Trump announces picks for ambassadorships to combat antisemitism and promote religious freedom
President Donald Trump announced a handful of nominations and appointments Thursday, including a position to combat antisemitism. Trump selected Yehuda Kaploun, a prominent Miami-based businessman and longtime confidant of the president, to serve as the U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism as an ambassador-at-large. “Yehuda is a successful businessman, and staunch advocate for the Jewish Faith and the Rights of his people to live and worship free from persecution,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “With Anti-Semitism dangerously on the rise, Yehuda will be the strongest Representative for Americans and Jews across the Globe, and promote PEACE. Congratulations Yehuda!” FEDERAL GOVERNMENT QUESTIONED FORMER COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT OVER CAMPUS ANTISEMITISM Former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker, R-N.C., has been nominated as the U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom. Walker, a former pastor, “will work incredibly hard to expose Human Rights Violations, champion Faith, and help us secure Life Saving Results,” Trump wrote. In a post on X, Walker thanked Trump, saying, “I’m open-eyed to the bad actors and regions committing these atrocities against people of faith.” IVY LEAGUE ANTI-ISRAEL RINGLEADER MAHMOUD KHALIL DENIES ALLEGATIONS AS JUDGE AWAITS DEPORTATION EVIDENCE “Religious expression is the foundation of human rights and, whether it’s a college campus in New York or Sub-Saharan Africa, I’ll be relentless in fighting for those targeted who dare to live out their faith,” he wrote. “I’m grateful to my beautiful wife and family for their support. May God provide the path and may we have the courage to follow.” William “Billy” Marshall III, the commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation, will serve as the next director of the Bureau of Prisons, Trump said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Billy is a Strong Advocate for LAW AND ORDER. He understands the struggles of our prisons better than anyone, and will help fix our broken Criminal Justice System. Congratulations Billy, you will inspire us all,” Trump wrote.
US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink to step down amid high-stakes war diplomacy
U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink is stepping down, the State Department confirmed Thursday, as the Trump administration ramps up its efforts to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. Tammy Bruce, a State Department spokesperson, said Brink would be leaving her role, though she didn’t give a specific departure date. The news comes at a critical moment for U.S. foreign policy as officials work to ease tensions and end the grinding war in Eastern Europe. Brink, a career diplomat with decades of experience, was nominated by then-President Joe Biden and unanimously confirmed by the Senate in May 2022, just months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 2 CHINESE MEN CAPTURED IN UKRAINE, ZELENSKYY CLAIMS She became the first U.S. ambassador to serve in Kyiv since 2019, helping reestablish America’s diplomatic presence after embassy staff were evacuated in the early days of the war. Before serving in Ukraine, Brink was the U.S. ambassador to Slovakia and worked in top roles at the National Security Council. She speaks Russian and is known for strongly defending U.S. interests in Eastern Europe. US WILL KNOW IN ‘MATTER OF WEEKS’ IF RUSSIA IS SERIOUS ABOUT PEACE OR USING ‘DELAY TACTIC’: RUBIO While in Ukraine, Brink was a vocal supporter of American military aid and often appeared publicly with Ukrainian leaders. Her resignation comes as the Trump administration shifts focus toward ending the war through diplomacy and renewed talks with Russia. Also on Thursday, U.S. and Russian officials held rare face-to-face talks in Istanbul aimed at repairing long-strained diplomatic relations. The State Department said the two sides exchanged formal notes to finalize an agreement that would stabilize banking services for each country’s embassies, a step seen as key to keeping diplomatic missions operational. In recent years, both countries have imposed financial restrictions on each other’s embassies and slashed staffing due to the fallout from the war. A finalized banking deal could open the door to restoring some of those lost diplomatic connections. The State Department said follow-up talks are expected, though no date has been set. Brink’s departure lands at a moment of major transition in U.S. foreign policy. Her exit may also clear the way for a new ambassador more closely aligned with the Trump administration’s push for a ceasefire deal. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Chinese officials claimed behind closed doors PRC played role in US cyberattacks: Report
Chinese officials acknowledged behind closed doors at a December meeting that their government was responsible for a series of cyberattacks on U.S. infrastructure, according to a Wall Street Journal report based on information from people familiar with the matter. The news comes as the two countries continue to spar over tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump and reciprocated and upped by President Xi Jinping. In an exclusive, the Wall Street Journal reported that those who spoke on condition of anonymity claimed Chinese officials connected the cyberattacks on U.S. ports, airports, utilities and other important targets to America’s support for Taiwan. The report noted that Biden administration officials learned of the discovery first hand during a summit in Geneva, as their Chinese counterparts blamed the campaign, referred to as Volt Typhoon, on a criminal organization. CHINA ATTACKED US WITH HACKERS. WE NEED TO HIT BACK HARD Chinese officials also accused the U.S. of pointing blame at China based on their imagination. The White House and State Department did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the matter. The Chinese Embassy told FOX Business News that China “firmly opposes” the smear attacks against it without any factual basis. BIDEN ADMIN DOUBLING TARIFFS ON CHINESE SOLAR PANEL PARTS AFTER REPORTED ‘INDUSTRIAL ESPIONAGE’ “Cyberspace is characterized by strong virtuality, difficulty in tracing origins, and diverse actors, making the tracing of cyberattacks a complex technical issue,” Embassy spokesperson Mr. Liu Pengyu said. “We hope that relevant parties will adopt a professional and responsible attitude when characterizing cyber incidents, basing their conclusions on sufficient evidence rather than unfounded speculation and accusations. “The US needs to stop using cybersecurity to smear and slander China, and stop spreading all kinds of disinformation about the so-called Chinese hacking threats,” he added. The Biden administration warned state leaders in March 2024 that cyberattacks by hackers linked to Iran and China could take down water systems across the U.S. if cybersecurity measures were not taken out of precaution. FORMER GOOGLE ENGINEER INDICTED FOR STEALING AI SECRETS TO AID CHINESE FIRMS Then Environmental Protection Agency administrator Michael S. Regan and Jake Sullivan, the assistant to Biden for national security affairs, said in an email to state governors that cyberattacks were targeting water and wastewater systems throughout the U.S. In the letter, the two Biden administration officials said the attacks could disrupt clean and safe drinking water and impose significant costs on affected communities. While one attack was linked to Iran, the other threat came from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-sponsored hacker group, Volt Typhoon, which compromised information technology of critical infrastructure systems, including drinking water facilities in the U.S. and its territories. BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WARNS STATES OF POSSIBLE ATTACKS ON WATER SYSTEMS FROM FOREIGN HACKERS As U.S. officials issued warnings about Volt Typhoon’s effort, they also accused the PRC of attempting to get into U.S. computer networks in an effort to unleash cyberattacks during any unforeseen conflicts in the future. The FBI said in December that hackers in Beijing infiltrated networks of “multiple” telecommunication companies, gaining access to customer call records and private communications of “a limited number of individuals.” But the targets, the FBI noted in December, were Americans involved in government and politics. A federal investigation uncovered a massive cyber-espionage campaign by the Chinese government, targeting U.S. telecommunications networks to steal Americans’ information. A top White House official confirmed in December that at least eight U.S. telecom companies had been affected by the hacking spree. The campaign was believed to have started a year or two ago, the Associated Press reported.
Former U.S. Attorney John Bash first to announce run to replace Attorney General Ken Paxton
Bash served as special assistant to President Trump during his first term and is Elon Musk’s lawyer.
Trump says immigrants can return legally but they must self-deport now, floats potential 60-day deadline
During President Donald Trump‘s second public meeting with his Cabinet at the White House on Thursday, he said there will soon be a deadline by which illegal immigrants must be gone from the U.S., or they will not be allowed to try to reenter legally. The president’s comments came as he expressed a willingness to work with undocumented immigrants “right from the beginning” to help them return to the country legally — that is, if they leave “in a nice way,” the president added. “We’re going to work with people, so that if they go out in a nice way, and go back to their country, we’re going to work with them right from the beginning on trying to get them back in legally,” Trump said following comments from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. TRUMP ADMIN UNVEILS PLAN COSTING MIGRANTS MASSIVE FINE FOR EVERY DAY THEY DON’T SELF-DEPORT “So it gives you real incentive, otherwise they’ll never come back — they’ll never be allowed once a certain period of time goes by, which is probably going to be 60 days.” The Trump administration is currently undergoing a massive voluntary removal effort, with federal officials encouraging immigrants residing illegally in the U.S. to self-deport through the administration’s CBP Home app. More than 5,000 immigrants self-deported over the last month, according to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) data. “It’s a very big self-deport operation that we’re starting,” Noem said during Thursday’s Cabinet meeting. FLASHBACK: MITT ROMNEY MOCKED IN 2012 FOR SELF-DEPORTATION CONCEPT THAT HAS NOW BECOME A REALITY Noem pointed out that currently, under the Alien Registration Act and the president’s Executive Orders, if undocumented immigrants still have not registered their status with the federal government, they can be criminally charged, face fines of up to $1,000 per day “and they’ll never get the chance to come back to America.” She also added that the agency is working on securing the funding and resources to ensure deported immigrants land on their feet when they return to their home country, pointing to programs in places like Mexico, El Salvador and Colombia that are offering food and housing assistance. “[We are] making sure that these folks have the opportunity to go home, so that they can get the chance to come back to America is important,” Noem told Trump and his Cabinet. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.
Texas plans to spend $51 billion on property tax cuts. It may not be sustainable.
State budget watchers — and some Republicans — worry Texas is spending too much on property tax cuts.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: DOGE Dividends
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… –Trump tariff spike fuels new House bill to lock China out of US government tech -Dems fight bill to stop illegal immigrant voting despite polls showing voter support -Trump’s ‘big, beautiful’ tax agenda scores major victory in House despite GOP rebellion threats DOGE Chief Elon Musk says the organization is set to save the U.S. government more than $150 billion in cuts to waste and fraud in FY 2026. Musk made the comment during a public Cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump on Thursday. “We anticipate savings in FY 26 from reduction of waste and fraud by $150 billion. And, I mean, and some of it is just absurd. Like people getting unemployment insurance who haven’t been born yet,” Musk said…Read more TRUMP CRACKDOWN: Trump admin warns states to comply with housing prisoners by their biological sex or face funding cutoff ‘VERY GOOD PERSON’: Trump praises Dem Gov. Gretchen Whitmer after slamming her last year: ‘Very good person’ ‘99.9’ PERCENT: Hegseth quips ‘99.9%’ of DEI initiatives are gone from the military under Trump’s watch ‘SAFEST IT GETS’: State Dept upgrades travel advisory for El Salvador, considered safer than France, other European countries SEALED THE DEAL: Russian-American ballerina released after being wrongfully detained in Moscow for over a year ‘WORSE THINGS’: China targets Hollywood films in retaliation of tariffs; Trump responds TAKING SIDES: This Texas Republican congressman endorses Paxton over Cornyn in Senate primary brawl ‘WOMEN AS BAIT’: Conservative firebrand flips script on House Dem’s ‘gotcha’ response to noncitizen voting crackdown ACCOUNTABILITY: American victims of terrorism could soon sue international orgs if Cruz’s bill passes CLOCK BLOCKERS: GOP, Dems come together to end Daylight Saving over health, economic risks ADAM BOMB: WH slams Dems’ ‘partisan games’ after Trump-foe Schiff calls for insider trading investigation over tariffs MAHA AGENDA: Dr. Marty Makary advances out of key committee in bid for FDA confirmation REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: House scrambles to align with Senate on framework for Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ CALLING FOR ANSWERS: Hawley demands Zuckerberg testify on alleged ties between Meta, China ‘OBSTRUCTIONIST POLICIES’: Sanctuary Governors Tim Walz, JB Pritzker, Kathy Hochul called to testify before Congress FIRST ON FOX: 3 senators lead effort to ban Chinese-owned GNC from military installations over spying concerns ‘WIN-WIN’: FDA phasing out some animal testing in ‘win-win’ for ethics and public health: commissioner ‘COWARD!’: Tim Walz heckled by veterans for stolen valor claims, China connections BOMBSHELL LINK: Newly surfaced report provides more clues on COVID outbreak source and timeline ‘NEXT FEW DAYS’: Gabbard says RFK, MLK Jr records ‘ready to release’ in days, has ‘hunters’ looking at FBI, CIA for more files MIDTERM MOMENTUM: GOP voters pick a favorite to challenge Dem governor in early battleground straw poll ‘HAD TO READ IT SEVERAL TIMES’: DOGE reveals bizarre findings of unemployment insurance claims survey Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Lawyers for Columbia anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil blast Rubio evidence letter: ‘Two pages, that’s it’
Attorneys for anti-Israel protester Mahmoud Khalil criticized a two-page letter from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, saying the entire case against their client rests on shaky allegations. The letter, which was filed in an immigration court this week and published Thursday, said the Trump administration has the authority to expel noncitizens whose presence in the country damages U.S. foreign policy interests. The memo alleges that Khalil, a legal permanent U.S. resident and Columbia University graduate student who served as spokesperson for anti-Israel protesters during large demonstrations, participated in “antisemitic protests and disruptive activities.” His presence in the U.S. would have “potentially serious adverse foreign consequences, and would compromise a compelling U.S. foreign policy interest.” MAHMOUD KHALIL BLAMES ‘ANTI-PALESTINIAN RACISM’ FOR ARREST IN FIRST STATEMENT SINCE ICE DETAINMENT “Two pages, that’s it,” Marc Van Der Hout, one of Khalil’s lawyers, told reporters during a virtual news conference Thursday. “Yet this administration wants to silence Mahmoud, wants to silence people speaking out against the government of Israel or the government of the United States.” Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House. The Trump administration is attempting to deport Khalil over his activities at the Ivy League university last year. Federal Judge Jamee Comans said she will rule Friday on whether Khalil can be deported or if he must be freed. “I think the bigger picture here that we all need to keep focus on is that tomorrow’s hearing has momentous implications, whether the government can act in violation of the Constitution, to deport someone, is front and center, and our position is that it cannot,” said Johnny Sinodis, another one of Khalil’s lawyers. TRUMP VOWS ANTI-ISRAEL ACTIVIST MAHMOUD KHALIL WAS ‘FIRST ARREST OF MANY TO COME’ The attorneys also accused the Trump administration of forum “shopping” in an effort to argue their case against Khalil in a friendly court. “Just as the government was trying to manipulate jurisdictional rules to keep Mahmood out of federal courts in New York and New Jersey and into the federal circuit in Louisiana where the law is very favorable to the government,” said Baher Azmy, the legal director of the Center for Constitutional Rights. Azmy said government lawyers are trying to argue the case in immigration court, which “has to largely accept what the secretary of state has said about Mahmood and largely defer to the executive’s conclusions about the fact that he is a threat to foreign policy simply because the secretary of state says without analysis or evidence.” Khalil was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials on March 8. The Trump administration has targeted noncitizen, anti-Israel protesters for deportation. After his arrest, Khalil was taken to Louisiana and Rubio revoked his green card. Khalil has characterized his arrest as “indicative of anti-Palestinian racism.”
Marine vet takes aim at Trump, Musk in video launch for key swing House seat
A former Marine Corps officer who deployed in the Iraq War and later served at the Pentagon and the Veterans Administration under former President Barack Obama is the first major candidate to jump into the high-profile campaign for an open congressional seat in swing state New Hampshire. Democrat Maura Sullivan, in an interview with Fox News, said “our country clearly needs a new generation of leadership, period. And the Democratic Party needs new leadership, and I’m running to be one of those leaders.” Sullivan said in a statement announcing her candidacy in the race to succeed four-term Democrat Rep. Chris Pappas, “I am stepping up to serve because the issues we are facing aren’t Democrat or Republican issues, they’re American issues.” Pappas last week launched a campaign to succeed longtime Democrat Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who recently said she would retire at the end of next year rather than bid for a fourth six-year term representing New Hampshire in the Senate. POPULAR REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR WHO TRUMP URGED TO RUN FOR SENATE IN KEY SWING STATE MAKES HIS DECISION His seat, New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District, covers the eastern half of the northern New England state, and Republicans are aiming to flip it from blue to red in next year’s midterm elections. The race is expected to be expensive and competitive. This is Sullivan’s second bid for Congress in the district. She came in second to Pappas in a crowded 11-candidate Democrat primary in 2018, when the congressman first won the office. Sullivan, a New Hampshire Democratic Party vice chair, took aim at President Donald Trump and his most visible White House adviser in a campaign launch video she posted on social media. DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN TAKES AIM AT TRUMP, MUSK IN SENATE CAMPAIGN LAUNCH “I saw too many of my fellow Marines give their lives for this country to just sit by and watch Donald Trump and Elon Musk tear it down,” Sullivan said in a video shared on X. “They’re driving up costs for New Hampshire families, making it even more difficult to own a home and pay the bills. And that’s why I’m running for Congress, to protect the promise of America and ensure a better future for our kids.” Sullivan, in her Fox News Digital interview, said that “I’m hearing from folks all around New Hampshire that they’re worried, they’re scared, they’re frustrated, and I am too.” HOUSE GOP CAMPAIGN CHAIR TELLS FOX NEWS WHAT HE’S MOST CONCERNED ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO DEFENDING THE MAJORITY While Sullivan is the first major candidate to enter the race, she likely won’t be the last. Former state Sen. Tom Sherman, a physician and the 2022 Democrat gubernatorial nominee in New Hampshire, told Fox News he’s “definitely interested” in a potential bid for Congress and said he is “keeping my options open.” DEM CONGRESSMAN LASHES MUSK IN OPENING SALVO OF POPULIST BID IN 2026 SWING-STATE SENATE RACE Also mulling a run is former state Sen. John Morgan, a cybersecurity executive who told Fox News he’s “kicking the tires” on a possible congressional campaign. “New Hampshire is part of my heart and soul,” Morgan said, adding that “it’s really a time that calls for bold leadership.” Democrat state Sen. Rebecca Perkins Kwoka is also thought to be a possible contender for the nomination. In the race for the Republican nomination, former state senator and former executive councilor Russell Prescott, the 2024 nominee who lost to Pappas, is mulling another run for Congress. So are Hollie Noveletsky, Joe Kelly Levasseur and Chris Bright, who came in second, third and fourth, respectively, behind Prescott in the 2024 GOP primary in the district. State Attorney General John Formella is also thought to be a possible contender for the GOP nomination.
ICE reveals sanctuary jurisdictions that have released the most criminal aliens
New U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency records show that more than 25,000 of the agency’s detainer requests were declined by sanctuary jurisdictions throughout the country over the last few years, resulting in the release of dozens of illegal immigrants convicted of homicide. A total of 72 criminal aliens with homicide convictions or charges were released from U.S. jails despite having ICE detainers between Oct. 1, 2022, and Feb. 6, 2025, according to ICE data provided to the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), which tracks the immigration laws of states and local municipalities. Seventeen of those releases came from just three detention centers: the Illinois River Corrections Center and Santa Clara County jails, which released six, and the Stateville Correctional Center in Illinois, which released five. THOUSANDS LEAVE COUNTRY VOLUNTARILY AMID TRUMP SELF-DEPORT PUSH, DHS SAYS The data comes as debate over “sanctuary” jurisdictions, those that limit or ban local cooperation with federal immigration authorities, has intensified as President Donald Trump has doubled down on his campaign promise of mass deportations. Trump has hinted at federal action against the jurisdictions in recent weeks, including a Truth Social post Thursday in which the president threatened to withhold federal funding. “No more Sanctuary Cities! They protect the Criminals, not the Victims,” Trump wrote in the post. “They are disgracing our Country, and are being mocked all over the World. Working on papers to withhold all Federal Funding for any City or State that allows these Death Traps to exist!!!” Meanwhile, the ICE data provided insight into which jurisdictions were the least compliant with the agency’s detainer requests. Those numbers show that more than half (52%) of the declined detainer requests were from jails in California, which is considered a sanctuary state by CIS. IMMIGRATION THINK TANK COOKS UP SCHEME TO USE ‘SNITCHES’ TO FORCE MIGRANTS TO SELF-DEPORT Other states with a large share of declined detainers were Illinois, Virginia, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Illinois, Massachusetts and Connecticut are all sanctuary states, according to CIS, while Virginia does not have a statewide sanctuary policy but is home to dozens of jurisdictions with their own such policies. “It’s shocking that over half of the declined detainers were refused by jails and prisons in California,” Alfonso Aguilar, the director of Hispanic engagement at the American Principles Project, told Fox News Digital. “Gov. [Gavin] Newsom and mayors in the state have a lot of explaining to do to their constituents.” Newsom’s office did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment. The main jail in Santa Clara County was responsible for the highest number of declined detainers, the ICE data showed, with nearly 3,000 criminal aliens being released during the 2022-2025 period. Cook County Jail in Illinois and Fairfax County Adult Detention Center in Virginia were also responsible for a large share of released criminal aliens, with both declining more than 1,000 ICE detainers during the same period. “What’s happening in these jurisdictions is unconscionable,” Aguilar said. “Their leaders evidently don’t believe that illegal immigrants that have been charged or convicted with crimes should be removed from their communities. And by ignoring ICE detainers and releasing them into the community, they’re putting in danger the lives and property of their citizens.”