Hollywood actress upset her son isn’t gay fumes in bizarre spectacle at Human Rights Campaign gala
A Hollywood actress used her platform on stage at a far-left Human Rights Campaign (HRC) event to complain that despite her best efforts, her son turned out to be heterosexual. Camryn Manheim, best known for her role as Ellenor Frutt in the late 1990s and early 2000s drama series “The Practice,” introduced and presented her friend and fellow actress Marcia Gay Harden with the Ally for Equality Award at the HRC’s National Dinner on Sunday. “For Marcia, of course, this is deeply personal to her,” said Manheim of this year’s recipient of the prestigious award. “She has three remarkable children who all align with the LGBTQ+ community, which is another thing that deeply irritates me about her, because I always wanted a gay son.” GLAAD RELEASES ‘PARTICULARLY CONCERNING’ REPORT SHOWING SHRINKING LGBTQ REPRESENTATION THIRD YEAR IN A ROW She then launched into a tirade about how her son is heterosexual. “I love that relationship between gay sons and their mothers,” she said from the stage. “I wanted to be the picket sign-holding mom who would beat the s— out of somebody for her kid. I mean, let’s just admit it, gay sons are the best, right? Right!” “I have photographs of my son in high heels, in full drag, he knows every word to every musical ever written, his fairy godfather, Aaron Walton, is here with us tonight. I mean, truly, I thought I had this f—ing thing locked up, but no, no, he’s the only straight guy in his entire musical theater company,” Manheim complained. Manheim’s only child, Milo Manheim, 25, is an actor best known for his starring role as Zed in the Disney Channel film franchise “Zombies.” He played Joseph in the 2023 Christmas musical, “Journey to Bethlehem,” and in 2018 came in second place on season 27 of “Dancing with the Stars.” LOG CABIN REPUBLICANS REMOVES ‘T’ FROM LGBT ADVOCACY, SAYS ‘RADICAL’ TRANS ACTIVISTS ARE ERODING GAY SUPPORT Manheim, during her recorded remarks, relayed a story about Harden, a 2021 Oscar winner for best supporting actress in the 2000 film “Pollock,” calling her a decade ago to tell her that her son was gay. “All I said was, ‘Oh my God, you are so f—ing lucky!” Manheim said, yelling into the microphone and drawing a round of applause from the crowd. And about a week later, I was at Marcia’s house for dinner when an Amazon package was delivered, and inside, I’m not kidding you, was a pair of thigh-high patent leather boots, like kinky boots,” Manheim continued. “And I thought, ‘oh come on, now she is just showing off!” DEMOCRATS TURN ON CONGRESSIONAL HOPEFUL AFTER ‘HIDING’ LGBTQ+ VIEWS FROM MUSLIM VOTERS HRC is America’s largest civil rights group dedicated to “engaging and mobilizing millions of pro-equality voters and supporters to elect pro-equality leaders and to demand equity-based policies and legislation.” The organization was founded in 1980 by gay rights lobbyist Steve Endean and today boasts 4 million members. Sunday night’s dinner was part of the Human Rights Campaign’s events program, which it says reaches more than 20,000 people each year through 30 fundraising dinner events. It allows the group to “elevate LGBTQ+ candidates around the country, keep volunteers engaged, amplify our work in the local community, and solicit corporate sponsorships and donations through our auctions.” Online, reactions ranged from dismayed to disgusted. “How do any straight males survive mothers like this? It’s a miracle some of them come out normal,” said a right-wing commentator who goes by Peachy Keenan. “These people are mentally ill. They need to be institutionalized or thrown in prison for trying to groom children,” said Andy Froemel. “It’s the entertainment industry mothers who are the psychos,” online personality @shipwreckedcrew, who boasts more than 180,000 followers, said. “These people are sick,” radio show host Joe Pagliarulo said. “Liberalism is a performative sickness,” said Jon Nanjarian. Fox News Digital reached out to HRC and representatives for Manheim but did not hear back at time of publication.
Republicans fear they ‘haven’t done a damn thing’ to lower prices ahead of midterm reckoning
The key focus of this election, like many before it, is the economy, but the Senate has spent its waning weeks in Washington focusing on something else: college sports. And that has proven a sticking point for some Republicans who are eager to maintain power in the upper chamber and worried that they aren’t meeting the moment to address voters’ concerns over the cost-of-living. “I’m just hoping that this will be the best bill ever passed by the United States Senate considering the ungodly amount of time we’ve spent on it,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital. “So maybe this will be the most perfect and pristine piece of legislation ever,” he quipped. FOX NEWS POLL: SQUEEZED BY COSTS, FRUSTRATED VOTERS TURN TO THE DEMOCRATS “There’s a lot of things we could be doing and should be doing,” the senator added. “So I hope we’ll do those before we leave. We’ll see.” Hawley rattled off those issues that he hoped lawmakers would tackle that all ended in one word, costs — be it for fuel, prescription drugs, health care or the financial burden of the artificial intelligence boom. The Senate is expected to leave the nation’s capital on Wednesday to hit the campaign trail for the homestretch of the fast-approaching midterm elections. But from the summer of 2025 to now, with several shutdowns and partisan fights in between, the sting on voters’ wallets, to some concerned Republicans, has become an afterthought. Still, Republicans are quick to tout their accomplishments from last year, notably the “big, beautiful bill,” as their signature achievement to tackle the growing issue of affordability in the country — it was a predominant pitch during the midterm convention in Dallas earlier this month, and can be heard increasingly in the halls of the Senate as Nov. 3 nears. SENATE MOVES TO REIN IN COLLEGE SPORTS ‘WILD WEST’ WITH SWEEPING NEW RULES FOR PLAYERS, SCHOOLS The concern over inaction in the recent weeks and months has intensified as the main business in the Senate has been devoted to passing the Protect College Sports Act from Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, which cruised through the upper chamber late Monday night. “We’ve been spending all week on trying to make the football coaches happy,” Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said. “I’m voting for the bill, but I can assure that moms and dads out there across America, when they lie down to sleep at night … they’re not worried about the football coaches.” Kennedy said that he and others have been pressuring Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., to take another shot at reconciliation tailored exclusively toward affordability issues, or at the very least to put a bill that would shield consumers from increasing electricity costs as part of the AI boom. “Because we haven’t done a damn thing,” Kennedy said. “And it’s biting us in the ass right now.” ANXIETY GROWS OVER EMERGING ELECTION ISSUE, BUT GOP SAYS WASHINGTON ISN’T THE ANSWER Thune did tee up what will likely be the Senate’s last attempt at dealing with affordability for a vote this week on a bill that would require AI companies to bear the brunt of rising utility costs from data centers. That bill, from Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, is expected to be blocked by Democrats, however, who aren’t eager to give Republicans or Trump a victory — especially so close to the midterm elections. But for some Republicans, it’s too little too late when it comes to actually trying to address voters’ worries. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., recalled a story when he won the North Carolina House and became speaker. He ran to fix the economy, and once he won the power to do so, he and Republicans in the state would have to own the issue, regardless of the previous administration’s actions. “That’s how you actually show some leadership and get it done. You can’t rationalize that we’re here because of a problem caused by the prior administration,” Tillis told Fox News Digital. “That’s how we got elected. But you gotta fix it if you promise to. And that’s what we have to work on. I just think rationalizing away, that’s just not good politics.” Still, Republicans are asking for a second chance this fall, specifically Vice President JD Vance, who earlier this month asked voters to “give us another chance.” When asked about Vance’s plea, Tillis said, “You know what? If it works, it’ll be a first.”
Inside Operation Blackout: Patel reveals global scam ‘cities’ targeting your parents’ life savings
FIRST ON FOX: FBI Director Kash Patel says the bureau is expanding its global hunt for sprawling scam compounds that prey heavily on Americans, telling Fox News Digital that Operation Blackout has seized roughly $17 billion tied to the schemes. “At 71 years old, I’m old enough to know that people my age are certainly often targeted because of our unfamiliarity with certain new technologies. Thanks so much for looking out for us,” one victim told the FBI. “I watched my grandmother lose her life savings to scammers and I would love to see them all be put away,” said another victim. Operation Blackout is the FBI’s global campaign to identify, disrupt and dismantle foreign scam compounds targeting Americans, combining overseas raids and asset seizures with efforts to cut off the networks’ communications, rescue trafficked workers and return stolen money to victims. FBI WRAPS UP CYBERCRIME OPERATION TARGETING GLOBAL NETWORKS PREYING ON AMERICANS Patel said the FBI-led initiative is targeting criminal syndicates operating massive scam compounds across Southeast Asia and the Middle East, where trafficked workers are forced to carry out fraud schemes against victims thousands of miles away. “Unfortunately, the majority of the targets are senior citizens in America,” Patel told Fox News Digital, pointing to schemes carried out through social media, phone calls, text messages and Telegram. “Our initiative, Operation Blackout, is to prevent, disrupt, and dismantle,” Patel added. FBI SEIZES RECORD-SETTING $8 BILLION IN CRYPTOCURRENCY AMID INTERCONTINENTAL ‘SCAM COMPOUND’ CRACKDOWN In one common version of the scheme, criminals cultivate an online friendship or relationship with a victim before steering them toward a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment platform. Victims may initially believe their investments are generating significant returns, only to discover they cannot withdraw their money. “These are towns, these are cities,” Patel said of the scam compounds targeted by the operation. “These are actual villages with structures where they force people into forced labor.” An August operation at Cambodia’s roughly 200-acre O’Smach Resort scam compound involved searches of 28 buildings over three days and resulted in the seizure of 113 hard drives, 15 computers and 35 boxes of evidence, according to the FBI. The bureau is also trying to stop Americans from becoming victims before their money ever reaches the scammers. SCAMMERS ARE COMING FOR YOUR MONEY. HERE’S THE ONE THING YOU MUST NEVER DO Under Operation Level Up, its domestic prevention component working with U.S. Secret Service, the FBI proactively identifies and contacts potential victims of cryptocurrency investment scams. The bureau says it has notified 10,406 victims and prevented an estimated $660 million in losses, while seizing or freezing another $122 million in cryptocurrency. The FBI said 77% of the people it contacted did not know they were being scammed. The bureau has also referred 99 victims for suicide intervention, seized 584 scam websites and sent 7,670 scam accounts to private-sector companies for action. THE SECRET LIST THAT TELLS SCAMMERS YOU’RE AN EASY TARGET In September, a DOJ Scam Center Strike Force team that included FBI Honolulu personnel helped authorities in Madagascar take down 13 scam centers operated by Chinese organized crime syndicates and process more than 3,200 electronic devices. Patel said the geographic shift is part of a broader migration by the criminal networks. “That’s why you’re seeing the migration of these scam compounds to central and sub-Saharan Africa, which is where we are already pre-positioned to take them off,” Patel said.
Video shows Florida food truck workers fleeing from ICE during Tallahassee immigration raid
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid in Tallahassee, Florida, prompted mass chaos as security footage showed food truck workers scrambling to flee from federal agents on Friday. Workers at Chile & Chili’s Taqueria Tallahassee scurried in and out of the food truck’s trailers when federal authorities rolled onto the scene, according to video obtained by Fox News Digital. Video shows one of the workers, a woman, being apprehended by authorities. Three of the individuals seen running in the video were Guatemalan nationals who had not yet finalized immigration paperwork, the food truck’s owner reportedly told WCTV. EXCLUSIVE: LA ICE DIRECTOR REVEALS OFFICERS FOLLOWED HOME, HARASSED AS POLICE FAIL TO HELP IN SANCTUARY CITY The owner has also reportedly closed the food truck, WCTV reported, citing safety concerns and the remaining employees quitting in the wake of the raid. MINNESOTA’S ANTI-ICE AID FUND BECOMES LATEST CASUALTY OF STATE’S EMBARRASSING FRAUD PROBLEM Despite the apparent closure, the incident prompted community organizers to plan an anti-ICE rally at the food truck’s Tennessee Street location on Wednesday. “ICE has been attacking our neighbors and destroying our community for too long!” an Instagram post shared by the restaurant and the Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance read. EXCLUSIVE: DHS SECRETARY MULLIN SLAMS SANCTUARY POLITICIANS AS ATTACKS ON ICE OFFICERS SKYROCKET “We need to show up and demand ICE Out! We’ll be holding a rally at Chile & Chili’s, one of many local businesses and families under attack by ICE. Join us in showing support as we build towards a place where everyone can be free to live!” the post concluded. Chile & Chili’s also started a GoFundMe that has raised nearly $13,000 in the days following the raid. Fox News Digital contacted ICE and Chile & Chili’s for confirmation and further comment.
EXCLUSIVE: Hegseth to double cuts to generals, admirals in major Pentagon shakeup
War Secretary Pete Hegseth will announce plans to reduce by 20% the number of positions reserved for generals and admirals during his State of the Force address on Wednesday. Hegseth approved reduction plans for the Army, Navy, Air Force and the military’s joint pool earlier this month, according to memos seen by Fox News Digital. The services were directed to implement the plans and complete the reductions by Jan. 1, 2027. Wednesday’s address in Quantico, Va. is expected to lay out Hegseth’s priorities for the military in the year ahead, with the reduction in senior leadership positions among the changes he will unveil. The new target doubles the 10% overall reduction in general and flag officer positions Hegseth ordered last year as part of his effort to streamline the military’s senior ranks. That earlier directive separately called for a 20% reduction in active-duty four-star positions and a 20% reduction in National Guard general officers. SENATE REPUBLICAN PUSHES MERIT-BASED MILITARY PROMOTIONS, TARGETS BIDEN-ERA DEI POLICIES Hegseth dubbed that effort “less generals, more GIs,” arguing that reducing senior headquarters positions would push resources and authority toward troops closer to the fight. The latest reductions apply to billets — positions designated for generals and admirals — rather than an across-the-board removal of 20% of the officers currently serving in those ranks, a War Department source told Fox News Digital. At least some of the positions will be downgraded rather than eliminated altogether. In a Sept. 16 memo approving reductions to the military’s joint pool, Hegseth directed officials to establish O-6 requirements for general and flag officer positions identified for downgrade, allowing colonels and Navy captains to fill those jobs. GOP REP THOMAS MASSIE INTRODUCES 8 ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT AGAINST WAR SECRETARY PETE HEGSETH The announcement comes exactly one year after Hegseth summoned hundreds of generals and admirals from around the world to Quantico, Virginia, for an extraordinary gathering where he laid out his expectations for the military’s senior leaders and warned those who did not support his reforms to step aside. Hegseth has argued that reducing the number of generals and admirals would strip away unnecessary layers of bureaucracy and push authority down the chain of command. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “This is not a slash-and-burn exercise meant to punish high-ranking officers,” Hegseth said when he announced the earlier reductions in May 2025. “This has been a deliberative process, working with the Joint Chiefs of Staff with one goal: maximizing strategic readiness and operational effectiveness by making prudent reductions in the general and flag officer ranks.” This year’s audience will look different. Military commands have been asked to send top-performing service members who meet fitness and body-composition requirements and maintain “impeccable” grooming and uniform standards, according to published reports on internal Pentagon guidance for the event. Some troops selected to attend are also expected to participate in a workout with Hegseth.
Jack Smith’s Trump probe swept up Fox News, other media communications as investigation went beyond lawmakers
FIRST ON FOX: Former special counsel Jack Smith’s investigators obtained records containing communications between nearly 50 journalists and Trump administration officials — including Fox News personnel — after subpoenaing text-message records associated with dozens of White House phones during the federal election investigation of President Donald Trump, Fox News Digital has learned ahead of Tuesday’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Previous congressional disclosures showed investigators obtained records involving members of Congress. The latest records reveal the production also included communications between government officials and journalists working for some of the country’s largest news organizations. The communications appeared in records produced by the National Archives in response to a subpoena seeking material associated with 87 White House phones from Trump’s first administration, according to a spokesperson for Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, citing whistleblower disclosures made to the chairman. “What will the partisan media say about this disgraceful government overreach? This wasn’t a normal prosecution by any means,” Grassley challenged in comments to Fox News Digital on Tuesday, as critics have highlighted the lack of concern or coverage given to Smith’s probe by legacy media. EXPLOSIVE NEW REPORT PUTS JACK SMITH BACK IN HOT SEAT AS JIM JORDAN ALLEGES HE TRIED TO ‘SWAY’ 2024 ELECTION One organization identified Tuesday as having been swept up in the probe was the Media Research Center. Its president, David Bozell, announced in 2025 that “not one single broadcast network aired one solitary second” about Smith’s alleged spying on conservative organizations and senators following a tranche of public disclosures. Fox News is among the organizations whose journalists appear in the records, along with CNN, CBS News — including its newsmagazine “60 Minutes” — NBC News and CNBC. The records also include communications involving journalists from the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Bloomberg, Los Angeles Times, New York Magazine, Reuters, the Associated Press and NPR, as well as The Federalist and Washington Times. READ THE LIST: 44 LAWMAKERS SWEPT INTO JACK SMITH TEXT SWEEP AS HIS LEGAL RECKONING GROWS The nationally syndicated “The Mark Levin Show,” hosted by Fox News host and former Reagan Justice Department chief of staff Mark Levin, also appears in the records. The records stem from a June 2, 2023, subpoena issued by Smith’s office to the National Archives seeking text messages from phones associated with numerous officials who served in the first Trump White House. JACK SMITH HIT WITH CRIMINAL REFERRAL AS GOP MOVES TESTIMONY FIGHT TOWARD PROSECUTION The Archives produced responsive records on Aug. 21, 2023, according to documents previously disclosed through congressional oversight by Grassley and Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., of Arctic Frost. Grassley and Johnson pressed the Justice Department and FBI in May for information about how potentially privileged material in that production was screened before investigators could review it. An Aug. 21, 2023 email from assistant special counsel Thomas Windom instructed members of Smith’s team, including prosecutors and FBI personnel, to download documents associated with text messages from the White House phones. “We are writing to determine what procedures and protocols, if any, Smith and his team used to filter privileged or potentially privileged materials from being impermissibly accessed, reviewed and/or used,” Grassley and Johnson wrote. The senators requested DOJ’s filtering protocols and the names of officials assigned to review material for privilege before it reached investigators. The committee has identified the individual journalists whose communications appear in the records but does not plan to release their names because of privacy concerns, a Grassley spokesperson told Fox News Digital. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER The disclosure broadens questions surrounding Smith’s handling of the White House records ahead of Tuesday’s Senate hearing, including what safeguards governed investigators’ access to communications involving lawmakers, journalists and other third parties. The Judiciary Committee is expected to examine Smith’s investigative practices and the broader scope of Arctic Frost. Fox News Digital has reached out to counsel for Smith as well as the Justice Department for comment.
2 Navy aviators eject during landing ‘mishap’ aboard USS Eisenhower, injuring 4 sailors
Two U.S. Navy aviators ejected while trying to land their aircraft on USS Dwight D. Eisenhower off the coast of Virginia Monday evening in what the Navy described as a “mishap” that also injured four sailors. The sailors were on board the aircraft carrier at the time. One sailor is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries at a Norfolk-area hospital, the Navy said. The aviators, assigned to Carrier Air Wing 3, were successfully brought back to the ship by search and rescue personnel. They are being evaluated by medical personnel, the Navy said. ONE CREW MEMBER MISSING AFTER US NAVY HELICOPTER MAKES EMERGENCY LANDING IN ARABIAN SEA The Navy did not reveal which type of two-seater plane was involved in the accident. It also did not specify what happened to the plane or what could have happened to cause the accident. The Navy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, a nuclear-powered Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, entered service in 1977. The incident follows several recent mishaps in which military aviators had to eject. PILOT EJECTS AS F-35 CRASHES AT MCAS MIRAMAR, SPARKING FIRE In May, four Navy crew members ejected safely after two EA-18G Growlers collided during an aerial demonstration at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. Both aircraft, worth about $67 million apiece, crashed after they collided. Former TOPGUN pilot Matthew “Whiz” Buckley told Fox News Digital last month how ejecting from an aircraft traveling at high speed can lead to lifelong injuries, when the pilot is lucky enough to survive. Buckley said some people he knew who had to eject suffered spinal injuries that left them several inches shorter. “When you pull that handle, you have two choices: die or maybe live. And I said, ‘maybe live’ because it’s incredibly violent,” Buckley said. “Most folks don’t even remember the ejection. They remember pulling the handle and then waking up in their parachute.”
Rubio confirms ‘foreign actor’ involved in UK terror plot
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that a recent thwarted terror plot near a United Kingdom military base used by the United States involved a “foreign actor,” linking the incident to global threats from adversaries such as Iran. “What happened, what almost happened, what could have happened in the U.K. over the weekend is a very serious situation,” Rubio told Fox News’ “Hannity” on Monday night. “It’s one that clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor.” “I won’t get into great detail about that yet.” RUBIO QUESTIONS ‘POINT’ OF NATO AFTER ALLIES BLOCKED US FROM USING BASES DURING IRAN CONFLICT Rubio added there would be “repercussions” for threats against U.S. interests. “I think it ties us to the reality here, and that is, we are dealing with elements in the world, and in the case of Iran, for example, who have openly threatened to attack American interests globally,” he continued. “We’re going to always take that very seriously. There will be repercussions for that, if it ever were to happen or even attempted.” Rubio thanked the partners in the U.K. for helping thwart the “very serious threat” of an attack. TRUMP WARNS US WOULD ‘DECIMATE AND DESTROY’ IRAN OVER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT “I want to thank the U.K. for their cooperation and their help on it,” he said. “There’s a lot more news that will come out on this in the days to come. But there’s only so much I can say right now at this point about it, other than this was a very serious thing, and it was responded to appropriately.” British police declared a major incident at the RAF Fairford base in western England following the arrests early Sunday, and the government held a national emergency meeting. Police, however, released the five on bail Monday but said the investigation was not over, and they were examining whether individuals acting for a foreign state were involved. BRITAIN INTRODUCES SWEEPING NEW POWERS TO TARGET FOREIGN STATE-LINKED GROUPS INCLUDING IRAN’S IRGC President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday that the incident “might be” connected to Iran, which the United States has been at war with since late February, and that he would not have released the suspects on bail. “I wouldn’t have done that,” he said. A source familiar with the situation told Reuters that three large white vans the men appeared to travel in had not contained viable explosives. TRUMP RETALIATES AFTER IRAN ATTACK AS EXPERT WARNS REGIME IS GROWING MORE DANGEROUS The Reuters source said Sunday’s police response had not been intelligence-led — an indication that the five were not under direct surveillance — but security had been beefed up at the base, suggesting there was information it was being targeted. The five arrested are all British nationals in their early 20s from London. They were detained in the early hours on Sunday after police were alerted by a local farmer to the three white vans parked near RAF Fairford. Local residents have said security was significantly beefed up at the base in the days leading up to Sunday. The local farmer told reporters that one neighbor, driving past the base on Saturday night, had been ordered by U.S. security personnel to stop and put their hands out of their car. AMERICA BUILT A FORTRESS AFTER 9/11. THEN THE THREAT STARTED HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT The farmer, who asked not to be named, called the police after she returned home around 1 a.m. local time and found three large vans parked in the road, one with a fake telephone number on it, and a group of hooded and masked men running away. A large cordon remained around the base Tuesday morning and roadblocks were in place, although local media reports said residents from nearby homes which had been evacuated were returning. Western governments have warned in recent years of the threat of hostile actors from Iran, Russia and elsewhere organizing destabilizing activity or hiring proxies to carry out plots. PUTIN AND IRAN ‘NEED EACH OTHER DESPERATELY,’ EXPERT SAYS, AS RUSSIA VOICES SUPPORT FOR REGIME Britain raised its national terrorism threat level to its second-highest in April after a series of antisemitic incidents in north London, meaning an attack is considered highly likely. It has also imposed sanctions on individuals and entities linked to Iran, accusing them of involvement in hostile activity including plotting attacks and providing financial services to groups seeking to destabilize Britain and other countries. Iran has denied involvement in attacks or plots in Britain and elsewhere, and Monday denied any involvement in the incident at Fairford. Reuters contributed to this report.
Real winner of Xi summit revealed as Trump looks to usher in new era with China
For years, being “soft” on China was a political insult hurled across the aisle. Great-power competition ruled. Washington increasingly prepared for the possibility of war with Beijing as the national security world pivoted toward the Indo-Pacific. The scene in D.C. last week looked markedly different as President Donald Trump attempts to welcome in a new era with the world’s second-biggest superpower and growing adversary — especially when it comes to the ever-changing tech landscape. Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping with a red carpet and the pomp of a state visit last week, speaking warmly about his relationship with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader as the two sides looked for new areas of cooperation. “The summit went great — for Xi Jinping,” Scott Kennedy, a China economics expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Fox News Digital. ‘RED CARPET FOR A DESPOT’: TRUMP’S LAVISH XI WELCOME COLLIDES WITH GOP ANTI-COMMUNISM MESSAGE The reception was striking given how Washington’s leaders have spent years describing the challenge posed by Beijing: Chinese hackers penetrating American networks, state-backed efforts to steal U.S. technology and trade secrets, unfair trade practices and a rapidly expanding military with its sights set on Taiwan. Gordon Chang, a China analyst and author who has long advocated a harder line toward Beijing, said there was a distinction between keeping lines of communication open with a rival and giving Xi the reception he received in Washington. “I understand that you have a need for dialogue, but when you have that dialogue, you don’t necessarily have to have all of the ceremony and all the legitimization,” Chang told Fox News Digital. “We can talk to the Chinese, but we don’t need to do it in the way that occurred last week.” Trump, however, is betting that a warmer relationship with Xi can produce results despite those enduring disputes. The question is how much Beijing’s behavior has actually changed — and what Washington is willing to live with in pursuit of a more stable relationship. Kennedy explained that “the U.S. got a few small things — agreement to lower tariffs on $60B worth of goods, some purchases of specific items (such as agricultural and coal), the standing up of an AI dialogue, and alignment on major goals with regard to Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.” “But Xi came away the winner because the current commercial ceasefire works mainly to Beijing’s advantage,” he added. “It gives them time to continue unabated their drive for tech self-reliance, narrow the lead in various sectors, including AI, and maintain an imbalanced commercial relationship with its trading partners.” TRUMP’S QUIET CHINA WINS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN XI’S EMPTY STATE VISIT Chang identified the same commodity as particularly valuable to Beijing: time. “While we talk, we defer taking action,” Chang said. “So China got delay. And that is, I think, absolutely critical.” The administration has gotten movement from Beijing on some long-running disputes. China has tightened controls on chemicals used to make fentanyl and, according to the White House, arrested 21 Chinese nationals in August based on information supplied by U.S. law enforcement. Trump is still pressing Xi to permanently restrict additional precursor chemicals, but the steps mark tangible progress on an issue that has bedeviled Washington for years. Trade is more complicated. Trump and Xi emerged from last week’s talks with a new list of $30 billion in American products and $30 billion in Chinese products recommended for lower tariffs. For U.S. exporters, that could mean better access to the Chinese market for agricultural products, seafood, timber, cosmetics and medical devices. But there is a gap between the announcement and its impact. The two countries have agreed to consider favorable tariff treatment for the products — they have not yet put all of those lower tariffs into effect. AMERICA AND CHINA ARE FIGHTING FOR THE FUTURE OF AI — CHIPS ARE THE BATTLEFIELD And Washington is still trying to get Beijing to make good on commitments it already made. Nowhere is that more consequential than critical minerals, where China’s dominance over global supply chains gives it enormous leverage over industries ranging from automobiles to weapons production. After his May summit with Xi, Trump announced that China had agreed to address U.S. concerns over shortages of rare earths and other critical minerals. Four months later, the issue remains unresolved. The White House said after last week’s summit that Washington and Beijing “continue to work” on restoring adequate shipments. No new comprehensive critical-minerals agreement was announced. “China has not been living up to its commitments on supplying those minerals,” Chang said. The gap between Washington’s warmer posture and its longstanding concerns about Beijing extends beyond trade. Ahead of Xi’s visit, Trump was asked about Chinese spying and cyber activity — an issue U.S. officials have spent years describing as one of the most persistent threats from Beijing. “When they say China spies on us, I say you’re right, and we spy on them too,” Trump said. “They basically do what we do.” Trump’s own intelligence community describes the threat in markedly different terms. The intelligence community’s 2026 Annual Threat Assessment calls China the “most active and persistent cyber threat” to U.S. government, private-sector and critical infrastructure networks. U.S. officials have accused Beijing-linked hackers of burrowing into telecommunications networks through the Salt Typhoon campaign and pre-positioning inside critical infrastructure through Volt Typhoon — activity officials have warned could give China the ability to disrupt communications, energy, transportation and water systems in a future crisis. “Yes, we do spy on each other, but there’s a difference in the spying world,” Chang said. “There are so-called legitimate targets. That’s the governments of each state, defense contractors. What is not considered legitimate is spying on civilian institutions, NGOs, universities, all the rest of it. China does that. “I don’t think it’s his job to make excuses for China. His job is to protect the United States.” Taiwan offers another test of the new relationship. A roughly $14 billion
Could Trump revoke Ilhan Omar’s citizenship for alleged brother marriage? Ex federal prosecutor breaks it down
The Trump administration’s recent effort to bring the law down on Rep. Ilhan Omar could go as far as seeking to strip the Minnesota congresswoman of her citizenship for alleged immigration fraud. But a criminal investigation is unlikely to yield the results the president wants, according to a former federal prosecutor. Michael Wildes, an immigration attorney, told Fox News Digital that investigators face a “very high bar” to build a case against Omar after White House border czar Tom Homan confirmed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is conducting a “criminal” investigation against the progressive “Squad” member. It all stems from claims that Omar married her brother to gain U.S. citizenship, which she has repeatedly denied. President Donald Trump has a longstanding feud with Omar going back to when she was first elected in the middle of his first term, and quickly became one of his most vocal critics in Congress. Trump has repeatedly called for Omar to be sent back to Somalia because of her alleged fraudulent activity. The Trump administration continues to ramp up efforts to denaturalize and deport individuals accused of immigration fraud. And Vice President JD Vance claimed earlier this year that the Department of Justice is investigating Omar for alleged fraud and immigration violations. But questions remain over what a potential prosecution and denaturalization case against the Somali-born lawmaker would require. Wildes said that investigators would need to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Omar knowingly entered her marriage — to a man critics allege is her brother — for the sole purpose of evading U.S. immigration laws. DOJ MOVES TO STRIP CITIZENSHIP FROM 17 PEOPLE ACCUSED OF HIDING DISTURBING CRIMES “In order to establish a successful marriage fraud case, the government would have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt… that the defendant knowingly entered into a marriage with the primary purpose to evade immigration laws and get a benefit,” Wildes said. Wildes noted that even if Omar and her husband, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, decided after getting married that their partnership could be a scheme for Elmi to fast pass America’s immigration process, this would not be considered marriage fraud in court. He continued, “Those are very high bars and thresholds that they would have to surmount. The immigration benefit cannot be a byproduct or secondary consideration. This is not deemed to be illegal.” If evidence was presented to prove Omar and Elmi committed marriage fraud, the Minnesota Democrat could face up to five years in jail, a maximum fine of $250,000, or both. Wildes also pointed out that there are statutes of limitations that could hinder a potential prosecution and make it more difficult to prosecute Omar for marriage fraud, as that marriage was in 2009. But there is still a pathway for Omar to be denaturalized, which Homan described as a “very serious process” while discussing the investigation into the congresswoman. “The question is: Do they have it factually, and is it the right thing to do?” Wildes said. “The question is whether or not inadvertences were made not purposefully and whether or not it’s over the top to then denaturalize somebody,” he said. “We’re talking about taking away a benefit and then banishing them from the United States.” FORMER USCIS OFFICIAL, ACCOMPLICE CHARGED IN ALLEGED $960K CITIZENSHIP BRIBERY SCHEME For Omar to be denaturalized, the process would have to be related to allegations that she falsified information when obtaining her own citizenship in 2000. Omar claims she was granted automatic citizenship because she was a minor when her father was naturalized. Congressional records state Omar became a citizen at age 17, but speculation that she was older at the time of her naturalization began after former Minnesota congressional candidate AJ Kern accused Omar’s birth year of being revised on the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library website. This caused allegations to circulate on social media that she was not a minor at the time, which, if ever proven true, could lead to her denaturalization. Even if her father lied in his citizenship paperwork, this could also potentially lead to Omar being stripped of her citizenship. Wildes also explained that the government makes a “case-by-case” decision when it comes to pursuing denaturalization cases. He also pointed out the relevancy of an intentional lie as opposed to a mistake. “If the government were to prosecute for document fraud, we would also want to know whether or not she was represented by counsel, and if there were simple mistakes on her application or inadvertences that may be deemed to be fraudulent,” Wildes said. “Whether or not [these] things are truthful, hypothesized, or can be backed up in fact, will play heavily in that prosecution.” Homan didn’t answer whether the federal government has evidence that Omar committed either marriage or immigration fraud, while also declining to go into detail about what particularly DHS is investigating Omar for. Omar told Fox News Digital just last week that she has not been contacted by DHS or made aware of any ongoing investigation into her marriage or immigration status, saying she isn’t worried about it because “the right wing always had this s— going.” ‘SQUAD’ DEM DISMISSES FRAUD PROBE SPECULATION AFTER $29M NET-WORTH DROP But Wildes said her being unaware that she is being investigated is not unusual and doesn’t invalidate Homan’s confirmation of a “criminal” investigation against her. “The congresswoman’s not being aware doesn’t change anything,” Wildes said. “There is no obligation for the government to show their hand, and they’re going to want to make sure that they have a good prosecution, and they don’t give anything up in the interim because of the politics that this presents as well.” “I haven’t seen anything that I think is worthy of a prosecution,” Wildes said. “This is a member of Congress. It may not be your politics, but we have to also make sure that we engage in prosecutions properly and not frivolously.” Neither Omar nor DHS responded to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.