Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed accused Trump of inciting terrorism over Whitmer kidnapping plot
Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic candidate for Senate in Michigan, once accused President Donald Trump of inciting terrorism in a 2020 interview, citing a foiled plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “These are terrorists; we have to call them that. We have to recognize that that is what the face of terrorism looks like right now. We have to step up against it,” El-Sayed said. “We gotta ask: why are these people getting radicalized? Well, there must be some radical, extremist cleric out there who may be tweeting up a storm about all the things that they think need to be done, like liberating Michigan.” El-Sayed’s comments come as he wages a tight primary race against Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., with the Aug. 4 primary now less than a month away. His remarks also raise questions about his views on political rhetoric and its connection to violence. MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE ABDUL EL-SAYED DODGES QUESTION ON WHETHER HE STILL SUPPORTS DEFUNDING THE POLICE His comments reference a foiled plan to kidnap Whitmer that first surfaced in 2020. A group of men associated with anti-government and militia circles, including the Wolverine Watchmen, allegedly planned to kidnap the governor from her vacation home in northern Michigan in an effort to end her COVID-19 restrictions. The plot was foiled in October by law enforcement before any attempt was ever made. Notably, The New York Times later reported that four of the 12 people charged in the alleged plot had been government agents or informants, prompting accusations of entrapment. Although President Donald Trump did not call for any kind of violence against Whitmer, El-Sayed said he believed the president was at least partially responsible, pointing to a tweet Trump had made six months before the discovered plot. WATCH: SURFACED VIDEOS OF DEM SENATE CANDIDATE BACKING ‘DEFUND THE POLICE’ CONTRADICT RECENT DENIALS “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!” Trump wrote in a post on Twitter, the social media platform now known as X. The post was one of a series calling to “liberate” Virginia and Minnesota from COVID-19 restrictions imposed by Democratic governors. According to FBI comments to local media, the plot originated before Trump’s post. El-Sayed called the posts emblematic of a cultural toxicity that had made violence more likely. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “The idea that people would threaten her safety because she was willing to stand up to keep us all healthy is, to me, the example of what the kind of toxicity that we see out of Donald Trump creates,” El-Sayed said. “And right now, the threat we are seeing is radical, far-right White Supremacy and the terrorists who would undo our society’s basic norms and mores.” DSA MEMBER LEADS DEM PRIMARY IN MIDWEST BATTLEGROUND BUT TRAILS LIKELY GOP NOMINEE: POLL El-Sayed’s campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment on whether his position on Trump’s rhetoric had changed in light of The New York Times reporting. El-Sayed will face off against Stevens in the state’s Aug. 4 primaries.
WATCH: Scalise serves up Olive Garden reality check for Democrats in voter ID fight
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., is comparing the lack of a federal voter ID law to an identification requirement at one of America’s most well-known chain restaurants. “If you want to go buy unlimited pasta at the Olive Garden, they said you have to show your ID,” Scalise told Fox News Digital in an interview earlier this week. He also pointed out that the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) required attendees to show ID in order to enter the venue. SEN MARK WARNER CALLED OUT IN ABC INTERVIEW FOR INACCURATE VOTER ID CLAIMS “Democrats are saying it somehow impedes people’s ability to participate, yet Democrats themselves wouldn’t even let you go to their convention without showing ID,” Scalise said. “I’m not against them having to require ID – but by the way, everybody understands it, and everybody gets it in polling. You know, if you’re Black, if you’re White, if you are Hispanic, if you’re Republican, or Democrat, or Independent, you understand that an ID makes sense because it protects your right to vote.” He also listed boarding a plane and buying “a six-pack of beer” as situations where a photo ID was required as well. “How about the franchise of American democracy? Let’s make sure you are who you say you are and illegals can’t vote in American elections,” Scalise said. TRUMP INTERVENES AS HOUSE GOP REVOLT PUTS SAVE AMERICA ACT AT CENTER OF SPENDING SHOWDOWN Republicans have emphasized polling showing broad support for voter ID requirements as their main argument against Democrats’ opposition to the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, which was advanced by the House multiple times but has stalled in the Senate. Democrats have argued the election integrity package is tantamount to voter suppression, claiming it would make it harder for married women who have changed their names to vote and make absentee voting more burdensome. Another provision in SAVE America that’s angering Democrats would allow the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) comprehensive access to states’ voter rolls. But Republicans say that’s not true. The SAVE America Act, among other provisions, would mandate proof of citizenship in the voter registration process and implement a federal photo ID requirement to vote in U.S. elections. WHITE HOUSE DISHES OUT NEW ELECTION SECURITY JAB OVER OLIVE GARDEN’S PASTA PASS ID POLICY And Republicans have seized on a temporary promotion at the Italian-American restaurant chain Olive Garden as the latest example of the commonsense reasoning behind photo ID. Earlier this month, the restaurant chain unveiled a “Never-ending pasta pass,” which would give 10,000 customers unlimited pasta for dine-in visits across 13 weeks, for the price of $100. The Olive Garden website states that “Passholders must present a photo I.D. along with Pass at time of ordering” to ensure one pass is not being shared by multiple people. House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil, R-Wis., referenced the promotion during debate on a separate voter ID measure earlier this week, which Democrats also opposed. “The never ending pasta bowl is back at Olive Garden. I used to work at Olive Garden, so this hit close to home. But to safeguard the integrity of their pasta program, Olive Garden, as you may have seen, implemented photo ID requirements,” Steil said. “However, in jurisdictions across the country from Illinois and California or Minnesota, an individual can go to the polls on Election Day and cast a ballot without providing confirmation, without providing confirmation of their identity.” That measure, which would require photo voter ID even when sending mail-in ballots, passed the House earlier this week with the help of just 13 Democrats.
Mamdani warning to wealthy New Yorkers about ‘fair share’ sparks online firestorm: ‘Full blown communist’
New York City socialist mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing heat on social media after his post celebrating the state’s new pied-à-terre tax on New Yorkers with a second home. “If you have a second home in New York City worth more than $5 million, check your mailbox when you’re back in the five boroughs — because you’ve got mail,” Mamdani posted on X, touting the tax on specific second properties introduced by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul that he supported going into effect soon. “Today, we sent notification letters to property owners, letting them know that our new pied-à-terre tax is coming soon,” Mamdani continued. “The best city in the world deserves the best parks, libraries, and schools in the world. That’s only possible when we all pay our fair share. “ As of Friday morning, Mamdani’s post had been viewed over 10 million times and conservatives on social media blasted the mayor and warned that the exodus of wealthy New Yorkers will only continue under this new plan. HOCHUL CONFRONTED ON STUDY SHOWING MILLIONAIRE EXODUS IN NEW YORK CITY “Never elect a politician who: (1) sees your money as his slush fund, (2) loves Karl Marx, or (3) uses French words like ‘pied-à-terre’ to disguise new, confiscatory taxes he wants to impose to redistribute wealth,” Republican Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) posted on X. “Socialism – Florida’s best real estate agent,” Republican Sen. Ashley Moody (R-FL) posted on X. “NYC’s pied-à-terre tax hasn’t even started and brokers already say owners are calling to sell,” GOP strategist and attorney Mehek Cooke posted on X. “Empty units don’t tip [doormen] or pay supers. You’re not taxing the rich. You’re firing the working class that depended on them. “ “More incitement,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton posted on X. “Communist @NYCMayor celebrates a confiscatory tax targeted at a select few. “ MAMDANI SETS INTERNET ABLAZE WITH VIDEO EXPLAINING CAVE ON PLAN TO ARREST NETANYAHU: ‘WHAT A JOKE’ “What will the excuse be when literally nothing improves after all these tax increases?” New York City Republican Councilwoman Vickie Paladino posted on X. “Will they just demand even more, or will they tell us to ignore our own eyes as they insist they’ve actually fixed everything? Both? “ “The condescension towards the people who already pay a ton of property taxes to NYC,” Washington Free Beacon investigative reporter Chuck Ross posted on X. “He thinks you’re an immoral person and worthy of mockery if you have a second home. ‘when you’re back in the five boroughs.’” “That’s only possible when we all pay our fair share,’ says the man who’s literally lived off of taxpayer dollars for years, produces nothing, and is concentrating the burdens on others—others who’ve contributed exponentially more to the city in both taxes and charitable contributions than he could possibly hope to contribute in 10 lifetimes, I might add,” Manhattan Institute fellow Rafael Mangual posted on X. “You can practically feel the glee emanating from this tweet so it’s hilarious that people will still refuse to admit he’s a full-blown communist,” civil rights attorney David Pivtorak posted on X. In April, New York City Mayor Mamdani and Hochul unveiled the joint legislative proposal targeting luxury second homes worth $5 million or more. Known as a pied-à-terre tax, the annual surcharge is expected to generate an estimated $500 million from affluent out-of-state property owners. Mamdani has previously said revenue from the tax would go toward initiatives such as free childcare, cleaner streets and safer neighborhoods. Critics, including billionaire Ken Griffin whose luxury New York City home was featured in Mamdani’s controversial video announcing the tax, argue the tax will only drive more wealthy New Yorkers out of the state and bring jobs and investments with them. Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s office for comment. Fox Business’s Kristen Altus contributed to this report
Trump-fired US attorney launches unprecedented court fight after just 54 minutes on the job
The Trump administration fired a newly sworn-in U.S. attorney just 54 minutes into his tenure. Now, in what is believed to be the first lawsuit of its kind, he is fighting back. Roger Rogoff was appointed to serve as the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington last week after a panel of district court judges, among them Democratic and Republican appointees, unanimously decided that he should fill the vacant role. The Trump administration fired him just 54 minutes after he was sworn in, prompting Rogoff to file a lawsuit alleging that the Trump administration lacked the authority to remove him. TRUMP ADMIN FIRES US ATTORNEY IN SEATTLE MINUTES AFTER HE WAS APPOINTED The legal challenge sets up a novel test of presidential power over court-appointed U.S. attorneys, pitting the Trump administration’s claim of broad removal authority against a federal law Rogoff says allows him to serve until a Senate-confirmed successor takes office. The outcome could determine whether presidents may dismiss judicially selected prosecutors at will — and potentially leave key offices under temporary leadership without seeking Senate approval. Rogoff argues that, while the law allows the Department of Justice to appoint an interim U.S. attorney for 120 days, after that period has expired, the local district court retains the right to appoint a replacement “until the vacancy is filled,” meaning that he can’t be fired until a permanent replacement is approved by the Senate. Allowing the president to immediately remove any court-appointed U.S. attorney he opposed, according to Rogoff, would permit an administration to circumvent the Senate-confirmation process indefinitely. “The district court did not coordinate with DOJ on this selection,” a spokesperson for the agency told Fox News Digital of the firing. “Consistent with other firings of this type, this is wholly within the President’s authority.” TRUMP PICKS JAMES MCDONALD TO LEAD POWERFUL SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK AFTER JAY CLAYTON’S DEPARTURE Rogoff’s firing was the latest in a string of dismissals — such as those in New Jersey, New York and Virginia — where the Trump administration has removed U.S. attorneys very early in their tenure. Rogoff is unique in that he is the first to challenge his removal in court. U.S. attorneys serve as the federal government’s chief prosecutors in their districts, overseeing criminal prosecutions and representing the United States in civil cases. They also direct local U.S. attorney’s offices and coordinate federal law enforcement priorities. “District court judges can appoint a temporary U.S. Attorney, and POTUS can fire them,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said on X shortly after the firing. “[Western District of Washington] judges abandoned the time-honored process of consultation with the administration so that the selected U.S. Attorney is qualified to serve in the administration.” TRUMP DOJ FIRES PROSECUTORS TIED TO FACE ACT CASES AFTER REPORT ALLEGES BIAS AND MISCONDUCT Several experienced federal attorneys, including many in U.S. attorneys’ offices, have departed the second Trump administration, often going to work for Democratic-run states and taking north of a decade of legal experience with them. In his complaint, Rogoff points to administration statements indicating that court-appointed U.S. attorneys who lack the president’s support will be removed. Rogoff was appointed a King County Superior Court judge by Gov. Jay Inslee, D-Wash., in 2013 and worked in private practice after leaving the bench. The White House referred Fox News Digital to the DOJ when reached for comment. Rogoff’s attorneys did not respond to a request for comment.
WATCH: Trump DOJ vows to pursue ‘every single’ voting violation after NJ roll shocker
The Justice Department’s top Civil Rights official pledged the Trump administration will pursue every provable case of illegal voting under what she described as a “broken windows” enforcement strategy, marking a sharp shift from prior administrations as the DOJ intensifies scrutiny of voter rolls following revelations that noncitizens were registered to vote in New Jersey. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon told Fox News Digital the department’s approach is to investigate every credible lead and prosecute every case supported by the evidence, rejecting what she described as the prior view that only widespread fraud or election-altering misconduct warranted federal action. The pledge follows revelations from Democratic New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill that thousands of noncitizens ended up on the state’s voter rolls through the motor-voter system. “What’s different, first of all, is the people in charge — and ‘people are policy’,” Dhillon said when asked why the DOJ under previous administrations often uncovered alleged election-related wrongdoing but rarely secured convictions. “[Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche] and I and the other fine career and political lawyers at the Department of Justice are dedicated to enforcing our federal civil rights laws. It is correct that in prior years, there has been this attitude that, unless there’s some kind of wholesale fraud, or it changed the outcome of the election, it isn’t going to get prosecuted, but that’s not our attitude.” NONCITIZEN EX-KANSAS MAYOR PLEADS GUILTY TO ILLEGALLY VOTING MULTIPLE TIMES Dhillon said her prosecution philosophy follows a “broken windows” strategy, originally popularized by then-New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton, which focused on enforcing minor offenses to deter more serious crimes. “We need to go after every single one of these violations … I can’t talk about a lot of what we’re doing publicly, but activists and others are giving us leads. Local officials are giving as leads. And we are carefully running down each of these leads.” Dhillon emphasized prosecutors will bring charges only when supported by evidence that is “100% correct.” CALIFORNIA ACCUSED OF BLOCKING FEDERAL VOTER ROLL AUDIT AS DOJ ESCALATES PROBE OF ELECTION FRAUD CLAIMS “If one does not lead to a conclusion that that person voted illegally, and I’m glad I did my due diligence rather than shooting from the hip.” When noncitizens are found to have voted illegally, Dhillon suggested the DOJ will pursue penalties such as barring them from future naturalization. A former vice chair of the California Republican Party, Dhillon considered whether New Jersey’s figures could be extrapolated to other states, including California. “I think there are more than 400 [illegal votes cast in New Jersey] I’m willing to bet. New Jersey is a small state. I came from California where I lived for the last 25 years. I’m going to predict if I were in prediction market mode that the figures there are orders of magnitude higher,” she said. GOP ERUPTS OVER 6,600 NONCITIZEN VOTERS FOUND IN BLUE STATE AS SCANDAL DEEPENS: ‘WORSE THAN ANYONE EXPECTED’ “And the system is frankly rigged in such a way that officials don’t want know. People check off a box. Nobody checks whether people are citizens or not. And nobody checks duplicates. It’s a sloppy mess in most of the United States, and we Americans deserve better.” When asked about Dhillon’s comments regarding California, an official in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s press office said the Democrat does not administer elections, count or certify results and hopes vote tabulation can be completed faster following June’s marathon primary period. Newsom recently signed the state’s FY-2027 budget, which includes about $40 million for increased county staffing, technology upgrades and voter outreach, and approved a bill cutting the vote-count deadline from 30 days to 13. Fox News Digital reached out to California Secretary of State Shirley Weber for additional comment. Dhillon said the New Jersey situation underscores why other states should partner with the federal government and turn over their electronic voter data. Many Democrat-led states have balked at such requests and are being sued in turn. Dhillon said the national problem lies in automatic registration policies combined with a “flood of illegal aliens.” Dhillon said the DOJ sent “election monitors” to key Arizona counties during Tuesday’s primary and confirmed the agency will deploy federally trained monitors to several jurisdictions nationwide going forward. When asked what happens at the end of the five-day window her letter gives Sherrill and New Jersey Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell to respond with voter data, Dhillon said her staff has filed an additional pleading in an ongoing suit against Caldwell as to why turning over the rolls is necessary. “With respect to this five-day window, we’re looking for voluntary enforcement and what your viewers need to understand is that through a variety of court doctrines, there’s window. After which you can’t update the voter rolls,” she said, noting most states’ 90-day windows are closing. Meanwhile in Trenton, state Senate Oversight Committee member Joe Pennacchio sent a letter to Blanche asking the DOJ to not only probe voter rolls but the entire motor-voter framework blamed by Sherrill for the problems. The French vendor that provides the technology for the system pushed back on Sherrill on that front, saying the issues do not lie in their systems but in the Department of State. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “The People of New Jersey deserve more than empty assurances from the same government that oversaw this foreseeable failure,” said Pennacchio, R-Boonton. “They deserve an independent investigation that follows the evidence wherever it leads and provides a complete and transparent accounting of the facts so that any vulnerabilities that led us here can be fully and immediately remedied.” Asked about the new demand, Dhillon suggested it simply widens the net of scrutiny, remarking, “we’ll get to the bottom of it for sure.” Fox News Digital’s Hannah Brennan contributed to this report.
Secret Service offers glimpse into WHCA Dinner security after alleged Trump assassination attempt
The Secret Service is giving a behind-the-scenes glimpse inside the strategy to protect President Donald Trump and guests at Friday night’s rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) Dinner. The originally scheduled event in April was done before it even started after a crazed gunman bolted through a security checkpoint and was later accused of trying to assassinate the 47th president. “Our agency grows and adapts from every event we secure, and we have engaged with WHCA to ensure attendees are given timely information in the unlikely event on an emergency during the event,” Anthony Guglielmi, Secret Service’s communications director, told Fox News Digital. Guglielmi noted that the Secret Service’s protection plan worked during the April 25 dinner when agents stopped Cole Allen of California after he allegedly descended from the 10th floor of the Washington Hilton Hotel, where the dinner is historically held, and attempted to breach security barriers. He allegedly fired one shot from a shotgun before tripping and falling, after which he was quickly detained. One Secret Service agent was shot and sustained minor injuries. FIRST ON FOX: WHITE HOUSE REVEALS WHO’S JOINING TRUMP AT CORRESPONDENTS’ DINNER — AND WHO CAN’T ATTEND The rescheduled dinner is set for Friday night at the Waldorf Astoria on Pennsylvania Avenue, which is housed inside the Old Post Office Tower and was previously owned by the president and called the Trump International Hotel. It’s the first time in decades that the annual WHCA Dinner is not being held at the Washington Hilton. Those attending the dinner will enter the ballroom through a door separate from the main lobby and entrance of the hotel. “Guests will see a visible police presence around the Waldorf Astoria hotel and there will be enhanced traffic closures due to proximity to major thoroughfares,” Guglielmi said. “All ticketed guests will go through airport-style magnetometer screening to enter the event.” “Roads immediately around the hotel will be closed Friday evening, and specifics about closures will be communicated in the coming days.” TRUMP URGES NEED FOR SECURE WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM AFTER DINNER SHOOTING, SAYS HOTEL SETTING ‘TOUGH’ TO PROTECT Guglielmi added that exact arrival instructions will be communicated specifically to ticket holders, and that each ticket will be screened by event staff prior to Secret Service security. Notably, the dinner is significantly scaled-back from the usual event, which typically hosts 4,000+ guests inside one of the largest ballrooms in the District of Columbia — second only to the convention center Marriott Marquis. The Waldorf Astoria ballroom can host a maximum of 1,300 people for tight banquet seating. At the dinner, Secret Service Police Officer Victor Gonzales, who was shot by the alleged gunman, will be awarded the President’s Award for Exceptional Service to the WHCA for his actions protecting Trump and event guests during the April attack. “The WHCA is deeply grateful that law enforcement officials prevented the armed suspect from entering the ballroom,” said Weijia Jiang of CBS News, who as president of the association presided over the April dinner. “Officer Gonzales played a significant role when he ran toward danger so that thousands of others could make it home safely. His courage stemmed from a dedication to service, which we are looking forward to honoring this week.” WHCD SHOOTING SUSPECT PLANNED TO TARGET TRUMP OFFICIALS, MANIFESTO REVEALS According to a court filing in the proceedings against Allen, the alleged gunman boarded an Amtrak train on April 21 after purchasing a one-way ticket from Los Angeles to the nation’s capital, stopping in Chicago to change trains. While he rode, prosecutors say he “kept a running note on his phone of his observations and thoughts during his cross-country train journey.” His musings along the way, in tandem with what he wrote in a later manifesto, paint a picture of an unfocused person whose thoughts were “scattered,” as one former FBI behavioral analyst said, despite the gravity of the situation. While he traveled through the U.S. Southwest on the first leg of his trip, Allen made a note: “[t]he southwest desert in spring Distant wind turbines looming like snowy mountains across the hazy NM desert.” Of Chicago, where he would switch trains and board a second train to his final destination, Allen wrote that, “Chicago is cool; kinda like an Iowa small town was scaled up to LA size.” Of the sliver of southwestern Pennsylvania through which he would pass, he wrote that the “woods are awesome (look like vast fairy lands filled with tiny trickling creeks in spring apparently.” Allen arrived in Washington, D.C., early in the afternoon on Friday, April 24. He spent about 30 hours in the city before initiating his alleged attack. Surveillance video from the Washington Hilton hotel, also released by the Department of Justice, showed Allen apparently pacing through hallways, once entering the hotel’s fitness center and taking a look around before hastily exiting. Minutes before the attack, a pre-scheduled email from Allen was sent to his family and friends, explaining his actions, according to authorities. He allegedly acknowledged that his mission would likely severely harm him at the least, but never stated that he was willing to die for his cause. His motivations were political, and he painted himself as a savior of the oppressed. He apologized profusely to family, friends and everyone he had come in contact with on his cross-country trek. He noted that there were certain people he hoped wouldn’t be caught in the crossfire, and described himself as “friendly.” Allen remains in federal custody in Washington, D.C., while awaiting trial on four charges. Those charges are attempting to assassinate the President of the United States, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, transporting a firearm across state lines and assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon. Fox News’ Jake Gibson contributed to this report.
Boasberg delivers fresh immigration setback to Trump in free-speech clash
Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg has temporarily halted the Trump administration’s effort to deny visas to individuals it claims worked to perpetuate censorship against Americans. Boasberg, who has been a major judicial antagonist across President Donald Trump’s two administrations, handed down a decision earlier this month blocking the State Department from restricting visas for foreign officials and other foreign nationals considered responsible for or complicit in suppressing American free speech. He found that, while the federal government has a “legitimate interest in responding when foreign officials use sovereign power to suppress protected expression in the United States,” it is possible that the government is engaging in viewpoint discrimination, and thus violating the First Amendment, through its policy. “The policy, at its core, does not burden all speech about platforms, all research into content moderation, or all advocacy about online harms,” Boasberg wrote. “It presses its enforcement thumb against one side of the scale: the view that platforms should do more to moderate content, label disinformation, restrict abuse, share data with researchers, or take responsibility for the harms their systems amplify.” GOP LAWMAKERS URGE SUPREME COURT TO STRENGTHEN FIRST AMENDMENT PROTECTIONS FOR STREET PREACHERS “The Government, in other words, has not set itself against everyone who speaks about platform governance. It has set itself against those whose work favors more moderation rather than less,” he added. The State Department’s policy followed a Biden-era controversy where the Global Disinformation Index (GDI), which produced alleged “blacklists” of certain news websites, received funding from the federal government. Conservatives have argued that GDI’s ratings contributed to advertisers withholding revenue from conservative outlets and that federal support for the organization implicated free-speech concerns. The State Department’s policy paused by Boasberg restricted visa access to individuals involved with GDI and similar organizations. “The Trump Administration believes that aliens who are or were involved or complicit in censoring American citizens must face appropriate consequences,” a spokesperson for the department told Fox News Digital. “An American visa is a privilege, not a right. Specific questions about this lawsuit should be referred to the Department of Justice.” DC APPEALS COURT ORDERS JUDGE BOASBERG TO HALT TRUMP CONTEMPT PROBE OVER DEPORTATION FLIGHTS Boasberg has presided over several high-profile cases challenging actions by Trump’s second administration. He temporarily blocked the administration’s rapid deportation of Venezuelan migrants and ordered officials to preserve Signal messages in which senior national security officials discussed planned U.S. strikes in Yemen. The clashes have made Boasberg a target of Trump, who called for his impeachment. The Justice Department filed a misconduct complaint against him and accused him of overreach. Chief Justice John Roberts rejected impeachment as a response to an unfavorable ruling. Boasberg was first nominated to the federal bench by President Barack Obama in 2010. JUDGE ORDERS ICE TO FREE WISCONSIN MOSQUE LEADER OVER ‘SUBSTANTIAL’ FREE SPEECH CLAIM AFTER CRITICIZING ISRAEL “A visa is a privilege—not a constitutional entitlement,” Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., wrote of the decision on X. “The First Amendment protects the American people’s right to speak. It does not require the American people to admit foreign actors who work to restrict that speech.” The case against the State Department’s policy was initially brought by the Coalition for Independent Technology Research (CITR), a nonprofit organization representing academics and journalists. While Boasberg issued a stay temporarily preventing the State Department from enforcing its visa policy, he has not yet ruled on the merits of the case, meaning that the policy could still survive his court. Additionally, the State Department could still seek appellate review of his interim order blocking their policy. CITR and the State Department did not respond to requests for comment after being reached by Fox News Digital on Thursday.
Blanche urged to investigate alleged foreign influence in fight against data centers
FIRST ON FOX: Lawmakers are calling on acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to investigate alleged foreign influence in the nationwide campaign to block construction of data centers. A letter penned by Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, and signed by multiple GOP lawmakers claims foreign-linked organizations and advocacy networks are trying to block the centers to give Chinq a leg up in the artificial intelligence (AI) race. “We believe that the Chinese and also the Russians are colluding and working to make sure that the United States of America is not the leader when it comes to AI policy and development,” Gooden told Fox News Digital in an interview. “They are so sophisticated with respect to disinformation and manipulating our processes here in the United States against us.” MARXIST ORGANIZER LEADS CAMPAIGN AGAINST VIRGINIA AI DATA CENTER AS FOREIGN INFLUENCE CONCERNS MOUNT “We know historically, that they have funded [nongovernmental organizations] and nonprofits that don’t disclose donations,” Gooden added. “And then, they use these foreign funds against us and against our policy in a way that benefits them.” As AI demand accelerates, data centers have become essential to providing the computing power, electricity and infrastructure needed to process information and store massive amounts of data. However, proposed facilities often have faced opposition from critics who say they drive up utility costs and threaten the environment. This past January, a self-described “organizer” for the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), Jack Tensley, testified before the Frederick County Planning Commission in Maryland against the construction of a data center in Virginia. TOP ENERGY GROUP WARNS WEALTHY FOREIGNERS ARE POTENTIALLY BANKROLLING ANTI-DATA CENTER CAMPAIGNS ACROSS US “My really big fear here is the security risk. We have infrastructure attacks and failures, cyberattacks that happen — I want to know if this puts a target on the back of Frederick County,” Tensley said. “I see a lot of risk here.” Tensley did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. In a social media post from Party for Socialism and Liberation Boston, the organization openly opposed data centers, saying the control of AI and data centers is in the hands of billionaires. HOUSE PANEL SUBPOENAS 3 LEFT-WING GROUPS IN PROBE OF $39M TIED TO MARXIST TYCOON NEVILLE SINGHAM “Workers are rising up across the country in a growing movement against the tech billionaires – from fights against data centers in hundreds of cities, to labor organizing at the world’s biggest tech corporations,” the post read. Neville Roy Singham, a 72-year-old American who sold his tech company for $785 million in 2017 and now lives in Shanghai, is known to fund pro-Chinese Communist Party groups that operate in the U.S. He has funneled $278 million into the broad network of nonprofits since 2017, according to a Fox News Digital investigation. Singham now faces a grand jury investigation over his financial activity in the Southern District of New York, a probe that Blanche authorized. Fox News Digital has reached out to Singham, who has not been charged with any crime to date, repeatedly for several months but has not received any responses. The letter to Blanche cited reports from both the Bitcoin Policy Institute and OpenAI, both of which outlined the alleged role of foreign influence on campaigns against data center production. OpenAI said that “two clusters of ChatGPT accounts likely originating from China” were “banned after they used our models in support of apparent covert influence operations that promoted narratives in an attempt to manipulate a legitimate debate about American AI and wider tech policies.” The Bitcoin Policy Institute found that PSL has organized anti-data center campaigns in at least 14 states, opposing roughly $23.6 billion in AI investments. “Recent reports have also identified involvement of China-based tycoon Neville Roy Singham and his network of Marxist, communist, and socialist nonprofit organizations in influencing American AI discourse,” the letter to Blanche read. “A BPI report from last month also uncovered specific instances of a nationwide influence campaign to undermine the American AI supply chain being led by the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), an unincorporated political party that acts as ‘the political arm of the Singham network’ with ties to socialist governments like Cuba and Venezuela.” Fox News Digital asked the Justice Department if it was planning to respond to lawmakers or open an investigation but did not receive a response.
Fetterman trolls the Democratic Socialists of America as Israel kills Hamas terrorists: ‘Cry harder’
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., an ardent supporter of Israel, trolled the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) in a Thursday post on X. “Israel keeps killing Hamas members. @DemSocialists, cry harder,” he wrote, tagging the DSA. In a Thursday post on X, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) highlighted the elimination of several terrorists. REPUBLICANS SAY THEY’D WELCOME FETTERMAN AS GOP EYES BIGGER SENATE MAJORITY “ELIMINATED: Abdallah Jahja, a terrorist in the Naval Force of Hamas’ military wing who infiltrated Israeli territory during the October 7 Massacre,” the IDF’s post stated. The post added that “2 additional Hamas terrorists were eliminated,” including “Mohammed Al-Hawari, a cell commander in Hamas’ Zeitoun Battalion” and “Sabhi Saqallah, observation operative in Hamas’ Zeitoun Battalion.” “The terrorists advanced terror attacks targeting IDF troops & Israeli civilians,” the IDF added. SEN JOHN FETTERMAN PLEDGES TO BE ‘LAST MAN STANDING’ IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN SUPPORT OF ISRAEL Fetterman told Fox News Channel’s Kayleigh McEnany last week that “these DSA people are deeply anti-Israel” as well as “deeply anti-America.” The lawmaker said that he “will always be the last man standing within the Democratic caucus in the Senate that’s pro-unapologetically standing for Israel.” “Israel is our special ally, and I’m always proud to stand with Israel,” he said. FETTERMAN REVEALS WHAT IT WOULD TAKE FOR HIM TO LEAVE DEMOCRATIC PARTY Fetterman indicated last week during remarks at the Hill Nation Summit that he would “leave” the Democratic Party if it were ever to officially become the “anti-Israel party.”
Trump turns to ‘zombie’ court after Boasberg pointed to it in deportation fight
The Trump administration is moving to deport an unnamed illegal immigrant suspected of terrorism through the long-dormant Alien Terrorist Removal Court (ATRC), which has never heard a single case. The Justice Department filed its first-ever application for a removal order with the court on July 15, marking the first attempt in the court’s nearly 30-year history to invoke a little-known law allowing the government to deport noncitizens suspected of terrorism through a specialized judicial process that relies on sealed classified evidence. If successful, the administration could revive what legal scholars have called a “zombie” court as a powerful new tool for removing suspected terrorists. “This Department of Justice will use every tool available to bring alien terrorists to justice and remove them from the United States, including by use of this court established by Congress in 1996,” a Justice Department spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital. The move also comes months after Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg in Washington, D.C., pointed to the long-dormant Alien Terrorist Removal Court as an alternative for handling terrorism-related deportation cases while questioning the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act. EXCLUSIVE: NEW YORK WOMAN WHO WISHED ‘EVERY DAY WERE OCT. 7’ CHARGED WITH FUNDING PALESTINIAN TERROR GROUP “In fact, Congress has an answer for us, doesn’t it? Because they created the Alien Terrorist Removal Court,” Boasberg said during a March hearing. “So if there’s a national security concern with having these hearings, whether via habeas or otherwise, you can always go to the ATRC, which would be a first, but that’s what it’s there for, right?” Boasberg made the comments while presiding over litigation challenging the administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. He temporarily blocked the administration from using the wartime law for those removals while the courts determine whether Trump’s use of the statute is lawful. Boasberg also ordered deportation flights already in the air to return, setting off a high-profile legal battle between the administration and the judiciary. Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at Advancing American Freedom, told Fox News Digital that it was about time the Justice Department took advantage of this special court. “I think it is a sign of negligence, frankly, of prior presidents that they did not use this special court, this special procedure that was specifically set up by Congress, so that they could quickly get aliens — aliens who were either terrorists or supported terrorist activities — out of the U.S.” von Spakovsky said. BIDEN JUDGE OVERRULED ON KEY TRUMP IMMIGRATION POLICY The one-page sealed application contained virtually no information, leaving out the person’s identity, the alleged conduct, and the specific section of the anti-terrorism law the Justice Department cited. After hearing arguments from Justice Department officials, ATRC Chief Judge Joan N. Erickson, appointed by President George W. Bush, requested additional information before proceedings could continue. “The Court had questions about the nexus that the government alleges between the actions of the respondent and the specific sections and subsections it invokes with respect to those actions,” Erickson wrote. “The answers persuaded the Court that the Government could benefit from the opportunity for more thoughtful consideration,” Erickson continued. Erickson gave the Justice Department until Wednesday to respond with additional documentation. Congress created the ATRC through the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996. “From now on we can quickly expel foreigners who dare to come to America and support terrorist activities,” Clinton said at the bill’s signing. The court is made up of five federal district judges who serve five-year terms. It handles terrorism-related deportation cases where the government says its evidence cannot be made public because it would threaten national security. In those cases, the government provides the respondent with an unclassified summary instead of the classified evidence itself. DC APPEALS COURT ORDERS JUDGE BOASBERG TO HALT TRUMP CONTEMPT PROBE OVER DEPORTATION FLIGHTS At the time of the law’s passage, then Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., blasted the law. “You and me, Judge — me, the prosecutor; you, the judge — let’s deport him in a secret hearing, using secret evidence,” Biden said. “We know you did it, and we can’t tell you how we know. Now I think that is about as un-American as it gets.” According to the 9/11 Commission staff report, DOJ attorneys considered 50 cases by 1998 and another 50 over the next two years, but every one was rejected. Some terrorism-related cases moved forward through the regular immigration court system instead. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER The Justice Department’s case before the ATRC comes as the Trump administration has repeatedly faced resistance from federal judges, who have blocked, delayed or narrowed key parts of its immigration enforcement agenda. Von Spakovsky said the Justice Department’s use of the ATRC could not only streamline terrorism-related deportation cases but also reduce interference from what he described as “rogue” liberal judges. “I think this court is a much stronger tool the Justice Department can use, and it’s going to make it much tougher for what I consider to be rogue judges to interfere with, and hopefully prevent, the removal of immigrants,” von Spakovsky said.