Trump warns ‘godless communists’ will turn cities into slums as Dems fail to fight socialist surge
President Donald Trump took aim at the trajectory of the Democratic Party on Friday, telling attendees at the Faith & Freedom Coalition conference that its recent socialist primary winners are “godless communists.” “These are not social democrats. These are hardcore, godless communists. They’re godless communists. All communists are godless. They don’t believe in God. This is the most serious threat to our country since its existence. In my opinion, 250 years ago. This is a major threat to our country,” said Trump. Tuesday’s primary results in New York signaled a shift in the Democratic Party, with several socialist-backed candidates defeating incumbent officeholders. Trump, speaking ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday, highlighted America’s founding principles, arguing they stand in sharp contrast to the growing influence of socialist movements within the Democratic Party. “Our most important birthday so far, 250 years and instead of speaking about Christ and instead of speaking about freedom and victories of all different kinds, we’re speaking about yet another threat to the foundations of America,” said Trump. FAR-LEFT SURGE: MAMDANI-BACKED CANDIDATES OUST DEM ESTABLISHMENT INCUMBENTS He took aim at New York City socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani over a historic decision by New York City’s Rent Guidelines Board. Mamdani scored another political victory Tuesday, with all three congressional candidates he endorsed — Brad Lander, Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier — winning their respective Democratic primaries. “For the first time in history, the powerful Rent Stabilization Board, as an example that sets rents in New York City just happened today. They’ve done it for years and years and they’ve been very far left,” said Trump. NYC VOTERS FLOCK TO SOCIALIST-STYLE FREEBIES AS MAMDANI PUSHES RENT FREEZES, CITY-RUN STORES The board voted to freeze rents, banning landlords from raising rent on new one-year or two-year leases. “Mayor Mamdani, who came to the White House and seemed like a nice guy, but he said he was going to do this in his campaign,” said Trump. He warned that the decision would lead to the city’s decline. “What the mayor doesn’t say is that these buildings will soon turn into ghettos and slums, and that everybody will continue leaving New York,” Trump added. “As this spreads throughout the country, very much like an uncontrollable form of cancer, the country itself will be taken down. It will be third world, strictly third world. And it’s happened many times before to very big and very powerful countries. But it’s not going to happen to the United States of America,” Trump added.
New York City pours $15M into sex change initiatives as Mamdani accuses federal government of intimidation
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is pouring $15 million into new sex change initiatives for children and adults, framing the taxpayer-funded move as a defense against the federal government. The mayor’s office announced the multi-million-dollar package will establish a “direct care access fund” to subsidize providers who offer sex change procedures for children, and launch a dedicated call and text line, as well as fund research into LGBTQ+ healthcare access. Additionally, the city’s health department will launch a pilot program later this year at a Queens clinic to offer “gender-affirming hormone therapy” to adults at “no or low cost and regardless of immigration status.” MAMDANI TOUTS MASSIVE TAXPAYER-FUNDED INVESTMENT FOR TRANS HEALTHCARE: ‘FIRST STEP’ In a fiery statement, Mamdani accused the federal government of attempting to “intimidate patients, families and providers,” claiming the city is “stepping up” and will do “everything in our power to defend” the procedures. The mayor has directed the city’s law department to prepare for potential litigation to fight any federal efforts to restrict sex changes for children and adults. Top city officials echoed Mamdani’s sharp rhetoric, with Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su blasting the federal government’s actions as a “dehumanization of transgender people” that is “not just cruel, it’s dangerous.” NEW YORK AG LETITIA JAMES ADVISES HOSPITALS TO IGNORE TRUMP EO ABOUT SEX-CHANGE PROCEDURES FOR MINORS The director of the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs, Taylor Brown, accused the Trump administration of waging an “ideological war” driven by “political instincts, not science.” The city’s announcement follows a recent legal clash over the issue. Earlier this month, the city opposed federal grand jury subpoenas seeking the medical records of transgender patients, and a federal judge recently granted an injunction blocking the U.S. Department of Justice from accessing the records. DEMS ‘DELIBERATELY OBFUSCATING’ TRUTH ABOUT ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ WITH THIS CLAIM: WATCHDOG Despite the multi-million-dollar price tag, some city officials are arguing that the $15 million investment is not enough. With the New York City Council projected to receive an additional $2 billion in tax revenue over the current and upcoming fiscal years, Councilmember Tiffany Caban is pressuring the city to increase the sex change budget to $60 million, according to a report from the Daily News. “We got money for 500 more cops in the executive budget, but we don’t have money for healthcare and trans kids,” Caban said. City Budget Director Sherif Soliman has also signaled a desire to expand the program, calling the $15 million allocation a “start” and expressing hopes to funnel more money toward the initiatives within the city’s fiscal limits, the outlet reported.
Socialists sweep NYC as Americans balk at movement’s brutal catch: ‘Talk to immigrants’
Americans gathered on the National Mall for President Donald Trump’s America250 kickoff at the Great American State Fair said New York’s socialist surge is a warning sign for Democrats — one they argue history has already rejected. “If you study history, you will see that many countries have already tried to go down that path and ended up in disaster,” said 11th grade Georgia teacher Jill. “If you talk to immigrants who came from countries that were socialist, they will tell you they left you know tending toward communist countries. They left for that reason.” Fox News Digital spoke with Americans who gathered on the National Mall Wednesday evening for Trump’s rally kicking off the Great American State Fair celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary, where attendees shared why they believe socialism would fail in the United States. The comments follow New York City socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani scoring another political victory Tuesday, with all three congressional candidates he endorsed—Brad Lander, Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier—winning their respective Democratic primaries. WINNERS AND LOSERS EMERGE AFTER SOCIALIST EARTHQUAKE ROCKS NYC PRIMARIES The victories were widely viewed as another sign of Mamdani’s growing influence in the Democrat Party and the increasing acceptance of socialism. The socialist victories in several high-profile New York Democratic primaries drew a sharp political contrast that many attendees of Trump’s rally told Fox News Digital served as a stark reminder of the direction they fear the country is heading. Rally attendee Jill told Fox News Digital that she traveled to East Germany at the age of 16 when the Berlin Wall was coming down, an experience she now brings into the classroom by showing her students photos from the trip. “I show my students pictures, and we talk about what communism means … capitalism is what’s got us here. We’ve been a capitalist country for a very long time. They have to be extremely careful when voting. They need to study and be well-informed voters,” Jill continued. While socialism collapsed in the Soviet Union and East Germany, it continues to shape the governments of countries such as Cuba and Venezuela—two nations that President Donald Trump has made a focus of his foreign policy efforts in an effort to support democratic change. NYC VOTERS EMBRACE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM AS AOC, SANDERS STUMP FOR MAMDANI “I don’t support socialism … If you look at Cuba, the difference there… compared to even the other Caribbean countries around it, it’s totally different. And they’re driving old cars. They don’t have even heating and air … capitalism makes that possible. And so I’m very much in favor of working for what you want … I still think America is a place where the American dream can still come true,” said Toni of Kentucky. “A hundred million people died from communism, whether it be from China and Mao or Stalin and Russia, Hitler. We can’t forget our history, or we have a tendency to repeat it, and we should definitely reject this. It’s never worked anywhere. And capitalism and a free market society has benefited the world,” David of Annapolis, Maryland, said. Jennifer, who traveled from Tennessee, said she is worried about the rise of socialism in America. “It’s not something that’s beneficial for our country and our values,” she said. Former Rochester, New York, resident Norma told Fox News Digital she has 10 grandchildren and is worried about the next generation. “New York is pretty much, I hate to say, far gone… I lived there for 22 years. There are conservative people there, but unfortunately, there’s this new agenda coming through,” she said. NYC VOTERS FLOCK TO SOCIALIST-STYLE FREEBIES AS MAMDANI PUSHES RENT FREEZES, CITY-RUN STORES Mamdani has faced criticism from conservatives over proposals including fare-free city buses, universal free childcare and city-run grocery stores, with Americans at the event telling Fox News Digital that “free” programs ultimately come at taxpayers’ expense. “Socialism promises everything, but they can’t deliver past everybody’s money… history has shown where socialism fails… the proof is in the pudding,” said Billy of North Carolina. “I don’t agree with it at all… we can’t function on giving everything away for free,” said Nicky of Tennessee. DANGEROUS OR AN OPPORTUNITY? SOCIAL MEDIA AS VENUE FOR DISCUSSING POLITICS DEBATED BY YOUNG CONSERVATIVES When Fox News Digital asked Gen Z and Millennial voters whether Mamdani is “cool,” Sarah of Massachusetts and Johanna and Elizabeth of California responded, “no.” “I understand the appeal that socialism has, but definitely don’t think that it’s the right way our country should be going. I think in theory it makes sense,” said Sarah. “In reality, that’s not how it ends up looking. It’s definitely scary to see so many of my generation leaning that way.” “It’s a really good concept to have everything for free in socialism, but it doesn’t really work out in the real world,” added Johanna. “If you look at the countries that have already tried socialism, it really hasn’t worked. It also doesn’t encourage innovation.” Elizabeth, visiting Washington, D.C. for the week, said she agreed with her friends, adding, “I’m not a socialist. I’m a Republican.”
Newsom begs Californians to vote ‘no’ on billionaire’s tax in face of mass exodus, pitches nationwide tax hike
California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing another blow after a massive wealth tax he warned could cause a wealth and business exodus from the state was officially added to the November ballot. Despite his opposition, the measure’s sponsor, Billionaire Tax Now, announced Thursday that it was officially being added to the state’s ballot. The measure, called the California Billionaire Tax Act, would impose a one-time, “emergency” 5% tax on Californians with assets exceeding $1 billion. The tax has been endorsed by socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who called it “reasonable and necessary” “at a time of unprecedented and growing wealth consolidation and income inequality.” However, Newsom, a rumored frontrunner for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, has come out strongly against the tax, citing fears that billionaires will simply up and leave to states like Texas or Florida. In a lengthy Substack post on the tax, Newsom wrote, “Last night, it became certain that a wealth tax would be placed on the November ballot in California. I’m voting no.” SOCIALISM VS CAPITALISM: HOUSE DEMS CLASH OVER WHAT NY ELECTION RESULTS MEAN FOR PARTY “You may not be able to pick up and move to Texas or Florida to shelter your income from taxation, but I promise you that billionaires can, and do,” he wrote, adding, “Wealth is movable, and it shops for the state with the lowest taxes.” In a state that has already lost prominent business figures such as Elon Musk, Google co-founder Larry Page and Oracle founder Larry Ellison, Newsom is not the only one warning that the billionaire tax could worsen California’s ongoing exodus. Earlier this year, Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur Allison Huynh predicted in an interview with Fox News Digital that the tax would cause a “mass migration,” starting with “not just the billionaires, but the people who are investing in new ideas, in new infrastructure, whether it’s AI, healthcare, tech, robotics.” Huynh likened the proposed tax hike to a restaurant about to go out of business. “Instead of lowering the price, they increase the price,” she said. “And then you go into the restaurant, and it’s like $50 for a bowl of really bad dumplings.” Fox News Digital reached out to Billionaire Tax Now for comment. BLUE STATE’S BILLIONAIRE EXODUS ABOUT TO GET MUCH WORSE IN 2026, INSIDER WARNS After news of the measure being added to the ballot broke, Newsom called on the U.S. to institute a national billionaire tax and what he referred to as “a new social contract.” In an X post, Newsom wrote that “the system is fundamentally broken. The federal tax code, a corporate code, and an inheritance code were written for a different set of Americans. It’s time for an economic reset.” In his Substack post, he argued “the fight to make the wealthiest Americans pay more in taxes is not one we should be fighting state by state.” Instead, he wrote, “The fight belongs at the federal level, where this broken system was created in the first place.” In January, Newsom said he felt vindicated in opposing the proposed wealth tax after reports showed some of California’s wealthiest residents moving money and businesses out of the state, warning the measure would damage the economy and drive away investment. “This is my fear,” Newsom said in a Politico interview on Monday. “It’s just what I warned against. It’s happening.” “The evidence is in. The impacts are very real — not just substantive economic impacts in terms of the revenue, but start-ups, the indirect impacts of … people questioning long-term commitments, medium-term commitments,” he continued. “That’s not what we need right now, at a time of so much uncertainty. Quite the contrary.” Despite Newsom’s opposition, the group behind the tax effort — Billionaire Tax Now, sponsored by the Service Employees International Union – United Healthcare Workers West — proceeded to add it to the ballot. The union posits that the tax will “prevent the collapse of California healthcare and help fund California public K-14 education and state food assistance programs.” BERNIE SANDERS, DSA REVEAL DEMANDS FOR DEM PARTY AFTER SOCIALISTS SWEEP NEW YORK ELECTIONS Billionaire Tax Now is confident the measure will pass, posting on X that “while a few controversial billionaires and their buddies in Sacramento want to see California’s hospitals close and tax breaks for billionaires protected – popular support is on our side.” Meanwhile, some of Newsom’s detractors claim that his opposition to the measure is driven by a desire to appeal to potential presidential donors. Billionaire Tax Now reposted an X post by David Sirota, founder of the progressive investigative news outlet The Lever, in which he asserted that “Gavin Newsom is trying to protect 250 prospective 2028 presidential donors, even if that means 3 million of his constituents are medically bankrupted.” Reached for comment, Newsom’s office directed Fox News Digital to his Substack and video.
White House condemns ‘targeted sabotage’ of reflecting pool as repairs pushed past July 4 celebration
A court document released by the White House revealed that the National Park Service (NPS) plans to drain the reflecting pool again after Independence Day to conduct repairs after it was allegedly vandalized. In the document, which was filed in federal court on Thursday, NPS Deputy Director for Operations Frank Lands states that on June 9, U.S. Park Police responded to a report of damage to the reflecting pool. Lands stated that the damage to the pool included caulk over the foam sealant that was cut with a “sharp knife or razor” and “destruction of delaminating surface material.” He also said approximately 70 fence post tops were thrown into the pool. Lands said NPS plans to drain the reflecting pool to conduct repairs, including “assessing and repairing any damage to the lining,” and will begin “following the Independence Day celebration.” TRUMP SAYS VANDALS USED CHEMICALS TO DAMAGE NEWLY RENOVATED REFLECTING POOL NEAR LINCOLN MEMORIAL The damage comes after more than two months of renovations on the reflecting pool ordered by President Donald Trump. Washington, D.C., is expected to host massive crowds for Independence Day celebrations marking America’s 250th anniversary. Preparations have been set back by additional incidents, including the National Mall being marked with “8647” and a blood-written message on the Washington Monument. Among the incidents cited by the Department of the Interior unfolding on the National Mall were multiple “8647” markings. The administration has previously interpreted the number “86” as a political threat, pointing to its common use in the restaurant industry to mean removing or refusing service, while 47 appears to refer to Trump as the 47th president. OLYMPIAN CHARGED IN REFLECTING POOL VANDALISM TIED TO DEM FUNDRAISING GIANT In a separate case, an individual used their own blood to write “I’ve come” on the Washington Monument, according to a police report reviewed by Fox News Digital. According to the White House, seven individuals have been arrested in connection with the alleged vandalism of the reflecting pool, seven others have been issued federal citations, and 18 police reports have been filed. This week, U.S. Park Police asked for the public’s help identifying a person captured on camera during an investigation into damage to the reflecting pool and alleged destruction of government property in Washington, D.C. Video released by police shows what appears to be a person kneeling next to the pool and reaching an arm into the water. The White House released a statement on Thursday, positing “this isn’t random mischief – it’s targeted sabotage by anti-American crackpots who despise a strong, proud, and beautiful country.” DEMS PUT ON BLAST OVER POLL THAT SHOWS RECORD-LOW PATRIOTISM IN US: ‘TEAR OUR SOCIETY APART’ The White House called the alleged vandals “crazed and deranged lunatics [who] have once again exposed their hatred for America with a cowardly, deliberate attack on one of our nation’s most iconic landmarks.” Fox News Digital’s Ashley J. DiMella and Landon Mion contributed to this report.
Ex-Trump official John Bolton pleads guilty to 1 of 18 counts in classified docs indictment
Former White House National Security Advisor John Bolton pleaded guilty on Friday to only one count of an 18-count indictment, but he will not be sentenced until the fall. During a hearing at the federal district court in Greenbelt, Maryland, Bolton pleaded guilty to the twelfth count, alleging he had unauthorized possession of a document related to national defense. The count typically has a maximum penalty of 10 years behind bars, but both sides agreed that five years will be the most prison time that can be imposed. U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes addressed reporters outside the courthouse, emphasizing that this case demonstrated that “no one is above the law.” Hayes declined to take questions. FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR JOHN BOLTON TO PLEAD GUILTY TO RETAINING CLASSIFIED INFORMATION: SOURCES “The rules governing classified and national defense information apply equally to everyone, regardless of position, and regardless of how long you have served with the United States government,” Hayes began her brief remarks. “The national defense information at issue in this case was classified at the highest classification levels,” Hayes added. “It contained human intelligence using sensitive sources and methods, and it discussed a covert action program. Mr. Bolton admitted he shared more than 1,000 pages of information about his day-to-day activities as the national security advisor.” A prosecutor from the Department of Justice told Judge Theodore Chuang that Bolton also faces a fine of $2.25 million, half of which should be paid within 5 days, a required debrief with a U.S. intelligence committee, three years of supervised release and up to 100 hours of community service. Bolton, who served as national security advisor from April 2018 to September 2019, agreed that he would not get an annuity or retirement from his federal service. When the judge asked Bolton if he was pleading guilty after having heard the summary of facts in the case, the former Trump official said: “I am your honor, and I’m sorry for it.” The sentencing was set for October 28. The government plans to dismiss the remaining counts at that hearing. By pleading guilty, Bolton waived his right to appeal the sentence and conviction. Chuang said Bolton will be allowed to withdraw his guilty pleas before sentencing. That window will close once the sentencing phase concludes. Authorities first raided Bolton’s home and office in August of last year. He was indicted in October, originally being charged with both transmission and retention of classified documents. JOHN BOLTON INDICTED WITH IMPROPER HANDLING OF CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS According to the indictment, the documents Bolton illegally kept had intelligence about future attacks by an adversarial group in another country. Prosecutors said the documents also contained information about a liaison partner sharing sensitive information with the U.S. intelligence community, as well as intelligence that a foreign adversary was planning a missile launch in the future. Many of the documents were labeled “TOP SECRET,” according to prosecutors. “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,” the indictment read. BOLTON MAY BE IN HOT WATER AS FBI INVESTIGATION EXPANDS BEYOND CONTROVERSIAL BOOK “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. Bolton shared this information with two family members through his personal email account, according to prosecutors. That email account, per court records, was hacked by someone believed to be associated with Iran after Bolton left office. Since Bolton’s departure, him and Trump have been bitter enemies, with the two men frequently attacking each other over foreign policy disagreements. At the time, Trump said he fired Bolton, but Bolton claimed he resigned of his own accord. Bolton published a memoir in 2020 titled “The Room Where It Happened,” which characterized Trump as an erratic and irrational leader. The Trump administration sued to block the book’s release, claiming it contained national security secrets that were classified. A federal judge allowed the book to hit shelves, and Bolton was never prosecuted for anything that was included in it.
WATCH: McCarthy says Trump will use ‘everything he can’ to force Senate action on SAVE America Act
As infighting over the SAVE America Act throws congressional Republicans into disarray, President Donald Trump’s bid to get the stalled election bill across the finish line gained one notable ally. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., told Fox News Digital that he supports the election integrity measure and indicated that Trump should continue to use every available tool to pressure the Senate to pass it. “He’s going to try everything he can to make sure he passes that through,” McCarthy said in a brief interview outside the U.S. Capitol. The ex-speaker’s comments came after Trump abruptly called off a signing ceremony Wednesday for a bipartisan housing bill to pressure the Republican-controlled Senate to act on the SAVE America Act. IRATE REPUBLICANS ACCUSE TRUMP OF HANDING DEMOCRATS A WIN AFTER BLOWING UP HOUSING PACKAGE The move surprised Republican lawmakers, some of whom were praising the bill’s passage at a press conference when Trump’s Truth Social post broke. But Trump has repeatedly cast the election measure — requiring proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections and voter identification requirements — as his top legislative priority. The legislation’s momentum, however, has slowed in the upper chamber, where Republican leadership insists the votes aren’t there amid widespread Democratic opposition. Senate Republicans have also been unwilling to eliminate the legislative filibuster, which requires a 60-vote threshold to pass the legislation. TRUMP CALLS MAIL IN VOTING CORRUPT AS SENATE BEGINS DEBATE ON SAVE ACT REQUIRING VOTER ID Amid the SAVE standoff, a group of conservative lawmakers effectively shut down the House floor in an effort to force Senate action on the election bill. But the Senate recessed Wednesday for two weeks over the July 4 holiday, leaving the measure in limbo until lawmakers return. The conservative-led blockade sparked fierce backlash, with several members inside the GOP conference telling Fox News Digital the move risked torpedoing their own legislative agenda. Meanwhile, the House has also yet to pass a version of the legislation incorporating several of the president’s priorities, including a mail-in voting crackdown and provisions banning men from competing in women’s sports and child sex change procedures. Trump has not indicated whether he will sign the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, despite the likely existence of a veto-proof majority. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters Thursday that the housing bill had been transmitted to the White House for Trump’s signature following a meeting with the president. Trump now has 10 days to sign the package or veto it. If he does nothing, the legislation automatically becomes law at the end of the 10-day period.
SEE IT: SNAP advocate defends taxpayer-funded Coca-Cola in fiery exchange with GOP lawmaker on waste
Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, sparred with a SNAP policy advocate during a House Oversight subcommittee hearing Thursday, pressing her to answer whether Americans “need Coca-Cola to survive” and whether taxpayer-funded food benefits should pay for sugary sodas. The exchange came as lawmakers examined waste, fraud and abuse in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a roughly $100 billion program that serves more than 40 million Americans. During the hearing, Republicans argued lax oversight had enabled misuse of taxpayer dollars, while Democrats warned against restricting benefits for eligible families. CHARTS ILLUSTRATE THE SCALE OF SNAP, A LIFELINE FOR LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS Gill first asked Gina Plata-Nino, director of policy and advocacy for the Food Research and Action Center, whether SNAP dollars should be spent on soda. She replied that the program exists to provide families with “food and beverages.” When Gill narrowed the question to sugary sodas, she said she was “happy to talk about hunger and nutrition, but not dictate what Americans should or should not eat.” Gill, clearly unsatisfied with the answer, continued pressing and asked whether “tax dollars should be used to pay for sodas” and whether Americans “need sugary sodas to survive.” “Some of them do, who do have low blood issues,” Plata-Nino reasoned, adding that those “who have kidney issues” might need such drinks, as well. FOOD-STAMP FRAUD NUMBERS EXPOSE WHICH STATES ARE DRAINING THE MOST TAXPAYER DOLLARS Unrelenting, the congressman followed up: “Do the American people need Coca-Cola to survive?… What’s nutritional about Coca-Cola?” “I am not a nutritionist. I am a food security expert,” Plata-Nino replied. Gill later argued that “there’s not nutritional value to sugary sodas” and criticized the witness for declining to say taxpayers should not fund their purchases through SNAP. “I think that focusing on soda when people are going hungry,” Plata-Nino began before Gill interrupted. “We spend a lot of our tax dollars… on soda. That’s why I’m asking about it,” he lamented. The exchange ended with Gill asking whether drinking soda every day is healthy. She replied that “the worst health outcome is hunger” and emphasized that her focus was ensuring families have access to food resources.
‘It’s a mess’: GOP turns on House conservatives as voter ID blockade stalls Trump’s agenda
House conservatives’ decision to grind the chamber to a halt in an effort to force Senate action on the SAVE America Act is drawing sharp backlash from Republicans across the conference, who say the strategy is accomplishing little beyond derailing their own agenda. House Republicans were forced to punt several votes this week after the conservative splinter group, led by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., used a routine procedural hurdle teeing up legislation as leverage to force the Senate to consider the stalled election bill. The tactic appeared to fall flat after the Senate left Washington for a planned recess Wednesday while the House floor remained at a standstill, leaving SAVE no closer to passage. ‘AS LONG AS IT TAKES’: TRUMP ALLIES FREEZE HOUSE FLOOR TO PRESSURE SENATE ON VOTER ID BILL “It’s a mess,” Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital. “We have to be able to continue to function.” “It’s just creating more inaction and more reasons for people to have a bad taste in their mouth about the U.S. House,” he continued, referring to the legislative paralysis. Even after President Donald Trump urged the group to stand down in a Truth Social post Thursday after meeting with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., it’s unclear whether his directive to stop “grandstanding” will be enough to reopen the House floor when lawmakers return Monday. Luna, a Trump ally, is pushing for the SAVE America Act to be attached to the annual defense policy bill expected to receive a vote in the House next week. TWO DOZEN HOUSE REPUBLICANS GO TO WAR WITH SENATE GOP OVER SAVE AMERICA ACT Pairing the measures could jeopardize consideration of the must-pass defense bill and would likely doom its chances in the Senate, where Republican leadership insists the votes aren’t there to pass SAVE. “Using floor time as a pressure campaign on the Senate is a strategy that has not moved the needle, and right now it is costing us momentum on our own agenda,” a senior Republican aide told Fox News Digital. “We can keep making the case for SAVE without bringing the House to a grinding halt in the process.” “This is a longstanding issue we’ve had with members who don’t function as a team,” Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, told Fox News Digital in an interview. “We win when we work and function as a team, and it’s imperative for us to be able to keep the majority.” Asked about conservative hardliners’ vow to oppose all legislation in protest of SAVE, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., said, “I don’t know why they would want to take their own initiatives off the table, because there’s a math problem in the Senate.” The standoff has exposed a growing divide among House Republicans over what should take priority before the fast-approaching midterms: conservatives who see SAVE as the conference’s top objective despite the House having already passed multiple versions of the bill, and a larger bloc of Republicans who argue the party can’t afford to sideline the rest of its agenda. BITTER HOUSE GOP DIVISIONS ERUPT AFTER JOHNSON SHUTS DOWN VOTES OVER REPUBLICAN MUTINY With fewer than 30 scheduled legislative days in the House left before the midterms, both camps have little time to spare. Meanwhile, Republican leadership is racing to advance government funding bills, renew a lapsed surveillance program targeting foreigners overseas, and assemble a third party-line megabill that could incorporate hundreds of millions of dollars in defense spending requested by the Pentagon. “We should be spending every bit of energy we have building it,” the senior GOP aide told Fox News Digital, referring to the third budget reconciliation bill. The package has struggled to get off the ground due to GOP divisions over whether to include elements of SAVE and what spending cuts would pay for the legislation, among other sticking points. But some conservatives, including several who will not be returning next Congress, argued SAVE should take priority over everything else. “I personally think we should not have any more legislation until the Senate comes back in session,” Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said Thursday. “What is happening in the U.S. Senate is laziness, and quite frankly, it’s disgusting,” Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., said Thursday. “They need to come back. They need to pass this legislation.” Senate Republicans, meanwhile, have repeatedly dismissed the criticism as misguided. And the Senate GOP has voted on the SAVE America Act, and several variations of it a handful of times without success. Nor has the House passed Trump’s version of the legislation, which would add mail-in voting restrictions, prohibit men in women’s sports and ban child sex change procedures. “Why is the House blaming the Senate for not passing the SAVE America Act when they themselves have never voted on the president’s version of SAVE?” a Senate GOP aide told Fox News Digital. “Instead of being obsessed with a chamber they don’t serve in, the House Freedom Caucus should be focused on passing the president’s agenda instead of standing in his way.” Amid GOP infighting, some Democrats are boasting that they have governed more effectively from the minority. “It feels like we’re passing more with the discharge approach than they’re doing with regular legislation,” Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., told Fox News Digital. “They really ought to be able to manage it better than this.”
WATCH: AOC lashes out at Trump for ‘betrayal’ of voters after key SCOTUS immigration rulings
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., accused President Donald Trump of a “betrayal” after the Supreme Court handed his administration a pair of immigration wins involving Temporary Protected Status and asylum claims. The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for Haitian and Syrian migrants, clearing the way for the administration to remove legal protections that have allowed many Haitians to remain and work in the U.S. since Haiti’s 2010 earthquake and many Syrians since the country’s civil war prompted a TPS designation in 2012. Ocasio-Cortez told Fox News Digital the TPS decision targets the very people Trump supporters were told would not be the focus of his aggressive immigration deportation agenda. SUPREME COURT HANDS TRUMP TWO MAJOR IMMIGRATION VICTORIES “I think it’s really sad because these decisions are targeting exactly the kind of people that Republican voters said that they did not want targeted in the Trump administration’s immigration policy,” Ocasio-Cortez said. She argued the ruling marked “a reversal of President Trump’s promise to only go after, quote unquote, criminals and rapists.” “This decision to overturn TPS targets nurses, it targets health care workers, it targets domestic workers, cleaners, people who work in restaurants,” she said, calling it “a real betrayal of President Trump’s promise.” Ocasio-Cortez also argued the ruling would hurt U.S. citizens by raising prices, making it harder to find workers, while also breaking up longstanding communities. House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., criticized Trump and Republicans over the asylum ruling, saying the president has “time and time again” attacked a process that has been part of U.S. law for decades. “People are fleeing terrible conditions, and they have a lawful right to declare asylum,” Aguilar said. AOC TELLS VOTERS WORRIED ABOUT GROCERY PRICES TO JUST ‘WAIT UNTIL THE FARMS ARE EMPTY’ FROM DEPORTATIONS “Temporary Protected Status was always meant to be temporary,” White House deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson said on Thursday. “It was never meant to be a pathway to permanent status or citizenship…our asylum system, for years, has been abused and exploited by bad actors…this ruling is a step in the right direction towards clearing up our asylum system and making sure that people can’t enter our country who shouldn’t be here — and that people who are here, who shouldn’t be here, should be deported.” Asked what Democrats’ next step would be on TPS, Aguilar pointed to legislation he said Democrats forced through the House by discharge petition. “Democrats led legislation in order to bring certainty to that. It’s sitting over in the Senate,” Aguilar said. “We forced a discharge petition, and were successful because we believe in governing.” Aguilar appeared to be referring to House-passed legislation aimed at extending TPS protections for Haitians. Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Ala., said he had not yet read the full decisions but was “beyond the point of being surprised by almost any decision that comes out of court.” Figures defended TPS for Haiti, citing natural disasters, political instability and violence. “There’s not a country that I think TPS is designed at its core that’s more deserving of that than the situations we currently see in Haiti,” Figures said.