Episcopal Church refuses to resettle White South African refugees in clash with Trump administration
The Episcopal Church’s migration service said it will refuse the Trump administration’s request to help resettle dozens of White South Africans granted refugee status by the federal government. In a statement, Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe said the Episcopal Migration Ministries will instead terminate its partnership with the government. The announcement came shortly before 59 South Africans arrived in the United States. “In light of our church’s steadfast commitment to racial justice and reconciliation and our historic ties with the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, we are not able to take this step,” Rowe said of the government’s request that the church help resettle the South African citizens. “Accordingly, we have determined that, by the end of the federal fiscal year, we will conclude our refugee resettlement grant agreements with the U.S. federal government.” TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MAKES NEW MOVE TO BRING SOUTH AFRICAN REFUGEES TO US AS PRESIDENT BLASTS NATION’S RULERS AGAIN He cited their “preferential treatment” over others more deserving by jumping ahead of the line. “It has been painful to watch one group of refugees, selected in a highly unusual manner, receive preferential treatment over many others who have been waiting in refugee camps or dangerous conditions for years,” said Rowe. “I am saddened and ashamed that many of the refugees who are being denied entrance to the United States are brave people who worked alongside our military in Iraq and Afghanistan and now face danger at home because of their service to our country.” “I also grieve that victims of religious persecution, including Christians, have not been granted refuge in recent months,” he added. The move came after President Donald Trump fast-tracked refugee status for the White South Africans, citing discrimination by their government, while also shutting down most refugee resettlement programs. JD VANCE CLASHES WITH CBS ANCHOR OVER UNVETTED REFUGEES: ‘I DON’T WANT THAT PERSON IN MY COUNTRY’ The Trump administration has harshly criticized the government of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa over a land expropriation bill, which, under some circumstances, allows for expropriation of land without compensation. Trump has said the bill discriminates against White South Africans. The White House told Fox News Digital that the church’s stance raises questions about its “supposed” commitment to humanitarian aid. “Any religious group should support the plight of Afrikaners, who have been terrorized, brutalized and persecuted by the South African government,” a spokesperson said. “The Afrikaners have faced unspeakable horrors and are no less deserving of refugee resettlement than the hundreds of thousands of others who were allowed into the United States during the past administration. President Trump has made it clear: refugee resettlement should be about need, not politics.” Episcopal Migration Ministries has helped resettled refugees under federal grants for nearly four decades. However, just over two weeks ago, the government told the EMM that under the terms of its federal grant, it was expected to resettle White South Africans whom the U.S. government has classified as refugees, Rowe said. He said the church will work to find other ways to service refugees. Meanwhile, Church World Service, another faith-based agency that assists refugees, said it remains committed to serving eligible refugees. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “We are concerned that the U.S. Government has chosen to fast-track the admission of Afrikaners, while actively fighting court orders to provide life-saving resettlement to other refugee populations who are in desperate need of resettlement,” Rick Santos, CWS president and CEO, said in a statement. Santos urged Congress and the Trump administration to “restore a robust refugee resettlement program that prioritizes refugee families who remain in grave danger.”
Chief Justice Roberts addresses divisions between justices after several recent SCOTUS skirmishes
Chief Justice John Roberts on Monday urged Georgetown Law’s newest graduates to collaborate across ideological lines, commenting that on the Supreme Court, it’s necessary for those who disagree strongly to work past their differences. Speaking to the dean of Georgetown Law, William Treanor, at a fireside chat Monday, Roberts lamented current political divisions, and though he was careful not to be specific, his comments came as President Donald Trump has sharply criticized judicial decisions that have set back his second-term policy agenda. It’s “really too bad,” Roberts said of the environment facing aspiring lawyers. “We’re developing a situation where a whole group of young people is growing up having no real sense about how our system of justice works.” He also noted that some of the harshest criticisms of Supreme Court rulings, past and present, often come from fellow justices on the bench. But he also urged the importance of keeping these relationships above the fray and maintaining a sense of decorum. CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS DOUBLES DOWN ON DEFENSE OF COURTS AS SCOTUS GEARS UP TO HEAR KEY TRUMP CASES Though Supreme Court justices may “disagree a lot,” such differences have not strained their relationships. “We have to work together on these things that are difficult,” Roberts said. “You find a way to get along.” “It’s a long job. If you’re sort of really at each other’s throats with bad feelings and stuff like that, it’s just not a good way to function,” Roberts said, adding that the justices work to avoid the “toxic” relationships seen in earlier generations of the court. At times, the issues that frustrate the life-time appointed justices aren’t quite as high-minded, Roberts acknowledged. “There’s also the matter of the little things,” he said. “I mean, if you’re sitting next to somebody, and you just can’t stand the way he or she kind of taps the chair, you’re thinking, ‘OK, we’ll be here together for 20 years.’ “And you know, you’ve got to decide, am I going to tell her to stop doing that, or am I going to just get over it, or what? And on a small level, that’s kind of the way we across the board have to make those decisions and move on,” he said. 100 DAYS OF INJUNCTIONS, TRIALS AND ‘TEFLON DON’: TRUMP SECOND TERM MEETS ITS BIGGEST TESTS IN COURT His remarks come as the Supreme Court is slated to hear a number of high-profile cases and emergency appeals filed by the Trump administration in the next few months. Alongside its regular docket – which already includes important cases on education, religious liberty and election redistricting – the Supreme Court has been asked to weigh in on several Trump-era executive actions. These include the ban on transgender military service, efforts to reinstate fired federal employees and the use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to expedite deportations. On Thursday, the court will hear arguments over Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship, including whether lower courts overstepped by issuing nationwide injunctions blocking the order, as the administration claims in its appeal.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Bernie and the Jets
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… –David Hogg slams ‘fast-track’ effort to oust him as DNC vice chair -Small nodule found in Joe Biden’s prostate during physical: report -Knives out for Fetterman: Maverick senator joins long line of Dems punished for breaking from left FIRST ON FOX: As Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders continues to travel around the country on his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, while at the same time defending his use of private jets to do so, an energy watchdog group has calculated the true scope of the carbon emissions his flights have emitted. During the 16 stops of the tour, which Sanders embarked on with the help of progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, his private jet emitted a total of 62.15 tonnes, or metric tons, of carbon dioxide, according to an estimate from Power the Future. To put that in perspective, Power the Future said in a press release that the emissions equate to burning 62,600 pounds of coal, driving a gas-powered SUV 150,000 miles, powering every home in Sanders’ hometown of Burlington, Vermont, for weeks, and powering nine U.S. homes for an entire year…READ MORE DEMOCRATS’ 2028 FEVER: Less than four months into Trump’s second term, Dems are already eyeing the 2028 race ‘COMMERCE, NOT CHAOS’: Trump condemns ‘interventionalists,’ pitches ‘more hopeful future’ in Middle East speech GOLD AND DIAMOND: Trump’s $400 million Qatar jet gift follows long history of unusual presidential presents BIDEN THEIR TIME: Biden aides allegedly fretted then-president would need wheelchair if re-elected, new book reveals ROAD TO DAMASCUS: Trump’s Mideast tour begins with Syria looming as strategic opportunity ‘MORE VIOLENT’: Emerging Venezuelan gang ‘more violent’ than Tren de Aragua targets rural America, expert warns ‘WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY’: Edan Alexander’s release offers ‘window of opportunity’ for wider hostage deal amid Trump Mideast visit ‘FULL FORCE’: Netanyahu pledges to ‘complete’ fight against Hamas in coming days ‘SUSPICIOUS’ FIRE: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s London home targeted, suspect arrested TAX DAY: GOP, Dems to square off over Trump’s sweeping tax plan in high-stakes meeting today FROM THE CRADLE: Ted Cruz wants Uncle Sam to give each American baby $1,000 PAYING THEIR SHARE: House Republicans unveil new food stamp work requirements for Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ BILLIONAIRE BOON: Billionaires boomed in Biden era as Fed became ‘engine of income inequality’ powered by pandemic policies ‘POWER DYNAMICS’: Republican group lays out plan to gain ground in 2 key Dem-leaning states in 2025 elections ‘FAST-TRACK’ REMOVAL: DNC panel voids David Hogg’s election as party vice chair Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Bombshell report suggests ‘Chinese spies’ infiltrating prestigious US university: ‘Widespread campaign’
A bombshell report out of Stanford University shed light on the influence of spies from the Chinese Communist Party that the student newspaper says have likely infiltrated the prestigious institution and other universities nationwide to gather intelligence. The report, published by the Stanford Review, tells the story of a Stanford student working on sensitive research at the school – and given the name “Anna” to protect her identity – receiving unexpected messages from a man with the alias Charles Chen asking about seemingly harmless topics like networking opportunities. Those messages soon took a “strange turn,” according to the outlet when Chen’s questions became more personal, asking Anna if she spoke Mandarin, encouraging her to visit Beijing on a trip he would pay for, and referencing details she had never disclosed to him. Charles advised Anna on how to enter China briefly enough to avoid visa scrutiny from authorities, told her to only communicate through the CCP-monitored WeChat and told her to delete screenshots. BLUE STATE GOVERNOR TOUTS MEETING WITH CCP OFFICIAL COZYING UP TO DEMS: ‘GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY’ “Under the guidance of experts familiar with espionage tactics, Anna contacted authorities,” the article explains. “Their investigation revealed that Charles Chen had no affiliation with Stanford. Instead, he had posed as a Stanford student for years, slightly altering his name and persona online, targeting multiple students, nearly all of them women researching China-related topics. According to the experts on China who assisted Anna, Charles Chen was likely an agent of the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS), tasked with identifying sympathetic Stanford students and gathering intelligence.” Fox News Digital spoke to students involved in the article who explained that there are three major takeaways from the findings of the report. “Number one, what we saw was a full apparatus for extracting information so they would hit the students they wanted, then two, they would administer loyalty tests and three they would demand the information be sent back,” one of the students said. In some cases, if the students refuse to provide information to the CCP, their parents are threatened back home and sometimes interrogated by police, according to the students who spoke to some Chinese international students. NEW REPORT WARNS OF GROWING NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT TO U.S. AS CHINA BUILDS AI: ‘SIGNIFICANT AND CONCERNING’ ‘To be very clear, what they said is that every Chinese international student at any time can be asked by the CCP to disclose their research information,” Fox News Digital was told. “So what that looks like is, potentially weekly calls with the Chinese ambassador back in China, where they will explain what research they’re doing and if it is particularly sensitive technologies like AI and robotics. This is where the majority of the CCP targeting is happening. They’ll ask them to send back not just public information, they’ll also send back internal lab reports, future directions of the research, recorded conversations with the professor, the methodologies, the other participants in the research, particularly if they’re Chinese international students so they can look for other ones.” The Stanford Review story points out that the House Select Committee on China sent a letter to Stanford last year warning of the risks that China poses to STEM research. The article also explained how concerns about a Chinese spy presence in China have “quietly persisted” for “years” and claimed that several people who were contacted were too afraid to speak publicly. “One student who experienced espionage firsthand was too fearful to recount their story, even via encrypted messaging,” the article states. “‘The risk is too high,’ they explained. “Transnational repression, $64 million in Chinese funding, and allegations of racial profiling have contributed to a pervasive culture of silence at Stanford and beyond.” The authors of the article, after interviewing dozens of people in and around the university, summed up their findings by saying, “The CCP is orchestrating a widespread intelligence-gathering campaign at Stanford.” “In short, ‘there are Chinese spies at Stanford.’” NEWSOM’S TIES TO CCP UNDER MICROSCOPE IN NEW BOOK EXPOSING ALLEGED CORRUPTION: ‘FLEECED AMERICAN CITIZENS’ Fox News Digital spoke to former California GOP Congressman Michelle Steel about the report, and she explained that hundreds of millions of dollars are pouring in from China to prestigious universities. She called the situation “very dangerous.” “President Trump is totally right,” Steel said. “China is the biggest threat to all other industries, but especially universities.” Hudson Institute senior fellow Michael Sobolik, who recently published an article urging the U.S. to “stop giving Beijing an advantage through TikTok,” told Fox News Digital that “sunlight is the best disinfectant” in this situation. “If Stanford is worried about foreign espionage and coercion on its campus – and it should be – then its leadership will need to call it out publicly,” Sobolik said. “Thus far, woke politics have deterred Stanford from speaking out. That’s insane, and it rebounds to Beijing’s benefit. The CCP is one of the most racist political organizations in the world, and it hides behind the Chinese people as a shield,” he continued. “If Americans are afraid to call the party out, we implicitly advance the CCP’s narrative that there’s no difference between the Chinese people and the CCP.” In a statement, Stanford University said it “takes its commitment to national security with the utmost seriousness, and we are acutely aware of the threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party to all research universities.” “Stanford has rigorous policies and processes in place to ensure that research by its faculty and students is conducted in a manner that safeguards America’s interests. Stanford does not conduct classified or secret research,” the statement continued. “Stanford has a university-wide process for reporting threats to research security, and carefully assesses all reports. Stanford consults with federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies to ensure our policies and procedures are rigorous and protect national security.” The university added that it is “looking into” the Stanford Review report and has reached out to federal law enforcement, adding that it is “very important to distinguish between threats
Trump’s remarks could come back to bite him in Abrego Garcia deportation battle
Lawyers for Kilmar Abrego Garcia urged a Maryland judge Monday to reject the Trump administration’s bid to withhold information under national security claims, arguing senior officials, including President Donald Trump, have already compromised any potential harm. In a new court filing, attorneys for Abrego Garcia argued that Trump and top officials have publicly opposed his return from a Salvadoran prison – despite court orders – citing remarks in testimony, interviews and on social media. The contradictions could weigh heavily Friday, when a federal judge considers next steps in the high-profile case. “Plaintiffs have sought discovery to uncover the truth as to the Government’s efforts (or lack thereof) as well as its abilities to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return – the essential issue in this case. Over and over, the Government has stonewalled Plaintiffs by asserting unsupported privileges – primarily state secrets and deliberative process – to withhold written discovery and to instruct witnesses not to answer even basic questions,” lawyers for Abrego Garcia told U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, who ordered his return to the U.S. last month. “Even as the Government speaks freely about Abrego Garcia in public, in this litigation it insists on secrecy,” they added. FEDERAL JUDGE’S ORDER FOR TRUMP TO RETURN DEPORTED MIGRANT TEMPORARILY HALTED ON APPEAL Their filing comes one month after the Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration to “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s return to the U.S., upholding the orders of the lower court judge. Since then, the government and Abrego Garcia’s attorneys have sparred in court over what exactly it means to “facilitate” his return. Trump officials have alleged Abrego Garcia is a member of the MS-13 gang, though any formal ties have not been proven. Xinis ordered expedited discovery in April to determine whether the administration was complying with her directive to return Abrego Garcia to the U.S. On Tuesday, she also ordered the Trump administration to submit a previously requested privilege log related to its invocation of the state secrets privilege. She gave the administration until 3 p.m. Tuesday to comply, warning that failure to file the log – or otherwise respond – would be considered an “intentional refusal” to follow the court’s orders. Last week, the Trump administration appears to have invoked both the state secrets and deliberative process privileges, according to a court order from Xinis. The order granted both parties an extra week to submit new filings on the asserted claims. The state secrets privilege is a national security tool that allows the government to withhold certain information from the courts, so long as it can prove a “reasonable danger” to national security and foreign affairs as a result of the information being made public. Lawyers for Abrego Garcia told the court that the administration’s assertion of state secrets privileges is just another attempt by senior Trump administration officials to “stonewall” the return of their client, who was deported in March due to what administration officials acknowledged was an administrative error. 100 DAYS OF INJUNCTIONS, TRIALS AND ‘TEFLON DON’: TRUMP SECOND TERM MEETS ITS BIGGEST TESTS IN COURT Abrego Garcia’s attorneys on Monday pointed to public remarks made by Attorney General Pam Bondi, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and President Donald Trump stating they do not plan to return Abrego Garcia. These statements, they said, undercut any invocations of privilege in court. “Over and over again, official statements by the Government – in congressional testimony, television interviews and social media – confirm that producing this information would not imperil national security,” lawyers for Abrego Garcia told Judge Xinis on Monday, urging her to consider the administration’s decision to invoke state secrets privilege with a careful and “skeptical” eye. “On its face, there is little reason to believe that compliance with a court order to facilitate the release and return of a single mistakenly removed individual so that he can get his day in court implicates state secrets at all,” they said. The Trump administration, meanwhile, told the court that it had already provided Abrego Garcia’s attorneys with “robust” responses to discovery requests ordered by Judge Xinis last month, noting Monday that granting the new requests for additional information or supplemental documents “would not advance any legitimate end of expedited discovery.” This isn’t the first time the Trump administration has attempted to use state secrets privileges to shield against sharing certain information in court. BOASBERG GRILLS DOJ OVER REMARKS FROM TRUMP AND NOEM, FLOATS MOVING MIGRANTS TO GITMO IN ACTION-PACKED HEARING In March, the Trump administration told U.S. District Judge James Boasberg it was invoking the state secrets privilege in a case challenging its early deportations under the Alien Enemies Act, after repeatedly refusing to provide the court details about those flights. Administration lawyers declined to disclose how many individuals were deported “solely on the basis” of the act, where the planes landed, what time they departed, and from which locations, citing national security concerns. (The case is now pending before the Supreme Court.) It’s not the first time comments from senior Cabinet officials have intensified scrutiny of the government’s legal arguments. Last week, Boasberg pressed Justice Department attorneys in a related case brought by a broader class of plaintiffs, citing public remarks by Trump and Noem about CECOT – the maximum-security prison in El Salvador where the U.S. has deported hundreds of migrants. He also questioned DOJ lawyers about the White House’s role in securing prisoner releases. “Is the president not telling the truth?” Boasberg asked Justice Department lawyer Abhishek Kambli during the hearing. “Or could he secure his release?” On Monday, Abrego Garcia’s lawyers argued there’s little evidence to justify the Trump administration’s use of the privilege, noting no military or intelligence operations are at issue. They wrote it “defies reason to imagine that the United States’ relationship with El Salvador would be endangered by any effort to seek the return of a wrongfully deported person who the Government admits never should have been removed to El Salvador in the first place.” Xinis
Saudis deploy mobile McDonald’s for Trump’s trip to the kingdom
Saudi Arabia rolled out a mobile and operational McDonald’s truck for President Donald Trump’s first visit to the nation since his inauguration in January, Fox News Digital found. A White House official confirmed that a mobile McDonald’s food truck was in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during Trump’s visit. Images and video of the truck spread like wildfire on social media Tuesday morning, which marked Trump’s first day in the Middle East. “Saudi Arabia brought in a mobile McDonald’s for President Trump on his visit,” popular conservative social media commentator Benny Johnson posted on X, accompanied by footage showing the massive mobile McDonald’s. Other accounts on X asked, “how’s this real life?” or remarked that the scene of a truck holding Trump’s beloved fast-food was “incredible.” TRUMP MAKES FRIES AT PENNSYLVANIA MCDONALD’S: ‘I’VE NOW WORKED FOR 15 MINUTES MORE THAN KAMALA’ Trump‘s love of McDonald’s has long been documented. The president served a buffet of fast-food options when he welcomed national college football champions the Clemson Tigers to the White House in 2019. He also requested McDonald’s following his COVID-19 diagnosis and recovery in 2020, according to his son-in-law, Jared Kushner. And anecdotes from his former bodyguard say Trump enjoyed Egg McMuffins for breakfast during the 2016 campaign. ‘VINDICTIVE’: DEMOCRAT IN TIGHT SENATE RACE BLASTED BY GOP RIVAL FOR SWIPE AT MCDONALD’S AFTER TRUMP VISIT Trump’s love of the fast-food staple was underscored during the 2024 campaign cycle, when he donned a McDonald’s apron and worked the fryer at a location in the battleground state of Pennsylvania. “Hello, everybody. It’s my first day at McDonald’s. I’m looking for a job,” Trump said as he entered the McDonald’s location in Feasterville-Trevose, which is located near Philadelphia, in October 2024. WOMAN SERVED BY TRUMP AT MCDONALD’S DRIVE-THRU REVEALS DETAILS BEHIND VIRAL EXCHANGE WITH FORMER PRESIDENT Trump also worked the drive-thru window during his McDonald’s shift, greeting customers and vowing that he would make the U.S. “better than ever” if re-elected to the Oval Office. LIBERAL MEDIA HAS MELTDOWN OVER TRUMP’S ‘FIRST DAY’ WORKING AT MCDONALD’S Trump arrived in Riyadh early Tuesday morning, with the nation sending fighter jet escorts to welcome Air Force One to the ground and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman greeting Trump on the tarmac that was adorned with a lavender-colored carpet. “Air Force One about to go wheels down in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with Saudi F-15 fighter jets bringing us in. On behalf of President Trump, THANK YOU!” White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino posted on X while sharing a video of jets flying alongside the U.S. president’s plane. Trump’s trip included the president signing a “strategic economic partnership” with the country for energy, defense, mining and space-based agreements that amount to $600 billion. Trump said the deal could lead to the creation of 2 million jobs in the U.S. Fox News Digital’s Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.
Trump hits Iran’s pocketbook as he dangles a carrot in Middle East speech
The Trump administration sanctioned nearly two dozen firms operating in Iran’s illicit international oil trade, as President Donald Trump delivered remarks in the Middle East – tempting the Islamic Republic with a “much brighter future” should it come to a nuclear agreement with the United States. The sanctions, announced by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control Tuesday, target firms that operate in Iran’s oil trade. TRUMP TARGETS IRANIAN OIL WITH SANCTIONS, INCREASING PRESSURE ON ISLAMIC REPUBLIC TO MAKE DEAL ON NUKES Officials said the Iranian government allocates billions of dollars worth of oil annually to its armed forces to supplement budget allocations, underwriting the development of ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, and financing regional terrorist groups. Treasury Department officials said Iran’s Armed Forces general staff and its main commercial affiliate, Sepehr Energy Jahan Nama Pars Company, continue to establish front companies and rely on buyers and facilitators to enable their sanctioned oil trade. Sepehr Energy often carries out its oil shipments through a series of “deals” between multiple front companies that it owns or controls, according to the Treasury Department, creating the “illusion of non-sanctionable trade between separate entities.” “Many of the entities involved in Sepehr Energy’s oil shipments are part of an elaborate system of oil smuggling and money laundering, directly controlled by or acting on behalf of Sepehr Energy,” the Treasury Department said, adding that it also controls Hong Kong-based front companies and uses them to “broker and receive shipments of Iranian oil delivered to independent so-called teapot refineries in China.” 4TH ROUND OF US-IRAN TALKS ENDS AS TRUMP SET TO EMBARK ON HISTORIC MIDDLE EAST TOUR The sanctions came shortly after Trump delivered a speech in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, urging Iran to take a “new and a better path.” The Trump administration is in talks with Iran for a new nuclear deal. The president, during his speech, though, warned of “massive maximum pressure” if Iran does not come to an agreement. “As I have shown repeatedly, I am willing to end past conflicts and forge new partnerships for a better and more stable world, even if our differences may be profound,” Trump said. “If Iran’s leadership rejects this olive branch… we will have no choice but to inflict massive maximum pressure, drive Iranian oil exports to zero.” VANCE PREVIEWS US-IRAN NUCLEAR TALKS, SAYS TRUMP ‘OPEN’ TO SITTING DOWN WITH RUSSIANS, CHINESE IN FUTURE “Iran can have a much brighter future, but we will never allow them to threaten America and our allies with terrorism or a nuclear attack,” Trump said. Trump had announced a 60-day time frame to reach an agreement with Iran over its illegal atomic weapons program. The first U.S. negotiating session with Iran commenced April 12. Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Iranian officials for a fourth round of nuclear talks over the weekend. The nuclear talks were “difficult but useful,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations, offered more, describing the talks as being both indirect and direct, The Associated Press reported. An “agreement was reached to move forward with the talks to continue working through technical elements,” the U.S. official said. “We are encouraged by today’s outcome and look forward to our next meeting, which will happen in the near future.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The Trump administration has said the flawed 2015 Obama-era Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal, did not prevent Iran from building an atomic bomb. Before leaving for his trip to the Middle East, Trump reiterated his stance on Iran’s nuclear goals. “You can’t have a nuclear weapon, but I think that they are talking intelligently,” Trump said. “We’re in the midst of talking to them, and they’re right now acting very intelligent. We want Iran to be wealthy and wonderful and happy and great, but they can’t have… nuclear weapons. Very simple. So I think they understand that.” A day before the start of talks, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei welcomed chants of “Death to America” in Iran’s capital, Tehran. “Your judgment is right,” Khamenei told a crowd of supporters who called for the destruction of the U.S. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
NY AG, 19 others file 2 lawsuits against Trump admin, alleging federal money tied to immigration enforcement
New York Attorney General Letitia James filed two lawsuits against President Donald Trump’s administration Tuesday. James, a longtime legal opponent of Trump, joined 19 other attorneys general in filing the lawsuits, the first of which claims DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has threatened to cut off “emergency preparedness” funding if states do not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. The second lawsuit targets the Department of Transportation on similar grounds, arguing it is unconstitutional to withhold funds to coerce immigration compliance. “DHS is holding states hostage by forcing them to choose between disaster preparedness and enabling the administration’s illegal and chaotic immigration agenda,” James said in a statement. “This funding is vital to keeping New Yorkers safe during hurricanes, floods, and other catastrophes. “The federal government cannot weaponize disaster relief to coerce states into abandoning public safety and community trust. My office will fight to ensure all New Yorkers are protected — both from tragic disasters and from cruel and unnecessary immigration policies.” TOM HOMAN: MIGRANTS DEPORTED TO EL SALVADOR WERE ‘SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC SAFETY THREATS’ The lawsuit claims the Trump administration has presented states “with an impossible choice.” “Either they forego millions of dollars in federal funds that Congress has appropriated — and which their emergency preparedness and response efforts rely on — or they undermine their law enforcement efforts by diverting their resources to enforce federal immigration law,” James’ office wrote. READ THE LAWSUIT AGAINST FEMA – APP USERS, CLICK HERE: CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE The DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. In the DOT lawsuit, the attorneys general argue the department’s conditions for receiving funding “put billions in federal funding necessary for vital public safety and reliable transportation projects at risk, including those that prevent injuries and deaths from traffic accidents, protect riders from train collisions, and help improve airport safety measures.” The DOT also did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The lawsuits come during a massive immigration crackdown by the Trump administration, which has deported over 130,000 illegal immigrants since Trump’s inauguration. Apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border have plummeted 93% under the new administration, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection released Monday. The CBP says it averaged 279 apprehensions per day at the southern border in April, compared to 4,297 apprehensions in April 2024. The total apprehensions for April this year landed at 8,383, compared to last year’s 129,000. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP CBP officials also noted that just five illegal aliens were temporarily released into the U.S. during April, compared to 68,000 during the same month last year. READ THE LAWSUIT AGAINST THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION – APP USERS, CLICK HERE: “For the first time in years, more agents are back in the field patrolling territories that CBP didn’t have the bandwidth or manpower to oversee just six months ago,” said Pete Flores, acting commissioner of CBP. “But thanks to this administration’s dramatic shift in security posture at our border, we are now seeing operational control becoming a reality, and it’s only just beginning.”
FLASHBACK: Dem critical of Trump’s Qatari jet gift rode camel in expenses-paid 2021 trip to Gulf emirate
As Democrats attack President Donald Trump for accepting the Qatari royal family’s gift of a $400 million jet to be refurbished to serve as Air Force One, photos have resurfaced of some Democratic lawmakers three years earlier enjoying an expenses-paid trip to the Gulf emirate. The trip, paid for by the U.S.-Qatar Business Council, involved four House Democrats and one Republican who went to Qatar in 2021. During the trip, at least two of the Democrats participated in a sightseeing excursion via camelback for them and their family members. While the trade group that footed the bill for the Democrat excursion is not directly tied to the Qatari royal family, it describes its work as “dedicated exclusively to enhancing the bilateral business relationship between the U.S. and Qatar.” HOUSE DEMOCRAT CALLS FOR ‘IMMEDIATE’ ETHICS PROBE OF QATARI PLANE GIFT TO TRUMP “This you frolicking in the sand on a camel as part of your $84,621.59 trip paid for by the US-Qatar Business Council to the Four Seasons in Doha in 2021?” Republican strategist Steve Guest asked in response to criticism about Trump’s jet from now-Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz. The senator accused Trump of engaging in a “pay-to-play” scheme and “selling out U.S. policy.” Gallego, at the time of the trip, was a congressman representing Arizona’s 7th District. “This is pay-to-play, plain and simple,” Gallego said in a post on X. “Trump isn’t making decisions based on what’s best for you – he’s selling out U.S. policy to whoever gives him the biggest jet.” “Gallego’s feaux [sic] outrage would hit hard, except, here he is, shirtless and riding camels in Qatar – all paid for by a special interest group,” conservative writer John Hasson said in response to Gallego’s post. Both Hasson and Guest’s posts included a now-infamous image of Gallego, alongside Democratic California Rep. Eric Swalwell, sitting on camels – shirtless and smiling – as they participated in an excursion through the desert with their wives during their 2021 trip to Qatar funded by the U.S.-Qatar Business Council. At the time, Swalwell was a prominent member of the House Intelligence Committee, which he was later removed from after it was discovered he allegedly had a romantic tryst with a Chinese Communist Party spy, among other concerns related to his judgment on national security. TRUMP DUBS DEMS ‘OUT OF CONTROL,’ SUGGESTS GOP CONSIDER KICKING THEM OUT OF CONGRESS FOR ‘REAL CRIMES’ Following backlash over their trip to Qatar in 2021, the U.S.-Qatar Business Council told the New York Post that it did not pay for the camel excursion, only “costs directly associated with travel and the working agenda of the trip.” The trip cost roughly $85,000, according to congressional database Legistorm, which noted that the total cost amounted to more than half of the entire congressional travel expenses accounted for in 2021. In addition to Swalwell and Gallego, Reps. Lou Correa, D-Calif., Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., and Lisa McClain, R-Mich., were part of the American delegation on the trip. In response to the criticism from Republicans over his alleged hypocrisy, a spokesperson for Gallego shot back at the notion that the 2021 trip was anywhere near the same as Trump’s acceptance of the roughly $400 million plane from the Qatari royal family. “If you think traveling on a bipartisan congressional delegation and visiting U.S. troops is the same as corruptly accepting a $400 million plane, then I have beachfront property in Arizona to sell you,” Gallego communications director Jacques Petit told Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital reached out to Swalwell’s office for comment as well, but did not hear back. BYRON DONALDS LEADS BIPARTISAN EFFORT TO PUNISH FEDERAL WORKERS FOR FAILURE TO REPORT FOREIGN GIFTS Trump shot back at criticisms over his planned acceptance of the Qatari gift, which the administration was given to use in place of Air Force One. Trump has been pushing to upgrade Air Force One, but the process that was initiated in 2018 has repeatedly been delayed. “The fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane,” Trump said in a Truth Social post published Sunday. “Anybody can do that! The Dems are World Class Losers!!! MAGA”
House Democrat moves to force Trump impeachment vote
A lone House Democrat is moving to force a chamber-wide vote on his impeachment resolution against President Donald Trump. Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., introduced his impeachment resolution as privileged on Tuesday afternoon, meaning leaders have two days of the House in session to take up the legislation. House GOP leaders could move to table the motion, a procedural vote aimed to scuttle a piece of legislation without having lawmakers vote on the legislation itself. ANTI-ABORTION PROVIDER MEASURE IN TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ COULD SPARK HOUSE GOP REBELLION But an impeachment vote would likely put vulnerable House Democrats in a tough spot. Democrats have struggled to unite behind a potent message since the 2024 election, and such a vote could be politically perilous for their most vulnerable members as they work to win back the House majority in 2026. No Republicans are likely to support impeaching Trump, however, meaning Thanedar’s measure will likely fail. “Donald Trump has unlawfully conducted himself, bringing shame to the presidency and the people of the United States,” Thanedar said when deeming his resolution privileged. BROWN UNIVERSITY IN GOP CROSSHAIRS AFTER STUDENT’S DOGE-LIKE EMAIL KICKS OFF FRENZY Thanedar also took a swing at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), calling it a “flagrantly unconstitutional creation.” The India-born Michigan Democrat first introduced seven articles of impeachment against Trump in late April. They include charges of obstruction of justice, tyranny, bribery and corruption, and abuse of trade powers, among others. But Politico reported that his resolution got off to a bumpy start. Four Democratic co-sponsors who were originally listed on the legislation implied they were mistakenly added and then removed themselves, the outlet reported. Thanedar told Politico at the time he respected their decisions. Thanedar’s filing comes after Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, similarly threatened to file impeachment articles against Trump. Green was later thrown out of Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress for repeatedly protesting the speech. Fox News Digital reached out to Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and the White House for comment on Thanedar’s move but did not immediately hear back.