Smithsonian America 250 exhibit features 3x more liberal items than conservative ones
A Smithsonian exhibit designed to commemorate America’s 250th birthday displays numerous objects linked to key points in the nation’s history, though it provides relatively little representation of Christianity or conservatism despite ample coverage for LGBT rights and racial justice movements, among other liberal causes, a Fox News Digital review of the exhibit’s online catalog found. In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness is an exhibit curated by the Smithsonian Institution with the aim of displaying 250 objects that help to tell the story of America from the 1700s to the present. Among these objects are historically significant items, such as a compass from the 1806 Lewis and Clark expedition, a dress belonging to Dolly Madison, Abraham Lincoln’s hat and the desk the Declaration of Independence was written on. Also included in the exhibit, according to an online catalog published by the Smithsonian, are a number of objects with clear ties to modern liberal politics, such as a pink “p-ssy hat” worn by a participant of the 2017 Women’s March, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s gavel, monarch butterfly wings worn by an illegal immigrant activist and a typewriter belonging to liberal writer Maya Angelou. Next to Angelou’s typewriter is a picture of a 1970s drag queen “wearing an off-the-shoulder shimmery gown,” according to a visual description of the exhibit published by the Smithsonian. TRUMP ORDERS SIGNS OUTSIDE SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM AMID ROW OVER ITS DEPICTION OF AMERICAN HISTORY The exhibit’s selections are drawing scrutiny as President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans challenge the Smithsonian’s portrayal of American history around the nation’s 250th anniversary. Fox News Digital reviewed the Smithsonian’s online catalog and grouped objects according to the movements, causes and institutions identified in the museum’s descriptions, finding seven tied to conservative movements, compared with nearly two dozen tied to causes including LGBT rights, abortion access, racial justice, organized labor and Democratic politics. The apparent domination of liberal causes in an exhibit designed to celebrate the contributions of all Americans to the nation’s history could further inflame conservative criticisms of the museum. While the exhibit examines how left-of-center individuals and movements shaped American history, conservatives have less representation. Just seven items representing conservative movements — a MAGA hat, a Tea Party placard, a pro-life sign, a dress worn by Melania Trump, a sign opposing the feminist-backed Equal Rights Amendment, a Ronald Reagan campaign T-shirt and a National Rifle Association button — are presented by the Smithsonian, according to its online catalog. By comparison, the same catalog shows that liberal causes — such as LGBT rights, farm-worker rights, abortion access, racial justice, environmentalism, labor unions and the Democratic Party — collectively have nearly two dozen items representing them. THE WAR ON AMERICA’S JUDEO-CHRISTIAN ROOTS THREATENS EVERYTHING WE SHARE Among those, the Smithsonian chose four total items representing the gay rights movement, for example. That wasn’t far behind the six it curated to represent Christianity, including items from churches and a Bible, per its catalog. Christianity historically was America’s dominant faith, influencing nearly all aspects of life, though it has declined in prominence in recent decades. Even the items representing Christianity, however, include undertones of racial justice. A pew from a Black Presbyterian church, for example, is accompanied by a description of its pastor’s racial activism. The one Bible on display as part of the exhibit, meanwhile, discusses the owner’s anti-slavery sentiments. Other religions, such as Judaism, with a Seder plate and a Hanukkah lamp, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints, colloquially known as Mormons, with a plate depicting one of their temples, received representation as well. Among the LGBT artifacts displayed by the Smithsonian is a red tie that belonged to the late lesbian activist Carmen Vázquez. A description for the item notes that she described it as her “seduction necktie.” “Vázquez was born in Puerto Rico and grew up in New York City. After College, she lived in San Francisco for many years, honing her political understanding of immigrant rights and women’s and public health,” the online exhibit description continues. “Her endless energy for LGBTQ+ rights and justice for all, and her work, writing, and speeches ensured the safety and capacity to thrive of countless people across the United States.” LGBTQ PRESS CONFERENCE AT TRACK MEET INVOLVING TRANS ATHLETE DESCENDS INTO CHAOS, POLICE SUMMONED The online catalog also shows that nearly two-dozen items displayed at the exhibit are related to recent waves of Asian and Latino immigration. Earlier migrant groups such as the Irish, French and Italians, received just one entry each. One display dedicated to recent immigrants is a soccer ball donated by the founder of the Fugees soccer team for refugee children in Clarkston, Georgia, describing how the group “overcame anti-immigrant backlash.” The Smithsonian did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital. However, comments made by the National Museum of American History’s director provide some insight as to why curators made the decisions they did when selecting items for the exhibit. “How do you structure a commemoration, celebration and time for reflection?” Anthea Hartig, the museum’s director, told British newspaper The Guardian. “What we landed on were those moments where individuals or communities had fought for recognition and advocated for their own sense of identity and self in their role in creating and becoming a part of the United States. But we also wanted to do the playful.” Beyond items of political or ideological significance, the exhibit also makes an effort to showcase historical changes to domestic life, technology and pop culture through the display of everyday objects. Various household appliances from different points in American history, props from the Star Wars movies, currency spanning hundreds of years, instruments belonging to famous musicians, technological advancements in areas such as video games and telecommunications and sports paraphernalia, like hockey gloves worn during the 1980 “miracle on ice” Olympic match against the Soviet Union, are all on display.
Democratic Socialists of America activists signed pledge to support, defend ‘Chinese socialism’
Multiple self-identified Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)-linked individuals signed onto a statement extolling “Chinese socialism.” “We, Friends of Socialist China, aim to support the People’s Republic of China and to promote understanding of Chinese socialism,” the statement declares, in part. “The global advance to socialism is indispensable if humanity is to survive and to flourish; humanity needs socialism in order to prevent climate breakdown, end poverty, establish global peace and work towards dismantling structural discrimination and oppression,” the statement says, characterizing the “record of the socialist countries” as “overwhelmingly positive.” CHINA, RUSSIA, IRAN AND NORTH KOREA FORM ‘AXIS OF AGGRESSORS’ THAT COULD OVERWHELM US, BOOK WARNS The text asserts that “the continued survival of Chinese socialism is a crucial matter not only for the Chinese people but for all humanity” and declares that “we resolve to support, defend and build understanding of Chinese socialism.” Some of the people listed as signatories include Mirah Wood, who is described as the “Co-Chair Middle East & Africa Subcommittee, DSA International Committee” in the United States, and John McGrath, who is identified as being part of the “DSA International Committee (anti-war)” in the United Kingdom. Both Wood and McGrath appear on the list as far back as 2022 in archived web pages. Some of the other names on the list include indication of DSA membership. DSA CO-CHAIR EMBRACES ABOLISHING SENATE, ICE, BORDERS AS DEMOCRATIC INFIGHTING ESCALATES The statement describes the view that socialism leads to oppression as “propaganda” that should be challenged. It says that “owing largely to the reach and power of capitalist cultural hegemony, socialism is widely considered (particularly in the imperialist heartlands) to be a brutal, authoritarian system that suppresses human creativity and impedes progress. Socialist states — past and present — are portrayed as miserable backwaters, characterized by overzealous secret services, prison camps, thought control, stale uniformity, dictatorship, famines, social conservatism, corruption and poverty. In order to promote and uphold socialism, it is important to provide a counter-narrative and corrective to this propaganda.” CARVILLE SAYS ONE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST’S ‘LUNACY OF THE HIGHEST LEVEL’ POLICY COULD HAUNT SWING-STATE DEMS Fox News Digital reached out to the DSA and DSA International Committee on Friday.
Liberal court stuns with ruling that hands Trump major immigration win
A liberal-led federal appeals court handed President Donald Trump two immigration victories Wednesday, reversing separate district court orders that had delayed the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for migrants from South Sudan and Ethiopia. The judgments from the First Circuit Court of Appeals come after U.S. District Judges Brian Murphy and Patti Saris issued back-to-back orders temporarily blocking the Trump administration’s termination of TPS for Ethiopia and South Sudan, respectively, late last week. The rulings drew sharp criticism from legal experts and Trump administration officials, who called the judges “rogue” and argued their decisions defied the Supreme Court. The three-judge First Circuit panel consisted of Judges Julie Rikelman and Seth Aframe, both appointed by President Joe Biden, and Judge Joshua Dunlap, who was appointed by President Donald Trump. BIDEN JUDGE BLOCKING ETHIOPIAN DEPORTATIONS DESPITE SCOTUS RULING CLASHED WITH ICE BEFORE SUPREME COURT WEIGHS TRUMP EFFORT TO TERMINATE TEMPORARY PROTECTIONS FOR HAITIAN, SYRIAN MIGRANTS In nearly identical rulings, the majority liberal panel found that the lower court judges’ orders conflicted with the Supreme Court’s decision in Mullin v. Doe, which held that courts cannot block TPS terminations based on non-constitutional claims. “Mullin held that ‘the TPS statute’s judicial-review bar applies to all non-constitutional claims’ challenging the Secretary of Homeland Security’s determination with respect to the termination of a TPS designation,” the judges wrote. Iowa Solicitor General Eric Wessan told Fox News Digital that the First Circuit correctly applied the precedent established by the Supreme Court. “These are clear wins for President Trump following his big win at the U.S. Supreme Court, explaining that district courts are not supposed to second guess TPS terminations, and even as this plays out, we’re moving towards the end of this litigation because district courts should not be hearing these disputes, and that’s what the Supreme Court said,” Wessan told Fox News Digital. SUPREME COURT’S LATEST IMMIGRATION RULING WILL CAUSE AMERICANS TO ‘DIE AND SUFFER’ ATTORNEY WARNS A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson welcomed the rulings as “a win for the rule of law and common sense.” “Temporary Protected Status is exactly that—temporary,” the spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “For too long, TPS has been allowed to function as a de facto amnesty program despite Congress never intending it to be permanent.” The lawsuits were brought by African Communities Together, a New York-based immigrant advocacy organization that serves as the lead plaintiff in both cases, alongside individual TPS recipients from Ethiopia and South Sudan. The plaintiffs argue DHS unlawfully ended the protections in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act and the Constitution, alleging the agency failed to properly assess conditions in the two countries and that the decisions were motivated by racial discrimination. Murphy and Saris temporarily blocked the Trump administration from terminating TPS last week, issuing procedural orders to preserve the status quo while they considered whether the plaintiffs should be permitted to amend their complaints to pursue renewed constitutional claims. DHS EVISCERATES MEDIA FOR ‘ABSOLUTE ABSURDITY’ OVER CONCERN ABOUT ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ ACTIVIST JUDGES LIST While the Supreme Court’s decision in Mullin v. Doe foreclosed most statutory challenges to TPS terminations, it left open the possibility that courts could consider claims alleging constitutional violations. However, Wessan said the district judges were operating outside the “legal bounds” by blocking the TPS terminations before any constitutional claims had been established. “If they want to let the plaintiffs amend their complaint, they’re allowed to do that, but in the meantime, TPS is over,” Wessan told Fox News Digital. The First Circuit’s decisions mark the latest setback for Murphy and Saris after the Trump administration accused both judges of effectively sidestepping the Supreme Court’s June ruling. After Murphy’s order, DHS General Counsel James Percival wrote on X that the district judge was engaged in “mutiny against the Supreme Court,” while he described Saris’ ruling as “open defiance” of the justices’ decision. Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Murphy and Saris for comment.
Investigators believe Iranian hackers are likely behind cyberattack on Minnesota water systems: report
U.S. investigators believe a cyberattack that targeted dozens of water systems in Minnesota this week likely was orchestrated by Iranian hackers, a report said. Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) said the “coordinated cyberattack targeted operational technology at more than 30 Minnesota community water systems” on Sunday and Monday, but the Minnesota Department of Health is “not aware of any active requests from Minnesota cities to have their residents modify their drinking water usage.” U.S. and state officials and others familiar with the incident told The New York Times that Iranian hackers were likely behind the cyberattack. The newspaper reported that three state officials briefed on an investigation into the cyberattack said the tradecraft used and the absence of a ransom demand led analysts to initially determine Iran was involved. Officials also cautioned that the assessment could change as more data is collected by investigators, according to the newspaper. However, President Donald Trump said during a Cabinet meeting Friday that he would “blame it on Minnesota and the governor.” “Today, I just want to mention that, we heard in Minnesota there was a cyberattack, and they blame it on Iran. I don’t think so. I think I blame it on Minnesota because they’re grossly incompetent. There was a cyberattack of 30 water plants, and I would blame it on Minnesota and the governor, the corrupt governor of Minnesota,” Trump said, referencing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat. “They like to say, ‘oh it’s Iran.’ Iran should be so lucky. Iran’s got bigger problems than worrying about Minnesota.” IRAN-LINKED HACKERS TARGET US MEDICAL TECH COMPANY The FBI said earlier in a statement to Fox News Digital on Friday that it is “aware of recent public reporting around Water and Wastewater sectors.” “The FBI and our interagency partners are fully engaged to protect critical infrastructure and we remain well-equipped to protect against cyber threats of all varieties,” the FBI added. The New York Times reported that the hackers targeted infrastructure used to manage and monitor water towers operated by municipal governments. The mayor of the city of Braham, Nate George, said on Monday, a “plant operator found that the water tower was calling for water, but the well was not operating.” “After learning that similar problems were occurring in at least four other Minnesota communities, Braham staff determined that the plant’s computerized control system had been compromised,” he continued. “Public works isolated the affected system, restored a backup, and restarted the plant within approximately 90 minutes. While the plant was offline, residents continued receiving water from the city’s water tower. City administration temporarily requested that residents conserve water to prevent the tower’s limited supply from being exhausted,” George added. LIVE UPDATES ON IRAN WAR: TRUMP ANNOUNCES HAMAS DISARMAMENT DEAL WHILE SAUDI ARABIA LAUNCHES RED SEA DEFENSE COALITION In a statement shared with Fox News Digital, MNIT noted that “the investigation remains active, and Minnesota has not attributed the activity to a specific actor.” MNIT said it “continues to collaborate with federal, state, local, Tribal, and private-sector partners to investigate the attack, support affected communities, and strengthen the security of Minnesota’s critical infrastructure.” “Cyberattacks against critical infrastructure require a coordinated, whole-of-government response,” John Israel, MNIT assistant commissioner and Minnesota chief information security officer, said in a statement. “MNIT is working side by side with our partners to share intelligence, support affected communities, and help utilities restore operations safely while strengthening defenses against future attacks.” Israel told the Times that the breach was first detected Sunday and that hackers targeted 36 municipal water systems. “Minnesota was one of the early detectors of this, but we’re seeing that this same threat activity has likely been occurring in other states throughout the nation,” he was quoted as saying. Nick Andersen, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) acting director, told the newspaper that the agency was aware of “multiple potential incidents affecting local water utilities.” In the days leading up to the incident, CISA issued an advisory warning U.S. organizations of “ongoing Iranian-affiliated cyber activity targeting internet-connected operational technology (OT) devices.” “Iranian cyber actors continue to target U.S. critical infrastructure, and the FBI is committed to identifying, disrupting, and imposing costs on those responsible,” Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division said in the advisory. It stated that a “group of Iranian-affiliated actors” has “targeted devices spanning multiple U.S. critical infrastructure sectors, including Water and Wastewater Systems, Energy and Government Services and Facilities, to include local municipalities.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also issued an advisory on Thursday “to warn critical infrastructure asset owners and operators that malicious cyber actors are conducting cyber attacks targeting Operational Technology devices.” “Since 27 July 2026, Water and Wastewater Sector utility companies in at least seven states have reported incidents to the FBI, and some of that activity degraded water operations,” it added.
Ben Sasse’s latest pancreatic cancer update comes amid his stark warning about America’s future
FIRST ON FOX: Battling Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, former Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse is looking ahead with optimism for his own health but expressed less hope for America’s future. He cautioned that America’s greatest challenges are still to come in a pre-recorded interview for the Western Conservative Summit in Lakewood, Colorado, exclusively shared with Fox News Digital. “Pancreatic cancer is nasty, and I would never wish it on my worst enemy, but I also would never want to go back to a stage of my life where I didn’t know the power of pancreatic cancer prayer,” said Sasse, quoting Pastor Tim Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York. Sasse, 54, shared in December 2025 that he has metastatic pancreatic cancer, which has spread to multiple organs — including his liver and lungs. He was initially given three to four months to live but entered a clinical trial for a drug called daraxonrasib, an oral therapy (pill) that is designed to block the defective gene that triggers uncontrolled cellular growth. PANCREATIC CANCER VACCINE SHOWS PROMISE IN FIRST HUMAN TRIAL, PREVENTING DISEASE IN HIGH-RISK PATIENTS “My tumors have shrunk by over 80% in the six and a half months I’ve been on this drug,” said Sasse in his update. “The drug has been amazing, and I’m grateful for that common grace extension of time.” “We’re a couple days away from being seven months since my diagnosis at three to four months to live.” Even as he reflected on his own mortality, Sasse said he’s increasingly concerned about the country’s future, cautioning that the U.S. must outcompete China, overhaul its failing schools and adapt to an AI-driven economy. “I want the U.S. Via decentralized corporate structures to rule the world, not CCP, tyrannical, Maoist to rule of the world, and I think most middle powers, most countries in the world, know that somewhere between 25 years from now, we’re going to say the world is Western/U.S. led,” said Sasse. CHINA IS BUILDING A MASSIVE SHIP THAT SHOULD SCARE AMERICANS ABOUT THE FUTURE He describes a world that is led by the U.S. passing along values with free trade, the rule of law, transparency and acknowledgment of human rights. The alternative would be “CCP led,” said Sasse. “Which is them controlling all trade through Beijing.” From the campus of Colorado Christian University, where conservative leaders gathered for the Western Conservative Summit, Sasse also weighed in on the challenges facing higher education. “Our educational systems are just a complete disaster,” said Sasse. The latest Nation’s Report Card found that roughly one in three eighth graders cannot read at even a basic level, nearly 40% fall below basic in math, and fewer than one-third are proficient in reading, according to the National Assessment Governing Board report for 2025. BEN SASSE CLAIMS PUBLIC SCHOOLS WERE CREATED TO SEPARATE CATHOLIC KIDS FROM PARENTS, PRIESTS Sasse argued that academic benchmarks are too low and that increasing government spending on education has failed to improve student outcomes. “The potential and the capacity of most souls and most brains is a lot more than that, and we’ve just got a disastrous system,” said Sasse. Sasse said that the rise of AI is going to “externalize a lot of IQ” changing what schools will teach. He added that America is entering an AI revolution that will disrupt work, education, and global power. “A hundred years from now, when we look back on our moment, we’re not gonna talk about our politics very much. I think we’re gonna talk about the fact that we are living through a technological revolution,” said Sasse.
House Democrat blasted after early release law freed inmates later charged with murder
A COVID-era prison release law championed by Rep. Nellie Pou, D-N.J., is facing renewed scrutiny after multiple inmates freed early under the program were later charged with murder. More than 7,000 inmates received an early release starting in November 2020 after then-Gov. Phil Murphy, D-N.J., signed legislation sponsored by Pou, then a New Jersey state senator. Under the law, state inmates were eligible for early release via “public health emergency credits” if they had less than one year remaining on their sentences and had not been convicted of murder or sexual assault and were not sex offenders. People serving time for other violent offenses — including aggravated manslaughter and kidnapping — could still receive a shortened sentence of up to eight months. NORTH CAROLINA TEACHER’S KILLING REIGNITES SCRUTINY OF ROY COOPER’S CRIMINAL JUSTICE RECORD IN SENATE RACE Two inmates released under the program later pleaded guilty to or were convicted in separate homicide cases. A third remains in custody awaiting trial on murder and conspiracy charges. Supporters of the law, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), argued the measure was necessary to reduce the prison population amid concerns about overcrowding during the COVID-19 pandemic. A smaller prison population, according to Pou, would “keep everyone, guards included, safer” from the virus, she wrote in a 2020 statement. But the New Jersey Democrat has said little publicly about the law since multiple inmates released under the program were linked to grisly killings. The legislation passed over objections from GOP lawmakers and some county prosecutors, who warned it could endanger public safety by releasing violent offenders early. Jerry Crawford, 30, was arrested in the shooting death of an 18-year-old just two days after his release on parole supervision in November 2020. Crawford, who had been serving a burglary sentence, would have otherwise remained incarcerated until the following month, according to the New Jersey Department of Corrections, NJ.com reported. He is scheduled to stand trial in January 2027 on murder and conspiracy charges, according to New Jersey court records. Another inmate, 31-year-old Ronny Paden, was released early in November 2020 after the COVID-era program shortened his sentence for aggravated assault and weapons offenses. Two months later, he shot and killed two men at a birthday party. Paden later pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated manslaughter and was sentenced to 12 years in state prison. A third inmate, Theodore Luckey, 47, is serving life without parole after pleading guilty to two counts of first-degree murder. NEWSOM-BACKED LAW LETS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHILD RAPIST SEEK EARLY RELEASE AGAIN AS DA URGES ‘STOP THE MADNESS’ Luckey attacked and killed an ex-boyfriend with a machete in August 2021, striking him more than 120 times, after being released from prison in May. Prosecutors also said he strangled another man in a hotel room shortly beforehand. He was released from prison under the program eight months early after completing most of a 15-year prison sentence involving a burglary conviction and illegal possession of a deadly weapon, the New Jersey-based Asbury Park Press reported. Republicans sharply criticized Pou’s embrace of the early prison release program that freed several repeat offenders. “Instead of holding criminals accountable, soft-on-crime radical Nellie Pou spearheaded legislation that lets violent offenders off the hook and threatens the safety of law-abiding New Jerseyans,” New Jersey Republican Chairwoman Christine Giordano Hanlon told Fox News Digital. “Nellie is a threat to her constituents’ safety, and they’ll send her packing because of it,” National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole said. A representative for Pou did not directly respond to a request for comment about whether the congresswoman believed the program proved successful, but emphasized Pou’s support for law enforcement and public safety. “Just this year, Congresswoman Pou voted in favor of more than $253 million in funding to hire and rehire local police and to steer $13.5 million toward state law enforcement agencies to combat drug trafficking,” Morghan Cyr, Pou’s campaign manager, said in a statement. The GOP attacks come as Pou is seeking a second House term in a northern New Jersey House seat that President Donald Trump narrowly carried in 2024. Pou, a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, has joined House Democratic leadership in voting against GOP-authored legislation ranging from cracking down on illegal immigration to targeting “soft-on-crime” policies in Washington, D.C. Still, it remains unclear whether Pou will face a serious re-election threat. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report shifted the race in favor of Democrats earlier this year to “Likely Democrat,” citing New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., carrying Pou’s district by nearly 20 points during the 2025 gubernatorial contest.
Trump unloads on Cornyn, ties AG nomination fight to bitter Texas primary
President Donald Trump unleashed more fury on a Senate Republican he worked to oust who is standing in the way of his personal lawyer becoming the next attorney general. Trump unloaded on Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, over acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s stalled nomination Friday morning, a day after threatening to withdraw Blanche’s nomination from the Senate. He accused Cornyn of previously having no issue with the nearly $2 billion anti-weaponization fund, one of the issues that he and Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., are trying to kill, before Trump endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in their grueling primary showdown. TRUMP THREATENS TO YANK HIS OWN AG NOMINEE AS GOP REVOLT GROWS “John Cornyn never had a problem with the so-called ‘Fund,’ which will not benefit me, but rather the great American Patriots who were hunted down like dogs and whose lives were unfairly and illegally destroyed by the Crooked Joe Biden Administration, until after I decided to Endorse and Support his Republican Primary opponent in Texas, who easily won the Nomination for the United States Senate,” Trump said on Truth Social. Fox News Digital did not immediately receive comment from Cornyn’s office in response to Trump’s remarks. Cornyn and Tillis are both pushing the Department of Justice (DOJ) and administration to provide explicit, written proposals to permanently nix and rewrite the anti-weaponization fund and Trump’s audit immunity, respectively, that were borne from his settlement deal with the IRS, which Blanche rolled out earlier this year. DOJ BARS IRS FROM AUDITING TRUMP’S PRIOR TAX RETURNS IN SETTLEMENT ORDER SIGNED BY BLANCHE The Texas Republican, in particular, wants changes to Trump’s audit immunity spelled out in the deal, and has so far not had his demands met as paper continues to flow back and forth between the lawmakers and administration. But the lawmakers contend that there’s a force above Blanche that is thwarting the process and further slowing down his confirmation. “I thought we were pretty close to landing the plane last night, but this morning there’s been some more complications,” Cornyn told reporters on Thursday. “I think if this were just between me and Todd Blanche, we would have worked this out. But apparently he’s getting some pushback from higher-ups at the White House. I don’t know who, but this doesn’t need to be this hard.” WATCH: GOP HOLDOUT REJECTS TRUMP THREAT AS AG NOMINEE STANDOFF EXPLODES Trump appeared unwilling to part with the fund, which has been condemned by Republicans and Democrats over concerns that it would dole out taxpayer dollars to rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. “I will always feel that these victims of government abuse should be paid back for what they were forced to endure, their lives have been ruined,” Trump said. “Millions of people agree with me, as was proven in my landslide Presidential win, where this was a major subject of debate, and so did John Cornyn, until he lost his Election to an opponent that I Endorsed. Todd Blanche, a good man, should be immediately approved as U.S. Attorney General.” Both Cornyn and Tillis met with Blanche toward the end of the day Thursday to continue hashing out a path forward. Meanwhile, Trump threatened to yank Blanche’s nomination from the Senate over the impasse after Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, postponed his confirmation hearing scheduled for Thursday. His plan would be to wait until both Cornyn and Tillis are out of office next year. But, there’s no guarantee that the Senate would be more welcoming to Blanche after the midterm elections this November. And Tillis and Cornyn aren’t the only Republicans with reservations about Blanche — Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and John Curtis, R-Utah, are both on the fence on whether to support him on a full floor vote in the Senate. Given universal Democratic opposition, their resistance could sink his chances.
Firebrand rep unloads on socialist prime minister as ‘hordes of military aged men’ swarm European country
As shocking videos circulate of migrants pouring over the collapsed border of the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, took a swipe at the country’s socialist prime minister, saying, “That’s what happens every single time a politician offers amnesty.” Ceuta, a Spanish territory on the tip of Africa, formally requested a national emergency declaration on Thursday after about 60,000 migrants crossed the border from Morocco in the past several weeks. Video shows hordes of men smiling and posing for cameras, some carrying swimming flippers, and sprinting through the streets as authorities struggle to corral the unruly masses. Other footage shows crowds of migrants emerging from the sea, climbing up onto Ceuta’s rocky shores and working their way around border fences. Gill, a young Republican known for his viral takedowns during congressional hearings, blamed the breakdown on Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who leads the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party. “Spain’s socialist Prime Minister announced he would be giving amnesty to millions of illegal aliens. Now, his country is being invaded by hordes of military aged men from Africa,” Gill posted on X. “Because that’s what happens every single time a politician offers amnesty.” WISCONSIN DEM SOCIALIST GUBERNATORIAL HOPEFUL DODGES WHETHER SHE STILL WANTS TO ‘ABOLISH POLICE’ Sánchez’s socialist government launched an “extraordinary regularization” program earlier this year that allows eligible undocumented migrants already living in Spain to obtain legal residence and work authorization. The government says the policy promotes economic integration, while critics describe it as a mass amnesty. Ceuta President Juan Jesús Vivas formally requested that Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declare a national emergency to help respond to the border crisis, Spanish media outlets reported. Madrid, however, denied the request. “The declaration of a national emergency is part of the state civil protection regulations, which do not consider migratory flows as a risk to the National Civil Protection System, nor do they establish special plans, basic guidelines, or specific civil protection instruments for their management. Therefore, it is not possible to activate this mechanism, as requested by the president of the Government of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas,” Spain’s Ministry of the Interior said in a statement, according to Spanish outlet El Pais. Ceuta’s government, in their request for a national emergency declaration, noted that immigration from Morocco is always a problem for the Spanish enclave, but claimed the last 10 days represented a peak “of particular intensity.” That peak has seen about 60,000 migrants cross the border in the past 10 days. EU ADMITS IT ‘DIDN’T HAVE CONTROL’ ON MIGRATION AS BLOC RUSHES CRACKDOWN AHEAD OF NEW RULES “The Government of Spain is fully committed to providing an immediate response to the situation in Ceuta. We are mobilizing all necessary resources, working with Moroccan and international authorities, and preparing the necessary measures to restore normalcy as soon as possible,” Sánchez wrote in a Thursday post on X. Back in the U.S., the White House has also criticized Sánchez for the collapse, saying in a statement that “President Trump has long warned Europe what would happen if they continue to implement far-left, globalist policies – including enabling mass migration.” “Spain and other countries who have adopted this destructive philosophy should immediately reverse course or risk their own demise,” said the White House. TRUMP CRITICIZES SPAIN AMID IRAN, NATO RIFT AS PM SANCHEZ FACES QUESTIONS OVER POLITICAL MOTIVES Sánchez, however, has previously claimed that accepting migrants is necessary to keep Spain’s economy alive, arguing the country’s low birth rates necessitate accepting immigrants. “The West needs people. Currently, few of its countries have a rising population growth rate. Unless they embrace migration, they will experience a sharp demographic decline that will prevent them from keeping their economies and public services afloat. Their gross domestic product will stagnate. Their public healthcare and pension systems will suffer. Neither AI nor robots will be able to prevent this outcome… The only option to avoid decline is to integrate migrants in the most orderly and effective way possible,” Sánchez wrote in a February op-ed in The New York Times. Fox News Digital’s Robert McGreevy contributed to this report.
Trump questions Thune’s leadership as SAVE America Act stalls
For months, President Donald Trump has fixated on one legislative priority. Now, its repeated failure may be costing Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., the president’s support. Trump has badgered Republicans to pass the SAVE America Act, his missing legislative crown jewel, turning support for the bill into a loyalty test. Thune has become the target for those irritated that the bill hasn’t moved in the Senate. For months, Trump largely spared him from criticism over the bill’s stalled progress. That appears to have changed. The hairline fractures in their relationship stem from Thune doing what few Republicans are willing to do: tell Trump no. GOP RIFT GROWS AS THUNE HITS BRAKES ON TRUMP’S ELECTION BILL TO AVERT SHUTDOWN “Well, that’s too bad for him,” Trump said when asked about Thune not having the votes to move the SAVE America Act. “I mean, that’s too bad for him and too bad for the Republican Party.” “He’s got the votes,” he continued. “He should get it done. He should be able to get it done.” And, though he’s backed him before, Trump appeared to waver in his support of Thune when asked if he was the right man for the job. “Well, we’re going to find out, and I’ll let you know,” Trump said. TRUMP THREATENS TO YANK HIS OWN AG NOMINEE AS GOP REVOLT GROWS On his way to and from the Senate floor, Thune was pressed on Trump’s comments. When asked about Trump wavering on him as the leader of the Senate GOP, Thune signaled it wasn’t up to him. “I don’t know what you say on that,” he said. “That’s a decision made by my colleagues.” He also pushed back on the president’s assertion that Republicans could pass the SAVE America Act. “That must be a different form of math,” Thune said. Thune has repeatedly argued Republicans simply don’t have the votes to pass the SAVE America Act, a position that has increasingly put him at odds with Trump. A bloc of Republicans has never supported the legislation, while Senate Democrats overwhelmingly oppose it, leaving Thune without the votes. TRUMP DEMANDS THUNE KEEP SENATE IN SESSION UNTIL SAVE AMERICA ACT PASSES “I think it’s wrong to blame Thune for this — Senator Thune,” Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., told Fox News Digital. “This is not his fault.” Still, Thune has moved major legislation backed by the president and has the Senate on a record pace for nominee confirmations, all while dealing with vulnerable Republicans taking tough political votes and Democrats who are bound to kneecap Trump’s agenda at every turn. “I hope that the next Congress, the people with the election certificates as U.S. senators who actually make that decision, show some independence and courage,” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital. “And recognize that Thune has helped navigate an almost impossible scenario to navigate with this president.” The legislation has been tested several times in a variety of forms, and has never gotten the needed votes to pass. And Thune has said the votes aren’t there to nuke the filibuster, which Trump has pushed for throughout his second term. Even as Trump publicly questions Thune, the Senate GOP leader intends to seek another term as the top Republican. Leadership is elected internally by Senate Republicans, not by the president. Thune came out of a crowded field to replace Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., battling Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., to get the top spot in the Senate GOP. And his colleagues, so far, have his back. Scott, who ran against Thune, told Fox News Digital that he had no intention of running for the top gig in the Senate again. He also noted that even though he wanted it, it’s a difficult profession to take on. “John’s a smart guy,” Scott said. “He is working really hard. So I think he shouldn’t — you know, it’s tough to be the leader.” “We’ve got a lot of issues we haven’t addressed, so it’s hard,” he continued. “I assumed it was gonna be hard.”
Army vet, trucking executive raves over Trump plan to bolster blue collar industry by fast-tracking veterans
An Army veteran and trucking company executive who attended President Donald Trump’s Wednesday announcement about a new initiative called “Freedom Haulers” at the White House praised the new plan to provide a boost to the industry. “I came down here to support the cause of getting into an industry that is always in need,” said Tom Jacques, the director of Department of Transportation (DOT) compliance at Waste Management. Jacques is also the chairman of the board of directors for the Pennsylvania Motor Trucking Association. Jacques, whose biography says he enlisted in the Army and joined the 3rd U.S. Infantry as an escort to the President, called the plan “wonderful.” TRUMP TAPS VETERANS TO FIX ILLEGAL ALIEN TRUCKING PROBLEM PLAGUING US ROADWAYS “It’s wonderful to get skilled workers who are disciplined [and] dedicated into an industry that requires discipline and dedication,” Jacques told Fox News Digital at the White House. “You don’t get behind the wheel of a tractor-trailer — 80,000 pounds — without understanding the need to be disciplined and to be safe. So it’s nice to have that, to tap into a large workforce as they transition out of the military and into the next career field.” Under the initiative, qualified veterans with heavy-vehicle experience gained during military service can apply to waive the CDL road-skills test, allowing them to avoid duplicating training they received in the military. Certain veterans in participating states — 34 of them so far — may also qualify for a waiver of the written knowledge test. Veterans without military truck-driving experience will be eligible for expedited training that administration officials said could be completed in several weeks. TRUMP PROMOTES FREEDOM HAULERS INITIATIVE TO FAST-TRACK MILITARY VETERANS INTO TRUCKING JOBS “Data shows that truck drivers who are veterans account for 42% fewer accidents. Think of that, 42%,” Trump said at the event. “And that number, they say, is their very minimal number, even as they drive double the number of miles of non-veteran drivers.” Jacques said the trucking industry is always in need of new drivers, and discussed the important role that truckers play in the everyday lives of Americans. “If you take a look at the trucking industry, the behind the scenes, that’s what gets the commodities where they’re at,” he said. He also noted that during COVID-19, when non-essential workers were furloughed and much of America worked from home, truckers didn’t have that option. Americans depended upon their work in order to have access to necessities, otherwise the country could have “shut down,” he said. “There’s no shortage of positions for truck drivers,” said Jacques. “It’s an aging workforce. It’s something that people need to understand that we’ve got to be continually replenishing that workforce, and [it’s] a great opportunity getting our veterans … into a good, highly-paying job right out of the service. It’s going to be really nice to see more service members behind the wheel.” OUT OF CONTROL, UNQUALIFIED ILLEGAL ALIEN TRUCKERS ENDANGERING KIDS ON US ROADS, INSIDER WARNS: ‘JUST MADNESS’ That truckers are paid well is a fact not lost on Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who also spoke at Wednesday’s event. “These are great paying jobs. They’re anywhere from $80 to $100,000 plus a year,” he said. “And it’s important because you have men and women who drove big rigs in the military who would then get out and have to go through a months-long training for their skills and their knowledge test to drive this vehicle over here.” The initiative has another component — getting illegal alien truck drivers off the roads. “For many years, American highways and roadways have been terrorized by unqualified illegal aliens dangerously driving big rigs,” Trump said, pointing out that many illegal alien drivers can’t speak English or read the road signs. “You have to have a talent for it, and these people don’t have that. They’re driving big rigs, semi trucks and tractor trailers, all because radical left maniacs at the state level have issued them commercial driver’s licenses, even though they’re not entitled to have them.” He said that last year alone, at least 30 Americans were killed at the hands of illegal alien truck drivers, and that 24,000 illegal aliens drivers have already been taken off the streets. “So to end this, very simply, the radical left wants more jobs for illegal aliens and more migrants in 18-wheelers, Trump said. “And the Trump administration wants safer roads and more jobs for the American veteran.” Fox News Digital’s Brittany Miller contributed to this report.