Cuomo dismisses nursing home scandal, blames Trump’s ‘MAGA line’ for COVID controversy
Nine Democratic candidates took the stage in New York City Wednesday for the first of two debates ahead of the June 24 mayoral primary, and the claws were out for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo’s COVID-19 scandal was front and center just minutes into the debate as moderators asked the candidates how they would stand up to President Donald Trump if elected mayor. The former governor dismissed the legitimacy of the Justice Department’s investigation into his alleged false congressional testimony about decisions made during COVID-19 when pressed by moderator Sally Goldenberg of Politico. “That’s the Trump line, the MAGA line, because this was during the Trump re-election,” Cuomo said when asked repeatedly whether he had a role in producing a contested COVID-19 report. ANDREW CUOMO THE BIGGEST TARGET AS NEW YORK CITY MAYORAL PRIMARY SHIFTS INTO HIGH GEAR Cuomo said the Justice Department’s investigation is another example of the pandemic’s game of “political football.” DOJ INVESTIGATING ANDREW CUOMO FOR ALLEGEDLY LYING ABOUT COVID DECISIONS, SOURCE CONFIRMS “This is what Mr. Trump does, right? He started an investigation against me, against Kathy Hochul, against Sen. Chuck Schumer, against Hillary Clinton. This is one of his tactics,” Cuomo said. Also joining Cuomo on the debate stage Wednesday night were City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, city Comptroller Brad Lander, former city Comptroller Scott Stringer, former state Assemblyman Michael Blake from the Bronx, state Sen. Zellnor Myrie from Brooklyn, state Sen. Jessica Ramos from Queens and former hedge fund executive Whitney Tilson. The winner of the Democratic Party mayoral primary will be seen as the overwhelming favorite to win November’s general election in the blue city. Early voting in the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City begins June 14 and runs through June 22. Cuomo is the clear polling and fundraising frontrunner in the Democratic primary given his name recognition and experience. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who has found unlikely common ground with the Trump administration in efforts to combat illegal immigration, is running as an independent. The Justice Department made the unusual decision earlier this year to dismiss an indictment against Adams on federal corruption charges. “I know how to deal with Donald Trump because I’ve dealt with him before,” Cuomo said on the debate stage. Cuomo touted his experience as governor, particularly in challenging Trump’s agenda during his first term as president. “I am the last person on this stage that Mr. Trump wants to see as mayor, and that’s why I should be the first choice for the people of this city to have as mayor,” Cuomo said. When again pressed by the moderators and his competitors, Cuomo said he told Congress the truth about the number of nursing home deaths in New York during COVID-19, the basis of the Department of Justice’s investigation. “No, I told Congress the truth,” Cuomo said. “No, we did not undercount any deaths.” Still, Cuomo refused to answer whether he was involved in the production of the contested COVID-19 report. The former governor was grilled by Republican lawmakers last year about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. House Republicans subsequently recommended the Justice Department pursue criminal charges against him. They accused him of intentionally lying to Congress during the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into the excessive number of nursing home deaths. Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Ex-IRS Contractor Pleads Fifth in Trump Tax-Leak Probe
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… A man serving in prison for leaking President Donald Trump’s and thousands of others’ confidential tax records recently asserted his Fifth Amendment right to the House Judiciary Committee and declined to testify before the panel, Fox News Digital has learned. A public defender wrote to the Republican-led committee on behalf of Charles Littlejohn, a former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) contractor serving out a five-year sentence in Illinois, that because Littlejohn was appealing his sentence, he did not have to testify before Congress. “The testimony that you seek from Mr. Littlejohn directly implicates his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination,” the public defender wrote on Saturday. “Mr. Littlejohn validly exercises that Constitutional right in declining to testify.”…READ MORE ‘QUASI-TOTALITARIAN’: Vance compares Harvard to North Korea as he takes aim at school’s ‘ideological diversity’ ‘GOOD CONVERSATION’: Putin tells Trump Russia will respond to Ukrainian attack on warplanes ‘DECISIVE ACTION’: ICE arrests Russian national accused of being member of Al Qaeda ‘IGNORES’ HAMAS: Israeli officials object to expected UN Security Council ceasefire resolution TOUGH ON CHINA: Trump says Xi is ‘very tough’ and ‘extremely hard to make a deal with’ PUTIN’S PRICE TAG: Senate sanctions on Russia: bargaining chip for Trump’s negotiations with Putin or joker card BEHIND THE CURTAIN: Comer widens Biden ‘cover-up’ probe, seeks interviews with Anita Dunn and Ron Klain MASSIE’S MOVE: Massie calls on Elon Musk to fund primary challenges against Republicans who backed Trump tax bill REVOLVING DOOR: Fetterman dismisses questions as another top staffer reportedly jumps ship DEMS DENIED: US judge dismisses DNC election commission lawsuit, in a victory for Trump BUDGET WATCHDOGS: Radical new DOGE transparency powers could hit Congress after Elon Musk exit Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Federal appeals court throws roadblock at Trump’s education reform agenda
A federal appeals court refused to grant the U.S. Department of Education’s (DOE) request to put a temporary halt on a district judge’s preliminary injunction last week, preventing the Trump administration from moving ahead with plans to dismantle the department. Washington, D.C., and two states previously requested the court to halt the announced DOE and Trump administration’s planned Reduction in Force (RIF) of half of the remaining employees at the DOE, as well as the closure of the department. The dismantling was announced on March 11, 2025, and two days later, the Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, President Donald Trump and others were sued in the District of Massachusetts. Following suit, five labor organizations and two school districts did the same. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ASKS SCOTUS TO APPROVE DEI-RELATED EDUCATION CUTS The plaintiffs requested the court for an injunction against the transfer of certain functions out of the Department, which Trump announced on March 21. The District Court merged the two cases, and after reviewing the factual findings, issued an order to place a stop on the president’s actions. The Trump administration appealed the decision and requested a temporary stop to the district court’s order, but on Wednesday that request was denied. WASHINGTON AG JOINS COALITION SUING TO BLOCK TRUMP’S ORDER TO DISMANTLE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION “What is at stake in this case, the District Court found, was whether a nearly half-century-old cabinet department would be permitted to carry out its statutorily assigned functions or prevented from doing so by a mass termination of employees aimed at implementing the effective closure of that department,” the court of appeals wrote. “Given the extensive findings made by the District Court and the absence of any contrary evidence having been submitted by the appellants, we conclude that the appellants’ stay motion does not warrant our interfering with the ordinary course of appellate adjudication in the face of what the record indicates would be the apparent consequences of our doing so. The appellants’ motion for a stay is denied.” Republican senators, in April, introduced the “Returning Education to Our States Act” after Trump signed an Executive Order to close the DOE in March. If passed, the bill would redirect portions of the department to other federal agencies, such as the Departments of Interior, Treasury, Health and Human Services, Labor, Defense, Justice and State. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SIGNIFICANTLY DISMANTLED IN NEW TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER “The Department of Education was created to collect education data and advise state and local organizations on best practices,” Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, told Fox News Digital at the time. “Since then, it has grown into an oversized bureaucracy that dictates one-size-fits-all policies, standards and practices for students across the nation.” The bill came amid widespread support among Republicans to eliminate the agency, including the current sitting Education Secretary, Linda McMahon, who detailed her “vision for eliminating the Department of Education” in a Fox News op-ed. McMahon and Rounds recently held a meeting where the “Returning Education to Our States Act” was discussed. DEM AGS SUE OVER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION LAYOFFS In addition to eliminating the agency, the legislation would also make key changes to education compliance requirements, making it so that schools would no longer be required to administer standardized tests to identify struggling schools (CSI and TSI). The bill would also allow schools more autonomy to set teacher certification standards and professional development plans. The executive order issued by President Donald Trump directs the department to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities,” but it takes an act of Congress to formally abolish the department. The Republican-led bill could potentially accompany President Donald Trump’s executive order and campaign promise to reshape the American education system as it heads to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions for debate. Fox News Digital’s Preston Mizell contributed to this report.
Trump bans travel to US from several countries to block ‘dangerous foreign actors’
President Donald Trump has signed a sweeping order blocking travel to the U.S. from nearly 20 countries identified as high-risk for terrorism, visa abuse and failure to share security information. The new travel restrictions — announced under Executive Order 14161 — apply to nationals from 12 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia, Libya, and Yemen, all deemed “very high risk” due to terrorist activity, weak or hostile governments, and high visa overstay rates. TRUMP ADMIN MULLS NEW TRAVEL BAN, BUT NO DECISIONS MADE YET Seven more countries, including Venezuela, Cuba, and Laos, face partial restrictions. “President Trump is fulfilling his promise to protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors that want to come to our country and cause us harm,” said White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson to Fox News Digital. She called the restrictions “commonsense” and targeted at countries that “lack proper vetting, exhibit high visa overstay rates, or fail to share identity and threat information.” TRUMP VISA POLICY ‘FAR MORE RESTRAINED’ THAN BIDEN POLICY TARGETING ISRAELIS THAT FLEW UNDER THE RADAR: EXPERT Afghanistan, for example, has a student visa overstay rate of 29.3% and is controlled by the Taliban, a designated global terrorist group. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Iran remains a state sponsor of terrorism and has refused cooperation with U.S. authorities. Libya, Somalia, and Yemen all lack functioning governments capable of issuing secure documents.
Trump nominates seasoned military leaders to head vital global commands
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday that President Donald Trump had nominated two high-ranking military officials to lead the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and U.S. African Command (AFRICOM). Trump nominated Navy Vice Adm. Charles B. Cooper II to be promoted to admiral and be assigned as commander of CENTCOM at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida. The president also nominated Air Force Lt. Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson to be promoted to general and assigned as commander of AFRICOM in Stuttgart, Germany. TRUMP’S PICK FOR JOINT CHIEFS CHAIR DANIEL ‘RAZIN’ CAINE SET FOR SENATE GRILLING According to the CENTCOM website, Vice Adm. Cooper built a career as a surface warfare officer, in which he served on guided-missile cruisers, guided-missile destroyers, aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships. From land, he served in several executive, military assistant and special assistant roles for the White House, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, AFRICOM and the U.S. Pacific Fleet headquarters. WHO IS DANIEL ‘RAZIN’ CAINE? AIR FORCE GENERAL TAPPED FOR TOP ADVISOR ROLE IN PENTAGON UPHEAVAL Cooper has also served as the principal U.S. Advisor to the Interior Minister of Afghanistan and Director of Surface Warfare Officer assignments. Lt. Gen. Anderson currently serves as the director for Joint Force Development, Joint Staff at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. He has flown the KC-135R, MC-130E, and U-28A operationally across the globe. Anderson’s career also includes commanding a special operations squadron, expeditionary squadron, operations group, special operations wing, and Special Operations Command, Africa.
DOJ sues Texas for offering in-state college tuition to illegal immigrants in alleged violation of federal law
The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a complaint against Texas to block the state’s two-decade-old law that provides in-state tuition to illegal immigrants. The complaint was filed Wednesday in the Northern District of Texas against the State of Texas and several Texas officials to get Texas to comply with federal requirements. Under federal law, higher education institutions are prohibited from providing benefits to illegal aliens not offered to U.S. citizens. The DOJ’s complaint aims to enjoin the enforcement of a Texas law requiring colleges and universities to provide in-state tuition rates for immigrants who maintain residency in Texas, regardless of whether they are in the U.S. legally. TRUMP ADMIN SUES COLORADO, DENVER OVER ‘SANCTUARY LAWS,’ ALLEGED INTERFERENCE IN IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT According to the DOJ, the laws in Texas “blatantly” conflict with federal law, putting them in conflict with the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution. “Under federal law, schools cannot provide benefits to illegal aliens that they do not provide to U.S. citizens,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said. “The Justice Department will relentlessly fight to vindicate federal law and ensure that U.S. citizens are not treated like second-class citizens anywhere in the country.” The lawsuit was filed in response to two executive orders signed by President Donald Trump since returning to the Oval Office in January. ATTORNEY GENERAL BONDI ISSUES STARK WARNING FOR ILLINOIS AND NY GOVERNORS TO ‘COMPLY’ WITH FEDERAL LAW The executive orders were signed to ensure illegal immigrants cannot receive taxpayer benefits or preferential treatment. One of the orders, “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders,” ordered all agencies to “ensure, to the maximum extent permitted by law, that no taxpayer-funded benefits go to unqualified aliens.” The other order, “Protecting American Communities From Criminal Aliens,” directs officials to “take appropriate action to stop the enforcement of State and local laws, regulations, policies, and practices favoring aliens over any groups of American citizens that are unlawful, preempted by Federal law, or otherwise unenforceable, including State laws that provide in-State higher education tuition to aliens but not to out-of-State American citizens.” TURLEY PREDICTS ‘FEROCIOUS’ COURT BATTLE, BUT SAYS TRUMP ADMIN HAS ‘STRONG CASE’ ON ICE DEPORTATIONS IN NY Fox News Digital has reached out to Gov. Greg Abbott’s office for comment. Widely known as the Texas Dream Act, the legislation being targeted by the Trump administration was introduced in February 2001, when federal courts ruled that a child’s immigration status should not prevent the child’s access to primary and secondary schools. But when it came to higher education, federal immigration status could have prevented some children born outside the U.S. from getting a college education from a public institution because of higher rates charged to nonresidents. When children born outside the U.S. graduated from Texas high schools, those students were required by previous state law to pay a higher rate to Texas public colleges or universities, as if they were from out of state or were international students. The legislation, signed by Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican, June 16, 2001, removed federal immigration status as a factor in determining eligibility to pay in-state tuition at Texas public colleges and universities for students who graduate from a Texas high school and who meet the minimum residency, academic and registration criteria.
Senate weighs Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ as policy group backs CBO, projects $3 trillion debt increase
President Donald Trump‘s “big, beautiful bill” is projected to increase the debt by $3 trillion, with interest, or $5 trillion if made permanent, according to estimates. An estimate of the House-passed bill by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects it would add more than $2.4 trillion to primary deficits before interest over 10 years, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), a nonprofit public policy organization. As of Wednesday, the national debt, which measures what the U.S. owes its creditors, was $36.2 trillion, and the national deficit, which occurs when the federal government’s spending exceeds its revenues, was $1 trillion, according to the Treasury Department. The massive spending package being considered by a Republican-controlled Congress aims to address a number of issues, including tax policy, border security and immigration, defense, energy production, the debt limit, and adjustments to SNAP and Medicaid. TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ FACES RESISTANCE FROM REPUBLICAN SENATORS OVER DEBT FEARS “Based on CBO’s estimate, the House-passed bill includes roughly $5.3 trillion of tax cuts and spending partially offset by $2.9 trillion of revenue increases and spending cuts,” a CRFB statement said. “Most significantly, the policies put forward by the Ways & Means Committee would increase deficits by $3.8 trillion, on net, while the policies in the Energy & Commerce title would reduce deficits by $1.1 trillion. With interest, the bill would add nearly $3.0 trillion to the debt through 2034 – or $5.0 trillion if various temporary provisions are made permanent.” “OBBBA (One Big Beautiful Bill Act) would add far too much to the debt as written and could lead to far more fiscal damage than reported if temporary provisions are extended as intended,” the group said. It noted that the bill would boost near-term inflation, increase interest rates, add unnecessary complexity to the tax code as well as weaken market confidence and slow long-term economic growth. It urged the Senate to make the bill “more responsible.” PRICE TAG ESTIMATE FOR HOUSE GOP TAX PACKAGE RISES TO $3.94T Despite the bill passing in the House, some lawmakers have voiced opposition to the legislation, most notably Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. “We have never raised the debt ceiling without actually meeting that target,” Paul told reporters this week. “So you can say it doesn’t directly add to the debt, but if you increase the ceiling $5 trillion, you’ll meet that. And what it does is it puts it off the back burner. And then we won’t discuss it for a year or two.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Top Democrats recently said the bill would cause the deaths of an estimated 51,000 Americans due to changes to the federal healthcare system and the broader reconciliation legislation. Also against the bill is Elon Musk, Trump’s former head of the Department of Government Efficiency. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House.
Elon Musk warpath against Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ rattles House GOP
Elon Musk’s tirade against President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” has forced House Republicans to scramble to respond on Wednesday. GOP lawmakers who had spent months praising Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) efforts are now working to avoid a war of words with the tech billionaire as he calls on them to scrap months of work in favor of a new budget reconciliation bill. “He didn’t make it any easier for the bill,” Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., told Fox News Digital. He noted that the bill also had its opponents in the Senate, where at least three fiscal hawks are calling for deeper cuts than the recent version passed by the House, which rolls back roughly $1.5 trillion in federal spending over 10 years. Fitzgerald questioned, however, what Musk’s endgame was. SCOOP: HOUSE GOP MEMO HIGHLIGHTS REPUBLICAN WINS IN TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ “If it was to truly kill the bill, then – I get it, he’s not an elected official – but you never really make such a bold statement without having a Plan B, and clearly, there’s no Plan B,” he said. House GOP lawmakers have for the most part, however, appeared in agreement on Musk ultimately having little impact on their actions. “I don’t think he carries the same kind of gravitas that he did,” Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., said. Another House Republican told Fox News Digital, “When he’s not standing by the president’s side, he doesn’t have the same weight.” Congressional Republicans are working to pass a mammoth bill advancing Trump’s priorities on taxes, immigration, energy, defense and the national debt via the budget reconciliation process. Reconciliation allows the party in power to totally sideline opposition – in this case, Democrats – to pass a sweeping piece of fiscal legislation by lowering the Senate’s threshold for passage from 60 votes to 51. But there are rules and limitations for what can be included in the budget reconciliation process. House GOP leaders say they will seek to codify spending cuts identified by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) via the annual congressional appropriations process. That has not stopped Musk from unleashing his fury against the bill over the money it could add to the already $36 trillion-and-counting federal debt. “Call your Senator, Call your Congressman, Bankrupting America is NOT ok! KILL the BILL,” Musk wrote on X, among other posts. The Tesla founder made a veiled threat against lawmakers’ seats as well, “In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people.” House GOP leaders and the White House, meanwhile, have closed ranks around the bill. “I want Elon and all my friends to recognize the complexity of what we’ve accomplished here. This extraordinary piece of legislation – record number of savings, record tax cuts for the American people and all the other benefits in it,” Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters in response to Musk. “We worked on the bill for almost 14 months. You can’t go back to the drawing board, and we shouldn’t. We have a great product to deliver here.” But Musk’s comments appear to have created a difficult political situation for some fiscal hawks who aired concerns about the bill before ultimately voting for it after GOP leaders made some last-minute changes tightening Medicaid work requirements and green energy subsidy cutbacks. MIKE JOHNSON, DONALD TRUMP GET ‘BIG, ‘BEAUTIFUL’ WIN AS BUDGET PASSES HOUSE “I wish [Musk] had been cheering from the stands before we had the vote, that would have helped us, but we are where we are,” House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., who fought for more conservative changes, told reporters. He side-stepped a question on whether he was worried about election threats from Musk. “I’m going to be – I hope that Elon continues to stay in this fight because I’m philosophically aligned with him, with his effort to try to balance this budget,” Burlison said. House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, meanwhile, said he believes Musk is wrong but conceded his opinion mattered to at least part of the GOP base. “The challenge is, he’s a he’s a credible guy, and he’s done, a patriotic service,” Arrington said, referring to DOGE. I just think he’s just wrong about his comments that mischaracterize the one big, beautiful bill.” “So to say that it’s a problem or that it has created a bigger challenge for us, is true. Because he’s got a big voice, he’s got a big audience. And more importantly, it’s a credible voice. But he’s wrong on this issue.” Conservative Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., said, “I would have preferred that he not go the direction that he went…maybe it was to encourage Congress to get on the ball with these rescissions packages that are coming.” The White House, meanwhile, has stood by the bill. “The president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill. It doesn’t change the president’s opinion. This is one big, beautiful bill, and he’s sticking to it,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday.
Trump foe Judge Boasberg rules deported migrants can challenge removals, in blow to admin
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg on Wednesday ordered the Trump administration to provide all non-citizens deported from the U.S. to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador to be afforded the opportunity to seek habeas relief in court, and challenge their alleged gang status— the latest in a heated fight centered on President Donald Trump‘s use of the 1789 Alien Enemies Act to deport certain migrants.” “In short, the Government must facilitate the Class’s ability to seek habeas relief to contest their removal under the Act,” Judge Boasberg said in the order, filed late Wednesday afternoon. “Exactly what such facilitation must entail will be determined in future proceedings. Although the Court is mindful that such a remedy may implicate sensitive diplomatic or national-security concerns within the exclusive province of the Executive Branch, it also has a constitutional duty to provide a remedy that will “make good the wrong done.” Notably, the order also includes Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, the Salvadorian migrant and alleged MS-13 member who was deported from Maryland to El Salvador in March in what administration officials have acknowledged was an administrative error. That case alone had touched off a heated court fight, which prompted intervention from the Supreme Court in April. WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S DEPORTATION EFFORTS? U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg made headlines earlier this year for granting the first emergency restraining order blocking the Trump administration from invoking a 1798 law to immediately deport Venezuelan nationals, including alleged members of the violent gang Tren de Aragua, in March. He also ordered that plane carrying migrants removed by the law in question be “immediately” returned to the U.S., which did not happen.The Trump administration is currently facing multiple court challenges over those deportation flights it conducted in March under the Alien Enemies Act, which Judge Boasberg had ordered to be immediately returned. This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
Chinese official claims no knowledge of fungus situation, says China requires citizens ‘abide by local laws’
A Chinese embassy official said Wednesday he was unaware of the case involving two Chinese nationals charged with smuggling a “dangerous biological pathogen” into the U.S. for university research. “I don’t know the specific situation, but I would like to emphasize that the Chinese government has always required overseas Chinese citizens to abide by local laws and regulations and will also resolutely safeguard their legitimate rights and interests,” said Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Embassy in the U.S. The statement came after University of Michigan research fellows Yunqing Jian and Zunyong Liu – who are also boyfriend and girlfriend – were charged with smuggling Fusarium graminearum fungus into the U.S. within the jurisdiction of the Eastern District of Michigan. Fusarium graminearum is considered a “potential agroterrorism weapon” by the Justice Department and can cause noxious “head blight” on cereal grain crops. PATEL: CHINESE NATIONALS CHARGED WITH SMUGGLING ‘KNOWN AGROTERRORISM AGENT’ INTO US IS A ‘DIRECT THREAT’ The fungus causes $1 billion in global damage to crops each year, according to the feds. The FBI is conducting the investigation along with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. While Liu appeared to deny knowledge of the case, Jian allegedly received funding from the CCP for her work on the fungus inside China. China was also determined by several entities to be the culprit for the release of the coronavirus pathogen that caused a global pandemic in 2020. CBP OFFICERS SEIZE OVER $14M OF ALLEGED METHAMPHETAMINE AT SOUTHERN BORDER FBI Director Kash Patel said the fungus involved poses a serious national security threat to the domestic food supply. CBP Director of Field Operations Marty Raybon said the criminal charges levied against Jian and Liu “are indicative of CBP’s critical role in protecting the American people from biological threats that could devastate our agricultural economy and cause harm to humans…” The University of Michigan also responded to the incident, saying that “as one of the world’s leading public research institutions, [it] is dedicated to advancing knowledge, solving challenging problems and improving nearly every facet of the human experience. Our research enterprise across all three campuses is united in this commitment to serving the people of Michigan and the world.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “We strongly condemn any actions that seek to cause harm, threaten national security or undermine the university’s critical public mission,” the university said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. “It is important to note that the university has received no funding from the Chinese government in relation to research conducted by the accused individuals. We have and will continue to cooperate with federal law enforcement in its ongoing investigation and prosecution.” Fox News’ Rich Edson and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.