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Marxist political influencer Hasan Piker is lashing out over a federal inquiry into his recent trip to communist Cuba, calling it an “intimidation tactic” prompted by his harsh stance on Israel and the U.S.

The response by Piker — echoed by other leaders from Democratic Socialists of America and pro-communist and anti-Israel leaders — illustrates how quickly the Cuba “solidarity” movement, pro-communist influencers and anti-Israel activist networks converged online to frame the federal inquiry not as a sanctions or foreign influence investigation, but as political repression aimed at broader anti-capitalist, anti-Western, anti-Israel activist movements.

Piker told followers during a livestream on Twitch Sunday afternoon that he is being targeted for being a “loudmouth” and “rabble-rouser,” criticizing Israel and the “fascist” United States.

Fox News Digital reported Saturday that the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has sent administrative subpoenas to Piker and leftist CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin to get documents about the financial, logistical and communications details of their March trips to Cuba, in possible violation of laws and regulations about doing business with the government of Cuba.

“It’s not great,” Piker told his followers in the early minutes of his livestream on Sunday afternoon. “The news is not great, okay? Um, I mean, it’s bulls—. But still not great…I mean it’s bulls— but still not great that they’re after your boy. They’re up my a–.”

Piker didn’t respond to requests for comment, although he acknowledged receiving the queries as he spoke to his followers during his livestream. He said that he got his trip cleared by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, saying, “Everything we did was cleared by Treasury.”

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control didn’t respond to a request for comment.

By the end of his segment on the federal inquiry, Piker pivoted from the Cuba sanctions inquiry to argue that the scrutiny was really driven by backlash to his comments on Israel.

“A lot of this, by the way, does still have a lot to do with Israel,” he said, charging that his critics “don’t like that I talk s— about Israel” and “don’t like that I am a loudmouth, a rabble-rouser.”

He claimed the investigation was not “just about Cuba” but also about his role in boosting anti-Israel voters and candidates.

“They recognize that Democrats and young people are against Israel” and see him “campaigning with candidates who are anti-Israel, and they are winning their races,” he said.

FEDS SUBPOENA HASAN PIKER, MEDEA BENJAMIN OVER CUBA TRIPS

Piker’s response followed a pattern that has become common among online activist influencers under scrutiny: reframing a legal or regulatory inquiry as political persecution while broadening the issue into a sweeping ideological struggle. Rather than focus narrowly on the sanctions questions surrounding the Cuba trip, Piker repeatedly cast himself as the victim of a coordinated campaign by “Israel first” Democrats, pro-Israel activists, mainstream media figures and the “fascist” Trump administration.

He frequently shifted the conversation away from the specifics of Treasury’s inquiry and toward a larger narrative in which the federal government is allegedly criminalizing anti-Israel activism, anti-capitalist politics and opposition to U.S. foreign policy. He sought to portray the investigation as evidence that powerful political and media institutions are targeting dissenting voices who challenge establishment positions on Israel, Cuba and American foreign policy.

At one point, Piker said he created a mini-documentary about life in Cuba during his March trip, saying he was serving as a journalist. In other moments, he has described the mission as a “humanitarian” effort, framing his trip as providing “humanitarian aid” to the people of Cuba.

Piker also characterized the controversy using language increasingly emerging from socialist, communist and anti-capitalist movements online, where activists have used the phrase “Epstein class” as shorthand for wealthy elites and the supposed moral corruption of American capitalism. The rhetoric repeats the propaganda of U.S. adversaries, including Cuba, China, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Russia.

He read a comment from a fan, who wrote, “We’ll free you, my brother.”

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

Piker responded, “I’m seemingly going to be made an example of…in America’s galloping toward fascism.”

He batted away suspicions that Elon Musk made a “boss call” to subpoena Piker after he did an interview yesterday with Ashley St. Clair, the mother of a baby with Musk. The two are going through a custody dispute.

“I haven’t gotten anything yet,” said Piker.

“Yes, I’ll get lawyered up,” he said, in response to a follower.

He said he needed a lawyer with expertise on the First Amendment and “knowledgeable on OFAC.”

“I haven’t had anything happen to me yet,” he said. “And it’s not like anything I’ve done.”

Saturday evening, Piker posted on X that “the American govt would rather try to criminalize delivering aid to a country we’d starved, than punish the Epstein class.”

MEDIA TAPS TWITCH STAR WHO TOLD VIEWERS TO ‘KILL’ REPUBLICANS FOR COMMENT ON CHARLIE KIRK’S ASSASSINATION

At 10:51 p.m., CodePink’s Benjamin posted: “Taking medical supplies to pediatric hospitals in Cuba is now a crime? Saving the lives of babies is a crime? The administration is beyond grotesque.”

Benjamin repeated the movement’s broader framing of the Cuba trips as “humanitarian” missions, even as organizers and participants repeatedly paired the aid campaigns with overt political rhetoric condemning the Trump administration, U.S. sanctions policy and what activists described as “imperialism” and “settler colonialism” in Cuba and Latin America.

Piker’s uncle, far-left commentator Cenk Ugyur, the co-founder of Justice Democrats, a socialist organization that helped elect Ilhan Omar, Rashida Talib and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Congress in 2018, defended him online Saturday night.

“Government apparently sent some bullshit subpoena to Hasan,” Ugyur wrote. “They’re tightening the noose on speech. Remember, they’ll always have an excuse or some technicality. It’s not like they’re going to tell you, ‘We did it because we don’t like what you’re saying.’”

Uygur then linked the investigation to broader left-wing claims about suppression of pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel speech, arguing the government was using legal and procedural mechanisms to target political dissent rather than directly censoring viewpoints.

WHO IS HASAN PIKER? MEET THE FAR-LEFT STREAMER WHO IS STIRRING UP CONTROVERSY ONLINE AND DIVIDING DEMOCRATS

Piker called CodePink co-founder Jodie Evans a “wonderful person.” He took a photo in Havana with Evans, which she shared on her Instagram account from Cuba.

A little after 3 p.m., one hour and 12 minutes into his livestream, Piker acknowledged, “I would much rather not have to deal with this.”

Half an hour later, he insisted that he was being targeted for his strong opposition to the existence of the state of Israel, playing a clip of Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., as they spoke about the growing tide of anti-semitism, including from Piker.

At one point, Piker scoffed as the two lawmakers discussed increasing reports of antisemitism in the U.S.

Piker later moved on to a segment supporting the the Islamic Republic of Iran in its talks with the U.S. and Israel to end the war in Iran, mocking the Israel delegation’s “chirping,” critiquing U.S. foreign policy for allegedly letting “Israel take control over our entire Middle East policy” and moving the focus of his monologue to a critique of the “Zionist” state of Israel and the “rogue” United States.

Fox News Digital’s Sophia Compton contributed to this report.

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The 41-year prison sentence handed to the ringleader of Minnesota’s massive Feeding Our Future fraud scandal is renewing scrutiny of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., over her ties to convicted figures in the $250 million scheme. 

Aimee Bock, the founder and former executive director of Feeding Our Future, was sentenced Thursday after prosecutors said she oversaw a network of fake meal sites that stole federal nutrition funds meant to feed low-income children during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The convicted fraudster alleged, without evidence, that Omar was likely aware of restaurant owners billing the government for falsified or inflated claims in an explosive interview with The New York Post. 

“I struggle to believe that she wouldn’t have known,” Bock told the outlet, referring to Omar.

OMAR ACCUSED BY GOP OPPONENT OF OPENING UP THE DOOR TO MASSIVE MINNEAPOLIS FRAUD: ‘DEEP, DEEP TIES’

More than 60 individuals, most of whom are members of the Somali immigrant community, have been convicted in the Feeding Our Future scandal in which fraudsters pocketed hundreds of millions of dollars from a federally funded child nutrition program.

Federal prosecutors have not charged Omar or accused her of participating in the fraud. 

However, Republicans have accused Omar of weakening guardrails around the program that allowed a network of fake meal sites to fraudulently bill the government and have zeroed in on her alleged ties to individuals convicted of pilfering taxpayer dollars, according to an 84-page report released by a Minnesota fraud committee earlier this month.

Omar has denied wrongdoing and told Fox News Digital this week that “any claim that I had knowledge of this scheme is flat-out false.” 

“As I stated from the beginning, stealing millions of dollars under the guise of feeding hungry children to bankroll lavish lifestyles and extravagant expenses is reprehensible,” the Minnesota Democrat continued. “I’m grateful that Aimee Bock and every individual involved in this abhorrent scheme are being held accountable for defrauding taxpayers and betraying vulnerable children.”

Omar declined a request from Minnesota’s Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee to hand over her communications with Feeding Our Future defendants and records related to promoting the program with state officials and constituents. Democrats on the panel subsequently blocked an attempt to subpoena those communications.

SEE IT: FEEDING OUR FUTURE FRAUDSTERS BOUGHT MANSIONS AND MERCEDES WITH $250M IN STOLEN MEAL FUNDS

The Minnesota House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee report pointed to several “direct ties” between Omar and individuals later convicted in the scheme. 

Omar’s one-time staffer, Guhaad Hashi Said, who has been described as the “enforcer” of the Minnesota Democrat’s prior congressional campaigns, is one of the convicted defendants.

Said pleaded guilty in August to conspiring to commit wire fraud and money laundering after establishing a fraudulent food program site called Advance Youth Athletic Development to siphon off taxpayer dollars for personal use. The entity submitted claims for serving more than 1 million meals, but prosecutors allege he served just a “fraction” of those meals while receiving nearly $3 million in reimbursements.

In May 2020, Omar also spotlighted a Somali-owned restaurant as a meal distribution site where low-income children could receive meals during the pandemic, in a Somali-language video.

Salim Said, the since-defunct restaurant’s co-owner, was ultimately convicted in the Feeding Our Future scheme alongside Bock. Federal prosecutors allege the site received more than $16 million in fraudulent child nutrition funds used for self-enrichment. 

“I’m very thankful for Safari for being part of those places where food is being given out,” Omar said in the promotional video, claiming the restaurant gave out 2,300 meals daily. “That’s a very important thing.”

The restaurant hosted Omar and her supporters at a 2018 election-night watch party, according to the report.

‘SCHEMES STACKED UPON SCHEMES’: $1B HUMAN-SERVICES FRAUD FUELS SCRUTINY OF MINNESOTA’S SOMALI COMMUNITY

“A lot of the sites were working directly with her, being that a lot of the operators were from the same Somali community,” Bock told The Post.

“There were a lot of people that had been reaching out to her office and staff — and I presume her personally — to work through some of those gaps with the waivers,” the convicted fraudster added.

State lawmakers allege Omar helped “create the conditions that led to Feeding Our Future” by “removing the guardrails” from the federal nutrition program through her MEALS Act, which passed Congress as part of a sweeping pandemic relief package.

Her provision allowed a broad range of “off-site” locations, including restaurants, to participate in the child nutrition program and waived requirements that made it difficult to verify billing claims from meal sites, according to the report.

When waivers allowing restaurants to participate in the meal program were set to expire, Omar urged the Trump administration to extend them.

That advocacy “undoubtedly helped the fraud expand,” state lawmakers alleged.

Omar pointed out her provision was signed into law by President Donald Trump and implemented by his administration, in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

“The MEALS Act was signed into law by President Trump and passed with bipartisan support as part of a broader legislative package,” she added. “Trump’s USDA Secretary set the regulatory framework during the rollout of the program.”

Omar also contended that after she learned about the fraud she “immediately sent a letter to the USDA secretary demanding answers and accountability.” 

“She only sent a letter once the fraud was exposed,” state Rep. Kristin Robbins, R-Minn., previously told Fox News Digital in response to Omar’s statement.

“Prior to that, she sent letters urging the administration to keep the waivers in place — allowing the fraud to continue. Sounds like revisionist history. I don’t buy it at all.”

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The “Squad” lawmaker has also come under recent scrutiny over alleged immigration fraud and her family’s finances. 

Vice President JD Vance said earlier this week that the Department of Justice is investigating Omar, though the department has yet to confirm the probe.

“You read the things about Ilhan Omar and about who she married and whether she didn’t marry this person or that person,” Vance told reporters. “It certainly seems like something fishy is there.” 

Omar fired back in an interview with Fox News Digital saying Vance is “saying stupid s—.”

“That is not something that is happening. That man is delusional,” she added.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Justice and the White House before publication.

A Senate Republican warned that President Donald Trump’s decisions were “killing our chances” for the GOP holding onto power in the Senate. 

It’s another chapter in the ongoing breakdown of the relationship between Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Trump that started last year during Republicans’ push to pass the president’s “big, beautiful bill.” 

The latest episode on Friday came after Trump accused Tillis of being a “nitpicker” on Truth Social. 

“When I told him that I would not, under any circumstances, endorse him for another run, too much work and drama (he couldn’t have won, anyway!), he immediately quit the race and publicly announced that he was going to ‘retire,’” Trump said.

TRUMP DOUBLES DOWN ON $1.8 BILLION ‘SLUSH FUND’ THAT KILLED HIS AGENDA, SPURRED REPUBLICAN REBELLION

“I said, ‘Wow, great news, that was easy!’ The media said how brave he was to take me on, but he wasn’t brave, he was just the opposite – HE WAS A QUITTER,” he continued. “Now he can have all the fun he wants for a few months, with some of his RINO friends, screwing the Republican Party.”

Tillis has not shied away from being critical of the Trump administration since announcing his decision not to run for office again, and he has typically aimed his barbs at the president’s top advisors.

He did so again by blaming Trump’s nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund on U.S. Pardon Attorney Ed Martin, pushing 50-year mortgages and the bipartisan Senate housing package on Housing Director Bill Pulte, the push to acquire private companies with taxpayer dollars on Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and the spate of firings of top generals at the Pentagon — and “not holding Putin accountable for his systematic kidnapping, rape, torture, and murder of Ukrainian civilians,” on War Secretary Pete Hegseth.

SENATE GOP ERUPTS OVER TRUMP DOJ ‘ANTI-WEAPONIZATION’ FUND, PUNTS ICE, BORDER PATROL FUNDING

“If opposing these things makes me a RINO, then I gladly accept that nickname,” Tillis said on X. “We need Republicans to do well in November, but the stupid stuff is killing our chances!”

White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales told Fox News Digital in a statement that Trump is “the unequivocal leader, best messenger, and unmatched motivator for the Republican Party, and he is committed to maintaining Republicans’ majority in Congress to continue delivering wins for the American people.”

REPUBLICANS RECOIL AS TRUMP’S BILLION-DOLLAR DOJ ‘SLUSH FUND’ FOR ALLIES THREATENS ICE, BORDER PATROL PLAN

“In just over one year, the President has made our country greater than ever before with the most secure border in American history, the largest middle-class tax cuts ever, and the lowest murder rate since 1900,” Wales said. “President Trump will continue to draw a sharp contrast with his commonsense agenda and the radical Democrats in Congress who allowed millions of illegal aliens to flow through the border, unanimously opposed the Working Families Tax Cuts, and are soft-on-crime.”

Still, many of those decisions have given Republicans across the spectrum of the Senate GOP heartburn, and most recently, the “anti-weaponization” fund derailed Congress’ effort to fund immigration operations across the country for the remainder of Trump’s term. 

Tillis was one of several Republicans who blasted the fund created by the Department of Justice (DOJ) shortly after its announcement earlier this week and joined in a dogpile against acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Wednesday behind closed doors.

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Like several others, Tillis was concerned that the fund could be used by Jan. 6 rioters convicted of assaulting police officers. 

“Imagine that,” Tillis said earlier this week.
”A fund that is set up to compensate people who assaulted Capitol Police officers and other responding agencies, right? People that had pled guilty to physical acts against the president may actually be able to get compensated. How absurd does that sound coming out of my mouth?”

Saturday’s shootout between the Secret Service and a deranged gunman near the White House marked the latest in a growing series of threats and security incidents involving President Donald Trump and senior administration officials, intensifying concerns about political violence.

As investigators continue piecing together the incident, authorities said Nasire Best, 21, of Maryland, approached a Secret Service checkpoint near 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW at about 6 p.m. local time, removed a weapon from his bag and opened fire on posted officers.

GUNMAN DEAD AFTER OPENING FIRE NEAR WHITE HOUSE CHECKPOINT, SECRET SERVICE SAYS

According to a senior administration official with direct knowledge of the incident, Best — who allegedly had prior encounters with the Secret Service and a history of mental health issues — fired about three shots toward the executive mansion before he was taken down by Secret Service agents.

The shooting comes just weeks after another armed suspect rushed the entry point of the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton hotel.

Authorities identified that suspect as 31-year-old Cole Allen, of Torrance, California, who traveled to the nation’s capital armed with multiple weapons and carrying a manifesto outlining his intent. Investigators also said Allen shared anti-Trump rhetoric on social media and allegedly expressed hostility toward Christians in online posts reviewed by law enforcement.

WHCD SHOOTING SUSPECT PLANNED TO TARGET TRUMP OFFICIALS, MANIFESTO REVEALS

According to investigators, Allen intended to target senior Trump administration officials attending the annual event before being stopped by law enforcement outside the Washington Hilton.

The alleged WHCA plot came less than two years after Trump survived two separate assassination attempts during the 2024 presidential campaign, incidents that dramatically reshaped security operations around the president and other top officials.

In July 2024, a gunman opened fire during a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing Trump’s ear, killing one rally attendee and injuring others before Secret Service agents fatally shot the suspect. Federal investigators later described the shooting as one of the most serious security failures in decades.

TRUMP RALLY GUNMAN ACTED ALONE, FBI SAYS — BUT QUESTIONS ABOUT MOTIVE PERSIST

Just months later, an armed suspect was discovered near Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, in what investigators described as a second assassination attempt. Prosecutors alleged the suspect had positioned himself near the course with a rifle before being spotted by Secret Service agents.

The heightened security posture has continued since those incidents.

In February, Secret Service agents fatally shot a 21-year-old man carrying a shotgun and gas canister outside Mar-a-Lago while Trump was in Washington. The incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. when the suspect made an “unauthorized entry” through the north gate of the resort as another vehicle was exiting. The man was identified as 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin of North Carolina.

Beyond those incidents, federal officials have repeatedly warned about a broader rise in threats targeting Trump and current and former administration officials, including dangers linked to extremist rhetoric, online radicalization and foreign adversaries such as Iran.

SUSPECT IDENTIFIED AFTER FATAL SHOOTING AT TRUMP’S MAR-A-LAGO ESTATE: OFFICIALS

Security concerns have also extended beyond Trump himself, with repeated swatting incidents, online death threats and increased protection measures for judges, prosecutors, and public officials connected to politically charged investigations and events.

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Taken together, the incidents have heightened concerns inside federal law enforcement and the intelligence community about the escalating risk of political violence ahead of another contentious election cycle.

A Democratic socialist running for governor in Wisconsin once called to “defund, then abolish,” the police. 

Wisconsin state Rep. Francesca Hong, in a flurry of posts on social media, called for the end of policing in the wake of the slaying of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake, before and during her time as an elected official. 

In one post made in August 2020, first reported by CNN, Hong said, “I support defunding the police as a first step towards abolishing the police.” 

DEM HOUSE HOPEFUL EXPOSED AS FAR-LEFT ACTIVIST PUSHING TO ABOLISH POLICE WEEKS BEFORE SPECIAL ELECTION

“Jacob Blake is fighting for his life, but he shouldn’t have to be,” she said on X, then Twitter. “We must also fight for his life and get justice for all those harmed by state-sanctioned violence.”

Blake was shot seven times in Kenosha, Wis., after police responded to a domestic disturbance call. The incident left him partially paralyzed and sparked a wave of violent protests in 2020. 

He had a pocket knife on him that fell from his pocket in the altercation, which he picked up before being shot. 

Hong again weighed in on the issue, this time as an elected official in October 2021 in response to federal prosecutors’ decision to not file charges against Officer Rusten Sheskey, who shot Blake over a year prior.

BLM ACTIVIST LEADING RESISTANCE TO TRUMP’S DC CRIME PLAN REPEATEDLY CALLED FOR ABOLISHING POLICE

“How is 7 bullets in the back not excessive force,” Hong said online. “Police exist to uphold white supremacy. Defund then abolish. Reform can’t be an option. My heart breaks for the trauma the Blake family and their community continues to endure.”

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Hong appeared to backtrack from the posts, but didn’t say whether as governor she would move to defund and abolish the police.

“There is no way I want to cut resources for public safety,” Hong said. “I don’t like crime. I don’t like unsafe streets. I also don’t like when a member of law enforcement abuses their power.”

MANDELA BARNES JUMPS INTO WISCONSIN GOVERNOR RACE — BUT BAGGAGE FROM HIS 2022 SENATE BID FOLLOWS

“Everyone deserves the resources they need to be safe, including housing, good-paying jobs, mental health supports and community resources,” she continued. “As governor, I will look at every part of the state and work with local leaders to shape solutions that address our immediate needs.”

Hong, who is endorsed by Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., is one of several candidates in a crowded primary for the Democratic nomination in Wisconsin. Primary Election Day is still a ways away on Aug. 11, and Hong is locked in a tight battle with former Lieutenant Governor and 2022 Democratic nominee for Senate Mandela Barnes. 

The winner of their primary will likely square off against Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., a member of the House Freedom Caucus and front-runner in his bid for the Republican nomination. Tiffany, in a statement to Fox News Digital, took a shot at both candidates. 

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“This is what today’s Democrat Party has become,” Tiffany said. “Whether it’s Francesca Hong doubling down on abolishing the police or Mandela Barnes calling to empty prisons while pushing to end cash bail, they are both far-left radicals who care more about protecting criminals than the innocent people harmed by their crimes.”

Tiffany’s campaign directed Fox News Digital to older posts from Barnes, too, where he pushed to “cut the prison population in half,” and legislation he introduced a decade ago to end cashless bail. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Barnes’ campaign for comment but did not immediately hear back.

EXCLUSIVE: Dr. Janette Nesheiwat has taken on a new role working at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center caring for members of the U.S. military and veterans, a job she says is a “profound honor.”

Nesheiwat, a former Fox News contributor who was previously nominated for U.S. surgeon general, told Fox News Digital she is specifically treating government and military personnel suffering with anomalous health incidents — also known as Havana Syndrome.

Nesheiwat told Fox News Digital she is helping to manage care for patients including intelligence officials, diplomats and military members and their families who are suffering with complex neurological and vestibular symptoms.

Havana Syndrome is often described as unexplained neurological symptoms suffered by U.S. officials and their families overseas. Officials have suggested the symptoms could be caused by a hostile foreign actor using weapons, but the direct cause is currently under investigation by U.S. intelligence agencies and congressional committees. A definitive conclusion has not yet been reached.

HAVANA SYNDROME ‘PATIENT ZERO’ REJECTS INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY FINDINGS THAT FOREIGN ADVERSARY ‘VERY UNLIKELY’

“It’s a profound honor to care for our nation’s soldiers and veterans at Walter Reed and the VA; many returning from the front lines with traumatic brain injuries, blast exposures and complex neurological symptoms,” Nesheiwat told Fox News Digital.

Nesheiwat told Fox News Digital that it is the mission of Walter Reed and the VA to “provide comprehensive, compassionate, evidence-based care that helps patients heal, recover function, and return to the highest level of wellness possible.”

“It is an honor being part of a team dedicated to helping our brave service men and women heal and regain hope after sacrificing so much for our great country,” Nesheiwat told Fox News Digital.

Nesheiwat told Fox News Digital that “service and sacrifice run deep in my family.” 

“Several members of my family are veterans of the Korean War, the Afghanistan War and Iraq War,” she said. “Their example, along with many others, gave me a deep respect for our military and makes caring for soldiers and veterans at Walter Reed and in the emergency room especially meaningful this Memorial Day weekend.” 

Nesheiwat, a double-board certified physician in both family medicine and urgent care medicine, also volunteers in the emergency room at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Nesheiwat graduated from both the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine and the family medicine residency program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, where she was selected to serve as chief resident. 

BIDEN DHS’S PURCHASE OF WEAPON LINKED TO HAVANA SYNDROME ATTACKS LEADS HOUSE REPUBLICANS TO DEMAND ANSWERS

Nesheiwat, a daughter of Jordanian immigrants, led frontline medical teams during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, along with her past work managing public health responses during flu epidemics, the opioid crisis, the monkeypox outbreak and other major health challenges. 

She also was named the first female medical director for CityMD in Manhattan — one of America’s largest urgent care systems. 

Nesheiwat was previously nominated to serve as U.S. Surgeon General. Her nomination was withdrawn amid a difference in ideology on her pro-vaccine stance. 

A source familiar told Fox News Digital that Nesheiwat has initiated legal action against media outlets that have mischaracterized her background. 

Upon the withdrawal of her nomination, Nesheiwat said she was “looking forward” to continuing to support Trump while working closely with the Trump administration “in a senior policy role.” 

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“My focus continues to be on improving the health and well-being of all Americans, and that mission hasn’t changed,” Nesheiwat said at the time. 

She is the sister-in-law of U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Michael Waltz.

Casey Means was nominated to serve as U.S. Surgeon General after Nesheiwat’s nomination was withdrawn. Means’ nomination was recently withdrawn, and Trump instead nominated now-former Fox News contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier. 

While President Donald Trump was burning the midnight oil hammering out a last-minute peace and denuclearization deal with Iran, his White House inner circle was hammering critics from the right for either working to “undermine” peace efforts or “illegally” abusing residual security clearance.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a Fox News contributor, and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, received X criticism from some of Trump’s top inner circle advisors, including White House communications director Steven Cheung, deputy assistant on counterterror Sebastian Gorka and outside political advisor Alex Bruesewitz.

“Mike Pompeo has no idea what the f— he’s talking about,” Cheung wrote in a scathing X post Saturday night. “He should shut his stupid mouth and leave the real work to the professionals. He’s not read into anything that’s happening, so how would he know.”

The Pompeo post that drew the ire suggested an impending Trump deal would wind up being an Obama-era-esque capitulation to Iran’s ongoing nuclear weapons aspirations.

MORNING GLORY: PRESIDENT TRUMP MUST REJECT A SECOND MUNICH AND HOLD FIRM AGAIN IRAN

“The deal being floated with Iran seems straight out of the Wendy Sherman-Robert Malley-Ben Rhodes playbook: Pay the IRGC to build a WMD program and terrorize the world,” Pompeo wrote on X. “Not remotely America First.” 

“It’s straightforward: Open the damned strait. Deny Iran access to money. Take out enough Iranian capability so it cannot threaten our allies in the region.

“Overdue. Let’s go.”

MIKE POMPEO: TRUMP’S IRAN STRIKES SHOW WORLD WHAT ‘AMERICA FIRST’ FOREIGN POLICY LOOKS LIKE

Gorka, while confirming nothing from Pompeo’s post, did suggest the former secretary of state might be “illegally” abusing his residual high security clearance.

“You have no knowledge of what is being negotiated in secret,” Gorka wrote on X. “If you did, you would be in possession of information illegally provided to you and which you are wholly unauthorized to have or to share.”

“So are you a liar or a criminal Pompeo?” Gorka asked.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio weighed in Sunday morning with further rebuke of critics of the Trump administration’s peace-making efforts.

WHY IRAN TALKS ARE IN LIMBO AS TRUMP SCRAMBLES FOR A WAY OUT OF THE WAR HE STARTED

“The idea that somehow this president, given everything he’s already proven he’s willing to do, is going to somehow agree to a deal that ultimately winds up putting Iran in a stronger position when it comes to nuclear ambitions is absurd,” Rubio said. “That’s just not going to happen.

“But our preference is to address this through diplomatic means, and that’s what we’re endeavoring to do here.” 

IRAN’S PRESIDENT FINALLY CAVES TO TRUMP, MAKES MAJOR ADMISSION ABOUT NUCLEAR WEAPONS

Rubio admitted he remains only “cautiously” optimistic Iran will put its words on paper into “action.”

“You can agree to things on paper,” he continued. “They actually have to be implemented. You can agree to things in writing and they you actually have to go out and do it.”

Cruz also received blowback for a post suggesting Trump’s peace efforts would come up short because of releasing “billions of dollars” to the Iranian regime.

“I am deeply concerned about what we are hearing about an Iran ‘deal,’ being pushed by some voices in the administration,” Cruz wrote Saturday on X. “President Trump’s decision to strike Iran was the most consequential decision of his second term. He was right to do so, and we achieved extraordinary military results — including destroying all of their missiles & drones and sinking their entire navy.

MORNING GLORY: TRUMP SHOULD DEMAND A CLEAR VICTORY OVER IRAN AND REJECT WEAK COMPROMISES

“If the result of all that is to be an Iranian regime—still run by Islamists who chant “death to America” — now receiving billions of dollars, being able to enrich uranium & develop nuclear weapons, and having effective control over the Strait of Hormuz, then that outcome would be a disastrous mistake.

“The details are still coming out — and I pray the early reports are wrong — but the fact that Biden’s Rob Malley is praising the deal is not encouraging.

“President Trump believes in peace through strength, and his strong leadership has already made America much safer. He should continue to hold the line, defend America & enforce the red lines he has repeatedly drawn.”

That drew criticism from one of Trump’s outside political advisors in Bruesewitz.

ISRAEL-IRAN WAR DIVIDES DEMOCRATS, BUT TRUMP’S DIPLOMACY ALSO SPLITTING REPUBLICANS

“Cool, Ted,” Bruesewitz wrote on X, touching off a tit-for-tat exchange with Cruz. “No one asked you, bro.

“Stop trying to undermine the President and his administration.”

Cruz fired back, suggesting Trump’s inner circle might be pushing Obama-era “Iran appeasement.”

DAVID MARCUS: THE MAGA ‘CIVIL WAR’ OVER IRAN IS A MYTH

“Hush, child,” Cruz replied on X. “The adults are talking. I’m not your ‘bro.’ And young political grifters pushing Iran appeasement are not remotely helping the President.”

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While there is some criticism of the Trump White House peace efforts, a noted Senate anti-war voice from the right came out to tell critics to let Trump cook.

“War virtually always ends with negotiations,” Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., wrote Sunday morning on X. “Critics of President Trump’s peace negotiations should give President Trump the space to find an American First solution.”

California city leaders are escalating opposition to the state’s high-speed rail project amid fears the Golden State could tap local taxpayer funds to prop up the troubled rail system after nearly two decades of delays. 

“This proposal in the 2026 Draft Business Plan is fiscally reckless, legally vulnerable, and fundamentally unfair to the communities expected to host High-Speed Rail facilities. It would weaken local governments, destabilize public services, and undermine constitutional protections that California voters have repeatedly affirmed. Simply put: the state cannot solve a state funding problem by raiding local tax bases,” wrote Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer along with nine other mayors in the letter obtained by Fox News Digital. 

The mayors penned the April letter to the CEO of the High-Speed Rail Authority (HSRA), slamming a tax and planning proposal to help bankroll the railroad that has been in the works since 2008. 

The mayors urged the state to pursue voter-approved bonds or dedicated state revenue sources instead of “attempting to divert local tax growth through a legally dubious scheme.”

NEWSOM’S CALIFORNIA RAIL PROJECT NOW EXPECTED TO COST $126B, OFFICIAL ADMITS, WITH STILL NO TRACKS LAID

The suggested plan first appeared in the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s 2026 Draft Business Plan. The plan outlined a full Phase 1 buildout of the line was re-estimated to cost $231.3 billion, while the Authority’s optimized approach puts the initial Phase 1 investment at about $126.2 billion.

The proposed funding for the high-speed rail would not create a new tax, but redirect tax revenues near future High Speed Rail stations to the project, local outlet the Fresno Bee reported. 

A California High-Speed Rail Authority spokesperson pushed back on the mayors’ characterization, saying there is no finalized plan to capture local revenues.

“There is no proposal. Through the 2026 Draft Business Plan, the Authority is continuing conversations with local jurisdictions and stakeholders about potential tools that could support station-area infrastructure and long-term system delivery,” said a California High-Speed Rail Authority spokesperson.

President Donald Trump and other administration officials have repeatedly called out Newsom and other California leaders for the time and money that has been spent on the project since it was approved in 2008 with an initial $33 billion price tag, before ballooning to more than $200 billion in expected costs. 

“A little train going from San Francisco to Los Angeles that’s being run by Gavin New-scum — the governor of California,” Trump said on May 6. “Did you ever hear of Gavin Newsom? He has got that train—the worst cost overrun I’ve ever seen. It’s like, totally out of control.”

“It is not constitutionally allowable in California for the state of California to come in and take those sales tax dollars for any other purpose than what they’re intended for, and that’s to support local government,” said Dyer.

He added that mayors have been left in the dark, having not met with HSRA officials, been left out of conversations and remained unsure of what the tax would be.

JONATHAN TURLEY: GRANDSTANDING NEWSOM WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO RIDE THE RAILS TO GLORY IN 2028

The nine other mayors who signed the letter represent the cities of Anaheim, Lancaster, Riverside, Bakersfield, Gilroy, Merced, Burbank, Hanford and Stockton.

Mayors called the plan to cherry-pick tax dollars as “legally dubious scheme” and “sets a dangerous statewide precedent.”

Lawmakers and local officials have slammed the project for failing to show deliverables and seemingly wasting taxpayer funds, while project leaders insist it will be completed.

“California’s high-speed rail has become a slow-moving train wreck — a case study in government waste and mismanagement, with billions spent, deadlines blown, and still nothing to show for it,” Rep. Vince Fong wrote on X in April. “No finished track. No trains. Just broken promises. Years later, taxpayers are still footing the bill.”

‘WHO BENEFITED?’: BLUE STATE LAWMAKER DEMANDS FBI INVESTIGATE BULLET TRAIN ‘BOONDOGGLE’

While at a conference in Washington, D.C., HSRA CEO Ian Choudri said the high-speed railway will be finished “in our lifetime,” SFGate reported.

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Fox News Digital reached out to the HSRA, office of Gov. Newsom and Mayor Dyer for comment.

The Democratic Party’s socialist wing is taking a victory lap after more than a dozen Democratic Socialists of America, or DSA, backed candidates won or are expected to advance in primaries across five states, casting the results as proof of momentum, despite party leaders urging Democrats to stay focused on electability ahead of the midterms.

Tuesday’s primaries produced outright wins, apparent victories and runoff advancements for more than a dozen candidates linked to or backed by the DSA, including candidates for Congress, state legislatures, and local offices such as mayor and city council. One of the biggest victories came in Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional District, where Chris Rabb, a sitting state representative and self-identified democratic socialist, won the Democratic primary. 

Rabb is running unopposed in the November general election, which will lead him to becoming DSA’s second nationally endorsed member of the U.S. House of Representatives, according to the organization.

DSA’s election night live blog described the results for its “ambitious slate of candidates” as “rosy,” adding, “There is a new Democratic Socialist in Congress,” following Rabb’s primary win since he will be running unopposed.

DEMOCRATIC-SOCIALIST NOMINEE EYEING NJ GOVERNOR’S VACANT HOUSE SEAT COMPARES ICE TO 1960S SEGREGATIONISTS

“There’s dissatisfaction with the establishment,” Mustafa Rashed, a Philadelphia-based political strategist, told WHYY News, the primary NPR-affiliate in the area. “[Voters] want someone different and if you can unapologetically present yourself as an outsider, as someone that’s going to give you a different outcome, I think people will be receptive to that message and respond to it. And I think that’s what happened.”

“What this means is that there’s potential for a new working-class alignment of voters… [who are] saying the same thing to the political establishment and the political machine in both the Republican and Democratic Party,” Maurice Mitchell, national director for the Working Families Party, told WHYY News shortly after the results were released. Mitchell described Rabb’s Tuesday night victory as “a shockwave” heard around the nation, WHYY reported.

According to the DSA, May’s primaries were “just the beginning,” citing a list of 27 DSA-endorsed candidates on the ballot in the upcoming slate of June primaries.

The socialist victories on Tuesday landed the same week the Democratic National Committee (DNC) released a long-delayed 2024 postmortem report that warned Republicans will continue trying to elevate Democrats whose politics or positions can be used to paint candidates in competitive races as out of touch. The report also suggested Democrats need to reconnect with Middle America, the South, rural voters, men, Latinos and working-class communities while building stronger messaging around affordability, public safety and candidate quality, rather than assuming anti-Trump energy is enough.

DNC CHAIR DOWNPLAYS SOCIALIST–MODERATE RIFT AS MAMDANI’S RISE HAS SOME DEMS RATTLED

DNC Chairman Ken Martin first promised to release a 2024 postmortem report after becoming DNC chair, then reversed course in December by arguing the party should focus on winning rather than rehashing the failures of the last election. 

That decision triggered months of pressure from activists, Democratic operatives and potential 2028 figures, including former Vice President Kamala Harris and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, before Martin released the report Thursday with a sweeping disclaimer distancing the DNC from its findings.

“Socialism is ascendant in today’s Democratic Party, and it’s influencing and shaping the primary election contests in a way that potentially spells doom for the party in general elections,” GOP strategist Collin Reed told Fox News Digital.

Reed compared Democrats’ current left-wing primary pressures to the Tea Party-era candidacy fights Republicans faced more than a decade ago, saying it was “ironic to see the shoe now on the other foot.”

FOX NEWS POLL: SOCIALISM GAINING GROUND AMONG VOTERS

“As someone who’s old enough to have lived through the 2010 and 2012 cycles, when Republicans had a similar challenge in nominating and choosing candidates who could win general elections, it’s ironic to see the shoe now on the other foot,” Reed said.

The danger that could be afoot for Democrats heading into the midterms, and even the 2028 presidential election, has been echoed by Democratic Party leadership who have warned their party against putting all of its energy into ideological fights at the expense of electability.

At a July fundraiser last year, former President Barack Obama urged Democrats to stop “navel-gazing,”  and support candidates already running competitive races and focus less on ideology than whether candidates can deliver for voters.

YOUNG PROGRESSIVES LOOK TO ZOHRAN MAMDANI, AOC AS FUTURE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY – UNDER ONE CONDITION

“I think it’s going to require a little bit less navel-gazing and a little less whining and being in fetal positions. And it’s going to require Democrats to just toughen up,” Obama said at the fundraiser, according to excerpts obtained by CNN.

“Stop looking for the quick fix,” he added. “Stop looking for the messiah. You have great candidates running races right now. Support those candidates.” 

Some progressives, however, have viewed Rabb’s win as evidence that the winning energy behind socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani can travel beyond New York.

“Philly progressives don’t want to waste the momentum they’re seeing in Maine, Texas and Michigan on another establishment candidate,” Ryan Birchmeier, a Democratic strategist and a previous communications director for former New York City Mayor Eric Adams, told The Guardian. “They see this as their ‘Zohran moment.'”

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Rabb himself made a similar comparison in March, telling City & State Pennsylvania that voters were motivated less by the Democratic Party itself and more by “opposition to extremism” and “anti-establishment fervor.”

Rabb, too, pointed to Mamdani’s election in New York City and said he was seeing that same energy “on the ground” in Philadelphia.

EXCLUSIVE: Bishop Robert Barron said he has been urging Catholics on the left to stop the “demonization” of the Trump administration, even when it comes to highly contentious issues such as immigration and border security.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Barron, arguably the most prominent Catholic prelate in America, said that despite criticism within the church of the administration’s immigration policy, “there are darn good reasons, moral reasons, for being concerned about an open border.”

“I don’t think it’s fair to say to a conservative, to a Republican, you’re just being difficult and anti-humanitarian,” he said, adding that “at times, the Catholic left is great for calling for dialogue and bridge-building — until it comes to conservatives.”

He said that for many Catholics on the left, “when it comes to conservatives, just tell them what they should be doing and saying.”

“No, no, let’s build bridges of conversation. That’s a role the Church can play,” he said. “What I don’t want from the church is a kind of demonization of the Trump administration.”

PROMINENT CATHOLIC BISHOP SLAMS ANTI-ICE AGITATORS WHO DISRUPTED MN CHURCH SERVICE: ‘UNACCEPTABLE’

“If there are points of disagreement, whether it’s immigration or it’s the [Iran] war or whatever, let’s talk about it, let’s talk.”

Barron said he has been trying to encourage dialogue on both the immigration and Iran issues. Though he admitted he has “not always met with success, frankly, from the ecclesial side.”

Despite this, Barron said he “would like those conversations to continue.”

The bishop revealed he was deeply moved by a passionate appeal for stricter border security from border czar Tom Homan during a recent White House call. He said he was participating in it as part of his work on President Donald Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission.

Barron said Homan, who he noted is a Catholic, “spoke with great passion … and he said he’s come out of retirement twice to engage this issue.”

“Why? He said that because he’s seen the terrible destruction caused by an open border. And he was talking about, especially human trafficking, the human trafficking of children, the disappearance of children we’ve lost track of completely in this process.”

POPE LEO SAYS COUNTRIES HAVE RIGHT TO CONTROL THEIR BORDERS, ADVOCATES FOR HUMANE TREATMENT OF MIGRANTS

“He was saying, we can’t simply fall for the simplistic view that an open border is humanitarian, that an open border is kind to the stranger … an open border also produces enormous moral problems,” said Barron.

“You could tell that it was affecting him very deeply, very personally,” he said. “I found that very moving.”

“It’s not just, well, the bad guy, Republicans, who want to enforce immigration laws. It’s Republicans for very good moral reasons who want to enforce immigration law,” he said.

At the same time, Barron emphasized that there are “values on both sides” of the debate.

He said that even through Trump’s feud with Pope Leo XIV, he has encouraged real dialogue and conversation between the Vatican and Washington. He said he has met with “a lot of Catholics inside the Trump administration who are interested in bringing the church’s teaching to bear.”

EXCLUSIVE: CATHOLIC BISHOPS CHIDED FOR SOWING ‘CONFUSION’ ON DEPORTATION STANCE

He posited that “part of the problem in the Trump-pope battle was that the president was treating the pope too much as a politician.”

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“Popes, I think, are supposed to use the moral structure of the church’s teaching to move prudential judgment in the right direction,” he explained. “Now what’s a president’s responsibility? His responsibility is to make those prudential judgments.“

“Now here’s what I recommend: I think the leading Catholics inside the Trump administration, I mean people like JD Vance, like Marco Rubio, like Brian Burch, the [Vatican] ambassador, should sit down with their counterparts in the Vatican and they should have a real conversation about this.

“The church provides a moral framework. Terrific. Now, let’s have a real conversation with those whose job it is to make that decision but have it conditioned by this moral framework, that would be more fruitful.”

GOP lawmakers brushed aside concerns over President Donald Trump targeting GOP incumbents after Rep. Thomas Massie’s, R-Ky., loss, as several Republicans stressed the need for unity to advance the Republican agenda.

Massie lost to congressional candidate Ed Gallrein in Kentucky’s Republican primary last week after months of escalating attacks from Trump, who publicly criticized the Kentucky Republican over repeated breaks with the president and opposition to parts of the GOP agenda.

“Primaries happen,” Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital. “We move through that, but it’s back to the business of the American people, so you know, my hope is that everybody just gets focused on that.”

MTG SAYS GOP’S FUTURE ‘DESTROYED’ AFTER TRUMP-BACKED PRIMARY CHALLENGER DEFEATS THOMAS MASSIE IN PRIMARY

Massie had long been one of the most outspoken Republican critics of parts of Trump’s agenda in Congress, drawing repeated attacks from the president over spending fights and other legislative disputes. Trump intensified his criticism of Massie in the months leading up to the primary, backing efforts to oust him from Congress.

The stakes are particularly high for Republicans as the party works to maintain its slim House majority over Democrats while navigating internal divisions over Trump’s agenda and political influence.

Despite speculation that Trump’s strategy of targeting GOP incumbents could be harmful to the party, many lawmakers stood by Trump’s decision to make his personal endorsements as he sees fit. 

“I think Trump is going to be Trump, and not everybody’s going to agree with what he does,” Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, said. “The fact is that he’s been incredibly effective.”

“He gets to endorse who he wants to endorse,” Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said. 

SNUBBED BY TRUMP, GOP CANDIDATES FIGHTING FOR RE-ELECTION ACT LIKE THEY HAVE HIS BACKING ANYWAY

Still, some Republicans acknowledged Trump’s aggressive involvement in primaries could create complications inside the conference, particularly for members no longer worried about reelection.

“It’s not lost on a lot of people, I think, that the reason that the president doesn’t like those members could be… they can get the last laugh if you will as they are untethered now to reelection.”

Others emphasized that with Republicans operating under narrow margins in the House, lawmakers have little room for prolonged battles within the party as leadership works to move Trump-backed legislation through Congress.

“We have a tight bracket that we have to, every week, fulfill,” Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, said. “And as we move through primaries, as we move towards the election, we need the team. We need members to show up.”

DEMOCRAT TAKEOVER FEARS RISE AS GOP CLINGS TO SLIM HOUSE MAJORITY

Republicans also stressed the importance of gearing up both voters and members of Congress to be aligned ahead of the midterms as the party works to defend its narrow House majority in November.

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“Ultimately, that’s up to the voters in those states and districts as to who wins these primaries and it’s up every member to make sure they win,” Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., said.

“As far as the rest of the Congress, look, we have a lot of work to do on behalf of the American people. And unless you suddenly change your view on these issues, one would think you would still represent your district and state appropriately.”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is taking heat from southern conservatives after she delivered a fiery speech in Montgomery, Alabama, last week, demanding that northern progressives “pull up to the South.”

Speaking at the “All Roads Lead to The South” rally May 16, the prominent “Squad” member claimed the U.S. was not a true democracy until the 1960s when the Voting Rights Act was passed, and took direct aim at the Supreme Court, accusing the high court under Chief Justice John Roberts of being “part of that long history of regression and repression in America.”

Ocasio-Cortez then issued a highly controversial call to action, demanding that “the North” travel to red states like Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Tennessee and Mississippi to fight what she described as political injustice.

She doubled down on social media following the event, writing, “If you’re not from these states, it’s time to pull up.”

AOC SLAMS ‘OPPRESSED’ TRUMP STATES WHILE TOUTING NYC SERVICES DESPITE $5B DEFICIT AND TRANSIT CRIME SPIKE

Her rhetoric was quickly slammed by conservatives on social media, with many pointing out the irony of the congresswoman urging people to “pull up” while she stood heavily protected during her speech behind bulletproof glass.

Conservative podcaster Todd Spears went viral with a TikTok reaction video that racked up 1 million views, mocking Ocasio-Cortez’s security setup.

“[Pull up] and do what? Help us get the boat off the trailer, like cut the grass, track a deer in the woods?” Spears said. “Roll up and do what exactly? Because you’re standing behind, like, pope glass in your own hometown. You come down here starting that s—, you better bring a tank. That’s not a good idea. You stay where you’re at.”

AOC SPENT OVER $53K IN CAMPAIGN FUNDS ON LUXURY HOTELS IN 2025: ‘CARPETBAGGER’

Spears also criticized the divisive nature of her remarks, writing in the video caption that “AOC talking about the North ‘rolling up’ on the South and Alabama, like this is still the 1860s, is wild.”

“Maybe politicians should spend less time trying to divide Americans and more time fixing the mess we already have,” he added.

Another TikTok creator, Kei Bennett, whose video garnered more than 800,000 views, warned Ocasio-Cortez’s supporters not to take the bait.

“I want to issue a stern warning so you do not take her advice and pull up on Alabama,” Bennett said, jokingly citing local dangers ranging from wild hogs and bayou gators to locals who “will not hesitate to unite and get you the f— up out of here.”

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Bennett, who has more than half a million followers on the platform, warned the congresswoman’s followers that “down here in the South we don’t call cops, we call coroners,” adding, “Stay your a– up there, leave us alone. We ain’t bothering nobody.”

Ocasio-Cortez’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

FIRST ON FOX: Federal officials have served subpoenas to Marxist political influencer Hasan Piker and CodePink cofounder Susan Medea Benjamin as part of a wider investigation into whether U.S. organizations and leaders violated U.S. laws and sanctions in supporting Cuba’s communist regime, Fox News Digital has learned.

Piker and Benjamin are among those caught in a federal inquiry into whether activists who traveled to Cuba in March violated U.S. sanctions laws through the financing, coordination or delivery of goods to Cuba, including potential contacts with Cuban government personnel or entities on the island. The administrative subpoenas were sent to the pair by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control

The administrative subpoenas — called “Requests for Information,” or RFI — seek financial, logistical and communications information revolving around trips the two widely bragged about making to the island nation in March with delegations of the “Nuestra América Convoy,” or “Our America Convoy,” from a global network of communist sympathizers, activists and influencers who brought supplies to the country’s ruling Communist Party of Cuba, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The investigation is part of a broader effort by officials at Treasury, State and Justice departments to curb malign foreign influence operations inside the United States, particularly activities tied to support for political violence, extremist movements or acts the U.S. government classifies as terrorism. The scrutiny reflects growing concern among federal authorities and lawmakers over whether foreign actors and aligned organizations are attempting to shape American political discourse, mobilize activists, sow discord and normalize rhetoric that could encourage violence or undermine U.S. national security interests.

According to a Fox News Digital investigation, Singham has pumped $278 million into nonprofit groups that have pushed pro-China, pro-Cuba, anti-U.S. narratives and street protests for almost a decade, since his marriage in February 2017 to CodePink co-founder Jodie Evans, who is also being investigated for her role in the March trip. CodePink received $1.33 million from Singham after he married Evans.

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

In mid-March, organizations in the Singham network — from the Venceremos Brigade to People’s Forum, a hub for communist causes in New York City — were leaders of the Nuestra American Convoy, which included an estimated 650 delegates from 33 countries and 120 organizations. The organizations included Democratic Socialists of America, a U.S. nonprofit that promotes Piker as a headline member.

The investigation by the Office of Foreign Assets Control is part of a broader dragnet that includes as many as 40 American citizens who joined foreign nationals, including a controversial Brazil activist, Thiago Avila, who are part of a global network of anti-U.S. Marxists, communists and socialists. Additional subpoenas are expected.

The administrative subpoenas mark a serious escalation by the Trump administration against a far-left nonprofit activist network that has spent years defending communist regimes, from Cuba to China, while presenting its work as humanitarian aid, anti-war organizing and “solidarity” with people “oppressed” by the “imperialist” U.S “colonial power.”

As reported, a Fox News Digital investigation has identified 145 U.S. nonprofits and activist groups with $1 billion in collective revenues that Justice and Treasury Department officials are investigating as part of a wider influence campaign by Cuba’s communist regime and other foreign actors. According to public statements, it’s believed that delegation members stayed at a hotel the U.S. State Department has put on a “Cuba Restricted List,” as businesses directly tied to the communist government of Cuba, designated a state sponsor of terrorism.

U.S. law imposes broad restrictions on financial transactions involving Cuba, primarily through the “Cuban Asset Control Regulations,” administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control. Those rules generally prohibit unlicensed travel-related transactions and the export of goods or services to Cuba, with limited exceptions for journalism, humanitarian projects, educational programs and certain activities meant to support the Cuban people.

WHO IS HASAN PIKER? MEET THE FAR-LEFT STREAMER WHO IS STIRRING UP CONTROVERSY ONLINE AND DIVIDING DEMOCRATS

Piker, one of the most influential political streamers on Twitch, has built a massive online following with a mix of Marxist politics, anti-American commentary and inflammatory statements that have repeatedly drawn public backlash.

On March 10, Piker posted a photo of himself on Instagram with the message: “I’M GOING TO CUBA.”

In an Instagram post from the trip, Singham’s wife, Evans, smiled widely in Havana, wearing a red-and-white Palestinian scarf, or kefiyyeh, around her neck, while standing beside Piker, who looked seriously into the camera.

On a livestream this week, Piker said that the Justice Department’s indictment of Cuban leader Raúl Castro is a “sham” with “no legal standing,” designed to create a pretext for escalating U.S. pressure on the island. Piker argued that Trump is acting like a “playground bully.”

Fox News Digital recently observed Piker outside his Los Angeles home escorting his dog, Kaya, outside the house for a bathroom break early one morning. Kaya, a large-breed dog that is a mix of Tibetan Mastiff, Chow Chow, and St. Bernard, has been the beloved subject of an online campaign, dubbed “Free Kaya,” over allegations Piker trained Kaya with a shock collar that transmits painful stimuli as part of behavior training. At one moment, Piker silently stood over Kaya and gestured with a finger for her to return to the house after relieving herself. Later, Kaya was observed being walked and driven by a woman leaving Piker’s home.

Benjamin has made her mark as an activist gadfly who stages media spectacles at Congressional hearings, defense industry trade conferences and the homes of government officials, yelling invectives, chants and slogans, branding herself as “anti-war,” but actually running a pattern of messages denouncing the U.S. and uplifting communist and authoritarian regimes from the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Chinese Communist Party and the Communist Party of Cuba.

Fox News Digital recently observed Benjamin outside her colorful home in Washington, D.C., with her partner and fellow activist Tighe Barry, who accompanied her on the trip to Havana.

Piker has been criticized for saying that “America deserved 9/11,” a remark he later said was poorly phrased, and for past comments about former Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, a Navy SEAL veteran who lost an eye in Afghanistan. More recently, critics, including Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., have accused Piker of amplifying anti-Semitic rhetoric after Oct. 7, while Piker has denied antisemitism and said his criticism is aimed at Israel, not Jews.

FAR-LEFT STREAMER HASAN PIKER DEFENDS HIMSELF FROM ANTISEMITISM ACCUSATIONS IN INTERVIEW WITH JEWISH OUTLET

The larger group under scrutiny includes Isra Hirsi, the daughter of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., according to sources, with investigators examining whether Omar may have funded her daughter’s travel to Cuba. Omar didn’t respond to an earlier request for comment about her daughter’s trip.

Piker, Benjamin, Singham, Evans and CodePink didn’t respond to requests for comment.

According to sources, the Office of Foreign Assets Control is also investigating CodePink’s DC Coordinator, Olivia DiNucci, a former Division I basketball star from Emerson College in Boston. Her unassuming, girl-next-door persona often gains her entry into coveted spaces that she then disrupts with loud theatrics. She joined a convoy led by the Brazilian activist, Avila.

RED WEALTH, DARK MONEY: HOW AN AMERICAN TYCOON DEPLOYS MAO’S PLAYBOOK AGAINST THE WEST

Federal investigators are examining whether the caravan’s financing, logistics, coordination or delivery of goods crossed legal lines under U.S. sanctions law, sources said.

Legal experts told Fox News Digital that the subpoenas could determine whether prosecutors pursue a criminal case under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, known as IEEPA, or whether the matter remains a civil enforcement issue handled by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, which administers U.S. sanctions programs.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control can impose civil penalties under a “strict liability” standard, meaning the government does not have to prove intent. The Justice Department, by contrast, generally must show that a defendant willfully violated the law in a criminal case, often through evidence of concealment, evasion or knowing participation in prohibited transactions.

In a long livestream on Saturday, Piker interviewed another influencer, Ashley St. Clair, about having a baby with billionaire Elon Musk, railed against Trump, defended the communist leaders of Cuba and free-associated about other topics in the news, including a shooting outside the White House, decrying the chaos in America. “It’s f@*&ing terrifying,” he said.

REP ILHAN OMAR’S DAUGHTER STRIKES HARD-CORE COMMUNIST POSE AS MOM BATTLES CLAIMS SHE IS RICH

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President Donald Trump announced on Saturday an agreement has been “largely negotiated” with Iran and several allied nations, signaling a nearing end to the controversial 84-day war.

The president wrote in a Truth Social post that following a “very good call” with leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain, the deal is nearing finalization.

“An Agreement has been largely negotiated, subject to finalization between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the various other Countries, as listed,” Trump wrote in the post. “Separately, I had a call with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel, which, likewise, went very well.”

He added final aspects and details of the deal are “currently being discussed and will be announced shortly.”

Trump also indicated a key provision of the deal involves opening the Strait of Hormuz.

The breakthrough announcement follows intense diplomatic efforts and military pressures surrounding the war with Iran.

Earlier in the day, Trump reportedly told Axios that he was a “solid 50/50” on whether he would sign a deal or resume combat operations to “blow them to kingdom come.” 

However, following the conference call with Arab leaders, a regional diplomat told Fox News the discussions were “very positive” and that regional leaders were highly supportive of “the breakthrough President Trump achieved with the talks.”

The impending diplomatic agreement comes amid significant U.S. military action in the region. 

U.S. Central Command recently announced a milestone of redirecting 100 commercial vessels during a weeks-long maritime blockade of Iranian ports aimed at squeezing the country economically. 

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously signaled negotiators were making progress, emphasizing that any resolution would require Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open without tolls and surrender its enriched uranium.

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

Wealthy Democrats eyeing higher political aspirations are leaning into stories of childhood hardship and family trauma as privilege becomes a political liability on the left, according to J.P. De Gance, founder of the nonprofit Communio.

“Privilege is one of the worst things you can have within progressive ideology,” De Gance told Fox News Digital.

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom has become one of the clearest examples of that tension, DeGance explained. 

In his recent memoir and media profiles, Newsom has framed his upbringing as a study in contrasts: elite access through his family’s close ties to the Getty fortune, but also a childhood marked by divorce, dyslexia, financial strain, odd jobs and his mother taking in foster children to help pay the rent.

GOV GAVIN NEWSOM: FROM PRIVILEGE TO HEARTBREAK, MY LIFE BEHIND THE HEADLINES

“They really were leaning into family trauma, resentment, arguments from their childhood background. These are guys trying to introduce themselves on a national stage and, traditionally, you would have a candidate introduce himself by telling you his hardscrabble story and maybe being a busser,” he said.

De Gance said that kind of personal storytelling could become more common as Democrats with elite backgrounds try to connect with voters shaped by economic strain, family breakdown and addiction, most notably as the nation inches closer to the next presidential election in 2028. 

“Governor Newsom’s book was a chance to tell the complete and unvarnished story about his family and upbringing, which he has repeatedly acknowledged spanned two worlds: one in which his father worked for a family with a great fortune and the other with a ‘rock star’ mom who raised two children and worked multiple jobs,” a spokesperson for Newsom told Fox News Digital. 

“He’s not running from any one narrative nor favoring another. This is the accurate and complete story of his childhood.”

De Gance, whose nonprofit works with churches to strengthen marriages and families, collaborated on a new study from the nonprofit Austin Institute and argued that figures such as Newsom or Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, another Democrat who comes from a wealthy family, reflect a broader shift in Democratic political messaging toward emotional struggle and childhood trauma that resonates with more voters.

“This reflection on childhood resentment, childhood trauma and, I think, in a certain sense, we should expect more of this, because I think, in a sense, Pritzker, Newsom and others are reflecting what they’re seeing in a lot of in a lot of the electorate,” he added.

BILLIONAIRE JP PRITZKER SAYS HE’S HAD TO OVERCOME HIS WEALTH, WOULD BE ‘OBSTACLE’ IN 2028

Voters whose parents stayed continuously married were 67% more likely to identify as conservative or very conservative compared to those whose parents never married, while only 46% of Americans under 30 grew up in an intact family, according to the Austin Institute’s 2025 Relationships in America Survey.

“A majority of Americans now under age 30 … have grown up in a home where mom and dad didn’t stay married through childhood,” said De Gance.

De Gance said the survey found former Vice President Kamala Harris performed better among 2024 voters whose parents did not remain married during childhood, while President Donald Trump performed better among voters whose parents stayed married.

NEWSOM’S GETTY DYNASTY TIES COLLIDE WITH HIS CLAIMS OF A STRUGGLING CHILDHOOD

Newsom has spoken publicly about his parents’ divorce, dyslexia and difficult upbringing — including eating Wonder Bread sandwiches and mac and cheese — despite his elite political connections. 

“By relating themselves as victims of past family resentment and trauma, it’s also a desire to associate with elements of victim groups,” said De Gance.

Newsom’s father, Bill, was a longtime close friend and advisor to billionaire Gordon Getty, helping manage parts of the Getty family fortune, while the Getty scion brought a young Gavin Newsom and his sister on vacations to Kenya and Canada, The New Yorker reported in 2004. 

NEWSOM PAC BOUGHT THOUSANDS OF MEMOIR COPIES ABOUT HIS HARDSHIPS, JUICING SALES

A Vogue profile of Newsom, published in February ahead of the release of his memoir, renewed backlash over characterizing his childhood as financially difficult despite cozy ties to one of the most prominent and wealthy families in the world. 

“People assume Newsom comes from money. He doesn’t. Access, yes. Privilege, yes. Money, no. The most compelling aspect of Newsom’s biography is his schizophrenic upbringing, vis-à-vis wealth,” said the profile published in Vogue. “After his parents’ divorce, his father seems not to have provided much financial support. Tessa Newsom, née Menzies, scrambled to keep the family afloat.

“Young Gavin chipped in, picking up a newspaper route and a job as a busboy. They took in foster kids because the government stipend helped pay the rent. Meanwhile, there were the Gettys,” Vogue continued before launching into the Newsom family ties to the powerful Getty family, an American dynasty built on oil. 

Pritzker, another wealthy Democratic governor viewed as a possible 2028 contender and an heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune, has also spoken publicly about early family trauma, including the death of his father when he was a child, his mother’s alcoholism and the sense that he was “robbed” of a normal childhood.

Pritzker has compared himself to an orphan, saying he grew up faster and that life as an orphan feels like “a sense of being robbed,” he told The New Yorker.

Pritzker has touted his hard work beginning as a busboy at one of his family’s hotels as a teenager.

“The hotel business had made the family wealthy enough that Pritzker and his siblings would never have to have real jobs, but [Pritzker’s mother] had gone out of her way to instill in them the value of work,” The New Yorker reported of Pritzker in a 2023 profile. “When Pritzker was a teenager, he had been a busboy at Rickey’s Hyatt House, the hotel that launched the family fortune.”

“You have to work twice as hard as the guy next to you, because you didn’t earn this,” Pritzker told the New Yorker, sharing his mother’s advice as a child.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Pritzker for comment.

The Trump administration’s decision to indict former Cuban leader Raúl Castro is fueling comparisons to the pressure campaign President Donald Trump previously used against Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro, as the White House ramps up economic pressure, direct appeals to Cubans and military visibility in the Caribbean.

The indictment — tied to Cuba’s 1996 shootdown of two civilian aircraft that killed three U.S. citizens — has raised questions about whether the administration is testing a Venezuela-style pressure strategy against Havana’s communist regime.

The USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group has been operating in the Caribbean under U.S. Southern Command authorities, providing a visible military backdrop to the administration’s increasingly confrontational posture toward Havana. Publicly announced assets include fighter aircraft, electronic warfare aircraft and guided-missile destroyers.

The broader posture has drawn comparisons to the administration’s earlier campaign against Maduro, which similarly began with criminal charges against a longtime anti-American strongman before expanding into a wider regime-pressure effort involving sanctions, diplomatic isolation and heightened U.S. military activity in the Caribbean.

OBAMA’S BASEBALL OUTING WITH CASTRO REIGNITES FURY AFTER TRUMP DOJ DROPS HAMMER ON CUBAN LEADER

Federal prosecutors charged Castro and several former Cuban officials Wednesday in connection with the 1996 shootdown of two Brothers to the Rescue civilian aircraft that killed four men, including three U.S. citizens. Castro was Cuba’s defense minister at the time of the attack. 

U.S. prosecutors allege Castro helped authorize the operation after the civilian planes repeatedly entered Cuban airspace while conducting missions linked to the Miami-based Brothers to the Rescue organization, which searched for Cuban migrants at sea and opposed the communist government in Havana.

Cuban fighter jets ultimately shot down two unarmed aircraft over international waters in 1996, according to the indictment, triggering international condemnation and one of the most severe crises in U.S.-Cuba relations since the Cold War. 

“At the very least, it means symbolically that he is now set up just as Nicolás Maduro was,” Christine Balling, a Cuba expert at the Institute of World Politics and former adviser to U.S. Special Operations Command South, told Fox News Digital.

During Trump’s earlier pressure campaign against Maduro, the U.S. indicted the Venezuelan leader on narcoterrorism charges, tightened sanctions on the country’s oil sector, backed opposition efforts to remove him and increased military operations in the Caribbean.

The campaign ultimately culminated in a U.S.-backed operation that removed Maduro from effective power and reopened channels of American influence inside Venezuela through energy negotiations and cooperation involving senior figures including Vice President Delcy Rodríguez.

RUBIO LAYS OUT THREE-PHASE PLAN FOR VENEZUELA AFTER MADURO: ‘NOT JUST WINGING IT’

Balling cautioned that she did not believe the U.S. was necessarily preparing the same type of operation against Castro or Cuba itself.

“I don’t think that we are necessarily going to conduct the same operation,” she said. “Raúl Castro is 94 years old. It might not be worth the trouble.”

Still, Balling argued, the indictment sends “a very straightforward message that we are 100% behind the fall of the Castro regime.”

The White House could not immediately be reached for comment. 

RUBIO SAYS CUBA NEEDS ‘NEW PEOPLE IN CHARGE’ AS BLACKOUTS, UNREST GRIP ISLAND

Secretary of State Marco Rubio reinforced that message this week with a direct appeal to the Cuban people, accusing the communist government of blaming the island’s collapse on the U.S. “blockade” while enriching military-linked elites who dominate the Cuban economy. Rubio also highlighted the success of Cubans living abroad, arguing the Cuban people — not the regime — were capable of prosperity.

Balling described Rubio’s remarks as a deliberate attempt to undermine Havana’s domestic propaganda and convince Cubans that the regime, rather than the United States, bears primary responsibility for the island’s economic collapse.

“Rubio wants them to understand that the regime is acting against their own interests,” she said.

Trump further fueled speculation this week when asked whether tensions with Cuba would escalate following the Castro indictment.

“There won’t be escalation,” Trump said. “We won’t have to.”

Some analysts interpreted Trump’s comments — combined with Rubio’s direct appeals to ordinary Cubans — as a sign the administration may believe internal pressure against the regime could eventually accomplish what direct military escalation would not.

“It’s sowing the seeds of a counter-revolutionary feeling,” Balling said.

But Balling warned that any serious destabilization of Cuba could trigger consequences far beyond the island itself, particularly a potential mass migration crisis just 90 miles from Florida.

“If we go so far as to engage militarily, we are probably looking at thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of refugees,” she said.

Cuba has already been suffering through rolling blackouts, fuel shortages and a worsening economic crisis as the administration increases pressure on the island’s energy lifelines.

Despite the increasingly confrontational rhetoric, Washington has also kept open limited channels of communication with Havana.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled publicly to Cuba on May 14 for talks with senior Cuban security officials, delivering what U.S. officials described as a warning that Cuba could no longer serve as a “safe haven for adversaries” while also offering the prospect of deeper economic and security engagement if Havana makes “fundamental changes.” 

The visit came as the Trump administration pressed a $100 million humanitarian aid proposal aimed at addressing Cuba’s worsening blackout and fuel crisis. Cuban officials signaled they were open to accepting assistance distributed through independent humanitarian and religious organizations rather than directly through the government.

Analysts say Cuba’s armed forces are far weaker than during the Cold War, when the island fielded one of Latin America’s largest militaries with Soviet backing. Today, experts describe the Cuban military as severely degraded by decades of economic collapse, fuel shortages and aging equipment.

“Cuba had a First World military in a Third World country,” Frank Mora, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Western Hemisphere under President Barack Obama, told The Wall Street Journal this week. “It’s a shell of a shell of what it used to be.”

Still, analysts caution that Cuba’s weakness does not necessarily make the island easy to pressure or destabilize.

Unlike Venezuela, where the U.S. has at times maintained limited economic engagement despite sanctions on Maduro’s government, Cuba’s military-linked conglomerate GAESA controls large portions of the island’s economy, including tourism, retail and infrastructure.

Balling argued that the deep integration between the regime and the broader Cuban state could complicate any attempt to isolate Havana’s leadership without further destabilizing the country itself.

The administration also has increasingly framed Cuba as a broader national security concern beyond the island’s deteriorating conventional military capabilities. Rubio this week accused Havana of hosting Chinese and Russian intelligence infrastructure.

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For now, administration officials have stopped short of outlining any military plans toward Cuba. 

But the combination of criminal charges, economic pressure, information campaigns and visible U.S. military assets in the region has convinced many Cuba watchers that the White House is exploring whether the Maduro pressure model can be adapted just 90 miles from American shores.

The United States Army reached its recruiting goals for 2026 four months early, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth revealed during a Saturday commencement speech at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York.

“Recruitments are up across the joint force, and I’m pleased to announce that just two days ago, the U.S. Army met its 2026 recruiting goals four months early,” Hegseth said.

“A second record year in a row. That means you’re about to train this group right here and lead 61,500 new soldiers. And next year, when we grow the size of the army, it will be even more when you’re out there in your formations as platoon leaders at the tip of the spear, you will be at the tip of the spear of their snapback,” he continued.

In 2025, the Army set a goal of 61,000 and exceeded it with 62,050, according to the Pentagon.

DEFENSE SECRETARY PETE HEGSETH REVEALS WHY MILITARY RECRUITMENT HAS SOARED UNDER TRUMP

“The men and women who chose to serve our nation are actively showing their commitment to something larger than themselves,” Command Sgt. Maj. Danny Basham, United States Army Recruiting Division command sergeant major, said in a statement. “The nation depends on their strength, character and commitment.”

During Hegseth’s speech, the war secretary also criticized previous military policy of focusing on diversity goals and “anti-American ideologies.”

“They embraced the DEI craze and tried to introduce diversity and inclusion studies, and they hired professors who advocated for anti-American ideologies right here in these halls. But no more. West Point is set apart. It’s special. It’s above politics. Success here is based on merit. It’s how you perform that matters. This is the United States Military Academy,” he said.

WEST POINT DISBANDS GENDER-BASED, RACE CLUBS IN TRUMP’S DEI SWEEP

“The single dumbest phrase in military history was peddled in our army only a few short years ago. You’ve all heard it, maybe in your first two years at West Point. Our diversity is our strength. The single dumbest phrase in military history,” he said.

“We had generals saying this with a straight face on national television. It was absolute nonsense. Now, these sorts of silly things can be laughed at when they occur in a civilian lounge or civilian faculty lounge, or debated in graduate seminars, but they cannot be tolerated in our formations. These ideas are what get people killed. Diversity is not our strength. Unity is our strength,” Hegseth said, garnering applause.

He continued to praise the graduating cadets and painted a picture of a dangerous world confronting them.

HEGSETH VOWS TO REBUILD MILITARY DETERRENCE SO ENEMIES ‘DON’T WANT TO F— WITH US’

“You’re in a dangerous line of work, and there is no world in which high intensity conflict exists without great pain, agony, sickness, and human tragedy. In this War Department, we raise up warriors. Purpose built, not for good weather, blue skies or fancy parades. We’re built to load up on the back of helicopters, C-17s or Strykers in the dead of night, in fair weather or foul, to go to dangerous places, to engage those who would do our nation and our citizens harm and deliver justice in close and brutal combat on behalf of the American people,” he continued.

“But what makes us different is that we don’t fight because we hate what’s in front of us. We fight because we love what’s behind us. Our family, our freedom and our flag. The battlefield does not grade on a curve, and you can’t throw your pronouns at the enemy. Combat is the ultimate test, and our best Americans must ace it,” Hegseth said.

Hegseth’s speech touched heavily upon faith as he read a verse from Isaiah 6:8. “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying ‘whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ and I said ‘Here I am! Send me,'” Hegseth read.

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“Send me is the timeless, selfless call to service,” he said.

He also invoked Charlie Kirk while imploring the cadets to seek God always.

“As Charlie Kirk often said, ‘Remember always, this too shall pass.’ The good times will pass. The bad times will pass. You’re never as good as you think you are, nor are you as bad as you think you are. Seek God in every circumstance,” he said.

Hegseth delivered his speech Saturday as the U.S. considering resuming fresh military actions against Iran as a peace deal hangs in the balance. The war secretary discussed what was asked of the U.S. military during Operation Epic Fury.

“Your soldiers must be ready for anything because the world is only getting more complex. Just look at what our soldiers have done in just the last few months alone, we’ve asked our airborne and rapid reaction forces to deploy at a moment’s notice to the Middle East, standing as an iron shield to protect American bases and American lives from Iranian proxies. This includes American Army units using HIMARS to help sink the Iranian Navy. I know the Army loves sinking the Navy. That’s the only name navy you’re currently allowed to sink,” Hegseth joked, referencing the known friendly rivalry between the U.S. Army and the U.S. Navy.

President Donald Trump is holding a conference call on Saturday afternoon with Arab leaders to get their opinions on a draft agreement with Iran. The president reportedly told Axios earlier Saturday he’s a “solid 50/50” on whether a “good” deal could be reached or else “blow them to kingdom come.”

FIRST ON FOX: A Texas congressional race already marred by scandal is facing new controversy after veterans condemned political ads sent ahead of Memorial Day weekend that mock a President Donald Trump-backed veteran over his military disability.

With days left in a bitter Republican primary runoff election between John Lujan and Carlos De La Cruz in Texas’ 35th Congressional District, a mail ad sent this week by the Lujan-aligned political action committee Protect and Serve knocked De La Cruz over his disability status, referring to him as “the ‘100% disabled’ kickboxer.”

The ad rips into De La Cruz, an Air Force veteran who was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, suggesting he “claims a 100% disability to avoid paying any property taxes.” The ad goes on to say that though the “VA defines 100% disabled as for veterans whose ‘conditions are so severe that they result in total impairment,’” De La Cruz “was physically fit enough to train in and operate a kickboxing gym and lists himself as a volunteer carpenter.”

Charlotte Neiner, an Air Force veteran and Wounded Warrior Project member, told Fox News Digital that as a disabled veteran herself, “This is the most shameful thing I have ever pulled out of my mailbox.”

She emphasized that “to do this days before Memorial Day is a disgrace.”

REPUBLICANS GET ‘AGGRESSIVE’ IN FIGHT TO WIN TOP COP SPOTS IN BATTLEGROUND STATES

“Career politician John Lujan’s team is doing his dirty work, attacking a fellow veteran’s wounds,” she posited, adding, “He never wore the uniform a single day. He has no idea what these injuries cost, and he never will.”

In Neiner’s opinion, “a man with this little honor has no business anywhere near Congress.”

She said that after this episode, Lujan “will not get my vote, he will not get the vote of a single veteran I know, and I will personally make sure every veteran in this district knows exactly what he did.”

Neiner added, “I am proudly voting for Carlos De La Cruz, and John Lujan should be ashamed of himself.”

WARREN TORCHED OVER ‘MY KIND OF MAN’ PRAISE FOR PLATNER AFTER DEATH-WISH POST FOR WOUNDED VETERAN RESURFACES

The Lujan campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Under Texas law, veterans deemed 100% disabled or individually unemployable by the Department of Veterans Affairs can receive a total exemption from property taxes on their primary residence homestead. More than 164,000 Texas veterans with 100% disability ratings are estimated to receive the state’s full homestead property-tax exemption, according to Texas disabled-veteran property tax advocates citing 2024 VA data.

De La Cruz owned and operated a kickboxing gym in the San Antonio area.

DEM CANDIDATE’S ZIONIST CASTRATION RANT SPARKS FIRESTORM AS PARTY LEADERS REWRITE NARRATIVE TO TARGET GOP

Lujan and De La Cruz are set to face off again on Tuesday after neither candidate was able to reach the required 50 percent vote threshold to earn the GOP nomination. In their first matchup, Lujan had an edge, finishing with roughly 32 percent of the vote and De La Cruz placing second with roughly 27 percent.

Both candidates have garnered top-name endorsements, with De La Cruz being backed by Trump and Lujan being backed by Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.

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This comes as the Democratic primary in the same district has been equally controversial. Democrat Maureen Galindo stirred up national outrage by vowing in a social media post to imprison and castrate “American Zionists.”

Fox News Digital also reached out to Protect and Serve PAC for comment.

A Democratic gubernatorial hopeful in Maine, who is scheduled to campaign with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., on Sunday and Monday, has been pitching himself to voters as a pro-choice candidate for governor, but his track record indicates that wasn’t always his stance.

As a state lawmaker, he received a 100% rating from the Maine Right to Life — a designation indicating a voting record wholly consistent with pro-life policies.

Jackson’s reversal demonstrates the fallout of the Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Court decision that ended a constitutional right to an abortion and made the issue, previously a federal debate, a state-driven consideration.

In their 2022 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that no guarantee of a right to an abortion existed in the Constitution, meaning that individual states would have to decide on a case-by-case basis where to draw the line under what circumstances residents could legally end a pregnancy.

TIM WALZ TALKS ABORTION DURING FINAL CAMPAIGN RALLY WITH MICHIGAN VOTERS: ‘EVERYTHING IS ON THE LINE’

Maine, with Jackson’s help, immediately passed expansions to abortion access, removing restrictions on late-term abortions.

The move prompted praise for Jackson from Planned Parenthood, the country’s largest abortion provider.

“We applaud President Jackson and the 20 state senators and 76 representatives acting in the best interest of Mainers today,” Planned Parenthood wrote in a press release.

Just 10 years earlier, Jackson had voted for a bill in 2011 that would have affirmed personhood in the womb.

Two years later, in 2013, Jackson also voted to advance counseling requirements for women considering an abortion, providing them with second-opinion resources designed to explore alternatives to ending a pregnancy.

Both of those efforts failed.

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Even so, they garnered enough attention to put Jackson on the radar of abortion rights groups — and not in a good way.

In 2014, EMILY’s List, a pro-abortion group, launched a six-figure TV ad campaign against Jackson, according to local reporting.

“Politicians should not be involved in a woman’s personal medical decisions about her pregnancy. Period,” Emily Cain, Jackson’s primary opponent in 2014, told the Portland Press Herald.

As recently as October 2022, just four months after the Dobbs decision, Jackson told local reporters he was struggling with the issue.

Since declaring his candidacy for governor last May, Jackson seems to have left that struggle behind.

“The right to decide if and when to start a family is fundamental to our freedom and to who we are as Americans. It is a deeply personal decision that should not be made by politicians or justices,” Jackson said in a post to Instagram last year.

“On the anniversary of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, I will continue to fight back against efforts to undermine abortion rights and stand up for reproductive freedom in Maine,” Jackson wrote.

Sanders, who has supported abortion and has run as a pro-choice candidate for decades, officially endorsed Jackson on Friday, calling him the governor “that working Mainers need.”

“Troy is different,” Sanders said. “Fighting for the working class of Maine is not something new for Troy. That’s what he has done for his entire life as a logger and as a member of the Maine state legislature. Troy knows what’s going on with the working class of Maine because he’s part of that working class.”

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“Troy has also been part of our progressive working class movement from the beginning,” he continued. “He has always stood with those of us who understand that health care is a human right, that workers deserve a living wage, and that we need a government that works for all-not just the ultra-wealthy and well-connected.”

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Notably, Jackson does not list abortion access as a top priority on his campaign website.

In Maine, there is no strict cutoff that prevents abortion at any point in a pregnancy, although some protections apply after viability, around the 24 to 26 week mark. Late-term abortions are permissible with the approval of a licensed physician.

Fox News Digital reached out to Sanders and Jackson’s campaign.

In November 2017, Chief Petty Officer Kenton Stacy was injured in Raqqa, Syria, while clearing the second floor of a hospital that ISIS had booby-trapped with explosives. Now a quadriplegic, Stacy, his wife Lindsey and their four children are part of a lawsuit brought by military families against the French cement company Lafarge recently found guilty by a French court of paying millions of dollars in bribes to ISIS to keep their factory open in ISIS-controlled territory in Syria.

“I mean, they were essentially funneling money to fund terrorists and ISIS and all these heinous crimes and evil acts,” Lindsey Stacy told Fox News while standing by the side of her husband, the former Navy Explosives Ordnance Disposal (EOD) specialist, who just had another surgery to deal with injuries sustained in Syria nine years ago.

“It’s very overwhelming, Kenton struggles mentally and physically with his own battles and the kids and I, we have our own struggles,” she said. “It’s hard to juggle, especially when our oldest son has cerebral palsy and he requires his own 24-7 care.”

President Donald Trump praised Stacy’s service to the nation in his 2018 State of the Union Address to Congress. Army Staff Sgt. Justin Peck bounded into a booby-trapped building to rescue Kenton and then gave him more than two hours of CPR while medics worked to save his life.

9/11 FAMILIES CELEBRATE ‘HISTORIC, LANDMARK DECISION’ IN LONG-RUNNING SAUDI ARABIA LAWSUIT

“Kenton Stacy would have died if not for Justin’s selfless love for a fellow warrior. Tonight, Kenton is recovering in Texas. Raqqa is liberated… All of America salutes you,” Trump said.

In a landmark ruling in April, a French court convicted Lafarge, the world’s largest cement manufacturer, of providing material support to a terror group and sentenced its former CEO to six years in prison. Eight former Lafarge employees were found guilty. Lafarge is appealing.

The company acknowledged the court’s finding describing the issue as a “legacy matter,” which was “in flagrant violation of Lafarge’s Code of Conduct.”

Nearly 1,000 plaintiffs, most of them military families, are part of earlier litigation in the Eastern District of New York.

“They were killed, in Syria, by a gruesome terrorist organization that was funded in part by Lafarge. And that’s not an allegation. That is undisputed fact. Lafarge [pleaded] guilty to doing that in 2022,” said Todd Toral, the lawyer from Jenner & Block representing Stacy and about 25 other families.

Toral, who is also a U.S. Marine, is seeking compensation for those families from the $777 million Lafarge paid to the Justice Department as part of the settlement. The Justice Department has had that money since October 2022.

AMERICAN VICTIMS OF TERRORISM COULD SOON SUE INTERNATIONAL ORGS IF CRUZ’S BILL PASSES

“I think the ruling by the court in France is significant generally, because it’s the first time in many, many years that a corporation, and not just the corporation, but executives at a corporation have been held to account for their misconduct in aiding terrorism,” Toral said in an interview with Fox News.

In order to operate in ISIS-controlled areas of Syria, Lafarge paid more than $6.5 million to ISIS from 2013–2014 through its Syrian subsidiary to keep production facilities running. The cement produced at its factory in Jalabiya, a factory which was bought for $680 million months before the Syrian uprising began in 2011, was also used for tunnels and bunkers, which helped the terrorist group.

The lawsuit is significant because it marks the first time a company has faced U.S. charges for supporting a terrorist group.

In October 2022, Lafarge settled with the U.S. Justice Department before the French ruling, paying more than $777 million into an asset forfeiture fund currently controlled by the DOJ, funds which are supposed to compensate victims of the ISIS attacks, many of them American Gold Star families like Hailey Dayton, whose father was the first American killed by ISIS in Syria on Thanksgiving Day 2016.

“I was 15 when my dad was killed,” Hailey Dayton told Fox News from her home in Florida. “I saw six guys in Navy white step out of the van. I got so excited because I thought my Dad came back to surprise us. I remember opening the door, huge smile on my face, and I was looking at the men, trying to find my dad and I didn’t find, I didn’t see him, but instead I saw six guys with tears in their eyes.”

The Biden Justice Department denied requests to distribute the Lafarge funds while the case was still pending before a French court. Lafarge was found guilty by that court in April. In February, Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., pressed then-Attorney General Pam Bondi on when the DOJ planned to release the funds to the families.

FEDERAL JUDGE ISSUES $20M VERDICT AGAINST SYRIA FOR TORTURE OF US CITIZEN TAKEN CAPTIVE IN 2019

“In February 2025, my colleagues and I sent you a letter urging the department to review the petitions for remission submitted by the families of those fallen service members, including several of my constituents. The previous administration ignored these victims and our requests and left their petitions unresolved,” Biggs said to Bondi during a congressional hearing.

“Congressman, we are aware of that and we’re committed to doing everything we can to support the victims and work with you. Thank you for that question,” Bondi replied. That was more than a year ago and still DOJ has not distributed the compensation funds.

Now the plaintiffs, most of them military families, say the decision to release the funds rests with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

“I don’t know why. I don’t know why they’re ignoring us. To me, it feels like being a pawn. My dad, he went in when he was 19, he served 23 years,” Dayton, the Gold Star daughter of Chief Petty Officer Scott Dayton, said. “To the current Department of Justice, I would, say, make things right.”

Lindsey Stacy says she and her family have difficulty making ends meet given Kenton Stacy’s severe injuries.

“There’s a lot of families out there that could benefit from these funds. I mean, it’s been almost nine years. It would be nice to, you know, for justice to be served. They have been convicted recently in their own country, guilty. It has been a long battle, but it’d be nice just for it to come to an end, get some closure and be able to just take care of our family,” Stacy added. “I mean he made a huge sacrifice for our country and it would just be nice if they’d stand right by us and all the other co-plaintiffs.”

“We can think of no group of people who are more worthy of receiving compensation from that victim’s compensation fund than these families who lost a son, lost a brother, lost a husband, and they deserve to be treated better by the United States of America,” Toral, who continues to press his clients’ case, said in an interview ahead of Memorial Day weekend.

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The DOJ, which controls the $777 million dollars in penalties forfeited by Lafarge, issued the following statement: 

“The Department is committed to compensating all victims to the maximum extent permitted by law.  While we cannot comment on a pending matter, the Department will always engage in the appropriate process to evaluate claims and ensure that our brave servicemembers receive any amount of compensation to which they are entitled.”