Hegseth unleashes on Massie in GOP primary showdown against Trump-backed Navy SEAL vet
HEBRON, KY – Ed Gallrein, the Republican congressional candidate backed by President Donald Trump who is challenging Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky for the GOP nomination, landed extra firepower on the eve of the state’s primary. Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL and Kentucky farmer, was joined on the campaign trail Monday by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Massie has long been one of Trump’s most vocal GOP critics in Congress and the Republican primary in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, in the northeastern part of the state, the latest test of Trump’s immense grip over the GOP. “President Trump needs reinforcements, and that’s what war fighters do. They stand behind leaders and have their back,” Hegseth said at an event organized by America First Works, a Trump-aligned nonprofit political advocacy group. TRUMP SCORES MAJOR PRIMARY VICTORY AS CASSIDY OUSTED IN LOUSIANA Massie, a libertarian-minded lawmaker who repeatedly takes aim at the president over foreign policy, including the Iran war and unconditional U.S. military aid to Israel, also successfully pushed for the release of government files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. But Hegseth argued that Massie’s record is one of “too much grandstanding, too few great votes, years of acting like being difficult is the same thing as being courageous. It’s not. Real courage means stepping up when the mission matters most, when we need that tough vote to beat left-wing lunatic Democrats the most.” “President Trump does not need more people in Washington who are trying to make a point, especially from his own party. He needs people willing to help him win, to vote with him when it matters the most,” Hegseth added. Hegseth’s remarks, which came soon after a stop at nearby Fort Campbell to award medals for service members, were rare for the civilian head of the nation’s military. Defense secretaries have traditionally avoided appearing at political events. Ahead of the stop, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Hegseth would appear only “in his personal capacity” and that “no taxpayer dollars will be used to facilitate his visit.” Hegseth noted the unusual appearance. “I have to say up front, for the lawyers, that I’m here in my personal capacity as a private citizen, a fellow American, and a fellow combat veteran.” DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB But Massie, who’s locked in a competitive clash with Gallrein in what’s become the most expensive congressional primary in history, claimed in a Fox News Digital interview on Monday that Hegseth’s stop “shows that I’m up in the polls. They wouldn’t be sending the Secretary of War to my congressional district if I weren’t.” “I think it also shows I’m tougher than Iran, and I don’t even have a nuclear weapon. I mean, they are all in at this race. It’s basically a national race at this point, the most expensive race primary in congressional history, and that’s because, you know, I’m up there, I’m getting things done. I got the Epstein files released, I’m getting legislation in the farm bill, I’m getting legislation passed on the floor, and they want to shut me down,” Massie emphasized. Gallrein, speaking with Fox News Digital ahead of his event with Hegseth, charged that Massie’s “running against President Trump, and the agenda that has been put forward by the Republican Party.” Kentucky’s primary is being held two weeks after Indiana’s primary, where Trump-backed challengers ousted five sitting Republican state senators who last December teamed up with Democrats to defeat the president’s push for congressional redistricting in the GOP-dominated Midwestern state. And the ballot box showdown in Kentucky comes three days after Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana was ousted as he sought renomination. The senator came in third in the primary, behind Trump-backed Rep. Julia Letlow and conservative Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming. Cassidy’s political defeat came five and a half years after he voted to convict Trump after he was impeached by the House for his role in the violent Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters who aimed to upend congressional certification of former President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. Trump was acquitted by the Senate. Massie said he “absolutely can” overcome the Trump endorsement of Gallrein. “I’ve got the groundswell here, like my events. I’ve got 100-200 sometimes 300 people show up. My opponent had to cancel events because he couldn’t get enough people, you know, to fill up a Dairy Queen, half a Dairy Queen.” SCOOP: TRUMP-BACKED FORMER NAVY SEAL LAUNCHES GOP PRIMARY CHALLENGE AGAINST MASSIE The race has become the most expensive in House history in terms of ad spending, with over $32 million shelled out, according to the nationally known ad tracking firm AdImpact. Much of that money has been shelled out by Trump’s allies and pro-Israel groups. “Here’s the thing, I’ve got nothing against Israel. I just have never voted for foreign aid. When I said America First, I meant it. I don’t vote for foreign aid to Egypt, to Syria, to Ukraine. I’ve got a flawless record on this, and I’m not going to ruin it by sending foreign aid to one country,” Massie said as he defended his stance on Israel. And Massie touted that while Trump’s allies and pro-Israel groups have spent tens of millions to take him out, he said, “I’ve got tens of thousands of grassroots donors who are funding me $50 at a time, $20 at a time. We’ve been able to match them to go toe to toe with them on TV using grassroots donors, and it’s really galvanized the nation.” Trump has repeatedly targeted Massie in social media posts in the closing days of the primary campaign. The president said in a video posted to Truth Social on Monday that he hoped Kentucky voters would put Massie “out of business” and that “we’re in a fight against the worst congressman in the history of our country.” And Trump praised Gallrein as “a great guy” and “a great patriot.” But Massie said
Senate Republicans confirm nearly 50 of Trump’s picks for energy, land management
Senate Republicans moved one step closer to clearing out the backlog of President Donald Trump’s nominees. The GOP confirmed 49 of Trump’s picks on Monday, a move that will have installed 60% of his civilian nominees. It’s also the fourth time Republicans have confirmed a slate of nominees in a batch since changing the Senate’s rules last year. Included in the latest batch are 20 different positions, including a dozen U.S. attorneys, several U.S. marshals, ambassadors and members of a variety of agencies, including the departments of War, Transportation, Energy, and others. GOP TRIGGERS NUCLEAR OPTION IN SENATE TO BREAK DEM BLOCKADE OF TRUMP NOMINEES Also included in the group is Trump’s pick to lead the Bureau of Land Management and a former member of Congress, Stevan Pearce. Senate Democrats for much of last year had blocked most nominees from getting confirmed. Typically, civilian nominees were often confirmed without actually having to take a full vote on the Senate floor. That obstruction, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in a bid to prevent Trump from molding the federal government to fit with his agenda, spurred Republicans to go nuclear and change the Senate’s rules. That move, the fourth time that lawmakers have turned to the nuclear option in the Senate, lowered the threshold for certain picks to just a simple majority rather than the typical 60-vote threshold needed to overcome a filibuster. SENATE GOP RAMS THROUGH BLUEPRINT TO BANKROLL ICE, BORDER PATROL THROUGH END OF TRUMP ERA And it has proven a successful move for Republicans. Last year, they confirmed over 400 of Trump’s picks. That leapfrogged his first term total during the first year, having only gotten 323 confirmed. And it also blew past former President Joe Biden, who during the same time period had 365 nominees confirmed. Meanwhile, Republicans are also busy wrapping up work on another element of Trump’s agenda — funding immigration enforcement for the next three-and-a-half years. SENATORS AGREE TO FORGO SHUTDOWN PAYCHECKS — BUT MANY WON’T FEEL THE PAIN Republicans are sprinting through the party-line budget reconciliation process in their bid to ram through a $72 billion funding package for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol by June 1. Lawmakers have until the end of the week to wrap up the process, given that they’re scheduled for another recess next week for the Memorial Day holiday. But the package has hit some snags with the Senate’s rules referee, and some items, including $1 billion for security enhancements for Trump’s ballroom and funding for the Secret Service were stripped out.
WATCH: Mamdani bashed for going ‘full deranged marxist’ with rip on famous Ronald Reagan line
New York City’s socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, is facing backlash for criticizing a famous quote from former President Ronald Reagan, who cautioned about the dangers of big government. Mamdani, a democratic socialist and New York’s first Muslim mayor, voiced his disagreement with the beloved conservative president as he launched the first of his long-promised city-run grocery stores in the Bronx. “Standing here this morning, I cannot help but think of the words of our 40th president, Ronald Reagan. He famously said the nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help,’” he said. “It’s a good quote, but I disagree.” Instead, Mamdani said, “I think nine more terrifying words are actually, ‘I worked all day and can’t feed my family.’” He went on to promise, “We are going to use the power of government to lower prices and make it easier for New Yorkers to put food on the table,” adding, “When government understands its purpose as serving the very working people that it has left behind, time and again, it can make a difference in the most pressing struggles facing our city today.” BISHOP BARRON SLAMS ‘BORDERLINE COMMUNISTS’ SANDERS, MAMDANI AHEAD OF TRUMP PRAYER EVENT: ‘ECONOMY THAT KILLS’ “It’s not just that government can help, it’s that government must help, and our government will help,” he continued. Mamdani made his promise of opening affordable, government-run grocery stores throughout the city a central tenet of his campaign. He said on Monday that the first location, a 20,000-square-foot store in the Bronx, will open at some point in 2027. This is the second of the five promised stores to be officially announced. Mamdani previously announced an East Harlem location for the city’s 9,000-square-foot Manhattan flagship store, but that location will be built from the ground up and is slated to open in 2029. Mamdani said the Bronx location, along with the planned mixed-use development dubbed the “Peninsula,” “will serve as physical proof of our conviction that government can be a force for good, that government can drive change that improves people’s lives.” SOCIALIST MAMDANI TOUTS GOVERNMENT-RUN GROCERY PLAN AS ‘GRAND EXPERIMENT’’ AT GROCERY NEW SITE Though cheered by the crowd at his announcement, Mamdani’s dig at Reagan earned him scorn from conservatives online. Conservative commentator Eric Daugherty posted on X: “What a FREAKING DISASTER! He REALLY thinks this will work.” Daugherty accused the mayor of going “FULL DERANGED MARXIST,” telling New Yorkers to be “prepared for utter failure.” Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet posted on X that Mamdani had “flipped Ronald Reagan’s warning upside down,” writing that “his answer is government-run grocery stores that will use taxpayer advantages to undercut private competition.” Jennifer Harrison, founder of the Victims Rights Reform Council, pointed to ongoing public transportation woes in New York City amid widespread strikes, writing on X, “Bc everything government run, like the MTA, is working out so well for Nyers.” DEM WHO WELCOMED SOCIALIST MAYOR’S ‘CHANGE’ NOW SOUNDING ALARM OVER BILLIONAIRE EXODUS: ‘GRAVELY CONCERNED’ Meanwhile, the official X account for the GOP simply reposted the clip, labeling Mamdani a “communist.” Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani for comment.
Skid Row election scheme allegedly fueled by pocket-change payoffs busted by Trump DOJ
The Department of Justice charged a California woman with paying people — including homeless individuals on Los Angeles’ Skid Row — to register to vote while she worked as a paid ballot-petition signature collector, according to federal prosecutors. “False registrations undermine Americans’ faith in elections – even more so when payoffs are involved,” assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a press release Monday. “This Justice Department is committed to ensuring that all U.S. elections are fair and free from illegal meddling – so that all Americans can accept the results with confidence,” Dhillon added. MARYLAND BALLOT BLUNDER TRIGGERS GOP PUSH FOR FEDERAL REVIEW OF BLUE STATE’S VOTER ROLLS Marina del Rey resident “Anika” Brenda Lee Armstrong, 64, solicited signatures for official ballot initiatives, including in the Skid Row area of downtown Los Angeles, often paying people between $2 and $3, according to DOJ. She was charged with one felony count of paying another person to register to vote and agreed to plead guilty, according to the DOJ. Armstrong made her initial court appearance Monday. CALIFORNIA WOMAN FACING FELONY CHARGES FOR REGISTERING HER DOG TO VOTE, CASTING 2 BALLOTS Armstrong worked as a “petition circulator” for approximately 20 years, and would receive payment for each registered voter’s signature, according to her plea agreement. The amount she was paid varied depending on the specific ballot initiative. Fox News Digital reached out to the DOJ to clarify which initiatives and groups Armstrong was soliciting for and how much she was paid. The office of Gov. Gavin Newsom directed Fox News Digital to a post on X when asked for comment.“As we said when this was first discovered, anyone caught engaging in this activity should be investigated and prosecuted,” the Governor’s press office wrote. Many members of Skid Row’s homeless population were not registered to vote, so prosecutors said Armstrong brought voter registration forms with her and began offering payment to people to complete them. Prosecutors said Armstrong sometimes provided homeless individuals with her former Los Angeles address to list on voter registration forms, which registered them to vote in both California and federal elections. CALIFORNIA REPUBLICANS LAUNCH VOTER ID BALLOT PUSH, NEED 875K SIGNATURES BY DEADLINE California automatically sends vote-by-mail ballots to every registered voter, with prosecutors saying ballots in some individuals’ names could potentially have been sent to Armstrong’s former residence, where those individuals did not live or collect mail. Armstrong was charged with a felony count of paring another person to register to vote, in which she could face a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. Investigative reporter James O’Keefe took a victory lap over the indictment, citing O’Keefe Media Group first captured footage of the alleged scheme on Skid Row. Homeless people are eligible to register to vote so long as they have a location where mail can be received and “be properly assigned to a voting precinct,” according to the California Secretary of State. Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of the California governor and state attorney general for additional comment on the matter on Monday.
WATCH: Eye-popping illegal immigration stat prompts senator’s demand to ‘redouble’ deportations
Testimony from a policy analyst at a libertarian think tank was unexpectedly highlighted by immigration hawks after he delivered an opening statement at a House Judiciary Subcommittee hearing featuring controversial Fairfax County prosecutor Stephen Descano. The hearing, chaired by Rep. Thomas McClintock, R-Calif., examined several examples of allegedly lax prosecutions by Descano involving illegal immigrants with prior rap sheets — including a Sierra Leone national accused of murdering a young woman at a bus stop on U.S. 1. In his opening remarks, Cato Institute immigration expert David Bier testified that the “way to fix Fairfax” is not to continue the “mass deportation” agenda of President Donald Trump. “The first step would be to give up on the mass deportation fantasy,” Bier said. SOROS-BACKED PROSECUTOR SET FOR CAPITOL HILL GRILLING AS SANCTUARY POLICIES FACE RECKONING “About 1-in-5 Fairfax residents is someone who could be deported or who lives with them — It would destroy neighborhoods, rip Americans away from their spouses, parents, friends, families, customers, employees, employers, nurses, nannies, and teachers.” While Bier later added that he believes noncitizens who harm Americans should be deported, his earlier statement drew the attention of several immigration hawks, including Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah. Lee borrowed Bier’s logic to prove immigration hardliners’ point that mass deportation is the right solution: “On the contrary: 20% of a wealthy DC suburb being illegal immigrants means we should redouble our efforts to deport them all,” Lee said. Bier responded to Lee’s comments in a lengthy statement to Fox News Digital, arguing the Utah Republican failed to explain why mass deportation would benefit Americans in Fairfax County. “What was the senator’s explanation for [his] statement? The senator never says why it would benefit the country to harm Fairfax County and the Americans who live there, so there’s nothing to rebut,” Bier said. FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS VIEW LEGAL IMMIGRATION AS HELPFUL, FAVOR DEPORTING THOSE WHO ARE HERE ILLEGALLY “The senator is wrong to characterize the 20% as all illegal immigrants since half of them are just people who live with illegal immigrants, which is precisely my point.” “Mass deportation would harm those Americans and many others by ripping them away from their spouses, parents, children, friends, family, employees, employers, customers, nurses, nannies, and teachers,” the immigration expert added. Bier said mass deportation becomes more expensive and impractical as the population of illegal immigrants grows, meaning continuing on the current course will harm Americans. “I would ask the senator: how many Americans would have to be hurt by mass deportation before he would reconsider his views?” Reached for additional comment, Lee spokesman Billy Gribbin told Fox News Digital that the Utahn “believes in enforcing US law and deporting illegal immigrants — not making excuses for criminals who hurt Americans.” Fox News Digital also asked DHS about the apparent statistical admission, and an agency spokesperson blamed Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s “reckless sanctuary policies” for making Fairfax and the rest of the Old Dominion a “hotbed for illegal alien criminals.” “The stories of the victims and facts speak for themselves. The sanctuary politicians of Fairfax County have blood on their hands,” the spokesperson said. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin added separately that half the murders recorded recently in Fairfax were allegedly perpetrated by “illegals who shouldn’t have been in our country to begin with.” “We have politicians who want to protect the criminals, President Trump is still protecting all of our neighborhoods,” Mullin said. Bier’s 1-in-5 statistic was also cited in a CATO document footnoted to the K Street firm Migration Policy Institute. MPI’s data showed an estimated 102,000-person “unauthorized” population in Fairfax — which has a census count of about 1.2 million as of 2020. The top “countries-of-birth” on MPI’s list in that regard were El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Bolivia and Peru, while only 4% combined was recorded from Canada, Europe and Oceania.
Senate Republican threatens to derail ICE, Border Patrol package over Trump’s billion-dollar request
An internal dispute could derail Republicans’ goal of funding immigration operations for the remainder of President Donald Trump’s presidency. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told his colleagues that he would not support the GOP’s $72 billion reconciliation package if it included $1 billion in funding for Trump’s ballroom. His defection, along with a handful of other Republicans critical of the funding, could sink the bill. SENATE REPUBLICANS BALK AT $1B WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM REQUEST: ‘YOU MADE THAT NUMBER UP’ And given the GOP’s narrow margin in the upper chamber, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., can’t afford Republicans to break from the party line. Tillis’ opposition, which was first reported by Axios and confirmed by a source familiar to Fox News Digital, alone isn’t enough to torpedo the package meant to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol for the next three and a half years. But others, including Sens. John Curtis, R-Utah, Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Rick Scott, R-Fla., aren’t thrilled with the funding. Republicans were briefed by Secret Service Director Sean Curran last week on the funding, which included $220 million for “White House complex hardening.” REPUBLICANS SLIP $1 BILLION IN TAXPAYER MONEY FOR TRUMP BALLROOM SECURITY IN ICE, BORDER PATROL PACKAGE That would fund “above and below ground” security enhancements for Trump’s ballroom, which the administration argued would “afford needed protection for the president, his family, and visitors, along with the below-ground, highest-level security functions,” according to an itemized readout obtained by Fox News Digital. Those enhancements would include bulletproof glass, drone detection technology, chemical filtration and detection systems and “a host of other national security functions.” An additional $180 million would go toward a White House screening center for visitors. The remaining $600 million would go toward Secret Service training, enhancing protection for Trump and other officials, and other security measures including countering drones and other aerial incursions. But a saving grace for Republicans could be the Senate referee’s ruling that funding for the ballroom should get yanked from the package. In order for budget reconciliation to pause the 60-vote threshold and pass under a simple majority of votes, the package has to comply with the Senate’s strict Byrd Rule. Senate Democrats pushed for the Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough to strip out the funding, and they were successful. SEVERAL PROVISIONS FAIL TO PASS MUSTER WITH SENATE RULES IN ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ McDonough ruled over the weekend that, given the complexity and scale of the ballroom project, it would involve the coordination of “many government agencies which span the jurisdiction of many Senate committees. As drafted, the provision inappropriately funds activities outside the jurisdiction of the Judiciary Committee.” Thune said that Republicans had learned a lot from the parliamentarian’s rulings last year when they were crafting the “big, beautiful bill,” and that the process is a “give-and-take.” But still, it’s full steam ahead for the GOP to try and advance the package by the end of the week. “I think that if we can get it done, we should get it done,” Thune said. “I’m always somebody who believes, especially around here, you want to strike while the iron’s hot, and I think if we, if we’re ready to go, the committees have acted, and we’re in a good place with parliamentarian, and we’ve got, you know, decent attendance here, then I think we want to try and wrap this up.” Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., the top Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, lauded the ruling, but noted that Republicans would likely try to find a way to work the funding back in. “We cannot let Republicans waste our national treasure on a mission of chaos and corruption while turning a blind eye to the needs of the American people,” Merkley said.
Trump’s Taiwan ‘negotiating chip’ remark sparks alarm over how far he’d shift US-China policy
President Donald Trump suggested Friday that U.S. arms sales to Taiwan could factor into broader negotiations with China, drawing a swift response from Taiwan’s president and reigniting debate in Washington about the future of longstanding U.S. policy toward the island. Asked by Fox News whether he would move forward with a delayed $14 billion weapons package for Taiwan, Trump replied: “I’m holding that in abeyance, and it depends on China. It’s a very good negotiating chip for us, frankly. It’s a lot of weapons.” Taiwan President Lai Ching-te pushed back hours later, calling U.S. arms sales “the most vital deterrent” to regional conflict and insisting Taiwan “shall never be sacrificed or traded away.” Trump’s comments came as the administration continues to hold up a $14 billion Taiwan weapons package first approved in principle in late 2025, fueling growing debate in Washington over whether Trump is steering U.S. policy back toward a more traditional form of “strategic ambiguity” — or recasting support for Taiwan through a more openly transactional lens tied to broader negotiations with Beijing. CHINA PROMISES ‘COUNTERMEASURES’ TO US ARMS SALE TO TAIWAN The White House pushed back on suggestions that Trump’s remarks signaled a retreat from longstanding U.S. support for Taiwan. A senior administration official told Fox News Digital that Trump “will make a determination in a fairly short time” regarding a new Taiwan arms package and noted the president approved $11.1 billion in arms sales to Taiwan in December 2025. The official also argued Trump’s record on Taiwan arms sales exceeded that of previous administrations, saying Trump approved more sales during his first term “than any other president in history” and more in his first year back in office than former President Joe Biden approved across his entire presidency. Ahead of Trump’s recent summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, bipartisan lawmakers warned in a letter that “American support for Taiwan is not up for negotiation.” The Taiwan issue already had emerged as one of the most sensitive flashpoints surrounding Trump’s mid-May summit with Xi in Beijing. Following the meeting, China’s foreign ministry said Xi warned Trump that Taiwan remained the “most important issue” in U.S.–China relations and cautioned that mishandling it could lead to “clashes and even conflicts” between the two powers. The White House later downplayed the exchange, with a senior administration official telling Fox News Digital both sides had simply reiterated their longstanding positions on Taiwan. For decades, U.S. policy toward Taiwan has rested on a posture of “strategic ambiguity” — supporting Taiwan’s self-defense while avoiding an explicit commitment to militarily defend the island in the event of a Chinese attack. Trump’s comments prompted competing reactions among foreign policy analysts, with some China hawks warning that treating Taiwan arms sales as negotiable could weaken deterrence and unsettle U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific, while others argued the remarks reflected a return to a more traditional interpretation of strategic ambiguity after years of increasingly explicit U.S. signaling toward Taiwan. TAIWAN RAMPS UP COAST GUARD AND MILITARY READINESS IN FACE OF BEIJING’S ‘GRAY ZONE’ WARFARE “Trading Taiwan’s security for rhetoric from Beijing would be a strategic blunder of historic proportions,” said retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank. “If the president does not proceed with the arms sale to Taiwan, he will jeopardize U.S.–Taiwan relations and weaken U.S. credibility globally.” Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the Indo-Pacific Program at the German Marshall Fund think tank, argued Trump’s comments blurred an important distinction at the center of longstanding U.S. Taiwan policy. “Strategic ambiguity has nothing to do with providing arms to Taiwan,” Glaser told Fox News Digital. It only refers to whether the U.S. will defend Taiwan if attacked, she said. “The Taiwan Relations Act requires that the United States sell defensive arms to Taiwan. No president has ever said that U.S. arms sales to Taiwan are a useful bargaining chip.” But some foreign policy analysts argued Trump’s comments reflected a deliberate effort to re-center U.S. policy around American priorities. TRUMP LEAVES CHINA WITH BREAKTHROUGHS — AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS ON XI’S BIGGEST FIGHTS “Trump has shaken up the Taiwan debate in Washington to a large extent,” Lyle Goldstein, director of Asia engagement at Defense Priorities, told Fox News Digital. Goldstein argued Trump’s comments reflected a return to a more restrained interpretation of “strategic ambiguity” after years of increasingly explicit U.S. signaling toward Taiwan under the Biden administration. “Overall, his approach has been to return U.S. policy to ‘strategic ambiguity,’ especially in contrast to the Biden administration, which was lurching dangerously toward ‘strategic clarity,’ that threatened to spark a near-term U.S.–China war,” Goldstein said. During his presidency, former President Joe Biden repeatedly suggested the United States would defend Taiwan militarily in the event of a Chinese attack — comments critics said pushed Washington closer toward “strategic clarity,” even as White House officials maintained there had been no formal policy change. Critics argued Biden’s remarks heightened tensions with Beijing, while supporters said the comments strengthened deterrence against potential Chinese aggression. Goldstein argued Trump’s willingness to openly discuss Taiwan arms sales in the context of broader U.S.–China negotiations reflects a more restrained approach aimed at preserving stability between Washington and Beijing. “Indeed, with these fresh comments Trump recognizes that both sides are responsible for maintaining peace across the Taiwan Strait,” Goldstein said. “He even went so far as to sternly admonish the leadership in Taipei for unnecessary risk-taking.” Trump has long taken a more transactional approach toward Taiwan than many traditional U.S. foreign policy hawks, previously arguing the island should pay the United States for its defense and accusing Taiwan of “stealing” America’s semiconductor industry. He has also repeatedly framed Taiwan through the lens of semiconductor competition and supply-chain dependence, arguing the United States should reclaim a larger share of advanced chip manufacturing. “Trump’s new reflections on Taiwan illustrate an informed approach that recognizes the basic and fundamental truth that Taiwan is not a vital U.S. national security interest and that
Reporter’s Notebook: Democrats say they can still flip the House despite GOP redistricting gains in the South
Redistricting and race. Democrats are beside themselves, watching what Republicans are doing on redistricting — especially in the South. “What we’re seeing is an attack on legitimate opportunities for Black candidates to have representation here in Congress,” said Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Ala., who is on track to lose his district in Mobile. Democrats say they know what Republicans are up to. “They’ve also been trying to eliminate teaching America’s history, right? Whitewashing America’s history,” said former Vice President Kamala Harris. BLOCKBUSTER SUPREME COURT VOTING RIGHTS RULING IGNITES REDISTRICTING WAR ACROSS SOUTHERN STATES States like Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama – and now Georgia and South Carolina are redrawing district maps for House Members. That’s after Missouri revamped its maps. Many of these new districts are squeezing out members of the Congressional Black Caucus. In essence, Democrats see this as a “Southern Strategy” by the GOP, stamping out Black lawmakers. “It’s about race,” said Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the top Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee. “I feel like I’ve been assaulted,” said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo. “We’ve seen this before,” said Rep. Greg Meeks, D-N.Y., the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee. “We’re looking at losing possibly 19 members of the Congressional Black Caucus because of this frankly racist redistricting efforts targeted towards disenfranchising Black voters across the country,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. Republicans say turnabout is fair play. They note that you can’t find a Republican anywhere in the six states which comprise New England. “It’s out of whack. It’s out of balance. And I think Republicans are finally waking up given the legal landscape changes and going, ‘Well, maybe we need to reconsider the way that we do things in our state,’” said Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C. South Carolina initially balked at drawing new maps. But the Palmetto State reversed course after President Trump demanded the state “get it done.” He instructed South Carolina Republicans to be “bold and courageous.” Don’t forget that GOP Indiana state senators faced the President’s ire after the Hoosier State rejected his entreaties for redistricting there. The Trump White House waged an internecine campaign. President Trump’s allies toppled five Republican state senators who crossed him. So South Carolina snapped to attention. “The people of South Carolina are very supportive of President Donald Trump,” said Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC). “They understand perfectly that we’re in a conflict. A nationwide conflict.” New maps in South Carolina could mean no Democrats in the state delegation. That could eliminate the district of former House Majority Whip and Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C. Clyburn first came to Capitol Hill in 1993. He’s widely regarded for salvaging the 2020 campaign of former President Biden, helping him ride to victory in the South Carolina primary. Still, Democrats believe they can seize the House, even as Republicans try to squeeze the map through redistricting. “There are 45 districts in play that we’ve identified as opportunities to flip in this upcoming midterm election,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. Democrats believe they’ll run up the scoreboard in California. Pluck off a couple of Republicans in Arizona and Colorado. Maybe one in Utah. Take a few in Texas after redistricting there. Make a play for a seat in Montana. Win a seat or two in Pennsylvania. Claim two seats in Virginia – despite the Virginia Supreme Court ruling there. Pick up a couple of seats in New Jersey and New York. Remember that Democrats just need a net gain of three seats to secure the House majority. However, that “blue wall” might not hold in all of New England this time around. Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, is retiring. He’s one of the most moderate Democrats in Congress. Vice President JD Vance just traveled to Bangor, Maine, recently to talk about fraud – and boost the campaign prospects of former Republican Maine Gov. Paul LePage. LePage is running to succeed Golden. Republicans are bullish about their chances in northern Maine. REPUBLICAN ‘WAKE-UP CALL’: SPECIAL ELECTION SHOCKER HIGHLIGHTS GOP TURNOUT AND MIDTERM RISKS LePage will be 78 if he wins – the oldest freshman in congressional history. However, this is ironic. Maine’s Democrat Gov. Janet Mills was running for Senate – but bowed out. Some Democrats believed she was too old. Mills would have been 79 as a freshman senator had she stayed in the race and prevailed. But back to what faces the Democrats. Democrats are trying to find their footing after the double whammy of the Supreme Court Voting Rights Act decision and the Virginia Supreme Court rejecting the statewide redistricting referendum. House Democrats huddled to discuss their battle plan. “I’m more energized now than ever to make sure that we’re in the field, that we’re doing the work and whatever it has to take to win,” said Meeks. “We’re going to win,” said Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., who chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). That’s the House Democrats’ political arm. “Democrats are prepared to use whatever levers we can to influence the outcome of the election,” said Thompson. Some of this sounded a little like political pablum with no real direction. Yours truly pressed Thompson. “Respectfully, this all sounds kind of vague. You guys have a five-alarm fire now after those two court decisions, and I’m not hearing any specifics,” I countered Thompson. “Well, you just stay tuned,” countered Thompson. “How does that convince the voters, though?” your trusty reporter queried. “Look,” said Thompson. “We are two weeks away from a crazy Supreme Court decision. You can’t expect anyone to come with a strategy right now.” Two weeks after the decision which could hamstring Democrats’ chances to win the House? Never mind that the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case last year and oral arguments were in the fall. Democrats understood the gravity of this case and how it could chew into any plan to flip the House in the midterms. Democrats are banking on Republicans overplaying their redistricting hands. But how Democrats energize their base wasn’t immediately
Apologies and cash headed to alleged ‘weaponization’ victims in billion-dollar Trump settlement
The Justice Department has created a $1.776 billion fund for people who allege they were victims of federal government “lawfare” as part of a settlement agreement in President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. The Anti-Weaponization Fund creates a formal process for Americans alleging they were targeted through politically motivated actions by the Justice Department under previous administrations. The program is set to expire a month before the end of Trump’s second term. The fund was created as part of an agreement for Trump and his sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., to drop the $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS they filed in January. “The machinery of government should never be weaponized against any American, and it is this Department’s intention to make right the wrongs that were previously done while ensuring this never happens again,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. “As part of this settlement, we are setting up a lawful process for victims of lawfare and weaponization to be heard and seek redress.” NEW YORK DEFENSE ATTORNEY ARGUES LEGAL SYSTEM WAS WEAPONIZED AGAINST TRUMP Trump and his sons are ineligible to receive compensation from the fund but will receive a formal apology, according to the Justice Department. Trump also agreed to withdraw two additional claims for damages, one stemming from the “unlawful” FBI raid of Mar-a-Lago and the other related to the “Russia-collusion hoax,” in which Obama officials are accused of manipulating intelligence reports on Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. The Justice Department is investigating former CIA Director John Brennan based on allegations that he lied to Congress about the resources the CIA used to craft its intelligence report on Russian interference in the 2016 election. The fund will have the authority to issue formal apologies and financial compensation to claimants. Funding will come from a permanent congressional appropriation that allows the Justice Department to settle cases. Participation will be voluntary, and there will be no partisan or political requirement to file a claim. Critics, however, argue the program could allow the administration to compensate Trump allies and supporters who claim they were unfairly investigated or prosecuted. Former FBI Director James Comey — who was charged by the Justice Department after posting an Instagram photo of seashells arranged to spell “86-47,” which officials interpreted as a threat against President Donald Trump — slammed the creation of the fund. “It just can’t be the way we operate,” Comey said in an interview with ABC News. “We can’t set up a multi-million-dollar ATM at Mar-a-Lago for people who’ve committed crimes. It just isn’t the way we are. It’s not consistent with our values. Eventually, the Department of Justice will right itself, but we’re gonna have to ride out a hard two years.” A five-member commission appointed by the U.S. attorney general will oversee the fund. One commissioner will be selected in consultation with congressional leadership. The president will retain authority to remove commissioners, though replacements must be selected through the same process used for the departing member. DOJ ACCELERATES SETTLEMENT OFFERS IN CAMP LEJEUNE WATER CONTAMINATION CASES The fund is expected to end on Dec. 15, 2028, and any money remaining after the fund ceases operations will return to the federal government. The Justice Department pointed to the Obama administration’s creation of “Keepseagle,” a $760 million fund created to compensate people alleging they were victims of racism by the federal government, as the legal precedent for this new fund. However, the Justice Department stated that $300 million of what remained from the fund was distributed to nonprofits and organizations that never filed claims. Safeguards will be implemented to protect private information and prevent fraud, including the fund issuing quarterly reports to the attorney general detailing who received relief and what type of relief was granted, according to the Justice Department. The White House referred Fox News Digital to the Justice Department for comment.
Dem who welcomed socialist mayor’s ‘change’ now sounding alarm over billionaire exodus: ‘Gravely concerned’
A Democratic city council member who once welcomed the “change” from socialist Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is now admitting he is “gravely concerned” about the business exodus affecting the major American city. This comes as blue states like Washington and New York face a business exodus in favor of more market-friendly red states. Starbucks, a major player in Seattle’s business scene, recently announced a major expansion into Nashville while simultaneously cutting Seattle-based corporate jobs, a move that has intensified concerns about Seattle’s business climate and economic competitiveness. Wilson, a self-proclaimed socialist, recently went viral for laughing off the exodus of billionaires and business leaders from her city, saying, “I think the claims that millionaires are going to leave our state are super overblown,” and adding, “the ones that leave? Like, bye.” Now, less than five months into Wilson’s term, Seattle Democratic Councilmember Rob Saka admitted to the New York Times, “I am gravely concerned,” telling the outlet, “This is real.” BISHOP BARRON SLAMS ‘BORDERLINE COMMUNISTS’ SANDERS, MAMDANI AHEAD OF TRUMP PRAYER EVENT: ‘ECONOMY THAT KILLS’ Saka previously welcomed Wilson after she defeated incumbent Bruce Harrell, saying in a statement, “The voters have spoken, calling for change and a renewed focus on affordability, community, and fighting back against a resurgent Trump agenda.” He praised the “energy she brings to leadership,” and said he was “look[ing] forward to partnering with her to build a thriving, inclusive Seattle that uplifts working families, expands universal preschool for all, ends food deserts, and creates safer, more connected neighborhoods across our city.” Starbucks recently announced it will shift 2,000 corporate jobs, primarily in IT and supply chain management, to a new regional headquarters in Nashville. Last week, KOMO News reported Starbucks laid off an additional 61 employees as part of a reorganization of its technology department at its corporate headquarters. State leaders in Washington have also faced criticism for recently passing the “millionaires tax,” which Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson signed on March 30. The measure has been described as the state’s first-ever income tax, backed by progressives and socialists and opposed by conservatives. The new tax will impose a 9.9% income tax on households earning more than $1 million each year. WHY STARBUCKS PICKED NASHVILLE OVER SEATTLE FOR EXPANSION, ACCORDING TO LOCAL BUSINESS REPORTER Starbucks is not the only business impacted by the state’s economic policies. The Columbia Tower Club, an iconic business club atop Seattle’s tallest skyscraper, closed last month after more than four decades. Long considered a hub for executives, developers and civic leaders, the club cited declining office traffic and downtown business activity tied to remote work and high vacancy rates. Critics quickly pointed to the closure as another sign of weakening business confidence in Seattle. On Monday, the Washington State Republican Party ripped into both Wilson and the city council, posting on X, “Marxist @MayorofSeattle Katie Wilson is more concerned about toilet ribbon-cutting photo opps than massive capital flight in downtown #Seattle all the while @SeattleCouncil stands idle as a once iconic city crumbles.” The jab refers to a recent Wilson event promoting new downtown public restrooms, which critics mocked amid concerns about Seattle’s economy and business climate. Though Wilson’s now-infamous “like, bye” line drew laughs and applause from her audience, it immediately sparked backlash on social media from conservatives criticizing her economic policy. “Seattle’s Socialist Mayor responds to exodus of wealth from Washington State by saying ‘BYE’… then laughing. We’re doomed,” wrote Brandi Kruse. SOCIALIST MAYOR’S BLUNT 1-WORD MESSAGE TO FLEEING MILLIONAIRES SPARKS OUTRAGE: ‘WE’RE DOOMED’ “This clip will live in infamy,” the Washington State Republican Party posted on X. “@MayorofSeattle Katie Wilson is not only unfit to be mayor, she lacks grace and gratitude. Perhaps, she’s the one who should leave #Seattle.” Fox News Digital reached out to Saka and Wilson for additional comment. Fox News Digital’s Rachel del Guidice, Joshua Q. Nelson and Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.