Trump floats Ted Cruz for Supreme Court, jokes he’d get ‘100%’ bipartisan vote to ‘get him out of there’
President Donald Trump on Friday floated the idea of putting Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on the Supreme Court, joking he is the only nominee who would receive “100% of the Democrat vote, 100% of the Republican vote” because lawmakers would want to “get him out” of Congress. Trump made the comments after Cruz and other lawmakers traveled with the president to make remarks on energy in Corpus Christi, Texas. “We have a senator who’s really an amazing guy,” Trump said during the outdoor engagement at the Port of Corpus Christi. “I’m thinking about putting him in the Supreme Court. … Getting these nominations through is very tough, and he’s the only guy I know who’ll get 100% of the Democrat vote, 100% of the Republican vote. They want to get him out of there. “He is such a pain in the a–, but he’s so good and so talented,” the president continued. “If we ever had a problem, I just pick Ted. That would solve that problem. … He’s a great guy, and he’s a very talented guy too — smart.” TRUMP CREDITS HALTED IRAN EXECUTIONS FOR HOLDING OFF MILITARY STRIKES Cruz, who earned his law degree from Harvard Law School, argued eight cases before the Supreme Court as solicitor general of Texas before returning to private practice, where he argued his ninth before the highest court. At the time of Cruz’s 2012 Senate run, he had tried the most Supreme Court cases of any practicing lawyer in Texas or any member of Congress, according to The Texas Tribune. He was sworn into the Senate in 2013, where he has advocated for limited government, economic growth and national security. VANCE SAYS ‘NO CHANCE’ US WILL GET INTO PROLONGED MIDDLE EAST WAR AMID IRAN TENSIONS Cruz ran for the Republican presidential nomination in the 2016 election cycle but failed to match Trump’s popularity. He suspended his campaign May 3, 2016, after losing the Indiana primary. During Trump’s remarks in Corpus Christi, he also briefly addressed ongoing talks with Iran, saying the U.S. faces a “very big decision” on whether to strike the country, an option the president said he ran by Cruz and other lawmakers who joined him Friday. “We’ve got a lot of things going on now. We have a big decision to make. … Not easy,” Trump said. “We have a country that’s been, for 47 years, blowing people’s legs off, arms off … killing people, lots of people. Not only Americans. … They want to make a deal, but we’ve got to make a deal that’s meaningful. I spoke with Ted Cruz, John, all of them on the way here. “We hit them real hard, as you know, with those beautiful B-2 bombers — recently knocked out their nuclear capability,” he continued. “I’d rather do it the peaceful way, but they’re very difficult people. I want to tell you that they’re very dangerous people, very difficult people.” Trump told reporters earlier Friday he had not yet decided if he would launch military strikes on Iran, but he voiced his unhappiness with recent negotiations.
Dem Washington House majority leader apologizes for being ‘impaired’ during budget hearing
A Democratic Washington state lawmaker has apologized after admitting he showed up to a committee hearing after drinking alcohol and making somewhat slurred remarks during the proceeding. Democratic state Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, the state House majority leader, said it was a “serious mistake for many reasons” when he appeared at a House Appropriations Committee meeting Wednesday where he discussed the operating budget. “I made a poor choice last night by drinking alcohol before we had finished our work for the day,” Fitzgibbon explained in a statement to “The Jason Rantz Show,” which first reported on the ordeal. “I am disappointed in myself and take responsibility for that poor choice. It won’t happen again, and I’m committed to completing my work this session without alcohol.” FEDERAL JUDGE ALLEGEDLY ‘SUPER DRUNK’ WHEN HE CRASHED CADILLAC During the hearing, Fitzgibbon spoke about the budget and appeared to slur his words at times. “I am grateful to all the members of this committee and all the members of the house for putting forward their ideas and putting forward that … that … the … the operating budget that we put forward does not forget that the people we are working to represent, the people we are working to lift up and support … don’t always have a voice in this process,” Fitzgibbon said, Fox Seattle reported. WASHINGTON SWIMMER TAKES ON STATE GOVERNMENT, SAYS GIRLS SHOULDN’T BE PRESSURED TO UNDRESS AROUND BOYS In a statement to the news outlet, he said being impaired “was harmful to my work and to my co-workers” and embarrassing. Fox News Digital has reached out to Fitzgibbon and the Washington State Republican Party. State House Speaker Laurie Jinkins, also a Democrat, said while Fitzgibbon failed to meet behavorial standards associated with his appearance at the hearing, he has “acknowledged that behavior is unacceptable and has apologized.” She said House Democratic leaders stand with Fitzgibbon as he takes steps to ensure his well-being. It is unclear whether Fitzgibbon will face any disciplinary action.
Hegseth bans military from attending Princeton, Columbia, other elite universities: ‘Wokeness and weakness’
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Friday said he was ordering the “complete and immediate cancellation” of all Department of War attendants at universities like Princeton, Columbia, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Brown and Yale, starting with the 2026-27 academic year. Hegseth added that the ban would also include “many others,” claiming the higher education system has been “poisoned from within from a class of so-called elite universities who’ve abused their privilege and access to this department and utterly betrayed their purpose.” Hegseth’s announcement comes after he similarly banned active-duty service members earlier this month from attending Harvard starting next year. He accused the universities of gorging themselves for decades on a “trust fund of American taxpayer dollars only to become factories of anti-American resentment and military disdain.” SCOUTING AMERICA AGREES TO 5 CHANGES UNDER PENTAGON PRESSURE He claimed the universities had replaced “the study of victory and pragmatic realism with the promotion of wokeness and weakness.” “This is not education, this is indoctrination,” he added. COLUMBIA PULLS PROMOTION FOR CAREER DHS AFTER FACULTY CLAIMS UNIVERSITY IS AIDING ‘AUTHORITARIANISM’ “The Department of War is finished subsidizing the corruption of our own in uniform class,” he said. “We’re done paying for the privilege of our enemies’ wicked ideologies to be taught to our future leaders. We’ve had enough.” “We cannot and will not send our most capable officers, senior officers, into graduate programs that undermine the very values they have sworn to uphold.” Hegseth added that the department would also hold itself accountable, starting with a top-to-bottom review of “our own internal war colleges, ensuring they are once again bastions of strategic thought, wholly dedicated to the singular mission of developing the most lethal and effective leaders and war fighters the world has ever known.”
Trump introduces Cornyn, Paxton but stays mum on endorsement in heated GOP primary
The Texas Senate primary for Republicans is a bloodbath, and President Donald Trump isn’t wading in. Trump, who appeared in Corpus Christi, Texas, to tout his energy agenda Friday, had the opportunity to stake his claim in the contentious race and endorse a candidate. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, is the longtime incumbent fending off seven challengers. But the real race is between Cornyn, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas. REBEL GOP SENATE CANDIDATE ENTERS LION’S DEN FOR TRUMP’S STATE OF THE UNION All three were in attendance at Trump’s rally, reminiscent of the made-for-TV spectacles that dominated his successful 2024 election campaign. Yet Trump didn’t endorse any of them as Election Day in the primary fast approaches. Trump acknowledged all three — he paired Cornyn and Paxton and mentioned Hunt later in his remarks. He noted that they were all engaged in an “interesting election.” “They’re in a little race together,” Trump said of Cornyn and Paxton. “You know that, right? A little bit of a race. It’s going to be an interesting one, right? They’re both great people, too.” HUNT FILES POLICE REPORT AGAINST CORNYN CAMPAIGN STAFFER OVER ALLEGED FAMILY ‘DOXXING’ INCIDENT Cornyn is running for a fifth term in the Senate and fighting for his political life in a nasty primary election that Trump has time and again refused to weigh in on. He’s got the full weight of Senate Republican leadership behind him, too. Paxton, who has faced headwinds with scandals over the years, has strongly aligned himself with the president and built a coalition of conservative backers in the House, including Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, who brought him to Trump’s State of the Union earlier this week. And while the trio duke it out, money is being burned at a record pace. So far, a whopping $110 million has been spent on the Senate primaries, and $88 million of that has been dumped into the GOP contest, according to data from AdImpact. CORNYN WARNS PAXTON WOULD BE ‘KISS OF DEATH’ FOR GOP AS BLOODY PRIMARY RACE RAMPS UP Given the crowded field, it’s likely the race will head to a runoff, which will turn into a brutal sprint until late May. Paxton believes he could come out on top with at least 50% of the vote come March 3, while Cornyn is eying the long game. The coveted Trump endorsement could put either over the top in ruby red Texas. And he may be close to picking his favorite. Ahead of the event, Trump was asked if he had decided who to endorse. “Pretty much,” he told reporters. But when asked if he would say who, he said, “No.”
Dem governor under fire after illegal alien allegedly stabs woman to death at bus stop: ‘Heinous’
EXCLUSIVE: The Department of Homeland Security is calling on Virginia’s Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger to ensure local law enforcement cooperates with federal immigration officials by handing over an illegal immigrant with a lengthy criminal record who allegedly killed a woman earlier this week at a Virginia bus stop. Police in Fairfax County, Virginia, arrested an illegal immigrant from Sierra Leone earlier this week on charges of second-degree murder after he allegedly fatally stabbed a woman, Stephanie Minter, 41, who was found dead at a local bus stop with several wounds to the upper body. The alleged suspect, Abdul Jalloh, 32, also has a criminal history of more than 30 arrests, according to DHS, including for rape, malicious wounding, assault, identity theft, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, assault and pick-pocketing. GEORGIA LAWMAKER CALLS FOR ICE SURGE AFTER SAVANNAH TEACHER ALLEGEDLY KILLED BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT The request from the Trump administration comes after the newly elected Democratic governor of Virginia signed an executive order to end cooperation between federal immigration officials and state and local law enforcement, a move several Democratic Party governors have taken recently amid President Donald Trump’s move to increase deportation operations around the country. The DHS request asking Virginia officials to cooperate with ICE also comes after an illegal immigrant allegedly murdered someone just days after being released from jail for a separate crime in December. “We are calling on Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger and Virginia’s sanctuary politicians to commit to not releasing this murderer and violent career criminal from their jail without notifying ICE,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “This illegal alien’s murder of an innocent, beautiful American woman came less than 24 hours before Governor Spanberger’s demonization of ICE law enforcement. This heinous criminal is a perfect example of why we need cooperation from sanctuary jurisdictions and the importance of third country removals for the safety of the American people.” Spanberger’s representatives did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Jalloh entered the United States illegally in 2012, according to DHS, and immigration officials lodged an immigration detainer against him in 2020, whereupon he was granted a final order of removal by a judge who said he could be removed to any country other than Sierra Leone. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WITH PRIOR DEPORTATION SHOOTS DEPUTY IN CHEST, DIES AFTER EXCHANGE: DHS DHS indicated that ICE cooperation to ensure Jalloh’s deportation is evident after a case Fox News covered in December when a criminal illegal alien from El Salvador, Marvin Morales-Ortez, 23, allegedly killed a man just a day after Fairfax County jail officials let him go. The immigrant from El Salvador had been in custody on charges of malicious wounding and brandishing a gun, but police released him after the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, led by George Soros-backed prosecutor Steve Descano, dropped the charges. Fox News Digital reached out to the Fairfax County Sheriff’s office to inquire about why the man had not been handed over to ICE. The sheriff’s office said, “ICE was aware of Morales-Ortez’s incarceration and elected not to seek a judicial warrant to ensure he remained in custody. “The Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office follows all local, state and federal laws when determining whether a person is subject to release from the ADC,” the sheriff’s office told Fox News Digital at the time. “Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is automatically notified any time a person is booked into the ADC.” The same sheriff’s office did not get back to Fox News Digital’s media inquiry for this story on DHS urging officials to cooperate with federal officials.
Trump says he plans to order federal ban on Anthropic AI after company refuses Pentagon demands
President Donald Trump on Friday said he was ordering every federal government agency to stop using Athropic AI immediately. “THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL NEVER ALLOW A RADICAL LEFT, WOKE COMPANY TO DICTATE HOW OUR GREAT MILITARY FIGHTS AND WINS WARS! That decision belongs to YOUR COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, and the tremendous leaders I appoint to run our Military,” Trump began in a lengthy Truth Social post Friday afternoon. He added, “The Leftwing nut jobs at Anthropic have made a DISASTROUS MISTAKE trying to STRONG-ARM the Department of War, and force them to obey their Terms of Service instead of our Constitution. Their selfishness is putting AMERICAN LIVES at risk, our Troops in danger, and our National Security in JEOPARDY.” The president said he would immediately direct every federal agency to stop using Anthropic technology. TECH COMPANY REFUSES PENTAGON DEMANDS ON UNRESTRICTED USE OF ITS AI “We don’t need it, we don’t want it, and will not do business with them again!” he continued. There will be a six-month phase out period for agencies such as the Department of War, he added. “Anthropic better get their act together, and be helpful during this phase out period, or I will use the Full Power of the Presidency to make them comply, with major civil and criminal consequences to follow,” he wrote. He continued, “WE will decide the fate of our Country — NOT some out-of-control, Radical Left AI company run by people who have no idea what the real World is all about.” Earlier this week, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei refused demands from the Department of War to use its artificial intelligence for “all lawful purposes,” but Amodei said no, concerned over the possibility it could be used for “mass domestic surveillance” or “fully autonomous weapons.” TOP AI FIRM ALLEGES CHINESE LABS USED 24K FAKE ACCOUNTS TO SIPHON US TECH “The Department of War has stated they will only contract with AI companies who accede to ‘any lawful use’ and remove safeguards in the cases mentioned above. They have threatened to remove us from their systems if we maintain these safeguards; they have also threatened to designate us a ‘supply chain risk’ — a label reserved for US adversaries, never before applied to an American company — and to invoke the Defense Production Act to force the safeguards’ removal,” Amodei said in a Thursday statement. He declared that the “threats do not change our position: we cannot in good conscience accede to their request.” PENTAGON TAPS MUSK’S XAI TO BOOST SENSITIVE GOVERNMENT WORKFLOWS, SUPPORT MILITARY OPERATIONS “It is the Department’s prerogative to select contractors most aligned with their vision. But given the substantial value that Anthropic’s technology provides to our armed forces, we hope they reconsider,” Amodei said in a statement sent on Thursday to Fox News Digital. “Our strong preference is to continue to serve the Department and our warfighters — with our two requested safeguards in place. Should the Department choose to offboard Anthropic, we will work to enable a smooth transition to another provider, avoiding any disruption to ongoing military planning, operations, or other critical missions. Our models will be available on the expansive terms we have proposed for as long as required.” “We remain ready to continue our work to support the national security of the United States,” he added. On Friday, after Trump’s announcement, Hegseth claimed Anthropic “delivered a master class in arrogance and betrayal as well as a textbook case of how not to do business with the United States Government or the Pentagon.” He added in a lengthy X post: “Our position has never wavered and will never waver: the Department of War must have full, unrestricted access to Anthropic’s models for every LAWFUL purpose in defense of the Republic.” “In conjunction with the President’s directive for the Federal Government to cease all use of Anthropic’s technology, I am directing the Department of War to designate Anthropic a Supply-Chain Risk to National Security,” he added. “Effective immediately, no contractor, supplier, or partner that does business with the United States military may conduct any commercial activity with Anthropic. Anthropic will continue to provide the Department of War its services for a period of no more than six months to allow for a seamless transition to a better and more patriotic service.” The General Services Administration also announced on Friday it was removing Anthropic from USAi.gov and their Multiple Award Schedule (MAS). “GSA stands with the President in rejecting attempts to politicize work dedicated to America’s national security,” GSA Administrator Edward C. Forst said in a statement. “Building resilient, secure, and scalable AI solutions demands alignment, trust, and a willingness to make hard calls. We’re committed to delivering results for Americans, and working with our AI industry partners who fit the bill.” Anthropic told Fox News Digital on Friday that Hegseth’s designation as a supply chain risk “follows months of negotiations that reached an impasse over two exceptions we requested to the lawful use of our AI model, Claude: the mass domestic surveillance of Americans and fully autonomous weapons.” “We have not yet received direct communication from the Department of War or the White House on the status of our negotiations,” Anthropic said. The company continued, “We have tried in good faith to reach an agreement with the Department of War, making clear that we support all lawful uses of AI for national security aside from the two narrow exceptions above. To the best of our knowledge, these exceptions have not affected a single government mission to date.” “We held to our exceptions for two reasons,” the company added. “First, we do not believe that today’s frontier AI models are reliable enough to be used in fully autonomous weapons. Allowing current models to be used in this way would endanger America’s warfighters and civilians. Second, we believe that mass domestic surveillance of Americans constitutes a violation of fundamental rights.” The company also called the supply chain risk designation an “unprecedented action—one historically reserved for US adversaries, never before publicly
DHS funding stalemate thaws as White House sends Democrats ‘serious’ counteroffer
Frigid negotiations between the White House and Senate Democrats appear to be thawing, with the Trump administration submitting what it calls a “serious” offer to reopen the government. “Yesterday, the White House made another serious counteroffer,” a White House official told Fox News Digital. “Democrats need to make a move to end the shutdown before more Americans are harmed by a lack of funding for critical services like disaster relief.” It’s the second offer from the White House in an ongoing back-and-forth that has left the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) without funding for two weeks. With lawmakers away from Washington, D.C., for the weekend, the shutdown will stretch into a third week. AGENCY THAT NABBED ‘EL CHAPO,’ ‘DIDDY’ THREATENED AS DEMOCRATS’ DHS SHUTDOWN DRAGS ON The latest development comes after a week of stalled negotiations between Senate Democrats and the administration, along with concerns that an off-ramp from the shutdown remained out of reach. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., both acknowledged receiving the offer in a joint statement Friday. “We have received the White House’s counteroffer and are reviewing it closely. Democrats remain committed to keep fighting for real reforms to rein in ICE and stop the violence,” they said. SCHUMER, DEMS AGAIN BLOCK DHS FUNDING, FORCE STATE OF THE UNION SHOWDOWN Congressional Democrats have spent much of the week accusing the White House of not taking the negotiations seriously, while Republicans contend their counterparts are asking for too much. Schumer and Senate Democrats earlier this week blocked another attempt by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Republicans to fund DHS using the original compromise funding bill. DEMOCRATS DEMANDING ICE REFORMS LOSE AIRPORT ESCORTS IN SHUTDOWN THEY TRIGGERED “It seems like the Democrats concluded this is maybe good politics for them. It’s not for the people whose lives are affected on a daily basis,” Thune said earlier this week. “So, we’ll keep pressing to try and get folks to the table. But I think the White House — you know — they continue to exchange paper and trade paper and all that, and hopefully they’ll find a sweet spot.” Democrats want stringent reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including requiring agents to obtain judicial warrants and identify themselves during enforcement actions, changes Republicans and the administration say are red lines. Democrats argue the White House has not shown the urgency they would have expected, given that an agency central to President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda has been shuttered for nearly three weeks. “They haven’t indicated that they’re concerned about the closure of DHS,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., told Fox News Digital. “They’ve been slow to come back on the proposals that the Democrats have made. “And no one has ever explained why there should be only one police force in the entire country that should not have to follow the same kind of rules as everyone else.”
Rubio designates Iran over wrongful detentions, urges Americans to leave country ‘immediately’
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday designated Iran as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention, calling for Americans currently in Iran to “leave immediately.” “When the Iranian regime seized power 47 years ago, Ayatollah Khomeini consolidated his control of power by endorsing the hostage taking of U.S. embassy staff,” Rubio wrote in a news statement. “For decades, Iran has continued to cruelly detain innocent Americans, as well as citizens of other nations, to use as political leverage against other states. This abhorrent practice must end.” “President [Donald] Trump issued an Executive Order to Protect U.S. Nationals from Wrongful Detention Abroad last fall and Congress subsequently enacted the Countering Wrongful Detention Act of 2025, authorizing the Department to designate Iran as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention,” he added. Rubio said if Iran does not stop, the U.S. will be forced to consider “additional measures,” including a potential geographic travel restriction on the use of U.S. passports to, through, or from Iran. TRUMP SAYS IRAN ALREADY HAS US TERMS AS MILITARY STRIKE CLOCK TICKS “The Iranian regime must stop taking hostages and release all Americans unjustly detained in Iran, steps that could end this designation and associated actions. We encourage it to do so,” Rubio wrote. “No American should travel to Iran for any reason. We reiterate our call for Americans who are currently in Iran to leave immediately.” Rubio’s comments came amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran as they take part in indirect nuclear negotiations. Trump last week gave Iran roughly 10 to 15 days to reach an agreement, warning during his State of the Union address that the urgency to make a deal was backed by force. TRUMP SAYS IRAN ‘SERIOUSLY TALKING TO US’ AS MILITARY SHIPS HEAD TO MIDDLE EAST Trump told reporters on Friday that he is “not happy” with the way Iran is negotiating, but said he has not yet made a final decision on potential military strikes. Eleven U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighters recently arrived at Israel’s Ovda Air Base in the country’s south, Fox News reported, marking the first-ever operational deployment of American combat aircraft to Israel. When asked how close a decision may be, Trump told a reporter, “I’d rather not tell you, you would have the greatest scoop in history, right?” The president noted that there is “always a risk” of long-term conflict in the Middle East. “I guess you could say there’s always a risk,” Trump said. “You know, when there’s war, there’s a risk in anything both good and bad.” This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. Fox News’ Efrat Lachter, Peter Doocy and Morgan Phillips, along with Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.
Susie Wiles’ lawyer denies approving FBI recording, says he’d lose license over ‘stunt’
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles’ attorney in 2023 is disputing claims that he agreed to let the Biden-era FBI record a call with his client without her knowledge, according to a report. “If I ever pulled a stunt like that I wouldn’t – and shouldn’t – have a license to practice law,” the unidentified attorney said, according to Axios. “I’m as shocked as Susie.” The denial comes as scrutiny intensifies around the FBI’s use of subpoenas and investigative tools during special counsel Jack Smith’s Trump-related probes ahead of President Donald Trump‘s 2024 re-election. Reuters first disclosed the subpoenas Wednesday, reporting that the Biden FBI subpoenaed Wiles’ and now-FBI Director Kash Patel‘s phone records in 2022 and 2023, when both were private citizens. Smith was investigating claims Trump worked to overturn the 2020 election and his handling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago, Florida, resort. JONATHAN TURLEY: JACK SMITH’S SECRET SURVEILLANCE OF PATEL AND WILES SHOULD ALARM US ALL At least 10 FBI employees were fired Wednesday over the matter, Fox News Digital previously learned. Amid the revelations, two FBI officials said that FBI agents recorded a phone call between Wiles and her attorney in 2023. Wiles’ attorney was aware the call was being recorded and consented, but Wiles was not informed, the officials claimed. The lawyer, whose name has not been publicly released, pushed back that he “categorically denies he allowed his client to be recorded by the FBI,” according to Axios reporter Marc Caputo. Wiles reportedly “believes him & that the Biden-era FBI may have lied about it,” Caputo wrote on X. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and Wiles for comment, but did not immediately receive replies. Fox News Digital also reached out to the FBI for comment Friday morning. FBI SUBPOENA OF PHONE RECORDS LEAVES TRUMP CHIEF OF STAFF ‘IN SHOCK’: REPORT The report sparked conservatives and Trump allies to back the unidentified lawyer and balk at the case overall. “I know the long time lawyer ….and I believe him – This is a violation of basic constitutional rights every American by right – has. We need accountability and we need action,” Trump 2024 co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita posted to X. “So the lawyer Biden’s FBI eavesdropped on during a call with Susie Wiles said he had no idea it happened,” OutKick founder Clay Travis posted to X. “This is a huge story. Biden’s FBI spied on Trump’s campaign manager in the 2024 campaign.” GRASSLEY: BIDEN DOJ BYPASSED CONSTITUTIONAL SAFEGUARDS BY SUBPOENAING SENATOR PHONE RECORDS Wiles was reportedly stunned by the news of the subpoenas, with Axios reporting that she told associates Thursday, “I am in shock.” Patel issued a similar statement on Wednesday. “It is outrageous and deeply alarming that the previous FBI leadership secretly subpoenaed my own phone records — along with those of now White House chief of staff Susie Wiles — using flimsy pretexts and burying the entire process in prohibited case files designed to evade all oversight,” he said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital.
Agency that nabbed ‘El Chapo,’ ‘Diddy’ threatened as Democrats’ DHS shutdown drags on
The ongoing standoff over Homeland Security funding is raising concerns about the potential impact on Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the agency that has helped bring cases against high-profile figures, including Sean “Diddy” Combs and Sinaloa cartel co-founder Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. HSI is one of several agencies under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) threatened by the ongoing government shutdown. That branch of DHS acts as the investigative arm for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — the agency that Democrats want to rein in and reform — and handles investigations into human and sex trafficking, drug trafficking, immigration-related crimes, child exploitation and several other areas. DHS SHUTDOWN DRAGS INTO WEEK TWO AS IRAN THREAT, SOTU CLASH COMPLICATE HILL TALKS Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., who was anointed the lead negotiator for Senate Republicans in the ongoing DHS funding back-and-forth, told Fox News Digital the agency’s work is “critically important.” “When you think about interior enforcement, I mean, HSI is a critical component of that,” Britt said. “You look at what they’ve done, you look at the bad actors they’ve been able to hunt down and hold accountable for human trafficking, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, child pornography, trafficking, all kinds of things.” Other big names whom HSI has played a role in investigating or indicting include R. Kelly, Josh Duggar, Sinaloa cartel co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and Jared Fogle. SCHUMER, DEMS AGAIN BLOCK DHS FUNDING, FORCE STATE OF THE UNION SHOWDOWN While ICE and other immigration enforcement operations like HSI were funded in part through Republicans’ “big, beautiful bill,” the lapse in ongoing appropriations could threaten supplies in the field and travel, hampering investigations already underway. A DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital that HSI was continuing to function during the shutdown, with arrests and investigations still happening. But as the current 14-day shutdown continues, delays in supply procurement and travel for “critical personnel to move around the country” could be impacted. “Our national security and ability to get criminals, including pedophiles and other public safety threats, off the streets could be impacted the longer this Democratic shutdown continues,” they said. DEMOCRATS DEMANDING ICE REFORMS LOSE AIRPORT ESCORTS IN SHUTDOWN THEY TRIGGERED Senate Democrats and the White House have so far tried and failed to reach a deal to fund DHS after trading offers and counteroffers in a slow back-and-forth over the last two weeks. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., charged that ICE had been “unleashed without guardrails” throughout the country. “This is not border security, this is not law and order, this is chaos — created at the top and felt in so many of our neighborhoods,” Schumer said. And with lawmakers gone from Washington, D.C., for the weekend, the shutdown is guaranteed to stretch into its third week. Senate Democrats want stringent reforms to ICE, including requiring agents to obtain judicial warrants, unmask and provide thorough identification — all demands that are red lines for the Republicans and the White House, who fear that doing so would increase the chances of ICE agents being doxxed. While Republicans and the administration raised concerns about HSI and other ICE functions, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., countered that from his understanding, “most everybody at HSI is gone.” “They’ve all been deployed to the interior,” he told Fox News Digital. “Not many, if not most, redeployed to interior enforcement. So the administration has gutted HSI.” “My impression is that HSI has been one of the agencies that has been essentially turned into ICE Junior,” Murphy said.