15 Antifa radicals indicted, 12 arrested in sweeping federal probe into Minneapolis anti-ICE operations
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota on Tuesday announced that 15 Antifa members have been indicted for their alleged roles in conspiring to hinder federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis earlier this year. The suspects, 12 of whom are in custody, are all charged with conspiracy to impede or injure a federal officer, according to a 94-page criminal complaint, and some are charged with further crimes. Federal prosecutors allege that each suspect took part in a conspiracy to obstruct federal immigration enforcement officers, including ICE personnel, through force, intimidation and threats. The suspects are alleged members of the Antifa cell Direct Action Minnesota Network (DAMN), a radical far-left group accused of coordinating operations against federal immigration officers. Federal prosecutors maintain that the group use Signal chats to organize and carry out rapid response operations including coordinating street blockades, tracking federal vehicles, surveilling the ICE field office at the federal Whipple Building and other activities meant to stop immigration officials from conducting their business. FBI INVESTIGATING MINNESOTA ANTI-ICE SIGNAL GROUP CHATS, PATEL SAYS The government says that DAMN served as the hub for participants to share intelligence, plan actions, recruit volunteers and assign roles. Below is a full list of the suspects and the charges they face: ANTI-ICE MINNEAPOLIS AGITATORS SET UP CHECKPOINT TO TRACK FEDERAL AGENTS Isaac Sant is portrayed by prosecutors as one of the ringleaders of the conspiracy who allegedly organized meetings between anti-ICE factions, delivered shields and other equipment for “direct actions” against ICE and maintained a database of suspected federal immigration vehicles by tracking license plates. He also allegedly coordinated “commuters” to follow federal immigration officials. On May 4, according to the indictment, Sant personally followed a federal immigration officer from the Whipple Building in Minneapolis — a hub of anti-ICE activities — across state lines to Hudson, Wisconsin, leading to the interstate stalking charge. William Morgan, the only suspect charged with four crimes, is also accused of interstate stalking for allegedly following a federal immigration officer on May 12 from the Whipple Building to near the officer’s home in Hudson. VIRAL VIDEO SHOWS ICE AGENT TELLING AGITATORS THEY’RE DISRUPTING ARREST OF CHILD SEX OFFENDER IN MINNESOTA Three days later, Morgan allegedly committed two more crimes by confronting an agent who was conducting an interview and physically assaulting him. He later was accused of kicking a federal vehicle, causing $1,000 in property damage, the complaint claims. Natasha Rakotz was charged with assault on a federal officer resulting in bodily injury for allegedly driving her car into the path of a federal agent, striking and injuring him — similarly to how in a January incident in Minneapolis Renee Good was shot dead during an altercation where she ran her car into a federal immigration officer. Kyle Wagner has been in custody since February, after encouraging followers to take up arms against federal agents. More charges were announced against him during Tuesday’s press conference. WHO IS KYLE WAGNER? MEET THE SELF-IDENTIFIED ANTIFA MEMBER ARRESTED AFTER TARGETING ICE On Jan. 8, 2026, Wagner posted a video warning ICE agents, “We’re f—ing coming for you.” Prosecutors allege he urged followers to “get your guns,” and suggested identifying agents even if it had to be done “at the barrel of a gun.” President Donald Trump declared Antifa to be a terrorist organization last year. “Today’s charges and arrests reflect a broad federal effort to address organized, lawless behavior, which seeks to disrupt the execution of federal law, endanger law enforcement, and, importantly, endanger the very communities that these defendants falsely claim to be protecting,” U.S. Attorney Daniel Roden said in a Tuesday press conference announcing the charges. MINNESOTA ANTI-ICE AGITATORS SWARM, CONFRONT FEDERAL AGENTS DURING ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS He emphasized that the defendants have not been arrested for speech — which is protected by the First Amendment — but for alleged criminal actions. Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy echoed that sentiment. “Peaceful protest is a protected right and a cornerstone of our democracy. We respect and defend that right,” he said. “However, there’s a clear line that cannot be crossed when protest turns into rioting, violence or criminal activity, it becomes unlawful and it will not be tolerated.” “Working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, our investigation uncovered extensive planning, material support and coordinated attacks against federal personnel and facilities. Our teams have worked tirelessly conducting surveillance, reviewing camera footage, and analyzing large volumes of information to identify those responsible.” Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
Trump’s Iran agreement raises a basic question: Is it actually a deal?
President Donald Trump has hailed the newly signed Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU) as a breakthrough that normalizes relations between the two countries after months of fighting. But by the White House’s own account, the agreement settles few of the issues that dominated months of negotiations, leaving sanctions relief, frozen assets and Iran’s nuclear program for a new round of talks. “This is really just the first MOU and then we’re going to launch into the real technical discussions later this week,” a senior administration official told reporters Monday. The memorandum, signed digitally by Trump and Vice President JD Vance Sunday, kicks off a 60-day period for technical talks aimed at a final agreement. A formal signing ceremony with U.S. and Iranian officials, along with Pakistani and Qatari mediators, is planned for Friday. Yet even administration officials acknowledge that the memorandum leaves many of the most contentious issues unresolved. “We’ll know over the next two to three weeks whether those understandings will turn into an actual agreement,” a senior administration official said. TRUMP MAY HAVE WON A STRATEGIC PAUSE IN IRAN. NOW COMES THE HARD PART Nate Swanson, a former senior advisor on Iran policy to successive administrations and now a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said the memorandum appears to postpone rather than resolve disputes over sanctions relief, Iran’s nuclear program and the future of the Strait of Hormuz. “It does not appear to resolve the core issues surrounding the mechanics of the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian nuclear concessions, or Iranian financial incentives and sanctions relief,” Swanson wrote in an analysis published by the Atlantic Council. The remark was striking given that U.S. and Iranian officials have been negotiating since the April ceasefire and already had announced a signed memorandum and upcoming signing ceremony. The president expressed optimism for a final deal. “I think it’s going to happen, fairly on time, but we’ve been both involved. I think they’re going to want to get it done. Iran wants to get it done. They have to get back to business. And the relationship is now normalized,” Trump said during the G7 Summit in Évian-les-Bains, France. JD VANCE REVEALS DETAILS OF US-IRAN DEAL, ADDRESSES WHETHER TAXPAYER MONEY WILL GO TO TEHRAN The administration has yet to publicly release the text of the memorandum, but officials indicated that many of the issues that have dominated months of negotiations remain subject to future talks, including sanctions relief, frozen Iranian assets and the disposition of Iran’s remaining enriched uranium stockpiles. “Here’s what it says: Iran will never have a nuclear weapon. That’s what it says. It won’t have one to buy, to develop. They will not have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told reporters Tuesday. Administration officials said Monday the text of the deal would be released Tuesday or Wednesday. On perhaps the most disputed issue, White House officials insisted Monday that no frozen Iranian assets have been released, despite reports in Iranian state-linked media that Iran could gain access to roughly $24 billion in blocked funds during the negotiation period. “The very simple fact is, $0 of unfrozen assets have been released by the United States or any other country.” The administration also said it will maintain its current military posture in the region during the negotiations, despite Iranian accounts suggesting the framework contemplates a future reduction in U.S. forces around Iran. “The plan is to keep the current force posture during the 60-day negotiations.” Officials repeatedly stressed that any concessions would be tied to verification rather than promises. “We’re still at the early phases where we’re building trust.” “This memorandum does not mean trusting the enemy; it has been written with active distrust,” Iranian deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi said, according to Iranian state-linked Mehr News. “We will monitor the implementation of US commitments.” The clearest immediate effect appears to be the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments normally pass, and a commitment by both sides to preserve the ceasefire while negotiations continue. Oil prices fell to their lowest levels in three months on the agreement to lift the blockade and open the strait. Administration officials repeatedly described the memorandum as a framework that could eventually lead to sanctions relief, economic normalization and a broader settlement of Iran’s nuclear program — if negotiators can reach a final agreement in the coming weeks. “Nothing is on the table if it doesn’t come along with real performance.” Iranian state-linked media have described the framework as already containing commitments on sanctions relief, access to roughly $24 billion in frozen assets, future reductions in U.S. military forces in the region and a $300 billion reconstruction program. The White House has disputed key elements of that characterization. “We don’t pay them — there was some statement. We’re going to spend $300 billion. No, we’re allowed to go and invest if we wanted to. Someday, in the future. We have no obligation whatsoever,” Trump said during the G7 Summit. The competing descriptions underscore how much remains unsettled. “There will likely be a significant delta between the aspirations outlined in the MOU and what emerges in a final deal,” Swanson said. Some congressional Republicans already are questioning whether Washington and Iran are describing the same agreement. “I think we’d all like to see the terms of the memorandum and hopefully end up with a real deal,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., told reporters at the Capitol Tuesday. “I don’t think there’s anybody in Congress that’s ever gonna support giving money to them,” he went on. “They ought pay for what it cost us to do this to bring them to their senses to stop killing us … I want to get reimbursed for the money we’ve had to spend to bring them to their senses. They’ve got plenty of oil, they can rebuild their own country.” “I am pleased to hear the memorandum of understanding with Iran to allow the Strait of Hormuz to
Blue state’s anti-ICE pledge collapses as GOP warns of new sanctuary ‘confederacy’
Colorado has reversed a controversial requirement that attorneys using the state’s court e-filing system certify they would not use court information to assist federal immigration enforcement efforts. The verification requirement was removed from state law last week after Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis signed House Bill 26-1276, creating a carveout for attorneys seeking to use the filing system. Multiple attorneys spoke out in April after the state’s e-file system required them to certify they would not share such personal information with the federal government — a requirement Colorado officials said stemmed from the Protect Civil Rights Immigration Status Act of 2025. Colorado Springs attorney Ian Speir told Fox News Digital that Colorado appeared to be “unlawfully coopting private attorneys across the state to further its anti-federal sanctuary policies,” while noting that he doesn’t practice criminal nor immigration law but couldn’t sign into the state court system without “saluting the resistance.” COLORADO LAWYERS SAY COURT E-FILE SYSTEM NOW MAKES THEM CERTIFY THEY WON’T ASSIST ICE The House Judiciary Committee took note of Fox News Digital’s reporting on the matter and notified Colorado officials in April that their immigration-related certification wrongly “commandeers private attorneys into Colorado’s radical sanctuary policies, handcuffs federal officials from enforcing immigration law in Colorado, and violates fundamental free speech principles.” Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., the chairman of the Judiciary Committee’s immigration integrity, security and enforcement subcommittee, told Fox News Digital in a Monday interview that he was pleased to see Colorado reverse itself but warned that the incident is just the latest volley in sanctuary states’ battle against federal supremacy. He called it the latest example of the notion that any state “can obstruct federal laws they don’t like.” REP JIM JORDAN, REP TOM MCCLINTOCK: DEMOCRATS THINK THEY CAN OVERRULE LAWS “I think they’ve crossed the line into obstruction by forbidding attorneys access to the court system without this outrageous pledge under penalty and perjury that they wouldn’t report any information for federal immigration enforcement purposes,” McClintock said. “Obviously, the state recognized what tenuous ground they had staked out, and it reversed themselves. But I remain concerned over what other sanctuary jurisdictions that comprise this new ‘Confederacy’ may take in the future.” The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), celebrated the news and noted it was prepared to file a lawsuit against the state government in Denver on First Amendment grounds if it did not repeal the provision. “Colorado made the right move removing the certification requirement, which was a clear viewpoint-based regulation that violated the First Amendment,” the Washington-based group said in a statement. Speir added that while the state may be able to tell its own public lawyers what to say to ICE, he, as a private attorney, “work for my clients, not the government.” Greg Greubel, FIRE’s senior attorney, said in a statement that the government by law cannot condition an attorney’s access to courts “on a promise not to use information for a lawful purpose the state disfavors.” BLOODTHIRSTY VENEZUELAN GANG PUT ON NOTICE AS NEW BILL CURBS BLUE STATE SANCTUARY POLICIES “Kudos to Colorado legislators and the governor for acting quickly to resolve this issue, but it’s troubling that the state attempted this in the first place.” Laws restricting speech must be viewpoint-neutral under the First Amendment, but critics argued that by forcing attorneys not to speak with ICE, they were putting their thumb on the partisan scale. McClintock said his panel’s focus continues to be on the variety of sanctuary policies in states and cities that are “resisting and in many cases obstructing federal law enforcement,” citing the Supremacy Clause’s assertion that immigration falls under the federal government’s authority. “That’s particularly important in regions such as mine where the local sheriffs very much want to cooperate with ICE,” said McClintock, who notably chaired the raucous hearing that featured Fairfax County, Virginia, prosecutor Stephen Descano and Sheriff Stacey Kincaid who have been lambasted for their handling of illegal immigrant-related cases. A measure his panel is working on would allow victims of sanctuary policies to sue those jurisdictions for damages created by the release of illegal immigrant criminals and the like. Fox News Digital reached out to Polis and ICE for comment.
Trump admin puts alleged ‘birth tourism’ scheme on notice as expert delivers warning to hospitals
The Trump administration is using visa enforcement to target “birth tourism,” an alleged scheme utilized by foreign nationals to obtain visitor visas for the primary purpose of giving birth in the U.S. and securing American citizenship for their children. The Trump administration recently announced that it disrupted “a sophisticated birth tourism network” in West Africa involving more than 100 foreign nationals utilizing false documents and, what the State Department described as “fixers,” to get themselves visas to go to the United States to give birth so their children would be born on U.S. soil and treated as American citizens. But that was just one of the networks the State Department indicated it had uncovered. The agency’s announcement said U.S. officials identified more than 400 suspected birth tourism cases emanating from Europe since 2024, and tied to at least six companies that helped coach applicants on what to say during their visa interview, arranged housing and set-up delivery plans. “We shut it down, revoked these foreign nationals’ visas, and are coordinating with local authorities to systematically identify and cut off any similar operations,” the State Department said in its announcement. “A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right. The State Department is taking action around the world to stop this abuse, dismantle birth tourism networks, and hold accountable those who try to scam our system.” SEN. BLACKBURN TARGETS BIRTH TOURISM, ‘BUYING AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP’ IN SUPPORT OF TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION AGENDA The effort comes as Trump has renewed his long-running criticism of birthright citizenship, including through a 2025 executive order seeking to narrow who is automatically treated as a U.S. citizen at birth. It also builds on a first-term Trump administration rule from 2020 that instructed consular officers to deny visitor visas to foreign nationals believed to be traveling to the U.S. primarily to give birth and obtain American citizenship for their children. “President Trump will always put the American people first. Uninhibited birth tourism poses a tremendous cost to taxpayers and threatens our national security,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital. “The Trump administration is effectively ending this practice, which brings the United States in line with the policy of most countries around the world.” TRUMP LOCKS IN ICE FUNDING THROUGH END OF PRESIDENCY AFTER HOUSE PASSES $70B PACKAGE Federation for American Immigration Reform’s Ira Mehlman noted to Fox News Digital that visa fraud is “a significant issue,” pointing out it is a problem even outside the framework of birth tourism. “The prospect of birthright citizenship is undeniably an inducement for people to commit visa fraud,” Mehlman said. “Birth tourism would not exist otherwise.” “Obviously, any woman who does not disclose her intention to have her baby in the U.S. when she applies for a visa is committing fraud. Remove the incentive of automatic birthright citizenship for people who are not citizens and legal permanent residents, and the reason for committing this sort of fraud goes away,” he continued. Birth tourism has surfaced repeatedly in the U.S. in recent years, particularly through operations accused of coaching foreign nationals to obscure the purpose of their travel. In California, federal prosecutors secured convictions against the operators of USA Happy Baby, a company accused of helping Chinese women travel to the U.S. to give birth to American-citizen children, while a separate operator from a business called You Win USA pleaded guilty in another case stemming from a broader federal crackdown. More recently, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued a Houston-area postpartum center accused of facilitating more than 1,000 births for primarily Chinese clients, while House Oversight Republicans launched an inquiry into several U.S.-based companies allegedly advertising birth-tourism services. Mehlman urged Congress to do more to enhance vetting of visa applicants, prosecute those who commit fraud and put an end to birth tourism. He said there were avenues for legal action against the entities allegedly facilitating the scheme. “To the extent that we can take legal action against companies that are outside the United States, we should, much like we prosecute other types of transnational crime and fraud operations,” Mehlman told Fox News Digital. “But each one of these companies works with service providers here in the U.S., including hospitals.”
Same-name candidate disqualified from key Senate race over alleged Dem scheme to confuse voters
A top Alaska election official booted a same-name Republican challenger to Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, from the primary ballot Monday, ruling the campaign appeared designed to confuse voters. Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher disqualified Dan J. Sullivan from the state’s hotly-contested Senate race over concerns that his candidacy was “filed with a purpose to confuse or mislead and to thereby compromise the ballot’s fairness or neutrality,” in a letter published Monday. Dan J. Sullivan, a retired schoolteacher who filed as a Republican Senate candidate despite having no prior affiliation with the GOP, can appeal the ruling, Beecher wrote. The letter caps weeks of outrage from the GOP, who argued the political newcomer’s entry into the race just days before the filing deadline was a covert attempt by Democrats to recruit a “sham” candidate into the race to confuse voters. GOP FIGHTS TO STOP MULTIPLE DAN SULLIVANS FROM APPEARING ON ALASKA BALLOT, CALLS CANDIDACY A ‘SHAM’ Under Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system, if Dan J. Sullivan had been allowed to remain on the August primary ballot, both he and Dan S. Sullivan, the incumbent, could have advanced to the general election among the top four vote-getters. Democrats are eying Alaska as a potential flip opportunity as the party mounts a longshot bid to retake control of the upper chamber during the midterms. The incumbent Sullivan is running for a third Senate term against former Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, who was recruited by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., into the battleground contest. Beecher cited several details about Dan J. Sullivan’s campaign that led to her conclusion that it was not filed in “good-faith.” The political newcomer requested to appear on the ballot as “Dan Sullivan” despite registering to vote under the name “Daniel J. Sullivan, Jr.,” according to the letter. The longshot candidate also attempted to register with the incumbent’s initial on one occasion, according to Beecher’s letter. “‘S’ is Senator Sullivan’s middle initial, not yours,” Beecher wrote. The election official also noted that Dan J. Sullivan had not registered as a Republican before launching his Senate campaign and that his new website used a “color scheme and overall theme” similar to the incumbent’s campaign materials. Additionally, Beecher discussed Dan J. Sullivan’s connection to Amber Lee, an Alaska Democratic consultant who has previously supported Peltola. Metadata from the campaign’s launch identified the Democratic operative as its author, Fox News Digital previously reported. FORMER DEM REP. MARY PELTOLA ANNOUNCES U.S. SENATE RUN: “PUT ALASKA FIRST” “This consultant’s work on your behalf is, in isolation, innocuous,” Beecher wrote. “Alongside the other facts I have catalogued in this letter, however, it suggests a determined effort and a deliberate attempt to use the similarity of your name to confuse Alaska voters in the upcoming primary election.” Dan J. Sullivan’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The incumbent Sullivan previously blasted his same-name challenger as a “far-left liberal” who was complicit in Democrats’ efforts to “rig” the election. “Is Schumer or Gillibrand and their staffs or the DSCC or the staff at the DSCC — were they aware? Were they coordinating, orchestrating? I mean, if that’s the case, that would be a huge scandal,” Sullivan told Fox News Digital last week. Democrats have denied any involvement with Dan J. Sullivan’s campaign. The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), Senate Republicans’ campaign arm, took a victory lap after urging Beecher to investigate the same-name challenger’s candidacy. “Alaskans saw right through Chuck Schumer and Mary Peltola’s tricks to confuse and deceive them with a sham candidate,” NRSC Regional Press Secretary Nick Puglia said in a statement. “Nobody delivers for Alaskans like Senator Dan Sullivan, which is why Alaska Last Democrats like Mary Peltola are stooping so low.” Dan J. Sullivans’ attempt to qualify for the primary ballot also sparked sharp criticism from Senate Republicans, who are expected to aggressively campaign to defend Sullivan’s seat. “Even by Chuck Schumer’s low standards, this was an outrageous attempt to trick Alaska voters and rig the election,” Senate Republican Conference Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said Monday.
US won’t move troops despite ‘signed’ Iran deal, as doubts linger over Tehran’s next move
The Trump administration will keep its military buildup in the Middle East in place despite signing a new agreement with Iran, underscoring Washington’s continued distrust of Iran as the two sides enter a 60-day negotiating period. “The plan is to keep the current force posture during the 60-day negotiations,” a senior U.S. official told reporters on a call Monday. “We hope to draw them down, but we’re not doing that yet.” “The agreement contemplates the reduction of military forces in the region upon the agreement of a final deal,” the official added. Officials said President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf already have signed the memorandum, and that the details of the agreement will be released publicly within the next 24 to 48 hours. A formal signing ceremony is expected later in the week. BUILT FOR WEEKS OF WAR: INSIDE THE FIREPOWER THE US HAS POSITIONED IN THE MIDDLE EAST The decision means the Pentagon will maintain a military posture that recently included roughly 50,000 troops deployed across the Middle East, one of the largest U.S. force concentrations in the region in more than two decades. Publicly available fleet tracking data indicate at least two carrier strike groups remain in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. Officials repeatedly stressed that any sanctions relief, asset releases or future concessions would be tied to verification and Iranian performance, not promises alone, with one senior official acknowledging the two sides remain in the early stages of “building trust.” That lack of trust was evident in the administration’s description of the agreement, which differs in key respects from accounts published by Iranian officials and state-linked media. VANCE SAYS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S KEY OBJECTIVES HAVE BEEN REACHED IN US-IRAN DEAL White House officials insisted Monday that no frozen Iranian assets have been released and said any sanctions relief would be conditioned on Iranian performance during the upcoming negotiations. “The very simple fact is, $0 of unfrozen assets have been released by the United States or any other country,” one official said. Iranian officials and state-linked media, meanwhile, have described the framework as paving the way for the release of roughly $24 billion in frozen Iranian funds and broader economic relief during the negotiation period. White House officials disputed reports that any funds have already been released and repeatedly emphasized that future economic concessions would be earned through compliance rather than granted upfront. IRAN’S REGIME SPINS NUCLEAR AND STRAIT OF HORMUZ DEAL WITH TRUMP AS VICTORY OVER US, ISRAEL “We’ll do some small gestures of that in the beginning, if they make some small gestures to us,” an official said. While Trump has portrayed the agreement as a potential turning point in U.S.–Iran relations, the memorandum itself is narrower in scope. The framework extends the ceasefire, establishes a 60-day negotiating window and seeks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments normally pass. The reopening of the Strait may prove to be the agreement’s most immediate and economically significant effect. White House officials said the memorandum provides for the opening of the waterway and the lifting of the naval blockade, though they cautioned that commercial shipping could take days or weeks to return to normal levels as mines are cleared and shipping companies regain confidence in the route. Officials also said the agreement requires the Strait to remain open toll-free during the 60-day negotiating period. The administration expects shipping traffic to increase significantly over the coming days, easing pressure on global energy markets. The deal, officials said, creates a framework under which Iran could eventually receive sanctions relief and broader access to the global economy in exchange for verifiable steps to ensure it does not rebuild its nuclear program and curbs support for terrorism and regional instability. “If they’re willing to behave like a normal country, then we’re willing to treat them like a normal country,” one official said. The prospect of renewed traffic through the Strait has already reverberated through global markets. Oil prices fell following news of the agreement as traders bet that one of the world’s most important energy choke points could soon return to normal operations.
SEE IT: UFC legend denies posting alleged Eric Trump DMs, claims he was hacked
Former UFC champion Daniel Cormier told Fox News Digital that he did not post viral screenshots alleging an exchange with Eric Trump in which the president’s son asked for inside intel about fighter injuries and whether any fights were “rigged” ahead of UFC Freedom 250 at the White House. The now-deleted post from Cormier showed screenshots of what appeared to be direct messages between himself and Eric Trump, with Trump reaching out to Cormier ahead of Sunday’s spectacle asking who he had winning, if any fighters were injured and “cutting to the chase” if any of the fights are rigged. “They’re not real,” Cormier told Fox News Digital when asked what happened with the posts showing the alleged messages with Trump. “I can’t believe you guys believed that. Like, who believes that?” he said. JAKE PAUL’S MOST VALUABLE PRODUCTIONS RIPS RIGGED FIGHT CLAIMS IN MIKE TYSON BOUT: ‘ILLOGICAL AND INANE’ The conversation caught national attention as a potential cheating scandal as it appears to show Trump trying to leverage inside information that could be used toward advancing his own bets. The account that is labeled as Trump in the screenshots shows a message saying, “I’ll just cut to the chase…are any of the fights tomorrow rigged? I’ve been eyeing the Lopes fight and I think an upset wouldn’t be too unrealistic. $$.” The exchange ends with an alleged reply from Cormier to Trump saying, “No none of our fights rigged and honestly I am appalled you would even ask me something like that.” DANA WHITE DENIES AMERICA 250 UFC FIGHT AT WHITE HOUSE WILL BE ‘POLITICAL,’ ‘NOT AT ALL’ ABOUT POLITICS Both Cormier and Trump posted on X Sunday evening, leading up to the main event of the night, claiming the post was fake. Cormier asked if “people were really that dumb,” while Trump posted that the whole thing was “completely fake.” In another post, Trump referred to the screenshots as “fake, AI-generated screenshots” and said he has never even spoken to Cormier. UFC’S DANA WHITE CONFIRMS FBI TALKS OVER UNUSUAL BETTING ACTIVITY ON FIGHTER ISAAC DULGARIAN MATCH Cormier told Fox News Digital that he was hacked and he was not the one to post the alleged interaction to social media. “I got hacked or something,” he said when asked if he was denying posting it to his social media. He continued, “Who believes stuff like that? That’s crazy.” Cormier also told Fox News Digital that the reporting that he posted this is wrong. “Yeah, absolutely,” he said when asked if the journalists claiming he posted it to social media are wrong.
Reporter’s Notebook: Lawmakers scramble as FISA fight comes at the worst possible time
There’s the World Cup. America’s 250th birthday. And the conflict with Iran. It’s all a nightmare national security hat trick. “It’s the highest we’ve ever seen,” said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Fox News Sunday about the terrorism threat level. “When I say we arrest terrorists every single week, I’m not exaggerating. Those aren’t the individuals that are coming across our border, those are individuals that are still inside this country.” But lawmakers are scared now that the nation’s premier anti-terrorism tool — called FISA Section 702 — expired over the weekend. EXPIRING SPY LAW SPARKS WARNINGS OF ‘FATAL’ CONSEQUENCES AHEAD OF WORLD CUP “I hope and pray to God that nothing happens in this country where an American is killed,” said Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio. “We want to prevent the next 9/11 from happening,” said Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., on Fox. “This program goes dark at a time when there are literally hundreds of thousands of people coming to this country for the World Cup,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. Well, not quite. “FISA is operative until next March. That’s the legislation,” said Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Confused? You’re not the only one. Let me explain. SPY PROGRAM CREDITED WITH STOPPING TAYLOR SWIFT TERROR PLOT BARRELS TOWARD EXPIRATION Legal authority sanctioned by Congress for this powerful intelligence-gathering weapon to foil terrorism expired at 11:59:59 p.m. ET Friday night. If nearly any other statute other than FISA Section 702 expired, the government couldn’t continue to rely on the program. “It’s a very inopportune time to allow the authorizing statute for 702 to lapse,” conceded George Croner, a former National Security Agency counsel. “It has proven to be the most useful by far of any of the intelligence programs that the community has available to it.” That’s why there’s worry about unprecedented vulnerabilities with the program expiring. Especially right now. “I think that it’s completely irresponsible to have FISA go dark at the beginning of the World Cup,” said Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., on FOX Business. A bipartisan coalition tanked an emergency FISA extension in both bodies of Congress last week. “It should have been voted down,” said Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo. “And I don’t say that lightly.” “We don’t have the guts to fix it. And I’m tired of hearing people are going to die,” said Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., scoffing at potential consequences from a program which ran its statutory course. The House rejected a three-week patch to paper over an imminent lapse in the program on Thursday. “Anybody who votes no on this bill is voting to undermine America’s national security,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La. CONSERVATIVE FISA REVOLT POSES FRESH TEST FOR SPEAKER JOHNSON But the GOP House majority failed to muster even 200 yeas for the bill. Nineteen Republicans bolted. They have privacy concerns and raised questions about illegal searches and seizures. “The Fourth Amendment is not a suggestion. We have to have a warrant,” said Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas. Still, Republican leaders claimed that it was Democratic resistance which put the country at risk. “(Democrats) are willing to jeopardize the safety and the security of the American people to make a cheap political point,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. But there was a reason Democrats balked. Congress punted renewing FISA Section 702 on multiple occasions over the past few months, repeatedly approving stopgap measures. Finally, Democrats and Republicans painstakingly negotiated a compromise which would install reforms. But Democrats withdrew their support for the deal once President Trump announced that housing czar Bill Pulte would take over on a temporary basis for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Democrats noted that Pulte lacked any national security or intelligence experience. Moreover, they believed he could weaponize intelligence programs like Section 702 against political opponents. TULSI GABBARD CHANGES TUNE ON CONTROVERSIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOL FOLLOWING GOP LOBBYING Ironically, both sides thought this was ironed out before Memorial Day. But Senate Democrats pulled their votes to advance the FISA measure in a pre-dawn vote late last month. Still, there’s concern about the consequences of not having FISA Section 702 fully in place. “Do Democrats not sleep at night if, God forbid, there’s something that happens with FISA turned off?” yours truly asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. “Donald Trump should lose sleep,” countered Jeffries. “Because Donald Trump decided he wants to elevate Bill Pulte, who is nothing more than a malignant political hack.” Here’s how the program works: FISA siphons the calls, emails and texts of foreign intelligence targets that the U.S. tracks. A special, secret court oversees FISA. But it ruled that the intelligence services can still track suspect communications through well into 2026 – despite a break in the law. “Data can still be collected for a year after it expires. So I don’t think it’s as dire as some think it is,” said Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo. She’s not the only one. “(FISA) will not lapse. I try to make this clear. The statute makes it clear that the authorities of FISA are going to be positive and enforceable for the remainder of this year. We think, until March of next year,” said Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill. TRUMP SIGNS STOPGAP FISA EXTENSION AFTER SENATE BLOCKS LONG-TERM RENEWAL However, it’s unclear if telecommunications companies will provide digital breadcrumbs to the government, lacking a Congressional safeguard. “That is a gray area and it’s one of the things that we’re going to have to work through,” said Jeffries. Croner, the former NSA counsel, says people shouldn’t worry about the government lacking a FISA Section 702 law. But he offered a caveat. “The carriers are going to become, in my view, increasingly uncomfortable with not having statutory protection for their part in 702 collection,” said Croner. When reporting on Congress, you’re only as good as your sources. And the same can be said in spy craft. The government’s digital spooks can’t track possible
Left-wing distraction of Trump’s UFC event falls flat as bitter celebrities mocked online
The political left’s attempt to counter-program President Donald Trump’s UFC event on the White House lawn Sunday night ended in widespread online mockery as celebrities and media personalities who have publicly complained for a decade about President Donald Trump offered more of the same. The event, called “Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment,” was hosted by far-left activist and actress Jane Fonda, nicknamed “Hanoi Jane,” and the Committee for the First Amendment in New York City. Participants spent three hours railing against Trump, recycling talking points about “fascism” and “authoritarianism” that have been repeatedly levied against the president since he first took office in 2016. The event was streamed on numerous left-wing YouTube channels, and also aired on C-SPAN. Bette Midler, an 80-year-old actress and activist, took center stage to perform her own rendition of Woody Guthrie’s “All You Fascists Bound to Lose,” backed by four other singers. She changed some of the lyrics to the song to make it anti-ICE themed. PARTY POOPERS’ FIGHT CARD: JANE FONDA, ‘NO KINGS,’ COMMUNISTS ROLL OUT RIVAL SPECTACLE TO TRUMP’S 250TH “All you fascists bound to lose,” the song began. “Lose, you fascists bound to lose.” “We’ll battle ICE together, until they cut and run, just like in Minneapolis, and when the midterms come you’re bound to lose, you fascists bound to lose,” it continued. The song also made reference to the Jeffrey Epstein files and claims that Republicans are “protecting pedophiles.” BETTE MIDLER LATEST TO ASSAULT PEOPLE’S EARS WITH TERRIBLE PROTEST SONG Midler was mocked for her performance. “Shew! I just saw a bunch of literal fascists getting ready to take down the country, BUT LUCKILY, Bette Midler and her super powerful squad stopped them at the gate… lol,” one popular X user needled. Another post criticized Midler as another one of the “dusty relics who peaked decades ago” who performed at the anti-Trump show. DEMOCRATIC PROTESTS DURING PRESIDENT TRUMP’S SPEECH MOCKED BY LIBERAL MEDIA FIGURES “These people aren’t just out of touch. They’re clinically insane,” the post added. Ex-MSNBC host Joe Reid used her platform at the event to blame the Trump administration for her own firing and the firings of other former television personalities. “The threat is not coming, friends. It is here,” she warned. “Brendan Carr, the man who wrote the blueprint to dismantle the FCC and Project 2025 is now running it. He is weaponizing the agency to bully and control the press and suppress the wider televised media.” WHITE HOUSE FIRES BACK AFTER ROBERT DE NIRO, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN TAKE TRUMP SWIPES AMID COLBERT’S FAREWELL WEEK “Don Lemon arrested, Georgia Fort arrested, Terry Moran fired from ABC, Scott Pelley fired from CBS by the clack of far-right ideologues who bought it and handed it over to a zealot named Bari Weiss who may soon also control CNN. Jim Acosta out at CNN. Karen Attiah fired from the Washington Post and me, more than a year ago,” she listed. “All of us shown the door for just doing our jobs, standing up to the administration and in my case, also for speaking out against the genocide.” Right-wing commentator Stephen Miller, not to be confused with the top Trump aide of the same name, didn’t take kindly to Reid’s comments. “Nothing she says here is true but she has the right friends in media so they will all applaud. Joy Reid is a bat s— crazy conspiracy theorist who they all accept because of the right politics,” he said on X. GREEN DAY FRONTMAN TELLS ICE AGENTS TO ‘QUIT THAT S—-Y JOB’ AT SUPER BOWL PARTY PERFORMANCE Soon thereafter, children’s singer and entertainer known as Ms. Rachel, who has been protesting outside the ICE detention facility Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey, joined several children on stage to complain about federal officers enforcing U.S. law. Later, about 40 people in a group called Singing Resistance New York performed an amateurish jingle while screaming: “No one is getting left behind this time.” TURNING POINT USA’S PATRIOTIC SUPER BOWL ALTERNATIVE EARNS PRAISE AS MILLIONS TUNE IN OVER BAD BUNNY “It is impossible to describe how much worse this is than Kid Rock doing an alternative Super Bowl halftime show,” said Ian Miller, a writer at Outkick. “‘No one is getting left behind this time’ from what?” conservative personality Libby Emmons asked. “And who are they singing about? And how are they so off-key? Rise Up Sing Out looks like a total bust.” Actor Robert De Niro also took the stage over the weekend to say he couldn’t love America while it’s led by Trump, and compared supporters to those in an abusive relationship. “I hate to say it, but loving our country is starting to sound like an abused spouse saying they love their abuser,” he said. “I can’t love a country that’s led by a racist, misogynist, xenophobic tyrant.” DE NIRO GETS EMOTIONAL, TEARY-EYED AS HE CALLS ON PEOPLE TO ‘RESIST, RESIST, RESIST’ TRUMP DURING INTERVIEW The multi-millionaire film star then started a “Go f–k yourself” chant with the crowd, aimed at the 47th president. He, too, drew heat from observers. “Oh no, I’m being abused by the country that made me rich and famous beyond my wildest dreams! Help, help! I’m being oppressed!” one commentator said in response. “‘I only love America when we’re in charge’” great message Bob,” said another.
Gavin Newsom claims Trump ordered DOJ probe targeting him and his wife
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday revealed that the Justice Department is investigating him and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, under orders from President Donald Trump. “After calling for my arrest last year, Donald Trump directed his Department of Justice to investigate me,” he said in a video statement. “And just in the last week, I’ve learned his campaign has reached my own home: to get me, he’s coming after my wife, Jen.” The governor also claimed the investigation is intended to undermine any potential White House bid he may pursue in the future. “Donald Trump isn’t just coming after me because of my mean Tweets. He’s coming after me because I am considering running for President,” he said. “Because he hates that I’ve consistently called him out – over and over again – for his lies and deceit. Donald Trump is simply the most corrupt President in American history.” This is a developing story. Please check back for updates