Trump ally Nigel Farage deals major blow to Starmer in local UK elections as resignation calls mount
The United Kingdom’s ruling Labour Party is on track to suffer a major defeat in Thursday’s local elections as Nigel Farage’s right-wing Reform UK surges in support, prompting calls for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to resign. British local elections are widely viewed as a functional referendum on the popularity of the ruling party and its head. With Labour having already suffered a net loss of nearly 500 local council seats with just over half of the councils called, multiple Labour MPs are saying that Starmer must agree to a timeline for his exit from office. “Many, many Labour voters that I represent, I guess, in the north of England and elsewhere that the direction the government [has] taken has not delivered the change that they thought they voted for,” Labour MP Jon Trickett said of the results. “They’re angry, they’re upset, they feel let down, they’ve sent us a clear message: The party, the leadership, must change with immediate effect if we want to recover.” Starmer, for his part, has accepted responsibility for the losses but resisted calls to immediately resign in the wake of the local election results, stating that he was “not going to walk away and plunge the country into chaos.” He has not, however, explicitly ruled out a managed exit. AS EPSTEIN-LINKED APPOINTMENT SPARKS BACKLASH, UK PM STARMER FACES PARTY REVOLT AMID RESIGNATION CALLS Farage, an ally and friend of President Trump, told supporters: “Personally, I’ll be very sad to see the Prime Minister go. I will be very, very sad indeed. He’s the greatest asset we’ve got.” English local elections span over 5,000 seats across 163 local councils and six mayorships. The semi-autonomous parliaments in Scotland and Wales also held elections on Thursday. Labour’s losses were driven by defections both to the right and the left. Reform UK, which has seen a net increase of about 650 seats as of writing, picked up considerable ground in post-industrial parts of northern and central England. Many of those seats are described as part of the country’s “Red Wall,” a mass of constituencies that have historically supported the Labour Party. ENGLAND FLAG DISPLAYS POWERFUL SYMBOL IN IMMIGRATION FIGHT AS TRUMP-STYLE POPULISM SWEEPS THROUGH UK Farage’s party sought to appeal to voters by promising to take a hard-line stance on immigration policy, cut taxes and repeal environmental policies they believed were hampering economic growth. Labour also saw losses in urban cores and areas near universities to the far-left-wing Green Party and candidates running independent of established parties, many of whom were Muslim. Green Party leaders made the center-left Labour government’s approach to the war in Gaza, which they view as too closely aligned with Israel, a focal point in their campaign for local control. MARK LEVIN TORCHES UK LEADER STARMER, DETAILS WHY HE’S ‘SICK AND TIRED’ OF EUROPE’S LECTURES TO ISRAEL Zach Polanski, the head of the party, declared on election day that “Palestine is one of the elements on the ballot.” A poll conducted ahead of Thursday’s elections found that roughly 60% of Muslim voters would consider backing a pro-Palestinian independent candidate to prevent Labour from winning locally. About half said they would consider voting for the Green Party to do so. The same poll found that Muslim voters saw support for Palestinians as more important than the economy when determining who they would vote for. Independent and Green Party candidates have so far won a net increase of approximately 90 seats. The Conservatives, Labour’s historic rival, are also on track to see considerable losses as a result of Thursday’s elections. As of writing, the party has so far suffered a net loss of roughly 300 local seats. Farage called the results, which academic observers say could mark a shift away from the United Kingdom’s functionally two-party system, a “historic change in British politics.”
Virginia Supreme Court rules on new congressional map
The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday invalidated a new, voter-approved redistricting map, delivering a significant victory for Republicans in the state ahead of the fast-approaching 2026 midterm elections. “We hold that the legislative process employed to advance this proposal violated Article XII, Section 1 of the Constitution of Virginia,” the Virginia Supreme Court said in the ruling. “This constitutional violation incurably taints the resulting referendum vote and nullifies its legal efficacy.” The Virginia Supreme Court heard oral arguments last month over the newly passed congressional map, which voters in the state approved by a narrow 51% to 49% margin. The ballot measure would have given the Democrat-controlled Virginia legislature — rather than the state’s current nonpartisan commission — temporary redistricting power through 2030. It was also expected to yield a 10-1 advantage for Democrats in Virginia’s congressional delegation, up from their current 6-5 edge. This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
Omar camp breaks silence on fraud probe, blames Walz, Trump as new claims clash with earlier statements
FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., has not publicly or privately responded to a top investigative committee in Minnesota’s request for information on her possible ties to the massive fraud scandal, but a recent email from one of her former top staffers to the committee sheds light on how her camp may view the situation and who they blame. “As the District Director for Congresswoman Ilhan Omar from 2019-2022, I read with interest your comments in Session Daily regarding H.R.6187 – MEALS Act,” former Omar District Director Kendal Killian wrote in an email, obtained by Fox News Digital, Wednesday afternoon to the Minnesota House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee Chair Kristin Robbins. The email was also sent to Rep. Dave Pinto, the lead Democrat on the committee. Killian wrote, “If the quote is accurate, you said, ‘She passed the MEALS Act in March 2020.’ Given that you were elected in 2018, I find it surprising that I need to explain to you how a bill becomes law, but one person cannot unilaterally pass legislation.” Republicans have long argued that the pandemic-era school meal waivers tied to the MEALS Act, sponsored by Omar, helped create the conditions that enabled the massive Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, which federal prosecutors say totaled roughly $250 million. OMAR ACCUSED BY GOP OPPONENT OF OPENING UP THE DOOR TO MASSIVE MINNEAPOLIS FRAUD: ‘DEEP, DEEP TIES’ Killian went on to explain to Robbins, who has previously served as a legislative director in Congress, that because Republicans controlled the Senate and the White House when the larger bill was passed, that they have “responsibility for implementation” of the legislation. “So your characterization that Rep. Ilhan Omar passed this legislation unilaterally (and oversaw its execution) is off base,” Killian said. Killian went further in his effort to distance Omar from the legislation, claiming that the bill critics have been citing “never even passed.” “Again, it is bizarre to have to explain this to a State Representative, but maybe you need some help,” Killian’s email says. He claimed that Robbins is suffering from “confusion,” because “similar legislative language to that in the MEALS Act was included in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.” ILHAN OMAR PRESSED TO EXPLAIN HOW FRAUD IN MINNESOTA GOT ‘SO OUT OF CONTROL’ “While the original Meals Act (which never passed) was more similar to universal school meals legislation Omar championed and Representative Sydney Jordan in Minnesota later shepherded, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (supported by McConnell and signed by Trump) added waiver authority that facilitated much of the Feeding Our Future fraud,” Killian wrote. “The fraud was not committed under any bill authored by Omar, but rather under broader COVID-19 legislation and by taking advantage of USDA emergency waivers granted by the Trump administration. Those flexibilities, combined with weak oversight and rapid funding expansion, created conditions that were later exploited in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme.” In bold, Killian wrote that the Families First Coronavirus Response Act was not “chiefly sponsored” by Omar and “thus is grossly inaccurate to claim so” and ended the email saying that “perhaps” the committee should subpoena President Trump rather than Omar. While the MEALS Act itself did not pass as a standalone bill, it is listed on Congress.gov as related legislation to the broader Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which became law in 2020 and included similar school meal waiver provisions. Robbins told Fox News Digital the former Omar staffer is “lying” about the impact Omar had, arguing the core purpose of the MEALS Act, expanding USDA waiver authority, was part of the broader legislation. WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT MINNESOTA’S ‘FEEDING OUR FUTURE’ FRAUD AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S LATEST CRACKDOWN “I’m talking about the MEALS Act that got incorporated in the larger coronavirus package,” Robbins explained. “In the related bills section it links to the Ilhan bill and lists it as one of the bills included in the Act, the language is identical.” Congress.gov, the official legislative database run by the Library of Congress, lists Omar’s MEALS Act (H.R. 6187) as “related legislation” to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201). Robbins pointed to numerous examples of Omar taking credit in messages to her constituents back in Minneapolis for the legislation that did ultimately pass and citing her MEALS Act. WALZ ACCUSED BY JORDAN OF TRYING TO ‘HIDE BEHIND’ COURT ORDER IN FEEDING OUR FUTURE PAYMENTS In Omar’s own September 2020 press release, she explicitly says she “passed into law this spring” the MEALS Act provisions and describes them as legislation that “directly authorized these school meal waivers.” “Ilhan’s MEALS Act, a bill aimed at protecting students’ access to school meal benefits during school closures, was passed into law as part of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act,” Omar’s campaign website reads. Additionally, Omar publicly pushed back after the Trump administration signaled in the summer and fall of 2020, after the legislation passed, that it would begin scaling back or letting some of the waivers expire and return programs closer to their pre-pandemic rules. In August, she again linked the legislation she sponsored in the House to the overall situation, saying in a letter to the Trump administration, “In March, Congress authorized the use of waivers in the MEALS Act and the COVID-19 Child Nutrition Response Act in order to continue to provide school meals for children during the pandemic.” “Absolutely not, it did help feed kids,” Omar said in December when asked if she regreted her support for the MEALS Act. Killian’s email also directly contradicts his own words in a LinkedIn post from a year ago, reviewed by Fox News Digital, in which he characterized the significance of the legislation differently. “When I worked in Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s office during the pandemic, she wrote and passed the MEALS Act, a vital bill funding schools and feeding all kids,” Killian wrote. In the same post, Killian described the bill as laying “the groundwork” for broader school meals policy, a
Tim Walz Minnesota forcing teachers to abide by ‘horribly disgusting,’ ‘crazy’ race standard, says lawmaker
Public school teachers in Gov. Tim Walz’s Minnesota are required to abide by a “horribly disgusting” and “crazy” race standard that forces them to assess how their “biases, perceptions and academic training” perpetuate oppression, a state lawmaker said. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Republican state Sen. Mark Koran pointed to the requirement as further evidence of how education in Minnesota has “eroded.” According to Minnesota’s guidebook on “Standards of Effective Practice,” public school teachers hoping to be licensed by the state must demonstrate that they have assessed “how their biases, perceptions and academic training may affect their teaching practice and perpetuate oppressive systems.” The requirement, which Minnesota classifies as one of its “professional responsibilities,” further demands teachers use “tools to mitigate their own behavior to disrupt oppressive systems.” Koran said this requirement effectively amounts to forcing teachers to take a “vow of being an oppressor,” which he called “just crazy” and “horribly detrimental.” WALZ HIT WITH LOCAL REVOLT FROM MINNESOTA MAYOR REFUSING ‘UGLY’ NEW FLAG: ‘PEOPLE’S DECISION’ He ripped into Walz over the changes, saying, “He’s tied to the radicals, he’s tied to the teachers’ unions, all the public unions of a really wild, radical agenda.” According to Koran, Minnesota has recently redone all of its teaching licensing standards “under the guise of racism.” Under the new standards, he explained, teachers “have to embed in their curriculum, in their pedagogy, the understanding of the ‘oppressed’ and the ‘oppressor’ environment and overtly include that in their curricula.” “It’s horribly disgusting,” he said. “It is racism. It is instilling the systemic racism that doesn’t exist today.” Another professional responsibility required by Minnesota is that teachers understand “how prejudice, discrimination, and racism operate at the interpersonal, intergroup and institutional levels.” Teachers are required to demonstrate an understanding of “the historical foundations of education in Minnesota, including law, policies, and practices, that have and continue to create inequitable opportunities, experiences, and outcomes for learners.” The guidebook continues that teachers must highlight how the education system has created inequitable opportunities for “Indigenous students and students historically denied access, underserved, or underrepresented on the basis of race, class, disability, religion, gender, sexual orientation, language, socioeconomic status, or country of origin.” WATCHDOG EXPOSES TAXPAYER-FUNDED TEACHER PROGRAM FOR BANNING WHITE APPLICANTS: ‘LIKELY ILLEGAL’ Further, under the section on student learning, the guidebook requires teachers to demonstrate their understanding of “the diverse impacts of individual and systemic trauma” on learning, including “racism, and micro and macro aggressions.” Teachers are required to know how to support students using “culturally responsive strategies and resources to address these impacts.” Koran asserted that this “wild political ideology” is going to drive out more and more teachers from teaching in public schools. “It’s an offensive statement to assume that somebody’s an oppressor based on who’s the disfavored race of the week,” he said. “We just can’t have that.” Koran said that these race-based changes have been made as academic outcomes in Minnesota have simultaneously been plummeting. “They’ve lowered the standards under the guise of equity,” he said. “Today in Minnesota, half of our children can’t read or write or do math at grade level, 50 percent, and they have high school diplomas.” “Minnesota is bragging about the graduation rates; we hit the highest ever, but fewer people have an education and are set up with a foundation to be successful,” he lamented. UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA SITE WARNS OF A ‘WHITENESS PANDEMIC,’ URGES WHITE PARENTS TO ‘RE-EDUCATE’ This comes as Walz and the state of Minnesota are facing increased national scrutiny over one of the largest fraud scandals in U.S. history. Koran said that if there is one message he could communicate to Minnesotans, it is that “the governor matters.” “We’ve got to get Minnesota back on the right track,” he said. “The governor sets the tone, sets the direction, and sets the goals for which we need to work to achieve.” Fox News Digital reached out to Walz and the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board for comment. Fox News Digital also reached out to Education Minnesota, the state’s largest teachers’ union, for comment.
GOP candidate Bianco’s two-word jab at Katie Porter draws gasps from California debate audience
The crowd at a California gubernatorial debate gasped and groaned after Republican candidate Chad Bianco suggested Democratic candidate Katie Porter take his advice on how to be a proper mother during a heated discussion on the state’s sanctuary policies for illegal immigrants. Porter and Bianco were two of seven gubernatorial candidates who took part in NBC LA and Telemundo 52’s Wednesday debate, held just weeks before California’s jungle primary scheduled for June 2, 2026. The scuffle between Porter and Bianco began after the moderator asked Porter for her thoughts on the state’s sanctuary policies for illegal immigrants. Porter said the laws on the books should be enforced to ensure “crazy cowboys” aren’t “taking the law into their own hands.” Bianco interjected, saying, “tell that to a crazy mother who lost her child.” “I don’t need any lectures from you about being a mother,” Porter said. DHS SLAMS CALIFORNIA ‘SANCTUARY’ COUNTY AFTER MOM ALLEGEDLY MURDERED BY 2 HONDURAN NATIONALS “You might,” Bianco quipped back, causing the audience to gasp. Both Porter and Bianco’s campaigns have been marked by controversy. A resurfaced video of Porter directing expletives at a staffer, along with details from her divorce, has raised questions about whether the former congresswoman has the temperament to lead California. MSNBC PANEL USES KATIE PORTER BACKLASH TO BLAST ‘DOUBLE STANDARD’ FOR WOMEN IN POLITICS Porter shares three children with her ex-husband Matthew Hoffman. The couple separated in 2013. In his divorce filings, Hoffman accused Porter of being verbally and physically abusive to him, accusing the gubernatorial candidate at one point of pouring a bowl of scalding-hot mashed potatoes on his head. However, despite these abuse allegations, Porter shares custody of their children with her ex-husband. And while Porter’s ex-boyfriend, Julian Willis, had threatened to call Child Protective Services on her, there is no evidence that Porter has ever lost custody of her children. The threats from the ex-boyfriend to call CPS on Porter were among roughly a thousand texts Porter and her family members received over the course of a three-month period. Porter received a temporary restraining order from Willis based on allegations that he was verbally and physically abusive to her. Fox News Digital reached out to Porter for comment. Meanwhile, Bianco — a career law enforcement officer and sitting sheriff — has faced criticism over his past association with the far-right Oath Keepers, though he says his brief membership ended in 2014. Fox News Digital reached out to Bianco for further comment.
Trump admin releases highly anticipated files documenting UFOs, ‘extraterrestrial life’
FIRST ON FOX — The Trump administration on Friday released a batch of “never-before-seen” files and videos on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomenon (UAP) as part of an effort to increase transparency on government knowledge of extraterrestrial phenomena. “The latest UAP videos, photos, and original source documents from across the entire United States government are all in one place – no clearance required. While past administrations sought to discredit or dissuade the American people, President Trump is focused on providing maximum transparency to the public, who can ultimately make up their own minds about the information contained in these files,” the White House said in a statement to Fox News. The release is a function of President Donald Trump’s Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE) program. Photos from the initial disclosure, which a White House official told Fox News is the first of a series of releases, show strangely shaped objects captured on film during the Apollo 12 and Apollo 17 space missions. One photo taken from the surface of the moon appears to show a cluster of three tiny dots in the sky. TRUMP SAYS FIRST RELEASES FROM PENTAGON UFO STUDY WILL COME OUT ‘VERY, VERY SOON’ AFTER PHOENIX RALLY TEASE A transcript of communications between Apollo 17 operators released in the disclosure Friday details the operators’ exchange over the unknown phenomenon. “Now we’ve got a few very bright particles or fragments or something that go drifting by as we maneuver,” an operator told the command center. “Roger. Understand,” the center replied. UFO COVER USED BY GOVERNMENT TO ‘HIDE A LOT OF THINGS,’ FORMER NASA AGENT SAYS “There’s a whole bunch of big ones on my window down there – just bright. It looks like the Fourth of July out of Ron’s window,” another operator added. “Yes. Now you can see some of them in shape. They’re very jagged, angular fragments that are tumbling,” the first operator said. Another pair of photos from the release come from the FBI and contain images from New Year’s Eve 1999 showing other UAPs in the same image as U.S. aircraft. AIR FORCE F-16 STRUCK BY DRONE DURING TRAINING FLIGHT OVER ARIZONA IN 2023 In February, after former President Barack Obama told a podcaster that aliens were real, Fox News senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked Trump directly about the existence of aliens. “He gave classified information. He’s not supposed to be doing that,” Trump said of Obama. “I don’t know if they’re real or not. I can tell you, he gave classified information. He’s not supposed to be doing that – he made a big mistake. He took it out of classified information.” Days later, Trump announced in a Truth Social post that he would be declassifying files related to the subject. OBAMA SAYS ALIENS ‘ARE REAL, BUT I HAVEN’T SEEN THEM’ IN RECENT PODCAST INTERVIEW “Based on the tremendous interest shown, I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters. GOD BLESS AMERICA!” he wrote. Numerous agency heads commented on the release, calling it an unprecedented step in transparency. “The Department of War is in lockstep with President Trump to bring unprecedented transparency regarding our government’s understanding of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena,” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said. TRUMP, SCHUMER FIND RARE COMMON GROUND ON RELEASING UFO FILES “These files, hidden behind classifications, have long fueled justified speculation — and it’s time the American people see it for themselves. This release of declassified documents demonstrates the Trump Administration’s earnest commitment to unprecedented transparency,” he concluded. “The American people have long sought transparency about the government’s knowledge of unidentified anomalous phenomena,” Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard added. “Under President Trump’s leadership, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence is actively coordinating the Intelligence Community’s declassification efforts with the Department of War to ensure a careful, comprehensive, and unprecedented review of our holdings to provide the American people with maximum transparency. Today’s release is the first in what will be an ongoing joint declassification and release effort.” NASA CHIEF JARED ISAACMAN SAYS ARTEMIS II WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE ‘IF IT WASN’T FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP’ FBI Director Kash Patel added, “The FBI is proud to stand alongside President Trump and our interagency partners in this landmark release of UAP records. For the first time in history, the American people have unfettered access to declassified government files on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomenon — a level of transparency that no prior administration has delivered. The FBI remains committed to supporting this rolling declassification effort with the same rigorous and integrity we bring to every national security matter. As these files continue to be reviewed and release, the American people can be confident that their security remains our highest priority.” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman also weighed in. “I applaud President Trump’s whole-of-government effort to bring greater transparency to the American people on unidentified anomalous phenomena,” Isaacman said. “At NASA, our job is to bring the brightest minds and most advanced scientific instruments to bear, follow the data, and share what we learn. We will remain candid about what we know to be true, what we have yet to understand, and all that remains to be discovered. Exploration and the pursuit of knowledge are core to NASA’s mission as we endeavor to unlock the secrets of the universe,” he concluded. A large batch of UAP files were made available at WAR.GOV/UFO.
Dem governor in the hot seat after testing limits of authority with major move against ICE
New York Governor Kathy Hochul is using her 2027 budget request to push new restrictions targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the Empire State, testing the limits of her authority to impose requirements on federal agencies — a test that experts say is doomed from its outset. The Local Cops Local Crimes Act would block local law enforcement from acting on behalf of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Alongside a proposed ban on masks and new operational limits in certain settings, Hochul’s efforts continue Democrats’ efforts to use state-level policies to push back on President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. “ICE will no longer be able to use our police, our jails and our resources to carry out civil immigration enforcement. Because guess what: Our officers paid for by local taxpayer dollars were hired to protect their communities, to be there to assist with a traffic accident, to go after retail theft, stop domestic violence,” Hochul said at a press event on Thursday. HOCHUL DENOUNCES ICE RAID AS ‘CRUEL,’ DESPITE CHILD ENDANGERMENT AMONG CHARGES “They’re not there to do the federal government’s bidding.” Since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second term, governors in states like Illinois, California and Virginia have thrown up barriers to local-federal immigration cooperation by limiting communication, data sharing and more. In Hochul’s case, the Local Cops Local Crimes Act rescinds and prevents the expansion of any new agreements under the 287(g) program — a federal law that allows local officers to assume authority to conduct immigration-related work that is normally carried out by federal officials. It also comes alongside a slew of separate immigration-related reforms Hochul is pressing for, including establishing a state right to sue ICE for “constitutional violations,” a prohibition on masks for local and federal law enforcement and a restriction that would prevent ICE from entering schools, libraries, polling locations and homes without a judicial warrant. Hans von Spakovsky, a legal scholar with Advancing American Freedom, believes those additional changes won’t survive long — even if they do become law. “If the question is: can she do any of that? The answer is no. This is not an ambiguous issue,” Spakovsky said. JONATHAN TURLEY: WHY BLUE STATES’ NEW ANTI-ICE LAWS ARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL VIRTUE SIGNALING Spakovsky, pointing to the 1890 Supreme Court case In re Neagle, said states can’t hold federal agents responsible for carrying out federal mandates. The Local Cops Local Crimes Act stipulates that local law enforcement would still have to comply with warrants issued for an immigration-related arrest. “Nothing in this section shall be intended to limit local government law, law enforcement agency, correctional facility, or local correctional facility from enforcing any valid state or federal court-issued warrants or orders, or any other actions as required by law,” the bill reads. Even so, Laurin Bis, acting assistant secretary for public affairs for the Department of Homeland Security, blasted Hochul’s announcement, calling it a dangerous development for NYC residents. “Governor Hochul’s policies of not cooperating with ICE put New Yorkers in danger. When politicians bar local law enforcement from working with DHS, our law enforcement officers have to have a more visible presence so that we can find and apprehend the criminals let out of jails and back into communities,” Bis said. Bis said DHS feared that NYC would end up allowing more immigration-law violators back onto the street. “Instead of working with us, Governor Hochul is choosing to release violent criminals from her jails directly back into our communities to perpetrate more crimes and create more victims.” NEW JERSEY GOV SHERRILL SIGNS LAW BARRING ICE AGENTS FROM WEARING FACE COVERINGS TO SHIELD IDENTITIES Hochul’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on whether New York would refuse to hold suspects in violation of immigration law. The office also did not respond to questions about why the Local Cops Local Crimes Act had been included alongside the 2027 budget request.
Rubio meets Meloni as Trump–Pope clash clash escalates US strains with key European ally
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is meeting Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Thursday in Rome amid diplomatic tensions with both Italy and the Vatican. The meeting comes one day after Rubio, a practicing Catholic, held talks at the Vatican with Pope Leo and senior church officials in what many observers viewed as an effort to calm relations after weeks of escalating rhetoric between President Donald Trump and the Holy See. For much of Trump’s second term, Meloni was widely viewed as Trump’s closest ideological ally among major European leaders. But that relationship has begun to fray amid disputes over the Iran war. That political partnership, however, has come under strain in recent months, as Trump’s escalating clash with Pope Leo XIV collided with separate tensions over Italy’s limits on using its territory for U.S. combat-linked operations tied to the Iran war. RUBIO TO VISIT ITALY, VATICAN AMID TROOP DRAWDOWN CALL, TENSION WITH TRUMP, POPE LEO: REPORTS Asked April 30 whether he’d consider pulling troops out of Italy and Spain, Trump said, “Yeah, probably. … Why shouldn’t I?” “Italy has not been of any help to us,” the president said. The Italian prime minister built a strong rapport with Trump through their shared positions on immigration, nationalism, border security and opposition to progressive cultural politics. Meloni was the only European leader to attend Trump’s second inauguration in January 2025, and she also visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago as she sought to position herself as a key intermediary between Washington and Europe. TRUMP MEETS WITH ITALIAN PM GIORGIA MELONI AT HIS MAR-A-LAGO RESORT The relationship often appeared notably warm in public. During a 2025 Middle East summit in Egypt, Trump publicly praised Meloni as “a beautiful young woman” and joked, “You don’t mind being called beautiful, right?” before describing her as an “incredible leader” respected throughout Italy. Trump and Meloni also found common ground politically. Both leaders embraced tougher border enforcement policies, criticized “woke” ideology in Western institutions and argued for stronger nationalist identities inside their respective countries. Meloni’s conservative Brothers of Italy party was frequently described by Trump allies as an example of the type of populist movement reshaping Europe. The split became visible after Meloni publicly criticized Trump’s attacks on the pope as “unacceptable,” prompting Trump to lash back and reportedly tell aides she was “much different than I thought.” RUBIO HOLDS ‘CONSTRUCTIVE’ MEETING WITH POPE LEO AFTER TRUMP SENDS HARD-LINE IRAN MESSAGE TO VATICAN Italian media and European analysts have described the dispute as a remarkable deterioration between two leaders once viewed as natural political allies. The Vatican dispute has been especially politically sensitive for Meloni because Pope Leo, the first U.S.-born pontiff, remains highly influential in Italy, where criticism of the pope by foreign leaders can quickly become politically toxic. Trump’s remarks about Leo’s opposition to the war against Iran generated significant backlash among Italian Catholics and across portions of Italy’s political establishment. The Iran conflict has further complicated relations. Italian officials reportedly have expressed growing discomfort over the possibility of deeper U.S. military escalation and concerns surrounding American military base access in Italy. Rome has also faced pressure domestically to distance itself from Washington’s handling of the conflict. Economic tensions continue simmering in the background as well. While Trump earlier in 2026 reduced tariffs on some Italian exports, including pasta products, as what he described as a “New Year’s gift” to Italy, concerns remain in Rome and Brussels over the administration’s repeated threats to impose broader tariffs on European goods. Against that backdrop, Rubio’s visit is widely being interpreted as an effort to stabilize relations before the political rift deepens further. The secretary of state is expected to discuss Middle East security, NATO coordination, migration and trade during his talks with Meloni and other Italian officials as the administration works to preserve Italy’s role as one of Washington’s closest partners in Southern Europe. The White House and Italian embassy in the U.S. could not immediately be reached for comment.
Virginia Dems split on DOJ probe of Soros-backed DA accused of giving ‘sweetheart deals’ to illegal aliens
News that the Department of Justice (DOJ) had opened an investigation against Fairfax County Prosecutor Steve Descano on Wednesday prompted mixed reactions from Virginia Democrats. The skepticism from some — but joined with some sense of openness from others — underscores the distrust that many Democrats harbor toward President Donald Trump’s DOJ while also highlighting frustrations from lawmakers over preventable violence. At least one Democrat, Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va., dismissed the case as a witch hunt. “I think the DOJ has been putting a lot of ‘Ls’ on the board. I think this would be another loss in their column,” Walkinshaw said. PRO-POLICE GROUP ASKS DOJ TO PROBE SOROS-BACKED VIRGINIA PROSECUTOR USING BIDEN-ERA LAW ONCE AIMED AT COPS Others said they would reserve judgment. “I was discouraged, but I don’t want to prejudge. I very much hope and believe that the Commonwealth attorney has done nothing wrong or untoward. If they find anything, then we can fix it,” Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., told Fox News Digital. Descano, who has received more than $600,000 in campaign support from the Justice and Public Safety PAC, a committee primarily funded by billionaire megadonor George Soros, has become a lightning rod figure in the national conversation over President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown amid a string of murders in Fairfax County involving illegal alien repeat offenders. Most notable among them: The death of Stephanie Minter allegedly at the hands of Abdul Jalloh drew scrutiny when reports emerged that Jalloh had reportedly been arrested and released more than 30 times. In press releases following Minter’s death, DHS claimed that Descano’s office had been warned about Jalloh and the danger he posed to the public ahead of Minter’s death. FAMILY DEMANDS FAR-LEFT PROSECUTOR BE OUSTED FROM OFFICE AFTER SISTER KILLED BY REPEAT OFFENDER On Wednesday, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said the investigation into Descano would zero in on his plea bargaining, charging decisions and sentencing policies. “Under my leadership, the Civil Rights Division will not allow local prosecutors to pick and choose winners based on their immigration status,” Dhillon said. “This investigation will uncover whether this prosecutor is putting the community at risk in offering sweetheart deals to illegal immigrants charged with serious crimes.” Although he has voiced criticisms of the Trump administration’s focus on immigrants in the past, Beyer lamented the presence of repeat offenders — and not just in Fairfax County. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT, ACCOMPLICE GET 5 YEARS FOR MURDER IN SWEETHEART DEAL WITH PROGRESSIVE VIRGINIA DA “If it’s legitimate, I hope they do their job well. I’ve often seen cases around the country where you just can’t believe somebody with so many prior convictions is still out. “I think we have a responsibility to protect the public,” Beyer added. Descano’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
US intel community agreed before war ‘Iran wasn’t developing a nuclear weapon’: ex-counterterrorism chief
Former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent asserted in a post on X that prior to the start of the Iran war, the U.S. intelligence community agreed that the Islamic Republic was not developing a nuclear weapon. “One of the many tragedies of this war is that before the war began the U.S. Intel Community, including CIA, was in agreement that Iran wasn’t developing a nuclear weapon & that Iran would target U.S. bases in the region & shut down the Strait of Hormuz if they were attacked by Israel & the U.S.,” Kent wrote in a post on Thursday. “The IC also properly assessed that targeting the Iranian leadership would strengthen the regime and embolden the hardliners. Despite the professionalism & accuracy of the IC, the narrative & agenda spun by a foreign government- Israel, won the argument & forced us into this war,” he continued. EX-COUNTERTERRORISM CHIEF SAYS TRUMP MUST RESTRAIN ISRAEL BEFORE HE CAN DECLARE VICTORY IN IRAN “We need to understand exactly how this happened to ensure we are never put in this position again,” he concluded. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House on Friday for a response to Kent’s comments. Kent resigned from the National Counterterrorism Center director role back in March. WHAT ISRAEL WANTS FROM AN IRAN PEACE DEAL: NO ENRICHMENT, MISSILE LIMITS AND STRICT ENFORCEMENT “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” he wrote in his resignation letter. “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.” In an April Truth Social post, President Donald Trump slapped down the notion that Israel convinced him to enter the war against Iran. TRUMP PUSHES BACK AGAINST PUNDITS, SAYS ISRAEL DID NOT TALK HIM INTO THE IRAN WAR “Israel never talked me into the war with Iran, the results of Oct. 7th, added to my lifelong opinion that IRAN CAN NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON, did,” the president wrote in part of the post, referring to the heinous Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack perpetrated against Israel.