Trump admin puts alleged ‘birth tourism’ scheme on notice as expert delivers warning to hospitals
The Trump administration is using visa enforcement to target “birth tourism,” an alleged scheme utilized by foreign nationals to obtain visitor visas for the primary purpose of giving birth in the U.S. and securing American citizenship for their children. The Trump administration recently announced that it disrupted “a sophisticated birth tourism network” in West Africa involving more than 100 foreign nationals utilizing false documents and, what the State Department described as “fixers,” to get themselves visas to go to the United States to give birth so their children would be born on U.S. soil and treated as American citizens. But that was just one of the networks the State Department indicated it had uncovered. The agency’s announcement said U.S. officials identified more than 400 suspected birth tourism cases emanating from Europe since 2024, and tied to at least six companies that helped coach applicants on what to say during their visa interview, arranged housing and set-up delivery plans. “We shut it down, revoked these foreign nationals’ visas, and are coordinating with local authorities to systematically identify and cut off any similar operations,” the State Department said in its announcement. “A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right. The State Department is taking action around the world to stop this abuse, dismantle birth tourism networks, and hold accountable those who try to scam our system.” SEN. BLACKBURN TARGETS BIRTH TOURISM, ‘BUYING AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP’ IN SUPPORT OF TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION AGENDA The effort comes as Trump has renewed his long-running criticism of birthright citizenship, including through a 2025 executive order seeking to narrow who is automatically treated as a U.S. citizen at birth. It also builds on a first-term Trump administration rule from 2020 that instructed consular officers to deny visitor visas to foreign nationals believed to be traveling to the U.S. primarily to give birth and obtain American citizenship for their children. “President Trump will always put the American people first. Uninhibited birth tourism poses a tremendous cost to taxpayers and threatens our national security,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital. “The Trump administration is effectively ending this practice, which brings the United States in line with the policy of most countries around the world.” TRUMP LOCKS IN ICE FUNDING THROUGH END OF PRESIDENCY AFTER HOUSE PASSES $70B PACKAGE Federation for American Immigration Reform’s Ira Mehlman noted to Fox News Digital that visa fraud is “a significant issue,” pointing out it is a problem even outside the framework of birth tourism. “The prospect of birthright citizenship is undeniably an inducement for people to commit visa fraud,” Mehlman said. “Birth tourism would not exist otherwise.” “Obviously, any woman who does not disclose her intention to have her baby in the U.S. when she applies for a visa is committing fraud. Remove the incentive of automatic birthright citizenship for people who are not citizens and legal permanent residents, and the reason for committing this sort of fraud goes away,” he continued. Birth tourism has surfaced repeatedly in the U.S. in recent years, particularly through operations accused of coaching foreign nationals to obscure the purpose of their travel. In California, federal prosecutors secured convictions against the operators of USA Happy Baby, a company accused of helping Chinese women travel to the U.S. to give birth to American-citizen children, while a separate operator from a business called You Win USA pleaded guilty in another case stemming from a broader federal crackdown. More recently, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued a Houston-area postpartum center accused of facilitating more than 1,000 births for primarily Chinese clients, while House Oversight Republicans launched an inquiry into several U.S.-based companies allegedly advertising birth-tourism services. Mehlman urged Congress to do more to enhance vetting of visa applicants, prosecute those who commit fraud and put an end to birth tourism. He said there were avenues for legal action against the entities allegedly facilitating the scheme. “To the extent that we can take legal action against companies that are outside the United States, we should, much like we prosecute other types of transnational crime and fraud operations,” Mehlman told Fox News Digital. “But each one of these companies works with service providers here in the U.S., including hospitals.”
Same-name candidate disqualified from key Senate race over alleged Dem scheme to confuse voters
A top Alaska election official booted a same-name Republican challenger to Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, from the primary ballot Monday, ruling the campaign appeared designed to confuse voters. Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher disqualified Dan J. Sullivan from the state’s hotly-contested Senate race over concerns that his candidacy was “filed with a purpose to confuse or mislead and to thereby compromise the ballot’s fairness or neutrality,” in a letter published Monday. Dan J. Sullivan, a retired schoolteacher who filed as a Republican Senate candidate despite having no prior affiliation with the GOP, can appeal the ruling, Beecher wrote. The letter caps weeks of outrage from the GOP, who argued the political newcomer’s entry into the race just days before the filing deadline was a covert attempt by Democrats to recruit a “sham” candidate into the race to confuse voters. GOP FIGHTS TO STOP MULTIPLE DAN SULLIVANS FROM APPEARING ON ALASKA BALLOT, CALLS CANDIDACY A ‘SHAM’ Under Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system, if Dan J. Sullivan had been allowed to remain on the August primary ballot, both he and Dan S. Sullivan, the incumbent, could have advanced to the general election among the top four vote-getters. Democrats are eying Alaska as a potential flip opportunity as the party mounts a longshot bid to retake control of the upper chamber during the midterms. The incumbent Sullivan is running for a third Senate term against former Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, who was recruited by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., into the battleground contest. Beecher cited several details about Dan J. Sullivan’s campaign that led to her conclusion that it was not filed in “good-faith.” The political newcomer requested to appear on the ballot as “Dan Sullivan” despite registering to vote under the name “Daniel J. Sullivan, Jr.,” according to the letter. The longshot candidate also attempted to register with the incumbent’s initial on one occasion, according to Beecher’s letter. “‘S’ is Senator Sullivan’s middle initial, not yours,” Beecher wrote. The election official also noted that Dan J. Sullivan had not registered as a Republican before launching his Senate campaign and that his new website used a “color scheme and overall theme” similar to the incumbent’s campaign materials. Additionally, Beecher discussed Dan J. Sullivan’s connection to Amber Lee, an Alaska Democratic consultant who has previously supported Peltola. Metadata from the campaign’s launch identified the Democratic operative as its author, Fox News Digital previously reported. FORMER DEM REP. MARY PELTOLA ANNOUNCES U.S. SENATE RUN: “PUT ALASKA FIRST” “This consultant’s work on your behalf is, in isolation, innocuous,” Beecher wrote. “Alongside the other facts I have catalogued in this letter, however, it suggests a determined effort and a deliberate attempt to use the similarity of your name to confuse Alaska voters in the upcoming primary election.” Dan J. Sullivan’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The incumbent Sullivan previously blasted his same-name challenger as a “far-left liberal” who was complicit in Democrats’ efforts to “rig” the election. “Is Schumer or Gillibrand and their staffs or the DSCC or the staff at the DSCC — were they aware? Were they coordinating, orchestrating? I mean, if that’s the case, that would be a huge scandal,” Sullivan told Fox News Digital last week. Democrats have denied any involvement with Dan J. Sullivan’s campaign. The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), Senate Republicans’ campaign arm, took a victory lap after urging Beecher to investigate the same-name challenger’s candidacy. “Alaskans saw right through Chuck Schumer and Mary Peltola’s tricks to confuse and deceive them with a sham candidate,” NRSC Regional Press Secretary Nick Puglia said in a statement. “Nobody delivers for Alaskans like Senator Dan Sullivan, which is why Alaska Last Democrats like Mary Peltola are stooping so low.” Dan J. Sullivans’ attempt to qualify for the primary ballot also sparked sharp criticism from Senate Republicans, who are expected to aggressively campaign to defend Sullivan’s seat. “Even by Chuck Schumer’s low standards, this was an outrageous attempt to trick Alaska voters and rig the election,” Senate Republican Conference Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said Monday.
US won’t move troops despite ‘signed’ Iran deal, as doubts linger over Tehran’s next move
The Trump administration will keep its military buildup in the Middle East in place despite signing a new agreement with Iran, underscoring Washington’s continued distrust of Iran as the two sides enter a 60-day negotiating period. “The plan is to keep the current force posture during the 60-day negotiations,” a senior U.S. official told reporters on a call Monday. “We hope to draw them down, but we’re not doing that yet.” “The agreement contemplates the reduction of military forces in the region upon the agreement of a final deal,” the official added. Officials said President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf already have signed the memorandum, and that the details of the agreement will be released publicly within the next 24 to 48 hours. A formal signing ceremony is expected later in the week. BUILT FOR WEEKS OF WAR: INSIDE THE FIREPOWER THE US HAS POSITIONED IN THE MIDDLE EAST The decision means the Pentagon will maintain a military posture that recently included roughly 50,000 troops deployed across the Middle East, one of the largest U.S. force concentrations in the region in more than two decades. Publicly available fleet tracking data indicate at least two carrier strike groups remain in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. Officials repeatedly stressed that any sanctions relief, asset releases or future concessions would be tied to verification and Iranian performance, not promises alone, with one senior official acknowledging the two sides remain in the early stages of “building trust.” That lack of trust was evident in the administration’s description of the agreement, which differs in key respects from accounts published by Iranian officials and state-linked media. VANCE SAYS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S KEY OBJECTIVES HAVE BEEN REACHED IN US-IRAN DEAL White House officials insisted Monday that no frozen Iranian assets have been released and said any sanctions relief would be conditioned on Iranian performance during the upcoming negotiations. “The very simple fact is, $0 of unfrozen assets have been released by the United States or any other country,” one official said. Iranian officials and state-linked media, meanwhile, have described the framework as paving the way for the release of roughly $24 billion in frozen Iranian funds and broader economic relief during the negotiation period. White House officials disputed reports that any funds have already been released and repeatedly emphasized that future economic concessions would be earned through compliance rather than granted upfront. IRAN’S REGIME SPINS NUCLEAR AND STRAIT OF HORMUZ DEAL WITH TRUMP AS VICTORY OVER US, ISRAEL “We’ll do some small gestures of that in the beginning, if they make some small gestures to us,” an official said. While Trump has portrayed the agreement as a potential turning point in U.S.–Iran relations, the memorandum itself is narrower in scope. The framework extends the ceasefire, establishes a 60-day negotiating window and seeks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments normally pass. The reopening of the Strait may prove to be the agreement’s most immediate and economically significant effect. White House officials said the memorandum provides for the opening of the waterway and the lifting of the naval blockade, though they cautioned that commercial shipping could take days or weeks to return to normal levels as mines are cleared and shipping companies regain confidence in the route. Officials also said the agreement requires the Strait to remain open toll-free during the 60-day negotiating period. The administration expects shipping traffic to increase significantly over the coming days, easing pressure on global energy markets. The deal, officials said, creates a framework under which Iran could eventually receive sanctions relief and broader access to the global economy in exchange for verifiable steps to ensure it does not rebuild its nuclear program and curbs support for terrorism and regional instability. “If they’re willing to behave like a normal country, then we’re willing to treat them like a normal country,” one official said. The prospect of renewed traffic through the Strait has already reverberated through global markets. Oil prices fell following news of the agreement as traders bet that one of the world’s most important energy choke points could soon return to normal operations.
SEE IT: UFC legend denies posting alleged Eric Trump DMs, claims he was hacked
Former UFC champion Daniel Cormier told Fox News Digital that he did not post viral screenshots alleging an exchange with Eric Trump in which the president’s son asked for inside intel about fighter injuries and whether any fights were “rigged” ahead of UFC Freedom 250 at the White House. The now-deleted post from Cormier showed screenshots of what appeared to be direct messages between himself and Eric Trump, with Trump reaching out to Cormier ahead of Sunday’s spectacle asking who he had winning, if any fighters were injured and “cutting to the chase” if any of the fights are rigged. “They’re not real,” Cormier told Fox News Digital when asked what happened with the posts showing the alleged messages with Trump. “I can’t believe you guys believed that. Like, who believes that?” he said. JAKE PAUL’S MOST VALUABLE PRODUCTIONS RIPS RIGGED FIGHT CLAIMS IN MIKE TYSON BOUT: ‘ILLOGICAL AND INANE’ The conversation caught national attention as a potential cheating scandal as it appears to show Trump trying to leverage inside information that could be used toward advancing his own bets. The account that is labeled as Trump in the screenshots shows a message saying, “I’ll just cut to the chase…are any of the fights tomorrow rigged? I’ve been eyeing the Lopes fight and I think an upset wouldn’t be too unrealistic. $$.” The exchange ends with an alleged reply from Cormier to Trump saying, “No none of our fights rigged and honestly I am appalled you would even ask me something like that.” DANA WHITE DENIES AMERICA 250 UFC FIGHT AT WHITE HOUSE WILL BE ‘POLITICAL,’ ‘NOT AT ALL’ ABOUT POLITICS Both Cormier and Trump posted on X Sunday evening, leading up to the main event of the night, claiming the post was fake. Cormier asked if “people were really that dumb,” while Trump posted that the whole thing was “completely fake.” In another post, Trump referred to the screenshots as “fake, AI-generated screenshots” and said he has never even spoken to Cormier. UFC’S DANA WHITE CONFIRMS FBI TALKS OVER UNUSUAL BETTING ACTIVITY ON FIGHTER ISAAC DULGARIAN MATCH Cormier told Fox News Digital that he was hacked and he was not the one to post the alleged interaction to social media. “I got hacked or something,” he said when asked if he was denying posting it to his social media. He continued, “Who believes stuff like that? That’s crazy.” Cormier also told Fox News Digital that the reporting that he posted this is wrong. “Yeah, absolutely,” he said when asked if the journalists claiming he posted it to social media are wrong.
Reporter’s Notebook: Lawmakers scramble as FISA fight comes at the worst possible time
There’s the World Cup. America’s 250th birthday. And the conflict with Iran. It’s all a nightmare national security hat trick. “It’s the highest we’ve ever seen,” said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Fox News Sunday about the terrorism threat level. “When I say we arrest terrorists every single week, I’m not exaggerating. Those aren’t the individuals that are coming across our border, those are individuals that are still inside this country.” But lawmakers are scared now that the nation’s premier anti-terrorism tool — called FISA Section 702 — expired over the weekend. EXPIRING SPY LAW SPARKS WARNINGS OF ‘FATAL’ CONSEQUENCES AHEAD OF WORLD CUP “I hope and pray to God that nothing happens in this country where an American is killed,” said Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio. “We want to prevent the next 9/11 from happening,” said Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., on Fox. “This program goes dark at a time when there are literally hundreds of thousands of people coming to this country for the World Cup,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. Well, not quite. “FISA is operative until next March. That’s the legislation,” said Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Confused? You’re not the only one. Let me explain. SPY PROGRAM CREDITED WITH STOPPING TAYLOR SWIFT TERROR PLOT BARRELS TOWARD EXPIRATION Legal authority sanctioned by Congress for this powerful intelligence-gathering weapon to foil terrorism expired at 11:59:59 p.m. ET Friday night. If nearly any other statute other than FISA Section 702 expired, the government couldn’t continue to rely on the program. “It’s a very inopportune time to allow the authorizing statute for 702 to lapse,” conceded George Croner, a former National Security Agency counsel. “It has proven to be the most useful by far of any of the intelligence programs that the community has available to it.” That’s why there’s worry about unprecedented vulnerabilities with the program expiring. Especially right now. “I think that it’s completely irresponsible to have FISA go dark at the beginning of the World Cup,” said Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., on FOX Business. A bipartisan coalition tanked an emergency FISA extension in both bodies of Congress last week. “It should have been voted down,” said Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo. “And I don’t say that lightly.” “We don’t have the guts to fix it. And I’m tired of hearing people are going to die,” said Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., scoffing at potential consequences from a program which ran its statutory course. The House rejected a three-week patch to paper over an imminent lapse in the program on Thursday. “Anybody who votes no on this bill is voting to undermine America’s national security,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La. CONSERVATIVE FISA REVOLT POSES FRESH TEST FOR SPEAKER JOHNSON But the GOP House majority failed to muster even 200 yeas for the bill. Nineteen Republicans bolted. They have privacy concerns and raised questions about illegal searches and seizures. “The Fourth Amendment is not a suggestion. We have to have a warrant,” said Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas. Still, Republican leaders claimed that it was Democratic resistance which put the country at risk. “(Democrats) are willing to jeopardize the safety and the security of the American people to make a cheap political point,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. But there was a reason Democrats balked. Congress punted renewing FISA Section 702 on multiple occasions over the past few months, repeatedly approving stopgap measures. Finally, Democrats and Republicans painstakingly negotiated a compromise which would install reforms. But Democrats withdrew their support for the deal once President Trump announced that housing czar Bill Pulte would take over on a temporary basis for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Democrats noted that Pulte lacked any national security or intelligence experience. Moreover, they believed he could weaponize intelligence programs like Section 702 against political opponents. TULSI GABBARD CHANGES TUNE ON CONTROVERSIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOL FOLLOWING GOP LOBBYING Ironically, both sides thought this was ironed out before Memorial Day. But Senate Democrats pulled their votes to advance the FISA measure in a pre-dawn vote late last month. Still, there’s concern about the consequences of not having FISA Section 702 fully in place. “Do Democrats not sleep at night if, God forbid, there’s something that happens with FISA turned off?” yours truly asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. “Donald Trump should lose sleep,” countered Jeffries. “Because Donald Trump decided he wants to elevate Bill Pulte, who is nothing more than a malignant political hack.” Here’s how the program works: FISA siphons the calls, emails and texts of foreign intelligence targets that the U.S. tracks. A special, secret court oversees FISA. But it ruled that the intelligence services can still track suspect communications through well into 2026 – despite a break in the law. “Data can still be collected for a year after it expires. So I don’t think it’s as dire as some think it is,” said Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo. She’s not the only one. “(FISA) will not lapse. I try to make this clear. The statute makes it clear that the authorities of FISA are going to be positive and enforceable for the remainder of this year. We think, until March of next year,” said Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill. TRUMP SIGNS STOPGAP FISA EXTENSION AFTER SENATE BLOCKS LONG-TERM RENEWAL However, it’s unclear if telecommunications companies will provide digital breadcrumbs to the government, lacking a Congressional safeguard. “That is a gray area and it’s one of the things that we’re going to have to work through,” said Jeffries. Croner, the former NSA counsel, says people shouldn’t worry about the government lacking a FISA Section 702 law. But he offered a caveat. “The carriers are going to become, in my view, increasingly uncomfortable with not having statutory protection for their part in 702 collection,” said Croner. When reporting on Congress, you’re only as good as your sources. And the same can be said in spy craft. The government’s digital spooks can’t track possible
Left-wing distraction of Trump’s UFC event falls flat as bitter celebrities mocked online
The political left’s attempt to counter-program President Donald Trump’s UFC event on the White House lawn Sunday night ended in widespread online mockery as celebrities and media personalities who have publicly complained for a decade about President Donald Trump offered more of the same. The event, called “Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment,” was hosted by far-left activist and actress Jane Fonda, nicknamed “Hanoi Jane,” and the Committee for the First Amendment in New York City. Participants spent three hours railing against Trump, recycling talking points about “fascism” and “authoritarianism” that have been repeatedly levied against the president since he first took office in 2016. The event was streamed on numerous left-wing YouTube channels, and also aired on C-SPAN. Bette Midler, an 80-year-old actress and activist, took center stage to perform her own rendition of Woody Guthrie’s “All You Fascists Bound to Lose,” backed by four other singers. She changed some of the lyrics to the song to make it anti-ICE themed. PARTY POOPERS’ FIGHT CARD: JANE FONDA, ‘NO KINGS,’ COMMUNISTS ROLL OUT RIVAL SPECTACLE TO TRUMP’S 250TH “All you fascists bound to lose,” the song began. “Lose, you fascists bound to lose.” “We’ll battle ICE together, until they cut and run, just like in Minneapolis, and when the midterms come you’re bound to lose, you fascists bound to lose,” it continued. The song also made reference to the Jeffrey Epstein files and claims that Republicans are “protecting pedophiles.” BETTE MIDLER LATEST TO ASSAULT PEOPLE’S EARS WITH TERRIBLE PROTEST SONG Midler was mocked for her performance. “Shew! I just saw a bunch of literal fascists getting ready to take down the country, BUT LUCKILY, Bette Midler and her super powerful squad stopped them at the gate… lol,” one popular X user needled. Another post criticized Midler as another one of the “dusty relics who peaked decades ago” who performed at the anti-Trump show. DEMOCRATIC PROTESTS DURING PRESIDENT TRUMP’S SPEECH MOCKED BY LIBERAL MEDIA FIGURES “These people aren’t just out of touch. They’re clinically insane,” the post added. Ex-MSNBC host Joe Reid used her platform at the event to blame the Trump administration for her own firing and the firings of other former television personalities. “The threat is not coming, friends. It is here,” she warned. “Brendan Carr, the man who wrote the blueprint to dismantle the FCC and Project 2025 is now running it. He is weaponizing the agency to bully and control the press and suppress the wider televised media.” WHITE HOUSE FIRES BACK AFTER ROBERT DE NIRO, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN TAKE TRUMP SWIPES AMID COLBERT’S FAREWELL WEEK “Don Lemon arrested, Georgia Fort arrested, Terry Moran fired from ABC, Scott Pelley fired from CBS by the clack of far-right ideologues who bought it and handed it over to a zealot named Bari Weiss who may soon also control CNN. Jim Acosta out at CNN. Karen Attiah fired from the Washington Post and me, more than a year ago,” she listed. “All of us shown the door for just doing our jobs, standing up to the administration and in my case, also for speaking out against the genocide.” Right-wing commentator Stephen Miller, not to be confused with the top Trump aide of the same name, didn’t take kindly to Reid’s comments. “Nothing she says here is true but she has the right friends in media so they will all applaud. Joy Reid is a bat s— crazy conspiracy theorist who they all accept because of the right politics,” he said on X. GREEN DAY FRONTMAN TELLS ICE AGENTS TO ‘QUIT THAT S—-Y JOB’ AT SUPER BOWL PARTY PERFORMANCE Soon thereafter, children’s singer and entertainer known as Ms. Rachel, who has been protesting outside the ICE detention facility Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey, joined several children on stage to complain about federal officers enforcing U.S. law. Later, about 40 people in a group called Singing Resistance New York performed an amateurish jingle while screaming: “No one is getting left behind this time.” TURNING POINT USA’S PATRIOTIC SUPER BOWL ALTERNATIVE EARNS PRAISE AS MILLIONS TUNE IN OVER BAD BUNNY “It is impossible to describe how much worse this is than Kid Rock doing an alternative Super Bowl halftime show,” said Ian Miller, a writer at Outkick. “‘No one is getting left behind this time’ from what?” conservative personality Libby Emmons asked. “And who are they singing about? And how are they so off-key? Rise Up Sing Out looks like a total bust.” Actor Robert De Niro also took the stage over the weekend to say he couldn’t love America while it’s led by Trump, and compared supporters to those in an abusive relationship. “I hate to say it, but loving our country is starting to sound like an abused spouse saying they love their abuser,” he said. “I can’t love a country that’s led by a racist, misogynist, xenophobic tyrant.” DE NIRO GETS EMOTIONAL, TEARY-EYED AS HE CALLS ON PEOPLE TO ‘RESIST, RESIST, RESIST’ TRUMP DURING INTERVIEW The multi-millionaire film star then started a “Go f–k yourself” chant with the crowd, aimed at the 47th president. He, too, drew heat from observers. “Oh no, I’m being abused by the country that made me rich and famous beyond my wildest dreams! Help, help! I’m being oppressed!” one commentator said in response. “‘I only love America when we’re in charge’” great message Bob,” said another.
Gavin Newsom claims Trump ordered DOJ probe targeting him and his wife
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday revealed that the Justice Department is investigating him and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, under orders from President Donald Trump. “After calling for my arrest last year, Donald Trump directed his Department of Justice to investigate me,” he said in a video statement. “And just in the last week, I’ve learned his campaign has reached my own home: to get me, he’s coming after my wife, Jen.” The governor also claimed the investigation is intended to undermine any potential White House bid he may pursue in the future. “Donald Trump isn’t just coming after me because of my mean Tweets. He’s coming after me because I am considering running for President,” he said. “Because he hates that I’ve consistently called him out – over and over again – for his lies and deceit. Donald Trump is simply the most corrupt President in American history.” This is a developing story. Please check back for updates
WATCH: Shane Gillis rejects UFC fighter’s crude Michelle Obama jab after White House win
Comedian Shane Gillis said he “didn’t like” UFC heavyweight Josh Hokit’s crude post-fight remark about former first lady Michelle Obama after Hokit defeated Derrick Lewis at Sunday’s UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House. Hokit made the comment inside the Octagon during a post-fight interview with UFC commentator Joe Rogan, claiming without evidence that Michelle Obama is a man. “Michelle Obama is a man. Am I right, America?” Hokit said to the crowd at the end of the interview. DANA WHITE DENIES AMERICA 250 UFC FIGHT AT WHITE HOUSE WILL BE ‘POLITICAL,’ ‘NOT AT ALL’ ABOUT POLITICS The comment drew a mixed reaction from the crowd, with some attendees laughing while others appeared less amused. Gillis, one of many celebrities who attended the spectacle, told reporters he “didn’t love it” when asked what he thought about Hokit’s remark. “I didn’t like that sh–,” he reiterated. A-LIST COMEDIAN SHANE GILLIS RETURNING TO HOST ‘SNL’ FOR SECOND TIME SINCE BEING FIRED FROM SKETCH SHOW Gillis has faced criticism over controversial jokes and past remarks throughout his career as a stand-up comedian. He was fired from “Saturday Night Live” in 2019 before appearing as a new cast member in season 45, after clips surfaced of him using a slur aimed at Asian people on his podcast. The comedian was fired from Saturday Night Live in 2019 before appearing in his debut as a new cast member in season 45 for making racist remarks — a viral clip showing him using a slur aimed at Asian people on his podcast. More clips continued to circulate of him making racist jokes and using offensive language online. Gillis initially took to X to apologize for what he said on the podcast, but later deleted the tweet. He went on to build a successful career for himself in the comedy sphere, continuing to insert what can be viewed as racially insensitive jokes into his skits. But despite his own history of controversial comedy, Gillis repeatedly said he didn’t like Hokit’s remark. “Yeah I didn’t like that,” Gillis said. “But whatever, he was funny.” Gillis was also asked by Fox News Digital for his opinion on President Donald Trump’s job performance in office as he was leaving the White House event put together by the administration on Trump’s 80th birthday. TRUMP WHITE HOUSE UNLOADS ON KIMMEL, CALLING HIM ‘DERANGED’ AND FOR HIM TO BE FIRED “Nothing,” he said. Gillis interrupted a follow-up question regarding cancel culture, an issue that continues to impact public figures’ careers, particularly comedians like Gillis who are often scrutinized for crossing lines in their comedic routines. “You guys got me on a couple brewskis,” Gillis told Fox News Digital in the middle of being asked about cancel culture. The event marked the first UFC event ever hosted at the White House, and what will be the last in history, according to UFC President and CEO Dana White, referring to the event as a one-time spectacle.
FBI raids Soros-backed voter group’s headquarters in reported fraud probe
Federal investigators raided a Soros-funded voter mobilization group on Thursday as part of a reported ongoing fraud investigation. FBI agents raided the headquarters of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative (OOC) on June 11 and deployed across the state to question members of the organization, sometimes bearing subpoenas or demanding to seize electronic devices, MS Now reported. A day later, multiple sources familiar with the events told CBS News that the operations were part of a fraud-related investigation. The raid marks the latest flashpoint in the Trump administration’s expanded use of federal law enforcement to scrutinize alleged voter fraud and election-related misconduct, a push cheered by conservatives who have long argued such cases were under-enforced and condemned by Democrats and voting rights groups who say the effort risks turning the FBI into a political weapon against liberal voter registration operations. OOC is a nonprofit organization that works closely with the Democratic Party in Ohio on voter mobilization and registration efforts. It is especially active in ballot referendums, tapping its vast donor network that includes the Soros family’s philanthropies, to do so. STACEY ABRAMS HIT WITH SUBPOENA IN ALLEGED CAMPAIGN FINANCE VIOLATIONS SAGA: ‘NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW’ The Department of Justice has declined to comment on the specifics of the purported investigation. “Search warrants are authorized by a judge and anything said by any organization or others in the media is unfounded speculation, as the target of any investigation is not privy to the search warrant affidavit until after indictment,” a DOJ official told Fox News Digital. The group previously spent $250,000 in 2023 to oppose a GOP-led effort to block the right to an abortion from being enshrined in Ohio’s constitution and spent a further $300,000 against a Republican redistricting effort a year later. OOC finances these expenditures by tapping a deep network of top-level liberal donors. Recent tax documents show that the organization had over $10 million in revenue during 2024. OOC’s considerable financial resources are provided by a variety of high-profile Democratic-aligned donor organizations, including the Soros family’s philanthropies, New Venture Fund and the Tides Foundation as well as unions such as the American Federation of Teachers and the Service Employees International Union. The Soros family’s Foundation to Promote Open Society gave OOC roughly $1.9 million between 2019 and 2020. In 2021, Open Society Action Fund gave an additional $1 million to OOC’s sister organization, the Ohio Organizing Campaign, followed by another $1 million donation in 2023. GEORGE SOROS, BETO O’ROURKE BEHIND FUNDING FOR DEMS FLEEING TEXAS OVER GOP CONGRESSIONAL MAP OOC has characterized the federal scrutiny as an example of the Trump administration politicizing the justice system. “How can they distract and intimidate civil rights leaders and voters and community leaders who are helping people get registered to vote, and create a national spectacle about it?” Prentiss Haney, an OOC board member authorized to discuss the matter on behalf of the group, told MS Now. “That is the only reason why they would choose to do that, do it now, in the middle of a contested political election in the state. There’s no other reason. They have no evidence of that.” OOC previously came under fire in 2017 when a paid canvasser working with the group pleaded guilty over his involvement in a fraudulent voter registration operation. Republicans, however, have yet to produce conclusive evidence of widespread voter fraud in recent election cycles. ELECTION INVESTIGATION UNCOVERS ALLEGED ILLEGAL VOTING BY NONCITIZENS AND DOUBLE VOTERS IN MULTIPLE STATES OOC did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Monday.
Chaotic car chase ends with ICE nabbing alleged foreign terrorist leader accused of holding wife captive
FIRST ON FOX: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a Brazilian illegal immigrant, who authorities say previously served as the commander of two designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations, after allegedly attempting to flee a North Carolina traffic stop while preparing to escape to Mexico. Felipe Linares de Oliveira Dell Aquilla, known as “Don,” was arrested June 5 in Mooresville, North Carolina, after allegedly leading law enforcement on a vehicle pursuit that ended in a crash before his arrest, according to a Department of Homeland Security press release obtained by Fox News Digital. Federal authorities say Dell Aquilla was wanted in Brazil on charges of criminal association and extortion and had been preparing to leave the United States for Mexico. Dell Aquilla previously served as a commander within the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho (CV), two Brazil-based criminal organizations that were recently designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations by the Trump administration, according to DHS. ICE ARRESTS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WITH ALLEGED TERROR TIES IN CALIFORNIA, ONE OF THE MOST WANTED MEN IN INDIA “This arrest demonstrates the unwavering commitment of HSI to protect our communities from dangerous international criminals,” Mark M. Zito, special agent in charge of HSI in North and South Carolina, said in an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital. “By removing a known leader of violent foreign terrorist organizations — wanted for serious crimes including criminal association and extortion — we have prevented further harm to innocent people here and abroad,” Zito said. EXCLUSIVE: ICE NABS MULTIPLE CONVICTED KILLERS IN SINGLE DAY AMID NATIONWIDE IMMIGRATION SWEEP Law enforcement intelligence indicated Dell Aquilla was holding his wife against her will as he plotted his escape to Mexico. Authorities said investigators later interviewed his wife, who confirmed she had been held against her will. Investigators said Dell Aquilla led authorities on a pursuit after officers initiated a traffic stop. The chase ended when he crashed into stopped traffic and allegedly attempted to flee on foot before being taken into custody. A search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of multiple cellphones, laptops, cash and a 9 mm handgun, according to DHS. FIVE ANTI-ICE AGITATORS ARRESTED DURING CHAOTIC DELANEY HALL CONFRONTATIONS CAUGHT ON VIDEO “Our agents, working alongside dedicated state and local law enforcement partners, acted swiftly and decisively to ensure this individual will no longer threaten the safety of our neighborhoods,” Zito said. “HSI will continue to pursue those who endanger our communities and bring them to justice.” Dell Aquilla was transported to a county jail and faces a state felony charge of fleeing to elude arrest. HSI is pursuing additional charges of kidnapping and being an alien in possession of a firearm, according to DHS. ICE has also lodged a detainer on him. Dell Aquilla illegally entered the United States “at an unknown date and location,” according to federal authorities. HSI Greensboro and HSI Charlotte worked alongside HSI New England, the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office and the Mooresville Police Department in the operation.