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There is something deeply fascinating about Hill Republicans (sometimes stammering) and media conservatives (sometimes shouting) ripping President Trump for accepting a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar.

But he’s not the only president in trouble. More on that in a moment.

Daily Wire founder Ben Shapiro called the deal “skeezy,” saying the gift isn’t coming “out of the goodness of their sweet little hearts…’It’s an equal opportunity influencer – as long as you can help whitewash their image or smooth over the fact that they are in fact the world’s largest proponents of terrorism on an international scale.”

FREE RIDE: ALLIES, EVEN LAURA LOOMER, TURN ON PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR ACCEPTING LUXURY JET FROM QATAR

National Review, under the headline “Poison Plane,” said in an editorial:

“For one thing, the plane is a potential security threat, given all of the possible places to hide listening devices within a jumbo jet. Assuming that issue could be dealt with through an extensive security sweep, there are the ethical concerns…

“Making matters worse is that Qatar is no friend. Its government funds Al Jazeera, the anti-American propaganda channel. It funneled billions of dollars to Hamas, helping the terrorist group build up the infrastructure that allowed it to carry out the October 7 attacks. After the attacks, Qatar issued a statement calling ‘Israel alone responsible’ for the massacre…

“There is absolutely nothing good that can come of an American president feeling he owes something to this terrorist-loving government.”

Veteran conservative radio host Erick Erickson points out that Attorney General Pam Bondi was a lobbyist for Qatar, paid $119,000 a month:  “I don’t think that we should agree with Pam Bondi saying, ‘Oh, yes, Qatar can gift this to the Department of Defense on condition it goes to the Trump Presidential Library.’”

And uber-Trump defender Laura Loomer called the deal a “stain” on his presidency.

But the president isn’t backing down, saying he would have to be “stupid” to pass up saving big bucks by accepting the gift.”

BIDEN AIDES ALLEGEDLY FRETTED THEN-PRESIDENT WOULD NEED WHEELCHAIR IF RE-ELECTED, NEW BOOK REVEALS

Now to the former president.

A new book out today, by CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson, unearths devastating new material about the coverup of Joe Biden’s declining health. 

Now we’ve all known since the disastrous debate against Trump that Biden’s mental acuity had dramatically dropped, and this is the main reason he was sequestered from the press and even from much of his own staff.

But in a piece on Axios – wonder how it obtained an advance copy of the book – the authors reveal some stunning news:

“Joe Biden’s physical deterioration was so severe in 2023 and 2024 that advisers privately discussed the possibility he’d need to use a wheelchair if he won re-election.”

In “Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,” the authors cite “the significant degeneration of his spine — and his aides’ alarm over it as Biden sought a second term at age 81.”

The book also reveals “the White House’s determination to conceal the reality of Biden’s condition, at the risk of his own health, while he faced a tough reelection bid against Donald Trump.”

Think about that for a second. While Trump has used poor judgment in accepting the Qatar plane, this is far worse. Yes, FDR was in a wheelchair, but the press agreed never to show him that way – that ain’t happening today. And he wasn’t 81.

GEORGE CLOONEY WAS ‘SHAKEN’ WHEN BIDEN FAILED TO RECOGNIZE HIM AT STAR STUDDED FUNDRAISER: AUTHORS

In the Guardian, which also got the book in advance, these on-the-record quotes from top Harris adviser David Plouffe – that the campaign was an F—ing nightmare, that Biden F—-d us, he totally F—-d us – hey, I’m just quoting here – shows the depth of intense anger at the former president for running again. And they’re furious that he’s doing a rehab tour on The View and BBC. They want him to get off the stage – hopefully not tripping – and stay there.

Biden aides believed it was politically untenable to have Biden use a wheelchair amid his re-election campaign. Of course they did. It would be political suicide.

SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE’S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A RIFF ON THE DAY’S HOTTEST STORIES

His White House doctor Kevin O’Connor, pleading for more rest time, would tell the staff, “I’m trying to keep him alive, and you’re trying to kill him.”

O’Connor “privately said that if he had another bad fall, a wheelchair might be necessary for what could be a difficult recovery,” the authors report. One fall away.

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Biden didn’t even recognize George Clooney, who had raised a record-breaking sum for him, and had to be prompted on who he was. Then Clooney wrote the New York Times op-ed urging Biden to drop out. The rest, as they say, is history.

FIRST ON FOX: Army veteran and business executive Kendall Qualls has officially launched his campaign to challenge former Democrat vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz to be the next governor of Minnesota. 

While Walz has not yet formally announced a third consecutive gubernatorial bid, Qualls, who also ran for governor in 2022, framed the race for Minnesota’s highest office as an opportunity to fix the problems Walz created. 

“I’m running because, after a 16-year reign of failed leadership, the citizens of Minnesota are looking for a different direction. They’re looking for new leadership, and I’m here to make sure they get it,” Qualls told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview ahead of his campaign launch on Tuesday night. 

In a statement shared first with Fox News Digital, Qualls said he is the only candidate who can help Minnesota reach its potential. 

WALZ SAYS HARRIS PICKED HIM FOR VP TO ‘CODE TALK TO WHITE GUYS’

“I don’t need to tell you that Minnesota is at a crossroads,” Qualls said in a statement. “Tim Walz took us further down the road of lost jobs, fleeing companies, rising crime and cratering education. Now, he’s spending more time outside the state on a vanity tour than he is trying to move Minnesota forward. That’s not leadership.”

WHITE HOUSE TORCHES TIM WALZ’S SPEECH ABOUT TRUMP’S ‘GULAGS,’ ‘CHAOS’: ‘HIS LARGEST CITY BURNED TO THE GROUND’

Qualls explained that Minnesotans want to build the economy, feel safe in their communities and improve education, but “we’re not going to get any of those changes from Tim Walz.”

“I’m the only candidate who can help Minnesota live up to its potential. If we are going to fix the budget Tim Walz broke, we need a proven leader with real-world business experience. If we are going to take back our streets and our classrooms, we need a candidate with a conservative backbone and law and order credentials,” Qualls said. 

Qualls said the only way to create the change that Minnesotans are asking for is to bring in a political outsider like himself. 

“Much like President Trump with his experience in business and leadership, my background has been in business. And before that, I was an officer in the United States Army. And even before that, I grew up in dire poverty. I know that there’s a formula for success in this country, even if we don’t come from a background of privilege,” Qualls said. 

The gubernatorial candidate said he wants Americans to know there is a pathway forward in the United States for anyone to succeed, regardless of their background or where they went to school. But Qualls said the government has a responsibility to get out of the way of those pathways to success. 

“There are pathways out. And unfortunately, what I’m finding with the Democrats is that they have been closing those doors of prosperity. When I turned 18 years old, I registered as a Republican, and I never looked back. I didn’t know any Republicans. I didn’t have a country club membership, but what I did know was what the Democrats were doing in the Black community was something I didn’t want to be a part of. They weren’t helping. They were making things worse,” Qualls said, who grew up in poverty in Harlem in New York and in a trailer park in Oklahoma. 

While Qualls is presenting his campaign as the only alternative to what he describes as the destruction of Minnesota’s current Democrat rule, it’s not his first time running for the state’s highest office. 

“In this last election, I finished number two out of seven candidates in the Republican endorsement process. I agreed to abide by the endorsement. I actually endorsed. The candidate that won. But unfortunately, in that election in 2022, we lost everything, the governorship, Senate, House, attorney general, everything. And a lot of people felt that maybe we had the wrong candidate at the top of the ticket,” Qualls said. 

But Qualls said this time is different. 

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“I worked around the state for four years helping candidates raise money, just rallying the troops,” Qualls said. “There’s a sense of true leadership that people haven’t seen before.”

Leaning on his increased name recognition this time around, Qualls said he is focused on building a grassroots coalition of Minnesota Republicans who are ready for change. 

Walz did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

President Donald Trump continued to defend his decision to accept a $400 million jet from Qatar during an exclusive interview with Sean Hannity on Air Force One on Tuesday.

Trump has received backlash for planning to accept the jumbo Boeing 747-8 jet from the Qatari royal family since news of the gift broke on Sunday.

“Now, some people say, ‘oh, you shouldn’t accept gifts for the country.’ My attitude is, why wouldn’t I accept the gift? We’re giving to everybody else? Why wouldn’t I accept the gift?” the president said to Hannity.

TRUMP DEFENDS QATAR JUMBO JET OFFER AS TROUBLED BOEING FAILS TO DELIVER NEW AIR FORCE ONE FLEET 

The luxury jet, which was offered to the United States because of delays in Boeing’s production of the new Air Force One fleet, will serve as a temporary method of transportation so that the current presidential plane doesn’t have to be flown. 

Trump has said AF1 is nearly 40 years old and looks “much less impressive” when compared to the planes in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar.

“You know, we’re the United States of America. I believe that we should have the most impressive plane,” Trump told Hannity.

TRUMP CLARIFIES OWNERSHIP OF AIRCRAFT IN DEFENSE OF QATAR’S GIFT 

In addition to Boeing running behind on delivering the new fleet, the jumbo jet is a gift to the Department of Defense for “a job well done” in successfully defending Qatar “for many years,” Trump added on Truth Social a few hours after the interview.

“Why should our military, and therefore our taxpayers, be forced to pay hundreds of millions of Dollars when they can get it for FREE from a country that wants to reward us for a job well done,” he wrote.

Trump has said the plane will be retired to the presidential library once Boeing delivers its new AF1 fleet.

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The president will be in Qatar on Wednesday for the next stop of his three-day visit to the Middle East, marking his first major international trip of his second term. 

He spent Tuesday in Saudi Arabia meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The Boeing 747 offered to the United States by Qatar will be given to the Department of Defense, President Donald Trump said Tuesday, responding to questions about the legality of accepting a gift from a foreign power. 

Qatar’s royal family offered to donate a $400 million jumbo jet that could serve as Air Force One. 

The White House has pushed back against criticism of Trump, saying any gift from a foreign power is always accepted in full compliance with all laws. 

TRUMP TEASES ‘VERY, VERY BIG ANNOUNCEMENT’ AHEAD OF MIDDLE EAST TRIP, CARNEY SAYS HE’S ‘ON EDGE OF MY SEAT’

“The Boeing 747 is being given to the United States Air Force/Department of Defense, NOT TO ME!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform in the middle of his visit to Saudi Arabia. “It is a gift from a Nation, Qatar, that we have successfully defended for many years. It will be used by our Government as a temporary Air Force One, until such time as our new Boeings, which are very late on delivery, arrive.”

Some Democrats have called for an ethics investigation over the gift. 

On Sunday, Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., wrote to the Government Accountability Office, deriding the deal as a “flying grift,” arguing it violates the emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution, which “explicitly prohibits any person holding public office from accepting ‘any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.'”

HOUSE DEMOCRAT CALLS FOR ‘IMMEDIATE’ ETHICS PROBE OF QATARI PLANE GIFT TO TRUMP

“I am writing to express alarm over reports that President Donald Trump is poised to accept a luxury aircraft — a Boeing 747-8 — from the government of Qatar. The plane, so opulent it has been described as a ‘palace in the sky,’ is set to be made available to President Trump for official use as Air Force One and then for private use once he leaves office,” Torres wrote.

Trump questioned why taxpayers should foot the bill for the aircraft when the U.S. can get one at no cost. 

“This big savings will be spent, instead, to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump wrote. “Only a FOOL would not accept this gift on behalf of our Country. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Trump reportedly toured the plane in February when it was on the tarmac of the West Palm Beach Airport in Florida, ABC News reported over the weekend. 

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The gift has reportedly been tied up with legal reviews as the White House counsel’s office and the Department of Justice review the legality of the president accepting such a pricey gift from a foreign nation.

The current Air Force One fleet includes two planes, and Trump awarded Boeing a $3.9 billion contract in 2018, during his first term, to manufacture two new jets. The construction of the jets, however, is not expected to be completed until 2029. 

Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report. 

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA – Pete Buttigieg pushed back against criticism from President Donald Trump on the job he did as transportation secretary in former President Biden’s administration and declined to say if Biden experienced cognitive decline during his final years in the White House, as he took questions from reporters on Tuesday night.

Buttigieg, speaking with reporters after headlining a town hall with veterans in this eastern Iowa city that sparked more speculation that the 2020 Democratic presidential contender is mulling another White House run in 2028, told Fox News that ‘right now I’m not running for anything.”

Buttigieg won the 2020 Iowa presidential caucuses and came in a close second in the New Hampshire presidential primary before Biden surged to claim the party’s nomination and later the White House.

While Iowa’s caucuses for half a century kicked off both major political parties’ presidential nominating calendars, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) demoted the Hawkeye State on their 2024 schedule, and it’s unclear if Iowa will regain its early state status in the 2028 calendar.

LESS THAN FOUR WEEKS INTO TRUMP’S SECOND TERM, DEMOCRATS ALREADY EYEING 2028 PRESIDENTIAL RACE

But Buttigieg’s visit, along with his announcement in March that he would pass on a 2026 run for a Democrat-controlled open Senate seat in battleground Michigan, his adopted home state, are seen as signals of his interest in a potential 2028 national run.

Buttigieg told a Substack author in a live interview hours before the town hall that when it comes to 2028, he would consider “what I bring to the table.”

But asked by Fox News if the trip to Iowa – where he also gathered with staffers from his 2020 campaign and was followed around by a videographer from his political group Win the Era – was the beginning of an assessment period, Buttigieg said “right now, I’m not running for anything and part of what’s exciting and compelling about an opportunity like this is to be campaigning for values and for ideas rather than a specific electoral campaign. So that’s what I’m about.”

Told that audience members who said they voted for him in 2020 and would be interested in backing him again if he runs in 2028, Buttigieg said “of course it means a lot to hear that people who supported me then continue to believe in what I have to say.”

The Cedar Rapids event was hosted by VoteVets, a progressive group that represents veterans and military families in the political process. The group told Fox News that 1,800 people attended the event.

WATCH: TRUMP TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY LAYS OUT NEW PLAN TO UPGRADE AGING AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM

The trip by Buttigieg came as he’s faced incoming fire in recent days from Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy over a surge in flight delays and cancellations at New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport, which is one of the three major airports that services the New York City metropolitan area.

Duffy blames his predecessor at the Department of Transportation and the Biden administration for what he claims was a failure to upgrade the busy airport’s air traffic control system.

And Trump, last week, also chimed in, claiming that during his tenure as transportation secretary Buttigieg “didn’t have a clue. And this guy is actually a contender for president?” Trump added. “I don’t think he’s going to do too well.”

The president’s jabs came a few days after Buttigieg, pointing to Trump’s underwater approval ratings in national polling, said in a social media post that “Donald Trump is the most unpopular 100-day-mark president in modern American history.”

WATCH: TRUMP TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY LAYS OUT NEW PLAN TO UPGRADE AGING AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM

The Trump administration argues that Buttigieg oversaw a rocky transition of the Newark airport’s airspace to the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control (Tracon) last July.

And Duffy, who earlier this week unveiled a major plan to overhaul the nation’s aging air traffic control system, claims the Biden administration is to blame for the recent problems, including air traffic control equipment outages.

“Maybe when you work from home, or maybe when you work from Michigan as a secretary, maybe you’re not focused on the real issues that are taking place throughout the airspace,” Duffy said, as he took aim at Buttigieg, who lives in Michigan.

Buttigieg, responding, told reporters on Tuesday night that “when you’re the secretary of transportation, you have a tough job and your responsibility is to fix tough problems. You don’t have time to indulge in trying to point fingers or blame other people.”

“What I can tell you is we inherited a shrinking air traffic control workforce. We turned it into a growing air traffic control workforce,” he added. “My successor is, of course, not asking for my advice, but my advice would be to making sure that it grows and actually delivering the technological change that’s needed.”

Buttigieg’s Iowa trip also came on the same day that excerpts from a new book offered details on Biden’s supposed mental and physical decline during his last two years in the White House.

Asked whether Biden experienced cognitive decline, Buttigieg would only say that “every time I needed something from him from the West Wing, I got it.” 

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But he said “maybe” when asked whether the Democratic Party would have been better off if Biden had not run for re-election in 2024. “Right now with the benefit of hindsight, I think most people would agree that that’s the case.”

Biden dropped out of the race last July, one month after a disastrous debate performance with Trump sparked a chorus of calls from fellow Democrats for the then-81-year-old president to end his re-election bid. He was replaced at the top of the ticket by then-Vice President Kamala Harris, who ended up losing in November to Trump.

Three key committees in the process of putting together President Donald Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill” are expected to work through the night to advance their respective portions of the Republican agenda.

The House Agriculture Committee, the Energy & Commerce Committee and the Ways & Means Committee are all holding meetings aimed at advancing key parts of Trump’s bill.

Sources told Fox News Digital they expected the Energy & Commerce and Ways & Means meetings, which began on Tuesday afternoon, to last upwards of 20 hours each. The Agriculture panel’s markup is also expected to last into Wednesday.

Democrats on each committee, meanwhile, have prepared a barrage of attacks and accusations against GOP lawmakers looking to gut critical welfare programs.

ANTI-ABORTION PROVIDER MEASURE IN TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ COULD SPARK HOUSE GOP REBELLION

Sparks flew early at the Energy & Commerce Committee meeting with protesters both inside and outside the room repeatedly attempting to disrupt proceedings – with 26 people arrested by Capitol Police.

Protesters against Medicaid cuts, predominately in wheelchairs, remained outside the budget markup for several hours as representatives inside debated that and other critical facets under the committee’s broad jurisdiction.

Inside the budget markup, Democrats and Republicans sparred along party lines over Medicaid cuts. Democrats repeatedly claimed the Republican budget proposal will cut vital Medicaid services. 

Many Democrats shared how Medicaid services have saved their constituents’ lives and argued that millions of Americans could lose coverage under the current proposal.

Meanwhile, Republicans accused Democrats of lying to the American people about Medicaid cuts – a word Kentucky Republican Rep. Brett Guthrie, Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, deterred his colleagues from using. Tensions arose when the word was repeated as Democrats called it a mischaracterization of their testimonies.

Republicans have contended that their bill only seeks to cut waste, fraud, and abuse of the Medicaid system, leaving more of its resources for vulnerable populations that truly need it. 

That committee was tasked with finding $880 billion in spending cuts to offset Trump’s other funding priorities. Guthrie told House Republicans on a call Sunday night that they’d found upwards of $900 billion in cuts.

Democrats have seized on Republican reforms to Medicaid, including heightened work requirements and shifting more costs to certain states, as a political cudgel. 

At one point late in the evening, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., made an appearance at the Energy & Commerce panel’s meeting.

“I just want to mention our Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries is here because of his concern about Medicaid. Thank you,” the committee’s top Democrat, Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., said.

But tensions remain between moderate Republicans and conservatives about the level of cuts the committee is seeking to the former Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act green energy tax subsidies.

The meeting at the Ways & Means Committee, the House’s tax-writing panel, had relatively little fanfare but was equally contentious as Democrats attempted to offer amendments to preserve Affordable Care Act tax credits and changes to the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap.

At one point, Reps. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, and Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., got into a heated exchange over SALT, with Suozzi pushing Van Duyne on whether she’d ever been to New York.

Van Duyne earlier called Texas a “donor state” in terms of taxes, arguing, “We should not have to pay to make up for the rich folks in New York who are getting raped by their local and state governments.”

Suozzi later pointed out Van Duyne was born and went to college in upstate New York – leading to audible gasps in the room.

Van Duyne said there was “a reason” she left.

BROWN UNIVERSITY IN GOP CROSSHAIRS AFTER STUDENT’S DOGE-LIKE EMAIL KICKS OFF FRENZY

“We’re sorry you left New York, but in some ways it may have worked out better for all of us,” Suozzi said.

The SALT deduction cap, however, is still a politically tricky issue even as House lawmakers debate what Republicans hoped would be the final bill.

The legislation would raise the $10,000 SALT deduction cap to $30,000 for most single and married tax filers – a figure that Republicans in higher cost-of-living areas said was not enough.

Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., threatened to vote against the final bill if the new cap remains.

As the committee’s marathon meeting continued, a group of blue state Republicans are huddling with House GOP leaders to find a compromise on a way forward.

Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., hinted at tensions in the meeting when he posted on X that Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., a member of the SALT Caucus and Ways & Means Committee, “wasn’t involved in today’s meeting” because her district required “something different than mine and the other most SALTY five.”

Malliotakis had told Fox News Digital she was supportive of the $30,000 cap. She’s also the only member of the SALT Caucus on the critical tax-writing panel.

The Agriculture Committee, which began its meeting on Tuesday evening, saw Democrats waste no time in accusing Republicans of trying to gut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), colloquially known as food stamps.

Rep. Adam Gray, D-Calif., accused Republicans of worrying that “somebody is getting a meal they didn’t deserve or kids are getting too fat” instead of more critical issues.

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Republicans, like Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, touted the bill’s inclusion of crop insurance for young farmers, increasing opportunity for export markets, and helping invest in national animal disaster centers aimed at preventing and mitigating livestock illness.

He also said Republicans were working to “secure” SNAP from waste and abuse.

House and Senate Republicans are working on Trump’s agenda via the budget reconciliation process, which allows the party in power to sideline the minority by lowering the Senate’s threshold for passage to a simple majority, provided the legislation at hand deals with spending, taxes or the national debt.

Trump wants Republicans to use the maneuver for a sweeping bill on his tax, border, immigration, energy and defense priorities.

Two sources familiar with the plan said the House Budget Committee intends to advance the full bill, the first step to getting the legislation to a House-wide vote, on Friday.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, introduced a bill aimed at criminalizing pornography and defining what is obscene and what is not.

Lee and Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., introduced the Interstate Obscenity Definition Act (IODA) for all states, which, if passed, would make it illegal to transmit obscene content across state lines while also making it easier to prosecute.

“Obscenity isn’t protected by the First Amendment, but hazy and unenforceable legal definitions have allowed extreme pornography to saturate American society and reach countless children,” Lee said in a news release. “Our bill updates the legal definition of obscenity for the internet age so this content can be taken down and its peddlers prosecuted.”

The IODA attempts to clarify the definition of obscenity in all states and gives updated descriptions that are suited to modern content.

LAWS PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM ONLINE PORN ARE WINNING IN SOME STATES AS ACTIVISTS PUSH NATIONWIDE SOLUTION

Specifically, the new definition removes the current law’s dependence on ever-changing and elusive public opinion and replaces it with practical standards that make obscenity identifiable, according to Lee’s team.

Lee and Miller could not be reached by Fox News Digital for comment on their proposed bill.

The current legal definition of obscenity originated from a 1973 Supreme Court case, and the standards are subjective and vague, making it difficult to apply to any material.

PORNHUB SHUTS DOWN WEBSITE IN TEXAS AFTER GETTING SUED UNDER AGE VERIFICATION LAW

Because the pre-internet standards are so vague, they often present challenges in court when it comes to defining what is obscene and ultimately allow “criminals to evade prosecution,” the press release said.

Lee’s IODA defines “obscenity” within the Communications Act of 1934 and “appeals to the prurient interest in nudity, sex, or excretion.”

PORNHUB PARENT COMPANY SUED BY TEXAS AG FOR FAILING TO VERIFY USERS’ AGES

The bill also “depicts, describes or represents actual or simulated sex acts” intended to “arouse, titillate or gratify” a person’s sexual desires. Adding to that, the bill identifies obscene material as that which “lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.”

The IODA also removes the “intent” requirement, which only prohibits the transmission of obscene material for the purpose of abusing, threatening or harassing an individual.

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“The Interstate Obscenity Definition Act equips law enforcement with the tools they need to target and remove obscene material from the internet, which is alarmingly destructive and far outside the bounds of protected free speech under the Constitution,” Miller said. 

“I’m proud to lead this effort in the House with Sen. Lee to safeguard American families and ensure this dangerous material is kept out of our homes and off our screens.”

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Tuesday fired back at Democrat Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell‘s public accusation that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents “do not share [the state’s] values of safety” after a Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) operation in coordination with ICE resulted in nearly 200 illegal immigrant arrests.

ICE and THP announced 196 arrests of illegal immigrants during the Nashville effort, 95 of whom had prior criminal convictions and pending criminal charges. 

More than 30 were previously removed individuals who reentered the U.S. illegally, a felony offense under federal law. 

ICE TOUTS RECORD-BREAKING IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT DURING TRUMP’S FIRST 100 DAYS

Despite the operation’s success in protecting Americans from illegal immigrants, DHS officials wrote in a news release that O’Connell “stands by pro-illegal policies, claiming that these operations were done by ‘people who do not share our values of safety.’” 

DHS noted “attacks and demonization of ICE” have resulted in officers facing a 413% increase in assaults. 

“You would think all public officials would unite around DHS bringing violent criminal illegal aliens to justice and removing them from American communities,” DHS Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said in a news release. “However, pro-open borders politicians – like Mayor O’Connell – would rather protect illegal aliens than American citizens.”

TRUMP NABS 30K ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, 1,100 GANG MEMBERS IN 100 DAYS: ‘CRIME WILL GO DOWN,’ EX-FBI AGENT SAYS

“This operation resulted in getting gang members, sex offenders, and other violent criminals off Nashville’s streets,” McLaughlin added. “President [Donald] Trump and [DHS] Secretary [Kristi] Noem will continue to stand with victims and the brave ICE agents who are on the front lines, making America safe again.”  

Though O’Connell launched the “Belonging Fund” to provide taxpayer dollars for illegal immigrants in Nashville, DHS officials stood firm, saying, “BOTTOM LINE: DHS is [a] law enforcement agency, and it will continue to enforce the law and work with all state and local partners so that Americans do not continue to be victimized by criminal aliens.”

Below are detainees who ICE officials said were nabbed during the Nashville operation.

Jassim Jafaf Al-Raash

Jassim Jafaf Al-Raash, a 60-year-old illegal immigrant from Iraq, was previously convicted of rape, for which he was sentenced to 10 years in prison, according to DHS officials.

He was also convicted of larceny and false imprisonment, for which he was sentenced to nearly a year in prison, and charged with failure to register as a sex offender. 

Al-Raash had a final order of removal dated Sept. 1, 2021, according to DHS.

Franklin Oswaldo Velasquez

Franklin Oswaldo Velasquez, a 33-year-old illegal immigrant from El Salvador, is allegedly affiliated with the MS-13 gang, according to DHS.

He has an active Red Notice in El Salvador for aggravated murder, which is a worldwide wanted alert.

Velasquez was convicted of possession of methamphetamines, possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to appear and criminal impersonation, according to DHS.

NEARLY 800 ILLEGAL ALIENS ARRESTED IN MASSIVE FLORIDA ICE OPERATION: ‘TIDAL WAVE’

Inmar Antonio Penado-Membreno

Inmar Antonio Penado-Membreno, a 34-year-old illegal immigrant from El Salvador, was previously convicted of possession with intent to manufacture, deliver, or sell cocaine, for which he was sentenced to eight years in prison, according to DHS.

Penado-Membreno was also convicted of aggravated assault, for which he was sentenced to four years in prison, officials said.

Richard St. Baptiste

Richard St. Baptiste, a 36-year-old illegal immigrant from Haiti, was previously convicted of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, for which he was sentenced to eight years of probation, according to DHS.

He was also convicted of marijuana possession, for which he was sentenced to 30 days imprisonment, according to officials.

Carlos Reinaldo Alvarado-Rodriguez

Carlos Reinaldo Alvarado-Rodriguez, a 39-year-old illegal immigrant from Guatemala, was previously convicted of aggravated assault, for which he was sentenced to four years in prison, according to DHS.

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DHS and O’Connell’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Tuesday it is taking a step toward “ending outdated practices” related to children’s health and will begin removing ingestible fluoride prescription drug products for kids from the market. 

Health and Human Services and the FDA are “taking bold action to protect America’s children by initiating the removal of unapproved, ingestible fluoride prescription drug products from the market,” Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Andrew Nixon told Fox News Digital Tuesday. “These fluoride prescription drug products, given to infants and toddlers, have never been approved by the FDA and pose real risks to developing children — including harm to the gut microbiome, potential thyroid dysfunction, weight gain, and even reduced IQ. This is not just a public health issue — it’s a moral issue.” 

“This marks another step toward delivering on our Make America Healthy Again promise — by ending outdated practices and putting Gold Standard Science at the center of children’s health,” he added. 

The FDA announced earlier Tuesday it had begun the initial steps of removing “concentrated ingestible fluoride prescription drug products for children from the market.” 

Fluoride is frequently used to protect teeth from decay and cavities. 

DESANTIS SIGNS BILL BANNING FLUORIDE ADDITIVES IN FLORIDA PUBLIC WATER: ‘HYDRATE, NOT MEDICATE’

Ingestible fluoride, such as tablets prescribed to kids at high-risk for cavities, was never approved by the FDA, according to its chief, Marty Makary, and have been “shown to alter the gut microbiome,” as well as possible association “between fluoride and thyroid disorders, weight gain and possibly decreased IQ.”

Ingestible fluoride is swallowed, and differs from other fluoride products, such as toothpaste bolstered with fluoride. 

UTAH BANS FLUORIDE FROM PUBLIC DRINKING WATER, ALIGNING WITH MAHA MOVEMENT

Makary said in a Tuesday press release that children can avoid heavy sugar intake to dodge cavities instead of “altering a child’s microbiome.” The gut microbiome is the ecosystem of microorganisms that live in a person’s intestines. 

“The best way to prevent cavities in children is by avoiding excessive sugar intake and good dental hygiene, not by altering a child’s microbiome,” Makary said in the press release. “For the same reason that fluoride may kill bacteria on teeth, it may also kill intestinal bacteria important for a child’s health.” 

“I am instructing our Center for Drug Evaluation and Research to evaluate the evidence regarding the risks of systemic fluoride exposure from FDA-regulated pediatric ingestible fluoride prescription drug products to better inform parents and the medical community on this emerging area. When it comes to children, we should err on the side of safety.”

FLUORIDE EXPOSURE LINKED TO ‘DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS’ ON HEALTH OF PREGNANT WOMEN, INFANTS

Nixon told Fox News Digital that HHS and the FDA will launch a full safety review, including with public input, as health leaders work to finalize details of the plan by Oct. 31. 

“The American people deserve transparency and accountability,” Nixon said. “The Department will issue new guidelines promoting safe, effective dental hygiene without compromising gut health.”  

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. added in the press release that “ending the use of ingestible fluoride is long overdue.”

RFK JR. CALLS FOR REMOVAL OF FLUORIDE FROM DRINKING WATER, SPARKING DEBATE

“I’m grateful to Commissioner Makary for his leadership on this vital issue — one that directly safeguards the health and development of our children,” Kennedy said. “This decision brings us one step closer to delivering on President Trump’s promise to Make America Healthy Again.”  

Kennedy posted to X following President Donald Trump‘s election win in November 2024 that the Trump administration “will advise all U.S​. water systems to remove fluoride from public water” upon Inauguration Day. 

CHILDREN EXPOSED TO HIGHER FLUORIDE LEVELS FOUND TO HAVE LOWER IQS, STUDY REVEALS

“Fluoride is an industrial waste associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease. President ​@realDonaldTrump and First Lady @MELANIATRUMP want to Make America Healthy Again,” he continued. 

Trump told the media shortly after Kennedy’s X post that such a plan to remove fluoride from water systems “sounds OK to me.”

FIRST STATE TO BAN FLUORIDE IN DRINKING WATER WILL HEED MAHA MOVEMENT’S CALL TO ACTION

Utah became the first state in the nation to ban fluoride from public water systems in May, while Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill May 6 banning fluoride additives to the state’s public water supply. That law will take effect July 1. 

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“Jamming fluoride in the water supply …  is essentially a forced medication,” DeSantis said during a news conference May 6 in Tallahassee, Florida. “At the end of the day, we should all agree that people deserve informed consent.“

Amid states moving to ban fluoride from water systems specifically, local dentists and critics of the move claim it will hurt residents who rely on the fluoride to bolster dental health. 

More than two dozen protesters were arrested for disrupting the House Energy and Commerce’s budget reconciliation markup on Tuesday, as Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., thanked those holding court in the hallway. 

“Around 2 p.m., 26 people were arrested for illegally demonstrating in the Rayburn House Office Building. They were arrested for 22-1307 Crowding, Obstructing, and Incommoding. It is against the law to protest inside the Congressional Buildings,” the U.S. Capitol Police Department told Fox News Digital. 

Dozens of protesters, many in wheelchairs, filled the halls outside the John D. Dingell Room in the Rayburn House Office Building on Tuesday afternoon, chanting, “No cuts to Medicaid!” Several protesters, who were blocking the entrance to the committee room, were wheeled away and arrested by Capitol police after multiple warnings. 

A defiant Booker walked by the budget markup during its first hour and was greeted by the cheers and whistles of those protesting Medicaid cuts. Booker, who spent more than 12 hours protesting President Donald Trump’s agenda on the steps of the U.S. Capitol just two weeks ago, thanked the protesters for showing up to protect Medicaid. 

HOUSE GOP UNVEILS MEDICAID WORK REQUIREMENTS IN TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’

A Capitol police officer confirmed to Fox News Digital that disruptors were arrested for protesting and would be processed and released immediately. Many protesters remained in the hallway during the first few hours of the markup as others were removed for shouting during the representative’s testimonies and subsequently arrested. 

ANTI-ABORTION PROVIDER MEASURE IN TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ COULD SPARK HOUSE GOP REBELLION

“The audience is supportive that you’re all here and participating. We want you here. You’re part of the process. We want you to be here, but we have to proceed. And the rules of the House, and the law is that – if you’re disruptive, you’ll be removed, and you’re subject to arrest. I don’t make that decision, the Capitol Police does,” Kentucky Republican Rep. Brett Guthrie, Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, said following one of several disruptions by protesters. 

Inside the budget markup, Democrats and Republicans sparred over rhetoric about Medicaid cuts. Democrats claimed the Republican budget bill would cut vital access to Medicaid, with many representatives sharing stories of their constituents who have benefited from its services. Meanwhile, Republicans accused Democrats of lying to the American people about Medicaid cuts – a word Guthrie deterred his colleagues from using. 

“I want to send one very clear message: you’re being lied to. The other side is telling you a lot of things about this legislation. I’m not sure they have read this legislation,” Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., who chairs the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee, said. 

Republicans mostly avoided the deep cuts to Medicaid pushed by fiscal conservatives in the House Republican Conference, which could serve to benefit moderate Republicans who have fielded relentless attacks from Democrats over potential Medicaid cuts. House Republicans, however, have vowed to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse in the Medicaid program. 

The committee’s budget markup includes increased regulations and program cuts to Medicaid, including tightened address verification requirements, ensuring deceased individuals are not enrolled, more provider screening requirements, removing excess Medicaid payments, revising home equity limits for determining eligibility, prohibiting illegal immigrants from obtaining Medicaid services, ensuring accurate payments, prohibiting funding for gender transition procedures for minors and requirements for states to establish Medicaid community engagement programs. 

“This budget does not cut Medicaid, Medicare or Social Security benefits for the Americans who truly need them. We are strengthening and protecting Medicaid for pregnant women, children, individuals with disabilities, low-income seniors and vulnerable families. These Americans will continue to have access to the care they need and deserve. What we are doing is eliminating waste, fraud and abuse,” Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Indiana, told the committee. 

But despite Republicans’ assurances that the proposed budget does not cut Medicaid, Democrats testified, one after the other, about the threats program cuts pose to Americans. 

“They are cutting this Medicaid care and these Medicaid dollars to pay for tax cuts for Elon Musk and billionaires, so this money isn’t even going towards funding better care for people who are eligible… We are cutting money and health care from people and families who are suffering, to pay for tax cuts for the rich. It is a crime happening in front of the American public right now,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said. 

The proposed legislation would put a new 80-hour-per-month work requirement on certain able-bodied adults receiving Medicaid, aged 19 through 64.

It would also put guardrails on states spending funds on their expanded Medicaid populations. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) allowed states to expand Medicaid coverage to adults who make up to 138% of the poverty level.

More specifically, states that provide Medicaid coverage to illegal immigrants could see their federal Medicaid reimbursement dollars diminished, putting more of that cost on the state itself.

The bill would also require states with expanded Medicaid populations to perform eligibility checks every six months to ensure the system is not being abused.

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The Energy & Commerce Committee, which has broad jurisdiction, including over federal health programs, telecommunications and energy, was tasked with finding at least $880 billion in spending cuts to pay for other priorities in Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.”

Guthrie told House Republicans on a lawmaker-only call on Sunday night that the panel had found “north of $900 billion” in savings. 

The U.S. State Department has determined and certified Cuba as a “not fully cooperating country” (NFCC) for not helping with counterterrorism efforts after the island nation failed to turn over at least 11 fugitives in 2024 to U.S. custody.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce made the announcement on Tuesday that the certification, which falls under Section 40A of the Arms Export Control Act, will result in the prohibition on the sale or license for export of defense services to Cuba.

“In 2024, the Cuban regime did not fully cooperate with the United States on counterterrorism,” Bruce said in a statement. “There were at least 11 U.S. fugitives from justice in Cuba, including several facing terrorism-related charges, and the Cuban regime made clear it was not willing to discuss their return to face justice in our nation.”

“The Cuban regime’s refusal to engage on this important issue, as well as other recent circumstances of non-cooperation on terrorism-related law enforcement matters, made efforts to cooperate on counterterrorism issues futile in 2024,” she continued.

CHINA DENIES NEW REPORT LINKING CCP TO 4 SITES IN CUBA ALLEGEDLY USED TO SPY ON THE US

Secretary of State Marco Rubio not only certified Cuba as an NFCC, he also re-certified Iran, Syria, Venezuela and North Korea as NFCCs.

In January, the Biden administration lifted Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, reversing a move made by the Trump administration in 2021.

Former President Joe Biden said at the time that the Cuban government “has not provided any support for international terrorism during the preceding six-month period” as well as “provided assurances that it will not support acts of international terrorism in the future.”

DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS CRITICIZE BIDEN ADMIN’S CUBA DÉTENTE

Cuba was given the designation in January 2021, shortly before Biden took office. At the time, the U.S. Embassy in Cuba accused the country of “repeatedly providing support for acts of international terrorism in granting safe harbor to terrorists.”

The designation returned the Caribbean nation to a list that it was on from the Reagan administration to that of former President Barack Obama. In 2016, Obama became the first U.S. president to visit Cuba since 1928.

WHITE HOUSE REMOVES CUBA’S STATE SPONSOR OF TERRORISM DESIGNATION, REVERSING TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MOVE

The Obama administration attempted to normalize relations in 2015 but encountered resistance from President Donald Trump, whose administration recently argued that Cuba has failed to cooperate on counterterrorism.

State Department officials said Cuba refused to extradite 10 suspects wanted in Colombia for a police academy bombing that killed 22 people and injured dozens more. 

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Authorities also accused Cuba of harboring multiple American fugitives, including Joanne Chesimard, also known as Assata Shakur. She was convicted of killing New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster in 1973.

In the summer of 2017, Trump imposed travel and financial restrictions on Cuba while blasting as “one-sided” Obama’s 2016 deal with the regime.

Fox News Digital’s Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.

The Episcopal Church’s migration service said it will refuse the Trump administration’s request to help resettle dozens of White South Africans granted refugee status by the federal government. 

In a statement, Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe said the Episcopal Migration Ministries will instead terminate its partnership with the government. The announcement came shortly before 59 South Africans arrived in the United States. 

“In light of our church’s steadfast commitment to racial justice and reconciliation and our historic ties with the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, we are not able to take this step,” Rowe said of the government’s request that the church help resettle the South African citizens. “Accordingly, we have determined that, by the end of the federal fiscal year, we will conclude our refugee resettlement grant agreements with the U.S. federal government.”

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MAKES NEW MOVE TO BRING SOUTH AFRICAN REFUGEES TO US AS PRESIDENT BLASTS NATION’S RULERS AGAIN

He cited their “preferential treatment” over others more deserving by jumping ahead of the line. 

“It has been painful to watch one group of refugees, selected in a highly unusual manner, receive preferential treatment over many others who have been waiting in refugee camps or dangerous conditions for years,” said Rowe. “I am saddened and ashamed that many of the refugees who are being denied entrance to the United States are brave people who worked alongside our military in Iraq and Afghanistan and now face danger at home because of their service to our country.”

“I also grieve that victims of religious persecution, including Christians, have not been granted refuge in recent months,” he added. 

The move came after President Donald Trump fast-tracked refugee status for the White South Africans, citing discrimination by their government, while also shutting down most refugee resettlement programs. 

JD VANCE CLASHES WITH CBS ANCHOR OVER UNVETTED REFUGEES: ‘I DON’T WANT THAT PERSON IN MY COUNTRY’

The Trump administration has harshly criticized the government of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa over a land expropriation bill, which, under some circumstances, allows for expropriation of land without compensation.

Trump has said the bill discriminates against White South Africans. The White House told Fox News Digital that the church’s stance raises questions about its “supposed” commitment to humanitarian aid. 

“Any religious group should support the plight of Afrikaners, who have been terrorized, brutalized and persecuted by the South African government,” a spokesperson said. “The Afrikaners have faced unspeakable horrors and are no less deserving of refugee resettlement than the hundreds of thousands of others who were allowed into the United States during the past administration. President Trump has made it clear: refugee resettlement should be about need, not politics.” 

Episcopal Migration Ministries has helped resettled refugees under federal grants for nearly four decades. However, just over two weeks ago, the government told the EMM that under the terms of its federal grant, it was expected to resettle White South Africans whom the U.S. government has classified as refugees, Rowe said.

He said the church will work to find other ways to service refugees. 

Meanwhile, Church World Service, another faith-based agency that assists refugees, said it remains committed to serving eligible refugees.

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“We are concerned that the U.S. Government has chosen to fast-track the admission of Afrikaners, while actively fighting court orders to provide life-saving resettlement to other refugee populations who are in desperate need of resettlement,” Rick Santos, CWS president and CEO, said in a statement.

Santos urged Congress and the Trump administration to “restore a robust refugee resettlement program that prioritizes refugee families who remain in grave danger.”

The Trump administration sanctioned nearly two dozen firms operating in Iran’s illicit international oil trade, as President Donald Trump delivered remarks in the Middle East – tempting the Islamic Republic with a “much brighter future” should it come to a nuclear agreement with the United States. 

The sanctions, announced by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control Tuesday, target firms that operate in Iran’s oil trade. 

TRUMP TARGETS IRANIAN OIL WITH SANCTIONS, INCREASING PRESSURE ON ISLAMIC REPUBLIC TO MAKE DEAL ON NUKES

Officials said the Iranian government allocates billions of dollars worth of oil annually to its armed forces to supplement budget allocations, underwriting the development of ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, and financing regional terrorist groups. 

Treasury Department officials said Iran’s Armed Forces general staff and its main commercial affiliate, Sepehr Energy Jahan Nama Pars Company, continue to establish front companies and rely on buyers and facilitators to enable their sanctioned oil trade. 

Sepehr Energy often carries out its oil shipments through a series of “deals” between multiple front companies that it owns or controls, according to the Treasury Department, creating the “illusion of non-sanctionable trade between separate entities.” 

“Many of the entities involved in Sepehr Energy’s oil shipments are part of an elaborate system of oil smuggling and money laundering, directly controlled by or acting on behalf of Sepehr Energy,” the Treasury Department said, adding that it also controls Hong Kong-based front companies and uses them to “broker and receive shipments of Iranian oil delivered to independent so-called teapot refineries in China.”  

4TH ROUND OF US-IRAN TALKS ENDS AS TRUMP SET TO EMBARK ON HISTORIC MIDDLE EAST TOUR

The sanctions came shortly after Trump delivered a speech in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, urging Iran to take a “new and a better path.” The Trump administration is in talks with Iran for a new nuclear deal. 

The president, during his speech, though, warned of “massive maximum pressure” if Iran does not come to an agreement. 

“As I have shown repeatedly, I am willing to end past conflicts and forge new partnerships for a better and more stable world, even if our differences may be profound,” Trump said. “If Iran’s leadership rejects this olive branch… we will have no choice but to inflict massive maximum pressure, drive Iranian oil exports to zero.”

VANCE PREVIEWS US-IRAN NUCLEAR TALKS, SAYS TRUMP ‘OPEN’ TO SITTING DOWN WITH RUSSIANS, CHINESE IN FUTURE

“Iran can have a much brighter future, but we will never allow them to threaten America and our allies with terrorism or a nuclear attack,” Trump said. 

Trump had announced a 60-day time frame to reach an agreement with Iran over its illegal atomic weapons program. The first U.S. negotiating session with Iran commenced April 12. 

Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Iranian officials for a fourth round of nuclear talks over the weekend. 

The nuclear talks were “difficult but useful,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations, offered more, describing the talks as being both indirect and direct, The Associated Press reported.

An “agreement was reached to move forward with the talks to continue working through technical elements,” the U.S. official said. “We are encouraged by today’s outcome and look forward to our next meeting, which will happen in the near future.”

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The Trump administration has said the flawed 2015 Obama-era Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal, did not prevent Iran from building an atomic bomb. 

Before leaving for his trip to the Middle East, Trump reiterated his stance on Iran’s nuclear goals. 

“You can’t have a nuclear weapon, but I think that they are talking intelligently,” Trump said. “We’re in the midst of talking to them, and they’re right now acting very intelligent. We want Iran to be wealthy and wonderful and happy and great, but they can’t have… nuclear weapons. Very simple. So I think they understand that.”

A day before the start of talks, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei welcomed chants of “Death to America” in Iran’s capital, Tehran. 

“Your judgment is right,” Khamenei told a crowd of supporters who called for the destruction of the U.S.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Former President Joe Biden‘s second campaign ruined former Vice President Kamala Harris’ chances of defeating President Donald Trump in the 2024 election, according to a top Democratic consultant. 

David Plouffe, former President Barack Obama’s campaign manager in 2008 and a senior advisor on Harris’ 2024 campaign, detailed how dire Biden’s run was for the Democrats in a new book, “Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again.” 

“And it’s all Biden,” Plouffe said in the book, authored by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson, about Biden’s choice to stay in the race so long and how the White House assured him Biden was capable of winning another election. 

“He totally f—ed us.” 

As a result, Plouffe said that Harris’ brief campaign against Trump turned into “a f—ing nightmare,” pointing the blame on Biden. 

CRITICS PILE ON BIDEN FOLLOWING ABC INTERVIEW, BLAST HIS REFUSAL TO COMMIT TO COGNITIVE TEST: ‘DISQUALIFYING’

Plouffe is far from the only one who believes that Biden undercut his own party running again in 2024 as his faculties began to decline. 

A senior White House aide described in the book that “we attempted to shield him from his own staff so many people didn’t realize the extent of the decline beginning in 2023.” 

The aide, who ultimately departed the White House because they did not believe Biden should run in 2024, described Biden’s decision to run for a second term as a “disservice” to the country and Democrats. 

“I love Joe Biden. When it comes to decency, there are few in politics like him,” the aide said in the book, which is slated for release Tuesday. “Still, it was a disservice to the country and to the party for his family and advisers to allow him to run again.”

Spokespeople for Biden and Harris did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

“Original Sin” details the 2024 election cycle and how Biden’s team orchestrated a cover-up to hide just how severely his mental faculties had suffered. 

The book is one of several that detail Biden’s decision to run in 2024 and assert the dramatic decline of his cognitive function. 

BIDEN AIDES ‘SCRIPTED’ EVERYTHING, ALLOWED HIS FACULTIES TO ‘ATROPHY,’ NEW BOOK CLAIMS

For example, the book, “Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History,” also detailed how the White House kept Biden from socializing even with those he regarded as friends and allies.

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However, that book, authored by Chris Whipple, a former producer for CBS’ “60 Minutes,” said that one White House aide suggested “walling Biden off from the world was a grave mistake.” 

“‘They were afraid he might say the wrong thing or might feed the mental acuity narrative,’ he told me. ‘And so he started seeing fewer and fewer people. They allowed his faculties to atrophy. But I think, like knives, they have to be sharpened. They get sharpened by rubbing them up against steel. And they don’t get sharpened by sitting in a drawer,’” Whipple wrote.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Tuesday a “hold on all DOJ political nominees,” as he is demanding answers from the Trump administration over a jumbo jet gift from Qatar’s royal family, which the Democrat is calling a “grave national security threat.” 

“News of the Qatari government gifting Donald Trump a $400 million private jet to use as Air Force One is so corrupt that even Putin would give a double take. This is not just naked corruption, it is also a grave national security threat,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. 

“So, in light of the deeply troubling news of a possible Qatari-funded Air Force One, and the reports that the Attorney General personally signed off on this clearly unethical deal, I am announcing a hold on all DOJ political nominees, until we get more answers,” he added. 

A White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital in response that “Senator Schumer and his anti-law-and-order party are prioritizing politics over critical DOJ appointments, obstructing President Trump’s Make Safe Again agenda,” and that “Cryin’ Chuck must end the antics, stop Senate stonewalling, and prioritize the safety and civil rights of Americans.” 

ALLIES TURN ON PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR ACCEPTING LUXURY JET FROM QATAR 

Trump has defended the U.S. preparing to accept a jumbo jet gift from Qatar’s royal family to serve as a temporary Air Force One as Boeing failed to roll out a new Air Force One fleet in a timely manner.  

“We’re very disappointed that it’s taking Boeing so long to build a new Air Force One,” Trump said Monday morning. “You know, we have an Air Force One that’s 40 years old. And if you take a look at that, compared to the new plane of the equivalent, you know, stature at the time, it’s not even the same ballgame.”  

Reports spread Sunday morning that the Trump administration was expected to accept a $400 million Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from Qatar’s royal family. ABC News reported that Trump would use the jet until the end of his term, when it would be given to his presidential library. 

TRUMP DEFENDS QATAR JUMBO JET OFFER AS TROUBLED BOEING FAILS TO DELIVER NEW AIR FORCE ONE FLEET 

In his speech Tuesday, Schumer said he is calling on the Justice Department’s Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) Unit to disclose all actions by those working as Qatari foreign agents in the U.S. “that could benefit President Trump or the Trump Organization.” 

“Since Attorney General Bondi took charge, the Department of Justice has not been doing its job when it comes to FARA. The FARA Unit needs to enforce the law, and inform the public about all activities not just on this luxury plane deal, but all deals involving foreign countries in the Middle East and President Trump, his family, and the Trump organization,” he said. 

“Second, with regards to this half-a-billion-dollar private jet deal, the American people deserve to know the facts. President Trump has told the American people that this is a ‘free jet.’ Does that mean the Qataris are delivering a ready-on-day-one plane with all the security measures already built in?” Schumer continued. 

“If so, who installed those security measures, and how do we know they were properly installed? Why would we take the risk of trusting any foreign country to do this sensitive work? If not, what security modifications would be needed to ensure a foreign-sourced Air Force One is safe to use? If this is, as President Trump promised, a ‘free jet’, will the Qataris pay for those highly sensitive installations or will American taxpayers have to cover those costs?” Schumer wondered aloud on the Senate floor. 

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“The Attorney General must testify before both the House and Senate to explain why gifting Donald Trump a private jet does not violate the emoluments clause – which requires congressional approval – or any other ethics laws,” Schumer declared. “Until the Attorney General explains her blatantly inept decision and we get complete and comprehensive answers to these and other questions, I will place a hold on all political nominees to the Department Of Justice.” 

Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report. 

The White House may be courting controversy with President Donald Trump’s plans to accept a luxury jumbo jet from the Qatari government, worth $400 million, as the potential new Air Force One — but his administration wouldn’t be the first to welcome lavish gifts from foreign leaders.

The practice goes all the way back to the founding of the country in 1776, with U.S. leaders receiving all manner of exotic and expensive gifts from royalty and heads of government around the world.

Abraham Lincoln politely declined a gift of a herd of elephants from the King of Siam, modern-day Thailand, in 1862. But he kept “a sword of costly materials and exquisite workmanship,” a photo of the monarch’s family and two elephant tusks, according to a letter Lincoln sent to King Mongkut.

QATAR OFFERS TRUMP JUMBO JET TO SERVE AS AIR FORCE ONE

In 1880, Queen Victoria sent an intricately carved, 1,300-pound wooden desk to President Rutherford Hayes that was constructed from the oak timbers of the HMS Resolute, an Arctic exploration vessel. The desk was still in use in the Oval Office under the Biden administration but was temporarily removed in February for refinishing, according to reports.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill presented Franklin D. Roosevelt with a painting he did of Marrakech’s Koutoubia Mosque in 1943. Hollywood actor Brad Pitt bought the work in New Orleans for $2.95 million as a gift for his then-wife Angelina Jolie, who sold it a decade later for $11.5 million.

Richard Nixon accepted a gift of two giant pandas from China in 1972 following the U.S. president’s visit to the Communist country. Female panda Ling-Ling and her male mate Hsing-Hsing were given to the National Zoo in Washington D.C.

In 1997, President Clinton and wife Hillary received the gift of a handmade rug with their pictures woven into the tapestry as a gift from Azerbaijan’s leader, Heydar Aliyev. The six-by-five-foot rug was completed in a single day by a team of 12 women, according to reports.

President George W. Bush received 300 pounds of raw lamb in 2003 as a goodwill gesture from Argentina’s then-president, Nestor Kirchner. Bush also received a puppy from Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov. At the end of his presidency, Bush and his wife Laura then bought the two-month-old Bulgarian Goran shepherd, named Balkan of Gorannadraganov, from the government and gave it to friends in Maryland.

His father, George H.W. Bush, was gifted a Komodo dragon by the President of Indonesia in 1990.

FREE RIDE: ALLIES, EVEN LAURA LOOMER, TURN ON PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR ACCEPTING LUXURY JET FROM QATAR

One of the most lavish and controversial gifts was a gold and diamond snuff box given to Benjamin Franklin after his nine-year diplomatic tour of duty in France.

In 1785, King Louis XVI gave the Founding Father the elaborate parting gift, which featured a miniature image of the monarch encrusted with 408 diamonds “of a beautiful water.”

It raised questions about corruption and foreign influence on officials in the newly formed American government, wrote Fordham Law professor Zephyr Teachout in her 2014 book, “Corruption in America: From Benjamin Franklin’s Snuff Box to Citizens United.”

Despite the hand-wringing over whether the gift entailed undue foreign influence, Franklin insisted upon keeping the box. The incident later contributed to the passage of the Emoluments Clause in the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits federal government officials from accepting any gift from the representative of a foreign state without the consent of Congress.

Franklin’s daughter Sarah, who inherited the snuff box, gradually removed the diamonds to sell or give to family members. Hundreds of years later, only one diamond remained. The box is now at the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia.

Federal law requires executive branch officials to disclose any gift from a foreign government valued at $480 or more. Presidents are allowed to keep gifts to display at a presidential library, but cannot keep them for personal use unless they pay the fair market price.

Trump has said that the $400 million new Air Force One plane would be donated to his presidential center or library after his term.

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Despite his administration’s insistence that the jet is a gesture of goodwill to the U.S. government, ethics watchdogs have raised concerns about transparency and foreign influence, particularly given Qatar’s efforts to bolster its profile in Washington over the past decade.

More recently, Trump received a sword, dagger and three robes lined with white tiger and cheetah fur from Saudi Arabia’s royal family on his first trip abroad as president in 2017.

The president held onto the items until he left office and did not disclose them as gifts but gave them to the General Services Administration. The pieces were later seized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which found that the fur was fake, according to reports.

The House committee tasked with writing the U.S. tax code is meeting on Tuesday afternoon to advance one of the most significant portions of President Donald Trump‘s “big, beautiful bill.”

A sweeping piece of legislation unveiled by the House Ways & Means Committee on Monday would follow through on Trump’s campaign promises to eliminate taxes on tips and overtime pay, as well as permanently extending the president’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), among other provisions.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said he wants House Republicans to pass their version of Trump’s bill by Memorial Day or “shortly thereafter,” as he told Fox News Digital in an interview late last month.

House and Senate Republicans are working on Trump’s agenda via the budget reconciliation process, which allows the party in power to sideline the minority by lowering the Senate’s threshold for passage to a simple majority, provided the legislation at hand deals with spending, taxes or the national debt.

ANTI-ABORTION PROVIDER MEASURE IN TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ COULD SPARK HOUSE GOP REBELLION

Ways & Means Committee lawmakers are expected to meet for at least several hours on Tuesday to mark up debate on the bill. 

It could go even longer, however. A Ways & Means Committee markup meeting in 2021, when Democrats were trying to pass Build Back Better, lasted over 35 hours over four days due to Republicans dragging the process out in opposition to then-President Joe Biden’s progressive tax policies.

Democrats are expected to put up an aggressive fight on Tuesday as well, having already accused Trump of trying to cut taxes for the wealthy while gutting critical programs for low-income Americans.

Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., a member of the committee, posted on X on Monday, “Going over line-by line last minute 389-page amendment to the Republican tax bill in our committee today. They have provisions that touch everyone: the richest people get huge tax cuts, working people lose their healthcare and future generations get the bill because it adds $5 trillion to the national debt!”

However, Republicans have insisted their tax bill champions the working and middle classes, pointing to Trump’s elimination of tips on tax and overtime pay as evidence points.

A portion released by the House Ways & Means Committee over the weekend would increase the current maximum Child Tax Credit from $2,000 to $2,500. Trump’s TCJA had doubled the maximum from $1,000 to $2,000 in 2017.

It would also boost the maximum deduction for qualified business income, a tax provision known as 199A, from 20% to 22%. That would largely affect small business owners whose entities are taxed under individual income tax rates.

Trump’s promise to eliminate taxes on Social Security for retirees is tackled via giving seniors a higher standard deduction.

“It puts the interests of low-income, working families ahead of the wealthy by expanding tax relief to those who need it the most – including the President’s priorities of no tax on tips and overtime pay and additional relief for America’s seniors,” House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., said in a statement.

The legislation also cracks down on big colleges and universities, including Ivy Leagues like Harvard University, which are locked in a battle over free speech with the White House. It is targeting those larger schools with higher excise taxes, which are federal duties paid on net earnings of the schools’ investments.

That rate is currently 1.4%, but the legislation would bring it to as high as 21% for the largest schools, like Harvard and Yale University.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS RELEASE TAX PLAN FOR TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’

The nearly 400-page legislation must pass the Ways & Means Committee on Tuesday before being added back to a larger legislative framework, which will include similar bills from 10 other House committees dealing with policies under their jurisdiction.

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The House Energy & Commerce Committee, for instance, is also meeting on Tuesday afternoon to advance its portion of the bill. The broad-ranging committee has jurisdiction over Medicaid, Medicare, energy production and telecommunications.

The House Agriculture Committee, which oversees federal food programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is meeting Tuesday evening to advance its portion.

The full House and Senate must pass identical versions of the final bill before it gets to Trump’s desk for a signature.

Fox News’ Tyler Olson contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump has not even hit the four-month mark yet in his second tour of duty in the White House, but that is not stopping Democrats from already looking ahead to the 2028 presidential campaign.

The very early moves in the next White House race by potential presidential contenders are clearly underway.

The latest comes from 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, who later served as Transportation secretary in former President Joe Biden’s administration. He is headlining a town hall with veterans on Tuesday in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Iowa’s caucuses for half a century kicked off both major political parties’ presidential nominating calendars until the Democratic National Committee (DNC) demoted the Hawkeye State on their 2024 schedule.

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Another potential contender, two-term Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, late last month, gave the keynote address at a major state party fundraising gala in New Hampshire, the state that for a century has held the first primary in the race for the White House.

Even though he says he is not laying the groundwork for a 2028 presidential run, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore later this month will headline a major state party fundraising dinner in South Carolina, which the DNC anointed last cycle as their lead-off contest on the primary calendar.

Also making noise is two-term Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who said recently he would consider running for president if he felt he could successfully unite the country.

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Additionally, progressive firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York grabbed plenty of attention the past couple of months, co-headlining a slew of large rallies across the country with longtime progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, which sparked plenty of 2028 speculation.

The Democratic Party has been in the political wilderness since last November’s election setbacks, when Republicans won back control of the White House and the Senate and defended their fragile House majority. Republicans additionally made gains among Black and Hispanic voters as well as younger voters, all traditional members of the Democratic Party’s base.

Since Trump’s return to power, an increasingly angry and energized base of Democrats has been pushing for party leaders to take a stronger stand in pushing back against the president’s sweeping and controversial agenda during the opening months of his second administration.

Democrats are not only looking ahead to next year’s midterms, when they hope to make ballot box gains, but also to the next presidential race.

“There was a sense of hopelessness earlier this year among Democrats, as Trump came in with his wrecking ball, and it seemed like there was nothing but futile opposition to him,” longtime Democratic strategist and communication Chris Moyer told Fox News. “So thinking about a presidential race with potential candidates is a way to get some hope back and look towards a future that doesn’t include Trump.”

Moyer, a veteran of a handful of Democratic presidential campaigns, said the race is “wide open, and it won’t be long before we see clear maneuvering from a litany of candidates.”

The results of the 2026 midterm elections will have a major impact on the shape of the next White House race, too.

For now, however, here is an early look at Democrats considered to be potential 2028 presidential contenders.

Kamala Harris

After lying low as the Biden administration came to a close, former Vice President Kamala Harris has picked up the political pace of late, including headlining a major DNC fundraiser last week in New York City.

Among her campaign options that she is weighing is a 2026 run for the open governor’s seat in her home state of California and another bid in 2028 for the White House.

A source in the former vice president’s political orbit confirmed to Fox News Digital two months ago that Harris had told allies she would decide by the end of summer on whether to launch a 2026 gubernatorial campaign.

Harris served as San Francisco district attorney, California attorney general and represented the Golden State in the U.S. Senate before joining Biden’s 2020 ticket and winning election as vice president.

Additionally, Harris would be considered the clear frontrunner for governor in heavily blue California in the race to succeed term-limited Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom.

However, early polling in the 2028 Democratic nomination race indicates that Harris would be the frontrunner, thanks in part to her name recognition within her party.

While there are plenty of voices within the party who would like to move on from the Biden/Harris era following Trump’s sweeping victory, and there is little history of Democrats yearning for past defeated presidential nominees, Trump has re-written the rules when it comes to defeated White House contenders making another run. 

Potential buyers’ remorse of a second Trump administration could boost the 60-year-old Harris in the years to come.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York

The progressive “rock star” and best-known lawmaker among the so-called “Squad” of diverse House Democrats in October turned 35, the minimum age to run for president.

Some Democrats argue that a riveting messenger with star power is needed as the party’s next nominee, and Ocasio-Cortez is guaranteed to grab plenty of attention if she ultimately decides to run.

There is also speculation the four-term federal lawmaker from New York City may primary challenge Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York when he is up for re-election in 2028.

Gov. Gavin Newsom of California 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom was a top surrogate for Biden during the president’s re-election bid. With the blessing of the White House, the two-term California governor debated then-Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last year on Fox News. 

Newsom’s travels on behalf of Biden brought him to New Hampshire and South Carolina, two crucial early voting states on the Democratic Party’s nominating calendar.

After Harris, his friend and fellow Californian, replaced Biden atop the Democrats’ 2024 ticket, the governor continued — after a pause — his efforts to keep Trump from returning to the White House.

While Newsom and California’s Democrat-dominated legislature took action to “Trump-proof” the Golden State, the governor has also worked with Trump on key matters, including January’s wildfires that devastated parts of metropolitan Los Angeles.

Newsom also appears to have moderated on some issues and invited well-known Trump allies Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon on his weekly podcast.

The 57-year-old Newsom, who is term-limited, completes his duties in Sacramento at the end of next year, right around the time the 2028 presidential election will start to heat up.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has become a leading voice in the Democrats’ opposition to Trump and has taken steps to Trump-proof his solidly blue state.

“You come for my people, you come through me,” Pritzker told reporters of his efforts to protect Illinois.

Pritzker was also a high-profile surrogate on behalf of Biden and then Harris during the 2024 cycle. Those efforts brought Pritzker to Nevada, a general election battleground state and an early-voting Democratic presidential primary state, and New Hampshire.

Additionally, the governor’s recent trip to New Hampshire sparked more 2028 buzz.

However, before he makes any decision about 2028, the 60-year-old governor must decide whether he will run in 2026 for a third term steering Illinois.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan

Two-term Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer grabbed plenty of attention and became a Democratic Party rising star in 2020 when she feuded with Trump over COVID-19 federal assistance and survived a foiled kidnapping attempt.

Trump, at the time, called her “that woman from Michigan.”

Along with Newsom and Pritzker, Whitmer’s name was floated as a possible replacement for Biden following his disastrous debate performance against Trump in late June, before the president endorsed Harris and the party instantly coalesced around the vice president.

Whitmer was a leading surrogate for Biden and then for Harris and made a big impression on Democratic activists during a stop this summer in New Hampshire on behalf of Harris.

However, Whitmer was criticized by some in her party for appearing to cozy up to Trump during a White House visit earlier this spring.

The 53-year-old governor is term-limited and will leave office after the end of next year.

Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania

Gov. Josh Shapiro, the 51-year-old first-term governor of Pennsylvania, was on Harris’ short-list for vice presidential nominee.

Even though the vice president named Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, Shapiro remained a top surrogate on behalf of his party’s 2024 national ticket. 

However, his two-day swing in New Hampshire during the final full week ahead of Election Day did raise some eyebrows and 2028 speculation.

After Harris lost battleground Pennsylvania to Trump, there was plenty of talk within the party that Harris had made the wrong choice for her running mate.

Shapiro, who has a track record of taking on the first Trump administration as Pennsylvania attorney general, is expected to play a similar role with Trump back in the White House.

The governor will be up for re-election in 2026.

Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is considered by many to be another Democratic Party rising star.

The 46-year-old Army veteran, Rhodes Scholar and CEO of the charitable organization the Robin Hood Foundation during the coronavirus pandemic was elected two years ago.

Even though Moore said in a recent interview on “The View” that he’s “not running” in 2028, speculation persists, fueled in part because of his upcoming stop in South Carolina.

Moore will be up for re-election in 2026. 

Pete Buttigieg

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who surpassed expectations during his 2020 Democratic presidential nomination run, was a very active surrogate on behalf of Biden and later Harris, during the 2024 cycle.

He helped raise a lot of money for the Democratic Party ticket, including heading a top-dollar fundraiser in New Hampshire.

The 43-year-old former South Bend, Indiana, mayor and former naval officer who served in the war in Afghanistan, is considered one of the party’s biggest and brightest stars. He was known as a top communicator for the administration, including making frequent appearances on Fox News.

Fueling buzz about a potential 2028 presidential run, Buttigieg passed on a 2026 Senate bid in his adopted home state of Michigan and made a high-profile stop in Iowa on Tuesday.

Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, 47, who was elected governor in 2019 and then re-elected in 2023 in red-state Kentucky, was also on Harris’ longer list for potential running mates.

Beshear made plenty of new friends and contacts as he ventured to New Hampshire last month to headline the state Democratic Party’s annual fall fundraising gala.

He served as Kentucky’s attorney general before running for governor.

Beshear said last week in an interview with local state WDRB that “if you’d asked me a couple years ago if this is something I’d consider, I probably wouldn’t have. But I don’t want to leave a broken country to my kids. And so, if I’m somebody that can bring this nation together, hopefully find some common ground, it’s something I’ll consider.”

Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia

Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock, 55, is a major player in Washington as the Democratic minority in the Senate fights back against the second Trump administration.

Warnock, who won Senate elections in 2020 and 2022 in battleground Georgia, served as senior pastor at the famed Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where Martin Luther King Jr. once preached.

He is up for re-election in the Senate in 2028.

Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey

Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, who ran for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, is considered one of the party’s most talented orators.

Thanks to his 2020 run, Booker made plenty of friends and allies in such early states as New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Booker made headlines six weeks ago by delivering a record-breaking 25-hour and 5-minute marathon speech from the floor of the Senate. The speech protested the sweeping and controversial moves so far by Trump during his second administration, as well as the operations of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. 

The 56-year-old senator is up for re-election in 2026.

Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut

Since the November election, Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut has been very vocal about the steps Democrats need to take to win back working-class voters.

First elected to the House in 2006 and later to the Senate in 2012, the 51-year-old Murphy cruised to re-election this year by nearly 20 points, which means he would not have to decide between a re-election bid and a White House run in 2028.

Rep. Ro Khanna of California

Rep. Ro Khanna, 48, was a tireless surrogate on behalf of Biden and then Harris. 

He has been a regular visitor to New Hampshire in the past couple of years, including a high-profile debate last year against then-GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

Khanna has grabbed plenty of attention so far this year as he has held town halls in Republican-controlled congressional districts and targeted Vice President JD Vance with events in the vice president’s home state of Ohio and at Yale Law School, where both politicians earned their legal degrees.

Stephen A. Smith

The 57-year-old sports TV personality, sports radio host, sports journalist, and actor has grabbed a ton of attention this year as he has mulled a White House run and has even grabbed Trump’s attention.

Mark Cuban

Another potential contender with plenty of star power is Mark Cuban.

The billionaire business mogul and part-owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks’ was a high-profile surrogate for Harris during her presidential election campaign.

Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina

Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, 67, who at the beginning of the year finished up his eighth and final year as governor, took his name out of the Harris running mate speculation early in the process last summer.

Cooper served 16 years as North Carolina’s attorney general before winning election as governor.

The former governor is being heavily recruited by Democrats to try and flip a GOP-held Senate seat in North Carolina in next year’s midterms.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, 65, is halfway through her second term steering New Mexico.

The governor, a former member of Congress, was a high-profile and busy surrogate on behalf of Harris during the final weeks of the 2024 campaign.

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz

The 61-year-old Minnesota governor, who served as Harris’ running mate, has two years remaining in his second term in office.

While the vice presidential nominee’s energy and enthusiasm on the campaign trail this year impressed plenty of Democratic strategists, the final results of the election will make any potential future national run for Tim Walz difficult.

Walz has said he is not thinking of 2028, but he has been very busy so far this year heading events across the country, and an upcoming stop in South Carolina is fueling more White House buzz.

Three other names keep coming up — Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey and former Chicago mayor, former congressman, former White House chief of staff and former ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, and Sen. Ruben Gallego of battleground Arizona.

FIRST ON FOX: The first election cycle of President Donald Trump’s second term poses an opportunity for the GOP to make electoral inroads in two Democrat-leaning states, a Republican campaign group said in a memo being released Tuesday.

The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) announced Tuesday that Republicans will take an offensive posture in the lead-up to the November elections in the Democrat-leaning states of Virginia and New Jersey. The group hopes to take the lessons learned from Democrat gains seen following Trump’s first electoral victory in 2016 to create a more winning strategy for the first election cycle of Trump’s second term.

“While the 2025 races in Virginia and New Jersey will be challenging, we have the opportunity – and strategy – to avoid a 2017 relapse,” RSLC President Edith Jorge-Tuñón wrote in a memo released Tuesday outlining the group’s strategy for the states. “We have learned from our past experiences and are ready to fight smarter. With the right resources, we can break through Democrat strongholds, make strides in key districts, and disrupt the Left’s plan to gain unchecked momentum heading into 2026.”

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New Jersey and Virginia will be seeing several important statewide elections later this year, including elections for governor and several races for various key House seats that could prove pivotal for the balance of power in these states. 

Both states will also see local races this year for major school districts, such as Virginia’s Loudoun County, as well as some races for municipal government employees, such as Jersey City mayor and Richmond City commonwealth attorney.

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The RSLC strategy says that in both Virginia and New Jersey, Republicans plan to focus on Democrats’ legislative shortcomings on issues such as taxes, crime and education through digital ad campaigns, as opposed to focusing on defending the Trump administration’s actions.

“Riding the momentum of the 2016 presidential win, Republicans in 2017 were caught off guard as Democrats successfully nationalized local races, linking GOP candidates to federal dysfunction,” the group’s strategy memo stated. “With President Trump returning to the White House, Democrats are licking their chops and not being shy about it. They are confident that his comeback will bolster their efforts to change the power dynamics, positioning 2025 as a pivotal moment for a significant political realignment. It’s up to us to prove them wrong.”

The RSLC said it also intends to continue to push robust absentee ballot and early voting initiatives in Virginia and New Jersey as part of its strategy for 2025 in these states.

The RSLC said it plans on reaching out to “low-propensity Republican voters,” noting this strategy helped Republicans in Virginia prevent Democrats from increasing their legislative majorities in 2023. 

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A nearly $1 million absentee and mail-in ballot initiative was launched by the RSLC in New Jersey last year, which the group said helped boost GOP engagement in a state that political experts have said is inching its way toward becoming a swing state. 

This effort, along with other initiatives in New Jersey, like targeted digital advertising, has helped Republicans establish “a strong foundation for competitive performance” in key battleground areas in the state, the RSLC said. The group said it is hoping to build on this in 2025, particularly in New Jersey House Districts 3, 8, 11 and 30. 

“The RSLC enters the 2025 election cycle with a clear understanding of the challenges ahead. Gaining ground in Virginia and New Jersey will be difficult, but Republicans are far better positioned than we were in 2017,” the RSLC strategy memo said in its concluding remarks.

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“Republican State Leadership Committee and its affiliated PACs are making substantial investments in both states—not just to maintain our positions but to prevent Democrats from gaining the momentum they will need to pose a serious challenge in 2026. Every seat we contest and every message we communicate this year is significant. The effort to avoid a repeat of 2017-2018 has already begun—with a smarter, more prepared Republican Party ready to succeed in 2025 and beyond.”

President Donald Trump criticized former President Joe Biden’s administration on Monday for allowing “lawlessness to permeate our country” while announcing Peace Officers Memorial Day and police week.

Trump proclaimed Thursday as Peace Officers Memorial Day, continuing a 63-year tradition of honoring fallen officers on May 15. He also declared this week as National Police Week, beginning this past Sunday and going through Saturday.

“This week and always, we honor the courageous men and women serving in law enforcement and memorialize those who sacrificed their lives defending the thin blue line,” he wrote in the proclamation.

In the presidential action, Trump also called out the Biden administration for its “reckless, soft-on-crime policies,” which he said made it harder for police officers to do their jobs.

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“A nation in chaos ceases to be a citadel of liberty. Tragically, the previous administration allowed lawlessness to permeate our country, making it harder for our law enforcement officers to do their jobs,” the president wrote in the order. “Their reckless, soft-on-crime policies emboldened criminals and thugs; wreaked havoc on the sanctity of our homes, businesses, and public spaces; instilled fear; and jeopardized public trust.”

Trump continued by saying he is fulfilling the promises that he campaigned on to make America safe again, including taking authority at the border and “restoring the rule of law in communities nationwide.” 

He also said that under his administration, all available resources will be utilized to ensure that officers will be equipped and trained to be the best they can be, qualified officers will be retained and recruiting will focus “on the basis of meritocracy.”

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Trump also called on Congress to codify his executive order mandating the death penalty for those who murder a police officer and to pass a bill enhancing protections for police officers.

“I stand in steadfast solidarity with those who defend our freedoms and the families who love and support them,” Trump said. “We pray for those who grieve the fallen and pledge that their lives, legacies, and sacrifices will forever be remembered by our grateful Nation.”

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Governors have been asked to direct that the American flag be flown at half-staff on Thursday, and Trump has called on all Americans to observe National Police Week with “appropriate ceremonies and activities.”