Top California Dem running for office tied to Chinese school accused of US diploma scandal
California State Treasurer Fiona Ma, who is running for lieutenant governor, is facing blowback for promising jobs and internships to students at a China-based boarding school accused of committing diploma fraud in conjunction with a California school district, after the school’s founder poured tens-of-thousands of dollars into her campaigns. Pegasus California School, based in Qingdao, China, was the subject of a probe completed in February by California education officials in Riverside County, following concerns that the Val Verde Unified School District was illegally issuing diplomas to Pegasus’ China-based students. It also identified other potential concerns related to Pegasus and California education officials working for the district and the California Department of Education, indicating there was evidence of them engaging in potential fraud, misappropriation of funds and other illegal fiscal practices. The audit concluded that investigators found “a pattern of favors, official acts, promises, and payments” leading to the California Department of Education’s ultimate approval of a pilot program that allowed wealthy Chinese students to obtain a U.S. high school diploma overseas. Meanwhile, a post on the school’s website shows Ma visiting in 2023, telling students, parents and teachers there that she would be able to help the enrollees at the school get jobs and internships back in the U.S. The same post on the school’s website heralded Ma’s visit as evidence of “the California government’s recognition and attention to Pegasus,” which became a sister-school to California’s Val Verde Unified School District in 2016 and started its pilot program issuing California diplomas a year later. “Fiona chose Pegasus as the only school to visit in China, which shows the California government’s recognition and attention to Pegasus,” Pegasus bragged in the now-archived post from its website. CHINESE EDUCATOR WITH SEVERAL CCP TIES COZIES UP TO TOP NEW YORK DEMOCRATS: ‘OUR OLD FRIEND WHO LISTENS’ It then included an excerpt from Ma: “I am honored to come to Qingdao Pegasus California School today to see many students perform and communicate with them. If they want to intern in California, they can come to me, I will provide some internship and employment opportunities.” Steven Ma, who is unrelated to Fiona Ma but is Pegasus’ founder, directly contributed over $13,200 to her campaigns for State Treasurer and Lt. Gov., according to California campaign finance records dating back to 2021. The Pegasus founder’s college-admissions consulting firm, ThinkTank Learning Inc. also contributed $23,800 to Ma’s campaigns since 2010, according to state campaign finance records. TRUMP ADMIN SENDS WARNING TO CALIFORNIA AS TRANS ATHLETE ADVANCES IN STATE TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIP Fox News Digital reached out to Ma multiple times for comment on her visit to the China-based school, and to the Val Verde school district itself to inquire whether it was aware of Ma’s visit, but did not receive a response. Business Insider released a scathing report in 2021 calling out the Pegasus California School for its improper relationship with the Val Verde Unified School District, which Business Insider argues spurred the recently completed audit into Pegasus by California education officials. The China-based school, according to Business Insider, was charging up to $34,000 a year for students to enroll and, despite drawing on Val Verde resources, it functioned as a private boarding school. The school’s own website describes itself as an “independent” international school that uses a “fee payment and registration” framework for students after gaining admission, similar to how private schools in the U.S. operate, according to a Fox News Digital review. A February 2018 Memorandum of Understanding between the China-based boarding school and Val Verde, reviewed by Fox News Digital, indicated that in return for receiving diplomas and teachers from the United States, ten students from the Val Verde school district would be afforded the opportunity to travel to China and attend Pegasus for 10 days at the cost of $300 a student. It also laid out an exchange program for students at Pegasus to visit schools’ in California. While the audit does not appear to identify any clear direct repayment from Pegasus to Val Verde itself, it does highlight travel, consulting opportunities, scholarships and other perks, like “great publicity,” that benefited officials and the district more than its own students. Meanwhile, Pegasus was allegedly telling its students and parents that it could guarantee them admission to one of the top 100 universities in the U.S., and if that didn’t happen, they would get a complete tuition reimbursement. A 2019 Memorandum of Understanding, included in the California audit, showed the University of California – Riverside even made a commitment that students who met certain academic thresholds would “receive a UCR scholarship.” Following the completion of the audit from Riverside County officials in February, announced publicly in March by Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edwin Gomez, the California Department of Education issued a cease-and-desist demanding Pegasus terminate official statements on its website claiming it was founded in 2016 with the department’s “blessing and support.” “California Business and Professions Code Section 17533.6 makes it unlawful for a non-governmental entity to use a state government name in a manner that could reasonably be interpreted or construed as implying connection, approval or endorsement by the state government,” stated the March cease-and-desist. “The above statement on your website could reasonably be interpreted or construed to imply that the California Department of Education is connected to, approves or endorses Pegasus California School. You are on notice that the California Department of Education is not connected to, does not approve and does not endorse Pegasus California School.”
Democrats win Virginia redistricting fight, threatening Republican House majority
Democrats scored a major victory Tuesday when Virginia voters narrowly passed a congressional redistricting referendum that could give the party a significant boost in the battle for the U.S. House of Representatives majority in this year’s midterm elections, The Associated Press reported at 8:49 p.m. ET. The ballot measure gives the Democrat-controlled Virginia legislature — rather than the state’s current nonpartisan commission — temporary redistricting power through the 2030 election. It could result in a 10-1 advantage for Democrats in Virginia’s congressional delegation, up from their current 6-5 edge. The referendum, which follows President Donald Trump’s push for rare but not unheard-of mid-decade redistricting in Republican-led states, would give the Democrats four additional left-leaning U.S. House seats ahead of the midterms as the party tries to win back control of the chamber from the GOP, which currently holds a razor-thin majority. Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger, who in many ways became the face of her party’s push to pass the ballot initiative, said in a statement that “Virginia voters have spoken, and tonight they approved a temporary measure to push back against a President who claims he is ‘entitled’ to more Republican seats in Congress.” “Virginians watched other states go along with those demands without voter input — and we refused to let that stand. We responded the right way: at the ballot box,” the governor said. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB And Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin emphasized that “Virginians refused to let Trump play games with Americans’ right to fair representation.” But Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, the chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, said that “Virginia Democrats can’t redraw reality. This close margin reinforces that Virginia is a purple state that shouldn’t be represented by a severe partisan gerrymander. That’s exactly why the courts, who have already ruled twice to block this egregious power grab, should uphold Virginia law.” And Hudson predicted, “Even under this map, Republicans will hold our majority based on our record cleaning up Democrats’ mess and a historic war chest to litigate the Democrats’ failures.” Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Jeff Ryer said in a statement, “I know we are disappointed by tonight’s result. Evidently, a sufficient number of Virginians trusted the blatantly dishonest language the Democrats placed on the ballot to make our Commonwealth the most severely gerrymandered state in the nation.” The standalone spring referendum capped months of political crossfire and court battles, sky-high early voting turnout and tons of national attention and money poured into the ballot box showdown. Even though a majority of voters gave the ballot initiative a thumbs-up, it still faces legal challenges. The Supreme Court of Virginia allowed the referendum to move forward after a lower court struck it down. But legal challenges to the referendum, filed in part by the Republican National Committee, the NRCC and the state GOP, remain unresolved and are still before Virginia’s highest court. Former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who was one of the leaders of the GOP effort against the Democrat-backed referendum, took to social media on Tuesday night to “urge the Virginia Supreme Court to rule against this unconstitutional process that will disenfranchise millions of Virginians.” Youngkin, at his final campaign stop in northern Virginia on the eve of the election, told supporters “it’s the most partisan map in America.” Pointing to the Democrats, Youngkin charged, “What they are doing is immoral.” Teaming up with Youngkin to crisscross the state in leading the GOP opposition to the ballot initiative was former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, who told the crowd the Democrats’ map is one that “you draw when you’re drunk with power.” BATTLE FOR THE HOUSE RUNS THROUGH VIRGINIA AS COURT OKS HIGH-STAKES REDISTRICTING VOTE Speaking with Fox News Digital ahead of their final election eve rally, Miyares charged that “Democrats want to take away the voices of millions of Virginians and gerrymander the state.” Youngkin, pointing to the duo’s relentless campaigning in recent weeks, said, “What we’re hearing over and over and over again is Virginians want fair maps. And what the yes vote represents are unfair maps.” And the two Republicans reiterated their charge that the referendum was an “unconstitutional power grab” by Spanberger and the Democrats who control the state legislature. As Youngkin and Miyares spoke in Leesburg, Trump took to the airwaves on a popular Virginia-based conservative talk show and later teamed up with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to urge voters to defeat the referendum. Pointing to congressional Democrats, Trump warned that “if they get these additional seats, they’re going to be making changes at the federal level.” SPANBERGER FACES ‘BAIT AND SWITCH’ BACKLASH AHEAD OF CRUCIAL ELECTION Democrats countered that the redrawing of the maps was a necessary step to balance partisan gerrymandering already implemented by Republicans in other states at Trump’s urging. “By voting yes, you have the chance to do something important — not just for the commonwealth, but for our entire country,” former President Barack Obama said in a video released Friday on the eve of the final day of early voting. “By voting yes, you can push back against the Republicans trying to give themselves an unfair advantage in the midterms. “By voting yes, you can take a temporary step to level the playing field. And we’re counting on you.” The video by Obama was the former president’s latest effort for the referendum. He had previously appeared in ads released by Virginians for Fair Elections, the Democrat-aligned group working to pass the ballot initiative. OBAMA GOES ALL IN ON HIGH-STAKES REFERENDUM THAT MAY IMPACT MIDTERM ELECTIONS But Virginians for Fair Maps, the leading Republican-aligned group opposing redistricting, used past comments by Obama against political gerrymandering in its ads opposing the referendum. “Because of things like political gerrymandering, our parties have moved further and further apart, and it’s harder and harder to find common ground,” the former president said in an old clip showcased in the spot. Republicans pointed
EXCLUSIVE: Pence warns GOP ‘must deliver,’ or Planned Parenthood gets taxpayer cash on Fourth of July deadline
FIRST ON FOX — Former Vice President Mike Pence is urging congressional Republicans to cut off federal taxpayer funding to Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers, warning in exclusive comments to Fox News Digital that failure to act would hand the organization a massive paycheck on Independence Day. Pence’s demands come alongside a new policy roadmap from his conservative think tank, the Advancing American Freedom Foundation (AAFF), which outlines 20 key legislative priorities for an upcoming “Reconciliation 2.0” package. One of the top items on Pence’s agenda is ensuring that a temporary ban on Medicaid funding for abortion providers, initially passed in a sweeping legislative package known as the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), does not expire July 4, as scheduled. FORMER VP PENCE VOWS TO BE A ‘VOICE AGAINST’ TRUMP WHEN PRESIDENT VEERS FROM ‘CONSERVATIVE AGENDA’ “Congressional Republicans must deliver for pro-life Americans by extending the ban on federal funding for Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers,” Pence told Fox News Digital. “If Congress does not act, Planned Parenthood will celebrate America’s 250th birthday with taxpayer funding. Renewed federal funding for Planned Parenthood is unacceptable to me and to millions of pro-life Americans across the United States.” The AAFF memo provides GOP lawmakers with a strategy to permanently ban or extend the temporary pause on taxpayer funding for abortion providers. If Congress faces challenges in directly cutting off the cash flow, the group suggested hitting abortion providers with a new tax that matches the exact amount of Medicaid funds they receive in a given year. While defunding abortion providers is one of the cornerstones of Pence’s push, the AAFF roadmap proposes 19 other priorities, including targeting companies that hire illegal immigrant workers, requiring strict citizenship and address checks for voters and repealing “green energy” subsidies. It also recommends expanding tax-advantaged Trump Accounts for children’s savings, rewarding states that adopt school choice programs and slashing federal spending by penalizing states that hand out fraudulent or improper Medicaid and welfare payments. “By sending 20 solid, conservative policy proposals to Congress that will help eliminate waste, fraud and abuse; strengthen election integrity; and expand on the tax policy wins of the One Big Beautiful Bill, the policy team at Advancing American Freedom Foundation continues to directly impact the day-to-day policy debate in Washington, D.C.,” Pence said. “Policy memos from dedicated conservative think tanks are essential to advancing conservative policy through the legislative process,” he added. “I trust that representatives and senators and their policy teams will continue to find AAF’s memos as their go-to resource for need-to-know information on policy.” Fox News Digital reached out to Planned Parenthood for comment.
Federal court upholds Texas law requiring Ten Commandments in public classrooms
A federal appeals court has upheld a Texas law requiring public schools across the state to display the Ten Commandments—a major victory for religious freedom advocates who have long argued the biblical text is intertwined with America’s legal, moral, and historical heritage. In a 9–8 ruling, the 17-member Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals held that Senate Bill 10, the law passed by Texas’ Republican-led legislature, does not violate either the Constitution’s Establishment Clause or the Free Exercise Clause. “Because Plaintiffs fail to show that S.B. 10 substantially burdens their right to religious exercise, their Free Exercise claims must be dismissed,” the court’s majority opinion stated. Tuesday’s ruling reverses a preliminary injunction issued by a federal judge in 2025, who had previously argued the law failed to demonstrate a historical tradition of public schools posting the Ten Commandments—a standard he claimed was necessary for the bill to withstand judicial precedent. “This is one of the most important religious liberty victories for Texas in our glorious history,” said Jonathan Saenz, president and attorney for Texas Values, which defended the law. “Texas continues to lead the nation in defending both religious liberty and constitutional truth.” “Today’s ruling confirms that our state can honor the moral heritage that undergirds our legal system without violating the First Amendment,” Saenz added. “This decision makes clear that acknowledging the historical foundations of our laws is not only permissible—it is fully consistent with the Constitution.” Texas Sen. Phil King, the Senate author of the Texas Ten Commandments Law, said the court’s decision means the state isn’t required to erase its history. “The Ten Commandments have been referenced throughout our nation’s civic life because they are part of the historical tradition that influenced American law,” he said. “The Fifth Circuit properly applied the Constitution as written and understood, rather than rewriting it to scrub away our heritage.” Under state law, S.B. 10 requires that a “conspicuous” copy of the Ten Commandments be displayed in every classroom in every public school and open-enrollment charter school in Texas. The court ruled that it was not bound by Stone v. Graham, a 1980 U.S. Supreme Court case in which the justices struck down a Kentucky law requiring public schools to post religious texts in classrooms. That case centered on a bill passed by Kentucky lawmakers that required hanging posters of the Ten Commandments. At the time, the High Court found the law violated the First Amendment because it lacked a secular purpose. However, defense lawyers argued that Stone relied entirely on the “Lemon test,” specifically the provision requiring a law to have a “secular purpose.” Because the Supreme Court explicitly abandoned the Lemon test in its 2022 decision, Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, the Fifth Circuit majority concluded that the precedents derived from Lemon—including Stone—have been effectively abrogated. FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS ARKANSAS TEN COMMANDMENTS LAW IN CERTAIN DISTRICTS “[W]ith Lemon extracted, there is nothing left of Stone,” the majority wrote. In a dissenting opinion, the minority argued that the Supreme Court has never explicitly overturned the Stone v. Graham ruling. Several judges on the court issued their own statements supporting the law’s constitutionality. Judge James C. Ho, a Trump appointee, concurred with the majority, emphasizing that the court can “uphold Ten Commandments displays in public schools under the Constitution” because the law does not come “close to imposing either an establishment of religion or a prohibition on the free exercise thereof.” Judge Andrew S. Oldham also affirmed his support, stating: “I agree with the majority that the district court’s injunction must be reversed. I further agree that, if the case is justiciable, Texas’s Ten Commandments law does not violate the Constitution.” The dissenting opinions centered on the religious freedoms of parents with theologies other than Christianity. “The displays required by S.B. 10 threaten to ‘undermin[e] the religious beliefs that parents wish to instill in their children’ and ‘pressure’ students ‘to conform,’ and Defendants have not satisfied strict scrutiny,” the order states. FEDERAL APPEALS COURT RULES LOUISIANA TEN COMMANDMENTS SCHOOL LAW IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL Judge Leslie H. Southwick, a George W. Bush appointee, wrote that: “Religion, though, is a matter of the mind and the heart. Faith cannot flourish when it is forced.” The lawsuit was originally brought by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the ACLU of Texas, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation on behalf of a multifaith group of families. These plaintiffs argued that the Texas law imposes a religious preference on their children in violation of the First Amendment. Fox News Digital has reached out to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, State Attorney General Ken Paxton, and the ACLU for further comment. In a joint statement, the ACLU and other plaintiffs condemned Tuesday’s ruling and announced plans to appeal. “We are extremely disappointed in today’s decision. The Court’s ruling goes against fundamental First Amendment principles and binding U.S. Supreme Court authority,” the statement read. “The First Amendment safeguards the separation of church and state, and the freedom of families to choose how, when, and if to provide their children with religious instruction. This decision tramples those rights. We anticipate asking the Supreme Court to reverse this decision.” Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman also praised the ruling, noting that the Ten Commandments are “foundational to our legal system and can be displayed in classrooms. We led a 19-state coalition to support Texas’ law and American history!”
DOJ says Southern Poverty Law Center funneled $3M+ to white supremacist and extremist groups like the KKK
FBI Director Kash Patel and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced a sweeping indictment Tuesday against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), accusing the far-left nonprofit of fraudulently paying members of extremist groups like the Ku Klux Klan. A grand jury in the Middle District of Alabama returned an 11-count indictment charging the SPLC with six counts of wire fraud, four counts of bank fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to the Justice Department (DOJ). Between 2014 and 2023, according to the DOJ, the SPLC “secretly funneled” more than $3 million in donations to at least eight individuals associated with violent extremist groups, including the Ku Klux Klan, United Klans of America, the Nationalist Socialist Movement, Unite the Right, Aryan Nations affiliated Sadistic Souls Motorcycle Club, and more. According to Blanche, the SPLC paid members of these extremist groups so it could create a “work product that reported on these activities.” LEFT-WING GROUP CHASES PROOF OF KASH PATEL’S ALLEGED ‘EXCESSIVE DRINKING’ AS DEMS EYE FBI DIRECTOR’S OUSTER “To that end, [SPLC] was doing the exact opposite of what it told its donors it was doing – not dismantling extremism but funding it,” Blanche said Tuesday during the press conference announcing the indictment. The SPLC is a longstanding left-wing nonprofit that claims to fight white supremacy and racial hatred by reporting on extremist groups and conducting research to inform law enforcement about them with the goal of dismantling the groups. SPLC’s CEO, Bryan Fair, addressed the probe in a video message posted online, arguing the Trump administration has “made no secret who they want to protect and who they want to destroy.” “We are reviewing the charges,” a subsequent statement from Fair sent to Fox News Digital added. “However, after today’s Department of Justice press conference, we are outraged by the false allegations levied against SPLC – an organization that for 55 years has stood as a beacon of hope fighting white supremacy and various forms of injustice to create a multi-racial democracy where we can all live and thrive. Taking on violent hate and extremist groups is among the most dangerous work there is, and we believe it is also among the most important work we do. To be clear, this program saved lives.” “The actions by the DOJ will not shake our resolve to fight for justice and ensure the promise of the Civil Rights movement becomes a reality for all,” Fair continued in his comment to Fox News Digital. “SPLC will vigorously defend ourselves, our staff and our work; we will continue to fight hate; and we will continue to envision and create a safer and more just world.” DEMS’ ‘DELAY TACTIC’ TO ‘MALIGN’ PATEL AND STALL FBI CONFIRMATION DISMISSED AS ‘BASELESS’ BY TOP SENATE LEADER But Patel and Blanche on Tuesday accused the SPLC of conducting “widespread, decade-long, multimillion dollar fraud” funneling money to the very groups it claims to combat. The complete list of these groups, according to a Justice Department press release, includes the Ku Klux Klan, United Klans of America, Unite the Right, National Alliance, the National Socialist Movement, Aryan Nations affiliated Sadistic Souls Motorcycle Club, National Socialist Party of America (American Nazi Party), and the American Front. Blanche and Patel also argued Tuesday that the SPLC tried to hide its payments to groups the SPLC told its donors it was trying to combat, leading to several of the charges in the indictment. “They set up shell companies and entities around America so that the financial institutions that we rely on as everyday Americans were deceived in believing that money was not coming from the Southern Poverty Law Center in the perpetration of this scheme and fraud, but rather fictitious entities,” Patel argued during the press conference. “They stood up to perpetuate this ongoing fraud. This is a serious and egregious violation of a group that purported to dismantle violent extremist groups, but in turn actually only fueled that hatred.” For example, the SPLC was paying roughly $270,000 to a member of the leadership group that planned the Unite the Right protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, that resulted in the death of one person and injured dozens more. Another individual, embedded in a neo-Nazi organization, was reportedly paid $1 million to steal more than two dozen boxes of the hate group’s documents. “This is an important case brought by President Trump’s administration, and we’re thankful to the president for his leadership and funding of not just the FBI and DOJ, but his commitment to go out there and wipe out fraud, and conspiracy, and waste and abuse wherever it occurs, including the Southern Poverty Law Center,” Patel said Tuesday.
Cory Mills says Mace expulsion push could drag House into dangerous new territory
Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., blasted an effort to remove him from office over domestic abuse allegations and other misconduct claims, telling Fox News Digital on Monday that Rep. Nancy Mace’s, R-S.C., push is a political stunt. “This is political theatrics,” Mills said of Mace’s resolution while at the Capitol on Monday. “… She’s essentially saying she’s judge, juror and executioner.” Mace introduced an expulsion resolution on Monday, citing a House Ethics Committee probe of Mills. It’s the latest development in a series of allegations that have clung to Mills since reports began circulating last year of alleged predatory behavior towards former romantic partners. Mills has denied wrongdoing and hasn’t been charged with any crimes, although he has been referred for investigation to the House Ethics Committee, the body charged with scrutinizing lawmakers suspected of breaking congressional rules of conduct. NANCY MACE DEMANDS AIRPORT CEO RESIGN AFTER CLAIMS SHE MISTREATED STAFF Although the committee can refer a matter to the Department of Justice (DOJ), an investigation by the committee does not implicate wrongdoing on its own. Mills told Fox News Digital on Monday at the U.S. Capitol that if lawmakers move to expel him before the House Ethics Committee reaches any conclusion, they would also have to consider expelling Mace, who is herself under ethics review over lodging reimbursement claims. “This is really interesting, coming from someone like Ms. Mace. If this is the precedent for expulsion, then she herself would be under that same precedent,” Mills said. “She’s saying as ‘long as you’re under an ethics investigation’ — oh but wait — Ms. Mace is under an ethics investigation for allegedly renting her own home to herself as an Airbnb, utilizing taxpayer funding,” Mills said. Mills faces allegations of domestic abuse from an incident in February 2025 and a separate case of blackmail from July that same year, where he allegedly threatened to release explicit images of a romantic partner. Mills’ comments come amid a handful of other lawmakers resigning over alleged misconduct of their own and a moment of heightened scrutiny on lawmaker conduct. Most notably, Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., first abandoned a California gubernatorial bid and then resigned his seat earlier this month when several women accused him of sexual abuse, coercion and rape. Days later, Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, announced plans to leave office after months of public outrage over revelations about an intimate relationship with a staffer who had committed suicide by setting herself on fire. REP CORY MILLS DENIES WRONGDOING AS POLICE INVESTIGATE ALLEGED ‘ASSAULT’ Unlike Gonzales and Swalwell, Mills noted that he is currently not under investigation outside of Congress. “The bottom line is there is absolutely no criminal or civil investigation that’s even open about me,” Mills said. Even in the absence of a federal probe, Mace argued that the “evidence against Mills is overwhelming.” “Beating women and telling them to lie about it, cyberstalking women … Any Member who votes to keep him here is voting to protect a woman beater and a fraud. He needs to be expelled immediately,” Mace said in a press release. Mills believes Mace’s motion to expel him is an attempt to set a new bar for removing sitting members of Congress — one that he believes goes too far. “It’s one thing to introduce it for political theatrics and fundraising. It’s another to notice it for a vote. She’s setting a very dangerous precedent.” DEM SENATOR RIPPED FOR ‘SMEAR’ OF FEMALE ACTIVIST ADVOCATING FOR SWALWELL’S ACCUSERS: ‘VERY BAD LOOK’ Mace’s resolution will likely hit the floor for consideration later this week.
Trump endorses Sticker Mule CEO who battled officials over 100-foot pro-Trump sign for Stefanik’s House seat
President Donald Trump on Tuesday endorsed the CEO of a sticker company—who once fought local officials to keep a massive pro-Trump sign on his factory—to fill the House seat of outgoing Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. In a move that defied the preferred nominee of the New York GOP, Trump threw his support toward Anthony Constantino over Assembly member Robert Smullen. “It is my Great Honor to endorse America First Patriot, Anthony Constantino, who is running to represent the fantastic people of New York’s 21st Congressional District,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. Constantino told Fox News Digital that he spoke with Trump and was honored to receive the nod. “He noted every primary candidate he endorses wins, so I look forward to winning the general election and making everyone who supported me very proud once I am in Congress,” he said. TRUMP CONTINUES LAMBASTING INCUMBENT REPUBLICAN THOMAS MASSIE AS CHALLENGER FILES TO ENTER RACE While Smullen has garnered the support of establishment Republican leaders, Constantino has received endorsements from high-profile Trump allies, including Roger Stone and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Fox News Digital has reached out to Smullen and the New York GOP. Constantino, the CEO of Sticker Mule, gained national attention after installing a 100-foot “Vote for Trump” sign atop his manufacturing facility in Montgomery County, New York, prior to the 2024 election. The sign sparked a local legal battle, which the president highlighted in his endorsement. “Anthony has been such a Great Supporter that he actually put up a somewhat ‘controversial’ sign, against strong opposition, in my honor. The sign is still there!” Trump wrote. STEFANIK RECEIVES TOP JEWISH AWARD DAYS AFTER ANNOUNCING NEW YORK GOVERNOR BID AT MANHATTAN GALA Speaking to reporters in Albany shortly after the announcement, Smullen accused Roger Stone of duping the president into a rushed endorsement. Smullen argued that Stone, who advises Constantino, had misled the president, the New York Post reported. “A consultant got to the president, someone who is being paid by my opponent, and I think the president’s made a mistake,” Smullen said, adding that Trump needs to hear “the facts.” Constantino, a formerly registered Democrat, was inspired to run for Congress following the first assassination attempt against Trump in Butler, Penn. He previously told Fox News Digital that the president “doesn’t deserve all the hate directed at him,” adding that Trump’s supporters don’t deserve it either. Stefanik’s seat became open after a shifting series of political moves. Upon taking office, Trump initially nominated her to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations but later withdrew the nomination over concerns of retaining the thin House Republican majority. Stefanik subsequently ran a short-lived campaign for Governor of New York before announcing she would not seek re-election to Congress.
Senate takes first step to fund ICE, Border Patrol in bid to cut Dems out of the funding process
Senate Republicans launched their party-line gamble Tuesday to fund immigration operations for the remainder of President Donald Trump’s time in office. The GOP took its first step in the budget reconciliation process, which is meant to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol for the next three-and-a-half years. The party-line vote sets up a forthcoming marathon vote on amendments in the upper chamber before the budget blueprint is shipped to the House. It’s a maneuver meant to cut Democrats out of the process, as they refused to fund immigration operations absent stringent reforms during weeks of negotiations to end the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown. SENATE REPUBLICANS UNVEIL IMMIGRATION FUNDING PLAN WITH $140 BILLION PRICE TAG AS GOP AIMS TO SPEND LESS “Republicans are doing something that must be done quickly, and that our Democrat colleagues are trying to prevent us from doing,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who crafted the resolution. “That something is simple: fully fund Border Patrol and ICE at a time of great threat to the United States.” Republicans earlier unveiled their budget resolution, which will serve as the guiding framework as the GOP moves forward to fund immigration enforcement. It sets instructions for the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to spend up to $70 billion each. While the combined sum of $140 billion is eye-popping, Republicans are eyeing between $70 billion and $80 billion as the final total for immigration enforcement and want to give both committees maximum flexibility as they craft the legislative meat of the package. Senate Democrats argue that the money could go toward tackling affordability issues in the country, citing healthcare, housing, and soaring gas prices stemming from President Donald Trump’s war in Iran as examples. SENATE GOP READYING PARTY-LINE FUNDING BILL DESPITE DIVISIONS, ANGER AT THE HOUSE “No reforms, no accountability, no strings attached, let it sink in,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said. “One hundred forty billion for ICE, $0 to lower your costs. That’s these days what the Republican Party seems to stand for. Senate Republicans are choosing to follow Trump and Stephen Miller instead of the needs of the American families.” Turning to the party-line process to fund immigration operations was not the first choice for Republicans, but one made out of necessity given Democrats’ blockade of funding for ICE and much of CBP. Still, some are worried about the precedent that could be set for how Congress is supposed to fund the government. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., raised that concern and argued, “I don’t see any way, in a Trump administration, that they’re gonna come to the table and fund those two agencies.” SENATE REPUBLICANS RACE TO FUND ICE, CBP WITHOUT DEMOCRATS AS SHUTDOWN DRAGS “We tried to avoid this. But at some point, we recognized that they’re just not gonna get to ‘yes,’” Thune said. “And that was pretty clear after spending weeks trying to negotiate with them.” Still, Republicans have a long way to go before they advance the budget resolution to the House — and even further before the final product lands on Trump’s desk. He’s demanded that the GOP produce the package no later than June 1. Not every Republican in the upper chamber is thrilled with the narrow scope of the plan, with some wanting to front-load several issues into one package out of concern they may not get another shot. For now, however, they’re moving full speed ahead. “It’s not am I OK with it, is the president’s administration OK with it,” Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., a fiscal hawk who was critical of the GOP’s previous reconciliation attempt. “I mean, do they think they have enough through fiscal year 2029? That’s their call, not mine.”
‘Martyrs’: Michigan Dems nominate Hezbollah-praising candidate after ousting Jewish regent
A University of Michigan Board of Regents member was ousted after Michigan Democrats selected a candidate who shared social media posts praising Hezbollah as the party’s nominee. Amir Makled, a trial lawyer, bested incumbent Regent Jordan Acker, who is Jewish, for the Democratic Party’s nomination at the state party’s convention over the weekend, sparking criticism from a former leader of the state’s Democratic Party. More than a week before Michigan’s Democratic Convention, the Detroit News reported that Makled had shared and later deleted posts on X praising Hezbollah leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Abu Ali Khalil, who were both killed in Israeli airstrikes. In both posts Makled shared, Nasrallah and Khalil are dubbed “martyrs.” UC DAVIS PROFESSOR WHO POSTED VIOLENT THREATS AGAINST ‘ZIONISTS’ KEEPS JOB AFTER DISCIPLINE The Democratic nominee also shared a now-deleted post from Candace Owens in which she called Israelis “demons” who “lie, steal, cheat, murder and blackmail.” Fox News Digital reached out to Makled for comment. Brandon Dillon, the former head of Michigan’s Democratic Party, penned an opinion piece in the Detroit News criticizing Makled’s candidacy that was published just days before Makled won the party’s nomination. Dillon said Makled is not a Democrat and that his social media behavior reflects “a pattern of extremism and bigotry.” UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER ADDRESSES HUNDREDS OF ‘WANTED’ POSTERS FOR JEWISH FACULTY MEMBERS POSTED AROUND CAMPUS “These are not isolated missteps or comments taken out of context,” Dillon wrote in the Detroit News. “They reflect a broader pattern of poor judgment that should raise serious concern.” In his acceptance speech for the party’s nomination, Makled gave a nod to students involved in anti-Israel protests that formed on the University of Michigan’s campus in the wake of the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks in Israel. “To these students, the students who spoke up, the students who organized, the students who refused to let anyone tell them that their education wasn’t worth fighting for, you all reminded us what a public university is supposed to be,” Makled said. ELITE UNIVERSITY ATTENDED BY TRUMP’S SON CRACKS DOWN ON LEFT-WING STUDENT AGITATORS Makled, who legally represented University of Michigan students involved in anti-Israel campus protests, had previously called for the university system to divest from Israel. The anti-Israel protests which formed at the University of Michigan led to reports of antisemitic attacks against Jewish students. The University of Michigan was one of 60 universities notified by the Department of Education that it was being investigated for violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for failing to properly address antisemitic harassment and discrimination. In December 2024 — just months before the Education Department shared its notice with the University of Michigan — the car belonging to outgoing Regent Acker was vandalized. The words “Divest… Free Palestine” and an inverted triangle, a reference to Hamas, were spray-painted in red across Acker’s vehicle. At the time of the attack, Acker said it was the third time that year he’d been victimized by anti-Israel vandals. Fox News Digital reached out to Acker for comment.
Left-wing group chases proof of Kash Patel’s alleged ‘excessive drinking’ as Dems eye FBI director’s ouster
A left-wing lawfare group is trying to uncover records that might prove FBI Director Kash Patel engaged in behavior unfit for his role, such as “excessive drinking and unexplained absences.” Democracy Forward, a group that supports left-wing policy positions in court on issues like DEI, immigration and abortion, sent a 16-page Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Justice Department on Tuesday. It asks for documents, schedules and communications that seek to prove allegations made against Patel in a recent article published by The Atlantic. The report suggests the FBI Director has a drinking problem, poses a national security risk and is at the helm of persistent management failures at the bureau — and it comes as lawmakers warn Patel ‘is next’ after three Trump cabinet secretaries exited the administration in recent weeks. DEMS’ ‘DELAY TACTIC’ TO ‘MALIGN’ PATEL AND STALL FBI CONFIRMATION DISMISSED AS ‘BASELESS’ BY TOP SENATE LEADER “Kash Patel should be next,” Democrat House Whip Katherine Clark said after news broke of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s exit Monday following a probe into her own alleged ethical lapses. “Start the clock,” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., added following the Atlantic’s report. Fox News Digital reached out to the Justice Department and representatives for Patel regarding the FOIA request, but did not hear back in time for publication. A spokesperson for the FBI directed Fox News Digital to a series of X posts from Patel and others rebuking the allegations from The Atlantic’s reporting. “Memo to the fake news — the only time I’ll ever actually be concerned about the hit piece lies you write about me will be when you stop. Keep talking, it means I’m doing exactly what I should be doing,” one of the posts from Patel stated. “No amount of BS you write will ever deter this FBI from making America safe again and taking down the criminals you love.” A separate post by Patel, which the FBI spokesperson directed Fox News Digital towards, included an interview Patel held with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo. “Under President Trump’s brilliant leadership in backing the blue and backing law enforcement, this FBI has the most prolific year in crime reduction in United States history,” Patel says in the interview, before launching into a slew of statistics also laid out in the post’s caption. “If I’m not doing my job, if I’m not working, then how is it that the FBI delivered the safest America under President Trump’s leadership in the history of our country?” Meanwhile, earlier this week, Patel filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic for its reporting on his alleged conduct. PATEL DOUBLES DOWN ON FBI ELECTION HUB RAID, SAYS TRUMP CALLED AGENTS DIRECTLY TO THANK THEM FOR OPERATION Democratic Party leadership warned the FBI and DOJ about its duty to preserve all records related to alleged incidents involving Patel that could become subject to a potential congressional inquiry. Then came the FOIA filing. “Democracy Forward Foundation seeks records that would help the public understand the issues raised in the Atlantic article as it relates to previous reporting on potential concerns surrounding Director Patel’s ability to run a key law enforcement agency and his use of taxpayer dollars,” the group’s letter to the Justice Department states. The group is interested in Patel’s calendars, schedule, text messages and other electronic communications between himself and his staff. Democracy Forward also specifically asks for any records reflecting “a request for or use of ‘breaching equipment’ that was made by or used by Director Kash Patel’s security detail.” The request comes at a time when the DOJ is facing its own shake-up after Pam Bondi was ousted as Attorney General earlier this month. Todd Blanche, once Bondi’s deputy, is serving as Acting Attorney General. When asked about Patel’s future as the top dog at the FBI, Republican strategist Mark Bednar, who has worked for former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and current Transportation Secretary and former Congressman Sean Duffy, was more supportive of his tenure, arguing the FBI has seen positive change since Patel took charge. “In the years leading up to President Trump being elected to his second term, the American people had lost confidence in the FBI as an institution. Kash Patel is part of President Trump’s goal of revitalizing the agency and executing on the “Make America Safe Again” agenda,” Bednar told Fox News Digital. A separate GOP strategist who requested anonymity argued that if Patel leaves it won’t be because of The Atlantic hit piece. “If Kash Patel goes down, it won’t be because of a damaging Atlantic story, which is a badge of honor in this Administration,” they told Fox News Digital. “It’s more likely because the President views him as becoming a liability during a time of war, as well as a desire to clean house in one fell swoop as the midterms approach.” “There’s already blood in the water with the three ousted Cabinet picks, and knocking out one more gives the President a chance to head into November with a refreshed slate and the best team around him.”