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EXCLUSIVE — The Biden administration buried for more than a year a final draft report that failed to prove that an increase in U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals was linked to a meaningful impact on greenhouse gas emissions, according to a copy of the findings, previewed exclusively to Fox News Digital.

The Biden administration stalled the release of the information, senior Trump administration officials told Fox News Digital, delaying sharing the data with House Oversight Committee Republicans.

The impact new U.S. LNG exports had on the environment and the economy had been reviewed by U.S. Energy Department scientists and federal contractors, who by September 2023 had completed their work and had a draft final report ready for publication.

Fox News independently reviewed a copy of that draft study, titled, “Energy, Economic, and Environmental Assessment of U.S. LNG Exports.” That report and its findings were slated for publication in 2023 — months before then-President Joe Biden, who was still seeking re-election at the time, announced a pause on all new U.S. LNG export terminals in January 2024, citing the need to better consider environmental and economic impacts.

A liquid natural gas tanker is seen in Port Canaveral in Florida. (Malcom Denemark/Florida Today)

The draft report found that across all modeled scenarios, an increase in U.S. LNG exports and natural gas production did not change global or U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, nor did it correlate with a strong uptick in energy prices for consumers, Trump administration officials said.

“​​Secretary Granholm, and Biden White House told Americans that the increase in LNG exports would disproportionately increase prices for American consumers as well as from the environment,” an official said.

“And both these claims were refuted in the report that the Biden administration hid from Congress and the American public,” the official said.

A copy of the report was shared Wednesday morning with the House Oversight Committee, which had been requesting the Energy Department to share its findings on LNG since March 2024.

House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) talks to reporters before a House Oversight Committee hearing. (Al Drago/Getty Images)

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The 2023 findings present the most definitive data to date that the Biden administration, and then-Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, misrepresented the impact LNG exports would have on the U.S.

At the time, Biden was facing mounting criticism from progressives in the party to scale back LNG exports, which during his term rose to an all-time high. The U.S. became the world’s largest energy exporter in 2023, underpinned by new demand in the EU, following Russia’s war in Ukraine, and its abrupt cutoff of nearly all piped gas supplies to the bloc.

To help alleviate the deep energy security concerns, the U.S. ramped up exports to Europe to a record-high, supplying more than 50% of their LNG, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

That prompted fierce pushback from progressive Democrats, including Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., which put new pressure on the administration for the pause.

However, rather than come forward with the report, the Biden administration continued to stall on releasing the study and declined to comply with requests from the House Oversight Committee to testify or share their findings, Trump administration officials said.

That’s far less significant than the data eventually released by the Biden administration in December 2024, after the presidential election, which suggested the rise in exports could cause consumer prices to rise by as much as 30% in the coming years.

That sparked fierce backlash from both industry groups and Republicans, who panned the study as exaggerated and failing to justify the administration’s 10-month pause. 

Fox News Digital has emailed a Biden office spokesperson for comment.

Concerns are mounting around former President Joe Biden’s use of an autopen to sign presidential pardons and other official documents across his four years in office, though the chances of successfully challenging in court the use of an autopen on presidential pardons are “vanishingly low,” constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley said. 

“Many are suggesting that the Biden pardons may now be challenged in light of the disclosures of Biden’s use of an autopen,” Turley, a Fox News contributor, wrote on X Tuesday. “The chances of such challenges succeeding are vanishingly low. Presidents are allowed to use the autopen and courts will not presume a dead-hand conspiracy.” 

“Many of these were high-profile pardons, including for his own son, that Biden acknowledged publicly,” he added. “There is also a problem with standing unless the issue comes up in a government effort to indict a recipient. That does not mean that the disclosures are not deeply troubling.” 

Autopen signatures are ones that are automatically produced by a machine, as opposed to an authentic, handwritten signature. 

TRUMPS TAKES JAB AT BIDEN OVER ‘AUTOPEN SIGNATURE’ FOLLOWING CONCERNING REPORT OVER WHO RAN THE WHITE HOUSE

President Donald Trump has been sounding the alarm on former President Joe Biden’s prevalent use of an autopen for official presidential documents.  (Win McNamee/Pool via Reuters, Getty Images)

President Donald Trump has been sounding the alarm on Biden’s prevalent use of an autopen for official presidential documents, most notably for official presidential pardons before he left office in January. On Monday morning, Trump posted on Truth Social that Biden’s pardons for individuals connected to the Jan. 6 select committee investigation another are “void.”

“The ‘Pardons’ that Sleepy Joe Biden gave to the Unselect Committee of Political Thugs, and many others, are hereby declared VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT, because of the fact that they were done by Autopen,” Trump wrote. 

“In other words, Joe Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them! The necessary Pardoning Documents were not explained to, or approved by, Biden. He knew nothing about them, and the people that did may have committed a crime. Therefore, those on the Unselect Committee, who destroyed and deleted ALL evidence obtained during their two year Witch Hunt of me, and many other innocent people, should fully understand that they are subject to investigation at the highest level,” he added. 

At the heart of the issue over the use of an autopen, which have been frequently used by presidential administrations across the decades, is concern over Biden’s mental acuity when he served in the White House. Trump said Sunday that though he uses the autopen for documents such as letters, he does not use an autopen for legally binding documents. 

BIDEN’S ‘AUTOPEN SIGNATURE’ APPEARS ON MOST OFFICIAL DOCS, RAISING CONCERNS OVER WHO CONTROLLED THE WH: REPORT

At the heart of the issue over the use of an autopen is concern over Biden’s mental acuity when he served in the White House. (Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Trump’s declaration that Biden’s pardons are now “void” sparked a wave of legal questions to swirl — with many legal experts reporting that this is uncharted legal territory. 

“This dog will not hunt,” Turley added on X. “It may be worthy of investigation by Congress, but the pardons are unlikely to be seriously questioned by the courts.” 

Michael O’Neill, the vice president of legal affairs at Landmark Legal Foundation — a conservative legal advocacy group that works to defend the Constitution — told Fox News Digital that, to his knowledge, “there hasn’t been a case where the limits of this power have been challenged.”

“Biden’s pardons at the end of his term certainly test whether there are any limits to the presidential pardon power,” O’Neill said. “Can a president issue blanket pardons encompassing any crime an individual may be accused of over ten years? This is a legitimate question that has yet to be addressed by the courts because no president has abused this authority until Biden. Another question is whether the pardons are valid if executed without the president’s knowledge — i.e. via autopen.” 

“If an individual who has received a pardon is indicted, they would, most likely, assert pardon as an affirmative defense,” he added. “Lower courts would, most likely, uphold the dismissal, leaving it to SCOTUS to define the contours of the pardon power. How SCOTUS decides such a case is unknown.” 

LIES ABOUT BIDEN’S AGE, HEALTH DURING HIS PRESIDENCY IS A ‘SCANDAL OF EPIC PROPORTIONS,’ SCOTT JENNINGS SAYS

President Donald Trump’s declaration that Biden’s pardons are now “void” sparked a wave of legal questions to swirl — with many legal experts reporting that this is uncharted legal territory.  (Pool)

The Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project first sounded the alarm on Biden’s use of an autopen earlier in March, reporting that an autopen signature was used on the vast majority of official documents researchers reviewed, except for the signature on Biden’s official announcement that he was dropping out of the presidential race in 2024. 

Heritage’s Project Oversight posted a memo on its ongoing investigation into the matter Monday, reporting that researchers are wading through copious amounts of “public documents discharging non-delegable Presidential powers containing former President Joseph R. Biden’s signature.” 

The memo determined that “individuals in the Biden Administration other than the President appear to have used a device called an autopen to affix the President’s signature onto some of the most controversial clemency warrants of his Presidency.”

The Project Oversight memo offered a legal explanation that “if President Biden’s non-delegable official actions were not his own, then they are invalid.”

The Project Oversight memo offered a legal explanation that “if President Biden’s non-delegable official actions were not his own, then they are invalid.” (Kevin D. Liles for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

“Start with the Constitution,” the memo reported. “Multiple Constitutional provisions, like the pardon power, vest those powers solely in the President. In those cases, the President affixing his signature is his execution of the acts as President.” 

“The Founding Fathers contemplated these issues when writing the Constitution. For example, Article I, Section 7, Clause 2 of the Constitution lays out the role of the President to sign or veto legislation. Early debates at the Constitutional Convention concerning this provision made it clear that regardless of the structure of the Executive Branch, the President would maintain a necessary affirmative approbation of legislation presented to him. The act of the President affixing his signature manually to a bill is his consent and is the very act that causes a bill to become law; it is in no way ministerial. Until he signs, there is no law,” the legal explanation continued. 

The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel in 2005 under former President George W. Bush’s administration determined that the president is permitted to use an autopen to sign bills into law.

“You have asked whether, having decided to approve a bill, the President may sign it, within the meaning of Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution, by directing a subordinate to affix the President’s signature to it, for example by autopen,” the opinion stated. “This memorandum confirms and elaborates upon our earlier advice that the President may sign a bill in this manner.” 

The Project Oversight memo, however, hit back that the opinion is “wrong.”

“This opinion is wrong. But even that erroneous opinion was clear that ‘(w)e emphasize that we are not suggesting that the President may delegate the decision to approve and sign a bill, only that, having made this decision, he may direct a subordinate to affix the President’s signature to the bill,’” the memo said. 

CHUCK SCHUMER CONFRONTED WITH OLD CLIP OF HIMSELF DECLARING BIDEN’S DECLINE ‘RIGHT-WING PROPAGANDA’

Concerns over Biden’s mental acuity when he was in the White House have been under the microscope as legal questions fly over the use of the autopen and Trump’s declaration his pardons were voided. 

Biden kicked off 2024 in the driver’s seat of the Democratic Party as he keyed up a re-election effort in what was shaping up to be a rematch against Trump. In February 2024, however, Biden’s 81 years of age and mental acuity fell under public scrutiny after years of conservatives questioning the commander in chief’s mental fitness. 

Scrutiny over Biden’s mental fitness rose to a fever pitch in June 2024 after the president’s first and only presidential debate against Trump. Biden missed his marks repeatedly in the debate, tripping over his responses and appearing to lose his train of thought as he squared off against Trump. 

Scrutiny over Biden’s mental fitness rose to a fever pitch in June 2024 after the president’s first and only presidential debate against Trump.  (Michael Reynolds/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The disastrous debate performance led to an outpouring from both conservatives and traditional Democrat allies calling on the president to bow out of the race in favor of a younger generation. 

Biden dropped out of the race in July, with former Vice President Kamala Harris taking up the mantle in his place, though concerns over his health have continued months later as Trump speculates that Biden was unaware of signing the pardons specifically. 

WHITE HOUSE SAYS IT DIDN’T CREATE A BANNED WORD LIST, LEAVES LANGUAGE CHOICES UP TO AGENCIES

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was peppered with questions about the autopen during Monday’s White House press briefing, saying Trump’s Truth Social was raising the question whether Biden was aware of the pardons when he signed them. 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was peppered with questions about the autopen during a March 17, 2025, White House press briefing.  (JIim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

“Was his illegal signature used without his consent or knowledge? And that’s not just the president or me raising those questions,” Leavitt said on Monday. “According to the New York Post, there are Biden officials from the previous White House who raised those questions and wondered if the president was even consulted about his legally binding signature being signed onto documents.”

“And so I think it’s a question that everybody in this room should be looking into, because certainly that would propose, perhaps criminal or illegal behavior if staff members were signing the president of the United States’ autograph without his consent,” Leavitt continued. 

TRUMP DOESN’T USE AUTOPEN FOR LEGALLY BINDING DOCUMENTS, UNLIKE BIDEN, WHITE HOUSE SAYS

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., also recounted earlier in January to the media that Biden reportedly didn’t remember signing an executive order freezing new liquid natural gas exports in 2024, which has increased scrutiny surrounding Biden’s mental acuity. 

“I didn’t do that,” the former president said in 2024, Johnson recounted during an interview with the Free Press’ Bari Weiss in January. 

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., recounted that Biden reportedly didn’t remember signing an executive order freezing new liquid natural gas exports in 2024.  (J. Scott Applewhite, File/The Associated Press)

“Sir, you paused it, I know. I have the export terminals in my state,” Johnson said he told the president at the time. “I talked to those people in my state, I’ve talked to those people this morning, this is doing massive damage to our economy, national security.” 

“I walked out of that meeting with fear and loathing because I thought, ‘We are in serious trouble — who is running the country?’” Johnson said of the 2024 meeting.

“Like, I don’t know who put the paper in front of him, but he didn’t know,” he added.

Turley said Johnson’s comments on Biden suggest the “use of dead-hand power,” but that legally pursing a challenge will nonetheless likely be a non-starter. 

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“The account of Speaker Johnson on how Biden seemed unaware of signing a major piece of legislation does suggest the use of a dead-hand power by staffers,” Turley wrote. “In the end, this is the most difficult type of allegation to pursue since the key parties will be unified in claiming full knowledge and approval by the president.” 

Fox Digital reached out to Biden’s office for comment on his use of the autopen and Trump’s comments he was unaware of the pardons he signed, but did not immediately receive a reply. 

Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy contributed to this report. 

A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Environmental Protection Agency from terminating $14 billion in grants awarded to three climate groups by the Biden administration.

U.S. District Judge Tonya Chutkan ruled that the federal government’s “vague and unsubstantiated assertions of fraud are insufficient.” The order prevents the EPA from ending the grant program, which totaled $20 billion. The judge also blocked Citibank, which holds the money on behalf of EPA, from transferring it to the government or anyone else.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin claimed the grant recipients engaged in mismanagement, fraud and self-dealing in announcing that he froze and moved to terminate the grants, but the judge said Zeldin’s allegations were inadequate.

“At this juncture, EPA Defendants have not sufficiently explained why unilaterally terminating Plaintiffs’ grant awards was a rational precursor to reviewing” the green bank program, Chutkan wrote.

EPA TERMINATES BIDEN ADMIN’S GREEN GRANTS WORTH $20B, ZELDIN SAYS

A federal judge blocked the EPA from terminating $14 billion in grants awarded to three climate groups by the Biden administration. (iStock)

The grant recipients sued the EPA, Zeldin and Citibank, arguing that they had illegally denied the groups access to $14 billion awarded last year through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, commonly referred to as a “green bank.” The program, which consisted of two initiatives worth $14 billion and $6 billion, respectively, was approved by Congress under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act to support clean energy and climate-friendly projects.

Three groups — Climate United, the Coalition for Green Capital and Power Forward Communities — said the frozen grants prevented them from funding new projects and might force them to lay off staff. The groups said the allegations of mishandling funds were meritless.

The groups also asked Chutkan to order Citibank to unfreeze the account, but the judge declined. The order only preserves the status quo as the case moves forward.

STACEY ABRAMS SLAMMED AFTER DEFENDING $2 BILLION IN BIDEN-ERA EPA FUNDS TO BUY GREEN ENERGY APPLIANCES

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin claimed the grant recipients engaged in mismanagement, fraud and self-dealing. (Getty Images)

Climate United was awarded nearly $7 billion, the Coalition for Green Capital won $5 billion and Power Forward Communities — a group linked to Democrat Stacey Abrams — was awarded $2 billion.

Beth Bafford. CEO of Climate United, said the judge’s ruling was “a step in the right direction.”

“In the coming weeks, we will continue working towards a long-term solution that will allow us to invest in projects that deliver energy savings, create jobs, and boost American manufacturing in communities across the country,” Bafford said.

Zeldin said Tuesday on X that the grants were awarded “in a manner that deliberately reduced the ability of EPA to conduct proper oversight,” adding that he “will not rest until these hard-earned taxpayer dollars are returned to the U.S. Treasury.”

Zeldin said Tuesday that the grants were awarded “in a manner that deliberately reduced the ability of EPA to conduct proper oversight.” (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

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Zeldin has described the grants as a “gold bar” scheme involved in conflicts of interest and potential fraud.

“Twenty billion of your tax dollars were parked at an outside financial institution, in a deliberate effort to limit government oversight — doling out your money through just eight pass-through, politically connected, unqualified and in some cases brand-new NGOs,” Zeldin previously said in a video posted on X.

Climate United contended that the termination was unlawful, arguing the federal government had identified no evidence of waste, fraud or abuse.

Republican lawmakers hailed President Donald Trump after a nearly two-hour phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a peace deal in Ukraine, drawing contrasts between his efforts and those of former President Joe Biden. 

“I’m encouraged by President Trump’s willingness to engage in diplomacy to negotiate peace between Ukraine and Russia — especially after Biden refused to even pick up the phone to try,” Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., said of the call.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee, in reaction to the discussion, wrote, “President Trump got Vladimir Putin to agree that a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine is necessary,” and that “Iran cannot be in a position to destroy Israel.”

“This is called THE ART OF THE DEAL!” the committee wrote.

UKRAINE’S ZELENSKYY REPLACES TOP MILITARY OFFICIAL AHEAD OF TRUMP-PUTIN CALL

Russian President Putin and President Trump spoke for nearly two hours over the phone on Tuesday. (Getty Images)

Trump spoke with Putin over the phone earlier Tuesday “about the need for peace and a ceasefire in the Ukraine war,” according to a readout of the meeting shared by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

“This conflict should never have started and should have been ended long ago with sincere and good faith peace efforts. The leaders agreed that the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire, as well as technical negotiations on implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace,” it continued. “These negotiations will begin immediately in the Middle East.”

Democrats, however, remained skeptical about whether Russia would honor a peace deal.

“Imagine a robber breaking into your home twice—each time blaming you for the break-in. Would you trust them to stop?” Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo. said. “Vladimir Putin has never kept a promise or honored a deal. Any deal must be fair & enforceable.”

TRUMP ‘HOPES’ PUTIN AGREES TO CEASEFIRE AS MOSCOW SIGNALS NO TRUCE YET

Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., said he was ‘encouraged by President Trump’s willingness to engage in diplomacy to negotiate peace between Ukraine and Russia.’ (Jose Luis Magana)

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said that “from these readouts, it’s clear that Russia remains the obstacle to peace in Europe.”

“I’m glad to see a halt on infrastructure strikes, but many of Putin’s ‘requests’ like a ban on arms or intel sharing make clear what he is after—a neutered Ukraine that cannot defend itself,” Coons wrote.

National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes, in a statement shared with Fox News Digital in response to the Democratic lawmakers, said that under Trump, a deal is even closer to being reached.

“Just two weeks ago, both Ukraine and Russia were miles apart on a ceasefire agreement, and we are now closer to a deal thanks to the leadership of President Trump,” Hughes said. “The goal remains the same: stop the killing and find a peaceful resolution to this conflict.” 

Coons said, “From these readouts, it’s clear that Russia remains the obstacle to peace in Europe.” (Nathan Posner/Anadolu )

Trump, in a Truth Social post following the call, described the meeting as “very good and productive.”

“Many elements of a Contract for Peace were discussed, including the fact that thousands of soldiers are being killed, and both President Putin and [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy would like to see it end,” Trump wrote in a social media post. “That process is now in full force and effect, and we will, hopefully, for the sake of Humanity, get the job done!”

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Fox News Digital reached out to Biden’s office for a response to Perry’s criticism but did not immediately hear back.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told the hosts of “The View” on Tuesday morning that “oligarchs” running the United States keep him up at night, despite his ties to the billionaire Soros family. 

“I wake up at 3 in the morning sometimes so worried about the future of this country under these oligarchs,” Schumer said on “The View.”  

Mega-donor George Soros donated millions to Schumer’s Senate Majority PAC during the 2024 election, and Schumer maintains a well-documented relationship with the billionaire’s son, Alex Soros. 

Campaign finance reports revealed Democracy PAC II, primarily funded by Soros, gave $2.5 million to Senate Majority PAC in 2024, Fox News confirmed. Democracy PAC II gave $3.5 million in calendar year 2022, and $2.5 million in calendar year 2021, for a combined $6 million, records show. 

SUNNY HOSTIN SCOLDS SCHUMER THAT HE ‘CAVED’ ON SHUTDOWN FIGHT

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, right, told the hosts of “The View” that “oligarchs” running the United States keep him up at night, despite his ties to the billionaire Soros family. At left is billionaire and DOGE leader Elon Musk. (Reuters)

A 2023 Fox News Digital review of Alex’s Instagram found dozens of pictures with top Democrats in the House and the Senate between 2018 and 2022, including at least nine meetings with Schumer.

SOROS, OTHER LEFT-WING BILLIONAIRES POUR TENS OF MILLIONS INTO SCHUMER PAC IN BID FOR DEMS TO HOLD THE SENATE

“Good to see majority leader [Schumer] earlier this week! Energized to elect at least two more Democratic senators so we can secure voting rights and a woman’s right to chose!” Soros posted on his Instagram in July 2022 along with a picture of the pair.

In a December 2021 Instagram post, Alex called Schumer his “good friend” and said he had a “great meeting” with him at the Capitol. A few months earlier, Alex took a selfie with Schumer wearing a bicycle helmet and said it was “good to see our senate majority leader [Schumer] the other day, biking and in good shape, and so focused on [voting rights] legislation.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

A Fox News Digital review of visitor logs found Alex visited the White House six times from October 2021 to December 2022, during former President Joe Biden’s administration. A White House official confirmed to Fox News Digital that two of the visits were with Ron Klain, Biden’s chief of staff. 

Alex’s social media presence has consistently showcased his relationship with leading Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and candidates from the most contested down-ballot races of 2024, such as Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz. 

Biden awarded George Soros with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in January, which Alex accepted in his honor. 

President Joe Biden presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Alex Soros on behalf of his father, George Soros, in the East Room of the White House, Jan. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

“His inspiring generosity reminds us all of our capacity and our obligation to stand up to the abuse of power and to be guardians of democracy and all people yearning to be free,” Biden said during the ceremony. 

GEORGE SOROS’ SON BECOMES KINGMAKER WITH TOP DEMS AS HE MAKES MULTIPLE BIDEN WH VISITS, MEETS WITH LAWMAKERS

“A travesty that Biden is giving Soros the Medal of Freedom,” Elon Musk, who has been at the center of Democrats’ accusations of rising oligarchy, posted on X in response to Soros accepting the nation’s highest civilian honor. 

MoveOn.org, a group that has accepted millions from Soros and his Open Society Policy Center in recent years, led the “Congress Works for Us, Not Musk” initiative that shut down town halls and Republican offices across the country. 

A protester holds up a “NO MUSK” sign at the “No Kings on President’s Day” protest in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 17, 2025. (Deirdre Heavey/Fox News Digital) (Fox News Digital)

National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP), a national organization on the forefront of the pro-Palestine Columbia University protests, accepted fiscal sponsorship from the Westchester Peace Action Committee Foundation (WESPAC). Fox News Digital reported last year that WESPAC received a six-figure donation from a nonprofit funded by Soros’ network.

The Democratic Party also leaned on wealthy surrogates on the campaign trail in 2024. Former Vice President Kamala Harris hosted events with celebrities, including Beyoncé, Eminem, Bruce Springsteen and Mark Cuban. 

FEC filings show the Harris campaign made two $500,000 payments to Oprah Winfrey’s production company on Oct. 15, a month after Winfrey appeared with Harris at a town hall event and weeks before Oprah was on stage with Harris at a Philadelphia rally before election day.

‘$1 BILLION DISASTER’: HERE’S WHAT FEC FILINGS SHOW ABOUT HARRIS CAMPAIGN’S 3-MONTH SPENDING SPREE

Despite the Democrats’ own recorded ties to billionaire donors, the term “oligarchy” has been used by Democrats to describe President Donald Trump‘s second term. 

Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks during an event at UW-Parkside on March 7, 2025, in Kenosha, Wis. The event was the first of three Midwest speaking engagements billed as “Fighting Oligarchy: Where We Go From Here.” (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has drawn thousands of supporters to his “Fighting Oligarchy” rallies across the country, with stops in Michigan and Wisconsin this past weekend. The events are billed as an opportunity to “discuss how we take on the greed of the billionaire class and create a government that works for all and not just the few.”

Democrats were outraged by Trump inviting billionaires like Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg to his inauguration, and Biden used the term “oligarchy” in his farewell address to the nation. 

“Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power, and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead,” Biden told Americans on Jan. 13. 

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was pressed on “The View” over his decision to vote for a GOP spending bill to continue funding the government, which earned him backlash from some Democrats. (The View/Screenshot)

Schumer defended his leadership on “The View” following his decision to vote for a Republican spending bill to avert a government shutdown and subsequently canceling stops on his book tour over “security concerns.”

“We are fighting them tooth and nail in every way we can, but you’ve got to fight them smart and if you led yourself into a shutdown, which, by the way, Musk, DOGE, Vought, they wanted a shutdown. They said they wanted a shutdown, and they thought we’d play into their hands,” Schumer continued to “The View” on Tuesday. 

Schumer said “MAGA right-wing Republicans,” including Musk and Director of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Russell Vought, wanted to shut down the government to deliver “tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.”

President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk pose for a photo during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024, in New York City. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

“The MAGA right-wing Republicans dream of decimating the government. You know why they do it? They want tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. They want to destroy government, give it all to the wealthy and get rid of any regulations they might have, so I felt an obligation to stop it.”

Schumer said “a small group of wealthy, greedy” Republicans are seizing power from the people and mocked Republicans who want to protect their hard-earned money from increased taxes. 

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“The Republican Party is a different kettle of fish than it used to be, and that’s why we’re fighting them so hard. They are controlled by a small group of wealthy, greedy people. You know what their attitude is? ‘I made my money all by myself. How dare your government take my money from me? I don’t want to pay taxes. I built my company with my own bare hands. How dare your government tell me how I should treat my customers, the land and water that I own, or my employees?’ They hate government. Government is a barrier to people, a barrier to stop them from doing things. They want to destroy it. We are not letting them do it. And we are united,” Schumer said. 

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

Fox News Digital’s Cameron Cawthorne, Andrew Mark Miller, Stephany Price and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

The Associated Press, not exactly a White House favorite, has shot itself in the foot.

The following retraction is nothing short of humiliating:

“The Associated Press has withdrawn its story about U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard saying President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin ‘are very good friends.’ Gabbard was talking about Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The AP will publish a corrected version of the story.”

TRUMP ACCUSES BIG MEDIA OF ‘ILLEGAL’ REPORTING, VIRTUALLY ABOLISHES VOICE OF AMERICA

Whoa! How do you run that piece in the first place without having it nailed down?

The wire service, you may recall, is suing the Trump administration for ousting its reporters from the White House pool over its refusal to refer to “Gulf of America.” So, this unforced error puts the White House in I-told-you-so mode.

On Monday, when Trump was at the Kennedy Center, an NBC reporter tried to ask a question, Trump asked, “Who are you with?”

Donald Trump is pictured in front of newspapers. (Getty Images)

After the journalist identified himself, the president said: “I don’t want to talk to NBC anymore. I think you’re so discredited.” 

The Trump team later posted the exchange with “mic drop” emojis.

The point is that Trump dominates the news no matter what he does. And, as I’ve been saying for the 35 years I’ve known him, even a torrent of negative publicity helps him because his media detractors are playing on his turf.

While Trump was visiting the Kennedy Center, he “floated” the idea of personally hosting the annual awards show. And who’s going to stop him, since he’s purged the Democratic board members?

ELON MUSK, LIGHTNING ROD, WHO CALLS AN OPPONENT ‘TRAITOR,’ BECOMES A HIGH-PROFILE TARGET

The ratings, he said, would skyrocket. And he’s right about that.

As the New York Times notes, a younger Trump dreamed of becoming a Broadway producer. He now says the Kennedy Center will concentrate on producing “Broadway hits.”

And by the way, Trump released 80,000 pages of JFK assassination files yesterday and has asked for no redactions.

The president can make news on the slightest whim, just by posting on Truth Social.

President Donald Trump and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands during a news conference in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, in Washington. (Photo/Alex Brandon)

He just went after Judge James Boasberg, who ordered the deportations of mostly Venezuelan gang members to be stopped while planes were still in the air:   

“This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges’ I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!!!” WE DON’T WANT VICIOUS, VIOLENT, AND DEMENTED CRIMINALS, MANY OF THEM DERANGED MURDERERS, IN OUR COUNTRY.”

The posting drew a rare rebuke from Chief Justice John Roberts:

“For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.”

DONALD TRUMP, FACING TERRIBLE COVERAGE, SOFTENS TONE AND TACTICS FOR ELON MUSK’S DOGE CRUSADE

The president is also renewing his habit of going after journalists personally. Ashley Parker had a highly successful career at the New York Times and Washington Post–she’s also an MSNBC analyst–who recently joined the Atlantic.

She asked Trump for an interview. 

After dismissing the liberal Atlantic as a “Third Rate Magazine,” Trump posted:

“Ashley Parker is not capable of doing a fair and unbiased interview. She is a Radical Left Lunatic, and has been as terrible as is possible for as long as I have known her. To this date, she doesn’t even know that I won the Presidency THREE times. If you have some other reporter, let us know, but Ashley is not capable or competent enough to understand the intricacies of High Level politics.”

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts attends President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, February 7, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Parker is restrained, not radical, and in bringing up the 2020 election, Trump is asking her to accept something that has never been proven in court or by his own attorney general.

A magazine spokesperson said, “Atlantic reporters are diligent and fair and continue to pursue stories of importance to the public.”

And then there is, you know, the actual job of the presidency. Trump reported yesterday on his 90-minute phone call with Vladimir Putin.

They “stressed the need for improved bilateral relations between the United States and Russia” – no surprise there.

“The leaders agreed that the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire, as well as technical negotiations on implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace…. 

“They further discussed the need to stop proliferation of strategic weapons and will engage with others to ensure the broadest possible application. The two leaders shared the view that Iran should never be in a position to destroy Israel.”

And: “The two leaders agreed that a future with an improved bilateral relationship between the United States and Russia has huge upside,” including “enormous economic deals and geopolitical stability.”

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It seems to me that Trump got next to nothing. A 30-day pause in attacks on energy plants and infrastructure, that’s about it. Everything else is subject to negotiations, which gives the Kremlin more time to keep attacking Ukraine and lock in further territorial gains. A real cease-fire seems a long way off.

But whether Trump is on the attack or being attacked, he is driving the news every day, even inserting himself into culture and sports topics. Keep that in mind when the ratings-driven president hosts the Kennedy Center honors.

EXCLUSIVE: Victims of sanctuary policies could soon be able to sue the state, county and local governments that enacted them, according to a new proposal by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif.

The Sanctuary City Accountability Act (SCAA) would allow Americans nationwide to sue over the policies that limit the ability of local law enforcement to comply with federal immigration laws. Specifically, the bill would permit victims and their immediate families to take legal action over crimes that impacted them as a direct result of the policies.

“For years, sanctuary cities have openly defied federal law and endangered the American people by not only shielding illegals from the consequences of their crimes, but also ensuring they are allowed to remain free to victimize even more innocent Americans,” Issa told Fox News Digital in a statement. “It’s time to reset our system and put the law on the side of American citizens, not criminal illegals.

‘BRING IT ON’: SHERIFF PUSHES BACK AFTER BLUE STATE LEADERS SUE TO STOP IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) attends the third day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 17, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The legislation is expected to go through the House Judiciary Committee, of which Issa is a senior member.

“Any individual who is a national of the United States may bring a civil action in an appropriate district court of the United States against a sanctuary jurisdiction in which an alien was located if that alien commits a crime against that individual, or an immediate family member of that individual, in the sanctuary jurisdiction, or in any other jurisdiction to which the alien later relocates, for such injunctive relief or compensatory damages as may be appropriate,” the bill’s text states.

In the legislation, sanctuary policies are considered ones that limit Immigration and Customs Enforcement “detainer compliance” and not allowing ICE “access to interview incarcerated aliens.”

RED STATE HUNTS TREN DE ARAGUA TERRORISTS AS JUDGES LIGHT ‘CREDIBILITY ON FIRE’ FIGHTING DEPORTATIONS: SENATOR

TIJUANA, MEXICO – JUNE 7: A group of adult and child migrants are smuggled at the Tijuana-San Diego border, as they climb the wall to seek asylum in the United States in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, on June 7, 2024.  (Carlos Moreno/Anadolu via Getty Images)

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It is also meant to build on the proposed Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal (CLEAR) Act, which would make it federal law to allow local authorities to work with the federal government on illegal immigration issues.

The proposal comes as San Diego County, which Issa represents parts of, failed to scrap its “super sanctuary” policy established in December during a vote earlier this month.

“This is deeply disappointing,” Republican Supervisor Jim Desmond said in a statement about the failed repeal vote. “This was not about politics. This was about ensuring that criminals—rapists, child abusers, burglars, and violent offenders—are removed from our communities. Instead, fear and misinformation won the day, leaving law-abiding residents at greater risk.”

LAKEN RILEY ACT UNLEASHES FEDS TO HUNT VENEZUELAN GANG MEMBERS IN FLORIDA: LAWMAKER

Tom Homan, White House border czar, right, and Kristi Noem, secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), center, outside the White House in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. President Donald Trump signed into law the Laken Riley Act, a measure aimed at cracking down on migrants charged with crimes, touting it as a centerpiece of his administration’s pledge to take a tougher approach toward undocumented migration and border security. (Samuel Corum/Sipa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Desmond and Supervisor Joel Anderson voted to get rid of the policy that was put in place by the board’s Democratic majority in December, Democratic Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe argued that repealing it would then give a role outside the scope of the county’s purview. The vote for the repeal was 2-1-1, meaning that nobody reached the necessary majority, as there was also a vacancy on the five-person board.

“Even in the very wording of policy L-2, it doesn’t protect criminals. What it was about is ensuring that this county stays in its lane and protects our region and that the federal government stays in its lane,” Montgomery Steppe said before voting “no.” Her Democratic colleague, Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, abstained.

Recent legislative policy changes have been prompted by crimes committed by illegal immigrants, including the Laken Riley Act, which prompts the Department of Homeland Security to detain illegal immigrants facing charges or conviction for a range of crimes, including burglary, assault and “any crime that results in death or serious bodily injury to another person.” The bill passed with some bipartisan support. 

A federal judge in Maryland has ruled that the Trump administration’s efforts to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) were likely unconstitutional, and has ordered it to ultimately reinstate the agency’s lawful functions.

On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang concluded DOGE’s efforts “to shut down USAID on an accelerated basis, including its apparent decision to permanently close USAID headquarters without the approval of a duly appointed USAID officer, likely violated the United States Constitution in multiple ways.”

Chuang said these actions “not only harmed the plaintiffs, but also the public interest, because they deprived the public’s elected representatives in Congress of their constitutional authority to decide whether, when, and how to close down an agency created by Congress.”

The judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking DOGE and the administration from further actions against USAID, likely an emergency Department of Justice (DOJ) appeal to the 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, then potentially to the Supreme Court.

FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO PAY ‘UNLAWFULLY’ RESTRICTED USAID FUNDS

House conservatives are rallying behind Elon Musk and President Donald Trump as they appear to be scaling back USAID

In his ruling, Chuang, a 2014 Obama bench appointee, also ordered immediate restoration of email and computer access to all USAID employees, including those placed on administrative leave.

DOGE is now prohibited from any further cuts to USAID.

The lawsuit was filed by current and former agency employees and contractors.

Chuang’s decision marks the first time a judge has ruled that Musk is likely exercising enough independent authority to require him to be confirmed by the Senate under the Constitution’s Appointments Clause, the Hill reported. 

SCOTUS RULES ON NEARLY $2B IN FROZEN USAID PAYMENTS

This decision comes after a different federal judge ordered the Trump administration to pay the remainder of foreign aid owed to contractors for completed work last week, noting in a new court ruling that the administration likely violated the separation of powers doctrine by “unlawfully impounding” nearly $2 billion in funds appropriated by Congress.

U.S. District Court Judge Amir Ali, a Biden appointee, said in the ruling that the Trump administration likely exceeded its constitutional authority in attempting to block the payments owed by the State Department and USAID to grant recipients and foreign aid contractors.

Former employees of USAID leave the headquarters building in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 27. The layoffs come after DOGE’s analysis of the organization and recommendation for mass layoffs. (Leigh Green for Fox News Digital)

“Here, the executive has unilaterally deemed that funds Congress appropriated for foreign aid will not be spent,” Ali said. “The executive not only claims his constitutional authority to determine how to spend appropriated funds, but usurps Congress’ exclusive authority to dictate whether the funds should be spent in the first place.”

Ali had previously ordered the Trump administration to pay all owed foreign aid funds for previously completed work, totaling $1.9 billion, by Feb. 26, at 11:59 p.m. 

USAID HEAD PETER MAROCCO TELLS LAWMAKERS HE’S EYEING POTENTIAL CRIMINAL CHARGES FOR FOREIGN AID FRAUD: REPORT

Demonstrators and lawmakers rally against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Feb. 5. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

The Supreme Court took up the case for emergency review last week, but ruled 5-4 to reject the administration’s request to extend the freeze. Instead, the court remanded the case back to the D.C. federal court and Ali to hash out the specifics of what must be paid and when.

USAID aid became an early target of the Trump administration, with the president being a longtime critic of overseas spending, arguing that it does not benefit the American taxpayer and going so far as to call those who run the top agency “radical lunatics.”

Fired USAID staff carry boxes with a message as they leave the agency’s offices in Washington, D.C., Feb. 21.  (Reuters/Brian Snyder)

Republicans argue it is wasteful, promotes liberal agendas and should be enfolded into the State Department, while Democrats say it saves lives abroad and helps U.S. interests by stabilizing other countries and economies.

In all, the Trump administration said it will eliminate 5,800 of 6,200 multi-year USAID contract awards, for a cut of $54 billion. Another 4,100 of 9,100 State Department grants were being eliminated, for a cut of $4.4 billion, according to a State Department memo reviewed by the Associated Press.

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Several examples of questionable spending have been uncovered at USAID, including more than $900,000 to a “Gaza-based terror charity” called Bayader Association for Environment and Development and a $1.5 million program slated to “advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in Serbia’s workplaces and business communities.”

Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com

Republican lawmakers are calling out Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for “mocking hardworking Americans” during an appearance on “The View,” where the Democratic leader criticized individuals who want to keep more of the money they make.

House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., wrote that Schumer “is so out of touch with the American people that he would MOCK hardworking taxpayers for wanting to keep more of the money THEY EARN and run the businesses THEY OWN.”

“Seriously Chuck?” Emmer said in a post on X.

Schumer, during his appearance on the daytime talk show on Tuesday, criticized individuals who want more control over running businesses they “built” with their “bare hands.”

SCHUMER PRESSED ON WHETHER HE SHOULD STEP DOWN AMID SPENDING BILL FALLOUT DURING ‘THE VIEW’

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is seen ahead of votes on a Continuing Resolution, which would avert a government shutdown, in Washington, DC on March 14, 2025.  (Nathan Posner/Anadolu)

“Their attitude is, ‘I made my money all by myself. How dare your government take my money from me? I don’t want to pay taxes. Or, I built my company with my bare hands. How dare your government tell me how I should treat my customers, the land and water that I own, or my employees,” Schumer said on “The View” on Tuesday.

“They hate government. The government’s a barrier to people, a barrier to stop them from doing things. They want to destroy it,” Schumer said. “We are not letting them do it and are united.”

“You know it’s bad when even Whoopi Goldberg tries to get Schumer to stop talking,” Rep. Pat Harrigon, R-N.C., reacted to the interview.

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said Schumer was “mocking hardworking Americans who want to keep their own money is exactly what’s wrong with the left” and that he is “out of touch.”

SCHUMER DISMISSES POSSIBLE AOC PRIMARY CHALLENGE, SAYS HE’S FOCUSED ON BRINGING TRUMP’S NUMBERS DOWN

Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer was pressed on “The View” over his decision to vote for a GOP spending bill to continue funding the government, which earned him backlash from some Democrats. (The View/Screenshot)

“Chuck Schumer’s at it again, mocking hard-working Americans for wanting to keep more of their own money,” wrote Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla. “He can keep pushing his government-first agenda, but Americans know better. They don’t need Washington to tell them how to spend their dollars.”

“Spoken like the leader of a party with an 29% approval rating,” wrote Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, in a post on X.

Schumer also defended his reasoning for breaking with members of his party to help pass the Republican-led government funding bill on Friday and said that he wakes up “at 3 in the morning, sometimes so worried about the future of the country under these oligarchs.”

“Chuck Schumer says he wakes up at 3am thinking about Elon. Rent free,” said Libs of TikTok in a post on X alongside a clip of the Democratic leader’s media appearance.

Rep. Tom Emmer, (R-MN), House Majority Whip, speaks after a House Republican caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol on September 19, 2023, in Washington, DC.  (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

“The absolute horror of returning to government spending levels from a few years ago!” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, wrote in a post on X in response to the Democratic leader.

“Chuck Schumer says he’s dealing with a ‘different, horrible kettle of fish’ because President Trump and Republicans want to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse from government,” Trump’s Rapid Response team said on X.

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Schumer was also asked by the hosts if it was time for him to step aside as the Senate Minority Leader, to which he responded, “No.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Schumer for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.

Agents with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) and other federal enforcement authorities arrested 81 illegal aliens in just five days as part of an enhanced targeted enforcement effort titled “Operation Take Back America” in Kentucky.

As President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration continues, ICE announced the arrests in a statement Tuesday, which said that 25 of those arrested are charged with criminal offenses. Among those with criminal charges was an illegal alien who had previously been deported, excluded, removed or denied admission seven times.

The agency said those not criminally charged will continue to be held by ICE pending removal proceedings.

Offenses include sexual misconduct with a minor, drug trafficking and domestic violence. The statement said the migrants arrested were present in the country illegally and came from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Cuba, India and Palau.

‘CLOSING TIME’: WHITE HOUSE, BORDER PATROL TROLL WITH DEPORTATION MEME VIDEO

ICE arrests 81 illegal aliens as part of joint federal law enforcement operation in Kentucky, of whom 25 also charged with felony criminal offenses.

The Department of Homeland Security also made an announcement in which it said the arrests were part of Operation Take Back America, which, according to the department, involves “multiple federal law enforcement agencies in Kentucky” working together to “repel the invasion of illegal immigration throughout the Commonwealth.”

The department said that Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that streamlines efforts and resources within DHS to not only crack down on illegal immigration but also “achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.”

The operation was coordinated out of Louisville.

Michael Bennett, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky, praised the operation, saying it impacts not just Kentucky but the entire country.  

“I commend the work of our federal law enforcement partners, prosecutors, and support personnel who worked tirelessly to make this operation a success,” said Bennett. “The aggressive investigation and prosecution of those who violate immigration laws positively impacts the security of our communities and of the Nation.” 

‘SAFER WITHOUT HIM’: COLUMBIA STUDENT CLAIMS CLASSMATE ARRESTED BY ICE ‘HATES AMERICA’

One of the firearms found to be illegally in the possession of an illegal immigrant. (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement )

According to DHS, several of those arrested had illegally re-entered the country once or several times after being deported.

One of those aliens – a 54-year-old Mexican national named Humberto Avila-Duran – was arrested in Jefferson County, Kentucky, around Mar. 14 for possessing a firearm illegally. He was found to have been denied admission, excluded, deported and removed from the United States on or about Jan. 21, 2011, Mar. 3, 2011, Mar. 8, 2011, Aug. 14, 2012, May 9, 2014, May 13, 2014, and Nov. 13, 2020.

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Another migrant arrested, Edi Diaz-Lopez, 30, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, illegal possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. If convicted, Diaz-Lopez faces up to 40 years in prison.

PRESIDENT TRUMP COMFORTS MOTHER WHOSE SON DIED OF FENTANYL POISONING: ‘UP THERE WATCHING YOU’

Federal law enforcement has arrested over 32,000 illegal immigrants since President Trump returned to the White House.  (Evan Vucci/AP)

Another migrant arrested was a 44-year-old Indian national convicted of sexual misconduct with a minor, intimidation and battery.

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ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Chicago Field Office Director Sam Olson also commented on the arrests, saying, “We are committed, as a united group, to removing individuals from our communities who pose a threat to public safety and national security.”

“Public safety relies on the expertise of ICE officers who are able to coordinate across federal agencies to accomplish these arrests,” he said. “Operations that lead to the arrest and detention of alien offenders can be complex and may, at times, prove to be challenging. Our agency is more than capable to meet those challenges. I’m grateful for all our federal partners here in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.” 

National figures across the political aisle are descending on Wisconsin as early voting is underway for the April 1 election, where the race between Waukesha County Circuit Judge Brad Schimel and Dane County Circuit Judge Susan Crawford is heating up and making history as the most expensive judicial race in the country. 

Donald Trump Jr. headlined a Turning Point Action town hall in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, on Monday with Turning Point President and Co-Founder Charlie Kirk. Turning Point Action, a nonprofit focused on electing conservative leaders, launched a “Commit 100” voter turnout operation in Wisconsin to support Schimel’s candidacy, the Republican-backed former Wisconsin attorney general. 

“We understand that these kind of races that people don’t always hear about, they could tip the scales of the entire future of the Republic. . . . We have to save our court in order to save this great state of Wisconsin,” Kirk told Wisconsin voters on Monday. 

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced on Tuesday a coordinated campaign for Crawford, the Democrat-backed candidate for Wisconsin Supreme Court. The DNC said it will host 12 text and phone banks and deploy thousands of volunteers to deter Elon Musk’s influence on the election. 

‘HE CANNOT BUY AN ELECTION HERE IN WISCONSIN’: SANDERS SLAMS MUSK IN STATE TRUMP WON BY LESS THAN 1%

Former Wisconsin Attorney General and state Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel, middle, greets Donald Trump Jr., as Charlie Kirk looks on during a town hall Monday, March 17, 2025, in Oconomowoc, Wis. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps) (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

“When I went to Wisconsin to knock doors last month, folks told me they don’t want billionaires like Elon Musk running our federal government, and they certainly don’t want him buying our elections,” DNC Chair Ken Martin said in a statement. 

SOROS-BACKED JUDGE DEFENDS REDUCED SENTENCE FOR REPEAT CHILD MOLESTER AT DEBATE IN STATE SUPREME COURT RACE

“After what I heard on the ground, we’re investing earlier than ever before. The best way to curb Elon Musk’s influence is to organize everywhere, win races, and stop him in his tracks. Right-wing billionaire money is allergic to grassroots organizing, which is why Democrats will call more than 2 million Wisconsin voters—hosting 12 text and phone banks and sending thousands of volunteers into action. The DNC is all hands on deck, because Wisconsin is not for sale,” he added.

“Americans for Prosperity-Wisconsin’s grassroots army has connected with over 300,000 voters since before Thanksgiving – hearing from parents, business owners, and community members alike and their message is clear— Wisconsinites know that radical Susan Crawford would not protect the rule of law, our public safety, or preserve our constitutional rights. AFP-WI remains laser focused on supporting Brad Schimel through April 1st because the future of our state, and our country, depends on it,” Megan Novak, State Director for Americans for Prosperity Wisconsin, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

The group will lead canvassing efforts in the Milwaukee area on Friday. 

Susan Crawford and Brad Schimel are facing off in a pivotal Supreme Court race that will have significant political consequences. 

The winner of April’s Supreme Court election will hold the “nonpartisan” position for a 10-year term, dictating the balance of power in Wisconsin that could determine the battleground state’s political trajectory. Due in part to billionaire investments from Musk and George Soros, the race is on track to be the most expensive judicial race in the United States, according to campaign finance reports. 

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler described the election as an “all-hands-on-deck moment” and framed the election as a competition against Musk himself. 

“With Wisconsin voters up against the world’s richest man, this is an all-hands-on-deck moment and we’re thrilled to have the support of the DNC in this fight,” Wikler said. “Elections in Wisconsin often come down to a hairsbreadth, and every voter we can turn out to support Judge Susan Crawford and Dr. Jill Underly on April 1 can make the difference between keeping Wisconsin on a path of progress or letting Elon Musk and Donald Trump drag us backwards.”

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks to a capacity crowd during an event at UW-Parkside on March 7, 2025, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The event is the first of three Midwest speaking engagements billed as “Fighting Oligarchy: Where We Go From Here.” (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., during a stop on his “Fighting Oligarchy” Tour in Altoona, Wisconsin, targeted Musk for donating to the conservative candidate Schimel. Campaign reports reveal Musk’s Building America’s Future and America PAC have spent millions on Schimel’s campaign. The Wisconsin Democratic Party responded with a $2 million donation to Crawford, which included a $1 million donation from Soros. 

April’s election is expected to shatter the fundraising record set by the 2023 Supreme Court race, when Justice Janet Protasiewicz’s victory secured a 4-3 liberal majority for the Badger State. Schimel and Crawford are competing to replace the liberal-leaning Justice Ann Walsh Bradley. A win for Schimel would give conservatives the majority, while a win for Crawford would maintain the liberal majority. 

“We remember back in 2023, a couple of years ago, the off-election year, where we should have won that Supreme Court seat, and we didn’t. And now the balance of power is slipping in one direction. And we did not want to be taken by surprise again,” Kirk said on Monday to explain his involvement in the race. 

“George Soros . . . JB Pritzker and all those other billionaires are spending millions of dollars here,” Gov. Scott Walker, R-Wisc., said at the Turning Point Action town hall. 

Walker said Democrats have fallen in step with Crawford because “if she’s elected, they’re going to pick up two more seats currently held by Republicans in the House of Representatives from Wisconsin by gerrymandering those seats.” He said that “could be the end of President Trump’s agenda” in Wisconsin.

“We cannot let that happen. The court is not for partisanship. The court is the place to uphold the Constitution and the laws of the state. That’s why we need to elect Brad Schimel,” Walker said.

Charlie Kirk speaks during Day 1 of the Republican National Convention (RNC), at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 15, 2024. Reuters/Mike Segar

“They will redistrict the hell out of this thing,” Trump Jr. added. “They will break every rule imaginable. They will negate everything and say you don’t have standing and say you can’t combat it. We made such incredible gains over the last few years, because people saw exactly what was at stake and got engaged. We cannot take our foot off the gas for one second.”

Conservatives urged Wisconsin voters on Monday night to “stay vigilant” despite Republicans winning big on November 5. 

“We have to stay vigilant,” Schimel said. “If we want the voices of people with morality to be heard, if we want freedom-loving people, who don’t want to be a socialist nation, to be heard, we have to get out and vote. And we’ve got to get our neighbors, our friends, our families, everybody to come with us. This is our mission. We’ve got to go and finish this job on April 1st.”

Donald Trump Jr. speaks during a rally for his father, then-President-elect Donald Trump.  ( Reuters/Elizabeth Frantz)

Trump Jr. echoed the conservative judge’s sentiment, reminding Wisconsinites they “can’t just show up when Trump’s on the ticket.” 

“They’re trying to negate the election. They’re trying to negate the mandate. So we all have to just stay involved all the way through. It doesn’t matter what it is. We can’t just show up when Trump’s on the ticket. We [have] to show up because we understand what [Democrats’] entire apparatus is trying to do to our country.” 

Trump Jr. said the “lawfare” his father experienced was only possible because of liberal judges, and now that Trump is back in the White House, it’s those very judges who are trying to block his executive actions. 

“I Voted” stickers are ready to be given out as citizens go through the voting process at Scheig Center & Gardens on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5, 2024, in Appleton, Wisconsin.  (Dan Powers/USA Today Network-Wisconsin)

“That’s what’s at stake right here. That could become Wisconsin. This one race is the difference between that essential anarchy or a one-party monopoly—and sanity, our Constitution, common sense. It literally hinges on this one little battle by most political respects, but it’s so fundamentally important,” Trump Jr said. 

Wisconsin could be a bellwether for upcoming elections in 2025 and the midterms in 2026—an opportunity to gauge public perception during Trump’s first few months back in the White House. 

“This is the roadblock that could be for this entire state, perhaps even the entire region. This is a marker. This is what they will use to drive turnout, to get enthusiasm, to raise more funds for every other race that we got for the next two years,” Trump Jr. said. 

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Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., and Wisconsin Democrats are holding a “People v. Musk” town hall in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, on Tuesday night, closing out the first day of early voting in Wisconsin for the April 1 election. 

The race between Crawford and Schimel is one of the first major elections in a battleground state since the 2024 presidential election. Trump won battleground Wisconsin by less than a percentage point in 2024. 

Venezuela will face “severe, and escalating sanctions” if it refuses to accept its citizens who have been deported from the United States, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday. 

The tough warning comes as the Trump administration seeks to ramp up deportations of Venezuelans living illegally in the U.S. and to need a temporary residency program for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans, which could pave the way for them to lose their legal status. 

‘WEAPONIZED MIGRATION’: US FACES DEADLY CONSEQUENCES WITH MADURO IN POWER, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION WARNS

The video depicts suspected members of Tren de Aragua and MS-13. (@nayibbukele via X)

Many of those with protected status migrated to the U.S. amid Venezuela’s economic collapse under the authoritarian rule of President Nicolas Maduro.

“Venezuela is obligated to accept its repatriated citizens from the U.S. This is not an issue for debate or negotiation,” Rubio wrote on X. “Nor does it merit any reward. Unless the Maduro regime accepts a consistent flow of deportation flights, without further excuses or delays, the U.S. will impose new, severe, and escalating sanctions.”

The threat came days after Richard Grenell, President Donald Trump’s special envoy tasked with securing the release of six U.S. citizens imprisoned in Venezuela, said the Maduro government had agreed to accept repatriation flights.

Maduro agreed to accept his citizens after initially refusing to do so. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (left) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio (right). Rubio threatened new sanctions on Venezuela if it doesn’t accept its citizens.  (Getty Images / Fox News Digital)

In February, Trump ended a permit to export oil to allow Chevron to export oil from Venezuela to the U.S. In doing so, Trump noted that Maduro’s government had not met benchmarks to promote free and fair elections.

The Trump administration is fighting to deport Venezuelan gang members back to their country. Over the weekend, 238 Venezuelan gang members were flown to a high-security prison in El Salvador despite a federal judge’s order temporarily blocking the deportations.

During an interview on Fox News Radio, Rubio thanked El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele for accepting the migrants. 

“Venezuela should be taking them, but they refuse to take them. And so, we are fortunate to have a friend like President Bukele who, as part of my meeting with him said we will take them for a fraction of what it costs you guys to house them in your own prison system,” he said.

Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro delivers a speech in front of the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas on January 10, 2025.  (Pedro Rances Mattey/Anadolu via Getty Images)

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“I think it was a very helpful thing that El Salvador did for us and President Bukele, and we’re grateful to him for it. And frankly, I feel like we should continue to do it,” he added. 

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the U.S.-funded news outlet created to reach people living under communism during the Cold War, is suing Kari Lake and the Trump administration over efforts to defund the organization. 

The lawsuit, filed in a Washington D.C. federal court, said the station has not been paid a $7.5 million invoice submitted Monday. It claims the funding freeze undermines Congress’s purse strings. Both entities are funded by government grants, with around 1% coming from private donations and other sources, the lawsuit states. 

“Whether to disburse funds as directed by appropriations laws, and whether to make those funds available through grants as directed by the International Broadcasting Act, is not an optional choice for the agency to make,”  the lawsuit said. “It is the law. Urgent relief is needed to compel the agency to follow the law.”

MD GOV DEFENDS $190K TRUMP-CENTRIC IRISH CONSULTANT CONTRACT AS POTUS MOVES IN NEXT DOOR

President Donald Trump stands next to Kari Lake on stage during a campaign rally at Findlay Toyota Center on October 13, 2024, in Prescott Valley, Arizona.  (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

If funding doesn’t resume, the station will be forced to lay off employees that work to bring news coverage to 23 countries in Europe and Asia in 27 languages.  

“This is not the time to cede terrain to the propaganda and censorship of America’s adversaries,” RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus said in a statement. We believe the law is on our side and that the celebration of our demise by despots around the world is premature.”

The lawsuit names U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), Victor Morales, the acting USAGM CEO, and Kari Lake, a former television anchor in Arizona who later ran for governor and senator who serves as a senior advisor to Morales, as defendants. 

The lawsuit came days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order intended to eliminate USAGM. 

LAWMAKERS FROM STATE WITH MOST FEDERAL WORKERS PER CAPITA WARN AGAINST TRUMP BUYOUT BID

Under President Donald Trump, the Elon Musk-led DOGE has slashed billions in what it deems as waste government spending.  (Musk: Reuters / Money: iStock / Trump: Getty)

Leaders in Europe have warned that Radio Free Europe could struggle to find funding to replace the cuts made by Trump. 

On Monday, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky urged European Union ministers at a meeting in Brussels to consider ways to allow the Prague-based service to continue. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called Radio Free Europe “a beacon of democracy” and said it was sad that the U.S. had decided to cut its funding, Reuters reported. 

“Can we come in with our funding to … fill the void that U.S. is leaving? The answer to that question is … not automatically, because we have a lot of organizations who are coming with the same request to us,” she told reporters.

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Radio Free Europe began broadcasting in 1950 to Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria, all countries that were behind the Iron Curtain. Radio Liberty started broadcasting to the Soviet Union in 1953. 

Both entities were alternative news sources to the media controlled by the Soviet Union and other communist governments.

Business executive, conservative commentator and 2022 Republican gubernatorial nominee Tudor Dixon says she’s seriously mulling another run for statewide office in 2026 in her home state of Michigan.

But Dixon says she hasn’t decided whether she’ll bid for the Great Lakes battleground state’s open Senate seat or governor’s office.

“I want to do the most good for our beloved state. That’s why I’m considering a run for governor or U.S. Senate,” Dixon announced Tuesday in a statement on social media. “Both races present unique opportunities and different ways to benefit Michigan.”

Dixon said that she “will decide soon where my experience and talents would most benefit the state we love so dearly.”

THIS TOP DEMOCRAT MAKES A MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT IN MICHIGAN’S SENATE RACE

Then-Michigan Republican gubernatorial nominee Tudor Dixon speaks to supporters and volunteers at the Lenawee County GOP office on November 7, 2022, in Adrian, Michigan. (Sarah Rice/Getty Images)

In her statement, Dixon praised President Donald Trump, emphasizing that he “is leading the way nationally.”

“He is delivering on his promises to secure the border, bring manufacturing jobs home and boost energy independence,” she argued. “I am committed to standing with President Trump to deliver on the America First agenda here in Michigan.

THIS REPUBLICAN WAS THE FIRST TO JUMP INTO MICHIGAN’S RACE FOR GOVERNOR

Trump’s endorsement of Dixon in the summer of 2022 helped boost her to the GOP gubernatorial nomination. Dixon went on to lose by ten points to Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who secured a second term steering Michigan.

Whitmer is now term-limited and prevented from running for re-election in 2026.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, is term-limited. Whitmer is seen standing for a Fox News Digital interview, on July 25, 2024, in Durham, New Hampshire.  (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

Among the Republicans already in the race are state Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, who announced his bid for governor in January.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson are among the Democrats who’ve already announced.

Detroit’s Democratic Mayor Mike Duggan made headlines late last year when he announced his 2026 gubernatorial campaign as an independent.

The Senate race will be a battle to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, who announced earlier this year that he wouldn’t seek re-election in 2026 to a third six-year term.

Former Rep. Mike Rogers announced at the end of January that he was “strongly considering” a second straight Republican run for the Senate in Michigan.

ONLY ON FOX: SENATE GOP CAMPAIGN CHAIR REVEALS HOW MANY SEATS HE’S GUNNING FOR IN 2026

Fox News confirmed earlier this month that Rogers is likely to announce his campaign in the coming weeks and that he has hired veteran Republican strategist and Trump’s 2024 co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita as a senior advisor.

Michigan Republican Senate nominee Mike Rogers speaks at a campaign rally on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Flint, Mich.  (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Rogers won the 2024 GOP Senate nomination in Michigan but narrowly lost to Rep. Elissa Slotkin, the Democrats’ nominee, in last November’s election in the race to succeed longtime Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow, who retired. Slotkin, who vastly outspent Rogers, edged him by roughly 19,000 votes, or a third of a percentage point.

Besides Dixon, other Republicans considering a Senate run are Rep. John James – who is in his second term in the House and was the GOP Senate nominee in Michigan in 2018 and 2020 – and longtime Rep. Bill Huizenga.

Among Democrats, State Sen. Mallory McMorrow, the majority whip in Lansing, is likely to launch a Democratic campaign. McMorrow grabbed national attention in 2022 after delivering a floor speech in the Michigan Senate that was seen as a model for countering GOP attacks.

Among the other Democrats who have expressed interest in running are two-term Michigan Attorney General Dana Nesse and Congresswoman Haley Stevens.

Pete Buttigieg last week ruled out a Senate run in his adopted home state of Michigan.

The move by the 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, who served four years as transportation secretary in former President Joe Biden’s administration, appears to clear the path for a potential 2028 White House bid by Buttigieg.

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…

-Vance knocks globalization’s ‘cheap labor’ and lauds ‘America’s great industrial comeback’ at AI summit

-Thousands of new JFK assassination files set to be released after Trump announcement

-Trump, supporters seek to push back against ‘activist’ judges

Trump Blasts ‘Radical Left’ Judge Boasberg

President Donald Trump called for the impeachment of a judge in a Truth Social post on Tuesday, apparently referring to Judge James E. Boasberg, who recently tried to block deportation flights to El Salvador.

President Barack Obama appointed Boasberg to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Boasberg became chief judge of the district court in 2023. 

“This Radical Left Lunatic of a Judge, a troublemaker and agitator who was sadly appointed by Barack Hussein Obama, was not elected President – He didn’t WIN the popular VOTE (by a lot!), he didn’t WIN ALL SEVEN SWING STATES, he didn’t WIN 2,750 to 525 Counties, HE DIDN’T WIN ANYTHING! I WON FOR MANY REASONS, IN AN OVERWHELMING MANDATE, BUT FIGHTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION MAY HAVE BEEN THE NUMBER ONE REASON FOR THIS HISTORIC VICTORY,” Trump declared in the post…Read more

Rep. Brandon Gill has filed an impeachment resolution against U.S. District Judge James Boasberg (Getty Images)

White House

SECOND OPINION: Trump to declassify JFK files: Famed doctor who investigated assassination predicts what Americans could learn

‘ROGUE’: Allowing judges to impede Trump on immigration poses national security threat: expert

TRUMP VS COURTS: Trump administration has noon deadline to disclose deportation flights after judge’s order

People are seen boarding a U.S. military aircraft. The White House announced Friday that “deportation flights have begun” in the U.S. (White House)

MAGA MANDATE: Vice President JD Vance to play key role with RNC to grow GOP majority in 2026

‘LEAVE NOW’: Trump tells illegal immigrants to self-deport using CBP Home app in new video

‘LOW-LEVEL’ JUDGES: Who are the federal judges going toe-to-toe against the Trump agenda?

World Stage

‘MAJOR VICTORY’: Alleged MS-13 leader on FBI most wanted list being extradited to US, Patel says

ALL THE ‘RAGE’: Canada ‘rage room’ lets visitors smash Trump, Vance, Musk portraits to release tariff angst

MILITARY SHAKE-UP: Ukraine’s Zelenskyy replaces top military official ahead of Trump-Putin call

‘DEATH SENTENCE’: Israeli strikes on Hamas amount to ‘death sentence’ for remaining hostages, terror group says

A general view of the demolished buildings and damage during evening hours as Palestinian families who left their homes and took shelter in the city of Rafah to protect themselves from Israeli bombardment and ensure their safety. (Photo by Abed Zagout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

‘BARBARIC’: Trump’s DOJ to tackle ‘barbaric Hamas terrorists’ with new Oct. 7 task force

‘IN PROGRESS’: Trump now speaking with Russia’s Putin about ending Ukraine war

Capitol Hill

‘UNCONSTITUTIONAL’: Impeachment articles hit judge who ordered Trump to stop Tren de Aragua deportation flights

‘EXCESSIVE INFLUENCE’: Bipartisan bill seeks to stop pharmacy middlemen from driving up drug costs

A group of bipartisan lawmakers want to change the incentive structure for Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), which they argue has been driving up costs for patients because it encourages them to promote higher-priced drugs. (iStock/GETTY)

Across America 

HIDING THE EVIDENCE: Vanderbilt Med Center ‘hiding’ DEI resources behind password-protected web pages: report

‘UNPRECEDENTED’: Newsom asks for nearly another $3B for state health program overwhelmed by illegal immigrants

‘THAT’S WHAT WE DO’: University doctor boasts about finding loopholes to skirt anti-DEI laws

CAMPUS CRAZINESS: Barnard ‘poisoned’ by ‘DEI propaganda,’ says influencer who uncovered anti-Israel sentiment on campus

‘WHACK NUTS’: Sheriff pushes back after blue state leaders sues to stop immigration enforcement

Washington Attorney General Nick Brown, Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer and Trump Border Czar Tom Homan. (Washington State DOJ/Getty Images/Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office)

‘PROTECT OUR SOVEREIGNTY’: Pentagon deploys Navy warship that fought Houthis to new US southern border mission in line with Trump order

‘MY PROMISE TO YOU’: Dan Bongino sworn in as FBI deputy director: ‘Critical time for our nation’

‘CREDIBILITY ON FIRE’: Red state hunts Tren de Aragua terrorists as judges throw up obstacles

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

President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are in sync when it comes to Iran obtaining nuclear weapons, according to the White House. 

Trump and Putin, who spoke over the phone Tuesday morning about how to draw an end to the war in Ukraine, agreed that Iran must not obtain access to weapons permitting Tehran to obliterate Israel, the White House said. 

“The leaders spoke broadly about the Middle East as a region of potential cooperation to prevent future conflicts,” the White House said in a statement after the call. “They further discussed the need to stop proliferation of strategic weapons and will engage with others to ensure the broadest possible application. The two leaders shared the view that Iran should never be in a position to destroy Israel.”

TRUMP REINSTATES ‘MAXIMUM PRESSURE’ CAMPAIGN AGAINST IRAN 

President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke over the phone March 18, 2025, about how to end the war in Ukraine.   (Contributor/Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Russia is urging the U.S. to loosen its sanctions on Iran, which have crippled Tehran’s economy. Representatives from Russia met with Chinese and Iranian counterparts in Beijing Friday, and pressed the U.S. to withdraw the “unlawful” sanctions and resume nuclear discussions, according to a statement from the three countries. 

“The three countries reiterated that political and diplomatic engagement and dialogue based on the principle of mutual respect remains the only viable and practical option in this regard,” China’s Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu read aloud in a joint statement Friday. 

Russia has maintained a cozy relationship with Iran and has utilized Iranian drones in the war against Ukraine. For example, Russia started to employ the Iranian-made Shahed-131 and Shahed-136 series drones in 2022 to hit Ukrainian artillery targets and areas of Ukraine’s electricity distribution grid, according to the nonprofit organization Washington Institute for Near East Policy. 

The Defense Intelligence Agency also released a report in 2023 detailing how Iran had given Russia access to “hundreds” of one-way attack air drones. Although Iran denied that the drones originated from Tehran, the Defense Intelligence Agency said it obtained debris from attacks in Ukraine that “clearly prove Iran’s support to Russia.” 

Trump cautioned in February he believed that Iran was “close” to developing a nuclear weapon, and his administration reinstated a maximum pressure campaign against Iran through sanctions targeting Iran’s oil exports in February. 

Additionally, Trump revealed March 7 that a nuclear deal with Iran could emerge in the near future and that he sent a letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urging Tehran to agree to a nuclear agreement. 

TRUMP SAYS ‘SOMETHING’S GOING TO HAPPEN VERY SOON’ WITH IRAN AS HE PUSHES TO NEGOTIATE NUCLEAR DEAL 

President Donald Trump said he recently sent a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei pressing for Iran to agree to a nuclear agreement.  (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo)

Failure to do so could mean military intervention, he said. 

“I would rather negotiate a deal,” Trump told Fox Business in an interview March 9. “I’m not sure that everybody agrees with me, but we can make a deal that would be just as good as if you won militarily.” 

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“But the time is happening now, the time is coming up,” he said. “Something is going to happen one way or the other. I hope that Iran, and I’ve written them a letter saying I hope you’re going to negotiate, because if we have to go in militarily, it’s going to be a terrible thing for them.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Peace negotiations will now only take place as Israel continues to pummel Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Tuesday amidst a renewed military offensive campaign in Gaza. 

“From now on, the negotiations will resume only under fighting,” Netanyahu said in a brief public message.

The defiant Israeli prime minister said Hamas had “refused” to engage and return hostages and blamed the media for “echo[ing] Hamas propaganda” amid accusations that he’d renewed the fighting for his own political survival. 

ISRAEL SHOOTS DOWN HOUTHI BALLISTIC MISSILE AFTER CEASEFIRE COLLAPSES

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed the media for parroting Hamas ‘lies’ about him extending the war for his own political survival  (  Yair Sagi/Pool via REUTERS)

“I hear the commentators reporting lies in the studios, as if the IDF’s recommendation and IDF actions stem from political considerations,” he said. 

“They have no shame. They have no red lines. They simply echo Hamas propaganda time and time again.”

Netanyahu went on: “We extended the ceasefire for weeks when we did not receive any hostages. We sent delegations to Doha. We sent delegations to Cairo. We made proposals together with the mediators. We accepted the proposal of the American envoy, [Steve] Witkoff. In contrast, Hamas has repeatedly rejected every offer.”

Israel’s military launched a large-scale bombing campaign on Tuesday, breaking a ceasefire that had been in place since late January. The offensive mission killed at least 404 people, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which would make it one of the deadliest days of the war since October 7, 2023, if true. 

“I want to assure you: this is just the beginning,” Netanyahu said.

CEASEFIRE OVER AS ISRAEL STRIKES GAZA AFTER HAMAS REFUSES TO RELEASE HOSTAGES, OFFICIALS SAY

Meanwhile, Israel said it intercepted a missile from Yemen’s Houthis on Tuesday evening after the U.S.-led offensive strikes on 30 Houthi targets over the weekend. 

 “The Zionists will pay for their crimes against children, women, and civilians,” Hazam el-Assad, a senior Houthi official, posted on X. 

Palestinians make their way to flee their homes, after the Israeli army issued evacuation orders for a number of neighborhoods, following heavy Israeli strikes, in the northern Gaza Strip Mar. 18, 2025 (REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa )

Netanyahu in his statement said Israel was “changing the face of the Middle East.”

“It has been proven in past months – military pressure brings the hostages – we already got many of them home.”

The prime minister claimed Hamas was to blame for “every civilian casualty.”

“Israel does not target Palestinian civilians. We target Hamas terrorists. And when these terrorists embed themselves in civilian areas, when they use civilians as human shields, they are the ones who are responsible for all unintended casualties.”

“Palestinian civilians should avoid any contact with Hamas terrorists, and I call on the people of Gaza, get out of harm’s way. Move to safer areas. Because every civilian casualty is a tragedy and every civilian casualty is the fault of Hamas.”

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Security Agency (ISA) said in a joint statement their airstrikes had eliminated Essam al-Da’alis, “the most senior figure of authority in the Gaza Strip.”

The IDF and ISA also determined with “high probability” that Israeli strikes eliminated Mahmoud Marzouk Ahmed Abu-Watfa, the Minister of Internal Affairs in charge of Hamas’ Internal Security Forces; Bahajat Hassan Mohammed Abu-Sultan, who served as Head of Hamas’ Internal Security Forces; and Ahmed Amar Abdullah Alhata, who served as Hamas’ Minister of Justice. 

The White House backed Israel’s moves to renew the bombing campaign, even as European leaders condemned them. 

“Hamas could have released hostages to extend the ceasefire but instead chose refusal and war,” National Security Council (NSC) spokesman Brian Hughest told Fox News Digital. 

Netanyahu thanked Trump for his “unwavering support.” “Our alliance with the United States has never been stronger.” 

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During the two-month ceasefire, 33 hostages were returned to Israel in exchange for nearly 1,800 Palestinian prisoners. 

Some 59 hostages remain in Hamas’ captivity, though Israel believes around 35 of them are dead.

Fox News’ Louis Casiano, Trey Yingst and The Associated Press ]contributed to this report. 

The White House maintains that President Donald Trump does not use an autopen to sign legally binding documents like pardons — after Trump accused former President Joe Biden of having used the mechanical device to sign such documents. 

A White House official confirmed to Fox News Digital Tuesday that the Trump administration’s official policy during both his terms has been to use Trump’s hand signature on every legally operational or binding document. 

Trump told reporters on Air Force One Sunday that while he uses an autopen for correspondence, it’s shameful to use one when signing documents such as pardons. 

“We may use it, as an example, to send some young person a letter because it’s nice,” Trump said. “You know, we get thousands and thousands of letters, letters of support for young people, from people that aren’t feeling well, etcetera. But to sign pardons and all of the things that he signed with an autopen is disgraceful.”

TRUMP CLAIMS BIDEN PARDONS ARE ‘VOID,’ ALLEGING THEY WERE SIGNED VIA AUTOPEN

President Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he only uses an autopen for documents like correspondence.  (Getty)

Trump also claimed on Sunday that the courts must decide whether Biden’s use of an autopen for executive orders and pardons means they are void. 

An autopen is a device that physically holds a pen and is programmed to replicate a person’s signature. The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel determined in 2005 that the president is permitted to use an autopen to sign bills into law, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued a ruling in February that said the absence of “a writing does not equate to proof that a commutation did not occur.”

“The constitutional text is thus silent as to any particular form the President’s clemency act must take to be effective,” the circuit court said in its opinion. 

Trump raised the issue of Biden utilizing an autopen to sign pardons — including some for lawmakers who served on the House Select Committee to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot — in a social media post on Sunday. Trump claimed in the post that the pardons were “VOID” and accused Biden of not having knowledge of their signing. 

“In other words, Joe Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them! The necessary Pardoning Documents were not explained to, or approved by, Biden. He knew nothing about them, and the people that did may have committed a crime,” Trump said in his post. 

A spokesperson for Biden did not provide comment on the record to Fox News Digital. 

BIDEN’S ‘AUTOPEN SIGNATURE’ APPEARS ON MOST OFFICIAL DOCS, RAISING CONCERNS OVER WHO CONTROLLED THE WH: REPORT

President Donald Trump has accused former President Joe Biden of unknowingly signing pardons during his presidency.  (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

On March 6, the Oversight Project with conservative think-tank The Heritage Foundation released a report claiming that it conducted an analysis of Biden documents, and found that a majority of documents signed during his administration used an autopen. 

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“Our findings suggest widespread use of an autopen to sign clemency warrants throughout the Biden Presidency,” the Oversight Project said in a memo released March 17. “This apparent use raises concerns about: whether President Biden personally authorized each official act; whether or which unelected staff controlled the autopen device; and whether they acted with his approval.” 

On Trump’s inauguration day, Biden signed pardons for the former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, retired Gen. Mark Milley, whom Trump has accused of committing treason, as well as those involved in the Jan. 6 Select Committee investigation that conducted a probe into the attack.

Trump historically has railed against the select committee, and was indicted in August 2023 for attempting to overturn the 2020 election results that culminated in the attack on the Capitol. However, special counsel Jack Smith dropped the case against Trump in November 2024 after Trump won the presidential election.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

A deal for the U.S. to “reclaim” the Panama Canal is increasingly under fire from authorities in China and Hong Kong. 

Earlier this month, BlackRock announced a $23 billion deal with CK Hutchinson to take ownership of the Panamanian ports of Cristobal and Balboa, which are located at the Atlantic and Pacific ends of the canal, respectively. It would also take over Hutchinson’s controlling interest in 43 ports in 23 other countries. However, Hong Kong and Chinese leaders could seek to stand in the way. 

John Lee, the leader of Hong Kong, stated his concerns about the deal on Tuesday, saying it deserved “serious attention.” 

The agreement between the two conglomerates was seen as a solution to President Donald Trump’s threats to take back the canal after he argued that China was using it to “rip off” U.S. ships through entry fees. 

DEM SEEKS TO HALT TRUMP FROM ‘INVADING’ GREENLAND, CANADA AND PANAMA

CK Hutchison and BlackRock recently inked a deal to transfer ownership of the Panama Canal. (REUTERS/Carlos Jasso/File Photo)

Trump touted the BlackRock deal as the U.S. “reclaiming” the port when it was first announced. 

Now, Beijing has opened up investigations into potential antitrust and national security concerns about the deal through various agencies, including its State Administration of Market Regulation, Bloomberg reported.

“If Beijing stops this deal, that’s a direct challenge to the president of the United States on an issue which he really cares about,” said U.S.-China relations expert Gordon Chang. “That is not going to go down very well.”

The lucrative waterway sees 5% of global maritime trade pass through. 

CK Hutchison’s stock price fell 3% on Tuesday after Lee’s comments, and the company canceled press and investor briefings that were scheduled for this week when it releases its financial report. 

CHINA SLAMS TRUMP-IMPOSED ‘ARBITRARY TARIFFS,’ VOWS RETALIATION AGAINST US

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said the Panama deal “deserved serious attention.” (REUTERS/Joyce Zhou)

“We oppose the abusive use of coercion or bullying tactics in international economic and trade relations,” Lee had said in an apparent jab at Trump. 

Commentaries published in Ta Kung Pao, a Hong Kong newspaper owned by the Chinese government, claimed the Hutchison-BlackRock agreement would allow the U.S. to “use [the canal] for political purposes and promote its own political agenda” and would make Chinese trade and shipping “subject to the United States.”

CK Hutchison is owned by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-Shing. Lee has said any business transaction must comply with Hong Kong law, and the city will handle the deal according to law. 

“I suspect that the Hong Kong government is not going to take on Li Ka Shing and Hutchison, but you never know because the environment in Hong Kong is changing. It’s not getting better,” said Chang.

PANAMA PLEDGES TO END KEY CANAL DEAL WITH CHINA, WORK WITH US AFTER RUBIO VISIT

Some 5% of global maritime trade passes through the Panama Canal. (REUTERS/Enea Lebrun/File Photo)

China’s presence in the canal zone allows it to block U.S. access at will. That could mean in the outbreak of war in the Indo-Pacific, it could prevent the U.S. Navy from surging ships from the Atlantic to the Pacific through the canal. 

However, the canal could also be used as leverage for China in its push for Trump to alleviate tariffs. Trump said Monday that Chinese President Xi Jinping would be visiting the U.S. in the “not too distant future.” 

Trump at first put a blanket 10% tariff on all Chinese goods. In March, he upped it to 20%, arguing China was still not doing enough to address fentanyl flowing from its country through U.S. borders. 

CK Hutchison’s ownership of the canal also faces a constitutional challenge in Panama, which could be a factor in its intent to sell.

Panamanian Attorney General Kenia Isolda Porcell Díaz has filed a submission in support of two lawsuits against renewal of a 25-year contract for Hutchison to own the ports, arguing the contract is “unconstitutional” because it “improperly agree[s] to transfer exclusive rights of the Panamanian State.”

When asked about the reports that China was investigating the sale, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the questions should be directed at other agencies. 

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“I would like to stress that in principle, China has been firmly opposing infringing on or undermining other countries’ legitimate rights and interests with economic coercion and bullying,” she said.

Last month, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said his nation would not renew its participation in China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which funds infrastructure projects in nations across the globe in efforts to increase its influence. 

FIRST ON FOX: While some medical schools have taken steps to scrub their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) commitments from their websites, Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) has been found to be hiding some of theirs behind password-protected web pages.  

The conservative nonprofit organization Consumers Research unveiled a campaign Tuesday titled, “What Is Vanderbilt University Medical Center Hiding?” after finding that VUMC was not just deleting some of its references to DEI commitments and resources, but also keeping some and hiding them from public view. 

The campaign includes a website, complete with screenshots and archived web links, showing the various web pages tied to DEI and climate activism that are now password-protected. The Consumers’ Research campaign also includes a mobile billboard that the nonprofit has deployed at the university to raise awareness about VUMC’s actions.

UNIVERSITY DOCTOR BOASTS ABOUT FINDING LOOPHOLES TO SKIRT ANTI-DEI LAWS: ‘THAT’S WHAT WE DO’

“Vanderbilt University Medical Center is frantically trying to conceal its radical policies by password-protecting and deleting webpages highlighting its commitment to DEI and climate activism,” Will Hild, Consumers’ Research executive director, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Until recently, VUMC proudly touted its woke ideology, showcasing DEI policies and an activist climate agenda prominently throughout its website. But now, the health system is scrambling to hide the evidence. This seemingly nefarious behavior begs the question, what is Vanderbilt University Medical Center hiding?”

Conservative nonprofit Consumers’ Research has unveiled a new campaign against Vanderbilt University Medical Center, accusing it of hiding its DEI resources and climate activism behind password-protected web pages online. (iStock)

While VUMC deleted several web pages related to DEI resources and programs that it offers within specific departments, VUMC’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion website allegedly remains active, only to be accessed with a username and password, according to the nonprofit. 

A VUMC Department of Medicine web page touting its commitment to recruit “a diverse resident and fellow population” and laying out resources for those “underrepresented in medicine” is now hidden as well.

UNIVERSITIES FACING ‘IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION’ AS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CRACKS DOWN ON DEI: REPORT

Other web pages about prioritizing “climate care as health care” and other left-wing climate change initiatives have also become password-protected, Consumers’ Research found.

A screenshot of the “WhatIsVandyHiding.com” website set up by nonprofit Consumers’ Research to highlight how Vanderbilt University Medical Center is allegedly “hiding” many of its DEI resources behind password-protected web pages.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, VUMC spokesperson John Howser said that in light of President Donald Trump’s recent executive actions mandating an end to DEI programs, particularly in educational institutions, VUMC “is undertaking a thorough review” of its programs to figure out “where revisions may be required to remain in compliance, including updating information on websites and other public platforms.”

“While we undertake that review, we have elected to take down related websites to ensure current, accurate, and factual information,” Howser added. “VUMC remains committed to maintaining an environment in which all our employees, patients and visitors feel equally welcome, respected and valued.”

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON’S EX-DIVERSITY OFFICER SCRUTINIZED OVER SPENDING, JUDGMENT AMID DEI CRACKDOWN

Included in the Consumers’ Research campaign is a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., calling on HHS and the Department of Government Efficiency to investigate VUMC.

“VUMC, a top research hospital in the United States, relies heavily on federal dollars,” the letter states. “Taxpayer dollars should be used to prioritize patient care, not political activism. Consumers’ Research stands ready to assist as needed to ensure accountability and protect consumers.” 

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VUMC was investigated by Tennessee’s Attorney General’s Office in 2023 amid allegations that a doctor at VUMC was manipulating medical billing codes to evade insurance coverage-limitations for transgender treatments. The investigation followed a video released in 2022, which allegedly showed a VUMC doctor touting transgender surgeries for minors as “huge money makers” and telling anyone with a religious objection to providing them should quit.