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Incoming left-wing Mexican president could be ‘bad news’ for US on border crisis: expert

Incoming left-wing Mexican president could be ‘bad news’ for US on border crisis: expert

One top expert on Latin America is warning that Mexico’s incoming president is likely to be more of the same and “bad news” for the United States when it comes to cooperation on issues like border security. Claudia Sheinbaum is projected to win Mexico’s presidential election and succeed outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Sheinbaum’s Morena Party was also projected to hold majorities in both chambers of Congress.  President Biden said Monday that “I congratulate Claudia Sheinbaum on her historic election as the first woman President of Mexico” and that he looks forward “to working closely with President-elect Sheinbaum in the spirit of partnership and friendship that reflects the enduring bonds between our two countries.” “I also congratulate the Mexican people for conducting a nationwide successful democratic electoral process involving races for more than 20,000 positions at the local, state, and federal levels,” Biden added. CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM ELECTED AS MEXICO’S 1ST FEMALE PRESIDENT  Andres Martinez-Fernandez, a senior policy analyst for Latin America at The Heritage Foundation’s Allison Center for National Security, warned in a press call that Sheinbaum is a left-wing activist who is unlikely to drift from AMLO’s tough stance toward the U.S. “Claudia Sheinbaum is a progressive, and really has a background as an activist/academic, [who] has come up through, the ranks of the Mexican left, and, comes from an established family in the Mexican left,” he said. In particular, Mexico and the U.S. have not always seen eye to eye on the question of illegal immigration coming across the U.S. border. While the Biden administration has hailed a number of areas of cooperation with Mexico, AMLO has also attacked Republican politicians, threatening an “information campaign” against them. He has also falsely claimed that fentanyl is not produced in Mexico.  SHEINBAUM FACES HUGE HURDLES FROM POWERFUL CARTELS “We can expect a lot of the same as far as U.S.-Mexico relations and U.S. policies, on issues that are of top concern to the United States and and have direct impact on the United States,” Martinez-Fernandez said. “And in general, that’s bad news because we have seen the Lopez Obrador administration, whether it’s on security, whether it’s on trade, on migration, and other issues, narcocorruption, a very poor partner in the Lopez Obrador administration for the United States, where we see a deterioration of cooperation across the board,” he said. “And the occasional cooperation that we do see, for example on migration where we’ve seen increased actions, it’s very political and it’s very transient and transactional.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS He said Sheinbaum would likely “stay the course” and provide continuity from the Lopez Obrador administration, in part due to the current president’s ongoing presence. “Even if there is a willingness or a desire on her part to see a change and that some in the U.S. are kind of hopeful about that. I really think that there’s not going to be much room for her to be able to implement that again because, AMLO is always going to be basically looming large over the Sheinbaum administration, playing a very active role, I expect behind the scenes to make sure that there’s continuity,” he said. He also warned that she is likely to listen more to the left-wing in Mexico. “She’s going to be much more responsive to the voices on the Mexican left who are less willing to see aggressive actions against migrants and more open to, to support and, and, and, willing to, to see those, movements continue,” he said. The remarks came as President Biden is expected to unveil executive actions on Tuesday to tackle illegal immigration at the border. But, depending on what those actions are, he may need the cooperation of Mexico to do so.  Fox News’ Greg Norman contributed to this report.

Biden’s energy policy ripped by Republican governors: ‘done nothing but attack American energy’

Biden’s energy policy ripped by Republican governors: ‘done nothing but attack American energy’

CHALMETTE, LA – Republican governors charge that President Biden has “done nothing but attack American energy” and are urging the president to end what they call his “regulatory war” in a bid to lower fuel and food prices for people across the nation. Seven Republican governors, standing in front of a large oil refinery along the Mississippi River a few miles east of New Orleans, Louisiana, also highlighted “a comprehensive list of immediate steps that should be taken to unleash… American energy independence.” “From day one, President Biden has done nothing but attack American energy,” Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry claimed. “He paused new oil and gas leases. He canceled the Keystone pipeline. He prioritized foreign energy over domestic energy, which means he prioritized foreign jobs over domestic jobs. The Department of Energy and the EPA are releasing rules and regulations at a neck-breaking speed.” Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt spotlighted a joint-letter signed by 20 GOP governors that lists what they spotlight as “commonsense steps” the Biden administration could take to lower regulations and “adopt an all-of-the-above homegrown energy plan.” WHAT TRUMP TOLD FOX NEWS ABOUT PUMPING UP AMERICAN ENERGY Stitt said that includes “ending regulatory overreach that is restricting domestic energy production and driving up costs, increasing the number and quality onshore and offshore lease sales of all forms of energy production, expediting the approval of federal drilling permits.” He also called for “expanding critical mineral mining and processing to counter China.” REPUBLICANS CLAIM AMERICA’S ENERGY FUTURE UNDER THREAT FROM BIDEN The news conference was led by Landry and Stitt and included Govs. Mike Dunleavy of Alaska, Brian Kemp of Georgia, Glenn Youngkin of Virginia, Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, and Doug Burgum of North Dakota, who’s considered to be on former President Donald Trump’s short list for 2024 running mates. While the nation has been producing more oil than any country in history for six straight years – according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the governors said oil output should be increased. “We’re producing about 13 million barrels of oil a day. We should be doing 15, 16, 18, 20 million barrels of oil a day,” Burgum emphasized. “That would be not just energy independence, that would be energy dominance. We’d be selling that to our allies instead of our allies having to buy from our enemies.” Asked about climate change, the governors responded that the U.S. produces fuels more cleanly than other countries, and they argued that red states were taking the lead in green energy, including wind power production. “We’re not about despoiling the environment,” Dunleavy said. “If you don’t do it in America and you do it overseas, there’s no EPA overseas, there’s no Army Corps overseas.” The governors also argued that energy is also a matter of national security. “If the Biden administration continues this drive to repress our domestic industry and strengthen our demand for Chinese industry, we are causing a further national security crisis than the one we’re already in,” Youngkin claimed. The Democratic National Committee, responding to the criticism from the Republican governors, emphasized that “President Biden has put hundreds of thousands of Americans to work in the energy sector with new, good-paying jobs fueling the 21st century economy.” And DNC spokesperson Alex Floyd charged that “while President Biden is walking and chewing gum – fighting for American workers while lowering energy costs – Donald Trump is trying to sell out America’s energy policy to the highest bidder. Trump would threaten President Biden’s made-in-America energy boom and roll back tax relief that lowers energy costs for working families – all so Trump can trade favors for campaign cash with his Big Oil and Gas backers. Trump’s pay-for-play energy agenda would put special interests donors over hardworking families and American energy production.” But Landry, speaking with Fox News Digital, argued that “another four years of Joe Biden, I don’t think the American people could tolerate it…. we know that what we’ll get under President Trump is what we had before, which is lower energy prices, more economic activity, and a better quality of life for all Americans.” Kemp and Sununu, who’ve had sharp differences with the former president in recent years, said in exclusive interviews with Fox News that a second Trump administration would be an improvement over four more years of Biden in the White House. Asked if a second Trump administration would be friendly to the energy sector, Kemp pointed to the former president’s efforts to reduce government regulations during his four years in the White House, and said “I think it would be a big difference.” Sununu agreed, saying “ask every single American paying more at the pump, paying more for food because it costs more to grow crops, more to transport every product in America. It costs more to make every product in America.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Biden expected to announce border actions as political heat intensifies ahead of November election

Biden expected to announce border actions as political heat intensifies ahead of November election

President Biden is expected to announce executive actions on Tuesday to tackle the ongoing migration crisis at the southern border, as he faces significant political pressure from the left and the right, as well as from voters on the issue.  Details of what will be announced remain unclear, but Fox News reported on Monday that the order is expected before he leaves for Europe. Some outlets reported that it could involve a mechanism to prevent additional migrant entries into the U.S. once there is a rolling seven-day average of a certain number of apprehensions a day. MAYORKAS SAYS SOME MIGRANTS ‘TRY TO GAME’ ASYLUM SYSTEM, AS BORDER REMAINS TOP POLITICAL ISSUE That mechanism could echo a measure in a so-far thwarted bipartisan Senate bill that was unveiled earlier this year and has backing from the Biden administration but has so far failed to pick up enough support to pass in the upper chamber. In that bill, a Title-42 style expulsion authority would allow agents to quickly remove migrants across the border.  Biden could attempt to implement an authority by executive order using 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows presidents to limit the entry of foreign nationals into the U.S.  Former President Trump used 212(f) multiple times during his presidency but was unsuccessful in using it to restrict border crossings, with a legal challenge scuttling the effort. Any similar move by President Biden would almost certainly face a similar challenge. CHINESE, JORDANIAN, TURKISH ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CAUGHT IN LARGE NUMBERS AT SOUTHERN BORDER There were no plans for the president to visit the southern border ahead of his departure for Europe, officials told Fox. The order comes amid a stalemate on the fiery topic of illegal immigration. In recent months, the numbers of migrant encounters has decreased from the record highs seen in December, where there were more than 200,000 migrant encounters.  There were 179,725 encounters at the southern border in April, compared to 211,992 in April 2023, and 189,357 in March. While those numbers are lower than highs seen in 2022 and 2023, they still remain high compared to pre-2021 numbers. The Biden administration has repeatedly said its hands are largely tied regarding fixing what it says is a “broken” immigration system and has repeatedly called for additional reforms and funding from Congress. In a statement to Fox News Digital on Monday, the White House said it “continues to explore a series of policy options and we remain committed to taking action to address our broken immigration system.” “Congressional Republicans do not care about securing the border or fixing America’s broken immigration system. If they did, they would have voted for the toughest border enforcement in history. Instead, they put partisan politics ahead of our country’s national security,” a White House spokesperson said.  “While Congressional Republicans chose to stand in the way of additional border enforcement, President Biden will not stop fighting to deliver the resources that border and immigration personnel need to secure our border.” Republicans, though, have blamed the policies of the administration, including the rollback of Trump-era policies such as wall construction, the Migrant Protection Protocols and increased interior enforcement. They have passed their own legislation in the House that would significantly limit asylum claims and restart border wall construction and similar measures. It has not yet been taken up by the Senate. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Fox News Sunday said the reported action from Biden is “too little too late.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS “Now he’s trying to desperately show the American people somehow that he wants to address the issue that he himself created,” he said.  “We documented 64 specific executive actions of President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas of DHS took over the course of the last three and a half years beginning on the first day that President Biden took office to open the border. Why? They did it intentionally. And it has had catastrophic effects upon our country that we’ll be living with for decades to come,” he said. The administration continues to face pressure from Democratic states and cities, where large amounts of migrants have arrived. Mayors of cities like New York City, Denver and Chicago have demanded more funding from the federal government and have called for additional action, including expedited work permits. Recently, 15 House Democrats wrote to Biden calling on him to take additional action at the southern border. “It has become clear that the current situation remains untenable, but with Republicans playing politics on border security, it is time for your administration to act. We urge you to use all tools at your disposal, including executive action, to better address security at the Southern border, interdict illicit fentanyl and allow for orderly legal immigration,” the letter said. Meanwhile, the illegal immigration crisis appears to be looming as a major election issue. A recent Fox News poll found that seven in 10 voters go so far as to say the White House has “mostly failed” at improving border security.  Trump won in 2016 due in large part to his plans to fix the southern border, an issue Biden’s critics say he has failed to properly address.  But there has recently been more hawkish language from the administration on the crisis. Recently, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said some migrants attempt to “game” the system. “The reality is that some people do indeed try to game the system,” Mayorkas told CBS News last month. “That does not speak to everyone whom we encounter, but there is an element of it, and we deal with it accordingly.” Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report.

Liz Cheney communications with ex-Trump aide sought in House GOP Jan 6 committee probe

Liz Cheney communications with ex-Trump aide sought in House GOP Jan 6 committee probe

EXCLUSIVE: House GOP investigators are looking for more of former Rep. Liz Cheney’s communications with ex-Trump administration staffers as they continue to probe the work of the now-defunct House select committee on Jan. 6. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., who chairs the House Committee on Administration’s oversight subcommittee, sent a letter to Alyssa Farah Griffin on Tuesday seeking records of her exchanges with Cheney, R-Wyo., as well as Cassidy Hutchinson, Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, any Secret Service agents assigned to Meadows or former President Trump and communications with officials in the Fulton County, Georgia, district attorney’s office. Loudermilk asked for Griffin’s communications surrounding Hutchinson specifically, citing claims that Griffin had convinced Hutchinson to testify in front of the select committee and accusing Hutchinson of having “drastically” changed her testimony after speaking with Griffin. He also pointed to a portion of Hutchinson’s memoir that suggested Griffin at least initially acted as a conduit between herself and Cheney, then-vice chair of the select committee. DOJ WILL NOT TURN OVER BIDEN’S RECORDED INTERVIEW WITH SPECIAL COUNSEL HUR TO CONGRESS “According to public reports, numerous sit-down interviews, and Cassidy Hutchinson’s memoir Enough, you spoke to Ms. Hutchinson about her testimony to the Select Committee during the summer of 2021. A review of the documents provided by the Select Committee resulted in questions about the veracity of Ms. Hutchinson’s public and private testimony to the Select Committee,” Loudermilk wrote. “Ms. Hutchinson specifically cites her conversation with you as one reason her testimony changed so dramatically.” The former Trump administration aide was a star witness for the Jan. 6 committee, set up by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. Hutchinson had testified that former President Trump physically lunged at Robert Engel, who was his driver, when the agent refused to drive him to the U.S. Capitol. Trump and others linked to the story have denied her claims. Griffin, who served as White House director of strategic communication under Trump, recalled on CNN’s “The Lead” in September 2023 that she acted as a back channel between Hutchinson and the Jan. 6 committee before her third closed-door interview and subsequent bombshell testimony.  HOUSE GOP THREATENS TO HOLD AG GARLAND IN CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS OVER RECORDINGS OF BIDEN INTERVIEW IN HUR CASE At the time, Hutchinson was being represented by lawyers linked to the former president. Griffin said Hutchinson laid out “damning” information not previously disclosed to the committee, like claims that Meadows burned documents at the White House, which Griffin then brought to Cheney’s attention.  “What we ultimately came up with is I said, ‘What if I can take this information to Congresswoman Liz Cheney, and see if she can call you back, and in the meantime, we can look at trying to get you representation pro bono,’” Griffin recalled. It ultimately led to Cheney asking Hutchinson questions at their next meeting about details that were more revealing and painted a darker picture than her previous sit-downs with the committee, including accusations that Trump said his then-Vice President Mike Pence “deserves” rioters calling for his hanging.  Hutchinson also wrote about her meeting with Griffin in her memoir, which House GOP investigators cited on Tuesday. Loudermilk wrote in his letter to Griffin, “These stories Cassidy has later claimed to have been privy to were never discussed prior to this meeting at your Georgetown row house.” HOUSE GOP REPORT ALLEGES JAN 6 COMMITTEE ‘DELETED RECORDS AND HID EVIDENCE’ “There are no texts, emails, or verbal exchanges that have been verified where Ms. Hutchinson discussed these explosive claims, apart from your conversation, before testifying to the Select Committee,” he wrote. “Therefore, due to your proximity to and influence on Ms. Hutchinson around the time her testimony changed so drastically, I believe you may have important [information] related to this investigation.” In addition to asking for her communication records, the GOP-led committee also asked Griffin to sit for a voluntary transcribed interview sometime this month. Fox News Digital reached out to representatives for Griffin, Hutchinson and Cheney for comment.