DOJ blasts ‘partisan’ DC Bar complaint against senior Trump official
A senior Trump administration official and former acting U.S. attorney for D.C. is under disciplinary review for his role in President Donald Trump’s anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative — sparking outrage from the Justice Department, which assailed alleged ethics violations against Ed Martin as a “partisan” effort, and one that unfairly targets Trump and his allies. The disciplinary charge, filed Friday to the D.C. Court of Appeals Board on Professional Responsibility and published Tuesday, centers on a letter sent by Martin to Georgetown Law last February while Martin was serving as interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. Martin allegedly demanded in the letter that Georgetown Law provide information about its DEI practices and teachings, according to the ethics complaint. It states that without “further explanation,” and without receiving a response from Georgetown Law, Martin then announced he would be imposing sanctions on the school — instructing his staff not to hire any students, fellows, or interns affiliated with the university. EXCLUSIVE: BONDI TRANSFERS FORMER DEATH ROW INMATES COMMUTED BY BIDEN TO ‘SUPERMAX’ PRISON The Justice Department blasted news of the ethics complaint, telling Fox News Digital on Tuesday that the complaint represented yet another “clear indication” of unfair and “partisan” treatment from the D.C. Bar, a body they argued has continued “to target and punish those serving President Trump while refusing to investigate or act against actual ethical violations that were committed by Biden and Obama administration attorneys,” representing what DOJ spokesperson described as “a clear indication of this partisan organization’s agenda.” The complaint was signed by the disciplinary counsel for the D.C. Bar, Hamilton Fox, whose role allows him to function similarly to a prosecutor for attorney misconduct cases. Fox previously donated thousands to Obama’s first presidential campaign in 2008, according to FEC records reviewed by Fox News Digital. The complaint accuses Martin of violating the First and Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by using his role as a government official to demand that the university change its teachings; failing to give the university a time frame to respond; and threatening adverse action against Georgetown Law for teaching a particular viewpoint. It also accuses Martin of conducting unauthorized, ex parte communications with the chief judge and senior judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit after he was asked to respond to a complaint about his remarks to Georgetown Law. “In that letter, he stated that he would not be responding to Disciplinary Counsel’s inquiry, complained about Disciplinary Counsel’s ‘uneven behavior,’ and requested a ‘face-to-face meeting with all of you to discuss this matter and find a way forward,’” the complaint said, noting that Martin had copied White House counsel onto the email. JUDGES V TRUMP: HERE ARE THE KEY COURT BATTLES HALTING THE WHITE HOUSE AGENDA The Justice Department’s second-highest-ranking official, Todd Blanche, sharply criticized the complaint on social media Tuesday, noting: “The DC Bar is such a blatantly Democrat-run political organization.” “Thank God I’m not a member, and trust me, I never will be,” Blanche said in a post on X.Martin, a former defense attorney who helped represent individuals charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, has made headlines during his short time at DOJ. His path to confirmation to serve as U.S. Attorney for D.C. stalled last year amid concerns from some Senate Republicans, prompting Trump to install Martin last May as the Justice Department’s pardon attorney. EX-JUDGES BLAST TOP TRUMP DOJ OFFICIAL FOR DECLARING ‘WAR’ ON COURTS Trump also tapped Martin at the time to head up the Justice Department’s so-called “Weaponization Working Group,” or the newly formed internal body within DOJ tasked with probing federal prosecutions viewed by the administration as unfairly partisan. Martin was removed last month from his role heading up the working group, though no reason for his removal was immediately provided. The complaint will now be kicked to D.C. Court of Appeals for next steps and review — a notoriously lengthy process that will likely take months, if not longer. News of the ethics complaint comes just days after the Justice Department filed a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register that would allow the department to suspend state bar investigations while the DOJ conducts its own review.
Fox News Poll: Voters expect AI to transform our lives — but today is not that day
Voters say artificial intelligence (AI) could dramatically reshape life in the United States — but for now, most say that transformation still feels more like a headline than a lived reality. The latest Fox News poll finds nearly 9 in 10 voters think AI will change the way we live either a lot (53%) or some (34%) in the next few years. Roughly 1 in 10 think it won’t change much (8%) or at all (4%). Although overall sentiment is where it stood two years ago, the share saying AI will change our lives “a lot” is up by 10 percentage points — from 43% in 2023 to 53% today. While nearly half find AI very or somewhat useful (47%) in their day-to-day lives, a small majority (53%) says it’s not very or not at all useful. More than twice as many say AI is “not at all” useful (29%) as think it is “very” useful (12%). FOX NEWS POLL: SOCIALISM GAINING GROUND AMONG VOTERS Men under age 45 (66% very/somewhat useful) and Republicans under age 45 (61%) are the most likely to find AI useful — the only groups where more than 60% say so. Among those least likely to find AI helpful are voters ages 65+ (67% not very/at all useful), women without a college degree (63%), Democrats ages 45+ (62%), rural voters (62%), and households with income below $50,000 (61%). An overwhelming majority feels people should be clearly told when online images, videos, or written content are created with AI (89%). The survey was completed before an X announcement March 3, requiring its users to disclose when videos of an armed conflict are AI-generated, or face consequences. Eight in 10 voters are extremely (44%) or very (36%) concerned AI is eroding trust in what we see and hear on the news and social media. Nearly 9 times as many are extremely concerned (44%) as say they are not at all concerned (5%). FOX NEWS POLL: DISAPPROVAL OF ICE ON THE RISE Overall, 60% feel confident they can tell if something is AI-generated, while 40% are not — unchanged since June 2025. By a narrow 5 percentage-point margin, more voters are concerned AI will eventually take control of humans (52% extremely/very concerned) than unconcerned (47% not very/not at all). Those most likely to be concerned are very conservative voters (63% extremely/very concerned), MAGA supporters (61%), households with income below $50K (59%), Hispanic voters (58%), and Republicans (58%). One more thing … While the AI debate rages here on earth, a majority of voters are certain about intelligent life elsewhere. By a 50-point margin, more think life did or does exist on other planets in the universe (74%) than believe it never existed (24%). CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE Democrats (78% yes, life exists), independents (77%), Catholics (77%), and White voters (76%) are more likely to believe in life beyond our solar system than Republicans (68% yes, life exists), Protestants (67%), White evangelicals (64%), Black voters (65%), and Hispanics (68%). Conducted Feb. 28-March 2, 2026, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,004 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (104) and cellphones (642) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (258). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data.
WATCH: Dem witness accuses Trump of ‘population purge,’ Kennedy fires back: ‘You trigger my gag reflex’
David Bier, a Democrat-called witness at a Senate Budget Committee hearing Tuesday, drew a sharp rebuke from GOP Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana after accusing the Trump administration of attempting a “population purge” in the U.S. Earlier in the hearing, Bier, an immigration policy expert at the CATO Institute, argued that both legal and illegal aliens “are a benefit to this country” because they help to reduce the national deficit. Kennedy ripped into Bier, asking, “What planet did you parachute in from? You trigger my gag reflex.” Bier had just claimed that federal judges opposing President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement operations “are much braver” than U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. FAMILY DEMANDS FAR-LEFT PROSECUTOR BE OUSTED FROM OFFICE AFTER SISTER KILLED BY REPEAT VIOLENT OFFENDER “They are much braver. They put their names on their rulings, and they stand behind their constitutional rulings,” said Bier. He accused the administration of attempting to carry out a “population purge,” saying, “They’re trying to deport U.S.-born citizens, people born here, they are trying to deport them as well. So, it’s not a mass deportation agenda, it is also an agenda intended to reduce the population of the United States, including U.S.-born people.” Earlier in the hearing, Bier had called for “more” immigrants to help address the soaring national deficit. While being questioned by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Bier said that there are “clear reasons for believing that they are reducing the deficits and debt, they are a benefit to this country, and we need more people who are going to contribute in the future as our population ages.” Bier said “it’s easy to understand why” immigrants reduce the deficit “because they work at 12 percentage points higher than the national average, they use less benefits because they’re subject to constraints, unique barriers to applying for those benefits, in particular Social Security and Medicare. Those are by far our largest programs, and they’re not eligible for those at all if they’re here in the country illegally or if they came legally and they don’t have a sufficient work history to qualify.” After the hearing, Bier later told Fox News Digital that “this exchange had nothing to do with illegal immigration” and that “the question was about immigration generally.” ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED FOR ALLEGEDLY VOTING IN EVERY PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION SINCE 2008 Despite testifying in a hearing titled “Sanctuary Cities: The Cost of Undermining Law and Order,” during which members criticized the mass migration under the Biden administration, Bier posited that more immigration is a positive step for the country. “According to the Social Security Administration, we need about 35 million more workers in order to keep revenues equal to expenses by the middle of the 2030s,” he said. “So, we are at a position right now where immigration is not going to solve it. Obviously, it’s not going to solve it, but it is moving us in the right direction.” He praised immigrants, saying, “These are people who are showing up, they’re ready to work, they’re often prime age individuals who are ready to enter the labor force.” “So, it’s a huge benefit fiscally to the United States to have these people who want to contribute to our country,” he added. Bier was not the only one arguing in the hearing that illegal immigrants can improve communities. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., one of the Trump administration’s most outspoken critics, took a similar line, arguing that sanctuary policies actually lower crime, poverty and unemployment. “Data shows that sanctuary policies actually make communities safer, healthier and more prosperous. That’s right, the evidence shows, the research shows sanctuary jurisdictions have lower crime rates, higher median household income, less poverty, less reliance on public assistance, higher labor force participation, and lower unemployment,” said Padilla. “That’s right. It seems like sanctuary cities are helping to make America great, I said it,” he added. FOUR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS LINKED TO MS-13 INDICTED FOR ALLEGEDLY MURDERING 14-YEAR-OLD BOY IN MARYLAND PARK Likewise, Kennedy was not the only Republican who took issue with Bier. After arguing over whether it was a mistake for Congress to ban people from entering the country illegally, Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, slammed Bier as a “smug guy.” “You haven’t answered my question, but that’s okay. You’re a smug guy, and that’s part of your shtick,” said Moreno. After another Democrat-called witness declined to answer the same question, Moreno criticized both, saying, “This is the best that Democrats can come up with.” “This is the best witnesses you’ve got? A guy who can’t distinguish whether it’s okay to have people enter our country illegally. Of all the millions of people that you could have chosen to testify … the best you have is a guy who has no idea what our immigration law is, and isn’t sure if somebody should enter the country illegally [and] another guy is a smug guy who obviously has an agenda,” said Moreno.
Far-left lawmaker endorses candidate who boasted about voting with Republicans 80% of time
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., a top progressive in Congress, is backing former businessman and Kansas state representative Raj Goyle in his bid to become New York’s next comptroller. “I am proud to endorse [Goyle] for New York State Comptroller. Raj has been a lifelong progressive: fighting for immigrant communities, defending reproductive freedom and holding corporations accountable,” Jayapal said in a post to X on Monday. The language of her endorsement seems to clash with Goyle’s characterization of himself as a moderate with a track record of agreeing with Republicans on a majority of issues. “In the state house, I voted with Republicans 80% of the time. I was one of the top five Democrats in agreeing with Republicans. And 89% of the legislation I sponsored, I sponsored with Republicans,” Goyle said in a campaign ad he filmed while pursuing Congressional office in Kansas. NY DEM WOULDN’T BACK MAMDANI FOR MAYOR — NOW MAMDANI IS BACKING HIS CHALLENGER Goyle has also attracted the support of other progressives besides Jayapal. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., another high-ranking progressive in the House, endorsed Goyle late last year. When asked about his support, Khanna’s office said the pair’s relationship spanned years. “Rep. Khanna has known Raj Goyle for decades and appreciated his commitment to public service and working-class Americans,” Khanna’s office said in a statement. Goyle, who has an Indian heritage, also shares similar backgrounds with Jayapal and Khanna as a fellow South Asian Democrat. Notably, he has not received an endorsement from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani — another key progressive Democrat. SOCIALIST MAYOR MAMDANI BACKS HOCHUL IN MOVE THAT COULD RESHAPE NEW YORK GOVERNOR RACE Goyle previously represented Kansas’ 87th state district in the state’s House of Representatives as a Democrat from 2007-2011. In 2010, he would wage a bid for Kansas’ 4th Congressional District, raising $1.8 million for his bid, according to FEC records. Ultimately, he would lose out to Republican candidate Mike Pompeo. Pompeo beat out Goyle in a 58.8% – 36.5% victory. After his loss, Boyle would go on to found Bodhala, a business and legal analysis firm headquartered in New York City, before eventually selling the company in 2021. Now, as he pursues the New York Comptroller Office, in which capacity he would become the state’s chief fiscal officer, Goyle has pitched himself as a progressive who bucked the trend in a red-leaning state. DEMOCRAT RISING STAR CALLED OUT FOR ‘CREEPY’ COMMENT ABOUT TRANSGENDER CHILDREN “During his four years in the Kansas legislature, Raj voted down the line as a pro-labor, pro-choice and anti-NRA progressive,” Goyle wrote on his website. “His votes and advocacy supported working families, reduced healthcare costs, improved public schools and fought for immigration justice and clean energy — all in a deep-red state.” Goyle and Jayapal did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
Trump urges Congress to pass SAVE America Act, fully fund DHS as TSA workers go without pay
President Donald Trump is urging Congress to pass the SAVE America Act (SAA) as well as restore funding to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as more than 100,000 federal employees go without pay during a prolonged funding lapse, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday. Leavitt outlined the president’s dual push for sweeping election legislation and immediate action to reopen DHS, where employees have missed paychecks and travelers are facing long airport lines. The SAA would move through Congress as election legislation, while DHS funding requires a separate vote to reopen the department and resume full operations. Leavitt described the SAA as “one of the most critical pieces of legislation in our nation’s history.” “The Save America Act is overwhelmingly popular with all Americans because each provision is rooted in common sense,” she said. DHS FUNDING STALEMATE THAWS AS WHITE HOUSE SENDS DEMOCRATS ‘SERIOUS’ COUNTEROFFER According to Leavitt, the legislation includes five core provisions: requiring voters to show identification to cast a ballot, requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote, ending universal mail-in ballots while maintaining exceptions for illness, disability, military service and travel, permanently banning biological males from competing in women’s sports, and banning transgender surgery for minors. On voter ID requirements, Leavitt said the proposal reflects broad public support. “Voters have to show ID to cast a ballot in an American election. Very simple,” she said. “Ninety percent of Americans, including more than 80% of Democrat voters, agree with this.” SCHUMER, DEMS HOLD FIRM ON DHS FUNDING DESPITE NOEM’S BOMBSHELL OUSTING The legislation would also require proof of citizenship when registering to vote. “The Save America Act will require all voters to show proof of citizenship in order to register to vote in American elections,” Leavitt said. “Again, this is popular and rooted in common sense. Only American citizens have the right to vote in American elections.” Leavitt said Trump is urging Congress to “get the job done and send this historic piece of legislation to his desk immediately for signature.” TRUMP VOWS BLOCK ON SIGNING NEW LAWS UNTIL SAVE AMERICA ACT PASSES SENATE She also pushed back on claims that the legislation could prevent married women who changed their last names from voting. “There is zero validity to these claims,” Leavitt said. “The Save America Act does not prohibit anyone from voting, with the exception of illegal aliens. “As far as married women who have changed their name, if they’re already registered to vote, they’re entirely unaffected by the Save Act,” she added. Leavitt also turned to the ongoing funding lapse at the DHS, saying the president wants Congress to move quickly to restore pay for affected workers and fully reopen the department. “President Trump wants the Department of Homeland Security — he wants TSA, he wants FEMA. He wants the brave men and women of our United States Coast Guard to receive their paychecks,” she said. More than 100,000 employees across the country have been impacted, she noted, acknowledging the strain on families. “To any American out there who is struggling without a paycheck, we know there’s more than 100,000 of you across the country,” Leavitt said. She added that the lapse is also affecting travelers nationwide. “To any American out there who is showing up to an airport and facing incredibly long wait times in lines,” she said, Trump is calling on Congress to restore funding and reopen the department. The president wants DHS “fully funded and fully reopened,” Leavitt said. DHS oversees agencies including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Coast Guard, all of which have personnel affected by the funding lapse. Trump is pressing lawmakers to act on both fronts, with Leavitt saying the president is calling on Congress to move swiftly to deliver both measures.
Minnesota Dem suggests studying ‘benefit of shoplifting’ in committee clash, then says it was sarcasm
A Minnesota Democrat whose retort to a Republican about potential “benefit[s] of shoplifting” during a hearing on worker misclassification defended the exchange as sarcasm gone awry. During a Minnesota House Workforce and Labor Committee hearing this week, lawmakers reviewed information on how laws governing employee and independent contractor classifications affect insurance payments and other benefits, according to local reports. State Rep. Dave Pinto, D-St. Paul, responded after a Republican lawmaker voiced concern that worker misclassification ultimately falls on the taxpayer. “It is an intriguing line of questions,” Pinto said, appearing to suggest a study on the “benefit of shoplifting and retail theft.” WATCH: WALZ, ELLISON, OMAR REFUSE TO ANSWER WHEN PRESSED ON FRAUD AFTER CONTENTIOUS FRAUD HEARING Pinto spoke of a recent presentation before another committee he sits on that sought to address solutions to organized retail theft. “And it actually had not occurred to me to ask — it probably would have been good — to make sure that they would study sort of the benefit of shoplifting, of retail theft since because perhaps people are relying on that and sort of using that maybe it’s you know assisting them in some way,” he said. Pinto went on to describe whether people involved in such activities are considered to be violating the law, and that there may be a policy question at the root of such a discussion. In comments to Fox News Digital, Pinto defended the remarks, saying he was reacting sarcastically to Rep. Isaac Schultz, R-Mille Lacs, who had posed the original question. “My comments, intended to be sarcastic, followed a line of questioning from Republican Rep. Isaac Schultz suggesting a study is needed on whether the illegal practice of worker misclassification harms consumers,” Pinto said. “As a prosecutor, of course I take retail theft and shoplifting seriously. Any insinuation to the contrary is absurd — just like Rep. Schultz’s remarks were.” NEARLY ALL SUSPECTS ARRESTED IN ST PAUL CHURCH STORMING; MLK’S NIECE SAYS HOSTILE TACTICS ‘NOT THE WAY’ Nonetheless, Pinto’s original comment was viewed thousands of times on social media and elicited responses from other lawmakers, amid ongoing scrutiny over social services fraud and other scandals in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. State Rep. Krista Knudsen, R-Lake Shore, was rendered speechless in a video response to the matter, as she put her hands to her face. “There are no benefits to shoplifting for the people that are being shoplifted from. I have no idea what else to say,” Knudsen said. “I’m shocked, actually. I don’t even know what to say. Who — I don’t know what to say — Who benefits from shoplifting? The criminals.” State Rep. Kristin Robbins, a Republican from the Minneapolis area, appeared to cite her region’s nationally recognized scandals, saying she cannot believe the comment was made by Pinto. “[W]e are trying to prevent fraud and prevent crime in Minnesota and this has been an issue that we’ve dealt with as a legislature for many years. We finally got the organized retail theft crime in statute last session,” she said. “It’s been a long haul and that’s a tool that we need to crack down on this real problem throughout our communities around the state.” Worker misclassification has been a focus of Democrat-Farmer-Labor lawmakers in the state legislature for some time, as an effort began in 2024 to ban employers from misclassifying employees. ILLEGAL’S DRAGGING OF ICE AGENT SHOWS THE EXACT DANGER THE OFFICER WHO SHOT RENEE GOOD FEARED, EXPERT SAYS That policy was reportedly spurred by a construction worker who testified before lawmakers that he racked up major medical bills after a work-related injury, but his employer later only offered him a small amount for expenses and “told him to forget about insurance and to change his name and address, saying the bills would eventually disappear if nobody paid them,” according to a post on the House of Representatives website. The man later allegedly found out his employer was misclassifying employees in order to save on labor costs, according to the lawmakers’ page. State Rep. Emma Greenman, D-Minneapolis, authored HF4444 to ensure businesses don’t act in such a way in the future and/or misclassify employees as contractors or the like. “Our job is to ensure that Minnesota workers have the protections that we in law provide,” she said at the time.
Mamdani sparks viral outrage over dinner photo with Mahmoud Khalil inside Gracie Mansion: ‘Disgraceful’
New York City’s democratic socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, sparked online backlash this week after posting a photo showing him hosting one of the most prominent anti-Israel activists for dinner inside Gracie Mansion. In a Monday night post on X, Mamdani released a photo from inside Gracie Mansion of his dinner with Khalil, who was facing deportation by the Trump administration, which labeled him a Hamas supporter. “For Mahmoud Khalil, this past year has been marked by profound hardship—and by profound courage,” Mamdani wrote in the post, which has been viewed almost three million times. “Last night, as we marked the one-year anniversary of his detention, Rama and I were honored to welcome Mahmoud, Noor, and their son Deen to Gracie Mansion to break our fast together,” Mamdani said. “Mahmoud is a New Yorker, and he belongs in New York City.” MAMDANI’S RESPONSE TO TRUMP’S IRAN STRIKE SPARKS CONSERVATIVE BACKLASH: ‘ROOTING FOR THE AYATOLLAH’ The post was quickly criticized by conservatives on social media. “Posting a celebratory photo of an anti-Israel college protester who should be deported next to your ‘non public figure’ wife, who cheered the rape and murder of Jews on 10/7, the day after two radical Muslims threw pipe bombs on your sidewalk is a hell of a choice, Mamdani,” Outkick founder Clay Travis posted on X. Travis’s post referenced reports over the weekend that put Mamdani in hot water after it was revealed that his wife “liked” a variety of social media posts celebrating the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre in Israel. Mamdani responded to those reports by claiming his wife, who was pictured at the dinner smiling, is not a “public figure.” “Nothing says that the NY City Mayor condemns Islamic terrorism quite like having dinner in Gracie Mansion with those who actively promote it,” Superintendent of the Kiryas Joel School District Joel M. Petlin posted on X. “Just a casual dinner at Gracie with the lovely, private citizen, shy wifey whose fingers could not keep up with liking posts about the MASSACRE of Jews, and the RING LEADER & CHIEF ‘NEGOTIATOR’ of Columbia’s antisemitic encampments where Jewish students were harassed and intimidated, and where they literally glorified convicted terrorists,” New York City Republican Councilwoman Inna Vernikov posted on X. MAMDANI PUTTING NYPD ‘BETWEEN ROCK AND A HARD PLACE’ IN MOVE THAT COULD ULTIMATELY HELP HIS GOAL: EXPERT “This is what Zohran Mamdani stands for,” journalist Neria Kraus posted on X. “Mahmoud Khalil justified October 7th. ‘We couldn’t avoid such a moment,’ he viciously explained in an interview. Well, he was invited to the people’s house of NYC, Gracie Mansion, to a celebratory dinner. This is everything you need to know.” “Syrian national Mahmoud Khalil, refers to Hamas as as ‘we’. Tonight, he dined with Zohran Mamdani in the mayor’s mansion,” UPenn student Eyal Yakoby posted on X. “It shouldn’t be a surprise that Islamists launched an IED at New Yorkers over the weekend—they feel empowered.” “After getting exposed for liking posts about Oct. 7, why waste any time before hosting a man who justifies terrorism too?” Leo Terrell, civil rights attorney and chair of the Department of Justice Taskforce on Antisemitism and senior counsel at the Justice Department, posted on X. “These people are proud!” “In NYC, terrorist sympathizers have a seat at Zohran Mamdani’s table,” The Republican Jewish Coalition posted on X. “Mahmoud Khalil should be deported, not fluffed by the Mayor of the City of New York. Disgraceful.” Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s office for comment. Mamdani, who was widely criticized during his mayoral campaign for his comments and stances on Israel, was already under scrutiny over his reaction to an attack over the weekend involving two men accused of throwing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) near Gracie Mansion that is being investigated as an “act of ISIS-inspired terrorism.”
Rand Paul to oversee confirmation hearing of Trump’s DHS pick who once blasted him as a ‘snake’
President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has a confirmation hearing ready to go, and he will have to reckon with an intraparty feud in the process. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., will soon undergo the rigorous confirmation process in the Senate after being tapped by Trump to replace embattled DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. He will first go through the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee before heading to a full confirmation vote in the Senate. KATIE BRITT BLASTS DEMOCRATS FOR PLAYING ‘POLITICAL GAMES’ WITH SHUTDOWN AMID AIRPORT CHAOS Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who chairs the Homeland Security panel, wants to hold Mullin’s hearing next week. The White House formally sent over Mullin’s nomination to the Senate on Monday, according to the congressional record. “We’re shooting for a week from Wednesday if all the paperwork comes in,” Paul said. But Mullin and Paul have a personal rift that could spill out into the confirmation hearing. TEAMSTERS BOSS PRAISES MULLIN DHS NOMINATION DESPITE PAST HEATED HEARINGS In February, Mullin slammed Paul during an event with voters for his perennial votes against Republican priorities, like spending bills or other elements of Trump’s agenda, such as the “big, beautiful bill” last year. Oklahoma reporter David Arnett reported in a lengthy profile of Mullin that, during the event, the lawmaker was asked about an amendment to a spending package from Paul that he voted against. Mullin warned that Paul was “trying to kill the farm bill because he’s trying to legalize hemp for drinks in Kentucky because of tobacco industry shifts,” and then went after Paul’s voting history before taking a jab at the 2017 incident in which the Kentucky Republican was attacked by his neighbor over a lawn dispute. TRUMP’S NEW DHS PICK IS AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION HAWK WHO’S ‘ALL ABOUT THE MISSION’: EXPERT “I respect Bernie Sanders because he’s an open socialist, and you know that he’s a communist, so you know what you’re getting,” Mullin said. “Rand Paul’s a freaking snake. And I understand completely why his neighbor did what he did. And I told him that to his face.” That slight at Paul may come to bear during his confirmation hearing, but Mullin is expected to easily move through that first hurdle, given that most Republicans on the panel will back him, and he has the support of Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa. Paul shrugged off the incident on Monday when he told reporters, “I’m going to reserve judgment now, and we’ll probably find out a lot more.” “I would suggest coming to the hearing, though,” Paul said. “I think it’ll be interesting.”
Jackson-Kavanaugh tensions surface in candid exchange over Supreme Court ‘shadow docket’
Supreme Court Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Brett Kavanaugh had a dispute over the high court’s approach to its emergency docket in a rare, candid discussion during an event Monday night. Jackson, a Biden appointee, signaled that the high court’s willingness to side with President Donald Trump most of the time when it comes to the emergency docket, sometimes known as the “shadow docket,” was a “problem.” The liberal justice is one of three, and all have frequently sided against Trump in emergency decisions, which have often broken 6-3 in favor of the president. “The administration is making new policy … and then insisting the new policy take effect immediately, before the challenge is decided,” Jackson said, according to reports from The Associated Press and NBC News. “This uptick in the court’s willingness to get involved in cases on the emergency docket is a real unfortunate problem.” SUPREME COURT’S EMERGENCY DOCKET DELIVERS TRUMP STRING OF WINS AS FINAL TESTS LOOM Jackson said: “It’s not serving the court or this country well.” Kavanaugh, a Trump appointee, countered that the Supreme Court’s approach to emergency requests was not unique to the Trump administration and that the high court handled the Biden administration the same way despite there being fewer interim requests under the former president. Kavanaugh said presidents “push the envelope” more with executive orders because Congress is passing less legislation. “Some are lawful, some are not,” Kavanaugh said, later adding, “None of us enjoy this.” The pair spoke in a courtroom during an annual lecture honoring the late Judge Thomas Flannery of the U.S. District Court of Washington, D.C., while several federal judges, including high-profile ones like Judge James Boasberg, looked on. Jackson’s criticism is not new; she has been perhaps the most vocal dissenter in emergency docket cases. In August, she lambasted the Supreme Court majority for “lawmaking” from the bench in a dissent to an emergency decision to temporarily allow the National Institutes of Health’s cancellation of about $738 million in grant money. “This is Calvinball jurisprudence with a twist. Calvinball has only one rule: There are no fixed rules. We seem to have two: that one, and this Administration always wins,” Jackson wrote. The Trump administration has faced hundreds of lawsuits and adverse rulings in the lower courts, and the Department of Justice’s solicitor general’s office, which represents the government before the Supreme Court, often does not elevate cases to that level. JACKSON’S SCATHING DISSENT LEVELS PARTISAN CHARGE AT COLLEAGUES AFTER HIGH-PROFILE RULING Such emergency requests allow the government to bypass the lengthy court process, involving extensive briefings and oral arguments, to seek immediate relief in the face of restraining orders and injunctions in the lower courts. The Trump administration has brought about 30 emergency applications to the Supreme Court and secured victories about 80% of the time, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. Through the emergency docket, the Supreme Court has greenlit Trump’s mass firings and curtailed nationwide injunctions. The high court has also cleared the way for deportations and immigration stops viewed as controversial by critics of the administration. The justices have also found that the government can, for now, discharge transgender service members from the military. But Trump has not won out all the time by taking this route. The justices required the administration to give more notice to alleged illegal immigrants being deported under the Alien Enemies Act and agreed with a lower court that the president improperly federalized the National Guard as part of his immigration crackdown in Chicago.
Gas prices surge, pinching Americans and handing the GOP a new midterm headache
President Donald Trump, who rode promises of affordability back to the White House, is now confronting Iran-driven volatility that’s undermining that message as fuel costs rise nationwide — and putting fresh pressure on Republicans heading into the midterms. With the Iran conflict rattling oil markets and raising fears of supply disruptions, gas prices are climbing again, squeezing Americans already worn down by inflation. This week, oil prices surged past $100 a barrel for the first time since 2022 as fallout from the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran continued to roil global markets and investors priced in the risk of tighter supply. With oil higher, gasoline and diesel prices are rising fast. TRAVEL IS ABOUT TO GET MORE EXPENSIVE AS IRAN CONFLICT SPARKS JET FUEL CRUNCH The national average gas price climbed to $3.53 per gallon, up 59 cents over the past week, according to GasBuddy. Diesel prices also jumped, with the national average up 97 cents to $4.72 per gallon. With control of Congress at stake, uneven gas price spikes are becoming a new midterm flashpoint, especially in hard-hit battleground states. The steepest week-over-week increases were in Indiana (up 58 cents), Florida (up 57 cents), Michigan (up 55 cents), Ohio (up 54 cents), and California (up 51 cents). The lowest average prices were in Kansas ($2.90), Oklahoma ($2.95) and Arkansas ($2.98), while the highest were in California ($5.14), Washington ($4.58), and Hawaii ($4.33) — a regional divide that could sharpen midterm attacks over energy costs and inflation. THE UNLIKELY TOOL TRUMP IS EYEING TO TACKLE RISING OIL PRICES AMID THE IRAN CONFLICT That kind of pocketbook pressure is exactly what Democrats have been eager to exploit. Last fall, Democrats leaned heavily on affordability themes in state and local elections, and it paid off. In places like Virginia, New York and New Jersey, where voters have been squeezed by high housing costs and utility bills, Democratic candidates seized on Trump’s early economic moves, including his trade policy, to argue that his policies were worsening the affordability crisis rather than easing it. They promised to rein in energy costs, expand affordable housing and protect middle-class wages, a message that resonated with voters. BEFORE-AND-AFTER SATELLITE IMAGERY OFFERS A RARE LOOK AT DAMAGE INSIDE IRAN With the ongoing conflict driving gasoline prices higher, the White House is weighing steps to protect shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz and keep prices from climbing further. That waterway is critical to global energy supply. The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage between Iran and Oman, carries roughly 20 million barrels of oil a day and about one-fifth of the global supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG). When conflict flares in the region, even the threat of disruption can rattle markets because so much of the world’s energy moves through that single corridor. Asked about the risk of disruptions, Trump said Monday evening he would keep the route open and threatened retaliation if Iran tried to interfere. “I will not allow a terrorist regime to hold the world hostage and attempt to stop the globe’s oil supply. And if Iran does anything to do that, they’ll get hit at a much, much harder level,” Trump said during a press conference in Florida. “In the long run, oil supplies will be dramatically more secure without the threat of Iranian ships, drones, missiles,” he added.