Biden administration announces limited rule to more quickly remove national security threats
The Biden administration on Thursday announced a narrow new rule that would allow officials to remove some illegal immigrants considered a public safety or national security threat much earlier in the asylum process. The rule would allow statutory denials to asylum typically applied later in the asylum process to be applied earlier at the initial screening process, which typically happens within days of someone arriving at the border. It would apply to those considered a risk to national security, including terrorists, or public safety. A DHS senior official who briefed reporters noted it would likely only affect a small population but said it would be “an important additional tool in our toolbox that will allow us to remove individuals much more quickly who may pose a risk to the United States, enhancing our security at the border, while at the same time saving taxpayer money.” TAXPAYER-FUNDED ID PROGRAM FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS EXPECTED TO BEGIN THIS SUMMER The administration also announced revised guidance that allows asylum officers to consider whether an asylum seeker could instead relocate to a different part of his home country when assessing if he has a basis for asylum. The administration says it wants to see more sweeping changes to what it says is a “broken” system but says those changes can only come from congressional action. “The proposed rule we have published today is yet another step in our ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of the American public by more quickly identifying and removing those individuals who present a security risk and have no legal basis to remain here,” DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement. BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO PROPOSE NARROW ASYLUM REGULATION AS BORDER CRISIS REMAINS TOP ISSUE: REPORT “We will continue to take action, but fundamentally it is only Congress that can fix what everyone agrees is a broken immigration system,” he said. The Biden administration last year enacted a broader asylum rule that makes illegal immigrants ineligible for asylum if they have crossed multiple countries without claiming asylum. But it is unclear what effect that has had. Numbers have dropped in recent months, but only after hitting a record high of more than 200,000 encounters in December. The rule is unlikely to satisfy Republican critics, who have blamed the administration for rolling back Trump-era policies and enacting what they say are “open border” policies. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green called the rule “an unserious, politically motivated attempt to address a significant problem the Biden administration itself created.” “The rule will not impact or reduce the millions of illegitimate asylum claims being filed by economic migrants. The department currently cannot properly vet the vast majority of illegal aliens crossing the border, as numerous tragic reports from our communities make clear. The Biden administration, however, would have us believe that vetting under this rule will somehow be effective,” Green said, responding to reports of the rule on Wednesday and adding “nothing will change.” The administration has rejected claims it is embracing “open border” policies and has pointed to stats it says show more than 720,000 removals or returns of illegal immigrants since May 2023, more than in every full fiscal year since 2011. Fox News’ Tyler Olson contributed to this report. Get the latest updates on the ongoing border crisis from the Fox News Digital immigration hub.
Fox News Politics: No calm after the Stormy
Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. What’s happening? – Biden faces backlash for reported plan to withhold some weapons from Israel… – Hunter Biden loses attempts to dismiss criminal charges… – Trump’s stormy day in court… Stormy Daniels wrapped up her testimony in the Trump trial, before a smattering of other witnesses were called to the stand. Judge Juan Merchan also handed Trump a double denial – rejecting motions for a mistrial, and defense attorneys’ request to modify the gag order now that former porn performer Daniels has finished her testimony. Trump’s team argued that Daniels’ time on the stand was highly prejudicial, and had nothing to do with the charges about falsifying business records for a $130,000 payment to Daniels to sign and NDA, and not share her story of having sex once with Trump. Trump has denied Daniels’ claims consistently, and defense attorney Susan Necheles worked hard Thursday to point out how Daniels’ story has changed over the years. Trump’s attorneys argued that now, with the porn actress’ testimony concluded, he should be able to defend himself publicly. But Merchan disagreed, saying that though Daniels was a difficult witness to control, and much of some of her testimony was “unnecessary” and “irrelevant,” the gag order would stand. “We are so innocent,” Trump said after court adjourned Thursday. He railed against Merchan as “totally conflicted” and “corrupt.” UNDER WRAPS: Biden decision to pull Israel weapons shipment reportedly kept quiet until after Holocaust address …Read more ‘QUID PRO JOE’: Biden impeachment articles coming over threats to Israel aid, GOP lawmaker says …Read more ‘FALSE AND INSULTING’: FBI pushes back on report that it urges employees to use warrantless wiretaps on Americans …Read more DENIED: Federal court rejects Hunter Biden appeal in Delaware case …Read more CALLED TO CONGRESS: House GOP invites disgraced Georgia prosecutor Nathan Wade to ‘interview’ with Judiciary committee …Read more ACT FAST: Dems push Biden on amnesty for illegals before possible Trump victory …Read more CAVING IN: GOP furious as Dems take victory lap over Biden’s threat to Israel weapons aid …Read more BIDENOMICS BLASTED: Billionaire CEO blasts Bidenomics agenda, gives it a failing grade …Read more ALL IN THE FAMILY: Barron Trump to enter politics as Florida delegate at GOP convention …Read more ‘WHAT ARE YOU DOING?’: University investigates after female student confronted trans woman in bathroom …Read more ‘NATIONAL EMBARRASSMENT’: Universities would ‘pay a hefty price’ for allowing encampments under new legislation …Read more TEAMING UP: 22 Red states form alliance and sue Biden admin over Title IX changes …Read more IVF FOR ALL: NYC sued for denying in vitro fertilization coverage to gay male employees …Read more ‘REASON TO SUSPECT’: Missouri AG files FOIA requests for DOJ communications with Trump prosecutors …Read more ‘GOTAWAYS’: Hundreds of illegal immigrants evading Border Patrol each day …Read more Subscribe now to get Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
New Jersey legislators advance public records access law overhaul
New Jersey lawmakers pushed ahead Thursday with legislation overhauling the state’s public records access law, reigniting debate over the revisions that stalled earlier this year amid vocal opposition from civil rights and other groups. The Democrat-led state Senate’s budget committee approved the amended legislation Thursday, with its Assembly counterpart set to take up the bill on Friday. The bill’s revival comes after Republican minority leader Anthony Bucco signed on to co-sponsor the measure and following agreement on concessions by an influential group behind the legislation that represents the state’s more than 500 towns and cities. THREE GROUPS ARE SUING NEW JERSEY TO BLOCK AN OFFSHORE WIND FARM Among the proposed changes is the end of a prohibition on commercial record requests, by real estate developers for instance. Instead, the new measure would allow government clerks up to 14 days to respond to requests for records and allow for commercial interests to pay up to twice the cost of producing the records. “When both sides are potentially not thrilled you have a good compromise,” Senate Budget Committee chairman Paul Sarlo said. Civil rights groups, citizens and media organizations testified Thursday against the measure, citing in particular the end of what they said was a key component of the law: attorney fee shifting, which under current law provides for government agencies to pay legal fees only if the government is found to have improperly denied records. That provision is important, according to attorney CJ Griffin who testified in opposition Thursday, because journalists and the public often don’t have the funds to pursue costly legal cases to obtain records. “If your goal is to handle commercial requests … this bill doesn’t do it,” Griffin said. “This bill instead guts transparency.” The bill’s sponsors countered that a court could determine that attorneys’ fees were warranted if a government records custodian acted in bad faith. Another new provision of the proposed measure that drew opposition Thursday was the authorization for lawsuits to be brought in state Superior Court for records that requesters have determined to be interrupting “government function.” Sarlo said he thought the criticism was inaccurate, but didn’t specify. Lori Buckelew, a top official with The League of Municipalities that pushed for the legislation, said the changes are necessary to protect taxpayer dollars from the abuses of overburdensome records requests. Paul Mordany, the mayor of Deptford, New Jersey, said his town has 200 pending requests, only three of which are from town residents. The rest are from lawyers, real estate developers and other commercial interests. The stress wears on the town clerk responsible for handling the requests under the Open Public Records Act, or OPRA, he said. “I literally sat in her office more than one time as she literally cried over OPRA requests,” he said. Access to officials’ emails and other public records regularly results in news stories shedding light on how the government works. In 2018, for instance, the records law resulted in the disclosure of emails showing the then-governor’s administration working with the executives of a utility company lobbying lawmakers for a $300 million bailout for its nuclear plants.
NY v. Trump: Judge denies request for gag order modification, mistrial after Stormy Daniels testimony
Judge Juan Merchan denied Trump defense attorneys’ request for a mistrial and a modification of the gag order on Thursday, arguing that the former president should be able to defend himself against Stormy Daniels’ salacious and “prejudicial” testimony. Trump defense attorney Todd Blanche first requested a mistrial on Tuesday after Daniels’ first day on the stand but was denied. Merchan did, however, admit she was a difficult witness to control and said much of her testimony was “unnecessary” and “irrelevant” to the charges. Trump attorneys on Thursday again requested a mistrial. Blanche said that the prosecution asked Daniels “a whole host of questions” that never should have been asked, pointing to questions about the porn actress’ childhood and her alleged interaction with Trump. Blanche argued they were “things that are irrelevant to the facts of this case.” Blanche reminded that the case is not about sex, and again stressed that Daniels’ testimony was “extraordinarily prejudicial for the jury to hear.” Blanche continued that many of the questions asked by the prosecution were “prejudicial.” STORMY DANIELS’ SALACIOUS AFFAIR STORY KEEPS CHANGING BECAUSE ENCOUNTER NEVER HAPPENED, TRUMP TEAM CLAIMS “It is so dangerous, so prejudicial, it borders on a problem from the beginning,” Blanche said, adding that Daniels’ testimony and story about the alleged sexual encounter kept changing. Defense attorney Susan Necheles declared earlier Thursday that Daniels “made it up.” Meanwhile, Blanche was referring to salacious and sexually explicit questions asked of Daniels during questioning by the prosecution, stressing that the questions had nothing to do with the alleged falsification of business records–which are the only charges Trump is facing, Prosecutor Josh Steinglass defended Daniels and her testimony, saying that it “is not a change of story.” “They’re trying to have their cake and eat it too,” Steinglass said. Merchan explained that at each trial, evidence comes in different ways. Merchan reminded Blanche that during his opening argument, he denied Trump had a sexual encounter with Stormy Daniels. “Your denial puts the jury in a position to decide who to believe,” Merchan said, and added that the defense could have objected many times during Daniels’ testimony, “but didn’t.” With regard to one explicit detail, Merchan said he agreed that “shouldn’t have come out…but for the life of me, I don’t know why Ms. Necheles didn’t object.” Merchan told Blanche that he made decisions to strike things from the record to “protect” Trump, and said he disagrees with any changing narrative, while adding that the details “add a sense of credibility.” Merchan denied the motion. The prosecution, on Thursday, also said they would no longer call Playboy model Karen McDougal as a witness, who also allegedly received a hush money payment about an alleged affair with Trump. Steinglass defended the decision, saying they did not “change their minds” about calling her, and said prosecutors never formally decided if they would use her as a witness during trial. TOP 5 MOMENTS OF TRUMP TRIAL AFTER ‘SALACIOUS’ STORMY DANIELS TESTIMONY Meanwhile, Blanche also asked Merchan to modify the gag order imposed upon the former president, which blocks him from discussing court staff and witnesses. Blanche requested Trump be released to discuss Daniels. Blanche said that Trump should be able to respond to allegations of a sexual encounter in 2006 with Daniels—especially now that her testimony is complete and she is no longer an active witness. Prosecutors, however, argued that the defense “lives in an alternate reality,” and defended the gag order, saying it is working. Prosecutors also said Trump allies are making his case for him in news interviews. But Merchan denied the request, saying his “concern is not just protecting Daniels.” “My concern is protecting the integrity of these proceedings as a whole,” Merchan said, adding that the reason the gag order is in place is due to the nature of potential Trump attacks. “Your client’s track record speaks for itself,” Merchan said to Blanche. Merchan, though, said he would be mindful of witnesses using the gag order imposed upon Trump as a shield. Merchan imposed a gag order on the former president, an order he has ruled Trump to have violated at least 10 times. He has fined Trump $10,000 so far, and warned of jail time for further violations. “The last thing I want to consider is jail,” Merchan said Monday. “You are [the] former president and possibly the next president.” Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. The charges stem from a years-long investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. The charges are related to alleged payments made ahead of the 2016 presidential election to silence Daniels about an alleged 2006 extramarital affair with Trump. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg must convince the jury that, not only did Trump falsify business records related to alleged hush money payments, he did so in furtherance of another crime — conspiracy to promote or prevent election, which would be a felony. On their own, falsifying business records and conspiracy to promote or prevent election are misdemeanor charges.
Former GOP Rep. Fortenberry charged with lying about illegal campaign contribution
Former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry has been charged with lying to federal authorities about a foreign billionaire’s illegal $30,000 contribution to his campaign, reviving a case that was derailed by an appellate court. A federal jury convicted the Nebraska Republican in 2022, but the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed Fortenberry’s conviction last year, ruling that the case should not have been tried in Los Angeles. A grand jury in the nation’s capital indicted Fortenberry on Wednesday on two counts: falsifying and concealing material facts and making false statements. COURT REVERSES FORMER NEBRASKA US REP. JEFF FORTENBERRY’S CONVICTION FOR LYING TO FEDERAL AUTHORITIES Chad Kolton, a spokesman for Fortenberry, said the case should not have been brought in the first place and should not be pursued again after the 9th Circuit ruled in his favor. “This case has defined overzealous prosecution from the earliest days of the investigation, and retrying it in D.C. just highlights the prosecutors’ vindictive obsession with destroying a good man’s life,” Kolton said in a statement. After his conviction, Fortenberry announced his resignation from the office that he had held since 2005. He had been under pressure from congressional leaders and Nebraska’s Republican governor. The case stems an FBI investigation of illegal campaign contributions made by Gilbert Chagoury, a Nigerian billionaire who lived in Paris at the time. Chagoury made the $30,000 contribution to Fortenberry through middlemen at a 2016 fundraiser in Los Angeles, his indictment says. Chagoury later agreed to pay a $1.8 million fine. Foreign nationals are prohibited from directly contributing money to candidates for federal offices in the United States. Fortenberry was charged after denying to the FBI that he was aware he had received illicit funds from Chagoury. A person who cooperated with the FBI investigation repeatedly told Fortenberry about the illegal contributions, his indictment says. The 9th Circuit ruled that Fortenberry was improperly tried in Los Angeles because he was charged in connection with statements that he made to federal agents at his home in Lincoln, Nebraska, and at his lawyer’s office in Washington. Fortenberry’s trial was the first for a sitting member of Congress since Rep. Jim Traficant, D-Ohio, who was convicted of bribery and other felony charges in 2002.
Taxpayer-funded ID program for illegal immigrants expected to begin this summer
FIRST ON FOX: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is eyeing a summer rollout for a controversial ID card pilot program for illegal immigrants being released into the U.S. And the agency hopes it will modernize the documentation process for removal proceedings. The ICE Secure Docket Card program was first reported on in 2022, and Fox Digital obtained images of the card last year. Now, ICE is planning a limited rollout of the program. ICE confirmed to Fox News Digital this week the pilot program is expected to commence this summer with the distribution of approximately 10,000 cards. While the agency stressed that plans are “pre-decisional” and still subject to change, it is expected the cards will be issued in three or four locations in the U.S. A source familiar with the program told Fox Houston and Atlanta were two potential locations. LEAKED IMAGES SHOW BIDEN ADMIN’S PLANNED ICE ID CARD FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS The agency said the program will “modernize documentation provided to some noncitizens” but stressed it would not be an official form of federal ID. “While the specifics of the card and pilot are under development, it is important to note the secure card will not be an official form of federal identification,” the agency said. “The secure card will indicate it is for use by DHS agencies and would be provided only after national security background checks have been performed.” When illegal immigrants cross the border and are released into the interior, they are often given a number of paper documents depending on their status and situation. ICE says that such documents pose a security risk and can be lost and degraded, and the new program will make the agency more efficient. It would also allow for an easier verification of identity through DHS systems via officials. “Moving to a secure card will save the agency millions, free up resources and ensure information is quickly accessible to DHS officials while reducing the agency’s FOIA backlog,” the spokesperson said. “For provisionally released noncitizens, the digital modernization will provide ongoing access to important immigration documents through the secure card and connected portal.” ICE DEVELOPING PROGRAM TO GIVE ID CARDS TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, AS BORDER CRISIS RAGES But the move is expected to face opposition from some Republicans and conservatives who have expressed broader concerns about the regularization of the release of illegal immigrants, which they have described as an “invasion” orchestrated by the federal government. “Just in time for the election, the Biden administration is quietly legitimizing a government-sanctioned invasion of our nation,” RJ Hauman, president of the National Immigration Center for Enforcement (NICE) and a visiting fellow at The Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital. “Providing illegal aliens with identification will undoubtedly lead to obtaining other documents, benefits and rights — or create an entirely new identity. After all, most who cross the border have no identification information in their possession. So, how do we even know who they are?” Republicans on Wednesday moved forward with legislation to add a citizenship question to the census to prevent noncitizens being counted for congressional apportionment. Republicans have previously passed a sweeping border security bill that would shut down releases into the U.S. and have blamed the policies of the Biden administration for the crisis. The Biden administration says it is dealing with a hemisphere-wide crisis and working within a “broken” system that needs funding and fundamental reforms by Congress. It has called for the passage of a bipartisan bill negotiated by the Senate, but it has failed to drum up enough support from conservatives. Get the latest updates on the ongoing border crisis from the Fox News Digital immigration hub.
Mike Pence accuses Biden of impeachment hypocrisy amid Israel arms threat
Shortly after President Biden announced Wednesday that he would withhold weapons from Israel if it entered the southern Gaza city of Rafah, former Vice President Mike Pence accused him of hypocrisy, in light of how his former boss was impeached on similar grounds. On Wednesday, Biden lamented Gazan civilian casualties to CNN host Erin Burnett, telling her he “made it clear if they go into Rafah… I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah; to deal with the cities, to deal with that problem.” “We’re going to continue to make sure Israel is secure in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to attacks that came out of the Middle East recently. It’s just wrong.” On X, formerly Twitter, Pence tore into Biden, calling his comments “totally unacceptable.” JOHNSON: ‘I HOPE ITS A SENIOR MOMENT’ WHEN BIDEN THREATENED TO PULL ISRAEL SUPPORT “I’m old enough to remember when Democrats impeached another president for supposedly withholding foreign aid that had been approved by Congress,” he said. “Stop the threats, Joe. America Stands with Israel.” In comments to Fox News Digital, Pence said Biden abandoned Israel in order to “win over the Hamas apologist wing of his party.” “Israel is our ally and the only message we should be sending is that we will stand beside them until they finish the job in Gaza and eradicate Hamas, once and for all,” Pence said. “Congress passed the legislation, President Biden signed it, and it is his job to execute it. He can’t withhold aid for political convenience.” The Indiana Republican said Democrats used the same exact argument to impeach then-President Trump over his 2018 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump reportedly asked Zelenskyy to look into the Hunter Biden-Burisma affair while dangling $214 million in U.S. security assistance, which Democrats considered an act of soliciting foreign election interference. “Israel is our most cherished ally,” Pence went on to say. “And they deserve American support to defeat Hamas – not to be used as a political pawn.” On Thursday, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., took his criticism a step further by calling on the House to initiate similar impeachment proceedings against the incumbent. US LAW COULD FORCE BIDEN TO PULL UN FUNDING IF PALESTINIAN RECOGNITION BYPASS SUCCEEDS, EXPERTS SAY “The House has no choice but to impeach Biden based on the Trump-Ukraine precedent of withholding foreign aid to help with reelection,” he said. “Only with Biden, it’s true.” In Trump’s case, Democrats claimed it was “undisputed” that Trump asked Zelenskyy for a political favor in return for security assistance. In opening remarks by Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., at a December 2019 impeachment inquiry hearing, he alleged Trump’s call with Zelenskyy was part of “concerted effort” to “solicit a personal advantage in the next election – this time, in the form of an investigation of his political adversaries by a foreign government.” In an apparent response to Biden’s warning, Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, introduced the Immediate Support for Israel Act on Friday, which she said would force the administration to deliver aid and support passed by Congress. “Weeks ago, Congress came together in a bipartisan manner to pass an aid package for Israel. In an unprecedented move, President Biden not only halted the shipment of aid but also unilaterally added conditions to that very same aid – defying Congressional intent. Israel is currently engaged in a war with a terrorist organization that is still holding over 100 civilian hostages. There is simply no excuse for this delay,” Van Duyne said in a statement obtained by Fox News. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In a statement in Hebrew on the eve of Israeli Independence Day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “If we need to stand alone, we will stand alone.” “I have said that, if necessary, we will fight with our fingernails.” Meanwhile, billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, who has been vocally critical of antisemitism on campus, responded to a clip of Biden’s CNN interview with the comment: “Crazy: This is one of the worst acts against an ally of a sitting president ever.” “Hopefully, this means he won’t be sitting for much longer,” Ackman wrote on X. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Pence’s reaction. Fox News’ Chad Pergram and Yonat Friling contributed to this report.
Anti-Israel occupiers could lose federal student loans under new GOP Senate bill
FIRST ON FOX: Republicans are threatening the federal financial aid provided to college students who commit crimes during the anti-Israel protests sweeping universities across the country. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., introduced the No HAMAS Act on Thursday, joined by eight other Republicans, including Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Steve Daines, R-Mont. “Mobs of pro-Hamas students have flagrantly violated the law, destroyed campus property, and resorted to violence against fellow students and law enforcement. Hardworking taxpayers shouldn’t have to keep paying for the college tuition of convicted lawbreakers,” Tillis said in a statement to Fox News Digital. ‘NO CHOICE’ BUT TO IMPEACH BIDEN OVER DELAYED ISRAEL AID, GOP SENATOR SAYS He added that his bill is “commonsense legislation that will cut off federal aid for grown adults who are breaking our laws, spewing antisemitism, and openly embracing terrorists.” The measure would disallow anyone convicted of a crime that occurred during a university protest that involved “unlawful assembly, rioting, or trespassing on the campus” or property damage from being considered eligible “to receive any grant, loan, or work assistance” under the Higher Education Act of 1965, which authorized numerous student aid programs. UNIVERSITIES WOULD PAY ‘HEFTY PRICE’ FOR ALLOWING ENCAMPMENTS UNDER NEW SENATE BILL Between April 18 and May 3, police arrested or detained more than 2,200 people during demonstrations at about 49 college campuses in 26 states. The most prominent of the encampments was at Columbia University, where protesters ultimately took over a campus building before police were called in. NPR CEO KATHERINE MAHER DECLINES HOUSE HEARING INVITE AMID BIAS SCANDAL “In Joe Biden’s America, hardworking taxpayers are forced to aid Hamas-sympathizing students who blatantly violate the law by trespassing and destroying campus property,” Blackburn told Fox News Digital in a statement. “There ought to be a clear lesson for these students: if you choose to break the law, you lose your federal assistance.” FANI WILLIS SUGGESTS SHE WON’T TESTIFY IN ‘UNLAWFUL’ GEORGIA SENATE INVESTIGATION Tillis’ measure joins a slew of other Republican bills aimed at restricting federal benefits to students who participate in anti-Israel demonstrations that escalate into illegal behavior and universities that allow them to go on unfettered. The Department of Education did not immediately provide comment to Fox News Digital but has previously said it does not comment on pending legislation.
DNA TV Show: Shifting Lok Sabha polls 2024 focus from development to religion
DNA Zee News anchor, Sourabh Raaj Jain today analysed the focus of Lok Sabha Elections 2024 shifting from development to Hindu-Muslim politics
House GOP drafting Biden impeachment articles over Israel aid cutoff threat
FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., is preparing impeachment articles against President Biden over his threat to halt U.S. offensive aid to Israel, the first-term lawmaker told Fox News Digital on Thursday. Mills accused Biden of forcing Israel into a “quid pro quo” situation by leveraging U.S. dollars against the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza, drawing parallels to Democrats’ first impeachment of former President Trump over his handling of Ukraine aid. “The House has no choice but to impeach President ‘Quid pro Joe’ Biden. As Vice President, Biden was caught threatening to withhold funding and aid to Ukraine unless they fired the attorney general investigating Burisma, a company financially benefiting his son Hunter, not to mention the 10% share for ‘the big guy’ himself,” Mills said in a statement. “Now, Joe Biden is pressuring Israel, our biggest ally in the Middle East, by pausing their funding that has already been approved in the House, if they don’t stop all operations with Hamas. It’s a very clear message, ‘this for that.’ MANY ISRAELIS FEEL ‘BETRAYED’ FOLLOWING BIDEN THREAT TO WITHHOLD ARMS TO DEFEAT HAMAS IN RAFAH “These are the same accusations made against President Trump, which resulted in his impeachment by Democrats. The same must happen for Joe Biden, which is why we’re drawing up articles of impeachment now,” Mills finished. Biden made the high-stakes ultimatum to Israel’s government in a CNN interview that aired Wednesday night as it prepares for a ground invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah. The city is currently home to more than a million Palestinians who left other parts of the Gaza Strip, where Israel has conducted its mission to eradicate the terrorist group Hamas. Biden said Israel would continue to see U.S. support for its defensive systems, like the Iron Dome, in the CNN interview. He added, however, “if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, that deal with that problem.” BIDEN’S DECISION TO PULL ISRAEL WEAPONS SHIPMENT KEPT QUIET UNTIL AFTER HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE ADDRESS: REPORT The remarks prompted a flurry of backlash from Republicans and some moderate Democrats. Several more GOP lawmakers voiced support for impeaching Biden over the decision, arguing there are parallels to Trump’s withholding of weapons aid to Ukraine in exchange for announcing an investigation into the Biden family. Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., called on the House to open an immediate impeachment inquiry, arguing that Biden was motivated by political reasons. “Given Democrats’ Trump-Ukraine precedent, President Biden’s decision to withhold lethal aid to our ally, Israel, for political gain is undoubtedly an impeachable offense. Clearly, the nefarious motive behind our commander in chief’s move to condition U.S. aid to Israel is to appease radical leftists and Hamas sympathizers ahead of the 2024 election,” Clyde said. “The House must immediately open an impeachment inquiry due to the president’s disastrous decision to play politics with national security.” Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., told Fox News Digital, “The Democrats made their bed, and now they’re [lying] in it. This is just the latest on a long list of reasons to impeach Biden, including the deadline withdrawal in Afghanistan and allowing more than 9 million illegal immigrants to invade our southern border.” BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION INVESTIGATING EMORY UNIVERSITY FOR ALLEGED ANTI-MUSLIM DISCRIMINATION It’s highly unlikely for the push to reach the level of a Senate trial, with the House’s current ongoing impeachment inquiry into Biden still searching for smoking gun evidence amid a mountain of accusations of improper behavior and bribery. But it shows the sky-high tensions that have taken over Washington amid Israel’s war on Hamas after the terrorist group’s Oct. 7 attack. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., stopped short of calling for impeachment, but said, “The president is essentially threatening an arms embargo on our closest ally in the Middle East that is fighting a terror army holding American citizens hostage. Withholding critical munitions that Congress appropriated and Biden himself signed into law is wrong.” The first member of Congress to make the call was Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., posting on X early on Thursday morning, “The House has no choice but to impeach Biden based on the Trump-Ukraine precedent of withholding foreign aid to help with reelection. Only with Biden, it’s true.” When reached for comment, the White House referred Fox News Digital to remarks made on Thursday morning by White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby saying, “The president and his team have been clear for several weeks that we do not support a major ground operation in Rafah, where more than a million people are sheltering with nowhere safe to go.” “We propose alternative methods of defeating Hamas that do not involve a major ground operation in Rafah. Those conversations with the Israeli government are ongoing. The president said yesterday that if Israel in fact proceeds with a major ground operation in Rafah, he will not provide certain categories of weapons to support such an operation. The Israeli government has understood this for some time now.”