’t believe in violence. People can voice their opposition, but we can’t live in a violent nation,” DeLauro told Fox News Digital. “People can be opposed to something, and people boycott stuff all the time… but the violence needs to stop. We can’t really make that a part of what our national discourse is.”

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., has also been firm in his condemnation of Tesla attacks and urged his Democratic colleagues to follow suit. 

“There is zero tolerance for acts of vandalism against Tesla. Spraying the words “nazi cars” or lighting fire to dealerships and chargers is wrong. Period. All Democrats should condemn it,” he said in an X post earlier this month.

A fire department member inspects a burned Tesla Cybertruck at a Tesla lot in Seattle on March 10. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)

When asked by Fox News Digital last week if the Tesla attacks are domestic terrorism, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., acknowledged that everyone has a right to protest but no one has the right to violence. 

“Well, I don’t know what domestic terrorism is. It’s outrageous. It’s absurd. People have a right to protest [Elon] Musk. They have a right to protest, you know, in front of Tesla. Nobody has the right to engage in any form of violence, period. But that’s all. No one has the right to engage in violence,” Sanders said. 

From Oregon to Massachusetts, Tesla cars and facilities have been vandalized in at least 10 locations this year. What began as protests against Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have escalated into violent incidents against the Trump ally’s company, including shots fired at a building, destroyed dealership windows and charging stations set on fire. 

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While no serious injuries have been reported, the FBI identified an anti-Musk website that was registered on March 17. It featured an interactive map with a Molotov cocktail cursor of Tesla owners’ names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mails, Tesla supercharger and dealership locations, and addresses of individuals associated with DOGE. 

Tesla made an appearance on Capitol Hill Wednesday where the company was held up as one of several key American manufacturers during a bipartisan event on U.S.-made robotics.

Two Tesla humanoid robots were at the event, with onlookers crowding the machines as they struck various poses. 

They waved their arms at times, and held up hands with two fingers aloft on each in a Richard Nixon-like pose. At one point, a robot’s arm swung out and hit the rope dividing it from the crowd, briefly sending a security guard scrambling to fix it.

Outside of Washington, however, Tesla car dealerships have been targeted by progressive activists across the country. The automaker and tech company is getting singled out for acts of vandalism over its founder, Elon Musk, and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) efforts in the Trump administration.

DEMS WHO RAILED AGAINST DOMESTIC TERRORISM SILENT AS TRUMP FLOATS 20-YEAR JAIL SENTENCE FOR TESLA VANDALS

Tesla humanoid robots made an appearance on Capitol Hill, while, outside of Washington, Tesla dealerships are being attacked. (Getty Images/Fox News Digital)

House select committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar, R-Mich., suggested Tesla’s appearance at the bipartisan event showed Congress rising above partisanship.

“The competition is with China, and we are united in winning that competition,” Moolenaar told Fox News Digital at the event. 

He called Telsa “innovative,” adding, “All the companies here have shown tremendous ingenuity, and we were pleased to highlight all of their efforts.”

The event featured bots from other events, including so-called “robot dogs,” officially known as “Spot the Agile Mobile Robot” by Boston Dynamics, and a similar machine by Ghost Robotics.

John Moolenaar, a Republican from Mississippi, is chairman of the House Select Committee on China.  (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Moolenaar said Spot stood out to him in particular, as well as Tesla’s two robot humanoids that were present at the event.

“It’s amazing technology, and what struck me was a lot of the same technology that’s in a vehicle is used in these humanoid robots,” he said.

Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., another member of the committee, said the Tesla robots could have “unbelievable applications.”

“Maybe in agriculture — a lot of our farmers are going out of business, can’t compete labor-wise, right? You get a couple of robots that can actually do very detailed farm work and drive the labor costs down, we’ll save the American farmer,” Gimenez said.

EXCLUSIVE: HOUSE GOP FIREBRAND DRIVES DOGE COMMITTEE INVESTIGATION OF GOVERNMENT MEDIA AGENCY CORRUPTION

Authorities are investigating a possible arson attack involving a Molotov cocktail on five Teslas at a collision center in Las Vegas on March 18, 2025.  (Souphany Vannavong via Storyful)

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He also accused Democrats outside the event of having their “hair on fire” over Musk and criticized Tesla critics who have been vandalizing its car dealerships.

“Some people have taken things to an extreme,” Gimenez said. 

“There is no need for putting down something that is advancing American technology and is going to be beneficial for America.”

The Trump administration has recently made moves to crack down on those vandals, with President Donald Trump himself threatening to jail protesters. The FBI, meanwhile, has commissioned a task force to look into the matter.

Texas has passed a bill that would create an efficiency office much like the federal government’s Department of Government Efficiency started by President Donald Trump.

Texas SB14 establishes the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office and, if passed into law, will attempt to streamline state regulations, reduce unnecessary rules and promises to make massive reductions to the size of the state’s government.

“I prioritized SB 14 because President Trump’s creation of the ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ inspired me to find ways Texas can save taxpayers and businesses money by cutting burdensome regulations. The Texas Miracle will continue long into the 21st century because our common-sense, conservative approach to regulation will keep Texans prosperous and our economy strong,” said Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in a statement Wednesday.

Split image of Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and U.S. President Donald Trump.  (Getty Images)

A regulatory efficiency advisory panel will also be established that will advise the governor’s office and the Efficiency Office. That panel will be composed of members representing regulated businesses, the public, occupational license holders, higher education and state agencies. 

This bill outlines that it will also increase the public’s access to regulatory information by establishing an interactive website for people to search for state agency rules and information by topic, activity or NAICS code.

DOGE SAYS TEXAS NONPROFIT WITH FORMER BIDEN TRANSITION MEMBER REAPED MILLIONS OPERATING EMPTY FACILITY

The exterior of the Texas State Capitol, is seen on September 05, 2023 in Austin, Texas.  (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

To keep things transparent, the bill would require that the Efficiency Office must submit a biennial report to the governor and the Legislative Budget Board, detailing its activities, findings, and recommendations.

Patrick says this bill was necessary for the people of Texas and will put money back in taxpayers’ pockets.

‘AMERICA HAS DOGE FEVER’: STATES FROM NJ TO TX DRAFT SIMILAR INITIATIVES AS FEDERAL LEADERS CELEBRATE

Lieutenant Governor of Texas Dan Patrick speaks during a press conference. (REUTERS/David ‘Dee’ Delgado)

“The Texas economy is the envy of America and the world. Texans understand that by cutting red tape, more money stays in the pockets of taxpayers. When Texans save money, the private sector is unleashed, Texans start small businesses, jobs are created and our economy grows,” Patrick said.

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The bill is now on its way to the House committee before it can be voted on by the Texas House of Representatives. 

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) terminated some mortgages for illegal immigrants in an effort to ensure federal home loans don’t go to those living in the U.S. illegally. 

HUD Secretary Scott Turner announced the move Wednesday, a day after news of a joint effort with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to focus on homeownership for Americans. 

“Today, HUD terminated Biden’s taxpayer-backed FHA mortgages for illegal aliens,” Turner wrote on X. “American taxpayers will no longer subsidize open borders by offering home loans to those who enter our nation illegally.”

HUD TERMINATES OBAMA-ERA HOUSING RULE THAT TRUMP WARNED WOULD ‘DESTROY’ HOME VALUES

Roughly 9 million people live in subsidized housing across the U.S., HUD says. (iStock)

In another post, Turner said HUD-backed mortgages should benefit Americans “who play by the rules and work hard, not those who enter our country illegally.”

“Today, HUD acted to protect the American Dream of homeownership,” he wrote. 

On Monday, Turner and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem signed a memo to end “wasteful misappropriation” of taxpayer-funded public housing resources going to illegal immigrants rather than U.S. citizens. 

ICE NEARING HISTORIC DEAL WITH IRS TO AID IN DEPORTATIONS: REPORT

The initiative will help with data sharing between the two agencies via newly established lines of communication, officials said. A news release said U.S. veterans stood to benefit from the move.

“American tax dollars should be used for the benefit of American citizens, especially when it comes to an issue as pressing as our nation’s housing crisis,” Turner said Monday. “This new agreement will leverage resources, including technology and personnel, to ensure American people are the only priority when it comes to public housing. 

“We will continue to work closely with DHS to maximize our resources and put American citizens first.”

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and HUD Secretary Scott Turner are launching efforts to end the “exploitation of housing programs” by undocumented immigrants. (Getty Images)

Roughly 9 million people live in subsidized housing across the country, according to HUD. About 59% of noncitizen households — those including green card holders or illegal immigrants — use one or more public assistance programs, costing taxpayers as much as $42 billion annually, according to the Center for Immigration Studies, a group that advocates for lower immigration levels.

Upon taking office, President Donald Trump called for greater oversight to stop illegal immigrants from accessing taxpayer-funded resources. 

During the Biden administration, tens of millions of dollars were spent on housing for migrants, including for all-expense-paid stays at hotels for some.

Asylum seekers line up in front of the historic Roosevelt Hotel (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

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Some states, such as Pennsylvania and Arizona, passed measures during the Biden administration aimed at ensuring illegal immigrants do not take public housing resources from Americans who need them. 

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

Former Minnesota state Sen. Justin Eichorn was granted pre-trial release on Wednesday after being charged with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor in connection to a prostitution sting.

Eichorn, 40, is accused of arranging to meet up with a 17-year-old girl for sex on March 17.

On Wednesday, the Republican was granted release from jail pending trial, with requirements that he go to a halfway house once a bed is available and be monitored by GPS.

MINNESOTA REPUBLICANS TO INTRODUCE BILL DEFINING ‘TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME’ AS MENTAL ILLNESS

Minnesota state Sen. Justin Eichorn (Senate.mn)

Fox News Digital previously reported Eichorn was allegedly speaking with a girl who he was told was underage for about a week before arranging to meet on March 17 for sex.

When he arrived at the meet-up, he realized the person he was talking to online was actually an undercover agent, affiliate FOX 9 Minneapolis reported.

The former senator was arrested and initially granted release at his first court appearance, but prosecutors over the weekend requested a new detention hearing, claiming he asked his wife to move a laptop from his apartment before investigators arrived, according to FOX 9.

Minnesota lawmakers conduct a session in the state legislature in St. Paul. (Getty Images)

Court documents showed FBI agents, who arrived at the apartment before his wife, told her she could not take the laptop, which Eichorn’s attorneys argued was for their shared real estate business.

Also inside the apartment was a factory-reset cellphone and a gun Eichorn allegedly denied having when speaking with a probation officer, FOX 9 reported.

Eichorn’s attorneys said the gun was kept in case anyone acted on threats he received about recent legislation he authored defining “Trump derangement syndrome,” or TDS, as a mental illness in Minnesota, according to the report.

SANCTUARY CITY LAWYERS PLOT TO HELP ILLEGAL MIGRANTS EVADE ICE IN EXPOSED GROUP EMAIL

The Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul

Eichorn resigned on March 19 prior to a motion from Republican lawmakers to boot him from the state Senate.

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Court records show his wife filed for divorce this week, according to the report.

Eichorn could not be reached by Fox News Digital for comment.

It was sheer coincidence that two of the witnesses testifying before a rare, public hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee Tuesday were part of the botched text chain about military action in Yemen.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe were scheduled for the committee’s annual “worldwide threats” hearing.

But something else commandeered the talk of the town.

Had the text chain not dropped, there would have been lengthy discussions about domestic terrorism and the threat at the border. How the U.S. was grappling with China. Was there progress in the Middle East? How about the war in Ukraine?

RUBIO BREAKS SILENCE ON LEAKED SIGNAL CHAT: ‘SOMEONE MADE A BIG MISTAKE’

FBI Director Kash Patel joined Gabbard and Ratcliffe at the witness table. Patel just assembled a task force to address domestic terrorism. Under other circumstances, senators may have questioned Patel about people setting Teslas afire and keying Cybertrucks.

But that was not to be.

Democrats have reeled since the early days of the second Trump Administration. They’ve failed to establish their footing. They’ve attacked one another after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., sided with Republicans to help avoid a government shutdown. Other Democrats faced irate voters, infuriated that the people they elected aren’t doing more to stand up to President Trump and Congressional Republicans.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe withstood a barrage of congressional queries into the Signal leak that’s taken the Executive Branch by storm. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)

And then Democrats scored a gift with the bolloxed text chain.

Or, it was at least something Democrats could wield against the other side.

They were apoplectic about the group chat.

“It’s the dumbest thing I’ve seen,” said Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz.

“I think this is one more example of the kind of sloppy, careless, incompetent behavior,” bemoaned Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

HEGSETH SAYS NO CLASSIFIED INFORMATION WAS SHARED IN SIGNAL GROUP CHAT: ‘NOBODY’S TEXTING WAR PLANS’

Democrats charged that intelligence officials were cavalier with information.

“This sloppiness, this incompetence, this disrespect for our intelligence agencies and the personnel who work for them is entirely unacceptable. It’s an embarrassment,” said Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo. “You need to do better. You need to do better.”

Gabbard initially sidestepped when Warner questioned her about the digital misfire.

“Senator, I don’t want to get into the specifics,” Gabbard said.

That response confounded Warner.

Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and U.S. Air Force Lt. General and Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Jeffrey Kruse appear before the House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, March 26. (Reuters/Leah Millis)

“You’re not going to be willing to address…?” said Warner. “Are you denying that? Will you answer my question, ma’am?”

But Gabbard deliberately addressed the group chat controversy when she testified Wednesday before the House Intelligence Committee. She did so in her opening remarks. But after she addressed cybersecurity threats from China and volatility in the Middle East.

Gabbard said that it was a “mistake” to include Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg on the text chain.

“The national security adviser has taken full responsibility for this. And the National Security Council is conducting an in-depth review, along with technical experts working to determine how this reporter was inadvertently added to this chat,” said Gabbard. “No classified information was shared. There were no sources, methods, locations, or war plans that were shared.”

ELON MUSK TAPPED TO HELP LEAD INVESTIGATION INTO SIGNAL CHAT LEAK: WHITE HOUSE

Gabbard then informed the committee that because of a lawsuit filed about the text chain she was “limited in my ability to comment further on that specific case.”

The CIA and other intelligence services sometimes rely on the encrypted chat app Signal for coordination.

“The use of Signal message and end encryption applications is permissible and was in this case, ‘use permissible,’” said Ratcliffe at the Senate hearing.

Gabbard said the bungled texts divulged no top secrets.

“There was no classified material that was shared in that,” said Gabbard.

“So then if there (is) no classified material, share it with the committee. You can’t have it both ways,” countered Warner.

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., pressed Gabbard and Ratcliffe on the possible presence of classified material in the leaked messages. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)

Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., who sits on the Intelligence Committee and is the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, chimed in at a news conference.

“If that’s true, the administration should immediately provide a copy of the group chat to Congress,” said Reed.

The debate over operational security and faulty handling of sensitive information is the entrée for this story. But frank assessments about Europe and U.S. allies by Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth constituted a fascinating group chat biproduct.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: IMPEACHAPALOOZA IS HERE TO STAY

Vance texted his concerns about the U.S. commencing airstrikes – which may be more beneficial for Europe than the United States. Vance and other Trump Administration officials have criticized Europe for their approaches to security – often leaning on the United States.

“3 percent of US trade runs through the suez,” texted Vance, addressing how the Houthis pose a risk to shipping through the Suez Canal. “40 percent of European trade does.”

Vance blessed the operation on the text chain. But added this jab.

“I just hate bailing Europe out again,” texted the Vice President.

Then Hegseth jumped in.

“I fully share your loathing of European free-loading,” replied Hegseth. “It’s PATHETIC.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., dismissed the idea that incendiary language used by top officials in the leaked messages could harm international relations. (Reuters)

“Doesn’t that harm our relationship with them?” yours truly asked Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.

“I think you have to put that into context for what it is,” replied Thune. “This is a new administration. There’s a new sheriff in town. And, at some point, I think the Europeans and all the other countries around the world – whether they like it or not – realize that.”

Some Republicans tried to give the national security officials a pass.

“If you have never made a mistake, then you can throw the first stone,” said Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla.

ATLANTIC REPORTER PUBLISHES MORE TEXTS ABOUT ATTACK ON HOUTHI TARGETS

Other Republicans shot the messenger.

“What The Atlantic did by making public something that they believed could have been national security sensitive is irresponsible activity (by) the press,” said Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif.

But deserved or not, consider how much time lawmakers from both sides burned on the chat group snafu versus delving into actual global threats at the hearings. After all, that was the expected subject of the sessions. There are consequences for that.

Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., lamented the fact that lawmakers’ preoccupation with the leak distracted from her original “intent to talk about biosecurity and bioterrorism” at the hearing. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“The penalty is we’re less prepared to deal with the dangerous world,” said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La. “We’re not as far as long as we should be and having a very serious discussion about national security.”

House Intelligence Committee member and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Penn., said it was her “intent to talk about biosecurity and bioterrorism” at the hearing. But she couldn’t because of the text chat.

“It does distract from the conversation. And I’m frustrated by unforced errors that we don’t have to be dealing with,” said Houlahan.

RATCLIFFE SAYS NEW SIGNAL TEXTS SHOW HE ‘DID NOT TRANSMIT CLASSIFIED INFORMATION’

But despite what played out in public, both the House and Senate Intelligence Committees conducted private, frank sessions with officials after the open forums.

“We covered a lot of things in that closed session,” said Rep. Jim Himes, D-Ct., the top Democrat on the Intelligence panel. “Everything from Russia to China to fentanyl. You name it.”

But Himes lamented that the committees exhausted so much time discussing the text chain.

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The group chat story is here to stay. At least for a while. Until another major story barrels its way onto the scene and rattles everything on Capitol Hill. At that point the new subject becomes the talk of the town.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced it had terminated 113 contracts valued at $4.7 billion Tuesday, including a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) consulting contract for Peru’s climate change activities.

“[Tuesday] agencies terminated 113 wasteful contracts with a ceiling value of $4.7B and savings of $3.3B, including a $145K USDA consulting contract for ‘Peru climate change activities,'” the department posted on X.

DOGE credit card scissor (iStock)

DOGE also announced the Department of Labor had canceled $577 million in “America Last” grants, totaling $237 million in savings.

The funding that was canceled included $10 million for “gender equity in the Mexican workplace,” $12.2 million for “worker empowerment in South America” and $6.25 million for “improving respect for workers’ rights in agricultural supply chains” in the countries of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.

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Elon Musk heads DOGE  (Getty Images)

Also eliminated was $5 million to elevate women’s participation in the workplace in West Africa, $4.3 million to assist foreign migrant workers in Malaysia, $3 million to enhance Social Security access and worker protection for internal migrant workers in Bangladesh and $3 million for safe and inclusive work environments in the southern African country of Lesotho.

DOGE, led by Elon Musk, is a temporary organization within the White House created via executive order earlier this year.

President Donald Trump tasked the organization with optimizing the federal government, streamlining operations and slashing spending and gave the agency 18 months to do it.

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President Donald Trump, left, with Tesla CEO and DOGE leader Elon Musk. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

The department has canceled numerous diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at federal agencies, consulting contracts, leases for underused federal buildings and duplicate agencies and programs.

As of March 26, DOGE claims on its site it has saved Americans $130 billion, or $807.45 per taxpayer.

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DOGE critics contend the organization has too much access to federal systems and should not be permitted to cancel federal contracts or make cuts to various agencies.

Fox News Digital’s Eric Revell and Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump late Wednesday took to Truth Social to announce Georgia state Sen. Brandon Beach as the next U.S. treasurer.

The 63-year-old Louisiana native was elected as a Republican Georgia state senator in 2013. He represents District 21, which includes parts of Cherokee and Fulton counties.

“Brandon helped us secure a Massive and Historic Victory for our Movement in the Great State of Georgia, and has been doing an incredible job in the Georgia State Senate since 2012. As our next Treasurer, Brandon will uphold the Values of Fiscal Responsibility, Economic Growth, and help unleash America’s Golden Age,” Trump wrote in the post. “Congratulations Brandon!”

Brandon Beach (Georgia State Senate)

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A graduate of Centenary College of Louisiana State University and Louisiana Frost School of Business, Beach won the Legislator of the Year Award from the Georgia Chamber of Commerce in 2017 and the Emerging Leader Award from GOPAC Inc. in April 2023.

He also serves as the president and CEO of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce and president and CEO of the North Fulton Community Improvement District.

President Trump nominated Georgia state Sen. Brandon Beach for U.S. treasurer. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

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Under his leadership, the district invested more than $2 million to bring $30 million in new infrastructure to the area, according to the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

Community boards he serves on include the Regional Business Coalition, Grady Hospital Board of Visitors, the Greater Metro Atlanta American Heart Association, Georgia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, Encore Park, and the Historic Roswell Convention and Visitors Bureau, according to the department.

Georgia state Sen. Brandon Beach has been nominated by President Trump for U.S. treasurer. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

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Beach currently lives in Alpharetta, Georgia, and shares two children with his wife, Shuntel Paille Beach.

The Georgia Senate Press Office and Beach did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

A federal judge denied President Donald Trump’s administration’s efforts to ban transgender people from joining the military, which was set to go into effect Friday.

Washington, D.C.-based U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, a Biden appointee, on Wednesday, denied the government’s motion to dissolve her order that prevents the military from denying transgender people the ability to enlist in the military.

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Transgender flag at a pro-trans protest in front of SCOTUS, left, and the Pentagon seal. (Getty)

Reyes presided over a hearing March 21, when she requested the Department of Defense delay its original March 26 deadline to enact the policy. 

Reyes said she wanted to allow more time for the appeals process. She also said she had previously allowed plenty of time to appeal her earlier opinion blocking the ban from going into effect.

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The legal challenge comes as the Supreme Court also considers a high-profile case dealing with transgender rights. 

The issue in the case, United States vs. Skrmetti, is whether the equal protection clause, which requires the government to treat similarly situated people the same, prohibits states from allowing medical providers to deliver puberty blockers and hormones to assist with a minor’s transition to another sex.

Vice President JD Vance boasted of “no more quotas” in the military as he visited young Marines at Quantico Wednesday, emphasizing that the previous administration’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies are no longer in effect.  

“No more quotas, no more ridiculous mumbo jumbo, no more diversity trainings,” he said. “We believe the real strength and the real diversity in the United States Marine Corps is that you all come from every walk of life, every corner of America, and you have got the strength and the purpose to win the nation’s wars.” 

The vice president claimed he saw a “renewed sense of patriotism” and a “renewed commitment to excellence in the nation’s military youth.” 

After addressing a crowd of Marines, Vance briefly served lunch in the chow hall and fired three different guns — an M27, M107 and an M240B — and an inert Howitzer and a drone at a gun range. 

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U.S. Vice President JD Vance speaks during a visit to Marine Corps Base Quantico in Quantico, Va., March 26, 2025. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)

Arriving three hours late, Vance blamed the delay on an Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump. 

“I was in the Oval Office talking to the president. I said, ’Sir, I know we’re in the middle of something, but the Marines at Quantico are waiting for me.” 

He said Trump sent his “love” and appreciation.

Lieutenants at Quantico told Fox News Digital they were excited to see a former Marine in the White House. Amid rapid-fire changes in Washington, they said their day-to-day lives hadn’t changed much in the military, other than new restrictions about what they were allowed to post on social media.

Wednesday’s address included Vance’s first public remarks since a bombshell report emerged of the vice president airing his concerns about Houthi strikes in a group chat on Signal with other top U.S. officials. He did not answer questions from reporters about the leaked discussion. 

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U.S. Vice President JD Vance wears a tactical helmet and gear as he takes part in shooting practice during a visit to Marine Corps Base Quantico in Quantico, Va., March 26, 2025.  (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)

Vance pointed out in messages revealed after The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg was mistakenly added to a high-level Signal chat that Europe’s shipping was far more affected than shipping in the U.S. by Houthi strikes in the Red Sea.

“I think we are making a mistake,” Vance said in one message.

“3 percent of US trade runs through the [Suez Canal]. 40 percent of European trade does. There is a real risk that the public doesn’t understand this or why it’s necessary. The strongest reason to do this is, as POTUS said, to send a message.”

Hegseth addressed Vance’s hesitance: “VP: I understand your concerns – and fully support you raising w/ POTUS. Important considerations, most of which are tough to know how they play out (economy, Ukraine peace, Gaza, etc). I think messaging is going to be tough no matter what – nobody knows who the Houthis are – which is why we would need to stay focused on: 1) Biden failed & 2) Iran funded.”

U.S. Vice President JD Vance wears a tactical helmet and gear as he takes part in shooting practice during a visit to Marine Corps Base Quantico in Quantico, Va., March 26, 2025. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)

Hegseth added, “Waiting a few weeks or a month does not fundamentally change the calculus. 2 immediate risks on waiting: 1) this leaks, and we look indecisive; 2) Israel takes an action first – or Gaza cease fire falls apart – and we don’t get to start this on our own terms.”

Vance replied, “If you think we should do it let’s go. I just hate bailing Europe out again.”

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Hegseth added, “VP: I fully share your loathing of European free-loading. It’s PATHETIC. But Mike is correct, we are the only ones on the planet (on our side of the ledger) who can do this. Nobody else even close. Question is timing. I feel like now is as good a time as any, given POTUS directive to reopen shipping lanes. I think we should go; but POTUS still retains 24 hours of decision space.”

U.S. adversaries such as China and Russia have started to target the northern U.S. border with Canada, FBI Director Kash Patel told lawmakers Wednesday.

During testimony in front of the House Intelligence Committee, Patel told lawmakers that the “effective resolution” to the crisis at the southern border has caused adversaries such as China, Russia and Iran to shift their resources to targeting the U.S. northern border.

“The enemy adapts,” Patel said.

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FBI Director Kash Patel said roughly 178,000 Chinese nationals attempted to cross the U.S. southern border between 2022 and 2025. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)

While Patel noted that adversaries have not stopped using the southern border altogether, the “monumental effort” to secure the border and stop known or suspected terrorists from coming into the country has made moving people and substances, such as fentanyl, illegally more difficult since President Donald Trump took office.

Patel’s comments come as Trump has overseen a dramatic shift at the U.S. southern border since taking office in January, with the number of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recorded encounters plummeting by 90% in most sectors compared to the same time period last year.

That shift has been aided by deployments of thousands of U.S. military troops to the border, who have assisted CBP agents with everything from reinforcing barriers to surveillance of potential illegal crossers.

The U.S. border with Canada has its own set of security concerns, Patel testified. (Cole Burston/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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The sudden silence at the southern border comes after record-setting numbers of illegal crossings during the four years of the Biden administration, a trend that also saw a dramatic increase in attempted crossings from immigrants outside of North and Latin America.

Chinese nationals were among the most likely to attempt illegal crossings, with the number of crossings from citizens of the country rising to over 24,000 in 2023, an over 5,200% increase from the 450 encounters just a year earlier, according to CBP data.

Overall, Patel told lawmakers that between 2022 and 2025, roughly 178,000 Chinese nationals attempted to cross the southern border.

FBI Director Kash Patel warned lawmakers that adversaries may begin to utilize the northern U.S. border. (Kash Patel headshot)

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Patel warned that the new security of the southern border could now open up threats to the north, arguing that U.S. adversaries will use the same tactics they previously used on sectors not receiving as much security attention.

The FBI did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.