Swing-seat Republican sidelined by ‘serious’ illness misses 88 votes as majority hangs by thread
An absent House lawmaker is expected to miss several more weeks of work after vanishing from Capitol Hill and the campaign trail due to an undisclosed illness. Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., has not voted in more than two months as House Republicans’ slim majority races to approve must-pass legislation ahead of the midterm elections. His father, former Gov. Tom Kean Sr., R-N.J., says his son may not return to Washington until June or later as he recovers from a “serious” illness. “You can’t say definitely, but their best guess is now he’ll be out in two or three weeks,” Kean Sr., told NJ.com in an interview last week, referring to his son’s doctors. “Any time you’ve been through a serious illness, you can’t be 100% the day you get back. You’re gonna be able to do things, but gradually ramping up.” SPATE OF HEALTH SCARES AND VIOLENT THREATS HIGHLIGHT GROWING VULNERABILITIES FOR LAWMAKERS ON CAPITOL HILL “When he can start to go to Congress again, that’s something the doctor wants to reserve judgment on,” he added. Kean Jr., 57, last voted on March 5 and has missed all 88 roll call votes in the lower chamber since then, according to GovTrack, a website that monitors congressional absences. Representatives for the New Jersey Republican have contended for weeks that he will restart his congressional duties “soon,” but that timeline has remained vague. A spokesperson for Kean Jr. did not immediately respond to a request for comment about when the two-term lawmaker plans to return to Washington. Kean Sr. did not elaborate about where his son is receiving treatment for the undisclosed diagnosis, but confirmed he is under the care of multiple doctors. He also declined to disclose the nature of his son’s illness, telling CNN, “That’s up to him.” The former two-term governor added that doctors expect Kean Jr. to make a full recovery. Since March, Kean Jr.’s office has characterized the congressman’s diagnosis as a “personal health matter” and declined to share specifics. A top aide for Kean Jr. told The New York Times last week, “There’s no cameras where Tom is.” The public last heard from Kean Jr. in late April when he released a public statement, saying, “I will be back to the job I love very soon.” DEMOCRAT TINA SHAH CALLS TRANSGENDER HEALTHCARE FOR CHILDREN A ‘NO BRAINER’ IN COMPETITIVE NJ HOUSE RACE Kean Sr. also said that he expects his son to run for re-election despite his disappearance from the campaign trail. “I think that’s the way he’s going, yeah,” he told the outlet. Kean Jr.’s ongoing health issues come as national Democrats are aggressively targeting the swing seat Kean Jr. has represented since 2023. Four relatively well-funded challengers, including emergency room physician Tina Shah, are vying for the Democratic nomination ahead of a June 2 primary. Kean Jr. is running unopposed for the GOP nomination. Republicans in Washington have grown increasingly concerned about Kean Jr.’s prolonged absence, which has an outsize impact on GOP lawmakers’ fragile majority. The House is expected to vote on legislation this week funding President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda, where House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., will likely need near-full attendance from Republicans amid widespread opposition from Democrats. Johnson told reporters last week that he is praying for Kean Jr’s swift recovery but is in the dark about the nature of the New Jersey Republican’s ailment. “He said he was out on a medical issue, and he’ll be back as soon as possible,” the speaker said. “That’s the full extent of what I know about it. It’s a personal thing, and obviously I told him that we’re praying for him, and I need him to get back as soon as he can.”
Jackson protests as Supreme Court uses Louisiana gerrymandering ruling to instruct lower courts
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson protested the Supreme Court’s decision to use their recent ruling in a Louisiana gerrymandering case to instruct lower courts on how to define the Voting Rights Act, a move that could wipe out previous legal victories for voting rights groups. The Court on Monday sent a Mississippi case back down to U.S. District Court “for further consideration” following their ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, which rejected race-based gerrymandering. “This case presents only the question of Section 2’s private enforceability, which our decision in Louisiana v. Callais … did not address,” Jackson dissented, referencing Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. “Thus I see no basis for vacating the lower court’s judgment.” The Supreme Court last month limited the scope of section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which restricts how states draw districts affecting minority voters, in its ruling in the case of Louisiana v. Callais. SUPREME COURT RULES ON KEY VOTING RIGHTS ACT RULE AS REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS WAGE REDISTRICTING WAR Louisiana v. Callais centered on whether Louisiana’s 2024 congressional map, which had added a second majority-Black district, amounted to an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. Though the justices acknowledged that compliance with the Voting Rights Act can be considered by states as a compelling interest in redistricting, they said that it did not require Louisiana to add the creation of a second, majority Black district, siding with a lower court that had also blocked the state’s use of the map. JUDGES SAY THEY’LL REDRAW LOUISIANA CONGRESSIONAL MAP THEMSELVES IF LAWMAKERS CAN’T The high court’s ruling in that case could trigger a new wave of legal challenges over congressional boundaries and make it harder for plaintiffs to challenge the maps in question, as it requires them to prove a racially discriminatory motive. Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.
Trump’s China thaw leaves Taiwan decision looming as ex-NBA star warns island holds key to US AI race
President Donald Trump returned from Beijing touting warmer trade ties with Chinese President Xi Jinping, but the summit left unresolved one of the most consequential flashpoints in U.S.-China relations: Taiwan. “Taiwan is the center of the global technology race,” former NBA star Enes Kanter Freedom told Fox News Digital in a Zoom interview. “If you want to understand the future of AI dominance, economic power and national security, you have to understand Taiwan.” Former Boston Celtics player and outspoken human-rights activist known for his criticism of the Chinese Communist Party, Freedom, said the lack of progress showed Taiwan remains a major unresolved issue at the center of America’s economic and national security competition with China. Freedom noted in his remarks that, “Trump has always understood that communist China is America’s biggest long-term geopolitical challenge.” “I think President Trump has constantly emphasized that peace is preserved through strength. I believe maintaining stability in the Taiwan Strait requires strong American leadership, strategic clarity, and a credible deterrent that leaves no room for miscalculation for authoritarian regimes,” said Freedom. TAIWAN DISPATCHES NAVY, AIR FORCE AFTER CHINA LAUNCHES LIVE-FIRE DRILLS WITH NO WARNING The pending decision comes as Taiwan continues seeking U.S. weapons meant to harden the island against a potential Chinese attack. Trump has not publicly committed to whether to move forward with a new Taiwan arms package while the talks produced no publicly announced breakthrough on Taiwan or other key strategic disputes, making the pending arms decision a closely watched signal for both Beijing and Taipei. A senior White House administration official told Fox News Digital that Trump will make a determination in a fairly short time regarding a new Taiwan arms package and also noted he approved $11.1 billion in arms sales to Taiwan in December 2025, which is “consistent with U.S. policy since the 1950s.” “In his first term, President Trump approved more arms sales to Taiwan than any other President in history,” the official added. In his second term, President Trump approved more in his first year than all four years under President Biden.” Trump was joined in China by top American tech CEOs, including leading AI executives during the summit, underscoring how the U.S.-China rivalry over artificial intelligence has become both an economic and geopolitical arms race. TRUMP LEAVES CHINA WITH BREAKTHROUGHS — AND UNFINISHED BUSINESS ON XI’S BIGGEST FIGHTS Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said in a Facebook post Sunday that arms purchases from the U.S. are “the most vital deterrent” of regional conflict. “Long-standing security cooperation and arms sales between Taiwan and the U.S. are grounded in the Taiwan Relations Act,” said Lai. “This serves not only as a testament to the United States’ security commitment to Taiwan but also as the most vital deterrent force against actions that undermine regional peace and stability—a role it has fulfilled for decades.” “Taiwan is deeply connected to America’s economy, military readiness, and AI futures. So this is not just about Asia, this is about who controls the technologies that will define the next century. For that reason, I think America needs Taiwan, and Taiwan needs America,” said Freedom. Chips produced in Taiwan are used across a wide range of technologies, including consumer electronics, communications systems, and advanced defense applications. CHINA’S GLOBAL AGGRESSION CHECK: TAIWAN TENSIONS, MILITARY POSTURING, AND US RESPONSE IN 2025 Major chip designers including Apple, Nvidia, AMD and Qualcomm rely heavily on Taiwan-based contract manufacturing. The U.S. International Trade Administration describes Taiwan as being “dominated by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co” and central to global semiconductor manufacturing. “The rapid rise of Korea and Taiwan has been due to the long-term megatrend of semiconductors as ‘the new oil’ — the key input to economic activity — combined with the latest price-insensitive boom in AI investment,” said Ian Samson, a portfolio manager at Fidelity International to Bloomberg. He added it demonstrates “the oligopolistic nature of leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing.” China has recently increased military pressure around Taiwan through large-scale air and naval activity. A Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson posted on X Thursday, that “‘Taiwan independence’ and cross-Strait peace are as irreconcilable as fire and water. Safeguarding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is the biggest common denominator between China and the U.S.” ENES KANTER FREEDOM SOUNDS ALARM ON CHINA’S ‘WAR’ WARNING: ‘WAKE UP AMERICA’ Freedom will be visiting the island, where basketball is very popular, this October to help organize basketball camps for the next generation of athletes. INSIDE THE ‘DIGITAL LOCKDOWN’ FOR US OFFICIALS AS TRUMP ARRIVES IN CHINA “I think my biggest goal during this trip is to document everything and also share with the world. I want people to see what Taiwan truly represents… a free country, vibrant, democratic society that refuses to bow down to intimidation,” said Freedom. Freedom said he wants to do whatever he can to bring attention to what he described as China’s genocide against Uyghurs, as well as the struggles faced by Hong Kongers, Tibetans, Falun Gong practitioners, and, more recently, what he called the harassment of the Taiwanese people.
Maryland ballot blunder triggers GOP push for federal review of blue state’s voter rolls
A Maryland primary ballot mix-up has renewed Republican calls for a federal review of the state’s voter rolls after some of the 400,000 primary voters requesting a mall-in ballot received the ballot of the wrong party this weekend. Maryland’s conservative Freedom Caucus is demanding that state elections officials release Maryland’s voter rolls to the federal government for an audit after a vendor error forced the state to resend thousands of mail-in primary ballots. “The Maryland Freedom Caucus is calling on Secretary of the Election Board, Jared DeMarinis, to immediately release Maryland’s voter rolls to the federal government so a proper audit can be conducted to determine the sources of the mistake,” the caucus wrote in a statement. “We caution against reissuing another 400,000 ballots and we demand to know how the state intends to differentiate between the first and second printing of these ballots.” “The citizens have a right to know the exact process by which ballots will be scrutinized,” the statement continued. “With 400,000 double ballots in circulation, we need to be absolutely sure that there is one vote, one person.” WHY DOJ IS CAUGHT UP IN TWO DOZEN COURT FIGHTS OVER VOTER ROLLS The group claimed that he mistake undermines confidence in the June 23 primary, pointing the finger at Democrats and the State Board of Elections. “The Maryland Democrats and the bureaucrats over at the Board of Elections have proven once again that they are the biggest purveyors of voter suppression tactics in the state of Maryland,” the statement read. “After it was brought to light that roughly 400,000 mail-in ballots were sent out incorrectly, voters who received these flawed ballots will now receive a second ballot, according to the state. Many people’s mail-in votes could be erroneously submitted using the old ballot and their vote suppressed because of the negligence of the Maryland Board of Elections and the Maryland Democrats.” MARYLAND DODGES SPECIFICS IN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT VOTER-ROLL CASE AS CONGRESS VOWS TO KEEP DIGGING Maryland State Administrator of Elections Jared DeMarinis said Friday that the state was “diligently working” to eliminate doubts over the accuracy of the process. “Mail-in voting is an integral facet of the electoral process,” DeMarinis wrote in a statement. “With over 500,000 voters requesting mail-in ballots, we want to eliminate any doubt in its integrity or accuracy; that is why I have arranged the sending of replacement ballots.” “Please be assured that we are actively answering phones and responding to emails and will remain transparent as we navigate through this situation,” he added. “We will make every effort to ensure that everyone affected knows the situation and how to cast their ballot. Every vote matters, your voice will be heard, and our elections will remain verified, open, transparent, and secure.” POSTAL SERVICE THRUST INTO MAIL-IN BALLOT FIGHT AS TRUMP ORDER GETS TIED UP IN COURT Taylor Print & Visual Impressions (TPVI), Inc., the vendor, admitted the error and apologized. “A portion of voters received ballot packets intended for a different voter segment,” the TPVI Election Services Team wrote in a statement. “We understand the seriousness of this matter and the importance of accuracy and trust in all election-related communications.” Notably, “all ballots will be remailed by 5/29/2026,” according to the vendor, which is leaving it up to the recipients to destroy the first ballot they received: “Voters should securely discard or destroy the original ballot materials they received and use only the replacement ballot sent in the new mailing.” HOUSE OVERSIGHT PROBE PUTS MINNESOTA ELECTIONS UNDER SCRUTINY OVER NONCITIZEN VOTING CONCERNS “There is no risk of duplicate voting as a result of this issue,” TPVI added in a statement. “Election officials have safeguards in place to ensure that only the corrected ballots included in the replacement mailing will be accepted and counted.” The error affected ballots requested and mailed before May 14, more than a month before the June 16 deadline for voters who want a ballot mailed to them. Voters who requested web-delivered ballots — which can be downloaded, printed and mailed — were not affected. This latest issue only increases Republicans’ election integrity scrutiny in the state. The Republican National Committee had already been active in pursuing the state’s voter rolls, suing in December for Maryland failing to properly maintain voter rolls and comply with federal transparency requirements, pointing to registration figures the plaintiffs say are implausibly high. “Marylanders deserve to have confidence in their elections and to know that their state is properly maintaining its voter rolls,” RNC Chair Joe Gruters wrote in a statement. “The State Board of Elections has failed to do its job and remove ineligible or deceased voters from its rolls. Marylanders have a right to accurate voter rolls, which is why the RNC is suing today.” The complaint also alleged that at least two of Maryland’s most populous counties have more registered voters than adult citizens over 18, while other counties report registration rates above 95%, despite Census data showing Maryland’s statewide registration rate at about 75.6%. The RNC argued that federal law requires states to update voter rolls, remove ineligible registrations and allow public inspection of voter list maintenance records, alleging that Maryland has repeatedly fallen short. The suit followed similar action in Hawaii and New Jersey and public records requests sent last year to nearly every state. Fox News reached out to the RNC’s election integrity unit for comment.
‘Backyard brawl’ ignites as West Virginia’s Morrisey moves to poach blue state rival Spanberger’s jobs
TABLER STATION, W.V. — Virginia’s shift toward higher taxes and new regulations is triggering an interstate economic “brawl,” as West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey moves to lure businesses and workers across the border. Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger has promoted an “affordability agenda,” but a wave of proposed tax increases and regulatory changes from legislative Democrats has opened an opportunity for neighboring states to compete for businesses and residents. Even though some of these proposals never made it to Spanberger’s desk or claimed her signature, the political climate has prompted West Virginia officials to actively target Virginia’s workforce and employers, pitching lower taxes and fewer regulations as a competitive alternative. Speaking to Fox News Digital, Morrisey said he plans to take that pitch directly into Virginia communities, including Loudoun County, to draw businesses and workers into West Virginia. DAVID MARCUS: VIRGINIA, NEW JERSEY SHOULD NOTE MY STATE’S ‘RED RENAISSANCE’ “We’re going to be spending some time in Loudoun County and all across Virginia on making the pitch and the comparison of the direction that West Virginia is moving in [and] the direction Virginia is going in,” Morrisey told Fox News Digital on the sidelines of the announcement of a new 275-acre commercial tax district he said will bring $200 million in economic investment to the three-county Eastern Panhandle region. “The backyard brawl for our state’s future is being won both at the kitchen table and in the marketplace,” Morrisey said, noting that the Tabler Station project he unveiled is just one of many similar plans-in-action around the state. The area is home to West Virginia’s nationally-prevalent apple industry — to the point the local high school team is the “Musselman Applemen.” The area also boasts major industrial plants including a major Clorox facility that is advertising job openings to passersby on Interstate 81. “While Virginia chooses to burden its citizens and job creators with higher taxes, West Virginia is choosing freedom, fiscal responsibility, and a tax climate that makes our state more competitive for business than our neighbor.” Morrisey said he and his allies in Charleston’s GOP supermajority are making all of West Virginia “open for business.” He added that Berkeley and adjacent Jefferson County — which border both Loudoun County in Virginia and Washington County in high-tax Maryland — should be a model for what regional business and tourism should look like. VIRGINIA DEMS SEND SWEEPING GUN BAN TO SPANBERGER AS WEST VIRGINIA WEIGHS EXPANDING MACHINE-GUN ACCESS The governor also alluded to a growing trend of Washington, D.C.-area workers moving into West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle, despite long commutes and limited rail service. “The difference between Virginia and West Virginia couldn’t be more clear,” he said. “West Virginia is coming for a lot of those businesses that would ordinarily locate in Virginia.” Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger for comment. The Democratic governor has noted she did not sign several proposed tax measures that never reached her desk, though she did approve a minimum wage increase and higher payroll contributions for family leave. State Sen. Jason Barrett, R-Martinsburg — who crafted the economic development plans earning Morrisey’s signature — said more people are already coming to his area along the Virginia line to “spend money, support local businesses and really help economic development.” Barrett’s new law includes a framework for the state to create special tax districts in which a portion of state revenues is redirected to counties — as only the legislature has the power to implement tax structures. It enacts LAWMAKERS REVIVE MAJOR, CENTURY-OLD OFFER TO VIRGINIANS AS SPANBERGER, JONES SET TO TAKE OFFICE The law stipulates that redirected taxes may not “adversely effect” the state budget. Barrett’s law creates additional economic districts in Harpers Ferry, Henderson, Bridgeport, Princeton, Beckley and Wheeling. With the new residents and a broader tax base, Morrisey said he hopes areas like Berkeley and Jefferson increase their visibility as a “travel destination” and one for youth sporting events for which the Tabler Station district revenue will be used to create – accruing even more financial benefits for West Virginians. While Richmond was seeking tax hikes, Morrisey in April signed a 5% income tax cut across the board and brought Charleston’s tax code in line with President Donald Trump’s federal tax-cut provisions. Morrisey told the crowd in Tabler Station that it won’t be his last visit to the Virginia borderlands on the economic development front, adding separately to Fox News Digital that statewide he projects 12,000 new jobs to have been added in the past six months amid a total of $12.5 billion in private-sector investment. Spanberger, meanwhile, announced Monday that she would be taking her own “economic development” tour of Virginia, saying in a statement that “from day one, my focus has been building an economy that works for every Virginian and delivers real results for families, businesses, and communities.” Spanberger said her administration has already made tour-stops in Harrisonburg and Fairfax to promote “bringing people together to shape a clear, forward-looking plan.” While parts of West Virginia, particularly in the south, continue to struggle with long-term shifts in the energy industry, population growth and rising state revenues have enabled broad tax cuts — sharpening the contrast with neighboring Virginia’s push toward new taxes and regulations.
Cassidy primary defeat is a ‘loss for the country,’ Romney says
Sen. Bill Cassidy’s loss in the Louisiana Republican Primary over the weekend is “a loss for the country,” former Utah Sen. Mitt Romney said. Cassidy’s loss comes five years after he voted to convict President Donald Trump in his impeachment trial for his role in the violent Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. “The Senate to now lose an exceptionally brilliant and creative mind, an MD who chairs healthcare, and a person of character,” Romney wrote Sunday in a post on X. “Bill Cassidy’s departure is a loss for the country.” Trump-backed Rep. Julia Letlow and Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming both topped Cassidy in Saturday’s GOP primary. They will advance to next month’s runoff for the Republican nomination, while Cassidy becomes the first elected Republican senator to lose renomination since Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana in 2012. TRUMP SCORES MAJOR REPUBLICAN PRIMARY VICTORY AS CASSIDY OUSTED IN LOUISIANA After Cassidy was defeated, Trump took to social media to revel in the senator’s ouster. “His disloyalty to the man who got him elected is now a part of a legend, and it’s nice to see that his political career is OVER!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. Romney, a vocal critic of Trump who voted to convict him during both of his impeachment proceedings in 2020 and 2021, wasn’t the only Republican senator to weigh in on Cassidy’s defeat. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said Cassidy’s loss was expected during an interview on Fox News’ “The Sunday Briefing.” “Unless you’re your god’s perfect idiot, the result was predictable,” Kennedy said. “I mean, ground control to Major Tom. The polls have shown for well over a year that Sen. Cassidy was in trouble.” Kennedy said Trump’s endorsement of Letlow “was sort of the icing on the cake.” “Bill knew that, but he decided to run anyway,” Kennedy added. “I respect that. I thank him for his service.” Meanwhile, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., argued Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Cassidy’s primary defeat was a direct result of the senator’s 2021 vote to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial, saying Republicans who “try to destroy” Trump politically will face consequences from GOP voters. TRUMP TURNS SIGHTS ON BILL CASSIDY, THOMAS MASSIE AFTER DECISIVE INDIANA PRIMARY VICTORIES “There’s no room in this party to destroy his agenda or to destroy him and his family as a Republican,” Graham said. “If you align with Democrats to stop his agenda like Massie does, you’re going to lose. If you align with Democrats to drive him out of office like Cassidy did, you’re going to lose.” Cassidy said in his concession speech to his supporters that “when you participate in democracy, sometimes it doesn’t turn out the way you want it to.” “But you don’t pout, you don’t whine. You don’t claim the election was stolen…. You don’t manufacture some excuse,” Cassidy said in an apparent jab at Trump. “You thank the voters for the privilege of representing the state or the country for as long as you’ve had that privilege. And that’s what I’m doing right now.” Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser and CJ Womack contributed to this report.
Trump reads Bible as thousands pack National Mall for America 250 prayer rally
Top Trump administration officials, Republican lawmakers and prominent Christian leaders gathered on the National Mall on Sunday for a massive prayer rally celebrating America’s upcoming 250th anniversary. The event — “Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving” — drew thousands for worship music, speeches and prayers focused on reaffirming the United States as “One Nation Under God.” President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and House Speaker Mike Johnson all addressed the gathering, alongside numerous other political and faith figures. In a prerecorded message, Trump read from 2 Chronicles 7, reciting the well-known Bible verse calling on people to “humble themselves” and seek God. TRUMP CALLS ON AMERICANS TO PRAY FOR NATION AS 250TH BIRTHDAY APPROACHES: ‘ONE NATION UNDER GOD’ “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land,” Trump said. Vance described the United States as “a nation of prayer,” saying faith has shaped the country since before its founding. “In times of suffering and in times of triumph, millions of Americans continue to turn to prayer and their faith in God,” Vance said. Rubio similarly tied America’s identity to Christianity. “From the beginning, we have carried the belief that our country represents something new in the world,” Rubio said. “But the soul of our nation has always been rooted in an ancient faith.” Gabbard urged Americans to humble themselves before God, saying the nation’s founders “knelt” and “asked for God’s mercy” before declaring independence. FOR 2026, YOU SHOULD MAKE A RESOLUTION TO KNOW THE REVOLUTION Johnson delivered a prayer of “rededication,” thanking God for guiding the nation since its founding. “Heavenly Father, we thank you,” Johnson said. “Thank you so much for this great day that you’ve given us here, and we remember that your mighty hand has been upon our nation since the very beginning.” Hegseth referenced George Washington’s faith, while Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., spoke about Christianity’s role in shaping the nation and argued prayer was central to the Civil Rights Movement. Alveda King, niece of Martin Luther King Jr., praised Trump for encouraging Americans to “rededicate America to God.” “This nation was founded on godly principles,” Alveda King told Fox News, adding that Martin Luther King Jr., “spoke to a crowd like this in 1963.” Actor Jonathan Roumie, who portrays Jesus in “The Chosen,” also spoke at the event, encouraging Americans to recommit themselves to faith and prayer. NEARLY 500 PUBLIC FIGURES FROM POLITICS TO HOLLYWOOD WILL READ BIBLE COVER TO COVER TO MARK AMERICA’S 250TH The event also featured appearances from Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Bishop Robert Barron, Rabbi Meir Soloveichik, evangelist Franklin Graham, along with performances from Grammy-winning Christian artist Chris Tomlin, among others. Many attendees wore patriotic colors as they packed the National Mall. Freedom 250, the nonprofit behind the event, said the gathering is part of a broader effort leading up to America’s semiquincentennial celebration on July 4, 2026. Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump warns Iran’s ‘clock is ticking’: Move ‘fast’ or ‘there won’t be anything left’
President Donald Trump renewed his stern warnings for Iran to come to peace and end its nuclear weapons aspirations Sunday. “For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!” Trump, fresh off his trek to meet China’s Xi Jinping face to face, is weighing restarting military action on Iran, Fox News Digital reported earlier Sunday. TRUMP WARNS IRAN’S ‘CLOCK IS TICKING’: MOVE ‘FAST’ OR ‘THERE WON’T BE ANYTHING LEFT’ The president also had a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday. “Our eyes are also open regarding Iran,” Netanyahu said Sunday morning, as translated from Hebrew. “I will speak today, as I do every few days, with our friend President Trump. “I will certainly hear impressions from his trip to China, and perhaps other matters as well. There are certainly many possibilities, and we are prepared for every scenario.” TRUMP MEETS NETANYAHU, SAYS HE WANTS IRAN DEAL BUT REMINDS TEHRAN OF ‘MIDNIGHT HAMMER’ OPERATION Trump remains at the White House on Sunday, but no public or press appearances were on his schedule. The call with Netanyahu came amid regional intelligence assessments on Iran that restarting of military strikes might be coming because of Trump’s frustration with Iran’s tactics amid the closing of the Strait of Hormuz and the rejection of his demand to give up nuclear weapons aspirations. “The prevailing assessment inside Iran is that President Trump may resort to restarting military action, and Tehran is now deliberately pursuing a strategy of ‘deception and delay’ with the hopes that buying time will complicate any potential return to war,” two regional intelligence officials told Fox News. EXPERTS WARN IRAN’S NUCLEAR DOUBLE-TALK DESIGNED TO BUY TIME, UNDERMINE US PRESSURE Intelligence officials believe that the Iranian regime thinks it can delay developments and stretch the crisis out for at least two more weeks, so that the situation could become more difficult for Trump to restart the military campaign, both politically and operationally. These sources say Iranian officials are looking at the World Cup and America’s 250th anniversary as a backstop that could work in their favor. The impact of the U.S.-led blockade is becoming increasingly visible inside Iran, according to a senior Israeli official, early signs of a developing fuel crisis emerging over the weekend – including long lines at gas stations and growing public discontent over fuel shortages and distribution problems. “It’s getting exponentially worse,” the official added. Fox News’ Trey Yingst and Yonat Friling contributed to this report.
Senate parliamentarian rejects $1 billion in reconciliation bill for White House security, Trump ballroom
The Senate parliamentarian rejected the last item in the Republicans’ budget reconciliation bill — $1 billion in White House and Secret Service security funding tied in part to President Donald Trump’s planned ballroom Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, considered nonpartisan since taking the role in 2012 during former President Barack Obama’s administration, ruled the funding provision could not be included as written under budget reconciliation rules, an outcome long expected from both sides of the aisle. Ryan Wrasse, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said in a social media post that Republicans would keep trying to revise the legislation to try to gain the parliamentarian’s approval. “Redraft. Refine. Resubmit,” Wrasse wrote on X. “None of this is abnormal during a Byrd process.” FURY ERUPTS AS UNELECTED SENATE ‘SCOREKEEPER’ BLOCKS TRUMP’S AGENDA The decision deals a blow to efforts to pass the money with a simple majority as part of a broader roughly $72 billion package focused largely on immigration enforcement after Democrats forced those budgetary items under the longest shutdowns in American history. MacDonough ruled that the security funding provision falls under chamber rules that require 60 votes to pass most legislation, according to the office of Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., the Senate Budget Committee ranking member. “While we expect Republicans to change this bill to appease Trump, Democrats are prepared to challenge any change to this bill,” Merkley said. REPUBLICANS EYE PICKING UP $400M TAB FOR TRUMP’S BALLROOM AS SOME DEMS OPEN TO ‘DISCUSS’ IDEA The parliamentarian interprets Senate rules, including whether legislative provisions are permitted. While MacDonough is nonpartisan by Senate standards, she served as former Vice President Al Gore’s advisor in the Bush v. Gore 2000 election challenge that was resolved in the Supreme Court. Her ruling came days after several Senate Republicans questioned the Trump administration’s $1 billion request, with some saying they needed far more detail before backing taxpayer funding connected to a project Trump has said would be privately financed. “It was one thing when private dollars were building it,” Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, told Fox News Digital before a closed-door briefing with Secret Service Director Sean Curran. “If you’re asking me for a billion dollars, I have some really hard questions.” TRUMP CLAIMS DONOR FUNDED WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM INCLUDES HIDDEN BUILD BELOW WITH SECURITY FOCUS Curtis added that if an employee brought him a billion-dollar project with little explanation, he would respond: “You made that number up.” The request included $220 million for “White House complex hardening,” including above- and below-ground security enhancements for the ballroom, according to a one-page breakdown obtained by Fox News Digital. Those upgrades included bulletproof glass, drone detection technology, chemical filtration and detection systems and other national security measures. Another $180 million was proposed for a White House visitor screening center, while $600 million would go toward Secret Service training, protection for Trump and other officials, counter-drone measures and other security needs after Trump dodged an unprecedented third assassination attempt last month. TRUMP’S TROUBLING WEEK: DEMANDING GOVERNMENT MONEY, DEMOLISHING THE EAST WING Republicans defending the request have argued Democrats and critics are mischaracterizing the funding as a direct ballroom subsidy. “What was clear today is this whole statement, ‘It’s a billion dollars for a ballroom.’ Anyone who prints that is printing something they know is a lie,” Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., told Fox News Digital. “It’s not a billion dollars for the ballroom.” Still, other Republicans said the administration had not fully explained how it arrived at the number. Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., said officials needed to provide “more details about exactly how they arrived at the figure,” while Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said the administration would have to explain to taxpayers what return they would get for the spending. SCHUMER, DEMOCRATS PLOT COORDINATED RESISTANCE TO TRUMP’S ‘ONE UGLY BILL’ The White House and GOP supporters have framed the funding as a national security matter, citing threats against Trump and the need to modernize protective infrastructure at the White House. The administration has said the ballroom would reduce reliance on temporary outdoor structures for large events while improving security for the president, his family and visitors. The ballroom project has faced opposition since Trump ordered the demolition of the White House’s East Wing last year to make way for the new facility. The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued, arguing the administration lacked authority to tear down the historic structure or build a major new facility without explicit congressional approval. A federal appeals court in April allowed construction to continue while the legal fight proceeds. Trump has said the ballroom itself would be funded by $400 million in private donations and completed around September 2028, near the end of his second term. The parliamentarian’s ruling does not end the broader spending bill, but it complicates GOP efforts to keep the White House security money in a package Republicans hope to pass along party lines. APPEALS COURT LETS TRUMP RESUME WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM CONSTRUCTION, SEEKS LOWER COURT CLARITY Democrats have cast the project as excessive and politically tone-deaf, arguing Republicans are trying to steer taxpayer money toward Trump’s signature construction project while Americans face rising costs. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called the ballroom “a disgrace” and said Republicans should reject the funding. “The bottom line is, this ballroom is a disgrace,” he said. “The Republicans know it. Let’s see if they have the guts to do what they know is right, both substantively and politically, and tell Trump we don’t need a God — we don’t need a damn ballroom.” Notably, the ballroom would not be finished until 2028, the last year of Trump’s second, and last, presidential term by constitutional law. Trump argues it would serve Democrat and Republican administrations equally. Fox News’ Alex Miller and Reuters contributed to this report.
Trump, Netanyahu to speak Sunday amid reports of potential revival of military action on Iran
President Donald Trump, fresh off his trek to meeting China’s Xi Jinping face to face, is weighing restarting military action on Iran, and he will speak to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday. “Our eyes are also open regarding Iran,” Netanyahu said Sunday morning, as translated from Hebrew. “I will speak today, as I do every few days, with our friend President Trump. “I will certainly hear impressions from his trip to China, and perhaps other matters as well. There are certainly many possibilities, and we are prepared for every scenario.” Trump remains at the White House on Sunday, but no public or press appearances are on his schedule. CHINA’S IRAN TIES COMPLICATE TRUMP-XI SUMMIT AS TENSIONS TEST US LEVERAGE The call with Netanyahu comes amid Fox News’ reporting of regional intelligence assessments on Iran that restarting of military strikes might be coming because of Trump’s frustration with Iran’s tactics amid the closing of the Strait of Hormuz and the rejection of his demand to give up nuclear weapons aspirations. “The prevailing assessment inside Iran is that President Trump may resort to restarting military action, and Tehran is now deliberately pursuing a strategy of ‘deception and delay’ with the hopes that buying time will complicate any potential return to war,” two regional intelligence officials told Fox News. Intelligence officials believe that the Iranian regime thinks it can delay developments and stretch the crisis out for at least two more weeks, so that the situation could become more difficult for Trump to restart the military campaign, both politically and operationally. OIL, GAS PRICES JUMP AS TRUMP FLIRTS WITH STRIKING IRANIAN OIL INFRASTRUCTURE These sources say Iranian officials are looking at the World Cup and America’s 250th anniversary as a backstop that could work in their favor. Fox News has reached out to the White House for comment, but they did not immediately respond. The impact of the U.S.-led blockade is becoming increasingly visible inside Iran, according to a senior Israeli official. Early signs of a developing fuel crisis started emerging over the weekend, including long lines at gas stations and growing public discontent over fuel shortages, and distribution problems. Prices continue to rise, unemployment is climbing and inflation is accelerating sharply. “It’s getting exponentially worse,” the official added. Fox News’ Trey Yingst and Yonat Friling contributed to this report.