Trump fires back after protester interrupts Myrtle Beach rally for Graham: ‘Mom is voting for us’
President Donald Trump had a striking message for a protester who interrupted his South Carolina rally Friday night: Mom isn’t going to be happy. A protester stood up and interrupted Trump at about 7:28 p.m., before being escorted from the Myrtle Beach Convention Center by police and convention center staff, according to a White House pool report. As the protester was still being escorted out, Trump briefly paused his remarks and turned to the commotion. RUSSELL FRY ENDORSES EX-RIVAL DARLINE GRAHAM AFTER FAILING TO ADVANCE TO SPECIAL GOP US SENATE PRIMARY RUNOFF “That’s all right. That person’s going home to mom. Gonna get scolded because mom is voting for us. You know, mom is voting for us,” Trump said before quickly continuing his speech. Trump was in Myrtle Beach to campaign for Darline Graham ahead of Tuesday’s South Carolina Senate runoff, urging his supporters to turn out even though his own name won’t be on the ballot. “If Trump isn’t actually on the ballot,” Trump said while discussing Republican turnout, before asking supporters to “pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot. “Just come and vote. It’s so important,” Trump said. “So, just say that I’m on the ballot one more time. You got to say it, and you got to come out and vote.” TRUMP NOTCHES ANOTHER ENDORSEMENT WIN AS BARRY MOORE CAPTURES ALABAMA GOP SENATE NOMINATION IN RUNOFF Trump said he personally encouraged Graham to run and laid out the case for sending her to Washington. “With your support, Darline will defend common sense in our nation’s capital,” Trump said. “She’ll fight for lower taxes, bigger paychecks, no amnesty for illegal aliens. And she’ll always protect your Second Amendment, the right to keep and bear arms.” TRUMP PUSHES LINDSEY GRAHAM’S SISTER TO RUN FOR US SENATE AFTER SHE GETS APPOINTMENT TO FINISH OUT TERM Trump also said Graham would be a strong advocate for the armed forces. “But as much as anybody in this Senate and maybe more, Darline will support our military,” Trump said. Graham later joined Trump onstage, thanking him for his endorsement and his friendship with her late senator brother, Lindsey. “Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you for your endorsement. It has meant the world to me,” Graham said. “Thank you for your support. Thank you for coming to South Carolina. This is MAGA country, right?” The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fauci’s lawyers launch legal defense fund as federal, state investigations mount against him
Lawyers representing Dr. Anthony Fauci have created a legal defense fund for the infectious disease expert as investigations against him continue to mount. Fauci, who helped lead the country through the pandemic, has been accused by Republicans of misleading the public about the origins of COVID-19 and faces multiple federal and state investigations. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul has called on the U.S. Department of Justice to prosecute Fauci after Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment numerous times during a high-profile July congressional hearing. CAN FAUCI HIDE BEHIND THE FIFTH? GAME-CHANGING BIDEN PARDON MAY NOT PROVIDE COMPLETE COVER, EXPERTS SAY The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, chaired by Paul, held him in contempt of Congress after the hearing. Fauci has denied all the accusations made against him. FAUCI IN THE CONGRESSIONAL WRINGER: A TEST FOR TRUMP’S NEWLY-MINTED ATTORNEY GENERAL “The Anthony S. Fauci M.D. Legal Defense Fund was established to help cover the legal representation and associated administrative costs for Dr. Fauci,” the defense fund’s website says. “Your contributions directly support these defense efforts and ensure comprehensive legal support during ongoing inquiries and proceedings.” Fauci retired in 2022 after leading the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for nearly 40 years. He also advised seven presidents, including President Donald Trump during Trump’s first term as a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. During his time navigating the country through the pandemic, he was a proponent of wearing masks, social distancing, vaccines and lockdown measures. Former President Joe Biden issued Fauci a preemptive pardon before he left office. FAUCI REFUSES SENATE APPEARANCE AFTER INVOKING FIFTH AMENDMENT MORE THAN 100 TIMES IN COVID PROBE “Fauci is facing an unprecedented legal barrage for a retired civil servant, and he deserves a robust defense against these unfounded and frivolous actions,” David Schertler, a lawyer for Fauci, told Reuters. “Dr. Fauci has not done anything wrong, and we are prepared to fight back against this shameful harassment of an honorable man who dedicated his career to saving lives.” His lawyers added that any funds remaining after all of his investigations conclude will be donated to charity. Prior to his retirement, Fauci was the highest-paid federal employee, making nearly $500,000 each year, Fox News Digital previously reported. In retirement, Fauci collects a federal pension that rivals a presidential salary, OpenTheBooks CEO Adam Andrzejewski estimated. Fauci and his wife reported a combined $12.6 million net worth in 2021. FAUCI’S HHS IPHONE TURNED OVER TO SENATE INVESTIGATORS AS CONTEMPT VOTE LOOMS Fox News Digital has reached out to the legal defense fund and Paul’s office for comment. On Tuesday, David Morens, a former Fauci advisor, pleaded guilty to attempting to conceal pandemic-related documents by evading public records laws. FLORIDA AG THREATENS FAUCI INVESTIGATION AFTER SENATE HEARING Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has said he will investigate whether Fauci “personally profited off the COVID ‘guidance’ he issued” during the pandemic and has issued a subpoena to the 85-year-old. Louisiana and West Virginia are backing Florida’s effort. Fox News Digital’s Joe Schoffstall and Reuters contributed to this report.
Texas Gov Abbott asks the Justice Department to investigate ‘discriminatory’ Islamic washing stations
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Friday he had referred “discriminatory” religious facilities at two of the state’s major airports to the Justice Department over the installation of Islamic foot-washing stations in its bathrooms. Last week, Abbott directed the state to conduct a review of grants to entities operating Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston for possible revocation and denial of future funding over plans to install Islamic wudu washing facilities. He previously referred both airports to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for investigation and threatened state funding. DFW AIRPORT SCRAPS CONTROVERSIAL ISLAMIC FOOT-WASHING STATION PLAN AS TEXAS GOV ABBOTT TAKES AIM “These ablution stations single out one subset of the population for special treatment based on religion,” Abbott said in a statement. “They are not interfaith chapels open to all. They exist to benefit the Muslim population alone. Government-owned airports cannot favor one religion over all others.” Abbott called on the Justice Department to review policies at both airports, noting both are subject to numerous conditions because they receive federal funding, including the requirement to comply with all laws prohibiting discrimination and protecting the rights of all Americans. ‘MUSLIM ONLY’ EVENT AT TEXAS WATER PARK CANCELED AFTER ABBOTT THREATENS TO PULL $530K IN STATE GRANTS Fox News Digital has reached out to both airports. In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, Abbott said the washing facilities at IAH are furnished with “copies of the Quran, prayer rugs, prayer beads and a turbah.” He noted that both airports are owned by the government. “Yet, these stations are designed to single out one subset of the population for special treatment based on religion,” he wrote. “It is clear that these government-owned airports have used — and continue to use — funds charged to the public to finance, maintain, advertise, and operate Muslim-only spaces on property that should be open and accessible to all citizens. “Airports can no more offer Muslim-only bathroom spaces than they can maintain white-only bathrooms. Your office has the authority to investigate and put a stop to these discriminatory practices.” CALIFORNIA LAWMAKERS’ PUSH TO MAKE MUSLIM HOLY DAYS STATE HOLIDAYS SPARKS DEBATE OVER SCHOOL NEUTRALITY The matter drew increased public attention as DFW was evaluating a proposal to add ablution washing stations in Terminal D, its international terminal. Airport officials eventually decided not to move forward with the plan. A projected filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation said the plan would have been privately funded with an estimated cost of $300,000, but an airport spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital that the figure was closer to $120,000. WATCH: HOUSTON FACES $110M HIT AS TEXAS GOV LAYS DOWN LAW ON ‘SANCTUARY’ POLICIES Despite DFW abandoning plans for a washing station, “it has since been discovered that two such stations are already in operation at the airport,” Abbott said. At IAH, the washing station was in response to requests from passengers, Houston Mayor John Whitmire said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. He noted that the Mickey Leland International Terminal serves around 365,000 passengers annually from Emirates Airlines, Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways. “The ablution room allows Muslim travelers, as well as other travelers whose religion requires ritual washing prior to prayer, to do so in this facility,” Whitmire said. “The ablution room leads into a prayer room. “Prior to the development of the dedicated washing station, travelers often used restroom sinks and other public water facilities for personal washing needs, highlighting the need for a more appropriate and designated space.” Whitmire said the ablution room also has interfaith chapels, like many airports, and is open to travelers of all faiths and beliefs. “Therefore, their operations do not entail any discriminatory actions,” he said.
Vance unloads on El-Sayed over Sharia remarks: ‘That’s not my grandpa’s Democratic Party’
Vice President JD Vance put Abdul El-Sayed at the center of his attack on the modern Democratic Party, pointing to the Michigan Senate nominee’s past remarks linking criticism of Sharia law to White supremacy as evidence that the party has abandoned its working-class roots. Vance delivered the remarks Friday at the Cleveland-Cliffs Middletown Works steel plant in his Ohio hometown as neighboring Michigan gears up for one of the midterms’ most competitive Senate races. El-Sayed is facing Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers in a contest that could help determine control of the Senate. Vance spoke about his late grandfather, who worked as a welder for 40 years and voted Democrat because he believed it was “the party of union men.” But Vance argued the Democratic Party has strayed from its working-class identity. DEMOCRATS’ CIVIL WAR HEADS TO MICHIGAN WHERE PROGRESSIVES FACE BIGGEST TEST YET IN HIGH-STAKES SENATE SHOWDOWN “This is the party, the Democrat party of graduate students, rather than the union and nonunion workers who make this facility run,” Vance said. “It’s sometimes actually hard to understand what these modern Democrats actually stand for. But look what they say. Pay close attention, and they’ll leave these little hints of what they actually care about.” Vance then turned his attention to El-Sayed, the son of Muslim Egyptian immigrants. “He once argued, not too long ago, that criticisms of Sharia law were rooted in White supremacy,” Vance said. “I’d love to go back in time and tell my papa that there is a man who claims to stand for working people who says not only should we have Sharia law, but if you criticize it you’re a White supremacist. That’s not my grandpa’s Democratic Party, my friend.” Vance was referring to a speech El-Sayed gave at the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ (CAIR) 2022 annual banquet in Oklahoma, where he was the keynote speaker. El-Sayed criticized a 2010 ballot measure known as State Question 755, which sought to amend the state constitution to ban courts from considering Sharia law in their decisions. The measure was approved by 70% of voters but was ultimately blocked by federal courts. “The same exact forces that drove native peoples from their land two centuries ago, destroyed Black Wall Street a century ago, bombed a building decades ago and tried to ban Sharia law not a decade ago, those forces are alive and well today,” El-Sayed said. EL-SAYED’S AGENDA PUTS ‘PERMANENTLY’ CHANGED AMERICA ON THE LINE IN MICHIGAN SENATE RACE, GOP FIREBRAND WARNS “The reason I wanted to go all the way back to the 1830s is because you can’t understand a Shariah ban without understanding the Trail of Tears,” El-Sayed continued. “You can’t understand the efforts to uproot Muslim Americans without understanding the Tulsa massacre. You cannot understand the challenges we face today without understanding White supremacy.” El-Sayed’s remarks at the CAIR banquet are among several statements that have drawn criticism from conservatives and Republicans who accuse the Senate candidate of viewing politics through the lens of race and religion. Other remarks generating criticism include El-Sayed accusing Israel of committing “genocide” and describing the Jewish state as an “apartheid,” while prompting concerns from members of the Jewish community. MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE CONFRONTED REPEATEDLY OVER ISRAEL’S RIGHT TO EXIST, DEFUNDING THE POLICE SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER However, after his primary victory, El-Sayed said, “My commitment to Jewish safety is the same as my commitment to the safety of my own kids. We have a responsibility to take on antisemitism in all of its forms, wherever we see it.” Fox News Digital reached out to El-Sayed’s campaign for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Former acting US Attorney Andrew Haden found dead in San Diego federal building: police
A former twice-acting U.S. attorney was found dead this week in a downtown San Diego federal building. Andrew Haden, 48, a California native who headed the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, was found dead Wednesday in the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building, which houses the prosecutor’s office. Police officers responded and found Haden, who was reported missing before he was found. “Out of an abundance of caution, SDPD investigators responded to the scene, and no foul play is suspected,” the San Diego Police Department told Fox News Digital. TRUMP ‘DRUG CZAR’ WARNS OF DEADLY ‘RHINO TRANQUILIZER’ KILLING AMERICANS AS CARTEL CRACKDOWN ESCALATES “This is one of the darkest days in our office’s history, but there was nothing dark about Andrew Haden’s life,” U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California Adam Gordon said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “He was a beacon of light — full of laughter, friendship, integrity and an unwavering commitment to serving our community. We will honor his life and legacy by carrying his light forward, today and always.” APPEALS COURT RULES TRUMP ADMIN UNLAWFULLY APPOINTED NEVADA’S TOP FEDERAL PROSECUTOR Haden first joined the U.S. attorney’s office in 2010 and worked at the San Diego office for 16 years. He served as acting U.S. attorney for the office after being selected to fill vacancies in 2023 and 2025. He ran the office after he was selected by President Donald Trump after the firing of U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath, a Biden appointee. Scott C. Carr, executive director of the San Diego County Bar Association, said he was “devastated” to learn of Haden’s death. He recalled talking to Haden during the most recent government shutdown about the impact it was having on employees in his office and “how we was working to support his team any way that he could.” “Andrew was always friendly with a kind word to say, which makes news of his passing all the more difficult,” Carr wrote. “My thoughts are with his family and his colleagues at the Southern District of California. Our legal community lost a good one.” Haden, a Navy veteran with two overseas deployments, received his law degree from the University of San Diego. Defense attorney Jeremy Warren, who locked horns with Haden in previous courtroom battles, called Haden’s death “a huge blow to the entire federal community in San Diego.” Warren noted that “we remained friends throughout is a testament to the type of guy he was.”
Fox News Campus Radicals Newsletter: DOJ opens probe into prestigious college over alleged discrimination favo
TRUE COLORS: DOJ opens probe into prestigious college over alleged discrimination favoring minority students NUMBERS GAME: Berkeley math professor sounds alarm on liberal ‘test-blind’ policies, warns many students badly behind SIGN UP TO GET THE CAMPUS RADICALS NEWSLETTER SCHOOL OF HARD LEFT: Bernie-backed California House candidate called DEI a ‘social justice-driven duty,’ embraced activist role FOLLOW THE MONEY: Harvard, NYU among 30 universities hit with Pentagon foreign-tie audit deadline
Black voters rip Dems over taking them for granted in El-Sayed’s backyard: ‘Hush us up’
Black voters could play a decisive role in Michigan’s closely watched Senate race this November, raising the stakes for Democrats as signs of softer support among the historically reliable voting bloc threaten to complicate the party’s path to victory. National surveys suggest that the proportion of Black Americans who believe Democrats represent their interests is slipping. Additionally, the percentage of Black voters who identify with the Democratic Party fell by 10 percentage points between 2020 and 2025, according to the Pew Research Center. Fox News Digital spoke with roughly a dozen Black voters on the ground in Detroit, most of whom said they believe the Democratic Party has either failed to prioritize their concerns or has taken their support for granted. FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: AS DEMOCRATS TURN LEFT, BLACK VOTERS TAP THE BRAKES “I feel like some of the stuff that they do is just to hush us up and, like … there you go,” Dalia, an African American from Detroit, told Fox News Digital. “It’s just the way that they don’t address our issues, issues that concern actually Black people, especially working-class Black people,” Vincent, a Black voter from the Detroit area, told Fox News Digital. “It’s always a ploy to get the Black vote, make all these promises, but once that vote is in and stuff like that, then it’s operation as normal,” another Black voter said. Another snag for Democrats is their Senate nominee’s lack of support among African Americans in his primary election. DSA BRAND ON TRIAL AS EL-SAYED STRUGGLES WHERE DEMS CAN LEAST AFFORD IT Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed’s razor-thin win over Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., earlier this month was closer than expected, and Black voters appeared to have a lot to do with it. In jurisdictions with the highest percentage of Black voters, El-Sayed consistently struggled against Stevens. A collective analysis by The Hill found that, in counties where Black residents account for 15% or more of the population, Stevens outpaced El-Sayed by an average of eight points. Fox News’s Power Rankings have the Michigan Senate race rated as a toss-up while also showing a steady decline in Black support for the Democratic Party. El-Sayed, however, performed strongly in the Arab-American enclaves of Dearborn and Hamtramck. “I guess the Arabs resonate with who’s running for Senate. So, he don’t really have to prioritize us because he has enough people on his side already,” Parisia, another Black Detroit resident, told Fox News Digital. DEMOCRATS ARE IN BIG TROUBLE BECAUSE BLACK AND BROWN VOTERS DON’T WANT SOCIALISM “It’s a fool’s errand to assume terrorist-sympathizing and socialist-aligned candidates like Abdul El-Sayed and William Lawrence can unite Democrats in a general election when they’ve spent their careers disparaging Black Americans,” RNC spokesman Hunter Lovell told Fox News Digital. Even some of the Black voters who told Fox News Digital they were skeptical of the Democratic Party reported favorable feelings toward El-Sayed, however. Those views came despite criticism of El-Sayed’s relationship with socialist streamer Hasan Piker, whose comments about Black voters in a 2024 livestream have been cited by El-Sayed’s critics. During a 2024 livestream about Democratic border policy, Piker reacted to the claim that “Black people care about the border” by saying, “I don’t give a f— what Black people care about or what you think Black people care about,” before accusing Democrats of using Black voters as a “shield” to defend a rightward shift on immigration. “Like, shut the f— up,” Piker said. HALEY STEVENS URGES EL-SAYED TO DITCH HASAN PIKER AFFILIATION AFTER MICHIGAN PRIMARY One Black Detroit area resident told Fox News Digital she was “appalled” by the fact El-Sayed was campaigning with Piker. “I guess clearly you don’t care about Black voters then because you would never bring … somebody to run with you who is against or not even against but who don’t care about Black voters,” she said. Lawrence, whom Lovell referenced, is another DSA-aligned candidate running in the Great Lakes State. Facing off with Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Mich., Lawrence previously said Black Democratic leaders wrongly “defang the White left” because they support the establishment. “The extent to which the older generation of Black political leadership are such a pillar, frankly, for establishment, capitalist, imperialist American power through their role as this kind of traditionalist, establishmentist (sic) pillar of the Democratic Party, it’s a big problem,” Lawrence said in 2024 on his “Hegemonicon” podcast as reported by the Huffington Post at the time. “It really defangs the White left and puts us in impossible positions, really.” Those comments led the Congressional Black Caucus PAC to release a statement saying that people supporting Lawrence should “denounce his hateful remarks and withdraw their support.” Fox News Digital reached out to Lawrence for comment. JASMINE CROCKETT WARNS DEMOCRATS ARE TOO FOCUSED ON WHITE VOTERS, IGNORING BLACK VOTERS An African American pastor serving in the Detroit area told Fox News Digital that, while he strongly supports El-Sayed, whom he knows personally, Democrats can’t necessarily count on the Black vote as a given. “He does understand us,” Keith said of El-Sayed, later noting that Democrats have “discovered that if you’re not courted and not talked to or whatever, we don’t necessarily turn out for you.”
Trump-appointed judge blocks blue state’s crackdown on ICE detention center
A Trump-appointed federal judge dealt a blow to Colorado’s effort to ramp up oversight of an ICE detention center by temporarily blocking key provisions in a state law after finding the state likely overstepped its authority. Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel Domenico issued the preliminary injunction Thursday, ruling that Colorado likely crossed a constitutional line in a state law by imposing new requirements specifically targeting the GEO Group’s Aurora ICE Processing Center, which operates under a federal contract and is the state’s lone ICE detention center. “Here, GEO has shown that it is singled out for a special bill that applies to no other facility,” Domenico wrote. “That other facilities might have some similar regulatory burdens does not change the fact that none of them are required to comply with HB 1276. As GEO notes, the extent of the additional burden is irrelevant for purposes of this test.” BLUE STATE’S ANTI-ICE PLEDGE COLLAPSES AS GOP WARNS OF NEW SANCTUARY ‘CONFEDERACY’ Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed House Bill 26-1276 into law June 4, expanding state and local oversight of immigration detention centers. In his order, Domenico noted that GEO’s Aurora detention center was the only facility in Colorado subject to the law’s additional regulations as of May. “And though Colorado argues that the law only brings GEO into compliance with existing state regulations applied to other detention facilities, that law singles out this one category of facility for a separately defined set of restrictions and rulemaking,” Domenico wrote. “And that is sufficient to establish that HB 1276 discriminates against GEO based on its status as a federal contractor.” FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS NEW YORK LAW BANNING ICE AGENTS FROM WEARING MASKS The blocked provisions required unannounced inspections of the facility at least once every three months, and GEO was required to pay for the inspections. The law also authorized civil penalties of up to $50,000 for each refusal to permit an inspection. “At least some of the burdens of this bill are unique,” Domenico wrote. “The requirement of a certain number of unannounced visits, for example, does not appear elsewhere. And the state acknowledges that the penalty scheme is not imposed on other facilities.” Colorado argued that the law simply put GEO on the same footing as other private detention centers. But Domenico said if the state had required immigration facilities to follow the same regulations governing facilities carrying out state policies, that argument “might be persuasive.” CITIZENS BANK CUTS TIES WITH ICE PRISON CONTRACTORS AFTER MONTHS OF ACTIVIST PRESSURE The ruling relied heavily on the Constitution’s supremacy clause. Domenico cited Supreme Court precedent stating that federal government activities generally must remain free from state regulation and that protections can extend to private contractors carrying out federal operations. Colorado’s new law also sought to give the state authority to impose additional reporting and staffing requirements. Those provisions include potential annual reports concerning people with chronic health conditions and disabilities, dietary restrictions, access to attorneys and access to spaces for worship. The law also addresses the housing of minors and requires onsite medical and mental health professionals. Domenico did not block those provisions because Colorado told the court they were not being enforced and would require a future rulemaking process, which the state said it had no immediate plans to begin. The preliminary injunction will end Oct. 15, when GEO’s existing federal contract to operate the Aurora site expires. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SUES COLORADO OVER IN-STATE TUITION AND FINANCIAL AID FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS Democratic Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said the ruling was only a minor victory for GEO. “Today’s ruling granted the GEO Group a narrow, temporary injunction against one provision of a new 2026 law — not the broad relief it sought — and leaves Colorado’s existing public health and safety authority intact,” Weiser said in a statement Thursday. “Separately, our lawsuit filed yesterday seeks to enforce that existing authority and require GEO to cooperate with the state’s investigation into tuberculosis at the Aurora facility, and we will continue using every available tool to protect the health and safety of Coloradans.” Colorado sued GEO on Wednesday, seeking to force the company to comply with a public health order stemming from a tuberculosis investigation at the Aurora center. Health officials confirmed an active TB case there on June 22, but the state alleges GEO has failed to provide the records and cooperation needed to determine the extent of potential exposure. The state argues its authority to investigate communicable diseases predates HB 26-1276 and remains intact despite Domenico’s decision temporarily blocking the law’s new inspection requirements. Fox News Digital reached out to GEO and Polis’ office for comment.
Supreme Court allows Trump’s White House ballroom construction to continue for now
U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily allowed above-ground construction of President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom to continue Friday, issuing a stay of a lower court injunction that would block the work. Roberts issued an administrative stay of a preliminary injunction entered April 16 by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, putting the injunction on hold “pending further order” from Roberts or the Supreme Court. The move puts the case in a temporary holding pattern while the Supreme Court considers whether construction can continue and the underlying legal battle plays out. Above-ground construction can continue for now. JUDGE ORDERS TRUMP TO HALT WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM CONSTRUCTION, ESCALATING LEGAL FEUD Trump celebrated the decision Friday, saying he was “grateful” to the Supreme Court and touting the project as vital to national security. “Construction is under budget and ahead of schedule,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump called the project the “Military/Ballroom Complex” and said it would be “THE GREATEST OF ITS KIND!” He also claimed presidents have wanted such a facility for 150 years and the military has sought one for the past century. A federal appeals court mandate blocking construction had been scheduled to take effect Friday. The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court last week to intervene in the months-long legal battle, arguing that halting construction would threaten national security and the safety of the president and other senior officials. TRUMP PULLS BACK CURTAIN ON WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM’S FORTRESS-LIKE DEFENSES ABOVE AND DEEP BELOW In its emergency application, the administration described the project as an “integrated military complex” that includes a secure ballroom space and argued that the project is critical to protecting the president, his family, White House staff and visiting foreign leaders. The administration also pointed to assassination attempts against Trump in arguing for additional security measures associated with the new complex. The emergency application went to Roberts, who handles emergency matters arising from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, which is suing to block the project, opposed the administration’s request and argued that Congress has authority over federal property and had not authorized the ballroom project. REPUBLICANS RUSH TO GREEN-LIGHT WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM FOLLOWING THIRD TRUMP ASSASSINATION SCARE The preservation group also accused the administration of attempting to outrun judicial review by accelerating construction while the litigation proceeded. In its filing, the group said a 250-person crew had been working “20 hours a day, 7 days a week.” The Trump administration has taken an aggressive position in the dispute, arguing that construction has advanced to the point that judicial intervention would be too late. APPEALS COURT LETS TRUMP RESUME WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM CONSTRUCTION, SEEKS LOWER COURT CLARITY The legal fight reached the Supreme Court after a divided federal appeals court ruled that Congress had not authorized the ballroom. The ruling would have blocked above-ground construction while allowing underground work associated with new security features to continue. Roberts’ order on Friday keeps the lower court injunction on hold for now but does not resolve the underlying dispute over the project. MORNING GLORY: SCOTUS SHOULD URGENTLY ALLOW CONSTRUCTION AT THE WHITE HOUSE TO PROCEED The White House referred Fox News Digital to President Trump’s Truth Social post on the matter.
Surprise election upset shows hating Trump is no longer enough as Democratic voters turn to new playbook
A growing number of Democrats who grabbed national attention as they led the resistance to President Donald Trump during his first term in the White House are the latest casualties in this year’s primary battle between the party’s left-wing and the establishment. The latest victim: Alexander Vindman, who gained national prominence nearly a decade ago as the then-Army lieutenant colonel and National Security Council official who served as a key witness against Trump during the president’s first impeachment trial. Vindman, who made resisting Trump a key part of his Senate bid, was upset Tuesday in Florida’s Democratic Senate primary by state Rep. Angie Nixon. A Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) member, Nixon landed a double-digit victory over Vindman despite being outspent by a roughly 10-to-1 margin. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB His defeat, as well as losses to challengers from the far-left by other one-time resistance stars such as Reps. Diana DeGette of Colorado and Dan Goldman of New York, appear to point to shifting priorities for a Democratic base moving left, starving for change and eager to use midterm election victories to escape the political wilderness. Also falling short so far this primary season are Reps. Shri Thanedar of Michigan and Al Green of Texas, who led the Trump impeachment pushes. They both went down to younger challengers. Meanwhile, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, who was a member of key committees handling Trump’s second impeachment in 2021, fell short as he bid for the Senate. A congressional run by longtime Trump critic George Conway, a co-founder of the anti-Trump Republican group the Lincoln Project, failed to ignite. And former U.S. Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, who was honored for his efforts during the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, lost for a second straight cycle as he campaigned for a congressional seat in Maryland. WHO’S UP AND DOWN IN THE LATEST FOX NEWS MIDTERM ELECTION POWER RANKINGS Billionaire Tom Steyer, an environmental and political activist and former Democratic presidential candidate who helped bankroll the resistance during Trump’s first term, unsuccessfully ran for California governor this year. And Rep. Eric Swalwell of California, who along with DeGette was a manager of the 2021 Trump impeachment, dropped his gubernatorial bid and quit Congress amid mounting sexual assault and harassment allegations, which he denied. Veteran Democratic political commentator Ben Rhodes, who served as a leading official in former President Barack Obama’s administration, has repeatedly argued that opposition to Trump is insufficient to build a lasting political movement. He has emphasized that to win at the ballot box, Democrats must articulate how they’ll help address voters’ economic concerns and day-to-day frustrations. Shannon Jackson, a longtime progressive political strategist and grassroots organizer best known for his leadership roles in Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns, told Fox News Digital that “it’s not enough anymore just to oppose Trump.” Referring to the onetime resistance leaders who lost their primaries this year, Jackson said, “They’ve stood up to Trump, but the fact is it’s not enough anymore. We need to recognize why Trump won, we need to recognize the failings of the Democratic Party and the Democratic leaders who have gotten us to this point, and we need to improve upon it.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Jackson, a top consultant for progressive leader Rep. Ro Khanna of California, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender, said, “what really happened is that we’ve seen the progressive movement succeed… it’s an entire wave that’s coming across the country.” While progressives and socialist-aligned candidates have bested establishment-backed contenders in a slew of nomination showdowns this spring and summer, including high-profile Senate primaries this month in Michigan, Minnesota, and Florida, moderates are also scoring victories. The center’s latest wins came in Florida, where Rep. Jared Moskowitz crushed a DSA-backed challenger on Tuesday. The same day, longtime Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, a former Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair, won renomination in a dramatically altered district against four candidates, including a socialist. MEET THE FAR-LEFT INSURGENTS WAGING WAR ON THE DEMOCRATIC ESTABLISHMENT Longtime strategist and political commentator Maria Cardona, a DNC committee member, told Fox News Digital she doesn’t buy the narrative that “huge heroes of Trump resistance one are just not cutting it anymore.” “Voters want someone who is going to fight for them. Whether or not you call yourself establishment, a moderate, a progressive, or DSA, voters don’t care. Voters want to see you fighting for them,” Cardona emphasized. Cardona said “whether you are a Abdul El-Sayed, who is new on the scene, or a Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who has been there for decades but who has delivered for her community and is still seen as a fighter, you’re going to win. You have to deliver. That’s the secret.”