Major Republican rumored for gubernatorial run, hits back against Dem: ‘Worst governor in America’
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., a key Trump ally who is rumored to be planning a gubernatorial run in 2026, hit back hard against New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul, calling her the “worst governor in America” after the Democrat dinged her over Medicaid cuts. In a Friday post on social media, Hochul accused Stefanik of voting “to put five hospitals in her district on the chopping block, endangering her own constituents’ lives, health, and jobs—all to serve Donald Trump.” “I won’t stand for it. I’m fighting like hell to save New Yorkers’ health care,” said Hochul. In response, Stefanik posted on X, “Hi @KathyHochul! Welcome to the fight.” GOP ADVISOR EXPLAINS HOW REPUBLICANS CAN ‘CAPITALIZE’ ON ‘RADICAL’ CANDIDATE ZOHRAN MAMDANI “You didn’t get exposed enough during our last round when you testified and were totally exposed for your dangerous and failed sanctuary state policies ?? Let’s do Medicaid now,” she wrote. Stefanik slammed Hochul for giving Medicaid benefits to illegal immigrants, “putting New Yorkers most vulnerable LAST.” “NY’s Medicaid program is rampant with tens of billions of waste, fraud, and abuse under Kathy’s watch,” she wrote. “Kathy Hochul, the Worst Governor in America oversees the worst run Medicaid program in the country harming NYers. Medicaid is an incredibly important program that I have worked to strengthen for New Yorkers.” The New York congresswoman then added, “Oh and Kathy, your numbers in rural NY are plummeting” and “I have been nationally recognized as the TOP advocate to deliver results for rural hospitals due to my work for hospitals in my district.” HOCHUL FAILS TO RECALL ILLEGAL ALIENS CHARGED IN HIGH-PROFILE CRIMINAL CASES, INCLUDING WOMAN’S SUBWAY BURNING In another post, Stefanik said, “Oh Kathy. I’m glad I set your schedule these days – from setting your Tweet schedule by forcing you to tweet on the Communist Mayor who just won in your Democrat Party in NYC. To you now scrambling to go to Saranac Lake because of news articles. When I have an announcement to make, believe me you’ll know.” This comes after Stefanik pressured Hochul to say whether she supported the new Democratic nominee for New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has made controversial statements criticizing Israel and promoting Palestine and who identifies as a Democratic Socialist. Hochul has since said she plans to meet with Mamdani to discuss his ideas for the city but has not yet issued a full endorsement. Stefanik has said that as the leader of the New York Democratic Party, Hochul “fully embraced the antisemitic, Communist nominee,” adding, “she owns this catastrophe.” COULD THIS TOP TRUMP ALLY BREAK REPUBLICAN’S 2-DECADE LOSING STREAK IN THIS KEY STATE? Earlier this month, Stefanik told a Republican crowd in Staten Island she was “strongly considering” entering the race for governor. She unveiled a new state political action committee, Save New York, which appears aimed at further cementing her status as a heavyweight in Empire State GOP politics.
ACLU sues Trump over birthright order as Supreme Court clears path for it to take effect
Hours after the Supreme Court delivered the Trump administration a major victory Friday by ruling lower courts may issue nationwide injunctions only in limited instances, a coalition of liberal legal groups filed a sweeping new class-action lawsuit in New Hampshire federal court. It takes aim at President Donald Trump‘s January executive order that redefines who qualifies for U.S. citizenship at birth. While the justices’ 6-3 ruling leaves open the question of how the ruling will apply to the birthright citizenship order at the heart of the case, Friday’s lawsuit accuses the administration of violating the Constitution by denying citizenship to children born on U.S. soil if their mothers are either unlawfully present or temporarily in the country and their fathers are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. The case was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of New Hampshire, ACLU of Maine, ACLU of Massachusetts, Legal Defense Fund, Asian Law Caucus and Democracy Defenders Fund. It seeks to represent a proposed class of children born under the terms of the executive order and their parents. UPENDING US BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP WOULD HAVE DRASTIC NEGATIVE IMPACT, DEFENDERS WARN It is not the first legal challenge to the policy. The same group filed a separate suit in January 2025 in the same court on behalf of advocacy organizations with members expecting children who would be denied citizenship under the order. That case led to a ruling protecting members of those groups and is now pending before the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals, with oral arguments scheduled for Aug. 1. Friday’s SCOTUS ruling states that lower courts can no longer block federal policies nationwide unless it’s absolutely necessary to give full relief to the people suing. The decision does not say whether Trump’s birthright citizenship order is legal, but it means the order could take effect in parts of the country while legal challenges continue. The court gave lower courts 30 days to review their existing rulings. “The applications do not raise — and thus we do not address — the question whether the Executive Order violates the Citizenship Clause or Nationality Act,” Justice Amy Coney Barrett said, writing for the majority. “The issue before us is one of remedy: whether, under the Judiciary Act of 1789, federal courts have equitable authority to issue universal injunctions.” “A universal injunction can be justified only as an exercise of equitable authority, yet Congress has granted federal courts no such power,” she added. SUPREME COURT TAKES ON BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP: LIBERALS BALK AT TRUMP ARGUMENT TO END NATIONWIDE INJUNCTIONS Justice Sonia Sotomayor, in her dissent, suggested plaintiffs could pursue class actions as an alternative. “Nevertheless, the parents of children covered by the Citizenship Order would be well advised to file promptly class action suits and to request temporary injunctive relief for the putative class pending class certification,” Sotomayor wrote. “For suits challenging policies as blatantly unlawful and harmful as the Citizenship Order, moreover, lower courts would be wise to act swiftly on such requests for relief and to adjudicate the cases as quickly as they can so as to enable this Court’s prompt review.” The ACLU lawsuit calls birthright citizenship “America’s most fundamental promise” and claims the executive order threatens to create “a permanent, multigenerational subclass” of children denied legal recognition. “The Supreme Court’s decision did not remotely suggest otherwise, and we are fighting to make sure President Trump cannot trample on the citizenship rights of a single child,” said Cody Wofsy, deputy director of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project and lead attorney in the case. “This executive order directly opposes our Constitution, values, and history,” added Devon Chaffee, executive director of the ACLU of New Hampshire. “No politician can ever decide who among those born in our country is worthy of citizenship.” The lawsuit cites the 14th Amendment, which provides that “all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens.” It also references the Supreme Court’s 1898 decision in United States v. Wong Kim Ark, which affirmed birthright citizenship for U.S.-born children of noncitizens. The plaintiffs include individuals from Honduras, Taiwan and Brazil. One mother in New Hampshire is expecting her fourth child and fears the baby will be denied citizenship despite being born in the U.S. The case is Barbara et al. v. Trump et al., No. 1:25-cv-244, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire. “Trump’s executive order directly opposes our Constitution, values, and history and it would create a permanent, multigenerational subclass of people born in the U.S. but who are denied full rights,” said SangYeob Kim of the ACLU of New Hampshire in January. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Today’s historic decision delivers a decisive rejection of the weaponized lawfare President Trump has endured from leftist activist judges who attempted to deny the president his constitutional authority,” White House spokesperson Liz Huston wrote to Fox News Digital. “President Trump will continue to implement his America First agenda, and the Trump Administration looks forward to litigating the merits of the birthright citizenship issue to ensure we secure our borders and Make America Safe Again.” Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.
Oversight chair demands Jean-Pierre, other former WH staff testify on alleged Biden mental decline coverup
An influential House committee is demanding that former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and three other former top White House staffers appear before Congress to testify about the alleged cover-up of former President Joe Biden’s mental decline. Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., has been on the hunt for who was making decisions in Biden’s inner circle during the president’s apparent mental decline. On Friday, he sent letters to Karine-Pierre and former White House chief of staff Jeff Zients, former senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates and former special assistant to the president Ian Sams, demanding they present themselves for transcribed interviews with the oversight committee. The letters are part of the committee’s ongoing investigation into the alleged attempted cover-up of Biden’s decline and the potentially unauthorized issuance of sweeping pardons and other executive actions by senior White House officials usurping Biden’s presidential authority. JILL BIDEN’S ‘WORK HUSBAND’ REFUSES TO TESTIFY ON JOE’S MENTAL DECLINE In his letters, Comer says the committee believes that the four top Biden staffers have “critical” information on “who made key decisions and exercised the powers of the executive branch during the previous administration, possibly without former President Biden’s consent.” The letter to Jean-Pierre stated that as White House press secretary and a top Biden confidante, “you were not only near the president daily, but you were ‘alongside the ranks of the president’s top confidantes.’” “Your assertion, on multiple occasions, that President Biden’s decline was attributable to such tactics as ‘cheap fakes’ or ‘misinformation’ cannot go without investigation,” wrote Comer. He said that “if White House staff carried out a strategy lasting months or even years to hide the chief executive’s condition — or to perform his duties — Congress may need to consider a legislative response.” REP COMER ON A HUNT FOR BIDEN DECISION-MAKER IN THE ADMIN’S ‘INNER CIRCLE’ Comer set interview dates in late August and early September and gave the four senior officials until July 4 to confirm they would comply with the demands voluntarily or if they will “require a subpoena to compel your attendance for a deposition.” Jean-Pierre, Zients, Bates and Sams are the latest former Biden senior officials to receive a congressional summons from Comer as part of the Oversight Committee’s investigation into the alleged cover-up. The chairman also issued subpoenas to Dr. Kevin O’Connor, Biden’s physician, and Anthony Bernal, former assistant to the president and senior advisor to the first lady, after they refused to appear before the committee voluntarily. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Comer said that “as part of our aggressive investigation into the cover-up of his cognitive decline and potentially unauthorized executive actions, we must hear from those who aided and abetted this farce.” EXCLUSIVE: COMER HAILS DOJ’S BIDEN PROBE AS HOUSE INVESTIGATION HEATS UP “President Biden’s inner circle repeatedly told the American people that he was ‘sharp as ever,’ dismissing any commentary about his obvious mental decline as ‘gratuitous,’” he said. “They fed these false talking points to progressive allies and the media, who helped perpetuate that President Biden was fit to serve.” Jean-Pierre, Zients, Bates and Sams did not reply to Fox News Digital’s request for comment before publication.
Senate shuts down Kaine’s attempt to check Trump’s war powers
A Senate Democrat’s push to put a check on President Donald Trump’s powers and reaffirm the Senate’s war authority was shut down by lawmakers in the upper chamber Thursday. Sen. Tim Kaine’s war powers resolution, which would have required Congress to debate and vote on whether the president could declare war, or strike Iran, was struck down in the Senate on a largely party-line vote, save for Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., a staunch advocate of Israel who supported Trump’s strike on the Islamic Republic, and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who has been vocal in his thoughts about congressional war powers in recent days. Earlier in the week, the Virginia Democrat vowed to move ahead with the resolution despite a fragile ceasefire brokered between Israel and Iran following weekend strikes on the Islamic Republic’s key nuclear facilities that were not given the green-light by Congress. DEM SENATOR PLOWS AHEAD WITH WAR POWERS RESOLUTION DESPITE CEASEFIRE Kaine argued that the ceasefire gave his resolution more credence and breathing room to properly debate the role that Congress plays when it comes to authorizing both war and attacks abroad. He said ahead of the vote on the Senate floor that he came to Washington to ensure that the country does not again get into another “unnecessary” war, and invoked the rush to approve war powers for President George W. Bush over two decades ago to engage with Iraq. “I think the events of this week have demonstrated that war is too big to consign to the decisions of any one person,” Kaine said. ‘NOT CONSTITUTIONAL’: CONGRESS EVOKES NEW WAR POWERS RESOLUTION TO REJECT TRUMP’S STRIKES ON IRAN Indeed, his resolution became a focal point for a debate that has raged on Capitol Hill since Israel began its bombing campaign against Iran: whether the strikes like those carried out during Operation Midnight Hammer constituted an act of war that required congressional approval, or if Trump’s decision was under his constitutional authority as commander in chief. Senate Republicans have widely argued that Trump was well within his purview, while most Senate Democrats raised constitutional concerns about the president’s ability to carry out a strike without lawmakers weighing in. Experts have argued, too, that Trump was within his executive authority to strike Iran. The Constitution divides war powers between Congress and the White House, giving lawmakers the sole power to declare war, while the president acts as the commander in chief directing the military. And nearly two centuries later, at the height of the Vietnam War, the War Powers Resolution of 1973 was born, which sought to further define those roles. But the most impact lawmakers could have is through the power of the purse, and Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky, who plays a large role in controlling the purse strings as the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, had a sharp message against Kaine’s resolution. McConnell used instances where Democratic presidents over the last three decades have used their authority for limited engagements in Kosovo, Libya, Syria and Yemen, and questioned why “isolationists” would consider the strike on Iran to kneecap its nuclear program a mistake. “I have not heard the frequent flyers on War Powers resolutions reckon seriously with these questions,” he said. “Until they do, efforts like this will remain divorced from both strategic and constitutional reality.”
Providence City Council approves mailers teaching residents how to resist ICE operations
The city council in Rhode Island‘s capital is backing the distribution of “Know Your Rights” mailers to residents instructing them on how to deal with law enforcement amid the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement. Households in Providence will receive a card in English and Spanish advising them of their constitutional rights if confronted by agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It instructs residents not to open the door unless officers present a valid warrant signed by a judge. The lower portion of the card can be cut, kept in a wallet, and presented to immigration enforcement, a news release announcing the campaign states. CAIR PANELIST ACCUSES TRUMP ADMIN OF USING AI AND ANTISEMITISM AGAINST FREE SPEECH “The Providence City Council is partnering with organizations that represent our diverse community to promote safety and inclusion in the face of fear and uncertainty that pervades our city’s immigrant communities due to the reckless cruelty of the Trump administration,” Council President Rachel Miller said in a statement. “For nearly 400 years, immigrants have been and continue to be vital to Providence,” she added. “The Council stands together to say immigrants are welcome here and to encourage every member of our community to educate themselves about their constitutional rights and where to find help if they need it.” BLUE CITY’S DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE PRINTS THOUSANDS OF ‘RED CARDS’ URGING IMMIGRANTS TO KNOW THEIR RIGHTS The council worked with more than a dozen local immigrant rights and advocacy groups on the mailer. The city has spent $17,000 on the mailers, a spokesperson for the council told Fox News Digital. The Rhode Island Republican Party is demanding an investigation, noting that the council recently voted for an 8% increase in taxes. “They’re not just ignoring their oath, they’re mocking it,” the party said in a statement. “Every member of the Council swore to uphold the Constitution and the laws of the United States and Rhode Island. But instead of protecting legal residents and respecting their duty, they spent your money to help those who entered the country illegally figure out how to avoid accountability. Party Chair Jow Powers called the move “political theater” and “government malpractice.” “The Providence City Council used public funds to push propaganda that undermines federal law, all while gouging taxpayers,” he said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “If you’re an elected official aiding lawbreakers, you don’t belong in office, you belong under investigation. Period.” In the city’s news release, Council President Pro Tempore Juan M. Pichardo called Providence a city of immigrants, “Nothing is more fundamental to the American experience than the right to live here peacefully and prosperously, regardless of country of origin or documentation status,” he said. “This mailer will help remind our residents of those rights and of the resources available to our immigrant communities.” The mailers are in response to the Trump administration’s illegal immigrant operations targeting those living in the United States illegally. Democrats have denounced the operations, arguing they separate families and put communities at risk. Los Angeles saw multiple days of riots earlier this month after ICE agents arrested multiple illegal immigrants, many with criminal records, during several operations in and around the city. Fox News’ Brooke Taylor contributed to this report.
Anxious Republicans turn to Trump amid divisions over ‘big, beautiful bill’
Republicans in the House and Senate are anxiously watching whether President Donald Trump will take a more aggressive approach in corralling GOP lawmakers in favor of his “big, beautiful bill.” “President Trump is the leader of the Republican Party, isn’t he? I think it’s incumbent upon him to make sure everybody in the Senate understands that this is a signature piece of legislation that essentially 77 million Americans voted for,” Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., told Fox News Digital. The Senate is working through a massive piece of legislation advancing Trump’s agenda on tax, immigration, energy, defense and the national debt — which the president has said he wants on his desk by the Fourth of July. Trump has been pushing Republicans on the bill in public, addressing it at back-to-back events on Thursday and Friday while also posting on his Truth Social platform. 148 DEMOCRATS BACK NONCITIZEN VOTING IN DC AS GOP RAISES ALARM ABOUT FOREIGN AGENTS Congressional leaders have said they’ve been in near-constant contact with Trump or his White House staff about the legislation. Indeed, numerous White House officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Vice President JD Vance, to push Senate Republicans to stay on course. But some House Republicans want him to be as forceful as he was when their chamber passed the bill by just one vote in May. Trump summoned multiple groups of Republicans to the White House on several occasions in the lead-up to that vote, and even made a rare trip to Capitol Hill to gin up support within the House GOP. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., told Fox News Digital that when the House was going through the motions of advancing the mammoth legislation, it “looked all but impossible” to get it across the finish line. But it was because of Trump, he said, that the bill succeeded. “He’s our closer in the bullpen right now,” he said. “His arm is getting warmed up, and we’ll bring him in here in the ninth inning, and he’s going to throw heat. And so far, he’s pitched a no-hitter.” It’s worth noting that several senators who have expressed concerns about the bill have spoken individually with Trump. But Republicans who spoke with Fox News Digital showed varying degrees of enthusiasm when asked whether the president should repeat the intense involvement he had in the House. When asked by Fox News Digital whether it’s time for the president to get involved, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas., said, “That’s up to the White House. It’s up to the president.” But Roy added, “I think the Senate needs to deliver, and I think the Senate ought to make good on the agreement that the majority leader had with us and with the speaker to work with us to achieve that level of spending cuts.” Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Penn., said Trump is “always involved, so he’ll stay involved because we do want to get it done by July 4th.” Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., said he was not being kept aware of how involved Trump was, but said the president’s deal-making skills would likely be needed. “I mean, I think it’s gonna take that type of horsepower to kind of bring everybody together,” Fitzgerald said. But some Republicans in the upper chamber are resistant. NONCITIZEN LA RIOTERS COULD BE DEPORTED UNDER NEW HOUSE BILL “It doesn’t matter what he says, of course not,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital. “I mean, I’m not voting for something unless I know what I’m voting on.” Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., wouldn’t say whether he believed that Trump should put a finger on the scales more. But he told Fox News Digital that he was appreciative of the effort that Thune and Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, had put into getting feedback from Senate Republicans, but said that at a certain point, lawmakers just needed to vote on the bill. “We have cussed and discussed this bill for a long, long time, and at some point you move from careful, rational deliberation into the foothills of jackassery,” Kennedy said. “And that’s where we are now. It’s time to vote. If people are unhappy, they can offer amendments.” Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.
JD Vance poised to clinch victory for Trump’s landmark bill as GOP finalizes strategy
Vice President JD Vance could deliver the tiebreaking vote in the U.S. Senate for President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful, bill” should it fail to receive enough support from Republican lawmakers. Republicans are scrambling to reform and pass the measure ahead of Trump’s July 4 deadline after Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough’s determination Thursday that several Medicaid reforms in the sweeping tax and domestic policy package did not follow Senate rules and must be removed. As president of the Senate, the vice president casts a tiebreaking vote when a measure fails to receive majority support. DEMS ‘DELIBERATELY OBFUSCATING’ TRUTH ABOUT ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ WITH THIS CLAIM: WATCHDOG There are 53 Republicans in the Senate, meaning three Republican senators could opt out of voting for the bill, and it could still pass with Vance’s support. Vance has previously cast tiebreaking votes in the Senate, including in January to confirm Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, and on a measure in April to curb Trump’s ability to impose global tariffs. Vance’s office declined to provide comment to Fox News Digital. Republican lawmakers who’ve historically voiced concerns about certain Medicaid provisions included in the “big, beautiful, bill” include senators Susan Collins of Maine, Josh Hawley of Missouri and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. These lawmakers have cautioned that the reforms would prove detrimental to rural hospitals in their states. Spokespeople for Collins, Hawley and Murkowski did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. The domestic policy package also included provisions to beef up border security and would also make permanent the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act from Trump’s first term. The White House’s Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought told lawmakers earlier this month failure to pass the measure would result in a 60% tax hike for Americans and would trigger a recession. As a result, Matt Wolking, who previously served as the deputy communications director for Trump’s 2020 campaign, said Senate Republicans will ultimately band together to approve the legislation to prevent the tax cuts from expiring. HOW JOHNSON PULLED OFF ANOTHER IMPOSSIBLE WIN WITH JUST 1-VOTE MARGIN ON $9.4B SPENDING CUT BILL “Senate Republicans don’t want to be responsible for the massive tax increase on the middle class that will occur if they fail to extend President Trump’s tax cuts. So, ultimately, they will get this done,” Wolking, currently with GOP consulting firm Axiom Strategies, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “President Trump has a big asset in these negotiations with JD Vance, and whether he is needed to break a tie or not, the administration will have another major win under its belt heading into the midterm elections where the strength of the economy will be a big factor,” Wolking said. Earlier this month, Vance met with Republican senators to discuss the measure during a closed-door lunch and said afterward he was hopeful about the odds of passing the legislation on time. “I mean, look, I can’t make any promises. … I can’t predict the future, but I do think that we’re in a good place to get this done by the July 4 recess,” Vance told reporters June 17. Vance also told reporters that despite concerns from lawmakers, including Collins, regarding certain Medicaid provisions included in the measure, he would work to address any issues raised. Still, he said there was broad agreement within the party on reforming Medicaid to block access for illegal immigrants. “They’re all very confident we’re eventually going to get there,” Vance said. The House narrowly passed its version of the measure in May by a 215-214 margin, with two Republicans voting against the legislation. Trump urged lawmakers to get the legislation to the finish line Thursday, labeling the measure the “single-most important piece of border legislation ever to cross the floor of Congress.” “This is the ultimate codification of our agenda to — very simply, a phrase that’s been used pretty well by me over the past 10 years, but maybe even before that — make America great again,” Trump said at a “One, Big, Beautiful Event” at the White House Thursday.
Trump touts administration’s progress on peace deals, says world leaders ‘respect our country again’
Speaking with reporters in the Oval Office after a meeting marking a U.S.-brokered peace deal in Africa, President Donald Trump touted his administration’s progress on achieving peace deals across the globe, something he said has been possible because world leaders “respect our country again.” “We were not a country that was respected. Just a year ago we had a president that was incompetent. We had bad people circulating around this desk, this beautiful Resolute desk,” said Trump. “They had, I guess, evil intentions. They were, you couldn’t be that stupid, I mean, they had evil intentions, but the world respects our country again.” Commenting on a freshly brokered African peace, which will end a decades-long conflict between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, Trump said it “is a tremendous breakthrough.” “In a few short months, we’ve now achieved peace between India and Pakistan, Israel and Iran and the DRC and Rwanda and, a couple of others also, Serbia [and Kosovo],” he said. TRUMP EXERTED ‘MAXIMUM PRESSURE’ ON IRAN AND ISRAEL TO ‘DELIVER PEACE’: LEAVITT He also called his NATO trip “very successful,” saying U.S. allies committed to spend over $1 trillion on defense. “We’ve had some tremendous success,” said the president. Trump also mentioned the successful strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites and the subsequent ceasefire brokered between Israel and Iran. “We had the war, as you know, we call it the ‘12 Day War,’ it was exactly a 12-day war. And we ended up with no nuclear weapons. That’s what we wanted. And they were, they were just absolutely blown to pieces those three sites and there’s no nuclear weapons. And hopefully there can be a lot of healing. And healing is starting,” he said. EX-SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE CALLS US STRIKES ON IRAN A ‘SHOT IN THE ARM’ FOR AMERICAN CREDIBILITY On the topic of healing in the Middle East, Trump also predicted there will be a ceasefire in Gaza sometime “within the next week.” He called the situation in Gaza “terrible” but expressed optimism there could soon be a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. “I think it’s close. I just spoke with some of the people involved,” said the president, adding, “We think within the next week we’re going to get a ceasefire.” Trump also addressed the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, saying, “We’re supplying, as you know, a lot of money and a lot of food to that area because we have to, I mean, you have to. In theory, we’re not involved in it, but we’re involved because people are dying.” ‘THE MISSION WAS ACCOMPLISHED’: SENATE REPUBLICANS PUSH BACK AGAINST LEAKED REPORT ON IRAN STRIKES He called on other countries to also send humanitarian aid to Gaza. “We’re working on Gaza, trying to get it taken care of and again, you know, a lot of food has been sent there. And other countries throughout the world should be helping also,” he said. In addition to being respected by America’s allies, Trump said his administration has improved relations with countries such as Russia, North Korea, China and Iran. “Vladimir Putin made some very nice statements today,” he said. “Look, he respects our country again. He didn’t respect it a year ago. I can tell you right now, but Putin respects our country and, President Xi of China respects our country. And Kim Jong Un respects. They respect our country again.” In response to a question on whether he may authorize U.S. Patriot missiles for Ukraine’s air defenses, Trump simply responded, “I may.”
Trump admin reaffirms Abrego Garcia won’t go free in the US: ‘Horrific crimes’
Top Trump administration officials maintain that Kilmar Abrego Garcia will continue to go through the legal system in the United States before he is deported again, as the administration maintains he will not walk free in the U.S. Abrego Garcia’s lawyers successfully asked the judge on Friday to keep him behind bars to avoid any possibility of an immediate deportation, according to NewsNation. However, the plan is to try Abrego Garcia in the U.S. on the Tennessee-based human smuggling charges before deporting him, according to the Department of Justice. And if he is convicted, the White House says he will spend time behind bars in the U.S. before being deported. JUDGE SETS STRICT CONDITIONS FOR ABREGO GARCIA’S RELEASE AS TRUMP OFFICIALS PURSUE CASE AGAINST HIM “This defendant has been charged with horrific crimes including trafficking children and will not walk free in our country again,” DOJ spokesperson Chad Gilmartin told Fox News Digital in an email. The White House further clarified the Executive Branch’s stance following an Associated Press report on the comments from federal prosecutors about possibly deporting him to a third country sooner. “This is fake news. Abrego Garcia was returned to the United States to face trial for the egregious charges against him. He will face the full force of the American justice system – including serving time in American prison for the crimes he’s committed,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson said in an X post. RETURNED SALVADORAN MIGRANT KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA ARRAIGNED ON FEDERAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING CHARGES IN TENNESSEE DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the 29-year-old will not be freed in the U.S. at any point. “Kilmar Abrego Garcia is a dangerous criminal illegal alien. We have said it for months and it remains true to this day: he will never go free on American soil,” she wrote. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE Abrego Garcia, who was living in Maryland, was deported to El Salvador amid accusations of being an MS-13 gang member, as it is a designated foreign terrorist organization. He then spent time detained at the country’s terrorism confinement center. While detained in the country, it sparked a political firestorm in which Democrats raised concerns about due process, with Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-M.D., even meeting with him in the Central American nation. During his El Salvador detainment, past records alleging domestic abuse surfaced, as well as reports that he allegedly had taken part in human smuggling, which ultimately led to the federal charges brought forth earlier this month that resulted in his return to American custody. DEMOCRATS CELEBRATE RETURN OF SUSPECTED HUMAN TRAFFICKER KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA “Abrego Garcia has landed in the United States to face justice,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said at the time. “A grand jury in the Middle District of Tennessee returned a sealed indictment charging him with alien smuggling and conspiracy.” However, critics blasted the charges as a political move. “After weeks of the Trump administration saying they either couldn’t or wouldn’t return Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the US, the timing of these charges are clearly designed to cover up their negligence and the fact that the Supreme Court unanimously called them out on the egregious ways they are ignoring due process,” the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition said in a statement at the time. “Still, Mr. Abrego Garcia will now be able to have his day in court, which The Constitution guarantees for everyone in our country regardless of citizenship.”
Mamdani’s primary win exposes Democrat divide as top leaders withhold endorsements
Zohran Mamdani’s primary night success shocked the political establishment this week, exposing a generational divide among New York Democrats. New York Democrat Rep. Tom Suozzi endorsed former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the race for City Hall on Tuesday night. The moderate Democrat confirmed Wednesday that he “had serious concerns about Assemblyman Mamdani before [Tuesday], and that is one of the reasons I endorsed his opponent. Those concerns remain.” While fellow self-described democratic socialist, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., threw her political weight behind Mamdani ahead of his primary win, national congressional Democratic leaders, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, did not outright endorse Mamdani after he declared victory. “He ran an impressive campaign that connected with New Yorkers about affordability, fairness, & opportunity,” Schumer said Wednesday. When pressed by reporters about his non-endorsement, Schumer refused to elaborate on what Mamdani’s win meant for the Democratic Party’s future. CITY-RUN GROCERY STORES, DEFUNDING POLICE, SAFE INJECTION SITES: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT NYC’S NEXT POTENTIAL MAYOR Jeffries congratulated Mamdani on his “decisive primary victory,” and confirmed his plan to speak with the presumptive nominee the day after he declared victory. Yet, the House Democratic leader refused to formally endorse Mamdani. NEW YORK DEMOCRAT SAYS MAYORAL CANDIDATE ZOHRAN MAMDANI ‘TOO EXTREME TO LEAD’ Mamdani, whose campaign galvanized supporters on the ground and on social media, has proposed what conservatives deem radical ideas, like government-run grocery stores, free bus service, tuition-free city universities, rent freezes and free childcare, among others. Schumer and Jeffries did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s inquiry about their non-endorsements and whether the New York Democrats plan to rally behind Mamdani in November. Moderate New York Democrats, including Sen. Kristen Gillibrand and Reps. Ritchie Torres, Adriano Espaillat and Pat Ryan, are also yet to endorse Mamdani. Those congressional Democrats, as well as Suozzi, did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital inquiry about whether they planned to endorse Mamdani. Torres had also endorsed Cuomo in the primary. And Espaillat congratulated Mamdani on Wednesday but did not outright endorse him. Rep. Dan Goldman, who endorsed state Sen. Zellnor Myrie in the Democratic primary, has not yet endorsed Mamdani since his primary win, and did not immediately respond to an inquiry about whether he would. Meanwhile, longtime New York Democratic congressman, Jerry Nadler, clearly endorsed Mamdani on Wednesday, comparing his victory Tuesday to President Barack Obama’s political rise. “Zohran is someone who will be a partner with me in Washington to take on Donald Trump. I’ve spoken to him today about his commitment to fighting antisemitism, and we’ll work with all New Yorkers to fight against all bigotry and hate,” Nadler said, in an apparent reference to accusations that Mamdani is antisemitic, particularly over his refusal to condemn the controversial rallying cry, “Globalize the intifada.” Like Suozzi, New York Democrat Rep. Lauren Gillen refused to endorse Mamdani, writing on social media Wednesday, “Socialist Zohran Mamdani is too extreme to lead New York City.” “His entire campaign has been built on unachievable promises and higher taxes, which is the last thing New York needs. Beyond that, Mr. Mamdani has called to defund the police and has demonstrated a deeply disturbing pattern of unacceptable antisemitic comments which stoke hate at a time when antisemitism is skyrocketing. He is the absolute wrong choice for New York.” Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani for comment. Sources confirmed to Fox News Digital Thursday that Cuomo is not dropping out of the race. The former governor will keep the spot he secured earlier this year on the “Fight & Deliver” ballot line. But the sources said that Cuomo had not committed yet to running an active general election campaign through the summer and into the autumn. And Mayor Eric Adams announced his re-election campaign Thursday on the steps of New York City Hall. He decided to run as an independent amid low approval ratings and his since-dropped federal corruption charges. Former federal prosecutor Jim Walden is also running as an Independent, and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa will once again be the Republican nominee in November’s mayoral election.