18 House Republicans defy Trump to pass Ukraine aid package headed for veto fight
The Republican-led House on Thursday passed a sweeping security package providing new military aid to Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia, delivering a sharp rebuke to the Trump administration, who opposed the measure. Eighteen Republicans crossed party lines to support the Democrat-authored legislation in a vote of 226-195. California Rep. Kevin Kiley, an independent who caucuses with Republicans, also supported the legislation. Meanwhile, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., was the lone Democratic lawmaker to vote against the bill. House GOP leadership and the vast majority of Republicans opposed the legislation aimed at bolstering Ukraine’s defenses amid a surge in Russian missile and drone strikes as the conflict enters its fifth year. The measure now heads to the Senate, where it faces an uphill battle to clear the chamber. The White House said the legislation would undermine President Donald Trump’s goal of ending the prolonged conflict and that he would veto the measure, according to a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: GOP REBELS DEFY TRUMP AS CONGRESSIONAL GRIP CONTINUES TO WEAKEN ACROSS MULTIPLE VOTES “The bill seeks to tie the President’s hands by mandating a wide-ranging U.S. response to the Russia-Ukraine war while adding hundreds of millions in unfunded authorizations,” the White House document reads, in part. The security package would reaffirm U.S. support for Ukraine and NATO, authorize more than $1.5 billion in new security assistance and $8 billion in direct loans, and extend a Pentagon program that procures weapons and military equipment for Ukraine. The legislation would also target the Kremlin’s energy profits, which are central to keeping Russia’s war effort going, as well as organizations and companies that do business with sanctioned Russian entities. The White House warned that the legislation’s mandatory sanctions would “plunge the global economy into chaos.” But Republicans who supported the measure said its passage should not be viewed as defying the president. “President Trump has been the leader to support the people of Ukraine, and so I’ll be voting for the people of Ukraine, continuing the Trump tradition of support,” Wilson, a South Carolina lawmaker, told Fox News Digital in an interview. When asked about GOP opposition, Wilson said, “Putin needs to know that the American people stand with the brave and courageous people of Ukraine.” PRO-UKRAINE GOP REP. BACON DECLARES ‘REAL REPUBLICANS KNOW THAT PUTIN’S RUSSIA HATES THE WEST AND FREEDOM’ Still, several Republicans who opposed the measure said their opposition should not be viewed as a lack of support for Ukraine. “This bill is not about helping Ukraine. This is not about standing up to Vladimir Putin,” Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., said. “This is about engaging in Trump Derangement Syndrome as President Trump tries to bring this [conflict] in for a landing.” Others in the GOP conference voiced firm opposition to additional U.S. aid for the country. “I oppose further funding of Ukraine,” Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., told Fox News Digital. The successful vote came after the legislation, sponsored by Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., had languished in the House Foreign Affairs Committee for more than a year after being introduced in early 2025. But the measure gained momentum after a handful of defecting Republicans signed a Democrat-authored discharge petition that triggered a vote over the objections of House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who controls the floor. Most Republicans are reluctant to support legislation that comes to the floor via a discharge petition, which is often seen as undermining GOP leadership and aiding Democrats in the minority. “Democrats have repeatedly governed in the minority as if we were in the majority, and we’re going to do so again this week,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Tuesday. Some GOP lawmakers also argued the Ukraine measure was poorly drafted and outdated. For example, the bill calls on NATO countries to increase defense spending to 2% of their economic output, but Trump secured a 5% commitment from allies in 2025. “This bill literally moves us backwards, and a decrease of NATO defense member spending would be the result,” Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa., said. The legislation also proposes a lower figure for training and equipping Ukraine’s military than what Congress authorized last year in annual defense policy legislation. “It’s increasingly obvious that this [war] will end, and when it ends, it will be through negotiation,” Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, said during debate on the House floor. “If you support this bill, then clearly you are not interested in peace, because the consequences would tie the hands of this president and could lead to future hostilities that would bleed over into Europe.” But the legislation’s proponents fired back that Ukraine is in desperate need of military aid amid stalled efforts to end the war. “This is our Churchill moment or our Chamberlain moment,” Bacon, who is not running for reelection, said. “By God, I want to choose Churchill, and this House better choose Churchill.”
Four Senate Republicans again unite with Dems to block Trump’s SAVE America Act
Four Senate Republicans broke ranks to kill another effort to pass President Donald Trump’s marquee voter ID and election integrity legislation as the GOP marches to fund immigration enforcement. Just like last time, Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Thom Tills, R-N.C., joined all Democrats to thwart the move. It’s the second attempt by Republicans to attach the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act to their budget reconciliation package, and the second time that they’ve failed to get the legislation across the line months after launching a quasi-floor takeover to debate the bill. DOZEN GOP REBELS FAIL TO PERMANENTLY KILL TRUMP’S CONTROVERSIAL $2B FUND Trying to attach the bill to the nearly $70 billion budget reconciliation package geared toward funding Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol meant that the amendment from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., needed at least 60 votes to pass. That threshold again proved too high a bar on Thursday night. And it’s a result that further solidified the political reality in the upper chamber that the SAVE America Act has little chance of passing, given the unanimous Democratic resistance and lack of total buy-in among the Senate GOP, even if Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., launched the long sought after talking filibuster. REPUBLICANS FAIL TO ATTACH SAVE AMERICA ACT TO PARTY-LINE FUNDING PACKAGE Still, Graham challenged Democrats to bat down the amendment, accusing them of being “probably into cheating” in elections for not supporting voter ID. “There’s no other reason to say you don’t have to have an ID. It just makes cheating easier,” Graham said. “Who wants a noncitizen voting in our election if you’re against that, that makes me wonder.” “And biological males playing girls sports [is] not good for anybody, and a minor should not be allowed to transition their sex,” he continued. “That’s the biggest change you can make in your entire life. You shouldn’t be allowed to do that as a minor. This is what we say. What do you say?” DEMS BLOCK GOP AMENDMENT TYING VOTER ID BILL TO TRANSGENDER SPORTS BAN But Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., noted “that just over a month ago, a similar proposal was defeated on a bipartisan basis.” “Current safeguards are working,” Padilla said. “And yes, it is already unlawful for non-citizens to vote in the United States. What this amendment does is mirrors earlier attempts to push through the president’s priorities, to try to take over elections, to ban vote by mail.” “And while we’re at it, while they’re at it, attacking trans folks during pride month, that’s pretty damn offensive,” he continued.
‘He hated women’: Explosive abuse, new Nazi tattoo allegations from exes rock Platner’s campaign
Some of Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner’s ex-girlfriends spoke out in a damning report Thursday, which chronicled new allegations of rape fantasies, heavy drinking and violent episodes. Platner continues to be under fire for a chest tattoo called the Totenkopf, used by Nazi death camp guards, alleged sexting of younger women and publicly finding humor in a Taliban attack that nearly killed former Pennsylvania lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Teddy Daniels. One of his ex-girlfriends, Lyndsey Fifield, told the New York Times the two met in 2013 when he was a George Washington University student, and she was with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce with a growing presence in conservative circles. Fifield recounted how Platner would poke fun at his chest tattoo of a Totenkopf and told the paper that Platner explained he and other members of his military unit chose it because of parallels between them and the Schutzstaffel — in that “they were a death unit… killers,” which appears to contradict his narrative that he did not know the tattoo was associated with the Nazi emblem. DEMOCRATIC MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE GRAHAM PLATNER CONFRONTED BY MS NOW HOST ABOUT TATTOO CONTROVERSY She also recalled how the oyster farmer and veteran would sharpen an ax while watching television and ruminate about raping home invaders. “He said this a lot: If anybody ever broke in here, I would rape them,” but not in a sexual or “gay” way, Fifield said, adding that Platner stated he would want to instead impose dominance over them through penetration and that he believed rape was about power. She also described a public encounter where Platner purportedly pulled her out of a taxi by her wrist during an altercation. LEFT-WING DEM SENATE HOPEFUL CHEERED ON ANTIFA VIOLENCE IN UNEARTHED RANT: ‘KILL A MOTHERF—ER’ Platner, who has acknowledged his battle with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from his time in the military, told Fox News Digital that he has “been open about what was a very dark period of my life where I struggled with undiagnosed PTSD.” “Throughout this campaign, I’ve been open about what was a very dark period of my life where I struggled with undiagnosed PTSD, too often self-medicated with alcohol, and was a far from perfect boyfriend,” Platner said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “I take responsibility for all of that, and wish I had been better. Any characterization beyond that is false, and I believe, politically motivated,” he added. “I’m not proud of who I was then, but I am proud of the work I’ve done since, and the movement we are building in Maine.” Fifield recounted another incident when Platner reportedly pushed her into a bedroom and held the door shut. She later was able to leave after falling asleep and waking after some time had passed. SENATE CANDIDATE GRAHAM PLATNER SENT EXPLICIT TEXTS TO MULTIPLE WOMEN WHILE MARRIED, WIFE SAYS: REPORT Besides the rape visualizations, Platner would “fantasize about killing people he deemed a threat,” according to the Times’ conversation with Fifield – who briefly spoke with Fox News Digital on the phone, but declined to further comment on the story. Fifield added that in addition to the ax which he had from prior work bushwacking on the Appalachian Trail, Platner kept an AR-15 in his Capitol Hill home. The firearm type is currently prohibited in the District of Columbia, but that law is under legal challenge from the Trump Justice Department. Of Fifield’s allegations, Platner’s campaign pointed to her conservative-leaning politics and called her a “lifelong GOP operative who’s dedicated her career to electing Republicans.” NEW WEBSITE PUTS PLATNER ON NOTICE BY AMPLIFYING SCANDALS: ‘ONE RED FLAG AFTER ANOTHER’ In turn, Fifield, who previously worked at the Heritage Foundation and briefly worked on Nikki Haley’s presidential campaign, among other conservative jobs, said she is not affiliated with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine; the five-term incumbent Platner is challenging. Another woman, Jenny Racicot, is a fellow Maine Democrat who was in an “off-and-on” relationship with Platner between 2019 and 2021, according to the Times. She told the paper some of Platner’s controversial Reddit posts hardened her view that he has issues with women. DEMOCRAT BLASTED BY LEFT AND RIGHT AFTER SOFTENING STANCE ON SCANDAL-HIT MAINE CANDIDATE “I recognized a version of him that I had experiences with,” she said. Another Maine Democrat who he dated declined to have her name published by the Times and said Platner would at times drink heavily, and that her role in the relationship seemed like “collateral damage to the world that is his.” The Republican National Committee said the report appears to be nothing new in the cadence of scandals facing the Democratic challenger. WATCH: SCANDAL-PLAGUED PLATNER DODGES QUESTIONS BEFORE DC MEETING WITH DEMOCRATS “Every day brings another deeply disturbing revelation about Graham Platner,” spokeswoman Delanie Bomar said. “If he’s willing to do this to his own girlfriend, imagine what he’s willing to do in a position of political power. Maine voters deserve to know why Democrats are willing to excuse this deranged behavior,” said Bomar. “If Chuck Schumer and national Democrats don’t distance themselves from Platner, they’ll be forced to answer for his behavior every day from now until Election Day,” she continued. Fox News Digital also reached out to Collins, Gov. Janet Mills, Senate Republicans’ campaign arm, Senate Democrats’ campaign arm, and Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, D-Old Orchard Beach; the legislature’s top Democrat, for comment.
Hunter Biden could mount a successful White House bid given recent Democrat picks: Trump
Hunter Biden could possibly mount a successful White House bid despite his shaky past, given some of the congressional candidates recently backed by Democrats, President Donald Trump said Thursday. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump was asked by Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy about Biden — the son of former President Joe Biden — running for president in 2028. This came after the younger Biden reacted to a parody account on X touting him as the 2028 Democratic presidential nominee. “You would think that the past has something to do with winning an election. And I would say his past is not the greatest,” Trump said. MAINE DEM SENATE HOPEFUL BACKED BY BERNIE SANDERS APOLOGIZES FOR NAZI-STYLE TATTOO, VOWS TO STAY IN RACE “Hey, if the guy from Maine can do well, I guess Hunter could do well, too, because the guy from Maine is a basket case,” Trump added, referring to Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner. “And I would say worse than him is the one from Texas that looks like Alfred E. Neuman,” referencing Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico. Platner, a Marine veteran who has emerged as one of the party’s fastest-rising political figures, has come under fire for controversies ranging from sexually explicit messages and offensive social media posts to a Nazi-linked tattoo and campaign staff upheaval. DELETED POSTS URGING VIOLENCE HAUNT DEMOCRATIC SENATE HOPEFUL IN MAINE RACE Despite the criticism, Platner has retained the support of prominent Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. In Texas, Talarico has drawn pushback from conservative opponents over his use of his religious background, such as when he said “God is nonbinary” during a 2021 debate in the Texas legislature. In addition, he has previously said there are six biological sexes and referred to the radicalization of white men in an old social media post. Hunter Biden’s controversies involve his foreign business dealings, convictions for tax evasion and illegal possession of a weapon, and drug addiction. Fox News Digital’s Amanda Macias contributed to this report.
Scandal-plagued Dem becomes Trump’s measuring stick for Hunter Biden’s 2028 odds
President Donald Trump entertained the idea of Hunter Biden running for president in 2028, quipping on Thursday that the former first son might have a shot if scandal-plagued candidates like Maine Senate hopeful Graham Platner can survive the political spotlight. “[Hunter Biden’s] on social media now, and he has suggested – maybe joking, I don’t know – that he could run for president in 2028. How would he do, Hunter Biden, in a 2028 Democratic primary?” Fox News’ Peter Doocy asked Trump on Thursday. The former first son became active on X in May, sparking speculation that he is gearing up for a potential run for political office. “I would say his past is not the greatest,” Trump responded. CARVILLE AVOIDS ADDRESSING CLAIM THAT HUNTER BIDEN ‘COULD BE PRESIDENT’ “Hey, if the guy from Maine can do well,” the president continued. “Well, I guess Hunter could do well, too, because the guy from Maine is a basket case.” Platner, who Trump was referencing, faces a myriad of campaign controversies stemming from his deleted Reddit account, a Nazi-linked tattoo, hard-drug use, sexting allegations and a newly-released New York Times report detailing his alleged behavior with ex-girlfriends. Biden, meanwhile, has a documented history of drug use and legal troubles, culminating in a sweeping pardon from his father weeks before Trump returned to office. Despite mounting controversies, Platner remains competitive in polls as he seeks to unseat incumbent GOP Sen. Susan Collins. Trump also compared a potential Hunter Biden 2028 run to James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Texas. “And I would say worse than him is the one from Texas that looks like Alfred E. Neuman,” he said “I would say that if he can do well, maybe Hunter can do well. I’m not sure, it’ll be pretty close as far as I’m concerned.” DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFULS GRAPPLE WITH BIDEN’S LEGACY AS 2028 RACE BEGINS Trump, speaking to the press during an event focused on the administration’s investment in coal energy, also provided some new information about former President Joe Biden’s mental state during a private meeting they held after the 2024 elections. “President Biden is out promoting a new book this week. When you met with Joe Biden, President Joe Biden, right here in the Oval Office on November the 13th of 2024, could you detect any cognitive decline in President Biden at that time?” a reporter asked. “No, not really. I mean, he was the same guy I’ve been watching for a long time,” the president answered. “He was fine as far as I was concerned,” Trump said, adding that “I don’t know, something happened to him during the debate. It could have been me.” BIDEN ‘A LITTLE OLDER AND A LITTLE SLOWER’ IN THE FINAL DAYS OF HIS PRESIDENCY: NEW YORK TIMES REPORT Trump noted that the elder Biden was “never the sharpest guy.” Fox News Digital reached out to representatives for the former president and Hunter Biden on Thursday.
Democrats split over Tlaib’s Lebanon measure as Republicans seize on Hezbollah omission
Democrats splintered over a resolution seeking to block the U.S. from assisting Israel’s war against Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed terrorist group, on Thursday. The measure, offered by progressive Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., would require President Donald Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from Lebanon. For months, Israel and Hezbollah, a U.S.-designated terrorist group and Iranian proxy, have been at war in southern Lebanon, but the United States has not joined the conflict. A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., rejected the measure. Critics argued the resolution could aid Hezbollah and potentially hamstring U.S. military operations in the country. Tlaib’s resolution failed 92-324, with more than half of House Democrats joining nearly all Republicans to vote it down. REP RASHIDA TLAIB MOVES TO BLOCK US OPERATIONS IN LEBANON BUT IGNORES HEZBOLLAH Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., an Israel critic, was the lone Republican to support Tlaib’s measure. Meanwhile, Reps. Derek Tran, D-Calif., and Betty McCollum, D-Minn., voted present. House Democratic leaders said shortly before the vote they would oppose Tlaib’s resolution and work with the progressive lawmaker on a narrower measure exempting some U.S. military operations in the country. Their statement also denounced Hezbollah as a “violent terrorist organization” and a “sworn enemy of the United States.” Tlaib, who has accused Israel of committing “ethnic cleansing” in Lebanon, did not mention Hezbollah in her resolution. She and other proponents of the measure also avoided discussing the Iranian proxy force during heated floor debate over the measure. Republicans highlighted the omission and accused the legislation’s supporters of serving as “proxies for Hezbollah.” “Apparently they don’t want to see Israel killing Hezbollah, even though it’s Hezbollah that is killing Israeli children, Israeli adults, Israeli elders,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, R-Fla., said Wednesday, referring to his Democratic colleagues. Tlaib asserted that her resolution would only affect U.S. forces actively engaged in hostilities. Republicans, however, disputed that claim and suggested it would hurt U.S. efforts to counter Hezbollah. “It doesn’t say anything about [whether] you can keep the Marines that are in the embassy,” Mast said, referring to the U.S. embassy in Beirut. “That’s a pretty big oversight. It doesn’t say anything about whether we can keep United States armed forces that are training missions with the LAF [Lebanese Armed Forces]. Again, pretty big oversight.” RASHIDA TLAIB HIT WITH HOUSE CENSURE THREAT, ACCUSED OF ‘CELEBRATING TERRORISM’ IN PRO-PALESTINIAN SPEECH The debate turned personal when Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, linked Tlaib to Hezbollah. “Hezbollah is a terrorist organization … and its members are butchers that you like to hang out with to a certain extent,” the Ohio lawmaker said, referring to Tlaib. A shouting match between the two then broke out, with Tlaib demanding that Miller’s remarks be stricken from the record. The presiding chair ultimately complied with her request, but Miller doubled down on his remarks. “Yes, I said it. I own it, and I stand by it,” Mast said on behalf of Miller on the floor. Tlaib’s failed war powers resolution comes as Iran has sought to tie Israel’s invasion of Lebanon to its ceasefire negotiations with the United States. Hezbollah, which has long helped Iran project power in the region, rejected a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon’s government Thursday.
SEE IT: Dem senators dodge on backing Platner as Maine candidate’s scandal clouds final days before primary
Several Democratic senators repeatedly declined to say whether they still support Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner when pressed about leaked explicit sexual messages tied to the candidate. Platner’s latest controversy in the public eye involves sexually explicit text exchanges with multiple women that surfaced publicly while he was married to his wife, Amy Gertner. The Maine candidate also has an active profile on Kik — private messaging app associated with casual sex and anonymous encounters. The app lacks proper identification methods that have led it to enable child predators to share inappropriate material. His profile, Phustle0331, has been active since 2016, but Platner’s campaign previously acknowledged that the Kik account, which was created in 2016, belonged to him, stating that he had deleted the app from his phone but did not deactivate the account, according to The Wall Street Journal. WATCH: SHAHEEN DODGES REPORTER’S PLATNER QUESTIONS AS AIDE CREATES DONUT DISTRACTION While most Democrats were hesitant to vocalize their support for Platner, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., made it clear that he supports Platner in securing the Senate spot in Maine because of his opposition to President Donald Trump. “We have in Maine, a candidate, that is Platner, who wants to stop Trump’s authoritarian destruction of our democracy,” Markey told Fox News Digital. “And we have another candidate, an incumbent, who hasn’t stood up to Trump. And so if you care about our Constitution, there’s really only one choice.” Many Democratic lawmakers, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have continued to back Platner despite the growing scandal, arguing that flipping Maine’s now Republican-held Senate seat remains a top political priority. WATCH: CHUCK SCHUMER SIDESTEPS PLATNER SCANDALS, CONFIRMS SUPPORT FOR CONTROVERSIAL DEM Not all Democrats offered an outright endorsement. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said the decision ultimately belongs to Maine voters. “I think that’s up to the voters of Maine to decide,” Shaheen said. “I don’t think inappropriate sexual behavior should be approved by anybody who does it, but the voters of Maine will have to decide that.” Some Democrats declined to weigh in on the controversy or say whether they still support Platner as the countdown to Maine’s primary election enters its final days. “I haven’t met him, I haven’t engaged with him, and I’m not going to answer that,” Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said. THE GROWING LIST OF CONTROVERSIES THREATENING DEMOCRAT GRAHAM PLATNER’S MAINE SENATE BID “I don’t do campaign stuff in the Capitol,” Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said when asked both if he was still supporting Platner and if he attended the meeting between some Democratic senators and Platner on Tuesday. Platner invited the entire Senate Democratic caucus to a meeting Tuesday, though only about half a dozen senators were seen attending. Those in attendance included Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., and Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt. The primary election is set for Tuesday, leaving Maine voters just days to decide whether the controversy changes the trajectory of one of Democrats’ most closely watched Senate races. Fox News Digital’s Adam Pack and Taylor Penley contributed to this report.
Bessent spars with Dem in fiery Trump tax showdown until claim crosses the line: ‘Slanderous’
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Rep. Linda Sánchez, D-Calif., traded barbs during a Thursday congressional hearing after she pressed him over a DOJ settlement requiring the IRS to end any existing tax audits of President Donald Trump, with Sánchez ultimately accusing him of overseeing the “most corrupt Treasury Department” in U.S. history. “I hope that you’re proud of your performance today, Mr. Secretary,” Sánchez told Bessent as he testified before the House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday. “I hope you get some social media clips,” he shot back. The tense exchange came as Sánchez cited a settlement reached between the Department of Justice and the Trump family in May that forced the IRS, which is overseen by the Treasury Department, to end any existing tax audits of Trump, his family and their business interests. By the end of the back and forth, both parties had become incensed, with the congresswoman accusing Bessent of running the “most corrupt Treasury Department.” TRUMP FILES $10B LAWSUIT AGAINST IRS OVER ALLEGED TAX RETURN LEAKS TO MAJOR NEWS OUTLETS “Why are you allowing President Trump and his family to have complete immunity from being audited?” Sánchez asked Bessent as he testified before the House Ways and Means Committee. “Again, since you are a lawyer, you will understand that the U.S. Treasury and the IRS are represented by the Justice Department and the acting attorney general,” Bessent responded. The clash highlighted a broader fight over how far executive power should extend when it intersects with federal agencies, personal finances and politically charged investigations. It also provided a familiar dynamic: Democrats warning of special treatment for Trump, and the administration framing the issue as another example of combating institutional overreach against him. It is unclear whether Trump is currently facing any audits, a detail pressed by Bessent, eliciting indignation from Sánchez. “Do you have specific knowledge of an audit of President Trump?” he asked Sánchez. DEMOCRAT CONGRESSWOMAN DRAWS BOOS OVER ‘SHAMEFUL’ SEXISM REMARK IN COMMITTEE HEARING WITH TREASURY SECRETARY “Excuse me? It’s my time. You’re not here to ask me questions. I’m here to ask you questions. And hopefully you’re here to try to answer some of them,” she responded. “I’m curious to know who counts as Trump’s family for the purposes of this immunity. Is it his children, his in-laws, his grandchildren, his second or third cousin? His great-great-grandchildren? Do you know the answer to that question, Mr. Secretary?” “Again, I imagine you have the Justice Department phone number. I suggest you call them,” the secretary responded. The exchange only heightened from that point. “Safe to say that this is probably the most corrupt Treasury Department in our nation’s history,” Sánchez said as her time speaking expired. “And I am going to have to take exception with that,” Bessent hit back, waving away her claim as “slanderous.” “The congresswoman is slanderous,” Bessent continued. “She has nothing but … the unsubstantiated opinions. And I will not stand for that. There is nothing corrupt. We move at the highest levels.” ACTING AG BLANCHE REVEALS FATE OF TRUMP’S ‘ANTI-WEAPONIZATION FUND’ UNDER PRESSURE FROM HOUSE LAWMAKERS Critics have questioned whether the DOJ has authority to bind the IRS and accused Trump, who was in 2024 reportedly facing a tax investigation that could have cost him up to $100 million, of pressuring the government for personal gain. Supporters, meanwhile, argue that the immunity is an appropriate response to alleged government weaponization. The state of the Trump family’s immunity is currently uncertain, especially after a federal judge blocked the president’s proposed $1.8 billion compensation fund. Bessent has declined to comment on whether the immunity deal is still in place, citing pending litigation.
Tulsi Gabbard reveals husband’s ‘very rare sacral chordoma’: ‘In a lot of pain’ after 7-hour surgery
Outgoing Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, in a heartfelt X post Thursday, revealed her husband Abraham Williams is recovering at home after undergoing nearly seven hours of surgery for what she described as a “very rare sacral chordoma.” “My husband Abraham was diagnosed with a very rare sacral chordoma,” Gabbard wrote Thursday on X. “The surgery to remove bone and surrounding tissue lasted almost seven hours and was successful. “He had a rough night and is in a lot of pain but is finally home resting. Now recovery begins.” Gabbard announced her pending resignation as DNI to support her husband through his battle with “an extremely rare form of bone cancer,” as first reported by Fox News Digital last month. DEMOCRATS, MEDIA SPARK FURY WITH ‘DISGUSTING’ RESPONSE TO TULSI GABBARD’S DNI RESIGNATION Gabbard notified President Donald Trump during a meeting in the Oval Office in mid-May. Her last day at ODNI was expected to be June 30. “We’re so grateful for the outpouring of prayers and kind messages from all of you,” Gabbard’s Thursday post, revealing the precise diagnosis for the first time, concluded. “Our hearts are full.” Trump announced Tuesday he appointing Federal Housing Finance Agency chief Bill Pulte as acting DNI to succeed Gabbard. TRUMP NAMES BILL PULTE ACTING DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE “During this period, he will remain Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and Chairman of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. Gabbard assumed office in February 2025 and is a U.S. Army Reserve officer and combat veteran. She previously served in Congress for multiple terms as a Democrat before leaving the party to become an independent and later joining the Republican Party. Fox News Digital exclusively obtained her formal resignation letter, in which Gabbard says she is “deeply grateful for the trust you placed in me and for the opportunity to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence for the last year and a half.” RARE SPINAL CANCER TUMOR REMOVED THROUGH PATIENT’S EYE AT UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL “Unfortunately, I must submit my resignation, effective June 30, 2026,” she wrote. “My husband, Abraham, has recently been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer.” Gabbard said her husband “faces major challenges in the coming weeks and months.” “At this time, I must step away from public service to be by his side and fully support him through this battle,” she said. I’M 41 WITH A HUSBAND AND CHILD. I HAVE TOO MUCH TO LOSE AND WON’T GIVE UP MY FIGHT AGAINST CANCER Gabbard added: “Abraham has been my rock throughout our eleven years of marriage — standing steadfast through my deployment to East Africa on a Joint Special Operations mission, multiple political campaigns and now my service in this role.” She wrote that she “cannot in good conscience ask him to face this fight alone while I continue in this demanding and time-consuming position.” Trump responded to the resignation on Truth Social, writing that she “rightfully” wants to support her husband during a tough battle. ‘REAL HOUSEWIVES’ STAR TEDDI MELLENCAMP HOSPITALIZED WITH MULTIPLE TUMORS ON HER BRAIN “I have no doubt he will soon be better than ever. Tulsi has done an incredible job, and we will miss her,” he wrote. A sacral chordoma is a rare, slow-growing cancerous bone tumor that develops in the sacrum, the triangular bone at the base of the spine above the tailbone. The National Cancer Institute describes chordoma as a rare bone cancer that can develop at the base of the skull, in the spine or at the end of the spine in the sacrum or coccyx. Fox News’ Madison Colombo, Brooke Singman and Robert Schmad contributed to this report.
Former National Security Advisor John Bolton to plead guilty to retaining classified information: sources
Former White House national security advisor John Bolton will plead guilty to retaining classified information, two sources confirmed to Fox News Digital on Thursday. Authorities raided Bolton’s home and office in August of last year, and he was officially indicted in October. That indictment charged Bolton with both transmission and retention of classified information. He is now expected to accept a plea deal with federal authorities to plead guilty to a single count of retention of classified information. He faces 60 months in jail and a fine of up to $2.25 million. “From on or about April 9, 2018, through at least on or about August 22, 2025, BOLTON abused his position as National Security Advisor by sharing more than a thousand pages of information about his day-to-day activities as the National Security Advisor—including information relating to the national defense which was classified up to the TOP SECRET/SCI level—with two unauthorized individuals,” the indictment read. JOHN BOLTON’S HOME AND OFFICE RAIDED BY FEDERAL AGENTS “BOLTON also unlawfully retained documents, writings, and notes relating to the national defense, including information classified up to the TOP SECRET/SCI level, in his home in Montgomery County, Maryland,” it continued. LIST REVEALS ITEMS FBI SEIZED FROM JOHN BOLTON’S HOME DURING RAID The documents, according to the indictment, revealed intelligence about future attacks by an adversarial group in another country; a liaison partner sharing sensitive information with the U.S. intelligence community; intelligence that a foreign adversary was planning a missile launch in the future, and a litany of other “TOP SECRET” information. “The FBI’s investigation revealed that John Bolton allegedly transmitted top secret information using personal online accounts and retained said documents in his house in direct violation of federal law,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in October. DEMOCRATS OPPOSED JOHN BOLTON FOR YEARS — UNTIL THEY SOUGHT HIM AS AN ALLY AGAINST TRUMP “The case was based on meticulous work from dedicated career professionals at the FBI who followed the facts without fear or favor. Weaponization of justice will not be tolerated, and this FBI will stop at nothing to bring to justice anyone who threatens our national security,” he added. Bolton served as Trump’s White House national security advisor during his first administration, from 2018 to 2019. A source familiar with the early stages of the investigation told Fox News Digital that CIA Director John Ratcliffe provided Patel with limited access to U.S. intelligence that served as the basis for the search warrant. The source told Fox News Digital that the evidence justified the raid on Bolton’s home. Fox News’ David Spunt contributed to this report.