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Republicans bat down bid to handcuff Trump’s war powers as peace deal nears

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 15:57:50 -0400

Senate Republicans narrowly halted another attempt to handcuff President Donald Trump's war authority in Iran as a peace deal begins to take shape.

The latest failed war-powers resolution, this time from Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., comes after Trump signed a memorandum of understanding with the Iranian government that could lead to an end to the war. While Congress is still in the dark on the details of the deal, Republicans still stood behind the president Tuesday.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who has led the Democrats’ war powers efforts for the last several months, argued that while a possible deal was a good thing, it appeared the U.S. and Iran would be headed to an "intermission" in fighting as both sides hammered out the final details of a longer peace deal.

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

"An intermission is a great time to do what we should have done before this war, which is have the consultation with Congress that the Constitution requires," Kaine said. "Why restart a war if we haven't done our job?"

Still, Warnock’s resolution failed despite a previous effort advancing in the Senate last month when a cohort of Senate Republicans joined nearly all Senate Democrats to rebuke the war. That same group, Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Bill Cassidy, R-La., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Rand Paul, R-Ky., joined all Democrats to vote for the resolution.

But absences on both sides of the aisle helped the GOP in their effort to give Trump more runway to hammer out a deal to end the war.

TRUMP'S PUSH FOR $350 BILLION 'ARSENAL OF FREEDOM' HITS GOP SKEPTICISM

Senate Foreign Relations Chair James Risch, R-Idaho, argued that Democrats were effectively trying to "help Iran" with Democrats' war powers efforts, and he countered that if the resolution passed, Iran would back out of any forthcoming peace deal.

"If a miracle happened, a miracle happened, and this passed, got through the Senate, got through the House, and the president signed it — if that miracle happened, do you think Iran would sign the deal that has been negotiated? Of course not," Risch said.

DEMS SCORE WIN AS GOP SENATOR HELPS ADVANCE IRAN WAR POWERS RESOLUTION

Meanwhile, Congress is still waiting for details of the deal, which as of Tuesday, had yet to materialize publicly or behind closed doors in the upper chamber.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he still had not been briefed on the matter. When asked if it was normal for Thune and others to request these kinds of briefings from the administration, Thune said, "Since I've been in this job, we haven't had this issue, so I don't know the answer to that."

"My assumption is that it's a function of, at some point, they understand they're going to have to, I think they've intimated as much, that they've got to get this in front of us," he said. "And hopefully, that'll happen sooner rather than later. But you know, obviously it sounds like they're not going public with it until later in the week, so we'll see."

Some Democrats, on the other hand, are contending that early reports of the deal appear to favor Iran more than the U.S.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said, "It’s essentially a surrender."

"But I think that's the only play we can make at this point. We have to end this war, stop wasting money, stop killing Americans and civilians, stop driving a crisis," Murphy said. "So, it's a bad deal, but he's not gonna get a better deal. So, we just have to accept the humiliation."

15 Antifa radicals indicted, 12 arrested in sweeping federal probe into Minneapolis anti-ICE operations

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 15:44:04 -0400

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota on Tuesday announced that 15 Antifa members have been indicted for their alleged roles in conspiring to hinder federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis earlier this year.

The suspects, 12 of whom are in custody, are all charged with conspiracy to impede or injure a federal officer, according to a 94-page criminal complaint, and some are charged with further crimes. Federal prosecutors allege that each suspect took part in a conspiracy to obstruct federal immigration enforcement officers, including ICE personnel, through force, intimidation and threats.

The suspects are alleged members of the Antifa cell Direct Action Minnesota Network (DAMN), a radical far-left group accused of coordinating operations against federal immigration officers.

Federal prosecutors maintain that the group use Signal chats to organize and carry out rapid response operations including coordinating street blockades, tracking federal vehicles, surveilling the ICE field office at the federal Whipple Building and other activities meant to stop immigration officials from conducting their business.

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

The government says that DAMN served as the hub for participants to share intelligence, plan actions, recruit volunteers and assign roles.

Below is a full list of the suspects and the charges they face:

ANTI-ICE MINNEAPOLIS AGITATORS SET UP CHECKPOINT TO TRACK FEDERAL AGENTS

Isaac Sant is portrayed by prosecutors as one of the ringleaders of the conspiracy who allegedly organized meetings between anti-ICE factions, delivered shields and other equipment for "direct actions" against ICE and maintained a database of suspected federal immigration vehicles by tracking license plates.

He also allegedly coordinated "commuters" to follow federal immigration officials.

On May 4, according to the indictment, Sant personally followed a federal immigration officer from the Whipple Building in Minneapolis — a hub of anti-ICE activities — across state lines to Hudson, Wisconsin, leading to the interstate stalking charge.

William Morgan, the only suspect charged with four crimes, is also accused of interstate stalking for allegedly following a federal immigration officer on May 12 from the Whipple Building to near the officer's home in Hudson.

VIRAL VIDEO SHOWS ICE AGENT TELLING AGITATORS THEY'RE DISRUPTING ARREST OF CHILD SEX OFFENDER IN MINNESOTA

Three days later, Morgan allegedly committed two more crimes by confronting an agent who was conducting an interview and physically assaulting him. He later was accused of kicking a federal vehicle, causing $1,000 in property damage, the complaint claims.

Natasha Rakotz was charged with assault on a federal officer resulting in bodily injury for allegedly driving her car into the path of a federal agent, striking and injuring him — similarly to how in a January incident in Minneapolis Renee Good was shot dead during an altercation where she ran her car into a federal immigration officer.

Kyle Wagner has been in custody since February, after encouraging followers to take up arms against federal agents. More charges were announced against him during Tuesday's press conference.

WHO IS KYLE WAGNER? MEET THE SELF-IDENTIFIED ANTIFA MEMBER ARRESTED AFTER TARGETING ICE

On Jan. 8, 2026, Wagner posted a video warning ICE agents, "We're f---ing coming for you."

Prosecutors allege he urged followers to "get your guns," and suggested identifying agents even if it had to be done "at the barrel of a gun."

President Donald Trump declared Antifa to be a terrorist organization last year.

"Today's charges and arrests reflect a broad federal effort to address organized, lawless behavior, which seeks to disrupt the execution of federal law, endanger law enforcement, and, importantly, endanger the very communities that these defendants falsely claim to be protecting," U.S. Attorney Daniel Roden said in a Tuesday press conference announcing the charges.

MINNESOTA ANTI-ICE AGITATORS SWARM, CONFRONT FEDERAL AGENTS DURING ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS

He emphasized that the defendants have not been arrested for speech — which is protected by the First Amendment — but for alleged criminal actions.

Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy echoed that sentiment.

"Peaceful protest is a protected right and a cornerstone of our democracy. We respect and defend that right," he said. "However, there's a clear line that cannot be crossed when protest turns into rioting, violence or criminal activity, it becomes unlawful and it will not be tolerated."

"Working closely with the U.S. Attorney's Office, our investigation uncovered extensive planning, material support and coordinated attacks against federal personnel and facilities. Our teams have worked tirelessly conducting surveillance, reviewing camera footage, and analyzing large volumes of information to identify those responsible."

Fox News Digital's Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

Trump's Iran agreement raises a basic question: Is it actually a deal?

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 14:03:39 -0400

President Donald Trump has hailed the newly signed Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU) as a breakthrough that normalizes relations between the two countries after months of fighting.

But by the White House's own account, the agreement settles few of the issues that dominated months of negotiations, leaving sanctions relief, frozen assets and Iran's nuclear program for a new round of talks.

"This is really just the first MOU and then we're going to launch into the real technical discussions later this week," a senior administration official told reporters Monday.

The memorandum, signed digitally by Trump and Vice President JD Vance Sunday, kicks off a 60-day period for technical talks aimed at a final agreement. A formal signing ceremony with U.S. and Iranian officials, along with Pakistani and Qatari mediators, is planned for Friday. Yet even administration officials acknowledge that the memorandum leaves many of the most contentious issues unresolved.

"We'll know over the next two to three weeks whether those understandings will turn into an actual agreement," a senior administration official said.

TRUMP MAY HAVE WON A STRATEGIC PAUSE IN IRAN. NOW COMES THE HARD PART

Nate Swanson, a former senior advisor on Iran policy to successive administrations and now a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said the memorandum appears to postpone rather than resolve disputes over sanctions relief, Iran's nuclear program and the future of the Strait of Hormuz.

"It does not appear to resolve the core issues surrounding the mechanics of the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian nuclear concessions, or Iranian financial incentives and sanctions relief," Swanson wrote in an analysis published by the Atlantic Council.

The remark was striking given that U.S. and Iranian officials have been negotiating since the April ceasefire and already had announced a signed memorandum and upcoming signing ceremony.

The president expressed optimism for a final deal.

"I think it's going to happen, fairly on time, but we've been both involved. I think they're going to want to get it done. Iran wants to get it done. They have to get back to business. And the relationship is now normalized," Trump said during the G7 Summit in Évian-les-Bains, France.

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

The administration has yet to publicly release the text of the memorandum, but officials indicated that many of the issues that have dominated months of negotiations remain subject to future talks, including sanctions relief, frozen Iranian assets and the disposition of Iran's remaining enriched uranium stockpiles.

"Here's what it says: Iran will never have a nuclear weapon. That's what it says. It won't have one to buy, to develop. They will not have a nuclear weapon," Trump told reporters Tuesday.

Administration officials said Monday the text of the deal would be released Tuesday or Wednesday.

On perhaps the most disputed issue, White House officials insisted Monday that no frozen Iranian assets have been released, despite reports in Iranian state-linked media that Iran could gain access to roughly $24 billion in blocked funds during the negotiation period.

"The very simple fact is, $0 of unfrozen assets have been released by the United States or any other country."

The administration also said it will maintain its current military posture in the region during the negotiations, despite Iranian accounts suggesting the framework contemplates a future reduction in U.S. forces around Iran.

"The plan is to keep the current force posture during the 60-day negotiations."

Officials repeatedly stressed that any concessions would be tied to verification rather than promises.

"We're still at the early phases where we're building trust."

"This memorandum does not mean trusting the enemy; it has been written with active distrust," Iranian deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi said, according to Iranian state-linked Mehr News. "We will monitor the implementation of US commitments."

The clearest immediate effect appears to be the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas shipments normally pass, and a commitment by both sides to preserve the ceasefire while negotiations continue. Oil prices fell to their lowest levels in three months on the agreement to lift the blockade and open the strait.

Administration officials repeatedly described the memorandum as a framework that could eventually lead to sanctions relief, economic normalization and a broader settlement of Iran's nuclear program — if negotiators can reach a final agreement in the coming weeks.

"Nothing is on the table if it doesn't come along with real performance."

Iranian state-linked media have described the framework as already containing commitments on sanctions relief, access to roughly $24 billion in frozen assets, future reductions in U.S. military forces in the region and a $300 billion reconstruction program. The White House has disputed key elements of that characterization.

"We don't pay them — there was some statement. We're going to spend $300 billion. No, we're allowed to go and invest if we wanted to. Someday, in the future. We have no obligation whatsoever," Trump said during the G7 Summit.

The competing descriptions underscore how much remains unsettled.

"There will likely be a significant delta between the aspirations outlined in the MOU and what emerges in a final deal," Swanson said.

Some congressional Republicans already are questioning whether Washington and Iran are describing the same agreement.

"I think we'd all like to see the terms of the memorandum and hopefully end up with a real deal," Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., told reporters at the Capitol Tuesday.

"I don't think there's anybody in Congress that's ever gonna support giving money to them," he went on.

"They ought pay for what it cost us to do this to bring them to their senses to stop killing us … I want to get reimbursed for the money we've had to spend to bring them to their senses. They've got plenty of oil, they can rebuild their own country."

"I am pleased to hear the memorandum of understanding with Iran to allow the Strait of Hormuz to open has been agreed to. I will be watching closely the ensuing negotiations regarding Iran’s nuclear program and other matters. I am somewhat concerned that Iran’s view of the agreement seems different than what the American negotiating team is claiming."

Blue state’s anti-ICE pledge collapses as GOP warns of new sanctuary ‘confederacy’

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 13:34:43 -0400

Colorado has reversed a controversial requirement that attorneys using the state's court e-filing system certify they would not use court information to assist federal immigration enforcement efforts.

The verification requirement was removed from state law last week after Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis signed House Bill 26-1276, creating a carveout for attorneys seeking to use the filing system.

Multiple attorneys spoke out in April after the state’s e-file system required them to certify they would not share such personal information with the federal government — a requirement Colorado officials said stemmed from the Protect Civil Rights Immigration Status Act of 2025.

Colorado Springs attorney Ian Speir told Fox News Digital that Colorado appeared to be "unlawfully coopting private attorneys across the state to further its anti-federal sanctuary policies," while noting that he doesn’t practice criminal nor immigration law but couldn’t sign into the state court system without "saluting the resistance."

COLORADO LAWYERS SAY COURT E-FILE SYSTEM NOW MAKES THEM CERTIFY THEY WON’T ASSIST ICE

The House Judiciary Committee took note of Fox News Digital's reporting on the matter and notified Colorado officials in April that their immigration-related certification wrongly "commandeers private attorneys into Colorado's radical sanctuary policies, handcuffs federal officials from enforcing immigration law in Colorado, and violates fundamental free speech principles."

Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., the chairman of the Judiciary Committee's immigration integrity, security and enforcement subcommittee, told Fox News Digital in a Monday interview that he was pleased to see Colorado reverse itself but warned that the incident is just the latest volley in sanctuary states' battle against federal supremacy.

He called it the latest example of the notion that any state "can obstruct federal laws they don't like."

REP JIM JORDAN, REP TOM MCCLINTOCK: DEMOCRATS THINK THEY CAN OVERRULE LAWS

"I think they've crossed the line into obstruction by forbidding attorneys access to the court system without this outrageous pledge under penalty and perjury that they wouldn't report any information for federal immigration enforcement purposes," McClintock said.

"Obviously, the state recognized what tenuous ground they had staked out, and it reversed themselves. But I remain concerned over what other sanctuary jurisdictions that comprise this new 'Confederacy' may take in the future."

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), celebrated the news and noted it was prepared to file a lawsuit against the state government in Denver on First Amendment grounds if it did not repeal the provision.

"Colorado made the right move removing the certification requirement, which was a clear viewpoint-based regulation that violated the First Amendment," the Washington-based group said in a statement.

Speir added that while the state may be able to tell its own public lawyers what to say to ICE, he, as a private attorney, "work for my clients, not the government."

Greg Greubel, FIRE’s senior attorney, said in a statement that the government by law cannot condition an attorney’s access to courts "on a promise not to use information for a lawful purpose the state disfavors."

BLOODTHIRSTY VENEZUELAN GANG PUT ON NOTICE AS NEW BILL CURBS BLUE STATE SANCTUARY POLICIES

"Kudos to Colorado legislators and the governor for acting quickly to resolve this issue, but it’s troubling that the state attempted this in the first place."

Laws restricting speech must be viewpoint-neutral under the First Amendment, but critics argued that by forcing attorneys not to speak with ICE, they were putting their thumb on the partisan scale.

McClintock said his panel's focus continues to be on the variety of sanctuary policies in states and cities that are "resisting and in many cases obstructing federal law enforcement," citing the Supremacy Clause's assertion that immigration falls under the federal government's authority.

"That's particularly important in regions such as mine where the local sheriffs very much want to cooperate with ICE," said McClintock, who notably chaired the raucous hearing that featured Fairfax County, Virginia, prosecutor Stephen Descano and Sheriff Stacey Kincaid who have been lambasted for their handling of illegal immigrant-related cases.

A measure his panel is working on would allow victims of sanctuary policies to sue those jurisdictions for damages created by the release of illegal immigrant criminals and the like.

Fox News Digital reached out to Polis and ICE for comment.

EXCLUSIVE: Trump-backed challenger gains labor union support in key race for House control

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 13:23:42 -0400

EXCLUSIVE: A Republican challenging a vulnerable Democratic incumbent in one of the nation's most competitive House races is touting a key labor endorsement.

Mike LiPetri, a former state assembly member backed by President Donald Trump, said support from the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 138 reflects growing momentum behind his campaign.

"I think you'll see [more unions] fall in line with us knowing that we stand with the men and women who work hard to build our country," LiPetri told Fox News Digital in an interview.

The endorsement from the 1,500-member union gives LiPetri a boost as he prepares for a rematch contest against Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., who won back the suburban swing seat in 2024 after representing it from 2017 to 2023.

HASAN PIKER CELEBRATES AMERICA BEING 'CLOSER THAN EVER' TO SOCIALISM AS HE BACKS NYC CANDIDATES

Local 138 Business Manager John Duffy praised LiPetri's candidacy in a statement to Fox News Digital.

"We need leaders in Washington with guts — people who aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves to get the job done, no excuses," Duffy said. "Mike LiPetri is that guy and the men and women of Local 138 are with him all the way."

The support from the union comes as national Republicans, who view Suozzi as a top target, look to make gains in the district spanning parts of Long Island and Queens ahead of November’s elections.

Trump carried Suozzi's seat by just over four points in 2024, while LiPetri ran three points behind the incumbent lawmaker.

Republicans have largely united behind LiPetri, who is seeking to fend off a challenge from attorney Gregory Hach in the June 23 GOP primary. LiPetri is part of the National Republican Congressional Committee's flagship candidate program and is viewed as a top recruit.

"This seat can literally decide the fate of the majority," LiPetri told Fox News Digital.

"The president is all in on our race, he's given us a ringing endorsement," he added. "House leadership is all in on this race. Local leadership is also all in on this race."

LiPetri also argued that Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the presumptive GOP nominee against Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., would help drive Republican turnout on Long Island.

'FLIP FLOP': DEMOCRAT FIREFIGHTER IN TIGHT HOUSE RACE BLASTS POPULAR TRUMP POLICY HIS NATIONAL UNION SUPPORTS

The GOP challenger is also seeking to draw sharp contrasts with Suozzi on immigration, transgender issues and tax policy as he looks ahead to November.

Suozzi, the co-chair of the centrist Problem Solvers Caucus, has branded himself as a staunch moderate. But LiPetri argued the incumbent has strayed from that image over the past year.

Suozzi notably joined Democrats in opposing additional funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) during the months-long standoff over immigration spending.

He initially backed a Department of Homeland Security funding bill in January but later publicly apologized for his vote, saying he "failed" to view the legislation as "a referendum on the illegal and immoral conduct of ICE" amid backlash from the left over the Trump administration's immigration enforcement surge in Minneapolis. Suozzi later adopted Democratic leadership's position in pushing to pair any new funding with reforms to immigration enforcement.

"We have to have someone that stays strong with law enforcement," LiPetri told Fox News Digital, arguing Suozzi had "betrayed" federal law enforcement officers with his votes.

Suozzi also voted with Democrats against legislation barring biological males from women’s sports in K-12 schools and against a bill to direct the construction of a women’s history museum on the National Mall. Some Democrats vigorously objected to the proposal because it excluded transgender people, and LiPetri argued Suozzi shared that view.

"They're going to have to explain to their voters why they believe this museum should not be built and why they believe that there should be transgender exhibits in it," Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., the measure's sponsor, said in May, referring to Democrats.

LiPetri also hammered Suozzi for his vote against Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which created new deductions for tips, overtime pay, and automobile loans.

"No tax on overtime was critical for union men and women," LiPetri told Fox News Digital. "And they see who my opponent really is, someone that focuses on keeping his job rather than doing his job."

Suozzi opposed Republicans’ budget law at the time over cuts to federal Medicaid spending and objections to extending lower tax rates for the highest earners, among other concerns.

However, the GOP challenger still faces a steep fundraising climb against Suozzi. The New York Democrat has nearly $5.5 million in his campaign’s war chest compared to LiPetri’s roughly $727,000 cash on hand, according to recent Federal Election Commission filings.

LiPetri said his campaign is among the top fundraisers for GOP challengers nationwide.

"We're gonna keep pushing and raising our money to make sure our message gets out there," LiPetri told Fox News Digital. "People are excited for what's ahead."

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the race "Lean Democrat."

Fox News Digital reached out to Suozzi’s campaign before publication.

Todd Blanche earns attorney general bid endorsement from law enforcement alliance ahead of confirmation

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 12:21:38 -0400

EXCLUSIVE — President Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general has earned the endorsement of a sprawling sheriff's association in what is expected to be a contentious confirmation process.

The Western States Sheriffs' Association sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., along with high-ranking Senate Judiciary Committee members expressing their support for acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's permanent confirmation to the position.

The organization represents sheriffs and their command staff from 19 states in the West, from Missouri to Washington state.

"We believe Mr. Blanche possesses the experience, integrity, and commitment necessary to lead the Department of Justice effectively during this important time," the letter says.

"His background as a seasoned prosecutor, his demonstrated leadership as Acting Attorney General, and his focus on upholding the rule of law, supporting law enforcement, and prioritizing public safety align closely with the values and operational needs of America’s Sheriffs."

TODD BLANCHE 'HONORED AND HUMBLED' BY TRUMP'S AG NOMINATION AFTER EXPLOSIVE WEEK OF FEDERAL ARRESTS

The letter notes that western sheriffs face "unique challenges," particularly with border security concerns and policing vast rural areas — and they believe Blanche will help address those issues.

"As an organization dedicated to assisting Sheriffs with federal and state legislative issues, addressing policy matters, and promoting the strength and effectiveness of local law enforcement, we have long recognized the critical partnership between federal leadership at the Department of Justice and the frontline work performed by Sheriffs across The West," the endorsement states.

The group said it is encouraged by Blanche's understanding of the role that local and state officials play in federal law enforcement operations, and his willingness to work with those local and state officials to combat violent crime, drug trafficking, illegal immigration and other community threats.

RED STATE AGS WELCOME TRUMP CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AFTER FOUR YEARS BATTLING BIDEN

"WSSA members stand ready to partner with Attorney General Blanche to advance policies that empower Sheriffs, enhance officer safety and wellness, secure our borders, and ensure that federal resources are directed toward the real-world problems facing our counties and states," the letter says.

It concludes with a call to action for Congress, urging the Senate to quickly confirm Blanche as U.S. attorney general.

Blanche's nomination was formally sent to the Senate on June 8 after he was installed as acting AG following former Attorney General Pam Bondi's bombshell ouster in April.

Republicans are reportedly targeting late summer for a full Senate confirmation vote.

Report links anti-Christian extremism and 'assassination culture' to alleged plot against Erika Kirk

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 12:10:12 -0400

FIRST ON FOX: A new report reveals that a dangerous dynamic of anti-Christian extremism and "assassination culture" could have fueled the recent attempt to kill conservative leader Charlie Kirk’s widow Erika Kirk, as threats against public officials and figures rise to historic levels.

In late May, Bexar County charged Jacob Wenske, 26, with a third-degree felony count of making a terroristic threat involving public fear of serious bodily injury or public disruption for his alleged plan to bomb a Turning Point USA event where Kirk was the keynote speaker.

In an email to TPUSA, Wenske said he was targeting Kirk, other event speakers and so-called "Christian nationalists," according to an arrest warrant.

Wenske, who worked as a valet driver, also posted multiple threats on social media, according to the warrant.

TEXAS MAN ALLEGEDLY THREATENED TO BOMB TURNING POINT USA EVENT AND KILL CEO ERIKA KIRK IN ONLINE POSTS

Wenske's arrest emerged amid a record number of threats against political figures and members of Congress. The U.S. Capitol Police Threat Assessment Section showed a 58% increase in threats against members of Congress from 2024 to 2025, and threats overall have nearly doubled since 2020.

The Network Contagion Research Institute, a research lab that studies how radical ideologies spread across digital networks and social media, analyzed the threats against Kirk to assess the level of danger and how "permission structure" plays a role in originating the threat.

"What we're seeing is a massive influx of foreign malign influence that is truly shaping the Western world right now, particularly through social media," Travis Hawley, cyber threat and open-source intelligence analyst at the Network Contagion Research Institute, told Fox News Digital. "What you could call our digital diet is really shaping how people see ourselves, our values, our country, and even our history."

TRUMP, KIRK SHOOTINGS EXPOSE ONLINE HATE BREEDING LONE-WOLF ASSASSINS, EXPERTS WARN

"And there are many countries, organizations, and wealthy individuals, whether it's [Neville Roy] Singham in China, who are really pushing or putting their thumb on the scale, trying to push us and accelerate us into violence, dystopian even, and a civil unrest type of environment," Hawley added. "This is really concerning and really showing how democracy actually has a weakness if it is not protected."

The targeting of Kirk comes nine months after the assassination of her husband, who was shot and killed during an event at Utah Valley University.

FBI Director Kash Patel said that Tyler Robinson, Kirk’s alleged assassin, confessed the killing in the chatroom platform Discord, a platform which members of Congress have criticized for radicalizing users.

NEIGHBORS OF CHARLIE KIRK’S SUSPECTED KILLER, TYLER ROBINSON, SPEAK OUT

In the case of Luigi Mangione, the alleged assassin of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, pro-Mangione demonstrators regularly frequent the courthouse to support him, and a legal fund for Mangione has collected more than $1.5 million.

The new study obtained by Fox News Digital shows that "permission structure" plays a role in promoting the idea that a murder is justified.

LUIGI MANGIONE 'DOES NOT SUPPORT VIOLENT ACTIONS,' ATTORNEY SAYS AS POLITICAL ATTACKS MOUNT ACROSS THE US

Permission structure gives individuals the excuse to commit an act that would normally be unacceptable, like murder, assassination or political violence.

In 2025, a Network Contagion Research Institute study found that 1,264 U.S. adults, or 38% of people surveyed, considered it "somewhat justified" to murder President Donald Trump, and the figure increased to about 55% among those identifying as left of center.

In a post on X, Charlie Kirk cited the study, blaming "left-wing protest culture" for a rise in political violence. He was assassinated 153 days later.

NEW BOMBSHELL STUDY REVEALS 'ASSASSINATION CULTURE' SPREADING ON THE LEFT UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP

Hawley also told Fox News Digital that alleged malign foreign influence in protest and agitator networks plays a role in boosting radicalized beliefs. Hawley said that the far-left network stokes an anti-West ideology that aligns with the propaganda messages of America’s adversaries.

"The motivation of our adversaries to push Marxist ideology, Islamist ideology, Marxist ideology, socialists, you name it, anything that is anti-Western, anti-democratic, anti capitalist is to defeat us from within," Hawley explained.

He also noted that malign actors can easily use social media platforms to quickly mobilize pro-communist, anti-Western agitators.

A Fox News Digital investigation uncovered that U.S. tech tycoon and Shanghai resident Neville Roy Singham has poured $278 million into nonprofits that have promoted Chinese Communist Party propaganda at protests around the country, often taking aim at U.S. leaders and public figures, like the Kirks.

"It seems to be bubbling up increasingly is these protests, these riots, whether it's against the government itself, whether it's against ICE and the military, the war," Hawley told Fox News Digital. "We're living in a time where it is very clear that our ability to protect our country really hinges on understanding how much of the civil unrest we are living through in recent years is actually organic."

Vance shares how he's gearing up for lion's den debut on 'The View'

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 09:38:20 -0400

Vice President JD Vance is set to make his first appearance on ABC's "The View" on Tuesday, becoming just the third sitting vice president to join the daytime talk show's panel.

"It may be the optimist in me, but I just fundamentally think that most people — not everybody, but most people — even if I disagree with them, you ought to try to have a conversation with them," Vance told Fox News Digital in a sit-down interview Monday.

Vance will join all six co-hosts, including Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Alyssa Farah Griffin and Ana Navarro, to discuss his new book, "Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith." His appearance comes on the heels of the Trump administration's newly reached agreement with Iran, in which the vice president played a key role in negotiations.

Asked how he was preparing for the interview, Vance said he was approaching it as an opportunity for an earnest conversation, even with people whose views differ from his own.

FLASHBACK: VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE WILL APPEAR ON 'THE VIEW' AFTER HOSTS CONDEMNED HIM FOR YEARS

"My job as vice president of the United States is not just to talk to the people who voted for me, it's to talk to the people who didn't vote for me too," said Vance.

"We're going to go and try to have a good conversation. I hope they meet me halfway. I'm a little skeptical, but we'll see," he added.

Vance's appearance comes after years of criticism from the show's hosts, who have repeatedly targeted both him and his wife since he was tapped as President Donald Trump's running mate.

'THE VIEW' CO-HOSTS CLAIM USHA VANCE IS 'ADDICTED TO POWER' IN ON-AIR ATTACK AGAINST SECOND LADY

Co-host Joy Behar argued Vance was selected to serve as vice president to be a "carbon copy" of Trump and would fail to bring in any new voters.

[Trump] "knows that he’s the vice president who will do the things that Mike Pence would not. I really do believe that. He is an election denier. He has not committed to accepting the results of this year’s elections," Hostin said during the same episode in July 2024.

Co-host Ana Navarro once pointed out that Walz could have an opportunity to embarrass Vance prior to the vice-presidential debate last year.

GOV. TIM WALZ SAYS HE’D 'BEAT THE S--- OUT OF' JD VANCE IN A DEBATE REMATCH

"What Tim Walz needs to do is reveal JD Vance for who he is, a coward, duplicitous, hypocritical opportunist who remains silent while Trump attacks Kamala Harris for being biracial even though his children are biracial," Navarro said. "Who remained silent while Trump supporters issue attacks on Kamala Harris for being of Indian descent, for being South Asian, even though he’s married to an Indian woman."

Vance will be the third sitting vice president to join the program and the first Republican vice president to do so, after appearances by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

"The View" had a total of 341 guests in 2025, but only two of them were conservative, while 128 were liberal, according to a study conducted by the Media Research Center's NewsBusters.

VP JD VANCE ADDRESSES US-ISRAEL RELATIONSHIP, WHETHER IRAN IS TRYING TO 'PLAY' THE UNITED STATES

In a media appearance Monday, co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin said she plans to ask Vance about the financial incentives being proposed to Iran under the newly announced peace agreement.

"He was, um, reportedly one of the chief negotiating partners. I just want to get some clarity," she said.

Fox News Digital reached out to "The View" for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Alexander Hall contributed to this report.

Trump's Iran deal sparks GOP demands for vote as Congress remains in the dark

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 09:37:01 -0400

President Donald Trump has the beginnings of an agreement to end the war in Iran, but Congress hasn’t seen it, and Republicans want details before lending their support.

Trump declared that the deal had already been signed by all parties, but senators, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., who is a member of the Gang of Eight who receives top-level intelligence briefings from the administration, are still in the dark about what exactly it entails.

"I don't think even the people who follow this stuff closely up here know much about it," Thune said.

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

As Congress awaits information on the long-awaited deal, Vice President JD Vance went on a media blitz for much of Monday to provide rough sketches of what’s inside. When asked if Vance should brief senators on the matter, Thune said, "Somebody will need to."

"I don't know whether it's the vice president, but for sure, our members are gonna have a lot of questions about it," Thune said.

There’s also an issue of trust with Iran and whether it will follow through with whatever has been agreed to.

"History shows that the religious zealots running Iran lie like fish swim," Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said.

IRAN’S LONG TRAIL OF DECEPTION FUELS SKEPTICISM OVER NEW NUCLEAR DEAL AS TALKS CONTINUE

Vance’s media tour did outline a rough timeline of about 60 days from the initial signing of the deal to allow for further negotiations on a permanent end to Iran’s nuclear program.

But there are critics, including former President Barack Obama, who told "Good Morning America" that he was "doubtful" Trump’s deal would be different from his own agreement with Iran in 2015.

Vance shot back on CBS News that Obama’s deal "took an Iranian nuclear program that it accelerated, and it basically bribed the Iranians to stop that program." However, Vance confirmed that there would be a $300 billion reconstruction fund available to Iran if it stayed in line with the guardrails of a forthcoming agreement.

Trump and Vance have both said that details of the deal would emerge in the coming days, likely during an official signing ceremony on Friday in Switzerland. But that’s not good enough for some.

"We’ve been told dozens of times that this war is over, and dozens of times we’ve been disappointed," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said. "There have been divergent statements from a variety of people in the administration. In these high-stakes negotiations, the devil is in the details, but Trump still hasn’t even revealed the text of his ‘understanding’ with Iran."

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

When asked why the administration had not revealed the contents of the deal to lawmakers, a White House official said, "We will continue our long history of extraordinary levels of transparency with the Hill, as we maintained throughout the course of this conflict."

And Trump, when asked during a meeting with the United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan if he would send the final deal to Congress, said "I never thought of it, but I would, I wouldn't mind," then posed the notion as a challenge to Democrats.

"I never thought about it. Never even thought about it, but I will send it to Congress," Trump said. "I like the idea. I mean, who wouldn't approve it? Let's let's let them have a nuclear weapon. The Democrats will say, ‘oh, they should have a nuclear weapon.’ They'll go crazy. I like the idea."

While Republicans weren’t sure of the specifics of the deal, many said that they wanted a vote on a final product to ensure that it was permanent and wouldn’t end up like former President Barack Obama's Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran, which Trump ripped up during his first term.

"Once we have a final agreement, we need to check it out and pass it," Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., said. "The only way it's lasting — executive agreements last through the executive — you want a long-term agreement. It's gotta be law."

Lankford leaned into the Trump factor in his understanding of the deal and contended, "President Trump … is pretty unconventional the way he does this kind of stuff."

"I don't foresee him going to go make a bad deal in things. Is it gonna be everything I want? Probably not. Or Iran would never, ever sign it," he said. "But I don't see him giving away the farm on this."

Meanwhile, while much of Congress is in the dark, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair James Risch, R-Idaho, may have some insight into the deal.

When asked if he had been read into the administration’s agreement with Iran, Risch said, "I do. I have."

"I don't have any comment on it at this point. It’s still a work in progress," Risch said. "We'll get to that here pretty quick."

Conservative group targeted in SPLC-inspired terror attack demands restitution after DOJ indictment

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 08:38:22 -0400

A victim of violence inspired by a controversial far-left nonprofit told Fox News Digital he knew the man who shot-up his workplace was motivated by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) before the suspect confessed.

The SPLC has recently come under Justice Department scrutiny for allegedly funneling millions to extremist organizations that they told donors they were fighting — including funding events like KKK cross burnings and the infamous Charlottesville "Unite the Right" rally in 2017.

Tony Perkins is the president of the Family Research Council (FRC), a conservative nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., that was labeled a "hate group" in 2010 by the SPLC for claims it was an anti-LGBT organization.

Just two years later, on Aug. 15, 2012, disaster struck.

Perkins was in a meeting when the building's security system was triggered.

FOCUS ON THE FAMILY’S JIM DALY REJECTS SPLC ‘HATE GROUP’ LABEL: ‘THIS ISN’T HATE, IT’S THE LOVE OF CHRIST’

"The doors closed on our floor, and I heard some commotion, and so I ran out to see what it was, and was told that there was a shooting downstairs," he recalled of the horrific incident in an interview with Fox News Digital.

He ran down the stairs into the lobby, and saw the carnage.

"By the time I got down there, the police had arrived, and so we saw Leo Johnson, who was our building manager, who was in a pool of blood," said Perkins.

HOSTILITY AGAINST CHURCHES A 'GROWING TREND,' AS STUDY FINDS HUNDREDS OF ATTACKS ON U.S. CHURCHES IN 2024

Johnson had been shot by Floyd Lee Corkins II, then 28, who pulled a gun out of his bag upon entering the building. He got past security by telling them he was interviewing for a position as an intern. Corkins was also found in possession of two fully loaded 15-round magazines, a box of .9mm ammunition and 15 Chick-fil-A chicken sandwiches.

The sandwiches were meant to be smeared on the faces of his victims, as Corkins also believed the Christian-owned restaurant chain was anti-gay.

"It was a shocking day for our staff, especially — there was glass and blood and bullet holes in our lobby," said Perkins, who is also a pastor and former police officer.

POLITICAL VIOLENCE ON THE RISE. IS IT TIME FOR A NEW DOMESTIC TERRORISM LAW?

He said he never expected to see anything like that again after he finished his career in law enforcement.

Corkins was taken into federal custody immediately after the attack and charged with committing an act of terrorism while armed, assault with intent to kill while armed and interstate transportation of a firearm and ammunition.

He is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to the charges in 2013.

In an interrogation video later released by FRC, investigators asked how the group came to be his target.

DOJ SAYS SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER FUNNELED $3M+ TO WHITE SUPREMACIST AND EXTREMIST GROUPS

"It was, uh — Southern Poverty Law lists, uh anti-gay groups," Corkins said. "I found them online. I did a little bit of research, went to the website, stuff like that."

The SPLC was recently indicted for allegedly funneling $4 million donor dollars into shell companies to fund extremist organizations they claimed they were fighting.

MIKE DAVIS: SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER: A TALE OF A RACISM SCAM

Perkins said the SPLC once legitimately fought groups like the KKK, but that they saw their business "drying up" in the 1980s and 1990s. So, according to Perkins, the group had to find a way to keep its legacy of fighting white supremacy alive.

"I think they began to peddle that legacy to those on the left ... in particular, beginning around 2010, 2012, when there was a big effort to redefine marriage," Perkins said. "They wanted to leverage that to help the left by going after conservative groups that were standing in the way, but they needed to hold on to those white supremacist extremist groups, to pin the conservative and Christian groups next to."

Perkins believes that there wasn't much of a white supremacy problem, but that it was politically expedient for the SPLC to pretend that there was.

FIRST ON FOX: SPLC’S LEGAL WOES GROW AS JIM JORDAN FIRES LATEST SALVO AT LEFT-WING GROUP

"It was like they were fattening them up, keeping them alive so that they could use them for their bigger political purpose, and that was to be able to help the left advance their agenda by marginalizing and silencing conservative groups," he said.

Perkins told Fox News Digital he does not want the federal government to shut the SPLC down, but he hopes they'll be forced to pay restitution for the harm he says they've caused.

FRC has had to pay $8 million out of pocket just for heightened security since the day of the shooting.

"So yes, they're sitting on $750 million. Part of what I hope the government, the federal government, the courts get to is making them pay restitution to their victims."

The SPLC did not return Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Vance reveals Trump lesson guiding Iran deal strategy as Tehran faces 60-day deadline

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 08:35:37 -0400

EXCLUSIVE: Vice President JD Vance said Tehran is effectively entering a probationary period under the Trump administration's agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran required to demonstrate through its actions — not its promises — that it has abandoned nuclear weapons development and support for terrorism.

"The thing I've learned from the President of the United States is whether friend or foe, you shouldn't trust anybody, you should trust people's actions," Vance told Fox News Digital in a sit-down interview. "That's why the way this agreement is built is that if they act in the right way, if they behave in the way, they get a lot of benefits."

The agreement would test whether Iran is willing to trade decades of isolation for economic relief and renewed ties with the West. While Tehran could gain access to sanctions relief and foreign investment, administration officials say those benefits will depend on whether Iran can prove it has abandoned its nuclear ambitions and support for terrorist organizations during a 60-day negotiating period.

"The Iranians have two pathways. If they behave like a normal country, if they don't try to build nukes, if they try to fund terrorism, then the United States is going to change our relationship with Iran. We're going to lift some sanctions. We're going to welcome them back into the international community," Vance said.

JD VANCE SAYS IRANIAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM 'SUBSTANTIALLY' SET BACK AFTER 'PRECISE, SURGICAL' US STRIKES

He said the United States would be prepared to ease sanctions and normalize relations with Tehran, including welcoming it back into the international community, if Iran abandons its nuclear ambitions and ceases support for terrorism.

But if Iran attempts to rebuild what Vance described as its "destroyed" nuclear program or continues funding terrorist groups, Vance said it would forfeit any benefits offered under the agreement.

Under consideration is a proposed $300 billion investment fund for Iran that would be financed by private companies seeking to do business in the country.

TRUMP ANNOUNCES PEACE DEAL WITH IRAN, DECLARES STRAIT OF HORMUZ WILL REOPEN: 'LET THE OIL FLOW!'

"If they're serious, the president has said we want to have a good relationship with them. And if they are not serious, of course, we still have all the options we have today. We'll continue to have them a month from now, two months from now as well," Vance said.

Vance argued that with the Strait of Hormuz remaining open, the United States is in a stronger economic position to confront Iran.

"Oil is flowing, gas is flowing. It's ticking back up every single day. We think within a week, two weeks, you're going to see the substantial resumption of the oil and gas flows. So that means energy prices come down for Americans," Vance said.

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

Oil prices fell on Monday to their lowest levels since early March after a preliminary U.S.-Iran agreement raised hopes that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz could soon return to normal.

"It gives us a little bit more time, fundamentally, but the most important thing it does for us is it strengthens our hand, it allows some of the oil to flow, and it fundamentally allows us to see are they serious or not," Vance said.

Trump, Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf have signed the memorandum, paving the way for a formal signing ceremony later this week, according to officials.

Trump's push to revive SAVE America Act runs into skepticism from its biggest backers

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 08:00:58 -0400

President Donald Trump wants Republicans to include his long-sought voter ID and citizenship verification legislation into a party-line package, but even the bill’s strongest backers don’t think it’s possible.

Trump last week demanded that Republicans get to work on a third budget reconciliation package, cramming $350 billion in defense spending along with the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act into one bill.

Republicans, fresh off passing their second reconciliation package to fund immigration enforcement for the remainder of the Trump era, were lukewarm at best on doing the process again, especially with little time left before the fast-approaching midterm elections.

TRUMP'S PUSH FOR $350 BILLION 'ARSENAL OF FREEDOM' HITS GOP SKEPTICISM

But some see reconciliation, which would completely cut Democrats out of the process, as the only way to pass the SAVE America Act.

"It’s our only shot. It's the only shot," Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said. "I just don't think we have enough time. We burned a lot of time, and I'm not sure that we can agree on all the stuff to put in it. Not everybody is as easy to get along with as I am."

The problems facing the legislation are two-pronged. Senate Democrats have vowed to block it on the floor, meaning any hope of hitting the 60-vote filibuster threshold is impossible — and not every Republican is on board with the bill.

"I support voter ID and support only American citizens voting, but Democrats are implacably opposed to it, and we don't have enough Republicans to fill the gap," Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said. "So we should move on and focus on winning the midterms instead of fighting each other."

SCHUMER SAYS DEMS WILL FIGHT VOTER ID PUSH 'TOOTH AND NAIL,' BALKS AT DHS ROLE IN ELECTIONS

Republicans have tried and failed several times now to pass the bill, even launching a quasi-floor takeover earlier this year to force debate on the matter.

Still, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., acknowledged that "we don’t have the vote."

"Even if you confine it to just the two issues of photo ID and, you know, citizenship, in order to register to vote on those two issues, you take 60 votes in the Senate," Thune said. "The only way you could get there is to undo or get rid of the legislative filibuster, and there aren't even close to the votes here in the United States Senate in order to achieve that."

Trying to put the bill into a reconciliation package, which can pass with a simple majority of votes, has its own issues beyond a vote count.

The process is governed by the Byrd Rule, which dictates broadly that any item in reconciliation has to have a direct budgetary impact and can’t be pure policy. If a provision is ruled as being policy, it triggers the 60-vote threshold.

REPUBLICANS FAIL TO ATTACH SAVE AMERICA ACT TO PARTY-LINE FUNDING PACKAGE

Republicans, including Kennedy, tried three separate times to include the SAVE America Act — or versions of it — into the latest reconciliation package. All three hit the 60-vote mark, and all but one failed to hit 50 votes.

Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, is one of the top backers of the SAVE America Act in the upper chamber and said that he has "been looking for every way possible to get the SAVE America Act passed."

"And we are currently working on some options that could meet the standard to be part of the reconciliation process," Husted said. "But I am in no way certain that we get it done, but we should try."

Those alternatives would likely be quite different than what the current bill looks like, which Trump has already asked Republicans to revamp to include policy unrelated to elections, like barring biological men from participating in women’s sports.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, the main driver of the SAVE America Act in the Senate, acknowledged that the bill was "policy, it's non-budgetary. Therefore, SAVE America itself is not eligible for consideration in a third reconciliation."

But he said a plausible pathway to getting at least an aspect of the bill through the Byrd Rule would be providing funding for states to issue an "Enhanced Real ID," which shows proof of citizenship.

Then, lawmakers could pass a separate bill outside of reconciliation that would require proof of identity to register to vote in federal elections. But Lee, like many in the Senate GOP, was skeptical that a third reconciliation bill would even be an option.

"The second reason is just, as a practical matter, I see no evidence that there is a viable path to a third reconciliation bill," Lee said. "I hope there is. I would love to be wrong on that. I want us to do that. I think we should do that. But the schedule that we've got, to my great disappointment, is not — It doesn't accommodate any of it."

Vance describes his 'childless cat ladies' comment as as 'One of the dumbest things I ever said'

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 07:35:10 -0400

In his new book "Communion," Vice President JD Vance reflected on the "childless cat ladies" jab he made while running for U.S. Senate in 2021, characterizing it as "one of the dumbest" remarks he has ever made, according to NBC News.

During a 2021 appearance on "Tucker Carlson Tonight," Vance said, "We're effectively run in this country, via the Democrats ... via our corporate oligarchs, by a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they've made," and who desire to make the rest of the nation "miserable too."

He then pointed to then-Vice President Kamala Harris, then-Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., declaring, "The entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people without children. And how does it make any sense that we've turned our country over to people who don't really have a direct stake in it?"

Harris has two adult stepchildren.

VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE REVEALS HE HAS 'SACRED TIME' WITH HIS FAMILY FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS EVERY DAY

Buttigieg announced in an August 2021 post on X, "For some time, Chasten and I have wanted to grow our family. We’re overjoyed to share that we’ve become parents! The process isn’t done yet and we’re thankful for the love, support, and respect for our privacy that has been offered to us. We can’t wait to share more soon." They adopted two children.

"Chasten and I are beyond thankful for all the kind wishes since first sharing the news that we’re becoming parents. We are delighted to welcome Penelope Rose and Joseph August Buttigieg to our family," Buttigieg wrote in a September 2021 post on X.

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

Vance addressed his controversial comment in his new book, according to NBC News.

"One of the dumbest things I ever said came when I argued that ‘childless cat ladies’ across the Democrat Party were running our country into the ground," Vance wrote, according to the outlet.

"The comment caused two firestorms: the first when I made it, the second years later during a political campaign," he noted. "It was a boneheaded comment, intentionally (and successfully) provocative rather than illuminating."

Vance won election to the U.S. Senate in 2022 and took office in early 2023.

In 2024, then-former President Donald Trump tapped Vance as his running mate. Vance became vice president in early 2025.

According to NBC News, the vice president recognized that the remark was "enraging" and noted that it "had the added effect of distracting from the actual point I wanted to make, which was that our society is becoming pathologically hostile to having kids." He indicated that he "could have made that point much more effectively, and with the benefit of showing a little charity to the many Americans who — some for reasons beyond their control — don’t have children."

JD VANCE'S WIFE USHA DETAILS HOW CHARLIE KIRK'S DEATH INFLUENCED DECISION TO HAVE FOURTH CHILD

"When I consider the Church’s admonition to respect the dignity of every life, this was a clear moment where I failed," Vance, who is Catholic, noted.

Conservatives rip Platner for 'disturbing' online trail as new Reddit post mocking teen suicide surfaces

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 07:00:29 -0400

This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Scandal-plagued Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner is facing even more scrutiny over posts he made on the online blogging platform Reddit, after a report surfaced fresh posts attributed to his old username, including one appearing to mock a teenage girl’s suicide attempt.

The New York Post reported Saturday that an account using Platner’s former Reddit handle, "P-Hustle," responded to a 2012 post about a young girl's failed suicide attempt. "A girl at my old high school tried jumping from a window because her cousin died the day before," the post’s caption read. "These students saved her. I have hope." The post showed the teenage girl hanging out a window, being held on by just her classmates from falling.

"Someone clearly isn’t trying hard enough," the P-Hustle account responded.

TOP OFF-THE-WALL REDDIT POSTS HAUNTING GRAHAM PLATNER’S MAINE SENATE BID

The newly uncovered Reddit posts follow other inflammatory remarks Platner has made on the online blogging platform Reddit, including comments calling rural White Americans "racist and stupid," posts pushing racial stereotypes about Black people, comments promoting political violence, and remarks blaming victims of rape, among others.

The freshly uncovered Reddit post mocking a young girl's suicide quickly drew criticism from Republicans and conservatives, including Maine State House Minority Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham, Maine Republican Party Executive Director Jason Savage, and former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer.

"Graham Platner is clearly a person with deep and disturbing psychological issues that predate his military service and continue to this day," Faulkingham told The New York Post.

"Yet another example of abject cruelty from Graham Platner," Savage told Fox News Digital.

"When someone tells you who they are, believe them," he continued. "Platner has told us repeatedly. Sadly, this time he was mocking the pain of a young woman facing a terrible loss. If this doesn't show you who Graham Platner is, what will?"

SEE IT: MAINE VOTERS SOUND OFF ON PLATNER'S DIVISIVE CAMPAIGN AS CRUCIAL PRIMARY NEARS: 'HE'S A DISGRACE'

"Of all the rotten, troubling, and warped things Platner has done and said, his mocking encouragement of a young girl to commit suicide is the worst," Fleischer reacted, questioning how "anyone" could support the Maine Senate candidate amid all the controversies he has been embroiled in.

"There is something seriously perverted and wrong with Graham Platner," he added.

Platner's activity on Reddit has been a focus of his campaign as far back as last year, amid his attempt to unseat GOP incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. His controversial posts have included comments disparaging police officers and rural White Americans, remarks about rape victims needing to take more responsibility, promotions of political violence, and praise for Hamas. In one post, Platner slammed a Purple Heart recipient who Platner argued "didn’t deserve to live," blaming his return home on "poor marksmanship on the Taliban's part."

In one post from Sept. 1, 2020, Platner responded in a politics subreddit declaring that "White People Aren’t as Racist or Stupid as Trump Thinks."

"Living in white rural America, I’m afraid to tell you they actually are," Platner wrote of the people he is now seeking to represent in the U.S. Congress.

Platner had a history of promoting armed political action on Reddit as well, including writing that "an armed working class is a requirement for economic justice." In a separate post, he argued that if people "expect to fight fascism without a good semi-automatic rifle, they ought to do some reading of history."

PLATNER’S BRUTAL ATTACKS ON ARMY SOLDIERS AS ‘FAT, LAZY’ REVEALED IN RESURFACED POSTS

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

Meanwhile, in a 2021 Reddit post, Platner wrote that all cops are "bastards" and called himself a "communist," though Platner later disavowed the remark about law enforcement and later said he has "an immense amount of friends" who are police officers and that they are "not all" bastards.

"I was [expletive] around on the internet at a time when I felt lost and very disillusioned with our government who sent me overseas to watch my friends die," Platner said in a statement to CNN at the time. "I made dumb jokes and picked fights. But of course I’m not a socialist. I’m a small business owner, a Marine Corps veteran, and a retired s***poster," the 41-year-old Platner added.

In another set of resurfaced Reddit posts, The Washington Post reported that Platner downplayed sexual assault concerns, including writing in a thread about rape-prevention underwear that "rape is a real thing," but that people worried about assault should "take some responsibility for themselves" and not get so intoxicated that they wind up "having sex with someone they don’t mean to."

The New York Post also reported this week that Platner praised a video recording Hamas terrorists shooting at Israeli soldiers and trying to kidnap one of them who was screaming for his life. Platner reportedly wrote in response to the 2014 combat footage on Reddit: "Looks like an all around well executed and successful small unit raid to me."

Fox News Digital reached out to Platner and his campaign for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.

Texas Dem's past grocery store remarks clash with affordability campaign: 'I don't have the time'

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 06:30:36 -0400

In a 2010 interview with a Mexican newspaper, Latin Grammy winner Bobby Pulido, a Democratic congressional candidate, once said he hasn’t gone shopping since becoming a music star.

"While he was in college, Bobby Pulido set foot in a supermarket on occasion — but since his career began 15 years ago, he hasn't stopped in one since," a 2010 profile of El Norte Magazine reads.

"'El Golden Boy' notes that he doesn't have time to deal with the running of his household. 'I don't have the time; I've never gone to the supermarket to shop... well, very rarely. When I was in college, I did go, but ever since I started singing, not anymore,’" Pulido told interviewers.

Now, as the Democratic candidate in one of the country’s most competitive congressional districts, Pulido’s depiction of himself clashes with broader efforts from Democrats to zero in on affordability, a messaging platform for the 2026 midterms that looks to capitalize on inflation and the persistently high gas prices that have drawn criticism of President Donald Trump.

TOP REPUBLICAN PUSHES FOR RECONCILIATION 3.0 TO ADDRESS AFFORDABILITY

Pulido is best known for Tejano, or Mexican-Spanish folk-style songs like "Desvelado" and "Se Murió de Amor," and has received five Latin Grammy Award nominations, winning Best Tejano Album in 2022 and 2025.

Despite a series of scandals over past behavior, Pulido has framed his campaign as a Texan referendum on expenses the administration has overlooked.

"The economy we care about is not a bunch of numbers and letters flashing on a board on Wall Street," Pulido’s campaign page reads.

"It’s in our pockets, at the pump, in the grocery store when we buy fajitas, milk and eggs — and for some it’s when they have to choose between paying the rent or for their health insurance."

TEXAS DEMOCRAT – A LATIN GRAMMY WINNER AND PARTY RECRUIT – CAUGHT DEFACING TRUMP’S HOLLYWOOD STAR

Inflation has climbed in recent months, reaching 4.2% in May — up from 3.8% in April, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Pulido argues the climb in prices takes a disproportionate toll on his district, which he believes has the lowest per-capita income in the Lone Star State.

"Here in the Rio Grande Valley, when inflation hits, oh gosh. We don’t make a lot of money to begin with. So, inflation really hurts us harder than — it gives people in San Antonio a cold; it gives us the flu. We feel it that much harder," Pulido said on a recent podcast posted to his YouTube channel.

Pulido hopes to unseat Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Texas. His race, which is expected to be one of the more competitive opportunities for Democrats in Texas after a redistricting effort in the state looks to squeeze five Democrats out of office, will turn on whether he can attract support from across the aisle.

TEXAS DEMOCRAT BLASTED FOR ‘BLOODY TRUMP’ COSTUME, VIOLENT RHETORIC AFTER DEADLY ICE SHOOTING

A two-term incumbent, De La Cruz last won election to the district in 2024 in a 57.1%–42.9% victory over Democratic nominee Michelle Vallejo.

Having cleared the Democratic primary last month, Pulido will face off with De La Cruz on Nov. 3.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Pulido campaign.

Pentagon files reveal agents' reports of 'orbs launching orbs' near sensitive US security site

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 06:00:20 -0400

Newly released Pentagon and FBI records describe a series of orb sightings reported from the same area of the northeastern United States between at least October 2024 and June 2025, including one incident in which two witnesses reported seeing a glowing red sphere containing what appeared to be a basketball-sized "white plasma sun."

The sightings are among dozens of records published through the Trump administration's Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) Encounters, or PURSUE, a government-wide effort to declassify files related to UAPs.

According to records released Thursday, an eyewitness in October 2024 reported observing a "plasma-like sphere" hovering above a pond at an estimated distance of roughly 2,700 feet. Investigators said the luminous object intermittently changed shape and brightness, at times appearing to separate into smaller points of light. A second luminous point hovered above the water and did not appear consistent with a surface reflection. The object remained generally stationary for approximately 45 minutes before disappearing.

The video was captured on an iPhone and later analyzed and authenticated by the U.S. government, according to the records. The FBI assessed the eyewitness as highly credible.

The release is the latest installment of the Trump administration's Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters, or PURSUE, a transparency initiative launched after President Donald Trump directed federal agencies in February to review and declassify records related to unidentified anomalous phenomena. The program has produced a steady stream of files ranging from cases investigators believe may have conventional explanations to incidents that remain unresolved years later.

Fox News Digital attended a briefing with senior administration officials ahead of the release.

PENTAGON UFO FILES DESCRIBE 'MOTHER ORB' RELEASING SMALLER OBJECTS IN 2023 INCIDENT THAT REMAINS UNEXPLAINED

A second incident from the same general area occurred in July 2025, when a witness arrived home and noticed an intense bright light hovering below the tree line behind a residence. According to FBI interviews, the witness described the object as a red sphere roughly one meter in diameter containing a bright white center resembling a basketball-sized "plasma sun."

A second witness separately came outside and reported seeing the same object. FBI records indicate the objects were estimated to be about 30 yards away and 20 feet to 30 feet above the ground.

Both witnesses said a second identical orb later appeared nearby. The objects moved together above the trees, changed altitude and direction, traveled in tandem and eventually appeared to merge into a single object before disappearing from view. The witnesses captured video footage of the sighting, and FBI agents later obtained photographs associated with the investigation.

According to the FBI, multiple reports and videos released through the latest tranche originated from the same general area in the northeastern United States.

Among the most significant cases included in the latest tranche was an unresolved 2023 incident near a sensitive national security site in the western United States involving six federal law enforcement agents who reported observing what they described as glowing orange "mother orbs" releasing smaller red objects into the night sky.

In a newly released assessment, the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office said roughly 40% of the reported activity remains unexplained after analysts compared witness accounts against commercial and military flight logs, radar data, spatial estimates and ADS-B records while examining a range of possible explanations, including military aircraft, drones, U.S. government programs, foreign intelligence activity and environmental phenomena.

Analysts concluded military flare activity could plausibly account for a significant portion of the reported observations and assessed foreign adversary technology as highly unlikely, but determined that no single explanation fully accounted for all the reported activity. Investigators said "unrecognized technology" remained a provisional hypothesis for the unexplained portion of the case, while cautioning that the assessment was based primarily on witness testimony rather than technical or physical evidence.

The newly released files include five witness narratives, sketches and a notional map depicting four related incidents investigators grouped under the "Western U.S. Event," including what they labeled "Orbs Launching Orbs," a "Fiery Orb," a "Dark Kite" and a "Translucent Kite." The case is among the most extensively documented unresolved incidents included in the latest tranche.

Among the most unusual incidents in the latest PURSUE tranche was a February 2022 sighting near Colorado Springs, Colorado, in which five U.S. Army personnel reported seeing a shimmering object hovering above Cheyenne Mountain for up to three minutes.

According to witness accounts, the object appeared roughly the size of a large jet and resembled an angular, nonsymmetrical "potato" composed of irregular panels that slowly shifted and changed shape while remaining stationary above the mountain.

PENTAGON’S NEW UFO FILE RELEASE LOGS NEAR-MISS AS ‘SUPER-HEATED’ ORBS APPROACH US HELICOPTER

In a separate FBI interview conducted in 2024, a former Army intelligence officer who witnessed the event described the object as a creamy white, opalescent shape made up of what appeared to be articulating fish-scale-like panels. The witness told investigators the object remained perfectly still while the individual panels appeared to move in slow waves before the object suddenly vanished.

Witnesses estimated the object hovered 300 feet to 500 feet above Cheyenne Mountain before disappearing while they were actively observing it. Pentagon investigators ultimately concluded the sighting may have been caused by sunlight reflecting off snow-covered terrain and illuminating clouds near the mountain, though AARO described that assessment as low confidence because of uncertainty surrounding witness viewing angles, cloud cover and environmental conditions.

Taken together, the Colorado, western and northeastern incidents offer a snapshot of the diverse reports now being published through the Pentagon's PURSUE program, ranging from cases investigators believe may have conventional explanations to incidents that remain unresolved after years of analysis.

The effort has drawn mixed reactions. Transparency advocates have welcomed the publication of records that were previously difficult for the public to access, while some researchers and former officials argue that many of the releases rely heavily on witness testimony and contain limited technical data that would allow independent analysts to verify government conclusions.

Former AARO director Sean Kirkpatrick has argued that unresolved cases often remain unresolved because investigators lack sufficient information to reach high-confidence conclusions.

At the same time, neither the Department of War nor AARO has concluded that any of the incidents released through PURSUE constitute evidence of extraterrestrial life, nonhuman intelligence or alien technology.

Government officials have repeatedly emphasized that an unresolved case simply means investigators lack sufficient information to determine a definitive cause. The records released to date document observations, investigations and assessments, but do not establish evidence of extraterrestrial origins.

FBI disrupts alleged explosive-drone plot targeting White House UFC event, officials say

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 06:00:09 -0400

FIRST ON FOX: The FBI and its law enforcement partners disrupted an alleged plot targeting this weekend’s UFC Freedom 250 event in Washington, D.C., officials told Fox News Digital.

Five people were in custody as of Monday, and investigators identified 23 people as part of a potential network of plotters. The alleged plan involved using explosive-laden drones to hit buildings near the event, force a mass evacuation and steer crowds toward a pre-staged sniper team, officials said.

A "second wave" was then allegedly planned to storm the White House gate, according to officials.

The FBI first learned of the threat on June 10 and worked with partners to secure probable cause for an arrest in Cincinnati, where one suspect was taken into custody. Court documents identified the suspect as 19-year-old Tycen Proper.

FROM RALLY GUNFIRE TO WHITE HOUSE SHOOTING, THREATS AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP CONTINUE TO MOUNT

According to a criminal complaint, Proper allegedly spent $3,000 of his "graduation money" to purchase "lots of" ammunition, guns, extra magazines and other items for the alleged attack.

Authorities estimated that several boxes of ammunition that Proper had allegedly acquired contained thousands of rounds. It is also alleged that Proper acquired an AR-style rifle, a bullpup rifle painted with the American flag and two plate carriers with AR-style magazines. His family voluntarily turned over the equipment to law enforcement.

His father told officers that Proper had quit his job to meet up with people he had met online to conduct "missions" and "recons," according to the complaint. It said that Proper's mother had first alerted authorities over concerns about his recent alleged firearm purchases and communications with individuals online.

Two others, identified as Bryan Omar Roa and Michael Alan Thomas, were arrested in California for alleged involvement in the plot. Both men were charged with conspiracy to commit murder. They appeared in court on Monday in Riverside.

Daniel K. Eskridge, of Kansas City, Missouri, and Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez, of Omaha, Nebraska, were also arrested.

Court documents say Eskridge's wife told investigators he described himself as a recruiter for the group and had amassed tactical gear, including a rifle, ammunition and other equipment, in recent months. She also said he built a firearms range on his property about three weeks before his arrest and that she was aware of his Signal communications through messages that appeared on a shared tablet.

Alvarez allegedly operated under the online moniker "Shepherd" and served as a key organizer of the plot, using a Signal chat to direct staging locations, sniper and drone positions, escape routes and communications protocols," according to court documents. Prosecutors say he also discussed coordinating with other groups and urged participants to obtain additional explosive-capable drones, writing: "As many and as deadly as we can get."

Multiple sources told Fox News that those in custody are American citizens, and a foreign nexus was not involved.

The U.S. Secret Service said it "worked closely" with the FBI during the investigation.

"In the days leading up to this weekend, our special agents, mission support personnel, and technical security teams worked around the clock to identify those responsible and hold them accountable," Secret Service Director Sean Curran said in a statement. "Equally important to our protective mission is ensuring accountability through the justice system. To that end, our formal comments regarding the specifics of this case will be made through court filings."

PBS AFFILIATE BOARD CHAIRMAN UNDER FIRE AFTER SAYING HE HOPES TRUMP SUFFERS STROKE

Investigators later uncovered Signal chats in which multiple people allegedly discussed attacking the UFC event. An initial review of one suspect’s iPhone identified at least 23 Signal users discussing pre-operational activity, officials said.

Some of those involved allegedly planned to travel to Fredericksburg, Virginia, on June 12 or 13 to prepare for the attack.

One suspect allegedly told investigators the goal was to target "capitalist elites," "billionaires" or politicians who received donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

The investigation stretched across at least 12 FBI field offices.

FBI Director Kash Patel credited the FBI, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and law enforcement partners with acting quickly across multiple states to prevent the alleged attack.

"Thanks to the rapid action of this FBI, our partners, and the Department of Justice in a multi-state operation, multiple individuals are now in custody and allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold," Patel said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Patel said the operation showed the FBI’s ability to respond quickly when threats emerge.

FROM RALLY GUNFIRE TO WHITE HOUSE SHOOTING, THREATS AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP CONTINUE TO MOUNT

"While the result represented the best of investigative work, it was also nothing out of the ordinary for this law enforcement team," Patel said. "We are built to detect, respond to, and bring to justice those who threaten the lives of American citizens — particularly during large gatherings like the historic UFC 250 fight. That’s exactly what we did here."

"I want to thank our great agents and partners, this work remains ongoing, and we will continue to update the public as permitted," Patel added.

Former FBI agent Jason Pack told Fox News Digital that the alleged scheme appeared to have moved beyond online rhetoric and into operational planning.

"This was a real threat," Pack said, describing it as "organized political violence with specific targets."

He said the most troubling aspect was the apparent "shift from ideology to actual preparation," including recruitment across multiple states, encrypted communications, logistical planning and identifying staging areas.

While Pack questioned whether every phase of the alleged plot would have succeeded, he said parts of it appeared technically feasible and would have likely led to fatalities.

Pack also pointed to the role of human intelligence in disrupting the alleged network, saying the investigation began after "somebody's family member got worried and called it in."

"That's how this got stopped," he added.

The alleged plot targeted UFC Freedom 250, a high-profile White House event held on the South Lawn as part of President Donald Trump's 80th birthday weekend.

The event drew an estimated 4,300 attendees, including about 1,200 active-duty service members, as 14 fighters from around the world competed inside a wire-mesh cage Sunday night.

Reacting to the news on "FOX & Friends" Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance called it "very, very dark stuff."

"This is what happens when people turn the rhetoric up so loud that disagreeing with somebody is a cause for violence," Vance said. "We got to tell everybody to tone it down."

"Everybody has a role to cut this stuff out," Vance continued. "But I think a lot of my Democratic colleagues in Washington have got to look themselves in the mirror and say, why is so much of this political violence coming from our side of the spectrum?"

The alleged plot comes amid a growing series of threats and security incidents involving Trump and senior administration officials, fueling heightened concerns about political violence.

Fox News Digital's Christina Dugan Ramirez and Kelley Kramer contributed to this report.

Trump's endorsement power faces crucial tests in closely watched Georgia and Alabama GOP runoff elections

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 05:00:55 -0400

While he isn't on the ballot, President Donald Trump's immense clout over the GOP faces more key tests on Tuesday in high-stakes Republican runoffs in Georgia and Alabama.

Trump-endorsed candidates are fighting in competitive showdowns against Republican rivals for the GOP gubernatorial and Senate nominations in battleground Georgia and for the Senate in solidly red Alabama.

Tuesday's contests in Georgia and Alabama come as Oklahoma and the District of Columbia hold primary elections, and voters in California's 14th Congressional District will vote in a special election to narrow the field of nearly a dozen candidates hoping to fill the seat left vacant when scandal-plagued Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell resigned.

But the biggest spotlight is on Georgia, where Trump made an 11th-hour endorsement this past weekend in the Senate race, which is one of a handful of midterm election contests across the country that will decide if the GOP holds its slim majority in the chamber.

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

Trump endorsed Republican Rep. Mike Collins, a MAGA champion and strong supporter of the president, who is facing off against former college football coach Derek Dooley, who has the support of popular conservative Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.

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

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

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

THESE MIDTERM RACES WILL DETERMINE WHETHER REPUBLICANS HOLD THEIR SENATE MAJORITY

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

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

Dooley, a lawyer, a former University of Tennessee football coach and the son of legendary University of Georgia head football coach Vince Dooley, is strongly backed by Kemp, who is a lifelong friend. The governor and his wife, Georgia First Lady Marty Kemp, have regularly appeared with Dooley on the campaign trail, and the governor's top political advisor is a senior consultant for Dooley's Senate bid.

Collins and Dooley were the top two finishers in a crowded field of candidates in last month's primary that also included Rep. Buddy Carter. Since no one topped 50%, Collins and Dooley advanced to Tuesday's runoff election.

The winner of the GOP Senate nomination in Georgia will face off in the midterms against Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. Republicans view Ossoff as the most vulnerable Senate Democrat seeking re-election and are heavily targeting the first-term senator. But while Republicans have been battling for their party's nomination over the past year, Ossoff's built a powerful war chest that will give him a major fundraising advantage as the general election gets underway.

The power of a Trump endorsement is also facing a key test in Georgia's gubernatorial nomination runoff, where Trump last year backed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in the race to succeed the term-limited Kemp. Jones is battling billionaire businessman Rick Jackson, who has dished out over $100 million of his own money on his campaign, in the runoff.

The winner will take on former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who served in the Biden administration, in this autumn's general election. Bottoms avoided a runoff by winning a majority of the vote as she topped six other candidates in last month's Democratic gubernatorial primary.

Jones and Jackson were the top two finishers in last month's crowded and competitive GOP gubernatorial primary, which also included state Attorney General Chris Carr and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Because no candidate topped 50%, Jones and Jackson advanced to the runoff.

Pointing to a tele-rally Trump headlined for him last week, Jones told Fox News Digital: "The president's endorsement carries a lot of weight here in Georgia."

Kemp made a last-minute endorsement on Sunday, backing Jones. And at an event Monday morning, Kemp explained that his mission is "to make sure that we have the best folks at the top of the ticket that can win in November and you know that's why I'm supporting Burt Jones for governor."

"When you think about the direction of the state, the great things that we've been able to do, I think he's best suited to move the state forward," Kemp said. And he warned of the "consequences of not winning, like we'll be going the way of Virginia, New York, California, we just cannot afford to do that."

Jones, a former captain of the University of Georgia football team, an oil executive and heir to the Jones Petroleum Company, served as a state senator before winning election in 2022 as lieutenant governor.

Jackson was unknown to Georgia voters before launching his gubernatorial campaign in February, but thanks to an avalanche of ads, his story of building a business empire despite growing up in foster care and not being able to afford college became well known in the Peach State.

And he's repeatedly highlighted that, like Trump, he's an outsider and businessman. "I'm going to be Trump's favorite governor because we're just alike on the way that we handle business and handle problems, and I want to do exactly in Georgia what he's doing at the federal government," he reiterated in a Fox News Digital interview Sunday.

And on the eve of the runoff, he predicted, "I think people are ready for an outsider. That's what they want, and that's what they're going to vote for. And that's why we're going to win tomorrow."

Jackson also landed a last-minute endorsement, as conservative firebrand Sen. Ted Cruz backed Jackson on Friday and joined him on the campaign trail for a runoff eve rally.

"Rick has an extraordinary record, an extraordinary life story. And I also think he's positioned to win. And the stakes are too high. This election is a battleground all across the country. We can't afford to lose Georgia," Cruz told Fox News.

When Cruz endorsed Jackson on Friday, he also supported South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, who is facing off in a week against Trump-backed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette.

Asked if he's trying to put some daylight between himself and the president on the campaign trail, Cruz quickly responded, "No. Not remotely....The president and I agree on the vast majority of races. What I try to do in every race is endorse the strongest conservative who can win. And typically I get in races late in the race at a time where my support might be able to make a difference and be helpful."

Jones, on the eve of the Cruz visit, took aim at Jackson.

"He keeps on bringing in these out-of-state senators, and I would much rather have the president's endorsement," he said. "He's having to go out of state to get his support. We're keeping all our stuff in state."

In neighboring Alabama, Trump is supporting Rep. Barry Moore, who is facing off with former Navy SEAL sniper Jared Hudson in the GOP Senate runoff, in the race to succeed Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who is running for governor this year rather than seeking re-election.

Moore, who founded a waste hauling company and later served as a state lawmaker before first winning election to the U.S. House in 2020, and was one of the first politicians to endorse Trump in 2015 when the president first ran for the White House, is also endorsed by Vice President JD Vance and Senate Majority Leader Sen. John Thune.

Moore, who represents Alabama's 1st Congressional District, in the southern portion of the state, is a member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus.

Hudson, running as an outsider, edged out state Attorney General Steve Marshall to advance to the runoff with Moore.

Besides being a combat veteran, Hudson has served as a sheriff’s deputy, firefighter, small business owner and current head of a nonprofit that trains law enforcement in taking out human traffickers.

Hudson was endorsed by then-Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who is now Trump's Department of Homeland Security secretary, as well as Sen. Tim Sheehy, the National Association for Gun Rights PAC, and conservative activist and media star Riley Gaines.

Moore or Hudson will be considered the clear front-runner in November against the winner of the Democratic runoff between small business owner Dakarai Larriett and attorney and former judge Everett Wess.

In Oklahoma, Trump is backing Mike Mazzei, a former state senator and Oklahoma budget secretary, in the GOP gubernatorial primary in the race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Kevin Stitt.

The president is also supporting minister Jackson Lahmeyer, who founded the group Pastors for Trump, in the Republican primary in the state's 1st Congressional District, in the race to succeed Rep. Kevin Hern, who is running for the Senate.

And in deep blue Washington D.C., the Democratic primary between seven candidates trying to succeed outgoing Mayor Muriel Bowser will effectively decide her successor in the District of Columbia.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trump admin puts alleged 'birth tourism' scheme on notice as expert delivers warning to hospitals

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 19:35:47 -0400

The Trump administration is using visa enforcement to target "birth tourism," an alleged scheme utilized by foreign nationals to obtain visitor visas for the primary purpose of giving birth in the U.S. and securing American citizenship for their children.

The Trump administration recently announced that it disrupted "a sophisticated birth tourism network" in West Africa involving more than 100 foreign nationals utilizing false documents and, what the State Department described as "fixers," to get themselves visas to go to the United States to give birth so their children would be born on U.S. soil and treated as American citizens.

But that was just one of the networks the State Department indicated it had uncovered. The agency's announcement said U.S. officials identified more than 400 suspected birth tourism cases emanating from Europe since 2024, and tied to at least six companies that helped coach applicants on what to say during their visa interview, arranged housing and set-up delivery plans.

"We shut it down, revoked these foreign nationals’ visas, and are coordinating with local authorities to systematically identify and cut off any similar operations," the State Department said in its announcement. "A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right. The State Department is taking action around the world to stop this abuse, dismantle birth tourism networks, and hold accountable those who try to scam our system."

SEN. BLACKBURN TARGETS BIRTH TOURISM, 'BUYING AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP' IN SUPPORT OF TRUMP'S IMMIGRATION AGENDA

The effort comes as Trump has renewed his long-running criticism of birthright citizenship, including through a 2025 executive order seeking to narrow who is automatically treated as a U.S. citizen at birth. It also builds on a first-term Trump administration rule from 2020 that instructed consular officers to deny visitor visas to foreign nationals believed to be traveling to the U.S. primarily to give birth and obtain American citizenship for their children.

"President Trump will always put the American people first. Uninhibited birth tourism poses a tremendous cost to taxpayers and threatens our national security," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital. "The Trump administration is effectively ending this practice, which brings the United States in line with the policy of most countries around the world."

TRUMP LOCKS IN ICE FUNDING THROUGH END OF PRESIDENCY AFTER HOUSE PASSES $70B PACKAGE

Federation for American Immigration Reform's Ira Mehlman noted to Fox News Digital that visa fraud is "a significant issue," pointing out it is a problem even outside the framework of birth tourism.

"The prospect of birthright citizenship is undeniably an inducement for people to commit visa fraud," Mehlman said. "Birth tourism would not exist otherwise."

"Obviously, any woman who does not disclose her intention to have her baby in the U.S. when she applies for a visa is committing fraud. Remove the incentive of automatic birthright citizenship for people who are not citizens and legal permanent residents, and the reason for committing this sort of fraud goes away," he continued.

Birth tourism has surfaced repeatedly in the U.S. in recent years, particularly through operations accused of coaching foreign nationals to obscure the purpose of their travel.

In California, federal prosecutors secured convictions against the operators of USA Happy Baby, a company accused of helping Chinese women travel to the U.S. to give birth to American-citizen children, while a separate operator from a business called You Win USA pleaded guilty in another case stemming from a broader federal crackdown.

More recently, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued a Houston-area postpartum center accused of facilitating more than 1,000 births for primarily Chinese clients, while House Oversight Republicans launched an inquiry into several U.S.-based companies allegedly advertising birth-tourism services.

Mehlman urged Congress to do more to enhance vetting of visa applicants, prosecute those who commit fraud and put an end to birth tourism. He said there were avenues for legal action against the entities allegedly facilitating the scheme.

"To the extent that we can take legal action against companies that are outside the United States, we should, much like we prosecute other types of transnational crime and fraud operations," Mehlman told Fox News Digital. "But each one of these companies works with service providers here in the U.S., including hospitals."

Same-name candidate disqualified from key Senate race over alleged Dem scheme to confuse voters

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 17:13:12 -0400

A top Alaska election official booted a same-name Republican challenger to Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, from the primary ballot Monday, ruling the campaign appeared designed to confuse voters.

Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher disqualified Dan J. Sullivan from the state’s hotly-contested Senate race over concerns that his candidacy was "filed with a purpose to confuse or mislead and to thereby compromise the ballot’s fairness or neutrality," in a letter published Monday.

Dan J. Sullivan, a retired schoolteacher who filed as a Republican Senate candidate despite having no prior affiliation with the GOP, can appeal the ruling, Beecher wrote.

The letter caps weeks of outrage from the GOP, who argued the political newcomer’s entry into the race just days before the filing deadline was a covert attempt by Democrats to recruit a "sham" candidate into the race to confuse voters.

GOP FIGHTS TO STOP MULTIPLE DAN SULLIVANS FROM APPEARING ON ALASKA BALLOT, CALLS CANDIDACY A 'SHAM'

Under Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system, if Dan J. Sullivan had been allowed to remain on the August primary ballot, both he and Dan S. Sullivan, the incumbent, could have advanced to the general election among the top four vote-getters.

Democrats are eying Alaska as a potential flip opportunity as the party mounts a longshot bid to retake control of the upper chamber during the midterms. The incumbent Sullivan is running for a third Senate term against former Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, who was recruited by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., into the battleground contest.

Beecher cited several details about Dan J. Sullivan’s campaign that led to her conclusion that it was not filed in "good-faith."

The political newcomer requested to appear on the ballot as "Dan Sullivan" despite registering to vote under the name "Daniel J. Sullivan, Jr.," according to the letter. The longshot candidate also attempted to register with the incumbent's initial on one occasion, according to Beecher's letter.

"‘S’ is Senator Sullivan’s middle initial, not yours," Beecher wrote.

The election official also noted that Dan J. Sullivan had not registered as a Republican before launching his Senate campaign and that his new website used a "color scheme and overall theme" similar to the incumbent’s campaign materials.

Additionally, Beecher discussed Dan J. Sullivan’s connection to Amber Lee, an Alaska Democratic consultant who has previously supported Peltola. Metadata from the campaign’s launch identified the Democratic operative as its author, Fox News Digital previously reported.

FORMER DEM REP. MARY PELTOLA ANNOUNCES U.S. SENATE RUN: "PUT ALASKA FIRST"

"This consultant’s work on your behalf is, in isolation, innocuous," Beecher wrote. "Alongside the other facts I have catalogued in this letter, however, it suggests a determined effort and a deliberate attempt to use the similarity of your name to confuse Alaska voters in the upcoming primary election."

Dan J. Sullivan’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The incumbent Sullivan previously blasted his same-name challenger as a "far-left liberal" who was complicit in Democrats’ efforts to "rig" the election.

"Is Schumer or Gillibrand and their staffs or the DSCC or the staff at the DSCC — were they aware? Were they coordinating, orchestrating? I mean, if that's the case, that would be a huge scandal," Sullivan told Fox News Digital last week.

Democrats have denied any involvement with Dan J. Sullivan’s campaign.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), Senate Republicans’ campaign arm, took a victory lap after urging Beecher to investigate the same-name challenger’s candidacy.

"Alaskans saw right through Chuck Schumer and Mary Peltola’s tricks to confuse and deceive them with a sham candidate," NRSC Regional Press Secretary Nick Puglia said in a statement. "Nobody delivers for Alaskans like Senator Dan Sullivan, which is why Alaska Last Democrats like Mary Peltola are stooping so low."

Dan J. Sullivans’ attempt to qualify for the primary ballot also sparked sharp criticism from Senate Republicans, who are expected to aggressively campaign to defend Sullivan’s seat.

"Even by Chuck Schumer's low standards, this was an outrageous attempt to trick Alaska voters and rig the election," Senate Republican Conference Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said Monday.

US won't move troops despite 'signed' Iran deal, as doubts linger over Tehran's next move

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 16:35:13 -0400

The Trump administration will keep its military buildup in the Middle East in place despite signing a new agreement with Iran, underscoring Washington's continued distrust of Iran as the two sides enter a 60-day negotiating period.

"The plan is to keep the current force posture during the 60-day negotiations," a senior U.S. official told reporters on a call Monday. "We hope to draw them down, but we're not doing that yet."

"The agreement contemplates the reduction of military forces in the region upon the agreement of a final deal," the official added.

Officials said President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf already have signed the memorandum, and that the details of the agreement will be released publicly within the next 24 to 48 hours. A formal signing ceremony is expected later in the week.

BUILT FOR WEEKS OF WAR: INSIDE THE FIREPOWER THE US HAS POSITIONED IN THE MIDDLE EAST

The decision means the Pentagon will maintain a military posture that recently included roughly 50,000 troops deployed across the Middle East, one of the largest U.S. force concentrations in the region in more than two decades. Publicly available fleet tracking data indicate at least two carrier strike groups remain in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

Officials repeatedly stressed that any sanctions relief, asset releases or future concessions would be tied to verification and Iranian performance, not promises alone, with one senior official acknowledging the two sides remain in the early stages of "building trust."

That lack of trust was evident in the administration's description of the agreement, which differs in key respects from accounts published by Iranian officials and state-linked media.

VANCE SAYS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S KEY OBJECTIVES HAVE BEEN REACHED IN US-IRAN DEAL

White House officials insisted Monday that no frozen Iranian assets have been released and said any sanctions relief would be conditioned on Iranian performance during the upcoming negotiations.

"The very simple fact is, $0 of unfrozen assets have been released by the United States or any other country," one official said.

Iranian officials and state-linked media, meanwhile, have described the framework as paving the way for the release of roughly $24 billion in frozen Iranian funds and broader economic relief during the negotiation period.

White House officials disputed reports that any funds have already been released and repeatedly emphasized that future economic concessions would be earned through compliance rather than granted upfront.

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

"We'll do some small gestures of that in the beginning, if they make some small gestures to us," an official said.

While Trump has portrayed the agreement as a potential turning point in U.S.–Iran relations, the memorandum itself is narrower in scope. The framework extends the ceasefire, establishes a 60-day negotiating window and seeks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas shipments normally pass.

The reopening of the Strait may prove to be the agreement's most immediate and economically significant effect. White House officials said the memorandum provides for the opening of the waterway and the lifting of the naval blockade, though they cautioned that commercial shipping could take days or weeks to return to normal levels as mines are cleared and shipping companies regain confidence in the route.

Officials also said the agreement requires the Strait to remain open toll-free during the 60-day negotiating period. The administration expects shipping traffic to increase significantly over the coming days, easing pressure on global energy markets.

The deal, officials said, creates a framework under which Iran could eventually receive sanctions relief and broader access to the global economy in exchange for verifiable steps to ensure it does not rebuild its nuclear program and curbs support for terrorism and regional instability.

"If they're willing to behave like a normal country, then we're willing to treat them like a normal country," one official said.

The prospect of renewed traffic through the Strait has already reverberated through global markets. Oil prices fell following news of the agreement as traders bet that one of the world's most important energy choke points could soon return to normal operations.

SEE IT: UFC legend denies posting alleged Eric Trump DMs, claims he was hacked

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 16:01:42 -0400

Former UFC champion Daniel Cormier told Fox News Digital that he did not post viral screenshots alleging an exchange with Eric Trump in which the president's son asked for inside intel about fighter injuries and whether any fights were "rigged" ahead of UFC Freedom 250 at the White House.

The now-deleted post from Cormier showed screenshots of what appeared to be direct messages between himself and Eric Trump, with Trump reaching out to Cormier ahead of Sunday’s spectacle asking who he had winning, if any fighters were injured and "cutting to the chase" if any of the fights are rigged.

"They’re not real," Cormier told Fox News Digital when asked what happened with the posts showing the alleged messages with Trump.

"I can’t believe you guys believed that. Like, who believes that?" he said.

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The conversation caught national attention as a potential cheating scandal as it appears to show Trump trying to leverage inside information that could be used toward advancing his own bets.

The account that is labeled as Trump in the screenshots shows a message saying, "I’ll just cut to the chase...are any of the fights tomorrow rigged? I’ve been eyeing the Lopes fight and I think an upset wouldn’t be too unrealistic. $$."

The exchange ends with an alleged reply from Cormier to Trump saying, "No none of our fights rigged and honestly I am appalled you would even ask me something like that."

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

Both Cormier and Trump posted on X Sunday evening, leading up to the main event of the night, claiming the post was fake. Cormier asked if "people were really that dumb," while Trump posted that the whole thing was "completely fake."

In another post, Trump referred to the screenshots as "fake, AI-generated screenshots" and said he has never even spoken to Cormier.

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Cormier told Fox News Digital that he was hacked and he was not the one to post the alleged interaction to social media.

"I got hacked or something," he said when asked if he was denying posting it to his social media.

He continued, "Who believes stuff like that? That's crazy."

Cormier also told Fox News Digital that the reporting that he posted this is wrong.

"Yeah, absolutely," he said when asked if the journalists claiming he posted it to social media are wrong.

Reporter's Notebook: Lawmakers scramble as FISA fight comes at the worst possible time

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 15:56:15 -0400

There’s the World Cup. America’s 250th birthday. And the conflict with Iran.

It’s all a nightmare national security hat trick.

"It’s the highest we’ve ever seen," said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Fox News Sunday about the terrorism threat level. "When I say we arrest terrorists every single week, I’m not exaggerating. Those aren’t the individuals that are coming across our border, those are individuals that are still inside this country."

But lawmakers are scared now that the nation’s premier anti-terrorism tool — called FISA Section 702 — expired over the weekend.

EXPIRING SPY LAW SPARKS WARNINGS OF 'FATAL' CONSEQUENCES AHEAD OF WORLD CUP

"I hope and pray to God that nothing happens in this country where an American is killed," said Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio.

"We want to prevent the next 9/11 from happening," said Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., on Fox.

"This program goes dark at a time when there are literally hundreds of thousands of people coming to this country for the World Cup," said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.

Well, not quite.

"FISA is operative until next March. That's the legislation," said Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Confused? You’re not the only one. Let me explain.

SPY PROGRAM CREDITED WITH STOPPING TAYLOR SWIFT TERROR PLOT BARRELS TOWARD EXPIRATION

Legal authority sanctioned by Congress for this powerful intelligence-gathering weapon to foil terrorism expired at 11:59:59 p.m. ET Friday night. If nearly any other statute other than FISA Section 702 expired, the government couldn’t continue to rely on the program.

"It's a very inopportune time to allow the authorizing statute for 702 to lapse," conceded George Croner, a former National Security Agency counsel. "It has proven to be the most useful by far of any of the intelligence programs that the community has available to it."

That’s why there’s worry about unprecedented vulnerabilities with the program expiring. Especially right now.

"I think that it's completely irresponsible to have FISA go dark at the beginning of the World Cup," said Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., on FOX Business.

A bipartisan coalition tanked an emergency FISA extension in both bodies of Congress last week.

"It should have been voted down," said Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo. "And I don't say that lightly."

"We don't have the guts to fix it. And I'm tired of hearing people are going to die," said Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., scoffing at potential consequences from a program which ran its statutory course.

The House rejected a three-week patch to paper over an imminent lapse in the program on Thursday.

"Anybody who votes no on this bill is voting to undermine America's national security," said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La.

CONSERVATIVE FISA REVOLT POSES FRESH TEST FOR SPEAKER JOHNSON

But the GOP House majority failed to muster even 200 yeas for the bill. Nineteen Republicans bolted. They have privacy concerns and raised questions about illegal searches and seizures.

"The Fourth Amendment is not a suggestion. We have to have a warrant," said Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas.

Still, Republican leaders claimed that it was Democratic resistance which put the country at risk.

"(Democrats) are willing to jeopardize the safety and the security of the American people to make a cheap political point," said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

But there was a reason Democrats balked.

Congress punted renewing FISA Section 702 on multiple occasions over the past few months, repeatedly approving stopgap measures. Finally, Democrats and Republicans painstakingly negotiated a compromise which would install reforms. But Democrats withdrew their support for the deal once President Trump announced that housing czar Bill Pulte would take over on a temporary basis for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

Democrats noted that Pulte lacked any national security or intelligence experience. Moreover, they believed he could weaponize intelligence programs like Section 702 against political opponents.

TULSI GABBARD CHANGES TUNE ON CONTROVERSIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOL FOLLOWING GOP LOBBYING

Ironically, both sides thought this was ironed out before Memorial Day. But Senate Democrats pulled their votes to advance the FISA measure in a pre-dawn vote late last month.

Still, there’s concern about the consequences of not having FISA Section 702 fully in place.

"Do Democrats not sleep at night if, God forbid, there's something that happens with FISA turned off?" yours truly asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

"Donald Trump should lose sleep," countered Jeffries. "Because Donald Trump decided he wants to elevate Bill Pulte, who is nothing more than a malignant political hack."

Here’s how the program works:

FISA siphons the calls, emails and texts of foreign intelligence targets that the U.S. tracks. A special, secret court oversees FISA. But it ruled that the intelligence services can still track suspect communications through well into 2026 – despite a break in the law.

"Data can still be collected for a year after it expires. So I don't think it's as dire as some think it is," said Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo.

She’s not the only one.

"(FISA) will not lapse. I try to make this clear. The statute makes it clear that the authorities of FISA are going to be positive and enforceable for the remainder of this year. We think, until March of next year," said Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill.

TRUMP SIGNS STOPGAP FISA EXTENSION AFTER SENATE BLOCKS LONG-TERM RENEWAL

However, it’s unclear if telecommunications companies will provide digital breadcrumbs to the government, lacking a Congressional safeguard.

"That is a gray area and it's one of the things that we're going to have to work through," said Jeffries.

Croner, the former NSA counsel, says people shouldn’t worry about the government lacking a FISA Section 702 law. But he offered a caveat.

"The carriers are going to become, in my view, increasingly uncomfortable with not having statutory protection for their part in 702 collection," said Croner.

When reporting on Congress, you’re only as good as your sources. And the same can be said in spy craft. The government’s digital spooks can’t track possible terrorists if the telecom data vanishes.

It was believed a path emerged to re-up FISA late last week. Just as the Senate departed for the week, the President nominated Jay Clayton as the permanent DNI. Clayton’s confirmation hearing is Wednesday before the Senate Intelligence Committee. It’s possible the Senate could step on the gas and try to confirm Clayton on the floor as early as this week. That could clear the path to reauthorize FISA.

"The only factor was Bill Pulte," said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., about Democrats dropping their support for a FISA renewal. "And that factor is now, I think, set on the sideline. It should pave the way."

Republicans will likely vote to confirm Clayton. But Democrats aren’t so sure.

"We have to look very clearly at Jay Clayton," said Reed. "He's a very accomplished lawyer. But the statute requires someone taking this job to have significant national security experience. That has to be measured. I don't think he does."

So the Senate may confirm Clayton. But does that guarantee passage of FISA? Not necessarily. President Trump altered the playing field again over the weekend.

He’s now demanding that lawmakers connect an extension of FISA Section 702 to the SAVE America Act. That bill is the touchstone of the President’s 2026 agenda. It requires proof of citizenship to vote. While popular among Republicans, the SAVE America Act didn’t even command a simple majority on two test votes in the Senate this spring.

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: TRUMP'S SAVE ACT ULTIMATUM RUNS INTO SENATE REALITY

A mix of Democrats and Republicans are necessary to pass FISA. There’s too much internal GOP opposition. Latching the SAVE America Act to FISA Section 702 is a poison pill to Democrats. The measure would never command 60 votes and break a filibuster in the Senate.

So where does this land?

As Croner suggests, things are likely OK for now, despite the threats. However, a long statuary breach for FISA isn’t good.

You’re only as good as your sources in journalism. And perhaps to prevent a terrorist attack, you’re only as good as the law.

Left-wing distraction of Trump's UFC event falls flat as bitter celebrities mocked online

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 14:59:22 -0400

The political left's attempt to counter-program President Donald Trump's UFC event on the White House lawn Sunday night ended in widespread online mockery as celebrities and media personalities who have publicly complained for a decade about President Donald Trump offered more of the same.

The event, called "Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment," was hosted by far-left activist and actress Jane Fonda, nicknamed "Hanoi Jane," and the Committee for the First Amendment in New York City. Participants spent three hours railing against Trump, recycling talking points about "fascism" and "authoritarianism" that have been repeatedly levied against the president since he first took office in 2016.

The event was streamed on numerous left-wing YouTube channels, and also aired on C-SPAN.

Bette Midler, an 80-year-old actress and activist, took center stage to perform her own rendition of Woody Guthrie's "All You Fascists Bound to Lose," backed by four other singers. She changed some of the lyrics to the song to make it anti-ICE themed.

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"All you fascists bound to lose," the song began. "Lose, you fascists bound to lose."

"We'll battle ICE together, until they cut and run, just like in Minneapolis, and when the midterms come you're bound to lose, you fascists bound to lose," it continued.

The song also made reference to the Jeffrey Epstein files and claims that Republicans are "protecting pedophiles."

BETTE MIDLER LATEST TO ASSAULT PEOPLE'S EARS WITH TERRIBLE PROTEST SONG

Midler was mocked for her performance.

"Shew! I just saw a bunch of literal fascists getting ready to take down the country, BUT LUCKILY, Bette Midler and her super powerful squad stopped them at the gate... lol," one popular X user needled.

Another post criticized Midler as another one of the "dusty relics who peaked decades ago" who performed at the anti-Trump show.

DEMOCRATIC PROTESTS DURING PRESIDENT TRUMP'S SPEECH MOCKED BY LIBERAL MEDIA FIGURES

"These people aren’t just out of touch. They’re clinically insane," the post added.

Ex-MSNBC host Joy Reid used her platform at the event to blame the Trump administration for her own firing and the firings of other former television personalities.

"The threat is not coming, friends. It is here," she warned. "Brendan Carr, the man who wrote the blueprint to dismantle the FCC and Project 2025 is now running it. He is weaponizing the agency to bully and control the press and suppress the wider televised media."

WHITE HOUSE FIRES BACK AFTER ROBERT DE NIRO, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN TAKE TRUMP SWIPES AMID COLBERT'S FAREWELL WEEK

"Don Lemon arrested, Georgia Fort arrested, Terry Moran fired from ABC, Scott Pelley fired from CBS by the clack of far-right ideologues who bought it and handed it over to a zealot named Bari Weiss who may soon also control CNN. Jim Acosta out at CNN. Karen Attiah fired from the Washington Post and me, more than a year ago," she listed.

"All of us shown the door for just doing our jobs, standing up to the administration and in my case, also for speaking out against the genocide."

Right-wing commentator Stephen Miller, not to be confused with the top Trump aide of the same name, didn't take kindly to Reid's comments.

"Nothing she says here is true but she has the right friends in media so they will all applaud. Joy Reid is a bat s--- crazy conspiracy theorist who they all accept because of the right politics," he said on X.

GREEN DAY FRONTMAN TELLS ICE AGENTS TO 'QUIT THAT S----Y JOB' AT SUPER BOWL PARTY PERFORMANCE

Soon thereafter, children's singer and entertainer known as Ms. Rachel, who has been protesting outside the ICE detention facility Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey, joined several children on stage to complain about federal officers enforcing U.S. law.

Later, about 40 people in a group called Singing Resistance New York performed an amateurish jingle while screaming: "No one is getting left behind this time."

TURNING POINT USA'S PATRIOTIC SUPER BOWL ALTERNATIVE EARNS PRAISE AS MILLIONS TUNE IN OVER BAD BUNNY

"It is impossible to describe how much worse this is than Kid Rock doing an alternative Super Bowl halftime show," said Ian Miller, a writer at Outkick.

"'No one is getting left behind this time' from what?" conservative personality Libby Emmons asked. "And who are they singing about? And how are they so off-key? Rise Up Sing Out looks like a total bust."

Actor Robert De Niro also took the stage over the weekend to say he couldn't love America while it's led by Trump, and compared supporters to those in an abusive relationship.

"I hate to say it, but loving our country is starting to sound like an abused spouse saying they love their abuser," he said. "I can’t love a country that’s led by a racist, misogynist, xenophobic tyrant."

DE NIRO GETS EMOTIONAL, TEARY-EYED AS HE CALLS ON PEOPLE TO 'RESIST, RESIST, RESIST' TRUMP DURING INTERVIEW

The multi-millionaire film star then started a "Go f--k yourself" chant with the crowd, aimed at the 47th president.

He, too, drew heat from observers.

"Oh no, I’m being abused by the country that made me rich and famous beyond my wildest dreams! Help, help! I’m being oppressed!" one commentator said in response.

"'I only love America when we’re in charge'" great message Bob," said another.

Gavin Newsom claims Trump ordered DOJ probe targeting him and his wife

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 14:45:31 -0400

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday said that the Justice Department is investigating him and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, under orders from President Donald Trump.

"After calling for my arrest last year, Donald Trump directed his Department of Justice to investigate me," he said in a video statement. "And just in the last week, I’ve learned his campaign has reached my own home: to get me, he’s coming after my wife, Jen."

The governor also claimed the investigation is intended to undermine any potential White House bid he may pursue in the future.

Sources familiar told Fox News that the investigation has been ongoing since 2025 and that the probe is based on whistleblower complaints related to Newsom and his wife's personal finances. The case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Sacramento.

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"Donald Trump isn’t just coming after me because of my mean Tweets. He’s coming after me because I am considering running for President," he said. "Because he hates that I’ve consistently called him out – over and over again – for his lies and deceit. Donald Trump is simply the most corrupt President in American history."

Newsom's wife, Jennifer, is a documentary filmmaker who runs The Representation Project, a nonprofit organization that seeks to advance feminism through media production. The charity has attracted "pay-for-play" allegations, with critics claiming that corporations with business interests in California donate to the organization to gain influence over Newsom.

"There are clearly no boundaries to what Donald Trump will do to get his way or to challenge those who get in his way. This is not presidential behavior, and the Governor and I will continue to speak truth to power because the American people deserve so much more," Jennifer Siebel Newsom said in a statement to Fox News.

″One by one, anyone who has challenged Donald Trump has ended up on his hit list," Newsom said in a video statement. "And today, I proudly join that list."

Since Trump took office, the DOJ has set its sights on a number of Trump's foes. Among them are former FBI Director James Comey, former National Security Advisor John Bolton, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Sen. Adam Schiff, and former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

Trump and Newsom have engaged in a number of high-profile clashes in recent years.

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In November 2025, for instance, Trump nationalized the California National Guard to address anti-immigration enforcement protests in Los Angeles, prompting Newsom to sue to regain control of the forces. The two have repeatedly traded blows over issues such as crime, homelessness and environmental issues.

The California governor's office referred Fox News Digital to a fact sheet claiming that federal investigators spent months trying to indict Newsom and, upon failing, widened their search for criminal activity. The fact sheet also asserts that federal agents have subpoenaed records and conducted interviews covering years of activity.

CNN PANELIST COMPARES HUNTER BIDEN, GAVIN NEWSOM MASH UP TO 'WEIRD TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES’

Sources familiar told Fox News that there have been grand jury subpoenas, though did not specify who was subpoenaed nor their relation to the investigation into Newsom.

The DOJ did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Monday.

Fox News' David Spunt, Jake Gibson and Olivia Palombo contributed to this story.