Donald Trump Poll News

The Supreme Court on Tuesday sided with the Trump administration in lifting a lower court order that paused the Pentagon’s transgender military ban from taking force – allowing Trump’s order and related policies to proceed, at least.

The high court ruling is a near-term victory for the White House, even as it did not address the underlying merits of the case or President Donald Trump’s January 27 executive order banning transgender service members from the U.S. military.

Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson would have denied the administration’s appeal and kept the lower court injunction in place. 

At issue in the suit, Shilling v. United States, is President Donald Trump‘s January 27 executive order banning transgender military members. 

HEGSETH SAYS HE’S SIGNING MEMO ON COMBAT ARMS STANDARDS FOR MEN AND WOMEN

At issue in the suit, Shilling v. United States, is President Donald Trump’s January executive order banning transgender military members. (Getty Images)

The executive order would require the Defense Department to update its guidance regarding “trans-identifying medical standards for military service” and to “rescind guidance inconsistent with military readiness.”

Seven transgender military members proceeded to then bring suit against the administration in a Washington, D.C., and in Seattle-based federal court.

That complaint argued that the executive order “turns” away transgender military members “and kicks them out – for no legitimate reason.”

“Rather, it baselessly declares all transgender people unfit to serve, insults and demeans them, and cruelly describes every one of them as incapable of ‘an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life,’ based solely because they are transgender,” it continued.

U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle had issued a preliminary injunction in March that blocked the administration from identifying and removing transgender service members as the suit worked its way through the lower courts.

In his opinion granting the injunction, Settle characterized the ban as a “blanket prohibition on transgender service.” Settle found the plaintiffs would likely succeed on the merits of their equal protection, First Amendment, and procedural due process claims, among others.

TRUMP’S TRANSGENDER MILITARY BAN DEALT LEGAL BLOW AFTER APPEALS COURT RULING

The January executive order required the Department of Defense to update its guidance regarding “trans-identifying medical standards for military service” and to “rescind guidance inconsistent with military readiness.” (Omar Marques/Getty Images)

“The government’s arguments are not persuasive, and it is not an especially close question on this record,” Settle wrote.

Settle wrote in his order that the injunction was to “maintain the status quo of military policy regarding both active-duty and prospective transgender service” that were in place prior to Trump’s January 27 executive order.

The administration quickly appealed the order to the Ninth Circuit, requesting the appellate court stay Settle’s order.

HEGSETH SUGGESTS JUDGE REPORT TO MILITARY BASES AFTER RULING THAT PENTAGON MUST ALLOW TRANSGENDER TROOPS

The administration argued in court filings that the policy “furthers the government’s important interests in military readiness, unit cohesion, good order and discipline, and avoiding disproportionate costs.”

A three-judge panel – composed of Judges Atsushi Wallace Tashima, a Clinton-appointee, John B. Owens, an Obama-appointee, and Roopali H. Desai, a Biden-appointee – denied the administration’s request for a stay on March 31, which was overturned by the Supreme Court ruling Tuesday.

Transgender plaintiffs also notably sued in D.C. federal court where U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes also initially blocked the ban from going into effect. (Getty/Reuters)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

“The Department of Justice has vigorously defended President Trump’s executive actions, including the Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness Executive Order, and will continue to do so,” a Justice Department official told Fox News Digital at the time. 

Shilling v. United States is just one of several suits challenging the Trump administration’s military ban. It comes as Trump has used his early days in office to undo major Biden-era policies, including their efforts to promote a diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, agenda. 

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., introduced legislation Tuesday to scale back the popular abortion drug mifepristone after a recent study revealed that 1 in 10 women who used the medication experienced “serious adverse effects.”

The Restoring Safeguards for Dangerous Abortion Drugs Act would direct the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to create safeguards on the abortion drug mifepristone, allow women who have suffered complications from prescriptions the right to sue telehealth providers and pharmacies for damages, and ban foreign companies from mailing and importing mifepristone into the U.S.

Hawley introduced the legislation “after a bombshell study revealed the truth about mifepristone: it’s dangerous,” the Missouri senator told Fox News Digital. “The data shows 1 in 10 women who take mifepristone experience adverse health effects, like going to the ER or suffering from sepsis. The FDA needs to act to protect women now.”

Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley introduces legislation to implement safeguards for abortion pill mifepristone. (Reuters/Getty)

COVID VACCINE BOOSTERS CALLED INTO QUESTION BY FDA CHIEF: ‘VOID OF DATA’

Hawley cites last week’s study by the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC), which revealed in its key findings that “10.93 percent of women experience sepsis, infection, hemorrhaging, or another serious or life-threatening adverse event within 45 days following a mifepristone abortion.”

The study assessed 865,727 insurance claims between 2017 and 2023 for women who used the medication to terminate early pregnancy. The pill can be taken up to “70 days since the first day of their last menstrual period,” according to the FDA.

The exact number of women who have undergone a mifepristone abortion since the FDA’s approval under the Clinton administration in 2000 can be difficult to calculate, as some pregnancies are terminated without official medical intervention. 

Demonstrators gather in front of the Supreme Court as it hears oral arguments in U.S. Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine on March 26, 2024, in Washington, D.C. The case challenges the 20-plus-year legal authorization by the FDA of mifepristone, a commonly used abortion medication. (Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images)

The Guttenmacher Institute, a non-governmental organization (NGO) which was once a part of Planned Parenthood, estimates that there were 1,038,100 clinician-provided abortions in 2024, though this number only reflects “states without a ban”. The estimation does not include the number of abortions that occurred illegally or in states where pregnancy termination laws vary.  

SCOOP: REPUBLICANS DISCUSS DEFUNDING ‘BIG ABORTION’ LIKE PLANNED PARENTHOOD IN TRUMP AGENDA BILL

At the time of approval, there were stricter parameters for administering the drug. However, the Obama administration’s FDA rolled back some of these requirements in 2016 by reducing the need for in-person visits, removing mandatory physician prescription requirements, and eliminating non-fatal adverse event reporting. 

Hawley sent a letter last week to Trump-appointed FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, whom Hawley questioned during the former Johns Hopkins School of Medicine professor’s confirmation before the U.S. Senate.

Sen. Josh Hawley has introduced the Restoring Safeguards for Dangerous Abortion Drugs Act. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“[D]uring your confirmation hearing, you pledged to me that you would ‘review the totality of the data and ongoing data’ to inform action on the drug,” Hawley’s letter to the FDA head explained. “I urge you to follow this new data and take all appropriate action to restore critical safeguards on the use of mifepristone. The health and safety of American women depend on it.”

TRUMP FOE LETITIA JAMES LEADING CHARGE ON NEW MULTISTATE LAWSUIT OVER HHS CUTS

The introduction of Hawley’s bill comes just one day after Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ) asked a Texas federal judge to dismiss a case that could restrict access to the controversial pill. This move mirrored a similar stance taken by the Biden administration to keep a mifepristone lawsuit out of a Texas court.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital reached out to the FDA for comment.

Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News Digital covering breaking news. Story tips can be sent to Preston.Mizell@fox.com and on X @MizellPreston

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., signaled there is little appetite for judicial impeachments among House Republican leaders. 

He said a bill passed by the House earlier this year, aimed at limiting federal district judges from issuing nationwide injunctions in most cases, was a “silver bullet” against activist judges.

Johnson refused to pull impeachment off the table indefinitely when pressed by Fox News Digital, but he cautioned that there was a high bar for such maneuvers, while noting that getting enough votes to impeach in the House and remove in the Senate is an uphill battle in itself.

REPUBLICANS ADVANCE TRUMP ALLY’S GULF OF AMERICA BILL TO FULL HOUSE VOTE DESPITE DEM OPPOSITION

House Speaker Mike Johnson, right, discusses President Donald Trump’s agenda during an appearance on “Sunday Morning Futures.” (Getty Images/Fox News Channel)

“Look, impeachments are never off the table if it’s merited. But in our system, we’ve had 15 federal judges impeached in the entire history of the country. I mean, there may be some that I feel merit that, but you’ve got to get the votes for it, right? And it’s a very high burden,” Johnson said.

“And by the way, even if we could get an impeachment article through the House on a federal judge, it’s unlikely that they would be tried and convicted in the Senate on that, with the divided number we have. So, short of that, what can we do?”

The speaker said House Republicans had “done everything within our power to solve that problem.”

GOP LEADERS FIND NEW MAJOR HOLIDAY DEADLINE FOR TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ AMID MEDICAID TAX DIVISIONS

Then-former President Donald Trump, right, listens as House Speaker Mike Johnson speaks during a press conference at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate on April 12, 2024 in Palm Beach, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

“Darrell Issa’s bill is a great response: The No Rogue Rulings Act would prohibit a single individual judgment issuing a nationwide injunction like that to stop the entire policy of an administration,” Johnson said. 

“We passed it to the House, we sent it to the Senate with every expectation that they should be able to take that up. And I certainly hope they can, because, again, shouldn’t be a partisan issue.”

Some conservatives, however, are still hungry to pursue the impeachment route. They could force the House to do so by introducing a “privileged” resolution, meaning Johnson would need to take it up within two legislative days. 

However, it is a politically risky undertaking that is ultimately guaranteed to fail in the Senate, where at least several Democrats would be needed to meet the two-thirds threshold for removal. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., center, joined from left by Rep. Jeff Hurd, R-Colo., Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain, R-Mich., and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., during a news conference at the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 22, 2025. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

It comes amid the Trump administration’s continued standoff with the courts over a litany of the new White House’s policies — from deportation flights to the Department of Government Efficiency.

Republicans have dismissed the rulings as political decisions by activist judges, while Democrats accuse the White House of waging war on a co-equal branch of government. 

The Trump administration, meanwhile, has consistently said it is complying with all lawful court orders while denouncing activist judges in court and in the media sphere. 

EXCLUSIVE: As the Small Business Administration (SBA) kicked off “Small Business Week” on Monday, SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler spoke to Fox News Digital about the work she has done at the agency while pushing back on the Democratic Party’s narrative about the state of the economy. 

“What I see on the ground is American manufacturers, small businesses alike are grateful to President Trump for his fair trade policy, for having the strength and the backbone to stand up to adversaries and allies alike and demand that they stop treating Americans unfairly with these trade practices,” Loeffler told Fox News Digital about the current state of the economy as President Donald Trump faces criticism from Democrats and media outlets for his tariff policies. 

“I see really strong support and optimism as well for the future. So, while there is a period of change here as we get through these negotiations and with trading partners at the table, we will make sure that small businesses have a big seat at that table, and we are already seeing small businesses invest for the future because they see the opportunity for a made-in-America approach that will really transform the strength of this country not just economically but from a national security perspective.”

Loeffler, speaking to Fox News Digital at an event in Washington, D.C., kicking off “Small Business Week,” said the current media narrative on Trump’s trade policies is “completely counter” to what she sees when she travels the country. 

THESE COMPANIES HAVE ANNOUNCED THEIR INTENTION TO INCREASE US MANUFACTURING AMID TRUMP’S FIRST 100 DAYS

Monday marked the start of “Small Business Week.” (Getty)

Loeffler explained that she sees small businesses that are “spring-loaded” and “ready to invest.”

“They are fully behind President Trump’s policies to lower our taxes, to have fair trade, President Trump has already brought down core inflation to four-year lows,” Loeffler said. “We’ve seen the jobs come back, almost a half million jobs created in President Trump’s first hundred days, and we’re seeing his regulatory reforms have rollbacks that have already made a huge difference saving small businesses hundreds of millions of dollars, if not billions already. And that’s what small businesses want.”

Loeffler pointed out that small businesses make up 99% of all businesses in the country and create two out of three of every new job, and touted that the SBA has seen an 80% increase in loans in Trump’s first 100 days in office. 

“Small businesses don’t take out loans unless they have confidence that they’re going to grow, and we’ve seen that small businesses are doing just that,” Loeffler said. 

TRUMP SAYS HE WILL NOT DROP TARIFFS TO GET CHINA TO NEGOTIATING TABLE

President Donald Trump speaks at the White House on Tuesday, April 22. (AP/Alex Brandon)

Loeffler told Fox News Digital that during her tenure, the SBA has been “refocused” on its mission after four years of the Biden administration, and part of that mission has been to implement Trump’s agenda on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and illegal immigration. 

The SBA recently eliminated its Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility, while placing the office’s employees on administrative leave, and paused grants across the agency that it believes interferes with Trump’s executive orders combating DEI. 

“We really needed to level the playing field and get back to serving small businesses,” Loeffler said. 

Then-Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler speaks during a campaign event at Valdosta Regional Airport in Valdosta, Georgia, on Dec. 5, 2020. (REUTERS/Dustin Chambers)

In March, Fox News Digital exclusively reported that the SBA enacted a series of reforms on Thursday aimed at ensuring illegal immigrants do not receive taxpayer benefits while also removing its offices from sanctuary cities.

“We’re moving out of sanctuary cities to keep not only our employees safe, but the small businesses that wanna come in and access our programs,” Loeffler told Fox News Digital. “We also need to relocate them to areas where small businesses are actually booming and that’s not necessarily true in sanctuary cities.“

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Loeffler told Fox News Digital that she is particularly excited about what she sees in the manufacturing sector and what can be accomplished in that area if Trump is able to get his tax cut plan through Congress.

“Manufacturing loans are up 74% and so that Made in America engine is happening to the tune of about a hundred manufacturing loans per week and that’s what President Trump’s agenda has done,” Loeffler said.  

“It’s attracted upwards of eight trillion dollars in investments in this country. Much of that will be deployed through small businesses, though it was contributed by large businesses. I’ve talked to many of those CEOs. They deploy it through contractors that come through small businesses. So I’m tremendously excited about the upside that we can see with regard to the tax policy being passed. Hopefully, we have permanent tax cuts that we can deliver to small businesses soon, because I know that the demand for investment by small businesses is there, and it’s really spring-loaded once that tax bill passes.”

The governors of six northeastern U.S. states have invited the premiers of six Canadian provinces to meet in Boston as both sides face the impacts of tariffs.

President Donald Trump’s policy of imposing tariffs on products imported from America’s northern neighbor and other nations has sparked controversy both in the U.S. and abroad.

The group of governors includes five Democrats — Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, Maine Gov. Janet Mills, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, and Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee — and one Republican — Vermont Gov. Phil Scott.

CANADIAN PM CARNEY TO MEET TRUMP AT WHITE HOUSE AFTER ELECTION INFLUENCED BY ANNEXATION THREATS

Left: U.S. President Donald Trump walks towards Marine One on the South Lawn on May 1, 2025, in Washington, D.C.; Right: A general view of the Canadian Flag on March 14, 2023, at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.  (Left: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images; Right: Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images)

The governors are inviting the premiers of the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Québec, Healey and Mills press releases indicate.

“While the international uproar over tariffs threatens to upend the economies of our respective communities, we write to reaffirm our friendship and unique interdependence. Ours is a cherished relationship that is founded not only on mutual financial advantages but also on centuries-old familial and cultural bonds that supersede politics,”  the U.S. politicians said in their invitation.

“As Governors of the Northeast, we want to keep open lines of communication and cooperation and identify avenues to overcome the hardship of these uninvited tariffs and help our economies endure. As we continue to navigate this period of great uncertainty, we are committed to preserving cross border travel, encouraging tourism in our respective jurisdictions, and promoting each other’s advantages and amenities,” they noted.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ACCUSED OF POCKETING THOUSANDS BY SMUGGLING HUNDREDS OF ALIENS EACH WEEK FROM CANADA TO US

Trump, who has repeatedly indicated that he would like Canada to become America’s 51st state, is meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday.

“Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker asked Trump if he would speak to Carney about making the country the 51st state. 

TRUMP BLASTS ‘DISHONEST INTERVIEW’ DURING CONTENTIOUS DEBATE ON TARIFFS

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“I’ll always talk about that. You know why? We subsidize Canada to the tune of $200 billion dollars a year. We don’t need their cars, in fact we don’t want their cars. We don’t need their energy, we don’t even want their energy, we have more than they do. We don’t want their lumber, we have great lumber, all I have to do is free it up from the environmental lunatics. We don’t need anything that they have,” Trump declared.

Mills said that the economic and cultural relationships between the U.S. and Canada have been “strained by the president’s haphazard tariffs and harmful rhetoric targeting our northern neighbors,” according to the press releases.

Tensions on the Supreme Court have flared this term as justices have clashed with each other and with lawyers at oral arguments amid a wave of Trump-era emergency appeals. 

These exchanges at any other forum would hardly even raise an eyebrow. But at the Supreme Court, where decorum and respect are bedrock principles and underpin even the most casual cross-talk between justices, these recent clashes are significant. 

After one particularly acrimonious exchange, several longtime Supreme Court watchers noted that the behavior displayed was unlike anything they’d seen in “decades” of covering the high court.

Here are two high-profile Supreme Court spats that have made headlines in recent weeks.

100 DAYS OF INJUNCTIONS, TRIALS AND ‘TEFLON DON’: TRUMP SECOND TERM MEETS ITS BIGGEST TESTS IN COURT

Supreme Court Justices, from left, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, Chief Justice John Roberts, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor attend the 60th inaugural ceremony in 2025. (Ricky Carioti /Washington Post via Getty Images)

Mahmoud v. Taylor

Last month, Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Sonia Sotomayor quarreled briefly during oral arguments in Mahmoud v. Taylor, a case focused on LGBTQ-related books in elementary schools and whether parents with religious objections can “opt out” children being read such material. 

The exhange occurred when Sotomayor asked Mahmoud attorney Eric Baxter about a book titled “Uncle Bobby’s Wedding,” a story that invoked a same-sex relationship. Sotomayor asked Baxter whether exposure to same-sex relationships in children’s books like the one in question should be considered “coercion.”

Baxter began responding when Alito chimed in.

“I’ve read that book as well as a lot of these other books,” Alito said. “Do you think it’s fair to say that all that is done in ‘Uncle Bobby’s Wedding’ is to expose children to the fact that there are men who marry other men?”

After Baxter objected, Alito noted that the book in question “has a clear message” but one that some individuals with “traditional religious beliefs don’t agree with.”

Sotomayor jumped in partway through Alito’s objection, “What a minute, the reservation is – “

“Can I finish?” Alito said to Sotomayor in a rare moment of frustration. 

He continued, “It has a clear moral message, and it may be a good message. It’s just a message that a lot of religious people disagree with.”

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW EL SALVADOR DEPORTATION FLIGHT CASE

From left, Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagen, Neil Gorsuch, John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

“There is a growing heat to the exchanges between the justices,” Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley observed on social media after the exchange. 

A.J.T. v. Osseo Area Schools

The Sotomayor-Alito spat made some court-watchers uncomfortable. But it paled in comparison to the heated, tense exchange that played out just one week later between Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch and Lisa Blatt, a litigator from the firm Williams & Connolly.

The exchange took place during oral arguments in A.J.T. v. Osseo Area Schools, a case about whether school districts can be held liable for discriminating against students with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. 

Gorsuch scolded Blatt, an experienced Supreme Court litigator who was representing the public schools in the case, after she accused the other side of “lying.” 

What played out was a remarkably heated exchange, if only by Supreme Court standards. Several court observers noted that they had never seen Gorsuch so angry, and others remarked they had never seen counsel accuse the other side of “lying.”

Then-Supreme Court Justice nominee Neil Gorsuch meets with Senate Judiciary Committee member Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., on Capitol Hill. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite/File)

“You believe that Mr. Martinez and the Solicitor General are lying? Is that your accusation?” Gorsuch asked Blatt, who fired back, “Yes, absolutely.”

 Counsel “should be more careful with their words,” Gorsuch told Blatt in an early tone of warning.

“OK, well, they should be more careful in mischaracterizing a position by an experienced advocate of the Supreme Court, with all due respect,” Blatt responded.

Several minutes later, Gorsuch referenced the lying accusation again, “Ms. Blatt, I confess I’m still troubled by your suggestion that your friends on the other side have lied.”

“I’d ask you to reconsider that phrase,” he said. “You can accuse people of being incorrect, but lying, lying is another matter.”

He then began to read through quotations that she had entered before the court, before she interrupted again. 

“I’m not finished,” Gorsuch told Blatt, raising his voice.

“Fine,” she responded.

Shortly after, Gorsuch asked Blatt to withdraw her earlier remarks that accused the other side of lying.

“Withdraw your accusation, Ms. Blatt,” Gorsuch said.

“Fine, I withdraw,” she shot back.

Plaintiffs said in rebuttal that they would not dignify the name-calling.

Supreme Court (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

The exchange sparked some buzz online, including from an experienced appeals court litigator, Raffi Melkonian, who wrote on social media, “I’ve never heard Justice Gorsuch so angry.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Both of those moments literally stopped me in my tracks,” said Steve Vladeck, a professor at the Georgetown University Law Center. “You might want to listen somewhere where you can cringe in peace.”

‪Mark Joseph Stern‬, a court reporter for Slate, described the exchange as “extremely tense” and described Blatt’s behavior as “indignant and unrepentant.”

A resurfaced clip of Dem. Rep. Ilhan Omar, a member of the progressive “Squad” in Congress, sparked a frenzy on social media this week with conservatives blasting the congresswoman over her comments regarding the “radicalization of White men.”

“I would say our country should be more fearful of White men across our country, because they are actually causing most of the deaths within this country,” Omar said in a 2018 interview with Al-Jazeera while discussing the domestic terrorism threats in the United States and responding to a question on how much concern “jihadism” poses to the United States. 

 “And so if fear was the driving force of policies to keep America safe, Americans safe inside of this country, we should be profiling, monitoring, and creating policies to fight the radicalization of White men.”

The clip, posted by conservative influencer accounts including Laura Loomer and LibsofTikTok with millions of impressions, sparked outrage from conservatives on social media, including from inside the White House. 

OMAR SLAMS TRUMP, MUSK FOR CHANGES AT USAID, ACCUSES PRESIDENT OF RUNNING DICTATORSHIP

Vice President JD Vance blasted Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar this week over a resurfaced clip from 2018. (Getty)

“This isn’t just sick; it’s actually genocidal language,” Vice President JD Vance posted on X. “What a disgrace this person is.”

“This is blatant racism,” GOP Sen. Mike Lee posted on X. “Who condemns it?”

ILHAN OMAR BLASTS HARRIS-WALZ CAMPAIGN FOR COURTING LIZ CHENEY: ‘HUGE MISSTEP’

Vice President JD Vance sits for an interview with Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier in South Carolina. (Fox News / Special Report)

“@ilhanMN never ceases to be an embarrassment for Minnesota,” GOP Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer, who represents Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District, posted on X. 

“There’s never been a more anti-American member of Congress than Ilhan Omar,” conservative influencer Paul Szypula posted on X. 

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

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., is seen in the U.S. Capitol’s Rayburn Room during a group photo with the Congressional Black Caucus on Wednesday, April 6, 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

The social media firestorm comes shortly after Omar sparked controversy for telling Daily Caller News Foundation reporter Myles Morell to “f— off” after he asked her a question about fellow Democratic Party figures traveling to El Salvador to defend illegal immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported to the country by the Trump administration.

Omar later responded to the clip being shared on X, stating, “I said what I said. You and all your miserable trolls can f— off.”

Former Vice President Kamala Harris headlines a top-dollar Democratic National Committee fundraising dinner on Tuesday, marking the latest step back into the political spotlight by the Democrats’ 2024 presidential nominee.

The New York City gathering of top party officials, politicians and donors, where tickets range upwards of $25,000 per person, according to an invitation obtained by Fox News, comes as Harris is mulling her political future after last November’s election defeat at the hands of Republican President Donald Trump.

Among her campaign options that she’s 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.

The event also comes as the Democratic Party, facing historically low favorable ratings in national polling, aims to leave the political wilderness after the party lost control of the White House and the Senate and fell short in its bid to regain the House majority in the 2024 elections.

KAMALA HARRIS REVEALS POLITICAL TIMETABLE FOR MAKING KEY DECISION

Former Vice President Kamala Harris is headlining a major Democratic National Committee fundraiser in New York City on Tuesday. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

And it is being held as an increasingly angry and energized base of Democrats is pushing for party leaders to take a stronger stand in pushing back against Trump’s sweeping and controversial agenda during the opening months of his second administration.

“Kamala Harris understands the fight that we are in,” DNC committee member and veteran Democratic strategist Maria Cardona told Fox News.

She added that “Kamala Harris is a beloved figure in the Democratic Party.”

“The DNC is using every tool in their toolbox to bring people together, to get people excited about the campaigns that are coming in the next two cycles,” said Cardona, a member of the DNC’s influential Rules and Bylaws committee. “I think it’s super smart for the DNC to use her, to use every other elected [official], to use governors, to use former administration officials. … I think this is just par for the course for what the DNC needs to do going forward.”

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING AND OPINION ON FORMER VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS

The fundraiser is being held the day after the president helped haul in big bucks as he headlined a gathering of major donors at one of his golf courses in Virginia for MAGA Inc., which was the top Trump-aligned super PAC during the 2024 election cycle.

Harris proved her fundraising prowess last year, hauling in over $1 billion during her three-and-a-half-month White House campaign after replacing then-President Joe Biden atop the Democrats’ national ticket in late July, amid mounting questions over the then-81-year-old president’s physical and mental stamina. 

Then-Vice President Kamala Harris (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

“She raised an eye-popping record amount of money,” Cardona noted. “She is still a tremendous draw for the Democratic faithful and donors and that will continue to be the case going forward.”

The DNC is using much of the money brought in at its fundraisers to build its ground operations and messaging efforts ahead of next year’s midterm elections.

A top progressive leader agreed that using Harris to help fundraise for the DNC makes sense. 

HERE ARE THE DEMOCRATS WHO MAY EVENTUALLY RUN FOR WHITE HOUSE IN 2028

But Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a major grassroots organization that promotes economic populism and democracy through electoral and issue advocacy efforts, pointed to Harris’ 2024 setback as well as her flameout in the 2020 Democrat presidential primary when asked about how the left would receive a potential 2028 White House bid by Harris.

“She had her chance. Sometimes you have to know when to step away,” Green told Fox News.

He argued that Harris felt more like a candidate from the party’s establishment than a shake-up of the system, populist, during her two presidential campaigns, and that the more voters got to know her, the less they supported her.

Harris’ appearance at Tuesday’s DNC fundraiser, where she’ll take part in a question-and-answer session with national party chair Ken Martin, comes a week after she made some of her first major public remarks since her 2024 defeat.

The former vice president at an event in San Francisco took aim at Trump’s economic agenda. She said the president’s controversial implementation of tariffs, which initially triggered a massive stock market selloff, “as I predicted, are clearly inviting a recession.”

Then-Vice President Kamala Harris (Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The stepped-up appearances by Harris come as she continues to meet with advisors and friends as she considers her political future.

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.

TOP TRUMP ALLY TEASES BID FOR CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR IF HARRIS RUNS

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.

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

Former Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the Leading Women Defined Summit, April 3, 2025, in Dana Point, Calif. (Juliana Yamada/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, extremely early polls in the next Democratic Party presidential nomination race, which are heavily reliant on name recognition at this point, indicate that the former vice president holds a significant lead over other potential White House contenders.

It is unlikely she could do both. Running and winning election in 2026 as governor of California, the nation’s most populous state and home to the world’s fifth-largest economy, would likely take a 2028 White House run off the table, allies and political analysts have indicated.

While no decisions have been made, the former vice president has vowed to remain politically involved.

Harris, in a video message to the Democratic National Committee as it huddled for its winter meeting in early February, pledged to be with the party “every step of the way.”

And in an early April speech in California, Harris reiterated that she’ll stay politically active, noting that “I’m not going anywhere.”

2028 WATCH: VIRAL VIDEO SPARKS MORE AOC SPECULATION

But Harris is far from the only Democrat sparking 2028 speculation.

Among those making headlines in the extremely early moves for the next Democrat presidential nomination race is two-term Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois, who took aim at Trump and his own party as he headlined a state Democratic Party fundraiser a week and a half ago in New Hampshire, which traditionally has held the first primary in the White House race.

Also grabbing plenty of 2028 buzz is Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the four-term, outspoken progressive from New York City.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., speaks at a town hall gathering on May 2, 2025, in New York City. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

A viral video of her nationwide series of rallies with longtime liberal champion Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, drew large crowds and sparked more speculation that the lawmaker known as AOC might have presidential ambitions in 2028 or that she could potentially primary challenge longtime Democrat Senate Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York in three years.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Green, in contrasting Harris and Ocasio-Cortez, said “this moment calls for authentic outsiders who want to shake up the broken political system and an economic status quo rigged for billionaires against working people. That’s why Kamala Harris lost, and it’s why a lot of people are looking at AOC.”

Egypt and China wrapped up their first-ever joint military exercises on Sunday, in a show of force involving the U.S.’ top rival and one of its top recipients of military aid. 

Running from mid-April until Sunday, the drills consisted of joint aerial exercises, simulated air combat and modern warfare lectures. 

China deployed its J-10C fighter jets, KJ-500 airborne early warning aircraft and Y-20 transport tankers in a display of its military prowess beyond Asia, according to footage posted by Chinese state media outlet CCTV.

Egypt has, in recent years, also purchased large amounts of military machinery from Russia, prompting questions about how the U.S. should address a top Middle East ally and aid recipient growing closer to its biggest adversaries. 

CHINESE FIRM AIDING HOUTHI ATTACKS ON US VESSELS

The Egyptian air force holds an air show displaying F-16 aircraft delivered to Egypt by the U.S., as part of a military package that had been unfrozen earlier this year, in Cairo on July 31, 2015. (REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih)

“We’ve never seen a crisis like this,” said Joel Rubin, a former senior State Department official who worked on the Egypt desk under former President George W. Bush and pens “The Briefing Book” on Substack. “Egypt is essentially flouting us right now and looking to China, looking for more stable, long-term partners after nearly four and a half decades of stability in terms of the peace deal under Camp David.”

Egypt operates a number of U.S.-made aircraft – F-16 fighter aircraft, CH-47 Chinook and AH-64 Apache helicopters – and is slated to receive C-130 J transport aircraft. Egypt also possesses 32 American Patriot missile defense systems. 

The China-Egypt Eagles of Civilization 2025 is expected to bolster Beijing’s ties to Africa’s strongest military and a longtime strategic U.S. ally. 

Egypt has received roughly $1.3 billion each year in U.S. military aid since the Camp David Accords that normalized relations between Israel and Egypt. That figure puts it behind only Israel, which scores around $3.8 in U.S. military aid. 

Ukraine receives more aid than Egypt and Israel, but only since Russia’s invasion – prior to 2022, it got between $200 and $350 million each year. 

ISRAEL APPROVES PLAN TO CAPTURE ALL OF GAZA, CALLS UP TENS OF THOUSANDS OF RESERVE TROOPS

Visitors stand in front of J-15 fighter jets of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, or Airshow China, in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, China, on Nov. 12, 2024. (REUTERS/Tingshu Wang)

When the Trump administration took office and froze all foreign aid, Egypt and Israel were the only two nations who were exempted from the freeze. 

Egypt partners with U.S. security forces across the region to fight terrorism in places like Iraq and Syria. 

The Camp David Accords, per Rubin, were the “final piece to the puzzle that peeled off the most important Arab military from the Soviet Union.” Prior to the accords, Egypt was aligned with Russia’s priorities in the Middle East. “It was about getting them into our column, and this is a sign they may be again moving into a different column.” 

Around $300 million of U.S. military aid to Egypt can be conditioned on human rights concerns, and that money has been frozen and unfrozen in recent years due to complaints about Egypt’s human rights record under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. 

“Cairo’s hedging tactics are not new. This has been a slow and steady effort, and this exercise marks a clear escalation. For Cairo, they want to diversify their patrons. Washington has long conditioned its aid to Egypt on human rights and democratization efforts. While the U.S. has routinely issued waivers on these conditions and allowed the aid to flow, Cairo does not want to remain beholden to Washington,” said Mariam Wahba, an Egypt-focused researcher at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. 

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi inspects the Egyptian military units in Suez. Some U.S. aid has been held up due to concerns about al-Sisi’s human rights record in recent years. (The Egyptian Presidency/Handout via REUTERS)

However, with a new administration with little appetite for foreign aid, Egypt may be concerned that further aid cuts are on the table. 

“This exercise should certainly sound the alarm in Washington,” said Wahba. 

The exercises, according to former Deputy Assistance Secretary of Defense Simone Ledeen, “are both about capability building and sending a geopolitical signal.” 

“Egypt is hedging, showing the U.S. it has options,” added Ledeen, who worked in the first Trump administration. “China is making clear it intends to expand its influence in the Mediterranean. Everyone should be paying attention.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The latest development, according to Rubin, calls for “very agile diplomacy.”  

“It’s indicative of the broader global uncertainty and panic about the Trump administration’s position towards international affairs,” he said. “If we do threaten in a way that pushes them out, then even if we might feel justified morally, we could potentially be losing a crucial ally and partner, one that has significant impact on global shipping routes, counterterrorism work across the Arab Middle East, and we would be giving China a toe hold right into the heart of the Middle East at the worst possible time.”

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday banning all federal funding for “dangerous” gain-of-function research in China, Iran and other countries and blocking all federal funding for foreign research that could cause another pandemic. 

The president signed the order Monday afternoon to improve the safety and security of biological research in the U.S. and around the world. 

FLASHBACK: COVID ORIGINS: HHS SUSPENDS ECOHEALTH ALLIANCE GRANTS AFTER FINDING TAXPAYER FUNDS USED IN RISKY RESEARCH

The White House said the order “will drastically reduce the potential for lab-related incidents involving gain-of-function research, like that conducted on bat coronaviruses in China by the EcoHealth Alliance and Wuhan Institute of Virology.” 

Gain-of-function research typically involves modifying a virus to make it more infectious among humans. Gain of function research took place at the Wuhan Lab before the COVID-19 pandemic began. 

Donald Trump (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The White House said the order will protect Americans from lab accidents and other biosecurity incidents, “such as those that likely caused COVID-19 and the 1977 Russian flu.” 

The president’s order ends any present and all future federal funding of gain-of-function research in countries with insufficient oversight of research, and it empowers U.S. research agencies to identify and end federal funding of any other biological research that could pose a threat to American public health, public safety or national security. 

FLASHBACK: US TAXPAYER FUNDS FLOWED TO CHINESE ENTITIES THAT CONDUCTED CORONAVIRUS RESEARCH BEFORE COVID PANDEMIC: GAO

“For decades, policies overseeing gain-of-function research on pathogens, toxins, and potential pathogens have lacked adequate enforcement, transparency, and top-down oversight,” the White House said in a fact sheet describing the order. “Researchers have not acknowledged the legitimate potential for societal harms that this kind of research poses.” 

Security personnel stand guard outside the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, China. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)

The order, according to the White House, “protects Americans from dangerous gain-of-function research that manipulates viruses and other biological agents and toxins, but it does not impede productive biological research that will ensure the United States maintains readiness against biological threats and continues to drive global leadership in biotechnology, biosecurity, and health research.” 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“President Trump has long theorized that COVID-19 originated from a lab leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology and has consistently pushed for transparency in investigating its origins,” the White House said. 

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

John Fetterman has always been an eccentric character on a star-crossed path.

He is the only United States senator who has adopted a hoodie as his official uniform. 

He is also the only one who suffered a stroke on the eve of his primary victory, making it difficult for him to speak, but won the general election anyway.

And the Pennsylvania Democrat doesn’t toe the line on all party positions, especially when it comes to his fierce support for Israel.

AS JUDGE IS CHARGED WITH OBSTRUCTING JUSTICE IN MIGRANT CASE, SPINNERS CAST IT AS AN ANTI-TRUMP STORY

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa. ,talks with reporter after the senate luncheons in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

But now comes a troubling story in New York Magazine that casts the senator in a much darker light.

The New York Times put it this way: Fetterman’s former chief of staff “was so alarmed with his ex-boss’s erratic behavior last year that he wrote a lengthy letter to his doctor warning that the senator was spiraling out of control and that his mental health issues could cost him his life.”

The staffer, Adam Jentleson, added in writing Fetterman’s Walter Reed doctor: “I’m worried that if John stays on his current trajectory he won’t be with us for much longer.” 

Other former staff members told the Times that colleagues were sometimes “frightened” to be in his presence when he was manic, and that his “volatile” behavior has gotten worse since the election.

Fetterman issued a statement saying that “my ACTUAL doctors and my family affirmed that I’m very well.” He called the magazine story a “hit piece” and promoted the idea that its author, Ben Terris, was “best friends” with Jentleson and that they “sourced anonymous, disgruntled staffers with lies or distorted half-truths.”

Terris, for his part, disclosed in the article that Adam Jentleson is a “personal friend.” So it wasn’t a state secret.

Jentleson wrote to the medical director who supervised Fetterman’s hospitalization for mental health problems in 2023: “He does not see his doctors. I am not sure when he last saw a cardiologist, but I don’t think he’s seen one since he was released. He long ago ordered us to stop putting regular drop-bys with Dr. Monahan on his schedule, despite the fact that he had agreed to those as part of the plan.” Brian Monahan is the Capitol and Supreme Court physician. 

Fetterman was the first Democratic senator to visit Trump, who carried Pennsylvania and the other swing states, at Mar-a-Lago. 

STATE OF WAR: HOW TRUMP IS FIGHTING A 9-FRONT BATTLE

Jentleson wrote another doctor: “We do not know if he is taking his meds, and his behavior frequently suggests he is not.”

Among other things, wrote Jentleson, his ex-boss drives recklessly and recently bought a gun. There are “high highs and low lows; long, rambling, repetitive and self-centered monologues lying in ways that are painfully, awkwardly obvious to everyone in the room.”

Joe Biden, who does his first post-White House interview today, with his wife on “The View,” is a whole other story.

His problem was not depression but making other Democrats depressed when he insisted on running for a second term. We now know how his wife and his staff protected him from the press and even his own staff to avoid revealing his mental decline.

And that blew up on them in the horrible debate with Trump. Ron Klain has gone on the record with his frustration that his longtime boss walked out on one prep session and fell asleep by the pool.

Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race after a disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump. ( Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Now comes a new revelation in a forthcoming book by Josh Dawsey of the Wall Street Journal, Tyler Pager of the New York Times and Isaac Arnsdorf of the Washington Post.

The Times writes, citing the book, that “his top White House aides debated having him undergo a cognitive test to prove his fitness for a second term” in the early weeks of 2024.

Here was the dilemma, according to “2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America.” And that’s an accurate title.

Biden’s closest aides “worried that the mere fact of his taking one would raise new questions about his mental abilities.”

SENATOR’S WARNING FOR DISTRICT JUDGES AS SUPREME COURT SET TO HEAR LANDMARK CASE

Which is precisely what would have happened. Rather than persuading the former president not to run, they wouldn’t even let him do a soft-focus Super Bowl interview.

During this period in 2022, the Times published an interview with David Axelrod, the former Obama White House official turned CNN commentator. Axelrod said Biden “looks his age”–then 79–and added:  “The stark reality is the president would be closer to 90 than 80 at the end of a second term, and that would be a major issue.”

Axelrod angrily called Klain, then the chief of staff, to ask why he was fueling doubts about a Democratic president.

“There’s no Obama out there, Axe,” Klain told him, according to the book. “Who’s going to do it if he doesn’t do it?”

John Fetterman staffer Adam Jentleson said: “I’m worried that if John stays on his current trajectory he won’t be with us for much longer.”  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

This was also around the time that special counsel Robert Hur, declining to prosecute Biden on the classified documents he voluntarily turned over, called the president “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” That seems incredibly mild now. Biden held a news conference to declare his memory was fine, but referred to the president of Egypt as the president of Mexico.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Talk about good days and bad days. Everyone has bad days, but it has national and international resonance when it involves a senator or a president.

None of this should be used to stigmatize those with mental health or mental acuity problems. But there are red flags here that deepen our understanding of what’s really happening.

A lawyer who represented a government whistleblower in a case that led to President Donald Trump’s first impeachment sued the Trump administration on Monday for “unconstitutional retaliation” after his security clearance was revoked.

Lawyer Mark Zaid argued that the administration’s decision to pull his clearance in March was in retaliation for representing former Department of Homeland Security intelligence chief Brian Murphy, who was key to Trump’s 2019 impeachment.

Murphy filed a whistleblower complaint in 2019 alleging Trump, amid his re-election campaign, pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate then-U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter’s business dealings in Ukraine. 

The U.S. House of Representatives voted later that year to impeach Trump for abusing the power of his office and obstructing Congress, but he was later acquitted by the Senate.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES BLAMES TRUMP FOR NEWARK AIRPORT CHAOS, ACCUSES WHITE HOUSE OF ‘BREAKING THE FAA’

A lawyer who represented a whistleblower who was key to President Donald Trump’s first impeachment sued the administration for pulling his security clearance. (Reuters/Leah Millis)

Zaid’s lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., claims the decision to rescind his security clearance represents a “dangerous, unconstitutional retaliation by the President of the United States against his perceived political enemies” that “eschews any semblance of due process.”

The complaint accuses the Trump administration of violating the Administrative Procedures Act, the First Amendment and parts of the Fifth Amendment.

“No American should lose their livelihood, or be blocked as a lawyer from representing clients, because a president carries a grudge toward them or who they represent,”  Zaid said in a statement. “This isn’t just about me. It’s about using security clearances as political weapons.”

Lawyer Mark Zaid argued that the administration’s decision to revoke his clearance in March was in retaliation for representing former Department of Homeland Security intelligence chief Brian Murphy. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

FORMER VP PENCE VOWS TO SPEAK OUT IF PRESIDENT TRUMP VEERS FROM ‘CONSERVATIVE AGENDA’ 

The lawsuit cites a 2019 incident in which Trump called Zaid a “sleazeball” at a Louisiana rally and told reporters that the lawyer was a “disgrace” who “should be sued.”

The move to pull Zaid’s clearance was “a bald-faced attack on a sacred constitutional guarantee: the right to petition the court or federal agencies on behalf of clients,” the lawsuit says, noting that an “attack on this right is especially insidious because it jeopardizes Mr. Zaid’s ability to pursue and represent the rights of others without fear of retribution.”

Trump has also revoked clearances of several other political foes, including former President Joe Biden, former Vice President Kamala Harris, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and his own former national security advisor John Bolton, as well as attorneys at other law firms.

The lawsuit accuses the Trump administration of violating the Administrative Procedures Act, the First Amendment and parts of the Fifth Amendment. (Pool via AP)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Zaid urged the court to rule that Trump’s revocation decision was unconstitutional and reinstate his clearance. He has had access to classified information since 1995 and a security clearance since 2002.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Israeli forces on Monday struck Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah, targeting the Iran-backed Houthis in response to “repeated attacks” against the Jewish state, in particular its missile strike that nearly hit Tel Aviv’s largest airport. 

The Israel Defense Forces said fighter jets targeted the port city, which is along Yemen’s coastline, and a concrete factory. 

“The terrorist infrastructure sites struck in the Hudaydah port serve as a central supply source for the Houthi terrorist regime,” an IDF statement said. “The Hudaydah Port is used for the transfer of Iranian weapons, military equipment, and other equipment intended for terrorist purposes.”

 ISRAEL APPROVES PLAN TO CAPTURE ALL OF GAZA, CALLS UP TENS OF THOUSANDS OF RESERVE TROOPS

Houthi fighters are seen holding weapons alongside an image of a Houthi strike.  (DOD/Reuters)

In addition, the IDF also struck the “Bajil” Concrete Plant, which serves as a significant economic resource for the Houthis, the IDF said. The facility is also used for the construction of underground tunnels and terrorist infrastructure for the terrorist regime, officials said.

During the strike, the Houthis retaliated with surface-to-surface missiles and drones that were launched at Israel and civilians, Israel said. 

PARENTS OF HAMAS HOSTAGES URGE TRUMP TO BE ‘TOUGH WITH ENEMIES AND FRIENDS’ AMID ISRAELI SIEGE IN GAZA

An Israeli fighter jet taking off to launch airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen.  (IDF)

Following Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, the Houthis have targeted commercial shipping in and around the Red Sea in solidarity with the terror group. 

U.S. naval forces have been deployed to the region, where they have launched repeated airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen. 

The group is funded and trained by Iran. 

Israel’s strike was in retaliation for a Houthi missile attack that nearly struck Ben Gurion Airport, causing multiple international airlines to cancel flights to Israel.

Israeli emergency services clear a road outside Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport after a missile launched from Yemen struck near Israel’s main international airport. (JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The missile reportedly evaded both Israeli and U.S. missile defenses, according to Israeli media.

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed retaliation.

The House Rules Committee has advanced a bill to permanently rename the Gulf of America.

Formerly the Gulf of Mexico, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that upended that as part of his America First agenda.

But without congressional action, the name could be reverted by a future administration – which spurred Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., to introduce a bill enshrining the name in federal law.

The measure advanced through the House Rules Committee in a party-line vote on Monday evening, teeing it up for a chamber-wide vote sometime this week. The House Rules Committee acts as the final gatekeeper for most bills before they hit the House floor.

MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE

Speaker Mike Johnson is teeing up a vote on a bill this week to codify President Donald Trump’s Gulf of America name change (AP/Getty)

Democrats had attempted to derail the measure with several protest amendments, including one that would have limited oil and gas drilling permissions in the area. 

None of those passed along with the final bill, however, as expected. 

Democrats ripped the legislation as a meaningless attempt to score political points with Trump.

Republicans, however, called it a “historic” move for America First and an  “important symbol of that effort and a step in the right direction.”

“Throughout our country’s history, presidents have changed the names of America’s lands and waters. The change we are discussing today signals to the world that America is standing tall, and that we are proud of our country,” Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., said in support of the bill.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a top Trump ally, introduced the bill to officially rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. (REUTERS/Jim Bourg)

“It is nearly impossible to overstate the Gulf of America’s critical role in achieving not only American energy independence, but dominance. President Trump has made it a priority of his administration to reassert America’s role as a global leader in energy production, and the Gulf of America is a critical part of that agenda.”

She pointed back to Republicans’ 2024 electoral sweep, “The American people support these policies, and we must deliver on the promises that we have made.”

Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa., a member of the House Rules Committee, said during her opening statement during the panel’s debate on the measure, “Ever since the beginning of Trump’s term, House Republicans have been tripping over themselves to find new and more embarrassing ways to suck up to the president and indulge his peculiar obsessions.”

SCOOP: REPUBLICANS DISCUSS DEFUNDING ‘BIG ABORTION’ LIKE PLANNED PARENTHOOD IN TRUMP AGENDA BILL

Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon criticized the bill as a waste of taxpayer dollars

“This bill to rename the Gulf of Mexico is a stupid, unserious waste of time and taxpayer dollars. It’s an embarrassment to the nation that it was ever introduced, let alone that it’s being brought to the floor for a vote,” Scanlon said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital is told a House-wide vote on the bill is expected Thursday morning.

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital of the Democrats lodging protest amendments to the bill, “Democrats are so overtaken with Trump Derangement Syndrome and obsessed with obstructing the President’s agenda that they will always put America Last. As President Trump said, the Gulf of America has long been an integral asset to our nation. All future generations should be able to recognize this beautiful body of water as a sign of American greatness.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Monday that the U.S. military will soon be seeing a dramatic reduction in the number of general officers across all branches. 

He called the reduction a “historic” move to fulfill President Donald Trump’s commitment to “achieving peace through strength.” 

“We’re going to shift resources from bloated headquarters elements to our warfighters,” said Hegseth. 

According to Hegseth, there are currently 44 four-star and flag officers across the military, making for a ratio of one general to 1,400 troops, compared to the ratio during World War II of one general to 6,000 troops.

HEGSETH ORDERS SWEEPING ARMY OVERHAUL AND CONSOLIDATION AIMED AT COUNTERING CHINA AND GOLDEN DOME CAPABILITIES

The defense secretary released his memo Monday afternoon. (X / @SecDef)

Hegseth, who has pledged to transform the military into a “leaner, more lethal force,” issued a memo to senior Pentagon personnel on Monday in which he ordered the reductions to be carried out in two phases. 

In the first phase, Hegseth ordered a “minimum” 20% reduction of four-star generals and flag officers in the active-duty component as well as a 20% reduction in the National Guard. 

In phase two, the secretary is ordering an additional 10% reduction in general and flag officers across the military. 

The secretary called the reductions part of his “less generals, more GIs policy.” 

BILLIONS SPENT, WARFIGHTERS WAIT: INSIDE THE PENTAGON’S BROKEN BUYING SYSTEM AND THE PLAN TO FIX IT

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, left (AP Photo/Gerard V. Carreon)

In a video announcing the change, he said the reductions will be done “carefully, but it’s going to be done expeditiously.” 

He said “this is not a slash-and-burn exercise meant to punish high-ranking officers” but rather a “deliberative process, working with the joint chiefs with one goal: maximizing strategic readiness and operational effectiveness by making prudent reductions.” 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

“We got to be lean and mean. And in this case, it means general officer reductions,” said Hegseth. 

Congress sets the number of general officers allowed in the military. The total number of active-duty general or flag officers is capped at 219 for the Army, 150 for the Navy, 171 for the Air Force, 64 for the Marine Corps and 21 for the Space Force.

President Donald Trump is proposing staggering spending cuts.

In his budget request for fiscal year 2026, the president demands that Congress slash an eye-popping 20% of spending which lawmakers allocate each year.

“You’re going to see $150 billion (in cuts) passed in the House and the Senate. That is real money,” said Budget Director Russ Vought on Fox News. “I think for the first time, this budget is not dead on arrival.”

To be clear, the budget which Mr. Trump sent to Capitol Hill is aspirational. All presidential budgets are. It’s what a president proposes that lawmakers – and his administration – aim to spend for the upcoming fiscal year. Congress is still charged with voting on the 12 annual spending bills which fund the government. The 20% cut proposed by President Trump deals with that area of spending.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: WHERE WE STAND WITH TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’

The new budget championed by Team Trump features drastic spending cuts. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The Trump administration characterized this blueprint as a “skinny” budget. That’s because it included nothing about Medicare and Medicaid. Those social programs consume exorbitant chunks of federal spending – far exceeding what Congress appropriates each year. Congressional Republicans aim to make alterations of some kind to these programs in their so-called “big, beautiful bill.” Republicans insist those programs won’t endure cuts. But a “cut” is in the eye of the beholder.

“We’re going to move towards a long-term balanced budget. I like how we’re thinking long-term instead of short-term,” said Rep. Mike Haridopolos, R-Fla., on Fox News.

To be clear, the framework for the GOP’s big, beautiful bill does not balance the budget. In fact, it increases the budget deficit. And Mr. Trump’s budget package doesn’t balance either. There’s no way to understand such a path unless you include Medicare and Medicaid.

But here’s what Mr. Trump’s budget request does do:

It eliminates dollars from every federal department and agency, except the Departments of Transportation and Veterans Affairs. Space programs and NASA are also safe, too.

“This is how you break the Swamp,” declared the House Freedom Caucus. “The FY ‘26 budget is a paradigm shift.”

The president’s proposal knifes the Department of Housing and Urban Development by 40%. It axes the Departments of Labor and Interior by 30%.

TOP SENATE ARMED SERVICES REPUBLICAN SAYS TRUMP OMB’S BUDGET ‘SHREDS TO THE BONE’ MILITARY CAPABILITIES

However, dollars for the Pentagon are essentially flat.

Defense hawks were apoplectic.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., torched Mr. Trump’s outline.

“Trump successfully campaigned on a Peace Through Strength agenda. But his advisers at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) were apparently not listening,” fumed Wicker. “For the defense budget, OMB has requested a fifth year straight of Biden administration funding, leaving military spending flat, which is a cut in real terms.”

Wicker accused OMB of trying to “shred to the bone” the nation’s military.

Some members of Congress, like Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., have rebuked Trump’s proposal for its effective non-adjustment of defense funds. (Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images)

Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., chairs the Senate defense appropriations panel, charged with funding the Pentagon.

“It is peculiar how much time the President’s advisors spend talking about restoring peace through strength, given how apparently unwilling they’ve been to invest accordingly in the national defense or in other critical instruments of national power,” said McConnell.

“I am very concerned the requested base budget for defense does not reflect a realistic path to building the military capability we need to achieve President Trump’s Peace Through Strength agenda,” said House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala.

With friends like these…

TRUMP SLAMS REPUBLICAN ‘GRANDSTANDERS’ OPPOSING BUDGET BILL, PREDICTS MASSIVE US TAX INCREASES IF IT FAILS

Vought fired back at Congressional defense advocates and their allegations that the budget request undercut the military.

“It’s an inaccurate charge. We provide a trillion dollars in national defense spending. 13% increase. We do it in two components,” said Vought. “We use discretionary spending. And then we put in a historic paradigm all of our increases on defense and Homeland Security. We use it in reconciliation so that we only need to use Republican votes. We don’t want Democrats to have the filibuster as a veto to then hijack the appropriations process and say no to the Homeland Security spending.”

Let me fillet that statement for you.

In other words, Vought asserts that some of the funding increases for the Pentagon will come through “budget reconciliation,” the process Republicans are now using to pass the big, beautiful bill. Republicans intend to pass that package with only GOP votes. But if Republicans included that military money in a “regular” appropriations bill, Democrats may demand “parity.” They would insist that non-defense programs score the same increase in exchange for advancing those bills – and voting to overcome a filibuster. So Vought argues his approach keeps Democrats from holding Pentagon dollars hostage in exchange for money targeted toward other programs.

Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought rebuffed claims that the Trump budget would undercut the military. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

But Democrats are focused on what Republicans may try to do with Medicare and Medicaid. They argue that Republicans are teeing up cuts.

“Hospitals will close. Nursing homes will shut down. Communities will be hurt. And Americans will die,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

Republicans insist those programs won’t face cuts.

“The question is, will we be susceptible to the fear-mongering and the false rhetoric that you just heard from the Democrat Minority Leader in the House? And this is the same tired play they run,” said House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, on Fox News. “We will be rewarded because we’re doing this for the sustainability of these programs for the most vulnerable.”

TRUMP SAYS PUBLIC ENTITLEMENTS LIKE SOCIAL SECURITY, MEDICAID WON’T BE TOUCHED IN GOP BUDGET BILL

Still, even some remain apprehensive about how the GOP will handle those programs.

“If you want to be in the minority forever, then go ahead and do Medicaid cuts,” said Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. “That would be catastrophically stupid.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., and Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., met President Trump at the White House late last week to discuss the big, beautiful bill. The White House gave Congressional leaders a wish list of items it wants in the bill – and what can fall by the wayside.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., still aims to pass the bill through the House by Memorial Day. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Tax credits for electric vehicles are out.

“I don’t have a problem if somebody wants to go buy an electric vehicle. I just don’t think hardworking Americans should be subsidizing that,” said House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil, R-Wisc., on Fox News.

Republicans hope to use money generated from the sale of EVs to shore up the Highway Trust Fund. The government used the federal gas tax to pay for construction of roads and bridges. But Congress hasn’t adjusted the gas tax since the mid-1990s. Plus, more EVs and hybrids are now on the road. And conventional vehicles which rely on gas are more fuel efficient. So this shores up some of those depleted coffers.

HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS EMBRACES TRUMP BUDGET PROPOSAL ‘PARADIGM SHIFT’

Johnson is sticking by his goal to pass the bill through the House by Memorial Day. But some Republicans doubt that timeline.

“There’s no way,” said Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., on Fox Business. “Unfortunately, President Trump chose the one big, beautiful (bill). What he should have done is the multiple-step process.”

In other words, lawmakers could have addressed the border, tax cuts and spending cuts in individual chunks. Loading everything onto one legislative truck makes this hard.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

So can the House approve this in two weeks? There’s not a lot of consensus yet. But maybe they’ll try to wear Members down.

“We will stay until we pass it,” said one senior House GOP leadership source.

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon sent a scathing letter to Harvard University President Alan Garber on Monday, not only blasting the Massachusetts Ivy League school’s handling of antisemitism on campus but also advising school officials to refrain from applying for future federal grants because they will not “be provided.”

In her no-holds-barred letter, McMahon told Garber that the federal government has a “sacred responsibility” to be an important steward of American taxpayer funds, adding that the school has amassed a largely tax-free $53.2 billion endowment and receives billions of dollars in taxpayer funds each year.

“Receiving such taxpayer funds is a privilege, not a right,” she wrote. “Yet instead of using these funds to advance the education of its students, Harvard is engaging in a systemic pattern of violating federal law. Where do many of these ‘students’ come from, who are they, how do they get into Harvard, or even into our country – and why is there so much HATE? These are questions that must be answered, among many more, but the biggest question of all is, why will Harvard not give straightforward answers to the American public?”

She also said the university has “made a mockery” of the higher education system in the U.S., inviting foreign students to its campuses who engage in violent behavior and show contempt for the U.S.

TRUMP SAYS HE’LL REVOKE HARVARD’S TAX-EXEMPT STATUS

Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon sent a scathing letter to Harvard University President Alan Garber, advising him to not apply for federal grants because they will not be provided. (Getty Images)

McMahon slammed the school for adopting an “embarrassing” remedial math program for undergraduates, questioning why a school that’s so difficult to get admitted to has to teach low-level mathematics.

She called Harvard out for being embroiled in plagiarism scandals and lambasted the school for allowing Harvard University and the Harvard Law Review to engage in “ugly racism.”

McMahon blasted Harvard for hiring former Mayors Bill de Blasio of New York City and Lori Lightfoot of Chicago to teach “leadership” at its School of Public Health.

“This is like hiring the captain of the Titanic to teach navigation to future captains of the sea,” she said.

IVY LEAGUE SUICIDES, PRINCETON’S 8TH STUDENT DEATH IN 4 YEARS EXPOSE CRISIS AT ELITE SCHOOLS

“The above concerns are only a fraction of the long list of Harvard’s consistent violations of its own legal duties. Given these and other concerning allegations, this letter is to inform you that Harvard should no longer seek GRANTS from the federal government, since none will be provided,” McMahon later wrote. “Harvard will cease to be a publicly funded institution and can instead operate as a privately-funded institution, drawing on its colossal endowment, and raising money from its large base of wealthy alumni.

“You have an approximately $53 billion head start, much of which was made possible by the fact that you are living within the walls of, and benefiting from, the prosperity secured by the United States of America and its free-market system you teach your students to despise,” she added.

In closing, McMahon reminded Garber that the Trump administration had been willing to maintain federal funding to Harvard as long as the school complied with federal law to protect and promote student welfare and stop racial preferencing.

HARVARD PRESIDENT APOLOGIZES FOR FAILURE TO ADDRESS ANTISEMITISM, ISLAMOPHOBIA AFTER NEW REPORTS RELEASED

Harvard President Alan Garber (Screenshot/NBC)

“The proposed common-sense reforms – which the Administration remains committed to – include a return to merit-based admissions and hiring, an end to unlawful programs that promote crude identity stereotypes, disciplinary reform and consistent accountability, including for student groups, cooperation with Law Enforcement, and reporting compliance with the Department of Education, Department of Homeland Security, and other Federal Agencies,” McMahon said. “The Administration’s priorities have not changed, and today’s letter marks the end of new grants for the university.”

Harvard confirmed to Fox News Digital that it received a letter from the administration on Monday.

“Today, we received another letter from the administration doubling down on demands that would impose unprecedented and improper control over Harvard University and would have chilling implications for higher education,” a Harvard spokesperson said. “Today’s letter makes new threats to illegally withhold funding for lifesaving research and innovation in retaliation against Harvard for filing its lawsuit on April 21.

“Harvard will continue to comply with the law, promote and encourage respect for viewpoint diversity, and combat antisemitism in our community. Harvard will also continue to defend against illegal government overreach aimed at stifling research and innovation that make Americans safer and more secure,” the spokesperson continued.

TRUMP BRANDS HARVARD ‘ANTISEMITIC’ AND A ‘THREAT TO DEMOCRACY’ DURING FUNDING BATTLE

President Donald Trump holds an executive order relating to education in the Oval Office on April 23, 2025. (AP NEWSROOM)

McMahon’s letter comes just days after President Donald Trump declared that his administration was going to be taking away Harvard’s tax-exempt status.

Trump made the announcement after Fox News reported that his administration asked the Internal Revenue Service to revoke Harvard University’s tax-exempt status. The Ivy League school’s failure to address antisemitism on campus is grounds for losing its 501(c)(3) status, sources said at the time.

Trump argued in mid-April that Harvard had “lost its way” and didn’t deserve federal funding.

“Harvard has been hiring almost all woke, Radical Left, idiots and ‘birdbrains’ who are only capable of teaching FAILURE to students and so-called ‘future leaders,'” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Look just to the recent past at their plagiarizing President, who so greatly embarrassed Harvard before the United States Congress.”

Harvard has become a target of Trump’s broader crackdown on universities, much of which is in response to last year’s anti-Israel unrest that erupted on campuses across the country.

On April 11, the Trump administration sent a letter to Garber and Harvard Corporation Lead Member Penny Pritzker outlining the institution’s failures and a list of demands from the White House. In the letter, the administration accused Harvard of failing to uphold civil rights laws and to foster an “environment that produces intellectual creativity.”

The Trump administration threatened to pull federal funding if Harvard did not reform governance and leadership as well as its hiring and admissions practices by August 2025. The letter emphasized the need for Harvard to change its international admissions process to avoid admitting students who are “hostile” to American values or support terrorism or antisemitism. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

Harvard refused to comply with the demands, with Garber saying that “no government… should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and areas of study and inquiry they can pursue.”

The Trump administration then froze $2.2 billion in funding to Harvard and is reportedly looking to slash another billion, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The university later filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its “unlawful” freezing of funds.

Fox News’ Greg Norman, Andrea Margolis, Alexis McAdams and Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.

The Trump administration is asking a federal judge in Texas to dismiss a case that aims to restrict access to the abortion drug mifepristone. 

The request continues the Biden administration’s position in defense of the drug: that Texas isn’t the proper venue for the lawsuit.

In a Justice Department court filing, the Trump administration said Idaho, Missouri and Kansas have no ties to Texas, where the lawsuit was filed, arguing they lack standing in the suit against the Food and Drug Administration over its rules over the pills, which are available online and by mail.

MAJOR DRUG STORES START SELLING ABORTION PILL SOME SAY IS ‘DANGEROUS’ FOR WOMEN AHEAD OF LANDMARK SCOTUS CASE

(AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)

“Aside from this litigation, the States do not dispute that their claims have no connection to the Northern District of Texas,” the DOJ wrote. “The states cannot keep alive a lawsuit in which the original plaintiffs were held to lack standing, those plaintiffs have now voluntarily dismissed their claims, and the States’ own claims have no connection to this District.” 

The three Republican-led states are challenging FDA actions that loosened restrictions on the drug in 2016 and 2021, including allowing for medication abortions at up to 10 weeks of pregnancy instead of seven, and for mail delivery of the drug without a woman first seeing a clinician in-person, Reuters reported. 

ABORTION PILL USE HAS SPIKED IN RECENT YEARS, NEW REPORT REVEALS: ‘SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE’

Mifepristone, also known as RU-486, is a medication typically used in combination with misoprostol to bring about a medical abortion during pregnancy and manage early miscarriage. (Getty Images)

A lower court previously rebuffed a request to reverse FDA approval of mifepristone. 

“The States are free to pursue their claims in a District where venue is proper,” the federal attorneys said. But the brief pointed to weaknesses in the states’ argument beyond standing, noting, for instance, that their challenge to the FDA’s 2016 action allowing the pills to be used up to 10 weeks of pregnancy rather than the previous seven is outside the statute of limitations.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Last year, the Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit filed by anti-abortion doctors and medical associations after the justices ruled the plaintiffs could not show they had been personally harmed by the federal government’s regulation of the pill. 

The Trump administration also argued for the dismissal, saying the states’ challenge to FDA’s 2016 actions is outside the six-year statute of limitations.

Fox News Digital’s Melissa Rudy contributed to this report. 

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

Here’s what’s happening…

–REAL ID ‘unnecessary in keeping us safe,’ GOP lawmaker says as deadline looms

-Former Vice President Mike Pence honored by Kennedy family in receiving the JFK ‘Profile in Courage Award’

-Senator warns of ‘unconstitutional’ judicial overreach ahead of SCOTUS showdown

One Grand Deal for Self-Deportation 

FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Homeland Security will front the cost of commercial flights and provide a $1,000 stipend to illegal aliens who opt to self-deport from the United States in a move DHS says will save thousands of dollars.

The department says this will be 70% cheaper for American taxpayers, as it currently costs DHS, on average, over $17,000 to arrest, detain, and deport someone. DHS told Fox News that paying for aliens to remove themselves, even with the stipend, is anticipated to cost only around $4,500 on average. 

The stipend would not be paid until it was verified that an individual self-deported. Aliens will use the CBP Home self-deportation app to access this assistance, and DHS expects self-removals, already in the thousands, to ramp up significantly with this announcement…READ MORE

The Department of Homeland Security is encouraging illegal aliens to self-deport. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon/Photo by Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Images)

White House

FREED PRISONER: Trump meets with American ballerina freed from Russian prison

‘NOT ALLOWED’: Trump shoots down rumors he will seek 3rd term: ‘Not something I’m looking to do’

DISORDER IN COURT: Trump questions judges who block deportations of ‘criminals, including murderers’

Donald Trump speaks about the economy, inflation, and manufacturing during a campaign event at Alro Steel on August 29, 2024 in Potterville, Michigan.  (Bill Pugliano)

‘AUTHORITY TO REGULATE’: Trump admin sues Colorado, Denver over ‘sanctuary laws,’ alleged interference in immigration enforcement

KEEPING TRUMP HONEST: Former VP Pence vows to be a ‘voice against’ Trump when president veers from ‘conservative agenda’

‘RAPIDLY’: Trump fields question about his timeline for judicial nominations: ‘We’re putting ’em in rapidly’

TRUMP’S 16TH WEEK BACK: Trump’s 16th week in office to include WH meeting with Canada, ongoing trade negotiations

World Stage

‘SHE IS SO AFRAID’: Trump says Mexican president is afraid of cartels after she rejected his offer to send US troops to Mexico

LAST CHANCE: Israel says Trump’s Middle East visit is the ‘window of opportunity’ for hostage deal

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meet at the White House in Washington, D.C., Feb. 4, 2025. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

TOTAL CONTROL: Israel approves plan to capture all of Gaza, calls up tens of thousands of reserve troops: report

ACROSS THE ATLANTIC: Rwanda ‘in discussions’ with US to receive deported migrants: report

Capitol Hill

TRUMP CARD: GOP leaders find new major holiday deadline for Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ amid Medicaid, tax divisions

‘BRUTAL’ PREDICTION: Senate Democrats predicting very rough confirmation hearing for UN ambassador pick Mike Waltz

‘LOSING THE BASE’: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene airs frustrations, warns that she represents a ‘not happy’ Republican base

Chair of the Subcommittee on Delivering On Government Efficiency (DOGE) U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-SC) presides over a hearing of the House Oversight Subcommittee in the U.S. Capitol on February 26, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

‘WHEELS ARE COMING OFF’: GOP rep urges lawmakers to ‘right-size’ bloated bureaucracy, national debt

‘FIRST THEY CAME’: Democrat Hank Johnson draws Holocaust comparison while blasting deportations

Across America 

‘RACIAL DISPARITIES’: DOJ opens probe after left-wing DA requires prosecutors to consider race in plea deals

‘WE DELIVER ON THAT PROMISE’: Texas Gov. Abbott signs $1 billion voucher program into law, capping off win for school choice advocates

BALLOTS CAST: REAL ID is about to go into effect. Here’s how it may impact voting

A TSA agent, DMV facility, and lines of travelers at a U.S. airport are seen in this split image. A 2005 Real ID law takes force on May 7, 2025 after a 20-year delay, prompting a frenzied eleventh-hour surge of travelers to their local DMVs to obtain the new identification. Photos via Getty Images (Getty Images)

LASTING LEGACY: Cornyn bringing bill to enshrine Trump EO renaming refuge after Jocelyn Nungaray into law

FIRST ON FOX: Red state school district hit with complaint to Trump admin alleging unlawful DEI practices

MAY 20 DEADLINE LOOMS: Deadline looms allowing left-wing court to select US attorney as state AGs urge confirmation of Trump pick

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

A series of Facebook ads funded by the California Democratic Party is claiming that Republicans are against stronger laws to protect 16- and 17-year-old sex trafficking victims amid a legislative fight over a minor solicitation bill in which Democrats successfully forced the exclusion of harsher penalties for the purchase or solicitation of older teens. 

The ads began appearing on social media after a vote in the California Assembly last week when Democrat leaders refused to move forward with AB 379, which would have made it an automatic felony to purchase or solicit 16- and 17-year-olds for sex. 

Featured in each ad is the name and image of a state Republican lawmaker who “voted against stronger laws protecting” older teens from sex trafficking, accusing them of protecting their “political party, not our kids.”

SON OF SUSPECTED WOULD-BE TRUMP ASSASSIN ARRESTED ON CHILD PORN CHARGES

California Assemblymember Maggy Krell, a Democrat, on Monday said she agreed to remove a provision in her child sex trafficking bill that ensures the crime of purchasing a minor for sex applies in all cases where the victim is under the age of 18. (Assemblymember Maggy Krell)

AB 379, authored by Democratic Assemblymember Maggy Krell, was an attempt to crack down on the buyers in the child sex trafficking trade and to align their punishments with the traffickers. The ad campaign came after the Democrat-controlled Assembly Public Safety Committee decided to move the bill forward as long as it didn’t carry the felony provision for those who solicit older teens for sex. 

At the time, Krell told Fox News Digital that she was forced to exclude the felony provision in order for the legislation to move forward. 

“I wholeheartedly disagree with that amendment,” she said. “This has been my life’s work and I will continue to partner with sex trafficking survivors and law enforcement to ensure all minors are protected from the horrors of sex trafficking.”

On Thursday, Democrats voted to strip the bill completely from Krell, a former prosecutor who investigated human trafficking, while excluding the automatic felony clause. They also inserted text that read, “It is the intent of the Legislature to adopt the strongest laws to protect 16-and 17-year old victims and strengthen protections in support of survivors of human trafficking.”

“Just when you thought the @CA_Dem couldn’t go any lower, any more pathetic and desperate, here they are, trying to falsely spin themselves out of siding with predators over children, (poorly) playing politics over people. SO excited for 2026,” the California Republican Party shared Monday on X. 

WANDA BARZEE, ONE OF ELIZABETH SMART’S CAPTORS, ARRESTED ON ALLEGED SEX OFFENDER VIOLATION

The California State Capitol (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for National Urban League)

Several Republican lawmakers also pushed back against the accusation that their party doesn’t protect children. 

“You see my friend Democrats lie… After we called @AsmDems out on the floor last week for removing protections for 16 and 17-year-old victims, they run ads accusing us… of the very thing they are doing,” Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher wrote on X. “You can’t hide from the truth with deceptive ads. It is Democrats who can’t bring themselves to part with weird ideological politics to protect kids.”

Assemblyman Josh Hoover, one of several Republicans targeted in the ad campaign, said Democrats were attempting to gaslight Californians. 

“Make no mistake, these ads are nothing but a distraction from their own failed record on public safety,” he wrote on social media. “I will continue to fight to restore the protections they removed, hold perpetrators accountable, and make sure all minors are treated equally under the law.”

The ad campaign was reportedly being pushed by the campaign of Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas. Fox News Digital has reached out to the California Democratic Party and Rivas’ campaign. 

FATHER PRESSES FOR ANSWERS IN COLLEGE FRESHMAN DAUGHTER’S DEATH AFTER FALL FROM DORM: ‘SHE WAS OUR WORLD’

California Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher and other GOP lawmakers were targeted by Democrats in a social media ad campaign. (Fcaebook)

AB 379 came together after older teens were left out of a state law that went into effect this year that makes it a felony to purchase a child aged 15 and younger for sex. Last year, California State Sen. Shannon Groven authored a bill that made it illegal to buy minors for sex, but it excluded 16- and 17-year-olds.

Currently, traffickers, not the buyers, face the harshest consequences when convicted of trafficking anyone under 18. 

Last week, Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he supported harsher consequences for those who solicit minors for sex.

Assemblyman Joe Patterson said Newsom has lost control of his own party and that the state Democratic Party is treating him “like a lame duck.” Assemblywoman Kate Sanchez said Democrats across the state have failed Californians on a range of issues, including public safety, affordability and homelessness.

“All they have left are dirty lies that are easily rebutted by journalists,” she wrote. 

The National Republican Congressional Committee also weighed in on the matter. 

“California Democrats chose predators over children and out-of-touch Democrats Derek Tran and Dave Min have said nothing,” Christian Martinez, a spokesperson for the NRCC, told Fox News Digital while calling out Democrat lawmakers. “Worse, they’re letting their fellow Democrats whitewash their disgusting record of protecting the absolute worst among us.”

Inside the California State Capitol building (iStock)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Last week, Krell said she didn’t care if the bill had her name on it or not, but would support any proposal that included protections for 16- and 17-year-olds.