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GOP gubernatorial hopeful hails legendary golfer for hefty campaign donation: ‘Incredibly honored’

GOP gubernatorial hopeful hails legendary golfer for hefty campaign donation: ‘Incredibly honored’

Phil Mickelson, the three-time Masters champion, made a hefty campaign donation to Steve Hilton, a Republican candidate for governor in California, as he wages a bid to become the state’s first Republican to win the state’s top political job in over 20 years. The political contribution is rare for the professional golfer. At the federal level, Mickelson appears to have only made one other notable donation in 1994: a $700 gift to former U.S. Rep. J.D. Hayworth, R-Ariz., according to the Federal Election Commission. Mickelson also doesn’t appear to have donated to other candidates in California, per the state’s campaign finance records. However, Hilton, an ex-businessman, author, podcaster and former TV host with Fox News, did get his attention. SWALWELL GOVERNOR BID HIT WITH RESIDENCY QUESTIONS AFTER COURT FILING ALLEGES HE DOESN’T LIVE IN CALIFORNIA “Steve Hilton can/will save California,” Mickelson, who moved to Florida in 2020 after complaining about California’s high taxes, said in a X post earlier this month, reacting to promises from Hilton to end Democrat-led climate energy mandates. Hilton has attracted $6.2 million in contributions, beating out the support of several top Democrats in the race to replace outgoing Governor Gavin Newsom, according to California’s Secretary of State. Notably, his contributions exceed the war chests of all but two Democratic candidates: former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan. Hilton said he appreciated Mickelson’s support and framed it as part of broader momentum behind his candidacy. “I’m incredibly honored to have Phil’s support, and we’ve had some great conversations about the future of California and how much we love this state and want to save it and make it a beautiful, spectacular place with the right leadership,” Hilton said. “It’s time to clean [California] up and I’m building a really broad movement for change and I am very confident that we can win in November.” His donations exceed those of former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., and Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., who have raised $5.8 and $5.6 million, respectively. GOLF LEGEND PHIL MICKELSON WEIGHS IN ON ALLEGED FRAUD IN CALIFORNIA Arguing that California has suffered under a “one-party rule” for too long, Hilton has pitched his campaign as a chance to recapture California’s legacy of productivity and entrepreneurialism — an ethos he describes as emblematic of the country’s ideals. “In 2012, we moved to California, the ultimate expression of America — or it should be,” Hilton said in a campaign launch video. “This is not just any other state. California means to America what America means to the world. Let’s make California the land of opportunity again. There’s only one way to do that. We’ve got to end the one-party rule that got us into this mess.” Hilton will face off against a crowd of other gubernatorial hopefuls in the June 2 California primary. The top finalists will advance to a general election in November. Early voting begins on May 4, according to the California Secretary of State website.

Gabbard sidesteps Iran ‘imminent threat’ claim under Senate grilling

Gabbard sidesteps Iran ‘imminent threat’ claim under Senate grilling

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard declined to say whether intelligence showed that Iran posed an “imminent threat” to the U.S. prior to the launch of recent offensive operations, as President Donald Trump repeatedly has asserted. “Was it the assessment of the intelligence community that there was an ‘imminent nuclear threat’ posed by the Iranian regime? Yes or no?” Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., asked Gabbard during the Senate Intelligence Committee’s annual worldwide threats hearing Wednesday. “The only person who can determine what is and is not an imminent threat is the president,” Gabbard said. TRUMP RESURFACES OLD TWEET FROM INTEL OFFICIAL WHO RESIGNED The White House has repeatedly argued Iran’s nuclear stockpiles and ballistic missile capacity pose an imminent threat to the U.S. “Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime,” Trump said March 1. Ossoff pressed Gabbard further Wednesday: “Was it the intelligence community’s assessment … there was an ‘imminent nuclear threat’? Yes or no?” “It is not the intelligence community’s responsibility to determine what is and is not an imminent threat,” Gabbard said. Gabbard highlighted the impact of U.S. operations in Iran. “The IC assesses that Operation Epic Fury is advancing fundamental change in the region,” she said. Iran’s “conventional military power projection capabilities have largely been destroyed, leaving limited options. Iran’s strategic position has been significantly degraded.” Her refusal to directly answer comes one day after Trump’s director at the National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent, resigned after publicly stating he did not believe Iran posed an imminent threat. CIA Director John Ratcliffe struck a more assertive tone at the hearing.  “Is there anything to indicate that Iran had ceased in its nuclear ambitions or in its desire to continue to build ballistic missiles capable of threatening American troops and allies in the Middle East?” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, asked him.  “No. In fact, the intelligence reflects the contrary,” Ratcliffe said. “So you disagree with Mr. Kent?” Cornyn asked. “I do,” Ratcliffe said. TRUMP BIDS GOODBYE TO INTEL OFFICIAL WHO RESIGNED OVER IRAN: ‘GOOD THING THAT HE’S OUT’ “I think Iran has been a constant threat to the United States for an extended period of time and posed an immediate threat at this time,” he later added. Top administration officials have argued that Iran was building up its missile stockpiles to a point where foreign powers could no longer effectively intervene. Iran is not believed to currently possess missiles capable of reaching the U.S. homeland, but Trump has said the Islamic Republic is working toward that capability. “They attempted to rebuild their nuclear program and to continue developing long range missiles that can now threaten our very good friends and allies in Europe, our troops stationed overseas and could soon reach the American homeland,” Trump said. The Defense Intelligence Agency said in May 2025 that Iran could develop a long-range missile capable of reaching the U.S. by 2035. Russia, China and North Korea, some of Iran’s closest allies, already possess intercontinental ballistic missiles. Iran possessed roughly 441 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% as of mid-2025, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Enough, if further enriched to weapons-grade levels, to fuel multiple nuclear weapons.  Experts estimate that final enrichment to 90% could take weeks under ideal conditions. However, producing a functional nuclear weapon would require additional steps, including weaponization and delivery system development, which could take months or longer. Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman, rose to national prominence in part for her opposition to U.S. military interventions overseas. She has said little publicly about the Iran conflict, but in a statement posted to X following Kent’s resignation, Gabbard emphasized that the determination of an imminent threat rests with the president. “Donald Trump was overwhelmingly elected by the American people to be our President and Commander in Chief. As our Commander in Chief, he is responsible for determining what is and is not an imminent threat,” she wrote on X.  “After carefully reviewing all the information before him, President Trump concluded that the terrorist Islamist regime in Iran posed an imminent threat and he took action based on that conclusion.” Her comments underscored a central tension in Wednesday’s hearing: While the administration has framed the conflict as a response to an imminent threat, intelligence officials stopped short of publicly affirming that assessment.

Almost 200 House Dems vote against deporting people who commit welfare fraud

Almost 200 House Dems vote against deporting people who commit welfare fraud

The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation Wednesday to crack down on illegal immigrants participating in welfare fraud despite fierce objections from most Democrats. Lawmakers voted 231-186 to approve the Deporting Fraudsters Act, with 186 Democrats opposing the measure. The bill, sponsored by Rep. David Taylor, R-Ohio, would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to explicitly define fraud as a deportable offense. Republicans said the legislation is necessary to ensure that noncitizens who steal taxpayer dollars are no longer eligible for immigration relief services or legal protections. “If you admit to or you’re convicted of fraudulently receiving public benefits, you are out of here on the next plane and can never return,” Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., said Wednesday on the House floor. WALZ’S MINNESOTA MESS COULD SPARK THE TOUGHEST FRAUD REFORMS IN DECADES Democratic lawmakers largely opposed the GOP-authored bill, arguing that noncitizens convicted of fraud are already eligible for deportation. “Another week, another redundant and completely unnecessary immigration crime bill,” Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said during debate on the measure.  Democrats also sharply criticized the measure for eroding legal immigrants’ due process rights by permitting noncitizens to be deported prior to prosecutors securing a conviction. “By bypassing the conviction requirement, this legislation would hand a liberal get-out-of-jail free card to immigrants who commit fraud by deporting them without going through the criminal justice system and giving their victims a day in court,” Raskin said. GOP lawmakers countered that there is no language in the bill that prevents noncitizens from being prosecuted for alleged fraud prior to removal from the country. HAWLEY TARGETS MINNESOTA FRAUD, CCP-LINKED MONEY AT SENATE HEARING: ‘TAXPAYERS ROBBED BLIND’ The bill is likely dead on arrival in the Senate given widespread opposition from Democrats. Under Senate rules, most legislation must overcome a 60-vote threshold to advance to a vote on final passage. The vote follows heightened scrutiny from House Republicans on welfare fraud nationwide. The House Oversight Committee in December launched a probe into massive welfare fraud involving Minnesota’s social services programs. Federal prosecutors say as much as $9 billion in taxpayer money may have been stolen in various fraud schemes and have charged nearly 100 individuals, including many of Somali descent. House Republicans have also spotlighted reporting from independent journalist Nick Shirley, who has probed alleged daycare fraud in Minnesota and California. “We have already seen why action is needed,” Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., said Tuesday during a House GOP leadership news conference. “Independent journalist Nick Shirley helped expose a massive fraud scheme, showing how organized and widespread these scams can become even when oversight fails.”

‘How do you sleep at night?’ Moreno slams ‘disgraceful’ shutdown leaving 260,000 workers without pay

‘How do you sleep at night?’ Moreno slams ‘disgraceful’ shutdown leaving 260,000 workers without pay

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, lambasted his Democratic colleagues for blaming Republicans for the partial government shutdown during a Congressional hearing on Wednesday, calling their behavior “disgusting” and “disgraceful.” Moreno used his allotted time during Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s confirmation hearing for the Department of Homeland Security Secretary to focus on the close to 260,000 DHS employees, which includes Transportation Security Administration employees, who have gone without a paycheck for more than a month. “260,000 American citizen families who have not received a paycheck in over a month. None of those people are in charge of policy,” Moreno said. “It’s not one of those families that makes policy decisions. For the most part, that’s on the people here. There isn’t a single human being on this dais that has missed a paycheck. Every single one of us has gotten a paycheck the last 30 days and before that.” ‘YOU CAN CRY ABOUT IT’: TEMPERS FLARE IN SENATE AS DHS SHUTDOWN DEBATE ERUPTS, STALEMATE DIGS DEEPER Moreno argued that the real victims of the government shutdown are DHS employees. “They’re having to tell their kids they can’t send them to dance recital because they did everything right in life except got a job with the Department of Homeland Security so that a politician can make a 30-second video online to fundraiser for the next election,” he said. “That’s disgusting.”   Weeks ago, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., posted a video on social media vowing to vote against funding DHS until reforms are made to the agency.  CORNYN CLASHES WITH PROGRESSIVE REP GREG CASAR IN HEATED AIRPORT FACE-OFF OVER DHS SHUTDOWN Moreno then turned his attention toward Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs ranking member Gary Peters, D-Mich., accusing him of failing to keep his promise of keeping key agencies funded. But Peters wasn’t paying attention. Moreno called it “incredibly disrespectful” before laying in on Peters.  “You said you’re going to fund all these agencies,” Moreno said to Peters. “Here’s one that you haven’t funded.” Moreno showcased a large poster board, which shared how the mission of DHS was being compromised by the government shutdown. At the top of the board was listed U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. “USCIS is near and dear to my heart,” Moreno said. “That’s how I became a US citizen. We’ve defunded the agency that allows legal immigrants into this country. That is insane. Never hear the Democrats talk about that. 3,300 employees, trying to process legal immigrants. They don’t get a paycheck.” He also railed against the defunding of Customs and Border Patrol and Immigration Customs and Enforcement. “Are you suggesting that we not fund an organization that tracks transnational organizations?” Moreno rhetorically asked Democrats of ICE funding. “Be specific. When you say you don’t want to fund ICE, I want you to say the words ‘we do not want to fund 7,000 special agents that are in charge of stopping transnational criminal organizations, drug smugglers, and human traffickers.” Moreno’s comments during Mullin’s Senate confirmation hearing come a day after Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., accused Democratic leadership of holding DHS agencies “hostage” amid negotiations for appropriations. Fox News Digital reached out to Sen. Peters for comment. 

GOP governors, AGs back Trump SAVE Act push, warn system gives ‘undue influence’ to states with illegal aliens

GOP governors, AGs back Trump SAVE Act push, warn system gives ‘undue influence’ to states with illegal aliens

FIRST ON FOX: Republican governors and attorneys general are backing President Donald Trump’s push to require proof of citizenship for voting, warning in an exclusive letter that current registration systems rely on an “honor system” and fail to adequately verify who is casting ballots in federal elections. The coalition argued the gaps give states with large populations of people in the country illegally “undue influence” over federal elections and how billions in taxpayer dollars are distributed. The letters, from members of the America First Policy Institute’s (AFPI) Governors and Attorneys General Councils and obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital, show coordinated support from Republican state leaders for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, legislation Trump has previously said he has to sign before he’ll sign anything else. Trump has recently ramped up pressure on Congress to pass the SAVE Act, aka the SAVE America Act, calling mail-in voting “corrupt as h—“ as the legislation moved to the Senate floor this week. THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE ‘TALKING FILIBUSTER’ AND THE SAVE ACT “The biggest thing coming up is the SAVE America Act in the Senate,” Trump said Tuesday, adding, “Who would not have voter ID, who would not have proof of citizenship? … The only people who would want not to have that are people that want to cheat.” Senate Republicans have already taken initial steps to advance the bill, voting 51-48 to begin debate, though its path forward remains uncertain as Democrats remain unified in opposition. In a letter to Senate leadership, members of AFPI’s Governors Council described the SAVE America Act as a “commonsense measure” to ensure elections are decided “by, and only by, American citizens.” GOP TRIGGERS MARATHON SENATE FIGHT TO EXPOSE DEMS’ OPPOSITION TO TRUMP-BACKED VOTER ID BILL The letter was signed by a group of Republican governors, including Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Texas Gov. Rick Perry, as well as attorneys general from states including Iowa, Alabama and South Carolina. They argued that while federal law limits voting in federal elections to U.S. citizens, states are “not required to verify citizenship at the time of registration.” “States with large illegal populations and little to no safeguards… unfairly hold undue influence in our Nation’s law-making process and how billions of dollars in tax revenue are distributed,” the governors wrote. REPS. FINE, SELF, HARRIS, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: WE’LL BLOCK THE SENATE UNTIL THE SAVE ACT PASSES The governors also pointed to gaps in current systems, noting that while many states require identification at the polls, others lack mechanisms to verify eligibility at the registration stage. They said they are prepared to work with state election officials to implement the law in a way that protects access for eligible voters while strengthening safeguards. In a separate letter, Republican attorneys general echoed those concerns, focusing on enforcement and the structure of current voter registration systems. “Existing voter registration procedures largely rely on the honor system, with voters simply checking a box to claim U.S. citizenship without requiring any documentary verification,” the group wrote. The attorneys general said the SAVE Act would close that gap by requiring applicants to provide “documentary proof of United States citizenship” when registering to vote in federal elections. They emphasized that the bill would preserve state control over election administration. “[The SAVE Act] does not nationalize elections,” the group wrote, adding that it also would not “disenfranchise American citizens.” The attorneys general also pushed back on criticism of the proposal, writing: “It is an insult to suggest that minorities, women, or members of the working class are not smart enough to obtain and provide simple proofs of citizenship.” The governors said they are committed to implementing the law in a way that ensures “no eligible American citizen is unduly burdened” while preventing ineligible registrations. “Our constituents deserve to know that their votes are protected and that elections in this country are free, fair, and secure,” they wrote. The governors’ letter and attorneys’ general letter can be read at the links provided here. Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this reporting.