Trump floats replacing 250th anniversary concert with massive MAGA rally after artists pull out
President Donald Trump on Saturday floated the idea of hosting a massive MAGA rally to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary after numerous artists pulled out of a planned concert this summer. In a lengthy Truth Social post, Trump suggested scrapping the Great American State Fair’s Freedom 250 concerts. He also took aim at a federal judge who on Friday ordered that his name be removed from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. “We should have a giant MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN RALLY, for 250, instead of having overpriced singers, who nobody wants to hear, whose music is boring, and yet who do nothing but complain,” Trump wrote. “Cancel it, just like I canceled my involvement with the failing and unsafe to be in Kennedy Center, because a Highly Conflicted, Crooked Federal Judge, said that I should not be allowed to spend my time and money in order to MAKE THE CENTER GREAT AGAIN, actually, far greater than it ever was before!” he continued. AMERICA 250 EVENTS TAKING PLACE THIS SUMMER CALLED ‘ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME’ TRAVEL OPPORTUNITIES The comments came as several artists backed out of performing at the Great American State Fair, a large-scale national celebration planned on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., stretching from the U.S. Capitol to the Washington Monument. The event is scheduled to run from June 25 through July 10, 2026, as part of the nation’s America 250 celebration. Earlier this week, Freedom 250 organizers released a list of performers slated to appear at the event, but several artists later withdrew, including Martina McBride, Bret Michaels, Young MC, Morris Day and The Time, and C+C Music Factory. FIVE ARTISTS PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SHOULD CALL TO PERFORM AT FREEDOM 250 CONCERT THIS SUMMER Other performers, including rapper Vanilla Ice, have said they are “honored” to participate. In a separate social media post Saturday, Trump suggested he could replace the concert with a major speech after several artists got “the yips.” “I understand Artists are getting ‘the yips’ having to do with their performance on Wednesday, so I am thinking about bringing the Number One Attraction anywhere in the World, the man who gets much larger audiences than Elvis in his prime, and he does so without a guitar, the man who loves our Country more than anyone else, and the man who some say is the Greatest President in History (THE GOAT!), DONALD J. TRUMP, to take the place of these highly paid, Third Rate ‘Artists,’ and give a major speech, rallying the Country forward like I have done ever since being President!” Trump wrote. TRUMP CALLS ON AMERICANS TO PRAY FOR NATION AS 250TH BIRTHDAY APPROACHES: ‘ONE NATION UNDER GOD’ Trump said he was considering delivering the speech and holding a rally June 24 to kick off the festivities. “I don’t want so-called ‘Artists’ that get paid far too much money, who aren’t happy,” he wrote. “I only want to be surrounded by Happy People, Smart People, Successful People, and People that know how to WIN.” Freedom 250 later announced that Trump would, in fact, deliver a speech ahead of the Great American State Fair. “As the visionary behind the Great American State Fair, we are excited to announce that President Trump will personally kick off this historic celebration on Wednesday, June 24 in an opening ceremony celebrating America’s 250th birthday,” Freedom 250 spokeswoman Danielle Alvarez wrote on X. Fox News Digital’s Lori A Bashian and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
Senate candidate Graham Platner sent explicit texts to multiple women while married, wife says: report
Graham Platner, the Democratic candidate looking to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins in Maine, exchanged sexual texts with several women after marrying his wife two years ago, according to a report. Platner’s campaign confirmed the text exchanges to Politico following a report from the Wall Street Journal that claimed his wife, Amy Gertner, told a campaign aide about the texts after he launched his senate bid as they began looking into potential political liabilities. Gertner discovered the messages months after the couple married in 2024, the WSJ reported. She made the private revelation before Platner held a campaign rally last year supported by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., but the aide decided the texts were a private matter for the couple, the campaign said, according to the newspaper. PLATNER’S ONLINE PAST GETS RAUNCHIER WITH CRUDE TAKES ON ‘LATIN AMERICAN HOOKERS,’ CHEATING ABROAD Gertner said in a statement to the Journal: “I confided deeply personal details about my marriage to someone I considered a friend. In the months since, I have had to watch as she spread malicious gossip to anyone who would take her call. I trusted this person with the most private chapter of our lives — the early days of our marriage before any campaign was on our mind — and I am deeply hurt by her betrayal and the invasion of our privacy.” She added that she and her husband: “Did the hard work that marriage requires. We went to counseling. We were honest with each other in ways that weren’t easy. And we came through it, not in spite of how much we’ve been through, but because of how much we love each other and the life we’ve built. Our marriage today is stronger than ever before.” Gertner added, “I know who Graham is. I know the man I married and the husband he has been to me on the best and the worst days of my life. That hasn’t changed, and it won’t.” TOP OFF-THE-WALL REDDIT POSTS HAUNTING GRAHAM PLATNER’S MAINE SENATE BID Platner, an oyster farmer and veteran who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, has also faced a number of controversies before this, including a since-removed tattoo that resembled a Nazi symbol, and past controversial comments on Reddit minimizing sexual assault and making crude remarks about masturbation and a deleted post where he claimed a wounded soldier “didn’t deserve to live.” Despite all this, a recent poll from the University of New Hampshire showed Platner holding a 51% to 42% lead among likely Maine voters. Platner is considered the presumptive Democratic nominee after Maine Gov. Janet Mills dropped out of the race in April. Fox News Digital has reached out to Platner’s campaign for comment. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., reiterated his support for Platner on Saturday. “I am proud of @grahamformaine for having the character to stand up against the war in Iran, against genocide, and against an unfair & lopsided economy,” he wrote on X. “I am proud of him for having a vision for a new deal for our time. Excited to campaign with him June 5!” Collins has called Platner too extreme for Maine. “I believe that will be the conclusion of Maine voters,” she previously told Fox News Digital. “But, obviously, I don’t take anything for granted.” Platner, in a Fox News Digital interview a week later, argued, “What’s radical is somebody like Susan Collins, who, for decades now, has made sure that we pass policies that are going to help corporations and billionaires to the detriment of working people, supporting over and over and over again, illegal and insane foreign wars.”
Delaney Hall protests intensify as far-left activists, ICE supporters converge in New Jersey
NEWARK, N.J. — The continued unrest outside Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark, New Jersey, took on a distinctly ideological tone during ICE demonstrations Saturday, as far-left communist-socialist activists and a far-right group clashed, transforming a protest over the center’s conditions into a broader political spectacle. The standoff began more than a week ago, when illegal immigrant detainees penned an open letter alleging physical and psychological torture, claiming they were being denied medical care and adequate food. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) quickly denied the allegations, releasing facility menus to prove detainees are provided three daily meals with options like chicken fajitas and Salisbury steak. NEW JERSEY AGITATORS BITE, KICK AND PUNCH ICE AGENTS AS DELANEY HALL CLASHES CONTINUE; 9 MORE ARRESTED: DHS After violent skirmishes earlier in the week, where federal agents were assaulted by agitators, Democrat Gov. Mikie Sherrill ordered the New Jersey State Police to take over security, claiming the move was necessary to protect the demonstrators from an “ICE surge.” By Saturday morning, the immigrant detention center had been transformed into a fortified zone surrounded by large orange plastic barricades and metal fencing. State officials admitted the chaos is being driven by outside instigators rather than local residents, with state Attorney General Jennifer Davenport confirming five of the six people arrested by state police this week were not from New Jersey. A crowd of roughly 200 anti-ICE demonstrators, heavily intertwined with far-left and socialist organizations, dominated the scene Saturday, chanting, “Stop ICE Gestapo! Communist revolution!” while distributing radical literature reading “LONG LIVE COMMUNISM!” and “NO PAPERS, NO BORDERS, NO BOSSES.” ICE supporters, including members who claimed to be part of the far-right Proud Boys, also made an appearance at the protest Saturday carrying pro-ICE flags, food and cases of water for law enforcement. Their arrival sent a shockwave through the heavily outnumbering anti-ICE crowd, with far-left agitators immediately rushing toward the barriers, screaming profanities and shifting their chants to “Proud Boys go home.” During a news conference Saturday afternoon, Sherrill claimed ICE engagement “creates an incredibly dangerous situation,” adding she refuses to “back down in fighting the Trump administration and the threats they’ve made.” Sherrill acknowledged that “national extremist groups” have infiltrated the protests to create chaos, warning out-of-state actors that they are endangering the public and not helping the detainees. “You’re not helping detainee families, and you’re certainly not keeping New Jersey safe today,” the governor said. “Going forward, I urge those protesting outside of Delaney Hall to bring the temperature down so we can focus on the detainees and their families. Comply with the lawful orders from local and state law enforcement and let advocates, faith leaders and members of this community continue their work here in America.” She added state health inspectors were recently blocked from viewing anything other than the facility’s kitchen, and called on the Department of Homeland Security to stop pressuring detainees into signing deportation documents.
Anti-ICE agitator charged with allegedly biting officers during Delaney Hall clashes
An anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agitator was hit with federal charges after gnarly photos showed bloody bite marks he allegedly made into federal agents’ arms during violent clashes outside Delaney Hall detention center in Newark, New Jersey. Brendan John Geier, a 26-year-old man from Madison, New Jersey, was part of a group of agitators blocking the road near Delaney Hall on Thursday night when ICE deportation officers instructed the group to move away, the U.S. Department of Justice said. The group allegedly ignored the commands and instead violently engaged with the officers, according to the DOJ. Geier then “engaged in a struggle with deportation officers, kicking officers and ultimately biting an officer’s forearm, and another’s knuckle. Both victims received treatment at a local hospital,” prosecutors said. He was charged with assaulting federal officers and causing bodily injury and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cari Fais on Friday, the DOJ said. “We will not tolerate the vicious attacks on ICE officers we’ve seen in New Jersey the last few days. These riots are clearly not ‘peaceful protests’ as you can see from the photos of these horrific wounds. Assault a federal officer, you’ll be held accountable,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote in a Friday afternoon post on X. NEW JERSEY AGITATORS BITE, KICK AND PUNCH ICE AGENTS AS DELANEY HALL CLASHES CONTINUE; 9 MORE ARRESTED: DHS Blanche posted to X photos of bloodied ICE agents displaying their wounds. “Peaceful protest doesn’t translate to violently attacking federal law enforcement officers,” Blanche said in a statement. “Federal officers are protecting United States’ property and facilities. With virtually no local law enforcement support from New Jersey, rioters are regrouping and attacking. We will not tolerate the vicious attacks we have seen in Newark the last few days, and we will make arrests and hold people accountable for criminal conduct.” “As alleged in the Justice Department’s complaint, this violent rioter savagely bit an ICE law enforcement officer outside of Delaney Hall. The Trump Administration will always stand with our law enforcement officers,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin also added in the statement. “Anyone who assaults a law enforcement officer will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” ANTI-ICE AGITATORS THROW WOODEN PALLETS, MATTRESSES AT FEDERAL AGENTS DURING CHAOTIC NJ DETENTION CENTER CLASH “As alleged, this defendant responded to lawful orders from federal officers by kicking one and biting two others who were performing their official duties,” U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer for the District of New Jersey also said in the statement. “Assaulting law enforcement officers is unacceptable. Period. Federal officers must be able to carry out their responsibilities without being subjected to violence, intimidation, or obstruction. This Office will continue to prosecute those who, as alleged here, assault officers and interfere with the lawful execution of their duties.” “To be clear, peaceful protest does not mean biting, kicking, or punching law enforcement officers,” Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark added in the statement. “The repeated assaults on federal officers at Delaney Hall are criminal acts — not protected speech. Homeland Security Investigations is unwavering in its commitment to hold those who attack law enforcement fully accountable under the law,” Karabinas concluded. Ongoing demonstrations outside Delaney Hall are entering their second week. Fox News Digital contacted the DOJ for additional information. On Saturday morning, anti-ICE agitators and counterprotesters were both seen outside Delaney Hall. A crowd was growing, and many officers were seen patrolling on bikes, with a visible divide between pro-ICE protesters and anti-ICE agitators. New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, who spent Memorial Day at Delaney Hall supporting the anti-ICE crowds, announced Friday that she was instructing New Jersey State Police to assume responsibility for public safety outside the detention center. Earlier in the week, Mullin had placed the blame on Sherrill for not allowing local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. DHS said local police were largely absent as federal agents were met with violent demonstrators. Fox News’ Kimberly Ruiz contributed to this report.
Trump threatened to ‘blow up’ Oman — why the tiny Gulf kingdom is caught between DC and Iran
President Donald Trump’s threat to “blow up” Oman if the Gulf kingdom didn’t “behave” has exposed a rare rupture with one of Washington’s most valuable Middle East partners — a country that has spent decades quietly serving as America’s backchannel to Iran. “The strait’s gotta be open to everybody,” the president said during a Cabinet meeting Wednesday. “It’s international waters. Nobody’s going to control it. We’re going to watch over it. We’ll watch over it, but nobody’s going to control it. That’s part of the negotiation that we have. They would like to control it; nobody’s going to control it. It’s international waters. And Oman will behave just like everybody else, or we’ll have to blow ’em up. They understand that. They’ll be fine.” The remark came amid a dispute over the future of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply passes. The Trump administration has strongly opposed reported discussions involving Iran and Oman over a potential tolling system or joint management arrangement for the strait, arguing such a move would threaten freedom of navigation and give Tehran greater influence over one of the world’s most important shipping routes. The comments reflected a broader dispute over how far Oman should go in its efforts to engage Iran as the two countries discuss proposals related to the future management of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important shipping routes. STRAIT OF HORMUZ TOLL WOULD SET ‘DANGEROUS PRECEDENT,’ UN SHIPPING AGENCY WARNS The Omani embassy and the White House could not be reached for comment on the underlying tensions or negotiations on the Strait of Hormuz. Situated on the southeastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, Oman occupies the southern side of the Strait of Hormuz and has long pursued a foreign policy distinct from many of its Gulf neighbors. While maintaining close security ties with the U.S., Muscat also has preserved relations with Iran, allowing it to serve as one of the region’s key intermediaries. Oman helped facilitate secret U.S.–Iran talks that paved the way for nuclear negotiations, has repeatedly served as a diplomatic channel between Washington and Tehran and has played a role in negotiations involving Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels. “Oman’s role as the Switzerland of the Middle East has advanced U.S. interests,” April Alley, a senior fellow at The Washington Institute, told Fox News Digital. “They have facilitated numerous rounds of talks between U.S. and Iranians,” she said. “They were also able to broker a truce between the US and the Houthis in the Red Sea. Their neutrality allows them to be quiet facilitators when adversaries are ready to talk.” Oman’s value to Washington historically has stemmed from its ability to maintain communication channels with actors that many U.S. partners cannot or will not engage directly. The Gulf kingdom has served as a go-between in negotiations involving the United States and Iran, supported diplomatic efforts related to Yemen and frequently positioned itself as a neutral intermediary during regional crises. Yacoubian described that role as “indispensable” to previous diplomatic efforts. “Oman has long played an important role as a quiet mediator, acting as a go-between for the United States and Iran in various negotiations including for the Obama-era JCPOA and more recently with the Trump administration and its efforts to negotiate with Iran prior to the 12-day war in June 2025,” she said. While Trump’s remarks drew attention, experts said they reflected a substantive disagreement over the future of the Strait of Hormuz rather than a purely rhetorical outburst. “I think it was both,” Alley said when asked whether the remarks were simply an unusual threat directed at a longtime U.S. partner or reflected deeper concerns. “Oman is an important defense partner, and the Trump administration has a record of working with them on mediation initiatives. The President has an unconventional style, but still this comment was shocking.” “Beyond the shock value, I think it reflects clear frustration on the part of the administration with the Omani approach to the Strait,” she said. “The President is signaling that Oman has gone too far in discussions with Iran on options for opening the Strait that could give Iran administrative control and interfere with freedom of navigation.” The administration’s concerns center on reports that Iran and Oman have discussed arrangements involving tolls, fees or joint administration of the strategic waterway. “The administration is right to be concerned about tolls, fees, or joint management of the Strait,” Alley said. “All of these things are a recipe for Iran interfering with freedom of navigation in the long term and they could set a dangerous precedent for other international waterways.” She warned that if Iran were able to exert administrative control over Hormuz, other Iran-backed groups could seek similar arrangements elsewhere. “I could see the Houthis trying for the same in the Bab al-Mandeb,” she said. Mona Yacoubian, senior adviser and director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, similarly argued that any arrangement that financially benefits Iran through management of the strait would be cause for concern. “If in fact under discussion, a joint management scheme that accrues monetary benefit to Iran, Oman, and possibly other GCC countries would be a justifiable cause for U.S. concern as this would undermine broader principles of freedom of navigation and set a worrying precedent globally,” she told Fox News Digital. Yacoubian said Oman likely is attempting to serve as a bridge between Iran and Gulf Arab states amid concerns over future shipping disruptions in the strait. “Oman is likely seeking to serve as a bridge between Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council states,” she said. But, Yacoubian added, “It is important to underscore that these types of threats are not well-received globally and contribute to an overall erosion of trust in the United States as a credible negotiator and leading global power.” WHY GULF STATES AREN’T JOINING THE WAR AGAINST
Bessent readies Trump $250 bill as one big hurdle stands between Treasury and making it reality
The Treasury Department is preparing a $250 note bearing President Donald Trump’s portrait for the nation’s 250th anniversary, but the bill can only move forward only if Congress changes federal law barring living people from U.S. currency. “It’s all up on Capitol Hill. At Treasury, we prepare things in advance. So we have prepared, in advance, that if the legislation is passed, but we will stick to the law,” explained Bessent. Trump’s portrait would be placed on $250 paper currency for the first time if lawmakers succeed in changing a key federal law that bars living people from appearing on the currency. Democratic lawmakers and leaders, meanwhile, are decrying the proposal as they escalate their opposition to Trump and the GOP. “In response to active legislation sponsored by Representative Joe Wilson, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) is conducting appropriate planning and due diligence. Should this legislative mandate be signed into law, the BEP is moving proactively to produce a $250 commemorative note which will appropriately recognize the 250th Anniversary of our great nation,” a Treasury spokesperson told Fox News Digital when asked about the bills. TREASURY TO PLACE TRUMP’S SIGNATURE ON PAPER CURRENCY TO MARK US 250TH ANNIVERSARY Staunch Trump supporter, Republican South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson, introduced the bill in February 2025. Wilson introduced the bill not only to coincide with America’s birthday in July, but also as a rebuke of the Biden administration and its economic policies. The bill was referred to the House Financial Services Committee when it was introduced and has remained with the committee. The Federal Reserve currently issues only seven denominations: $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100. Kentucky Republican Rep. Andy Barr posted an image to X in January of the reported mock-up of the bill, which showed red, white and blue colors behind Trump’s image. “I have two mandates for U.S. currency at present. That no living person can be on U.S. currency. And the currency must say, ‘In God we trust,’” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent while hosting the White House press briefing Thursday. ANDREW BATES: TRUMP KILLED OUR ECONOMY IN JUST 100 DAYS. DEMOCRATS MUST ACT NOW Democrats quickly took to social media to criticize the proposal, arguing it centered on Trump’s personal legacy rather than the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration. “By the end of Trump’s term, it’ll be just enough to buy one gallon of gas and a carton of eggs,” said former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in an X post. “Hard No on a Trump $250 bill. Get over yourself. The upcoming July 4 anniversary is not about a wannabe King. It’s about celebrating the American journey,” wrote Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on X. “While Americans are being crushed by rising prices, Trump is brainstorming new ways to stoke his ego. Maybe if he were more focused on lowering costs for working families, they wouldn’t need a new $250 bill to afford necessities,” said Democratic Virginia Sen. Mark Warner. SEN JIM BANKS: TRUMP’S NEW TRIUMPHAL ARCH IS A MONUMENT TO AMERICAN GREATNESS “House Republicans’ priorities: ❌ End Trump’s war in Iran ✅ Create a ‘Trump Peace Prize’ ❌ Lower costs for families ✅ Make a new $250 bill with Trump’s face on it ❌ Reign in Trump’s masked ICE agents ✅ Carve Trump’s face on Mt. Rushmore,” wrote the Democratic National Committee on X. Treasury previously announced that Trump’s signature would appear on future U.S. paper currency alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s signature in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
How a Rhodes Scholar with ties to Cuba’s president organized the convoy that brought Hasan Piker to Havana
This article is the third installment in a three-part Fox News Digital investigative series examining allegations that the Communist Party of Cuba built and cultivated transnational influence networks inside through nonprofits, activist organizations, solidarity campaigns, labor unions, educational exchanges and political delegations. When President Donald Trump intensified sanctions pressure on Cuba’s communist government earlier this year, Twitch streamer Hasan Piker said he turned to a friend for advice. “I hit my friend up, David Adler, and I was like, ‘What do we do?’” Piker recalled in an online interview. “And he’s like, ‘I’m already working on it.’” What followed, according to Piker’s own account, was the assembly of a transnational convoy that brought hundreds of activists, politicians, journalists and organizers from dozens of countries to Cuba, delivering an estimated 40 tons of supplies as part of a campaign branded “Nuestra América Convoy,” or “Our America Convoy.” The remarks offer one of the clearest public disclosures to date of how the popular streamer became involved in a trip that is now drawing scrutiny from federal investigators. Fox News Digital exclusively reported a week ago that Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control recently issued administrative subpoenas to Piker and CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin, seeking records related to their Cuba travel, communications and financial activity connected to the convoy, according to sources familiar with the investigation. The requests sought travel records, communications and financial records related to Cuba activities, including possible contacts with Cuban government personnel or entities. Public attention surrounding the trip has largely focused appropriately on CodePink, Piker, Shanghai-based American Marxist tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham, and Singham’s wife, Jodie Evans, who posted a selfie photo with Piker in Havana. On Monday, Piker raised the attention of even U.S. officials when he said he believes the “real goal” of the Treasury Department investigation is Singham, because he funds “political operations” in the U.S. But an analysis of hundreds of hours of Piker’s livestreams and interviews compiled by computer engineer Jennica Pounds, a data scientist known online as “Data Republican,” repeatedly points to a lesser-known organization that played a central role in planning the mission: Progressive International, run by Piker’s friend, Adler. “What makes Progressive International so dangerous is that, by co-opting progressive values, it provides political legitimacy to authoritarian regimes with longstanding records of repression and gross human rights violations, and whose purpose is to destroy the United States,” said Gelet Martinez Fragela, a Cuban American journalist based in Boca Raton, Fla. “That is precisely the propaganda strategy of the Cuban regime, which has historically used solidarity groups and activist networks as cover to build alliances, raise funds and maintain power while continuing to embed itself within illicit and anti-democratic networks around the world,” she told Fox News Digital. Born in Cuba, Martinez Fragela has been investigating the government of Cuba’s influence in the Western Hemisphere for years, mapping the network it builds activists, nonprofits and governments to activate support for the Communist Party of Cuba. Her website, ADNCuba.com, is blocked on the island. HASAN PIKER NAMES PRO-CCP TYCOON SINGHAM AS FINANCIER OF ‘POLITICAL MOVEMENTS’ DESPITE NONPROFIT VENEER Progressive International is one of the most important of the 145 nonprofits, labor groups, advocacy organizations and activist collectives that Fox News Digital identified as part of a network, mobilizing in support of the Cuban government and the Communist Party of Cuba. Together, the organizations report about $1 billion in combined annual revenue. They are rallying this week to run to the streets in support of Cuba if the U.S. wages military action on the country. Founded in 2020, Progressive International emerged from a political initiative launched by Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders, a member of the increasingly powerful Democratic Socialists of America, and former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, a far-left politician, after a gathering of activists in Burlington, Vt., from Nov. 29 through Dec. 1, 2018, where organizers called for a new “international progressive movement.” Adler was at the meeting. Today Adler leads a 501(c)(3) nonprofit called Progressive International Exchange Inc., based in Calabasas, Calif., with EIN 93-3021918. Its most recent IRS Form 990 reported only $261,039 in annual revenue and $215,772 in net assets. It isn’t clear if the U.S. nonprofit is related to the “Progressive International” coalition, which is based in Athens, Greece, coordinating massive mobilizations, like the Cuba convoy, conferences and public actions. Progressive International and Adler didn’t respond to a request for comment. At the center of the organization is Adler, who was born in Encino, Calif., graduated from Brown University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and trained at Oxford University as a political economist. He previously directed policy for Varoufakis’ “Democracy in Europe Movement,” known as “DiEM25,” and served on Sanders’ foreign policy advisory team before becoming Progressive International’s general coordinator. In 2024, Germany actually barred Varoufakis for leading polarizing anti-Israel protests with local Palestinians. Varoufakis wrote that the decision reflected Germany’s “turn to repression.” According to the public record, Adler occupies an unusual position inside the Cuba solidarity movement, with close ties with the Communist Party of Cuba. Last year, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel publicly intervened on Adler’s behalf when Israeli authorities detained him when he joined a flotilla to Israel, supposedly carrying “aid” to Palestinians in Gaza. A Jewish American, Adler shared a video of himself from the boat awkwardly calling his parents to tell them that he was on the flotilla to Gaza. Qatar’s state-funded anti-Israel TV network, Al Jazeera, shared the video on social media with childhood photos of Adler and its own propaganda spin, writing, “David Adler called his parents from the deck of a flotilla boat to tell them he had joined the mission to Gaza. He is one of many Jewish activists who say they can no longer stay on the sidelines.” In much the same way, the convoy to Cuba was blasted to the world from Havana with an anti-U.S. propaganda theme, criticizing America’s “imperialism.” During the convoy’s visit to Cuba in March, Adler could be
The celeb endorsements boosting Spencer Pratt’s chances of becoming the next LA mayor
As Los Angeles voters prepare to head to the polls next week, reality TV star and online influencer-turned-mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt has gained surprising momentum in the race for mayor. He’s racked up endorsements from fellow reality stars as well as famous actors, musicians and media personalities. Despite a growing list of high-profile supporters, Pratt said in an interview on “Gutfeld!” on Thursday that celebrity endorsements are not a priority for his campaign. “I actually don’t want celebrities to come out and endorse me,” he said, adding the only endorsements he wants are from “the moms and the animal lovers in L.A.” Fox News Digital breaks down the biggest names fueling Pratt’s rise in the second-largest U.S. city ahead of the June 2 primary. During an April 15 episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Rogan told Pratt he would vote for him if he could. “Listen, man. I’m voting for you. I can’t vote for you, but I’m rooting for you,” the world’s most famous podcaster said in a sit-down with the mayoral candidate. Rogan relocated from Los Angeles to Austin, Texas in 2020. Still, he told Pratt: “If I lived in Los Angeles, no question whatsoever, I would vote for you.” ROGAN BACKS REALITY TV STAR SPENCER PRATT’S BID FOR LA MAYOR, SAYS ‘I’D VOTE FOR YOU’ Comedian and radio personality Adam Carolla has repeatedly endorsed Pratt. On an April 21 episode of “The Adam Carolla Show,” Pratt outlined his plans to “bring back common sense” to City Hall, and Carolla later wrote on Instagram that Pratt had his “full endorsement for mayor!” Carolla describes himself as a libertarian and supported Andrew Yang’s Democratic primary run in the 2020 presidential election. The actor endorsed Pratt’s mayoral bid during a May 23 exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, saying, “Go Spencer Pratt.” Quaid has previously criticized LA Mayor Karen Bass for traveling to Ghana as the wildfires erupted. The actor was critical of city leaders over water shortages, budget cuts to Los Angeles Fire Department and the broader response to the wildfires. Pratt’s meteoric rise in the campaign stemmed from viral videos of him speaking on the lot of his burned down house and promising to help rebuild Los Angeles. The reality star and heiress to the Hilton Hotels throne backed Pratt on April 24. She promoted “Spencer for Mayor” with a raised-hands emoji on his Instagram video showing the Airstream trailer he has been living in since his Pacific Palisades home was destroyed in the California wildfires. SPENCER PRATT’S HOLLYWOOD UPRISING GROWS AS KATHERINE MCPHEE AND DAVID FOSTER MOCK KAREN BASS AT FUNDRAISER Actor James Woods praised Pratt’s mayoral debate performance in an X post, saying he was “surprisingly effective, direct, polite, and prepared.” He also criticizing Partt’s rivals Mayor Bass and Democrat Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman. “The other two have history as their enemy because everything they’ve done has been a catastrophe,” Woods wrote. “He can absolutely win this thing.” “Hot Mics” host Billy Bush threw his support behind Pratt after the mayoral debate on May 6. Many were surprised at how well Pratt fared and started taking him seriously as a candidate after his showdown with his two Democrat competitors. Bush said that Pratt “won that debate flat out” and calling him “relatable” and “likable” during an appearance on “Jesse Watters Primetime” earlier this month. He added that the Republican candidate running as an independent doesn’t represent “MAGA” but does appeal to people who have “had enough of mismanagement in our government.” Meghan McCain, conservative commentator and daughter of the late Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain, wrote on X that Pratt’s debate performance was “the blueprint” for how “older millennials need to communicate and present their ideas and campaign messaging when running for office.” McCain described Pratt as “10/10 no notes” and echoed Bush and other supporters when saying he “killed the debate” performance. Singer Katharine McPhee and her composer and record producer husband David Foster hosted a star-studded fundraiser for Pratt at their Brentwood Park home. Video went viral of McPhee serenading Pratt at the event. “Spencer, you’re simply the best. Better than all the rest. Better than Karen Bass and Nithya Raman,” she sang to the tune of Tina Turner’s hit “The Best.” McPhee was also listed among the celebrity donors backing Pratt’s campaign. Pratt’s former “The Hills” co-star Kristin Cavallari said on the April 21 episode of her “Let’s Be Honest” podcast that his mayoral run is “f—ing genius.” She praised the registered Republican as an outsider who will “call out the corruption.” While she can’t vote for Pratt as a Tennessee resident, Cavallari encouraged Los Angeles voters to cast their ballots for him in the June 2 election. Brody Jenner, the son of Caitlyn Jenner who co-starred with Pratt in “The Princes of Malibu” and “The Hills,” was one of the candidate’s earliest supporters. He defended Pratt’s intelligence and qualifications in an Instagram Story post after he announced his run for mayor. Jenner said Pratt has “the backbone to stand up to career politicians.” Another fellow reality TV star Audrina Patridge said she was “impressed” by Pratt after listening to his interviews. Pratt “would make a lot of change to L.A. and he would follow through with what he said,” she told Us Weekly in an interview earlier in May. The “Dancing With the Stars” alum, like many who have backed “The Hill” reality star, cannot vote for Pratt because she lives in Orange County and not L.A. proper. WATCH: LEFT-WING LA MAYOR FACES REALITY TV CHALLENGER’S BLUNT TAKEDOWNS IN HEATED MAYORAL DEBATE That isn’t stopping Patridge from “rooting for him.” The model and actress publicly backed Pratt in the comments section of an Instagram post in which he vowed if elected mayor to end the “grift” surrounding homelessness, mental illness and addiction. “The Real Housewives of Miami” star publicly endorsed Pratt after appearing with him at a dog adoption event at The Barkery Encino. In an Instagram video posted after
Former Biden aide sounds alarm on Democratic party backing Platner as scandal deepens: ‘Dangerous game’
Former Press Secretary for First Lady Jill Biden Michael LaRosa said he has been “shocked” by the amount of Democratic support for Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner and that the Platner campaign reveals a line in the sand within the Democratic Party. “I am shocked at some of the people, some of the Democrats who I consider friends, being so all-or-nothing about this guy, and I don’t really understand why,” LaRosa told Fox News Digital. “He is not really representative of the values I would expect in a Democratic candidate, even by today’s standards. I’m a little surprised at the number of people who are circling the wagons just to beat Susan Collins.” Despite criticism across the political spectrum over Platner’s resurfaced sexually explicit and vulgar online posts, including one mocking a Purple Heart veteran shot multiple times by the Taliban, and a tattoo of a Nazi symbol on his chest have drawn criticism across the political spectrum, Platner continues to lead in the polls. LaRosa accused Democrats of brushing off serious concerns over Platner’s controversial past. DEMOCRATIC MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE GRAHAM PLATNER CONFRONTED BY MS NOW HOST ABOUT TATTOO CONTROVERSY “Democrats are playing a really dangerous game,” he said. “It’s really funny to me how selective and how short memories are in politics.” LaRosa added that he personally draws the line at backing “a Democrat who has Nazi tattoos,” adding that Platner was “just not for me.” “I get it,” he said. “I want the Senate seat, I want Democrats to win, I want Chuck Schumer to be the majority leader, but I’m not willing to take anybody off the street to run just because they arouse some vibes in a few portions of the Democratic Party.” LaRosa said five-term incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins is “much more my style than somebody who I consider kind of a performative economic populist like Graham Platner,” adding that Platner attended elite private schools that LaRosa’s “family certainly couldn’t afford.” “It’s kind of odd to hear him talk about the elite when he was educated by the most elite of New England prep schools,” LaRosa said. LaRosa told Fox News Digital that he believes winning the election is “just not worth it” if it means supporting Platner. KNIVES OUT FOR FETTERMAN: MAVERICK SENATOR JOINS LONG LINE OF DEMS PUNISHED FOR BREAKING FROM LEFT “It’s his own behavior that disqualifies him. It’s his own history of rhetoric, of advocating for political violence, of mocking wounded U.S. soldiers shot by the Taliban. All of that stuff, it’s just not worth it for me as a Democrat.” He said just because Platner is a Democrat does not mean he is qualified to serve in the U.S. Senate. “That does not make him a good candidate,” he said. “It won’t make him a good senator. It just makes him a D. What’s the point in having a party if you don’t have standards anymore?” Despite Platner’s high polling numbers, LaRosa pointed to his experience campaigning in 2020 with former Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon, who repeatedly surged ahead of Collins in the polls before Collins won re-election in one of the most expensive races in state history, calling it a “cautionary tale.” “Sara Gideon did not trail Susan Collins in a single poll,” he said. “Six years ago, our Democrat outpolled, outraised and outspent Susan Collins, and the state of Maine on Election Day chose both Joe Biden and Susan Collins by 9 points.” Platner became the Democrats’ presumptive nominee in the June 9 primary to decide who will face Collins in November after two-term Gov. Janet Mills ended her campaign last month. More moderate stances that have drawn criticism from some Democrats, including Sen. John Fetterman’s support for Israel after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and criticism of Democrats’ handling of border security, “were extremely normal or mainstream in the Democratic Party” years ago but are now being used to purge strong candidates, LaRosa explained. “We’re going to do to John Fetterman exactly what Trump is doing to candidates who opposed him or aren’t with him 100% of the time, and I don’t like it,” he said. “I don’t like that my party is going to target John Fetterman for simply having, holding and defending views that were extremely normal or mainstream in the Democratic Party.” He said Democrats could be in for a “major disappointment” and that he personally would not “publicly support, give money to, contribute to or work for” Platner. MAINE GOV JANET MILLS DROPS OUT OF DEMOCRATIC RACE FOR SENATE, SIGNALING SHE STRUGGLED TO RAISE ENOUGH MONEY “My party seems to think that this guy represents what the rest of America wants or what Maine voters want or what people outside of the Beltway actually want,” he said. “Democrats believe that Graham Platner seems to represent what people are yearning for and wanting outside of Manhattan and D.C.” LaRosa said the decision is now up to the voters and “Maine now has the choice” to decide if Platner will represent “their values and their views and their anger and their frustrations.” “They now have the opportunity to vote for him or Susan Collins, and we, the Democratic Party, have given and provided Maine that choice for them, and so now they’re going to decide,” he said. Fox News Digital reached out to the Platner campaign for comment.
Man charged with assaulting federal officers after allegedly biting ICE agents at Newark anti-ICE protest
A New Jersey man was arrested after allegedly biting two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers during a chaotic anti-ICE protest outside a Newark detention facility, authorities said. Brendan John Geier, 26, of Madison, New Jersey, was arrested Thursday and charged with assaulting federal officers and causing bodily injury, according to the Department of Justice. A DOJ news release said the incident took place outside Newark’s Delaney Hall detention center, where protesters have gathered for more than a week and have been accused of assaulting federal agents. “Peaceful protest doesn’t translate to violently attacking federal law enforcement officers,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. ANTI-ICE AGITATORS CLASH WITH FEDERAL AGENTS OUTSIDE NEWARK DETENTION CENTER “Federal officers are protecting United States’ property and facilities,” Blanche continued. “With virtually no local law enforcement support from New Jersey, rioters are regrouping and attacking.” Blanche said additional arrests could follow as authorities continue investigating the demonstrations. “We will not tolerate the vicious attacks we have seen in Newark the last few days, and we will make arrests and hold people accountable for criminal conduct,” he said. WATCH: POLICE ABSENT FROM DELANEY HALL CHAOS AS AGITATORS BLOCK ICE VEHICLES AND AGENTS USE PEPPER SPRAY Nine people were arrested during Thursday’s clashes, the Department of Homeland Security told Fox News Digital. The demonstrations have at times turned confrontational, with federal officials saying agents have deployed pepper spray and used crowd-control tactics to push back agitators. “As alleged in the Justice Department’s complaint, this violent rioter savagely bit an ICE law enforcement officer outside of Delaney Hall,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said. “The Trump Administration will always stand with our law enforcement officers.” ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS CLASH WITH AGENTS OUTSIDE NEW JERSEY DETENTION CENTER AS GOV. SHERRILL DENIED ENTRY He added that “anyone who assaults a law enforcement officer will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” The DOJ said the incident took place around 10:30 a.m. Thursday as federal officers conducted perimeter security operations at the Newark facility. Prosecutors said a large group of demonstrators blocked a roadway leading to the detention center, prompting deportation officers to form a line and advance toward the crowd, which allegedly included Geier. TOP DEM GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE ARRESTED FOR TRESPASSING AT ICE DETENTION CENTER According to prosecutors, demonstrators ignored repeated commands to move back and remained in the roadway. “Geier instead engaged in a struggle with deportation officers, kicking officers and ultimately biting an officer’s forearm, and another’s knuckle,” the DOJ said in a news release. Both officers were treated at a local hospital, authorities said. The announcement came hours after Blanche said a separate man was arrested outside Delaney Hall for allegedly making death threats against an ICE officer and the officer’s family.