Trump administration plans to overhaul National Security Council, weeks after Waltz’s departure
President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are spearheading plans to overhaul the National Security Council and shift its main functions to other agencies like the State and Defense departments. The move is the latest effort to slim down a federal agency and comes weeks after Trump announced former National Security Advisor Mike Waltz would depart his post at the White House overseeing the agency. Trump announced the same day that Waltz was nominated to serve as United Nations ambassador. HEGSETH, SIGNAL QUESTIONS DOG WALTZ AS POTENTIALLY PERILOUS UN AMBASSADOR CONFIRMATION HEARINGS LOOM The plans to upend the agency would include whittling down the size of the National Security Council, which the Trump White House believes is full of long-term, bureaucratic staffers who don’t align with Trump’s agenda. Additionally, the restructuring will move Andy Barker, national security advisor to Vice President JD Vance, and Robert Gabriel, assistant to the president for policy, into roles serving as deputy national security advisors. Axios was the first to report the Trump administration’s restructuring plans. A White House official confirmed Axios’ reporting to Fox News Digital. A White House official involved in the planning said Trump and Rubio are driving the change in an attempt to target Washington’s so-called “Deep State.” “The NSC is the ultimate Deep State. It’s Marco vs. the Deep State. We’re gutting the Deep State,” a White House official told Axios. NEXT US NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR? HERE’S WHOM TRUMP MIGHT PICK TO REPLACE WALTZ The National Security Council is located within the the White House and provides the president guidance on national security, military and foreign affairs matters. Waltz’s departure from the agency followed his involvement with other administration officials, like Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in the Signal chat controversy over strike plans against the Houthis in March. MIKE WALTZ, OTHER NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL STAFFERS OUT IN LATEST TRUMP PURGE FOLLOWING SIGNAL CHAT LEAK Since Waltz’s departure earlier this month, Rubio has taken on the role of national security advisor. That’s in addition to leading the State Department and serving as acting archivist and acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, which the administration is aiming to dismantle this year. Fox News Digital was the first to report that the State Department planned to absorb the remaining operations and programs USAID runs so it would no longer function as an independent agency. The move requires cutting thousands of staff members in an attempt to bolster the efficiency of the existing, “life-saving” foreign assistance programs, according to a State Department memo Fox News Digital obtained. Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Google chatbot slammed for ‘anti-American’ claims about ‘White Memorial Day’
Google’s artificial intelligence chatbot is being slammed for “anti-American” claims about the supposed White supremacist origins of Memorial Day. The Media Research Center (MRC) Free Speech America project, a conservative media watchdog, is calling out Google for alleged bias coded into its AI chatbot “Gemini” after the group found the bot said that Memorial Day is controversial for a range of reasons, including problems with “inclusivity and representation” from the Jim Crow era. MRC said it asked Gemini the question “Is Memorial Day controversial?” May 16. According to MRC, the Google-run chatbot responded, “Yes, Memorial Day is a holiday that carries a degree of controversy, stemming from several factors.” AMERICANS SHOULD HONOR MEMORIAL DAY IN THIS WAY, MILITARY SERVICE MEMBERS SUGGEST Among the reasons listed for the supposed controversy was a bullet point titled, “White Memorial Day,” which claimed “historically, especially during the Jim Crow era, Memorial Day observances in many communities became predominantly ‘white,’ overlooking the contributions and sacrifices of Black service members. This historical exclusion remains a sensitive point.” WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)? MRC also said that Gemini claimed Memorial Day is “often intertwined with national identity and patriotism,” which the chatbot asserted “can be complex and controversial for individuals with differing perspectives on American history and foreign policy.” The group also said Gemini claimed another problem with Memorial Day is the “glorification of War,” saying “some argue that the focus on military sacrifice can inadvertently glorify war, rather than solely honoring the fallen and reflecting on the cost of conflict.” MEMORIAL DAY: THE HISTORY AND MEANING OF THE HOLIDAY Fox News Digital asked Gemini the same question Friday and was given the answer that while “the primary purpose of Memorial Day is to honor all U.S. military personnel who died while serving,” the history of the holiday “does contain elements that can be viewed through the lens of race.” Among the reasons for the controversy Gemini gave to Fox News Digital were “the continued observance of separate Confederate Memorial Days in some Southern states, honoring those who fought to preserve slavery, [which] is seen by many as racially insensitive and a painful reminder of a divisive past.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Gemini told Fox News Digital that “while the act of honoring fallen service members is not inherently racist, the historical context, the selective narratives and the existence of Confederate observances mean that the history and observance of Memorial Day have been intertwined with racial issues.” Google did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Trump DOJ moves to dissolve Flores decree which governs detention of unaccompanied minors in the U.S.
In a motion filed in federal court in Los Angeles, the Trump DOJ is moving to dissolve the ‘Flores Consent Decree.’ Attorney General Pam Bondi maintains the decree is incentivizing illegal immigration at the southern border. The Flores decree has governed the detention and release of migrant children since 1997. The motion, filed by the DOJ and jointed by HHS and the Department of Homeland Security, asks a federal court in southern California to dissolve the decree. BIDEN-APPOINTED FEDERAL JUDGE KEEPS BLOCKING TRUMP ADMIN FROM NIXING FUNDING FOR LAWYERS FOR MIGRANT CHILDREN However, the motion to terminate the Flores decree will be heard at a July 18 hearing before US District Judge Dolly Gee in Los Angeles. Judge Gee has presided over the case for years, and it is unlikely she will agree to get rid of the Flores decree, setting up a possible battle before the federal appeals court, and ultimately the Supreme Court. “The outdated Flores consent decree was implemented as a stopgap measure almost 30 years ago but in recent years has directly incentivized illegal immigration at our southern border. Congress and various federal agencies have already solved the problems that Flores was designed to fix, and this consent decree is now an unacceptable restriction on our America-first immigration agenda,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi in a statement to Fox News. FEDERAL JUDGE BUCKS TRUMP ADMIN, DELAYS DISMISSAL OF OF MS-13 LEADER’S CASE DOJ officials also tell Fox News the idea is to put the power back into the hands of elected officials in Washington, rather than a single federal judge in California. In the filing the DOJ says the government is moving, “to terminate the FSA completely and with respect to all Defendants, and to dissolve the Court’s injunction of DHS’s regulations for apprehension, processing, care, and custody of alien minors…After 40 years of litigation and 28 years of judicial control over a critical element of U.S. immigration policy by one district court located more than 100 miles from any international border, it is time for this case to end.” More from the filing: In light of the significant changes in circumstances since this Court entered the FSA 28 years ago, including the promulgation of regulations incorporating the goals of the FSA, and Supreme Court precedent that is inconsistent with continuing such a long-term decree, further continuation of the FSA is no longer equitable or in the public interest. TRUMP DOJ DROPS BIDEN-ERA LEGAL CHALLENGE TO TEXAS BORDER SECURITY LAW This Court entered the FSA as a consent decree in 1997 and amended it in December 2001. The FSA has governed the care and custody of unaccompanied alien children (UACs) ever since, notwithstanding intervening legislation by the U.S. Congress and agency regulations. In 2015, this Court expanded the FSA to accompanied children, see Flores v. Lynch, 828 F.3d 898, 906, 909 (9th Cir. 2016), even though it is obvious from the FSA’s terms that the parties did not contemplate their inclusion. Thus, as to accompanied children, the national policy has long been set by a district court (and not the President or Congress), notwithstanding that the consent decree providing the basis for district-court supervision does not claim to regulate this class of aliens. That simply cannot be. During the 28 years that this Court has controlled federal policy regarding the custody of alien children who are in the United States without immigration status, enormous, cardinal changes have occurred: surges of aliens have entered the U.S. in between ports of entry across the southwest border, including large groups of aliens who voluntarily surrendered to Border Patrol—surrenders orchestrated by traffickers; the demographics of aliens arriving at the border have shifted to include significantly higher numbers from countries outside the Western Hemisphere and higher numbers of children; a global pandemic necessitated the government’s utilization of its expulsion authority to protect public health; and the subsequent lifting of the policy led to an upheaval in immigration policy for over two years. The Executive has not been able to react fully and meaningfully to these changes because the FSA has ossified federal immigration policy. Successive administrations have tried unsuccessfully to free themselves from the strictures of the consent decree and this Court’s gloss on it. But detention of juvenile aliens continues to be—as it has been for more than a generation—dominated by the strictures of a 1997 agreement.
Syria granted sanctions waiver by Trump administration to encourage rebuilding
The Trump administration on Friday announced sanctions relief for Syria as part of a series of steps to end decades of penalties and to stabilize the country. The Treasury Department said it will grant Syria a 180-day waiver, known as GL 25, to ease financial restrictions that target the country’s former rulers in an effort to give its new leaders a chance to rebuild a nation still scarred by more than a decade of civil war. It will facilitate the provision of electricity, energy, water, and sanitation, and enable a more effective humanitarian response across Syria, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. “As President Trump promised, the Treasury Department and the State Department are implementing authorizations to encourage new investment into Syria,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “Syria must also continue to work towards becoming a stable country that is at peace, and today’s actions will hopefully put the country on a path to a bright, prosperous, and stable future.” US AMBASSADOR BARRACK NAMED SPECIAL ENVOY TO SYRIA AMID SANCTIONS RELIEF PLAN The waiver will allow Syria to engage in Syrian reconstruction and other economic activity. The sanctions relief has been extended on the condition that Syrian leaders will not offer a safe haven for terrorist organizations and will ensure the security of its religious and ethnic minorities, the Treasury Department said. “Today’s actions represent the first step in delivering on the President’s vision of a new relationship between Syria and the United States,” Rubio said in a statement. “President Trump is providing the Syrian government with the chance to promote peace and stability, both within Syria and in Syria’s relations with its neighbors. The President has made clear his expectation that relief will be followed by prompt action by the Syrian government on important policy priorities.” The move came after Tom Barrack, US Ambassador to Turkey and former advisor to President Donald Trump, announced on Friday that he would be filling the role of U.S. Special Envoy for Syria, while highlighting recent sanctions relief. TRUMP ASKS SYRIA TO JOIN ABRAHAM ACCORDS, NORMALIZE TIES WITH ISRAEL IN RETURN FOR SANCTIONS RELIEF “The cessation of sanctions against Syria will preserve the integrity of our primary objective — the enduring defeat of ISIS — and will give the people of Syria a chance for a better future,” he wrote Friday on X. “In this way, we, together with regional partners including Turkiye and the Gulf, are enabling the Syrian government to restore peace, security, and the hope of prosperity. In the words of the President, we will work together, and we will succeed together.” Syria’s former autocratic leader, Bashar al-Assad, ruled the country for decades after succeeding his father. Assad’s government, long sustained by Russia and Iran, presided over 13 years of civil war, and collapsed last year during a major offensive by rebel fighters. Assad and his family left Syria for Moscow to seek asylum. The waiver announced on Friday prohibits the new Syrian government from engaging in transactions that benefit Russia, Iran, North Korea or key supporters of the former Assad regime.
Trump sanctions are ‘full-frontal assault’ on organized crime at the border, expert says
The Trump Treasury Department’s new sanctions are a “full-frontal assault” on one of the deadliest southern border cartels, a local border official told Fox News Digital. The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned two high-ranking Cartel del Noreste (CDN) members, Mexican nationals Miguel Angel de Anda Ledezma and Ricardo Gonzalez Sauceda, Wednesday. CDN was one of eight cartels and transnational criminal groups labeled “foreign terrorist organizations” by the Department of State Feb. 20. Under new sanctions announced this week, all property and interest in properties belonging to De Anda and Gonzalez that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked. EXCLUSIVE: ILLEGAL ALIEN WHOSE DEPORTATION WAS PAUSED BY ‘ACTIVIST’ JUDGE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED A DISABLED WOMAN While announcing the sanctions, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the department is “working toward the total elimination of cartels to make America safe again” and that the Trump administration “will hold these terrorists accountable for their criminal activities and abhorrent acts of violence.” “CDN and its leaders have carried out a violent campaign of intimidation, kidnapping and terrorism, threatening communities on both sides of our southern border,” said Bessent. “We will continue to cut off the cartels’ ability to obtain the drugs, money and guns that enable their violent activities.” ICE BEGINS NEW, NATIONWIDE EFFORT TO ARREST ILLEGAL ALIENS AT IMMIGRATION HEARINGS Paul Perez, who leads the National Border Patrol Council chapter in the South Texas Rio Grande Valley, told Fox News Digital even though the Trump administration’s border crackdown has dramatically reduced illegal crossings, the cartels, including CDN, continue to present a threat to the lives and safety of American citizens living on the border. “The threat of cartels is still there,” Perez said in an interview with Fox News Digital. He noted that “the thing about the cartels is that they’re very sophisticated,” explaining they have begun using advanced technology like drones to carry out their operations. “They’re not the street gang-level managers,” he said. “They’ve got a lot of people on their side that have been in this industry for a long time. They know how to get their products moving. They know how to get their product across.” In Mexico, Perez said, the cartels control the border and “act with impunity all along the border,” while the Mexican police and military are unable to stop them. He said cartel gunfights along the border often lead to cartel members fleeing north into the U.S., where “they’re going to do everything they can to get away and get back. And if that means harming American citizens, then they’re going to do that.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE When it comes to CDN, Perez said “they engage in grotesque conduct,” such as beheadings and kidnappings and “will harm anybody that gets in their way” regardless of whether they are American or otherwise. “What I can tell you about the Noreste cartel, they’re no different than any other cartels out there, the Sinaloa cartel. They’re all deadly cartels. They all traffic in fentanyl. They all traffic in drugs. They are trafficking people,” he explained. TRUMP ADMIN PROMISES TO BE ‘RUTHLESSLY AGGRESSIVE’ IN RESPONSE TO SUSPECTED CARTEL KILLING OF US CITIZEN By targeting CDN’s leadership, Perez said the Trump administration is effectively weakening the cartel by creating a power vacuum that will cause infighting that will further sap the organization’s strength. “The cartels are definitely going to feel it,” he said. “So, it’s a full-frontal assault from the United States. “That’s the protection that we’re bringing to the border that we weren’t able to bring under President Biden,” he added. “President Trump, on the campaign trail, and since he’s been in office, has repeatedly said he’s going to do everything he can to protect the United States, to protect its citizens and make sure that there’s nobody around that can do harm to our country. And he’s doing that. He’s taking on the cartels. He’s not afraid of them. “We want to decimate the cartel activity that’s going on in the United States. So, he’s done what he said he was going to. We support that 100%.”
Bipartisan effort launched to onshore manufacturing of key supplies never before ‘Made in USA’
EXCLUSIVE: Senators from both sides of the aisle will put forward a resolution calling on Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to seek out new sites and critical infrastructure for high-demand products that are currently not made in America, and analyze the viability of making such products here. Senate Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee chairwoman Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., came together Friday to launch the effort – citing the dual need for onshoring supply chains while bolstering the U.S. workforce. The Critical Infrastructure Manufacturing Feasibility Act would force Lutnick to report within 18 months on critical infrastructure sectors where products face material, sourcing, or supply-chain constraints that prevent them from being domestically produced. The Commerce Department would then have to analyze the feasibility of producing that product in the U.S. – and whether such products’ newly-onshore production can be established in underserved rural areas and industrial parks. LAWMAKERS TAKE ACTION AFTER REPORT SHOWS BIDEN-ERA SBA FAILED TO PROBE 2 MILLION TO ALLEGED COVID AID FRAUDSTERS Both Ernst’s and Blunt Rochester’s states are vastly rural. In the latter, suburban sprawl from Wilmington gives way to miles of coastal plain. In recent years, the cities of Newark and Middletown have seen a boom in industrial parks and warehouses for major companies like Amazon seeking out the First State’s famously low-tax and tax-free environs. “Supply chains are key to global competitiveness and our national security,” Blunt Rochester told Fox News Digital. “This bipartisan legislation will help us identify where we rely too heavily on foreign imports for critical infrastructure and explore how we can bring that manufacturing home.” HOUSE SMALL BUSINESS COMMITTEE RELEASES REPORT ON BIDEN-ERA ELECTIONEERING The Delawarean added that strengthening domestic production not only protects our supply chains, “it supports American jobs, revitalizes local economies, and reinforces our nation’s resilience if global manufacturing disruptions occur.” Ernst added that the bill seeks to make the U.S. less dependent on foreign adversaries for critical infrastructure and key manufacturing supply chain preservation. “I am working to make ‘Made in America’ the norm instead of the exception,” she said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “That starts with ensuring that our manufacturers are able to get the materials they need right here instead of having to import supplies from halfway around the world. Beyond boosting domestic industry, this bill is also about safeguarding our national security by ensuring that we are not dependent on any foreign adversary for critical goods that we need.” Ernst has also spearheaded efforts to onshore the pharmaceutical supply chain from China. Many key ingredients in medicines are not produced in the U.S., and instead predominantly in Ireland and China. While one is a longtime U.S. ally, the other’s involvement in the supply chain could lead to national security risks, critics have said.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Trump sets the ‘gold standard’ for science
The Fox News Politics Newsletter will not be sent out on Monday, May 25th due to the Memorial Day Holiday. We wish everyone a happy and safe Memorial Day. 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… –Hundreds of Ukrainian prisoners released in swap with Russia, Zelenskyy says –New footage shows Milwaukee judge confronting ICE before allegedly helping illegal immigrant exit -Vance tells Naval Academy graduates they are facing ‘new’ and ‘very dangerous era’ for US President Donald Trump signed several executive orders (EOs) on nuclear energy proliferation and an order removing political considerations from public-sector science, as conservatives claimed the latter was scandalized in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump also signed restoring “gold standard science” as the cornerstone of federal research. A senior White House official said on Friday there has been a decline in “disruptive research” and investments in biomedical research, along with “serious cases” of fraud and misconduct and the inability to reproduce scientific methods for the purpose of restoring public trust…Read more ‘COULD NOT SPEAK’: Biden struggled to film 2024 campaign videos amid declining health, new book claims: ‘The man could not speak’ RESTRAINING ORDER: Judge temporarily pauses Trump move to cancel Harvard student visa policy after lawsuit DEADLY SLOGAN: Former Biden diplomat says there’s ‘no question’ ‘Free Palestine’ slogan has become a call for violence BARRACK ON: US Ambassador to Turkey Barrack to assume role of US Special Envoy for Syria ATOMIC SHOWDOWN: US and Iran clash over uranium enrichment as nuclear talks resume in Rome ‘WATER TORTURE’: Dems call budget bill ‘bureaucratic water torture’ as GOP ‘glad to have the ball in our court’ ‘ABOUT TO FIND OUT’: Sen. Mike Lee accuses Chicago mayor — who called Trump a ‘monster’ — of ‘bragging about’ violating the law ‘HEARTBREAKING’: Wisconsin man fired for refusing to use preferred pronouns appeals to Trump administration WALL WORKS: Republican AGs visit US-Mexico border wall as Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ clears expansion funding SHIFTING GEAR: Blue-state Republican ‘thankful’ for move to scrap gas-car ban as Newsom vows court fight to save it SOROS UNDER FIRE: Alex Soros blasted for condemning shooting of Israelis while funding anti-Israel groups TIMELINE TWIST: RFK Jr. backtracks on timeline for determining cause of autism in CNN interview TERROR IN DC: Father of suspect accused of killing Israeli Embassy staffers in DC was guest at Trump’s joint address Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Trump administration sues four New Jersey cities over sanctuary policies
The Trump administration is suing four New Jersey cities, accusing local officials of obstructing federal law and infringing on efforts to combat illegal immigration through their sanctuary city policies. The lawsuit by the Justice Department alleged the cities of Newark, Hoboken, Jersey City and Paterson unlawfully obstructed federal authorities trying to fight illegal immigration. Mayors Ras Baraka of Newark, Ravi Bhalla of Hoboken, Steven Fulop of Jersey City and Andre Sayegh of Paterson are named as defendants, along with the four city councils. “By intent and design, the Challenged Policies are a frontal assault on the federal immigration laws and the federal authorities that administer them,” the complaint states. BLUE STATE POLITICAL BATTLE INTENSIFIES AFTER DEM MAYOR’S ARREST AT ICE FACILITY: ‘OUTRAGED’ Baraka was recently arrested and charged with trespassing outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in his city. That case was dropped, but U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver was later charged with assault during the protest at Delaney Hall. “The lawsuit against Newark is absurd,” Barake said in a statement. “We are not standing in the way of public safety. We are upholding the Constitution, providing oversight, and following the laws and guidelines of the State of New Jersey.” He said nothing in the city’s policies prevents law enforcement from doing their jobs. “What we refuse to do is turn our city into an arm of federal immigration enforcement, which the courts have already ruled is not our role,” he added. Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth wrote that local policies are designed to “thwart federal immigration enforcement”. NEWARK MAYOR ARRESTED AT ICE FACILITY CLAIMS HE WAS ‘TARGETED’ AFTER COURT HEARING “[E]ven where local law enforcement wants to help the United States deal with the nation’s immigration crisis, the Challenged Policies impede them from doing so,” he wrote. “This not only puts the safety of officers at risk, but also endangers the broader communities they are sworn to protect.” The lawsuit comes after federal charges were filed against Baraka, a gubernatorial candidate, for his role during a May 9 clash involving Democratic politicians at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Newark. “Recent events have proven that these New Jersey officials care more about political showmanship than the safety of their communities,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “As I have made clear, this Justice Department does not tolerate local officials in sanctuary cities obstructing immigration enforcement: there is more litigation to come.” “We will continue to do what we have always done, protect the rights of all our residents, stand on constitutional ground, and reject fear-based politics that divide communities rather than strengthen them,” Baraka said. DHS SAYS ‘ARRESTS ARE STILL ON THE TABLE’ AFTER NEW JERSEY HOUSE DEMS CAUGHT ON CAMERA ‘STORMING’ ICE FACILITY “Hoboken is a community that prides itself on its vibrancy, its cultural diversity, and its inclusivity, and we will continue to stand together as a community for what is fair and just,” Bhalla said in a separate statement. ”The City of Hoboken will vigorously work to defend our rights, have our day in court, and defeat the Trump Administration’s lawlessness. To be clear: we will not back down.” “Jersey City gets sued for being a sanctuary city — I guess MAGA ran out of conspiracy theories for the week,” Fulop wrote on X in response to the lawsuit. “Here is the truth: Jersey City’s policies protect families, reflect our values and have led to record low crime rates. As governor, I won’t be bullied. We’ll fight this — and win.” Fox News Digital has reached out to Sayegh’s office. The Trump administration has targeted sanctuary jurisdictions as it continues to catch and deport criminal illegal immigrants. It has filed lawsuits against cities in New York, Colorado and Illinois over attempts to impede immigration enforcement.
Will gas prices give Trump and Republicans a political boost?
As Americans hit the road for the Memorial Day holiday weekend, they’re getting good news at the gas pumps. While gas prices have risen roughly 20 cents per gallon since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, according to GasBuddy, a fuel savings platform, “all 50 states are lower than last Memorial Day.” And GasBuddy notes that gas prices are at their “lowest seasonal (Memorial Day) level since 2021.” The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that when adjusted for inflation, the average U.S. retail gasoline prices going into Memorial Day weekend are 14% lower than last year, in large part because of falling crude oil prices. FOX BUSINESS: GAS PRICES HIT 4-YEAR LOW AHEAD OF MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND As of Friday, AAA reported that the national average for regular gasoline stood at $3.20 per gallon. And while gas prices traditionally increase heading into spring and summer, normally due to increased demand for summer travel and refineries switching to summer gasoline blends – which are less likely to evaporate but are more expensive to produce – GasBuddy expects prices to ease slightly during the next few months heading into Labor Day. OIL PRICES ARE DOWN OVER LAST SIX MONTHS: WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR GAS PRICES? The falling prices at the pump could be good political news for Trump and Republicans aiming to defend their Senate and House majorities in next year’s midterm elections. “Gas prices fell for the third month in a row,” the White House spotlighted last week, as it argued, “Workers See Relief in President Trump’s Economy.” Four months into his second tour of duty in the White House, Trump’s poll numbers are slightly underwater, with most, but not all, of the latest national surveys placing the president’s approval rating in negative territory. That wasn’t the case when Trump was inaugurated in January, when most polls indicated his approval ratings were above water. Contributing to the slide over the past couple of months in Trump’s overall approval ratings was his performance on the economy and, in particular, inflation, which were pressing issues that kept former President Joe Biden’s approval ratings well below water for most of his presidency. Trump’s blockbuster tariff announcement in early April sparked a trade war with some of the nation’s top trading partners and triggered a massive sell-off in the financial markets and increased concerns about a recession. WHERE TRUMP STANDS IN THE POLLS FOUR MONTHS INTO HIS SECOND ADMINISTRATION But the markets have rebounded, thanks in part to a truce between the U.S. and China in their tariff standoff as Trump tapped the brakes on his controversial tariff implementation. Republican strategist Jesse Hunt told Fox News Digital that the current prices at the pump are “a positive development” and that “seeing gas prices where they are is a testament to the energy policy the administration wants to pursue, and it’s going to result in more money being kept in people’s pockets.” But Daron Shaw, a politics professor and chair at the University of Texas who is the Republican partner on the Fox News poll, noted that “with the exception of gas prices, there hasn’t been much of a reduction in prices.” “Prices haven’t come down, and it’s not clear that people will say the absence of inflation is an economic victory. They still feel that an appreciable portion of their money is going to pay for basic things,” Shaw added. “What Trump is realizing is that prices have to come down for him to be able to declare success.” Hunt, a veteran of numerous GOP presidential and statewide campaigns, said that Republicans “still have to figure out a way to ease some of the strain on family budgets through everyday goods like groceries. They were able to get eggs under control, which was an issue that threatened them early on in the second administration.” But pointing to Trump’s sweeping tax and spending cuts package, which narrowly passed the House on Thursday, Hunt said “there is a lot of hope and optimism” that the measure, if passed into law, “will help spur additional investment” and “will provide the sort of growth that you need across the economy.” Fox Business’ Daniella Genovese contributed to this report.
NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani defends BDS support amid Israel controversy
Democratic socialist mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani doubled down on his support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel — and refused to say the country has a right to exist as a Jewish state. Mamdani stayed firm in his support for the Palestinian-led BDS effort, calling it a “legitimate movement,” during a Q&A with Democratic primary candidates hosted by the UJA-Federation of New York on Thursday evening. “My support for BDS is consistent with my core of my politics, which is non-violence,” the Queens assemblyman said when pressed by Jewish Insider’s editor-in-chief, Josh Kraushaar. “I think that it is a legitimate movement when you are seeking to find compliance with international law,” he said. “The effectiveness of tactics of boycott, divestment and sanctions in order to motivate that compliance at the state level, on an individual level and that’s where my support for it comes from.” The state assemblyman from Queens said he believes Israel has a right to exist. But when pushed on whether it should exist as a Jewish state, he carefully sidestepped. LAWSUIT ALLEGES ANTI-ISRAEL GROUP LEADERS ARE ‘HAMAS’ FOOT SOLDIERS IN NEW YORK CITY “I believe Israel has a right to exist, and it has a right to exist also with equal rights for all,” he said. Mamdani, a Democratic Socialists of America-backed politician, was peppered with questions about his stance on Israel during the event from the UJA-Federation, a massive philanthropic group supporting the Jewish community. The forum came just days after The Post unearthed a social media clip of the pro-Palestinian assemblyman leading a “BDS” chant during a May 11, 2021, anti-Israel protest. Despite Mamdani’s open criticism of Israel, the lawmaker received a fairly warm welcome from those in attendance, according to recordings obtained by The Post, which, along with other press, was barred from entry at the door. Those inside the event, which took place some 24 hours after a pro-Palestinian radical gunned down two innocent Israeli Embassy staff members in Washington, DC, described the security as “wild,” as organizers revoked the tickets of several people. During his roughly 20-minute appearance, moderators asked Mamdani about his remarks that, if elected mayor, he would order the NYPD to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu if the Israeli prime minister ever set foot in the Big Apple. “Ultimately, my position is one that I believe our city should be in compliance with international law,” Mamdani said, noting the International Criminal Court has issued a warrant for the Israeli leader, adding that he’d have the same answer if he was asked the question about Russian President Vladimir Putin. ICC REJECTS ISRAELI APPEALS, ISSUES ARREST WARRANTS FOR BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, YOAV GALLANT “What troubles me greatly is that Benjamin Netanyahu has also issued military commands from this very city when visiting it,” he said. Mamdani campaign spokesman Andrew Epstein said the candidate has been “consistent” in his beliefs regarding Israel. “Zohran has been consistent in his belief that Israel has the right to exist, a responsibility to adhere to international law, and that he supports non-violent movements to ensure compliance with that law,” Epstein said in a statement Friday. “He was heartened by the warm reception last night to his vision for a New York that’s safe and affordable for everyone.” Mamdani, who has repeatedly come up second in the polls vying for the Democratic nomination, behind ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, has recently been dogged by his anti-Israel rhetoric. He faced blowback from the Jewish community for failing to sign onto a pair of resolutions recognizing Israel and the Holocaust, in what his campaign wrote off as a procedural error. The revelation came just days after he got the endorsement of anti-Israel ex-“Squad” member Rep. Jamaal Bowman in the race for mayor of New York City, which is home to the largest population of Jews outside Israel. The lawmaker also pushed the “Not On Our Dime Act,” which would have stopped New York nonprofits from supporting any groups that are involved with West Bank settlements.