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President Donald Trump on Friday warned Iran that the United States would “decimate and destroy” the country if Tehran carried out an assassination attempt against him.

“1000 Missiles are Locked and Loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands of more to immediately follow, should the Iranian Government act on its threat, pronounced in many corners of the Globe, to assassinate, or attempt to assassinate, the sitting President of the United States of America, in this case, ME!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The president said he had already directed the U.S. military to be prepared to retaliate if Iran carried out an assassination attempt against him.

ISRAEL SHARES INTELLIGENCE WARNING IRAN PLOTTED NEW ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AGAINST TRUMP: REPORT

“Orders have already been given, and the U.S. Military is ready, willing, and able, for a one year period of time, subject to extension, to completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran – PRAISE BE TO ALLAH!” Trump said.

Trump’s comments came one day after The Wall Street Journal reported that Israeli intelligence recently shared information with U.S. officials indicating Iran was considering a new plot to assassinate the president.

Earlier this week, Trump told reporters at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, that he remains Iran’s top target.

TRUMP SAYS HE’S IRAN’S ‘NO. 1’ TARGET AS RENEWED CONFLICT RAISES ASSASSINATION FEARS

“I’m No. 1 on the kill list for Iran,” the president said.

Earlier Friday, Trump also told the New York Post he had left standing instructions to strike Iran if an assassination attempt against him succeeded.

“I’ve been on their list for a long time. That’s what we’re dealing with,” Trump said. “… The only thing is, I’ve left instructions — if anything happens, to just literally bomb them at levels that they’ve never seen before.”

TRUMP SAYS HE LEFT INSTRUCTIONS TO ‘BOMB’ IRAN ‘AT LEVELS’ NEVER SEEN IF HE IS ASSASSINATED

Trump also dismissed reports that Israeli intelligence had uncovered a new Iranian assassination plot against him.

“No, no, Israel came up with nothing,” Trump told the newspaper. “I’ve been No. 1 [on Iran’s kill list] for a long time, and it’s the way life is, you know.”

The New York Times reported that following Trump’s trip to Turkey, the U.S. Secret Service recommended he travel aboard the older Air Force One rather than the newly retrofitted Boeing 747 donated by Qatar as a security precaution amid renewed hostilities with Iran.

The White House has not said whether the aircraft change was related to specific security concerns, but said the new Air Force One is equipped with advanced security features.

“The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff,” White House Communications Director Steven Cheung previously told Fox News Digital. “As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats.”

Iran has sought Trump’s assassination since he ordered the 2020 military strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani.

This week, mourners repeatedly called for Trump’s death during the funeral for Iran’s former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

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The comments also come as a U.S.-Iran ceasefire has unraveled in recent days.

Iran attacked commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz this week, prompting renewed U.S. military action, including a new round of strikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure tied to maritime operations and other military sites.

Trump has since declared the ceasefire “over” and warned of further action if Iran continues its attacks.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and the U.S. Secret Service for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

The Department of Justice sued Maryland over its sanctuary policies, accusing the state of engaging in an “active and deliberate effort” to obstruct federal immigration enforcement.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Maryland federal court, comes after the U.S. attorney general in February 2025 ordered the DOJ’s civil division to identify state and local policies that provide sanctuary to illegal migrants. Since then, 20 other lawsuits have been brought, including against Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois and New York.

The DOJ’s suit against Maryland argues that the state’s Community Trust Act, passed this year, “jeopardizes the public safety for all Americans” by purposely thwarting immigration-related arrests and deportations.

“Federal immigration officers merely enforce the laws that our Nation’s elected representatives in Congress passed, reflecting the will of We the People,” Associate U.S. Attorney General Stanley Woodward said in a statement. “Today’s suit proves that this Department will never stand for such lawless action from blue state leaders.”

EXCLUSIVE: DHS BLASTS SANCTUARY LEADERS AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ACCUSED OF BAT ATTACK FREED FROM JAIL

The lawsuit also said that Maryland’s law violates the supremacy clause of the Constitution, which says state laws must be compliant with federal law.

DOJ lawyers argued that the Community Trust Act has led to local authorities not cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other immigration officers.

They pointed to an incident on May 29, 2026, when a warden of a Worcester County Jail told a detention and deportation officer that as a result of the Community Trust Act, his facility “would no longer honor ICE detainers, release individuals to ICE custody, or notify ICE when individuals are in custody and ready for release.”

“The facility denied a scheduled ICE pickup that morning and did not release the individual in question to ICE custody,” DOJ lawyers wrote.

DOJ ESCALATES BLUE-STATE ICE STANDOFF AFTER STATES REFUSE KEY FEDERAL REQUEST

The text of the law says Maryland correctional facilities may not transfer individuals into federal custody without a “valid judicial warrant.”

The DOJ argued that immigration law allows arrests through administrative warrants, not just through warrants signed by a judge.

Most local law enforcement officers in Maryland agree with the federal government’s assessment of the Community Trust Act.

WATCH: ANGEL MOM TURNS TABLES ON SANCTUARY POLITICIANS WITH BASIC QUESTION ABOUT THEIR PRIORITIES

In late May, 17 of Maryland’s 24 sheriffs sued the state, saying the law “interferes with the ability of sheriffs and local detention centers to coordinate with [ICE] regarding individuals in custody who may pose threats to public safety.”

The sheriffs claimed in a statement that Gov. Wes Moore, who was named in the lawsuit, told them during a phone call that he “was aware of the unintended public safety consequences this legislation could have on our communities.”

Moore did not sign the Community Trust Act, but under Maryland law, a bill approved by both chambers becomes law if the governor does not sign or veto it within 10 days.

Moore’s office confirmed to Fox News Digital that this phone call took place and that Moore “explained his rationale for letting the bill go into law without his signature.”

Moore previously said that despite the implementation challenges, the Community Trust Act keeps “local law enforcement focused on the work that has helped drive Maryland’s historic reductions in violent crime.”

A representative from Moore’s office also told Fox News Digital that the Community Trust Act allows local authorities to coordinate with federal immigration officers “when it comes to people convicted of serious crimes.”

Moore’s office declined to comment on the DOJ lawsuit but offered a statement attacking President Donald Trump’s approach to immigration enforcement.

“Maryland will work with the federal government when that coordination makes our people safer – but we will not let Donald Trump’s untrained, unqualified, and unaccountable ICE agents deputize our law enforcement officers to do immigration work,” the statement read.

The office of Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown — who was named in both the federal lawsuit and the complaint filed by the collection of sheriffs — declined to comment.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) condemned Maryland’s so-called sanctuary policies and claimed that seven of the 10 safest cities cooperate with ICE.

“When politicians bar local law enforcement from working with DHS, our law enforcement officers have to have a more visible presence so that we can find and apprehend the criminals let out of jails and back into communities,” DHS said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

DHS also said ICE officers “are held to the highest professional standard and officers regularly receive ongoing training.”

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DHS offered the names of five illegal migrants who were arrested in Maryland by ICE agents on suspicion of crimes such as homicide, sexual assault, incest, and drug trafficking. The agency did not specify when the men were arrested or their current statuses.

A senior official in New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration planned to meet with Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations before the State Department reportedly intervened, and the meeting was canceled.

Commissioner Ana María Archila, leader of the Mamdani administration’s Office of International Affairs, was scheduled to meet with Iran’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani, Tuesday, the City Journal first reported.

A U.S. official familiar with the matter confirmed to Fox News Digital that the meeting had been scheduled. 

TRUMP SAYS HE’S IRAN’S ‘NO. 1’ TARGET AS RENEWED CONFLICT RAISES ASSASSINATION FEARS

The reported intervention marks the second known instance in recent weeks in which the Trump administration has stepped in over the Mamdani administration’s contacts with foreign leaders, highlighting growing federal scrutiny of New York City’s international outreach under its new socialist mayor. 

The Office for International Affairs coordinates closely with the State Department on many diplomatic matters because of New York City’s role as host to the United Nations. 

Once the State Department became aware of the planned meeting, it was called off and State Department officials met with Mamdani officials to clarify acceptable conduct, a State Department official told the City Journal.

The Iranian mission declined to comment on the meeting to Fox News Digital. “That meeting did not take place, it will not take place and I did not know about it until there was a press inquiry regarding it,” Mamdani said during a press conference on Friday. 

Pressed on whether he supported such a meeting, he added: “I’ve said that that meeting will not be taking place. Thank you all very much.”

A State Department official told Fox News Digital in a statement: “We appreciate the mayor understanding the value of diplomacy, and for his decision to cancel this meeting. It is unconscionable that a New York City official would even consider meeting with the Iranian Ambassador to the U.N., a man who consistently works to undermine U.S. interests and whitewash his regime’s crimes against the United States, our allies, and Iran’s own citizens.”

Trump has repeatedly said he is “No. 1” on Iran’s “kill list,” and Israel recently shared intelligence with the U.S. president about an Iranian plot to assassinate him, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

The reported Iran meeting would mark the second known instance in recent weeks in which the Trump administration intervened over the Mamdani administration’s contacts with foreign officials.

TRUMP SAYS IRAN CEASEFIRE IS ‘OVER’ AFTER IRANIAN ATTACKS TRIGGER MASSIVE US RESPONSE

In June, the Washington Post reported that a planned meeting between Mamdani and Colombian President Gustavo Petro was scrapped after State Department objections. Fox News Digital has asked the State Department to confirm that account.

Archila, the official who planned to meet with the Iranian representative, served as the co-director of New York’s progressive Working Families party prior to her appointment as commissioner. She had no prior diplomatic experience before taking the role, and in 2022 ran for lieutenant governor of New York.

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Archila made headlines in 2018 when she confronted former Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., outside a Senate elevator after he announced he would vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

She identified herself as a sexual assault victim and asked him why he would vote to confirm Kavanaugh after hearing the account of Christine Blasey Ford, who claimed Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers. Kavanaugh denied the allegation.

EXCLUSIVE: The Interior and Commerce Departments are scrapping a sweeping Endangered Species Act (ESA) rule that officials say past administrations “weaponized” to block energy production, logging, infrastructure projects and private citizens’ land use.

Officials pointed to several ESA-listed species they say triggered undue or burdensome restrictions by treating habitat modification as potential “harm” to protected species, purportedly expanding the ESA’s “harm” provision.

“For years, federal agencies abused the ESA to obstruct lawful land use and burden American families and businesses,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told Fox News Digital.

“That approach turned routine activity into a regulatory trap, drove up costs that impacted people’s lives, and expanded federal authority beyond what Congress intended.”

BIDEN-ERA ENVIRO RULE ACCUSED OF STRANGLING TRUCKERS, SQUEEZING AMERICANS LANDS ON TRUMP CHOPPING BLOCK

On Friday, the Interior and Commerce Departments announced they are rescinding the ‘outdated’ regulatory definition of ‘harm’ and returning the Endangered Species Act’s interpretation to its original intent to end years of federal overreach.

The administration is relying in part on the Supreme Court’s 2024 decision in Loper Bright v. Raimondo, which overturned “Chevron deference” and held that courts must use independent judgment when interpreting federal statutes rather than deferring to an agency’s preferred reading of ambiguous law.

The rule change therefore aims to align regulations with the “single best” meaning of a statute rather than letting it be “contort[ed] to fit a political agenda,” officials said.

LEGAL WAR ON TRUMP’S AGENDA GAINS FIREPOWER AS FEDERAL LAWYERS DEFECT TO DEMOCRATS

Officials pointed to the dunes sagebrush lizard, which the Biden administration listed as endangered in 2024, as an example of what they view as speculative habitat-based restrictions.

Officials argued the change led to unnecessary restrictions on energy projects in Texas’ lucrative Permian Basin, most recently depicted in the acclaimed Billy Bob Thornton series “Landman.”

Under Section 9 of the ESA, it is unlawful to “take” endangered wildlife, a term Congress defined to include actions such as harming, harassing, wounding or killing protected species.

TRUMP’S ENERGY INITIATIVES MAY FINALLY EXTRACT AMERICA FROM MIDEAST CHAOS

Federal materials tied the species’ decline to surface-disturbing activities, including energy development and sand mining, which officials and industry representatives say can trigger costly permitting and compliance burdens.

Officials also cited the lesser prairie-chicken, a grassland bird whose federal protections have drawn opposition from farmers, ranchers and energy developers across New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado.

The fight over habitat-based “harm” dates back decades, including the northern spotted owl, whose 1990 ESA listing fueled a long-running battle over timber harvesting in the Pacific Northwest and was blamed for job losses.

A 2021 study in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management estimated the owl’s ESA listing reduced timber employment by roughly 16,000 to 32,000 jobs in the Pacific Northwest and northern California.

Timber interests and landowners challenged the federal definition, arguing that “harm” should cover direct injury to wildlife, not habitat modification that indirectly affects a species.

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Clinton Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt in 1995, upholding a definition of “harm” that included significant habitat modification when it actually kills or injures protected wildlife.

Officials say the change is designed to narrow the regulation after Loper Bright and prevent agencies from using habitat-based theories to block lawful activity far beyond what Congress authorized.

The agencies argued the previously broadened definition of “harm” became an unlawful intrusion on private property rights.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick added that fishermen in particular have been burdened by the regulation for “too long.”

Returning the ESA to its original purpose protects both the environment and economic development, Lutnick said.

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“This administration is committed to protecting wildlife using Gold Standard Science, the law and the tools Congress actually gave us,” added U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik. “We can protect species and respect communities at the same time.”

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Administration officials stressed that core ESA protections remain in place, including prohibitions on directly injuring or killing protected wildlife.

The administration said the change is intended to reduce permitting and compliance costs while providing greater legal clarity for landowners, energy producers and developers, advancing President Donald Trump’s vision of domestic energy dominance and a regulatory state that works for, not against, the average American.

Graham Platner’s political collapse did more than derail a scandal-plagued Senate campaign in Maine. It also completed Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman’s public transformation from a Bernie Sanders-backed progressive populist to one of the left’s most aggressive internal critics.

Fetterman was among the first prominent Democrats to call out Platner’s mounting controversies, even as many party leaders continued backing the scandal-plagued candidate until a former girlfriend publicly accused Platner of rape, an allegation he denies. The accusation prompted the remaining pillars of Democratic support to collapse.

By Wednesday night, Fetterman laid into his onetime political ally Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in an interview with Fox News’ Charles Hurt on “Jesse Watters Primetime.”

“The trash took itself out,” Fetterman said of Platner’s withdrawal, as Hurt asked who should be held most responsible for the Platner chaos.

KINGMAKER MAMDANI CALLS ON PLATNER TO ‘DROP OUT OF THE RACE’ AFTER RAPE ALLEGATION

“Absolutely, Bernie Sanders needs to apologize to the voters of Maine and to everyone that donated to that train wreck of a campaign,” Fetterman said.

Sanders ultimately called on Platner to end his candidacy after the allegation surfaced, but Fetterman argued the Vermont progressive owed voters an apology for helping elevate him in the first place.

“More than anyone, he pushed ‘P. Hustle’ into the election. And now he keeps pushing these Communists and these kinds of awful, anti-American people.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Sanders, Fetterman and Platner’s campaign for comment.

JOHN FETTERMAN’S FALL FROM HERO TO HERETIC EXPOSES DEMOCRATS’ HARD LEFT TURN

The comments cap a remarkable political evolution for Fetterman, who recently acknowledged he is more popular with some Republicans than his own party.

“For some strange [reason], I am more popular with Republicans, which is confusing because I vote in the 90-[percentile] Dem-line,” Fetterman told NewsNation in March, adding that he supports Israel and President Donald Trump’s “Operation: Epic Fury” against Iran.

Chris Borick, a professor at Lehigh University and former president of the Pennsylvania Political Science Association, called Fetterman’s change in relationship with Sanders and the Democrats’ progressive wing “dramatic.”

“As someone that follows Pennsylvania politics, I can’t find anything even close in comparison to the shifts that we’ve seen in Fetterman’s positions on an array of matters over a short period of time,” Borick said. “We’ve seen people switch parties, like Arlen Specter… but in terms of a quick departure on the most significant levels, Fetterman’s changes are without precedent in the state.”

Fetterman’s break with the left has not been limited to Sanders-world. In Pennsylvania, his increasingly independent posture has also put distance between him and parts of the state Democratic establishment, including breaking some partisan norms.

State Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Gettysburg, who served in the Pennsylvania Senate while Fetterman was lieutenant governor and presided over the chamber, said the Democrat had “political differences” with him but was typically “gracious and respectful.”

He spoke of an interaction on the Harrisburg Senate floor when Fetterman learned Mastriano accrued a record number of ballot signatures to qualify to run for governor against then-Attorney General Josh Shapiro.

“Senator Fetterman came down from the rostrum, congratulated me, and said, ‘Doug, 30,000. That’s really impressive. Great job.’ It wasn’t something he had to do,” Mastriano told Fox News Digital.

“I can’t speak for Sen. Fetterman’s political evolution — that’s something only he can explain. But I do respect anyone who is willing to speak their mind, think independently, and put what they believe to be America’s interests first, even when doing so may not be popular within their own party,” said Mastriano, who said Fetterman appears to be “put[ting] Pennsylvania ahead of politics.”

Fetterman recently upstaged his home state’s Democratic standard-bearer, Gov. Josh Shapiro, by teaming up with Republican Sen. David McCormick to help secure a booth on the National Mall for the Great American State Fair after the governor’s office said there was too little time and too little vendor interest to assemble one.

Shapiro’s predecessor, Gov. Tom Wolf, with whom Fetterman served as lieutenant governor during Wolf’s second term, also appeared to have no love lost for his party’s new maverick.

“I have thoughts, but I don’t have to share them anymore,” Wolf, who has largely retired from public life, said in March of Fetterman’s job performance.

When the two were in office in Harrisburg, Fetterman was closely aligned with Sanders and rode a wave of progressive populism to the lieutenant governor’s office — which is a separate primary-ballot line from the governorship.

Sam Chen, a Pennsylvania political analyst and chief strategist at the Allentown-based Liddell Group, told Fox News Digital that Fetterman’s evolution from Sanders ally to critic is a significant one while questioning whether the Democratic Party’s political environment helped cause the break.

“Fetterman was really helped by Sanders — even in Fetterman’s first Senate run … and then against who we really thought was probably the frontrunner in Conor Lamb.”

“Sanders really helped put Fetterman on the map and helped get him over the top,” Chen said, calling the senator’s recent condemnation of Sanders his “biggest break” with the progressive wing.

However, Chen questioned whether Fetterman’s break with Sanders over Platner was less about policy than about judgment, character and candidate quality.

“I wonder if Fetterman would have had this position if Platner had all his policy views that he has now but there was no Totenkopf tattoo or allegations from women.”

During his 2018 lieutenant governor campaign, Fetterman touted Sanders’ endorsement as proof of his progressive bona fides, describing the Vermont senator as one of the few national politicians who had the “little guy’s” back. Fetterman was then still mayor of postindustrial Braddock, a working-class suburb outside Pittsburgh, but his populist profile was already drawing national attention.

Sanders in turn came to Pennsylvania to endorse Fetterman: “What John’s campaign is about … is that we are going to transform this country and create a government that works for all of us, not just wealthy campaign contributors,” he said, according to PBS’ Philadelphia affiliate.

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Since his election to the Senate, Pennsylvania Democratic groups, including the Monroe County Democratic Party in the Poconos, have branded him a “traitor,” while Punchbowl described his current political standing as “tenuous” and reported that no member of the Keystone State’s House delegation would confirm support for a 2028 reelection bid.

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“Squad” member Rep. Summer Lee, who represents Fetterman’s hometown and is more ideologically aligned with Sanders, told the outlet the increasingly isolated senator would run “at his own peril.”

Chen said Fetterman’s progressive “bona fides” remain, noting he still is reliably liberal on LGBTQ rights, marijuana and abortion — adding that as mayor or lieutenant governor, foreign policy positions were a nonfactor. Still, he argued, the fight over Platner shows how far Fetterman has moved from the progressive coalition that launched him into national politics.

A federal appeals court upheld a controversial Illinois gun control law that largely bans assault weapons.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit decision issued on Thursday slapped down a district court decision that declared the ban unconstitutional.

“Among other things, the Act criminalizes the manufacture, sale, delivery, purchase, and possession of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines. A grandfather clause permits preexisting lawful owners of the regulated items to continue possessing them,” the Thursday decision noted.

US JUDGE TOSSES ILLINOIS’ BAN ON SEMIAUTOMATIC WEAPONS, GOVERNOR PLEDGES SWIFT APPEAL

“For reasons that follow, we focus on the Act’s application to AR-15s and thirty-round rifle magazines. The Act’s restrictions on these items, we hold, are consistent with the principles that underpin our Nation’s tradition of firearm regulation. Whether to adopt them is thus a decision reposed in our elected representatives, and we reverse,” the decision declared.

Chief Judge Michael Brennan dissented from the panel’s decision.

“Our Nation’s enduring traditions forbid governments from prohibiting firearms commonly owned for self-defense. Because the people have overwhelmingly chosen the AR-15 rifle and its magazine as their weapon of choice, they are protected by the Second Amendment,” Brennan wrote.

“Illinois’s ban goes too far and should be enjoined as unconstitutional. I respectfully dissent,” he noted.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat who signed the controversial law in early 2023, hailed the court’s decision.

DOJ TARGETS SPANBERGER, NEWSOM GUN LAWS WITH TWIN LAWSUITS AFTER SCOTUS AFFIRMS SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS

“BREAKING: The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the Protect IL Communities Act. Illinois will continue banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines capable of inflicting mass casualties. A victory in the fight to end gun violence that helps keep our communities safe,” the governor said in a Thursday post on X.

State Attorney General Kwame Raoul also celebrated the decision.

“This is a win that enhances public safety in Illinois. We have seen the damage that assault weapons and large-capacity magazines can inflict, and these weapons of war have no place in our communities,” he said in a Thursday statement. “My office has successfully defended the state’s prohibition on these weapons in both state and federal court, and I am immensely proud of the hardworking attorneys in my office who have worked diligently to preserve this critical public safety measure.”

INSIDE TRUMP’S UNPRECEDENTED BATTLE PLAN TO EXPAND SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS THROUGH JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

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The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) was displeased by the decision.

“NSSF is a plaintiff in this case and plans on filing a cert petition with the U.S. Supreme Court,” the group noted in a statement on Thursday.

FIRST ON FOX: Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers made a $10 million drug bust on Monday during an inspection of a commercial tractor trailer transporting cabbage at the Pharr Port of Entry, a bridge near the southernmost part of Texas.

A canine inspection and nonintrusive imaging scan led officers to a hidden load inside the trailer, CBP said. A physical search uncovered 477 packages containing 1,173 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of $10,787,500.

“This interception is a powerful reminder that our CBP officers are on duty 24/7, employing every resource to detect and deter those who attempt to exploit our borders,” Carlos Rodriguez, Port Director for the Hidalgo Port of Entry, said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

CBP seized the narcotics and commercial truck. 

COCAINE WORTH OVER $1.1M SEIZED FROM ‘EMPTY’ TRUCK AT TEXAS BORDER

The haul continues to illustrate the smuggling threat faced by the country even amid historic investments in border security and record-breaking staffing levels at CBP.

Republicans in Congress have flooded the agency with cash through President Donald Trump’s signature Big Beautiful Bill as well as recent efforts to fund the Department of Homeland Security through the end of the administration. The two bills included $64 billion and $26 billion for CBP, respectively. A large portion of the second bill is set aside for agency manpower.

SENATE REPUBLICANS UNVEIL IMMIGRATION FUNDING PLAN WITH $140 BILLION PRICE TAG AS GOP AIMS TO SPEND LESS

Earlier this year, CBP announced it had broken staffing records, reaching 21,471 officers — the most in the agency’s 102-year history.

At the same time, since the end of 2024, border crossings have fallen dramatically, going from over 144,000 encounters in December 2024 to just 13,500 in May — a 90% reduction.

Despite the heavy investments, CBP and other federal agencies remain engaged in intercepting more organized smuggling operations that threaten to bring drugs, weapons and people illegally into the country.

BORDER AGENTS UNCOVER $3.7M IN COCAINE MASQUERADING AS A CUCUMBER DELIVERY

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In April, for example, CBP announced it had prevented a car carrying a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, 16 AK rifles, 24 rifle magazines, 16 rifle stocks, 20 pistol grips, and other weapon parts from crossing the border.

“The threat of illicit narcotics is constant, but so is our vigilance,” Rodriguez said.

The Trump administration released its fourth tranche of declassified unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) records Friday, including newly released military infrared videos and additional details about a 2015 unidentified object reported near the nation’s primary nuclear weapons assembly facility.

Officials said the latest release is part of the administration’s effort to expand public access to UAP records while protecting information that could reveal sensitive military capabilities, eyewitness identities or national security operations.

Among the newly released files is an 18-second infrared video submitted by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in 2025 showing an object officials described as resembling a six-pointed star.

UFO EXPERT WARNS MYSTERY CRAFT ARE OUTMANEUVERING US MILITARY IN RESTRICTED AIRSPACE

The footage, captured by an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform over the Yellow Sea, shows the sensor tracking what the government described as an “area of contrast” while cautioning that the video’s description should not be interpreted as an official conclusion about the object’s identity or significance.

The latest release also includes a newly declassified Department of Energy report detailing a 2015 incident involving an unidentified object over the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas — the nation’s primary facility for assembling, maintaining and dismantling nuclear weapons. Portions of the report previously had been released in a more heavily redacted form, but Friday’s tranche includes additional details and imagery.

The release also includes a 1-minute, 46-second infrared video submitted by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in 2024 that shows a military sensor tracking an elongated area of contrast. As the sensor zooms in, the object appears as a line of several points moving across the field of view before becoming less distinct as it recedes into the distance. Officials cautioned that the video’s description should not be interpreted as an official conclusion about the object’s identity or significance.

Another newly released Navy “Range Fouler Debrief” — a standardized report used to document unauthorized intrusions into military training airspace — describes a military operator observing a “quite small” object with a metallic appearance and reflective underside that continued traveling in a constant direction. The report cautions that the descriptions reflect the observer’s impressions at the time and are not definitive assessments of the object’s characteristics.

PENTAGON FILES REVEAL AGENTS’ REPORTS OF ‘ORBS LAUNCHING ORBS’ NEAR SENSITIVE US SECURITY SITE

The release also features additional infrared videos submitted by U.S. Central Command, the Air Force and Indo-Pacific Command. One 2024 video shows what appears to be an elongated area of contrast that later resembles a line of multiple bright points as the military sensor tracks it. Another 2023 video captures two areas of contrast crossing the sensor’s field of view in opposite directions.

In at least one case, the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office included technical context alongside the footage, noting that apparent flickering in a 2019 Air Force infrared video could result from the sensor’s automatic contrast adjustments when tracking an object whose temperature closely matched its background.

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Congress established the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office in 2022 to investigate reports of unidentified objects across air, sea, space and other domains, with a focus on determining whether incidents could pose flight safety or national security risks. The office is tasked with assessing whether sightings can be attributed to foreign adversaries, classified U.S. programs or conventional explanations before labeling them unresolved.

The latest release is the fourth tranche in a series that is part of President Donald Trump‘s directive to expand public access to UAP records, adding that redactions were limited to protecting eyewitness identities, sensitive military locations and unrelated government facilities.

Graham Platner the embattled Democratic Senate nominee in Maine, on Friday publicly released the letter formally withdrawing from the U.S. Senate race, thanking supporters before signing off with, “F**k ICE. Free Palestine. Up the Hearts.”

Platner posted the July 10 letter on X after submitting it to the Maine Department of the Secretary of State’s Division of Elections.

“I write to formally withdraw my candidacy for United States Senate,” Platner wrote.

THE DOZEN RACES THAT WILL DETERMINE THE SENATE’S BALANCE OF POWER

The letter thanked the 156,084 Mainers who voted for him in last month’s Democratic primary and argued they had backed “a new kind of politics” focused on issues including Medicare for All, stronger unions and limiting the influence of billionaires in politics.

“My name may have been on the ballot, but that ballot line belongs to the people of Maine,” Platner wrote. “As such, please consider this notice as my official withdrawal from consideration for this office.”

Platner concluded the letter by writing, “F**k ICE. Free Palestine. Up the Hearts.”

The letter comes two days after Platner announced he was suspending his campaign amid mounting controversies and allegations of sexual misconduct that he has repeatedly denied, and a chorus of calls from top Democrats in Maine, the nation’s capital, and across the country to drop out of the race immediately.

It also came three days before a crucial 5 p.m. Monday deadline. Missing it would have prevented Maine Democrats from replacing Platner with a new nominee on the general election ballot.

A populist Democrat who was backed last September by progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders, Platner was challenging longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a high-profile, combustible and expensive race in Maine, which is one of a handful that will determine if the GOP holds onto its slim Senate majority in November’s midterm elections.

“For the movement to continue, it can’t be me. For that reason, we are suspending campaign operations,” Platner said on Wednesday in a video posted to social media.

The end of his campaign came a month after Platner won a landslide victory in Maine’s June 9 Democratic Senate primary, but just days after an explosive report contained an allegation of rape from a woman he previously dated.

Maine resident Jenny Racicot told CNN “by dictionary definition” Platner “raped” her. She also said over the course of three interviews with Politico that Platner forced her to have sex five years ago against her will, a claim that he denied.

Platner this week was hit with a second explosive allegation of sexual misconduct. In a report published by The Washington Post, Platner was accused of removing condoms during sex with his ex-girlfriend Lyndsey Fifield after she explicitly directed him to wear them.

Fifield had previously accused Platner in a New York Times report of physical misconduct during their relationship, saying that he sometimes grabbed her hard enough to leave marks on her body and that one time he twisted her arm around her back, pushed her into a bedroom and held the door shut until she “calmed down.”

The Platner campaign responded that Fifield’s latest allegations were “categorically false and politically motivated,” pointing to her previous work for the conservative Heritage Foundation.

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Addressing the multiple allegations in his video announcement, a visibly angry Platner charged, “This is all false. The things that have been claimed did not happen. It is not real.”

The Marine Corps combat veteran and oyster farmer became the all-but-certain party nominee in the spring after two-term Gov. Janet Mills, who was backed by Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and the party establishment, suspended her bid after significantly trailing Platner in fundraising and polling.

But as he moved towards capturing the nomination, Platner was forced to play defense amid multiple controversies that muddied the final days of his primary campaign and overshadowed his victory.

Past inflammatory online comments made on a now-deleted Reddit account came back to haunt him at the same time he was reeling from revelations of a now covered-up tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi symbol. Then reports that Platner exchanged sexually explicit messages with several women while married came right before allegations from ex-girlfriends of a history of rape fantasies, heavy drinking and violent episodes.

Platner repeatedly called the allegations of violence untrue.

The mounting controversy drew plenty of attention, gave Republicans more ammunition to use against him and triggered some Democrats in the nation’s capital to question whether Platner was damaged goods.

But the allegations didn’t stop him from riding a populist wave to capture the nomination in a landslide.

SCANDAL-PLAGUED PLATNER CAPTURES DEMOCRATIC SENATE NOMINATION DESPITE MOUNTING CONTROVERSIES

Platner, who struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from his three tours in the war in Iraq with the Marines and one tour with the Army National Guard in Afghanistan, apologized for his controversial Reddit posts after some of them made headlines after he launched his Senate campaign.

In his primary night victory speech last month, Platner emphasized that he was a changed man.

“If you believe, as I do, that we can change our politics and change our country, then you must also believe that people can change,” Platner told the crowd. “And the reason I believe that is because I have lived it.”

After the latest allegations went viral last week, a growing chorus of Democrats called on Platner to quit the race, from establishment figures like Schumer to progressives among his biggest backers, including Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Mass., and Rep. Ro Khanna, Calif., who campaigned with Platner in Maine in June.

The Maine Democratic Party announced earlier this week that officials were working “around the clock” to determine a replacement process, but claimed Platner’s team was trying “to put their thumb on the scale of what this process looks like.”

Platner’s team, responding, said they had reached out to the party but denied they were trying to put any “finger on the scale.”

A day later, the state party announced it would hold a nominating convention, which Fox News Digital confirmed would likely consist of 600 voting delegates, to choose a new Senate nominee.

That didn’t appear to sit well with Platner, who in his video said, “What comes next needs to come from the people. Needs to come from the people of Maine. Needs to come from the voters who on June 9….said no to this kind of politics. Voted for a politics that would actually represent them. Vote against the political system. Against the donor class. Against the entrenched forces.”

Platner, who ran an outsider campaign, said that if he had continued his bid, he’d lose the ability to raise money and access crucial voter data, essential elements to any campaign.

“Those in power who have the ability to do so are using these allegations as an excuse to take away all the things that we need to run a campaign,” he charged.

Since Wednesday’s announcement, a slew of Democrats have jumped into the race to succeed Platner as the party’s Senate nominee.

The list includes three gubernatorial contenders who came up short in last month’s primary: progressive Troy Jackson, a former state Senate president who was also backed by Sanders; Nirav Shah, the former director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention; and Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows.

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Collins, a moderate Republican who at times votes against President Donald Trump’s agenda, is running for a sixth six-year term in the Senate.

Republicans currently control the chamber 53-47 and flipping the Senate seat in left-leaning Maine is a key part of the Democrats’ path to retake the majority.

In a series of sweeping nationwide operations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on Thursday arrested some of the “worst of the worst” criminal illegal aliens convicted of heinous crimes.

Among those captured was Jose Solorzano-Felix, of Mexico, who was apprehended in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Solorzano-Felix was previously convicted for the attempted murder of a federal law enforcement officer, use of a firearm during and in the commission of a felony, and being an illegal immigrant in possession of a handgun.

ICE NABS ILLEGAL ALIENS CONVICTED OF CHILD SEX CRIMES AND METH TRAFFICKING IN NATIONWIDE ENFORCEMENT SWEEP

In Santa Clara, California, ICE agents took Paulino Lugos-Perez, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, into custody following his conviction for lewd or lascivious acts with a child.

Meanwhile, in Forsyth County, North Carolina, authorities arrested Adrian Valdez-Lopez, a Mexican national convicted of second-degree forcible rape.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SOCCER COACH WHO USED ALCOHOL AND DRUGS TO SEXUALLY ABUSE KIDS LEARNS FATE

The crackdown also targeted violent gang affiliates, resulting in the Pasadena, California, arrest of Edgar Josue Centeno, a Honduran national and member of the Latin Kings gang convicted of assault with a deadly weapon.

In Mineola, New York, agents arrested Rodolfo Umana, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador who had been convicted of burglary.

“Yesterday, the brave men and women of ICE risked their lives to arrest illegal criminal aliens convicted for attempted murder of a federal law enforcement officer, lewd or lascivious acts with a child, rape, assault with a deadly weapon, and burglary,” Department of Homeland Security (DHS) acting assistant Secretary Lauren Bis wrote in a statement.

SEE IT: ICE AGENTS PAUSE ARREST OPERATION TO SAVE WOMAN IN ROLLOVER CRASH

The arrests represent a targeted effort to remove dangerous illegal immigrants from the country, with Bis emphasizing that under President Donald Trump and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, “ICE will continue to arrest and remove these public safety threats from our communities.”

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DHS said nearly 70% of ICE arrests are those of illegal immigrants who have already been charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S.

“Thanks to our ICE law enforcement, our communities are safer,” Bis wrote.

President Donald Trump said he has left behind instructions to strike Iran should Tehran succeed in its attempts to assassinate him.

“I’ve been on their list for a long time. That’s what we’re dealing with,” he told the New York Post on Friday. “… The only thing is, I’ve left instructions — if anything happens, to just literally bomb them at levels that they’ve never seen before.”

Trump said that Tehran has wanted him dead for some time, noting that there were no new plans to kill him amid recent reports that Israel flagged an Iranian plot to take him out, the newspaper reported.

ISRAEL SHARES INTELLIGENCE WARNING IRAN PLOTTED NEW ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AGAINST TRUMP: REPORT

“No, no, Israel came up with nothing,” Trump said. “I’ve been No. 1 [on Iran’s kill list] for a long time, and it’s the way life is, you know.”

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

Iran has sought Trump’s assassination after he ordered a 2020 strike that took out Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani. Most recently, mourners called for his death during the funeral for Iran’s former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

TRUMP CALLS TERRORIST IRANIAN A ‘CANCER.’ IS HE FINALLY THE ONE TO REMOVE IT?

“I swear by the blood of the Supreme Leader, Trump, we will kill you!” they shouted, with women holding up placards reading “Kill Trump.”

Domestically, Trump has been the target of assassination plots in the United States. In July 2024, a bullet grazed his ear when a shooter opened fire on him during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Meanwhile, tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to escalate after Trump called off a ceasefire after Iran fired on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz this week.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue ‘talks,'” Trump wrote Friday on Truth Social. “We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

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Trump noted Iran’s ambitions to target him during a press conference this week at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.

“They had leaders, they’re gone. Then they had another set of leaders, they’re gone,” he said. “Now they have another set of leaders — they may be gone, who knows? And you know what? I may be gone too. Because I’m their No. 1 target — it’s out all over the place. Because they’re scum.”

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum vowed to pursue “significant legal measures” against the United States after a Mexican national was fatally shot during an ICE operation in Texas.

Mexican officials counted 17 cases of Mexican nationals who have died in U.S. immigration custody, while Sheinbaum focused on Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, an illegal migrant who has lived in the United States for decades.

DHS officials claimed Araujo was the subject of an ICE arrest operation when an agent shot him in self-defense because he allegedly ignored orders and allegedly attempted to ram the agent.

ICE SAYS OFFICER SHOT AND KILLED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WHO TRIED TO RAM HIM WITH CAR IN HOUSTON

During Sheinbaum’s daily “Mañanera del Pueblo” press availability in Mexico City, she laid out her planned escalation of objections against U.S. immigration enforcement’s behavior.

“Our goal is to go beyond diplomatic notes and the representations we made to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. We cannot tolerate the mistreatment of our fellow citizens, our brothers and sisters, in the United States. So, we are proposing further measures,” Sheinbaum said in Spanish.

Sheinbaum said the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs will present the measures to Washington, and commented on Araujo’s death.

ICE AGENTS IN FATAL HOUSTON SHOOTING WERE NOT WEARING BODY CAMERAS, SOURCES SAY

“This occurred in the context of detention, even though their only offense was lacking documentation — and this despite having been hired by a U.S. company.”

She said the U.S. has no reason to hold people like Araujo in detention or allegedly “subject [them] to violence.”

“We are therefore preparing, obviously, more significant legal measures.”

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PLANS NEW ICE HOLDING FACILITY NEAR LOUISIANA DEPORTATION FLIGHT HUB

On Thursday, Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco said he is requesting criminal charges be brought in connection with the 17 Mexican nationals who died in U.S. custody, according to the AP, which reported the requests will be sent to the Justice Department and various state attorneys general.

Multiple reports suggested Sheinbaum’s demands would have no legal effect in U.S. courts.

Mexico City has claimed 14 of the 17 died in custody while three have been killed during active DHS operations, according to the outlet.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Justice Department and DHS for comment. The White House directed Fox News Digital to DHS.

Araujo, 52, was reportedly transporting workers to a jobsite for a homebuilding company in the Magnolia Park section of Houston.

As critics disputed the government’s recounting of events, objections arose over the lack of bodycams on the agents on-scene.

A DHS spokesperson defended the agents, telling Fox News they had not been issued body-worn cameras because of the repercussions of the Democrat-backed agency shutdown earlier this year.

“The process of purchasing and issuing body-worn cameras to all of our ICE field offices was interrupted by the Democrats multiple government shutdowns. Body cameras have been deployed to more than half the field offices, with the remaining half to receive them in the next 60 days,” a spokesperson said, while noting a 1,300% increase in assaults against agents during the same period.

Meanwhile, advocacy group Voto Latino condemned the Araujo incident, saying that the Mexican national should still be alive.

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“His story is the embodiment of what it means to seek the American Dream — the same dream that drives so many of us to call this nation home. Lorenzo called the United States home for nearly 35 years, and his family deserves immediate answers that come from a completely independent process, not from the very agency that upended their lives,” Voto Latino executive director Beatriz Lopez said in a statement, which also called for Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s resignation.

Asked about Sheinbaum’s warning, an ICE spokesperson defended the agency and the accounting of events depicting Araujo as trying to hit an agent.

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“[He] refused to follow multiple verbal commands, and weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run over an ICE law enforcement officer resulting in our officer firing his weapon in self-defense,” the spokesperson said.

“DHS-OIG is leading an investigation into the agent-involved shooting. FBI Houston is leading an investigation into the potential assault on a federal law enforcement officer. This is a developing situation, and we will update the public when more information is available.”

Fox News’ Brooke Taylor and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

An intelligence expert warned that far-left sugar daddy Neville Roy Singham’s dark money network is a threat to national security, and said an ongoing federal grand jury probe into the China-based tech tycoon’s funding of socialist, communist and Marxist organizations is warranted.

Adam Sohn, co-founder and CEO of the Network Contagion Research Institute, said Singham’s network is funneling hundreds of millions of dollars into nonprofit political advocacy organizations, including the People’s Forum, Breakthrough news, Tri-Continental, the Party for Socialism and Liberation. Those groups are mounting highly choreographed protests across the nation over a variety of left-wing causes and issues.

“Without his money, these nonprofits have no reason for existence,” Sohn said. “I think Americans are seeing what this ecosystem looks like in the streets of our country. These aren’t protests, it’s coordinated chaos and attacks on infrastructure.”

CRUZ PUSHES BILL TO HOLD TAX-EXEMPT SPONSORS ACCOUNTABLE AS DOJ PROBES SINGHAM NETWORK

Singham, a 72-year-old Marxist who sold his tech company for $800 million in 2017 and now lives in Shanghai, is known to fund pro-Chinese Communist Party groups that operate in the U.S. He has funneled $278 million into the broad network of nonprofits since 2017, according to a Fox News Digital investigation. These groups regularly organize and participate in anti-ICE, anti-Israel and pro-Iran demonstrations.

Fox News Digital reported last week that Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche authorized a grand jury in Manhattan to issue subpoenas as part of a probe of Singham’s financial network. The investigation was launched by U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York, one of the country’s most powerful districts for federal prosecutions.

Singham hasn’t responded to repeated requests for comment from Fox News Digital.

Nonprofits in Singham’s network mobilize agitators across the country to engage in demonstrations, including some which have resulted in clashes between federal and local law enforcement.

PROBE INTO ‘SUBVERSIVE’ ANTI-AI SINGHAM NETWORK IS ‘ENORMOUS,’ FORMER TREASURY ADVISOR SAYS

Sohn said Singham’s network has also fought against the building of data centers and the advancement of artificial intelligence in the U.S. While environmental concerns are usually cited by opponents of the data centers, proponents say blocking them could put the U.S. behind China in the AI race.

Researchers at the Bitcoin Policy Institute released a report last week that said an estimated $23.6 billion in proposed AI and data center investment has been delayed, scaled back or blocked in campaigns where the Party for Socialism and Liberation served as “a critical mobilizer.”

Sohn said his organization has provided information to the Southern District of New York surrounding the foreign-backed influence on U.S. AI policy.

CHINA’S IRAN TIES COMPLICATE TRUMP-XI SUMMIT AS TENSIONS TEST US LEVERAGE

“They’re functioning as unregistered foreign agents, [with] ties to Venezuela, ties to Iran, North Korea, Russia, Cuba,” Sohn said. “This same organizing muscle that’s been shutting down bridges, shutting down airports, attacking police officers, they’re now redeployed onto the artificial intelligence the United States is trying to engage in with China and other countries.”

Sohn alleged that his organization “had some recent data that shows that Iranian operatives are formally partnered with the Singham networks,” though Fox News Digital was unable to independently verify the claim.

The federal grand jury probe of Singham is part of a slew of investigations that includes ones launched by Congressional committees and top lawmakers in Washington D.C.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met with Goldman Sachs Chairman and CEO David Solomon in New York earlier this year, where, according to sources familiar with the meeting, he pressed the bank to assist the Justice Department’s investigation into Singham’s financial network.

During the meeting, Bessent warned that Goldman Sachs itself could come under scrutiny over its alleged role in facilitating the movement of Singham’s funds and encouraged Solomon to fully cooperate with federal investigators.

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A source familiar with the meeting told Fox News Digital that the discussion was cordial, not contentious, and that Solomon expressed a willingness to aid the Justice Department’s investigation.

“All distributions from Mr. Singham’s donor-advised fund were made to legally recognized nonprofit organizations, as determined by the IRS, a Goldman Sachs spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “No distributions have been made from the account since August 2023, and it was closed in early 2024.”

President Donald Trump on Friday said he will not sign a bipartisan housing bill passed by Congress in protest over the failure of lawmakers to bring the SAVE Act over the finish line.

Meanwhile, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which is intended to lower the costs of housing and spur more home construction, is slated to become law Saturday unless Trump vetoes the legislation.

“I will not sign the Housing Bill, which has been fully approved by Congress and sent to the White House, in PROTEST over the fact that the United States Senate is not capable of passing THE SAVE AMERICA ACT,” Trump posted on social media.

TRUMP HOLDS WASHINGTON HOSTAGE OVER SAVE ACT AS MIDTERM CLOCK TICKS ON GOP CONTROL

The SAVE America Act, which would introduce new measures to prevent noncitizens from voting in federal elections, doesn’t have enough Republican support to pass.

Trump has repeatedly pushed Republicans to make it a top legislative priority ahead of the midterm elections in November.

“THE SAVE AMERICA ACT’S non-passage is CRAZY, and a serious threat to any politician who votes against it!” Trump wrote. He also said the non-passage of the bill is a “serious threat” to any politician who opposes it.

CONGRESS EYES RARE BIPARTISAN HOUSING WIN WITH OR WITHOUT TRUMP’S HELP

Under the U.S. Constitution, a president has 10 days to sign a bill upon receiving it, so it becomes law as if the legislation is signed.

Trump’s post came a week after he canceled plans to sign the bipartisan legislation, announcing he was using it as leverage in his push for the strict voter ID bill.

Last month, he called the housing bill “a yawn” and “so unimportant” compared to legislation that would require proof of citizenship for all voters.

AMERICA’S HOUSING MARKET COULD RUN OUT OF SOMETHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN HOMES

“Millions of Americans are being crushed by housing costs,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., posted Friday on X. “Donald Trump called their crisis ‘a big yawn’ — then refused to sign the most significant bipartisan housing bill in decades. His priorities couldn’t be clearer: higher costs for families and more power for himself.”

“Republicans would rather make it harder to vote than easier to afford a home. When people show you who they are, believe them,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., wrote in an X post in response to Trump.

Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., wrote on X that “the rising cost of mortgages and rent are hitting Americans hard. Yet Trump refuses to act.”

The White House referred Fox News Digital to Trump’s social media post when asked for comment.

Trump’s remarks came a day after the National Association of Realtors reported that the median price for a home has reached an all-time high.

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The median price for a home sold in June was $440,600, a 1.8% increase from a year ago, the report states.

“Even so, affordability is better than a year ago because wage growth is outpacing home price growth,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun.

“However, progress on long-term housing affordability could be hampered if inventory growth continues to stall,” Yun added. “Without consistent gains in inventory, home prices can accelerate. It is critical to introduce more supply to the market to widen the opportunity for homeownership.”

Mitt Romney, a former Massachusetts governor and former U.S. senator from Utah who will turn 80 years old next year, opined that he thinks individuals 80 and older should not be at the nation’s helm.

He made the comments during an interview on “Deseret Voices” after host McKay Coppins jokingly asked Romney whether he will run for president in 2028.

Romney indicated he “would love” to run again, adding “and this time I might get it right. You know, third time’s a charm.”

CASSIDY PRIMARY DEFEAT IS A ‘LOSS FOR THE COUNTRY,’ ROMNEY SAYS

Coppins said “80 isn’t what it used to be.”

Romney referred to “The Body,” saying the book’s author Bill Bryson “points out that the human brain shrinks by 20% by the time you’re 80 years of age.”

Romney noted, “I basically think people who are 80 and above really should not be, uh, running the world or running the country.”

WHITE HOUSE FIRES BACK AFTER ‘SLOB’ JB PRITZKER SAYS TRUMP IS SUFFERING FROM ‘DEMENTIA’

Romney sought the GOP presidential nod in 2008, but ultimately dropped out. He later clinched the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, but lost the general election that year to incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama.

President Donald Trump just turned 80 last month.

Former President Joe Biden, who was 82 when he left office last year, was the oldest person ever to serve in the U.S. presidency.

DONALD TRUMP’S AGE IS NOT RECEIVING THE SAME ‘SCRUTINY’ AS BIDEN’S DID, ATLANTIC WRITER COMPLAINS

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Trump, who would also be an even older 82 by the end of his current term, is on track to become the oldest man ever to serve in the presidency.

FIRST ON FOX — The Trump administration announced on Friday that 10 additional companies will put a “Product of USA” label on their meat and poultry products that originate from farms and ranches in the United States.

This push began earlier this year as a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) initiative aimed at making it easier for consumers to know whether they are supporting American meat producers at the grocery store.

“President Trump has made it clear that when American families buy American products, they should know exactly what they’re getting,” Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said in a statement first obtained by Fox News Digital. “The Product of USA label gives consumers confidence that the meat, poultry, and egg products they purchase come from animals born, raised, harvested, and processed right here in the United States.”

STEVE MOORE: POLITICIANS ARE BLAMING THE WRONG VILLAIN FOR AMERICA’S RISING FOOD PRICES

The USDA finalized the updated standard of what qualifies as American meat in 2024, marking a shift from past labeling rules that critics said allowed some imported meat to say it was U.S.-made as long as it was merely processed domestically.

Rollins added that as more companies adopt the voluntary label, independent ranchers, family farmers, and small- and mid-sized meat processors will begin to reap the benefits.

“USDA will continue working every day to strengthen domestic food production and ensure American agriculture remains the strongest in the world,” Rollins added.

The 10 new companies adopting the “Product of USA” label include Harris Ranch and One World Beef, both based in California; Upper Iowa Beef; American Foods Group; Agri Beef in Idaho; FPL Food in Georgia; Hadrick Farms in South Dakota; Fort Worth Meat Packers in Texas; Wholestone Farms in Nebraska; and Harrison’s Poultry in Illinois.

STEVE FORBES: CHUCK SCHUMER HAS A BEEF WITH BEEF, BUT DOESN’T EVEN KNOW HOW TO GRILL IT

Juan Ramos, founder and CEO of Fort Worth Meats, said in a statement that the origin of food “should never be a mystery.”

“Consumers deserve labels they can trust, U.S. producers deserve recognition for what they produce, and every meat product should be represented honestly for what it is,” Ramos said.

Eric Brandt, the president of One World Beef, thanked the USDA for strengthening transparency and “helping preserve the future of independent ranching for generations to come.”

SECRETARY ROLLINS DISCUSSES US AGRICULTURE’S ROLE IN IRAN PLAN

“Working from pasture to package gives us a unique appreciation for the responsibility behind every label. Honest representation honors the work of producers and gives consumers the confidence to know exactly what they’re buying,” Kyle Zimmerman, co-president and co-owner of Harrisons Poultry, said.

According to the USDA website, thousands of American producers already display the “Product of USA” label.

Last month, the USDA announced another new initiative called the Strengthening Processing for U.S. Ranchers Program.

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The program will provide up to $500 million to help eligible small- and mid-sized beef processors to expand their domestic operations.

To be eligible, companies need to be U.S.-owned firms under federal inspection, according to the USDA. They also cannot hold a dominant position in the beef processing market.

Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

One thing was clear from President Donald Trump’s appearance at the NATO summit in recent days: He believes Iran wants him dead.

“I’m No. 1 on the kill list for Iran,” the president told reporters Wednesday. “I like being number one on TikTok better.”

Trump returned to the subject repeatedly throughout the summit — with a level of candidness that might seem unusual for any other president.

A new report suggests U.S. officials may have had fresh intelligence to support concerns about the threat: The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Israel recently shared intelligence with the United States indicating Iran had developed a new plan to assassinate Trump.

The report also adds new context to questions surrounding Trump’s decision to switch from the interim Air Force One to one of the legacy VC-25A aircraft during his return from the NATO summit. The White House has not said whether the reported intelligence played any role in that decision.

TRUMP EXPLAINS WHY HE’S FLYING OLD AIR FORCE ONE BACK TO DC

 Trump flew to the summit in Turkey, which borders Iran, aboard the new Air Force One, a retrofitted Boeing 747 donated by Qatar, but switched to one of the older Boeing VC-25A aircraft that have served as Air Force One for more than three decades for the first leg of his trip home, from Ankara to Royal Air Force Mildenhall in the United Kingdom.

From the U.K. to the U.S., Trump switched back to the newer jet.

Bill Gage, a former Secret Service special agent who traveled on dozens of presidential and vice presidential foreign trips, told Fox News Digital he had “never seen a plane switch up” in the middle of an overseas visit.

Trump said the newer aircraft was instead flown ahead of him to Royal Air Force Mildenhall, U.K., so U.S. troops could tour it.

“It could be that simple,” Gage said. “I just have never seen that in all my years.” 

The president surmised in a press briefing Wednesday that Iran may want revenge for the U.S. killing its leadership. 

TRUMP SAYS IRAN CEASEFIRE IS ‘OVER’ AFTER IRANIAN ATTACKS TRIGGER MASSIVE US RESPONSE

“They had leaders, they’re gone, and they had another set of leaders, they’re gone,” Trump said. “Now they have another set of leaders, they may be gone. Who knows? And you know what, I may be gone too, because I’m their number one target.”

The president was asked why twice he had alluded to Iran attempting to assassinate him.

“I speak about it a lot because the life of a president is very dangerous,” he said. “I don’t really care, because I’m doing my job, and I’m doing it, I hope better than anybody’s ever done it, because we have a country that’s hot and really, really successful … I like being No. 1 on TikTok better. But I’m No. 1 on the list for killing.”

The Iranian government did not return a request for comment on Trump’s assertion. 

During Thursday’s funeral procession for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Mashhad, Iran, mourners carried banners reading “Hey Trump, we will kill you” and “We will kill Trump” while chanting revenge slogans against the U.S. president. 

The mourners were not publicly linked to Iranian leadership. 

But, “banners like that can only be put together and carried with the permission of the Iranian government,” Tom Warrick, a former Department of Homeland Security deputy assistant secretary for counterterrorism policy and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, told Fox News Digital.

Warrick said it would make sense for Iran to try to kill Trump after the U.S. killed Khamenei.

“The starting point is understanding Iran’s peculiar sense of symmetry. Anything that’s done to them, they try to do back at somebody,” Warrick told Fox News Digital. “Many of us expected there would be an Iranian attempt to kill President Trump, and they’re likely to persist in this.”

The summit aircraft change quickly fueled questions about whether the interim Air Force One had received the full suite of defensive upgrades carried by the legacy presidential aircraft. 

Images of the jet and Air Force statements indicate that several complex modifications, including some missile detection and countermeasure systems, were intentionally left off the accelerated retrofitting.

Two aging Boeing VC-25A aircraft have served as Air Force One since 1990, while Boeing builds two new VC-25B aircraft to serve as Air Force One that originally were supposed to be completed in 2024. Now, that timeline has slipped to 2028 or 2029. 

The U.S. spent $400 million upgrading the Qatari-donated jet to serve as Air Force One in the meantime.

The U.S. Air Force, which operates the presidential aircraft fleet, had previously said it prioritized certain modifications in order to bring the Qatari-donated Boeing 747 — known as the “Bridge” aircraft — into service on an accelerated timeline.

The Air Force said the rapid conversion was completed “without accepting any risk regarding security, safety, or secure communications,” but acknowledged that “several highly complex engineering modifications required for the final (Air Force One aircraft) were intentionally excluded from the Bridge aircraft.”

The Secret Service had recommended Trump use the older plane as a security precaution as hostilities fired up once again with Iran, The New York Times reported. 

The White House declined to say whether the administration believes the threat to the president has changed following the latest escalation with Iran or whether the aircraft change was related to security concerns, but said the new Air Force One is secure.

“The new Air Force One is a state-of-the-art aircraft that has been fitted with high-level security protocols that ensure the safety of the President and his staff,” Steven Cheung, White House director of communications, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “As the President has said recently, there are many enemies of America who have their sights on him, and we use every tool at our disposal to address those threats.” 

The FBI declined to comment on whether the Iranian threat level had changed and the Secret Service did not return a request for comment. 

Gage cautioned that he had no firsthand knowledge of why the aircraft was changed, but said that if reporting that the Secret Service recommended the switch was accurate, “the Secret Service would not have just said that in a vacuum, out of the blue. There must have been some kind of intelligence that prompted them.”

Gage said the Secret Service, working with the broader intelligence community, likely has a dedicated team focused exclusively on monitoring threats from Iran directed at the president. 

“There’s probably 20 or 30 people every day that are working on that, going through reams of HUMINT and OSINT and trying to find that diamond in the rough,” Gage said, referring to human intelligence and open-source intelligence. 

Trump’s comments came as a tenuous U.S.-Iran ceasefire unraveled. 

The truce, formalized in a June memorandum of understanding brokered by Pakistan and other regional mediators, was intended to halt fighting for 60 days while the two sides negotiated a broader agreement. The deal called for Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and laid out a framework for future talks on sanctions relief and other issues.

But the agreement rapidly broke down after Iran attacked commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting renewed U.S. military action. U.S. Central Command launched a new round of strikes targeting Iranian military infrastructure tied to maritime operations and other military sites, while Trump declared the ceasefire “over” and warned of further action if Iran continued its attacks.

Questions about whether the threat had intensified gained new urgency Thursday after The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel recently shared intelligence with the United States indicating Iran had developed a fresh assassination plot targeting Trump. Trump repeatedly described himself during the NATO summit as Iran’s top target and said he faces “a threat all the time.”

Following the January 2020 U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Iranian officials have repeatedly vowed revenge, and U.S. officials have long warned that Tehran has sought to target current and former American officials involved in the operation. 

The U.S. government has publicly alleged multiple Iran-linked assassination plots targeting Trump.

Following the U.S. killing of Soleimani in 2020, Iranian officials repeatedly vowed revenge, prompting the U.S. government to provide additional security to Trump and several former administration officials involved in the operation. The government has long warned that Tehran has sought to target current and former American officials linked to the strike.

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In 2024, the Justice Department charged an alleged Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps asset with directing a plot to surveil and assassinate then-President-elect Trump, describing it as part of Iran’s broader campaign of retaliation.

Earlier that year, a Pakistani national with alleged ties to Iran was also charged in a separate murder-for-hire scheme. None of the domestic assassination attempts against Trump during the 2024 campaign have been publicly linked to Iran.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright is telling Americans not to be concerned about the possibility of another surge of sharp increases in gasoline prices as tensions with Iran have started to escalate once again.

Asked whether Americans should worry about higher prices at the pump and how the Trump administration is preparing to keep the economy stable if the conflict continues to worsen, Wright told Fox News Digital: “It has not been any good behavior from Iran that’s allowed oil to flow. It’s been the United States military.”

“That’s not changing,” he assured, speaking from the Great American State Fair on the National Mall this week.

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With Iran striking three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Monday and Tuesday, Wright doubled down in urging citizens to not credit Iran for the U.S. military’s work to ensure oil shipments continue flowing through the strait.

“Look, the U.S. Military has been the key asset here,” he said. “They have assured the flow of oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz throughout. Not at the beginning of this conflict, but through the last six weeks.”

Wright said the administration is closely monitoring global oil supplies as the tentative ceasefire with Iran seemingly came to come to a halt, with President Donald Trump telling Secretary-General Mark Rutte the call for peace with Iran is “over” at the NATO Summit in Turkey on Wednesday.

But, he pointed to the continued shipping through the Strait as evidence that markets should remain stable.

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“We’re of course constantly watching the supply of oil, the supply of refined products and what’s going on there,” Wright said. “And I think still all positive trends.”

Beyond geopolitical concerns, Wright also praised the new chain of discounted gas stations across Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Freedom Fuel, which promises customers prices below the national average.

The Trump administration, though not involved with the network, has heavily endorsed the new chain and its 25 locations.

“We love it,” Wright said when asked about Freedom Fuel. “I mean, look, any mechanism we can to lower energy costs for Americans of all kinds, we’re all in on.”

“With Freedom Fuels, they’re just lowering it down to their wholesale price of gasoline,” Wright said. “So they’re not making any money selling gasoline, but they’ve got convenience stores. That’s how most gas stations make money.”

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Gasoline costs are a known concern for many Americans, and amid surging prices there has been a considerable increase in those opting to purchase electric vehicles to save money long-term at the pump — with Tesla dominating the market for these types of models.

Wright argued one of the benefits to living in America is having the option to choose what type of vehicle you drive.

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“We just want people to buy what they would prefer,” he told Fox News Digital when asked his thoughts on increasing calls for support of the electrification of cars. “Consumer choice — you wanna buy an electric car, you wanna buy a gas powered car, diesel powered car, buy a big truck. That’s the choice.”

“That’s why you live in America. You get the choice of all those.”

The wife of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Rama Duwaji, is reportedly co-hosting an Islamic Women’s “spiritual wellness” retreat on the swank French island of Corsica that frames the Virgin Mary as a “Palestinian woman” under occupation.

“She is the only woman mentioned by name in the Qur’an — mentioned 34 times — and the only one to have an entire chapter revealed in her name,” reads The Women Sanctuary website, referring to Mary. “Surah Maryam. Her story is not only one of divine motherhood, but of unwavering faith, sacred retreat, and total devotion to Allah.”

The Virgin Mary is the most revered woman in Christianity, venerated as the Mother of Jesus, and is also revered in Islam as Maryam. 

Mamdani drew national attention for running as a Democratic socialist in New York City, while also facing backlash over his pro-Palestinian positions and far-left immigration views. When he took office in January 2026, Mamdani became the first New York City mayor to be sworn in on a Quran. His wife, a Syrian American artist, has also faced scrutiny over her outspoken pro-Palestinian activism.

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The New York Post reported that Duwaji previously traveled to Mallorca, Spain, for The Women’s Sanctuary’s sold-out “Plants of the Quran” retreat over the Fourth of July holiday, where she was described as the group’s “artist in residence” and one of the gathering’s hosts.

“Nothing says ‘America 250’ quite like skipping the celebration for a Mediterranean vacation, but I am not surprised because she has made her hatred for America very evident,” Councilwoman Joann Ariola, R-Queens, told The Post in response to that event. 

The Women Sanctuary describes itself as a women’s retreat organization rooted in Islamic tradition and spiritual renewal, offering retreats in Mediterranean destinations.

The Women’s Sanctuary website does not explicitly list Duwaji as a co-host for the current event in France. The New York Post reported she would co-host the “Mary In The Quran” retreat from Thursday to July 14 in a sold-out event. The cost of the retreat starts at just over $4,000 per attendee, according to its website. 

The New York Post first reported Duwaji’s participation in the pair of retreats when she was seen at Newark International Airport in New Jersey boarding a flight to Mallorca’s capital city over the patriotic holiday weekend. Photos of Duwaji at the airport were posted by conservative commentator and comedian Arynne Wexler.

The retreat in France includes daily organic meals made with locally sourced ingredients, communal prayers, devotional practices, lectures, and workshops centered on spiritual renewal and mindful reflection. Participants also receive and have free time to pray, meditate, journal, relax by the pool, or explore the island, blending “guided learning” with “personal reflection,” according to the website. 

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Duwaji publicly apologized in April for offensive posts she made as a teenager, saying she was “truly sorry” for the hurt they caused, though she did not specify which posts she was addressing. The Washington Free Beacon previously reported that Duwaji had shared anti-Israel posts on Tumblr, including a September 2017 post featuring a photo of Palestinian militant Leila Khaled.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Mayor Mamdani’s office and The Women Sanctuary for comment.

FIRST ON FOX: More details are emerging after an American flag was displayed upside down at a Somali Independence Day event in Minnesota, sparking both outrage and apologies in a situation that has gone viral on social media in recent days.

The St. Cloud Police Department confirmed to Fox News Digital that on July 3 at 5:29 p.m., the department received a call that the U.S. flag was being flown upside down on a city flagpole at the Lake George Park Pavilion during a Somali Independence Day event.

A video from that event, exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital, showed the flag upside down as event attendees, roughly 500 people at peak times, enjoyed the festivities. The department said the officer “corrected the flag without objection” and that organizers “indicated to City staff that the flag being flown upside down was not intentional.”

Despite the claim that the flag was flown upside down by accident, some in the community are skeptical that the error was not noticed by anyone at the event, including the local politicians who were giving speeches and various organizations like the AFL-CIO and the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), who had booths set up.

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“I was disgusted by it and then disgusted that it wasn’t seen, wasn’t caught,” St. Cloud City Councilman Scott Brodeen told Fox News Digital, shortly after bringing up the issue in a city council meeting on Monday.

Brodeen says a Facebook friend messaged him on the evening of July 3, and by the time the councilman got down to the event, the flag had been fixed. He said a St. Cloud police officer told him the department had received complaints and that police made sure the flag was returned to its proper position.

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The flag was upside down long enough for the situation to gain significant traction on social media, including a post on the Facebook account Rocks & Cows of Minnesota, named after an infamous comment from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, where he referred to rural Minnesota as “mostly rocks and cows.”

Some users on social media expressed outrage directed toward the sponsors of the event, including US Bank, Alpha News reported.

Fox News Digital reached out to US Bank for comment.

“If it was accidental, how could it not have been caught by organizers or politicians that were down there campaigning?” Brodeen asked. “It really bothered me, especially with the people campaigning on the weekend of our nation’s birthday, a big milestone, 250th, that they would remain silent, not to take a stand for our flag really what the flag represents too is, that’s the key here that is really bothersome.”

Sauk Rapids, Minn., resident Kathy Neumeister, whose husband is a 36-year military veteran, told Fox News Digital she rushed down to the event as soon as she saw videos circulating online and was outraged when she saw the flag upside down for herself the day before the nation’s 250th anniversary.

“There were like 500 Somalians, they were celebrating, most of them kids in the splash pad, and then there’s the upside-down flag, and I’m like, you can’t make this up,” Neumeister told Fox News Digital.

Neumeister said she approached various attendees at the event and was told that no one realized the flag was upside down. Additionally, she explained that when she called the mayor’s office, a spokesperson told her that it’s possible a city staffer “made a mistake.”

“I said, I’m sorry, who do you have on your staff that doesn’t know how an American flag is supposed to fly?” Neumeister said. “I really don’t buy that.”

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Nearly a week after the incident, apologies from those involved started to surface.

On Thursday afternoon, St. Cloud Mayor Jake Anderson told Fox News Digital the city is “aware of the concerns regarding the U.S. flag being displayed upside down during a recent event held at a city park facility.”

“The event organizer has relayed to the City that this was done so unintentionally and has apologized for the mistake,” the statement said. “The City takes the proper display of the American flag seriously and understands the significance it holds in our community. The City has been working with this event organizer for over 11 years and this has never happened before.”

The mayor added that it appreciates the residents who contacted the police and that the flag was fixed before the first speaker hit the stage at 6 p.m.

The mayor also provided the permit for the event, issued to a local nonprofit called Internal Housing Assistant, which supports immigrant communities finding housing.

The executive director of that nonprofit, Omar Podi, told Fox News Digital the incident was an accident, and he understands why people are “frustrated” given the “fraud issue and everything,” a reference to the massive and still unfolding fraud scheme uncovered in Minnesota, largely involving the Somali community.

St. Cloud is home to one of the largest Somali communities in a state that is home to the most Somali immigrants in the United States by far.

In a statement, Podi, despite the viral video posted by Minnesota Rocks & Cows being filmed by and posted on Facebook by him, said he takes “full responsibility” for the flag being displayed upside down and insists it “was never meant as a sign of disrespect to the United States, its citizens, its veterans, or anyone who attended our celebration.”

Podi added that he is “committed to ensuring that it never happens again.”

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Brodeen told Fox News Digital he does not want to “manufacture outrage” but at the present time it feels “very well warranted.”

“People can fly a flag upside down and protest, not saying you can’t, just saying, you shouldn’t,” Brodeen said. “You know, be grateful for the country that has given so much. Part of my thinking, like brave men and women died for that flag and for what it represents, so don’t disrespect it in a way that’s almost unfathomable.”