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The FBI is working to determine whether a breach involving its jobs website originated within the bureau or through a third-party provider after a criminal hacking group claimed it obtained FBI employees’ personal information.

“The FBI is aware of a cyber-criminal enterprise group claiming a compromise of the FBIJobs.gov portal and alleged impact to FBI employee personally identifiable information (PII),” the organization wrote in an X post Thursday. 

“While the point of breach is still undetermined — whether a third-party or the FBI’s enterprise — we are actively and aggressively investigating this matter and working closely with those third-party providers that support FBIJobs.gov to mitigate any and all risk.”

Jason Pack, CEO of Media Rep Global Strategies and a retired FBI supervisory special agent, said the distinction between a personnel data breach and access to the FBI’s classified systems is critical as investigators determine the scope of the incident.

FBI INVESTIGATES AFTER SHINYHUNTERS HACKERS CLAIM THEFT OF AGENTS’ PERSONAL DATA

“There is a meaningful difference between somebody obtaining personnel information and somebody gaining access to classified investigative systems,” he told Fox News Digital. “Based on what we know right now, there is no indication they have the keys to the kingdom.”

ShinyHunters, a criminal hacking and extortion group, has taken responsibility for the breach and said it stole information belonging to nearly all FBI agents and people who applied to work for the bureau, Reuters previously reported.

A sample of data shared with Reuters contained agents’ names, home addresses, Social Security numbers, assignments and, in some cases, names of family members, according to the outlet.

DMV BREACH CONFIRMED AS HACKERS CLAIM 200,000 RECORDS STOLEN

Pack said combining personal information with information about an FBI employee’s work could create additional security risks.

“If an adversary knows who somebody is, where they work and what they do, they can build a much more believable scam around that person,” he said.

Pack said assignment information could also carry counterintelligence implications if it falls into the hands of a foreign intelligence service.

“There is also a counterintelligence concern. If a foreign intelligence service can associate particular people with certain assignments, it can help them identify individuals they may want to learn more about, approach or potentially assess for recruitment,” he added. 

“That does not mean that is happening here. It simply explains why assignment information can have value to an adversary.”

CHINA-LINKED HACKERS INFILTRATED US GOVERNMENT NETWORKS BEFORE FBI TAKEDOWN

Pack stressed that the hackers’ claims remain separate from what the FBI has confirmed, and said the bureau still needs to determine what information was accessed, how the breach occurred and who may have been affected.

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“The danger from stolen personal information does not necessarily end when the computer vulnerability is fixed,” he said. “Criminals may hold onto that information and use it weeks or months later.”

The FBI said it is working with third-party providers supporting FBIJobs.gov as investigators seek to determine the source of the breach and mitigate potential risks.

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill called on handpicked Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell to resign by Friday after an independent investigation substantiated sexual harassment and two ethics violations.

The investigation found Caldwell told a female staffer that “you young women are looking for young sperm” after she told him her younger friend was not interested in a romantic relationship with him.

Investigators concluded the sexually charged remark constituted sexual harassment and said Caldwell’s denial that he made the comment was not credible.

The staffer said she subsequently attempted to distance herself from Caldwell at work and avoid traveling with him when possible.

REPUBLICANS TIGHTEN SCREWS ON SHERRILL AS NONCITIZEN VOTER PROBE ENTERS NEW PHASE

“I’m calling for his resignation and giving him until tomorrow to do so,” Sherrill said Thursday, calling the substantiated sexual harassment finding “extremely troubling.”

The report also substantiated two ethics violations, finding Caldwell brought personal guests to ticketed events without advance ethics clearance or payment and repeatedly attempted to secure a promotion for a state employee with whom he had a romantic relationship.

Investigators found Caldwell continued bringing unpaid guests to events despite repeated training and warnings, including on May 23, one day after he was formally notified of the investigation.

SHERRILL ESCALATES TRUMP FIGHT OVER VOTER FIASCO DAY AFTER MULLIN PRAISES NJ COOPERATION

Four days after receiving notice of the investigation, Caldwell also used his state email account to recommend his romantic partner for a leadership position in another executive branch department, referring to her as “my friend” and forwarding her resume and letter of interest. Investigators said Caldwell did not disclose their romantic relationship while advocating for her promotion.

Caldwell denied wrongdoing in a May response to investigators, calling the allegations false and misleading and saying he believed the facts would exonerate him. He denied hitting on or asking women out while conducting official business.

Fox News Digital reached out to Caldwell for comment on the report and Sherrill’s resignation demand.

Sherrill said the violations reflected “a pattern of behavior” that persisted despite warnings and training.

“The lieutenant governor’s resignation is necessary and in the best interest of New Jersey residents,” the Democrat said.

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Sherrill also took aim at President Donald Trump in announcing her decision, saying the president “continues to undermine confidence in public service at the federal level” and that she would not accept “a culture that sweeps misconduct under the rug” in New Jersey.

The investigation began after the state’s chief ethics officer received an anonymous complaint in May alleging inappropriate behavior toward women and ethics violations. Caldwell was formally notified of the investigation May 22.

Audible protests blared over President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump’s welcome to Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at the White House Thursday night, at times drowning out the State Dinner event.

“Free Hong Kong,” “Xi Jinping you’re not welcome” and “freedom for political prisoners” were among the chants shouted.

Protestors gathered across the Northern portico in Lafeyette Park to stand against the communist leader’s visit, where the two leaders are expected to discuss artificial intelligence and intellectual property theft, trade practices and rare-earth minerals.

TRUMP-XI REUNION COMES WITH UNFINISHED BUSINESS — AND A BIGGER BATTLE LOOMING

The chants could be heard clearly before the Marine Corps band began playing and remained audible, though less prominently, throughout the performance.

Tibetan, Uyghur, Hong Kong democracy, Chinese pro-democracy and Falun Gong groups gathered in Washington this week to call attention to the Chinese government’s alleged human rights abuses.

President Trump has previously referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping as “Pooh Bear,” a nickname rooted in an online meme comparing Xi to Winnie the Pooh. Protesters leaned into the comparison Thursday, dressing as the cartoon bear during a demonstration outside the White House.

The dinner had 134 guests, including the two leaders and prominent tech CEOs such as Jensen Huang of NVIDIA, Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Lisa Su of AMD, Tim Cook of Apple, Sam Altman of OpenAI, Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Satya Nadella of Microsoft, Sundar Pichai of Google and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew.

TRUMP SHOULD PRESS XI ON CHINA’S PERSECUTION OF BELIEVERS AT HOME AND ABROAD

Many demonstrators have called for the release of political prisoners, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has called for the release of Dr. Gulshan Abbas.

Abbas is a retired Uyghur doctor, who disappeared from her home in China on Sept. 10, 2018. Chinese officials later sentenced her to 20 years in prison on terrorism-related charges that her family calls fabricated.

XI PREPARES CHINA ‘FOR BATTLE’ AS EXPERT WARNS OF GRAVE DANGER FACING US AHEAD OF DC SUMMIT

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House to see if her release, or others, are on the negotiating table during this visit.

Famous American tenor Christopher Macchio, who was featured at the Republican National Convention in Dallas a few weeks ago, will entertain for the evening, along with military musicians from the Army and the Marine Corps.

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After the dinner, both presidents are expected to retire for the evening ahead of their visit to the National Archives Friday.

The Department of Homeland Security called out dozens of Democrats and members of the media for “spreading lies” about a recent ICE officer-involved shooting in Austin, while a former agency director suggested the political response may be by design.

Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan national whom DHS says is an illegal immigrant in the U.S., was shot by an ICE agent during a chase Sunday. Perez was arrested and taken to a nearby hospital, where he was treated and listed in stable condition. The shooting has prompted protests in Austin and criticism from Democrats.

On Tuesday, more than 100 Democratic members of Congress signed a letter demanding Perez’s release and saying he “is not receiving the care he needs in detention” and “still has the bullet lodged in his body.”

In a separate statement, Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, said “despite losing movement on his left side and having a bullet lodged next to his spine, ICE has forced Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez out of the hospital and back to the South Texas ICE Processing Center.” Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, called ICE “liars with masks” and demanded the agency leave Austin.

DEM REACTIONS WITHIN MOMENTS OF AUSTIN ICE SHOOTING SPARK VIRAL OUTRAGE LOCALLY, ONLINE: ‘DISQUALIFYING’

In response, DHS posted on X that “sanctuary politicians and the media wasted no time in spreading lies” and that “no amount of smears and false narratives will slow down ICE from doing its job to arrest illegal aliens from our communities.”

DHS called the claim that ICE refused to remove the bullet from Perez’s body “false.” The agency said ICE “does not and would not advise, nor be the authority on, a medical procedure for an illegal alien at a hospital.” Addressing reports that Perez was denied pain medication and made to sleep on the floor, DHS said Perez is “receiving medical care around the clock, including pain medication,” and that after being released from the hospital, he slept on a bed a few hours after arriving at ICE’s detention facility.

The agency also disputed statements from Perez’s lawyer that Perez entered the country legally and has a work permit. DHS said he “entered the country illegally under the Biden Administration” and “had no valid work permit, had no protective status, and had a final order of removal from a Department of Justice (DOJ) Immigration Judge.”

FEDERAL JUDGE TEMPORARILY BLOCKS DEPORTATION OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SHOT BY ICE OFFICER IN AUSTIN, ATTORNEY SAYS

DHS said ICE “will not be slowing down nor leaving Austin.”

“DHS is tasked with enforcing the laws passed by Congress. We do not pick and choose which laws to enforce or where to enforce them. We will continue to enforce our nation’s laws,” the agency said.

Former acting ICE Director Jonathan Fahey, who served toward the end of President Donald Trump’s first term, suggested some of the political pushback was by design.

“The irony of it all is, with these ICE incidents, it’s not just coincidental that the Democrats are against ICE performing their function of enforcing immigration laws… they don’t want them actually doing their jobs,” Fahey said in an interview with Fox News Digital.

“They try to build these situations up to try to get negative attention toward ICE and more political pressure on them and advance their political agenda.”

Fahey suggested the Democratic Party’s “whole goal” is an open Mexican border and mass amnesty. He argued that Democrats’ response to the Austin incident shows they do not want what he considers responsible enforcement, but no enforcement.

“They seem to have doubled down on [the ‘mass amnesty’ agenda] after the 2024 election, which in some respects is surprising,” he said. “My opinion is their motive is… for the people here open the border because they think that will help them electorally currently and in the future – and all the other stuff is just noise to help achieve that.”

BRANDON GILL UNLOADS ON DEMOCRATS OVER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED WITH RAPING TEEN: ‘COLLATERAL DAMAGE’

Asked about Casar’s demands that DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin “preserve every piece of evidence,” suspend the agent in question and brief Congress, Fahey said it would be irresponsible for DHS to brief Congress before the investigation is complete.

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“That’s mostly going to be a distraction,” he said. “Congress wants to exercise oversight over this particular instance. I think the more appropriate thing would be after DHS has concluded their investigation [for] all of that [to be] done. I don’t think the secretary would have any issue preserving evidence. I think they’ll be doing that anyway.”

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“I don’t think that’s a concern. But turning stuff over for hearing this early seems premature at the least,” he said.

FIRST ON FOX: Assaults against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have steadily increased in recent months by 1,649% with many incidents fueled by opposition to the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration.

There were 647 assaults against ICE personnel from Jan. 20, 2025, through Sept. 20, 2026, compared to just 37 under the Biden administration from Jan. 20, 2021, to Sept. 20, 2022, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

“The brave men and women of ICE, who are simply enforcing the laws mandated by Congress and protecting the American people, are under attack every single day. Since President Trump unleashed ICE to do their jobs, assaults against them have risen by more than 1,600% in the first year and a half of the administration,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

HEROIC ICE OFFICERS, STAFF MEMBER OPEN UP ON GROWING DANGERS: ‘AM I GOING TO DIE?’

Mullin blamed the backlash against ICE on “vicious lies” being spread by “sanctuary politicians and their foot soldiers who are involved in anti-ICE riots and other acts of violence.”

“DHS is calling on these sanctuary politicians to stop attacking federal law enforcement, stop putting the needs of illegal aliens ahead of the safety of American citizens, and to start working with us to make America safe again,” he added.

DEMOCRAT COMPARES ICE TO ‘DOMESTIC TERRORISTS’ AS 111 HOUSE DEMS DEMAND TEXAS DETENTION CENTER CLOSE

DHS cited examples of mainly Democratic elected officials accusing ICE of terrorizing communities and threatening public safety despite the agency arresting many individuals with criminal records that include convictions for murder, child sex crimes, terrorism and drug trafficking, among others.

Some congressional lawmakers have called for the abolition of the agency, while others have compared ICE to “the SS” and “the Gestapo,” the two primary and most feared instruments of terror, surveillance and control in Nazi Germany. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, likened the agency to “slave patrols” that were “disappearing people based on their skin color.”

In addition, some anti-ICE protesters have brandished weapons at officers, made threats, thrown objects and impeded law enforcement operations, DHS said. In October 2025, Eduardo Aguilar, an illegal immigrant from Mexico living in Dallas, Texas, was arrested after allegedly posting a video on TikTok in Spanish soliciting the murder of ICE personnel.

DEM RHODE ISLAND LAWMAKER THREATENS ICE: ‘YOUR DAY OF RECKONING WILL COME M—– F——‘

In July 2025, a group of anti-ICE protesters opened fire on ICE officers at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, wounding a law enforcement officer. Eight suspects tied to that case were sentenced in June to prison terms ranging from 30 to 100 years.

In June 2025, Gabriel Hurtado-Cariaco, a member of the Tren de Aragua gang in Bellevue, Nebraska, was accused of throwing an ICE agent to the ground, slamming her head into the pavement, ripping off her body armor and making repeated physical violent contact during an attempted arrest, authorities said.

The agent sustained serious injuries to her head and arm and was taken to the University of Nebraska Medical Center for treatment. Hurtado-Cariaco was charged with attempted murder.

PORTLAND MAN SENTENCED TO 30 MONTHS IN PRISON FOR THROWING ROCK AT ICE OFFICER DURING PROTEST

Others have allegedly attacked ICE officers with rocks, Molotov cocktails and various other objects, officials said.

The backlash against ICE has intensified amid the Trump administration’s targeting of illegal immigrants with criminal records and those with final removal orders.

DHS BOSS REVEALS OVAL OFFICE PLAN TO ‘WITHHOLD FUNDING’ FROM SANCTUARY CITIES AFTER AGGRESSIVE NEW YORK BUST

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Many Democratic-run jurisdictions have beefed up their sanctuary policies to prevent cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.

President Donald Trump, despite his wealth, isn’t exactly known for his refined palette.

But Thursday’s state dinner with Chinese President Xi Jinping will be an elegant affair, and a far cry from the 47th president’s notorious McDonald’s order of two Big Macs, two Filet-O-Fish sandwiches and a large chocolate shake. The swanky event will be quite the opposite.

Conspicuously missing from the menu, however, is an American dining staple — red meat. 

In fact, no meat will be served at all. Instead, the dinner is exclusively a pescatarian affair.

TRUMP-XI SUMMIT COULD HOLD KEY TO LOWER GAS PRICES, GOP CHAIRMAN SAYS

The menu for the event, provided to Fox News Digital by First Lady Melania Trump’s office, says the first course consists of yellow squash velouté, wild mushroom fricassée, crispy pancetta and scallion oil.

“The first course offers a refined and silky-smooth velouté made of sweet yellow squash,” the menu states. “This course is gently blended to highlight its delicate seasonal flavors of earthy wild mushrooms, sautéed with fresh herbs. Together, these ingredients create a rich fricassee, complemented by crispy pancetta for a savory and smoky contrast. A finishing drizzle of scallion oil adds vibrance and a subtle allium brightness to the dish.”

TRUMP HOSTS KING CHARLES, QUEEN CAMILLA AT WHITE HOUSE STATE DINNER: FASHION, FOOD AND A STANDOUT GIFT

Served next is a sesame crusted sea bass with braised bok choy, roasted garden eggplant and a French green herb sauce.

“The second course is prepared delicately with fresh seabass and coated in toasted sesame seeds,” according to the menu.

“This combination creates a fragrant nutty crust while keeping the fish tender. The fish is served with crisp baby bok choy and roasted garden eggplant, creating lightly caramelized flavors. The dish is finished with a vibrant sauce verte of fresh herbs, which add brightness, acidity, and a garden character.”

The two heads of state and their guests will enjoy vanilla crémeux and White House honey iced cream, walnut frangipane and sour cherry confit for their final course.

DAUGHTER OF CHINESE UYGHUR PRISONER MAKES EMOTIONAL PLEA TO TRUMP DURING SPOTLIGHT XI SUMMIT

“The dessert course is a smooth vanilla crémeux with a vibrant sour cherry confit center, set a top a rich walnut frangipane,” the menu says. “The dessert’s fruit shaped form is complimented by a delicate ice cream made with harvested White House honey.”

The First Lady unveiled a beehive on the White House South Lawn earlier this year.

Famous American tenor Christopher Macchio, who was featured at the Republican National Convention in Dallas a few weeks ago, will entertain for the evening, along with military musicians from the Army and the Marine Corps.

“The décor for the evening is an expression of warmth and celebration and draws on the color red’s longstanding cultural significance throughout Chinese history,” the First Lady’s memo says, and will feature “urns overflowing with red blossoms and tables covered by red linen with dahlias and ranunculus.”

After the dinner, both presidents are expected to retire for the evening.

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Friday, Trump will take Xi on an expedition to the National Archives before the communist leader departs the United States mid-afternoon.

A mass walkout of delegates before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the United Nations General Assembly prompted a fiery response from the Israeli leader.

As Netanyahu took the stage, dozens of delegates from across the globe could be seen streaming out of the chamber in New York City. Chants of protest could also be heard in the hall as the U.N. president called the assembly to order.

After taking the stage, Netanyahu said, “Before I begin, just a quick announcement, if there are any other moral cowards who haven’t yet left this hall, please do so now,” as cheers erupted from the remaining delegates in the chamber.

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The Israeli leader did not let up for the rest of his address. He began by laying out what he described as the stakes of the conflict in Iran. He proclaimed that “devastating Iran’s nuclear facilities was hard, it was very hard to do, but for me, it was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever had to make as prime minister. Because if we hadn’t done it, we’d all be dead.”

“Now, you want to hear the ultimate irony?” he continued. “In defending itself, Israel is also defending many of the countries whose delegates just left this hall. In fact, I want you to know that many of the leaders even thanked us privately for taking out Iran’s nukes.”

“It’s hard to imagine more mind blowing hypocrisy, but that’s exactly what it is,” said Netanyahu.

MELANIA TRUMP’S HOME-COUNTRY LEADER RIPS UN ‘DOUBLE STANDARDS’ AS TRUMP PROMISE IS REVEALED

The protests came as conflict in the Middle East continued and Israel faced criticism over its actions in the region. Netanyahu’s address drew protests from delegates inside the U.N. chamber and demonstrators outside the building, including Hollywood celebrities Elliot Page and Susan Sarandon.

Despite the protests, the prime minister delivered a defiant message, telling critics, “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He cast Israel’s fight as one for its own survival and the survival of all the world’s nations against “barbarians.”

“For the past three years, our heroic soldiers have fought day in an day out in a seven front war. Do you know any other country the size of New Jersey capable of fighting a seven front war? And for three years, seven fronts Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, Iran, militias in Iraq, militias in Syria, Palestinian terrorists in Judea, Samaria, they all ganged up on us to wipe us off the face of the earth, they failed. Because instead of collapsing, we delivered crippling blows to all of them, with our great American friends.”

“To the protesters outside, to the hypocritical delegates who left this hall. I ask, ‘Where were you when the Iranian tyrants butchered and maimed tens of thousands of unarmed Iranian civilians? When they butchered and maimed thousands of their own people? Where were you? Did you organize mass rallies, hunger strikes? Did you protest outside the Iranian mission to the UN? Did you speak out for that matter, for Christians persecuted in Iran and throughout the Middle East?’ No, no, you didn’t, because you’re phony human rights protesters,” he said.

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He also thanked President Donald Trump for ordering U.S. action against Iran.

“In this battle against the barbarians, we’ve had no greater partner than President Trump,” said Netanyahu. “I thank him. I thank him for his bold leadership. He boldly confronted an enormous danger to America, Israel and the world.”

“He understood that if left unchallenged, the fanatic ayatollahs who chant, ‘Death to America, death to Israel,’ would eventually carry out their mad fantasies. So, Israel and America acted together not only to protect ourselves, but to save civilization,” he said.

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Netanyahu also criticized detractors in what he called “the eigth front in this war,” which he said is “the war for truth.” He said that this “war” is “waged in the world’s media and most perniciously, in social media.”

Turning to criticism from U.S. figures, Netanyahu called out New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a socialist, whom he called “anti-semitic,” as well as influencer Hasan Piker. Addressing Mamdani directly, Netanyahu said, “Mr. Mamdani, you try to stop me from coming here. You tried to silence me. Well, you can’t silence me. You can’t silence the truth.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., repeatedly pressed President Donald Trump‘s pick to lead the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to endorse universal healthcare as a “human right” Thursday, growing frustrated as the nominee declined to give him the yes-or-no answer he sought.

Dr. Heidi Overton, a physician who completed her residency at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore before joining the America First Policy Institute, faced off with the Vermont independent as she seeks to replace Dr. Marty Makary, who resigned earlier this year amid disagreement with the Trump administration over flavored vapes.

“Do you happen to believe that healthcare is a human right that should be available to every man, woman and child in our country?” Sanders pressed, arguing that the U.S. is the only major country not to guarantee healthcare and that thousands die because of a lack of access and affordability.

TRUMP TO NOMINATE DR HEIDI OVERTON AS NEXT FDA COMMISSIONER

Overton replied that access to healthcare is very important and said she looks forward to carrying out policies and responsibilities “vested from Congress” to the FDA.

Sanders said Overton was not answering his question and tried again.

“I live 50 miles away from the Canadian border,” said Sanders, who hails from Burlington. “Somehow everybody in that country can go to a doctor.”

Overton said she understands the importance of access to care and believes in getting patients the “best care possible.”

Sanders then moved on, saying he was running out of time.

He then pressed Overton on whether President Donald Trump was truthful when he said the U.S. had gone from paying the world’s highest prescription drug prices to the lowest.

IF TRUMP WANTS TO LOWER DRUG PRICES, HIS OBVIOUS FREE-RIDING TARGETS ARE OUTSIDE THE US

The nominee replied that 89% of branded drugs are covered by agreements to lower prices for U.S. consumers.

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“The most-favored nation-policies have dropped prices and right now CPI says that for the first time in 60 years prescription drug prices have gone down by 3%,” Overton said, citing a framework championed by Trump. Sanders disputed what caused the decline.

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“Yeah, which may have something to do with the legislation that we passed several years ago,” he said. The broader debate over Medicare for all and other government-run healthcare proposals is also playing out ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Despite voter fury and rising fuel prices, most Republican senators stayed the course with President Donald Trump and his war on Iran in a vote Thursday.

Though vulnerable Republicans on the campaign trail broke with Trump earlier this week, calling for an “immediate end” to the war, lawmakers on the Hill stuck with him and defeated another attempt by Democrats to rein in his war authorities as the conflict nears the eight-month mark.

Still, there was a group of rebellious Republicans who had consistently voted with Democrats, including Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Rand Paul, R-Ky. New blood was added this time with Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.

REPUBLICANS BREAK WITH TRUMP TO REBUKE IRAN WAR — BUT IT WON’T CHANGE POLICY

Tillis, who is retiring at the end of the year, argued his decision to vote for the latest war powers resolution came after the administration again blew past a 60-day deadline to involve Congress.

“We know the resolution’s not gonna pass, but it is important to start saying, ‘We deserve an update. You better start treating — Congress can be an assistance with this war effort, if you inform us,’” Tillis said.

To Tillis’ point, the resolution that failed in the Senate, which passed in the House with seven Republican defectors, would have headed to the president’s desk, where it likely would have been vetoed. And without a veto-proof majority, the effort wouldn’t have teeth legally. However, it will hurt on the airwaves in the ads to come.

GOP CRACKS WIDEN OVER IRAN WAR AS VULNERABLE CANDIDATES BREAK WITH TRUMP, DEMAND ITS END

Thursday’s vote comes as Republicans are getting an earful about the war, particularly over skyrocketing gas and diesel prices, on the campaign trail. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., acknowledged that fuel prices are a growing issue for Americans.

“Well, I think people are, there’s voter fatigue with high gas prices and high diesel prices in my part of the world,” Thune said.

“So, that’s a frustration, it’s an economic frustration, and that’s why, again, I hope the administration is laser-focused on trying to get the [Strait of Hormuz] open, get the shipping lights opened up, and help out with that global energy supply, because that ultimately will get prices down,” he continued.

Three vulnerable Republicans running for toss-up seats this week, Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, former Rep. Mike Rogers in Michigan, and Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, all requested that the fighting come to an “immediate end” as the war grows in unpopularity with their voters.

TRUMP DEFENDS US INTERVENTIONS ABROAD AHEAD OF ‘BIG DECISION’ ON IRAN: ‘SETTLING YEARS OF UNFINISHED BUSINESS’

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who has acted as the self-anointed traffic cop for the deluge of Democratic war powers resolutions over the last several months, diagnosed the defections as a by-product of reports that U.S. bombs had fallen on an Iranian school and that diesel costs are “going up and up and up.”

“They are listening to their constituents. They should [have] listened to them before now, because their constituents were saying, ‘Don’t get into this thing,’” Kaine said. “But they’re finally listening to them. And nothing makes you listen as much as an election staring you in the face.”

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But Trump isn’t swayed by the effects that the conflict could have on the midterm elections as the GOP fights to keep power in Congress.

“The Republican Party is running, and I’ll be helping them, but I am not running,” Trump told reporters this week. “I gave absolutely no credence and will not give credence to the election when it comes to Iran. It doesn’t even enter my mind. The only thing that does is that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.”

Missouri’s congressional map fight is hurtling toward another potential Supreme Court showdown, with courts at odds over which districts should govern the November election after more than 1.2 million Missourians voted in the August primary under a different map.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ruled Monday that Missouri must use its 2025 congressional map in November, finding that switching to the state’s 2022 districts after the primary would violate the U.S. Constitution. But the appeals court paused its order until Sept. 28, 2026, opening a narrow window for another visit to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Abhishek Kambli, a partner at Holtzman Vogel and former deputy associate attorney general at the Justice Department, told Fox News Digital the Supreme Court’s previous intervention does not necessarily signal how the justices will handle the latest ruling.

“It’s unpredictable how they’ll rule, mostly because we didn’t get their reasoning in the last order,” Kambli said. “So, we don’t know the precise reason why they decided to stay at that time.”

ELECTION CHAOS IN THIS RED STATE JUST GOT EVEN STRANGER FOR REPUBLICANS AFTER SUPREME COURT RULING

The Supreme Court previously stayed a federal district court’s temporary restraining order requiring Missouri to use the 2025 map. The Eighth Circuit has now directed the lower court to enter a permanent injunction requiring the newer districts, putting the dispute in a different procedural posture.

“So unless the Supreme Court steps in again, the state will be required to use the seven-one map for this election,” Kambli said.

Missouri held its Aug. 4, 2026, primary under the 2025 map. Roughly a month later, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled that voters could challenge the map through a referendum, leaving the 2022 districts in place for the November election.

Kambli said switching congressional maps between the primary and general election raises serious constitutional concerns.

“You would have had a large number of Missourians who would have been disenfranchised because they voted for one set of candidates in the primary and will be voting for another set in the general,” Kambli said.

MISSOURI AG FILES PETITION ASKING SUPREME COURT TO REVIVE TRUMP-BACKED REDISTRICTING MAP

“And what’s even more concerning is sometimes those candidates are unopposed so that they miss their only chance to vote as a result of what the Missouri Supreme Court did here,” Kambli continued. “So that’s what’s really at issue — is whether everyone gets an equal voice in a situation where the primary election is integral to the electoral system of the state.”

But Yale law professor Akhil Amar and University of California, Davis, law professor Vikram Amar have argued the opposite. After the Supreme Court’s earlier stay, Vikram wrote on SCOTUSblog that using the 2025 map in November would not protect anyone’s right to vote if those lines were never legally in effect. Akhil agreed with his analysis.

“HB1’s district lines lack the force of law, full stop,” Vikram wrote. “These lines cannot be used wrongly in November just because they were previously used wrongly in the primary. Two wrongs do not make (or vindicate) a right (to vote).”

Meanwhile, Kambli placed much of the blame for the eleventh-hour legal scramble over which map to use on the Missouri Supreme Court, arguing the turmoil was “entirely preventable.”

VIRGINIA GOP, DEMS BATTLE IT OUT OVER REDISTRICTING BEFORE STATE SUPREME COURT

Kambli argued that the Missouri Supreme Court could have resolved the map dispute earlier, noting that the issue remained unsettled even after the candidate filing deadline passed.

Alicia Bannon, senior director of the Judiciary Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, pointed instead to delays by Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins as a key reason the dispute dragged on.

Opponents of the 2025 map submitted more than 300,000 signatures in December 2025, but Hoskins did not formally reject the referendum petition until Aug. 4, the day of the primary.

“Time passed. And passed further,” Bannon wrote for State Court Report. “As early as December 2025, Hoskins asserted in separate federal litigation that a referendum on redistricting was not authorized by the state constitution. But he held off on issuing a certificate on that basis — which would have triggered judicial review — instead going through a lengthy process of verifying petition signatures.”

Bannon wrote that the Missouri Supreme Court’s criticism of Hoskins’ delays stood out, particularly the court’s rejection of his argument that it had waited too long to intervene.

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The Missouri Supreme Court ultimately ruled that the referendum could proceed and faulted Hoskins for the delay, saying he had “created the confusion, expense, and practical difficulties of which he complains.”

Kambli argued the Purcell principle, under which federal courts generally avoid changing election rules close to Election Day because of the potential for disruption, weighs in favor of keeping the 2025 map because Missouri already used it for the primary.

“The Eighth Circuit said that the Purcell principles support the injunction, not go against it,” Kambli said.

Bannon also warned that courts being too cautious can create its own problems.

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“It’s an approach that’s understandable in some circumstances but can also incentivize shenanigans to evade judicial review while harming voters’ rights,” Bannon wrote.

Bannon suggested earlier court action in Missouri could have helped avoid the last-minute dispute, including by moving the primary or setting a firm deadline for the referendum petition.

But regardless of whether the Supreme Court decides to weigh in, the referendum will still be on the ballot.

“If the Supreme Court does not stay the Eighth Circuit injunction, there’s no doubt that the 7-1 map is what will be in effect for this election. There’s still going to be a referendum on the ballot deciding that issue for future elections, but for this one, that’s how it’ll be decided,” Kambli said.

NEW YORK — Czech President Petr Pavel insists that NATO needs to outright demonstrate its willingness to respond to Russian aggression or else Moscow will continue to push the alliance and its European boundaries.

“There might be the time when we will have to shoot down some of these planes or unmanned vehicles that are testing our readiness,” Pavel, a retired general and former chair of MATO’s Military Committee, predicted in a conversation with Fox News Digital on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City this week.

Pavel said alliance members understandably want to avoid escalation, but risk sending the wrong signal as he warned Moscow views restraint as weakness and is testing allied defenses with its continued aggression.

“What I am afraid of is that they see a lack of will on our side to take decisive action,” Pavel said. “Within Russian perceptions it demonstrates weakness. And they respect power.”

The warning followed fresh incidents along NATO’s eastern flank where a Russian Mi-8 military helicopter crossed from Kaliningrad into Polish airspace Wednesday, prompting Poland to scramble fighter jets. Romania scrambled F-16s Thursday after another unidentified aerial target crossed its border from Ukraine.

Denmark’s military intelligence service also warned Thursday that Russia is likely to intensify hybrid attacks against NATO in the coming months and assessed a “low but growing” risk of a limited Russian military attack against one or more NATO countries bordering Russia.

ROMANIAN F-16 SHOOTS DOWN DRONE AFTER AIRSPACE BREACH, MARKING FIRST FOR NATO ALLY

Pavel’s said in a speech before the U.N. General Assembly Wednesday that Russia’s “aggressive posture poses a direct threat to European security” and warned that the risk is growing.

He told Fox News Digital that the pattern of recent escalation was familiar from his years at NATO, recalling Russian aircraft testing U.S. pilots over Syria and repeatedly violating Turkish airspace before Turkey shot down a Russian warplane in 2015.

“They are, on one hand, provoking. On the other, testing what will our reaction be,” Pavel detailed.

NATO already has procedures for accidental airspace violations, Pavel said, including warning aircraft and attempting to establish contact. But he drew a distinction between mistakes and aircraft that deliberately enter allied airspace and refuse to respond.

“If it is deliberate and the violator doesn’t respond to our measures, then we will have to act, because otherwise Russia simply would push further on,” the Czech president added.

RUSSIA’S NEIGHBOR REVEALS PERSONAL APPEALS TO TRUMP AS US WEIGHS NATO TROOP PULLBACK IN EUROPE

The comments come amid recent drone incursions involving NATO members along the alliance’s eastern flank, including incidents in Poland, Romania and Lithuania.

Pavel was similarly skeptical that President Vladimir Putin is serious about talks to end the war in Ukraine, saying he has seen no significant Russian effort to negotiate. He argued that while Moscow publicly expresses willingness to hold talks, the conditions it has attached would effectively strip Ukraine of sovereignty.

He said a genuine negotiating process would require Russia to agree to a ceasefire first and then enter talks without preconditions.

RUSSIA PREPARING HYBRID ATTACKS ON NATO’S EASTERN FLANK, INTELLIGENCE WARNS

The Czech president also warned that the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have exposed another vulnerability across the NATO alliance: depleted weapons stockpiles and defense-production systems struggling to keep pace with demand.

“With the amount of ammunition, especially intelligent ammunition, consumed over a short period of time, we all understand on both sides of the Atlantic how short we are when it comes to stocks of these kinds of equipment,” Pavel said.

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He said the lesson for both Europe and the United States is to accelerate weapons production and overhaul procurement systems he described as “extremely long and rigid.”

Pavel’s warning underscores a broader challenge facing NATO as it weighs how forcefully to respond to Russian activity without triggering a wider confrontation, while simultaneously replenishing the military stockpiles needed to sustain deterrence over the longer term.

A new poll indicates longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins ahead of her Democratic challenger in a crucial Senate showdown in blue-leaning Maine.

Collins, who is running for a sixth six-year term in the Senate, stands at 49% support among likely voters, with former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, the Democratic nominee, at 46%, with 5% undecided in the New York Times/Siena poll. Collins’ three-point edge is within the survey’s margin of error.

Democrats are heavily targeting Collins as they work to flip the seat, which is key to their efforts to win back the Senate majority from the Republicans in the midterm elections.

The survey, which was conducted Sept. 15-22, is one of the first to indicate Collins ahead of Jackson since he replaced former Senate nominee Graham Platner in late July.

SIX FORCES THAT COULD HELP REPUBLICANS DEFY HISTORY IN THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS

Platner, a combat veteran and oyster farmer, won the June Democratic Senate primary in a landslide. But a month later he dropped out following an explosive report containing an allegation of rape from a woman he previously dated. Platner denied the report but stepped aside. Collins slightly trailed Platner in most polling at the time he ended his campaign.

Jackson, who campaigned alongside Platner earlier this year as he unsuccessfully ran for governor, won a special nominating convention to fill the party’s vacant Senate nomination.

The poll release came as Collins pushed back against a report by ProPublica that the FBI sought to launch a pay-to-play investigation examining Collins and others. The investigation was later dropped and no one working for Collins was charged.

Collins ripped the report as “offensive” and a “partisan hit job” orchestrated by Democrats.

Jackson took to social media to claim that “Susan Collins is blatantly corrupt.”

Collins’ advantage over Jackson in the new survey comes even as 55% of those questioned said they prefer Democrats to control the Senate next year, with 43% saying they’d like the GOP to retain the majority.

COLLINS TEARS INTO NEW REPORT ALLEDGING PAY-TO PLAY SCHEME

Likely boosting Collins are her favorable ratings, which are in positive territory, at 51%-48%. Meanwhile Jackson, a fifth-generation logger and a one-time conservative Republican who became a Democrat over two decades ago and who is now running on a progressive platform, is underwater with a 41% of those questioned viewing him favorably and 49% holding an unfavorable view.

As he quickly became the frontrunner in the abbreviated race to replace Platner, Jackson faced a slew of media reports over his alleged temper and workplace conduct, as well as reported claims of mortgage improprieties and other potential liabilities, including his past strict anti-abortion stance.

In August, a resurfaced 1988 police record which detailed accusations that Jackson assaulted a man and pushed his longtime partner during a late-night confrontation in Fort Kent, Maine, grabbed headlines.

Jackson, in a statement, said, “I took responsibility for it then, and I take responsibility for it now. But let me be clear: I have never been violent with my partner Lana, or any other woman.”

WHO’S UP AND WHO’S DOWN IN THE LATEST FOX NEWS MIDTERM ELECTION POLLING

Lana Pelletier, who, according to records is Jackson’s second cousin, shares two adult children with him.

Collins, the only GOP senator seeking re-election in a state President Donald Trump lost in the 2024 election, is facing a rough political climate, amid Trump’s underwater approval ratings, persistent inflation, soaring fuel prices, and what polls indicate is an unpopular war with Iran.

The senator, known as a moderate Republican who at times has voted against Trump, this summer received bipartisan praise after reaching a milestone by casting her 10,000th consecutive Senate vote.

But Democrats are taking aim at Collins over her comments that she didn’t regret her 2018 vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, despite his crucial vote four years later to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion ruling.

And following the fatal shooting in Maine this summer involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, Democrats heavily criticized the Senate Appropriations Committee chair for her support for ICE funding.

But Collins has broken with Trump numerous times in recent months, criticizing his tariff war with neighboring Canada and voting against Attorney General Todd Blanche’s confirmation.

The senator has a history of surviving Democratic efforts to unseat her.

Six years ago, she trailed Democratic challenger Sara Gideon, the then-Maine House speaker, but the senator ended up winning re-election by nearly 9 points while former President Joe Biden carried the state by a similar margin.

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The New York Times/Siena poll, in collaboration with The Portland Press Herald and sponsored in part by the Maine Trust for Local News, questioned 619 likely voters.

Fox News Digital reached out to both the Collins and Jackson campaigns for comment on the new survey, but didn’t receive a response at the time this story was published.

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The New York Times and Siena on Thursday also released polls in two other crucial Senate showdowns that are must-holds for the Democrats.

In neighboring New Hampshire, the survey indicates Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas with a 50%-45% advantage over former Republican Sen. John E. Sununu, in the race to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.

Meanwhile, in Michigan, the poll indicates Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed ahead of former GOP Rep. Mike Rogers 49%-44% in the showdown to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.

FIRST ON FOX: A University of Maryland research lab that received nearly $700,000 in additional federal funding from the Trump administration this year is facing a civil rights complaint alleging that it uses race and ethnicity to determine access to some research-related opportunities.

The Equal Protection Project (EPP) filed the complaint with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights against UMD’s Lavender Lab, a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded lab that studies suicide, substance use and other health outcomes among LGBTQ+ people and Black, Indigenous and People of Color.

EPP is asking HHS to investigate whether the lab’s LGBTQ+ Teens of Color Advisory Board and its research assistant selection practices give priority to non-White applicants.

“Some people may ask what is wrong with prioritizing non-whites in a program which is designed to study non-whites,” EPP founder William Jacobson told Fox News Digital. “When you receive federal funding, you cannot discriminate in the administration of your programs.”

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT LAUNCHES TITLE VI INVESTIGATION INTO DEI PROGRAMS AT ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

“You do not need to have an advisory board, you do not need to hire research assistants based on race to fulfill the purposes of this grant,” Jacobson continued.

The complaint comes as the Lavender Lab continues receiving millions of dollars through the NIH for research examining alcohol and drug use among “sexual minority adolescents of color.”

One of the lab’s principal projects, titled “Long-Term and Daily Associations Among Intersectional Minority Stress, Structural Oppression, and Alcohol Use and Misuse Among Sexual Minority Adolescents of Color,” began in May 2022 and is scheduled to run through April 2027. The complaint cites approximately $3.6 million in total federal obligations and roughly $2.2 million in outlays at the time of its filing.

NIH records cited in the complaint show the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism provided another $695,192 for the project for fiscal year 2026.

The complaint points first to the lab’s LGBTQ+ Teens of Color Advisory Board, which said it was “specifically looking for teens in the US who identify as both LGBTQ+ and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) to join our board” in an Instagram post.

A NEW YORK UNIVERSITY FACES JUSTICE DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATION OVER ‘BLACK MALE INITIATIVE’

According to the complaint, board members are paid to help review research, provide feedback and participate in professional-development activities, with some also receiving leadership opportunities.

EPP also targeted the Lavender Lab’s research-assistant program, which offers positions to undergraduate and master’s-level students.

Although the positions are generally unpaid, the complaint stated that undergraduate research assistants may receive academic course credit, and some students may be able to participate through federal work-study. Research assistants generally commit to at least two semesters and a minimum of eight hours per week.

The lab stated it “especially encourage[s] and invite[s] candidates from traditionally marginalized backgrounds” to apply and that applicants with experience conducting research involving “LGBTQ and BIPOC communities” through “cultural humility, intersectionality, and social justice approaches” will receive the “strongest consideration.”

“Discrimination based on race or ethnicity at institutions receiving federal funding is unlawful regardless of which group is targeted or benefits,” Jacobson said. “Treating individuals as avatars of their demographic identity rather than as individuals with unique merits and circumstances undermines fairness, merit, social cohesion, and the rule of law.”

TRUMP ADMIN’S PUSH TO SCRAP DEI IN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TAKES LANDMARK STEP WITH NEW HIRING RULE

EPP alleges that the language indicates race or ethnicity may play a role in the selection process. The complaint asks HHS to investigate whether the practices violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color or national origin in federally funded programs, as well as the Affordable Care Act.

“Because the Lavender Lab is operating under an HHS health care related grant, the non-discrimination provisions of the Affordable Care Act must be adhered to, and HHS has authority to enforce those provisions,” Jacobson said.

EPP’s complaint also questions federal funding for research focused on intersectionality, which the Lavender Lab says guides its work. The lab studies how sexual-minority status, race, ethnicity and what it calls “structural oppression” affect health outcomes.

“The conduct at the Lavender Lab calls into question whether HHS should be funding intersectionality-focused research at all,” Jacobson said. “Intersectionality is a race- and ethnicity-focused group-identity approach. It is no surprise that where the focus is racial identity that programming could cross the line into civil rights violations.”

Jacobson said EPP has found federal dollars going to programs that use intersectionality and is calling for tighter rules on that funding.

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“We have identified hundreds of millions of dollars of federal funding for programs that incorporate intersectionality,” Jacobson said. “Given the civil rights danger from an ‘intersectional’ approach, we call on the administration to issue a new executive order and agency guidance closing the ‘intersectionality loophole‘ by including intersectionality in the ban on unlawful discriminatory DEI practices in federal grantmaking.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to the University of Maryland, HHS and the White House for comment. 

FIRST ON FOX: The Vance-led anti-fraud task force and the General Services Administration uncovered more than $1.2 billion in suspected COVID-era contract fraud as the White House anti-fraud task force continues its crackdown across the country.

The General Services Administration, along with the Department of Health and Human Services, found that COVID emergency contracting continued after the pandemic emergency officially ended. The agencies also revealed that millions of vaccine contracts were awarded even after the pandemic ended under the Biden administration.

“The COVID emergency ended over three years ago, yet fraudsters continue to weaponize outdated emergency contracts to abuse taxpayer dollars,” GSA Administrator Edward C. Forst told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Thanks to the leadership of President Trump and Vice President Vance’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, GSA uncovered $1.22 billion in suspected fraud across five HHS COVID-era contracts.”

AG BLANCHE UNVEILS FEDERAL CHARGES AGAINST 160 DEFENDANTS IN PANDEMIC RELIEF SWEEP

“GSA will continue to work with the Vice President’s task force to stop improper payments, refer suspected fraud to law enforcement, and fight to recover every dollar,” he added.

While the funding uncovered is not currently tied to criminal charges for contractors, the agencies have pinpointed a significant amount of taxpayer dollars that may have otherwise been distributed for COVID vaccines and other pandemic-related services long after the national emergency ended.

GSA estimates that an estimated 93% of the funding for the contracts has not yet been distributed to vendors, while roughly 6.78% has already been expended. The agency has since suspended payments to contractors as part of the initiative.

“The COVID emergency ended in 2023. The emergency contract advantage didn’t — until now.”

WHITE HOUSE PUSHES ‘WATERSHED’ FRAUD-FIGHTING REFORM IN CONGRESS AS VANCE CONVENES TASK FORCE

White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud Executive Director Scott Brady told Fox News Digital in a statement. “GSA’s review uncovered $1.22 billion in suspected fraud and stopped $41 million more across five HHS COVID-era contracts that kept the emergency label alive long after the emergency was gone.”

Brady said that allocated emergency funding “is a privilege, not a blank check,” while describing contractors who received funding to combat the pandemic at the time as “honest.” He characterized any funding that was distributed beyond the emergency as a “free pass.”

WHITE HOUSE LAUNCHES INTERACTIVE MAP TRACKING BILLIONS IN SUSPECTED FRAUD

The announcement comes after the General Services Administration found more than $13 billion in suspected contractor fraud in late August, and the Trump administration has declared a total of more than $245.7 billion has been uncovered since the president took office and that it has prevented an annualized $62.9 billion in fraudulent payments.

The White House anti-fraud task force also says that more than $59.1 billion in indictments and settlements are being enforced.

WHITE HOUSE TO YANK 750,000 FRAUDSTERS OFF OBAMACARE, SAVE TAXPAYERS $2.2 BILLION, VANCE SAYS

The Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees Medicare and Medicaid, has uncovered the most significant amount of fraud at $96.4 billion.

As for the beneficiaries of fraudulent activity, the Trump administration has identified some foreign nationals who have infiltrated the federal contracting system and acquired funds while still residing in their home countries.

EXCLUSIVE: FBI’S FIFTH MOST WANTED FRAUDSTER CAPTURED AFTER ALLEGED SNAP SCAM SUSPECT ARRESTED IN INDIA

Earlier this month the FBI released a “Most Wanted” list highlighting alleged fraud suspects as the administration continues its broader crackdown on fraud. Officials say the involvement of foreign nationals in multiple schemes has heightened concerns about overseas actors exploiting U.S. government programs.

Among those named is Onur Simsek, a Turkish national whom the FBI believes is living in Turkey. Prosecutors accuse Simsek of leading a defense procurement fraud scheme that secured U.S. military contracts by falsely certifying Turkish-made parts as tested and qualified, potentially rendering critical military equipment inoperable.

FRAUD EXPERT EXPOSES HOW HIDDEN NETWORKS DROVE MINNESOTA FRAUD, OTHER MAJOR SCAMS: ‘CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE’

Federal authorities allege Simsek is one of a number of foreign nationals who have infiltrated and exploited U.S. federal funds to obtain taxpayer funds.

In an interview with Fox News Digital last month, Vice President JD Vance said authorities have observed what he described as a “clear pattern” in some fraud cases involving immigrant communities.

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“You definitely see patterns in certain communities,” Vance said. “It’ll start as maybe one Somali person takes advantage of the system, or realizes you don’t even have to have children to get money from these programs. You could just claim that you have children, there’s no verification. Then, word spreads like wildfire, and that program gets tapped into by the same members of that community.”

President Donald Trump has a prime opportunity to help lower costs for Americans in his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the top GOP lawmaker overseeing U.S. diplomacy told Fox News Digital.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, R-Fla., argued that China is one of the biggest culprits in Americans’ current struggle with high cost of living — particularly at the gas pump. He blamed China’s willingness to arm Iran in its ongoing conflict with the U.S., which has wreaked havoc on global trade by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz.

“If President Trump can secure that China will stop arming Iran, who is trying to destabilize this key oil route through the globe, then the president will have done something very important for affordability, especially in terms of global crude prices, which equal prices at the pump here in the United States of America,” Mast said.

TRUMP-XI SUMMIT SHOULD MAKE SURE AMERICAN STRENGTH DELIVERS AMERICAN RESULTS

Cost of living and affordability are fast becoming top issues in the coming November midterm elections, with both parties accusing the other of pushing policies that will make life more expensive for everyday Americans.

Gas prices are a particular flashpoint, with the ongoing U.S. war with Iran being blamed for the rising cost of oil.

TRUMP-BACKED IOWA US SENATE HOPEFUL SAYS IRAN WAR MUST ‘BE BROUGHT TO A SUCCESSFUL AND IMMEDIATE END’

The current national average cost of a gallon of gas is $4.47, up more than 30 cents since Sept. 3.

Mast said China “probably is the number one actor that is working to raise those prices,” with its support of both Iran and Russia’s wars.

BESSENT PREDICTS OIL PRICES COULD DROP AS LOW AS $40 AFTER IRAN CONFLICT ENDS AND SUPPLY FLOODS MARKET

He said Trump has a prime opportunity on Thursday to press Xi on easing up on that support for Tehran, in particular.

“China is arming Iran so that Iran can indiscriminately attack civilians moving through the strait. That is the fundamental difference about what China is doing … the United States, looking to protect all of those resources going through there, the civilians going on the ships through there and the civilians across all of the countries throughout the Gulf,” Mast said.

Over the last two months, Mast said, Trump “moved over a billion barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz.”

“He’s moved over 2,000 ships through the Strait of Hormuz, civilian merchant ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has moved nothing. But that doesn’t mean that the global oil markets don’t see instability,” Mast said.

WHO CONTROLS THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ RIGHT NOW? HERE’S WHAT THE SHIP TRAFFIC ACTUALLY SHOWS

Thursday’s summit will mark Trump’s third meeting with Xi of this term, and Xi’s first visit to the U.S. since the commander-in-chief returned to the White House last year.

Asked what leverage Trump has to press Xi on Iran, Mast pointed to the Russia-Iran sanctions bill the president recently signed into law. That legislation was named after the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., one of the most vocal critics of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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“China is the number one target for that sanctions bill. It would affect, has the potential to affect, a great deal of trade if President Trump chooses not to waive some of his sanction authorities that he’s given in that bill,” Mast said.

President Donald Trump needs to warn Chinese President Xi Jinping against pursuing a “dangerous alliance” with Iran when the two world leaders meet at the White House Thursday, an expert told Fox News Digital.

Jonathan Schanzer, the executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, made the remark after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reportedly told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during talks in Beijing last week that China was prepared to play a “constructive role” in resolving international disputes. The U.S. war against Iran is nearing the 7-month mark.

“The president needs to tell Xi Jinping that this is a dangerous alliance. The Chinese assistance to the Iranian regime has actually spanned a number of fronts,” Schanzer told Fox News Digital. “The first is, of course, the provision of drone parts and motors. This has actually helped the Islamic Republic attack all of its neighbors.

“On top of that, they’ve been providing some dual-use chemicals that have been helping the Iranians with their missile program. On top of that, we’ve watched a lot of targeting that looks a little bit too precise for the Iranian regime. So that looks like it may be helped from the Chinese as well,” Schanzer continued.

CHINA’S XI JINPING SET TO ARRIVE IN WASHINGTON FOR HIGH-STAKES TRUMP SUMMIT AS AI SUPREMACY BATTLE LOOMS LARGE

“On top of that, there’s an economic relationship that I think is keeping the Islamic Republic afloat while it continues to hammer away at the oil economy worldwide. These are all things that need to stop. And the hope here is, of course, that Donald Trump is going to make a demand here that Xi Jinping stop all of this,” he said.

When asked to respond to the Chinese and Iranian foreign ministers meeting in Beijing, Schanzer said, “When you look at what’s happening here, it’s pretty clear that the Chinese government is just not ashamed of this at all.”

TRUMP TO ASK XI TO FREE WRONGFULLY DETAINED US CITIZEN AS WIFE SPEAKS OUT

“In other words, there’s a war going on. The Iranians have spiked the price of oil. They have clogged the Strait of Hormuz. They’re looking to do the same in the Bab al-Mandab, and they are completely unashamed by this. It’s important for Donald Trump to bare his teeth here and to make it clear that the Iranians cannot get this kind of support and that the Chinese government is at risk of escalating with the United States,” he added.

A senior administration official told Fox News Digital that when Trump last visited China in mid-May, he and Xi agreed that Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon and that the Strait of Hormuz should be reopened without any tolls.

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“I think the big thing in the background here is that we’re obviously watching great power competition between two of the world’s largest economies and largest militaries,” Schanzer also said ahead of Thursday’s meeting. “The thing that I watch right now is that Taiwan is clearly the main target for the Chinese Communist Party. They want to reunite with the island, as they would call it, and they’re putting enormous pressure on Taiwan with that in mind. The United States needs to stand pat here. We have an enormous amount invested in chips in Taiwan, the Taiwan Semiconductor Company. This is the big one here. And if we’re going to win the AI race, we need to maintain control of that company. More importantly, we need to make sure that that island remains secure.”

Maine’s two U.S. senators, Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Independent Sen. Angus King, Jr., have urged President Donald Trump to unleash home heating oil reserves in a bid to help alleviate elevated prices.

“We write to request that you release home heating oil from the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve to protect Mainers from the very high prices that are imposing a difficult financial burden,” the lawmakers pressed the president in a Tuesday letter.

The statewide average heating oil price was $5.77 as of Sept. 14, according to the Maine Department of Energy Resources.

That figure is about 74% higher than back when the statewide heating oil average price was $3.32 as of September 15, 2025.

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The lawmakers asserted in their letter that “the conflict in the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine War have prevented additional heating oil from reaching the global market. Maine is particularly vulnerable to global supply shocks because our state imports much of our home heating oil.”

Collins, a moderate Republican who has served in the U.S. Senate for nearly three decades, is running for re-election again this year.

King, while an independent, is listed as a member of the Senate Democratic caucus.

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Americans have been facing elevated fuel prices, with the AAA national average for diesel hitting its highest recorded average price of $6.5276 as of Tuesday, before barely creeping down to $6.5217 as of Wednesday, then $6.5141 as of Thursday.

The AAA national average price for regular gas is $4.4825 as of Thursday, still below the record of $5.0165 that was set in June 2022.

TRUMP MEETS WITH IRANIAN OFFICIALS SHORTLY AFTER THREATENING ANNIHILATION

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Fox News Digital reached out to the White House on Thursday.

With six weeks to go until Election Day, and early voting already underway in a handful of states, the conventional wisdom is that Republicans may be in for some setbacks in the midterms.

As it defends its fragile House and Senate majorities, the GOP is fighting political history, which has traditionally seen the president’s party lose congressional seats during the midterms. It’s also battling high costs at the grocery stores and gas pumps tied to what polls show is an unpopular war with Iran, as well as President Donald Trump‘s underwater approval ratings.

But Democrats are saddled with their own issues, from an ideological civil war between the party’s left wing and the establishment that has handed Republicans plenty of political ammunition, to a brand image that’s nothing to brag about. Add to that the Democrats’ major disadvantage as the GOP floods the airwaves with attack ads.

Here are six forces that will likely determine whether Republicans can turn back a possible blue wave and hold power in Congress.

WHO’S UP AND WHO’S DOWN IN THE LATEST FOX NEWS MIDTERM ELECTION POLLING

1. Inflation

Six weeks until Election Day, and just as the voting begins, fuel prices keep rising, with the national average for gas nearly $4.50 per gallon and diesel topping $6.50 per gallon, according to AAA.

Public opinion polls point to the economy, including the cost of living, as the top issue for voters in this year’s midterms. That means that the issue that boosted Trump and Republicans to sweeping victories in 2024 is a major liability in 2026. And the rising prices in recent weeks, fueled by renewed fighting in the war with Iran and Ukraine and attacks on Russia’s diesel industry, are doing the GOP no favors.

“Gas prices were much higher under Biden than under “TRUMP.” So were almost all other prices,” the president argued Monday in a social media post, as he referred to former President Joe Biden.

While Trump and Republican leaders point fingers at Biden, polls indicate voters increasingly place the blame for ongoing economic and inflation pressures on the current administration.

DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB

Democrats last week heavily criticized Trump and Republicans after the president argued that fuel costs were “a very inexpensive price to pay for what we’ve done,” as he pointed to the attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Meanwhile, the latest Fox News poll indicated that by a wide margin, the Democrats are considered the party that would better handle inflation.

But when asked about the overall economy, recent national surveys from Reuters/Ipsos and NBC News had the GOP and Democrats all knotted up on which party would better handle the issue.

“My listeners are looking for prices to come down across the board,” New Hampshire-based center-right talk radio host Jack Heath told Fox News Digital.

“People elected President Trump to lower prices and improve their situation and people are looking for that improvement,” Heath, host of “Good Morning NH,” emphasized. “They’re looking for Trump to deliver on his promises.”

2. Trump’s influence

“I’m asking you to just pretend I’m on the ballot just one more time,” the president said last week during a campaign stop in battleground North Carolina.

It’s a line Trump repeatedly used earlier this month, at the GOP’s first-ever midterm convention.

Facing what polls indicate is an enthusiasm gap with Democrats, the president and Republican leaders are hoping to energize the MAGA base, which doesn’t always vote when Trump isn’t on the ballot. While the president’s approval rating in the Fox News poll stands at 39% among all voters, it remains at a sky-high 98% among self-described MAGA Republicans.

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But some longtime Trump allies are starting to break with the president as they face challenging re-elections.

GOP Rep. Maria Salazar won re-election two years ago by 20 points in South Florida’s 27th Congressional District. But with Trump’s negative poll numbers a potential anchor around her, Salazar last week released a TV ad criticizing the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement as having “gone too far,” and that “Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today.”

Meanwhile, on Monday two Trump allies who are in heated Senate battles – Rep. Ashley Hinson of Iowa and former Rep. Mike Rogers of Michigan, broke with the president as they a swift end to the war with Iran.

Watch whether vulnerable Republicans create more distance from the president, or move toward Trump to juice Republican turnout.

3. Democrats’ Leftward Lurch

Republicans are aiming to turn what’s normally a referendum on the party in power into a choice election, as they spotlight major Democratic primary victories this year by far-left and socialist candidates over more mainstream Democrats.

“In state after state, the Democrat establishment has been overthrown and replaced by crazed lunatics and radicals. They call themselves Democrat socialists, but actually, they’re communists,” Trump charged at the midterm convention.

The messaging is pronounced in Michigan’s crucial Senate race, where GOP nominee former Rep. Mike Rogers, as he referred to Democratic rival Abdul El-Sayed, told Fox Business this week, “We don’t want this socialism nonsense in our state, and this guy is too extreme.”

12 SENATE RACES THAT WILL DETERMINE WHO CONTROLS THE CHAMBER

Polling gives a boost to the GOP’s “commonsense vs. crazy” messaging.

Fifty-five percent of registered voters surveyed in the latest Fox News national poll held an unfavorable view of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), while only three in 10 saw the DSA in a positive light.

The Fox News poll was the latest national survey to show that while the DSA has gained traction among Democrats, the group and the broader socialist movement in America face significant national skepticism.

While the GOP full court press continues, in hopes of swaying undecided voters, Democrats are divided on its effectiveness.

Ty Strong, founder and president of the Moderate PAC, warned that the GOP playbook “absolutely could be effective.”

But Shannon Jackson, a key consultant and advisor to progressive leader Rep. Ro Khanna of California, argued that Republicans are “reaching for things. I think the DSA issue is something they’re trying to make something, but it is not.”

Meanwhile, this year’s primary surge by socialist and left-wing candidates isn’t helping Democrats boost their brand.

The party’s favorable ratings hit historic lows in the months following the 2024 election, and the latest Fox News poll indicates Democrats are still well underwater, with 55% of voters viewing the party in an unfavorable light.

4. GOP’s Money Bomb

Republicans enjoy a formidable cash advantage over the Democrats, and they’re using it in the final stretch leading up to Election Day.

While Democratic candidates in many key races have outraised their GOP opponents, the Republican National Committee remains far ahead of the rival Democratic National Committee when it comes to cash-on-hand.

And GOP-aligned outside groups, including the Trump-allied MAGA Inc., are opening the floodgates when it comes to ad spending, in order to try and level the playing field by overcoming the difficult political environment.

Republican groups have outspent their Democratic counterparts by more than $83 million to run spots in ten crucial Senate races since the start of September, according to figures from AdImpact, a nationally known firm that tracks ad spending.

While a financial advantage is not always decisive, strategists say it can often move the needle in a close contest. And in the 10 Senate races spotlighted by AdImpact, a onetime Democratic ad spending advantage over the summer turned into a major GOP deluge.

While much of the ad dollars dished out by Republicans are to protect vulnerable seats, the money may help as the GOP works to flip open-Democrat-held Senate seats in Michigan and New Hampshire.

5. Redistricting Wars

Thirteen months ago, Texas passed a new congressional redistricting map, giving Trump his first major victory in his push to give Republicans a big boost heading into the midterm elections by drawing more right-leaning districts.

Fast-forward to present day, and as they fight to hold their razor-thin House majority, Republicans were the big winners, with partisan redistricting netting them potentially 10 additional right-leaning congressional seats in time for the midterms.

But redrawing the maps and winning the seats are two different things, and some election analysts caution that the fierce headwinds facing the GOP could lead to Republicans falling far short of their original expectations heading into the redistricting wars.

6. House Field Narrows, Senate Map Broadens

There are 435 seats in the House of Representatives, but the Cook Report suggests the battle for the chamber’s majority could come down to just 21 districts it rates as toss-up.

The Fox News Power Rankings list 17 seats as true toss-ups.

Decades of gerrymander, including this cycle’s mid-decade redistricting, has made a major impact by narrowing the House battlefield, which may limit the number of pickups by the Democrats even if a blue wave forms.

While the number of competitive House seats stays historically small, the Senate map is widening, which is a positive sign for Democrats.

Democrats are feeling the heat in open-seat contests in Michigan and New Hampshire, two must holds for them as they try to win back a Senate currently controlled 53-47 by the GOP.

But Senate showdowns in red states, including Alaska, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa, are now considered very competitive.

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Need proof: Vice President JD Vance campaigned in Iowa and Kansas last week.

But recent polling is also giving Republicans hope they can flip the Democrat-controlled open Senate seat in blue-leaning Minnesota.

FIRST ON FOX: As President Donald Trump prepares to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping about the future of artificial intelligence, two top House Republicans are warning that the Chinese Communist Party is “throwing gasoline on the fire” by undermining America’s effort to build out AI infrastructure.

In a new letter disclosed to Fox News Digital, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., and House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party Chairman John Moolenaar, R-Mich., asked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and IRS Chief Executive Officer Frank Bisignano to determine whether money has been funneled from overseas through America’s charitable system to block the data centers needed for the U.S. to compete with China.

Specifically, they raised questions about hundreds of millions of dollars that American-born communist tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham pumped into nonprofits and organizations that are now among the leading organizations fighting data center development throughout the country. Recipients of Singham’s largesse include the Party for Socialism and Liberation and the ANSWER Coalition, both self-described pro-China communist groups. Earlier this month, activists from both groups carried signs in a Chapel Hill, N.C., protest, merging anti-Trump sentiments with support for communist Cuba and opposition to data centers and AI development, including the message, “SHUT IT DOWN!”

“Under no circumstances can we allow an adversary, and our most serious competitor in AI infrastructure, to weaponize our own tax code and harm an emerging American industry,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter, sent on Tuesday.

FROM AUSTIN TO NEW YORK, PRO-CHINA NETWORK FUELS WEEK OF ANTI-US PROTESTS AS XI MEETS TRUMP

The lawmakers allege that influence operations linked to China are exploiting tax-exempt organizations, nonprofit networks and social media campaigns to fuel opposition to the data centers needed to power America’s AI industry.

The lawmakers urged the agencies to investigate whether tax-exempt organizations connected to the network have operated for the “private or political benefit of foreign-aligned interests” and whether donor-advised funds and intermediary entities were used to “launder the origin of foreign-directed money into American advocacy.”

A Fox News Digital investigation found that Singham funneled $285 million since 2017 to six U.S. nonprofits, including his wife Jodie Evan’s group, CodePink, through two shell corporations and a donor-advised philanthropy fund run by Goldman Sachs, which said it closed the Singham account in 2024.

The nonprofits have functioned with tax-deductible status while actively involved in promoting communist regimes such as China, coordinating street protests and fomenting anti-American rage. They have denied being part of any foreign influence operation, and Singham hasn’t responded to requests for comment.

Smith said China is helping fuel opposition to American artificial intelligence infrastructure by giving a base to Singham as he funds U.S. nonprofit groups involved in anti-data-center protests.

“This is the Chinese helping throw the gasoline on the fire,” Smith told Fox News Digital. “The American people need to know that this is not just an organic movement.”

Smith said Americans have legitimate concerns about data centers, including their effect on electricity costs and water usage. But he said foreign-backed organizations shouldn’t be allowed to exploit those concerns to slow U.S. technological development.

Smith said that “the Chinese want to stall and slow down the advancement of AI in the United States because they want to win the AI war.”

“Tax exempt is a privilege. It is not a right,” Smith said. “We need to make sure that we’re not subsidizing tax dollars to help create hostility and unrest in our country.”

Smith also called for greater transparency regarding the flow of money among organizations connected to Singham. He added that the broader issue extends beyond the tax code and could include questions about compliance with the Foreign Agents Registration Act violations. “Transparency is the biggest thing,” he said.

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

Moolenaar said organizations presenting themselves as grassroots opposition groups are actually advancing the Chinese Communist Party’s agenda in the U.S. “Groups that portray themselves as grassroots are really more astroturf — very fake — being funded by entities that are working in partnership with the Chinese Communist Party,” Moolenaar told Fox News Digital.

“The concern is that they are manipulating the messaging and opposition to different American investments, whether it’s data centers or other technological advances, trying to turn the American people against these technologies so that China would be able to have dominance in this area,” he said.

Moolenaar pointed to the use of grassroots organizations, community groups, propaganda and online bots.

“We don’t want foreign entities of concern — countries that may be opposed to American interests — using our system against the American people and trying to manipulate them,” Moolenaar said.

He said the lawmakers are seeking greater transparency into the organizations’ funding and tax-exempt status, including whether their political activity violates federal rules.

“When you see them actively speaking out against American interests and realize that groups like CodePink are aggressively funded by this network, that raises serious concerns,” Moolenaar said.

The chairman said China’s influence efforts exploit the openness of American society.

“The Chinese Communist Party always has the goal of dividing Americans, manipulating and getting their propaganda out,” he said. “They don’t have the freedoms that we enjoy, and they try to exploit our freedoms and use that against us.”

China remains both a major trading partner and a strategic competitor, Moolenaar said, but the United States must avoid becoming dependent on Beijing.

“They are a serious adversary,” he said. “They are a trading partner, which is true, and we need to have a relationship with them,” Moolenaar said. “But at the same time, we do not want to be manipulated, we do not want to become more dependent, and we certainly do not want to be under their thumb.”

POWER COUPLE OF CHAOS: HOW A TYCOON AND ACTIVIST BUILT A ‘REVOLUTIONARY BASE’ AT THE HOUSE OF SINGHAM

The lawmakers noted that a bicameral group of congressional committees, including the Ways and Means Committee, the House Select Committee on the CCP and the Senate Intelligence Committee, has been examining how influence operations linked to the CCP allegedly exploit America’s tax-exempt sector to “sow discord and undermine our democracy.”

“The CCP consistently identifies political issues under public debate in our country and seeks to corrupt those debates,” Smith and Moolenaar wrote in their letter. The CCP, they added, seeks to “heighten divisions between Americans and to degrade our civic processes.”

The lawmakers specifically pointed to opposition campaigns targeting the construction of data centers, which are critical to the nation’s AI infrastructure.

A June report from OpenAI identified two clusters of ChatGPT accounts likely originating in China that were used in covert influence operations targeting U.S. debates over AI and technology policy. One campaign, dubbed “Data Center Bandwagon,” generated social media comments and images claiming that data-center construction was raising electricity prices for average families. OpenAI said it found no evidence that the operation achieved meaningful breakout beyond its own activity, but said it demonstrated how foreign operators can exploit existing local concerns to amplify distrust.

CHINESE BOT FARM CAUGHT RED-HANDED TRYING TO INFLUENCE HEATED AI DATA CENTER DEBATE

The lawmakers also cited a report from the Bitcoin Policy Institute that identified 21 campaigns against data centers led by the Party for Socialism and Liberation across 14 states. The report said those campaigns contributed to 10 data-center moratoria, a permanent data-center ban and four rejected or scrapped projects, representing nearly $23.68 billion in proposed investment.

The Party for Socialism and LIberation and the ANSWER Coalition are supported by the Singham network, and a Fox News Digital investigation has traced links between prominent activism against data centers by the Party for Socialism and Liberation, the ANSWER Coalition and other organizations in the Singham network, including BreakThrough News, the People’s Forum, Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and CodePink.

“Our tax code should not be used as a shield for foreign money waging a disinformation war on American AI infrastructure,” Smith and Moolenaar wrote. “This is yet another shocking and dangerous example of how malign foreign actors are funneling dollars into the United States to further CCP interests.”

LAWMAKERS SAY THEY ARE STANDING AT THE GATES AGAINST ‘TROJAN HORSES’ PROMOTING MALIGN FOREIGN INTERESTS

The lawmakers asked Treasury and the IRS to determine whether tax-exempt organizations supporting the network have violated the requirements of their status.

Their request includes examining whether organizations operating under Section 501(c)(3) have acted for the “private or political benefit of foreign-aligned interests,” rather than for genuine charitable purposes. They also asked whether donor-advised funds and intermediary entities were used to “launder the origin of foreign-directed money into American advocacy.”

The letter follows earlier oversight by the Ways and Means Committee and the House Select Committee on the CCP into the tax-exempt sector and organizations allegedly connected to Singham’s network.

The lawmakers emphasized that opposition to data centers is a legitimate subject for public debate but said Americans should know whether foreign adversaries are attempting to influence those debates through nonprofit organizations, social media campaigns or covert funding channels.

“The American people deserve to know which actors adversarial to the United States are trying to undermine these decision-making processes,” they wrote.

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Fox News Digital’s Jesse Watson contributed to this report.

Stanford University was caught red-handed using artificial intelligence to alter an image promoting its residential and dining offerings, replacing a Hispanic male student with a Black woman.

The Stanford Review posted the original dining-hall photo — which shows an Asian woman, a White man and a Hispanic student — alongside the altered version on X.

“We have reviewed the matter and confirmed that AI was used to alter the image in violation of university policy. Stanford’s AI policy  is clear: The use of AI in producing or altering images of Stanford people, events, research, facilities, or achievements is strictly prohibited,” a spokesperson for Stanford University said in a email to Fox News Digital.

“Both the alteration and lack of disclosure in this case violate that policy. We are working with Residential and Dining Enterprises to provide additional training and ensure proper review of all materials,” the spokesperson continued.

KEY TRUMP AGENCY PUTS TOP UNIVERSITIES IN CROSSHAIRS OVER ALLEGED RACE-BASED DORM PROGRAMS

Billy Ramirez, who was removed from the photo, told the Stanford Review that he was “baffled” when he saw that he was cut out of the photo.

“At first, I found it hilarious that they had used AI to completely change our appearances, including my race and gender,” Ramirez told the Stanford Review.

“But after looking at the comparison, I was also upset because I don’t agree with Stanford making those choices about how we were represented,” Ramirez continued. “Seeing my identity changed and being left out of the picture made me feel, in a way, silenced and erased from a representation that was supposed to include me.”

“Our reporting highlights the need for universities to abandon not just the practice of DEI but the hyper-fixation on the appearance of diversity,” the Stanford Review told Fox News Digital.

In addition to removing Ramirez from the photo, the appearances of the two students were also altered, making the Asian woman and White man’s faces thinner.

FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY HIT WITH FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS INVESTIGATION OVER RACE, SEX-BASED SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS

The controversy comes as Stanford faces scrutiny from the Trump administration over alleged race-based discrimination in both its admissions policies and a teacher-certification support program.

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In April, the Trump administration opened a civil-rights investigation into Stanford over allegations that a teacher-certification program reserved full financial support for educators who identified as people of color. The Education Department said it is examining whether the program violated Title VI by conditioning access to benefits on race.

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And in March 2025, the Justice Department launched an investigation into Stanford along with several other universities over whether it was using diversity, equity and inclusion in admission decisions. The outcome of the Stanford admissions review has not been publicly announced.