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From Wasserman Schultz to Goldman, Democratic incumbents are fighting for survival

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 10:00:49 -0400

As Democrats seek to reclaim power in November's midterm elections, some of the party's long-standing progressives are in danger of losing their seats.

The warning signs are flashing red in hotly contested primaries across the country, from a longtime ally of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who is facing a challenger four decades younger, to a senior New York lawmaker seeking to fend off a Mamdani-backed opponent.

Not every race has a clear ideological divide, but every challenger is running on an anti-establishment message. Some are also advocating for generational change.

NY DEM WOULDN’T BACK MAMDANI FOR MAYOR — NOW MAMDANI IS BACKING HIS CHALLENGER

Though sitting lawmakers are historically difficult to defeat, a wave of anti-incumbent fever appears to be taking hold among voters. Four incumbents — including Reps. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, and Thomas Massie, R-Ky. — have already lost their re-election bids to primary challengers this cycle.

The following are the progressive lawmakers who could be next.

Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., 50, a prominent Trump foe who served as Democrats' lead counsel during President Donald Trump's first impeachment trial, is running as an endangered incumbent in a Democratic-heavy district spanning Lower Manhattan and deep-blue pockets of Brooklyn.

Former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, 56, who has the backing of Mamdani and leading progressives in Congress, is mounting an insurgent campaign from Goldman’s left. Leading progressive Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and the left-wing Working Families Party are also supporting his candidacy.

Goldman's endorsements from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., may not be enough to secure a third House term. Recent polling of the race shows Lander carving out a significant lead despite Goldman, who is one of the wealthiest members of Congress, outspending the progressive challenger.

Though Goldman has faced attacks from the left, he is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC). He has also supported a bevy of far-left proposals, including the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Green New Deal legislation and Medicare-for-all. If Democrats retake power in November, he’s vowing to help lead a third impeachment of Trump.

But Israel has become a key fault line in the contest. Lander has sharply criticized the incumbent's ties to the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC and his votes to supply Israel with military aid.

LEFT-WING ACTIVISTS HECKLE PRO-ISRAEL DEMOCRAT HALEY STEVENS AT MICHIGAN CONVENTION

Lander has also labeled Israel's war in Gaza a "genocide" — a term Goldman has distanced himself from. Both men are Jewish.

Mamdani is also seeking to flex his political muscle in another hotly contested New York City primary that could end the career of a senior progressive lawmaker.

Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, is facing a serious challenge from upstart candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier, a socialist and activist who joined Columbia University's pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

MAMDANI STANDS BY FELLOW SOCIALIST CANDIDATE DESPITE RESURFACED FAR-LEFT, ANTI-AMERICAN POSTS

Mamdani threw a wrench into Espaillat's re-election bid when he made the surprise decision to endorse Avila Chevalier, 32, just weeks before the primary. The move has led to fierce backlash from some of the party’s establishment, who alleged that Mamdani privately pledged to Espaillat that he would support his bid for a sixth House term, multiple outlets reported.

Espaillat, 71, is seeking to fend off a challenge from his left flank despite membership in the Congressional Progressive Caucus and his support for ICE's dismantlement. He has also touted his background as the first former illegal immigrant elected to Congress.

Avila Chevalier has sparked controversy over since-deleted social media posts in which she voiced support for open borders, abolishing the police and called former President Joe Biden a "rapist," according to CNN.

The deep-blue district covering parts of Upper Manhattan and the West Bronx is a progressive stronghold that swung hard for Mamdani's mayoral campaign last year. Espaillat notably did not endorse Mamdani's campaign until after his primary win over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D-N.Y.

Jeffries, who represents a neighboring Brooklyn district, has vowed to help give Espaillat a sixth House term.

"Adriano Espaillat has been a tremendous leader," Jeffries told CNN on Tuesday. "He's leading in terms of battling Donald Trump."

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., a junior member of House Democratic leadership, is gearing up for a tough re-election fight after Republicans carved up her deep-blue seat during redistricting earlier this year.

The 11-term incumbent sparked controversy after filing to run in a plurality-Black district that has been represented by a Black lawmaker for more than three decades.

She is expected to face four Black opponents ahead of the August primary, including former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., who is making a long-shot run for the seat after resigning amid an expulsion threat earlier this year. Cherfilus-McCormick is also facing a pending federal criminal indictment over alleged financial crimes that could result in more than 50 years in prison if convicted.

BIG LOSS FOR DEMOCRAT WHO WANTED ‘ZIONISTS’ IN CAMPS MAY STILL SIGNAL BIG TROUBLE ON HORIZON

Local Black leaders publicly urged Wasserman Schultz to run for a different seat, but she moved forward with seeking the Democratic nomination in Florida’s 20th Congressional District.

While the four Black candidates have reportedly met to discuss unifying behind one individual to take on Wasserman Schultz, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has thus far declined to bail her out.

The leading Democrat has repeatedly stopped short of offering his endorsement when asked by reporters, despite his long track record of backing incumbents. Jeffries has issued effusive praise for Wasserman Schultz’s record in Congress but signaled his concern that the incumbent’s victory could potentially decrease Black representation in Congress.

"I think we all recognize the sensitivities of the moment in terms of an unprecedented Jim Crow-like assault on Black political representation that has been unleashed by the Supreme Court's outrageous decision to gut the Voting Rights Act," Jeffries said during a news conference earlier in June when asked about Wasserman Schultz’s candidacy. "And it's an environment that all of us need to be sensitive to as we move forward."

HOUSE DEMOCRATS' CAMPAIGN ARM DRAWS PROGRESSIVE FURY FOR TRYING TO 'TIP THE SCALES' IN KEY HOUSE PRIMARY

Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., advanced to November’s general election after surviving California’s top-two primary system last week, but her leftist challenger received a higher share of the vote.

Mai Vang, 41, a progressive Sacramento city councilmember campaigning on generational change, is seeking to unseat Matsui, 81, who is twice her age. As of Thursday, Vang outperformed Matsui by one percentage point in the primary contest.

The Democratic candidates will face off for the Democratic-leaning district in November after shutting out the single Republican in the race.

Matsui has represented the Sacramento-anchored district for more than two decades and has never faced a serious primary challenger prior to Vang. Her husband, Robert Matsui, previously represented the seat for roughly 25 years prior to his death in 2005.

Matsui has long allied herself with Pelosi, who endorsed her reelection campaign for a 12th House term. She has also donated to her campaign.

Vang is endorsed by the progressive, anti-incumbent organization Justice Democrats and Our Revolution, a group formed by Sanders staffers after his failed 2016 presidential campaign.

She faced scrutiny during the primary contest after videos surfaced of her refusing to face the American flag and say the Pledge of Allegiance during city council meetings.

Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, one of Trump's most vocal critics in Congress, lost his bid for a 12th House term in May.

Green, 78, came up short in a Democratic primary runoff election for a Houston-area district against Rep. Christian Menefee, D-Texas, 38. The two incumbents faced off for a Democratic-heavy district after Republicans' redistricting efforts effectively forced both men to compete for the same seat.

Menefee, who was first elected to Congress in February, is seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party and ran on a message of new leadership.

REP AL GREEN TELLS HOMELAND SECURITY SEC MULLIN SHUT CALLING RACIST HEARING

Green faced widespread backlash over disrupting Trump's addresses to Congress two years in a row. After his outburst toward the president during a 2025 speech, Green was formally censured by Congress in a bipartisan vote.

Green has also repeatedly tried to impeach Trump. His most recent impeachment attempts since Trump retook office in 2025 were scuttled in part by Democratic opposition.

Trump mocked Green after his primary loss in a post on Truth Social.

"Congratulations to the Dumocrat Party!" Trump wrote. "Al Green, one of the most mentally deficient Congressmen in the history of our Country, has lost, in a landslide, his seat in Congress — but I will miss that lunatic not screaming and violently waving his cane at me during my next State of the Union Speech."

These 11 upcoming Supreme Court decisions could make or break Trump's second term agenda

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 09:07:08 -0400

As the Supreme Court enters the final stretch of its term, a flood of closely watched decisions could determine not only the fate of several of President Donald Trump’s key policy priorities but also the scope of presidential authority for years to come.

Around the marbled halls and chambers, the final weeks of June are often known as "flood season," the annual rush to complete opinions before the justices leave Washington for their summer recess. The nine justices and their law clerks are on tight, self-imposed deadlines to write and circulate final drafts of opinions in cases big and small.

This year, 23 cases remain unresolved after the court heard arguments in nearly 60 disputes during the term. Among them are four appeals involving executive actions by Trump, two election-related disputes and separate questions involving gun rights and transgender rights.

Several of the remaining disputes share a common thread: how much power a president can exercise over federal policy and the executive branch. The rulings could significantly affect Trump’s ability to advance his second-term agenda, particularly on immigration and government oversight, while further defining the boundaries between the White House, Congress and the courts.

TRUMP'S PRESIDENCY FACES CRUCIAL TESTS AS SUPREME COURT BEGINS PIVOTAL TERM

The court's last day before its traditional summer recess is still unknown, even to its nine members, but they hope to finish up by month's end. However, given the divided court's compressed workload, that is no guarantee.

Here are 11 remaining opinions that we are closely watching.

Arguably the most closely watched Supreme Court case remaining to be decided, this challenge centers on President Trump's Executive Order 14160, an effort to limit automatic citizenship for children born to parents who entered the country illegally.

The case could define the limits of presidential power by determining whether a president can change a longstanding interpretation of citizenship law without Congress.

Trump made history by personally attending oral arguments in March, becoming the first sitting president to do so — but that did not seem to matter.

The Supreme Court openly pushed back against the administration's sweeping efforts to restrict who can be called an American, expressing varying levels of skepticism about the claim a citizenship "privilege" has been historically abused and wrongly granted to those whose parents were in the country illegally or temporarily.

A ruling against Trump would affirm the longstanding legal, political and social consensus supporting the idea of granting automatic citizenship to all babies born in the country, regardless of their parents' immigration or temporary visitor status.

INSIDE SUPREME COURT: HOW TRUMP HEARD BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ARGUMENTS

Immigration-related executive power is also at the center of Mullin v. Doe, Dahlia and Trump v. Miot, cases involving the administration’s effort to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) protections from certain Haitian and Syrian migrants living in the U.S.

The TPS program currently covers roughly 1.3 million people fleeing war and natural disasters from 17 countries and allows them to live and work in the country for a limited time.

CHECKS AND BALANCES: TRUMP, SUPPORTERS SEEK TO PUSH BACK AGAINST 'ACTIVIST' JUDGES

The administration argues the Department of Homeland Security has broad discretion to end some Temporary Protected Status protections for migrants from certain countries, arguing protections are intended to be temporary. Migrant advocates counter that federal law requires specific procedures and allows courts to review those decisions.

The conservative court majority has signaled its support for the Homeland Security secretary's discretionary power to revoke deportation protections for 13 countries on the TPS list.

SUPREME COURT PREPARES FOR MAJOR TEST OF PRESIDENTIAL POWER IN TRUMP EFFORTS TO FIRE FEDERAL RESERVE GOVERNOR

In Trump v. Cook, the justices are weighing whether Trump can dismiss Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook.

Based on January's oral arguments, the court appears ready to give President Trump one of his biggest legal setbacks in office, offering strong support for Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook remaining in her leadership position — at least for now.

The questions of presidential power deal with whether Trump has broad unilateral executive authority to fire someone from the central bank, despite its special status as a stand-alone federal agency.

In arguments, most on the court seemed skeptical of Trump's actions.

"That's your position that there's no judicial review, no process required, no remedy available?" Justice Brett Kavanaugh told the Justice Department's Solicitor General D. John Sauer. "Very low bar for 'cause' that the president alone determines? I mean, that would weaken, if not shatter, the independence of the Federal Reserve."

But a separate case involving presidential firing authority, Trump v. Slaughter, could have even broader implications. Former Federal Trade Commission Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter is challenging her removal from the agency, setting up a direct test of a 1935 Supreme Court precedent set in Humphrey's Executor v. United States that limits a president’s ability to fire members of independent regulatory commissions except only for "cause."

A ruling favoring the administration could strengthen presidential control over agencies that regulate everything from communications and consumer safety to labor policy and financial markets, and a ruling in Slaughter's favor could greatly restrict the president's powers.

SUPREME COURT SHOWDOWN: TRUMP'S STRATEGY TO TEST LIMITS OF HIS POWER COULD SPELL DOOM FOR ADMINISTRATIVE STATE

The stakes could be enormous for how the federal government is run. Independent regulatory agencies and boards help manage almost every aspect of American life — from transportation safety, labor relations and the environment to Social Security and finance. Agencies include the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Reserve.

At issue is a federal law that caps coordinated spending between political parties and candidates running for Congress and the White House.

The high court in recent years, led by Chief Justice John Roberts, has tossed aside congressionally enacted federal campaign spending limits.

THE BIGGEST SUPREME COURT DECISIONS OF 2024: FROM PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY TO OVERTURNING THE CHEVRON DOCTRINE

And the six conservative justices appear ready to do so again, and could upend a nearly quarter-century opinion limiting how the major political parties spend tens of millions of dollars, much of it going to television advertising.

The dispute underscores a divide over whether campaign spending restrictions intended to prevent corruption improperly infringe on free speech rights guaranteed by the First Amendment.

At issue is a Mississippi law allowing election officials to count mail-in ballots received after Election Day, provided they were mailed on time.

SCOTUS CONSERVATIVES SIGNAL READINESS TO CURB LATE-ARRIVING MAIL BALLOTS

Mississippi is one of about 14 states, the District of Columbia and three territories that permit a grace period ranging from one day to several weeks during which regular ballots can be counted, so long as those ballots are postmarked on or before Election Day.

That is currently the case in California, where final results from the June 2 election may not be known for another couple of weeks or more.

The justices are deciding whether federal Election Day statutes preempt various state laws and may clarify exactly what "the election" means when it comes to the casting and receipt of ballots.

The outcome could rest with Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who could cast the deciding votes.

The court is also considering a pair of cases involving transgender athletes and school sports. In Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J., the justices are weighing whether state laws that restrict transgender girls and women from competing on female athletic teams violate the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause or federal protections under Title IX.

Almost 30 states have laws limiting participation for transgender females who were designated male at birth, in both public school and college athletics, and officials say their restrictions are a matter of ensuring a level playing field and student safety.

SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW STATE BANS ON TRANSGENDER ATHLETES' PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL SPORTS

But lawyers for a high school sophomore and a college senior counter those prohibitions are clearly discriminatory, and that the issues should be about equality and dignity for every student, free from politics and misinformation.

The high court is examining whether the laws unconstitutionally discriminate on the basis of sex.

The challenge targets a Hawaii law that prohibits individuals, including concealed-carry permit holders, from bringing firearms onto private property open to the public unless the owner has expressly granted permission.

This case could come down to whether property rights trump gun rights, and how those rights interact.

GUN RIGHTS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY DEBATED AT SUPREME COURT

A group of gun owners in Maui are challenging those default permission rules, arguing the law improperly makes it a crime to bear arms even where the owner of property accessible to the public is merely silent. They refer to these laws as "vampire rules," a nod to the legend of Dracula, who could not enter a room without being invited.

But Hawaii officials told the high court the restrictions balance gun and property rights, citing a long tradition in the Aloha State of limiting all kinds of dangerous weapons, dating back to when it was a monarchy.

A separate Second Amendment case still unresolved deals with the federal government's law banning people with a "habitual" use of marijuana from legally keeping a firearm.

The "guns and ganja" dispute centers on whether the widespread use of cannabis in recent decades — legal in some form in 40 states — makes criminalizing "mere possession" contingent on firearm ownership.

The same law was applied to former President Joe Biden's son Hunter, who was convicted under Section 922(g)(3), which bars any "unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance" from possessing a firearm.

Party Poopers' Fight Card: Jane Fonda, 'No Kings,' communists roll out rival spectacle to Trump's 250th

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 08:39:32 -0400

As President Donald Trump prepares to celebrate America's 250th anniversary today with a UFC event at the White House, a national network of angry activists has assembled its own fight card: a celebrity concert headlined by Jane Fonda, hundreds of "watch parties," local organizing events including a "RAGE AGAINST THE CAGE!" protest and a coordinated operation aimed at fighting Trump "through the midterm elections and beyond."

About 400 organizations in the "No Kings" coalition with combined annual revenues of about $3 billion have organized Sunday's nationwide protest operation. Internal planning documents obtained by Fox News Digital show organizers' plan to using the concerts, watch parties and local gatherings to build momentum for a political organizing network.

At 4 p.m., in one of day's many planned sideshows, "Refuse Fascism," a pro-communism group, plans its "RAGE AGAINST THE CAGE!" protest at McPherson Square near the White House. UFC fighter Sean Strickland released a video on social media, saying he had booked a ticket to protest at the White House for allegedly being cut from the main event for criticizing the state of Israel and the war in Iran. "Ill bring a bullhorn," he wrote in his social media post.

Meanwhile, the Women's March, a multi-millon-dollar nonprofit enterprise, has rented portable toilets that its staffers are setting up from noon to 6 p.m. at Farragut Square, blocks from the White House, for a protest dubbed "Dump on Trump."

A 16-page "No Kings Event Host Toolkit" describes June 14 as an opportunity to convert mass demonstrations into local political infrastructure. Organizers frame the event as a counter to Trump's hosting of the White House UFC event, saying "we will be doing the real work of democracy." The materials describe watch parties as "strategic community gatherings designed to build deep local connections and lay the grassroots infrastructure we need to defend our rights through the midterm elections and beyond."

Indivisible, a Democratic nonprofit funded by mega-donor George Soros, handed the headline role to the 88-year-old Fonda's "Committee for the First Amendment," which is hosting the day's premiere counter-event in New York City at a 90-minute concert, "Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment," starting at 7:30 pm. at a theater called "The Town Hall" on 43rd Street. This weekend, tickets in the orchestra section sold for $330.15.

JANE FONDA SLAMMED DEMOCRATIC LEADERS AS 'NOT GOOD ENOUGH' IN FIGHT AGAINST TRUMP

The "Committee for the First Amendment" describes itself as "a large collective of artists, storytellers, and cultural leaders" launched in October 2025 with about 500 leading figures from the entertainment industry. They invoked the name of a group established in 1947 by Hollywood celebrities, including Lauren Bacall, Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball and Groucho Marx, to challenge Sen. Joe McCarthy's investigations into the spread of communism in the U.S. and Hollywood. Later, some members of the original "Committee for the First Amendment" were identified as communist, and original members of the group wrote that they were duped into joining the effort. Ronald Reagan, then an actor, reportedly called committee member "suckers."

Actor Humphrey Bogart even published a politically frank column, headlined, "I'm No Communist," urging fellow celebrities not to be "used as dupes by Commie organizations."

Fast forward to today, and the anti-Trump concert will feature left-wing activists including Fonda, whose controversial 1972 trip to communist North Vietnam earned her the nickname "Hanoi Jane" and sparked backlash from critics who accused her of aligning with the North Vietnamese communist regime during the Vietnam War. She's scheduled to be joined in New York City by 1970s "godmother of punk" Patti Smith, actress Bette Midler, singer Rufus Wainwright, singer Sasha Allen, former MSNBC host Joy Reid and actor Wilson Cruz.

JANE FONDA WARNS AMERICA FACES 'EXISTENTIAL' CRISIS AS SHE URGES TURNOUT AT 'NO KINGS' PROTESTS

Organizers describe the event as "an uplifting evening of song, solidarity, and action" celebrating freedoms of "speech, religion, press, assembly, and protest."

But the internal planning documents reviewed by Fox News Digital show the concert is the public-facing component of a much broader anti-Trump organizing effort designed to be a funneling agent for "the midterm elections and beyond."

The day's messaging guidance casts the June 14 showdown as an alternative political narrative of "people power."

"The lead-up to America’s 250th is a test of who we are," the guidance goes. "President Trump is choosing self-promotion. We’re choosing community, participation and people power."

Organizers repeatedly frame the effort as direct counterprogramming to Trump's event. One suggested message prepared for supporters states: "On June 14, President Trump hosts a UFC cage fight at the White House. The main event will be in our living rooms."

The "No Kings" coalition's internal materials outline an extensive organizing apparatus. Host toolkits instruct local organizers to recruit co-hosts, appoint "greeters" and safety leads, collect attendee contact information, identify future organizers and schedule follow-up organizing meetings after the concert.

One host guide tells organizers their goal is to "bring people in and move them to ongoing participation." Another instructs hosts to determine "who might help you with organizing moving forward." Before attendees leave, organizers are directed to create "a clearly defined plan" and schedule another organizing meeting within two weeks.

Taken together, the documents show an effort focused not merely on a single day of protest but on building durable activist networks after June 14.

The coalition's messaging guidance makes that objective explicit. One recommended talking point states: "He wants attention. We're building a movement."

At the same time, organizers stress legal compliance and message discipline.

The protests include a "reimbursement" program, and the material explicitly states that it's administered through Indivisible Civics, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. In a departure from the clearly partisan nature of "No Kings" protests that have as an underlying theme that Trump is "a king," the guidance for today states that events "cannot include lobbying or partisan political activity."

The reimbursement material reveals for the first time that participating groups may receive up to $500 in reimbursements for watch parties connected to the event.

FIRST ON FOX: POWERFUL HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS CHAIR THROWS HAMMER DOWN ON 'FOREIGN-ALIGNED INFLUENCE NETWORK'

The guidance further states that event's can't be "co-hosted with any political party or partisan organization" or "feature candidates running for elected office." The document also specifies that the program "cannot reimburse expenses from political rallies or protests (e.g. 'No Kings') or events hosted to prep for those activities."

The politics has been very thinly veiled. At the last "No Kings" protest in St. Paul, Minn., just like with earlier rallies, organizers, including Fonda, openly embraced Democratic politicians like Rep. Ilhan Omar, without any Republican lawmakers around.

Organizers emphasized strict commitment to a "NONVIOLENCE CLAUSE." One host guide warns: "DO NOT DELETE THE NONVIOLENCE CLAUSE. Your event will not be approved without this language."

Beyond the celebrity headliners, the campaign's leadership network overlaps with activists and organizations that have been the subject of congressional inquiries for their alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

Documents released by the House Ways and Means Committee show that attorney Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, executive director of the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit, represents the People's Forum, a nonprofit that has received millions of dollars Neville Roy Singham, an American businessman and self-described Marxist who lives in Shanghai, supporting the Chinese Communist Party. According to her official biography, Verheyden-Hilliard also serves on the steering committee of Fonda's "Committee for the First Amendment." Verheyden-Hilliard hasn't respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.

The operation is also supported by a professional communications infrastructure. Press inquiries for "Rise Up, Sing Out" are directed to Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis, a prominent New York-based public-relations firm known as "SSM&L." The organization created many of the planning documents for the New York City headline event, its name on the metadata of several documents. The PR company didn't respond to a request for comment.

Biden-appointed judge orders Trump to restore slavery, climate change references at national parks

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 08:24:20 -0400

A Biden-appointed federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore exhibits and other materials at national parks that highlighted slavery, climate change and other leftist ideology after they were removed under a directive targeting displays deemed disparaging to America.

U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley in Massachusetts, appointed to the federal bench by former President Joe Biden in 2021, issued a preliminary injunction Friday requiring the administration to reverse the changes and pause any further removals amid legal challenges.

The move comes amid the America 250 celebrations that will crescendo on July 4.

The Interior Department in a statement called Kelley a "liberal activist judge" and said it was reviewing its options to appeal its removal of what Secretary Doug Burgum rebuked as "improper partisan ideology."

'ACTIVIST' JUDGES KEEP TRYING TO CURB TRUMP’S AGENDA – HERE’S HOW HE COULD PUSH BACK

Trump’s March 27, 2025 executive order, "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History," sought to restore American heritage to national parks and monuments that were "changed to perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history" after the race riots of 2020 that might have ultimately helped fuel Biden's election.

Trump ordered Interior to "take action, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law," to ensure that all U.S. government descriptions and depictions do not "inappropriately disparage Americans past or living" – instead putting "focus on the greatness" of America.

While Kelley wrote that the plaintiffs had shown the administration’s actions were meant "to rewrite the Nation’s history with a white-out pen," Trump said he had issued the order because of the "false reconstruction" of U.S. history under Biden, the president who appointed her.

LIZ PEEK: TRUMP DECLARES WAR ON WOKE—AND THIS BELOVED MUSEUM IS IN HIS CROSSHAIRS

Removing the disparagement of Americans and highlighting of U.S. greatness set a "dangerous precedent of censorship and sanitization," according to Kelley.

FEDERAL AGENCIES SCRUB CLIMATE CHANGE FROM WEBSITES AMID TRUMP REBRANDING

The judge also ordered the administration to file weekly status reports detailing its progress in restoring the affected materials.

Among the materials Burgum's Interior removed were an exhibit at Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park describing the ownership of enslaved people by George Washington, the nation's first president, and signage detailing climate threats at Fort Sumter in South Carolina.

AMERICAN HISTORY WON'T BE DISPLAYED 'IN A WOKE MANNER' AT SMITHSONIAN, TRUMP SAYS

"Under the guise of promoting American dignity, this administration seeks to share a limited history by ordering the removal of all signs, displays, and interpretive exhibits at National Parks that do not align with its preferred narrative, thereby telling half-truths," Kelley wrote.

Trump signed the executive order to work to "restoring truth and sanity to American history" at the nation’s museums, parks and landmarks. Burgum later directed the removal of what he called "improper partisan ideology" from museums, monuments, landmarks and other public exhibits under federal control.

"Museums in our nation’s capital should be places where individuals go to learn — not to be subjected to ideological indoctrination or divisive narratives that distort our shared history," the Trump order read.

TRUMP ADMIN-MAMDANI CLASH OVER STONEWALL MONUMENT REACHES FINAL DECISIONOther changes denounced by leftist ideologues included the removal of a sign at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument in Arizona that included an image of a visitor holding a Pride flag, as well as the removal of films about labor history at Lowell National Historical Park in Massachusetts.

"What we were left, like virtually every Cabinet agency, was a complete mess from the Biden administration," Burgum told Fox News' Kayleigh McEnany on "Saturday in America," vowing that he is "cleaning up the mess that's been left with us."

"They were doing everything from climate extremism to DEI, ESG, you name it, and they were doing it all opposed to what the American people voted for and what President Trump promised the American people we would do."

Fox News Digital reached out to the Interior Department on Sunday morning for further comment.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

'The Office' star blasts political 'hypocrisy,' explains why sitcom couldn't be made today

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 04:00:54 -0400

Rainn Wilson, best known for playing Dwight Schrute on hit sitcom "The Office," says partisan hypocrisy on both sides of the political aisle is fueling America's divisions, while arguing that cancel culture has stifled modern-day comedy.

Wilson told Fox News Digital that cancel culture, a result of growing political divisions, has damaged the ability for a comedy in a show like "The Office" to thrive and be acceptable in today’s society.

"I do feel like you couldn't make The Office today," Wilson said. "I think that would be too hard to be as politically incorrect as the show was. And I do, I do kind of miss that."

He explained how, despite that both his character and actor Steve Carell’s role as Michael Scott, were purposely portrayed as lacking "self-awareness" and "a boob," the humor still would not fly or be viewed as socially acceptable in today’s society.

DAVID MARCUS: 20 YEARS AFTER ‘THE OFFICE,’ ‘THE PAPER’ TACKLES THE POST ME-TOO WORKPLACE

"We milked that for a lot of great, really inappropriate stuff," Wilson said. "But even with the fact that painting that character as just an idiot, I don't think you could get away with it today."

Aside from comedy, Wilson said one of the biggest drivers of America's political dysfunction is what he described as partisan hypocrisy, with both Republicans and Democrats quick to condemn misconduct of the opposing party while overlooking similar behavior on their own side.

Wilson used the response to Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner’s list of growing scandals throughout his campaign as an example, specifically citing the reaction to his Nazi tattoo as racist or religious discrimination.

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"The political right is all up in arms about that ‘Oh, he's a racist, see,’" Wilson explained. "But they won't look at their own side when people show racist tendencies or say racist things. And it's the same on the left. They're willing to overlook the Platner Nazi tattoo, but if it was someone from the other side that had a tattoo that was questionable, they would be all over MSNBC about it."

"It's the hypocrisy that gets me the most. It's the hypocrisy of like, both sides need to have, kind of, equal standards of behavior."

Despite his concerns about political division, Wilson argued that faith and spirituality remain one of the country's most overlooked sources of common ground.

"There's not any topic that has more commonality and mutuality than spiritual ideas," Wilson said.

"The ideas around spirituality have kind of been weaponized in terms of the national discussion, but actually the two sides have more in common than you would think."

PRIEST, PASTOR, RABBI ADDRESS 'CRISIS' OF DECLINING FAITH POPULATION IN DIVIDED AMERICA: IT'S AN 'OPPORTUNITY'

Wilson made the remarks while appearing on Capitol Hill alongside Reps. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., and Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., and religious leaders for the public release of A Common Endeavor: Realizing the Promise of America, a five-part letter backed by leaders of the Baha'i faith that works to bridge political polarization and focus on shared American values.

"The partisan divide and toxic partisanship, and corruption in partisanship, is something that the American people are very passionate about," Wilson said.

"The people want this fixed. There is an outcry from people. They want it fixed."

Trump backs MAGA champion Mike Collins in Georgia's Republican Senate runoff

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 01:27:28 -0400

President Donald Trump this weekend made an 11th-hour endorsement in a crucial Senate race in battleground Georgia, which is among a handful that will likely decide if the GOP holds its slim majority in the chamber in November's midterm elections.

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

The winner of the GOP Senate nomination 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.

"It is my Great Honor to endorse "MAGA" Mike Collins, a Highly Respected Congressman who has been with me from the very beginning," the president wrote in a social media post on Saturday night. "Mike is strongly supported by the most Highly Respected MAGA Patriots in Georgia and beyond, and many Republicans in the U.S. House and Senate — He is a WARRIOR and WINNER!"

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.

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

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

While Collins has long showcased his MAGA credentials and support for the president, Trump remained neutral in the Georgia primary and runoff election until now.

Meanwhile, Dooley is strongly backed by the term-limited Kemp, who is a lifelong friend. Kemp 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.

"I don’t know Derek Dooley, and neither does anyone else, but he seems like a nice person," Trump said of Dooley in his social media post.

GEORGIA GOP SENATE PRIMARY HEADS TO RUNOFF AS REPUBLICANS BATTLE TO UNSEAT OSSOFF

While Dooley has emphasized his outsider image and targeted Collins as a political insider, Collins has criticized him for a lack of political experience and for living outside of Georgia for much of his adult life.

Both candidates have some political baggage.

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

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

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

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

While he isn't on the ballot, the president's immense clout over the GOP is also facing another key test in Georgia's other runoff, where Trump-backed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is battling billionaire businessman Rick Jackson for the GOP gubernatorial nomination, in the race to succeed Kemp.

The brute force of the president's endorsement power has been on display in GOP primaries over the past month, 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.

Obama Presidential Center's $470M safety net under scrutiny as subcontractors say they're owed millions

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 17:17:44 -0400

Concern is mounting that taxpayers could be left holding the bag if the Obama Presidential Center runs into financial trouble, as the foundation behind it has yet to establish a promised $470 million safety net to guard against a public bailout.

The scrutiny comes as a Fox News Digital investigation found multiple contractors and subcontractors claiming losses ranging from hundreds of thousands of dollars to millions on the project, with some alleging they remain locked in payment disputes and face financial ruin just days before the center's grand opening.

Under its agreement with the city, the Obama Foundation pledged to create the fund, known as an endowment, as part of its 99-year deal to take control of the publicly owned 19.3-acre section of Jackson Park for a one-time payment of just $10.

Fox News Digital previously reported that the foundation had deposited just $1 million into the reserve fund in 2021 and that the balance remained largely unchanged in its most recent publicly available filings.

VALERIE JARRETT EARNED $740K AS OBAMA INSIDERS FILLED TOP ROLES DURING $850M PRESIDENTIAL CENTER BUILD

Concerns about the center’s financial state have raged for years, especially since construction delays and costs have ballooned from an original estimate of roughly $330 million to at least $850 million based on 2021 figures. An updated final projected cost has not been made public.

Endowment concerns

"One of their core promises was they were supposed to create an endowment as basically an insurance policy so the taxpayers wouldn’t get stuck with the bill," Illinois GOP Chair Robert Grogan told Fox News Digital outside the center last week as worker vehicles entered and exited the center.

"They promised hundreds of millions of dollars for it. It’s still sitting at the $1 million mark [where it stood] when they opened it up. So I don’t believe that they’ve kept that promise."

The contractor disputes have renewed concern of the endowment because critics argue the fund was intended to serve as a backstop if the project ever encountered financial distress. The Obama Foundation disputes suggestions that taxpayers face exposure and said the project is funded through private contributions.

Grogan said reports that contractors and subcontractors remain locked in payment disputes make the largely unfunded reserve even more problematic.

"The fact that they have created this probably unsustainable edifice to an ego and then, eventually, if it goes under, who’s going to be caught with the bill time and time again? It’s the taxpayers of the city, citizens of Chicago and the state of Illinois."

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

Richard Epstein, a New York University law professor who has spent years challenging the project in court, said the reserve fund was intended to protect against exactly this type of uncertainty.

"The whole point of an endowment is to fund future expenses," Epstein told Fox News Digital, adding that the endowment acts as a financial backup if future fundraising falls short.

"If the endowment hasn’t been filled, the building [could] fall into neglect, it then becomes a safety risk, and it turns out that nobody’s going to pay the bill," Epstein said. "The city therefore, is going to have to assume additional obligations to make sure that thing is kept in place."

Grogan said reports that contractors remain unpaid only reinforce the need for closer scrutiny and called for an investigation if allegations that subcontractors were left holding the bag prove accurate.

Subcontractor disputes raise new questions

A Fox News Digital investigation identified multiple construction firms claiming losses ranging from hundreds of thousands of dollars to tens of millions.

Outside the center last week, Adamson Plumbing President Mike Owen provided company spreadsheets to Fox News Digital, which he said showed that his firm is nearly $4 million in the red. He said that unnecessary rework, delays and more than 100 change-order requests left his company absorbing millions of dollars in additional costs.

In addition, Omar Shareef, the president of the African American Contractors Association, told Fox News Digital outside the center last Saturday that several Black-owned contractors are also in financial difficulty due to the project.

The claims raise fresh worries about the center’s long-term financial sustainability because an endowment is intended to provide a permanent source of income that can help fund future operations and cushion against financial stress. Endowments are typically invested, with a portion of the earnings used to support an institution over time.

The Obama Foundation told Fox News Digital that it is in compliance with its agreement with the city, noting that the pact required the creation of an endowment but did not specify a dollar target.

OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER DEPOSITS JUST $1M INTO $470M RESERVE FUND AIMED TO PROTECT TAXPAYERS

The foundation said the Obama Presidential Center is "fully funded" and that it plans to make "significant investments" in the endowment in the coming years.

"On the eve of our Grand Opening celebrations, we are pleased to reiterate that the Obama Presidential Center is fully funded with generous private contributions," the Obama Foundation said in a statement.

The $470 million figure emerged during public discussions surrounding the project and was later cited in the Obama Foundation's 2020 annual report, which featured a fundraising chart stating:

"$470M of our fundraising goal will go toward seeding an endowment that will sustain Obama Foundation activities and the operations of the OPC for generations to come."

The foundation previously estimated annual operating costs could reach approximately $40 million.

Nonprofit endowments are typically structured so that only a small percentage of the fund — often around 4% to 5% annually — is spent each year while the principal remains invested. The goal is to generate investment income that can help support operations over the long term without relying entirely on future fundraising. The Obama Presidential Center consists of a museum tower, digital library, athletic facilities, conference space and offices for the Obama Foundation on Chicago's South Side. The Obama Foundation is overseeing its construction and will run its day-to-day future operations.

Epstein disputed the foundation's interpretation, arguing that an endowment is intended to provide meaningful financial protection and that a promise to raise money in the future is not the same as having a funded endowment in place.

"On their view, putting a penny in an endowment fund covers all the risks," Epstein said.

"There has to be a pile of cash to fund any particular process and then ensure some kind of robustness against radical changes in the market."

Trump picks James McDonald to lead powerful Southern District of New York after Jay Clayton's departure

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 17:00:05 -0400

President Donald Trump on Saturday announced his intent to appoint James M. McDonald as the next U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY).

The high-profile position is opening up following Trump's recent nomination of the district's current U.S. attorney, Jay Clayton, to serve in his cabinet as the nation's new director of national intelligence.

"I am confident that Jamie will deliver strong results for our Country as the next United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, as he has the respect of, and will work fantastically with, our Law Enforcement Patriots, the Legal Community, and the Judicial Bench," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post announcing the pick.

TRUMP GREEN LIGHTS NEW DNI PULTE TO 'START THE PROCESS' ON MASS INTELLIGENCE FIRINGS

McDonald, an Oklahoma native, previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the SDNY and worked during Trump's first term as the director of enforcement at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Like his predecessor Clayton, McDonald has strong ties to the prominent law firm Sullivan & Cromwell, where he currently serves as a senior partner.

His legal background also includes clerking for Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts Jr., and graduating from Harvard College and the University of Virginia School of Law.

Rubio, Newsom share World Cup spotlight at US opener as 2028 presidential speculation swirls

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 16:48:57 -0400

Secretary of State Marco Rubio used Team USA's World Cup opener Friday night in California to meet with Paraguayan President Santiago Peña, according to a State Department official, as the Trump administration highlighted the secretary's diplomatic work during the quadrennial international soccer tournament.

"Secretary Rubio was honored to attend the first World Cup game in the U.S. [Friday] night and witness an incredible win for our country. Secretary Rubio never stops working to advance U.S. priorities and used the opportunity to meet with Paraguayan President Santiago Peña during the game to discuss our strategic partnerships," an administration official told Fox News Digital.

The U.S. men defeated Paraguay, 4-1, at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in the opening match of its World Cup campaign.

Rubio's attendance also generated political interest after reports indicated he would be seated in the same suite as California Gov. Gavin Newsom during the match.

USMNT WORLD CUP OPENER GETS OFF TO A FLYING START WITH OWN GOAL PUTTING AMERICANS AHEAD OF PARAGUAY

The appearance placed two of the country's most prominent political figures from opposite parties at the same event as speculation continues about the 2028 presidential race.

Newsom has repeatedly faced questions about a potential White House bid and has acknowledged he has considered a presidential run, though he has not announced any plans to seek the office.

Rubio, a former Republican presidential candidate and one of President Donald Trump's most visible Cabinet members, has likewise been discussed by some political observers as a potential future contender for the White House.

The State Department did not provide additional details about Rubio's discussion with Peña, including whether the meeting had been arranged before the match or what specific issues were discussed.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO OFFER 'PREMIUM' EXPEDITED VISA INTERVIEWS FOR $750

Paraguay has long maintained close ties with the U.S. and is one of Taiwan's few remaining diplomatic allies in South America, a relationship that has made the country strategically important in the region as the U.S. and China compete for influence across Latin America.

The World Cup is expected to draw government officials, world leaders and political figures from around the globe as matches are held across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The State Department and Newsom's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.

The administration's description of Rubio's meeting with Peña underscored that the secretary of state continued conducting diplomatic business while attending the tournament opener, which marked the beginning of Team USA's World Cup campaign on home soil.

Workers rip Trump's name from Kennedy center facade months after it goes on, hours after failed appeal

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 13:49:32 -0400

Workers removed President Donald Trump's name off the Kennedy Center facade Saturday, after an appeals court denied a request from the Kennedy Center's board to block a judge's ruling that Trump's name be removed.

Workers erected scaffolding around the Washington, D.C., landmark Friday and began removing the Trump name from the signage that had previously read "The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts."

The Kennedy Center board had approved the addition of Trump's name in December, claiming that the move was in recognition of Trump's accomplishments in saving "the institution from financial ruin and physical destruction."

Workers affixed Trump's name to the facade the next day.

TRUMP'S NAME ADDED TO KENNEDY CENTER FOLLOWING UNANIMOUS BOARD VOTE TO RENAME HISTORIC BUILDING

Now, however, the Trump name is coming down despite numerous legal efforts from the Kennedy Center board.

The board filed for both a stay pending appeal and an immediate administrative stay, arguing the name should not be removed before the matter gets an appellate review.

But an appeals court denied the request for an immediate administrative stay.

OBAMA-APPOINTED JUDGE WITH TIES TO ANTI-TRUMP CONSPIRACY THEORY HIT WITH MISCONDUCT COMPLAINT

The board then filed an emergency motion with the U.S. Court of Appeals, but a three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit denied it.

The board had requested a pause in the enforcement of Judge Christopher Cooper's ruling that Trump's name be removed, but Cooper, a U.S. district judge, denied the request Friday.

Cooper maintained in an opinion on his ruling that the Kennedy Center's name can only be changed or modified through an act of Congress.

Trump slammed Cooper's decision in an excoriating late May Truth Social barrage, writing, "Trump Hating Judge wants to keep it open because his wife probably told him to do so," while pointing out that Cooper's wife, Amy Jeffress, is a former Obama-era Department of Justice (DOJ) attorney who represented a number of high-profile Trump critics.

"We remain fully compliant with the court’s directive while we evaluate legal options regarding the Board’s unanimous vote," Roma Daravi, Vice President of Public Relations at the Kennedy Center said in a statement. "The establishment of the Trump Kennedy Center Fund is intended to recognize President Donald J. Trump’s significant contributions and dedication to America’s premier cultural center, while furthering our founding mission like never before."

Fox News Digital contacted the White House for additional comment.

Fox News' Bill Mears contributed to this report.

EXCLUSIVE: Collins pits record built in Maine potato fields against Platner's 'angry rhetoric'

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 10:00:02 -0400

EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, learned hard work in the dirt.

When she was 10 years old, like several other children in Caribou, Maine, she left school to pick potato fields to aid farmers with the harvest deep in potato country in Aroostook County, dubbed "The County" by locals.

"I remember my mother saying to me when I was going to pick for the first time at age 10, saying, ‘Now, Susan, this is really hard, back-breaking work, but you cannot quit. The farmers are depending on you, and you can't let them down,’" Collins told Fox News Digital. "And those words have always stayed with me."

SCHUMER’S ‘NO. 1 TARGET’ SAYS VOTERS WILL SEE HER DEMOCRAT SENATE CHALLENGER AS TOO EXTREMEN

It’s that work ethic born in her hometown of Caribou, molded by her parents' separate stints as mayor of the small town in the county that helped shape her into the political titan she is today, propelling her to a record 10,000th straight vote in the Senate and a gavel atop the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.

It’s also caused her to have the biggest target on her back in a highly contentious election cycle in which Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is once again trying to flip her seat.

Collins’ race has also become the most-watched and controversial of the cycle because of her unlikely opponent, Democratic nominee Graham Platner, who over the last several months has been rocked by scandal after scandal.

Speaking to Fox News Digital on the drive between Bangor, Maine, and Portland, one she's made several times since joining the Senate in 1997, Collins acknowledged Platner's rocky past and present but that she still was taking him seriously as an opponent.

MAINE DEMOCRATS DECIDE FATE OF SENATE CANDIDATE DOGGED BY EXPLOSIVE ALLEGATIONS

"I am surprised that [Gov. Janet Mills] is not my opponent," Collins said. "That's what I would have predicted, particularly given the very serious allegations against Graham Platner. Plus, his own words over many years, including recently. So, I think that he has a lot of questions to answer, but I do take him very seriously as a candidate."

Platner has been no stranger when it comes to attacking Collins in his insurgent campaign, skewering her for her vote to authorize the Iraq War two decades ago or her backing of parts of President Donald Trump's agenda.

During his acceptance speech earlier this week, he accused her of being "just as spineless and corrupt as the establishment she now serves."

Collins, who is no stranger to heated campaigns, argued that her ability to produce results was a better metric for Mainers.

"I think when people look at the accomplishments and results that I've delivered for the people of Maine, that the contrast is enormous," Collins said. "And angry rhetoric does not produce results."

She knows how to bring the bacon home to Maine. In her climb to the top of the Senate Appropriations Committee, she’s sent back $1.5 billion over five years, dozens of new or renovated fire stations, billions in rural healthcare funding and a fire boat that saved key businesses along Portland’s waterfront when a blaze broke out.

Still, she’s in a tight race with Platner despite the scandals and baggage.

And Schumer, who has spent years trying to defeat her, hopes to seize the opportunity in this cycle, even with a candidate who was not his first choice.

WATCH: CHUCK SCHUMER SIDESTEPS PLATNER SCANDALS, CONFIRMS SUPPORT FOR CONTROVERSIAL DEM

Schumer told Semafor Collins is "weaker than in 2020," when they last squared off, arguing that her defense of Trump, her vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and the role that vote played in overturning Roe v. Wade have weighed her down.

"To me, this is déjà vu all over again," Collins said, noting that, six years ago, Schumer and Democrats spent over $160 million to defeat her.

Collins contended, "Democratic leaders always distort my record," adding that when she voted to advance Trump’s "big, beautiful bill" last year, it was so she and others could modify the bill. She ultimately voted against the final product but scored a $50 billion rural hospital fund nonetheless.

"If we can't get on the bill, I can't help fix that," Collins said.

And on Kavanaugh, Collins noted that she disagreed with how he voted on Roe v. Wade, but that she also voted "for people who voted on the other side of that decision."  

"I voted for Sonia Sotomayor. I voted for Elena Kagan. I voted for Justice Jackson," Collins said. "And that always seems to get left out."

She doesn’t vote in lockstep with Trump, either, who recently said that Collins was "not my best friend at all" but was a "sane woman." That prompted a laugh from the longtime lawmaker, who noted, "I've worked with five different presidents, and I have never agreed with a single one of them on every issue."

"I know that there's some people who want me to oppose President Trump, just because he's President Trump, and that's not how I operate," Collins said. "I look at each individual issue and then make my decision. And based on whether it's helpful to the state of Maine, and improves the lives of families in the state of Maine."

Talarico touts Texas roots as out-of-state cash powers Senate campaign

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 08:00:56 -0400

Donors from outside Texas accounted for roughly 50% of the funds Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico received during the final stretch of the first quarter of 2026, compared to his Republican opponent, who received just about 25% of his cash from out of state.

Of the $8.5 million Talarico raised between Feb. 12 and March 31, a period where he saw a significant uptick in donations owing to his growing national profile, approximately $4 million came from states other than Texas, according to campaign finance records reviewed by Fox News Digital.

The Republican nominee, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, meanwhile, raised $640,000 out of the roughly $850,000 he brought in during that period from within Texas.

The fundraising disparity underscores the nationalization of Texas’ Senate race, with Talarico drawing major financial support from Democratic donors and executives far beyond the state he seeks to represent, even as he campaigns on Texas roots and opposition to outside special interests.

VULNERABLE DEM SENATOR’S ‘GRASSROOTS’ CAMPAIGN POWERED BY OUT-OF-STATE CASH, MOSTLY BY COASTAL ELITES

The haul gives Democrats a cash advantage in what is shaping up to be one of the most competitive Senate races this cycle, while giving Republicans an opening to cast Talarico’s campaign as powered by coastal liberal donors rather than Texas voters.

Donors from New York and California, for instance, showered Talarico with more than $1.3 million in the final six weeks of the first quarter, according to Federal Election Commission records.

Talarico has made an effort to highlight his ties to Texas during his Senate campaign, touting the fact that his family has lived in the state for eight generations and criticizing the influence of out-of-state interests on Texans.

"I’ve led the fight against the billionaire mega-donors that have rigged the system against working Texas families," Talarico’s campaign website reads. "Now, as those same billionaire mega-donors take over the federal government, we need more fighters in Washington who will take power back for working people."

ACTBLUE SUES TEXAS AG KEN PAXTON, ALLEGING POLITICAL RETALIATION OVER DEMOCRATS' FUNDRAISING

"James is proud to be the only candidate in this race not taking a dime of corporate PAC money, shattering grassroots fundraising records with donations from 246 Texas counties and the help of over 540,000 small dollar contributors — unlike John Cornyn and Ken Paxton, who have raked in millions of dollars from special interests and enriched their billionaire donors while working Texans struggle," campaign spokesman JT Ennis told Fox News Digital when asked about out-of-state donations.

"Our campaign is bringing Democrats, Republicans and Independents together to fix this broken, corrupt political system and bring down costs for families across our state."

Talarico accepted donations from out-of-state executives at Google, Warner Brothers, Apple, Meta, Victoria’s Secret and other major companies between Feb. 12 and March 31, according to FEC records. The Democratic Senate hopeful has also accepted donations from lobbyists representing major corporations such as Google, Airbnb, Boeing, Novo Nordisk, Comcast, CVS and JP Morgan.

While Talarico has attracted considerable support from outside Texas, his fundraising operation within the state has also eclipsed that of Paxton, who raised less than one-fifth as much from Texans as his Democratic opponent. Paxton, however, fought a brutal primary against Sen. John Cornyn, splitting the GOP donor base.

JAMES TALARICO ADMITS PAST COMMENTS 'MISSED THE MARK' WHEN CONFRONTED ON CLAIMS LIKE GOD IS 'NON-BINARY'

Beyond his campaign committee, Talarico has also benefited from Lone Star Rising PAC, a super PAC spending millions to help him win. In contrast to his campaign rhetoric, much of the cash behind the super PAC boosting Talarico’s campaign came from wealthy out-of-state donors.

Just 12% of the millions of dollars in donations collected by Lone Star Rising PAC, which the Washington Free Beacon reports is run by Talarico’s longtime friend, came from entities within Texas, according to campaign finance records.

Hasan Piker celebrates America being 'closer than ever' to socialism as he backs NYC candidates

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 08:00:36 -0400

Controversial Twitch streamer Hasan Piker threw his support behind two far-left candidates running for Congress in New York City, arguing their victories would help push the country closer to socialism.

"For the longest time, I thought we were so far away from socialism, and we might still be far away from socialism, but we do have an opportunity right here, right now, more than ever before," Piker said Thursday at a Brooklyn rally for candidates endorsed by the New York chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America ahead of the state’s June 23 primary.

Leading the DSA-backed slate are State Assemblywoman Claire Valdez, D-N.Y., and activist Darializa Avila Chevalier, whom Piker praised as "giants" of the socialist movement.

"We must seize that opportunity, and you all must continue your own disciplined organizing for that to happen," Piker told the crowd. "That is the challenge."

DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST MAMDANI ALLY MOUNTS BID FOR US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Both candidates are socialists who want to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), raise taxes on the wealthy and advance the Palestinian cause in Congress. If they win their contested primaries for deep blue districts, they would almost certainly pad the ranks of the Democratic caucus’ far-left flank.

"I've rarely ever seen such tremendous ideological representation at such an important level," Piker said, referring to Valdez and Avila Chevalier. "I mean, a congressional seat is a tremendous amount of power."

"What an honor it is to be joined by Darializa on stage," Valdez jokingly said, referring to a cardboard cutout of Avila Chevalier. "[It’s the] honor of my life to be on a slate with her with so many of my other socialist comrades."

Valdez is running for a seat vacated by retiring Rep. Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y., that spans progressive bastions in Queens and Brooklyn.

Meanwhile, Avila Chevalier is running as a formidable leftist challenger to Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., the chairman of the influential Congressional Hispanic Caucus, in a district covering Upper Manhattan and the West Bronx.

The leftist duo is backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Justice Democrats, the progressive group that helped launch New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's insurgent House campaign in 2018.

MAMDANI STANDS BY FELLOW SOCIALIST CANDIDATE DESPITE RESURFACED FAR-LEFT, ANTI-AMERICAN POSTS

Avila Chevalier has sparked controversy over since-deleted social media posts in which she asserted "Israel doesn’t exist," voiced literal support for open borders and claimed "all deportation is wrong," CNN first reported.

The Mamdani ally has also faced scrutiny over calling former President Joe Biden "a rapist" and writing "F--- Kamala Harris" in 2021 after the former vice president told Guatemalan nationals not to illegally cross the border.

Piker predicted a wave of socialist victories in New York City would soon eclipse the significance of Mamdani's mayoral win last year.

"By the end of these midterms, Zohran will seem unremarkable. Because, by then, we will have elected so many brilliant fighters into legislative offices throughout New York City and the state," Piker said, referring to the slate of socialist candidates.

"These are your comrades, these are your fighters."

Thursday’s rally comes as Piker, who has sparked widespread backlash over saying "America deserved 9/11," and Hamas is "a thousand times better" than Israel, has interviewed and campaigned with proudly socialist candidates across the country.

Several Piker allies have lost their primaries, including former Ocasio-Cortez chief of staff Saikat Chakrabarti, who launched a failed bid to succeed former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. However, the socialist streamer did score one notable victory with progressive surgeon Adam Hamawy's primary victory for a Democratic-heavy New Jersey House seat.

Fox News Digital reached out to spokespersons for Valdez and Avila Chevalier for comment.

Fox News' Matthew Donnell contributed to this report.

Platner's 'deranged' response to Musk becoming a trillionaire sparks online outrage: 'Loserthink'

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 06:59:25 -0400

Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner was widely mocked by conservatives on social media over a post lamenting Space X and Tesla CEO Elon Musk being labeled the world’s first trillionaire.

"Elon Musk just became the world’s first trillionaire," Platner posted on X on Friday.

"Let’s make sure he’s also the last."

Platner’s post, which was seen over 2 million times as of Friday evening, was referring to news that Musk’s SpaceX began trading at $150 a share on Friday, above its listing price of $135 a share, making him the world's first-ever trillionaire following the initial public offering.

THE GROWING LIST OF CONTROVERSIES THREATENING DEMOCRAT GRAHAM PLATNER'S MAINE SENATE BID

The post received heavy criticism from conservatives on social media, with many bringing up the various controversies surrounding Platner's campaign, including reports of infidelity, a Nazi tattoo, physical abuse of an ex-girlfriend and social media posts criticizing the military and rural America.

"Communists can never quite grasp that if you make Musk poorer, you make millions of others poorer in the process because unlike them, he actually creates value for others in society," Red State writer Bonchie posted on X. "It's deranged."

""Pick your fighter," Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee posted on X. "Guy who innovates constantly, has built phenomenally successful businesses, and now reaps the rewards.

PLATNER CAMPAIGN ROCKED WITH DAMNING ALLEGATIONS FROM ANOTHER EX-LOVER AS SENATE RACE HEATS UP: REPORT

Guy who thought it wise to permanently stain his chest with a Nazi SS Totenkopf tattoo."

"Worth reminding everyone that in addition to being a pathological liar Graham Platner also has the economic views of third world resentment socialists," Charlie Kirk show producer Blake Neff posted on X.

"This is loserthink," California Post opinion editor Joel Pollak posted on X. "Musk's IPO is making millions of Americans wealthier. And his success is inspiring others: ‘If it can happen for an immigrant kid -- why not me?’ The winning way to think -- the AMERICAN way to think -- is: Let's make some more trillionaires! "

"I hope @elonmusk is the first of many trillionaires," Actor Dean Cain posted on X. " Pray for others to have his success and continue to change the world for the better, for EVERYONE!!"

Fox News Digital reached out to Platner's campaign for comment.

Platner has faced widespread criticism since launching his campaign for overplaying his blue collar record and embracing the economic policies of progressives like Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who has emphatically endorsed him.

Musk's rocket and satellite company raised a record $75 billion, valuing the company at about $1.8 trillion, pushing the value of Musk's stake in SpaceX to an estimated $690 billion. The company is trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker "SPCX" after pricing its IPO on Thursday.

Combined with his holdings in electric vehicle maker Tesla, as well as other investments and assets, Musk's net worth is now estimated at about $1.1 trillion.

SpaceX stock jumped after it began trading, rising to $168.75 a share before paring some of those gains to trade around $158 a share. It subsequently rebounded and reached a new high of $176.52, and closed at $160.95 per share.

Investor demand for SpaceX has been intense. Reuters reported this week that the company attracted more than $250 billion in orders, while Bloomberg News reported Thursday that retail investors alone submitted more than $70 billion in requests for shares.

The company is expected to allocate at least 20% of the offering to retail investors, according to Bloomberg — an unusually large portion for individual investors in a deal of this size.

Fox News Digital's Eric Revell and Bradford Betz contributed to this report

WATCH: House Dems blame racism, 'all-White' jury for Karmelo Anthony's guilty verdict

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 04:00:41 -0400

House Democrats are raising concerns about how race and jury selection may have impacted the guilty verdict in the Karmelo Anthony case, with several arguing the verdict highlights the racism they believe exists in the criminal justice system.

"A travesty, two lives ruined, and what struck me most is that you had an all-White jury," Rep. Christian Menefee, D-Texas, said when asked his thoughts on the guilty verdict. "You had preemptive strikes that were used in order to achieve an all-White jury."

After Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in prison on Tuesday for the stabbing and killing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a high school track event, many activists and Democratic lawmakers have claimed the trial to be unfair and racist.

KARMELO ANTHONY VERDICT DRAWS ANTI-WHITE RAGE AND LIES FROM RADICAL DEM CONGRESSWOMAN, ANGRY ACTIVISTS

Many are claiming the jurors were all White, and that this contributed to the rejection of Anthony's self-defense claim.

"Juries should represent the diversity of this country, and if a White kid was convicted of murder and it was an all-Black jury that did the conviction, people would say this is patently unfair," Menefee said. "So why should it be fair if it's the other way around?"

But sources close to the trial told Fox News Digital that there were three jurors who were racial minorities. They said that of the 18 total jurors, including alternates, six were minorities. Additionally, four Black men testified in defense of Metcalf, saying Anthony was not provoked in any way to justify stabbing the 17-year-old.

SELF-DEFENSE CLAIM IN AUSTIN METCALF SLAYING IS 'UPHILL BATTLE': EXPERT

Supporters of Anthony claim that he stabbed Metcalf as an act of self defense, arguing he did not receive a fair trial. Some activists and Democratic lawmakers have called for further review of the case and urged Anthony to pursue an appeal.

"Here is a case where a young man certainly appears to have been being attacked and defended himself," Rep. Troy Carter, D-La., said about the case.

"It does bring in light the imbalance in our judicial system, as it relates to African Americans and people of color" Carter continued. "And that's a shame. So hopefully, there'll be an opportunity for some appeal and some further discussion."

"Case after case, after case you see that if it is a young Black person, they're not allowed to be fearful, they're not allowed self-defense, they don't get the same standard ground opportunities that other people get," Menefee said. "But then other races do."

AUSTIN METCALF'S DAD EXPRESSES EMPATHY FOR KARMELO ANTHONY AS KILLER'S PARENTS SAY 'THEY DID A NUMBER ON US'

Some lawmakers were less likely to directly blame the trial as unfair due to race, but were still sympathetic toward Anthony and were not blatantly opposed to the idea of looking further into the evidence in the case despite a verdict already being made.

"We've got to stop this loss and the killing of these young children, number one," Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill., said. "First of all, they need to reopen it and all the evidence needs to come forward."

"I think it's an unfortunate circumstance all the way around," Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Ala., said.

He continued, "You have one young man who was killed. His family will never get to be with him again. You have another young man who, for all intents and purposes, thrown a lot of years of his life. A lot of the years of this life. If he does 35 years, he’ll be 50 — in his 50s — when he gets out. And it's just totally unfortunate."

Throughout their criticism of the verdict, several lawmakers framed the case as part of a larger debate over race, self-defense claims and equal treatment for minorities under the law.

"The American justice system does not work equally for everybody," Menefee said.

Trump says US military eliminated 'infamous' Tren de Aragua leader in lethal strike

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 21:25:26 -0400

President Donald Trump on Friday night announced the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) "delivered a swift and lethal kinetic strike" to successfully execute Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, also known as Niño Guerrero, the "infamous" leader of Tren de Aragua (TdA).

The U.S. Department of State previously offered up to a $5 million reward for the 43-year-old Venezuelan's arrest or conviction.

"Before I returned to office, Joe Biden opened our Southern Border to millions of Illegal Criminals, and allowed this foreign army to rape, maim, and murder American Citizens with total impunity," Trump wrote in a statement on Truth Social. "During my Campaign, I pledged to expel these monsters from our Country, and bring Justice to the families of those they slaughtered, including the precious 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, 22-year-old Laken Reilly, and countless other beautiful souls."

DOJ INDICTS ALLEGED HIGH-RANKING TREN DE ARAGUA MEMBER ON TERRORISM CHARGES FOR THE FIRST TIME

VENEZUELAN GOVERNMENT USES TREN DE ARAGUA AS PROXIES TO UNDERMINE US PUBLIC SAFETY, FBI ASSESSMENT FINDS

The president said with Friday's action, the U.S. military "has brought retribution for them, their families, and their loved ones."

"Early in my Administration, I delivered on my promise to designate Tren de Aragua as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, deport thousands of evil criminals, and wage war against the Cartels, who have long been waging war against our Citizens, while weak leaders left America helpless and defensive," Trump wrote.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

"This action was coordinated closely with our friends in Venezuela, with whom we are working very well," he continued. "As a result, Tren de Aragua terrorists no longer have safe haven in Venezuela or anywhere else and, under my leadership, we will find these vicious murderers and drugs lords anytime, anyplace, and send them to the depths of hell where they belong."

TdA, originally a prison gang in the Aragua state of Venezuela, has grown into a transnational criminal organization led by Flores, according to the State Department. The group has since been designated by the U.S. as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

Authorities said Guerrero spent many years incarcerated at the Tocorón Prison in Aragua State of Venezuela and expanded the group's influence by extorting prison inmates and bribing prison guards.

The gang later assumed overall control of the Tocorón prison, gold mines in Bolivar State, drug corridors on the Caribbean coast and of some of the clandestine border crossings between Venezuela and Colombia.

California Dems accused of putting sanctuary law over migrant child welfare checks: 'Real children'

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 18:33:37 -0400

California Democrats are facing accusations that the state’s sanctuary policies are leaving vulnerable migrant children unchecked after California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office warned that local police welfare visits on unaccompanied minors using information from federal authorities could violate state law.

The warning from Bonta has become a flashpoint in a broader lawsuit brought by the City of El Cajon against California's sanctuary state policies. City officials, like Mayor Bill Wells and City Councilman Steve Goble, argue that the state is putting law enforcement in an impossible position, such as forcing them to make a determination on whether to check on potentially vulnerable children flagged by federal immigration authorities and risk violating state law, or leave the vulnerable unaccompanied minors unchecked.

Goble told Fox News Digital he was informed during a February 2025 meeting with San Diego-area Homeland Security officials that federal authorities had a list of unaccompanied migrant children, including 52 with addresses in El Cajon. He said federal officials asked whether local police could help "ensure these kids are safe" through welfare checks, prompting Goble to seek guidance from Bonta’s office before dispatching officers.

I'M A MAYOR TRYING TO FOLLOW LAW BUT CALIFORNIA IS MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR COPS

"It’s kind of hard to imagine why they’re choosing this hill to die on," Wells told Fox News Digital. "What they basically want to say is, 'Because our narrative is so important, and protecting illegal aliens is so important, that, yeah, if a few kids get sex trafficked along the way — you know, you're just making this up. You're just using this as a way.' I mean, these are real people. These are real children. I think it's an incredibly insensitive argument."

Goble had asked Bonta’s office in a March 2025 letter whether local police could conduct the checks using contact information provided by federal authorities, writing that the city wanted to ensure all children were safe "regardless of citizenship or resident status."

In the letter, Goble cited the inspector general's concerns that unaccompanied minors are at heightened risk of trafficking, exploitation and forced labor, and wrote that "time is of the essence" in determining whether the children were safe.

Meanwhile, Bonta’s office responded in a June 2025 letter, warning that local law enforcement pursuing wellness checks "alongside or based on information provided by federal immigration authorities" could implicate conduct prohibited by SB 54, known as the California Values Act.

Bonta's letter said these violations could include if officers confirmed location information provided by ICE, or reported the results of the check back to federal immigration authorities.

But Goble told Fox News Digital that the city was not asking police to act as immigration agents, but primarily wanted to confirm whether the children are safe.

CALIFORNIA TOWN WITH LARGE MIGRANT POPULATION MIGHT REVOKE SANCTUARY STATUS

"All I care about is, is the kid safe?" Goble told Fox News Digital. "I don’t care the immigration status or citizen status of anybody else in the room."

The welfare-check dispute is one piece of a broader legal challenge El Cajon filed against Bonta on April 28, 2026, seeking relief from California’s sanctuary policies impacting how local law enforcement do their jobs, including SB 54, the TRUST Act and the TRUTH Act. In a May 20 motion for a preliminary injunction, the city asked the court to temporarily block Bonta from enforcing those laws against El Cajon while the case proceeds, arguing the policies are preempted by federal immigration law and put local police in the position of choosing between state restrictions and federal obligations.

The May 20 injunction motion specifically cites the Goble-Bonta exchange as an example of how the city says California’s sanctuary laws prevent El Cajon officers from engaging in "basic public safety work." The filing argues that the state’s legal framework forces officers to spend time navigating "legal hairsplitting" instead of responding quickly to public-safety concerns, including checks on children in the community.

"Every time an El Cajon police officer steps out onto the street, they’re going to be breaking one of two laws," Wells said to Fox News Digital. "They’re either going to be breaking federal law or they’re going to be breaking state law. And you cannot put police officers in that situation."

BLUE STATE COUNTY FACES BACKLASH AFTER FAILED VOTE TO SCRAP 'SUPER SANCTUARY' POLICY: 'FRINGE DEMOCRATS'

El Cajon’s lawsuit is not limited to the welfare checks. The April 28 complaint broadly asks a San Diego County court to declare California’s sanctuary restrictions invalid and to stop Bonta from enforcing them against El Cajon police.

Bonta's office's June 2025 response said it "share[s]" El Cajon’s concern for children who may be at risk of harm, but suggested county social service agencies may have a role when there is no evidence of criminal activity requiring law enforcement.

Wells and Goble pushed back on that argument; however, arguing Bonta's suggestion ignored San Diego County’s December 2024 vote restricting county resources from being used to assist federal immigration enforcement.

"That means we’re not going to let our social service workers go do welfare checks on unaccompanied minors for the Department of Homeland Security," Goble told Fox News Digital. "It’s another rock and a hard place."

EX-BIDEN OFFICIAL'S CAMPAIGN FACES HEAT AS MISSING CHILDREN SCANDAL RESURFACES: 'VOTERS DESERVE BETTER'

Wells added that it was difficult to accept Bonta’s suggestion that county agencies could serve as a neutral fallback for welfare checks tied to information from federal authorities. "This is the same county we would be deferring to, to check on these kids," Wells added. "They’re not neutral. They’ve been very, very clear."

Immigrant-rights advocates nationally have warned that ICE "welfare checks" on unaccompanied migrant children can function as immigration enforcement under the banner of child safety. The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights has called the Trump administration’s ICE "wellness checks" harmful enforcement "in disguise," while other advocates have warned that DHS visits can discourage sponsors from coming forward or expose families to deportation fears.

But Wells and Goble rejected that framing, arguing local police could check on children without reporting immigration violations discovered during the visit.

"That doesn’t make us federal immigration officers," Wells said. "It just means that our officers could do their job like they’ve always done in the past before this unconstitutional law of SB 54 was passed."

"All a welfare check on anybody in our city, regardless of immigration status, is: Are they okay?" Goble added. "If they are, thank you very much. Have a good day. See you later."

Wells noted the lawsuit is not about deputizing local police as immigration agents, but about ensuring officers can do basic public-safety work without running afoul of state law.

Fox News Digital reached out to Bonta's office, as well as the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but did not hear back in time for publication.

Trump's name to be removed from Kennedy Center as appeals court denies board's request for administrative stay

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 17:39:44 -0400

The Kennedy Center board on Friday asked a federal appeals court to temporarily block a judge’s order requiring references to President Donald Trump’s name to be removed from the institution’s signage and official materials, as signage bearing Trump’s name remained visible on the building’s facade late Friday afternoon.

Hours later, the appeals court denied the board's request for an immediate administrative stay.

In an emergency motion filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the board requested both a stay pending appeal and an immediate administrative stay, arguing that physical changes to the building should not occur before appellate judges review the dispute.

The filing asks the court to issue an administrative stay by 7 p.m. Friday.

A three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit later denied the board's request for an immediate administrative stay, declining to temporarily block enforcement of the district court's order while the appeal proceeds.

The appeals court ordered Beatty to respond to the broader stay-pending-appeal motion by June 22, with a reply due June 29.

OBAMA-APPOINTED JUDGE WITH TIES TO ANTI-TRUMP CONSPIRACY THEORY HIT WITH MISCONDUCT COMPLAINT

Fox News Digital observed Friday afternoon that Trump's name remained mounted on the Kennedy Center facade as of 5:30 p.m. ET, with scaffolding erected around portions of the signage.

Earlier Friday, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper denied the board's request to pause enforcement of his ruling while the appeal proceeds, finding that the defendants had not demonstrated either a likelihood of success on appeal or irreparable harm.

The Kennedy Center board argued in its emergency filing that removing and potentially reinstalling signage would force it to incur costs that could not be recovered if it ultimately prevails on appeal.

The board also argued that removing Trump's name could impair fundraising efforts and create public confusion if the Center's name changes again following a successful appeal. The motion further contends that the case raises significant questions regarding the board's authority and whether Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, had standing to bring the lawsuit.

The latest filing stems from Cooper's May 29 ruling that Congress, not the Kennedy Center board, has authority over the institution's name. The judge ordered the removal of Trump's name from physical signage, digital materials and official branding and directed the Center to comply within 14 days.

BOARD VOTES KENNEDY CENTER TO BE RENAMED 'TRUMP-KENNEDY CENTER,' LEAVITT SAYS

In a lengthy opinion, Cooper wrote that the Kennedy Center's governing statute "makes crystal clear" that the institution is to be named for President John F. Kennedy and cannot be formally renamed through unilateral board action.

The judge concluded that Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name and that only Congress can change it.

The ruling came in a lawsuit brought by Beatty, who serves as an ex officio member of the Kennedy Center board.

Following the May 29 decision, Kennedy Center Vice President of Public Relations Roma Daravi said the board intended to appeal.

EXCLUSIVE: TRUMP-LED KENNEDY CENTER NEARLY DOUBLES FUNDRAISING FROM BIDEN ERA, SMASHING RECORD WITH $23M HAUL

"We will review the decision carefully though the reality remains — the Center requires an urgent and significant restoration — a truth that even the plaintiff acknowledges," Daravi told Fox News Digital at the time.

"With $257 million secured by President Trump and approved by Congress, the resources are in place, and we remain committed to pursuing every lawful avenue to ensure the Trump Kennedy Center is restored as a national cultural landmark for all Americans to enjoy."

Beatty praised the ruling, saying in a statement that the Kennedy Center "belongs to the American people, not to Donald Trump."

Trump's name was added to the venue in December after a unanimous vote of the board. Signage bearing the president's name was installed above the existing Kennedy Center lettering shortly afterward.

The board sought emergency relief from the appeals court Friday to temporarily block Cooper's order. By late Friday, the D.C. Circuit denied that request.

The court has not yet ruled on the board's broader request for a stay pending appeal and instead set a briefing schedule extending into late June.

The White House and a representative for the Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano contributed to this reporting.

Clinton judge indefinitely blocks Trump's $1.776B anti-weaponization fund

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 16:55:26 -0400

A federal judge on Friday indefinitely blocked the Trump administration's $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund, even as another federal judge earlier this week declined to intervene after the Justice Department said the fund was no longer moving forward.

The court disputes have heightened pressure on the administration to formally dismantle the fund. While Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told Congress the fund would not move forward, the settlement agreement and departmental directives that created the fund have not been formally rescinded. Critics argue this leaves open the possibility that the fund could still proceed in the future.

U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema, a Clinton-appointed judge, extended a court order Friday preventing implementation of the fund, concluding that public assurances from administration officials were insufficient to eliminate concerns that it could later be revived.

Brinkema noted how Trump, "says he's disappointed that something is not going forward," suggesting this was evidence that the fund may "rear its head" at some point in the future.

JUDGE TEMPORARILY BLOCKS TRUMP DOJ'S NEARLY $2B 'ANTI-WEAPONIZATION' FUND

Over the weekend Trump shared on "Meet the Press" that he'd like to continue with the fund.

"If it was up to me, I'd pay them the kind of money that they deserve. People have been destroyed. Lives have been destroyed," Trump said.

Brinkema gave the Justice Department a week to put in writing that the Anti-Weaponization Fund is being terminated and will not be reinstated.

The ruling comes days after U.S. District Judge Richard Leon rejected a separate request from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) seeking emergency intervention, saying he was willing to rely on Justice Department representations that the fund had effectively been abandoned.

ACTING AG BLANCHE REVEALS FATE OF TRUMP'S 'ANTI-WEAPONIZATION FUND' UNDER PRESSURE FROM HOUSE LAWMAKERS

But Leon, a George W. Bush-appointed judge, simultaneously warned administration officials not to treat his decision as permission to revive the program.

"I give the Justice Department this warning: Don't play possum with me," Leon said from the bench.

Blanche announced during a hearing earlier this month that the Anti-Weaponization Fund, which was born out of President Donald Trump's lawsuit settlement with the IRS, would not be proceeding. The fund was intended to compensate alleged victims of government "lawfare," but its creation sparked immediate backlash from Democrats, who characterized it as a "slush fund" that could ultimately benefit Trump's political allies and individuals charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

TRUMP ADMIN PUSHES BACK ON 'SLUSH FUND' ATTACKS AGAINST ANTI-WEAPONIZATION FUND AND LAYS OUT WHO QUALIFIES

Justice Department attorney Andrew Block argued before Leon that Blanche's congressional testimony effectively mooted CREW's challenge because the government had publicly committed not to move forward.

Leon repeatedly questioned why Blanche has not formally rescinded a May 18 order that established procedures for the fund in the first place, a question Block could not answer.

CREW attorney Nikhel Sus argued the settlement agreement that established the fund remains legally operative and contains upcoming deadlines requiring action.

WAY HARDER THAN IT SHOULD BE: WHY CONGRESS MAY BALK ON $1.7B COMPENSATION FUND

According to Sus, a five-member board overseeing the fund must be established by June 17, while funding transfers are scheduled by July 17.

"On paper, the fund is still a legally operating entity," Sus argued.

However, Leon ultimately accepted the government's assurances for now that the fund is moot, but he noted that he can sanction attorneys who make false representations to the court.

He also indicated he will continue considering CREW's request for a preliminary injunction and suggested he could intervene if evidence emerges that the administration is attempting to revive the fund.

Pratt concedes LA mayor race with scathing video teasing next move, bombshell info he holds: 'Commie animals'

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 16:46:31 -0400

Former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt posted a fiery video on social media teasing his plans for "Phase III" of his effort to clean up the city and teasing information he has that could force one of the candidates still in the race to resign if elected.

"I'm moving on to the next more interesting phase. Listen, I spent a lot of time slaying everybody. I've ridiculed everyone on the roster," Pratt posted on Instagram after finishing third in the mayoral race earlier this month, following a strong election night performance that suggested he’d finish in the top two and move on was eventually erased by a surge in mail-in votes over the next week.

"You think you can get rid of me that easily? I know a lot of dimwit jerks thought I was in this for a grift, that I was gonna roll up and leave town if I didn't get into City Hall. Hey morons, I didn't get in this for political power. I got in to expose this corrupt machine, and nothing has changed."

Now that he is not a candidate, Pratt says that he doesn’t have to "worry about offending CNN viewers" and doesn’t have a "campaign hamstringing me now."

SPENCER PRATT'S UNEXPECTED POLITICAL RISE FROM MTV VILLAIN TO KAREN BASS' CHALLENGER

"It's war," Pratt said. "It's zero hour for Los Angeles. Angelenos are now stuck with two morons responsible for all their problems and they have to choose between dumb and dumber. That's not a choice. That's the machine protecting the machine. And now every problem that plagues Los Angeles because of these two corrupt communists is going to accelerate."

Pratt then floated a claim that a video recording in his possession could rock the political landscape in the city, but that he is waiting until the city makes its final choice in November between current Mayor Karen Bass and progressive councilwoman Nithya Raman.

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"My goal hasn't changed, I've been laser-focused on stopping these commie animals, and I will stop them if you think we uncovered a lot of fraud and evil in the campaign, just wait," Pratt explained, "We have some recordings of one of your exalted candidates doing insane something that would make her resign in shame I was saving it for the general election go ahead and pick your demon certify your choice and then you get to see it."

Pratt asked Raman and Bass to "ask yourself" is it "possible one of your employees may have a recording of you doing or saying something they would force you to resign in disgrace?"

Pratt then sarcastically told both candidates he hopes they "sleep well at night" over the next five months, unlike his mother and all the others who lost their homes in the devastating wildfires under Bass' watch last year as well as the moms who are subjected to the homelessness and crime issues facing the city.

Pratt painted a grim picture of what the city will look like in four years, regardless of which of the "corrupt communists" left in the race wins in the November election.

"You have no idea how many major developers, hoteliers, business owners, entrepreneurs have been texting me saying they're packing up and leaving town," Pratt said. "More of your favorite restaurants will be shuttering. That means less tax revenue. That means the city has to cut services. More potholes, less firefighters, less police patrols, more criminals, more drug addicts terrorizing your communities. You have no idea how bad things are about to get for this city."

The video ends with a clip from the TV show Ozark, suggesting that if the political establishment wants to "stop him," they are "gonna have to f------ kill me!"

Fox News Digital reached out to the Bass and Raman campaigns for comment on the video, which racked up over 20,000 likes within 45 minutes of being posted.

Obama judge rules on effort to block America 250 events at WH and Lincoln Memorial

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 16:38:55 -0400

A federal judge on Friday cleared the way for UFC Freedom 250 to proceed at the White House and Lincoln Memorial this weekend, rejecting a last-minute court challenge just days before the high-profile event.

U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta, an Obama appointee, denied an emergency request by two Washington-area residents to halt the mixed martial arts showdown, ruling that the plaintiffs lacked legal standing to sue in the first place and had not demonstrated a sufficient injury.

The lawsuit challenged plans for "UFC Freedom 250," a mixed martial arts event tied to celebrations surrounding the nation's 250th anniversary. The event includes a June 12 news conference and fighter face-offs at the Lincoln Memorial and a June 14 fight card on the White House South Lawn. It is expected to bring thousands of viewers.

The plaintiffs argued that the events violate National Park Service regulations governing special events, that the UFC staging ring, known as "The Claw," erected on the South Lawn lacked congressional authorization, that federal officials failed to conduct environmental review required under the National Environmental Policy Act, and that the government's actions exceeded its legal authority.

TRUMP ADMIN OFFERS BLUNT ADVICE TO WHITE HOUSE UFC CRITICS AS 11TH-HOUR LAWSUIT LOOMS

Mehta did not decide whether any of those claims were legally valid. Instead, he determined that the plaintiffs' alleged injuries were largely aesthetic and emotional in nature and did not demonstrate the kind of concrete, personal harm required under Article III of the Constitution. The plaintiffs had described the massive UFC staging structure known as "The Claw" as visually offensive and argued that the "unauthorized, commercial exploitation of the national monuments caused harm."

Mehta rejected this notion, writing that "general emotional harm, no matter how deeply felt, cannot suffice for injury-in-fact for standing purposes."

Citing precedent from the U.S. Supreme Court, Mehta wrote that a threatened injury must be "certainly impending" to qualify as an injury in fact. He found that one plaintiff's assertions that he might encounter the event while driving for work were too speculative, while the other plaintiff's plans to attend protests near the sites did not fit within traditional aesthetic-injury cases.

UFC ANNOUNCES CARD FOR WHITE HOUSE EVENT

"[W]e can find nothing in the existing case law to suggest that a person who incidentally views something unpleasant has suffered an injury-in-fact for purposes of standing," Mehta ruled.

The ruling noted that President Donald Trump publicly proposed hosting a UFC event at the White House in 2025 and that preparations had been visible for weeks before the lawsuit was filed. According to the opinion, the plaintiffs waited until days before the event to seek emergency relief despite longstanding public knowledge that the event was planned.

Mehta also emphasized the temporary nature of the disputed structures and activities. Construction associated with the event is scheduled to be dismantled shortly after the fight card concludes.

The opinion cited nearly a year of planning, extensive coordination among federal agencies, the involvement of hundreds of workers and contractors, and an estimated $60 million investment by UFC and affiliated organizations.

The ruling also referenced the expected attendance of thousands of spectators and the anticipated remote audience of millions.

'You failed your son first': Howard prof blames father's values after Karmelo Anthony murdered his son

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 16:07:23 -0400

A Howard University professor tore into the victim-impact statement delivered by the father of slain Texas teen Austin Metcalf, arguing that the teen's death "did not begin with the knife" wielded by Karmelo Anthony but instead that his father's parenting style was to be blamed as well.

Dr. Stacey Patton, a professor at Howard University's School of Communications, penned an opinion piece titled "Dear Jeff Metcalf: Your Son Is Dead Because You Failed to Teach Him That Black Boys Have Boundaries" to Substack on Wednesday on Substack, where she insinuated Anthony was acting out of self-defense.

"YOU failed to teach your boy that Black children have boundaries," Patton wrote. "YOU failed teach humility, restraint, or the sacred fact that another person’s body is not your jurisdiction. YOU failed to teach him that another child’s space is not a challenge to be conquered. YOU failed to teach him that "community" does not mean white boys get to decide who belongs and who does not."

Patton's piece was published a day after Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the murder of Metcalf. The case drew national after now 19-year-old Anthony stabbed 17-year-old Metcalf in the heart during a confrontation at a high school track meeting in April 2025. The case has become a flashpoint in broader debates about race, with Anthony's supporters arguing he has been treated differently because he is Black, while critics have rejected efforts to make the murder of Metcalf, a white teenager, about race.

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"YOU obviously failed to teach your son that touching, confronting, crowding, testing, or policing another person can have consequences," Patton wrote. "And YOU failed to teach him that the same world that cheers white boys for being bold and aggressive will not always be there to save them when they mistake somebody else’s restraint for permission."

She blasted Jeff for saying that Anthony had failed his parents in his decision to murder his son.

"It is easier to stand in a courtroom and call Karmelo Anthony a failure than it is to admit that Austin’s death did not begin with the knife," Patton wrote. "It began with every lesson that told your son that he had the right to approach, challenge, and cross a boundary. It began with every adult who smiled at white boy entitlement and called it leadership. It began with every cultural script that taught him Black boys are the ones to be feared, but never taught him that Black boys might also be afraid.

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She also alleged that Jeff's victim-impact statement was rooted in racism, homing in on Jeff saying that Anthony does "not belong" in the community because of what he did.

"You don’t belong in this community" is not just a father’s grief spilling over," Patton wrote. "It is a declaration of removal. And it is the language of somebody who believes he has the authority to decide who gets to stay, who must disappear, and whose presence contaminates the social order. Like father, like son."

"Your words landed on top of centuries of Black children being told they do not belong in white schools, neighborhoods, playgrounds, pools, churches, white juries, white imaginations, and white definitions of innocence," Patton continues. "They landed on top of every Black boy this country has turned into a threat before he ever had a chance to be a child."

AUSTIN METCALF'S FAMILY HIT WITH DEATH THREATS AS KARMELO ANTHONY SUPPORTERS FACE VIOLENCE ALLEGATIONS

She claimed that his son was not the only victim in this case and that Anthony' family was also grieving.

"Austin is dead. Your family is devastated," Patton wrote. "That matters. Karmelo Anthony is alive but caged inside a racial imagination that had already convicted him. And that matters, too. Two families are shattered. And a whole country is using the tragedy to rehearse the same old script about Black guilt and white innocence."

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Patton defended her opinion piece as a "critique of racial power" and said that she was not, "blaming a dead child, attacking a grieving father, excusing violence, and rejecting the legal system."

"My argument is simple: Black children are children," Patton said. "They do not become monsters because white America needs one, and their humanity is not up for debate because a verdict has been rendered."

"Now, run along and feed your propaganda machine," she added, declining to answer several of Fox News Digital's questions. "I'm sure it's hungry for another Black woman's words to mutilate. That is my statement."

Fox News Digital reached out to Howard University and Metcalf's family for comment.

Patton's Substack piece is the latest in a growing chorus of voices arguing that the murder case is rooted in race.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, questioned on her podcast whether Karmelo Anthony's race played a role in his conviction. Crockett asked whether Anthony received a fair trial, spreading a false claim that all jurors were white and that could have impacted their ability to be impartial.

"I’m not necessarily convinced — not that I could tell you the name of one person on this jury — that we had 12 impartial white folk out of Collin County sitting on a jury for this young black man," Crockett said.

Crocket also suggested black mothers have faced far greater agony on a day-to-day basis than the victim's family.

"Black women, especially black women who have black male children, live in fear and agony every single day," she lamented. "A fear and agony that I promise you the Metcalfs probably had never spend a day living that way."

EXCLUSIVE: ICE nabs multiple convicted killers in single day amid nationwide immigration sweep

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 15:30:16 -0400

FIRST ON FOX: Federal immigration agents arrested several convicted killers, a rapist and multiple drug traffickers in a single day Thursday, underscoring the Trump administration's push to target what Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials call the "worst of the worst" criminal illegal immigrants living in the U.S.

"Yesterday, [Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)] arrested multiple murderers, rapists, and drug traffickers from our communities," Homeland Security Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital.

"Nearly 70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S.," she said. "Every day, our officers are putting their lives on the line to remove criminals from our communities."

According to DHS, Thursday's arrests include:

DHS ARRESTS 5 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CONVICTED OF VIOLENT CRIMES INCLUDING MANSLAUGHTER, CHILD ASSAULT

Roque Cinto-Mejia, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, is convicted of manslaughter in Brooklyn, New York.

Alejandro De Jesus-De La Cruz, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, is convicted of voluntary manslaughter in San Bernardino, California.

Francisco Antonio Morales-Acencio, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, is convicted of rape, assault and battery of a family member in Fairfax, Virginia.

Heriberto Mendoza-Pineda, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, is convicted of trafficking methamphetamine in Gwinnett County, Georgia.

Manuel Soto, an illegal immigrant from the Dominican Republic, was twice convicted of drug possession and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute in Boston, Massachusetts.

Top Trump agency purges over 20 suspected China-linked products from federal marketplace

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 15:29:56 -0400

The Small Business Administration (SBA), in collaboration with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), is removing nearly two dozen foreign products from its official catalog that supplies government agencies, citing fears that some of them may be misrepresenting their sourcing.

Kelly Loeffler, SBA administrator, raised concerns that China-based companies were falsely marketing their products as "made in America" on the Advantage! platform — a listing service the government uses to connect vendors with agencies.

"As part of our commitment to rebuilding American industry and supply chains, the Trump SBA believes that every taxpayer dollar spent by the federal government should go to support American businesses, workers and products," Loeffler said.

SBA’s crackdown furthers efforts by the Trump administration to double down on American manufacturing and aims to reduce the risk associated with purchasing or implementing compromised China-sourced goods.

REPUBLICANS LOOK TO STOP CHINA'S 'BACKDOOR' TARIFF DODGING SCHEME

The concerns first arose at the White House Small Business Summit where a New York-based small business, Sherrill Manufacturing, communicated suspicions to SBA that China-based companies were only partially assembling or finishing their products in the U.S.

Sherrill, according to the SBA, is the only manufacturer of stainless steel flatware that is 100% made in America.

"When foreign companies were caught falsely claiming ‘Made in America’ status in the federal procurement system, President Trump directed the SBA and GSA to take aggressive action," Loeffler said.

Even in his first term, Trump used executive orders to maximize the use of domestically sourced raw materials such as iron, aluminum and cement. He issued a similar executive order earlier this year.

INTEL RIVAL SKYWATER PITCHES ITSELF AS ALL-AMERICAN FIRM AS TRUMP MULLS MORE EQUITY DEALS

But sourcing protections for federal materials didn’t start with him.

For security reasons, the Berry Amendment, implemented in 1941, requires the Department of War to purchase only American-sourced steel.

Similarly, the Buy American Act (BAA), a Great Depression-era law that passed in 1933, requires federal agencies to prioritize American-made goods over certain value thresholds.

Loeffler explained that companies like Sherrill Manufacturing can be put unknowingly at risk of violating those requirements if vendors aren’t honest about their sourcing.

"The Trump Administration is sending a clear message that we will not tolerate foreign impostors that hijack Made in America labels, or those that undercut honest, generational, American small businesses like Sherrill Manufacturing," Loeffler said.

The company’s CEO, Matthew Roberts, praised the SBA’s work and thanked the Trump administration.

"The factory where Sherrill Manufacturing and Liberty Tabletop produce their flatware has a manufacturing history dating back to supplying America’s armed forces during World War I," Roberts said.

18 BRANDS STILL MAKING COOKWARE AND KITCHEN TOOLS IN THE U.S. — FROM SKILLETS TO SPATULAS

"We deeply appreciate President Trump, SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler, and GSA Administrator Ed Forst, along with their offices, for their continued efforts to keep American manufacturing alive and restore pride in products made in the USA," he added.

SBA did not list which specific vendors have been removed from the Advantage! platform.

Progressive Talarico knifes Biden's open border, tries moderating stance on key issues in Texas Senate race

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 15:15:49 -0400

The Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas torched former President Joe Biden's open borders policies as he races to clean-up past comments amid criticism he is too radical to be elected in Texas.

James Talarico hardened his stance on border security and pitted himself against the former president during a podcast interview on "Cogdell Law Uncensored" earlier this week.

The Democrat member of the Texas legislature has a far-left track record that includes calls to "tear down" Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE), an agency which he has called "secret police," and claiming the border should act as a "welcome mat" for illegal immigrants.

He is now the Democratic nominee taking on Trump-backed Republican Ken Paxton in the race for a Senate seat in Texas in November.

JAMES TALARICO SAYS BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WAS CONVINCED BORDER SECURITY WAS 'RACIST'

"I called out Joe Biden for failing to secure our southern border and I got a lot of heat from my own party for doing that," he told podcaster and attorney Dan Cogdell. "But I remember talking with my colleagues in the legislature who represent border communities and they told me about the utter chaos caused by President Biden's policies."

Those calls and his more moderate immigration stance emerged only after Talarico launched his Senate bid in the most populated U.S. red state where the most illegal immigration happens.

When asked repeatedly by Fox News Digital, Talarico's campaign officials could not produce evidence to support the progressive candidate's claims he was ever at odds with Biden on the issue of border security before his Senate campaign began and while Biden was still in office.

Millions of illegal aliens poured undetected into the United States during the previous presidency, while Talarico occupied his seat in the Texas House legislature.

Talarico said in the podcast: "The Democratic Party, we're the ones that should be about making government work for people and our immigration system is a prime example of government not working for people. So I'm a border security Democrat. I believe we've gotta have a sane, orderly process to ensure that we know who's coming into our country."

While he has accused ICE of "terrorizing our country," called for Americans to "stand up and fight back" and in 2019 slammed Texas Republicans for passing an "anti-immigrant bill" that funded President Donald Trump's border wall project, Talarico said on the podcast this week that public safety should be a priority.

TEXAS DEM TALARICO'S ‘CULTURE OF VIOLENCE’ REMARKS RESURFACE AS HE DENIES DEFUND POLICE TIES

"But I also think we need to keep out folks who want to do us harm, and public safety is the most important thing the government does," he said.

Under Trump, ICE has been tasked with zeroing in on the "worst of the worst" illegal aliens for arrest and deportation, especially those with violent criminal records.

"James has never supported abolishing ICE and supports more border security — which is why he’s authored legislation to modernize our ports of entry and called for more Border Patrol agents," Talarico's press secretary JT Ennis told Fox News Digital.

"Both parties have failed us on the issue of immigration, so James is running for Senate to keep our country safe by deporting criminals instead of hunting down moms, babies, and small business owners who have been contributing to our economy for decades."

Speaking to Cogdell, Talarico also pitched himself as a defender of the Second Amendment while simultaneously calling for strict gun control methods.

TEXAS DEMOCRATIC SENATE CANDIDATES SIDESTEP ISLAMIC TERRORISM CONCERNS FOLLOWING DEADLY AUSTIN ATTACK

"I am a believer in the Second Amendment. I don't pick and choose between the Bill of Rights. I believe in the Second Amendment just as much as I believe in the First," he said. "We have a right to bear arms, to protect ourselves, our families. We have a right to own weapons for sport or for hunting, but like any freedom in the Bill of Rights, it's not absolute."

"We've gotta keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals. We've gotta make sure that we've got safe storage laws and background checks so that we're keeping everybody safe," the candidate qualified.

He positioned himself during the conversation as a moderate Democrat, chastising people on the political left who are "trying to take away people's guns" and people on the political right who "don't want to see any regulations."

MS NOW ANALYST ADMITS TALARICO ‘NOT A MODERATE,’ HAS PROGRESSIVE VIEWS LIKE CROCKETT

But only a few months ago, Talarico said he favored "red flag laws," which allow judges to order Americans to be stripped of their firearms if they think a person is a danger to themselves or others. Talarico also once accused Republicans of loving guns more than children.

"You can’t be the party of freedom and control women’s bodies," he said at a 2024 event with the Travis County Democratic Party. "You can’t be the party of family and love your guns more than our kids. You can’t be the party of faith and worship at the feet of Donald Trump."

Ennis said that the candidate has "always believed, like the vast majority of Texans, that we must protect the Second Amendment while also enacting popular, common sense measures like universal background checks that keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals."

MARK HALPERIN: IS DEMOCRAT JAMES TALARICO THE REAL DEAL — OR BETO 2.0 HEADED FOR A TEXAS FLOP?

Talarico also distanced himself from child sex change surgeries, sometimes called "gender affirming care," and said he does not support them despite often earning criticism for his comments regarding children who identify as the opposite of their biological sex.

"I oppose gender reassignment surgeries for minors," he told Cogdell, claiming "the people that are in power" are trying to distract from "corruption in our government."

"So they're gonna use a tried and true playbook to get out of this," he said. "Distraction and division. That is how corrupt public officials stay in power."

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

Talarico's emphatic support for transgender children has raised eyebrows since he's entered the national spotlight.

He has said he loves them on multiple occasions, including on a podcast in 2023 when he was asked to name something that he loved other than his friends and family.

"I love, I’m just saying this because it’s all on my mind, the trans children who showed up yesterday at the state capitol to advocate for their humanity," he said on the Superbloom Podcast.

At the time, he had voted against a state bill to ban cross-sex hormones for minors.

"I just want to say, I love you and so do a lot of people in this room, and so do a lot of people around this big state. I know it may not seem like it tonight, but you are loved beyond measure," Talarico also said in 2023 on the Texas House floor, according to the Houston Chronicle.

"James opposes gender reassignment surgery for minors," said Ennis. "While billionaire-bought politicians like Ken Paxton spread lies to divide Texans, James will continue to stand up against both political parties to fix this broken, corrupt political system and support Texas families."

Paxton's campaign did not return Fox News Digital's request for comment on Talarico's apparent flip-flop on the border, Second Amendment or transgender youth