Barrett says justices ‘wear black, not red or blue’ in response to partisan critics in Fox News interview
Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett pushed back against partisan portrayals of the Supreme Court, telling Fox News’ Bret Baier that justices “wear black, not red or blue” and follow the Constitution, not politics. She appeared on Fox to promote her new book, “Listening to the Law,” and to address public perceptions of the Court’s work and independence. Barrett stressed that the Court is not divided into partisan teams. She also defended its approach to presidential power, clarified misconceptions about the Dobbs decision, and reflected on her originalist judicial philosophy. Her book touches on details such as assigned seating, courtroom traditions, and the gap between outside perception and inside reality. AMY CONEY BARRETT DETAILS BATTLE BETWEEN HER OWN PERSONAL VIEWS AND THE LAW IN NEW BOOK “You know, we don’t wear red and blue, we all wear black because judges are nonpartisan. And the idea is that we are all listening to the law. We’re all trying to get it right. We’re not playing for a team,” she told Baier. “We don’t sit on specific sides of the bench, left and right. You know, we sit in order of seniority.” Barrett underscored the disconnect between public perception and the Court’s inner workings, noting: “I often ask new law clerks what surprised you most when you started? And one of the most common answers is the difference between what’s happening on the inside and what people think is happening on the inside.” JUSTICE BARRETT OPENS UP ABOUT ‘AWKWARD’ START ON SCOTUS, SHADOW DOCKET AND MORE IN FORTHCOMING MEMOIR Critics on the left argue the Court is shielding former President Donald Trump, a view reflected in headlines from outlets such as The New York Times and NBC. Barrett responded by placing the Court’s work in historical context, stressing that cases on presidential power extend beyond any one occupant of the office. “We’re not deciding cases just for today, and we’re not deciding cases based on the president,” Barrett said. “As the current occupant of the office, we’re deciding cases about the presidency. So we’re taking each case, and we’re looking at the question of presidential power as it comes. And the cases that we decide today are going to matter. JUSTICE BARRETT DEFENDS JACKSON JABS AS ‘WARRANTED’ IN RARE PUBLIC APPEARANCE “Four presidencies from now, six presidencies from now, and so on. Each of these cases that we’re getting, you know, well, I mean, some of them overlap, but many present different constitutional issues,” she added. She stressed the Court rules on the presidency as an institution, with decisions that resonate across administrations. Turning to the Dobbs decision, Barrett said the ruling did not outlaw abortion but returned the issue to the political process—a point she argued has been widely misunderstood. “Dobbs did not say that abortion is illegal. Dobbs said it belongs to the political process,” Barrett said. Barrett acknowledged growing threats to judges, stressing violence should not be “the cost of public service.” Returning to public perception, she said the Court must follow the law even when rulings are unpopular, stressing integrity over public opinion. “The court… can’t take into account public opinion in making individual decisions… you have to follow the law where it leads, even if it leads in a place where the majority of people don’t want you to go,” she said.
Meet the ex-Biden appointee who could be major force against Trump’s AI agenda: ‘Doomsayer’
FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump’s push to establish “America’s global AI dominance” could run into friction from an unlikely source: the “effective altruism” movement, a small but influential group that has a darker outlook on artificial intelligence. Trump signed an executive order earlier this year titled, “Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence.” This week he met with top technology industry leaders, including Mark Zuckerburg, Bill Gates and others, for meetings at the White House in which AI loomed large in the discussions. However, not all the industry’s leaders share the president’s vision for American AI dominance. Jason Matheny, a former senior Biden official who currently serves as the CEO of the RAND Corporation, is a leader in the effective altruism movement, which, among other priorities, seeks to regulate the development of artificial intelligence with the goal of reducing its risks. Effective altruism is a philanthropic social movement where proponents claim to be aiming to maximize the good they can do in the world and give to what they calculate are the most effective charities and interventions. Part of this movement includes powerful donors from across many sectors, including technology, where funds are poured into fighting against what the group sees as existential threats, including artificial intelligence. NEW AI APPS HELP RENTAL DRIVERS AVOID FAKE DAMAGE FEES Some in the movement have also pledged to give away a portion of their income, while others have argued about the morality of earning as much money as possible in order to give it away. A former Defense Department official familiar with the industry’s leaders told Fox News Digital that since a 2017 speech at an effective altruism forum in which he laid out his vision, Matheny has “been very deliberate about inserting personnel who share his AI-doomerism worldview” into government and government contractor roles. “Since then, he has made good on every single one of his calls to action to explicitly infiltrate think tanks, in-government decision makers, and trusted government contractors with this effective altruism, AI kind of doomsayer philosophy,” the official continued. A RAND Corporation spokesperson pushed back against this label and said that Matheny “believes a wide range of views and backgrounds are essential to analyzing and informing sound public policy. His interest is in encouraging talented young people to embrace public service.” The spokesperson added that AI being an “existential threat” is “not the lens” through which the company approaches AI, but said, “Our researchers are taking a broad look at the many ways AI is and will impact society – including both opportunities and threats.” In his 2017 speech, Matheny discussed his vision of influencing the government from the inside and outside to advance effective altruistic goals. “The work that I’ve done at IARPA (Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity) has convinced me that there’s a lot of low-hanging fruit within government positions that we should be picking as effective altruists. There are many different roles that effective altruists can have within government organizations,” Matheny told an effective altruism forum in 2017, before going on to explain how even “fairly junior positions” can “wield incredible influence.” GOOGLE CEO, MAJOR TECH LEADERS JOIN FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP AT WHITE HOUSE AI MEETING Matheny went on to explain the need for “influence” on the “outside” in the form of contractors working for government agencies specialized in fields like biology and chemistry along with experts at various think tanks. “That’s another way you can have an influence on the government,” Matheny said. Matheny advanced the philosophy’s ideals in the Biden White House in his roles as deputy assistant to the president for technology and national security, deputy director for national security in the Office of Science and Technology Policy and coordinator for technology and national security at the National Security Council. According to reporting by Politico, RAND officials were involved in writing former President Joe Biden’s 2023 executive order “Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence.” The order mirrored many effective altruist goals regarding AI, such as the idea that “harnessing AI for good and realizing its myriad benefits requires mitigating its substantial risks.” However, a RAND spokesperson told Fox News Digital that Matheny had “no role” crafting the Biden EO, but said its “researchers did provide technical expertise and analysis to inform the EO in response to requests from policymakers.” The order read that “responsible AI use has the potential to help solve urgent challenges while making our world more prosperous, productive, innovative, and secure. At the same time, irresponsible use could exacerbate societal harms such as fraud, discrimination, bias, and disinformation; displace and disempower workers; stifle competition; and pose risks to national security.” Its solution was to increase regulations on the development of AI and add new government reporting requirements for companies developing the technology. For many in the industry, this was seen as an example of government overreach that stifled innovation and hurt the U.S.’s ability to compete with countries like China. The order has since been revoked by Trump’s AI order, which was signed in the first few days of his second administration. However, as head of RAND, a public policy and research advising group, Matheny and RAND have continued to push their vision for AI regulation and warn about the potential pitfalls. RAND has posted on social media in recent months warning that AI will “fundamentally reshape the economics of cybersecurity” and that the “growing use of AI chatbots for mental health support means society is ‘deploying pseudo-therapists at an unprecedented scale.’” Semafor reported earlier this year that the Trump administration was butting heads with Anthropic, a top artificial intelligence company with ties to the EA movement and the Biden administration, on AI policy. “It’s hard to tell a clean story of every single actor involved, but at the heart, the Doomerism community that Jason’s really at the heart of, what they are really concerned with is they truly believe about a runaway super-intelligent model that takes over the world like a
Fox News Politics Newsletter: LAPD pulls Harris security after union backlash
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… -SCOTUS temporarily greenlights firing of Biden-appointed FTC commissioner -Trump condemns ‘lunatic’ in Charlotte stabbing: ‘If we don’t handle evil, we don’t have a country’ –Rand Paul rips JD Vance’s assertion that executing cartel members is the ‘best use of our military’ A specialized unit with the Los Angeles Police Department is no longer providing former Vice President Kamala Harris security, according to a new report. Officers with LAPD’s Metropolitan Division, which falls under the police department’s special operations group, stepped in to provide Harris with security after President Donald Trump yanked Harris’ security detail in August, The New York Times reported. But that protection ended on Saturday following backlash from the LAPD’s union, The Los Angeles Police Protective League. The union called the arrangement “nuts,” arguing that “LA taxpayers should not be footing the bill for this ridiculousness.”…READ MORE. DEADLY OBSESSION: Ryan Routh trial: Jury selection begins in Trump assassination attempt case COURT WIN FOR TRUMP: Supreme Court allows Trump ICE raids to resume in California VERDICT STANDS: Federal appeals court upholds $83.3M E. Jean Carroll judgment against Trump ‘RIGHTS VIOLATIONS’: ‘The View’ co-host urges people to take videos of ICE agents ‘TREMENDOUS ASSET’: New FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey begins transition to FBI role alongside Bongino FOREIGN WORKER FALLOUT: ICE raids Georgia Hyundai battery plant, sparking firestorm with South Korea – what to know INSIDE THE FILES: Epstein estate hands over ‘birthday book,’ contact list to House investigators PUSHING TO THE RIGHT: From ‘legislative terrorists’ to center of Trump’s DC revolution: Where key conservative caucus is now PARTY CIVIL WAR: Bernie Sanders rips Dem leaders for snubbing Mamdani in mayoral race: ‘This is our guy!’ DROPPING THE HAMMER: Republican wants judges held accountable if they release repeat violent criminals who strike again SANCTUARY SHOWDOWN: DHS confirms probe of former ‘undocumented’ Boston lawmaker sentenced in corruption case DEFYING TRUMP: Chicago cops struggle to staff streets as Trump presses on crime ‘SHIFT THE BLAME’: Dem governor breaks silence on murder of Ukrainian refugee after social media backlash Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Dems flood defense bill with far-left amendments aimed at Trump
The House is preparing to take up its annual defense policy bill this week, with Democrats filing hundreds of amendments — many aimed at rebuking President Donald Trump’s administration and current GOP priorities. Lawmakers submitted roughly 450 proposed amendments to the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Among them are measures dealing with diversity, Israel funding and Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration. The House Rules Committee will review the bill Monday afternoon and set parameters for debate, paving the way for a floor vote later this week. Most of the progressive amendments are unlikely to survive, underscoring their symbolic nature. Still, Democrats are using the traditionally bipartisan defense package to spotlight opposition to the White House and Republican leadership. HOUSE MOVES TO EXPOSE EPSTEIN FILES, AUTHORIZES OVERSIGHT PROBE Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, filed several amendments, including one to strike the NDAA’s prohibition on using defense funds for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Similarly, Reps. Luz Rivas, D-Calif., and Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii, offered an amendment to block a ban on DEI programs at the Pentagon. Crockett also introduced language aimed at halting construction of migrant detention facilities on military installations, directly challenging Trump administration policy. Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., put forward an amendment barring Defense Department funds from supporting migrant processing and detention operations. The Pentagon announced last month it is building the country’s largest federal migrant detention center in Fort Bliss, Texas. Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., filed two amendments targeting Trump-era immigration policies. One would prohibit funding for family separation, while another “prohibits funds from being used to transfer non-citizens to foreign prisons, except under treaties and extradition laws,” according to the Rules Committee website. The latter proposal would effectively block deportations to El Salvador. Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., introduced measures aimed at limiting U.S. support for Israel. FAR-LEFT FIREBRAND SAYS SHE ‘NEVER HAD A CONCERN’ ABOUT BIDEN’S MENTAL STATE AS HOUSE PROBE HEATS UP Tlaib’s amendment would ban U.S. arms sales to countries whose governments include officials with outstanding International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants. The ICC issued warrants in late 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior officials. Omar’s proposal seeks to repeal Israel’s emergency access to a U.S.-managed weapons stockpile located in the country. The NDAA is a bill passed every fiscal year that sets national security and defense policy for the U.S. government. More than 1,000 total amendments have been introduced to this year’s bill.
California illegal immigrant with 49 prior arrests tops ICE’s latest ‘worst-of-the-worst’ list
In its latest operations targeting the “worst of the worst” illegal immigrants residing in the U.S., ICE officials told Fox News Digital one particular suspect was found to have an astounding rap sheet. ICE has arrested tens of thousands of illegal immigrants with additional criminal records since Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem took over for Alejandro Mayorkas in January. Miguel Barrera-Corona, a criminal illegal immigrant from Mexico, was living in California when he was arrested over the weekend. Barrera-Corona has 49 prior criminal arrests, according to law enforcement. ICE HAULS IN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CONVICTED OF CHILD CRIMES IN NATIONWIDE WEDNESDAY SWEEP: ‘CLEAR MESSAGE’ His convictions include burglary, vehicle theft, assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats to terrorize, DUI, carrying a loaded firearm in public, carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle, shoplifting, trespassing, property damage, petty theft, carrying a concealed dagger, and vandalism – and Trump administration officials blame sanctuary state policies for allowing him to roam free. “Over the weekend, ICE arrested drug traffickers, human traffickers, child predators, and sex offenders. One of the criminal illegal aliens was previously arrested 49 times,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. DHS ARRESTS FIVE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CONVICTED OF SERIOUS CRIMES, INCLUDING MURDER AND CHILD ABUSE “Sanctuary politicians allowed this serial criminal to terrorize American citizens. President Trump and Secretary Noem unleashed ICE to arrest the worst of the worst and get these criminal illegal aliens out of our country.” Other illegal immigrant suspects arrested included convicted pedophiles, drug dealers and human traffickers. “Carlos Guzman-Santiago, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, convicted of second-degree forcible sex offense,” read one mugshot description. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Another captured illegal immigrant, Dominican national Juan Carlos Jimenez, had a sexual assault conviction relating to “intercourse with kindred.” Carlos Sipriano Moreno-Pineda of Honduras had been convicted of abusing a spouse or cohabitant, while Glenda Molina-Sorto of El Salvador was convicted of child abuse and drug offenses. Benigno Carrillo-Hernandez, Mauricio Barrios-Satay, Miguel Perez-Herrera, Jorge Carmona-Martinez and Karen Hernandez-Medrano, were also captured in the latest operations. “ICE will continue to enforce U.S. immigration laws to ensure criminal illegal aliens are identified, arrested, and removed, safeguarding communities across the nation,” DHS said in a statement.
Secretary of War Hegseth lands in Puerto Rico as US ramps up Caribbean cartel fight with naval forces
The U.S. ramped up its fight against Caribbean drug cartels Monday as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine touched down in Puerto Rico to bolster military operations. Puerto Rican Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón and First Gentleman Dr. José Yovín Vargas welcomed the pair, framing the visit as the Trump administration’s show of support for troops training on the island. “We thank President Trump and his administration for recognizing Puerto Rico’s strategic importance to our national security, and for their commitment to combat drug cartels and the narco-dictator Nicolás Maduro,” the governor said. “We fully support America First policies that protect our borders and fight illicit activities in defense of the American people.” The meeting took place at Muñiz Air Base in Carolina, outside San Juan, and drew top brass including Puerto Rico National Guard Adjutant General Carlos José Rivera-Román, Public Safety Secretary Brig. Gen. Arthur Garffer, and other senior military leaders. RUBIO SAYS TRUMP ‘WANTS TO WAGE WAR’ ON VENEZUELAN DRUG TRAFFICKERS: ‘BLOW THEM UP IF THAT’S WHAT IT TAKES’ Hegseth spoke to nearly 300 soldiers at the base, thanking and describing them as “American warriors.” The secretary of war also provided affirmation that those serving in the Armed Forces will be the best equipped and prepared in the world. The visit comes as the U.S. military expands its naval footprint near Venezuela, part of President Donald Trump’s push to choke off drug flows from Latin America. Naval and air assets have been dispatched to confront traffickers and secure key maritime routes, with some already used this week against alleged narco-terrorists. US BOLSTERS MILITARY PRESENCE IN CARIBBEAN NEAR VENEZUELA AMID TRUMP’S EFFORTS TO HALT DRUG TRAFFICKING Last Tuesday, Marines hit a vessel in the southern Caribbean Sea that was allegedly ferrying members of the Tren de Aragua gang smuggling narcotics to the U.S. While the U.S. military has long worked to counter cartel and international gang organizations beginning in the late 1980s, the strike killed 11 alleged members of Tren de Aragua – which the Trump administration designated as a terrorist organization in February – marked a definite shift from previous seize and apprehend operations. President Donald Trump has made it clear since his first administration that he strongly opposes Maduro’s regime and even announced a $50 million reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction. TRUMP TOUTS US STRIKE AS MADURO SLAMS MILITARY ‘THREAT’ OFF VENEZUELA Hegseth has also sent major firepower to the region—including the USS Iwo Jima, USS Lake Erie, USS Jason Dunham, USS Gravely, and USS Sampson—to hunt criminal networks and narco-terrorists. Trump’s decision to deploy U.S. troops off of the South American nation prompted Maduro, last Monday, to decry the move as an attempt to seek regime change and said, “Venezuela is confronting the biggest threat that has been seen on our continent in the last 100 years.” Against that backdrop, González-Colón cast Puerto Rico as America’s frontline in the regional crackdown. “President Trump’s leadership in the fight against narcotrafficking places Puerto Rico—our nation’s Caribbean border—at the forefront of our security and interests,” González-Colón added. “For the first time, I believe we are confronting the problem at its root, striking directly at the source of the drug flow.”
Ryan Routh trial opens with bizarre jury questions and witness drama
The first day of jury selection kicked off Monday in Fort Pierce, Florida, for the high-profile federal trial of Ryan Routh, who allegedly sought to assassinate President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club in September 2024. Routh, who is representing himself, appeared at the federal courthouse on Monday morning wearing a gray suit and ankle shackles as the voir dire process began, with prosecutors and Routh questioning jurors to determine whether they can fairly participate in the trial. The jury selection process will identify 12 jurors and four alternates for the trial. RYAN ROUTH TRIAL: JURY SELECTION BEGINS IN TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT CASE During jury selection, Routh asked potential jurors their views on the war in Gaza, their position on the U.S. potentially acquiring Greenland as the president has floated, and how they would act if they were driving and spotted a turtle in the middle of the road. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, dismissed Routh’s questions as “politically charged,” and said that they were unnecessary for jury selection. “None of the questions on your list have any bearing whatsoever. They were off base, sir, and have no relevance to jury selection,” Cannon said. When Routh attempted to speak in protest, Cannon warned him not to interrupt. Routh also said a former co-worker listed on his witness list, Eric Zuniga, would not testify on Routh’s behalf because Zuniga lives in Costa Rica and “likes his freedom and doesn’t want to get arrested or deported.” Routh then withdrew Zuniga’s name as a potential witness. TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SUSPECT RYAN ROUTH CHALLENGES PRESIDENT TO ROUND OF GOLF Routh also said another potential witness he’d listed would also unlikely to appear, due to scheduled travel to Vietnam during the trial. After the morning session wrapped up, Cannon asked if there was anything else, prompting Routh to say that he is “still in a situation at the jail where I can’t sleep.” “I don’t know if they could move me to general population or something,” Routh said. But Cannon once again shut Routh down, and said that the statement wasn’t appropriate at that time. Twenty-seven out of the 60 prospective jurors claimed that they had a hardship that would prevent them from participating on the jury for Routh’s case. Meanwhile, Routh claimed he had reservations about many potential jurors, but couldn’t identify specific concerns. Prosecutors claim that Routh sought to kill Trump for weeks, and staked out a spot in shrubbery on Sept. 15, 2024, when a Secret Service agent detected him pointing a rifle at Trump while the then-presidential candidate played golf at his West Palm Beach country club. Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, but abandoned his weapon and the scene after the Secret Service agents opened fire. TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SUSPECT RYAN ROUTH CAN’T SEE CLASSIFIED INFO RELATING TO CASE, JUDGE RULES Routh faces federal charges, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, as well as assaulting a federal officer and various gun violations. The charges carry a potential life sentence if the jury finds him guilty. Meanwhile, Routh has maintained he’s innocent and pleaded not guilty to all federal charges, in addition to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder. Opening statements for the trial are expected to kick off on Thursday, and prosecutors are poised to launch into their case immediately afterward. The court has allocated four weeks for Routh’s trial, although it is expected to wrap up sooner. Fox News’ Jamie Joseph, Heather Lacey, Jake Gibson, and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Comer vows ‘accountability,’ Trump rips ‘scandal’ after bombshell report on Biden autopen pardons
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., said his panel is wrapping up its investigation into President Joe Biden’s use of the autopen after a new report revealed concerns raised within the former administration itself. “New records reveal President Biden’s own administration raised concerns about autopen use to grant thousands of pardons. This is a historic scandal with massive repercussions,” Comer told Fox News Digital in response to the Axios report. “As President Biden declined, his aides carried out executive actions without his approval, casting doubt on the legitimacy of thousands of pardons and other executive actions.” Comer added, “The House Oversight Committee is in the final stages of its investigation. There must be accountability for this scandal.” BIDEN’S AUTO-PEN PARDONS DISTURBED DOJ BRASS, DOCS SHOW, RAISING QUESTIONS WHETHER THEY ARE LEGALLY BINDING President Donald Trump weighed in on Truth Social: “THE BIDEN AUTOPEN SCANDAL IS BIG, NOT AS BIG AS THE RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA HOAX, OR THE RIGGED 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, BUT, NEVERTHELESS, ONE OF THE BIGGEST, EVER!!!” A former Biden White House staffer familiar with the pardons process pushed back. “Republicans like to talk about Biden whenever news hits that they don’t want to talk about. Today, they want to talk about Biden because Trump is responsible for the latest jobs report, which is the worst August jobs gain since 2020,” the staffer told Fox News Digital. “What these emails show is a full process to support that decision-making and checks on the use of the autopen.” Axios reported over the weekend that senior Department of Justice (DOJ) officials flagged issues with Biden’s clemency process in his final days in office. Biden approved nearly 2,500 commutations on Jan. 17, just days before leaving the White House, setting a record for most clemency orders ever granted by a U.S. president — more than 4,200 in total — and the most ever in a single day. The next day, DOJ ethics lawyer Bradley Weinsheimer reportedly wrote in a memo: “Unfortunately and despite repeated requests and warnings, we were not afforded a reasonable opportunity to vet and provide input on those you were considering.” Noting that at least one murderer granted clemency had been flagged by DOJ, he added: “I have no idea if the president was aware of these backgrounds when making clemency decisions.” The New York Post first reported details of the memo. Meanwhile, Axios reported that a DOJ pardon attorney took issue with White House lawyers asking the department not to solicit views of murder victims’ families of multiple death row inmates if it had not already done so — including people whose sentences Biden commuted as well. The Axios report further revealed that Biden White House staff secretary Stef Feldman repeatedly sought clarity on the autopen process. In one Jan. 16 email, she asked for details on drug-related clemency orders approved by then-Chief of Staff Jeff Zients. After being asked to use autopen on an executive order, Feldman reportedly wrote: “When did we get [Biden’s] approval of this?” ‘SHOULD BE PROSECUTED’: HOUSE REPUBLICANS ZERO IN ON BIDEN AUTOPEN PARDONS AFTER BOMBSHELL REPORT The former Biden staffer insisted the process was sound. “The pardon power rests with the president — not the Department of Justice,” the staffer said. “While the DOJ is free to raise its own concerns about pardons, and did before Trump fired all of the career staff who did so, it is ultimately the President’s decision.” Biden himself told The New York Times recently that he made every clemency decision on his own. Zients is expected to testify before the Oversight Committee later this month. Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is also scheduled for a closed-door interview Friday.
New FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey begins transition to FBI role alongside Bongino
The FBI will welcome a second deputy director for the first time in its history in the coming days after Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey resigned his position on Monday to join the bureau. Bailey will serve as co-deputy director alongside Dan Bongino, with the pair reporting to FBI Director Kash Patel. The unprecedented setup comes as President Donald Trump is placing a new emphasis on federal law enforcement amid his wider crime crackdown. There also has been controversy within the FBI regarding the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, with sources saying Bongino has been deeply frustrated. “As I approach the final hours as your Attorney General, I am profoundly grateful to Missouri, as it has been the honor of my life to serve you,” Bailey wrote on social media Sunday night. “Together, we have accomplished much for the place we call home. Until Missouri calls again, thank you.” Fox News Digital has learned that Bailey is set to start at the FBI next Monday. TRUMP TO DEPLOY MILITARY TO BORDER, END BIDEN PAROLE POLICIES IN FLURRY OF DAY 1 EXECUTIVE ORDERS As Missouri’s AG, Bailey made national headlines opposing former President Joe Biden’s efforts to wipe away student debt. He also worked to curb Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs at multiple major companies, including at Starbucks, which he accused of “race-based hiring” earlier this year. Bailey also spoke up in favor of President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship. Bailey also launched an anti-human trafficking task force and addressed more than 1,100 reported incidents in Missouri, in addition to clearing the backlog of Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence (SAFE) kits to improve prosecution of sexual assault cases. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., hailed Bailey’s hiring in a statement to Fox News Digital on Monday, praising the former prosecutor’s work in his home state. “Andrew Bailey is going to be terrific at the FBI,” Hawley said. “He’s been a stand-out prosecutor for Missouri. Now he will bring all those skills to bear for the country.” FBI’S DAN BONGINO THINKING OF RESIGNING AFTER CLASH WITH AG BONDI: SOURCE U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed Bailey’s hiring last month as Trump launched the federal takeover of Washington, D.C. and his national crime crackdown. “I am thrilled to welcome Andrew Bailey as Co-Deputy Director of the FBI,” Bondi told Fox News Digital. “He has served as a distinguished state attorney general and is a decorated war veteran, bringing expertise and dedication to service. His leadership and commitment to country will be a tremendous asset as we work together to advance President Trump’s mission.” Bailey’s entry comes after weeks of rumblings within the FBI regarding the Epstein files. Bongino is said to have raised his voice in outrage during a private discussion with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and Bondi before storming out of the meeting, according to two sources close to DOJ leadership. The ordeal had led him to consider resigning from the FBI, another source said. 10 REASONS DOJ AND FBI FACE BACKLASH AFTER EPSTEIN FILES FLOP Bongino was frustrated about the rollout of a public Epstein memo in July and what he viewed as Bondi’s “lack of transparency from the start.” The memo, a joint product of the DOJ and FBI, said the two agencies had no further information to share with the public about Epstein’s case, a revelation that sparked fury among the MAGA base. It has been nearly two months since the rumors of Bongino’s potential resignation began, however, and he still remains at the FBI. Fox News’ Ashley Oliver and Brooke Singman contributed to this report
How Trump could restore capital punishment in Washington amid crime crackdown
President Donald Trump wants to bring the death penalty back to Washington for those convicted of murder amid his crime crackdown in the District — even though capital punishment has been outlawed there for decades. While Washington, D.C.’s Superior Court that handles local trial matters is barred from utilizing the death penalty, and any changes at that level likely would require intervention from the D.C. City Council or Congress, the death penalty is legal at the federal level. As a result, Trump would seek to capitalize on capital punishment in Washington for those convicted of federal crimes, according to Matthew Cavedon, the director of the Cato Institute’s Project on Criminal Justice. BLUE CITIES IN TRUMP’S CROSSHAIRS AFTER DC POLICE TAKEOVER “What would happen is, on major crimes, the U.S. Department of Justice would be prosecuting those cases through the United States Attorney’s Office,” Cavedon said. “And that’s the new U.S. attorney, Jeane Pirro. Those cases would be brought in U.S. District Court… rather than D.C. Superior Court and D.C.’s internal court system.” Trump laid out his plans to revive the death penalty in Washington during an August Cabinet meeting while discussing efforts to drive down crime in the nation’s capital. Trump has dispatched hundreds of D.C. National Guard troops to combat crime in Washington — resulting in more than 1,600 arrests since Aug. 11. “If somebody kills somebody in the capital, Washington, D.C., we’re going to be seeking the death penalty,” Trump told reporters during an August Cabinet meeting. “And that’s a very strong preventative. And everybody that’s heard it agrees with it. I don’t know if we’re ready for it in this country, but we have it.… We have no choice.” ‘RADICAL’ DC OFFICIALS TREATED OFFICERS ‘LIKE CRAP,’ POLICE LEADER SAYS – 7 ATTACKS THAT LED TO TRUMP TAKEOVER The White House referred Fox News Digital back to Trump’s comments at the Cabinet meeting. Trump has long voiced support for the death penalty, and issued an executive order in January titled “Restoring the Death Penalty and Protecting Public Safety.” The order calls for the attorney general to “pursue the death penalty for all crimes of a severity demanding its use.” “Capital punishment is an essential tool for deterring and punishing those who would commit the most heinous crimes and acts of lethal violence against American citizens,” the order said. “Before, during, and after the founding of the United States, our cities, States, and country have continuously relied upon capital punishment as the ultimate deterrent and only proper punishment for the vilest crimes.” That executive order, coupled with Trump’s statements on the matter, show he will request federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in D.C. murder cases, Cavedon said. The D.C. Council officially rescinded the death penalty in 1981, and voters in the nation’s capital rejected the death penalty in a 1992 referendum, according to the nonprofit organization the Death Penalty Information Center. There hasn’t been an execution in Washington since 1957. TRUMP CLAIMS DC CRIMES TROUNCE STATS FROM NOTORIOUSLY VIOLENT CITIES WORLDWIDE Twenty-seven states still permit the death penalty, while 23 states do not have capital punishment. Four states — California, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Oregon — have a hold on executions, per orders from their respective governors. Trump’s push to revitalize the death penalty could push those states to eradicate it at the state level, Cavedon said. “Something like the president calling for lots and lots of executions might be enough to tip things over and get places like California to just do away with the death penalty on the state side,” Cavedon said. Meanwhile, Trump’s effort is unnecessary since crime is on the decline in Washington and studies consistently show that the murder rate is lower in states without the death penalty, according to Cliff Sloan, who teaches constitutional law and death penalty litigation at Georgetown Law. “It’s unnecessary because the D.C. homicide rate has been declining and, even more fundamentally, because there is absolutely no correlation between the death penalty and a reduction in homicides,” Sloan said in an email to Fox News Digital. “States that have done away with the death penalty have not seen any increase in homicides. States that actively impose the death penalty, in contrast, have very high homicide rates.” Although a majority of Americans – 53% – still back the death penalty, public support is declining and has reached a five-decade low, according to a Gallup poll released in November.