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Central Command Commander Adm. Brad Cooper sharply rebuked Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton during a tense House Armed Services Committee hearing Tuesday after the Massachusetts Democrat questioned “how many more Americans” would die because of what he called a failed Iran strategy.

“It doesn’t seem to be going well,” Moulton, D-Mass., said of the Iran war. “And I would like to know how many more Americans we have to ask to die for this mistake.”

“I think it’s an entirely inappropriate statement from you, sir,” Cooper responded.

Moulton shot back: “It’s not a statement, it’s a question.”

TRUMP’S IRAN STRATEGY SHOWCASES ‘DOCTRINE OF UNPREDICTABILITY’ AMID STRIKE THREATS AND SUDDEN PAUSE

Fourteen U.S. service members have died in combat since the U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury Feb. 28. 

Moulton, a Marine Corps Iraq War veteran and frequent critic of the Trump administration’s Iran strategy, pressed Cooper repeatedly on what he described as the widening consequences of the conflict, including instability in the Strait of Hormuz, rising oil prices and reports that Iran had rebuilt parts of its missile infrastructure.

Cooper pushed back on several of the claims, calling reports that Iran had reconstituted key missile sites “inaccurate” and repeatedly emphasizing that U.S. forces had achieved their assigned military objectives.

The hearing came just after Trump said he directed the military to pause planned operations against Iran for Tuesday at the request of Gulf allies who wanted negotiations with Tehran to continue. The U.S. has been adhering to a ceasefire since April 7. 

Gulf leaders asked Trump to pause strikes because “serious negotiations are now taking place, and that, in their opinion, as Great Leaders and Allies, a Deal will be made, which will be very acceptable to the United States of America, as well as all Countries in the Middle East, and beyond,” he wrote on Truth Social Monday. 

“This Deal will include, importantly, NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOR IRAN!” he said.

DEMS SIDESTEP PAST ‘REFUSE ILLEGAL ORDERS’ DEMANDS AS THEY CHALLENGE TRUMP’S IRAN WAR AUTHORITY

The confrontation capped hours of contentious exchanges in which Democrats repeatedly pressed Cooper and Pentagon officials on whether the administration had a viable strategy beyond military strikes, whether ongoing operations complied with the War Powers Resolution and whether the conflict was making the United States less secure despite major battlefield gains against Iran.

Democrats also repeatedly challenged the administration over whether ongoing operations complied with the War Powers Resolution, arguing the continued blockade of Iranian ports and military exchanges in the Strait of Hormuz amounted to active hostilities.

Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., pressed Cooper over continued military operations in the region, noting U.S. forces had fired on Iranian tankers and exchanged fire with Iranian forces even after the administration notified Congress that hostilities had ended.

“The fact of the matter is that hostilities continue,” Garamendi said, accusing the administration of disregarding Congress and the Constitution.

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Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., similarly argued that the blockade itself constituted “an act of war,” while several Democrats questioned whether the administration planned to seek congressional authorization for any future escalation.

Republicans on the panel, meanwhile, defended the campaign as a historic military success that dramatically weakened Iran’s ability to threaten the United States and its allies. 

Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., said U.S. operations had “rolled back 40 years of Iranian military investment” and argued the campaign had made both the United States and its allies safer.

Cooper later testified that Iran was “significantly less capable” than before the strikes and said U.S. military action had “derailed Iran’s strategy” across its nuclear, missile and proxy networks.

Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that President Donald Trump is still pursuing a diplomatic deal with Iran but remains “locked and loaded” to restart the military campaign if nuclear talks collapse.

“It takes two to tango,” Vance told reporters at a White House press briefing. “We are not going to have a deal that allows the Iranians to have a nuclear weapon.

“So as the president just told me, we’re locked and loaded,” Vance added. “We don’t want to go down that pathway. But the president is willing and able to go down that pathway if we have to.”

The administration sees two paths forward, according to Vance: a negotiated agreement that permanently blocks Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, or renewed U.S. military action.

VANCE WARNS IRAN THAT ‘ANOTHER OPTION ON THE TABLE’ IF NUCLEAR DEAL NOT REACHED

“We think the Iranians want to make a deal,” Vance said. “The president of the United States has asked us to negotiate in good faith. And that’s exactly what we’ve done.”

But Vance warned that diplomacy will not come at the cost of Trump’s core demand that Tehran never obtain a nuclear weapon.

“There’s an option B, and the option B is that we could restart the military campaign to continue to prosecute the case, to continue to try to achieve America’s objectives,” Vance said. “But that’s not what the president wants. And I don’t think it’s what the Iranians want either.”

TRUMP WARNS IRAN’S ‘CLOCK IS TICKING’: MOVE ‘FAST’ OR ‘THERE WON’T BE ANYTHING LEFT’

The exchange came after Trump said he was just an hour away from ordering fresh attacks on Iran on Monday night.

“We were getting ready to do a very major attack [Tuesday], and I put it off for a little while — hopefully maybe forever,” Trump said, “because we’ve had very big discussions with Iran, and we’ll see what they amount to.”

“There seems to be a very good chance that they can work something out,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “If we can do that without bombing the hell out of them, I’d be very happy.”

The announcement marked the latest shift in Trump’s handling of the fragile ceasefire reached in mid-April. For weeks, the president has warned Iran that fighting could resume if it did not accept a deal, while repeatedly setting deadlines and then backing away from them.

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Over the weekend, Trump warned that “the Clock is Ticking” and said Iran needed to move “FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them.”

Trump first disclosed the pause in a social media post Monday, saying he had ordered the U.S. military to be ready “to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice” if an acceptable deal is not reached.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche accused Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., of lying during a line of questioning after the senator said a Jan. 6 rioter pardoned by President Donald Trump had discussed using future restitution money to ensure his child sexual abuse victims stayed quiet.

Blanche appeared before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday to answer questions about the Justice Department’s fiscal year 2027 budget. The hearing came a day after the Justice Department announced the creation of a $1.776 billion fund for people who allege they were victims of federal government “lawfare.”

Van Hollen, a ranking member on the committee, accused the Anti-Weaponization Fund of being a “slush fund” for Trump’s allies, raising concerns that the money would go to individuals indicted and charged for their involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riots. Trump pardoned and provided commutations to more than 1,500 people charged with and convicted of their role in the Capitol riots, including Andrew Paul Johnson, who was sentenced to life in prison March 2026 for the sexual abuse of two minors.

APOLOGIES AND CASH HEADED TO ALLEGED ‘WEAPONIZATION’ VICTIMS IN BILLION-DOLLAR TRUMP SETTLEMENT

“That person actually tried to buy the silence of these children by saying that he would pay them some of the funds that he was hoping to get from your slush fund,” Van Hollen asked Blanche. “Can you commit to making the rules so that that person is not eligible for a payout under this fund?”

“Well, you’re obviously lying in your question, because there’s no way that this person committed to that,” Blanche said. “The slush fund, as you call it… didn’t exist.”

Van Hollen pointed at Blanche and warned him.

“Don’t ever do that again. I am reporting what he said,” Van Hollen said. “He said on the expectation that he hoped to get some of the funds from a payout.”

DAS MAY TRY TO CHARGE JAN. 6 PARTICIPANTS GRANTED CLEMENCY BY TRUMP WITH NEW CRIMES ON STATE, LOCAL LEVELS

Florida authorities reported that Johnson had promised his victims he would share money he expected to receive as restitution after being pardoned by Trump. In a Discord message to one of his victims, Johnson shared that “he was being awarded $10,000,000 as a result of being a ‘jan 6’er’” and he’d be putting the victim “in his ‘will’ to take any money he had left over,” according to an affidavit that Van Hollen read to Blanche later in the hearing.

Blanche pointed out that the Anti-Weaponization Fund or the alleged “slush fund” didn’t even exist when Johnson made those promises to the victims.

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“This is the fund that the president and all of you have been telegraphing all along that you are going to use to help the president’s friends,” Van Hollen said.

The Justice Department’s pardon attorney, Ed Martin, is the only known Trump administration official who has explicitly called for those convicted in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol riots to receive restitution for the “lawfare” they faced. However, Democratic senators argue the Justice Department has taken steps to make restitution for the Jan. 6 defendants possible.

President Donald Trump is finally taking sides in the contentious and costly Republican Senate primary showdown in Texas between longtime Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton.

The president on Tuesday, in a highly anticipated announcement, endorsed Paxton, a MAGA champion. The president’s extremely potent endorsement came one week before the runoff between Cornyn and Paxton in right-leaning Texas.

“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.

The two heated rivals topped a crowded field of contenders in an early March primary, but since no one cleared the 50% threshold, the nomination race headed into overtime, with the runoff election on May 26.

Trump teased his long-awaited endorsement on the grounds of his colossal ballroom, which is still under construction as the Senate mulls whether to provide hundreds of millions in security funding for the project. He decided that now was the time to endorse, after several months of staying neutral, because early voting for the next week’s runoff had opened. 

“There are those that say whoever I endorse is going to win,” Trump said. “I don’t know if that’s true, but historically, that’s absolutely true. I just don’t like to say it because I don’t like to brag.”

Cornyn or Paxton will face off in the general election against rising Democratic Party star state Rep. James Talarico, who topped progressive firebrand Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a vocal Trump critic, in the Democrats’ primary. Talarico is trying to become the first Democrat in nearly four decades to win a Senate election in right-leaning Texas.

PAXTON VOWS HE’S STAYING IN THE SENATE RACE

This year’s Senate showdown in Texas is one of a handful across the country that could determine if Republicans hold their majority in the chamber in the midterm elections. The GOP currently controls the Senate 53-47.

The president took to social media the day after the March primary to say that an endorsement would be coming soon and that he would “be asking the candidate that I don’t Endorse to immediately DROP OUT OF THE RACE!”

TRUMP TEASES ENDORSEMENT COMING SOON IN CRUCIAL GOP CLASH

And multiple sources at the time told Fox News and other news organizations that it was likely that Cornyn would land the president’s support.

Hours later, Paxton said that he would stay in the race for the Republican Senate nomination even if Trump endorsed Cornyn.

Asked if he would end his Senate bid if Trump backed Cornyn, Paxton, a MAGA firebrand and longtime Trump supporter and ally, said no in an interview with Real America’s Voice.

“I’ve spent a year of my life campaigning against John Cornyn because John has not represented the people of Texas well,” Paxton argued. “He’s been against Trump in both of his elections, said he shouldn’t run last time. … The people of Texas, at least the Republicans, would like something different.” 

Asked about Paxton’s comments, Trump said a day later in a Politico interview, “Well, that’s bad for him to say… maybe that leads me to go the other direction,” the president added.

CONTENTIOUS REPUBLICAN SENATE PRIMARY IN TEXAS HEADED INTO OVERTIME

In a twist, Paxton said a few hours later that he would “consider dropping out of this race if Senate Leadership agrees to lift the filibuster and passes the SAVE America Act.”

The bill, formally titled the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, would, if passed into law, require proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. The GOP-backed bill passed the Republican-controlled House but faces legislative roadblocks in the Senate due to opposition from Democrats.

“The Save America Act is the most important bill the U.S. Senate could ever pass, and I’m committed to helping President Trump get it done,” Paxton wrote in a social media post.

“For the good of our country and for the good of passing President Trump’s agenda, I am determined to help him get this done,” he added.

And Paxton charged, “John Cornyn is a coward who has refused to support abolishing the filibuster to pass this bill.”

A Trump endorsement never came in the ensuing days and weeks, and the ‘Save America Act’ remains stalled in Congress.

The Cornyn campaign and aligned super PACs spent nearly $100 million in the primary campaign to run ads attacking Paxton and Republican Rep. Wesley Hunt — who came in third — with the senator charging in the closing weeks of the campaign that Democrats would flip the seat in the general election if Paxton was the GOP’s nominee.

Cornyn, his allies and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the campaign arm of the Senate GOP, repeatedly pointed to the slew of scandals and legal problems that have battered Paxton over the past decade, as well as his ongoing messy divorce.

“Over the next 12 weeks, Texas Republican primary voters will hear more about my record of delivering conservative victories in the United States Senate, and learn more about Ken’s indefensible personal behavior and failures in office,” Cornyn told reporters on Tuesday night.

“Just like the primary, we have a plan to win the runoff, and we are in the process of executing it,” Cornyn said. “Judgment day is coming for Ken Paxton.” 

Paxton, who has grabbed significant national attention the past dozen years by filing lawsuits against the Obama and Biden administrations, told supporters on primary night, “As we head into this runoff, we’re going to make the choice even clearer. While John Cornyn was cutting deals on gun control and amnesty, I was suing corrupt Joe Biden over 107 times.”

And he charged, “John Cornyn spent around $100 million trying to buy this seat. We’ve spent around $5 million.”

In a social media post, Paxton touted, “The truth is clear: No one has been more loyal to Donald Trump than me—fighting the stolen 2020 election, being in Mar-a-Lago when he announced his 2024 campaign, and standing with him in NY in the face of lawfare.”

ROUND TWO OF CORNYN VS. PAXTON GETS UNDER WAY

Trump, as the Texas race moved to a runoff, urged, “for the good of the Party, and our Country, itself, be allowed to go on any longer. IT MUST STOP NOW!”

And pointing to Talarico, the president argued, “We have an easy to beat, Radical Left Opponent, and we have to TOTALLY FOCUS on putting him away, quickly and decisively.”

“Both John and Ken ran great races, but not good enough. Now, this one, must be PERFECT!” Trump warned.

Trump, whose clout over the GOP remains immense, stayed neutral in the Republican primary race. All three candidates, who sought the president’s endorsement, were in attendance just ahead of the primary as Trump held an event in Corpus Christi, Texas.

“They’re in a little race together,” Trump said of Cornyn and Paxton. “You know that, right? A little bit of a race. It’s going to be an interesting one, right? They’re both great people, too.”

Helping Cornyn land the president’s endorsement was an intense lobbying campaign by Senate Republican leaders.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters the day after the primary that Cornyn had “a great night” against Paxton. The top Senate Republican spent the last several months bending Trump’s ear at every opportunity to jump into the race and back the longtime incumbent.

“He’s positioned to win the runoff, and if the president endorses early, it saves everybody a lot of money, and a lot of, you know, just 10 weeks of another spirited campaign on our side that keeps us from spending time focusing on the Democrats,” Thune said.

Thune spoke with Cornyn the day after the primary, and believed that Talarico was the more formidable match-up for Republicans in November — one that Cornyn was better suited to win. 

“The matchup that’s good for us is John Cornyn at the top of the ticket,” Thune said.

NRSC communications director Joanna Rodriguez told Fox News Digital, “John Cornyn remains the only candidate who guarantees state Rep. Talarico never becomes a United States senator and ensures the fight for President Trump’s Senate majority is waged in true battleground states, not Texas.”

And the Thune-aligned Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), the top super PAC backing Senate Republicans, which spent millions on behalf of Cornyn in the primary campaign, made it clear in a statement early Wednesday that it will continue to support the senator in the runoff.

“SLF and its sister organizations were proud to support Senator Cornyn early, and we look forward to him securing the Republican nomination on May 26,” the group’s executive director, Alex Latcham, said in a statement.

Meanwhile, a GOP political operative in Trump’s orbit told Fox News Digital, “Talarico being the nominee makes President Trump’s endorsement of Cornyn more important than ever.”

While Trump stayed neutral during the heated primary campaign, his top pollster, Tony Fabrizio, helped the Cornyn campaign. And veteran Republican strategist Chris LaCivita, who served as co-campaign manager of Trump’s 2024 White House bid, consulted for a top Cornyn-aligned super PAC. 

But on the Paxton side of the playing field, operatives and donors were confident they could unseat the senator.

Dan Eberhart, an oil drilling chief executive officer and prominent Republican donor and bundler who supports Paxton, told Fox News Digital, “This was Cornyn’s shot to fend off his challenger by getting over 50%, and he couldn’t do it. The runoff voters will be even less friendly territory for Cornyn.”

Pointing to former longtime Senate GOP leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who has often acted as a Trump foil, Eberhart said, “This race is about MAGA vs. McConnell.”

Meanwhile, Lone Star Liberty, a pro-Paxton super PAC, circulated a memo ahead after the primary that shrugged off threats that Cornyn would succeed in the runoff by continuing to hammer the attorney general over his litany of scandals, arguing there was nothing new to offer.

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“Cornyn’s talk of ‘unleashing’ new attacks in the runoff is bluster,” the memo states. “The truth is that from day one, his forces fired every bullet they had. There are no new attacks left — only more of the same, at ever-greater cost and with ever-diminishing returns.”

Fox News’ Rich Edson and Patrick Ward contributed to this report

Former Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., threw her weight behind a candidate in the race to succeed her in Congress on Monday, endorsing San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan.

Chan is competing in a Democratic primary to win Pelosi’s 11th Congressional District. Pelosi announced plans to retire from politics after a historic 20-term run in Congress that saw her win the speaker’s gavel twice.

“I know and love this district, I know the Congress and I know Connie,” Pelosi said in a campaign video shared by both her and Chan. “I’m proud to endorse Democrat Connie Chan and ask you to join me in electing her to Congress.”

“Connie understands San Francisco — our values, our diversity, our communities, and our responsibility to lead with both compassion and strength,” Pelosi said in a statement. “She’s a mom who knows her power and knows her why. I am confident Connie is ready to bring clarity and purpose to the work ahead — For The Children.”

PELOSI HEIR-APPARENT CALLS TRUMP’S VENEZUELA MOVE A ‘LAWLESS COUP,’ URGES IMPEACHMENT, SLAMS NETANYAHU

Chan thanked Pelosi for her endorsement in a separate statement, highlighting her upbringing in California as an immigrant who arrived in the U.S. at 13 without speaking any English.

“I am honored to receive Speaker Emerita Pelosi’s endorsement and I am grateful and humbled by the support I’ve received from thousands of San Franciscans who have joined this campaign,” Chan’s statement said. “Speaker Emerita Pelosi has shown by example what we can do when we stand together and we will now fight to make sure our beloved city remains a place of opportunity for all San Franciscans, and the conscience of our nation.”

‘AMERICA IS BACK’: LAWMAKERS RALLY AROUND TRUMP AFTER ‘PHENOMENAL’ JOINT ADDRESS TO CONGRESS

Chan’s top opponent in the primary is state Sen. Scott Wiener, who currently enjoys a sizeable fundraising lead. As of the end of March, Wiener’s campaign has a war chest of $2.6 million compared to Chan’s $156,000.

Pelosi has long been a titan of fundraising, however, and her full support for Chan is likely to skyrocket her financial situation.

Also running in the primary is Saikat Chakrabarti, who previously served as chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

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The candidates will face off in an open primary election on June 2. If no candidate wins a majority, then the top two candidates will proceed to a runoff election.

The Trump administration ramped up its outreach to Greenland in the wake of President Donald Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, as U.S. officials seek to strengthen America’s Arctic position and counter Beijing’s ambitions in the region.

“Special Envoy Landry is in Greenland to attend the Future Greenland Conference as part of an effort to further strengthen U.S.–Greenlandic ties and engage with local leaders,” White House spokesperson Olivia Wales told Fox News Digital. “The Special Envoy had a productive meeting with the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Greenland, with both sides affirming the importance of the high-level working group.”

“The United States is optimistic that we are on a good trajectory to address U.S. national security interests in Greenland,” added Wales. “The Special Envoy will spend the coming days meeting with local business leaders and building ties with Greenlanders.”

The Trump administration’s renewed Greenland outreach comes as the White House increasingly views the Arctic as a strategic front in its broader competition with China following President Donald Trump’s recent summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. U.S. officials see Greenland’s location, mineral reserves and military significance as critical to countering Beijing’s growing ambitions in the region.

WHY TRUMP’S PUSH FOR FRIGID GREENLAND IS ABOUT ICING OUT US ADVERSARIES

The U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Denmark announced the four-day trip on May 13, one day before Trump departed for China. 

Trump previously declined to rule out military force to acquire Greenland, framing control of the territory as vital to U.S. national security. The U.S. potentially purchasing or acquiring Greenland has roots in the first Trump administration when the president mentioned interest in 2019.

Trump reportedly is seeking veto power to block Greenland from approving future investments from China concerning mineral reserves, first reported by the Telegraph.

When asked by Fox News Digital if the U.S. is seeking oversight during Greenland meetings, a White House official responded that “the administration is participating in diplomatic high-level technical talks with the Governments of Greenland and Denmark to address United States’ national security interests in Greenland.”

GREENLAND TALKS ON ‘GOOD TRAJECTORY,’ WHITE HOUSE SAYS AMID TRUMP TAKEOVER PUSH

“We are not going to participate in a back and forth through the media, but we are very optimistic that we’re on a good trajectory,” the official added.

A deeper U.S. foothold in Greenland could help blunt Beijing’s push for influence in the Arctic.

China laid out its Arctic ambitions in a 2018 policy white paper, declaring itself a “near-Arctic state” and promoting a “Polar Silk Road” tied to its broader Belt and Road strategy. The document called for expanded scientific research, commercial development and resource extraction in the region.

Leaders of the Danish territory have drawn a redline when it comes to Trump touting the idea of acquiring Greenland.

“We believe there is progress, and from Greenland’s side we are focused on finding a solution that is good for us all, and most importantly that threats of annexation, takeover or a purchase of Greenland and the Greenlandic people does not occur,” Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said after meeting with Landry this week, Reuters reported.

THE HISTORIC IMPORTANCE OF GREENLAND FOR US NATIONAL SECURITY AS DEBATE OVER ISLAND’S FUTURE ROARS ON

Greenland served as a critical Cold War outpost, positioned along the shortest Arctic routes between North America and the Soviet Union. The U.S. expanded its footprint with an airbase, now known as Pituffik Space Base, that became a vital hub for early-warning radar and surveillance systems designed to detect incoming Soviet bombers and missiles.

The island is also home to oil, natural gas and mineral resources, which could be used to manufacture batteries and other technologies. 

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The war with Iran looms over, with Trump announcing a pause on a planned strike on Iran from Gulf allies as “serious negotiations.”

President Donald Trump weighed in on Maryland’s mail-in ballot printing error, alleging ties to “corrupt” Democrat Gov. Wes Moore and calling for an investigation by the Justice Department under acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

“In Maryland, they sent out 500,000 Illegal Mail In Ballots, and they got caught!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, after Fox News reported the Republican National Committee’s election integrity unit’s concerns and activated a response.

“So now, they’re going to send out 500,000 more Mail In Ballots, but nobody knows what’s happening with the first 500,000 they sent. In addition, many of these Ballots went to Democrats, so any Republican running in Maryland doesn’t have a chance!”

Trump made an unsubstantiated claim the Democratic governor might have been involved in the error that the state’s ballot printer has apologized for.

TRUMP BATTLES JOHN BOLTON, CHRIS CHRISTIE AND THREATENS TO PULL FUNDS FROM WES MOORE’S MARYLAND

“This was done by the Corrupt Governor of the State, Wes Moore,” Trump’s post continued. “He allowed this to happen in order to make sure that Democrats win. It never made sense to me that Maryland was considered an automatic Democrat State, but now I see why. I’m sure this has gone on for years.”

Maryland election officials have not said 500,000 illegal ballots were sent. The State Board of Elections said more than 500,000 voters requested mail-in ballots, and that a vendor error affected voters who were mailed ballots before May 14. Officials said all affected voters would be sent replacements to “maintain the integrity and security of mail-in voting.”

Trump is calling for Blanche and the Justice Department to look into the ballot handling in Maryland’s primary mail-in ballots.

“I’m going to ask the Attorney General of the United States, and the DOJ, to bring an immediate investigation into this situation,” his Monday afternoon post concluded.

DOJ SUES SIX STATES FOR REFUSING TO TURN OVER VOTER REGISTRATION ROLLS, WARNS ‘OPEN DEFIANCE’ OF FEDERAL LAW

State Administrator of Elections Jared DeMarinis pushed back on Trump’s claim that “illegal” ballots were distributed, saying the issue involved some voters receiving the wrong party ballot.

“Mail-in voting is an integral facet of the electoral process,” DeMarinis wrote in a statement. “With over 500,000 voters requesting mail-in ballots, we want to eliminate any doubt in its integrity or accuracy; that is why I have arranged the sending of replacement ballots.”

“Please be assured that we are actively answering phones and responding to emails and will remain transparent as we navigate through this situation,” he added. “We will make every effort to ensure that everyone affected knows the situation and how to cast their ballot. Every vote matters, your voice will be heard, and our elections will remain verified, open, transparent, and secure.”

DEM STATE ELECTION BOARD UNDER FIRE AFTER ICE-ARRESTED SUPERINTENDENT SURFACES ON VOTER ROLLS

The state’s vendor, Taylor Print & Visual Impressions (TPVI), Inc., said replacement ballots are being prepared and mailed, and that “election officials have safeguards in place to ensure that only the corrected ballots included in the replacement mailing will be accepted and counted.”

There were no public details on those “safeguards.”

“A portion of voters received ballot packets intended for a different voter segment,” the TPVI Election Services Team wrote in a statement. “We understand the seriousness of this matter and the importance of accuracy and trust in all election-related communications.”

Notably, “all ballots will be remailed by 5/29/2026,” TPVI added, leaving it up to the recipients to destroy the first ballot they received.

“Voters should securely discard or destroy the original ballot materials they received and use only the replacement ballot sent in the new mailing,” the vendor concluded.

DEMOCRATS SILENT ON ILLEGAL ALIEN REGISTERED TO VOTE IN BLUE STATE

EARLY IN-PERSON VOTING LAUNCHES IN KENTUCKY, LAST DAY OF EARLY VOTING IN MARYLAND

The primary ballot mix-up has renewed Republican calls for a federal review of the state’s voter rolls.

“This kind of election mismanagement is why the RNC is already suing Maryland for failing to clean their voter rolls,” RNC Chair Joe Gruters told Fox News on Monday.

“Marylanders deserve answers after this unacceptable failure. The RNC and Maryland GOP are demanding transparency on how it happened, who will receive replacement ballots, and what safeguards will be used to prevent duplicate voting.”

The RNC’s election integrity unit vowed to respond quickly to deploy local legal experts to secure the midterm vote from primaries through November’s general elections.

“In response, the RNC and Maryland GOP are expanding our Protect the Vote operations with voter hotlines, legal oversight, and voter education statewide,” Gruters told Fox News Digital.

Maryland’s primary election is scheduled for June 23. Voters who want a mail-in ballot sent by mail must request one by June 16, according to the State Board of Elections.

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Fox News has reached out to Maryland Republican Party Chair Nicole Beus Harris has not yet heard back.

The Department of Homeland Security and Department of War have joined a widening interagency investigation into a network of nonprofit groups funded by Shanghai-based American Marxist tech mogul Neville Roy Singham, allegedly sowing discord in the U.S., Fox News Digital has learned.

The expanding probe now includes multiple Trump administration agencies examining the coordination, funding and online organization of agitator groups and nonprofits allegedly tied to Singham’s network, which investigators suspect of sowing discord in the United States.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told Fox News Digital he’s working with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and intelligence agencies to uncover the inner workings of organizations “trying to stir up discontent.”

Mullin spoke exclusively to Fox News Digital after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid in Manassas, Virginia, last week.

LAWMAKERS RAISE ALARM OVER NEVILLE ROY SINGHAM’S $278M NETWORK SPREADING CCP PROPAGANDA IN THE U.S.

Mullin said organizations have been coordinating their work using online channels. Anti-ICE agitators used the Signal encrypted text messaging app to facilitate anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis, Minnesota, earlier this year. 

“We know there’s a coordinated effort trying to stir up discontent online, through online processes,” Mullin explained. “This is something we talk about with Scott Bessent. This is something that we talk about with Secretary Hegseth. We’re talking about it. You know, our directors and our intelligence agencies are constantly talking about it.” 

A Fox News Digital investigation peeled back the layers of the network of nonprofits into which Singham pumped $278 million, funding six 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) nonprofits that have spread Chinese Communist Party propaganda.

FBI INVESTIGATING MINNESOTA ANTI-ICE SIGNAL GROUP CHATS, PATEL SAYS

As reported, the Treasury, State and Justice departments are investigating the Singham network for alleged financial improprieties, malign foreign influence and other improprieties. Mullin’s statement is the first time it’s been revealed that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of War are also involved in the investigations.

DHS agents are no strangers to Singham’s network, as many have come face to face with agitators supported by various organizations backed by Singham over the past year. A campaign called “ICE Out of New York” is housed at the People’s Forum, a nonprofit funded by Singham, and it regularly holds volunteer meetings at the nonprofit’s headquarters on W. 37th Street in Midtown Manhattan and coordinates with the group to organize demonstrations. 

Singham has given $22.44 million to the People’s Forum, a 501(c)(3) that just dropped $5.15 million for a new headquarters in Manhattan.

SINGHAM-BACKED, PRO-CHINA GROUP DROPS HUGE SUM ON MANHATTAN HQ AS FEDS PROBE SHADOWY NETWORK

The Party for Socialism and Liberation, a self-described Marxist organization supported by Singham’s network, has also played a central role in past anti-police and anti-ICE demonstrations.

When asked about Beijing’s influence in the U.S., Mullin compared the actions of actors supporting the Chinese Communist Party to that of Joseph Stalin, former general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. 

“You go all the way back to Stalin, who basically was appropriating this, so he’s going to destroy America from within,” Mullin told Fox News Digital. “You stir that up by causing distrust in your government, discontent on the streets, distrust between law enforcement and the public, breaking up the family units and going after the Christian mindset. This was all part of their plan to begin with.”

ASSAULTS ON ICE OFFICERS SURGE 830% AS DEMOCRATS CAUGHT ‘DOXING AND PHYSICALLY ASSAULTING’ AGENTS: DHS

The DHS secretary explained that the attempt to influence and destroy America from within, and that the U.S. has been battling pro-communist enemies from inside its borders for years.

Mullin said that a key to combating propaganda comes from public awareness of foreign malign influence. He explained that he believes that “our adversaries” who are promoting communism and anti-ICE rhetoric are speeding up a “radical agenda” that is being supported by Democrats. 

“The American public, it’s an 80% issue. They want a secure border,” Mullin told Fox News Digital. “They want the criminals off our streets. It unfortunately is 20% of the radical Democrats that are buying into this radical agenda that’s being sped by our adversaries.”

FAMILIAR PROTEST GROUPS MOBILIZE IMMEDIATELY AFTER ICE SHOOTING OF MINNESOTA PROTESTER

In December, DHS initiated “Operation Metro Surge” in the Minneapolis metro area amid investigations of widespread fraud, predominantly in the Somali community.

Agitators took to the streets to combat agents, and federal agents killed demonstrators Renee Good and Alex Pretti for what the agency described as impeding law enforcement operations.

Following Good’s death, a number of organizations within Singham’s network acted quickly to facilitate unrest. Many are self-described Marxist-Leninists, including the ANSWER Coalition, the People’s Forum, the Party for Socialism and Liberation and BreakThrough News. 

Encrypted Signal chats, command-and-control centers, rapid-response propaganda and orchestrated tear-gas clashes with DHS agents helped mobilize forces and manipulate public opinion in Minneapolis at the time.

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While Mullin wasn’t leading DHS during the demonstrations, he acknowledged the clear coordination when speaking with Fox News Digital last week, but noted that violent protests and designed chaos don’t affect the department’s ability to fulfill its commitment to border and national security.  

“It doesn’t keep our men and women out here on the streets from doing their job,” Mullin explained. “Thankfully, these guys, they signed up not for the glory or the fame, they signed up because they want to get criminals off our streets, regardless of what is happening online, regardless of the far-left Democrats want to criticize these individuals for simply enforcing the laws that Congress passed.”

A federal judge on Monday largely blocked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from carrying out civil immigration arrests at several Manhattan immigration courthouses, after government lawyers admitted they made a “material mistaken statement of fact” defending the policy in court.

U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel ruled ICE officers must temporarily revert to narrower Biden-era restrictions on courthouse arrests while a broader lawsuit proceeds.

The ruling marks a major reversal from Castel’s earlier 2025 decision declining to halt the policy. In March, however, Justice Department lawyers informed the court they needed to correct prior claims that a May 2025 ICE courthouse enforcement memo applied to immigration courts. The government later acknowledged the guidance “does not and has never applied” to immigration courts.

Castel said the reversal justified revisiting the earlier ruling “to correct a clear error and prevent a manifest injustice.”

FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS MEXICAN MIGRANT SEEKING ASYLUM TO BE RELEASED BY ICE

Immigrant advocacy groups behind the lawsuit argued the Trump administration’s enforcement policies effectively turned mandatory immigration hearings into arrest operations, with migrants allegedly detained by ICE agents immediately after court proceedings.

Castel wrote plaintiffs were likely to succeed in arguing the administration acted arbitrarily and capriciously when it rescinded a 2021 ICE policy restricting courthouse arrests without adequately explaining how the new policy applied to immigration courts.

The judge emphasized the ruling does not fully prohibit courthouse arrests. ICE may still conduct enforcement actions involving national security threats, imminent violence, hot pursuit situations or threats to criminal evidence.

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“Today’s ruling is an enormous win for noncitizen New Yorkers seeking to safely attend their immigration court proceedings,” said Amy Belsher, director of immigrants’ rights litigation at the NYCLU.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and ICE for comment but did not immediately receive responses.

EXCLUSIVE: WARSAW, Poland — Poland’s deputy defense minister said Warsaw will press U.S. officials in the coming days over the Pentagon’s decision to halt a planned armored brigade rotation of U.S. Army soldiers — a recent move that rattled one of Washington’s closest NATO allies despite assurances that U.S. troop levels in Poland would remain unchanged.

At the same time, Polish officials stressed that Warsaw still views itself as a “model ally” within NATO and expects military cooperation with the United States to continue expanding.

“We will ask questions and I guess that we will get answers,” Polish Deputy defense Minister Paweł Zalewski told Fox News Digital in an exclusive on-camera interview ahead of meetings in Washington with Pentagon officials and members of Congress.

PENTAGON SCALES BACK TROOPS FROM NATO EASTERN FLANK, DENIES AMERICAN WITHDRAWAL FROM EUROPE

The comments come days after the Pentagon halted a planned rotation of approximately 4,000 U.S. Army troops to Poland, sparking concern in Warsaw and criticism from U.S. lawmakers. The move affected the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, which had been scheduled to deploy to Poland and other eastern flank positions as part of a routine nine-month NATO force rotation.

Around 10,000 U.S. troops are typically stationed in Poland, most serving on rotational deployments lasting several months at a time. Because the U.S. military presence in Poland relies heavily on those recurring rotations, the halted brigade deployment raised concerns in Warsaw.

It’s not yet clear whether halting the brigade will lead to a permanent reduction in U.S. forces in Poland. 

Zalewski referenced recent assurances from President Donald Trump to Poland’s president-elect.

“We remember that President Trump, directly talking with President Nawrodski, president of Poland, declared that the U.S. will maintain its armed forces in our country and the number of armed forces,” Zalewski told Fox News Digital.

“We’ll be staying in Poland,” Trump had said in September 2025. “We’re very much aligned with Poland. We’ll put more there if they want.”

The Pentagon said the decision came after consultations with the U.S.’ European Command (EUCOM), which leads U.S. military operations on the continent. 

“The decision to withdraw troops follows a comprehensive, multilayered process that incorporates perspectives from key leaders in EUCOM and across the chain of command,” acting press secretary Joel Valdez told Fox News Digital. “This was not an unexpected, last-minute decision, and it would be false to report it as such.” 

The Pentagon declined to detail the reasons for the halted rotation. The White House could not immediately be reached for comment. 

The move triggered bipartisan criticism on Capitol Hill because Poland has been viewed as a key frontline state against Russia. War Secretary Pete Hegseth previously praised Poland as a “model ally.”

“The level of partnership — just to underscore here — is unmatched in Europe,” Hegseth said during a February 2025 visit to Warsaw, Poland.

Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., called the canceled brigade rotation “a slap in the face to Poland” during a House Armed Services Committee (HASC) hearing Friday, while HASC Chairman Mike Rogers said lawmakers had not been properly consulted.

NATO ALLY POLAND WARNS RUSSIA, BELARUS PUSHING ILLEGAL MIGRANTS TOWARD ALLIANCE — AND THE US

Poland has become one of NATO’s most important military and logistics hubs since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, hosting rotational U.S. forces and serving as a staging ground for military assistance flowing eastward.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to reduce U.S. support for NATO allies he says spend too little on defense, while pushing European governments to assume greater responsibility for continental security. But Poland spends the highest portion of its GDP on defense of any NATO country at 4.8%. 

Deputy Foreign Minister of Poland Marcin Bosacki on Friday acknowledged frustration in Poland about how the situation was communicated, while stressing that Poland has received assurances the U.S. does not plan to reduce its military presence in the country.

“It should have been communicated better,” Bosacki said in a meeting with reporters in Warsaw, Poland. “We’re still awaiting some answers.” 

“But we take U.S. reassurance that U.S. doesn’t plan to reduce neither of the number nor the capabilities of the U.S. troops in Poland,” he added.

Bosacki said Poland expects troop rotations to continue and the total number of U.S. troops in the country to remain around 10,000, and emphasized Warsaw’s desire to deepen the military partnership further. 

The halted Poland rotation comes amid a broader Trump administration effort to reduce the U.S. military footprint in Europe and push NATO allies to assume greater responsibility for conventional defense. 

The Pentagon has announced plans to withdraw roughly 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany, while earlier in 2026 the Army ended a rotational 101st Airborne Division deployment in Romania and other eastern flank positions as force levels in Europe moved closer to pre-Ukraine war levels.

Despite concerns over the halted troop rotation, Zalewski said the primary purpose of the delegation’s Washington meetings would be discussions about the future structure of NATO and defense cooperation between the United States and Europe.

The talks are expected to focus in part on the Trump administration’s so-called “NATO 3.0” approach, a Pentagon-backed vision that would push European allies to assume greater responsibility for conventional defense in Europe while the United States shifts more military attention toward China and the Indo-Pacific. The strategy emphasizes greater European military spending, force readiness and defense industrial capacity while reducing long-term American dependence on large troop deployments across the continent.

PENTAGON OFFICIAL FLAGS RETURN OF ‘COLD WAR MENTALITY,’ AS TRUMP ADMIN RESHAPES NATO ALLIANCE

Zalewski described Poland as a “model ally” because of its heavy defense spending, military modernization and close security partnership with Washington.

At the same time, he warned that Poland and other eastern NATO members remain under constant pressure from Russia through cyberattacks, sabotage and disinformation campaigns — threats that officials in Poland increasingly view as part of a broader hybrid war against the alliance.

Polish officials have in recent years blamed Russian-linked actors for cyberattacks targeting government institutions and critical infrastructure, while authorities also have investigated suspected Russian sabotage plots tied to arson attempts and surveillance operations inside Poland. Warsaw has additionally accused Moscow of orchestrating online disinformation campaigns aimed at undermining public trust, weakening support for Ukraine and driving divisions between NATO allies.

“Poland and the Eastern NATO flank states are (in) a certain kind of hybrid war,” Zalewski said. “We are constantly under attack by Russian cyber forces. There are a lot of acts of sabotage in Poland.”  

He said Poland also has experienced incursions into its airspace by Russian drones and “huge disinformation coming from Moscow” aimed at undermining trust in authorities and dividing NATO allies.

Zalewski argued those hybrid threats have become especially dangerous since Russia’s 2014 seizure of Crimea because they are designed to weaken NATO internally without triggering a direct military confrontation.

He also expressed skepticism about efforts to improve relations between Washington and Moscow, arguing that Russia continues to view the United States and NATO as its principal adversaries. Zalewski warned that Moscow’s long-term objective is to fracture Western alliances and drive wedges between the United States and frontline NATO states such as Poland.

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“Yes, there are some ideas in the United States that it is possible to find a way between Russia and the United States,” Zalewski said. “But it’s only just a game played by Moscow.”

“As a matter of fact, since the beginning of the 20th century, for this Russian elite governing the country after the Russian Revolution, the United States has been the biggest enemy,” he added. “And as a matter of fact, the most visible emotion that they have to America — is just hate.”

HEBRON, KY – Six states from coast-to-coast hold primary elections on Tuesday in one of the busiest and potentially most consequential days of the 2026 midterm calendar.

Voters in Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Oregon, and Pennsylvania will cast ballots in Democratic and Republican primaries for the U.S. House, Senate and governor, as well as in down-ballot races. The nominating showdowns tee up this autumn’s midterms, when Republicans will defend their slim Senate and razor-thin House majorities.

Meanwhile, some of Tuesday’s most high-profile primary ballot box face-offs will serve as the latest tests of President Donald Trump‘s immense grip over the Republican Party and the strength of his endorsements in GOP nomination races.

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 has a new target: Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky.

DEFENSE SECRETARY HEGSETH JOINS TRUMP’S POLTICAL WAR AGAINST 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.

Trump repeatedly targeted Massie in social media posts in the closing days of the primary campaign and praised Kentucky farmer and former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, who the president is backing, as “a great guy” and “a great patriot.”

Gallrein grabbed some last-minute support and additional firepower on the eve of the primary, as he teamed up at an event with War Secretary Pete Hegseth.

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

The president said in a video posted to Truth Social on Monday that he hoped Kentucky voters would put Massie “out of business” and that “we’re in a fight against the worst congressman in the history of our country.”

Massie said in a Fox News Digital interview on the eve of the primary that Trump’s taunts on social media may backfire.

“It shows he’s losing sleep, his reputation is on the line. He really shouldn’t have got involved in this race,” Massie said.

The race has become the most expensive in House history in terms of ad spending, with over $32 million spent, according to the nationally known ad tracking firm AdImpact.

Much of that money has been shelled out by Trump’s allies and pro-Israel groups.

“Here’s the thing, I’ve got nothing against Israel. I just have never voted for foreign aid. When I said America First, I meant it. I don’t vote for foreign aid to Egypt, to Syria, to Ukraine. I’ve got a flawless record on this, and I’m not going to ruin it by sending foreign aid to one country,” Massie said as he defended his stance on Israel.

The race has grabbed outsized attention across the country.

“It’s basically a national race at this point, the most expensive race primary in congressional history, and that’s because, you know, I’m up there, I’m getting things done. I got the Epstein files released, I’m getting legislation in the farm bill, I’m getting legislation passed on the floor, and they want to shut me down,” Massie emphasized.

TRUMP SCORES MAJOR PRIMARY VICTORY AS CASSIDY OUSTED IN LOUSIANA

But Gallrein, speaking with Fox News Digital, charged that Massie’s “running against President Trump, and the agenda that has been put forward by the Republican Party.”

The primary winner will be considered the overwhelming favorite in the general election in a district Trump carried by 36 points in his 2024 White House win.

Trump’s endorsement is also on the line in Kentucky’s Republican Senate primary, in the race to succeed retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell, the former longtime GOP leader in the chamber.

Among the 11 Republican candidates are Rep. Andy Barr, who recently landed Trump’s backing, and former state Attorney General Daniel Cameron, a former McConnell aide who was the GOP’s 2023 gubernatorial nominee. Seven Democrats, including 2020 Senate nominee Amy McGrath, are running for the Democratic nomination.

Here’s a look at other key races to watch on Tuesday.

Georgia

Trump’s endorsement powers will also be tested in the GOP gubernatorial primary in the southeastern battleground of Georgia.

The president is supporting Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in the race to succeed popular conservative Gov. Brian Kemp, who is term-limited.

Jones is considered one of the two front-runners in the race, along with health care executive and billionaire businessman Rick Jackson, who launched his campaign in February and has spent more than $80 million of his own money on behalf of his bid.

State Attorney General Chris Carr and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger are also running.

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, former state Sen. Jason Esteves, state Rep. Derrick Jackson, and former state labor commissioner and former DeKalb County CEO Mike Thurmond, are among the candidates seeking the Democratic nomination.

Trump remains neutral in competitive and combustible Republican Senate primary.

Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter, and former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley, the son of University of Georgia head football coach legend Vince Dooley, who is strongly backed by Kemp, are considered the frontrunners in a crowded field of candidates.

The winner of the GOP nomination will challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. The first-term senator is being heavily targeted by Republicans, who view him as the most vulnerable Democrat in the chamber seeking re-election this year. But Ossoff has built an extremely formidable war chest.

Alabama

The president is backing Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama as a Trump ally and two other Republicans seek their party’s gubernatorial nomination in the race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Kay Ivey. Among the candidates for the Democratic nomination is former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones.

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Meanwhile, only three of Alabama’s seven congressional districts will hold primaries on Tuesday. Elections in the other four districts are being postponed until this summer, in the wake of a key Supreme Court ruling that sparked Republicans in a handful of southern states to redraw their congressional district lines.

Sen. Bill Cassidy’s loss in the Louisiana Republican Primary over the weekend is “a loss for the country,” former Utah Sen. Mitt Romney said.

Cassidy’s loss comes five years after he voted to convict President Donald Trump in his impeachment trial for his role in the violent Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

“The Senate to now lose an exceptionally brilliant and creative mind, an MD who chairs healthcare, and a person of character,” Romney wrote Sunday in a post on X. “Bill Cassidy’s departure is a loss for the country.”

Trump-backed Rep. Julia Letlow and Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming both topped Cassidy in Saturday’s GOP primary. They will advance to next month’s runoff for the Republican nomination, while Cassidy becomes the first elected Republican senator to lose renomination since Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana in 2012.

TRUMP SCORES MAJOR REPUBLICAN PRIMARY VICTORY AS CASSIDY OUSTED IN LOUISIANA

After Cassidy was defeated, Trump took to social media to revel in the senator’s ouster.

“His disloyalty to the man who got him elected is now a part of a legend, and it’s nice to see that his political career is OVER!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

Romney, a vocal critic of Trump who voted to convict him during both of his impeachment proceedings in 2020 and 2021, wasn’t the only Republican senator to weigh in on Cassidy’s defeat.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said Cassidy’s loss was expected during an interview on Fox News’ “The Sunday Briefing.”

“Unless you’re your god’s perfect idiot, the result was predictable,” Kennedy said. “I mean, ground control to Major Tom. The polls have shown for well over a year that Sen. Cassidy was in trouble.”

Kennedy said Trump’s endorsement of Letlow “was sort of the icing on the cake.”

“Bill knew that, but he decided to run anyway,” Kennedy added. “I respect that. I thank him for his service.”

Meanwhile, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., argued Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Cassidy’s primary defeat was a direct result of the senator’s 2021 vote to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial, saying Republicans who “try to destroy” Trump politically will face consequences from GOP voters.

TRUMP TURNS SIGHTS ON BILL CASSIDY, THOMAS MASSIE AFTER DECISIVE INDIANA PRIMARY VICTORIES

“There’s no room in this party to destroy his agenda or to destroy him and his family as a Republican,” Graham said. “If you align with Democrats to stop his agenda like Massie does, you’re going to lose. If you align with Democrats to drive him out of office like Cassidy did, you’re going to lose.”

Cassidy said in his concession speech to his supporters that “when you participate in democracy, sometimes it doesn’t turn out the way you want it to.”

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“But you don’t pout, you don’t whine. You don’t claim the election was stolen…. You don’t manufacture some excuse,” Cassidy said in an apparent jab at Trump. “You thank the voters for the privilege of representing the state or the country for as long as you’ve had that privilege. And that’s what I’m doing right now.”

Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser and CJ Womack contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: Former GOP gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon is stepping back into Michigan politics, this time as the public face of a new multi-million dollar PAC aimed at boosting Republicans in one of the nation’s most critical swing states. 

“Michigan is going to be one of the critical battleground states for ‘26 and ‘28,” Dixon told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview announcing her role with United We Fund, a political action committee backed by millions of dollars that will be heavily involved in Michigan’s open races for governor, attorney general, secretary of state and key seats in the House and Senate.

Dixon was the Republican nominee for governor of Michigan in 2022, emerging as a Trump-backed conservative challenger to Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in one of the country’s highest-profile gubernatorial races. Since her defeat, Dixon has remained active as a conservative commentator, podcast host, and prominent voice in the GOP’s “America First” wing.

“We want to make sure that we not only keep it purple, but have it trending red,” she continued. 

In order to do that, Dixon explained that her experience running for governor in Michigan and her monitoring of other races in the state have shown her gaps where the Republican Party can improve, particularly delayed outside spending, weak voter education efforts and struggles turning out GOP voters in non-presidential elections.

FIRST ON FOX: REPUBLICAN LAUNCHES SECOND STRAIGHT BID TO FLIP DEMOCRAT-HELD SENATE SEAT IN KEY BATTLEGROUND

 “When I ran for office, and I think that’s kind of a critical piece of this, is having lived it yourself, I know a lot of candidates go through this and they go, ‘Okay, that didn’t work out. I’m going to walk away,’” Dixon said. “As a business person with a business background, I’ve spent the last several years saying, ‘Okay, what did we do wrong as Republicans on our side? And how do we make sure we keep fighting for our state?’”

Dixon pointed to a recent Republican loss in a Michigan state Senate special election as evidence that the party cannot afford complacency.

“We just lost a special election for the state Senate by 19 and a half points,” Dixon said. “That’s a seat that was won by the Democrats in 2022 by 6.8 points. So to think that we went down to almost a 20-point loss, we can’t afford that in the state of Michigan. We don’t want the state to turn blue. So we’re going to make sure that we not only keep it purple, but have it trending red.”

‘UNTAPPED VOTERS’: EXPERTS EXPLAIN HOW CAMPAIGNS TURN OUT VOTE IN MICHIGAN, OTHER BATTLEGROUNDS IN FINAL DAYS

United We Fund is positioning itself as an answer to what Dixon described as a Democratic advantage fueled by both traditional party organizations and well-funded outside groups.

“We wanted to be able to give our candidates a leg up on that so that they would have that funding and those advertisements behind them and be able target people directly with the right messages so that they actually know who the Democrats are,” Dixon explained.

Dixon also argued Republicans have failed to effectively communicate with voters in many parts of the state, particularly outside of Detroit.

“Detroit has a massive voting base and obviously, we have some questions about that whole situation there, but the Detroit voting base comes out for Democrats,” Dixon said. “They rely on that specific base, but that base does not reflect what you see in the Upper Peninsula. It certainly doesn’t reflect the values of the people that you see in northern Michigan or on the west side of the state.”

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She said many conservative voters in rural Michigan feel overlooked and disconnected from Lansing, citing backlash over the proposed Goshen battery plant as an example of tensions between local communities and state leadership.

“The people of Michigan want their voices to be heard,” Dixon said. “We just have to make sure they know what’s on the ballot and what’s out there.”

Turning out eligible voters who have a history of infrequent participation in elections, known as low-propensity voters, has been the name of the game for Republicans in recent cycles. Dixon says that will be a major focus of her group in the future.

“Those voters who I would say a lot of people wish that there would be some of this Republican base that would go away, those are my people,” Dixon said. “I love them. I want to make sure that they continue to have their voice heard.”

“We want to make sure that not only are we reaching out to that Republican that comes out every time, but also to those MAGA Republicans who maybe came out for Donald Trump and they don’t necessarily come out in the midterms,” she added. “I want to make sure they know that they’re loved and their voice is important. And we want to be sure that they get to the polls this time.”

A Democratic city council member who once welcomed the “change” from socialist Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is now admitting he is “gravely concerned” about the business exodus affecting the major American city.

This comes as blue states like Washington and New York face a business exodus in favor of more market-friendly red states. Starbucks, a major player in Seattle’s business scene, recently announced a major expansion into Nashville while simultaneously cutting Seattle-based corporate jobs, a move that has intensified concerns about Seattle’s business climate and economic competitiveness.

Wilson, a self-proclaimed socialist, recently went viral for laughing off the exodus of billionaires and business leaders from her city, saying, “I think the claims that millionaires are going to leave our state are super overblown,” and adding, “the ones that leave? Like, bye.”

Now, less than five months into Wilson’s term, Seattle Democratic Councilmember Rob Saka admitted to the New York Times, “I am gravely concerned,” telling the outlet, “This is real.”

BISHOP BARRON SLAMS ‘BORDERLINE COMMUNISTS’ SANDERS, MAMDANI AHEAD OF TRUMP PRAYER EVENT: ‘ECONOMY THAT KILLS’

Saka previously welcomed Wilson after she defeated incumbent Bruce Harrell, saying in a statement, “The voters have spoken, calling for change and a renewed focus on affordability, community, and fighting back against a resurgent Trump agenda.”

He praised the “energy she brings to leadership,” and said he was “look[ing] forward to partnering with her to build a thriving, inclusive Seattle that uplifts working families, expands universal preschool for all, ends food deserts, and creates safer, more connected neighborhoods across our city.”

Starbucks recently announced it will shift 2,000 corporate jobs, primarily in IT and supply chain management, to a new regional headquarters in Nashville. Last week, KOMO News reported Starbucks laid off an additional 61 employees as part of a reorganization of its technology department at its corporate headquarters.

State leaders in Washington have also faced criticism for recently passing the “millionaires tax,” which Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson signed on March 30. The measure has been described as the state’s first-ever income tax, backed by progressives and socialists and opposed by conservatives.

The new tax will impose a 9.9% income tax on households earning more than $1 million each year.

WHY STARBUCKS PICKED NASHVILLE OVER SEATTLE FOR EXPANSION, ACCORDING TO LOCAL BUSINESS REPORTER

Starbucks is not the only business impacted by the state’s economic policies. The Columbia Tower Club, an iconic business club atop Seattle’s tallest skyscraper, closed last month after more than four decades. Long considered a hub for executives, developers and civic leaders, the club cited declining office traffic and downtown business activity tied to remote work and high vacancy rates. Critics quickly pointed to the closure as another sign of weakening business confidence in Seattle.

On Monday, the Washington State Republican Party ripped into both Wilson and the city council, posting on X, “Marxist @MayorofSeattle Katie Wilson is more concerned about toilet ribbon-cutting photo opps than massive capital flight in downtown #Seattle all the while @SeattleCouncil stands idle as a once iconic city crumbles.”

The jab refers to a recent Wilson event promoting new downtown public restrooms, which critics mocked amid concerns about Seattle’s economy and business climate.

Though Wilson’s now-infamous “like, bye” line drew laughs and applause from her audience, it immediately sparked backlash on social media from conservatives criticizing her economic policy.

“Seattle’s Socialist Mayor responds to exodus of wealth from Washington State by saying ‘BYE’… then laughing. We’re doomed,” wrote Brandi Kruse.

SOCIALIST MAYOR’S BLUNT 1-WORD MESSAGE TO FLEEING MILLIONAIRES SPARKS OUTRAGE: ‘WE’RE DOOMED’

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“This clip will live in infamy,” the Washington State Republican Party posted on X. “@MayorofSeattle Katie Wilson is not only unfit to be mayor, she lacks grace and gratitude. Perhaps, she’s the one who should leave #Seattle.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Saka and Wilson for additional comment.

Fox News Digital’s Rachel del Guidice, Joshua Q. Nelson and Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

The Justice Department has created a $1.776 billion fund for people who allege they were victims of federal government “lawfare” as part of a settlement agreement in President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.

The Anti-Weaponization Fund creates a formal process for Americans alleging they were targeted through politically motivated actions by the Justice Department under previous administrations. The program is set to expire a month before the end of Trump’s second term.

The fund was created as part of an agreement for Trump and his sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., to drop the $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS they filed in January.

“The machinery of government should never be weaponized against any American, and it is this Department’s intention to make right the wrongs that were previously done while ensuring this never happens again,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. “As part of this settlement, we are setting up a lawful process for victims of lawfare and weaponization to be heard and seek redress.”

NEW YORK DEFENSE ATTORNEY ARGUES LEGAL SYSTEM WAS WEAPONIZED AGAINST TRUMP

Trump and his sons are ineligible to receive compensation from the fund but will receive a formal apology, according to the Justice Department.

Trump also agreed to withdraw two additional claims for damages, one stemming from the “unlawful” FBI raid of Mar-a-Lago and the other related to the “Russia-collusion hoax,” in which Obama officials are accused of manipulating intelligence reports on Russia’s interference in the 2016 election.

The Justice Department is investigating former CIA Director John Brennan based on allegations that he lied to Congress about the resources the CIA used to craft its intelligence report on Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The fund will have the authority to issue formal apologies and financial compensation to claimants. Funding will come from a permanent congressional appropriation that allows the Justice Department to settle cases. Participation will be voluntary, and there will be no partisan or political requirement to file a claim.

Critics, however, argue the program could allow the administration to compensate Trump allies and supporters who claim they were unfairly investigated or prosecuted.

Former FBI Director James Comey — who was charged by the Justice Department after posting an Instagram photo of seashells arranged to spell “86-47,” which officials interpreted as a threat against President Donald Trump — slammed the creation of the fund.

“It just can’t be the way we operate,” Comey said in an interview with ABC News. “We can’t set up a multi-million-dollar ATM at Mar-a-Lago for people who’ve committed crimes. It just isn’t the way we are. It’s not consistent with our values. Eventually, the Department of Justice will right itself, but we’re gonna have to ride out a hard two years.”

A five-member commission appointed by the U.S. attorney general will oversee the fund. One commissioner will be selected in consultation with congressional leadership. The president will retain authority to remove commissioners, though replacements must be selected through the same process used for the departing member.

DOJ ACCELERATES SETTLEMENT OFFERS IN CAMP LEJEUNE WATER CONTAMINATION CASES

The fund is expected to end on Dec. 15, 2028, and any money remaining after the fund ceases operations will return to the federal government.

The Justice Department pointed to the Obama administration’s creation of “Keepseagle,” a $760 million fund created to compensate people alleging they were victims of racism by the federal government, as the legal precedent for this new fund.

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However, the Justice Department stated that $300 million of what remained from the fund was distributed to nonprofits and organizations that never filed claims.

Safeguards will be implemented to protect private information and prevent fraud, including the fund issuing quarterly reports to the attorney general detailing who received relief and what type of relief was granted, according to the Justice Department.

The White House referred Fox News Digital to the Justice Department for comment.

Redistricting and race.

Democrats are beside themselves, watching what Republicans are doing on redistricting — especially in the South.

“What we’re seeing is an attack on legitimate opportunities for Black candidates to have representation here in Congress,” said Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Ala., who is on track to lose his district in Mobile.

Democrats say they know what Republicans are up to.

“They’ve also been trying to eliminate teaching America’s history, right? Whitewashing America’s history,” said former Vice President Kamala Harris.

BLOCKBUSTER SUPREME COURT VOTING RIGHTS RULING IGNITES REDISTRICTING WAR ACROSS SOUTHERN STATES

States like Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama – and now Georgia and South Carolina are redrawing district maps for House Members. That’s after Missouri revamped its maps. Many of these new districts are squeezing out members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

In essence, Democrats see this as a “Southern Strategy” by the GOP, stamping out Black lawmakers.

“It’s about race,” said Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the  top Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee.

“I feel like I’ve been assaulted,” said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo.

“We’ve seen this before,” said Rep. Greg Meeks, D-N.Y., the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

“We’re looking at losing possibly 19 members of the Congressional Black Caucus because of this frankly racist redistricting efforts targeted towards disenfranchising Black voters across the country,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. 

Republicans say turnabout is fair play. They note that you can’t find a Republican anywhere in the six states which comprise New England.

“It’s out of whack. It’s out of balance. And I think Republicans are finally waking up given the legal landscape changes and going, ‘Well, maybe we need to reconsider the way that we do things in our state,’” said Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C.

South Carolina initially balked at drawing new maps. But the Palmetto State reversed course after President Trump demanded the state “get it done.” He instructed South Carolina Republicans to be “bold and courageous.”

Don’t forget that GOP Indiana state senators faced the President’s ire after the Hoosier State rejected his entreaties for redistricting there. The Trump White House waged an internecine campaign. President Trump’s allies toppled five Republican state senators who crossed him.

So South Carolina snapped to attention.

“The people of South Carolina are very supportive of President Donald Trump,” said Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC). “They understand perfectly that we’re in a conflict. A nationwide conflict.”

New maps in South Carolina could mean no Democrats in the state delegation. That could eliminate the district of former House Majority Whip and Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C. Clyburn first came to Capitol Hill in 1993. He’s widely regarded for salvaging the 2020 campaign of former President Biden, helping him ride to victory in the South Carolina primary.

Still, Democrats believe they can seize the House, even as Republicans try to squeeze the map through redistricting.

“There are 45 districts in play that we’ve identified as opportunities to flip in this upcoming midterm election,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

Democrats believe they’ll run up the scoreboard in California. Pluck off a couple of Republicans in Arizona and Colorado. Maybe one in Utah. Take a few in Texas after redistricting there. Make a play for a seat in Montana. Win a seat or two in Pennsylvania. Claim two seats in Virginia – despite the Virginia Supreme Court ruling there. Pick up a couple of seats in New Jersey and New York.

Remember that Democrats just need a net gain of three seats to secure the House majority.

However, that “blue wall” might not hold in all of New England this time around.

Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, is retiring. He’s one of the most moderate Democrats in Congress. Vice President JD Vance just traveled to Bangor, Maine, recently to talk about fraud – and boost the campaign prospects of former Republican Maine Gov. Paul LePage.

LePage is running to succeed Golden. Republicans are bullish about their chances in northern Maine.

REPUBLICAN ‘WAKE-UP CALL’: SPECIAL ELECTION SHOCKER HIGHLIGHTS GOP TURNOUT AND MIDTERM RISKS

LePage will be 78 if he wins – the oldest freshman in congressional history. However, this is ironic. Maine’s Democrat Gov. Janet Mills was running for Senate – but bowed out. Some Democrats believed she was too old. Mills would have been 79 as a freshman senator had she stayed in the race and prevailed.

But back to what faces the Democrats.

Democrats are trying to find their footing after the double whammy of the Supreme Court Voting Rights Act decision and the Virginia Supreme Court rejecting the statewide redistricting referendum. House Democrats huddled to discuss their battle plan.

“I’m more energized now than ever to make sure that we’re in the field, that we’re doing the work and whatever it has to take to win,” said Meeks.

“We’re going to win,” said Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., who chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). That’s the House Democrats’ political arm.

“Democrats are prepared to use whatever levers we can to influence the outcome of the election,” said Thompson.

Some of this sounded a little like political pablum with no real direction.

Yours truly pressed Thompson.

“Respectfully, this all sounds kind of vague. You guys have a five-alarm fire now after those two court decisions, and I’m not hearing any specifics,” I countered Thompson.

“Well, you just stay tuned,” countered Thompson.

“How does that convince the voters, though?” your trusty reporter queried.

“Look,” said Thompson. “We are two weeks away from a crazy Supreme Court decision. You can’t expect anyone to come with a strategy right now.”

Two weeks after the decision which could hamstring Democrats’ chances to win the House? Never mind that the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case last year and oral arguments were in the fall. Democrats understood the gravity of this case and how it could chew into any plan to flip the House in the midterms.

Democrats are banking on Republicans overplaying their redistricting hands. But how Democrats energize their base wasn’t immediately clear after their conclave on the subject.

“The American public gets to make this decision. That’s a great thing about American democracy. And we’re working,” said Rep. Joe Morelle, D-N.Y., the top Democrat on the House Administration Committee.

REDISTRICTING BATTLES BREWING ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS PARTIES COMPETE FOR POWER AHEAD OF 2026 MIDTERMS

But “working” doesn’t necessarily garner votes. It would be “news” if the Democrats weren’t working on the issue.

“That doesn’t sound like much of a concrete plan, though, Mr. Morelle?” yours truly interjected.

“I am not going to share my concrete plan with you,” replied Morelle.

A group of northern Democrats – ranging from Ocasio-Cortez to Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., headed to Montgomery, Ala., over the weekend to make the case against the GOP’s redistricting ploys.

“We shall overcome,” intoned Booker. 

Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill., son of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson, is now imploring Black student-athletes who attend school in the South to enter the transfer portal and play instead in the North.

Yet another way to pit the Big Ten against the SEC.

Rallying in the South may rile up Black voters. But it won’t help Democrats take back the House if all they’re doing is driving up voter participation in districts Democrats can’t win – thanks to the redrawing of the boundaries.

However, if Democrats do succeed in getting people to the polls – yet the playing field is tilted against them – we could be in for an econometric anomaly this fall.

It was a presidential election year in 2012. Democrats failed to win control of the House after losing it in a 2010 midterm shellacking. With President Obama on the ballot, Democrats secured nearly 1.6 million more votes than Republicans in House races nationwide in 2012. Yet Democrats failed to win the House.

Republicans won control of the House from the Democrats in 1994 for the first time in four decades. But with President Clinton handily riding to a second term in 1996, Democrats still struggled to win back the House. Democrats outpaced Republicans in the popular vote for the House that year by nearly 300,000 votes nationally. 

Democrats have redrawn lines in their favor in California. But Republicans appear to have superseded that with their lines in the South. It’s a distinct possibility that Democrats could command more popular votes for House seats nationwide – and not get back the House. This statistical phenomenon is even more glaring that the party with the most popular votes fails to control the House in a midterm – not a presidential election year when a sitting executive is returned to the White House in the cases of Presidents Clinton and Obama.

That’s why some Democrats believe they should have been even more aggressive with redistricting.

Maryland is a case study. The Democratically-controlled state took a pass.

“I believe that we had an opportunity to do that. I supported it, and I still believe that would have been the right course for us to take,” said Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md. “These are extraordinary times And I think we should take extraordinary measures to protect the opportunity to have those votes counted.”

Maryland would have made the entire state blue, drawing out of his seat Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., chair of the House Freedom Caucus.

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Democrats see the GOP tactics as an existential political threat. President Trump commanded about one-fifth of Black male voters in 2024. And that’s why Democrats are framing this fight around civil rights.

It’s a race about redistricting. But Democrats also see this as a race – about race.

HEBRON, KY – Ed Gallrein, the Republican congressional candidate backed by President Donald Trump who is challenging Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky for the GOP nomination, landed extra firepower on the eve of the state’s primary.

Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL and Kentucky farmer, was joined on the campaign trail Monday by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

Massie has long been one of Trump’s most vocal GOP critics in Congress and the Republican primary in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, in the north-central part of the state, the latest test of Trump’s immense grip over the GOP.

“President Trump needs reinforcements, and that’s what war fighters do. They stand behind leaders and have their back,” Hegseth said at an event organized by America First Works, a Trump-aligned nonprofit political advocacy group.

TRUMP SCORES MAJOR PRIMARY VICTORY AS CASSIDY OUSTED IN LOUSIANA

Massie, a libertarian-minded lawmaker who repeatedly takes aim at the president over foreign policy, including the Iran war and unconditional U.S. military aid to Israel, also successfully pushed for the release of government files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

But Hegseth argued that Massie’s record is one of “too much grandstanding, too few great votes, years of acting like being difficult is the same thing as being courageous. It’s not. Real courage means stepping up when the mission matters most, when we need that tough vote to beat left-wing lunatic Democrats the most.”

“President Trump does not need more people in Washington who are trying to make a point, especially from his own party. He needs people willing to help him win, to vote with him when it matters the most,” Hegseth added.

Hegseth’s remarks, which came soon after a stop at nearby Fort Campbell to award medals for service members, were rare for the civilian head of the nation’s military. Defense secretaries have traditionally avoided appearing at political events.

Ahead of the stop, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Hegseth would appear only “in his personal capacity” and that “no taxpayer dollars will be used to facilitate his visit.”

Hegseth noted the unusual appearance.

“I have to say up front, for the lawyers, that I’m here in my personal capacity as a private citizen, a fellow American, and a fellow combat veteran.”

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

But Massie, who’s locked in a competitive clash with Gallrein in what’s become the most expensive congressional primary in history, claimed in a Fox News Digital interview on Monday that Hegseth’s stop “shows that I’m up in the polls. They wouldn’t be sending the Secretary of War to my congressional district if I weren’t.”

“I think it also shows I’m tougher than Iran, and I don’t even have a nuclear weapon. I mean, they are all in at this race. It’s basically a national race at this point, the most expensive race primary in congressional history, and that’s because, you know, I’m up there, I’m getting things done. I got the Epstein files released, I’m getting legislation in the farm bill, I’m getting legislation passed on the floor, and they want to shut me down,” Massie emphasized.

Gallrein, speaking with Fox News Digital ahead of his event with Hegseth, charged that Massie’s “running against President Trump, and the agenda that has been put forward by the Republican Party.”

Kentucky’s primary is being held two weeks after Indiana’s primary, where Trump-backed challengers ousted five sitting Republican state senators who last December teamed up with Democrats to defeat the president’s push for congressional redistricting in the GOP-dominated Midwestern state.

And the ballot box showdown in Kentucky comes three days after Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana was ousted as he sought renomination. The senator came in third in the primary, behind Trump-backed Rep. Julia Letlow and conservative Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming.

Cassidy’s political defeat came five and a half years after he voted to convict Trump after he was impeached by the House for his role in the violent Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters who aimed to upend congressional certification of former President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. Trump was acquitted by the Senate.

Massie said he “absolutely can” overcome the Trump endorsement of Gallrein. “I’ve got the groundswell here, like my events. I’ve got 100-200 sometimes 300 people show up. My opponent had to cancel events because he couldn’t get enough people, you know, to fill up a Dairy Queen, half a Dairy Queen.”

SCOOP: TRUMP-BACKED FORMER NAVY SEAL LAUNCHES GOP PRIMARY CHALLENGE AGAINST MASSIE

The race has become the most expensive in House history in terms of ad spending, with over $32 million shelled out, according to the nationally known ad tracking firm AdImpact.

Much of that money has been shelled out by Trump’s allies and pro-Israel groups.

“Here’s the thing, I’ve got nothing against Israel. I just have never voted for foreign aid. When I said America First, I meant it. I don’t vote for foreign aid to Egypt, to Syria, to Ukraine. I’ve got a flawless record on this, and I’m not going to ruin it by sending foreign aid to one country,” Massie said as he defended his stance on Israel.

And Massie touted that while Trump’s allies and pro-Israel groups have spent tens of millions to take him out, he said, “I’ve got tens of thousands of grassroots donors who are funding me $50 at a time, $20 at a time. We’ve been able to match them to go toe to toe with them on TV using grassroots donors, and it’s really galvanized the nation.”

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Trump has repeatedly targeted Massie in social media posts in the closing days of the primary campaign.

The president said in a video posted to Truth Social on Monday that he hoped Kentucky voters would put Massie “out of business” and that “we’re in a fight against the worst congressman in the history of our country.”

And Trump praised Gallrein as “a great guy” and “a great patriot.”

But Massie said Trump’s taunts on social media may backfire.

“It shows he’s losing sleep, his reputation is on the line. He really shouldn’t have got involved in this race, because I vote with him 90% of the time,” the congressman said.

Senate Republicans moved one step closer to clearing out the backlog of President Donald Trump’s nominees.

The GOP confirmed 49 of Trump’s picks on Monday, a move that will have installed 60% of his civilian nominees. It’s also the fourth time Republicans have confirmed a slate of nominees in a batch since changing the Senate’s rules last year. 

Included in the latest batch are 20 different positions, including a dozen U.S. attorneys, several U.S. marshals, ambassadors and members of a variety of agencies, including the departments of War, Transportation, Energy, and others. 

GOP TRIGGERS NUCLEAR OPTION IN SENATE TO BREAK DEM BLOCKADE OF TRUMP NOMINEES

Also included in the group is Trump’s pick to lead the Bureau of Land Management and a former member of Congress, Stevan Pearce.

Senate Democrats for much of last year had blocked most nominees from getting confirmed. Typically, civilian nominees were often confirmed without actually having to take a full vote on the Senate floor.

That obstruction, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in a bid to prevent Trump from molding the federal government to fit with his agenda, spurred Republicans to go nuclear and change the Senate’s rules.

That move, the fourth time that lawmakers have turned to the nuclear option in the Senate, lowered the threshold for certain picks to just a simple majority rather than the typical 60-vote threshold needed to overcome a filibuster.

SENATE GOP RAMS THROUGH BLUEPRINT TO BANKROLL ICE, BORDER PATROL THROUGH END OF TRUMP ERA

And it has proven a successful move for Republicans. Last year, they confirmed over 400 of Trump’s picks. 

That leapfrogged his first term total during the first year, having only gotten 323 confirmed. And it also blew past former President Joe Biden, who during the same time period had 365 nominees confirmed.  

Meanwhile, Republicans are also busy wrapping up work on another element of Trump’s agenda — funding immigration enforcement for the next three-and-a-half years. 

SENATORS AGREE TO FORGO SHUTDOWN PAYCHECKS — BUT MANY WON’T FEEL THE PAIN

Republicans are sprinting through the party-line budget reconciliation process in their bid to ram through a $72 billion funding package for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol by June 1.

Lawmakers have until the end of the week to wrap up the process, given that they’re scheduled for another recess next week for the Memorial Day holiday. 

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But the package has hit some snags with the Senate’s rules referee, and some items, including $1 billion for security enhancements for Trump’s ballroom and funding for the Secret Service were stripped out.

New York City’s socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, is facing backlash for criticizing a famous quote from former President Ronald Reagan, who cautioned about the dangers of big government.

Mamdani, a democratic socialist and New York’s first Muslim mayor, voiced his disagreement with the beloved conservative president as he launched the first of his long-promised city-run grocery stores in the Bronx.

“Standing here this morning, I cannot help but think of the words of our 40th president, Ronald Reagan. He famously said the nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help,’” he said. “It’s a good quote, but I disagree.”

Instead, Mamdani said, “I think nine more terrifying words are actually, ‘I worked all day and can’t feed my family.’”

He went on to promise, “We are going to use the power of government to lower prices and make it easier for New Yorkers to put food on the table,” adding, “When government understands its purpose as serving the very working people that it has left behind, time and again, it can make a difference in the most pressing struggles facing our city today.”

BISHOP BARRON SLAMS ‘BORDERLINE COMMUNISTS’ SANDERS, MAMDANI AHEAD OF TRUMP PRAYER EVENT: ‘ECONOMY THAT KILLS’

“It’s not just that government can help, it’s that government must help, and our government will help,” he continued.

Mamdani made his promise of opening affordable, government-run grocery stores throughout the city a central tenet of his campaign. He said on Monday that the first location, a 20,000-square-foot store in the Bronx, will open at some point in 2027.

This is the second of the five promised stores to be officially announced. Mamdani previously announced an East Harlem location for the city’s 9,000-square-foot Manhattan flagship store, but that location will be built from the ground up and is slated to open in 2029.

Mamdani said the Bronx location, along with the planned mixed-use development dubbed the “Peninsula,” “will serve as physical proof of our conviction that government can be a force for good, that government can drive change that improves people’s lives.”

SOCIALIST MAMDANI TOUTS GOVERNMENT-RUN GROCERY PLAN AS ‘GRAND EXPERIMENT’’ AT GROCERY NEW SITE

Though cheered by the crowd at his announcement, Mamdani’s dig at Reagan earned him scorn from conservatives online.

Conservative commentator Eric Daugherty posted on X: “What a FREAKING DISASTER! He REALLY thinks this will work.”

Daugherty accused the mayor of going “FULL DERANGED MARXIST,” telling New Yorkers to be “prepared for utter failure.”

Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet posted on X that Mamdani had “flipped Ronald Reagan’s warning upside down,” writing that “his answer is government-run grocery stores that will use taxpayer advantages to undercut private competition.”

Jennifer Harrison, founder of the Victims Rights Reform Council, pointed to ongoing public transportation woes in New York City amid widespread strikes, writing on X, “Bc everything government run, like the MTA, is working out so well for Nyers.”

DEM WHO WELCOMED SOCIALIST MAYOR’S ‘CHANGE’ NOW SOUNDING ALARM OVER BILLIONAIRE EXODUS: ‘GRAVELY CONCERNED’

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Meanwhile, the official X account for the GOP simply reposted the clip, labeling Mamdani a “communist.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani for comment.

An internal dispute could derail Republicans’ goal of funding immigration operations for the remainder of President Donald Trump’s presidency. 

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told his colleagues that he would not support the GOP’s $72 billion reconciliation package if it included $1 billion in funding for Trump’s ballroom. 

His defection, along with a handful of other Republicans critical of the funding, could sink the bill. 

SENATE REPUBLICANS BALK AT $1B WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM REQUEST: ‘YOU MADE THAT NUMBER UP’

And given the GOP’s narrow margin in the upper chamber, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., can’t afford Republicans to break from the party line.

Tillis’ opposition, which was first reported by Axios and confirmed by a source familiar to Fox News Digital, alone isn’t enough to torpedo the package meant to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol for the next three and a half years. 

But others, including Sens. John Curtis, R-Utah, Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Rick Scott, R-Fla., aren’t thrilled with the funding. 

Republicans were briefed by Secret Service Director Sean Curran last week on the funding, which included $220 million for “White House complex hardening.”

REPUBLICANS SLIP $1 BILLION IN TAXPAYER MONEY FOR TRUMP BALLROOM SECURITY IN ICE, BORDER PATROL PACKAGE

That would fund “above and below ground” security enhancements for Trump’s ballroom, which the administration argued would “afford needed protection for the president, his family, and visitors, along with the below-ground, highest-level security functions,” according to an itemized readout obtained by Fox News Digital. 

Those enhancements would include bulletproof glass, drone detection technology, chemical filtration and detection systems and “a host of other national security functions.” 

An additional $180 million would go toward a White House screening center for visitors. The remaining $600 million would go toward Secret Service training, enhancing protection for Trump and other officials, and other security measures including countering drones and other aerial incursions.

But a saving grace for Republicans could be the Senate referee’s ruling that funding for the ballroom should get yanked from the package. 

In order for budget reconciliation to pause the 60-vote threshold and pass under a simple majority of votes, the package has to comply with the Senate’s strict Byrd Rule. Senate Democrats pushed for the Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough to strip out the funding, and they were successful.

SEVERAL PROVISIONS FAIL TO PASS MUSTER WITH SENATE RULES IN ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’

McDonough ruled over the weekend that, given the complexity and scale of the ballroom project, it would involve the coordination of “many government agencies which span the jurisdiction of many Senate committees. As drafted, the provision inappropriately funds activities outside the jurisdiction of the Judiciary Committee.”

Thune said that Republicans had learned a lot from the parliamentarian’s rulings last year when they were crafting the “big, beautiful bill,” and that the process is a “give-and-take.” 

But still, it’s full steam ahead for the GOP to try and advance the package by the end of the week. 

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“I think that if we can get it done, we should get it done,” Thune said. “I’m always somebody who believes, especially around here, you want to strike while the iron’s hot, and I think if we, if we’re ready to go, the committees have acted, and we’re in a good place with parliamentarian, and we’ve got, you know, decent attendance here, then I think we want to try and wrap this up.”

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., the top Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, lauded the ruling, but noted that Republicans would likely try to find a way to work the funding back in. 

“We cannot let Republicans waste our national treasure on a mission of chaos and corruption while turning a blind eye to the needs of the American people,” Merkley said.