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President Donald Trump suggested he may be able to get back the equipment the U.S. military left behind during Joe Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

Trump made these comments at the G7 Summit while taking questions from reporters about the forthcoming agreement with Iran to end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz.

In response to a question about how the deal will address Iran’s nuclear program, Trump repeatedly said he would “bomb them” if they do not comply with proposed restrictions.

He then transitioned into criticizing Biden’s foreign policy record, spotlighting the Democratic former president’s decision to withdraw from Afghanistan and abandon dozens of military aircraft, thousands of ground vehicles and more than 300,000 weapons, according to the House Budget Committee.

TRUMP PUSHES TO RECOVER ‘BILLIONS OF DOLLARS’ OF MILITARY EQUIPMENT LEFT BEHIND IN AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL

“Our country has become the most respected country in the world,” he said. “Look at what happened in so many different locations. Afghanistan, that horrible retreat that these people made. Leaving equipment behind. They weren’t under any pressure. Take your time.”

“I was going to get out,” he continued. “We were going to get out with dignity and pride. Take 100% of the equipment. I was even taking the tents down. But then [Biden] got in and they just left. They left all the equipment. I may get all that equipment back. Now, here’s the thing. It’s more symbolic because it’s a little old now, but we may get it all back. Afghanistan is kissing our a–.”

In June 2022, the Department of Defense estimated that $7.12 billion worth of military equipment ended up in the hands of the Taliban, which quickly seized control of the country after American troops departed.

TRUMP: ‘WE DON’T RUN FROM ANYBODY’ IN BLASTING BIDEN OVER AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL

Trump and his allies have long been critical of what they view as Biden’s hasty decision to end the war in Afghanistan, which lasted for nearly 20 years.

Biden officials at the time defended the withdrawal by pointing out that the equipment seized by the Taliban was in the hands of the U.S.-aligned government in Afghanistan that ended up surrendering.

Biden himself said he believed that the Afghan fighters supported by the U.S. were going to do a better job at holding the country.

“The assumption was that more than 300,000 Afghan National Security Forces that we had trained over the past two decades and equipped would be a strong adversary in their civil wars with the Taliban,” he said on Aug. 31, 2021. “That assumption — that the Afghan government would be able to hold on for a period of time beyond military drawdown — turned out not to be accurate.”

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Under Taliban rule, women and girls remain repressed. More than 1 million girls have been banned from secondary school and university. An April UNICEF report claimed that Afghanistan risks losing more than 25,000 teachers and healthcare workers due to the new government’s restrictions on female employment.

The country is also dealing with a hunger crisis, with roughly 17.4 million Afghans at risk for severe food insecurity this year, according to the World Food Programme.

Voters in Alabama knew the outcomes of their Tuesday night elections hours before officials in D.C. began releasing results despite both jurisdictions officially closing their polls at the same time.

Both D.C. and Alabama were scheduled to officially close their polling stations at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday night. Alabama counted the vast majority of its votes within about an hour, with the Associated Press calling them at 8:40 p.m. and 9:31 p.m., respectively.

Officials in D.C., meanwhile, only began counting votes at 10:47 p.m., around the time the Associated Press declared Rep. Barry Moore the winner of Alabama’s GOP primary – the most hotly contested race in the state. 

Democratic-led jurisdictions including California and Washington, D.C., have faced criticism from Republicans and election-integrity advocates who argue that prolonged ballot counting undermines public confidence and leaves major races unresolved for days or even weeks after Election Day. Election officials in those jurisdictions have defended the timelines, pointing to mail-in ballot rules, postmark deadlines and verification requirements they say are necessary to ensure every lawful vote is counted.

CALIFORNIA’S SLUGGISH VOTE COUNTING RIPPED ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM: ‘EXTREMELY EMBARRASSING’

D.C.’s first results were delayed after long lines kept some polling places open past the scheduled 8 p.m. close. Long lines at some D.C. polling stations forced the district to wait almost three hours after polls officially closed to start the counting process.

Further delaying the count was the large number of mail ballots and the district’s move to ranked-choice voting, an election method that can require multiple rounds of counting. 

NYC POLLS ARE CLOSED BUT RACE FAR FROM OVER DUE TO RANKED-CHOICE VOTING

“When you get [20,000 to] 30,000 ballots on election night through the mail, it is not possible to process that number on election night,” D.C. Board of Elections executive director Monica Evans told a local media outlet on June 9.

As of publishing, less than 70% of ballots have been counted in D.C. more than a day after voting began. Roughly 400,000 people voted in Alabama’s Tuesday elections, compared to only around 100,000 ballots cast in D.C. that same night.

DEMS PICK POTENTIAL SUCCESSOR TO DC’S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATE AFTER DECADES-LONG INCUMBENCY

D.C.’s pace of vote counting drew criticism on social media.

“It’s now 10:30 pm, polls were supposed to close 2.5 hours ago, this is an absolute disaster from DCBOE,” DMV New Liberals, a local group of centrist Democrats, wrote to X on Tuesday night in response to news that the city hadn’t begun counting votes yet.

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“In the District of Columbia, just 64% of votes from yesterday’s election have been counted. And there aren’t even that many of them,” conservative pundit Byron York wrote at 11:19 a.m. on Wednesday. 

The D.C. Board of Elections did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Wednesday.

The men accused of plotting a mass-casualty attack at the UFC event held on White House grounds allegedly met through a TikTok group before moving their discussions into encrypted messaging apps, where prosecutors say they allegedly developed plans to kill government officials and other attendees, according to court records reviewed by Fox News Digital. 

Federal authorities have arrested five men accused of plotting a mass-casualty attack targeting UFC Freedom 250, the Sunday event held on White House grounds that was attended by President Donald Trump and other senior government officials.

According to federal court records, members of the group first connected around March through a TikTok community called “Vanguard of the Old,” where participants allegedly vetted one another through identification documents, workout videos and tactical content before moving into private Signal chats. The filings do not further describe whether Vanguard of the Old was a formal organization or simply an online chat community.

The filings identify five arrested participants in Ohio, California, Missouri and Nebraska and describe a network that prosecutors say evolved from online discussions into operational planning for an attack targeting UFC Freedom 250. Investigators allege members discussed using explosive-laden drones to trigger an evacuation before opening fire on politicians and other targets as crowds fled the area. 

JUSTIN GAETHJE TARGETS ILIA TOPURIA’S DIVORCE, IGNITING FEUD BEFORE WHITE HOUSE SHOWDOWN

While prosecutors allege the group had developed operational plans, some officials, like Vice President JD Vance, have suggested the conspiracy never advanced to the point of becoming an imminent threat.

“There was a lot of security there,” Vance said during an appearance on Fox News’ “The Five.” “And it turns out the plot was like, not that advanced. They weren’t in town.” 

Court documents identify an Omaha, Nebraska, man known online as “Shepherd” as the group’s alleged leader. Prosecutors say Shepherd helped build the organization’s tiered structure, directed planning discussions and coordinated members across multiple states through encrypted communications.  

Once inside those encrypted chats, prosecutors say members organized themselves into a tiered structure that assigned participants to specific functions. Court records describe Tier 1 members as frontline operators expected to carry out missions and acquire firearms and body armor, while other tiers included drone operators, getaway drivers, recruiters, logistics personnel, technical support and social media advocates. 

Court records repeatedly reference military-style training and organization. 

Tycen Proper, the 19-year-old Ohio defendant whose phone helped investigators identify other members of the alleged network, told investigators he believed many participants had prior military experience, according to court documents, while his mother said some members represented themselves online as former military personnel. The filings, however, do not identify any defendant as having verified military service. 

According to investigators, members also split into smaller chat groups based on operational assignments and locations.

Investigators say the network extended well beyond the five men charged. According to court records, Proper’s phone contained a primary Signal chat with approximately 19 participants, along with smaller operational chat groups organized by role and location.

Tensions boiled over between federal agencies over the decision to make the case public. Two senior U.S. officials told Fox News that Secret Service leadership wanted to delay disclosing the investigation until additional arrests could be made, fearing that publicizing the probe could alert other subjects and complicate the ongoing investigation.

The disagreement surfaced publicly Tuesday when Deputy Secret Service Director Matthew Quinn, responding to questions about the case at an unrelated event, emphasized that the Secret Service had “led that investigation from the beginning” and suggested investigators intentionally avoided public disclosure while the case remained active. 

“In order to maintain the integrity of the investigation and the security plan we chose not to leak it,” Quinn said. 

DANA WHITE DENIES AMERICA 250 UFC FIGHT AT WHITE HOUSE WILL BE ‘POLITICAL,’ ‘NOT AT ALL’ ABOUT POLITICS

“I’ll tell you a phrase I learned early in my career in the New York field office and that’s don’t choke on your own smoke,” he said. 

The investigation began June 10 when Proper’s mother contacted local authorities after becoming concerned about his recent behavior, according to court records.

Proper’s father told investigators his son had allegedly recently met people online, was planning “recons” with them and intended to travel that weekend to meet members of the group. Family members also reported that Proper allegedly had purchased firearms, body armor, ammunition and tactical gear and had quit his job in preparation for what he described as “missions” and “recons.”

After investigators obtained a warrant for Proper’s phone, they allege they discovered Signal chats containing maps of Washington, D.C., proposed sniper positions, drone launch sites and discussions about escape routes. 

Prosecutors say members allegedly discussed potential congressional targets, power infrastructure and other political figures before focusing on UFC Freedom 250.

Proper’s mother told investigators members of the group allegedly expressed anger about government corruption and the Epstein files. 

According to court records, members of the group allegedly believed the United States was headed in the wrong direction and needed to be “torn down” and rebuilt. Some participants allegedly argued that people connected to Jeffrey Epstein should not govern the country.

Prosecutors also allege that discussions increasingly focused on U.S. support for Israel and lawmakers viewed by group members as aligned with pro-Israel interests.

According to the filings, members discussed targeting politicians they believed were tied to pro-Israel lobbying organizations, while other conversations referenced billionaires and what participants described as “capitalist elites.”

Bryan Omar Roa and Michael Alan Thomas, both of California, allegedly met up for a training session in late May, according to messages obtained by law enforcement and shared in court records. 

“Noble and I trained on vehicle dismount, cover vs concealment, bounding, and basic marksmanship today,” Thomas wrote to the group on May 25, according to court records. 

By early June, according to court records, discussions inside the group’s encrypted chats had shifted toward operational planning surrounding UFC Freedom 250, which took place last Sunday.  

Court records show members discussing a rendezvous point in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where participants from multiple states were allegedly expected to meet before traveling to Washington.

Investigators also say members allegedly exchanged information about safe houses, fallback locations and escape routes that included traveling south along the Potomac River.

According to court records, the group’s alleged plan centered on creating chaos inside the White House event before targeting government officials and other attendees as they fled.

Prosecutors say members discussed using drones carrying explosive devices over the north side of the UFC venue, triggering panic and forcing crowds to evacuate. Investigators allege members of the group planned to position shooters and snipers along anticipated evacuation routes south of the venue, where politicians and other targets would be vulnerable.

According to court records, a participant interviewed by the FBI in West Virginia said members of the group allegedly had canceled the operation by Friday, two days before the event. The reported cancellation came after authorities had already begun investigating the group following a June 10 call from Proper’s mother.

Authorities arrested suspects in Ohio, California, Missouri and Nebraska Saturday and Sunday after executing a series of search warrants tied to the investigation. 

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“They had not really done that much planning,” Vance said. “And so, I get why people are so fascinated by it. I do think the political violence and rhetoric in this country is out of control. But thank God we have good law enforcement. We’ve got good FBI because it didn’t even get close to the point of execution.” 

Fox News’ David Spunt contributed to this report.

The two candidates seeking to unseat Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey sparred during a fiery debate Tuesday night, exchanging sharp attacks on a range of issues.

Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton and Republican attorney John Deaton clashed over President Donald Trump, sanctuary policies, Israel and Markey himself, who did not attend the event.

During the debate, Moulton heavily sought to tie Deaton to President Donald Trump —  who remains deeply unpopular in the blue state of Massachusetts — despite the Republican candidate’s insistence that he has never voted for the president.

“You may say you’re independent, you may say you haven’t voted for him, but you’re just going to enable his agenda,” Moulton said, arguing that sending a Republican to Washington would be a mistake for Massachusetts voters.

SETH MOULTON CLOSING GAP ON PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRAT ED MARKEY IN MASSACHUSETTS SENATE PRIMARY

In response, Deaton said Massachusetts needs someone like him to “stand up for America and working people.”

“‘F’ the Republican Party. ‘F’ the Democrat Party — they all suck.” Deaton said.  

The Republican candidate also slammed Markey for skipping Tuesday’s debate, calling him “too much of a coward to be here tonight.”

Moulton defended Markey, while still urging a “new generation of leadership.”

“He’s not a coward — he’s a lifelong public servant,” Moulton said. “We should honor that service.”

DEM SENATOR, 79, DRAWS PRIMARY CHALLENGE FROM REP. SETH MOULTON

Markey, who was first elected to the U.S. House in 1976, remains popular with the state’s most progressive voters.

Moulton trails Markey in Democratic primary polling, while Deaton is widely viewed as the clear underdog in the race. The Republican previously lost to Sen. Elizabeth Warren two years ago in a Senate bid. 

On immigration, the candidates offered starkly different positions during the debate. 

Moulton advocated for the prosecution of ICE officials who carried out Trump’s mass deportation agenda, while Deaton said the U.S. should expand legal immigration but maintain “zero tolerance” for illegal immigration.

Deaton also rejected calls to abolish ICE, dismissing them as an election-year “slogan” akin to the push to “defund the police” in 2020.

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On foreign aid, Deaton took a hardline stance, saying he would not support sending additional funding to Israel, Ukraine or other countries unless it is clearly “proven” to serve the interests of Americans and Massachusetts residents.

He also criticized Moulton, alleging the Democrat sought an endorsement from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) before later distancing himself after not receiving it.

Moulton, meanwhile, backed conditional aid to Israel, saying the U.S. should not blindly support Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He also said he returned donations from AIPAC, arguing the organization’s positions have shifted in recent years.

Voters doubt a peace deal will keep Iran from developing nuclear weapons, according to the latest Fox News poll.

Sixty-four percent say it’s unlikely a peace agreement with the U.S. will stop Iran from pursuing nukes, including more than half of Republicans (53%), independents (69%), and Democrats (73%). Today’s views match those in 2015, when the Obama administration made a deal with Iran, as 63% of voters at that time also said it was unlikely an agreement would stop Iran from building a nuclear program. 

FOX NEWS POLL: ‘RESILIENT DISCONTENT’ DEFINES THE US MOOD AT 250TH ANNIVERSARY

Most of the survey was completed before the Trump administration announced Monday the U.S. had signed a memorandum of understanding with Iran which included a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a 60-day ceasefire. 

Meanwhile, 58% think the U.S. made the wrong decision in taking military action against Iran in February, while 41% believe it was the right call. More Democrats say it was the wrong decision (84%) than Republicans believe it was the right one (75%).

Voters who think the U.S. made the right decision in taking military action are twice as likely as those who say it was wrong to think a peace deal will stop Iran (50% vs. 25%). 

Seventy-six percent of voters think it is important to end Iran’s nuclear program, while a larger 87% says it’s important to avoid a long-term conflict. On both measures, importance is up 7 percentage points since earlier this year. Nearly 9 in 10 Democrats, Republicans, and independents say it is important to avoid a prolonged conflict.

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS SEE AI REGULATION AS URGENT, RANK SAFEGUARDS AHEAD OF INNOVATION

Concern about tensions with Iran turning into a long-term U.S. military commitment is also widespread, with 70% saying they are extremely or very worried, including large numbers of Democrats (82%) and independents (74%), as well as more than half of Republicans (56%). 

Sixty-four percent of voters disapprove of the job President Donald Trump is doing handling Iran, steady since March.  Republicans largely approve (70%), while most independents (78%) and an overwhelming majority of Democrats disapprove (92%).

“We know from past data and research that voters’ attitudes on foreign policy matters are shaped by what their partisan elites tell them,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts the Fox News Poll with Democratic counterpart Chris Anderson. “But we also know support for any engagement declines over time, as treasure and blood are expended.  There’s pressure on the president to finish in Iran before GOP solidarity breaks down.”

Beyond Iran, voters favor the United States continuing to provide financial aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russia, even as fewer believe the war matters to life in the U.S.

Overall, 59% support the U.S. continuing to help Ukraine with funding, mostly unchanged for the past two years. And 67% think what happens in the Russia-Ukraine conflict makes a difference to things here at home, down from a high of 85% back in early 2022 when the war first started. 

By a 13-point margin, more Democrats (75%) than Republicans (62%) think Ukraine matters to the U.S., and by a 22-point spread, more Democrats (72%) than Republicans (50%) favor U.S. continuing aid for the Ukrainian fight against Russia. 

Voters overall are divided on who is currently winning the war: 48% say Ukraine and 48% Russia. More Democrats (56%) think Ukraine is winning, while more Republicans (53%) and independents (55%) say Russia.

In the Middle East, a small majority continues to side more with the Israelis (54%) than the Palestinians (42%). The number supporting the Israelis remains largely unchanged since 2025, but down from a high of 68% in late 2023. Currently, 77% of Republicans side with the Israelis, while 62% of Democrats side with the Palestinians and independents split (48% Israelis, 45% Palestinians).

Most voters continue to view developments in the Middle East as relevant to life in the U.S. Three quarters, 77%, say events in the region matter, down from 81% a year ago. 

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The survey also finds voters have mixed views on the use of military force against suspected drug trafficking boats (52% favor, 48% oppose), while a majority opposes using the U.S. military to bring about regime change in Cuba (35% favor, 64% oppose).

Conducted June 12-15, 2026, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,002 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (101) and cellphones (644) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (257). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data.

Fox News’ Victoria Balara contributed to this report.

It’s less than five months until the midterm elections and voters are not happy with what’s in their wallets.

Only 12% say they are getting ahead financially, most think the economy is in bad shape, more than half think President Donald Trump’s policies benefit people who have money, and their outlook on the economy is negative. 

That’s according to a new Fox News poll that finds the president’s numbers have declined since last year. 

Some 59% of voters feel pessimistic about the economy, worse by 4 points compared to last June (55%). That’s a stark contrast from the bullish views during Trump’s first term, when 57% felt optimistic (June 2019). 

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS SEE AI REGULATION AS URGENT, RANK SAFEGUARDS AHEAD OF INNOVATION

Forty-four percent say they’re falling behind financially. That’s more than felt that way last year by 8 points (36% falling behind) and by 3 points compared to June 2024 (41%).

One in four, 26%, rates the economy positively, better by 3 points since last month and generally in line with views this year — but still below last June’s 31% positive marks. Around three-quarters consistently rate the economy negatively (73%).

FOX NEWS POLL: ‘RESILIENT DISCONTENT’ DEFINES THE US MOOD AT 250TH ANNIVERSARY

Big picture, 37% are satisfied with the direction of the country. That’s mostly unchanged since March, but down from 44% last July. Even with the 7-point decline since last summer, satisfaction is higher today than what it was for most of former President Joe Biden’s term.

Those satisfaction ratings closely match Trump‘s job performance, as his approval stands at 39%. That’s unchanged since last month, but down 7 points compared to 46% approval last June. His lowest approval for either term is 38% in October 2017. 

Twenty percent think Trump’s economic policies benefit everyone, while a 54% majority says they help people with more money than they have, and 15% say they help “no one.” The share saying the president’s policies help everyone is down from 31% in 2019 (Trump), 27% in 2023 (Biden), and 23% in 2015 (Obama).

Opinions on the economy are largely based on party identification. Among Republicans, the biggest share says Trump’s policies help everyone (42%), half say they’re holding steady financially (49%), half rate economic conditions positively (50%), and two-thirds feel optimistic (66%). 

It’s the opposite among Democrats: 81% feel pessimistic about the economy, 91% rate it negatively, more than half say they’re falling behind (55%), and 71% think the president’s policies help people with more money.

Approval of the president is near record lows among some of his key constituencies, sitting a single point above his all-time floor among men (43%), White voters (44%), White evangelical Christians (61%), and Republicans (81%). His support among White men without a college degree stands at 50%, only 2 points ahead of his low-water mark.

The 23% approving of Trump’s handling of gas prices marks a rare moment of consensus — voters across the board are unhappy with the president — as majorities of Democrats (95%), independents (88%), and Republicans (53%) disapprove.

On the economy overall, 31% approve of the job Trump is doing, up from a record low 29% in May. A year ago, 40% approved. While a majority of Republicans approve, most Democrats and independents disapprove.

On immigration, 43% approve, the lowest of Trump’s second term, but still his best issue. 

These ratings are driven, at least in part, by 51% thinking his immigration enforcement has gone too far. 

In addition, views on the immigration role of local governments have flipped. Currently, 53% say local governments should control immigration enforcement in their communities, while 46% believe cooperation with ICE should be required. Last year, it was the reverse: 51% favored requiring ICE cooperation and 45% preferred local control.

Poll-pourri

Trust in the federal government stands at a low of 25%. That’s down from 32% in both 2025 and 2024. The previous low was 31% in 2023. Trust stood at a high of 54% in 2002, but hasn’t hit 40% since 2012. 

During the last year of the Biden administration, 44% of Democrats distrusted the government (2024), and that increased to 73% in 2025 and 83% this year. 

Among Republicans, more than 6 in 10 (63%) don’t trust the government, up 15 points compared to last summer (48%), but down from 85% two years ago. Currently, 57% of MAGA Republicans and 73% of non-MAGA Republicans lack faith in Uncle Sam. 

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Distrust has held fairly steady among independents recently: 80% today vs. 80% in 2025 and 72% in 2024. 

Six in 10 voters believe the government spends too little time combating fraud in federal programs, and another 66% say recent efforts have been ineffective. 

While Democrats (55%) and Republicans (63%) agree the government isn’t doing enough to stop fraud, they disagree on recent performance: a majority of Republicans (56%) say efforts to prevent fraud have been effective, while most Democrats say the reverse (83% ineffective). Views among independents are the most critical, as they think the government isn’t doing enough (67%) and what it has done has been ineffective (78%).

Conducted June 12-15, 2026, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,002 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (101) and cellphones (644) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (257). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data.

Fox News’ Victoria Balara contributed to this report.

Vice President JD Vance is pushing back on comparisons between the emerging Trump-Vance Iran pact and claims that the agreement, released Wednesday, bears too much resemblance to President Barack Obama’s nuclear deal.

Critics pointed to Vance’s defense of the memorandum of understanding to reopen the Strait of Hormuz — the details of which were released by the administration — under which Iran would receive economic benefits only after complying with nuclear restrictions. They argue that dynamic mirrors how Obama promoted the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, which Trump and Vance have long reviled.

Vance, however, suggested to Fox News that the comparison stems from a misconception because the proverbial carrot-and-stick positions from the Obama deal have been reversed.

“You’ve got Iranian propagandists out there saying, well, ‘we get all these things’, and they leave out the fact that they only get those things if they fundamentally transform themselves as a country,” he said, adding that the deal could open the door to economic cooperation for Tehran throughout the Mideast if it complies.

VANCE EN ROUTE TO PAKISTAN FOR HIGH-STAKES IRAN TALKS AS ‘FRAGILE’ CEASEFIRE TEETERS

“So the United States wins either way. As the president said, either they get nothing, we destroy their nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz [is] open, or they fundamentally transformed themselves. And that’s a big one too. It’s really up to them,” he said on “The Five.”

Host Jesse Watters agreed that the deal is the “exact opposite” of what Obama and former Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., forged a decade ago.

VANCE TOUTS DESTRUCTION OF IRANIAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM AS TRUMP ANNOUNCES ISRAEL-IRAN CEASEFIRE

“If they fund the proxies they don’t get the economic benefits, and the missiles are covered because 85% of them have been destroyed and 90% of their industrial base has been destroyed.”

“They’ve been disarmed. They can’t re-arm because they can manufacture more weapons and now they can really project power outside of their borders because they have no Air Force and they have no Navy and they don’t pose an imminent threat to the United States anymore,” Watters said, further arguing that the Iranians cannot enrich uranium because the only force capable of recovering the uranium “dust” is the U.S.

In a July 2015 statement defending the JCPOA, Obama used language similar to that now being used by Trump administration officials. 

“[W]e give nothing up by testing whether or not this problem can be solved peacefully. If, in a worst-case scenario, Iran violates the deal, the same options that are available to me today will be available to any U.S. president in the future. And I have no doubt that 10 or 15 years from now, the person who holds this office will be in a far stronger position,” a White House statement read. 

Obama also argued a future president would be “in a far stronger position” if Iran violated the agreement years later because inspections and transparency measures would allow the U.S. to monitor Tehran’s nuclear stockpiles.

Vance, however, noted there are few such stockpiles left after the Trump administration ordered strikes months ago.

Like the current administration, Obama sought to blunt criticism, warning in an August 2015 speech that ads will run and “accompanying commentary” will try to undermine the deal.

“Iran has powerful incentives to keep its commitments,” he said in a line similar to arguments Vance has made in Fox News interviews.

“Before getting sanctions relief, Iran has to take significant, concrete steps like removing centrifuges and getting rid of its stockpiles. If Iran violates the agreement over the next decade, all of the sanctions can snap back into place,” Obama said. 

“On the other hand, if Iran abides by the deal and its economy begins to reintegrate with the world, the incentive to avoid snapback will only grow,” Obama said in another line that echoed arguments now being made by administration officials.

Some critics, however, remained skeptical as of Wednesday, noting that Trump spent years attacking the JCPOA, arguing it provided economic relief in exchange for insufficient concessions.

TRUMP AGAIN SAYS DEAL IS CLOSE, THEN CONFIRMS A LAST-MINUTE AGREEMENT WITH IRAN, BUT DETAILS STILL SECRET

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., a Trump critic and former astronaut, suggested the deal resembled something candidate Trump would have lambasted.

“I did read what was reported on those 14 points [of the agreement] and I got to say, I mean, if this was something that President Obama or Biden had put forward, I don’t think Donald Trump would have been too supportive of it, right?” Kelly said.

“I mean, it gives everything: It’s basically everything that the Iranians would want,” he warned.

IRANIAN REGIME CRITIC WARNS TRUMP DEAL COULD BE ‘LIFELINE’ FOR REGIME, CLAIMS PEOPLE ARE ‘NERVOUS’

Iranian security expert Behnam Ben Taleblu told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview Wednesday that some, however, will take pause at the Trump-Vance deal

“The administration is focusing very much on this not being American money, whether one is looking at the reconstruction or the ability of the regime to later on generate revenue through oil sales. But worryingly, any deal with the Islamic Republic is a deal with the devil,” said Taleblu, who leads the Iran program at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies — a nonpartisan national security and foreign policy research institute in Washington.

“When Trump left the Iran deal in 2018, he didn’t leave it because of violation, he left it because that which the U.S. got was not worth that which the U.S. gave — meaning the nuclear concessions the U.S. got was not worth the sanctions relief the U.S. gave,” Taleblu said.

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

The best way for the administration to secure a narrative “win,” according to Taleblu, would be to fully release the text of the deal to present a true comparison with both the JCPOA and the less-remembered 2013 JPA, which was also forged by Obama.

Taleblu said the JPA is a better comparison to reports about the Trump deal. That pact was smaller in scope and set the stage for Obama and Kerry to negotiate the larger 2015 deal. In the current deal, Taleblu said, there is a similar 60-day window for Iran to comply.

“They have to show that that which they got is worth more than that which they gave. And based on leaks of the [pending deal] in Bloomberg and CNN and Al-Arabiya, it’s not looking good,” he said.

Another headwind facing the administration is the American public’s limited tolerance for economic repercussions, such as rising gas and commodity prices or occasional downturns in the Nasdaq.

“This is not just political it’s cultural and social which means the administration has to do a better job bringing the public along,” he said.

Taleblu said Iran has been warring with the U.S. since 1979 and that there needs to be more effective “political communications” about that fact to secure public buy-in.

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He also warned that while the effects of a war with Iran on the U.S. may strain the public, they would be dwarfed by the economic fallout from a future conflict with a more complicated adversary: China.

The memorandum of understanding lays out immediate waivers for Iranian oil exports, as well as a framework for $300 billion in economic development.

An official, however, emphasized to Fox News Digital that oil waivers were the only major benefit Tehran would realize before any final agreement is reached after a 60-day window.

In a reporter call, officials underlined that negotiations would promptly end if it was discovered Iran was “just dragging us along and kind of bull——- us,” and that they remained skeptical of Iran’s intentions.

Fox News Digital reached out to the vice president’s office for additional comment.

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

Trump-endorsed Republican congressional candidate Anthony Constantino says he will donate $174,000 — the equivalent of one year’s congressional salary — to the family of Sgt. Eddie Ryan, a wounded Iraq War veteran, regardless of whether he wins his race in New York’s 21st Congressional District.

Constantino, the CEO of Sticker Mule, made the surprise pledge on June 10 at a campaign event in Queensbury, New York, handing Ryan’s family a handwritten note promising the donation, according to local news outlet The Daily Gazette.

“I planned to give away my entire congressional salary from day one,” Constantino told Fox News Digital. “My team presented a few options and I immediately thought of Sgt. Eddie Ryan because he inspired me to fight harder early in this race.” 

BLUE STATE CEO WHO PUT UP 100-FOOT PRO-TRUMP SIGN TO SPEND $2.6 MILLION ON CAMPAIGN FOR CONGRESS

Constantino added, “I want this to become a symbolic gesture that encourages more Americans to fight, fight, fight for a better future while simultaneously inspiring other people of means to support our great Veterans.”

Ryan, a former U.S. Marine Corps sniper, was severely wounded by friendly fire in Iraq in 2005. He was shot twice in the head, suffered a traumatic brain injury and now faces lasting mobility and speech challenges, The Daily Gazette reported.

Constantino said he first met Ryan and his family earlier this year outside a Warren County Republican Committee meeting. The exchange lasted less than a minute, but he said it left a lasting impression.

“Sgt. Ryan is a role model for loving America and staying positive in the face of adversity. He was severely wounded in combat and proudly says he would do it again with a big smile,” Constantino said.

RACE TO SUCCEED REP. ELISE STEFANIK IN UPDATE NEW YORK HEATS UP WITH NEW CHALLENGER

Ryan said he was stunned by the announcement. 

“I’m still floored,” Ryan said after the pledge was revealed, according to The Daily Gazette.

Constantino is running against state Assembly Member Robert Smullen in the June 23 Republican primary to succeed Rep. Elise Stefanik in New York’s 21st Congressional District. 

He has spent millions of dollars of his own money on the campaign and has cast the race as a fight against the political establishment.

“It’s an opportunity to move the country in a positive direction in a big way,” Constantino said. “Once I saw first hand how bad the swamp that President Trump talks about so much really is, I felt I had no choice but to use my resources to fight it to create a better future for America.”

BRIAN MAST: I’M A WOUNDED WARRIOR. I’VE SEEN DONALD TRUMP CARE FOR VETERANS. THAT’S WHY I’M VOTING FOR HIM

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Earlier this year, President Donald Trump endorsed Constantino — who previously fought local officials to keep a massive pro-Trump sign on his factory — in the race to fill Stefanik’s seat.

“It is my Great Honor to endorse America First Patriot, Anthony Constantino, who is running to represent the fantastic people of New York’s 21st Congressional District,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in April.

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

President Donald Trump withdrew his endorsement of Oklahoma GOP congressional candidate Jackson Lahmeyer on Wednesday, and threw his support behind Republican rival Mark Tedford, a dramatic reversal that came shortly before Lahmeyer publicly announced he was suspending his campaign.

Lahmeyer told Fox News Digital, however, that he made the decision to end his campaign the night before and informed his wife and campaign team before Trump’s endorsement switch.

“I made my decision to drop out of the race last night,” Lahmeyer told Fox News Digital. “I decided to choose my wife over my ambition. I informed my wife about my decision late last night and then my campaign team early this morning. My decision did not take place because of the decision of POTUS this afternoon.”

AP results showed Tedford finishing first with 32.2% and Lahmeyer second with 25.9%, advancing both Republicans to a runoff election to succeed Rep. Kevin Hern, who is running for the U.S. Senate.

TRUMP DROPS MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE ENDORSEMENT, CALLS HER A ‘RANTING LUNATIC,’ HINTS AT BACKING PRIMARY RIVAL

Trump had previously endorsed Lahmeyer as a “MAGA Warrior” and longtime ally, making Wednesday’s endorsement switch one of the more notable reversals of the 2026 midterm cycle.

At approximately 2:23 p.m., Trump announced on Truth Social that he was backing Tedford.

“I greatly appreciate Jackson Lahmeyer’s hard work under difficult circumstances — He has always been with me, and I will always be with him,” Trump wrote. “But, when it comes to the current Congressional race for Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District, I will be supporting America First Patriot, Mark Tedford.”

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

The president described Tedford as “Pro Trump and MAGA all the way” and said the state lawmaker had his “Complete and Total Endorsement.”

At approximately 2:32 p.m., Lahmeyer announced on X that he was suspending his campaign.

“After prayerful consideration with my wife, Kendra, and my team over the last twenty four hours, I’ve made the difficult decision to suspend my campaign for Congress,” Lahmeyer said.

“I do not want to be a distraction to my family, my church, and the great people of Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District, who deserve a strong conservative voice representing them in Washington.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Lahmeyer, Tedford and the White House for comment. A White House official referred Fox News Digital to Trump’s Truth Social statement and did not provide additional comment.

INSIDE STEFANIK’S EXIT AND HOW THE TRUMP ENDORSEMENT THAT NEVER CAME WAS ‘BIGGEST PIECE’ OF THE ‘PUZZLE’

Trump’s decision marked a sharp turn from his earlier endorsement of Lahmeyer, whom he praised before Oklahoma’s June 16 primary.

The endorsement reversal came after a turbulent stretch for Lahmeyer’s campaign. The Daily Mail published reports regarding Lahmeyer’s communications with former Miss Oklahoma USA Caitlin Simmons Key. 

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Lahmeyer later acknowledged that he had crossed “a boundary line through text messaging” while disputing what he described as a misleading characterization of the situation.

Neither president Trump nor the White House publicly explained the reason for the endorsement change. Tedford is now positioned as the likely Republican nominee in the strongly GOP district.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and four Republican-led states sued the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) on Wednesday, alleging the influential medical organization misled parents and doctors about the safety, effectiveness and necessity of transgender medical treatments for minors.

The lawsuit alleges WPATH, whose standards of care are widely used by physicians treating patients with gender dysphoria, made deceptive claims about puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and sex change surgeries while failing to adequately disclose potential risks and side effects.

“Parents have a right to make informed decisions about their children’s health,” FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson wrote on X. “The FTC will not allow parents and children to be deceived by medical organizations and providers who are prioritizing profit over children’s health and safety.”

‘TRANSGENDER MADNESS’ UNDER FIRE AFTER CONGRESS LETS TAXPAYER FUNDING BAN LAPSE

According to the complaint, WPATH removed age-based recommendations for certain transgender procedures from its Standards of Care. The FTC also alleges the organization promoted treatments that were not adequately supported by evidence regarding their safety and effectiveness.

The lawsuit, filed alongside Alaska, Iowa, Nebraska and Texas, marks the latest effort by President Donald Trump’s administration to scrutinize medical interventions for transgender minors.

WPATH previously sued to block an FTC investigation into the organization, arguing the agency violated its First Amendment rights. A federal judge in May temporarily blocked the probe.

SEN HAWLEY WARNS IT WOULD BE ‘UNCONSCIONABLE’ IF BILLIONS OF TAXPAYER FUNDS FLOW TO TRANS KIDS’ SEX CHANGES

WPATH rejected the allegations and said its standards are intended to support individualized patient care. In a statement provided to The Associated Press, the organization said its guidelines are based on individualized treatment rather than a “one-size-fits-all” approach.

Fox News Digital reached out to WPATH for additional comment but did not immediately receive a response.

“WPATH is in a strong position to prove that the FTC is acting out of pure retaliation as part of the federal government’s relentless and targeted campaign to undermine gender-affirming care by attacking the First Amendment rights and the independence of professional medical organizations,” the group said in a statement to the AP.

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The lawsuit comes amid a broader national debate over puberty blockers, hormone therapies and sex change surgeries for minors.

Supporters argue the treatments can be medically necessary for some patients, while critics contend the long-term risks are not fully understood and that children may be unable to provide informed consent.

President Donald Trump’s proposed Iran agreement is drawing sharp criticism from some of his strongest supporters, who argue the deal rewards Tehran before it has agreed to fully dismantle its nuclear program.

The 14-point framework agreement, unveiled on Wednesday, establishes an immediate ceasefire between the United States and Iran, with key provisions including the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the removal of the U.S. naval blockade, temporary waivers allowing Iranian oil exports, access to frozen Iranian assets and a commitment to negotiate a final agreement within 60 days. The framework also outlines a proposed economic reconstruction package reportedly worth at least $300 billion and includes Iran’s renewed pledge not to pursue nuclear weapons.

However, critics note that the agreement does not require the immediate dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, the removal of enriched uranium stockpiles, restrictions on Tehran’s ballistic missile program or the disbandment of Iranian-backed proxy groups such as Hezbollah.

Despite the administration portraying the agreement as a breakthrough, critics have argued that the concessions offered to Iran far outweigh the commitments secured in return.

IRAN’S REGIME SPINS NUCLEAR AND STRAIT OF HORMUZ DEAL WITH TRUMP AS VICTORY OVER US, ISRAEL

“The deal is absolutely terrible, there’s no getting around it,” Will Chamberlain, senior counsel at the Article III Project and vice president of external affairs at the Edmund Burke Foundation, wrote on X. “The text gives Iranians huge, immediate financial benefits and protection for Hezbollah in exchange for opening the Strait – and nothing else. President Trump should renege.”

Conservative talk radio host Mark Levin praised President Trump’s decision to use military force against Iran but sharply criticized the proposed MOU, arguing that it abandons U.S. leverage before Tehran has made meaningful concessions.

“From day one, I have underscored that no deal will be honored by the Iranian regime,” Levin wrote on X, adding, “Why would we agree to immediately drop the most important leverage we have over the regime in advance of it complying with MOU requirements?”

AG Hamilton, the pseudonym of a licensed attorney and conservative commentator with a large following on X, sharply criticized the preliminary U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding.

“So they get to keep the nuclear program, the ballistic missile program, and funding for terror proxies. But they will pinky promise not to build a full nuke while getting billions of financial relief to fund all of that. Great deal. Should have had Kamala Harris negotiate it,” AG wrote.

Miles Taylor, a former Department of Homeland Security official who served during President Donald Trump’s first term and is a known critic of the president, called the memorandum of understanding “pathetic.”

“I was involved in Iran issues in the first Trump administration,” Taylor wrote on X. “The Trump ‘deal’ could be the most humiliating in U.S. diplomatic history. Hundred of billions in exchange for a ‘promise’ we already had.”

JD VANCE REVEALS DETAILS OF US-IRAN DEAL, ADDRESSES WHETHER TAXPAYER MONEY WILL GO TO TEHRAN

Atlanta-based conservative talk radio host Erick Erickson called it “American surrender.”

The deal came as little surprise to many observers, as versions of the alleged memorandum had been circulating for days.

“So the MOU is the same one that’s been out for days (as many of us have known the whole time, because we’ve been doing this for a while). And it’s as awful today as it was all week,” conservative commentator David Reaboi wrote on X.

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene also delivered a lengthy and highly critical response, mocking the administration’s handling of the conflict and questioning the rationale behind a proposed reconstruction fund for Iran. Greene argued that American taxpayers would ultimately bear the financial burden while the Iranian regime remained in power.

TRUMP UNLEASHES ON OBAMA’S ‘DISASTER’ IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL, SAYS HE WAS ‘HONORED’ TO RIP IT APART

Trump’s former vice president and 2024 rival Mike Pence said the ceasefire agreement was almost identical to the Obama and Biden administration’s approach to the Iranians.

“The reported MOU with Iran smacks of the kind of appeasement that we saw during the Obama years, the kind of appeasement that Joe Biden tried to accomplish and was ignored by the Iranians, and the kind of appeasement we categorically rejected during the first Trump administration,” Pence wrote on X.

And former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley, another 2024 Republican candidate for president defeated by Trump, called the agreement a “huge mistake.”

TRUMP BROKERS IRAN CEASEFIRE AS EXPERTS SAY REGIME’S ARSENAL IS SHATTERED BUT THREAT REMAINS

“Hitting Iran’s nuclear and missile sites was the right move. This regime chants death to America, murders our troops, and attempts to assassinate Americans on U.S. soil. They believe they have an obligation to destroy us,” Haley wrote on X.

“Now, we plan to unlock billions of dollars and lift sanctions, with the promise of even more money. They will use that money the way they always do— to further their nuclear ambitions and on terrorist proxies against us. It’s a huge mistake to pay to rebuild the threat we just destroyed.”

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Others, however, welcomed the move away from further military escalation. Broadcaster Piers Morgan said he was pleased to see Trump seeking an exit from the conflict, even while criticizing the circumstances that led to it.

“This Iran deal is about as far removed from ‘unconditional surrender’ as any deal in the history of Planet Earth,” Morgan wrote on X. “I’m glad President Trump is getting out of this fiasco, but I bet if he had his time again, he’d have never got into it or believed Netanyahu’s bullsh*t.”

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

President Donald Trump’s preliminary agreement with Iran is making its way through the media, but it still hasn’t made its way into the hands of lawmakers on Capitol Hill. 

Those who have read the reports are split on the memorandum of understanding (MOU) that the administration intends to finalize in a ceremonial signing on Friday. 

Some say it’s a worse outcome than former President Barack Obama’s Iranian nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which Trump ripped up in his first term. 

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION UNVEILS SWEEPING TERMS OF PROPOSED IRAN AGREEMENT

“Everything I’ve seen is, like, what’s being reported by Bloomberg or the read-out on this thing is, we are giving a lot more to get a lot less than we got in the JCPOA,” Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said. 

“Now, I can’t say that with an exclamation point on it until I actually see the memorandum, but every bit of reporting, thus far, says, we’re giving a lot more to get a lot less than what we had before Donald Trump,” he continued.

The schism on the MOU doesn’t follow party lines, either. 

TRUMP’S IRAN DEAL SPARKS GOP DEMANDS FOR VOTE AS CONGRESS REMAINS IN THE DARK

“Reagan is rolling over in his grave,” Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said on X. “Iran’s nuclear ambitions were not curbed, and they have learned that threatening the Strait of Hormuz works and will undoubtedly leverage it in the future. Now, Iran gets to build brand-new infrastructure under this deal.”

Administration officials revealed the plan to reporters on Wednesday and detailed plans for immediate waivers on Iranian oil exports, a framework for at least $300 billion in reconstruction and economic development, and a 60-day negotiation period aimed at securing a final agreement on Iran’s nuclear program.

But the agreement, in its current form, falls short of dealing with the central issue that started the war in the first place: Iran’s nuclear program. 

REPUBLICANS BAT DOWN BID TO HANDCUFF TRUMP’S WAR POWERS AS PEACE DEAL NEARS

Instead, it commits both sides to negotiate the fate of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile and future enrichment activities as part of a final agreement. 

Kaine, who pushed the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act (INARA) during the Obama administration that requires congressional review of any nuclear deal with Iran, said that from what he’s seen, the memorandum “probably touches enough on the nuclear program that it would have to be submitted to Congress.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who was previously skeptical of the burgeoning deal earlier in the week, now appears to support it. When asked about Cassidy’s take on the MOU, Graham said, “I like Bill, but I don’t think he quite understands what’s going on here.” 

“I don’t think the MOU is a deal, it’s a framework of how to get a deal,” Graham said. “There are parts of it I don’t like. The way I look at it, is if you can find a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear ambitions, go for it. And the MOU puts it in place.”

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When asked if he was OK with sanctions being lifted on Iranian oil exports, Graham said he was fine with the idea in the short-term and the money that would flow in, “Because if the deal doesn’t work, all that stops.” 

“What I’m worried about is not taking an opportunity here to find a diplomatic solution,” he said. “Because if you fail, then what is left is war.”

CHICAGO — The Obama Presidential Center was billed as a lasting legacy to former President Barack Obama, and its construction was touted as an ambitious model built with aggressive goals for minority-owned and local businesses.

But now, some of the very subcontractors who helped build the 19.3-acre campus on Chicago’s South Side say they are facing financial ruin as they race to recover millions of dollars they claim remain unpaid ahead of the center’s grand opening Friday. Overall construction costs were reported to be $830 million in 2021, and have likely climbed past the $1 billion mark.

A Fox News Digital investigation identified multiple construction firms claiming losses ranging from hundreds of thousands of dollars to tens of millions. The allegations cut against one of the Center’s defining goals: helping minority-owned businesses and local contractors grow through one of Chicago’s highest-profile construction projects. Several of the complaints reviewed by Fox News Digital come from firms that were supposed to benefit from that mission.

Among them is Adamson Plumbing, whose owner Mike Owen says is nearly $4 million in the red after years of work on the project.

“That is a hole that no subcontractor, small business can survive,” Owen said.

OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER’S $470M SAFETY NET UNDER SCRUTINY AS SUBCONTRACTORS SAY THEY’RE OWED MILLIONS

Subcontractor owners interviewed by Fox News Digital described what they characterized as a chaotic work environment marked by repeated design changes, rework, scheduling disruptions, extensive oversight and years-long compensation disputes that still remain unresolved.

Several also described what they viewed as a wall of silence surrounding the project, with some declining to speak publicly or requesting anonymity because of confidentiality agreements or fears of professional retaliation.

The allegations emerge days after a Fox News Digital investigation reported that the Obama Foundation’s reserve fund — originally promoted as a $470 million financial safeguard intended to help protect taxpayers if the project encountered financial trouble — remains funded at roughly $1 million.

Nearly $4 million in the red

Standing outside the center on a gloomy Friday afternoon, Owen flipped through spreadsheets and financial records that he said documented millions of dollars in losses tied to the project.

Owen said the project stretched on for years longer than anticipated, forcing his company to absorb millions of dollars in labor and overhead costs as work demands changed and expanded.

He said the losses have drained the company’s reserves, created uncertainty for employees and could ultimately force layoffs. Owen also said the years-long effort to recover what he believes is money owed has taken a significant toll on his mental health.

“I haven’t had eight hours or six hours sleep in over a year,” Owen said. “I’m cooked emotionally. I feel like an aluminum can that’s been thrown in front of a steamroller. We’re crushed. And I have to fight for my company and for my people.”

OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER JOB LISTINGS PUSH ‘ANTI-RACISM’ PLEDGE AHEAD OF OPENING

As the center prepares for a star-studded pre-opening celebration on Thursday featuring performers including Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder and John Legend, Owen said it has been difficult to watch the buildup and soft-opening events take shape over the past few weeks while his company struggles financially.

“It was kind of hard seeing some local and national celebrities high-fiving and back-slapping here about the work that’s been done,” Owen said. “The backdrop of a coming celebration is kind of hard to swallow for me and for some of my peers at the moment.”

Owen, whose company is not minority-owned, said he decided to speak publicly only after months of failed efforts to recover losses he attributes to the project.

“As for me and my company, I’m at the end of my rope and I see no other choice than to have to tell my story,” Owen said. “This is not to embarrass anybody, but this is just to make sure that the truth gets told out here of what has happened to the companies that poured their heart and soul into getting this job complete and operational.”

He said unnecessary rework, delays and more than 100 change-order requests left his company absorbing millions of dollars in additional costs.

OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER SLAMMED FOR PROMOTING ‘FAR-LEFT’ AGENDA ON PUBLIC LAND

The Obama Foundation, Obama’s private nonprofit organization that oversees the construction, told Fox News Digital that it paid Lakeside Alliance as the project’s construction manager and that Lakeside was responsible for hiring, managing and paying subcontractors working on the center.

The Obama Foundation also said it has no outstanding disputed charges with Lakeside Alliance — a joint venture involving multiple construction companies — and no contractural relationship with Lakeside’s subcontractors.

Lakeside Alliance said projects of this scale are inherently complex and that outstanding project matters often continue long after construction ends. The alliance said approximately 475 contractors worked on the project, generating significant opportunities for local tradespeople and businesses, and that it remains committed to working through outstanding matters to successfully close out the project.

Neither Lakeside Alliance nor the Obama Foundation directly disputed allegations from some subcontractors that they incurred losses while working on the project.

Fears of speaking out

Advocates for Black subcontractor firms say those companies have been muzzled by a non-disclosure agreement and a reluctance to speak publicly because of the prestige surrounding the project in Obama’s adopted hometown, a Democratic stronghold, as well as concerns that speaking out could jeopardize payments.

“They are scared to death about talking about it,” Omar Shareef, the president of the African American Contractors Association, told Fox News Digital outside the center on a recent Saturday. The group advocates for Black-owned construction businesses and was founded by Shareef in 1989.

“I’ve never seen this happen since I’ve been in business,” Shareef said. “The building does look nice, but the fact doesn’t matter that they’re not paying our damn contractors.”

Fox News Digital independently interviewed several contractors who described similar concerns.

Shareef said several Black subcontractor owners began privately approaching him about six months ago, claiming significant losses tied directly to the project. The concerns are particularly notable, he said, because the project was publicly promoted as an opportunity for minority-owned businesses and local workers.

“The promise was that this project was going to uplift minority contractors and uplift the community,” Shareef said. “What sense is celebrating Juneteenth if our Black contractors are not getting their money?”

“Some of the people have put their mortgages up, they’re going to lose their bonding… they are going to lose their relationship with their supplier as well as their banker.”

Shareef said that being in the red not only puts them at financial risk, but it also makes it harder for them to secure future projects. Shareef said his group plans on staging a protest outside the center on Thursday at 10 a.m. CT.

“That’s a bad signal to put out the fact that seven to eight to maybe 10 of our contractors in our community are going to be eliminated from doing business because of the debt that they incurred on this particular project,” he said. “If they would have known it was a Trojan horse or a Pandora’s box, I don’t know if they would have raced as much as they did to be a part of it.”

Fox News Digital has not independently corroborated the claim that these subcontractors will be forced out of business as a result of their work on the Obama Presidential Center project.

WATCH: Black subcontractors at Obama Presidential Center still seeking payment as Juneteenth opening nears, advocate says

Local companies on the brink

One minority-owned subcontractor owner told Fox News Digital his company was up to $2.5 million in the red but declined to speak publicly, citing non-disclosure agreements and ongoing efforts to resolve disputes. The owner said the contract for the job was originally expected to last 24 months but ultimately stretched to about five years.

Fox News Digital was unable to independently verify the company’s claimed losses. Shareef said the owner told him the same story but the owner wouldn’t provide Shareef with documents due to the NDA.

The largest publicly known dispute tied to the project involved II in One Concrete, a Black-owned firm that was part of the Concrete Collective — a joint venture that also included Trice Construction and W.E. O’Neil Construction — that was responsible for major structural concrete work across the campus.

The Concrete Collective filed claims exceeding $40 million, alleging it incurred substantial additional costs while working on the Center. The dispute later became entangled with a widely publicized racial racial discrimination lawsuit that brought national attention to diversity, equity and inclusion issues surrounding the project.

McGee alleged the project’s structural engineer unfairly blamed his company for delays and cost overruns and that the criticism contributed to the rejection of Concrete Collective’s compensation claims.

Defendants denied wrongdoing and disputed the allegations, arguing that portions of the concrete work had to be repaired or replaced because of cracking and other deficiencies. The owner of II in One Concrete declined to comment for this story. The case docket reflects that the case remains pending.

BUREAUCRATS HIDE TRUE PRICE OF OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER AS TAXPAYERS HIT WITH INFRASTRUCTURE BILL

Court records also show that at least two minority-owned subcontractors that worked on the project later sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, according to documents viewed by Fox News Digital. The filings do not establish that the Obama Presidential Center caused those financial difficulties.

Glass Management Services, which supplied glass for the project, filed for Chapter 11 protection in 2024 and later told the bankruptcy court it was preparing litigation related to the Obama Presidential Center that it said could yield millions of dollars in damages. Fox News Digital is not aware that such litigation has been filed and the allegations have not been tested in court. Its owner declined to speak.

Vision Painting & Decorating Services, another subcontractor that worked on the project, also filed for Chapter 11 protection in 2024 while listing the Obama Presidential Center contract in its bankruptcy schedules. Court filings reviewed by Fox News Digital do not state whether the company viewed the project as contributing to its financial difficulties. Fox News Digital was unable to get in touch with its owner.

Another subcontractor owner who worked on the project, told Fox News Digital that the job caused significant financial strain on his company too and he described the experience as a “nightmare” and one of the most difficult projects he had encountered.

He filed a mechanic’s lien for around $145,000, documents show, which was eventually paid to him, but he said his company was still down $200,000 for the project. A mechanic’s lien is a legal tool that companies file when they say they are owed money for construction work they completed.

“Literally, I’ve been doing this for 35 years, and it was the worst-run job I’ve ever been on,” the subcontractor owner said.

He described repeated delays, extensive oversight and what he considered unnecessary construction requirements that forced contractors to spend additional time and money completing work.

“The stuff that they made everybody do was so over-the-top ridiculous,” the owner said.

That view was echoed by Owen, who said his company was forced to redo portions of the Center’s stormwater system at a cost of nearly $900,000, expenses he believes should have been reimbursed. Owen said the work was unnecessary and pointed to correspondence reviewed by Fox News Digital in which Chicago’s chief plumbing inspector later wrote that Adamson’s original method complied with city code requirements.

Owen also provided records showing his firm submitted more than 100 change-order requests — requests for additional compensation for work performed beyond the original scope of the project — during construction. He said the unusually high number reflected constant revisions, rework and delays.

Owen said the company has been trying to recover money it says it is owed from parties involved and has not filed a lawsuit. Fox News Digital reviewed correspondence showing that Adamson’s attorney wrote to project representatives regarding the dispute.

Meanwhile, two additional companies filed mechanics’ liens for around $400,000 and $75,000 respectively. Fox News Digital was unable to contact company officials and it is not known if the liens have been paid.

Promise vs. reality

The concerns are particularly notable because the Obama Presidential Center was built around one of the most ambitious efforts to increase participation by minority-owned businesses and workers from historically underserved communities.

The Obama Foundation committed to awarding 50% of subcontracting packages to diverse vendors — nearly double Chicago’s goals for minority- and women-owned businesses — while requiring 35% of workforce hours to come from targeted South and West Side communities. Foundation officials said the effort was intended to serve as a model for future development projects and help create a pipeline of workers and contractors for projects across Chicago.

The Obama Foundation estimated the Center would generate as many as 5,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs during and after construction.

To deliver the project, the foundation hired Lakeside Alliance — a consortium led by Turner Construction and four Black-owned firms: UJAMAA Construction, Powers & Sons Construction, Brown & Momen and Safeway Construction. The partnership was frequently highlighted by the Foundation as evidence of the project’s commitment to minority-owned businesses and local economic opportunity.

Beneath that alliance sat dozens of subcontractors responsible for carrying out the actual work, from plumbing and HVAC systems to painting, insulation, glass installation and concrete construction. Many of the complaints reviewed by Fox News Digital came from firms operating at that subcontractor level.

The foundation said many subcontractors used the project to grow their businesses and noted that it implemented accelerated payment schedules, advance payments and a 15-day payment cycle to help support smaller firms. The foundation also said it worked with Lakeside Alliance to identify subcontractors in need of financial assistance and, when appropriate, provide additional support.

A landmark project

Whatever the outcome of those disputes, the center itself is nearing completion and preparing to open its doors to the public.

For many Chicago residents, the project remains a source of pride and a long-awaited investment in the city’s South Side. For some of the subcontractors who helped build it, however, the approaching opening date represents a shrinking window to resolve payment disputes they say have lingered for years.

The subcontractor tension was largely absent from the excitement surrounding the center over a recent weekend, when local residents touring the campus told Fox News Digital they were impressed by the sprawling development and its 220-foot-tall granite-clad museum tower.

Many posed with a statue of the former president and first lady and stopped to read slogans displayed on the perimeter fence, including “Bring Change Home” and “A Home For Action.” Several described the project as a fitting tribute to Obama, who first rose to prominence as a community organizer before becoming the nation’s first Black president.

The center sits in historic Jackson Park, one of Chicago’s most iconic public parks. The Obama Foundation secured the site through a 99-year lease with the city for a one-time fee of just $10.

Once open, the campus will serve as the headquarters of the Obama Foundation and host leadership programs, community initiatives and public events.

It will feature a branch of the Chicago Public Library, a digitized presidential library — though it will not be a traditional presidential library with physical papers — an auditorium, an indoor sports facility, a playground and expansive green outdoor spaces.

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Despite the financial losses, Owen said he still takes pride in the finished product.

“I’ve heard the criticisms of the design out here and maybe from an outsider’s perspective, it might not be your cup of tea, but I can tell you the interior of this presidential center is quite beautiful and it’s something to be proud of,” Owen said.

“And we are still proud to have been part of this job. We just wish it would have gone a different way financially.”

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has released $351.6 million to the Secret Service for “White House Security Measures,” all while President Donald Trump continues to advocate for a ballroom to be built where the East Wing used to be.

The funds were approved on Friday, with $340.8 million being put into an account called “Procurement, Construction, and Improvements.” The other $10.75 million will go toward an “Operations and Support” account, according to a database maintained by the OMB.

This money comes from a section of the One Big Beautiful Bill, passed last July through the budget reconciliation process, that gave $1.7 billion to the Secret Service. The law requires these funds to be used for personnel, training facilities, programming, technology, retention and signing bonuses for agents.

REPUBLICANS EYE PICKING UP $400M TAB FOR TRUMP’S BALLROOM AS SOME DEMS OPEN TO ‘DISCUSS’ IDEA

It is unclear if the $351.6 million approved last week for security measures will be spent on the ongoing ballroom project, which has been challenged in court.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, White House spokesman Davis Ingle said the East Wing Modernization Project “is inextricably tied to the security of the President, the White House grounds and the certain security infrastructure assets”

“The press release announcing the construction of the ballroom highlighted coordination with the White House Military Office and the United States Secret Service regarding design features and planning,” he said. “President Trump and generous American patriots are funding the ballroom to the tune of approximately $400 million, which will be a secure and appropriate venue for Presidents for generations to come.”

“The events over the weekend and the foiled attack on the historic UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House proves exactly why the East Wing Modernization Project is severely needed for large scale events, which include drone proof structures and drone ports among other critical security enhancements,” Ingle added.

The Secret Service did not immediately return a request for comment.

Trump has said that there will be a “massive” six-story complex underneath the ballroom that would include a military hospital, research facilities, various meeting rooms and security infrastructure related to drone and missile defense.

In late May, Trump said the construction will cost $400 million. He has also maintained that the ballroom will be funded through private donations and not with taxpayer dollars.

TRUMP CLAIMS DONOR FUNDED WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM INCLUDES HIDDEN BUILD BELOW WITH SECURITY FOCUS

The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that the contractor on the project estimated the ballroom would cost $600 million, with more than half of that sum coming from taxpayers.

Trump has long said the ballroom is needed to make presidential events more secure. The most recent threat to the White House came on Sunday, when the FBI said it disrupted an alleged plot to use explosives attached to drones to attack buildings near the UFC Freedom 250 event.

To make way for the planned ballroom, the East Wing was demolished in October 2025, which prompted a lawsuit from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The nonprofit argued that the Trump administration had bypassed key review processes and must seek approval from Congress for the project.

In March, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled that the administration had likely exceeded its authority and ordered a halt to all above-ground construction.

PRESERVATION GROUP SUES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM PROJECT

On April 17, a three-judge panel on the D.C. Circuit court stayed Leon’s order and allowed construction to continue pending an appeal from the White House.

Days after the D.C. Circuit’s ruling, a gunman showed up at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner, which was being held at the Washington Hilton, and fired at Secret Service agents at a security checkpoint.

After the suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, was apprehended, Trump and his allies renewed their calls for a White House ballroom so similar security lapses would not be possible in the future.

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A shooting outside the White House on May 23 prompted Trump to once again argue that the ballroom is necessary.

“This event is one month removed from the White House Correspondent’s Dinner shooting, and goes to show how important it is, for all future Presidents, to get, what will be, the most safe and secure space of its kind ever built in Washington, D.C. The National Security of our Country demands it!” he wrote on Truth Social on May 24.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday forcefully rejected comparisons between the announced Iran agreement and former President Barack Obama’s 2015 nuclear deal, arguing the Obama-era pact could have led to Israel and much of the Middle East being “terminated” if he had not ended it.

“The JCPOA was a short-term lease. It expired long ago,” Trump told reporters during a press conference on the sidelines of the G7 summit. “Had I let it run, it expired. You wouldn’t have been around. A lot of people wouldn’t have been around, but Israel would have been terminated. I think the whole Middle East would have been terminated.”

Trump added that he finished the job of terminating the Obama nuclear deal after failed attempts from Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu.

“Bibi actually went to Congress and pleaded with them, and he got nowhere. And they had this horrible deal that was horrible for Israel, horrible for Israel. And that’s where it stood. And then I came along and I terminated that deal that had very little time left,” said Trump.

VANCE REVEALS TRUMP LESSON GUIDING IRAN DEAL STRATEGY AS TEHRAN FACES 60-DAY DEADLINE

Trump added that Netanyahu “begged Barack Hussein Obama, the president, not to do the JCPOA. He said it could be the end of Israel, and it would have been if I didn’t come along. And Obama didn’t listen to him.” 

The president said the agreement is fundamentally different from the JCPOA, arguing it is structured to permanently block Iran’s path to a nuclear weapon rather than temporarily limit its nuclear activities before key restrictions sunset. Trump’s remarks came prior to the release of the newly announced memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran.

“I made it very tough for [Iran] when I terminated the Barack Hussein Obama catastrophe JCPOA, one of the worst deals,” Trump said. “This deal was really dangerous. What he did, he gave them everything, including a lot of money, which we don’t give them.

TRUMP UNLEASHES ON OBAMA’S ‘DISASTER’ IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL, SAYS HE WAS ‘HONORED’ TO RIP IT APART

The MOU has drawn comparisons to the JCPOA, as both agreements offer Iran the prospect of sanctions relief and increased foreign investment in exchange for complying with their respective commitments.

Obama argued this week that any new agreement with Iran is unlikely to look dramatically different from the 2015 JCPOA.

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The benefits will depend on whether Iran can prove it has abandoned its nuclear ambitions and support for terrorist organizations during a 60-day negotiating period.

We’re deep enough into the season to have a sense of how the year is going for various clubs and players.

We see which players are most expendable by the trade deadline. And we get an early line on what to anticipate this fall.

Could sub-.500 clubs like the Texas Rangers or The Athletics (now playing in Sacramento) make the postseason? Did the Baltimore Orioles get what they paid for when they signed Pete Alonso from the New York Mets? Will the Detroit Tigers deal back-to-back Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal to the Atlanta Braves or Cleveland Guardians?

All becomes clearer as we approach the All-Star Break in less than a month.

The same is true in Congress. But the schedule is a little more advanced on Capitol Hill compared to the baseball calendar. Yes, Major League Baseball would play a potential Game 7 of the World Series on Oct. 31. Election Day for the midterms is Nov. 3.

DEMOCRATS FACE DAUNTING CONGRESSIONAL BASEBALL GAME STREAK AS EX-MLB GREAT EYES GOP ROSTER SPOT

However, the Capitol Hill timeframe is more truncated than the baseball slate.

In some respects, Congress is already past its legislative equivalent of the Dog Days of August. In fact, both the House and Senate will likely be out of session for all but a day – if that – in August. They’ll be back in September and then out again until after the midterm.

That is, unless there’s another lengthy government shutdown. And that’s a distinct possibility.

The government’s fiscal year expires at 11:59:59 p.m. ET on Sept. 30. Yes, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle want to rush home in the fall to campaign before the midterms. But last year’s record 43-day comprehensive government shutdown may just be a legislative amuse bouche of what we’re in for this year.

Plus, if Democrats again go to the mat over healthcare or the lack of guardrails for ICE and Border Patrol – despite Republicans just funding those agencies for the rest of the Trump presidency earlier this month – they may view a government shutdown and bogging down everything in Washington as the equivalent of campaigning.

The Senate is meeting this week. The House is out. Chatter started ricocheting around the Capitol this week that the House might consider sending everyone home until September at the end of the next work period. The official calendar has the House meeting through July 2. After adopting the One Big Beautiful Bill last summer, the House left for its August recess a day early in mid-July. One could see the House conceivably cutting town a bit early this year too.

That said, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., wants to advance a few spending bills across the floor before the recess. The House has already approved two of the 12 bills: one for military construction and veterans programs. The other for agriculture.

The House is poised to approve the Energy and Water spending bill next week as well as one for national security initiatives.

CONGRESS FLEES TOWN AS HEALTH CARE PREMIUMS SET TO EXPLODE FOR MILLIONS OF AMERICANS IN JANUARY

Republicans would like to approve the annual defense funding measure soon. That bill consumes well over half of all discretionary spending (money which Congress allocates each year). The GOP may need to follow suit from last year where the House passed the defense plan with only Republican votes. But if the House greenlights the Pentagon’s bill, it will have approved around 80 percent of all spending for the next fiscal year.

However, the Senate is another question. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, canceled planned sessions to craft multiple spending bills over the past few weeks. She’s blamed Democrats for lack of cooperation.

That said, control of the Senate may hinge on Maine as Collins faces embattled Democratic nominee Graham Platner this fall. Platner lugs around more baggage than a skycap at Dulles International Airport. But Democrats are sticking with Platner. Democrats are in no mood to cede any ground to Collins or present her with any easy “wins” ahead of the fall.

BATTLEGROUND REPUBLICANS HOLD THE LINE AS JOHNSON PRESSURES DEMS ON SHUTDOWN

While the House appropriations process may limp along, it’s all but paralyzed in the Senate. This is where a congressional contagion could spread from the Senate to the House. Some House lawmakers may question why they should stick around to tackle any bills if they’re on a road to oblivion in the Senate. Pressure will ramp up on both sides of the aisle to let everyone go home early rather than engage in an academic exercise.

And let’s fast-forward to fall and the funding deadline. The sides simply are not getting along at all. There’s no incentive for Democrats to help if both the House and Senate are in play this fall. President Trump demonstrated no incentive to negotiate during last year’s government shutdown. It could be worse this time around. That’s why a shutdown may be in the cards.

The question is whether lawmakers stay in Washington for the month of October and try to figure things out when they’d rather be in their districts and states campaigning. Remember, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., kept the House out for most of the autumn shutdown last year.

MORNING GLORY: WILL THE HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS DESERT PRESIDENT TRUMP AND TRIGGER A MASSIVE TAX HIKE?

And then there is the biggest possible bill of all: “Reconciliation 3.0.”

No one really knows exactly what Republicans would stash in a massive package, ala last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill. President Trump is adamant that they add $350 billion in additional military spending on top of the Pentagon’s annual budget measure – mostly to cover the war in Iran. This would also restock munitions exhausted overseas.

Some Republicans believe they should address health care. Yet there’s still no bona fide health care proposal from the Trump Administration. There will be tax cuts. Maybe lower the cost of living. Of course, President Trump also wants the SAVE America Act tacked on to this bill. It requires proof of citizenship to vote. But the president just insisted that congressional Republicans latch the SAVE America Act to a bill to renew FISA.

Either way, the SAVE America Act wouldn’t pass muster with special Senate budget rules. And Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said repeatedly he would not fire the Senate’s budget umpire, Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough.

IT NEVER ENDS: GOP MOVES TO FUND BORDER, DEMOCRATS BLAST TRUMP SPENDING

Vulnerable Republicans would love to have another policy bill to campaign on this fall. But there’s lots of skepticism. And any decision to dismiss lawmakers from Capitol Hill early would serve as a signal that there’s no way they can pass “Reconciliation 3.0.”

In Major League Baseball, we usually know by late July or early August if even an average team has an outside shot at the playoffs. The trade deadline is Aug. 3 – although some clubs may try to stock up or unload well before then.

Teams and players on the wrong side of the ledger will play out the string through the end of the season. Then pack up for the hot stove league.

Congress is similar. Members elected to the 119th Congress are in office until 11:59:59 p.m. ET on Jan. 3, 2027. Some are just running out the string.

Yogi Berra famously declared that “the future ain’t what it used to be.”

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In baseball, there were high expectations this season for the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds and Houston Astros. The season isn’t even to its mid-point. But the future isn’t panning out for these clubs.

The same is true on Capitol Hill. We’ll know soon if the future is what “it used to be,” here too.

Former Secretary of State and failed 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Monday night trashed former president Joe Biden for his decision to run for reelection in 2024.

“He made a terrible mistake,” Clinton said in an interview with David Remnick of 92NY. “He made a terrible mistake for himself, his legacy and for the country.”

It furthers the Democrats’ narrative shift over Biden’s health and his decision to seek a second term after former First Lady Jill Biden last month revealed she worried her husband was having a stroke on stage during his June 2024 debate with President Donald Trump.

Clinton is now bashing her one-time ally by claiming he went back on his word and insisting that former Vice President Kamala Harris would have had a chance to win if she was the candidate from the get-go.

“He had said that he would not run again, and you know, counterfactual narratives are always a bit tricky, but I believe that if he had kept to that plan and said in say, the late summer of ’23, that he wasn’t going to run, that he was going to pass the torch to the next generation we would’ve had a real contest,” Clinton said in her sit-down in Manhattan this week.

Biden exited the presidential race in late July 2024, a few weeks after a disastrous debate display led to left-wing commentators calling for him to step down. The Democratic Party then installed then-VP Harris as its presidential nominee without a primary vote.

“Very sadly, I believe that whoever emerged from the contest, whether it was the vice president or a governor or a senator or anybody else, would have beaten Donald Trump,” Clinton retroactively speculated.

“So I think it was a terrible miscalculation on the part of President Biden, but once he didn’t move and did not admit that he had said he was going to step aside and decided not to, and held on for as long as he did, we were in a terrible dilemma.”

DEMOCRAT WHO RAN AGAINST BIDEN SAYS PRESIDENT’S DECISION TO SEEK RE-ELECTION ‘SEALED’ WIN FOR TRUMP

Clinton never voiced any concerns about Biden’s reelection bid while it was ongoing.

In fact, on June 28, 2024, the day after Biden’s comatose debate performance, she maintained her support for him in a post on X.

FORMER OBAMA ADVISORS TELL ‘THE VIEW’ DEMS HURT PARTY BY TAKING TOO LONG TO ADMIT BIDEN COULDN’T WIN

“The choice in this election remains very simple,” she said at the time. “It’s a choice between someone who cares about you—your rights, your prospects, your future—versus someone who’s only in it for himself. I’ll be voting Biden.”

She spent all of 2024 propping Biden up before his abrupt decision to hand the reins over to Harris.

“We don’t have to wonder what this year’s presidential contenders would do in office,” she said in a post on June 19, 2024. “When it comes to immigration, President Biden keeps families together while strengthening our economy. Donald Trump ripped families apart. Vote accordingly.”

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In January of that year, she was actively encouraging people to support Biden in the name of democracy.

“After Iowa, we’re one step closer to knowing who the Republicans will nominate for president. But no matter who they choose, we’re in a fight for reproductive freedom and democracy that we can’t afford to lose. Join Team Biden-Harris today,” she said.

Fox News Digital did not hear back from a Biden spokesperson when reached for comment on Clinton’s recent remarks.

JACKSON, GA – Republican Rep. Mike Collins, who is running as a MAGA champion and strong supporter of President Donald Trump, has won a competitive and combustible battle for the GOP Senate nomination in Georgia that went into overtime.

The Trump-backed Collins on Tuesday defeated former college football coach Derek Dooley in the Republican runoff election and will face Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in November’s election in a race that’s among a handful that will likely decide if the GOP holds its slim majority in the chamber in this autumn’s midterm elections.

Republicans view Ossoff as the most vulnerable Senate Democrat seeking re-election and are heavily targeting the first-term senator.

“It’s time to get to work, defeat Jon Ossoff, and take this seat back for the people of this state,” Collins said in his victory speech.

Collins, a two-term federal lawmaker who represents Georgia’s 10th Congressional District, which is located between Atlanta and Augusta, is the son of the late Rep. Mac Collins, and is the founder and co-owner, along with his wife, of a trucking company.

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

He and Dooley, a lawyer, a former University of Tennessee football coach and the son of legendary University of Georgia head football coach Vince Dooley, were the top two finishers in a crowded field of candidates that also included Rep. Buddy Carter. But since no one topped 50% in last month’s primary, Collins and Dooley advanced to Tuesday’s runoff election.

While Collins showcased his MAGA credentials and support for the president, Trump remained neutral in the Georgia primary and runoff elections for Senate until Saturday night.

“It’s an honor to have that endorsement. It just shows that he has confidence that we know how to win this race, we know we’re in the lead in this thing,” Collins told Fox News Digital on Sunday, hours after landing Trump’s endorsement.

Asked if Trump’s endorsement in Georgia came too late to make a difference, Collins said, “I don’t think President Trump ever is too late. He has this impeccable ability of putting his thumb right on the scale at the right time with whatever he wants to do.”

Dooley, meanwhile, was strongly backed by lifelong friend and popular conservative Gov. Brian Kemp, who is term-limited. Kemp and his wife, Georgia first lady Marty Kemp, regularly appeared with Dooley on the campaign trail and the governor’s top political advisor was a senior consultant for Dooley’s Senate bid.

Dooley, who ran as an outsider, said in a Fox News Digital interview on the eve of the runoff that the president’s backing of his rival “doesn’t change how I feel.”

“I’m honored to have Governor Kemp’s endorsement. I certainly would have been honored to have the President’s endorsement. But the most important endorsement that I’m fighting for is the people of Georgia,” he emphasized.

Dooley emphasized his outsider image and he targeted Collins as a political insider.

Dooley told Fox News Digital voters “are fed up with what’s going on in Congress. They’re fed up with the careerism, the corruption, the inaction. And it’s time we get sent a different kind of leader up there to change business as usual in D.C.”

Collins criticized Dooley for a lack of political experience and for living outside of Georgia for much of his adult life.

“Not having a record is not gonna win this thing. But having a records of results will,” Collins told supporters on the eve of the runoff. 

Both candidates had some political baggage.

The House Ethics Committee looked into Collins over allegations he paid an intern in a district office who had a romantic relationship with his congressional chief of staff but who did not actually perform any work. Collins denied any wrongdoing and kept the staffer on his Senate campaign.

But the staffer was later fired by Collins after taking to social media on behalf of the campaign to mock the wife of a Dooley campaign advisor who attempted suicide after accusing Matt Lauer of rape. The social media post was deleted and Collins apologized, calling the tweet “despicable and unauthorized.”

Dooley, over the past week, was reportedly accused of being part of a “pay-to-play” scandal involving brother Daniel Dooley and the governor. Dooley and Kemp have denied any wrongdoing, but Democrats in the legislature requested an independent investigation.

While the Republicans have been battling for their party’s nomination over the past year, Ossoff has built a powerful war chest that will give him a major fundraising advantage as the general election gets underway.

“I know how to win this race. I look forward to getting the governor’s endorsement. I look forward to getting his help in this thing. I look forward to getting Derrick Dooley’s help in this thing,” Collins said when asked by Fox Digital if he could unite Republican voters in the general election. 

Collins emphasized that “at the end of the day, we’re all Republicans, and we’re on one mission, and that is to put a Republican in that seat and get somebody that represents…the state of Georgia.”

And in his victory speech, Collins said that Dooley and Kemp were on board in supporting him.

Looking ahead to the general election, Collins pointed to Ossoff and predicted that “he’s going to have millions and millions of dollars pouring in here from his New York and California donors. The political establishment, the mainstream media and the global elites. They’re going to be working overtime to get him reelected.:

But he vowed “we won’t be outworked.”

But the top super PAC supporting Democratic Senate candidates and aligned with longtime Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer quickly took aim at Collins following his nomination victory.

“Mike Collins is an opposition researcher’s dream. He treats Congress like a money-making scheme for his family business, an ethics-free zone, and a conspiracy theory clearinghouse – sometimes all in the same week. This unelectable nepo baby doesn’t have what it takes to beat Jon Ossoff,” Senate Majority PAC spokesperson Lauren French argued.

Minutes later, Ossoff also targeted his general election challenger.

“Donald Trump’s handpicked candidate Mike Collins is a notorious bigot, antisemite, and extremist currently under federal investigation for the illegal misuse of tax dollars. Collins, who is only a congressman because his daddy was a congressman, voted to double health insurance premiums for more than a million Georgians, for the Iran War, and for the Trump tariffs,” Ossoff charged.

Schumer and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) chair Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand spotlighted Collins’ “scandals and harmful agenda” and the DSCC quickly fired off a digital ad accusing the GOP Senate nominee of being “too extreme.”

Republicans returned fire.

National Republican Senatorial Committee chair Sen. Tim Scott predicted that “Jon Ossoff’s political ambitions will come to a screeching halt this November. Georgians are done with his agenda of open borders, higher taxes, and left-wing partisanship. Georgia is now uniting behind Mike Collins, because he fights for the future of the Peach State.”

And David McIntosh, president of the politically potent Club for Growth PAC, praised Collins as a “conservative fighter” and claimed that “Ossoff has been a rubber stamp for every failed liberal policy enacted since being elected.”

The brute force of the president’s endorsement power has been on display in GOP primaries over the past six weeks, with his candidates ousting incumbents he targeted in showdowns in Indiana, Louisiana, Kentucky and Texas that grabbed plenty of national attention.

But Trump’s endorsement streak in statewide and congressional Republican primaries was snapped two weeks ago when his 11th-hour endorsement of Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra of Iowa in the race to succeed retiring GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds wasn’t enough to propel the three-term congressman to victory.

Feenstra was narrowly edged by Zach Lahn, a businessman, farmer and former political strategist who was backed by the political wings of MAHA — the acronym for the Make America Healthy Again movement aligned with Trump Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — and Turning Point USA, the powerful conservative organization co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk.

Trump rebounded last week, as the candidate he endorsed in the South Carolina GOP gubernatorial primary, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, finished first in a crowded field and clinched one of the two tickets in the race for the nomination.

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Meanwhile, longtime Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham did win a majority of the vote in the Republican Senate primary, and avoided a runoff.

Graham, who was endorsed by Trump, was facing primary challenges from five candidates, including conservative businessman Mark Lynch, who took aim at the senator over his support for the war in Iran. Lynch was backed by some MAGA leaders who have been critical of the president.

Two underdog candidates advanced to a runoff election in Oklahoma’s 2026 Democratic Senate primary after no candidate clinched a majority of the vote.

N’kiyla Jasmine Thomas, a nurse and Chickasaw Nation citizen, and Jim Priest, a lawyer and ordained minister, will compete in an Aug. 25 runoff election, according to The Associated Press.

Thomas won 45% of the vote, followed by Priest, who registered just under 24% support.

The winner will face Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., who easily clinched the GOP nomination for the deep-red Senate seat and avoided a runoff election. Hern is endorsed by President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.

6 MONTHS TO MIDTERMS: THE SENATE SEATS THAT COULD TIP THE BALANCE OF POWER

Under Oklahoma law, if no candidate secures more than 50% of the primary vote, the top two vote-getters will compete in a runoff election.

Sen. Alan Armstrong, R-Okla., a former energy executive who currently represents the seat, was barred by state law from seeking election for a full Senate term. He was appointed by Gov. Kevin Stitt, R-Okla., to replace Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin in March.

The Democratic primary winner will face an uphill battle in the ruby-red state that voted for Trump by a 2-to-1 margin in 2024. A Democratic candidate has not won a Senate race in the Sooner State in more than 35 years.

National Democrats have not invested in the race, signaling little expectation it could flip.

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Priest mounted a failed bid for Oklahoma attorney general in 2010 but was soundly defeated by 20 points. He previously led two nonprofits, Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma and Sunbeam Family Services, according to the Oklahoma-based outlet NonDoc.

Hern has vastly outraised Democrats, with a $6.8 million war chest, according to recent Federal Election Commission filings. Priest entered June with $117,000 cash on hand, while Thomas had just over $546. 

The two leading Democratic contenders also have a minimal online presence. 

An X account associated with Priest’s campaign had just 20 followers as of Tuesday. Meanwhile, a campaign X account affiliated with Thomas had just over 160 followers.

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Three other Democratic candidates vied for the nomination, including business owner Troy Green and R.O. Cassity Jr., a retired professor and attorney.

Former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Walter “Jay” Clayton was set to face senators at what was expected to be a tense confirmation hearing to become director of national intelligence Wednesday. But President Donald Trump abruptly halted the proceedings, declaring in an early morning Truth Social post that Clayton’s confirmation hearing would not move forward Wednesday. 

While Trump commands a great deal of authority, he can’t cancel a hearing on the Hill on his own. But, sources familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital that it’d be “hard to have a hearing without a witness.” 

The presumably postponed hearing had been set against the backdrop of’ Democrats’ weeks-long uproar over President Donald Trump’s temporary pick for the job — homebuilder scion and Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte.

Clayton is currently serving as the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, which is considered the most prominent of the dozens of national posts – with alumni ranging from Rudy Giuliani to Preet Bharara.

TRUMP NOMINATES JAY CLAYTON, FORMER SEC CHAIRMAN, CURRENT US ATTORNEY, AS INTELLIGENCE DIRECTOR

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., a top Trump critic, told reporters Tuesday that concerns over Pulte could actually help push Clayton through once he appears before the Intelligence Committee.

“[I] would love to hear some reassurance from the White House that Bill Pulte is not going to take over as DNI, even for a very short period of time, but that I don’t anticipate that coming,” he said.

Kelly said that Pulte looming over the intelligence community might be an “incentive” to move Clayton through “on a faster timeline.”

TRUMP NAMES BILL PULTE ACTING DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE

“But to do that, we have to have everybody in the committee,” he said.

Democrats have accused Pulte of playing politics with his powers at FHFA and worry that his lack of intel credentials and alleged partisanship endanger the role of DNI.

Trump dismissed such claims, saying “Dumocrats” are inordinately “afraid” of Pulte.

WHY TRUMP PICKED BILL PULTE TO LEAD US INTELLIGENCE AS CRITICS QUESTION HIS QUALIFICATIONS

Clayton, meanwhile, is expected to come before Congress with a resume that may be easier for Democrats to digest in the narrow-GOP-majority upper chamber.

While Clayton also doesn’t come from the intel community, he does have the prosecutorial chops some critics may be assuaged by.

As SDNY’s top federal prosecutor, Clayton has overseen cases involving violent crime, drug trafficking, Wall Street-related enforcement and national security matters, while avoiding public controversy of other Trump picks.

SENATE PUSH TO REAUTHORIZE NATION’S SPY POWERS STUMBLES OVER CONTROVERSIAL TRUMP DECISION

Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota said that Clayton’s role as SDNY does crossover into intelligence matters.

“Jay Clayton is an eminently qualified individual to become the new director of national intelligence. And so we are looking forward to processing him this week. [Intelligence Committee] Chairman Cotton will be … [holding] his confirmation hearing tomorrow… and hopefully reporting him out later in the week.”

Returning to concerns over Democrat roadblocks for another Trump pick, Thune noted it would take cooperation of the minority party to fast-track the nomination.

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It remains unclear when Clayton’s confirmation hearing will be rescheduled or whether Democrats will cooperate with efforts to move his nomination quickly.

Fox News’ Tyler Olson contributed to this report.