Jet fuel spikes as airlines warn supplies could run dry within weeks
Jet fuel prices in the U.S. have more than doubled in a matter of weeks as Middle East tensions squeeze supply, fueling concerns airlines could run short of fuel. Prices jumped from about $2.17 to $4.57 per gallon by March 27, according to the Argus U.S. Jet Fuel Index. Airlines warn inventories could run dry within weeks, raising the risk of higher airfares and flight cancellations. Airlines are already adjusting. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said the carrier will cut about 5% of planned flights in the near term as fuel costs surge, warning that if prices persist, jet fuel alone could add $11 billion in annual expenses. MAPPED: WHERE GAS PRICES ARE RISING THE FASTEST FROM THE IRAN CONFLICT United is also scaling back service during off-peak periods and suspending select international routes, including Israel and Dubai due to the conflict. Meanwhile, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said the jet fuel spike added as much as $400 million in costs in March alone. He said the airline is moving quickly to pass those higher costs on through fare increases. American Airlines also expects fuel to add about $400 million to its first-quarter expenses. The impact is also spreading beyond U.S. carriers. European airline chiefs, including executives from Lufthansa and Air France-KLM, warned that a prolonged conflict in the Middle East will push fares higher and strain already tight fuel supplies, with some cautioning that jet fuel could run out if disruptions persist. Airlines are already acting on those pressures. Air France-KLM plans to raise long-haul ticket prices, while Cathay Pacific and several Asian carriers are increasing fuel surcharges. SAS said it will cancel about 1,000 flights in April due to rising costs, while Qantas and Thai Airways are also adjusting fares and schedules. THE UNLIKELY TOOL TRUMP IS EYEING TO TACKLE RISING OIL PRICES AMID THE IRAN CONFLICT Jet fuel, one of airlines’ largest expenses, is especially volatile due to thin inventories, specialized storage and limited spot trading, which can amplify price swings when supply tightens. The Middle East exports about 1.1 million barrels per day of jet fuel—roughly 15–17% of global consumption—according to Jaime Brito, executive director of refining and oil products at OPIS. Much of that supply moves through the Strait of Hormuz, where tanker traffic has slowed sharply amid rising regional tensions. Just 21 miles wide at its narrowest, the waterway between Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Oman is a critical energy choke point. The waterway carries roughly 20 million barrels of oil per day and about one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas, along with significant volumes of jet fuel.
Sen Mazie Hirono trolled for admitting Trump not ‘a king,’ and ‘never has been’
Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, intended to hit President Donald Trump amid nationwide “no kings” protests, but instead Republicans argued her comment admits the flimsy case being made. “Donald Trump is not, never will be, and has never been a king. #NoKings,” Hirono’s Saturday morning X post read as left-wing protesters marched in various anti-Trump demonstrations. The remarks landed with rare agreement from figures on the right, though. “So you agree – you think your ‘no kings’ rallies are stupid…,” replied Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who once backed Trump’s 2024 Republican primary opposition from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. JANE FONDA WARNS AMERICA FACES ‘EXISTENTIAL’ CRISIS AS SHE URGES TURNOUT AT ‘NO KINGS’ PROTESTS “Roger that!” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, wrote on X. Social media reacted in wild agreement even from the right, with some noting that the 2024 November election was a “no kings” protest and some referencing Independence Day as America’s true “no kings” protest. NANCY PELOSI SWIPES AT TRUMP, ACCUSING HIM OF CROWNING HIMSELF AS ‘KING’ One post even noted the irony of “no kings” protests in London, where the United Kingdom actually has a king. More than 3,200 events had been planned in all 50 states, after the two previous nationwide events attracted millions of participants. Large rallies took place in New York, Dallas, Philadelphia and Washington, but two-thirds of “no kings” events were happening outside major cities, a nearly 40% jump for smaller communities from the movement’s first mobilization last June, organizers said. LEADER SCALISE: DEMOCRATS CHEER ‘NO KINGS’ PROTESTS, BUT LET SHUTDOWN DEVASTATE FAMILIES Video and photos shared on social media showed protesters marching for “no kings,” while waving red flags associated with communist dictatorships. “These Hate America Rallies are where the far-left’s most violent, deranged fantasies get a microphone and House Democrats get their marching orders,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Mike Marinella wrote in a statement Saturday. “Voters will punish Democrats for gleefully standing shouder-to-shoulder with radicals who call for assassinations and violence.” JOHN CUSACK TELLS TRUMP TO ‘GO TO HELL’ AT CHICAGO ‘NO KINGS’ PROTEST Trump has long rebuked the “no kings” protest mantra. “I’m not a king — I work my a– off to make America great,” Trump said during last October’s congressional recess protests. “That’s the difference.” Trump rebuked the protests as “small, crazy, and totally out of touch with real Americans.” CHIP ROY SAYS DEMOCRATIC PARTY TAKING ITS ‘DYING BREATHS’ Hirono was not the only Democratic figure targeted for social media trolling Saturday. The RNC Research X account shared video of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., getting emotional during a “no kings” rally speech, rebuking America as no beacon of hope but “authoritarianism.” ‘NO KINGS’ PROTESTS LARGELY COMPRISED OF PEOPLE FROM ONE DEMOGRAPHIC: EXPERTS Omar and Minnesota’s Democratic Gov. Tim Walz have been under fire for allegations of fraud among the Somali community in their state, and Vice President JD Vance last week alleged to have evidence that Omar violated immigration law. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, replied to a Fox News investigation that revealed “no kings” protests were backed by a network of 500 organizations, finding many tied to socialist and communist groups. “Lefty billionaires & communists,” Cruz wrote. “There’s a shock….” The first “no kings” event, on Trump’s birthday, June 14, last year, drew an estimated 4 million to 6 million people across roughly 2,100 sites nationwide. The second mobilization in October involved an estimated 7 million participants in more than 2,700 cities, according to a crowdsourcing analysis published by prominent data journalist G. Elliott Morris. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Republicans can fund ICE for an entire decade without a single Dem vote: Sen Cruz
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is calling for Republicans to provide Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with enough funding to last a decade. He believes Republicans can do that without the support of a single Democrat. “We can do it with just 50 votes,” Cruz said. Lawmakers in the Senate agreed early on Friday to advance funding for DHS that includes the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Coast Guard, the Secret Service and seven other agencies — even as gridlock over ICE remains firmly in place. SCHUMER, DEMS BLOCK DHS FUNDING AGAIN, TRUMP INTERVENES TO PAY TSA AGENTS Cruz believes that Democrat opposition to funding the agency will only continue, promoting the possibility of future shutdowns. “I think we may very well be in a world where these Senate Democrats will never again vote to fund ICE, that they’re simply saying, ‘shut down,’” Cruz said. Like the rest of DHS, funding for ICE lapsed on Feb. 14 when Democrats made their support for the agency conditional on a set of 10 operational reforms. Among other items, Democrats had called for a ban on masks for ICE agents, stiffer warrant requirements for apprehending suspects in public, a ban on roaming patrols and requirements for clearly visible identification — demands Republicans argued would handcuff Trump’s immigration enforcement goals. Cruz believes Republicans can still advance funding without meeting any of those demands through a process called “reconciliation” that would allow Republicans to get around a filibuster. “You need 60 votes to pass funding for the government. We only have 53 Republicans, and so we need at least seven Democrats. Reconciliation, which is how we passed the [Big Beautiful Bill] last year, we can do with just Republicans,” Cruz said. DHS SHUTDOWN BREAKTHROUGH COMES AT COST FOR REPUBLICANS AS FUNDING FIGHTS NEARS END THUNE, GOP BLAST DEMS IN DHS STANDOFF AS LANKFORD SAYS THEY FEAR ICE OVER IRAN “And so, what I’ve argued to my colleagues is let’s take up reconciliation, and let’s fund ICE for the next decade, because the Democrats are going to vote against ICE funding for the foreseeable future, I think, potentially forever,” Cruz said. While lawmakers can’t use that vehicle to change existing policies or set new ones, Cruz argues Republicans can certainly use it to add to ICE’s existing provisions, putting the agency’s funding beyond the influence of another shutdown. In some ways, it’s a plan Republicans have already done once before. Republicans funded ICE to the tune of $75 billion last year through Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Cruz’s plan would take the same principle and extend it. At levels from 2025, base funding ICE and its removal operations for 10 years would cost roughly $100 billion. Cruz believes passing those appropriations is consistent with the mandate Republicans received when they won over a governing trifecta in the 2024 elections. SENATE REPUBLICANS MOVE TO REOPEN DHS WITH NEW PLAN, WAIT FOR DEMOCRATIC BUY-IN “The American people said, enough. President Trump and Republican Congress have an incredible record of success on securing the border. We have seen illegal border crossings drop 99%. We’ve seen the murder rate across the country drop 20%. We’ve seen the drug overdose rate nationally drop 20%. “It is literally the case that there are thousands of Americans alive today because President Trump was re-elected, and because we have a Republican House and Senate.” Instead of passing the Senate’s plan, the House advanced its own package late Friday night, which would extend DHS funding at current levels for two months, buying more time for lawmakers to continue negotiations over ICE.
MAPPED: Where gas prices are rising the fastest from the Iran conflict
Gas prices are surging as the ongoing conflict with Iran drives up crude oil costs, fueling higher prices at the pump nationwide. The national average now stands at $3.98 per gallon, up $1 from a month ago, according to AAA. Prices are climbing across nearly every region, with some states already well above the national average. BEFORE-AND-AFTER SATELLITE IMAGERY OFFERS A RARE LOOK AT DAMAGE INSIDE IRAN On the West Coast, drivers are seeing the highest costs, with prices reaching $5.87 per gallon in California and $5.32 in Washington. Along the East Coast, gas prices are approaching or exceeding $4 in several areas, including $4.16 in Washington, D.C., and $3.93 in New York. In the Midwest, Illinois stands out at $4.21 per gallon, while much of the region remains closer to the mid-$3 range. Southern states are generally lower, though still rising, with Texas at $3.60 and South Carolina at $3.64, while Florida is higher at $3.96. THE UNLIKELY TOOL TRUMP IS EYEING TO TACKLE RISING OIL PRICES AMID THE IRAN CONFLICT Diesel prices are climbing faster than gasoline, reflecting their close ties to freight and industry—meaning increases can ripple through supply chains and raise costs across the economy. Diesel averaged $5.41 a gallon, up $1.65 over the same period, according to AAA, surpassing $5 for the first time since December 2022 as the war in Iran continues to disrupt global energy supplies.
DHS shutdown putting Americans at risk as World Cup security prep ‘significantly behind’: Sen Fetterman
Amid a funding standoff that went into overtime on Friday, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is stressing the need for lawmakers to end travel delays and support the country’s weakened airport security as he warns that security preparations are “significantly behind” for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup. “I could never justify this from the start, but here we are day 39, 40? It’s like, how long are you gonna continue that?” Fetterman told Fox News Digital this past week. Fetterman raised concerns that the shutdown — the second for TSA workers in just three months — has wreaked havoc on the country’s transportation security workforce that won’t be easily undone ahead of high-profile U.S.-based events. “Preparations are significantly behind and now we’re 77 days out and this is still shut down.,” Fetterman said, referring to the World Cup. “And you have millions of people from abroad coming and millions of Americans joining these two.” SCHUMER GAMBIT FAILS AS DHS SHUTDOWN HITS 36 DAYS AND AIRPORT LINES GROW Fetterman’s comments come as the Senate advanced most of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) funding in the early hours of Friday morning. Their bill looked to supply the many agencies that operate under DHS, such as the Secret Service, the Coast Guard, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), TSA and more, but exclude funding for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Funding for DHS first ran dry on Feb. 14, when Democrats made their support for the agency conditional on a set of reforms to rein in President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. The Senate’s bill didn’t include any of the Democrats’ reforms, but also didn’t include funding for ICE, either. That proposal ran into fierce resistance in the House of Representatives, where even House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., blasted the attempted resolution. “This gambit that was done last night is a joke. I’m quite convinced — it can’t be that every Senate Republican read the language of this bill. It’s pretty alarming. It says, quote: ‘The contents printed under the headings of this bill: U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and border security operations… an amount specified in the final bill shall be zero,’” Johnson said, reading from the Senate bill’s text. “We’re not doing that,” Johnson added. The agency has, however, already received $75 billion through Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act in July 2025 — enough to fund the agency’s operations at least through 2026. House Republicans stressed that it’s unclear if those funds can legally be used to fund all of ICE’s operations. Instead of passing the Senate’s plan, the House advanced its own package late Friday night, which would extend DHS funding at current levels for two months, buying more time for lawmakers to continue negotiations over ICE. The House version is likely dead on arrival in the Senate. TSA CALLOUTS HIT HOUSTON, ATLANTA, NEW ORLEANS HARDEST, 450 OFFICERS HAVE QUIT NATIONWIDE As lawmakers continue the back-and-forth over the ICE funding standoff, spokespersons from DHS also echoed Fetterman’s calls to restore travel operations, slamming the compounding effects of the repeated shutdowns. “Now, 366 TSA officers have left the force. Because of this DHS shutdown, Americans are facing HOURS long waits at airports across the country. Democrats must reopen DHS now,” Lauren Bis, a spokesperson for the agency said in a press release. Although Trump signed an executive order on Friday that looks to fund the salaries of TSA workers, the agency also noted that even with the resolution to the shutdown looking hopeful, the country’s travel security would take time to recover. “TSA does not have the luxury of time. The FIFA World Cup is kicking off on June 11 – less than three months away. We are anticipating a significant influx in passenger volume as fans travel through our airports to see the games,” DHS said in a press release. “Even if TSA were to hire new officers upon the conclusion of the DHS shutdown, those officers would not be able to work on the checkpoint until well after the World Cup has concluded.” DHS DEAL IN LIMBO AS DEMOCRATS DEMAND TOUGHER ICE CRACKDOWN DESPITE GOP COMPROMISE Fetterman urged members of his own party to focus on the country’s outstanding travel needs instead of continuing to pursue their demands. “[It’s] just getting harder and harder to justify extending this shutdown,” Fetterman said.
African nation calls for Ilhan Omar to be extradited after Vance’s fraud claim
An African nation is calling for Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., to be extradited after Vice President JD Vance claimed during an interview that the lawmaker committed immigration fraud. The Republic of Somaliland, a partially recognized state in the Horn of Africa, reacted in a post on X to the claim that Vance made in a podcast interview with conservative commentator Benny Johnson. “Deportation? Please you’re just sending the princess back to her kingdom. Extradition? Say the word …” the post read. In the interview, Vance said he has spoken with White House immigration advisor Stephen Miller about potential legal action against Omar, saying, “We think Ilhan Omar definitely committed immigration fraud against the United States of America.” TRUMP ACCUSES TIM WALZ AND ILHAN OMAR OF USING ICE PROTESTS TO DISTRACT FROM MASSIVE STATE FRAUD “We’re trying to look at what the remedies are,” Vance said. “That’s the thing that we’re trying to figure out is what are the legal remedies now that we know that she’s committed immigration fraud — how do you go after her, how do you investigate her, how do you actually do the thing, how do you build a case necessary to get some justice for the American people?” Omar has denied accusations from President Donald Trump and the White House that she married her brother to enter the United States. In December, she called the accusations “bigoted lies,” writing on social media that Trump was obsessed with her. “He needs serious help,” Omar wrote on X at the time. “Since he has no economic policies to tout, he’s resorting to regurgitating bigoted lies instead.” Omar’s Chief of Staff, Connor McNutt, told Fox News Digital in an emailed statement that the vice president’s claim is a “ridiculous lie.” “This is rich coming from someone who literally said they were willing to ‘create stories’ to redirect the media,” the statement said. “This is a ridiculous lie and desperate attempt to distract from the pedophile protection party’s unpopular war of choice, increasing gas prices, and rapidly dropping polling numbers.” COMER PROBES SUDDEN WEALTH JUMP TIED TO ILHAN OMAR’S HUSBAND, EYES LINK TO MINNESOTA FRAUD Somaliland’s post about Omar, who is from Somalia, comes amid criticism over her opposition to the recognition of an independent Somaliland and her defense of Somalia’s territorial claims. Somaliland has acted as a self-governing territory since 1991, maintaining internal security and building its own democratic institutions. While most in the international community, including the U.S., do not recognize Somaliland as an independent country, Israel became the first U.N. member state to recognize the self-declared state. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced last year that Israel had established full diplomatic relations with Somaliland, describing the move as being in the spirit of the United States-brokered Abraham Accords. Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey contributed to this report.
Supreme Court prepares to review Trump executive order on birthright citizenship
The Supreme Court is poised to answer a fundamental constitutional question largely ignored for more than a century: Who qualifies as an American citizen? The justices on Wednesday will hold oral arguments to review President Donald Trump’s efforts to limit birthright citizenship in the U.S., a landmark case with the potential to upend the lives of millions of Americans and lawful residents. At issue is the executive order the president signed on his first day back in office, which would end automatic citizenship for nearly all persons born in the U.S. to undocumented parents, or parents with lawful temporary status in the country — a seismic legal, political, and social shift that critics note would break with more than 150 years of legal precedent. A ruling is expected within three months, but until then, Trump’s plans remain on hold. HOW TO MAKE PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION PAUSE STICK IN COURT The case is the fourth of a five-part series of appeals the Supreme Court will consider this term on the merits of Trump’s sweeping executive agenda. The nine-member bench has already tossed out his reciprocal tariffs on most other countries, which relied on an economic emergency law. A separate dispute over ending protections for migrants with temporary protected status will be argued later in April. Still pending are rulings on the president’s ability to fire members of independent agencies, including Federal Reserve governors. But the administration has been winning most of the emergency appeals at the Supreme Court since Trump took office again, which dealt only with whether challenged policies could go into effect temporarily, while the issues play out in the lower courts – including immigration, federal spending cuts, workforce reductions and transgender people in the military. Trump’s order now before the high court for final review would reinterpret the 14th Amendment, which states, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside” — a provision the president argues has been misinterpreted. Executive Order 14160, entitled “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” would deny it to those born after Feb. 19, 2025, whose parents are illegal immigrants, or those who were here legally but on temporary non-immigrant visas. And it bans federal agencies from issuing or accepting documents recognizing citizenship for those children. “The privilege of United States citizenship is a priceless and profound gift,” says part of the order. “But the Fourteenth Amendment has never been interpreted to extend citizenship universally to everyone born within the United States.” A Supreme Court ruling on the issue could have sweeping national implications for an issue Trump officials argue is a crucial component of his hardline immigration agenda, which has become a defining feature of his second White House term. BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP SUPPORTERS GET THE LAW WRONG BY IGNORING OBVIOUS EVIDENCE In its high court petition, the Trump Justice Department said all lower court decisions handed down last year striking down the executive order had relied on a “mistaken view” with potentially “destructive consequences.” “The lower courts’ decisions invalidated a policy of prime importance to the president and his administration in a manner that undermines our border security,” said John Sauer, U.S. solicitor general, who will make the case in person at oral arguments. “Those decisions confer, without lawful justification, the privilege of American citizenship on hundreds of thousands of unqualified people,” he added. Opponents argue the effort is unconstitutional and “unprecedented,” and would threaten some 150,000 children in the U.S. born annually to parents of noncitizens, and an estimated 4.6 million American-born children under 18 who are living with an undocumented immigrant parent, according to data from the Pew Research Center. Separate coalitions of about two dozen states, along with immigrant rights groups and private individuals — including several pregnant women in Maryland — had filed a class-action lawsuit. The plaintiffs — including those originally from Taiwan and Brazil — seek to preserve access to citizenship-related benefits, including Social Security, SNAP and Medicaid. To date, no court has sided with the Trump administration’s interpretation of the 14th Amendment, and blocked the order from taking force. The ACLU and other immigrant advocacy groups in the U.S., have accused Trump of attempting to “unilaterally rewrite the 14th Amendment.” “The federal courts have unanimously held that President Trump’s executive order is contrary to the Constitution, a Supreme Court decision from 1898, and a law enacted by Congress,” said ACLU legal director Cecillia Wang, who will argue for the plaintiffs in the courtroom session. “We look forward to putting this issue to rest once and for all in the Supreme Court this term.” Much of the public session is expected to focus on a phrase in the Constitution that the government asserts limits the citizenship right. “The Fourteenth Amendment has always excluded from birthright citizenship persons who were born in the United States but not ‘subject to the jurisdiction thereof,’” said Trump’s original order, which the Justice Department essentially interprets as “being subject to U.S. law” — which would give the government discretion to exclude those whose parents are in the country illegally. But lawyers for the plaintiffs say a century-old Supreme Court ruling affirmed the phrase only excluded automatic citizenship to children born to foreign diplomats or hostile forces. Supporters of a broad, traditional interpretation point to the 14th Amendment’s origins — passed after the Civil War to end the practice of excluding individuals of African descent, including slaves and free persons, from ever becoming U.S. citizens. TRUMP ADMIN PUTS KEY BIDEN-ERA IMMIGRATION POLICY ON NOTICE: ‘UNSUSTAINABLE CYCLE’ Thirty-one years after its enactment, the Supreme Court for the first time decided the status of children born in the U.S. to alien parents, creating the precedent of how the citizenship clause would be applied in future cases. Plaintiff Wong Kim Ark was born in San Francisco and became a cook, but was subject to the Chinese Exclusion Act and denied reentry to the
Cruz refuses to take sides between Cornyn, Paxton in high-stakes GOP Senate clash
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz is staying neutral in the combustible GOP Senate nomination showdown in Texas between longtime Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton. “I like John. I like Ken. They’re both friends of mine. I have supported both of them in the past. I’ve worked closely with both of them. I’ve endorsed both of them. I’ve campaigned with both of them, and so I’m staying out,” the conservative firebrand three-term senator said in a Fox News Digital interview on Wednesday. The winner of the May 26 Republican runoff election will face off with Democratic nominee state Rep. James Talarico in this autumn’s general election in a race that’s among a handful which may decide if the GOP keeps its Senate majority in the midterms. The GOP currently controls the chamber, 53–47. BRUISING GOP SENATE PRIMARY SHOWDOWN HEADS INTO OVERTIME Cornyn edged Paxton by a point in the March 3 primary, as they were the top two contenders among a crowded field of Republican candidates. But since neither of the heated rivals cracked the 50% threshold to win the nomination, the race headed into overtime. While some of Cruz’s top outsider political advisors are supporting Paxton, the senator is declining to take sides. “I trust the voters of Texas to make this decision,” the senator said. ‘OPEN BORDERS, TRUMP-HATING RADICAL’—REPUBLICANS QUICKLY POUNCE ON TALARICO Talarico, who is considered a Democratic Party rising star, topped progressive firebrand Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a vocal Trump critic, in their party’s primary. Talarico is trying to become the first Democrat in nearly four decades to win a Senate election in right-leaning Texas. The Cornyn campaign and aligned super PACs have spent big bucks to run ads attacking Paxton, arguing that Democrats will flip the seat in the general election if Paxton’s the GOP’s nominee. Cornyn, his allies, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the campaign arm of the Senate GOP, repeatedly pointed to the slew of scandals and legal problems that have battered Paxton over the past decade, as well as his ongoing messy divorce. Paxton, a longtime supporter and ally of President Donald Trump and a MAGA firebrand who grabbed significant national attention by filing lawsuits against the Obama and Biden administrations, has pushed back by repeatedly questioning Cornyn’s conservative credentials and past support for Trump. The president, whose sway in Republican nomination battles remains immense, stayed neutral during the primary campaign. Hours after Cornyn and Paxton advanced to the runoff, Trump took to social media to announce, “I will be making my Endorsement soon.” Trump added that he would “be asking the candidate that I don’t Endorse to immediately DROP OUT OF THE RACE!” All signs at the time pointed to Trump backing Cornyn. But more than three weeks since his social media post, Trump still remains neutral. And that has the MAGA faithful, many of whom are backing Paxton, hopeful that the president will stay out of the race, which would be a major victory for the Texas attorney general. Paxton traveled to the president’s Mar-a-Lago residence last weekend for a Palm Beach County GOP dinner, where he briefly met with President Trump, two sources with knowledge of the encounter confirmed to Fox News Digital. One of the sources called it a “check in” between Trump and Paxton. The news was first reported by Politico. There’s been a dearth of public opinion polling in the runoff, but the two surveys that have been released suggest Paxton holds a single-digit lead. The race between Cornyn and Paxton is viewed by many Republicans as a battle between MAGA world and the grassroots versus the party establishment for the soul of the GOP.
Jeffries declines to break with indicted Democrat after ethics panel’s guilty verdict
A bipartisan group of lawmakers found Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., guilty of more than two dozen ethics violations, but House Democratic leadership is standing by their embattled colleague. “As I understand it, the Ethics Committee has one final step in their process, so I’m not going to get out ahead of the Ethics Committee process that will be completed upon our return,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Friday morning. “And then I’ll have more to say.” House Democratic Conference Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., also told Punchbowl News Friday he had not seen the ethics panel’s findings but added “that doesn’t sound good” when told the body determined she committed 25 ethics violations. Those charges include money laundering, making false statements on campaign finance reports and seeking special favors from entities receiving federal funding. INDICTED DEMOCRAT REP. SHEILA CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK ONE STEP CLOSER TO EXPULSION The Florida Democrat is facing a separate federal criminal indictment that could result in more than five decades in prison if she’s convicted. Cherfilus-McCormick, who has pleaded not guilty, is accused of illegally transferring millions in disaster relief funds improperly paid to her family’s healthcare company to finance her run for Congress and the purchase of luxury items, including a massive diamond ring. The House Ethics Committee said it would announce its recommended punishment for Cherfilus-McCormick in April, which could be as severe as expulsion. Under House rules, a two-thirds majority would have to support the resolution to formally remove the Florida Democrat from the chamber. Jeffries’ refusal so far to condemn Cherfilus-McCormick’s conduct mirrors the relative silence of the Democratic caucus, though some rank-and-file members are beginning to break their silence on the Florida Democrat. Moderate Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., was the first Democratic lawmaker to publicly issue a statement Friday calling on Cherfilus-McCormick to resign or be removed after the guilty verdict. “You can’t crime your way into legitimate power,” Gluesenkamp Perez wrote. “Since she was found guilty, she should resign or be removed.” HOUSE DEMOCRAT ACCUSES FELLOW DEM OF VIOLATING A ‘FREE AND FAIR ELECTION’ IN STUNNING PUBLIC MOVE A handful of other congressional Democrats said Friday they would consider backing an expulsion resolution if the indicted lawmaker did not leave on her own terms. A Jeffries spokeperson did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Despite the looming expulsion threat, Cherfilus-McCormick has given no indication she will resign. She is also running for a fourth term in November’s midterm elections. “I look forward to proving my innocence,” Cherfilus-McCormick said in a statement Friday. “Until then, my focus remains where it belongs: showing up for the great people of Florida’s 20th District who sent me to Washington to fight for them.” The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), House Republicans’ campaign arm, ripped congressional Democrats’ lack of outrage over Cherfilus-McCormick’s conduct. “The Ethics Committee just confirmed that Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick broke the rules, and House Democrats are still saying nothing,” NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella said Friday. “Their silence is a choice. Democrats can stand for accountability or keep protecting a proven ethics violator, but voters won’t forget it.”
JD Vance says he was ‘obsessed’ with UFOs, believes aliens are actually ‘demons’
While discussing the mystery surrounding UFOs, Vice President JD Vance, who is Catholic, said he believes what people think of as aliens are actually “demons.” While interviewing Vance, conservative commentator Benny Johnson asked the vice president, “You gonna release all the UFO files?” “Ah, we’re workin’ on it,” Vance said. He explained that when he took office he “was obsessed with the UFO files” but ended up being busy with other issues. Vance asserted that he will “get to the bottom” of the matter. JD VANCE SAYS UFOS, ALIENS COULD BE ‘SPIRITUAL FORCES’ AS VP VOWS TO ‘GET TO THE BOTTOM’ OF MYSTERY IN SKIES “I don’t think they’re aliens. I think they’re demons anyway,” Vance noted. Prompted by Johnson, Vance later elaborated on his view. “Well, look, I, I think that celestial beings who fly around, who do weird things to people — I think that the desire to describe everything celestial… to describe it as aliens — I mean every great world religion, including Christianity, the one that I believe in, has understood that there are weird things out there, and there are things that are very difficult to explain,” he said. “And I naturally go — when I hear about, sort of, extra-natural phenomenon — that’s where I go to is the Christian understanding that, you know, there’s a lotta good out there, but there’s also some evil out there,” he continued. UFO SECRET FILES, DRONE SWARMS AND NUCLEAR-LINKED SIGHTINGS STUN EXPERTS IN 2025 He added that he believes that among “the devil’s great tricks is to convince people he never existed.” Last month, President Donald Trump said he would order the release of files pertaining to the issue of aliens and UFOs. EXPLOSIVE NEW DOCUMENTARY PROBES ‘80-YEAR GLOBAL COVERUP’ OF UFO SECRETS “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!” the president declared in a February Truth Social post.