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Former Cuban President Raúl Castro has been indicted in connection to his alleged role in the 1996 downing of two planes operated by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue.

The indictment, which a Florida grand jury returned in April, was unsealed Wednesday, Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said during an announcement in Miami on Wednesday. It charges Castro with conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, destruction of aircraft and four separate counts of murder, Blanche revealed. 

The indictment stems from a February 1996 incident in which four Americans — Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario de la Peña and Pablo Morales — were flying in civilian aircraft when Cuban military aircraft shot their planes down in international waters and killed them, the indictment alleges, according to Blanche. 

“They were unarmed civilians and were flying humanitarian missions for the rescue and protection of people fleeing oppression across the Florida Straits,” Blanche said.

CUBA SAYS CIA CHIEF RATCLIFFE MET WITH OFFICIALS IN HAVANA AMID US TENSIONS

“As alleged in the indictment, Raúl Castro and five co-defendants participated in a conspiracy that ended with Cuban military aircraft firing missiles at those planes and killing four Americans,” he continued. 

“Nations and their leaders cannot be permitted to target Americans. Kill them, and not face accountability,” Blanche also said.

Joining Blanche in announcing the indictment were United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Jason A. Reding Quiñones, Deputy FBI Director Christopher Raia and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier.

TRUMP ADMIN READIES RAUL CASTRO INDICTMENT AS FATAL SHOOTDOWN CASE RESURFACES: SOURCES

The indictment comes amid rising tensions in the Caribbean and a series of comments from Trump and his surrogates hinting at a regime change in Cuba. 

Uthmeier also hinted at a leadership change Wednesday.

“There can be no future for a free Cuba so long as the Castros and their criminal gang of thugs remain in power,” Uthmeier said, to thunderous applause from the Miami crowd. “We now have the leaders that will pursue that which is right and just,” Uthmeier added, concluding with “get ready, there’s more to come. God bless America and God bless the free state of Cuba.”

Several South Florida lawmakers praised the indictment Wednesday, calling it a long-awaited step toward justice nearly three decades after the Brothers to the Rescue shootdown.

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Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., said he, Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis sent a Feb. 13 letter urging action in the case.

“We’re very, very happy that it did happen,” Gimenez said.

Gimenez accused former Cuban President Raul Castro of personally ordering the attack, saying Castro “actually boasted that he was the one that gave the order to shoot down these planes” during the 1996 incident over international waters.

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., described the Brothers to the Rescue pilots as humanitarians helping Cubans fleeing the communist regime.

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“People were swimming across the Florida Strait and the Brothers to the Rescue were going out on their own to help people get to our shores, to escape tyranny,” Donalds said.

Salazar said the indictment marked a historic moment for Cuban Americans in South Florida and confirmed that “him and the four pilots” involved in the shootdown were charged.

Salazar also contrasted the case with the Trump administration’s posture toward Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, warning the Castro family to “look at Maduro.”

“There is a new sheriff in town, and that sheriff is Donald Trump,” Salazar said. “Cuba is the mothership of evil in the Western Hemisphere.”

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., called the indictment “a good day for America” and “a good day for Cuba” on the country’s Independence Day celebration, saying Castro “made the decision” that led to the deaths of “three Americans and one resident.”

Scott also said the U.S. should not “take anything off the table” in supporting democratic change in Cuba, while adding he hopes Castro ultimately stands trial in the United States.

Speaking with Fox News correspondent Dana Marie McNicholl in Little Havana following the announcement, Cuban exile Oscar Fernandez became emotional while describing what the indictment meant to many in the Cuban American community.

“It means some justice for the Cuban people for 67 years,” Fernandez said. “We hope this is the beginning of the downfall of the Castro regime.”

Fernandez said Cuban Americans were prepared to help rebuild the island if the communist government eventually falls. “We’re ready to go back and help in the reconstruction of our country,” Fernandez said. “We are not going to let this opportunity go by.”

President Donald Trump praised the indictment of Castro, saying Cuban Americans whose families suffered under the communist regime had waited decades for accountability.

“We have big news on Cuba, as you know, with the indictment of Castro,” Trump said. “A lot of people have suffered very big, very, very, at levels that few people would understand.”

Trump said Cuban Americans in South Florida and across the U.S. appreciated the move by the Justice Department after years of alleged abuses under Castro’s leadership.

“I think the Cuban population of Miami, and certainly beyond Miami, people that came here that were decimated, whose families were ruined, appreciate what the Attorney General just did today,” Trump said.

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Trump also suggested the Cuban government was weakening under continued economic pressure.

“The place is falling apart,” Trump said of Cuba. “They’ve really lost control of Cuba.”

Asked whether the U.S. planned further escalation against Cuba following Castro’s indictment, Trump replied, “There won’t be escalation. I don’t think there needs to be.”

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

President Donald Trump wants Senate Republicans to boot the upper chamber’s rules referee after security funding for his ballroom was nixed. 

Trump pointed his fury on Wednesday at Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, who holds a nonpartisan role that dictates what can and cannot make it through the budget reconciliation process. 

Republicans are currently trying to ram through a $72 billion immigration enforcement funding package, but MacDonough over the weekend stripped out one of Trump’s major requests for $1 billion to, in part, pay for security enhancements to his colossal White House ballroom project. 

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“Shockingly, Republicans have kept the very important position of ‘Parliamentarian’ in the hands of a woman, Elizabeth MacDonough, who was appointed, long ago, by Barack Hussein Obama and a vicious Lunatic known as Senator Harry Reid, who ran the Senate for the Dumocrats with an ‘iron fist,’” Trump said on Truth Social.

“Over the years, she has been brutal to Republicans, but not so to the Dumocrats — So why has she not been replaced? There are many fair people who would be qualified for that vital job,” he continued. 

But it’s not a move Republicans are keen to make, especially in retaliation for the ballroom security funding getting stripped out. Trump earlier this week privately pushed Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., to axe MacDonough. 

Thune said he wasn’t having any discussions on firing MacDonough, but noted that tempers flare against the parliamentarian “every time there’s a reconciliation.”

SENATE REPUBLICAN THREATENS TO DERAIL ICE, BORDER PATROL PACKAGE OVER TRUMP’S BILLION-DOLLAR REQUEST

“There are always people that are unhappy with some decisions that come down, and it’s kind of the nature of the beast. So, you know, we will work through the process and do our best to get the things that we want, you know, on the floor, later this week,” Thune said. 

Still, Republicans are continuing to haggle over whether to include the security funding at all. Much of the money, about $600 million, would go to the Secret Service, while $220 million was intended to bolster security on the East Wing Modernization project. 

Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, whose portion of the package contained the controversial funding, noted that the parliamentarian hasn’t just ruled against Republicans during reconciliation.

“I think the best answer to that is that the parliamentarian has demonstrated in the Biden administration with their recommendations, reconciliations that they didn’t get everything they wanted,” Grassley said. 

Like Thune, other Republicans recognized that reconciliation is difficult, but not worth firing MacDonough over. 

GOP SENATOR CALLS FOR PARLIAMENTARIAN’S FIRING AFTER SERVING MEDICAID BLOW TO TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’

“For what,” Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said when asked if MacDonough should go. “Does she have a DWI or something?”

It’s also not the first time that Republicans have called for MacDonough to be fired. Last year, after MacDonough stripped out provisions that would have caused steep cuts to Medicaid spending, a handful in the GOP demanded that she be replaced. 

Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., told Fox News Digital at the time that there was already a precedent in place to do it. 

“In 2001, Majority Leader Trent Lott fired the Senate parliamentarian during reconciliation,” Marshall said.

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Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., told Fox News Digital that the true root cause of the issue was the 60-vote filibuster threshold.

Republicans took the reconciliation route because they couldn’t muster enough votes from Senate Democrats to smash through the threshold and fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) without making steep concessions on immigration enforcement funding. 

“We’re as likely to end the filibuster as we are to get rid of the parliamentarian, so you might as well put pressure on Republicans to address the root cause, which is the 60-vote threshold,” Johnson said.

A former Justice Department prosecutor was charged Wednesday with allegedly emailing confidential records tied to former special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into President Donald Trump.

Carmen Mercedes Lineberger, 62, of Port St. Lucie, Florida, faces four criminal charges stemming from her handling of Smith’s final report: one felony count of obstruction of justice, one felony count of concealing government records and two misdemeanor counts of theft of government property valued at less than $1,000.

According to the indictment filed in the Southern District of Florida, Lineberger allegedly altered electronic file names of government records to conceal unauthorized transmissions of the documents to her personal email accounts.

At the time, she was serving as the Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Fort Pierce branch of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.

FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS RELEASE OF JACK SMITH REPORT’S SECOND VOLUME

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon previously blocked the public release of the volume of Smith’s report related to the classified documents investigation involving Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in January 2025.

FBI Director Kash Patel announced the charges in a post on X.

“This afternoon, a former managing assistant U.S. Attorney who supported Jack Smith’s politicized investigation of President Trump has been charged with stealing the confidential investigation documents,” Patel wrote. “Carmen Lineberger allegedly emailed the confidential material to her own personal email, disguising them as dessert recipes to conceal them from record searches.”

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT MOVES TO DROP PROSECUTION OF MAR-A-LAGO STAFF IN TRUMP CLASSIFIED DOCS CASE

Lineberger’s attorney declined to comment to Fox News Digital.

Smith previously brought indictments against Trump alleging he illegally attempted to overturn the 2020 election and improperly retained classified national defense information.

The classified documents case was later dismissed by Cannon, who ruled Smith had been unlawfully appointed as special counsel.

FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS RELEASE OF SECOND VOLUME OF SPECIAL COUNSEL REPORT TO JUDICIARY COMMITTEE LEADERS

Prosecutors alleged Lineberger concealed her actions by saving electronic copies of government records under misleading file names, including “chocolate cake recipe” and “bundt cake recipe,” before sending them to personal Hotmail accounts.

According to the indictment, Lineberger received a copy of Smith’s report before Cannon ordered it sealed. Months later, she allegedly forwarded the report to her personal email account.

The indictment further alleges Lineberger knew transmitting the volume outside the Department of Justice violated Cannon’s court order.

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Lineberger pleaded not guilty during a federal court appearance Wednesday.

If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in prison on the obstruction charge, three years for concealment or removal of public records and up to one year on each theft count.

President Donald Trump was the biggest winner of Tuesday’s wide slate of primary elections as the president celebrated a large swath of his preferred candidates winning GOP primaries or advancing to runoff elections. 

Massie Ousted in Historic, Multimillion-Dollar Kentucky Primary

In the most expensive primary in U.S. House history, a longtime thorn in Trump’s side, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., lost to former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein in Kentucky’s 4th District. Gallrein defeated Massie soundly with nearly 55% of the vote to Massie’s 45.1%, according to The Associated Press.

The defeat will mark the end to Massie’s congressional stint, a tenure which, toward its end, saw Massie increasingly opposing Trump and criticizing the president’s actions on trade deals, the Jeffrey Epstein files and the Iran war.

In his concession speech, Massie highlighted the influx of support his opponent received from pro-Israel groups like the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

“I would have come out sooner, but I had to call my opponent to concede and it took a while to find him in Tel Aviv,” he joked to his supporters Tuesday night.

TRUMP TARGETS MASSIE IN EXPLOSIVE KENTUCKY SHOWDOWN AS SIX STATES HOLD HIGH-STAKES PRIMARIES

Pro-Israeli groups like AIPAC and the Republican Jewish Coalition, as well as other pro-Trump groups, poured millions of dollars into attack ads against Massie and support ads for Gallrein. With over $32 million spent on the race overall, the contest became the most expensive primary in House history.

Trump and surrogates, like Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, campaigned arduously against Massie in Kentucky and in national media, with Trump referring to Massie as the “Worst Republican Congressman in History” in one of many pre-primary attacks on Truth Social.

Gallrein, for his part, thanked Trump for his support and told supporters “the winner of the race tonight is not so much Ed Gallrein… but it’s the Republicans of Kentucky Congressional District 4 and their families, who I will be a champion for in Washington.”

ANDY BARR BESTS CROWDED SENATE PRIMARY WITH HELP FROM TRUMP ON WAY TO REPLACING MCCONNELL

Elsewhere in Kentucky, Trump-backed Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., won the GOP nomination for the state’s Senate seat, vacated by Sen. Mitch McConnell’s decision not to run for re-election. Barr defeated former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron handily, winning over 60% of the vote, according to AP. He will face former Kentucky state Rep. Charles Booker, who won the Democratic Party’s nomination Tuesday. 

Raffensperger Falls Short in Georgia as Runoffs Take Shape

In Georgia, another Trump foe conceded defeat when the state’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger failed to advance in the GOP gubernatorial primary, falling behind Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and billionaire healthcare executive Rick Jackson, both of whom will advance to a June 16 runoff. 

Raffensperger drew Trump’s ire in 2021 when he publicly contested claims Trump made that the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia were inaccurate.

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While Trump did not actively campaign against Raffensperger, he threw his support behind Jones, the race’s top vote-getter with over 38% of the vote, according to AP. Jackson finished with roughly 32.5%, compared to Raffensperger’s 15%, per AP. 

The winner of June’s runoff will face Keisha Lance Bottoms, a former mayor of Atlanta who earlier this month collected former President Joe Biden’s first political endorsement since leaving office. Bottoms defeated her Democratic opponents comfortably, collecting over 56% of the vote, per AP.

In the state’s Senate primary, a race in which Trump chose not to place his thumb on the scale, Rep. Mike Collins and former NFL coach Derek Dooley both advanced to the June 16 primary, both gaining more votes than Rep. Buddy Carter, who will not advance.

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Collins, a strong and vocal supporter of Trump’s, gained the most votes, pulling in over 40%, according to AP. Dooley, a former football coach who most recently coached at the University of Alabama, advanced with just over 30% of the vote. 

Tuberville Clinches Nomination; Tight Race for Alabama Senate Seat

Speaking of Alabama and football, former Auburn University head football coach and current U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., secured his party’s nomination to become the next governor of Alabama. Tuberville, who was also backed by Trump, will face former Democratic Sen. Doug Jones, who won his party’s nomination Tuesday. 

To replace Tuberville in the Senate, Trump-favored Rep. Barry Moore advanced in the GOP Senate primary with close to 40% of the vote, according to the AP.

Former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson and Alabama Secretary of State Steve Marshall are neck-and-neck competing for the second spot to see who will advance to the June runoff to compete against Moore. With an estimated 5,500 votes remaining to be counted as of this writing, Hudson leads Marshall with 123,531 votes compared to Marshall’s 118,228, according to the AP. 

Trump Sweeps Northwest as Democrats Notch Wins in Pennsylvania

Elsewhere in the country, Trump-backed candidates enjoyed victories in Idaho, as incumbents Gov. Brad Little and Sen. Jim Risch won their primaries. In Oregon, Trump-backed incumbent Rep. Clifford Bentz won his primary handily.

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Outside of Trump’s sphere of influence, Pennsylvania Democrats celebrated primary victories for a trio of candidates backed by Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro. Bob Harvie, Bob Brooks and Janelle Stelson all won their primaries and will advance to face GOP incumbents in districts the Democrats hope to flip in November. 

Fox News’ Sally Persons and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Alabama is one step closer to anointing the Republican successor to Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala.

But determining which candidate will come out on top is still weeks away, given that Tuberville’s decision to run for governor and vacate his Senate seat ignited a crowded race to replace him. And in Alabama, if a candidate doesn’t get a majority of votes, a runoff is triggered.

Out of the field of Republican hopefuls, Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., and former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson emerged from the seven-way clash. They will again square off on June 16.

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It will also be another test of President Donald Trump’s endorsement power in Alabama, where his track record has not been 100%.

Moore, who announced his candidacy to Fox News Digital last year, has Trump’s backing. It’s an endorsement he re-upped during a recent tele-rally urging support for the three-term member of the House.

“He’s a true America First Patriot who’s been with me from the very beginning,” Trump said during the rally.

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Moore, who is a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus and a self-styled fiscal hawk, has a long-standing history of supporting Trump. Indeed, he was the first elected official in the country to endorse Trump during his first run for office in 2015.

“I think my number one job is to protect the people’s liberty and to support the president in that process,” Moore told Fox News Digital last year. “And so, for us, it’s an opportunity to continue to fight for the America First agenda, and also make sure we have conservatives in the Senate from Alabama that are truly the voice of the people.”

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Hudson narrowly squeaked into the second place spot against Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall in a race that wasn’t locked in until several hours after polls closed.

Marshall had a stronger name ID heading into the race, and has served as the Yellowhammer State’s top law enforcement officer since 2017.

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And most recently, he made waves after demanding that a federal court in Alabama adhere to the Supreme Court’s recent redistricting decision in Louisiana and allow the state’s maps drawn during the 2020 cycle to be used on primary day.

But it wasn’t enough to best either Moore or Hudson. And the winner of that contest next month will face the Democratic candidate, either Everett Wess and Dakarai Larriett, who are similarly headed for a runoff race.

A woman allegedly tied to Minnesota’s massive “Feeding Our Future” scandal has been charged in a daycare fraud scheme after being featured in a viral video by influencer Nick Shirley, authorities said.

She is accused of pocketing millions of dollars meant for children’s meals.

Fahima Egeh Mahamud was charged Wednesday with wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States, according to court documents.

STATE OFFICIALS AND DAYCARE MANAGER PUSH BACK ON VIRAL VIDEO FRAUD ALLEGATIONS IN MINNESOTA

Earlier this year, Mahamud was indicted for her alleged role in the initial $250 million “Feeding Our Future” scheme. Prosecutors allege she enrolled Future Leaders Early Learning — a Minneapolis daycare where she served as CEO — into the federal child nutrition program, falsely claiming to serve thousands of meals at her childcare center.

In addition to her involvement in the nutrition program fraud, Mahamud was federally charged Wednesday with a secondary scheme to defraud the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), which provides daycare assistance to low-income families.

Between October 2022 and December 2025, she allegedly submitted over 13,000 fraudulent claims to CCAP totaling approximately $4.6 million. Prosecutors state the claims were fraudulent because she falsely certified that she had collected mandatory co-payments from families, which is a material requirement for federal reimbursement.

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The Future Leaders Early Learning center was featured in Shirley’s viral video, FOX 9 Minneapolis reported, which showed him visiting apparently empty, Somali-run childcare centers in and around Minneapolis while alleging widespread fraud.

The video served as a catalyst for an immediate and aggressive multiagency crackdown by the Trump administration.

Following its release, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) froze roughly $185 million in federal childcare funding to Minnesota.

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Additionally, over 2,000 federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) were deployed to the Twin Cities to escalate investigations and enforcement.

President Donald Trump took to social media on Wednesday morning to showcase the power of his political endorsements, touting that the candidates he backed went 37-0 in Tuesday’s GOP primaries from coast to coast.

“We won all races last night. Every one of them,” Trump told reporters.

The brute force of the president’s endorsement power and the immense grip he has on the Republican Party were on full display in a number of high-profile ballot-box showdowns, including Trump-backed Ed Gallrein ousting Rep. Thomas Massie in the GOP primary in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, a race that grabbed outsized national attention.

But Trump’s heavy hand in this year’s primaries could cause repercussions in the autumn, when Republicans will be defending their razor-thin House and slim Senate majorities in the midterm elections.

TRUMP-BACKED FORMER NAVY SEAL DEALS KNOCKS OUT MASSIE IN HIGH-STAKES SHOWDOWN

While those concerns will mount as the midterms creep closer, on Tuesday night the political headline was Trump once again successfully flexing his muscles to exert payback on Republicans who defied him.

Two weeks after purging five state senators in Indiana’s primary who had opposed his push for congressional redistricting, and three days after helping to oust Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana — as the senator who, five and a half years ago, voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial lost his bid for renomination — Trump obliterated Massie.

Massie, who for 14 years has represented Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, in the northeastern part of the red-leaning state, has long been one of Trump’s most vocal GOP critics in Congress. The libertarian-minded lawmaker has repeatedly taken aim at the president over foreign policy, including the Iran war and unconditional U.S. military aid to Israel. And he’s also been a thorn in Trump’s side for successfully pushing for the release of government files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

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Gallrein’s nearly ten-point victory over Massie in a race that was expected to be much closer represents a major win for Trump’s political operation and pro-Israel allied groups, who spent aggressively to unseat the sitting lawmaker.

Speaking at his victory celebration, Gallrein thanked Trump for his support, saying, “My focus is on advancing the president’s and the party’s agenda to put America first and Kentucky always.”

Taking to social media after Massie’s defeat, White House communications director and longtime Trump aide Steven Cheung warned, “Do not ever doubt President Trump and his political power. F–k around, find out.”

Veteran Republican strategist and communicator Ryan Williams told Fox News Digital, “The Republican Party is Trump’s party, and if you cross him, he’ll hit back at you ten times as hard and defeat you. He’s getting better at this as time goes on. His grip on the party has increased, not decreased.”

“Anybody at this point who doesn’t understand this will be out of a job if they cross the president,” Williams emphasized.

Meanwhile, Rep. Andy Barr of Kentucky, backed by Trump in recent days, cruised to the Republican Senate nomination in the race to succeed retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell, a former longtime Senate GOP leader.

And Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a top Trump ally in the Senate, easily captured the GOP gubernatorial nomination in solidly red Alabama.

But some Trump-backed candidates will have to wait a little longer before securing a ticket to the general election.

Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones of Georgia finished first in the GOP gubernatorial primary, but didn’t top 50%, forcing a runoff next month with billionaire businessman Rick Jackson.

It was the same story in Alabama, where Trump-backed Rep. Barry Moore finished first but will need another victory in next month’s runoff to secure the Republican Senate nomination in the race to succeed Tuberville.

And this past weekend, Trump-backed Rep. Julia Letlow was forced into a runoff with Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming as Cassidy was sent packing.

Trump putting his hand on the scale in red states like Louisiana, Alabama and Kentucky shouldn’t be an issue in the general election, but it could be in battleground Georgia, and in red-leaning Texas, where Democrats are hoping to win a U.S. Senate election for the first time in nearly four decades.

Democrats feel Trump gave them an early Christmas gift by endorsing MAGA firebrand and ally and supporter Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over longtime GOP Sen. John Cornyn with one week to go until the runoff election for the Republican nomination.

“Ken is a true MAGA Warrior who has ALWAYS delivered for Texas, and will continue to do so in the United States Senate,” Trump wrote in a social media post as he announced his backing of Paxton, which likely ends Cornyn’s hope of winning renomination.

The winner of the GOP runoff will face off in the autumn with rising Democratic Party star state Rep. James Talarico, who has built a massive war chest this year while Cornyn and Paxton have traded fire in their combustible race.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, the National Republican Senatorial Committee and many GOP leaders in the nation’s capital saw Cornyn as the candidate better equipped to successfully defend the seat in Texas, which Democrats are trying to flip as they work to win back the chamber’s majority.

That’s because Paxton has faced a slew of scandals and legal problems that have battered him over the past decade, as well as his ongoing messy divorce.

Some Republicans are concerned this could be a flashback to 2022, when then-former President Trump flexed his muscles in the GOP primaries, with some of his picks, including Georgia’s Herschel Walker, falling short in the midterms, as Republicans failed to win back the Senate.

“Trump got his way in most of the primaries in 2022 also. Didn’t portend great results in the general election,” vocal Trump critic and GOP consultant Sarah Longwell posted on social media Tuesday night.

Williams said, “The president has shown that he puts personal loyalty over political considerations even when it puts a safe seat at risk.”

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And pointing to this year’s midterms, when the GOP as the party in power will face traditional headwinds as well as an extremely challenging political climate, Ryan said, “That’s the situation Republicans find themselves dealing with heading into what should be a challenging midterm election.”

Voters are increasingly pessimistic about the economy and President Trump’s handling of key issues, while a majority opposes continued U.S. military involvement in Iran even as most believe the U.S. is winning the war. That’s according to a new Fox News national survey.

Affordability continues to dominate the political landscape.

Fifty-eight percent flag the cost of living as their top economic worry, up from 50% in February. This eclipses other issues, such as government spending (16%), jobs (8%) and tariffs (8%).

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More than three-quarters also say the economy is in bad shape (77%), worse than last month (73%) and a year ago (71%). Only 23% rate it positively, the lowest in more than a year. 

The pessimism is personal too. A slim majority of voters (51%) say their family’s finances are worse now than two years ago. Before the 2022 midterm elections, 44% said the same. 

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All that helps explain the deterioration in Trump’s ratings on the economy.  A year ago, 56% of voters disapproved and last month it was 66%; now, it’s 71%.  The increase since April comes from a 7-point rise in disapproval among Republicans. 

Notably, approval of Trump on the economy among non-MAGA Republicans (36%) is more in line with independents (18%) than with MAGA Republicans (74%).  The president’s overall approval on handling the economy stands at just 29%, down from 34% in April. 

Trump gets his lowest ratings on inflation, where only 24% approve — down from 35% in January. Inflation marks a rare issue where a slim majority of Republicans (51%) disapprove of Trump. It reaches 85% among independents and 96% among Democrats.

His job numbers are also net negative on foreign policy (38-62%). Until this month, border security was the one issue where Trump received a positive rating. Now voters are split (49-51%) on his border security performance, pushing his ratings underwater for the first time this term. That shift comes even as 45% of voters say border security is better today than two years ago, while 29% say it’s worse.

Approval of Trump’s overall job performance is 39%, down 3 points since last month and 10 points since his second term started — and only 1 point above his lowest in October 2017.  A record 61% disapprove of the job he’s doing, including 48% who strongly disapprove. 

Since April, approval has declined among some of his key constituencies, such as rural Whites (-6 points), White men without a degree (-5), and Republicans (-3). 

Trump approval is at all-time lows among Republicans (80%), non-MAGA Republicans (54%), Whites (43%) and rural voters (43%).

“Despite consistently strong GOP support, the president’s numbers are leaking a bit,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts the Fox News Poll with Democrat Chris Anderson. “Make no mistake; it’s all about affordability. Independents jumped ship in 2025, and now non-MAGA Republicans and other core constituencies are wavering.”

Plus, in the long run, more voters think Trump’s policies will hurt the country (57%) than help it (34%). The share saying “hurt” is up 6 points since last April. Fully 88% of MAGA Republicans say his policies will help, while only 43% of non-MAGA Republicans agree.

Meanwhile, gas prices are squeezing voter budgets: 86% call rising prices a problem, including 51% who label them a “major” problem. Concern is nearly universal for the broader economy, where 96% see gas prices as a problem and 75% call it “major.”

When assigning blame for gas prices, voters aimed heavily at domestic factors, with about 8 in 10 pointing to Trump’s policies, domestic oil companies, and government regulations. However, they overwhelmingly view the Iran war as the primary driver, with 91% saying it is responsible.

Iran

Two-thirds think the U.S. is winning the war in Iran, yet opposition to U.S. military action increased to 60%, up from 55% last month. 

Half think the war will last a year (18%) or more (33%), unchanged since March, while 6 in 10 favor a limited timeframe for U.S. involvement in Iran, including 3 in 10 war supporters and 4 in 10 Republicans. 

Almost all Republicans (89%) and two-thirds of independents believe the U.S. is winning the war, while more than half of Democrats say Iran is winning (56%). Generationally, voters under age 30 are the most likely to believe the U.S. is winning (79%), yet they are also some of the most opposed to the war (67%).

Among voters who have served in the military, 55% support the U.S. action against Iran and 72% believe the U.S. is winning the war.

Last summer, voter concern about Iran getting a nuclear bomb was at a record high 78%.  Today, it’s at a record low 56%, down from 66% in March.  Concern since March is down among Democrats (-13 points), independents (-11), and Republicans (-6).

Poll-pourri

While 45% approve of Trump’s handling of the U.S.-China summit, a 54% majority disapproves.

That matches views of the negotiation’s outcome: 52% believe Chinese President Xi Jinping got more of what he wanted compared to 46% for Trump.  More than a quarter of Republicans (27%) join majorities of Democrats (75%) and independents (56%) in thinking Xi won the summit, as do nearly a quarter of those who otherwise approve of Trump’s handling of the trip (24%). 

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Conducted May 15-18, 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 (109) and cellphones (635) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (258). 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.

Three in 10 voters believe the recent assassination attempt against President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner was staged, according to a Fox News national survey. 

Thirty percent say the shooting was fabricated, including 13% of voters who think it was “definitely” staged. That said, a narrow 52% majority believes the attack was real, with nearly one-third saying it “definitely” happened (31%). 

One in five is unsure whether it was real or fake (18%). 

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS SEE AI AS A RISK TO PRIVACY AND PAYCHECKS

The alleged gunman behind the April 25 attack, Cole Tomas Allen, has pleaded not guilty to the four felony charges filed against him by the Justice Department. The incident marked the third attempt on Trump’s life, following two separate assassination attempts in 2024.

Public attitudes surrounding the attack suggest the erosion of a shared reality may have reached a critical tipping point.  Most notably, the partisan divide on the attack’s authenticity is stark.  The survey finds almost half of Democrats (49%) and voters who backed Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in 2024 (48%) believe the shooting was staged, while just 10% of Republicans say the same.

Meanwhile, 79% of Republicans believe the event was real, as do 77% of 2024 Trump voters.  That number climbs to 87% among Republicans who identify as MAGA supporters.  By comparison, just 31% of Democrats agree the attack was real.

Views among independents are mixed: 41% say it was real and 34% believe it was staged.

Uncertainty about whether the incident was real or not is highest among independents, with one quarter unsure (25%), followed by 2 in 10 Democrats (21%), and 1 in 10 Republicans (11%).

FOX NEWS POLL: 56% DOUBT WHITE HOUSE’S COMPETENCE AT MANAGING GOVERNMENT

Republicans under age 45 are more than five times as likely as older Republicans to think the shooting was staged (22% vs. 4%). 

Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts Fox News polls with Democrat Chris Anderson, stresses that the assassination attempt was undoubtedly real, warning that a growing denial of facts threatens the political process.

“When partisan polarization and political cynicism prevent us from agreeing on a common and obvious set of facts, it undercuts our ability to diagnose problems and develop policy solutions,” Shaw says. “This is especially troubling given that younger voters are among the most cynical about our politics and institutions.”

“These findings show what happens when public skepticism becomes embedded in the political culture,” adds Anderson. “When people are told that every major event could be manipulated or manufactured, disbelief itself becomes the default reaction.”

Voters under age 35 are nearly twice as likely as those ages 65 and over to think the shooting was fabricated (38% vs. 20%), as seniors are among those most likely to say it was real (65%).

There’s also a gender gap, as more women (35%) than men (25%) consider it staged. 

More than 6 in 10 White evangelical Christians believe the shooting happened, while 2 in 10 don’t.

Conducted May 15-18, 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 (109) and cellphones (635) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (258). 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.

FIRST ON FOX: An illegal alien living in California who used his underage niece with special needs and his nephew to produce child pornography was sentenced Monday to 50 years in prison.

Angel Emilio Rodriguez-Marroquin, a Guatemalan citizen, initially pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that featured his own niece and nephew, both 8, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said.

“This depraved illegal alien from Guatemala pleaded guilty to producing and possessing child pornography, which included footage of him assaulting his own nephew and niece with special needs,” said Acting Assistant DHS Secretary Lauren Bis. “This monster would not have been in our country in the first place if it weren’t for the Biden Administration’s disastrous open borders that released him into our country.”

MEXICAN ILLEGAL ALIEN ALLEGEDLY USED ROBLOX CURRENCY TO SOLICIT EXPLICIT CONTENT FROM KIDS UNDER 10

Rodriguez-Marroquin was arrested on Nov. 22, 2025, by federal authorities on suspicion of production of child pornography and possession of child pornography.

In addition to his conviction in the U.S., he is also the subject of a child exploitation investigation in Guatemala, which is being led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKER ACCUSED IN FATAL CALIFORNIA CRASH RELEASED BY BIDEN ADMIN AFTER 2022 BORDER CROSSING

Fox News Digital has reached out to his legal team.

Rodriguez-Marroquin first illegally entered the U.S. in 2024 and was released by the Biden administration, DHS said.

The Trump administration has blamed Biden immigration policies for the influx of illegal immigrants into the U.S., which led to a surge in crime.

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“In just the first months of 2026, the Trump Administration has arrested scores of depraved illegal alien killers, rapists, and violent sexual predators who were enabled, protected, and unleashed by the Radical Left’s open borders agenda — policies Democrats are desperate to restore,” the White House said in an April 10 news release highlighting some of the worst offenders.

President Donald Trump is confident that his pick for U.S. Senate in the Lone Star State will easily defeat Democrat James Talarico, whom he called unelectable because “he’s a vegan in Texas.”

Talarico is a prominent state lawmaker who was only recently propelled to the national stage after winning the Democratic Senate nomination in Texas earlier this year. He has been widely lambasted by conservatives for his history of controversial statements, including claiming, “God is non-binary” and that “sex is a spectrum.”  

While speaking with reporters before boarding Air Force One on Wednesday morning, Trump predicted that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who he endorsed this week, will “win very substantially” in the upcoming primary runoff with incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.

He then forecasted Paxton will “go on to defeat a very defective candidate that believes in six genders, and he takes hits at Jesus Christ, and he’s wearing a mask six months ago, anybody wearing a mask six months ago doesn’t get it.”

‘GOD IS NON-BINARY’: TEXAS DEM NOMINEE TALARICO’S PAST REMARKS ON ABORTION, RACE AND GENDER DRAW SCRUTINY

He then ripped into Talarico, saying, “And he’s vegan, he’s a vegan in Texas.”

“You can’t get elected as a vegan in Texas,” Trump insisted.

Trump’s comments reference an unearthed 2022 clip of Talarico giving a speech and calling reducing meat consumption “existential.”

“We have heard, I think, heard more and more issues of animal welfare. I think, not just because it’s the right thing to do, and it’s the moral thing to do, but also… necessary to fight climate change,” Talarico said, adding, “It is now existential that we try to reduce our meat consumption, and that we try to respect animals.”

“So, I am proud to say that our campaign has officially become a non-meat campaign,” Talarico continued. “So, we are only buying vegan products from our local vegan businesses.”

Talarico can be seen wearing a mask during the speech.

TEXAS TEEN TELLS CONGRESS HE RECEIVED DEATH THREATS AFTER REVEALING ISLAMIC BOOTH AT HIGH SCHOOL

His resurfaced comments caused a significant stir in Texas, where beef cattle production is a multi-billion-dollar industry and the state’s largest agricultural segment.

“Who wants to tell him that cattle is the #1 commodity in Texas?” the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Senate Republicans’ campaign arm, wrote on X.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, labeled Talarico a “freak” who wants to “ban BBQ.”

“Vote Republican this November. The steaks couldn’t be higher,” Cornyn wrote.

Amid the backlash, the Talarico campaign blasted out a photo of the candidate wearing a Texas flag shirt and taking a large bite out of a turkey leg.

“Official Statement from James Talarico on Vegan Accusations,” the campaign wrote.

TRUMP BACKS PAXTON IN TEXAS REPUBLICAN SENATE SHOWDOWN WITH CORNYN

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In response to Trump’s criticisms on Wednesday, JT Ennis, a spokesperson for Talarico’s campaign, told Fox News Digital that “as costs continue to rise and corruption in Washington runs rampant, James is focused on taking power back for working people and bringing down the price of gas, groceries, and health care.”

“James is building a people-powered movement to take on this broken, corrupt political system — not any one politician, not any one political party, but the billionaire mega donors and puppet politicians who have made life more expensive for Texans while enriching themselves,” said Ennis.

President Donald Trump split with immigration hawks by defending Chinese students in the U.S. while also softening on Chinese-owned farmland — creating friction inside MAGA and unexpected overlap with moderate Democrats.

Fox News’ Sean Hannity asked Trump in a recent interview from Beijing about concerns surrounding Chinese nationals attending school in the U.S. and China-linked entities purchasing farmland, including in sensitive areas like near a North Dakota military base that raised eyebrows earlier this decade.

Republicans have long warned that Chinese student visa programs could expose U.S. research and state secrets to the Chinese Communist Party, while GOP officials like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer have pushed for tougher restrictions on Chinese ownership of American farmland.

“It’s not that I love it. You want to see farm prices drop; you want to see farmers lose a lot of money just take that out of the market. But they’ve had a lot of land for a long time. Obama did nothing about it,” Trump said.

SENATORS RICKETTS, FETTERMAN UNITE AGAINST CHINA’S QUIET INVASION OF US FARMLAND

Trump also defended allowing Chinese students to study in the U.S., calling them “good students” and arguing that banning them would unnecessarily inflame tensions with Beijing.

“I frankly think that it’s good that people come from other countries and they learn our culture and many of them want to stay here,” Trump said, while admitting that it “doesn’t sound like a very conservative position – and I’m a conservative… commonsense guy. I think MAGA is ‘common sense,'” he said.

The comments triggered backlash from the right wing of the MAGA movement, with former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene disputing, “No — that’s not commonsense.”

“Trump says it’s insulting to tell China their students can’t go to our universities, imagine being an American student and receiving a rejection letter while 500,000 Chinese students get in,” Greene said, according to the left-wing New Republic. “And no – it’s not OK for China to buy our farmland.”

Some Democrats, however, appeared heartened by Trump’s more moderate stance on a major sticking point in the immigration field.

Fox News Digital reached out to top Democrats on the moderate New Democrat Coalition’s Border Security Working Group.

Chairman Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico told Fox News Digital that while he disagrees with Trump “on a lot” regarding immigration enforcement, he will continue to support efforts to bring new blood into the American economy.

“I have long supported building America’s workforce by encouraging the best and brightest across the world to come study in the U.S. and build their careers and families here,” said Vasquez.

“Congress should expand more legal pathways for students to stay here and start businesses, grow the American economy, and help our country fill critical needs in key industries like healthcare, manufacturing, quantum AI and engineering.” 

A Vasquez spokesperson added that the lawmaker, however, agrees with conservatives on one point where Trump differed — that Chinese nationals should not be permitted to purchase U.S. farmland.

“Food security is national security,” the spokesperson said.

Speaking to Hannity, Trump added: “I could tell [Xi], I don’t want any students, it’s a very insulting thing to say to a country. They would then immediately go out and start building universities all over China.”

Trump argued that without the influx of Chinese students, middling and lower-tier universities would begin dying on the vine financially.

Lora Ries, former counsel for the House Judiciary Committee’s immigration subcommittee and a 30-year policy expert now with the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital that universities have grown too dependent on foreign students because they often pay “full freight” — and made the case for scrutinizing the education system rather than keeping it propped up with foreign tuition.

TRUMP CLAIMS GOP ‘VERY OPEN’ TO KEEPING ‘DREAMERS’ IN US, TAKES SHOT AT ‘VERY DIFFICULT’ DEMS

“It is no longer a level playing field for American students to get into these universities. We also know many of these universities are producing degrees that don’t have a great return on investment: gender studies, et cetera. So why on earth do we want to keep universities that depend on those sorts of degrees afloat?” Ries said.

“We shouldn’t justify continuing to bring in high levels of foreign students to keep so many universities in business when the Big-Ed model is absolutely upside-down.”

According to Ries, Chinese and other foreign student blocs exacerbate the difficulty American students face getting into colleges — while native students are also not finding meaningful jobs after graduation.

Ries said the issue is “right up Trump’s alley,” but not in the way the president posited on “Hannity.” She said Trump could shake up “Big-Ed” by incentivizing quality degrees and disincentivizing ones that leave American graduates occupationally stranded.

FOREIGN STUDENTS WHO HATE AMERICA DON’T DESERVE VISAS — AND WE HAVE TOOLS TO STOP THEM

When it comes to the adage about jobs Americans supposedly won’t do, she pointed to the medical field, which has seen an influx of foreign students.

“You can’t say medicine is a job that Americans won’t do, so what’s going on?” she said.

She also noted that Chinese nationals cannot come to live in America without the knowledge of — and often information-sharing with — the CCP, which itself poses a risk.

“Also, Chairman Xi can say, ‘Well, America is in decline,’ as he just did in this summit.”

When asked for comment, a White House spokesperson directed Fox News Digital to the president’s remarks to Hannity.

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Trump’s comments set up a new potential divergence between presidential policy and conservative politics among some of his current and former most ardent supporters, including Greene.

It also, however, potentially opens up a rare immigration dialogue with Democrats like Vasquez and his coalition of moderates, who have been trying to advance their own fixes to the broken system.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy turned the tables on two Democratic senators who accused him of allowing companies under his oversight to bankroll his “Great American Road Trip,” firing back by highlighting donations they received from industries and groups tied to policies they regulate.

In celebration of America’s 250th birthday, the bipartisan America 250 commission sanctioned Duffy’s participation in a 10-state road trip with his family to encourage tourism. The expedition was funded by the nonprofit organization “The Great American Roadtrip,” which received donations from major travel and car companies, including Toyota, Boeing and Enterprise. Duffy’s road trip was turned into a five-part YouTube series.

During a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing Tuesday, Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., argued that donations tied to Duffy’s “Great American Road Trip” raised concerns about corporate influence over Duffy while Americans grapple with high gas prices.

“You’ve been recording a promo of yourself and not working to lower the cost, so this show is incredibly out of touch with where Americans are,” Murray said. “It really raises some serious ethics concerns about who you answer to, because the people organizing your show solicited corporate sponsors and promised rewards at each level of funding.”

SEAN DUFFY: TAKE A GREAT AMERICAN ROAD TRIP AND REDISCOVER OUR AMAZING COUNTRY

Duffy denied that promises were made to corporate sponsors of the nonprofit. However, Murray referenced a pitch deck released by the nonprofit outlining perks associated with different donation levels. At the highest level, donors are guaranteed placement of their logo in up to 10 produced videos and six VIP invitations to receptions, roundtables and networking events hosted by the nonprofit.

“If someone from the healthcare industry gives you $2 million, what do they get for it?” Duffy countered to Murray, referring to campaign donations.

“You have jurisdiction,” Duffy continued. “I do not. You have jurisdiction. $2 million to put your face on TV, to buy steak dinners. Dinners, to go on vacation.”

Duffy then rattled off specific donation amounts Murray has received from major healthcare corporations.

“Pfizer gave you $102,000,” Duffy said.

Like Murray, Gillibrand branded Duffy’s participation in “The Great American Roadtrip” as a vacation for Duffy and his family.

FAR-LEFT FIREBRAND SPENDS EYE-POPPING AMOUNT OF CAMPAIGN CASH ON LUXURY HOTELS, ‘TOP-TIER’ LIMO SERVICES

“It shouldn’t be paid for by people that you oversee,” Gillibrand told Duffy.

Duffy then noted that Gillibrand’s campaign has received $7 million in political contributions from law firms and attorney groups.

But Gillibrand said her donations had “nothing to do with” the topic at hand.

“This hearing is about you and this administration,” Gillibrand told Duffy. “This hearing, you are the witness. I am not the witness.”

Duffy accused Gillibrand of flying private, eating steak dinners and vacationing on the dime of law firms and legal groups.

Gillibrand denied ever having flown private. However, in 2022, Gillibrand spent the second most in Congress on chartered flights, according to Newsweek. The senator’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

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In both exchanges, Duffy defended his participation in “The Great American Roadtrip,” arguing it is about bringing Americans together.

“As we can see from this hearing, there’s a lot of partisanship in America,” Duffy said. “Seeing your country, experiencing your country through the window of a car is a beautiful thing. It actually unites America.“

The House passed a sweeping housing bill backed by President Donald Trump on Wednesday, handing Republicans a potential affordability win ahead of November’s midterms. 

Lawmakers voted overwhelmingly 396-13 to send the bipartisan measure aimed at boosting housing supply and homeownership to the Senate, where it will need final sign-off before being signed into law by the president.

“The White House supports the House’s housing bill thanks to the changes that were made,” a White House official told Fox News Digital. 

The president’s support is a major victory for House GOP leadership, who defied a pressure campaign from the Senate to pass the upper chamber’s rival housing bill without any changes.

TRUMP-BACKED AFFORDABLE HOUSING OVERHAUL CLEARS SENATE, WHILE HOUSE GOP RAISES RED FLAGS

The amended House bill’s future remains uncertain in the Senate, where it will need to overcome a 60-vote threshold and potential frustration over the lower chamber’s modifications.

The final House bill struck out a controversial provision in the Senate-passed measure that required single-family homes owned by large investors for the purpose of renting to be sold off within seven years. 

Critics argued the measure could reduce housing supply and would hurt the build-to-rent industry, which provides rental options for Americans priced out of homeownership.

The package preserved a ban on large institutional investors from buying new single-family homes. That provision is a top priority of the Trump administration, as well as leading progressives, such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who argues it would help individual homebuyers compete with well-funded investors.

Large institutional investors own just a sliver of the nation’s housing stock.

Seven in 10 voters said they would support a ban on large investors owning more than 350 homes from purchasing more, according to a May survey commissioned by the Bipartisan Policy Center. Support dipped among some supporters when respondents were told the provision could reduce the supply of rental homes.

“This bill prioritizes American families by expanding homeownership, enhancing affordability, reducing burdensome regulations that drive up costs, and increasing housing supply nationwide,” House Financial Services Chairman French Hill, R-Ark., said in a statement. “Importantly, it delivers on President Trump’s call to limit institutional investors from competing with the American people as they seek to purchase a home.”

GOP CAN’T AGREE ON KEY PART OF TRUMP’S HOUSING AFFORDABILITY PUSH AS INFIGHTING CONTINUES

Still, the bill faced resistance from some conservatives over an unrelated provision regulating central bank digital currencies (CBDC).

Thirteen conservative lawmakers associated with the House Freedom Caucus voted against the bipartisan housing measure over concerns about language temporarily banning CBDCs, which they argue would open the door to unchecked financial surveillance.

GOP privacy hawks have long pushed for a permanent ban and have argued that a short-term prohibition would permit the Federal Reserve to issue a digital token after it expires in 2030.

“A temporary ban is the worst of both worlds: political cover today, a clear runway tomorrow,” Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, wrote in an op-ed for The Washington Reporter this week. “Make it permanent, or take it out.”

GOP leadership has pointed to the housing bill as part of Republicans’ broader push to address cost-of-living issues ahead of the midterm elections.

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“Increased housing costs and lack of quality supply are two issues that impact nearly every American family,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said at a news conference on Wednesday, adding that the House measure is a “strong bipartisan package that will put more American families into homes.”

“This is something that every American in this country is going to be happy to see, to have lower housing costs,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said.

Graham Platner, presumptive Democratic Senate nominee in Maine, once stated that some people should be killed for their political beliefs, according to a newly surfaced Reddit post.

“There are times in this world when, for the good of tolerance and humanity, you need to kill a motherf—er,” Platner wrote on his now-deleted Reddit account in September 2013. “Sadly most people who are true believers in tolerance and humanity find that activity repulsive. Which I suppose is morally good, but pragmatically a shortfall.”

Platner was responding to a blog post about left-wing antifascist (Antifa) protestors attacking the offices of a far-right nationalist political party in Greece.

BERNIE SANDERS DEFENDS MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE UNDER FIRE FOR REDDIT COMMENTS

The Platner campaign did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Wednesday.

Platner is running effectively unopposed in Maine’s Democratic primary in June with the ultimate goal of flipping one of Maine’s Senate seats blue in the 2026 midterms in November.

As recently as April 2020, Platner claimed on Reddit that he was a member of his local chapter of the Socialist Rifle Association — a leftist response to the National Rifle Association. The SRA, a nonprofit based in Wichita, Kansas, provides firearms training and education to leftists to further the goal of providing a “rebuff against reactionary right wing firearms culture,” according to its website.

In a post describing his left-wing drift after leaving the military, Platner stated “still got the guns though, I don’t trust the fascists to act politely.” Platner had described Republicans, such as President Donald Trump, as fascists using his Reddit account. 

He also classified himself as a “socialist” and “communist” in comments made under the moniker “P-Hustle” on Reddit, but has since tried to distance himself from those labels during his run for U.S. Senate.

PLATNER’S DELETED REDDIT SPARKS OUTRAGE AGAIN AS HE APPEARS TO MOCK WOUNDED SOLDIER: ‘DIDN’T DESERVE TO LIVE’

Platner has issued a general apology for the thousands of controversial and vulgar resurfaced posts.

In addition to repeatedly expressing support for political violence, the former Marine also identified as a communist, used slurs, complained about black people not tipping and called white people living in rural America “stupid.”

“I’m sorry for this. Just know that it’s not reflective at all of who I am,” Platner said of his previous comments posted online.

“I don’t want you to judge me on the dumbest thing I ever wrote on the internet. I would prefer if people could judge me on the person I am today,” he added.

While Platner used homophobic slurs and made some politically incorrect comments, he also expressed support for gay rights and opposition to racism in his Reddit comments.

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He explained his coarse language as a byproduct of the “crude humor” and “offensive language” he had become accustomed to while serving as a Marine in Afghanistan. 

Maine Gov. Janet Mills dropped out of the state’s Senate primary on April 30, leaving behind only minor opponents for Platner and clearing the way for him to run in the general election. Polling generally shows Platner ahead of incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins, though she has significantly outperformed polls in past elections.

Two Democrats running to replace Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., are set to duke it out for the Democratic nomination next month. 

Tuberville’s decision to vacate his seat in the upper chamber and pursue a gubernatorial bid in Alabama triggered a mad dash from both parties to find his replacement. 

While several Republicans with elected experience were jockeying for the job, the Democratic field was filled with fresh political blood. Everett Wess and Dakarai Lariett were the top vote getters in the race, and due to Alabama’s runoff rules, will again square off on June 16. 

TRUMP BACKS PAXTON IN TEXAS REPUBLICAN SENATE SHOWDOWN WITH CORNYN

The duo, neither of whom have held elected office before, emerged from a four-way primary in deep red Alabama. 

And while the state has largely had Republican representation in the Senate for decades, save for former Sen. Doug Jones’s, D-Ala., stint in office after winning a special election in 2017, Democrats are still hopeful they can make headway there.

But given the historical grip that the GOP has had on the state, it’ll be an uphill battle come November. 

Meanwhile, Republicans got a step closer to finding their anointed successor to Tuberville Tuesday night. 

ALABAMA AG MAKES SUPREME COURT PLAY THAT COULD DEAL DECISIVE BLOW IN REDISTRICTING WAR

But determining which candidate will come out on top is still weeks away, given that several Republican hopefuls jumped into the race. And in Alabama, if a candidate doesn’t get a majority of votes, a runoff is triggered.

Out of the field of seven candidates, Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., and Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall emerged from the clash. They will again square off on June 16. 

TRUMP’S EARLIEST SUPPORTER ANNOUNCES BID FOR ALABAMA SENATE SEAT

It will also be another test of President Donald Trump’s endorsement power in Alabama, where his track record has not been 100%.

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Moore, who announced his candidacy to Fox News Digital last year, has Trump’s backing. It’s an endorsement he re-upped during a recent tele-rally urging support for the three-term member of the House. 

“He’s a true America First Patriot who’s been with me from the very beginning,” Trump said during the rally.

Former Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., whose biting wit, liberal politics and mastery of financial policy made him one of the most recognizable members of Congress for more than three decades, has died at 86.

Frank died late Tuesday, Jim Segel, Frank’s former campaign manager and close friend, confirmed to The Associated Press.

“I have been trying to decide, by the way, personally, whether it’s better to be an icon or an emoji,” Frank, with his caustic wit, told CNN’s “State of the Union” in a May 3 interview while in hospice for congestive heart failure. He disclosed before his death that his condition had left him with little energy but not much pain.

“Essentially, after 86 years, my heart’s just wearing out,” Frank, who appeared gaunt, told Jake Tapper.

Frank represented Massachusetts in the House from 1981 to 2013, serving 16 terms and becoming chairman of the House Financial Services Committee during the 2008 financial crisis. His name became attached to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the sweeping 2010 law he co-authored with then-Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., after the collapse of the housing market and the near-failure of the U.S. financial system.

FORMER NY DEMOCRATIC REP CHARLIE RANGEL DEAD AT 94

The law, signed by President Barack Obama on July 21, 2010, imposed new rules on major financial firms, derivatives, mortgage lending and consumer protection.

For supporters, Dodd-Frank was the most consequential financial regulatory overhaul since the New Deal, an attempt to rein in Wall Street excess and prevent another taxpayer-backed rescue of large institutions. For Republican critics, including President Donald Trump, it became a symbol of regulatory overreach. It was partially repealed in 2018, providing regulatory relief to community and mid-sized banks.

For Frank, it was the capstone of a career built on unapologetic liberalism, legislative detail and a willingness to fight in public.

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS DISCOVER THE BIG SECRET ABOUT CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION

Frank was also a pioneer for gay rights in American politics. In 1987, while already serving in Congress, he publicly came out as gay, becoming the first sitting member of Congress to do so voluntarily. He later became the first sitting U.S. representative to enter into a same-sex marriage when he married his longtime partner Jim Ready in 2012.

He then retired from Congress after more than 30 years, after more than 30 years in the House.

Born Barnett Frank on March 31, 1940, in Bayonne, New Jersey, he graduated from Harvard University in 1962 and later earned a law degree from Harvard Law School. He worked for Boston Mayor Kevin White and Rep. Michael Harrington before winning a seat in the Massachusetts Legislature in 1972. He served there until his election to Congress in 1980.

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Frank’s first bill as a Massachusetts lawmaker sought to bar discrimination in housing and employment based on sexual orientation, an early marker of the civil rights work that would define much of his public life. The bill failed, but Frank later pointed to the gay rights movement’s incremental strategy as a model for other causes.

While Frank says Democrats and the broader left had made progress forcing inequality onto the national agenda, but he warned contentious cultural issues dividing and taking over the party. He wrote a book before his time in hospice, which is due to be released Sept. 15: “The Hard Path to Unity: Why We Must Reform the Left to Rescue Democracy.”

America has, he postulated, “enabled people who wanted to use that as a platform for a wide range of social and cultural changes, some of which the public isn’t ready for.”

KNIVES OUT FOR FETTERMAN: MAVERICK SENATOR JOINS LONG LINE OF DEMS PUNISHED FOR BREAKING FROM LEFT

“Even when I agree with them on the end, I think they make a mistake by taking the most controversial parts of the agenda and turning them into litmus tests,” he added.

Even in hospice, Frank remained politically engaged and characteristically unsparing, rejecting the biggest, newest voices in the Democratic Party for turning America away from the standard bearers.

“I am concerned that, among some in my party, there has been a flavor of the month tendency, so that someone who is new and hasn’t been able to do much is somehow preferred over people who understand the importance of hard work to get controversial things adopted,” he said.

RESIGNATION IS THE NEW ESCAPE HATCH AS LAWMAKERS FACE EXPULSION

Frank’s career was not without controversy. In 1990, the House reprimanded him for improper use of political influence involving parking tickets and probation officers for a personal friend. The reprimand did not end his career; he won reelection that year and continued to build influence, eventually rising to chair the Financial Services Committee.

Frank was at the center of Congress’ response to the 2007-09 financial crisis, helping negotiate legislation aimed at tightening oversight of banks and nonbank financial firms, increasing transparency in derivatives markets, creating the Financial Stability Oversight Council and strengthening mortgage-lending standards.

His papers, held by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, document a career that touched financial reform, gay rights, housing policy, immigration, military spending, environmental protection and local Massachusetts issues including fishing regulation and commuter rail.

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Asked what he wanted people to remember about him, Frank deflected with the dry humor that made him a favorite of political reporters and a feared opponent in hearings.

“Oh, that I was smart enough and learned enough about the reaction not to answer that question,” he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: In observance of Memorial Day, country stars, veterans and lawmakers will host a candlelight ceremony to mark America’s 250th birthday at the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia Monday.

“Memorial Day is a sacred reminder that freedom is never free. We honor the brave men and women who gave their lives defending America and its founding principles that we hold dear,” said the event’s master of ceremonies, Veteran Affairs Secretary Doug Collins, to Fox News Digital. “Their sacrifice is the foundation of American freedom, and we thank God for their courage.” 

Organizers shared event details and rendering with Fox News Digital for a national celebration honoring America’s heroes during a pivotal year bringing together country music stars and officials.

“Set against the sacred grounds of Arlington National Cemetery, the evening will serve as a powerful national tribute to America’s fallen heroes through storytelling, music, remembrance, and reflection,” said Freedom250, the nonpartisan group helping coordinate the broader America250 effort, said in a press release.

TRUMP LAUNCHES MASSIVE ‘FREEDOM 250’ PUSH TO IGNITE AMERICA’S 250TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

Grammy Award-winning country music artist Gretchen Wilson will take the stage to perform.

“I am overwhelmed to have been asked to honor the fallen heroes and their families this Memorial Day. What a sacred place, I pray I do it justice,” said Wilson.

A newly released rendering shared first with Fox News Digital showed an aerial view of the amphitheater where the event will take place.

COUNTRY SINGER CRAIG MORGAN SAYS HE’S NOT DONE SERVING AFTER ARMY RESERVE PROMOTION AT 61

The program will honor Medal of Honor recipient, West Point graduate and Vietnam prisoner of war Capt. Humbert “Rocky” Versace, highlighting his faith, leadership and resilience during his time in captivity.

The evening will also honor Capt. Daniel W. Eggers, a U.S. Army Special Forces officer, Green Beret and Citadel graduate who was killed in Afghanistan while serving alongside Afghan commandos in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, Fox News Digital learned. 

Eggers was remembered for his humility, courage and unwavering commitment to his fellow soldiers, said Freedom250 in a press release.

MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT REMEMBERS SERGEANT MAJOR KILLED IN IRAQ: ‘WE WERE GOING TO AVENGE THAT MAN’

Veteran and national security leader Jason Beardsley, Medal of Honor recipient Maj. Gen. Patrick Henry Brady, noted historian Dr. Mark Moyar and members of the Eggers family are expected to share personal reflections on military service, sacrifice and the lasting human cost of freedom during the evening’s tribute.

“Memorial Day is about more than remembrance,” said Jason Beardsley, a veteran of the United States Navy and Army Special Operations Forces, said in the press release. “It is about preserving the legacy of those who gave everything for this country and ensuring future generations understand the true cost of freedom.”

There will also be a wreath-laying and National Memorial Day Observance both streamed live.

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The wreath laying pre-program will additionally have a performance by veteran and country singer Craig Morgan.

The candlelight tribute will begin at 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday and conclude at 10:00 p.m. ET.

California Republican gubernatorial frontrunner Steve Hilton blasted Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom for “fear mongering” after the governor suggested he had a contingency plan if Democrats appeared at risk of being shut out of the general election.

California’s primary election is just two weeks away, and under the state’s jungle primary system — where the top two vote-getters advance regardless of party — both Democrats and Republicans fear they won’t be represented in the general election.

Newsom expressed his concern about a Republican shutdown last Thursday during a news conference, explaining that he has a “break the glass scenario” to ensure Democrats aren’t “locked out.”

“There’s many people that have a deep understanding of what it would look like if Democrats were locked out, and we’re going to do everything to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Newsom said. “I’ll leave it there.”

JOY REID BLASTS CA DEMS FOR LETTING GOP CONTENDERS TAKE LEAD IN GOVERNOR’S RACE

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

Hilton claimed that Newsom’s comments were a tactic to split Republican voters between himself and Republican candidate Chad Bianco.

“He’s not trying to stop a ‘top two Republican’ outcome because that is not possible and never was,” Hilton said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Chad Bianco is far behind in the polls and fundraising, and has no chance of being in the top two.”

GOP CANDIDATE BIANCO’S TWO-WORD JAB AT KATIE PORTER DRAWS GASPS FROM CALIFORNIA DEBATE AUDIENCE

RealClearPolitics’ polling averages show Hilton leading the pack of candidates, with Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra in a close second. Meanwhile, Bianco trails in fourth place.

Hilton argued it would be Newsom’s “ideal scenario” to have two Democrats facing off, saying it would deflect attention from Newsom’s “appalling record” as he eyes a 2028 presidential run.

“Newsom and the Democrats are fearmongering over a R vs R matchup in the general election precisely to encourage Republicans to split their votes, thus guaranteeing an all-Democrat top two,” Hilton said in a statement for Fox News Digital.

In a video posted to X on Tuesday, Hilton called on his Republican opponent Bianco to drop out of the race, in an effort to ensure a Republican is on the ballot.

Political strategists have said there is a valid fear among both Democrats and Republicans that their party could be shut out of the general election due to the jungle primary system, which went into effect after voters approved it in a statewide referendum in 2010.

“This is really the first gubernatorial election where there’s no obvious winner, so that’s why it’s such a tense thing,” Richard Winger, owner of Ballot Access News, told Fox News Digital.

Winger and former Democratic state Sen. Dario Frommer pointed to other races where the seat was open and two candidates of the same party were running against each other in the general election.

“The Republicans were shut out in the California U.S. Senate primary in 2018 when the top two vote getters were Kamala Harris and Rep. Linda Sanchez, and there have been other races where either Republicans or Democrats were shut out of the general election because of the top two,” Frommer, who is now a legislative strategist, told Fox News Digital.

“I think early on there was genuine, genuine concern of the Democratic party, because there were so many Democratic candidates that Hilton and Bianco were going to be the top two vote getters,” Frommer told Fox News Digital. “Now that’s changed a bit.”

Frommer said that, based on current polling, the top two vote-getters appear likely to be Hilton, Becerra, and Democratic candidate Tom Steyer.

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But at the same time Frommer said Democrats aren’t in the clear either.

“Usually, there’s a lot more people overall voting by this point, and they’re not, and so I think that concern is real for Democrats, that people wait too long to fill out their ballots, and there’s only two Republican candidates,” Frommer told Fox News Digital.

The fear of either party being shut out of the general election this fall has prompted Democratic strategist Steven Maviglio to organize a ballot initiative campaign to eliminate the jungle primary system, a measure that could appear on the 2028 ballot.

“I think if two Republicans make the ballot, or if two Democrats make the ballot, then voter outrage will be high, and that will only focus on just what a failed experiment this is,” Maviglio said of the jungle primary system.

After Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., lost the Republican U.S. House primary in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District to President Donald Trump-backed challenger Ed Gallrein on Tuesday, former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene declared that the future of the GOP had been “destroyed.”

“I am proud and thankful to have served in the U.S. House of Representatives with my friend Thomas Massie, a giant among weak pathetic men. Releasing the Epstein files was our demise. But it was worth every single bit because now everyone knows the truth. You are ruled by the Epstein class that cares nothing about you and your elected leaders are bought and controlled by a foreign lobby,” she wrote in a post on X.

“Tonight the future of the Republican Party was destroyed. The Real America First Movement will rise led by the younger generations, who hate the old guard with an unquenchable passion. Let us pray that we have a country left by the time these creatures are gone,” Greene added.

TRUMP-BACKED NAVY SEAL VET DELIVERS MAJOR BLOW TO MASSIE IN FIERY GOP PRIMARY

Massie fired back at GOP Rep. Erin Houchin of Indiana after the congresswoman wrote in a post on X, “Happy to deliver the news to President @realDonaldTrump the results from the KY Primary and his defeat of Thomas Massie. Well done, @TeamTrump! Congratulations @EdGallrein!” 

“How do his boots taste?” Massie replied.

The congressman began his concession speech by saying, “I would’ve come out sooner but I had to call my opponent and concede and it took awhile to find Ed Gallrein in Tel Aviv.”

HEGSETH UNLEASHES ON MASSIE IN GOP PRIMARY SHOWDOWN AGAINST TRUMP-BACKED NAVY SEAL VET

Republican Rep. Randy Fine of Florida posted a graphic that depicted Massie with large tears and labeled the lawmaker a “LOSER.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. declared in a post on X that “The power of Donald Trump is real.”

“Congratulations to Ed Gallrein for an amazing victory against serious opposition. I believe he will bring a lot to the U.S House of Representatives. He is a warrior and businessman — someone who has truly sacrificed for our nation,” Graham wrote. 

TRUMP CALLS OUT REP THOMAS MASSIE: ‘KENTUCKY, GET THIS LOSER OUT OF POLITICS’ TUESDAY

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“As to Rep. Massie, we had many differences but I always admired the fact that he stayed true to his beliefs and fought for his causes. I wish him and his family well,” the senator added.