Fauci’s newly released COVID diaries reveal bizarre fixation on fame as pandemic deaths mounted
Newly released diary entries reveal that as COVID-19 deaths mounted around the world, former White House COVID advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci became increasingly fixated on his newfound celebrity. Released by Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul, R-Ky., the journals chronicle Fauci’s day-to-day role during the COVID-19 crisis through conversations with President Donald Trump, governors and world leaders, media appearances, and his personal observations as the pandemic unfolded. Paul, a longtime Fauci critic who frequently clashed with Fauci over the federal response and the origins of the virus, made the diaries public as part of the committee’s ongoing oversight investigation. The release comes days before Fauci is scheduled to testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee after being subpoenaed by Paul. GABBARD SAYS DECLASSIFIED BIOLAB RECORDS VALIDATE CONCERNS PREVIOUSLY DISMISSED AS MISINFORMATION A surprising recurring theme throughout the diaries is Fauci’s growing awareness of his own public profile during the most intense months of the pandemic, which ultimately claimed more than 7 million officially reported lives worldwide, including roughly 1.2 million in the United States. On April 7, 2020, after recording the latest pandemic developments, Fauci wrote: “Press still hot and heavy about me. Multiple stories per day directly or indirectly involving me.” SLACK MESSAGES RELEASED BY RAND PAUL APPEAR TO SHOW AUTHORS OF KEY COVID-19 ORIGIN PAPER HELD PRIVATE DOUBTS By May 21, after recording the latest pandemic figures — nearly 98,000 global deaths and more than 27,000 U.S. deaths — and documenting the day’s White House coronavirus task force meetings, Fauci wrote that his “national and international fame is explosive and really unimaginable” and that it was “not hyperbole” to say he was “the most famous and talked about person in the country.” He added that Trump “seems to be enamored of me even though I am taking the spotlight away from him,” writing that the two were developing “a very unique and interesting relationship.” Fauci also noted that Secret Service agents had become so familiar with him they often waved him through White House security without checking his identification. As the attention continued to grow, the diary increasingly documented how Fauci’s prominence had expanded beyond public health. A month later, as the United States recorded what Fauci described as a record 40,000 new COVID-19 cases in a single day, he wrote that he had been invited to appear on “Dancing with the Stars.” LEGACY MEDIA IGNORES MASSIVE ANTHONY FAUCI DOCUMENT RELEASE ALLEGING HE MISLED CONGRESS ON COVID ORIGINS The diaries also document Fauci’s growing frustration with the Trump White House. On July 2, 2020, after warning that the country could be entering an “exponential” increase in COVID-19 cases heading into the Fourth of July weekend, Fauci wrote, “POTUS and his people have essentially dropped out and do not even recognize that an outbreak is ongoing.” He also complained that the White House was denying requests for him to appear on major television programs. Across multiple entries, Fauci criticized White House communications officials for restricting his television appearances, questioned the administration’s public messaging and expressed frustration that media coverage increasingly portrayed him as being at odds with Trump. ANTHONY FAUCI DELIVERED ONE OF THE WORST FIRST PITCHES IN BASEBALL HISTORY SIX YEARS AGO Fauci also repeatedly defended himself against what he described as the “countless” profiles written about him. He wrote that White House officials were upset because the coverage made it appear he was becoming “a star that outshines” the president. He also insisted several of the profiles had been written without interviewing him and wrote that he had “no desire to conflict with, embarrass or show up the POTUS,” later deciding to stop participating in profile interviews altogether. Taken together, the entries offer an unusually personal account of Fauci’s role during one of the most consequential public health crises in modern U.S. history, capturing not only the government’s internal deliberations but also his private concerns about the pandemic, his increasingly complicated relationship with the Trump White House and the extraordinary public attention that followed.
Trump’s SAVE America Act stalls as McConnell’s absence complicates Senate path
One key Republican’s extended absence and unclear timetable for return is slowing down several legislative priorities, and could impact President Donald Trump’s Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act in an unexpected way. And while sparse statements from Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and his office say he’s on the mend, there has yet to be a hard date for when he’ll come back to Congress. It comes as Republicans are twisting and contorting Trump’s top election priority into something that could pass the Senate. Though McConnell has voted against the bill before, he would be a key player in crafting what it would look like in the upper chamber. TRUMP’S VOTER ID BILL CATCHES UNLIKELY BREAK AS MCCONNELL REMAINS SIDELINED “That could be an issue,” Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., told Fox News Digital. “I think there are a lot of issues.” That’s because McConnell is chair of the Senate Rules Committee, which will likely be responsible for drafting the version of the SAVE America Act that could pass muster in budget reconciliation, the process that Trump is pushing the GOP to use to pass the bill. The uncertainty around McConnell, coupled with the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s recent death, throws a wrench into the process. Graham was chair of the Senate Budget Committee, and acted as quarterback through two dances with reconciliation over the past year. SENATE RETURNS TO PACKED AGENDA AFTER GRAHAM’S DEATH SHRINKS GOP MARGIN But Graham’s replacement on the panel, Johnson, could step in and draft language for SAVE America as chair of the Budget Committee — Graham leapfrogged Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chair Rand Paul, R-Ky., in 2025 to draft his portion of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. “That’s my understanding — it actually falls to budget,” Johnson said. “So, again… this is still really early in the process, so I don’t have all the answers by a long stretch. Plus, we’ve got to find out what the conference wants to do, and what Leader John Thune wants to do.” Senate Majority Leader Thune, R-S.D., is focusing on preventing a government shutdown, and is encouraging ongoing bipartisan negotiations on a funding deal to continue. And he has threatened to press pause on reconciliation by holding the House’s own budget framework until that objective is accomplished. GOP RIFT GROWS AS THUNE HITS BRAKES ON TRUMP’S ELECTION BILL TO AVERT SHUTDOWN He reiterated to Fox News Digital that Republicans don’t have the votes to pass the SAVE America Act, and may not have the votes to pass a budget resolution in the upper chamber. And he noted that the SAVE America Act would have to comply with the Senate’s strict rules for reconciliation that unlock the 50-vote threshold, which the current version of the bill does not. Getting the legislation to a point where it wouldn’t slam into those guardrails has remained an open and difficult question for Republicans — Thune suggested that it could work if it’s “very carefully structured based upon incentive, mostly grant money,” for states. “So, you know, we’re gonna do everything we can to move that forward,” Thune said. “But as I told you before, the math on that hasn’t changed yet. It’s still likely to be a 60-vote exercise, even if it’s done with a budget resolution.” Trump demanded Republicans ram through their own budget resolution before they leave Washington, D.C., until after Labor Day on Truth Social Friday to fund defense, agriculture and pass “as much of the SAVE AMERICA ACT as possible.” “Our voters will be extremely happy — And even impressed,” Trump said. Meanwhile, Thune has received criticism from Republicans for his plan to hold up the reconciliation process in favor of averting a shutdown. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., told Fox News Digital the only option to pass SAVE America was through reconciliation, and he’s been working on his own plan in the background, and believes it could survive the Senate’s “Byrd” test. “I can’t guarantee it, but it’s a — I consider it to be a credible argument,” Kennedy said. “And I will try to do that, and I will try to, at the right time, bring my colleagues, and, more importantly, the parliamentarian, along. But if we don’t do it through reconciliation, through the House reconciliation, we won’t get it done.” “And I’m not sure it will work, but I think it might,” he continued. “It’s at least a 50/50 shot.”
EXCLUSIVE: Legal group tells NYPD cops they can contact ICE directly despite blue city’s sanctuary rules
EXCLUSIVE: A conservative legal group is telling New York City police officers they can contact U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) directly, even if local sanctuary policies say otherwise, releasing a new guide as border czar Tom Homan prepares a major immigration enforcement surge in the nation’s largest city. Fox News Digital has obtained an unreleased 35-page handbook titled “Law Enforcement Officer Immigration Cooperation Guide” from America First Legal (AFL) that tells state and local police officers they can share a person’s immigration-status information directly with ICE even if New York City or other sanctuary city policies say otherwise. The guide argues that Section 1373 of federal law bars state and local governments from preventing officers from sharing citizenship or immigration-status information with federal immigration authorities like ICE. TOM HOMAN WARNS ICE SURGE COMING TO NEW YORK CITY AS MAMDANI BOASTS ABOUT SANCTUARY STATUS America First Legal is a nonprofit which describes itself as “founded to unapologetically and boldly defend the rights of everyday Americans.” The guide arrives days after Homan revealed he had reviewed plans to deploy “more ICE agents than you’ve ever seen” into New York City after Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed an executive order reinforcing the city’s sanctuary-status policies. The guide repeatedly cites Section 1373 of federal immigration law, arguing that state and local governments “may not prohibit, or in any way restrict” officials from sending immigration-status information to federal authorities. DOJ ESCALATES BLUE-STATE ICE STANDOFF AFTER STATES REFUSE KEY FEDERAL REQUEST It tells officers they may contact ICE’s 24-hour Law Enforcement Support Center to verify a person’s immigration status using only a name and date of birth and says officers may do so “regardless of any local directive telling you not to,” according to the document obtained by Fox News Digital. The release comes as the Trump administration prepares to dramatically increase immigration enforcement in New York. Homan told Fox News last week that a significant ICE operation is coming to the city after self-described democratic socialist Mamdani reaffirmed New York’s sanctuary policies. NYC MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI RELEASES AUDIT ACCUSING FEDERAL IMMIGRATION AGENTS OF MISLEADING TACTICS “It’s coming,” Homan said. “There’s going to be a surge, and there needs to be a surge.” While Homan declined to discuss operational details, he said ICE would not back away from enforcing immigration law despite opposition from city leaders. The guide comes as Mamdani and the Trump administration continue to clash over immigration enforcement. Mamdani’s Executive Order 13 directs the NYPD to review, update and train officers on department policies governing communication, cooperation and coordination with federal immigration authorities. The order says the city believes “the aggressive tactics that certain non-local law enforcement agencies use in pursuing civil immigration enforcement actions… hinder public safety by creating a culture of fear.” America First Legal argues those local rules cannot lawfully prevent an officer from voluntarily sharing immigration-status information with ICE because federal law supersedes conflicting local policies. The guide also argues sanctuary policies could create legal risks for the officials who enforce them. AFL contends some officials could face federal criminal charges for obstructing immigration enforcement and that victims of crimes allegedly committed by illegal immigrants released despite ICE detainers could, in some cases, sue those officials under federal civil RICO law. The organization is also inviting officers who believe they were threatened, disciplined or retaliated against for cooperating with ICE to seek confidential legal representation. “Politicians who hide behind sanctuary policies are not above the law, and they have no right to bully or gag the officers who are trying to keep their communities safe,” AFL senior counsel James Rogers said in a statement accompanying the guide. Gene Hamilton, president of America First Legal, said officers “should never be forced to choose between following federal law and following unlawful directives to appease politicians committed to sanctuary policies.” New York City Hall did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital’s Taylor Penley contributed to this reporting.
China’s influence machine: Federal records expose Beijing’s push to sway America
President Donald Trump’s address to the nation alleging Chinese interference in American elections last week has renewed interest in Beijing’s broader influence efforts in the United States. Federal records show that a number of Chinese government entities, state-controlled media organizations and China-based companies have registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) to disclose operations with political implications carried out in the United States on their behalf. Lobbying Disclosure Act filings submitted to Congress by other Chinese entities, meanwhile, cover lobbying activity by companies pursuing what they say are purely commercial interests. Those filings provide a partial public record of how Chinese interests seek to shape U.S. policy, public opinion and commercial decisions, though they do not establish the full scope of Beijing’s activity or prove Trump’s election claims. Private entities based in China and Hong Kong, many of which have significant ties to the Chinese Communist Party, spend significant amounts of money attempting to influence America. The DOJ recorded over $20 million in FARA expenditures from these entities in 2025, with millions of dollars more being recorded in lobbying disclosures filed with Congress. Chinese government sources, over the same period, spent close to $80 million on FARA expenses. CHINA DISMISSES TRUMP ELECTION INTERFERENCE ACCUSATIONS AS ‘ENTIRELY FABRICATED,’ THREATENS COUNTERMEASURES Not every Chinese influence operation happens on the books, however. Campus groups that the State Department has linked to the Chinese government, such as the Chinese Students and Scholars Association, do not file paperwork with the DOJ, leaving Americans in the dark regarding their operations. Additionally, any groups that fall under China’s United Front Work Department — a global network of CCP loyalists that work to advance Beijing’s interests abroad — don’t file disclosures owing to their clandestine nature. China hawks have also argued that some powerful domestic nonprofits have significant links to the CCP, giving it yet another mechanism it can use to influence the United States. “China is committed to promoting mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese and American peoples and advancing exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in areas including trade, education and culture,” a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy told Fox News Digital. “China’s international exchanges and cooperation are open and transparent, with the aim of enhancing mutual understanding and achieving mutual benefit.” “Portraying China’s normal international exchanges and cooperation as so-called ‘influence operations’ distorts facts and stigmatizes legitimate engagement,” they added. While the true extent of China’s influence in the United States is unknown, the evidence that is available to the public paints a picture of a broad, multi-front effort to shape how Americans live and think. ‘Propaganda’ Among China’s most prevalent levers of influence is its state-run media apparatus, which academic sources and the federal government often describe as a “propaganda” operation. Globally, the State Department estimated in 2023 that China spends “billions of dollars annually on foreign information manipulation efforts.” Five Chinese media operations are registered as active foreign agents in the United States, DOJ records show. CCTV, Xinhua News and China Daily each have direct affiliations with the CCP, whereas Sing Tao News Corporation is privately owned but consistently takes a pro-Beijing stance in its coverage. CCTV, which is operated by the Chinese government, runs CGTN America, China’s flagship English-language media operation. DOJ filings reviewed by Fox News Digital show that CGTN received $66.8 million in funding from CCTV between February and November 2025 — a significant chunk of China’s overall foreign influence budget. FIRST ON FOX: POWERFUL HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS CHAIR THROWS HAMMER DOWN ON ‘FOREIGN-ALIGNED INFLUENCE NETWORK’ In 2025, CGTN amplified rhetoric similar to that pushed by Democratic politicians. The network pushed left-of-center rhetoric on issues such as climate change, racial tensions, immigration and the war in Gaza while criticizing Trump’s tariffs as well as his efforts to make Washington, D.C., safer through law enforcement and National Guard deployments. CGTN has also been eager to praise California Gov. Gavin Newsom, seen by many as one of Trump’s chief political rivals. A 2022 academic paper published by researchers at King’s College in London argued that, despite appearances, CGTN doesn’t aim to influence voter behavior or have a strict ideological slant but rather seeks to portray America as “poorly governed, plutocratic, racist and a destabilizing international influence” in contrast to a China that is “well governed, benign, stable and a rising superpower.” All the Chinese media operations designated as foreign agents tend to publish similar content. An appendix in one of Xinhua’s filings reveals that the federal government required it to register under FARA because the DOJ believes that it “intends to influence the American public or policy makers on relevant topics such as U.S. policy or foreign relations.” “Chinese media outlets conduct news reporting and information dissemination in accordance with the law. Labeling outlets such as Xinhua, CGTN and China Daily as ‘propaganda tools’ or ‘foreign influence instruments’ reflects ideological bias and a Cold War mentality, rather than an objective view of international media exchanges,” the embassy spokesperson told Fox News Digital. The China lobby Representing the interests of Chinese companies, even those that the U.S. government warns are working on behalf of the Chinese military, is big business for American lobbyists. Lobbying records show that dozens of American lobbyists have signed new contracts with dozens of companies partially or fully owned by Chinese entities since 2025. FARA records, meanwhile, reveal that seven Chinese companies — Huawei, BOE Technology America, Yangtze Memory Technologies, XH Smart Tech China, Hikvision, Futurewei Technologies and JinkoSolar — maintain active foreign agent registrations in the United States. A Chinese company advocating for its own commercial interests usually files lobbying disclosures with Congress under the Lobbying Disclosure Act, whereas an organization carrying out what the federal government determines to be political, governmental or broader public-influence work for a foreign principal typically reports to the DOJ under FARA. LAWMAKERS RAISE ALARM OVER NEVILLE ROY SINGHAM’S $278M NETWORK SPREADING CCP PROPAGANDA IN THE U.S. Hikvision, a partially state-owned video surveillance equipment manufacturer based in China,
100 day sprint to the midterms kicks off as Republicans and Democrats clash for control across the country
The 2026 midterm elections are 100 days away as Republicans and Democrats will battle in Congress and statehouses across the country for control over the future of the country in what is expected to be a contentious and expensive campaign season. Republicans currently hold narrow majorities in both chambers of Congress, controlling the House with a razor-thin 218-212 edge, with one independent and four vacancies, and the Senate with a 53-47 advantage, including two independents who caucus with Democrats. With every House seat and 35 Senate seats on the ballot, Democrats need a net gain of just six House seats to reclaim the speaker’s gavel and four Senate seats to win back the upper chamber, making even a handful of competitive races capable of reshaping the balance of power in Washington. The latest Fox News Power Rankings suggest a tough road ahead for Republicans as they go up against the historical headwind of the party not in power usually performing well in midterm elections, but the GOP will be bolstered in the House by redistricting wins in states like Florida and Texas. FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS WANT MAJOR CHANGE AMID ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL DISCONTENT “We are in a prime position to win it in November,” Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Joe Gruters told Fox News this week. “Under Biden we had some of the highest inflation ever. Gas prices were high. And this president has gone to bat for average Americans every single day, starting with ‘Working Family Tax Cuts,’ no tax on tips, overtime, social security. The fact that he’s been going to bat for the American worker, bringing record setting investments. The fact that he closed the border down.” The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), has been focusing on the economy and affordability in its messaging over the last few days as they promote Democrats in House races. “From groceries to gas to health care, House Republicans have bled Americans’ wallets dry with their cost-raising agenda,” DCCC spokesperson Nebeyatt Betre said in a press release. “Voters are exhausted by all the bad news vulnerable House Republicans have created, and the DCCC is working to make sure voters know they can hold Republicans accountable on Election Day.” If the election were today, 53% of voters would back the Democratic candidate in their House district and 46% the Republican,” a Fox News poll released this week showed. That 7-point edge is just outside the poll’s margin of error. Democrats were up by 5 points in April. Notably, 53% is the highest percentage either party has received on the generic House ballot in Fox News polling since 1996. But helping the GOP in the battle for the House majority: the mid-decade redistricting fight over the past year between the two parties, which handed Republicans a net gain of roughly 10 additional right-leaning congressional districts. DSA MEMBER LEADS DEM PRIMARY IN MIDWEST BATTLEGROUND BUT TRAILS LIKELY GOP NOMINEE: POLL In the Senate, Republicans are looking to hold on to seats in Alaska, North Carolina, Ohio, and Maine with record amounts of spending already pouring into those states as Democrats hope to capitalize on the historic, economic, foreign policy and anti-incumbent mood among voters. The upcoming November clash comes as the Democratic Party deals with a socialist wave of candidates taking more and more control and winning primary races across the country, causing headaches for establishment Democratic leaders like Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the top two Democrats in Congress. Just 50% of voters have a positive view of capitalism, down from a high of 57% in 2019, Fox News polling shows. For socialism, it’s 30% favorable, up from 27% last year but below the 32% who said the same in 2021. The Democratic Socialists of America are viewed positively by 31%. By an 11-point margin, more Democrats have a favorable opinion of socialism (52%) than capitalism (41%), while by a 50-point margin, more Republicans have a positive view of capitalism (61%) than socialism (11%). GOP RIFT GROWS AS THUNE HITS BRAKES ON TRUMP’S ELECTION BILL TO AVERT SHUTDOWN Republicans are hoping to capitalize on the socialist rise within the Democratic Party, particularly after the socialist victories in New York City that rocked the political landscape in recent months. “Democrats want to export New York’s ‘commie corridor’ to a state near you, bringing crippling tax hikes, dismantled law enforcement, and bloated government spending with it,” NRSC national press decretary Bernadette Breslin said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Americans will reject Democrats’ socialist spending spree this November and elect Republicans committed to advancing an affordability agenda that keeps the American Dream within reach.” NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella told Fox News Digital that Republicans have the “momentum” and over the next 100 days, House Democrats will “spend every day trying to explain away their radical socialist record and why they opposed tax relief for working families, stronger border security, voter ID, and countless common-sense policies Americans overwhelmingly support.” The RNC enters the final 100 days before the 2026 midterms with a significant financial advantage over its Democratic counterpart. According to the latest Federal Election Commission filings, the RNC has roughly $125.5 million in cash on hand, compared to about $14.9 million for the Democratic National Committee, which is also carrying approximately $18 million in debt. While Democrats remain competitive through their congressional campaign committees and strong fundraising by individual candidates, the national party apparatus currently favors Republicans by a wide margin. “So why does the DNC have less cash on hand than some expect?” DNC Chair Ken Martin wrote in a memo this week. “Because we made a conscious decision to invest money in the work required to win in 2025, 2026 and beyond. We are converting the cash we raise into electoral assets: more people, earlier organizing, better technology, and stronger state parties.” Martin continued, “That answer may be unsatisfying to people who believe the purpose of a political party is to accumulate the largest possible bank balance until
WATCH: Democrats blast Trump Saudi nuclear deal as GOP touts regional alliance
Lawmakers offered strikingly divided reactions to the White House’s announcement of a new nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia, with Democrats concerned about accelerating a nuclear program in the Middle East and Republicans emphasizing the need for partnership in the region. “I don’t trust anybody as far as I can throw them, but we’ve got to develop allies,” Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., told Fox News Digital. “And as long as we can verify them, we have the people there that can verify that they’re using them for the proper uses, then we’re OK.” The Department of Energy released details Wednesday on the agreement, which would support the development of a civilian nuclear energy program in Saudi Arabia by providing U.S. technology and expertise. The agreement also includes safeguards intended to ensure nuclear materials are not diverted for weapons development. IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL HINGES ON IAEA ACCESS TO LONG-BLOCKED ATOMIC WEAPON SITES, EXPERTS SAY Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., blasted the proposal as “outrageous,” and Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., argued allowing Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium without strict safeguards could “cause a nuclear arms race.” “The president says what we’re trying to do is to stop Iran from having a nuclear weapon, but if Saudi Arabia… does not meet all the protocols, etc., then it could cause an arms race where Egyptians or others in the area want a nuclear weapon,” Meeks said. TRUMP’S IRAN DEAL SPARKS GOP DEMANDS FOR VOTE AS CONGRESS REMAINS IN THE DARK Rep. Mark Alford, R-Miss., said Congress should be central in the decision to pursue any final agreement, while also stressing the importance of having Saudi Arabia as a regional partner. “I think it’s important with any agreement like that that Congress have a role in that and I look forward to reviewing that,” Alford said. “As we continue our conflict with Iran, we need partners in that region who are of the same mindset,” Alford continued. “And Saudi, with its reforms that they’re undergoing right now, gives me great hope and encouragement that we can move forward together in that region to help bring lasting peace.” BOOKER SLAMS TRUMP’S IRAN DEAL AS AN ‘ABJECT SURRENDER,’ LABELS HIM THE ‘BIGGEST LOSER’ WITH ‘EGG ON HIS FACE’ Raskin also raised questions to Fox News Digital about President Donald Trump’s family’s financial ties to Saudi Arabia. “Now the Trump administration allows the Saudis to enrich uranium,” Raskin said. “So, the Saudis enrich the Trumps, and the Trumps allow the Saudis to enrich uranium and then we’re going to have more nuclear weapons in the Middle East to set off another nuclear arms race there.” The agreement comes as the Trump administration seeks to strengthen its partnership with Saudi Arabia while maintaining pressure on Iran over its nuclear program, a balancing act Congress is likely to scrutinize in coming months.
Federal appeals court rejects Trump bid to enforce mail ballot order ahead of midterm elections
A federal appeals court on Saturday refused to let the Trump administration enforce key parts of President Donald Trump’s executive order tightening mail-in voting rules in 23 Democratic-led states, a setback that could send the administration to the U.S. Supreme Court ahead of this year’s midterm elections. In a 2-1 decision, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) request to pause a June ruling blocking several provisions of Trump’s March executive order while the administration appeals. The DOJ previously told the court it could seek emergency relief from the Supreme Court if it did not prevail. The administration argued the lawsuit was premature because federal agencies had not finalized the policies needed to implement the executive order. But the appeals court found the plaintiff states were already facing looming election deadlines and had begun preparing for potential changes. OBAMA-APPOINTED JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP’S ELECTION ORDER AS SAVE AMERICA ACT FIGHT INTENSIFIES “As the district court reasoned, the (executive order) lays out a clear set of rapidly approaching deadlines by which states must coordinate with federal officials and comply with new voting procedures,” the majority wrote. “The Plaintiff States have no practical choice but to respond to the (order) now.” Trump signed Executive Order 14399 in March as part of his election integrity agenda. The order directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to compile lists of confirmed U.S. citizens eligible to vote and provide them to states, instructs the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to establish new standards for mail-in ballots and directs the Justice Department to prioritize investigations into state and local election officials who issue federal ballots to people deemed ineligible to vote. ‘ROGUE’ OBAMA JUDGE’S SMACKDOWN OF TRUMP ELECTION RULES PROVOKES OMINOUS WARNING FROM WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY The lawsuit was brought by 23 states and the District of Columbia, led by California, Massachusetts, Nevada and Washington. The states argue the Constitution gives them primary responsibility for administering federal elections and that the president exceeded his authority by directing federal agencies to impose new voting requirements. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani agreed in June, ruling that several provisions of the executive order likely exceeded the president’s authority and blocking federal agencies from implementing them in the plaintiff states through the Nov. 3 federal elections. Saturday’s ruling does not resolve the underlying legal challenge but leaves Talwani’s injunction in place while the appeal proceeds. The White House and the Justice Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
Court checks Pritzker as Trump administration scores another immigration win
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker was dealt a major legal blow Friday after a federal judge gutted key state laws providing in-state tuition, financial aid and scholarships to illegal immigrants, marking another win for the Trump administration’s nationwide immigration agenda. U.S. District Judge Stephen McGlynn, a Trump appointee serving in the Southern District of Illinois, sided with the Justice Department, ruling that Illinois’ in-state tuition policies, the RISE Act and the Illinois DREAM Act are “unconstitutional and invalid” as they apply to illegal immigrants. The ruling permanently prevents Illinois from enforcing the laws, although McGlynn delayed the order from taking effect for 14 days to allow the state to ask an appeals court to intervene. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SUES COLORADO OVER IN-STATE TUITION AND FINANCIAL AID FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS U.S. Attorney Steven Weinhoeft celebrated the ruling. “Illinois sought to incentivize illegal immigration on the taxpayer’s dime by treating illegal aliens better than U.S. citizens living in other states, in clear violation of federal law,” Weinhoeft said in a statement. “This ruling enforces the statute Congress wrote and stops the State from putting illegal aliens ahead of American citizens.” The decision is the latest victory for the Trump administration’s effort to dismantle state laws extending higher education benefits to illegal immigrants and comes one day after the Justice Department filed a similar lawsuit against Colorado. NEBRASKA ENDS IN-STATE TUITION BENEFITS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS UNDER DOJ DEAL The Justice Department filed the lawsuit against Illinois and a handful of colleges in September 2025, arguing Illinois violated federal law by offering in-state tuition and financial aid to illegal immigrants without making those same benefits available to all U.S. citizens regardless of where they live. McGlynn granted the federal government’s motion for summary judgment and denied Illinois’ motion to dismiss. The ruling invalidates Illinois’ in-state tuition rules, the RISE Act, which provides access to state financial aid for certain students ineligible for federal aid, and the Illinois DREAM Act, which established scholarship opportunities for eligible students. DOJ ESCALATES BLUE-STATE ICE STANDOFF AFTER STATES REFUSE KEY FEDERAL REQUEST Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill. praised the decision on X. “This is a win for Illinois taxpayers and American students who were shut out while Pritzker prioritized foreigners in our country illegally,” Miller wrote. The Justice Department has won or reached settlements in similar cases involving Texas, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Nebraska, with Nebraska agreeing to end in-state tuition benefits for illegal immigrants as part of a settlement. Lawsuits remain pending against Minnesota, Virginia, California, New Jersey, Kansas, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maryland and Colorado. In its lawsuit filed Thursday against Colorado, the Justice Department argued the state’s ASSET Act and related policies unlawfully provide lower tuition rates and state financial aid to illegal immigrants while denying those same benefits to out-of-state U.S. citizens. “For three decades, Congress has made clear that Colorado cannot give education benefits to illegal aliens that it does not give to all American citizens,” Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward said. “By granting illegal aliens in-state tuition, Colorado is not only violating federal law but subsidizing education for illegal aliens at taxpayers’ expense. “Our litigation efforts will not cease until we have fulfilled President Trump’s promise that illegal aliens will not obtain preferential treatment over our nation’s own citizens.” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’ office defended the state’s policies. “The federal government seizing control of determining in-state tuition across the country is absurd,” a Polis spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital. “In Colorado, we are expanding access to education to provide students with the skills to get good-paying jobs and doubling down on strategies to save students money.” Fox News Digital reached out to Pritzker’s office for comment.
Biden judge blocking Ethiopian deportations despite SCOTUS ruling clashed with ICE before
A Biden-appointed federal judge on Friday became the second jurist in Massachusetts to block the Trump administration’s effort to end temporary protected status for migrant groups, fueling a growing clash over whether lower courts are ignoring a recent Supreme Court ruling that narrowed their authority over such decisions. U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy of the District of Massachusetts issued an administrative stay in African Communities Together v. Mullin, temporarily preserving TPS protections for Ethiopian nationals while the court considers whether plaintiffs may pursue constitutional claims in light of the Supreme Court’s June ruling. In a 6-3 decision in Mullin v. Doe, the Supreme Court significantly narrowed lower courts’ authority to block DHS decisions designating or terminating TPS. SUPREME COURT’S LATEST IMMIGRATION RULING WILL CAUSE AMERICANS TO ‘DIE AND SUFFER’ ATTORNEY WARNS Murphy’s ruling drew a swift response from DHS General Counsel James Percival, who accused him of “mutiny” against the Supreme Court and revived criticism of the judge’s May 2025 order halting a deportation flight to South Sudan. DHS blamed Murphy for leaving ICE officers stranded at a U.S. military base in Djibouti, where officials said they faced malaria exposure and the threat of rocket attacks from terrorist groups in neighboring Yemen. “Remember when that district judge rerouted a plane with child rapists headed for South Sudan? The judge made ICE land in Djibouti to face Malaria and terrorist rocket attacks from Yemen,” Percival wrote on X. “Fun fact: it was the very same Judge Brian Murphy who entered a lawless TPS order today!” Murphy’s order Friday comes amid a months-long legal fight over the Trump administration’s effort to end Ethiopia’s TPS designation. The litigation began after then-Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem determined in December 2025 that conditions in Ethiopia no longer justified Temporary Protected Status and announced the designation would terminate. Under the department’s notice, Ethiopia’s TPS designation was set to expire after a 60-day wind-down period, with protections ending on Feb. 13, 2026, before Judge Brian Murphy intervened. SUPREME COURT WEIGHS TRUMP EFFORT TO TERMINATE TEMPORARY PROTECTIONS FOR HAITIAN, SYRIAN MIGRANTS Earlier this year, Murphy sided with the challengers, granting their motion to postpone DHS’s termination of Ethiopia’s TPS designation after finding they were likely to succeed on claims that the department failed to follow the procedures Congress established for ending TPS. But litigation was upended on June 25 after the Supreme Court ruled in Mullin v. Doe that lower courts generally cannot hear Administrative Procedure Act challenges to DHS decisions designating or terminating TPS. Since the Administrative Procedure Act formed the legal backbone of the plaintiffs’ challenge, the Trump administration argued Murphy’s injunction had been undermined and should be lifted. However, the Supreme Court left open whether constitutional claims could still proceed, leading the plaintiffs to revise their complaint to focus on those arguments. BLUE STATE LEADERS ERUPT AFTER SUPREME COURT’S DECISION ENDING TPS PROTECTIONS FOR HAITIANS, SYRIANS Murphy’s ruling comes just hours after another judge in the District of Massachusetts, Senior U.S. District Judge Patti Saris, temporarily halted the Trump administration’s effort to terminate TPS for South Sudan. Saris issued an administrative stay preserving protections while she considers whether plaintiffs may amend their lawsuit following the Supreme Court’s ruling. Like the Ethiopia case, the South Sudan challenge was brought by African Communities Together along with individual TPS holders. Saris said her order was simply meant to temporarily maintain the status quo while the court considers the case and was “not a ruling on the merits.” The tandem rulings led to calls for the Trump administration to ignore the lower court’s ruling. “These Democrat operatives in robes do not have the power to do this,” Mike Davis, a conservative legal activist and founder of the Article III Project, wrote on X. “The Supreme Court just made that crystal clear. So it’s time to ignore these clearly lawless orders.” “These puny little district court judges have been overruled so many times by the supreme court, especially on immigration, I think it’s time for the president to take his constitutional oath seriously, and ignore them,” Ann Coulter, a conservative political commentator, wrote on X. Murphy has repeatedly clashed with the Supreme Court over the Trump administration’s immigration policies, with the justices twice siding with the administration in its challenge to his orders restricting deportations of illegal aliens to countries that are not their homelands. The Biden administration first granted Ethiopians temporary protected status in 2022, declaring that war and a worsening humanitarian crisis had made it unsafe to return them to their home country. Then-DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas pointed to ongoing armed conflict, widespread violence, human rights abuses and food insecurity, among reasons for the basis of the designation. The protections took effect on Dec. 12, 2022, and were later extended through Dec. 12, 2025. DHS estimated approximately 26,700 Ethiopian nationals living in the United States could qualify for TPS. Fox News Digital reached out to African Communities Together for comment.
Maine Democrats crown Troy Jackson as Platner replacement as fresh scrutiny clouds Senate reset
BANGOR, Maine – Maine Democrats on Saturday quickly coronated Troy Jackson as their party’s Senate nominee — following this month’s spectacular implosion of ex-candidate Graham Platner — in the high-stakes Senate showdown with longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins. Jackson, a former state Senate president, was elected in a landslide at the Maine Democratic Party’s nominating convention in Bangor. He was on a glide path to the nomination after winning the vast majority of the voting delegates chosen last weekend by Democrats in the northern New England state’s 16 counties. Jackson’s top rivals in the race to replace Platner backed him after dropping out of the race the past few days, leaving only one long-shot candidate for delegates to also consider at the convention. He defeated Saundra Pelletier, a pharmaceutical company CEO, by a 566-5 margin in Saturday’s vote. The Senate race in Maine, where Collins is the only GOP incumbent running for re-election in a state President Donald Trump lost in the 2024 election, is one of roughly a dozen midterm showdowns across the country that will determine if Republicans hold onto their slim majority or if the Democrats win back control of the chamber. WHO’S UP AND WHO’S DOWN: CHECK OUT THE FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS ON THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS “Are you ready to defeat Susan Collins? Well, then let’s unite this party. Let’s build the largest working class movement Maine has ever seen. And let’s win this fight,” Jackson, a fifth-generation logger from the remote northern tip of Maine and a one-time conservative Republican who became a Democrat over two decades ago, said in convention speech just ahead of the delegate vote. While Jackson quickly raised over $1 million for his burgeoning Senate campaign and coalesced party support, there are some potential warning signs. Following reports this past week digging into Jackson’s alleged temper and workplace conduct, reported claims of mortgage improprieties as well as other potential liabilities including his past strict anti-abortion stance, there are concerns by some in the party that following the Platner implosion, Democrats have landed another unvetted nominee. “This is a bit of a rocket vetting process,” a Democratic strategist who works on Senate races, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, told Fox News Digital. “Maine Democrats have seemingly made their choice and they’re just going to have to ride with it.” A veteran Democratic consultant who also asked for anonymity said that “it’s very clear that Democrats should not be looking to Maine to flip the Senate.” “The good news is that we have upset opportunities in places like Texas, Iowa, and Alaska,” added the consultant, who works with centrist Democratic Senate candidates. Platner, a military combat veteran and oyster farmer who was backed by progressive champion and Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont soon after he launched his bid last August, saw his campaign quickly catch fire. Two-term Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, who was heavily recruited by longtime Democratic Senate leader Sen. Chuck Schumer to run for the Senate, suspended her campaign this spring after trailing Platner in fundraising and in the polls. FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TROY JACKSON, WHO’S ABOUT TO REPLACE GRAHAM PLATNER AS THE DEMOCRATS’ SENATE NOMINEE But even as Platner steamrolled the Democratic establishment and crushed the competition last month in Maine’s primary to capture the nomination, he had already been forced on defense in the wake of a slew of scandals. Platner dropped out earlier this month, amid calls from top Democrats in Maine and across the country to immediately exit the race following an explosive report containing an allegation of rape from a woman he previously dated. Platner denied the report but stepped aside. Jackson, who unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, campaigned alongside Platner during the primary. And he quickly made the case that he was the best equipped candidate to grab the mantle of the progressive and populist movement that had backed Platner. Similar to Platner, Jackson is running on a platform aimed at working-class voters. He backs raising taxes on billionaires, the universal healthcare system known as “Medicare-for-all,” abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and he opposes military aid to Israel at a time that Democrats are increasingly divided on support for America’s longtime Middle East ally. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB Jackson, who also had Sanders’ support as he ran for governor, is currently backed in his Senate campaign by Our Revolution, the group born in 2016 out of Sanders’ first presidential campaign. Rep. Ro Khanna of California, a leading progressive in the House and a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender, was a top Platner backer. Khanna quickly moved his support to Jackson in this month’s sprint to succeed Platner. And Jackson enjoys strong support from labor unions in Maine. The labor backing, along with support from Platner’s former allies, helped Jackson capture the overwhelming majority of county-selected delegates last weekend. The 500 delegates chosen last weekend, along with 101 selected by the state party, voted in Saturday’s convention. Republicans argued that Democrats stacked the deck to back Jackson as Platner’s replacement. “This coronation is proof that Democrats are willing to shove socialism down the throats of Maine voters, even if it means spitting in the face of Democracy to do it. Troy Jackson is a Platner apologist, a radical Bernie Bro, and a walking red flag displaying all the warning signs of the early days of the Platner campaign,” Republican National Committee spokesperson Kristen Cianci charged in a statement to Fox News Digital. Cianci called Collins “a proven leader with unimpeachable character.” Collins, as she runs for a sixth six-year term in the Senate, is facing a rough political climate for Republicans, amid GOP President Donald Trump’s underwater approval ratings, persistent inflation and what polls indicate is an unpopular war with Iran. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER The senator, known as a moderate Republican who at times has voted against Trump, last month received