Hospitals warned they must protect children from chemical and surgical mutilation: HHS agency memo
A major agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sent a memo to hospitals and medical providers in the U.S. this week reminding them of “the dangerous chemical and surgical mutilation of children, including interventions that cause sterilization,” and vowed the agency would continue aligning its policies with President Donald Trump’s executive orders. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which provides health coverage to more than 100 million people through Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, sent a memo Wednesday that was obtained by Fox News Digital reiterating “the program requirements of hospitals to serve all patients, especially children, with dignity and adherence to the highest standard of care that is informed by robust evidence and the utmost scientific integrity.” The memo is effective immediately. “Other developed nations have taken decisive actions to prohibit or significantly limit these mutilation practices to ensure that children are protected from harmful, unscientific medical interventions,” the memo adds. TRANS SURGERIES INCREASE RISK OF MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS, SUICIDAL IDEATIONS: STUDY The notice also said ” CMS may begin taking steps in the future to align policy, including CMS-regulated provider requirements and agreements, with the highest-quality medical evidence in the treatment of the nation’s children in order to protect children from harmful, often irreversible mutilation, including sterilization practices. “In recent years, medical interventions for gender dysphoria in children have proliferated,” the memo adds. “Initiated with an underdeveloped body of evidence and now known to cause long-term and irreparable harm to some children, CMS may begin taking steps in the future to adjust its policies to reflect this reality and the lack of medical evidence in support of these harmful treatments.” GENDER DYSPHORIA AND EATING DISORDERS HAVE SKYROCKETED SINCE PANDEMIC, REPORT REVEALS: ‘RIPPLE EFFECTS’ Dr. Kurt Miceli, the medical director at the conservative medical activist group Do No Harm, told Fox News Digital the memo “did a nice job” of highlighting medical data from other countries regarding “gender-affirming” care for kids. “And we really salute them for really looking at the data and being very clear that we need to protect children, really, from these irreversible harms that, unfortunately, we see from sex-change surgeries or hormonal therapies that are used,” Miceli said. The notice comes as the Trump administration has been moving to weed out “radical gender ideology” across U.S. institutions and outlawed gender-transition treatments and surgeries for minors. Many hospitals across the country are still conducting these procedures and ignoring Trump’s orders. NEWSOM CALLS BIOLOGICAL MEN IN WOMEN’S SPORTS ‘DEEPLY UNFAIR’ IN PODCAST WITH CONSERVATIVE ACTIVIST Lawsuits are already underway challenging Trump’s other gender-related executive orders, too, which include booting transgender troops out of the military and banning biological men from women’s sports. HHS is also undergoing sweeping staffing changes due to Elon Musk’s DOGE layoffs. The CMS memo said its alert “is informed by a growing body of evidence and protective policies across the world” and cited studies outlining the effects of gender-transition treatments for kids in England and Finland, as well as several from U.S. medical journals and the Mayo Clinic. Between 2016 and 2020, nearly 3,700 children between the ages of 12 and 18 underwent surgery, with more than 3,200 having breast or chest surgery and more than 400 undergoing genital surgery, resulting in permanent changes to their reproductive organs, the memo states. More than 120,000 children between 6 and 17, from 2016 to 2020, were diagnosed with gender dysphoria, with more than 17,000 starting treatments like puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones. “In several notable instances, research used to promote these harmful procedures on children contained obvious and significant methodological flaws or demonstrated outright scientific misconduct,” the memo stated.
‘I’m excited’: Liberal Hollywood star rallies around new national landmark with support from both parties
FIRST ON FOX: It’s not easy in today’s political climate to get Democrats and Republicans into a friendly, collaborative space together. But that’s exactly what happened this week when Lynda Carter, star of the 1970s ABC hit “Wonder Woman,” joined a bipartisan reception on Capitol Hill aimed at getting the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum built. “It’s often said that certain kinds of men built America. And that is not exactly the truth, because we were there,” Carter told Fox News Digital in an interview during the event. “Most people don’t know about our stories, about the women of America that helped to build our great nation. Those are the stories that I’m excited to have you hear about.” Despite a bustling day of events Monday, a day before President Donald Trump’s speech to a joint session of Congress, more than two dozen lawmakers found time to stop by a modest room on the first floor of the U.S. Capitol, where Carter was engaging with others in a bid to get the museum built. GOP REBELS HEAD TO WHITE HOUSE FOR MEETING TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN Funding for the women’s museum was appropriated in 2020 and signed into law during Trump’s first term. Now, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., is leading a bill to actually give the museum a spot along the National Mall so it can finally be built. “We’re very fortunate to be here with a bipartisan effort. And we have 80 co-sponsors of our legislation, both Democrats and Republicans,” Malliotakis told Fox News Digital. “It’s very important, so we can share the stories of the women who have come before us,” she added before listing famous females like Rosie the Riveter, a group of Black nurses who worked with tuberculosis patients in the 1900s, known as the Black Angels, and former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. And their effort is getting recognized by the very top levels of Congress. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., briefly stopped by the event and spoke with attendees, at one point appearing cheerful during a conversation with Carter. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was also at the event, as were both male and female members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. “This is the second and final step of the process,” Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., who is co-leading the effort, told Fox News Digital. “Obviously, it’s an important one, because this is the site selection. The hard part was getting it authorized, that’s already done.” Former Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., who has championed women’s rights for decades, said she had spoken with Johnson during the event and “it seemed like he was gonna look for the votes.” “I know how effective he is,” Maloney praised. “We’re gonna get it done this time.” Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., another Democrat leading the effort in Congress right now, affirmed: “We are going to get it done.” VANCE TAKES VICTORY IN BORDER VISIT AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT NUMBERS PLUMMET Dingell did not hesitate when asked whether she was confident about whether the project could be completed despite the current political environment. “It has to,” she said. It was an evening of bipartisanship for Carter as well, a noted Democrat who campaigned for former Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 campaign. She credited both Republicans and Democrats, however, for coming together on the issue of the museum. The event culminated with the co-chairs of the bipartisan Women’s caucus – Malliotakis, along with Reps. Monica De La Cruz, R-Texas, Emilia Sykes, D-Ohio, and Janelle Bynum, D-Ore. – presenting Carter with a frame memorializing her contributions to women in the Congressional Record.
‘I’m excited’: Hollywood star rallies around new national landmark with support from both parties
FIRST ON FOX: It’s not easy in today’s political climate to get Democrats and Republicans into a friendly, collaborative space together. But that’s exactly what happened this week when Lynda Carter, star of the 1970s ABC hit “Wonder Woman,” joined a bipartisan reception on Capitol Hill aimed at getting the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum built. “It’s often said that certain kinds of men built America. And that is not exactly the truth, because we were there,” Carter told Fox News Digital in an interview during the event. “Most people don’t know about our stories, about the women of America that helped to build our great nation. Those are the stories that I’m excited to have you hear about.” Despite a bustling day of events Monday, a day before President Donald Trump’s speech to a joint session of Congress, more than two dozen lawmakers found time to stop by a modest room on the first floor of the U.S. Capitol, where Carter was engaging with others in a bid to get the museum built. GOP REBELS HEAD TO WHITE HOUSE FOR MEETING TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN Funding for the women’s museum was appropriated in 2020 and signed into law during Trump’s first term. Now, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., is leading a bill to actually give the museum a spot along the National Mall so it can finally be built. “We’re very fortunate to be here with a bipartisan effort. And we have 80 co-sponsors of our legislation, both Democrats and Republicans,” Malliotakis told Fox News Digital. “It’s very important, so we can share the stories of the women who have come before us,” she added before listing famous females like Rosie the Riveter, a group of Black nurses who worked with tuberculosis patients in the 1900s, known as the Black Angels, and former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. And their effort is getting recognized by the very top levels of Congress. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., briefly stopped by the event and spoke with attendees, at one point appearing cheerful during a conversation with Carter. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was also at the event, as were both male and female members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. “This is the second and final step of the process,” Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., who is co-leading the effort, told Fox News Digital. “Obviously, it’s an important one, because this is the site selection. The hard part was getting it authorized, that’s already done.” Former Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., who has championed women’s rights for decades, said she had spoken with Johnson during the event and “it seemed like he was gonna look for the votes.” “I know how effective he is,” Maloney praised. “We’re gonna get it done this time.” Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., another Democrat leading the effort in Congress right now, affirmed: “We are going to get it done.” VANCE TAKES VICTORY IN BORDER VISIT AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT NUMBERS PLUMMET Dingell did not hesitate when asked whether she was confident about whether the project could be completed despite the current political environment. “It has to,” she said. It was an evening of bipartisanship for Carter as well, a noted Democrat who campaigned for former Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 campaign. She credited both Republicans and Democrats, however, for coming together on the issue of the museum. The event culminated with the co-chairs of the bipartisan Women’s caucus – Malliotakis, along with Reps. Monica De La Cruz, R-Texas, Emilia Sykes, D-Ohio, and Janelle Bynum, D-Ore. – presenting Carter with a frame memorializing her contributions to women in the Congressional Record.
Trump Organization, Eric Trump sue Capital One for ‘unjustifiable’ 2021 debanking based on ‘woke’ beliefs
The Trump Organization is suing Capital One after the bank “unjustifiably” terminated more than 300 of the company’s bank accounts and accounts belonging to numerous Trump family members in 2021. Eric Trump told Fox News Digital he will hold major corporations accountable for the “egregious nature of canceling based on political bias.” The Trump Organization filed the lawsuit against Capital One in the Circuit Court of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit for Miami-Dade County, Florida, Friday. The plaintiffs in the case are Eric Trump, the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, DJT Holdings, DJT Holdings Managing Member and DTTM Operations. HERE’S WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT DEBANKING, THE UN-AMERICAN ABUSE OF POWER BY REGULATORS On March 8, 2021, Capital One notified Trump and the plaintiffs that hundreds of bank accounts that they controlled, were beneficiaries of and actively used would be closed June 7, 2021. According to the lawsuit, Capital One did not provide Trump and the plaintiffs any “recourse, remedy, or alternative — its decision was final.” The accounts affiliated with the Trump Organization held millions of dollars belonging to them and their affiliated entities. Trump told Fox News Digital Friday that 300 business accounts were terminated, as well as various accounts belonging to numerous Trump family members. The Trump Organization, according to the lawsuit, has “deposited, transacted, and leveraged hundreds of millions of dollars with Capital One to grow and scale these businesses.” The lawsuit states that “Capital One has profited from Plaintiffs’ substantial deposits, impeccable creditworthiness, and the prestige associated with having a business relationship with President Trump.” According to the lawsuit, Capital One did not provide Trump and the plaintiffs any advance notice and “unilaterally terminated” the accounts. “Plaintiffs suffered considerable financial harm and losses caused not only by the interruption to their access to Capitol One’s banking services, but also by the devastating impact on Plaintiff’s ability to transact and access their monies,” the lawsuit states. “Plaintiffs have reason to believe that Capital One’s unilateral decision came about as a result of political and social motivations and Capital One’s unsubstantiated, ‘woke’ beliefs that it needed to distance itself from President Trump and his conservative political views. HOUSE OVERSIGHT CHAIRMAN SAYS THERE’S EVIDENCE OF CONSERVATIVE DEBANKING, HINTS AT INVESTIGATION “In essence, Capital One ‘de-banked’ plaintiff’s accounts because Capital One believed that the political tide at the moment favored doing so,” the lawsuit continued. “In addition to the considerable financial harm that Plaintiffs and their affiliated entities suffered, Capital One’s reckless decision is part of a growing trend by financial institutions in the United States of America to cut off a consumer’s access to banking services if their political views contradict with those of the financial institution.” The lawsuit added that “Capital One’s conduct is but one example of a systemic, subversive industry practice that aims to coerce the public to shift and re-align” political views. “Plaintiffs file this action to redress the harm they and their affiliated entities have suffered and shed light on a matter of great public interest and importance,” it states. SENATE BANKING PANEL HEARS DEBANKING TESTIMONY: ‘EXTREMELY DISRUPTIVE’ Eric Trump spoke exclusively to Fox News Digital Friday after filing the lawsuit to describe the “damage caused by the bank,” and the “weaponization seen in corporate America and by big banks that are otherwise monopolistic.” “Capital One is supposed to represent Americans fairly,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “Canceling golf courses, canceling residential buildings, retail outfits that impact the livelihoods of tens of thousands of employees is egregious and damaging and wrong in the United States of America — especially after having a flawless relationship for more than a decade.” Trump told Fox News Digital the American people are “tired of the weaponization in corporate America.” “I can’t tell you how hard it is to change more than 300 bank accounts — and for no reason whatsoever,” Trump said. “These were hotels and golf courses, residential buildings and commercial buildings, retail outlets and skating rinks and parking garages. There was no political affiliation. These were not political entities. “The only common denominator was that they wore the Trump name. TRUMP CONFRONTS BANK OF AMERICA CEO FOR NOT TAKING ‘CONSERVATIVE BUSINESS’ “America is sick and tired of political lawfare,” Trump added. “As a person and as a company, I won’t stand for major corporations that seek to inflict incredible harm and damage on people who might have opposing views. “I will hold them and others accountable. This is just the beginning.” Sources have indicated that Chase, Bank of America and TD Bank also debanked Trump at the time and could face similar legal action in the days and weeks to come. Capital One did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
California Dem says flight attendant told him party looked ‘heartless’ for not standing for boy with cancer
A California Democrat said he was “politely chased down” by a flight attendant at an airport this week who told him his colleagues looked “heartless” for not standing for Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel, the 13-year-old boy with cancer who was honored during President Donald Trump’s address to Congress. Rep. Ro Khanna said the interaction with the flight attendant, whom he identified as Jim Barrett, unfolded in Chicago. “Sir, I am a Democrat but the way the party behaved was embarrassing. Made us look heartless. I don’t care who is up there, you stand for the boy with cancer,” Khanna recalled Barrett as saying. “Be more rational and get your act together.” “I replied that a few of us did stand and clap and we must be the party that still believes in kindness, decency, and trying to bring people together,” he added on X. BOY HONORED BY TRUMP SAYS CANCER WON’T SLOW HIM DOWN UNTIL ‘GOD CALLS’ HIM HOME Daniel stole the show during Trump’s address to Congress on Tuesday night when the president introduced him to the audience and officially swore him in as a member of the Secret Service. “Joining us in the gallery tonight is a young man who truly loves our police,” Trump told the crowd. “His name is DJ Daniel [and he] is 13 years old, and he has always dreamed of becoming a police officer. But in 2018, D.J. was diagnosed with brain cancer. The doctors gave him five months at most to live. That was more than six years ago.” SOCIAL MEDIA EXPLODES AFTER DEMOCRATS DO NOT STAND FOR 13-YEAR-OLD CANCER SURVIVOR Daniel received a standing ovation from a majority of the crowd, although some Democrats were seen on camera sitting at various times while Trump was speaking about the 13-year-old. “Quite frankly, there were moments where I feel like anger at some of the actions that have happened over the past month-and-a-half prevented some of my colleagues from being able to stand up to support the little DJ Daniel,” Rep. Laura Gillen, a Democrat from New York, also told News12 Long Island this week. “I stood up and applauded this little boy, who is getting over cancer, wants to be a police officer — and I was disappointed that I was not joined by any of my colleagues,” she added. Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
John Fetterman takes aim at his own party in tweet about ‘#TheResistance’: ‘Hold our beer’
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa. — who, in the wake of President Donald Trump’s address before a joint session of Congress, accused his own party of “a sad cavalcade of self owns and unhinged petulance” — issued a tweet on Friday in which he once again called out Democrats. “#TheResistance,” he wrote, going on to list, “Snub a 13 year-old cancer survivor,” “Joint Address Protest Paddle Bonanza” and “Bizarre ‘Pick Your Fighter’ videos.” “Hold our beer: Government Shutdown!” he continued, cautioning, “Never, never, never vote for a shutdown—ever.” FETTERMAN DISMAYED BY DEMS DISSING ‘TOUCHING MOMENT’ AT TRUMP SPEECH Fox News Digital reached out to Fetterman’s office to request a comment from the lawmaker on Friday, but did not receive a response by the time of publication. Trump honored 13-year-old DJ Daniel during the address this week, noting that Daniel, who wants to become a police officer, was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2018. “I am asking our new Secret Service Director, Sean Curran, to officially make you an agent of the United States Secret Service,” Trump told the young man. It was a “touching moment,” Fetterman told Nicholas Ballasy for Fox News Digital earlier this week. ‘COULDN’T CLAP FOR A 13-YEAR-OLD BOY’: GOP SLAM ‘CHILDISH’ DEM SILENCE ON SUPPORTING CANCER SURVIVOR During the president’s speech, some lawmakers held up signs with messages including “FALSE,” “SAVE MEDICAID,” “PROTECT VETERANS” and “MUSK STEALS.” A viral video posted this week by social media influencer Sulhee Jessica Woo features Woo and several Democratic congresswomen posing in fighting stances, like video game characters — text on screen at the beginning of the video reads, “CHOOSE YOUR FIGHTER.” The video has been widely mocked, including by the White House. “Democrats Not Be Cringe Challenge. Level: Impossible,” the White House’s “Rapid Response 47” X account quipped. SOCIAL MEDIA EXPLODES AFTER ‘CRINGE’ TIKTOK VIDEO OF AOC, HOUSE DEMS GOES VIRAL: ‘COULDN’T GET ANY LAMER’ CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fetterman’s post featured a screenshot of a Politico headline that read, “Senate Democrats’ impending choice: Shutdown or surrender.” President Donald Trump has been advocating for using a continuing resolution to avert an approaching government shutdown. “I am working with the GREAT House Republicans on a Continuing Resolution to fund the Government until September to give us some needed time to work on our Agenda,” he noted in a Truth Social post. Getting enough votes to move a continuing resolution through the Senate will require some Democratic support. “I’m never going to be a part of any vote that shuts the government down,” Fetterman said, according to Politico. “The fact that anyone on our side would even rattle those sabers, that’s bulls—,” he reportedly declared. “To think I’m going to burn the village down to save it, that’s bonkers.”
Fort Bragg is back: Army renames NC base to honor WWII hero
With cannon fire and a rendition of “The Caisson Song,” Fort Bragg, North Carolina, was officially rededicated to its original name, now honoring a World War II hero instead of an Army officer from the Mexican-American War who later became a Confederate general. Under the direction of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Army held a ceremony at the 260,000-person-strong base outside Fayetteville on Friday to reverse Democrats’ change to “Fort Liberty” – and to honor a Mainer whose bravery in Bastogne saved the lives of his fellow U.S. service members. The descendants of PFC Roland L. Bragg – who died in 1999 – were on hand as Lt. Gen. Gregory Anderson offered remarks on the late veteran’s service and ushered in the renaming. It had previously been named after CSA Gen. Braxton Bragg. “Today we gather on an installation that is the largest in our Army per capita, covering 164,000 acres, supporting over 48,000 soldiers, 80,000 family members, 2000 Department of Defense civilians, and nearly 100,000 retirees and their families,” said Anderson, commanding officer of the 18th Airborne Corps at the base. LAWMAKERS RIP ARMY BRASS OVER TRAINING SLIDES SUGGESTING PRO-LIFE GROUPS COULD HAVE TERRORISM RISKS “Fort Bragg is just not any base. It is our nation’s premier force projection platform. It is a culture of toughness and warfighting, and it is a way of life. We refer to Fort Bragg as the center of the universe, the beating heart of our Army’s ability to deploy, without warning, anywhere across the globe, to help and assist others to respond to crises, to deter conflict and, if necessary, to fight and win our nation’s wars,” he continued. Roland Bragg’s granddaughter also offered remarks, speaking about how her grandfather never publicized his military service and was a quiet, loving patriarch of his family. She told one story about his enjoyment of grilling pancakes for his grandchildren in whatever shape the children wanted, no matter how complex. Bragg had been taken prisoner by the Germans in 1943, and – as Anderson retold – somehow convinced a Nazi officer to let him and fellow prisoners go, as both men were Freemasons. Under the condition that a Nazi sergeant be knocked out – so as to provide a sign of a struggle – Bragg happily obliged, and he and his men were set free. Bragg then commandeered a Nazi ambulance and drove it through fierce fire toward and through American lines, later thinking all the other wounded paratroopers had been killed in the crossfire. It was not until he received a letter from a California veteran decades later that he found out some had survived the day. For about four years, Fort Bragg had been “Fort Liberty” – one of several bases, mostly in the South, that Democrats renamed to remove Confederate vestiges. In a successful veto override of then-President Donald Trump, the 2021 National Defense Authorization Bill, sponsored by Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., included a provision creating a commission that ultimately stripped Braxton Bragg’s name from the North Carolina base. Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., who represents the base and that piece of the US-421 corridor, previously expressed support for Braxton Bragg’s name being removed – though underlined the decision and result should have been made by the Cumberland County community. NY REPUBLICAN COMPARES SANCTUARY STATES TO THE CONFEDERACY “I recognize the name Fort Bragg has meaning that transcends Braxton Bragg,” he wrote in a 2021 Fayetteville Observer column. “This is a very tough issue for many in our community and I appreciate that there is a lot of passion on both sides. On Friday, Hudson told Fox News Digital exclusively that the change to honor Roland Bragg “honors these brave soldiers” who have passed through its gates “as well as their families.” “When leaders around the world hear the name Fort Bragg, they know it represents the men and women of our Airborne and Special Forces stationed there. These are some of the most dynamic, capable, and elite troops in our military. When President Trump needs a rapid military response, he calls Fort Bragg,” Hudson said. Fort Moore, Georgia, near the Chattahoochee River’s Alabama border, is the next base primed to be redesignated in a similarly creative way to Fort Bragg. Long known as Fort Benning – after Gen. Henry Benning of Appling, Georgia – Hegseth’s Pentagon is primed to rename it Fort Benning albeit after a World War I recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross of the same surname. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Other 2021 changes included Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia – named for a close friend of Gen. Stonewall Jackson, who hailed from nearby Culpeper and had been killed by a Pennsylvania officer during the Third Battle of Petersburg as the Confederacy began to collapse. Fort Lee in Petersburg, Virginia, is now Fort Gregg-Adams. Fort Hood, Texas, is now Fort Cavazos. Fort Rucker, Alabama, is now Fort Novosel. Fort Pickett in Nottoway, Virginia, is now Fort Barfolk. It remains to be seen if the Pentagon will seek to rename the remaining redesignated installations. As for Hegseth’s stated view on base name changes, he hinted to The Associated Press that more changes are coming at the behest of Trump and the administration. “I never called it Fort Liberty because it wasn’t Fort Liberty. It’s Fort Bragg,” he said.
Trump says ‘something’s going to happen very soon’ with Iran as he pushes to negotiate nuclear deal
President Donald Trump signaled that a nuclear deal with Iran could emerge in the near future, just over a month after his administration reinstated a “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran. Trump on Friday told reporters that the U.S. is “down to the final moments” negotiating with Iran, and that he hoped military intervention would prove unnecessary. “It’s an interesting time in the history of the world. But we have a situation with Iran that something is going to happen very soon, very, very soon,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “You’ll be talking about that pretty soon, I guess. Hopefully, we can have a peace deal. I’m not speaking out of strength or weakness, I’m just saying I’d rather see a peace deal than the other. But the other will solve the problem.” Trump revealed he sent a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei pushing for Tehran to agree to a nuclear agreement — or face military consequences, according to a clip released Friday from an interview with FOX Business that is set to air Sunday. TRUMP REINSTATES ‘MAXIMUM PRESSURE’ CAMPAIGN AGAINST IRAN “I would rather negotiate a deal,” Trump told FOX Business. “I’m not sure that everybody agrees with me, but we can make a deal that would be just as good as if you won militarily.” “But the time is happening now, the time is coming up,” he said. “Something is going to happen one way or the other. I hope that Iran, and I’ve written them a letter, saying I hope you’re going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, it’s going to be a terrible thing for them.” Behnam Ben Taleblu, director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies Iran program, said that it seemed Trump was “putting all options on the table, from good to bad.” “But the President should be careful,” Ben Taleblu said in a statement. “Tehran has set a trap for him, hoping to lure him into endless diplomacy that is used to blunt maximum pressure and dampen the credibility of an American or Israeli military option while buying time to creep towards a nuclear weapon.” Trump’s remarks also come days before the 18th anniversary of the abduction of retired FBI Special Agent Robert “Bob” Levinson from Kish Island, Iran, on Sunday, which also marks National Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day. TRUMP’S LATEST HIRES AND FIRES RANKLE IRAN HAWKS AS NEW PRESIDENT SUGGESTS NUCLEAR DEAL The FBI has continued to offer up to a $5 million reward for information that leads to Levinson’s recovery, while the State Department has offered $20 million for such information, as well as details on those who are wanted for their alleged involvement in his disappearance. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Trump told reporters in February he believes Iran is “close” to developing a nuclear weapon, but that the U.S. would stop a “strong” Tehran from obtaining one. He also signed an executive order instructing the Treasury Department to execute “maximum economic pressure” upon Iran through a series of sanctions aimed at sinking Iran’s oil exports. “They’re very strong right now, and we’re not going to let them get a nuclear weapon,” Trump said Feb. 4. Trump’s first administration also adopted a “maximum pressure” initiative against Tehran, issuing greater sanctions and harsher enforcement for violations.
Potentially vulnerable Dem senator close to making re-election decision in key swing state
Longtime Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire is the last remaining Democrat up for re-election in the 2026 midterms in a competitive seat who has yet to publicly announce her intentions. But that decision may be coming shortly. Shaheen is expected to announce later this month whether she will seek a fourth six-year term representing the key New England swing state in the Senate, sources in New Hampshire confirm to Fox News Digital. The Washington D.C.-based Punchbowl, which covers Congress, was first to report the news. The sources add that Shaheen will hold a major fundraiser on March 20 in Manchester, New Hampshire’s largest city. The senator will likely come to a decision regarding her political future and have some kind of announcement by the time of the fundraising event. SENATE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN CHAIR REVEALS HOW MANY SEATS HE’S AIMING FOR IN 2026 There is intense speculation regarding whether the 78-year-old Shaheen, a former governor who first won election to the Senate in 2008 and who this year became the first woman in history to hold one of the top two positions on the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will seek another term in office. Shaheen raised a paltry $170,000 in the final fundraising quarter of 2024, which sparked buzz that the senator might not be preparing for another re-election campaign. But sources in Shaheen’s political orbit noted that the senator did not emphasize fundraising in the fourth quarter of last year, which included the final month of the 2024 presidential election. Then there’s the timing. At this point six years ago, during the 2020 cycle, Shaheen had already announced her re-election. Her busy schedule may be one reason. The senator recently attended a major foreign policy summit in Munich, Germany, and then visited Ukraine in a show of support for the embattled nation, which has been fighting for survival following a Russian invasion three years ago. TOP POLITICAL HANDICAPPER REVEALS DEMOCRATS CHANCES OF WINNING BACK THE SENATE MAJORITY With Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer anxious to know where his senators facing elections in 2026 stand, a Democrat source on Capitol Hill tells Fox News that “the pressure in Washington for Sen. Shaheen to make a decision is growing.” National Republicans see opportunities to flip the Senate seat in New Hampshire from blue to red, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee has already run ads targeting Shaheen over her defense of USAID funding that the Trump administration is axing. “The vast majority of Democrats want Jeanne Shaheen to run one more time, and they’re extremely anxious for her to make the decision, because the political climate is so challenging right now, and she would be the strongest chance of retaining the seat,” a Democratic source in New Hampshire told Fox News. FORMER TRUMP AMBASSADOR EYES SENATE RETURN Former Sen. Scott Brown, the former senator from Massachusetts who later narrowly lost to Shaheen in New Hampshire in the 2014 election, is seriously considering a 2026 run, in a possible rematch against Shaheen. Brown, who served four years as U.S. ambassador to New Zealand during President Donald Trump’s first administration, has been holding meetings with Republicans across New Hampshire for a couple of months and has met with GOP officials in the nation’s capital. It has been 15 years since Republicans last won a Senate election in New Hampshire, with Democrats victorious in the past four elections. Sen Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, told Fox News Digital recently that “the great thing about Jean Shaheen is she is in her community every week, talking to people about the things she works on, on their behalf. She’s common-sense, she’s bipartisan, and so I’m optimistic we will hold her seat.” Republicans flipped four Democrat-held Senate seats in last November’s elections to win back control of the chamber. They now control the chamber and are aiming to expand their majority in 2026. Besides New Hampshire, the GOP is targeting battleground Michigan, where Democratic Sen. Gary Peters announced in January that he would not seek re-election. Also on their 2026 radar is Georgia, another key battleground state where Republicans view first-term Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff as vulnerable. Democratic Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota announced last month that she would not bid for another term in next year’s midterms, giving the GOP hope that it might be competitive in the blue-leaning state. But Republicans are also playing defense in the 2026 cycle. Democrats plan to go on offense in blue-leaning Maine, where moderate GOP Sen. Susan Collins is up for re-election, as well as in battleground North Carolina, where Republican Sen. Thom Tillis is also up in 2026. And Democrats are looking at red-leaning Ohio, where Republican Lt. Gov. Jon Husted was appointed in January to succeed now-Vice President JD Vance in the Senate. Husted will run next year to finish out Vance’s term.
New report reveals illegal immigrant population hit new high during Biden-era crisis
FIRST ON FOX: The number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. is estimated to have surged to more than 18 million after the Biden-era border crisis, according to a new research report by a hawkish immigration group, which also found an 11% increase in less than two years. The report was produced by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), which argues for lower levels of immigration overall. It estimates that, as of March 2025, there are approximately 18.6 million illegal immigrants living in the U.S. That is 11% higher than an estimate the group published in June 2023, when it found that there were 16.8 million illegal immigrants. Overall, it estimates that the population has grown by 4.1 million or 28.2% since December 2020. VANCE TAKES VICTORY LAP IN BORDER VISIT AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT NUMBERS PLUMMET “As of 2025, American population growth comes almost entirely from unsustainably high levels of immigration, both legal and illegal,” the report says. FAIR estimates that there were around 11.7 million illegal immigrants in 2013. The group includes, as an illegal immigrant, anyone who does not have legal status like a visa or permanent residency, and notably also includes those who may be in the country illegally but given a lawful presence, like Temporary Protected Status or humanitarian parole. The Biden administration dramatically expanded the use of humanitarian parole as a way to curb skyrocketing illegal border crossings. It allowed migrants to cross the border after scheduling an appointment on the CBP One app for parole, and had parole programs where migrants could fly in having obtained travel authorization. FAIR argues that even though they are described as having a “lawful presence,” they do not have legal status and therefore cannot be counted as being in the country legally. TRUMP HONORS LIVES OF LAKEN RILEY, JOCELYN NUNGARAY WHILE CELEBRATING STRIDES ON SECURING BORDER “Counting individuals in these situations as ‘legal immigrants’ or ‘lawful residents’ would be both incorrect and a biased mischaracterization of immigration law,” the group argues. The report estimates the total number of illegal immigrants by using Census Data and compensating for what it argues is a history of undercounting those who arrive illegally, calculating an undercount of around 40%. The report also concedes that “estimating the size, distribution, and characteristics of the illegal alien population is an inexact science.” “In truth, we do not know exactly how many people cross the border illegally and evade immigration authorities, nor can anyone accurately quantify overstays or gotaways. We can only estimate these figures based on annual and monthly census data,” the report says. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE It argues that key factors driving the surge in numbers were Biden-era policies, including at the border, the release of migrants into the U.S. and what it claims was an “abuse” of parole authority. The Trump administration, which took office in January, has reversed a number of Biden policies and has shut down the parole policies and the use of the CBP One app. It has also launched a mass deportation campaign in the interior, while also deploying the military to the border and declaring a national emergency. The administration has since been touting a sharp drop in numbers at the border. In February, there were just 8,326 southern border encounters, down from 189,913 in February 2024. The administration has so far removed more than 55,000 illegal immigrants from the U.S. “Within hours of taking the oath of office, I declared a national emergency on our southern border and I deployed the U.S. military and Border Patrol to repel the invasion of our country. And what a job they’ve done. As a result, illegal border crossings last month were by far the lowest ever recorded, ever,” President Donald Trump said on Tuesday. “They heard my words, and they chose not to come.”