Noem digs at agitators, sanctuary politicians in touting ICE mission continues 1 year into Trump’s second term
FIRST ON FOX: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement to Fox News Digital on Tuesday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continues to arrest criminal illegal immigrants across the country, despite what she described as the “complete lack of cooperation” from sanctuary politicians and agitators she accused of attempting to obstruct law enforcement. “In one year, President [Donald] Trump has made great strides, delivering on the mandate from the American people to remove the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from our streets despite the complete lack of cooperation from sanctuary politicians and agitators who attempt to obstruct law enforcement — a felony and a federal crime,” Noem wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital. She noted the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has removed more than 670,000 illegal immigrants, including murderers, pedophiles, rapists, gang members and terrorists, within the last year. “Just yesterday, ICE arrested pedophiles, domestic abusers and drug traffickers,” Noem wrote. “The more arrests DHS makes, the more self-deportations we see, of which we have seen north of 2 million. This is just the beginning of the golden age of America.” DHS DEMANDS MN LEADERS HONOR ICE DETAINERS, ALLEGES HUNDREDS OF CRIMINAL ALIENS HAVE BEEN RELEASED UNDER WALZ Along with Noem’s message, she announced a new wave of arrests made by ICE on Monday, including those convicted of heinous crimes including indecent liberties with a child, domestic violence and distribution of cocaine. Uriel Hernandez-Betancourt, a criminal illegal immigrant from Mexico, was arrested by ICE and was previously convicted of indecent liberties with child in Moore County, North Carolina. Parede Zuniga, a criminal illegal immigrant from Guatemala, was also nabbed by federal agents and was previously convicted of distribution of cocaine in Fairfax County, Virginia. DHS SLAMS DEMS FOR COMPLAINING ABOUT IMMIGRATION LAW: ‘IT IS QUITE LITERALLY THEIR JOB TO CHANGE IT’ Lucio Valdovinos, a criminal illegal immigrant from Mexico, was previously convicted of domestic violence in Los Angeles, Calif., and had multiple convictions for driving under the influence and disorderly conduct across California. Lorenzo Aviles-Macedo, another criminal illegal immigrant from Mexico, was previously convicted of inflicting corporal injury on a spouse, and driving under the influence in Los Angeles. While Democrats have continued to criticize the Trump administration for allegedly arresting migrants without a criminal record, DHS told Fox News Digital on Friday that 70% of illegal immigrants arrested by ICE had criminal convictions or pending charges in the U.S. Of the 30% of illegal immigrants arrested by ICE who did not have criminal convictions or pending criminal charges in the U.S., DHS said it is unclear how many were wanted for crimes in their country of origin, other countries or by the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL). During a recent appearance on Fox News’ “Special Report”, however, Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., alleged records show 75% of migrants arrested by ICE in Virginia have no criminal record. “They may have come across illegally into our country, but 75% of the people to have been arrested have no further criminal record,” Warner said. “Let’s potentially work on those who have criminal records, but that is different than what’s happening right now, and the Biden administration screwed up the border, I’ll be the first to acknowledge that, but the idea of masked ICE agents picking up moms dropping off their kids, folks going to work and, as we’ve seen at least in the circumstance in Minnesota, sometimes where kids are being left in the car after their parents that may or may not have been actually criminals are being picked up.”
Tax committee Republicans press for Treasury crackdown on nonprofits promoting fraud, ‘anti-American’ hate
FIRST ON FOX: House Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith and all 25 Republican members of the committee are urging Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to crack down on nonprofits accused of exploiting the tax code to operate tax-free while promoting “anti-American and/or pro-terrorist ideals” and committing fraud at taxpayers’ expense. The request marks one of the most aggressive congressional pushes in memory to revoke tax-exempt status, expand audits and rein in what lawmakers describe as systemic failures in policing the nonprofit sector. In the letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, Smith and the Republican lawmakers wrote to Bessent, who is acting IRS commissioner, and Frank Bisignano, who is the CEO at the IRS, and warned of a growing pattern of tax-exempt organizations pursuing activity that falls outside legitimate charitable purposes. Smith and the lawmakers said they were writing to “express concern” over “significant fraud, waste, and abuse of taxpayer dollars” and urged the IRS to “transition from the laissez-faire approach implemented under the Biden administration and utilize a more hands-on approach” when overseeing nonprofits. COMER VOWS MINNESOTA FRAUD PROBE WILL EXPAND TO OTHER STATES AMID MOUNTING SCRUTINY They cited the massive fraud scandal in Minnesota, in which officials at the nonprofit Feeding Our Future were prosecuted and convicted for stealing an estimated $250 million from federal social welfare programs intended to feed low-income children. The case has resulted in dozens of indictments and criminal convictions. Amid the widening scandal, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz chose not to run for a third term. Bessent announced last month that he was opening an investigation into allegations that some of the stolen funds may have been routed to regions of Somalia where they could have ended up benefiting Al-Shabaab, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization. The case, Smith and the lawmakers wrote, “calls into question the current safeguards in place to protect taxpayer dollars.” “It is unconscionable that the Biden Administration’s failure to hold the United States’s non-profit sector accountable has not only resulted in the theft of billions of American taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars, but the potential enrichment of foreign terrorist organizations overseas,” Smith told Fox News Digital Tuesday. “As the Ways and Means Committee continues to investigate every corner of the tax-exempt sector to root out this waste, fraud, abuse and illegal activity, it is now abundantly clear the system is in desperate need of an overhaul.” “I applaud President Trump’s bold move to hold bad actors in the Minnesota Somali fraud scheme accountable and look forward to working with his Administration to ensure this rampant fraud is ended once and for all,” Smith added. Along with Smith, the other 25 Republican lawmakers from the Ways and Means Committee who signed the letter are: Reps. Jodey Arrington, Aaron Bean, Vern Buchanan, Mike Carey, Ron Estes, Randy Feenstra, Michelle Fischbach, Brian Fitzpatrick, Kevin Hern, Darin LaHood, Mike Kelly, David Kustoff, Max Miller, Nicole Malliotakis, Carol Miller, Blake Moore, Nathaniel Moran, Greg Murphy, Adrian Smith, Lloyd Smucker, David Schweikert, W. Gregory Steube, Claudia Tenney, Beth Van Duyne and Rudy Yakym. The House Ways and Means Committee has referred 11 nonprofits to the Treasury Department for investigation and revocation of their tax-exempt benefits, citing allegations of antisemitism, illegal activity, terrorism ties and foreign influence. The organizations have denied wrongdoing. They include The People’s Forum, a New York-based nonprofit that has organized nationwide anti-ICE protests over the past two weeks with its related organization, the Party for Socialism and Liberation. The People’s Forum is under scrutiny for alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party through its funding networks. Its primary donor has been Neville Roy Singham, an American-born tech entrepreneur living in Shanghai who has publicly embraced Marxism and promoted China’s political and economic model. The People’s Forum has organized a national day of protests Tuesday with other organizations, including the Party for Socialism and Liberation, in their efforts to dismantle U.S. “imperialism.” In the letter, Smith and the Republican lawmakers said the committee is “actively investigating American non-profits operating as extensions of the Chinese Communist Party.” Earlier this month, Smith referred the Council on American-Islamic Relations-California for investigation and potential revocation of its tax-exempt status, alleging it may have “materially supported unlawful conduct, including endorsing and assisting disruptive and illegal campus encampments that led to hundreds of arrests across California.” He also raised questions about the group’s “reported involvement in overtly political activity and protests that devolved into chaos, violence and law breaking” in “conduct that may violate longstanding restrictions on tax-exempt organizations.” Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code was enacted as part of the Revenue Act of 1913 to encourage and formalize charitable, civic, labor and other public-interest activities by granting tax-exempt status to qualifying organizations, and today it contains 29 categories of tax-exempt entities, including 501(c)(3) charities, 501(c)(4) social-welfare groups, 501(c)(5) labor unions, 501(c)(6) trade associations and other specialized nonprofit organizations. There are an estimated 1.8 million tax-exempt organizations in the United States, according to the IRS, with an estimated $1.4 trillion in annual revenues, making tougher oversight potentially far-reaching. An organization applies for the special status, and, if they qualify, they are exempt from paying federal income taxes on money they receive that is related to their mission, such as donations, grants and program revenue. In addition, contributions made to these nonprofit organizations are also tax-deductible for donors, making the status especially valuable. CONGRESS OPENS ‘INDUSTRIAL-SCALE FRAUD’ PROBE IN MINNESOTA, WARNS WALZ DEMANDS ARE ‘JUST THE BEGINNING’ Last week, Bessent announced the launch of IRS audits of financial institutions that “facilitated the laundering of Minnesota funds,” along with the creation of a task force focused on fraud and abuse involving 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. In their letter, Smith and Republican lawmakers urged Bessent to “use your authority at the IRS to hold tax-exempt organizations accountable” and to ensure that schemes like Feeding Our Future “cannot happen again.” Together, they said, the cases illustrate a systemic failure to police the nonprofit sector. Nonprofit organizations drew particular scrutiny after they led anti-Israel protests following the
Biden push to revive Ted Kennedy-era law now haunts Democrats as charges loom in Minnesota church riot
The Biden administration resurrected a 1994 law against obstructing abortion clinics or religious worship to prosecute protesters, but now conservatives are seeking that the same policy be applied after leftist agitators crashed a Minneapolis church service. The FACE Act, drafted by the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., a noted Catholic, and signed by former President Bill Clinton, prohibits intentionally injuring or intimidating people seeking “reproductive care” services, and also has a section protecting people “exercising … religious freedom at a place of religious worship.” Clinton also used his remarks signing the law to introduce his oft-cited view that abortion should be “safe, legal and rare.” “Enacting this bill to provide freedom of access to clinics has been a priority because protecting the freedoms of our citizens is surely chief among the responsibilities of the President of the United States,” Clinton added at the time. “This bill is designed to eliminate violence and coercion. It is not a strike against the First Amendment; far from it.” NYT SLAMMED OVER REPORT SAYING PROTEST AT MINNESOTA CHURCH SERVICE ‘ADDS TO TENSIONS OVER ICE TACTICS’ The Biden Justice Department pursued FACE Act charges against dozens of people, which was seen as an uptick over prior administrations that all utilized the law. Alliance Defending Freedom’s Erin Hawley testified before the House Judiciary Committee during that time saying: “Instead of applying the FACE Act in an even-handed way, the Biden DOJ has weaponized the Act to target pro-life advocates.” The most-reported case was that of Mark Houck, a pro-life supporter from Kintnersville, Pennsylvania, who was arrested outside a Philadelphia abortion clinic following a run-in with an activist. ST PAUL PASTOR DENOUNCES ANTI-ICE AGITATORS WHO DISRUPTED CHURCH SERVICE, SAYS ‘WE’RE HERE TO WORSHIP JESUS’ Houck often publicly prayed and tried to counsel people outside the center, and on that day in 2021, he was reportedly confronted by Bruce Love, an escort for an abortion patient. According to a recounting by the Heritage Foundation’s Cully Stimson, Love previously encountered Houck multiple times and expressed vulgar slurs to him, when Houck “defended” his 12-year-old son from one of Love’s advances and the man fell. Stimson noted that the case was “so weak” that Philadelphia County District Attorney Larry Krasner, a Democrat, declined to file any charges against Houck. DON LEMON CLAIMS SOME RELIGIOUS GROUPS HAVE ‘ENTITLEMENT’ FROM WHITE SUPREMACY AFTER ANTI-ICE CHURCH PROTEST But, the FBI later raided Houck’s home, frightening his children, and he faced 11 years in prison and a $350,000 fine. Houck was ultimately acquitted. Since taking office, President Donald Trump has pardoned dozens of FACE Act convicts, including a priest and an 89-year-old Soviet concentration camp survivor arrested during a “blockade” of a Michigan center. The pendulum has swung so far to the other side of the issue that conservatives are now citing the Biden administration’s use of the FACE Act against agitators who disrupted a Minneapolis church service, reportedly because one of the reverends is connected with a local ICE office. PROMINENT CATHOLIC BISHOP SLAMS ANTI-ICE AGITATORS WHO DISRUPTED MN CHURCH SERVICE: ‘UNACCEPTABLE’ The Trump DOJ promptly opened an investigation into the incident, with Civil Rights Division chief Harmeet Dhillon citing the FACE Act and saying she is reviewing “potential violations [of it] by these people desecrating a house of worship and interfering with Christian worshippers.” “Any violation of federal law will be prosecuted,” added Attorney General Pam Bondi. West Coast Baptist College president Paul Chappell called out a former CNN host who was featured among the protests, and called for the law to be enforced. ANTI-ICE AGITATOR WHO STORMED MINNESOTA CHURCH SERVICE ALSO HARASSED CONGREGANTS AT PETE HEGSETH’S CHURCH “We condemn the actions of Don Lemon and the group of activists who stormed Cities Church today in St. Paul, Minnesota, in clear violation of the FACE Act,” Chappell said in a statement. “Christians everywhere should demand that the Department of Justice arrest those who participated. We must protect religious liberty in this country.” Lemon later hosted anti-Trump actor D.L. Hughley and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison on his podcast, where Ellison claimed the law was designed to “protect the rights of people seeking their reproductive rights to be protected …” and that the law was being “stretched” in the church case. Meanwhile, in March, Reps. Sean Casten, D-Ill., Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., and Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., urged Bondi to enforce the FACE Act in earnest, albeit citing the abortion services provision. In response, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz condemned the agitators, with a spokesperson telling Fox News: “The governor has repeatedly and unequivocally urged protesters to do so peacefully. While people have a right to speak out, he in no way supports interrupting a place of worship.”
Trump appears at White House briefing one year after inauguration
President Donald Trump made a special appearance Tuesday at the White House press briefing on the one-year anniversary of his second term’s start. The president highlighted crime and fraud in Minnesota at the top of his remarks. Trump was inaugurated one year ago today for his second term as president. The last time he appeared at a White House press briefing was on June 27, 2025. “We have a book that I’m not going to read to you, but these are the accomplishments of what we’ve produced,” Trump said, holding up a packet of papers. TRUMP WARNS US CAN NO LONGER THINK ‘PURELY OF PEACE’ AS HE PUSHES FOR GREENLAND CONTROL “All page after page after page, individual things. I could stand here and read it for a week, and we wouldn’t be finished. But we’ve done more than any other administration has done by far in terms of military, in terms of ending wars, in terms of completing wars. Nobody’s really seen very much like it.” The president said, “They’re apprehending murderers and drug dealers and a lot of bad people” in Minnesota. He then held up photos of suspects in Minnesota who have been taken into custody. TRUMP TO HEAD TO DAVOS AS GREENLAND DISPUTE SPARKS RISING TENSIONS WITH NATO ALLIES “Boy, these are rough characters. These are all criminal illegal aliens that, in many cases, they’re murderers. They’re drug lords, drug dealers,” Trump said. “These are just in Minnesota. “Minnesota, the crime is incredible, the financial crimes are incredible.” Prior to the briefing, Leavitt wrote on X, “In just one year, President Trump has accomplished more than many presidents do in eight.” “We’ve never had a president fight harder to deliver on the promises he made to the American people than President Trump,” she said, adding, “A very special guest will be joining me at the podium today.” The White House also released a list Tuesday of “365 wins” from the first full year of Trump’s second term. “One year ago today, President Donald Trump returned to office with a resounding mandate to restore prosperity, secure the border, rebuild American strength and put the American people first. In just 365 days, President Trump has delivered truly transformative results with the most accomplished first year of any presidential term in modern history,” it said.
Nashville artists praise Trump’s no-tax-on-tips policy one year into presidency
FIRST ON FOX: Artists, bartenders and concertgoers in Nashville praised the work of President Donald Trump on the anniversary of his first year back in office, thanking the administration in a video released by Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., on Tuesday. “President Trump is the servers’ president, the singer-songwriters’ president, and… Tennessee’s president. Promises made, promises kept,” Ogles said. Ogles’ office interviewed several artists at venues in Music City who applauded the administration’s achievements, compiled in a video first obtained by Fox News Digital. ONE YEAR BACK IN THE OVAL OFFICE, TRUMP WHITE HOUSE SAYS EVERY MAJOR CAMPAIGN PROMISE DELIVERED “We want to give a shout-out to Donald Trump, our great president, for eliminating taxes on tips in this country, because this is how we make most of our living. It’s off our tips, man,” a musician named Thomas Friel said. Trump returned to power one year ago today on Jan. 20, 2025, with a flurry of executive actions ranging from immigration and border security to reversing Biden-era regulatory restrictions. But the administration’s crowning legislative achievement came in July when Congress passed Trump’s signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act — a tax and border package. Of the president’s wins highlighted by artists in Ogles’ video, none received more praise than his no-tax-on-tips provision. “My name is Andrew Thompson. I make a full-time living out here on Broadway. And what the president’s doing about not taxing our tip dollars is great because that’s how I make a living, and that’s [how] everybody else that’s on the street makes a living,” Thompson said. TRUMP HAS SET THE STAGE FOR AN AMERICAN COMEBACK AFTER BIDEN’S DISMAL ECONOMY Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, tip earners may make up to $25,000 in tax-deductible income from 2025 through 2028, according to the Tax Foundation, a think tank that studies tax policy. When asked how they would use their additional income, artists like Maddie Wonky said the provision would help them focus on the things that mattered to them. “I’m from Cleveland, Ohio, and I moved here to chase a dream. Tonight, I just played 6 to 10 p.m. on the main stage, and it was so much fun. This is everything that I’ve ever wanted to do,” Wonky said. “This is me chasing my dream. That’s what I did tonight. A big thank you to President Trump. Because you passed this bill, I can put my money toward releasing music and following my dream. This changes my life completely. Thank you so much,” she added. THE ECONOMIC POLICIES SHAPING TRUMP’S RETURN TO THE WHITE HOUSE Ogles similarly described the new policy as transformative. “The heart of live music is in my district. People from around the world come to Nashville to hear the greatest live performances on Earth. Many of these performers are my constituents, earning their living through tips and gig wages. Removing onerous taxes on this income will be transformative,” Ogles said.
Ex-Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene rips the president’s endorsements, saying they ‘solidify the swamp’
Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene — who departed from office earlier this month after a falling out with President Donald Trump last year — slammed the president’s endorsement track record in a Tuesday post on X. “Trump’s endorsements do not drain the swamp, his endorsements solidify the swamp and ensure the swamp is never drained. And no he is not being deceived by his team,” Greene asserted. “It’s not sabotage when he chooses the candidates and controls the agenda. Keep voting for Trump endorsed candidates with F voting records, and you are responsible for never draining the swamp. Like it or not, that’s the truth,” she wrote. 5 TAKEAWAYS AS MTG UNLOADS TO NYT MAGAZINE, DISHING SCATHING CRITICISM OF TRUMP White House spokesperson Davis Ingle pushed back in a statement to Fox News Digital. “President Trump’s unmatched coalition building ability has led to the most successful Republican Party in American history which has delivered more long-held GOP priorities under his leadership than either party has achieved for their voters in many combined decades prior. President Trump knows politics is a game of addition, and Marjorie ‘Quitter’ Greene just lives a reductive, self-defeating life of subtraction,” Ingle asserted. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE SAYS SHE ‘ABSOLUTELY’ WOULDN’T SUPPORT BOYS IN GIRLS SPORTS IF SHE HAD TRANS CHILD Greene issued the criticism when sharing a post from conservative commentator Daniel Horowitz of Blaze Media. In the post, Horowitz asserted, “Everyone complains that Congress blocks Trump’s agenda. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: Trump has the power to change it instantly — by endorsing against the incumbents who keep sabotaging him. Instead, he has done the opposite for 5 primary cycles.” Greene wrote in her post, “This is 1,000% true.” Last year, after Trump castigated Greene, the congresswoman announced her plans to resign. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE FIRMLY REJECTS ‘THE VIEW’ HOSTS’ PLEAS TO BECOME A DEMOCRAT “I am withdrawing my support and Endorsement of ‘Congresswoman’ Marjorie Taylor Greene, of the Great State of Georgia,” he declared in part of one Truth Social post targeting the lawmaker. “I understand that wonderful, Conservative people are thinking about primarying Marjorie in her District of Georgia, that they too are fed up with her and her antics and, if the right person runs, they will have my Complete and Unyielding Support,” he added later in the post.
Trump admin argues judge limiting ICE in Minnesota would be ‘unprecedented’ overreach
The Trump administration on Monday asked a federal judge to reject the state of Minnesota’s motion to limit ICE operations in the state, arguing to do so would be “unprecedented” overreach. The Justice Department (DOJ) argued in a filing in response to Minnesota’s lawsuit that the state was “effectively seeking a state veto over the enforcement of federal law,” calling the notion “legally frivolous” and an “absurdity.” “The 10th Amendment does not afford an ejectment action for states who are dissatisfied with the federal government’s enforcement of federal law,” the DOJ response said. The state sued the Trump administration last week, seeking to block a massive federal immigration enforcement surge they say has flooded the Twin Cities with armed agents, sparked fear and unrest, and interfered with state and local authorities, according to court filings. ICE SAYS 2 DEMONSTRATORS WERE ARRESTED IN MINNESOTA FOR ALLEGEDLY ASSAULTING OFFICERS An injunction blocking the operation “would constitute an unprecedented act of judicial overreach,” the administration’s filing said. The DOJ further argued that federal officers and agents were facing a rise in “violent attacks” while conducting enforcement operations.” “In and around Minneapolis, ICE officers operating out of the St. Paul Office have been confronted with increased threats, violence, aggression, attacks, vehicle block-ins, and obstruction of immigration enforcement operations,” the filing said. MINNESOTA AG KEITH ELLISON DENIES DON LEMON, ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS VIOLATED FACE ACT AS DOJ MULLS CHARGES The state has until Thursday to respond to the Trump administration’s arguments. The state’s lawsuit comes nearly a week after an ICE agent shot and killed a 37-year-old Minneapolis woman during a federal enforcement operation in south Minneapolis. Federal officials have said agents were attempting to make arrests when the woman tried to use her vehicle as a weapon against officers, prompting an ICE agent to fire in self-defense. The recent surge in operations in Minnesota has pitted more than 2,000 federal immigration officers against community activists, protesters and agitators. The Trump administration and Minnesota officials have traded blame for the heightened tensions. Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump seeks Davos signing ceremony for Gaza Board of Peace
Plans are being put together at President Donald Trump’s direction to hold a signing ceremony in Davos, Switzerland, for the Gaza Board of Peace, Fox News confirmed on Tuesday. Bloomberg was first to report the plans. The Trump administration began sending invitations to countries over the weekend, asking them to become founding members of the so-called Board of Peace. “Dozens” of countries have been invited to join the board, Fox News confirmed. The official invites went out Friday. WALTZ HAILS ‘NIGHT-AND-DAY’ MIDDLE EAST SHIFT AS TRUMP’S GAZA PLAN RESHAPES REGION Trump extended invitations to leaders from Russia, Belarus, China, Ukraine, India, Canada, Argentina, Jordan, Egypt, Hungary and Vietnam, among others. Some invited countries have raised concerns about the terms of the proposed Gaza peace board, as participation would come with a substantial financial commitment, according to Bloomberg. European allies are seeking to adjust the proposal and organize a joint response, including enlisting Arab nations to push for changes to the $1 billion permanent membership fee, the outlet reported. TRUMP TOUTS ‘TREMENDOUS PROGRESS’ BUT SAYS HE’LL MEET PUTIN AND ZELENSKYY ‘ONLY WHEN’ PEACE DEAL IS FINAL When questioned on Tuesday about French President Emmanuel Macron seemingly signaling reluctance to accept the invitation, Trump said, “Did he say that? Well, nobody wants him because he’s going to be out of office very soon. So, you know, that’s alright.” “What I’ll do is if they feel like hostile, I’ll put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes and he’ll join,” Trump said. “But, he doesn’t have to join.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also pushed back on the proposal after Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi were named as appointed members to a separate “Gaza Executive Board.” Netanyahu’s office said the move was not coordinated with Israel and “runs contrary to its policy.” The White House said on Friday that Trump will chair the Board of Peace and be joined by a group of senior political, diplomatic and business figures, including his son-in-law Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and billionaire Marc Rowan, among others.
California’s looming capital flight problem could reshape state in 3 key areas
California’s potential “billionaire tax” is the latest catalyst that is driving a capital exodus that puts the state’s tax base, budget and political power at risk. The measure would levy a one-time 5% wealth tax on residents with more than $1 billion in assets, including unrealized gains — a proposal California Gov. Gavin Newsom has warned could backfire. Supporters say the tax would close budget gaps, while economists warn that it could weaken long-term revenue. TAX FIGHT PUTS CALIFORNIA ON COLLISION COURSE AS BILLIONAIRES LEAVE FOR RED STATES Economists argue the risks are already materializing. Here are three ways that California’s capital exodus will reshape the state. Wayne Winegarden, a senior fellow in business and economics at the Pacific Research Institute, warned that the departure of even a few ultra-wealthy taxpayers can have lasting consequences. “When one of those individuals leaves, that’s a significant and recurring hit to the tax base,” Winegarden told Fox News Digital. E.J. Antoni, chief economist at the Heritage Foundation, said the proposed wealth tax “has literally never worked anywhere,” warning that capital flight erodes the tax base and shifts the burden onto those who remain. “The tax base is collapsing, there’s no other way to put it,” Antoni said. CALIFORNIA WEALTH TAX PROPOSAL HEMORRHAGES $1T AS BILLIONAIRES FLEE Texas has emerged as a clear winner in the shift toward lower-tax, less-regulated red states, while blue-state leaders grapple with the fiscal and political consequences of capital flight. Between 2012 and 2022, California recorded a net loss of more than 361,000 residents to Texas, a shift that carried roughly $21 billion in taxable income with it. Megan Mauro, interim president and CEO of the Texas Association of Business, said the Lone Star State has seen a surge of new residents from California. “We have a light regulatory touch and no personal or corporate income tax,” Mauro said, citing Texas’ recent $25 billion surplus as evidence of a different fiscal approach. She warned the billionaire tax could leave California with fewer taxpayers and less revenue over time. When it comes to California’s budget, the stakes are especially high. A relatively small group of top earners supplies a disproportionate share of state income tax revenue, meaning departures at the top can quickly translate into budget shortfalls. “You’re going to have less revenue,” Winegarden said, warning that slower revenue growth makes it increasingly difficult for states to finance their agenda. As high-income taxpayers leave, spending pressures don’t necessarily ease, he said, warning that the state will have a hard time financing things like Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program. Analysts say the migration could reshape political power, affecting congressional representation and federal funding. States that lose population risk fewer seats in Congress, while faster-growing states can gain seats. Shifts in population also influence how federal dollars for transportation, health care and education are allocated, since many funding formulas are tied to population size. “I think you absolutely get to a point where people are willing to vote differently,” Winegarden said. More broadly, Antoni said California could serve as a warning for other states weighing similar policies. “California’s decline was not written in stone. It did not have to be this way,” he said.
Trump endorsement rocks Louisiana Senate race as Letlow jump in
Three days after President Donald Trump exploded a political bomb in Louisiana’s Senate race by endorsing Republican Rep. Julia Letlow over incumbent GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy, Letlow announced her campaign. Letlow declared her candidacy at a closed-door business breakfast in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Tuesday morning, according to Republican sources. And in a social media post and video that shortly followed, Letlow emphasized that “Louisiana deserves a conservative Senator who will not waver. I am honored to have President Trump’s endorsement and trust.” Trump’s support of Letlow, who was elected in 2021 after her husband Luke died from COVID shortly before taking office in the House, is a serious setback for Cassidy, a physician and chair of the powerful Senate Health committee who is running for a third six-year term in the solidly red state. “Congresswoman Letlow called me this morning to say she was running. She said she respected me and that I had done a good job,” Cassidy said in a statement after Letlow’s announcement. “I will continue to do a good job when I win re-election. I am a conservative who wakes up every morning thinking about how to make Louisiana and the United States a better place to live.” Trump’s endorsement of Cassidy’s challenger creates a major political headache for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who is backing Cassidy and teamed up with the senator last week in Louisiana. Trump upended an already crowded GOP Senate primary in Louisiana on Saturday night, with a social media post making it clear that if the 44-year-old Letlow launched a Senate campaign, she’d have his backing. GOP TOUTS TRUMP AS THEIR ‘SECRET WEAPON,’ BUT POLLS FLASH WARNING SIGNS AHEAD OF MIDTERMS “Should she decide to enter this RACE,” Trump wrote on social media, “Julia Letlow has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, JULIA, RUN!!!” Letlow hinted at launching a Senate run following Trump’s post on X, writing, “My mission is clear: to ensure the nation our children inherit is safer and stronger. This United States Senate seat belongs to the people of Louisiana, because we deserve conservative leadership that will not waver.” ELON MUSK POURS A STAGGERING $10 MILLION INTO THIS KEY GOPS SENATE PRIMARY There was speculation for months that Letlow was mulling a Senate bid and a Republican source confirmed to Fox News that the congresswoman, who represents a district that covers parts of central and northeastern Louisiana, had indicated that she wouldn’t challenge Cassidy without Trump’s backing. A separate Republican source confirmed to Fox News that Trump had reached out to Thune on Friday to give the Senate’s top Republican a heads-up on the Letlow endorsement. Thune continues to support Cassidy, who was also previously endorsed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is the Senate GOP’s campaign arm. But the deep-pocketed Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), which is the top super PAC supporting Senate Republicans and is aligned with Thune, is staying neutral in Louisiana. DEMOCRATS EYE NARROW PATH TO SENATE MAJORITY, BUT ONE WRONG MOVE COULD SINK THEM “The mission of the Senate Leadership Fund is to preserve and expand the Republican Senate majority. Anything that distracts from our efforts to beat Democrats in November is unhelpful,” SLF Executive Director Alex Latchum wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital. Word that SLF was staying out of the GOP primary in Louisiana was first reported by Punchbowl News. The 68-year-old Cassidy reiterated over the weekend that he’s staying in the race. “I’m proudly running for re-election as a principled conservative who gets things done for the people of Louisiana,” Cassidy wrote on social media following Trump’s bombshell. “If Congresswoman Letlow decides to run, I am confident I will win.” Cassidy had nearly $10 million in his campaign coffers at the end of October, after his last fundraising filing, with Letlow holding nearly $2.3 million cash on hand. But a burst of campaign cash will likely flow Letlow’s now that she’s launched a Senate campaign. The senator — who voted to convict Trump in the Senate impeachment trial following the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters aiming to upend congressional certification of former President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory — early last year supported Trump’s controversial cabinet nominees, including Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for Health secretary. But the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) PAC, which has close ties to Kennedy, announced on Sunday that it would financially support Letlow. Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming, a former congressman who served in Trump’s first administration, is also challenging Cassidy. “A recent poll shows our campaign expanding our lead on Bill Cassidy, while Cassidy’s numbers continue to drop,” Fleming noted on social media two days after Trump’s endorsement of Letlow. State Sen. Blake Miguez and state Rep. Julie Emerson are also running for the GOP Senate nomination, and former Rep. Garrett Graves is mulling a bid. Trump’s endorsement of Letlow increases speculation on whether he’ll take sides in the combustible and competitive GOP Senate primary in Texas ahead of the early March primary. Longtime Sen. John Cornyn is facing primary challenges from two Trump allies, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt. Thune speculated last week that Trump wouldn’t make an endorsement in the Texas GOP showdown.