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Gabbard unaware of FBI probe into Joe Kent before resignation, official says

Gabbard unaware of FBI probe into Joe Kent before resignation, official says

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was not aware that former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent was under FBI investigation for allegedly leaking classified information prior to his resignation, a senior intelligence official told Fox News Digital Thursday.  Kent stepped down Tuesday after publicly breaking with President Donald Trump over the war in Iran, writing in his resignation letter that Tehran posed “no imminent threat” to the United States. Two sources briefed on the matter told Fox News that the FBI investigation into Kent had been underway for weeks before his departure. FBI leak investigations are often tightly held in the early stages to avoid tipping off the subject. But the fact that the probe into Kent had been underway for weeks before his resignation — and that the director of national intelligence was not aware of it — raises questions about why the nation’s top intelligence official was not informed. GABBARD SIDESTEPS IRAN ‘IMMINENT THREAT’ CLAIM UNDER SENATE GRILLING The lack of awareness also raises questions about how decisions regarding Kent’s access to sensitive information were managed in the weeks leading up to his resignation, as administration officials have said he had been cut out of planning meetings related to the current Iran mission, known as Operation Epic Fury, as well as the president’s daily briefings. One senior administration official described Kent as a “known leaker” and said Gabbard had been asked to fire Kent and had not done so.  Another official said the White House had complained to Gabbard about Kent, but had not asked her to fire him.  An official at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) said the president never asked Gabbard to fire Kent, or she would have done so.  INSIDE JOE KENT’S ABRUPT FALL AS GOP BACKLASH GROWS OVER ANTISEMITISM ACCUSATIONS, FBI PROBE As director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Kent typically would oversee the integration and analysis of intelligence related to terrorist threats, a role that typically involves access to some of the government’s most sensitive information. During a series of recent congressional hearings, Gabbard has been pressed on Kent’s claims. In a recent exchange with Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Gabbard was asked whether she agreed with Kent’s resignation statement after Stefanik read portions of it aloud. “He said a lot of things in that letter,” Gabbard responded, adding that the president “makes his own decisions based on the information that’s available to him.” When pressed on whether Kent’s comments concerned her, she gave a one-word answer: “Yes.” Fox News Digital reached out to Gabbard, Kent and the FBI for comment.  Fox News’ David Spunt contributed to this report. 

Illegal immigrant accused of running over US citizen nabbed by ICE after Biden-era release

Illegal immigrant accused of running over US citizen nabbed by ICE after Biden-era release

FIRST ON FOX: A road rage incident in a Philadelphia suburb led to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arresting an illegal immigrant with a massive and violent criminal history. Fox News Digital learned that ICE apprehended Christopher Leon Bailey, a 27-year-old Jamaican national, Monday in Ridley Township, Pennsylvania, following his arrest by local authorities for a road rage incident Jan. 23. Bailey allegedly was the aggressor in the incident, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says, which took place late January after a near collision. The agency said Bailey allegedly pulled a knife and attempted to stab the other individual, before jumping back into his car to chase down and ultimately run over the victim.  IMMIGRATION JUDGE ORDERS DEPORTATION OF NYC COUNCIL EMPLOYEE AFTER ICE ARREST; CITY LEADERS PUSH BACK The department does not know the status of the victim and the Ridley Township Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s inquiry. Bailey then allegedly fled the scene following the incident, the DHS said.  Bailey was arrested by local authorities and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, recklessly endangering another person, possessing an instrument of crime, simple assault, disorderly conduct and reckless driving.  The charges were later increased to attempted murder. The charges are currently pending with the Delaware County Court in Ridley Township, Pennsylvania.  ICE arrested Bailey Monday at the Delaware County Court as he was set to post bail. Fox News Digital reached out to the Ridley Township Police Department to inquire whether it had cooperated with ICE in Bailey’s arrest, but did not immediately receive a response. “This serial criminal illegal alien’s crime spree in our country is OVER,” DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital in an emailed statement.  Bailey overstayed his tourist visa in 2009, according to the agency.  He previously was arrested in 2023 by ICE in Philadelphia for violating immigration laws. However, an immigration judge under the administration of former President Joe Biden declared Bailey not a public danger and ordered him released on bond. Bailey’s lengthy criminal history includes convictions in New York City, including robbery, larceny, disorderly conduct and possession of stolen property. DHS NABS AFGHAN MAN ADMITTED UNDER BIDEN AFTER CONVICTION FOR EXPOSING HIMSELF TO MINOR In 2020, Bailey was arrested in New York for criminal possession of a loaded firearm and criminal possession of a weapon with a previous conviction. Two years later, in 2022, Bailey was convicted in Kings County, New York, Criminal Court for criminal possession of a firearm.   Bis called it “outrageous” that “this repeat criminal was released by an immigration judge in 2023 and allowed to victimize more innocent Americans, including this individual he intentionally ran over and threatened with a knife.” She noted that “thanks to our law enforcement, this public safety threat is off our streets.” WHITE HOUSE SAYS ‘NO ONE’ CHANGING TRUMP ENFORCEMENT AGENDA IN RESPONSE TO ANGEL MOM APPEAL TO MULLIN “Under President Trump, DHS has unleashed ICE to target dangerous criminal illegal aliens, like Christopher Leon Bailey, and restore LAW and ORDER to our communities,” Bis added. Fox News Digital reached out to spokespeople for Biden for comment.  A lawyer for Bailey wasn’t immediately clear. 

Squad-backed progressives hit with ‘cold shower’ as moderates win Illinois primaries

Squad-backed progressives hit with ‘cold shower’ as moderates win Illinois primaries

A trio of progressive Democrats backed by members of “The Squad” suffered blistering rebukes on Tuesday as Illinois voters rejected them in favor of more moderate candidates, prompting questions from onlookers about whether the party’s core, and momentum, should be entrusted to the far-left wing of its base. To James Carville, a longtime Democratic strategist, the answer has been “no” for a long time. Talking to Fox News Digital in response to several progressive candidates losing in Tuesday’s Democratic primary in deep blue Illinois, he questioned the narrative that Squad-aligned progressives are gaining momentum. “What momentum? About 15% of the Democratic Party identifies themselves as progressive. And what’s unique, they win about 15% in the primaries at most,” Carville said. “This was something I’ve dealt with all my life.” “In New York, [Zohran] Mamdami got 50.5% — which is not overwhelming. That’s hardly the basis for some national movement,” Carville said, referring to the socialist mayor of New York City. AIPAC-BACKED CHICAGO DEMOCRAT LOSES PRIMARY DESPITE OUTSIDE SPENDING BLITZ The progressive losses all came despite high-profile support from some of the most progressive figures in Congress. Kat Abughazaleh, the 26-year-old Palestinian American running on an anti-establishment platform and promises to implement a “wealth tax,” attracted support from the likes of Rep. Rashida Talib, D-Mich., and Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn, but lost on Tuesday. Defeated technology entrepreneur Junaid Ahmed told voters he would push for the self-determination of Gaza and implement healthcare for all, earning the support of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. And Robert Peters, a state senator who raised $1.1 million on his track record of helping to end cash bail and raising the minimum wage at the state level, garnered backing from Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt, and Warren, but lost his bid for Congress to Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller. BILLIONAIRE JB PRITZKER SAYS HE’S HAD TO OVERCOME HIS WEALTH, WHICH WOULD BE ‘OBSTACLE’ IN 2028 Between them, they raised $5.7 million. Anthony Driver Jr., widely regarded as a progressive candidate in Illinois’ 7th District Democratic primary, lost to the more moderate, establishment-aligned Democrat, La Shawn Ford. Driver was endorsed by Jayapal and the Congressional Progressive Caucus.  Liam Kerr, co-founder of the Welcome PAC, a group that supports moderate Democrats, believes their losses should give the party a clear takeaway. “Illinois is just the latest reminder that the noise machine around far-left candidates rarely translates into actual votes,” Kerr said. “There’s a real hunger in this party to win, and the candidates who keep losing are the ones more focused on ideological performance than tried and true economic concerns. The blueprint is simple: ditch the clout-chasing ideologues and invest in hard-working candidates who know their communities.” Kerr’s framing was echoed by Jim Kessler, vice president of policy at Third Way, a Democrat think tank focused on moderate platforms. “Illinois delivered a cold shower to the progressive fringe in the Democratic Party. Every winner was a mainstream Democrat. A lesson Democrats always have to relearn is that mainstream beats extreme,” Kessler said. But to other onlookers, the results aren’t so definitive. Even as figures like Carville argue far-left policies aren’t a recipe for national success, others see the Illinois losses as far less decisive for progressives than critics suggest. Michael Ceraso, a veteran of the 2016 Sanders presidential campaign, pointed out that some of Tuesday’s winners can’t be swept neatly into the “moderate” camp. He doesn’t believe progressives really even lost the night at all. “Daniel Biss is a progressive. The dude pushed climate and building regulations in Evanston,” Ceraso said, referring to the winner for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District — the candidate that beat out Abughazaleh. Ceraso also noted that several candidates backed by Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker won out. “The Illinois governor is a progressive. He backed [Juliana] Stratton,” Ceraso said, referring to the lieutenant governor and Senate candidate who won the Democratic nomination in a high-profile, competitive, contentious, and expensive primary showdown. “[They] increased the minimum wage, ended the sub-minimum wage for disabled people and protected reproductive care. That’s what progress means: moving toward a goal that lifts others, not protecting the status quo.” Still, other voices, like that of Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, noted that outside groups like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) had focused their attention on defeating the most progressive voices in the election.  “The real debate inside the Democratic Party is not whether progressive economic policies appeal to voters,” Green argued. “It is whether candidates who genuinely believe in those ideas can compete against industries willing to spend millions to co-opt that message in support of candidates who will never actually challenge power,” Green said. Having now cleared the primaries, Illinois will hold its general elections on Nov. 3.

White men ‘clearly’ targeted as Virginia Dems’ race-sex bill hits Spanberger’s desk: experts

White men ‘clearly’ targeted as Virginia Dems’ race-sex bill hits Spanberger’s desk: experts

A Virginia state bill passed along party lines directing state agencies to consider the race and sex of small businesses’ ownership when distributing discretionary funds for procurement and contracts is likely to face major legal headwinds, experts told Fox News Digital. The Small SWAM Business Procurement Enhancement Program Act “provides that executive branch agencies and covered institutions are required to increase their small SWAM business utilization rates by three percent per year until reaching the 42-percent target or, if unable to do so, to implement achievable goals to increase their utilization rates,” according to its text.  SWAM stands for small, women-owned and minority-owned. Purchases between $10,000 and $200,000 must be set aside to be awarded to SWAM businesses as well, according to the text of the bill drafted by Delegate Jeion Ward, D-Hampton. INVESTIGATION OF NIKE’S DEI PRACTICES COULD HAVE MAJOR NATIONWIDE IMPACT ON HIRING, SAYS ALAN DERSHOWITZ As the bill approaches Democrat Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s desk, Oversight Project Vice President of Legal Kyle Brosnan told Fox News Digital it appears par for the course for the way Richmond is moving. Brosnan said the bill constitutes “clearly intentional discrimination against White men.” “Since reclaiming total control of state government, Virginia Democrats have shown their true colors as nothing short of radical ideologues,” Brosnan said. “By setting race and sex quotas for 42% of the state discretionary spending on government contracts, Gov. Spanberger and her far left enablers in Richmond are showing their true colors as radicals.” Zack Smith, a former federal prosecutor for the Northern District of Florida, added that whenever the government proposes to treat people differently based on race and gender, it is unconstitutional. “I think we saw the Supreme Court speak explicitly to this with its Harvard and UNC decisions banning the use of race in admissions in higher education,” he said. VIRGINIA DEMS INTRODUCE CLASSROOM DEI CURRICULUM LAW ON DAY 1 OF LEGISLATIVE SESSION “As a result of that Students for Fair Admissions decision, we’ve seen some federal courts apply that same logic to other federal government programs that seek to prioritize minority-owned businesses (that) are treating people differently based on their race, and so I would certainly think the same logic would apply to this state law action as well.” Chief Justice John Roberts authored the majority opinion in that Supreme Court case, and Justice Clarence Thomas wrote a concurrence in a historic decision ending affirmative action in college admissions. “While I am painfully aware of the social and economic ravages which have befallen my race and all who suffer discrimination, I hold our enduring hope that this country will live up to its principles [that] all men are created equal … and must be treated equally before the law,” Thomas said at the time. DEM GOVERNOR-ELECT TAPS CROCKETT’S FORMER ‘CHIEF BRAND STRATEGIST’ FOR TOP DEI ROLE Smith said that, even prior to this, the Supreme Court found quotas “impermissible” and that if Spanberger signs the bill there will be business owners who are outraged and will demand accountability. “I do think there is likely going to be litigation surrounding this because this would involve a federal constitutional issue in addition to other legal claims that may be raised,” Smith said Wednesday. “This could be brought in federal court,” he said, suggesting arguments against it will fall on 14th Amendment grounds. CORPORATE AMERICA HAS DECIDED THAT DEI NEEDS TO DIE Brosnan agreed, criticizing the bill’s section requiring Virginia taxpayers to fund $1 million for system updates, staffing and reporting to “institutionalize discrimination” in his words. “It also ‘sets aside’ government contracts of up to $200,000 for women- and minority-owned businesses so long as their bids are no more than 5% higher than the lowest “noncertified” — read ‘White male-owned’— business. “Did Virginians expect to get this institutionalized wokeism when they voted for the ‘moderate’ governor?”  The conservative outlet The Federalist said the bill instituted “racial rigging” and reported a section of the bill authorizes the director of the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity to conduct a “disparity study” every five years, which the outlet said translated to determining how to reduce the number of White males winning government contracts. Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger for an indication whether she will sign the bill. Fox News Digital also reached out to Ward, who is also the chairwoman of the Labor & Commerce Committee on Capitol Square.

CM Rekha Gupta-led govt issues tender for Rs 6.2 crore VIP boats with AC cabin, pantry for Yamuna inspection

CM Rekha Gupta-led govt issues tender for Rs 6.2 crore VIP boats with AC cabin, pantry for Yamuna inspection

The Delhi government is set to acquire two high-end boats with air-conditioned cabins for VIP inspections of the Yamuna River at a total cost of Rs 6 crore. The tender notice, issued by the government’s Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) department on March 12, specifies that the boats will be equipped with all amenities to facilitate dignitaries’ visits, including customised business-class seats, a pantry, and washrooms.

Inside Joe Kent’s abrupt fall as GOP backlash grows over antisemitism accusations, FBI probe

Inside Joe Kent’s abrupt fall as GOP backlash grows over antisemitism accusations, FBI probe

Joe Kent’s eyebrow-raising resignation as director of the National Counterterrorism Center Tuesday has given way to news that Kent is under FBI investigation — and has been for weeks — for allegedly leaking classified information. It’s a stunning turn of events for someone in such a high-profile job, but Kent’s incendiary letter and subsequent statements have exposed an apparent fracture in President Donald Trump’s national security team, pitting officials who favor a more aggressive military posture against those aligned with a more isolationist approach. Kent rose on the right as a combat veteran turned political insurgent — a former Green Beret and CIA officer who channeled his battlefield experience into a critique of America’s “endless wars” and the D.C. establishment that sustained them. A vocal ally of Trump and a participant in post-2020 election challenges, Kent became a prominent voice in the populist wing of the GOP. Now, his recent resignation — and his accusation that the war in Iran was driven by “pressure from Israel” — has triggered a swift GOP backlash, leaving Kent isolated from parts of the political movement that once embraced him. TRUMP RESURFACES OLD TWEET FROM INTEL OFFICIAL WHO RESIGNED  His Tuesday resignation letter directly challenged the Trump administration’s justification for the Iran war, stating that “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation” and arguing the conflict was driven by “pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.” He also alleged that a “misinformation campaign” by Israeli officials and U.S. media had pushed the United States toward war, claims that drew condemnation from lawmakers in both parties. After Kent’s resignation, officials said he had been under FBI investigation for weeks for allegedly leaking classified information. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was unaware of the probe, a senior intelligence official told Fox News Digital Thursday.  Administration officials also told Fox News Kent had been cut out of planning meetings for the current Iran mission, known as Operation Epic Fury, as well as the president’s daily briefings. Kent’s resignation, now shadowed by the FBI investigation into alleged leaks, has placed a once-rising figure in Trump’s orbit at the center of a growing clash over the administration’s Iran strategy, the use of intelligence in military decision-making, and internal tensions within the national security team. Kent’s rise in conservative circles was shaped as much by his military career as by personal loss.  A 20-year Army Special Forces veteran and former CIA paramilitary officer, he served in multiple combat deployments before entering public life. His profile grew significantly after the 2019 death of his first wife, Navy Senior Chief Shannon, who was killed in a suicide bombing in Syria.  Kent frequently has cited her death as a turning point for him, fueling his criticism of what he describes as failed U.S. foreign policy and “endless wars” in the Middle East. He later entered politics, running for Congress in 2022 and 2024 in Washington state as a Republican aligned with President Donald Trump’s “America First” movement.  Kent secured Trump’s endorsement during his campaigns and became a prominent voice in the populist wing of the party, combining a hardline stance on national security with opposition to prolonged military interventions. Kent’s recent departure has raised questions about internal dynamics within the Trump administration’s national security team, particularly as differences emerge over Iran strategy and the intelligence used to justify it. While Gabbard has long aligned herself with a more restrained approach to foreign policy, the White House has taken a more aggressive posture toward Iran, raising the possibility of a widening divide over both strategy and the intelligence used to justify it. Gabbard has responded cautiously in the days since Kent’s resignation, avoiding a direct defense of his claims while emphasizing the role of the president in making final decisions. In a statement on Iran threats following Kent’s departure, Gabbard did not mention him by name, instead stressing that intelligence agencies provide assessments but that “the president is responsible for determining what is and is not an imminent threat.” Pressed by senators in a worldwide threat hearing Wednesday over whether she agreed with the White House that Iran posed an imminent threat to the U.S. prior to strikes that began Feb. 28, she repeatedly declined to say so, arguing it was up to the president to make such a determination. During a parallel hearing in the House Thursday, Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., read portions of Kent’s resignation letter — including his claim that Israeli officials and U.S. media had pushed the United States toward war — and asked whether Gabbard agreed with the statement. “He said a lot of things in that letter,” Gabbard responded, adding that the president “makes his own decisions based on the information that’s available to him.”  When asked whether Kent’s comments concerned her, Gabbard replied simply: “Yes.” TOP COUNTERTERRORISM OFFICIAL RESIGNS IN PROTEST OF US WAR AGAINST IRAN Kent’s remarks also have drawn sharp criticism from senior Republicans.  Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell described the language in Kent’s resignation letter as “virulent anti-Semitism,” calling it “baseless and incendiary conspiracies” and saying such views have “no place” in government. In early March, Gabbard’s chief of staff, Matt Baker, left his role, though a senior intelligence official told Fox News Digital Baker’s departure was a long-planned return to the private sector.  Gabbard also has recently brought on Dan Caldwell, an outspoken advocate of a more restrained foreign policy. Caldwell previously was the subject of a Pentagon leak probe during his time working with War Secretary Pete Hegseth, though the results of that probe have not been publicized and Caldwell insists they are unsubstantiated.  A source familiar with that move said Caldwell will be doing administration work rather than shaping policy. Gabbard’s office could not immediately be reached for comment. Non-interventionist Republicans praised Kent after his departure.  “Another insider sees what we see: no imminent threat, just lobby pressure. This is why we need to defund and debate,” said Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky.  “Joe Kent is a GREAT