EXCLUSIVE: Trump touts ‘zero tax’ benefits for majority of seniors on social security’s 90th anniversary
Donald Trump will issue a presidential proclamation Thursday honoring the 90th anniversary of the Social Security Act, which will tout his administration’s achievements in improving the program, including legislative provisions that will help the vast majority of seniors pay “zero tax” on their social security benefits. The Social Security Act was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1935, during the Great Depression. The bill was aimed at creating a federal safety net to help Americans with unemployment, illness, disability, death and old-age. The president’s Thursday proclamation, obtained and reviewed in advance by Fox News Digital, proclaimed the Act as “a monumental legislative achievement.” SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION PHISHING SCAM TARGETS RETIREES “To this day, Social Security is rooted in a simple promise: those who gave their careers to building our Nation will always have the support, stability, and relief they deserve,” the proclamation states. “Thanks to my Administration’s efforts, Social Security now stands stronger and more resilient than ever before.” During Trump’s second term, Democrats have slammed his approach to helping improve the program, arguing cuts to the Social Security Administration’s workforce and provisions in the Republican’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act will negatively impact the critical program. However, the administration is fighting back at those notions, pointing to technological improvements, lower customer service wait times, and disability claim backlogs that have been cleared. “While Democrats flail and peddle lies about Social Security, President Trump is demonstrating his unbreakable commitment to protecting and strengthening this vital program for the nearly 72 million Americans who benefit from it,” White House spokesperson Liz Huston said. “By massively improving the customer service experience through technological improvements, preventing illegal aliens from accessing benefits, and delivering no taxes on Social Security through the One Big Beautiful Bill – President Trump has Made Social Security Great Again.” Trump’s critics have suggested he is damaging the program, but according to the administration, things have drastically improved. A source in the administration told Fox News Digital that the administration completed over 3.1 million payments ahead of schedule thus far, totaling $17 billion, to eligible beneficiaries. Additionally, the wait time for social security’s service delivery has been dramatically reduced under Trump, with the average telephone response time reduced from 30-minutes last year, to six minutes as it stands currently. That amounts to an 80% reduction in wait times. TOP DEM DEMANDS ANSWERS FROM SOCIAL SECURITY, CLAIMING WAIT TIMES SPIKED DURING DOGE CUTS Meanwhile, the president touts in his proclamation that provisions in the Republican spending package, signed into law last month, will allow “the vast majority of seniors who receive social security” to pay absolutely nothing in taxes on their benefits. “The largest tax break for seniors in the history of our country,” as the president described it in his proclamation. Trump also expressed that his administration is actively working to root out fraud, waste and abuse in the system, including the longstanding issue of improper and fraudulent payments to deceased individuals. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “On this 90th Anniversary of the Social Security Act, we recognize the countless contributions of every American senior who has invested their time, talent, and resources into our Nation’s future,” Trump writes in his proclamation. “On this momentous milestone, we recommit to strengthening our retirement system, protecting programs like Social Security and Medicare against fraud and abuse, and ensuring that every future generation of American citizens has the income security they need and earned.”
400 National Guard members descend upon DC; expanded crime crackdown expected Wednesday night
Around 400 D.C. National Guard members have reported for duty in the nation’s capital as of Wednesday afternoon in response to President Donald Trump’s directive to help make Washington “safe, clean and beautiful,” a U.S. Army official told Fox News. Hundreds more D.C. National Guard troops are expected to report for duty later Wednesday and Thursday, with a significantly higher presence on the ground Wednesday evening. By the end of the week, it is expected all 800 who have been activated will have reported for duty. Law enforcement officials have made 103 arrests since Aug. 7, when Trump’s order to “federalize” D.C. and crack down on crime was announced and more law enforcement officers took to the streets. INSIDE THE WASHINGTON, DC HOMELESS HOT SPOTS TRUMP HAS VOWED TO CLEAN UP Guardsmen were spotted rolling in on military vehicles near the National Mall Wednesday evening. Troops gathered at the D.C. armory before deploying near monuments and near a U.S. Park building in the crime-ridden neighborhood of Anacostia in southeast D.C. In addition to sending in the Guard, Trump placed D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department under federal control, using the Home Rule Act that allows him to do so for up to 30 days. On Monday, federal and local authorities made 23 arrests, including suspects wanted for murder, gun offenses and other crimes. On Tuesday, they made 43 arrests, and 24 guns were seized. While only 30 National Guard troops were on the ground Tuesday night, more than 1,450 participated in the operations, including 750 Metropolitan Police Department officers and federal law enforcement officers. Beginning Wednesday night, the operations will be active around the clock rather than just evening hours. TRUMP ACTIVATES NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS TO ADDRESS ‘TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL’ CRIME IN WASHINGTON The White House-led operation will not only tackle crime but also homelessness within the district. For those camping in D.C. federal parks under the National Park Service’s jurisdiction, the options are to leave, go to a homeless shelter or go to jail. Trump has described the federalization of the police as “Liberation Day in D.C.,” declaring, “We’re going to take our capital back.” Fox News’ David Spunt and Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Dems accuse JD Vance of ‘congressional level shoplifting,’ call for more to join AWOL lawmakers
Democratic lawmakers from the Texas and Indiana legislatures slammed Republican redistricting efforts before the 2026 Midterm Elections, with one Indiana lawmaker accusing Vice President JD Vance of being “engaged in congressional-level shoplifting.” The lawmakers held a press conference in Chicago on Wednesday to protest an ongoing effort in Texas to pass a redistricting bill that would likely hand the GOP five additional congressional seats. During the event, Texas state Rep. Gene Wu, who is chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, said that by fleeing the state to deny a voting quorum in the Texas House, his caucus is “blocking a racist, unconstitutional and illegal gerrymandering effort.” He said the AWOL Democrats are also “stopping the DC swamp from dictating who we get to vote for.” GOV. ABBOT STILL BEAT NEWSOM IN DISASTER RELIEF DESPITE TEXAS DEMOCRATS STALLING, HIDING OUT This comes as Texas Governor Greg Abbott and other state authorities have called for the arrest and removal of Democratic lawmakers who disappeared from the state and brought legislative progress in the state House of Representatives to a grinding halt. Because of the missing Democrats, the Texas House has not been able to pass the redistricting bill though it passed in the Texas Senate on Tuesday. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Abbott said that, in addition to political backlash, Democratic lawmakers who accepted money to assist with their exodus could face felony bribery charges. Now, several Democrats are reportedly planning to return to the state as Abbott calls for a second special legislative session to pass the redistricting bill. Despite this, the Democrats are asserting that their efforts have been a success. Speaking on Wednesday, Wu said, “I’m so happy to be here today because in the past week we have heard from California, we have heard from New York, we have heard from Illinois, that people are ready to stand up. People are ready to fight back.” DEMS FACE SCRUTINY OVER CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATION GAPS IN BLUE STATES: ‘DON’T HAVE CLEAN HANDS’ Wu called on more people to join in the efforts and to take “more aggressive actions” to fight the GOP. “We cannot do this alone; that this is not a fight that we can sustain and win on our own,” said Wu. “What we need is we need more people to join us. We need more states to come to our aid, and we need more people to say we will start taking more aggressive actions, we will defend against this.” Wu went on to say that if Texas and other red states are “determined to do this,” then “other states will make sure that it does not matter what they do, that we will nullify their actions.” “We will make it pointless for them to attack our democracy,” he said. In response, Andrew Mahaleris, a spokesperson for Abbott, told Fox News Digital that “Democrats fundamentally misunderstand Texans.” “Texans expect their elected leaders to show up to work, and the Democrats refuse to do so,” said Mahaleris. “Voters, especially Hispanic Texans, are increasingly deserting the Democrats and deserve to be able to vote for candidates who better align with their values. At the end of the day, candidates win on the merits, not the map. If Democrats have any hope of winning elections, they need to change their platform. Running away from a fight is not a solution and is the antithesis of being a Texan.” Amidst this controversy, Vance has also called for red states to counter what he called “aggressive” Democratic gerrymandering in blue states like California, New York and Illinois. Speaking with Maria Bartiromo on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” this past weekend, Vance said, “We’re just trying to rebalance the scales and frankly push back against a very unfair system created by the Democrats.” JD VANCE CALLS ON REPUBLICANS TO TAKE ‘DECISIVE ACTION’ TO COUNTER DEMOCRATIC GERRYMANDERING Vance said Democrats have had the upper hand in the game for many years and, under President Donald Trump‘s leadership, Republicans are finally playing offense. “It’s ridiculously unfair,” he said of illegal immigrants being included in the total population used to determine how many seats each state receives in the U.S. House of Representatives. “The only real way to fight back against it is for us to redistrict, in some ways, as aggressively as these hard blue states have done,” he added. On Wednesday, Indiana state Rep. Ed DeLaney, a Democrat serving in a majority Republican legislature, accused Vance of engaging in “congressional-level shoplifting.” “JD Vance, in my view, and I’m being serious about this, the man is engaged in congressional-level shoplifting, and I say that again. That’s what he’s doing,” said DeLaney. “Never in my life did I think that the Vice President of the United States would come to my state to ask our legislators to shoplift a congressional district like this, steal them off the shelf, run outside and wave them in front of the country. We cannot have this kind of conduct,” he said. O’ROURKE, SOROS-LINKED GROUPS FACE CALL FOR DOJ PROBE OVER ALLEGED FUNDING OF TEXAS DEM WALKOUT DeLaney asserted that “this game of, you know, ritual gerrymandering” puts at risk “the mutual respect of the legislature of our state and of Texas and of other states.” He went on to say, “If these idiots get their wishes, what happens if they lose one of those five congressional races? Oh my God, let’s have another redistricting next year. This has got to be put to a stop.” He went on to say that the Texas Democrats “are the people who are going to try to put it to a stop,” adding, “I know how hard it is, but we need to support them and stand with them. Otherwise, our people will be subjected to ever-changing districts, none of which are representative.” Fox News Digital also reached out to Vance’s office for comment, but did not immediately hear back.
Federal oversight in Washington – a special case as old as America itself
The District of Columbia is a special case in American governance. Which is why President Trump has distinctive authority to dispatch federal agents and National Guard troops to patrol the city’s streets for at least a month. It’s in the Constitution. Article I, Section 8 grants Congress the power “To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular states, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the government of the United States.” That’s a reference to what would become the District of Columbia. REPUBLICANS READY TO SUPPORT TRUMP’S MOVE TO SKIRT CONGRESS IN DC CRIME CRACKDOWN The Founders wanted the home of the federal government somewhat cloistered – and protected – from local whims and danger. The precursor to the present Congress convened in Philadelphia. But Continental Army soldiers staged what was known as the Pennsylvania Mutiny of 1783, claiming the “Congress of the Confederation” owed them back pay. The incident prompted Alexander Hamilton to suggest that the Congress vacate Philadelphia. It wasn’t clear that local authorities could protect the incipient Congress from the mutineers. So they abandoned Philadelphia for Princeton, New Jersey. Scarred by what happened in Philadelphia, the Founders etched out a quirky “federal district” which didn’t exist in a state. The Founders felt Pennsylvania was lax at guarding the original Congress. So developing their own “capital city” for Congress – with the government in control – would grant them security. The 1st Congress adopted the “Residence Act.” It established what became Washington, DC. There was a compromise that the new nation would initiate the seat of government anywhere from what is now Hagerstown, Md., to its present location. But the law gave President George Washington authority to determine the exact location. Washington’s residence was along the Potomac at Mount Vernon. So they carved out a “District of Columbia” from territory which was otherwise part of Maryland and Virginia – on opposite sides of the Potomac River. Congress forked over the parcel of land on the “western” shore of the Potomac to Virginia in the 1840s. Stone markers still mark the old District of Columbia boundaries in and around Alexandria, Va. So Congress was in charge of the District of Columbia until 1973. That’s when lawmakers approved the Home Rule Act for DC. DC gained a non-voting delegate to the House (similar to those from U.S. territories) a few years earlier. But now Washington, DC would feature a mayor and a city council. But under Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, Congress would maintain ultimate authority over the city. The House and Senate presided as a sort of “super city council.” SUMMERTIME AND THE LIVING IS UNEASY ON CAPITOL HILL Lawmakers periodically infused themselves into Washington’s local affairs beginning in the late 1980s – and mostly at the behest of Republicans. Congress blocked the legalization of medical marijuana in DC in 1998. The House and Senate also bigfooted a new criminal justice system for the city in 2022. That’s because the local law diminished punishments for serious crimes like carjacking. Republicans won control of the House in 1994 and promptly discussed dialing back home rule for Washington, DC. Republicans made their mark by blocking a needle exchange program for drug abusers. The U.S. ratified the 23rd Amendment in 1961. That granted the city three electoral votes. However, Washington lacks a vote on the floor of the House or two votes in the Senate – even though its citizens pay federal income taxes, serve in the military and are subject to the draft. That’s why the city festooned license plates with the moniker “Taxation Without Representation” in the 1990s. Democrats have largely championed the plight of DC. A bill to make DC a state failed in 1993, 277-153. However, the House passed a statehood bill for DC in 2020, 232-180. The bill would convert most of the present city into “Douglass Commonwealth,” named after abolitionist Frederick Douglass. So the city wouldn’t be a state, but a “commonwealth” like Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky and Massachusetts. That bill would chisel out a swath of land, encompassing the Capitol, the White House, the Supreme Court, the National Mall and many federal buildings. Supporters of the legislation argued that this would be the new “seat” of government as prescribed by the Constitution. SCHIFF BLASTS ‘TINPOT DICTATOR’ TRUMP’S NATIONAL GUARD MOBILIZATION, WARNS OTHER CITIES ARE NEXT But the measure never got a vote in the GOP-controlled Senate. And statehood is unlikely any time soon for DC. The city is overwhelmingly Democratic. The new state or commonwealth would likely elect a Democratic U.S. Representative and two Democratic senators. Republicans would never abide that as it would tip the balance of power in Congress. Note that Alaska and Hawaii entered the union virtually together as part of a compromise. One would be the “Democratic” state. The other would be the “Republican” state. Therefore, the admissions created political balance in Congress. Ironically, Alaska was supposed to be the “Democratic” state and Hawaii the “Republican” state. However, the prevailing politics of both of those states mostly flipped over the years. Moreover, it’s hard to see how any plan for statehood could overcome a Senate filibuster requiring 60 yeas. That’s why some progressives pushed Senate Democratic leaders to abolish the filibuster several years ago. But it was unclear if DC even had the votes to become a state when Democrats controlled a slim Senate majority. DC VIOLENCE HAS GROWN FAR MORE DEADLY, DESPITE DEMS CLAIMING 30-YEAR LOW So this brings us to present day and President Trump’s use of the 1973 Home Rule Act to take over the local police department in Washington. The law says Congress must approve such action within a month. One can bet that the GOP-controlled House and Senate will consider such a measure in September. Prospective passage is always tight in the House because of the narrow majority. However, such a plan is likely subject to a filibuster
Bill Clinton ‘prime suspect’ in oversight probe into Epstein case, GOP lawmaker says
Former President Bill Clinton is the “prime suspect” in the House Oversight Committee’s probe looking at the late financier Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking case, according to the committee’s chairman Rep. James Comer. “Everybody in America wants to know what went on in Epstein Island, and we’ve all heard reports that Bill Clinton was a frequent visitor there, so he’s a prime suspect to be deposed by the House Oversight Committee,” Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, said in a Monday interview with Newsmax. Fox News Digital reached out to Comer’s office and received confirmation of his comments to the outlet. The House Oversight Committee issued a large batch of deposition subpoenas to those with ties to Epstein Aug. 5 — including the former president and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton — to testify before lawmakers. COMER SUBPOENAS THE CLINTONS, TRUMP’S DOJ IN HOUSE OVERSIGHT’S EPSTEIN PROBE Democrats joined Republicans in voting to move forward issuing the subpoenas. The committee requested Hillary Clinton appear Oct. 9, and Bill Clinton Oct. 14. “So, hopefully we’ll win that court battle with that subpoena and see President Clinton in October,” Comer told Newsmax. Clinton has said he has never visited Epstein’s island. Clinton wrote in his 2024 memoir “Citizen” that he’d never gone to the island and that he wished he’d never even met Epstein in the first place. A spokesperson for Clinton did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Meanwhile, the case has attracted additional attention after the Department of Justice and the FBI announced in July the agencies would not release new documents from the Epstein sex trafficking case and that their review into Epstein was closed. HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE VOTED IN FAVOR OF SUBPOENAING BILL AND HILLARY CLINTON OVER GHISLAINE MAXWELL CONNECTION The agencies said at the time that they did not track down a list of sexual predators with connections to Epstein, and determined there were no new people who would face charges. But that’s at odds with efforts by the Oversight Committee, which also issued a subpoena for all Justice Department documents pertaining to Epstein. The committee also issued subpoenas to former FBI Director James Comey, former Attorneys General Eric Holder, Jeff Sessions and Merrick Garland, among others. The Justice Department faces a Tuesday deadline to submit documents related to Epstein, Fox News Digital previously reported. ‘NOT GOING AWAY’: INSIDE THE EPSTEIN DRAMA THAT’S THROWN HOUSE GOP INTO CHAOS While Comer acknowledged it would prove challenging to actually get the former president to testify before Congress, he remained optimistic about the odds — given his track record. “I’ve never lost a subpoena battle,” Comer said Monday. “I’ve been chairman of that committee for a year and a half — this is the most challenging subpoena I’ve ever issued, but what makes this subpoena different is that the Democrats voted with Republicans.” Fox News’ Liz Elkind contributed to this report.
‘Get out of town!’: Staten Island crowd confronts Zohran Mamdani at anti-Trump rally
Not everyone was eager to welcome New York City’s Democratic mayoral nominee, Zohran Mamdani, to Staten Island on Wednesday afternoon. “Go back to where you came from. We don’t want you on Staten Island,” a protester wearing a “Trump girl” t-shirt and holding an American flag shouted at the 33-year-old self-described socialist as he exited the backdoor of the Istanbul Bay Authentic Mediterranean Restaurant. Inside the event, as Mamdani kicked off his third anti-Trump event of the week, protesters outside the restaurant drowned out the introductory speeches with their cowbells, sirens and megaphones. Despite the heat in the crowded restaurant and his detractors outside, Mamdani maintained a smile throughout the event and told reporters, “It saddens me to hear language of being told to go back to where I came from, and yet, it is not surprising because it is so much of what characterizes President Trump’s politics.” MAMDANI TAKES AIM AT TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION POLICIES IN FIERY STATEN ISLAND SPEECH: ‘WE ARE FIGHTING TO KEEP NYC A SANCTUARY CITY’ Mamdani was hosting his third “Five Boroughs Against Trump” event of the week on Wednesday, reaffirming his commitment to protecting New Yorkers from Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration if he’s elected mayor of New York City this November. MAMDANI ZINGS CUOMO IN RENT-STABILIZED HOUSING SPAT DURING ANTI-TRUMP TOUR STOP “I will not let it dissuade me from continuing to come to Staten Island, from continuing to speak to New Yorkers, no matter where they live, no matter what politics they have,” Mamdani said in response to the protesters. “Because I know that just as there are Republicans who feel that way, there are others who are sincere in their questions.” Several protesters outside the restaurant told Fox News Digital that they planned to vote for Curtis Sliwa, CEO of the Guardian Angels, this November. “He’s the only one that could save our city,” Ed, a Staten Islander carrying a large American flag, said. Ed told Fox News Digital that he wanted to give Mamdani “a little surprise party” and let the socialist candidate know that his values do not represent those of Staten Island. “This is Trump country,” said Manny, another protester and Wall Street retiree who said Mamdani’s policies are “anti-Wall Street.” Trump won Staten Island by 30 points in the 2024 presidential election, according to The New York Times’ data. Meanwhile, in neighboring Brooklyn, former Vice President Kamala Harris carried the borough by 44 points. Tommy Banks, a native Staten Islander, said his message to Mamdani on Wednesday was simple: “Get out of town.” “He wants to make everything free. He can’t afford that. He’s a socialist. He don’t live that. We’re not socialist,” Banks said. Banks agreed with the other protesters outside the restaurant, telling Fox News Digital that “nobody else” could be mayor but Sliwa. “He’s a true New Yorker. He’s been fighting for New York all his life. Give him a chance to get in there,” Banks said. Another protester, Liz, shouted, “Mamdani’s a commie!” as the Democratic nominee departed in his SUV. Liz said she doesn’t like Mamdani because “he’s not a Democrat, he’s a communist.” She said Mamdani is trying to tempt New Yorkers with campaign promises like free childcare, free bus fare and government-run grocery stores, but Liz said it would be a “disaster” if he became mayor. When Mamdani declared victory in the Democratic primary, incumbent mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an independent, called Mamdani a “snake-oil salesman” that would “say and do anything to get elected.” Trump has often criticized Mamdani and his policies, calling him a “100% communist lunatic.” Staten Islanders who spoke to Fox News Digital outside Mamdani’s anti-Trump event on Wednesday seemed to agree with those sentiments, calling him a “commie” and criticizing his socialist policies, which include freezing the rent, raising corporate taxes and increasing the minimum wage. But Shahana Masum, who sported a “Zohran for Staten Island” sticker on her purse and attended the event, told Fox News Digital that Mamdani is the person who is representing “me and my community.” Masum said she has also been told to go back to her country. And to that she said, “You didn’t go back to your country, and I came here with dignity and with my visa, so don’t tell me to leave.” Fox News’ Bryan Llenas and Marly Carroll contributed to this report.
Republicans ready to support Trump’s move to skirt Congress in DC crime crackdown
President Donald Trump signaled he may skirt Congress to extend his takeover of the Washington, D.C., police, and some congressional Republicans are heeding the call. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., said he would vote for extending Trump’s authority but didn’t believe that Senate Democrats would budge and support giving the president more time. “I’m absolutely in favor of President Trump doing whatever he needs to do,” Marshall told Fox News Digital. “Of course, we want to follow the Constitution, and I need to go back and read what he can do and not do, but I think it’ll take a 60-vote threshold in the Senate to pass this resolution.” TRUMP PREDICTS LITTLE PROGRESS IN POTENTIAL SHUTDOWN TALKS WITH ‘CRAZY’ SCHUMER, JEFFRIES The provision allows for the president to effectively federalize the local police force for up to 30 days, unless Congress, through a joint resolution, grants him an extension. But questions remain over whether that kind of resolution would hit the Senate’s typical 60-vote threshold or if it could pass through a simple majority. Trump on Monday invoked a section of the Home Rule Act that governs the district to give himself the authority to take control of the Metropolitan Police Department and has since sent in National Guard troops, alongside FBI and DEA agents, to patrol the streets. TOP HOUSE REPUBLICAN SAYS TRUMP ‘RIGHTLY’ TOOK OVER DC POLICE, DEMANDS BOWSER, OTHERS TESTIFY ON CRIME Republicans control 53 seats in the upper chamber, meaning Democrats may be needed to grant Trump an extension beyond the 30-day window. But Trump, during a press conference Wednesday announcing new Kennedy Center honorees, said that he would be asking for “long-term extensions” and believed Democrats would not “do anything to stop crime.” Trump also noted he may not need Congress. “Well, if it’s a national emergency, we can do it without Congress,” Trump said. “But we expect to be … before Congress, very quickly. TRUMP ACTIVATES NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS TO ADDRESS ‘TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL’ CRIME IN WASHINGTON “We’re going to do this very quickly, but we’re going to want extensions,” he added. “I don’t want to call a national emergency. If I have to, I will, but I think the Republicans in Congress will approve this pretty much unanimously.” House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, whose committee oversees the district, enthusiastically backed Trump’s move to take control of D.C.’s police force Monday. When asked by Fox News Digital if he would back Trump leapfrogging Congress to continue his hold on the local police, a spokesman said, “We support the president’s actions to complete the mission.” Both Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., initially supported the president’s move to crack down on crime in the district, which was spurred by a recent attack on a former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer. When asked for comment on Trump’s latest remarks regarding an extension, Thune’s office referred Fox News Digital to his previous statement on social media in which the GOP leader lauded the administration’s move. “Washington, D.C., should be a place where people can safely live, visit, work, and raise a family, and [Monday’s] announcement is a positive step in that direction,” he said. Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson’s office for comment but did not hear back. A clearer picture of where lawmakers stand will likely have to wait, given that they are out of town in their respective states and districts for much of the 30-day window. But the issue will likely be front of mind when they return after Labor Day. Still, Trump already has some public support from Republicans for extending his timeframe. Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., told Fox News Digital in a statement he fully supported “President Trump’s plan to make D.C. safe again, and will back up his efforts in the Senate.” And Sen. Mike Lee, who has a bill that would repeal the Home Rule Act and federalize the district, similarly would support extending the 30-day window, “with the ultimate goal of working with him to pass the BOWSER Act and restore full Congressional oversight of the city.” “The safety and sanity of our nation’s capital should not depend upon having good presidents in the Oval Office, but I’m glad we have one now,” the Utah Republican told Fox News Digital in a statement.
First lady Melania Trump puts Hunter Biden on $1B notice over ‘false, defamatory’ Epstein comments
EXCLUSIVE: First lady Melania Trump is putting Hunter Biden on $1 billion notice over what she claims are “false, defamatory, disparaging, and inflammatory statements” made about her, demanding he immediately remove and retract the content and issue an apology or face legal action, Fox News Digital has learned. Fox News Digital exclusively obtained the letter that Alejandro Brito, attorney serving as litigation counsel for the first lady, sent to Hunter Biden and his attorney, Abbe Lowell, Aug. 6. DAILY BEAST PULLS STORY ALLEGING MELANIA-EPSTEIN CONNECTION AFTER LAWYERS DISPUTE FRAMING Brito demanded that Biden “immediately retract the false, defamatory, disparaging and inflammatory statements made about Mrs. Trump,” which were contained in a video interview with Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan and posted to Youtube in early August. Fox News Digital reached out to Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan for comment and did not receive a response. “Failure to comply will leave Mrs. Trump with no choice but to pursue any and all legal rights and remedies available to her to recover the overwhelming financial and reputational harm that you have caused her to suffer,” Brito wrote. In the video interview, titled “Hunter Biden Returns” video earlier in August, the former first son claimed “Epstein introduced Melania to Trump. The connections are, like, so wide and deep.” Biden also claimed that “Jeffrey Epstein introduced Melania, and that’s how Melania and the first lady and the President met.” “These false, disparaging, defamatory, and inflammatory statements are extremely salacious and have been widely disseminated throughout various digital mediums,” Brito wrote. “Indeed, the video has since been re-published by various media outlets, journalists, and political commentators with millions of social media followers that have disseminated the false and defamatory statements therein to tens of millions of people worldwide.” Brito added: “Consequently, you have caused Mrs. Trump to suffer overwhelming financial and reputational harm.” Brito said that Biden’s “source” for the false statements is “serial fabulist Michael Wolff, whose lies were published by The Daily Beast in the article titled ‘Melania Trump ‘very involved’ in Epstein Scandal: Author.’” JEFFREY EPSTEIN THROWN OUT OF MAR-A-LAGO FOR HIRING THE HELP: TRUMP “Following receipt of our cease-and-desist demand letter just a week ago, The Daily Beast issued an apology to Mrs. Trump and retracted the false and defamatory statements contained in the article by deleting it in its entirety,” Brito wrote. “Despite this, you have unjustifiably relied upon Mr. Wolff’s false, defamatory, disparaging, and inflammatory statements about Mrs. Trump and maliciously elected to republish them.” Brito warned Biden that he lacks “any viable defense to the overwhelming reputational and financial harm” he has caused the first lady to suffer. “The timing of this video is evident and underscores the actual malice behind the decision to publish it given the plain falsity of the statements,” Brito wrote. “Given your vast history of trading on the names of others—including your surname—for your personal benefit, it is obvious that you published these false and defamatory statements about Mrs. Trump to draw attention to yourself.” Brito demanded, on behalf of the first lady, that Biden “immediately issue a full and fair retraction of the video and any and all other false, defamatory, disparaging, misleading, and inflammatory statements about Mrs. Trump in as conspicuous a manner as they were originally published.” Brito also demanded, on behalf of the first lady, that Biden “immediately issue an apology for the false, defamatory, disparaging, misleading and inflammatory statements about Mrs. Trump.” Brito also directed Biden not to “destroy, conceal, or alter any paper or electronic files, physical evidence” or other records relating to the false claims; including communications regarding Melania Trump; records of his sources; and any documents or data regarding Mrs. Trump. MELANIA TRUMP POSTS VICTORY X POST AFTER JAMES CARVILLE REMOVES PODCAST ALLEGING ‘EPSTEIN CONNECTION’ “If you do not comply with the above by August 7, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. EST, Mrs. Trump will be left with no alternative but to enforce her legal and equitable rights, all of which are expressly reserved and are not waived, including by filing legal action for over $1 Billion Dollars in damages,” Brito wrote. “You are on notice.” A source close to the matter told Fox News Digital that Biden did not comply with the requests by the set deadline. The source said Biden and his team “leaked the letter” from the first lady’s attorney to “a friendly reporter,” which “shows how deeply concerned they are about Hunter’s serious liability for spreading defamatory lies.” It is unclear which reporter and for which outlet the letter was shared with. Biden and Lowell did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. The letter comes after the Daily Beast pulled the article detailing allegations by journalist Wolff that Melania Trump was introduced to her husband Donald Trump via a modeling agent connected to Epstein, after a challenge from the first lady’s lawyers. “Editor’s Note. After this story was published, The Beast received a letter from First Lady Melania Trump’s attorney challenging the headline and framing of the article. After reviewing the matter, the Beast has taken down the article and apologizes for any confusion or misunderstanding,” The Daily Beast posted in place of the article. The url for the article appears to have been amended to remove the original headline and now reads: thedailybeast.com/epstein-this-story-has-been-removed. It also comes after James Carville apologized to the first lady after repeating the same claim. Carville opened his latest episode of the Politics War Room podcast with a legal note. “In last week’s podcast episode, we spoke with Judd Legum,” he said. “After the episode, we received a letter from Melania Trump’s lawyer. He took issue with our title of one of those YouTube videos from that episode and a couple of comments I made about the first lady. We took a look at what they complained about, and we took down the video and edited out those comments from the episode. I also take back these statements and apologize.” An
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Attempts to end war
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -US appeals court says Trump can slash billions in owed USAID funds -Three states sign new agreements with ICE for expanded immigration enforcement operations –Zohran Mamdani takes aim at Trump’s immigration policies in fiery Staten Island speech: ‘We are fighting to keep NYC a sanctuary city’ President Donald Trump threatened “very severe consequences” for Russia if President Vladimir Putin doesn’t agree to end the war in Ukraine after their meeting in Alaska on Friday. Trump issued the warning Wednesday as he was preparing for a sit-down with Putin in Anchorage. “Yes, they will. There will be consequences,” Trump said in response to a reporter’s question on the topic. The president then refused to elaborate on what the punishment would be…Read more ‘FIGHTING FORCE’: Adversaries are ‘afraid’ of U.S. military, and that makes tough talks like Putin possible FISCAL FIGHT: Trump predicts little progress in potential shutdown talks with ‘crazy’ Schumer, Jeffries ‘IF I HAVE TO’: Trump warns he may bypass Congress with national emergency to keep D.C. police control beyond 30 days ‘STEP UP’: Vance to visit U.S. troops during high-stakes UK trip ahead of Trump’s Putin meeting ‘ENOUGH DAMAGE’: Former Navy SEAL Rep. Eli Crane fires off message for ex-President Obama: ‘Probably best to sit this one out’ PHILADELPHIA FREEDOM: Soros-linked DA warns Trump after D.C. crime crackdown: ‘Better not try it in Philly’ LEGAL SHOWDOWN: Venezuelan migrants, progressive group sue Trump admin after Noem nixes Biden-era ‘protected status’ ‘NO SIGN’: Zelenskyy, ahead of Trump-Putin meeting, says there is ‘no sign’ Russia wants to end the war ‘REMAKE AMERICA’: Vulnerable Democrats hammered with scathing ad handcuffing them to Mamdani, Jeffries CHECKING OUT: Last migrant hotel in New York City set to close as ’emergency shelter’ program sunsets QUORUM CRISIS: O’Rourke, Soros-linked groups face call for DOJ probe over alleged funding of Texas Dem walkout CLASSROOM CRISIS: Democratic governor hopeful unveils education overhaul plan as election nears ‘SAFER’ STREETS: Trump’s new D.C. crime crackdown yields more than 100 arrests CONTROVERSIAL DEAL: Rural town to turn closed prison into ICE detention facility, despite resident pushback JUDICIAL SHOWDOWN: DOJ faces off with entire Maryland federal bench over automatic pauses in deportation cases Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
DC violence has grown far more deadly, despite Dems claiming 30-year low
The chances of a person facing a violent crime in Washington, D.C., have dropped in recent years, but the possibility of dying during such a crime has skyrocketed, data shows. “You have less chance of being victimized, but if you are victimized, you have more of a chance of dying,” John Jay adjunct lecturer Jillian Snider, a retired New York Police Department officer, told Fox News Digital Tuesday of violent crime trends in the nation’s capital. Snider was referring to a report published by the Council on Criminal Justice in July, which studied violent crime data of 17 large U.S. cities between 2018 and 2024, specifically diving into the lethality of violent crimes in those cities. It found Washington, D.C., had the highest lethality level out of the group – which included cities such as Baltimore and Chicago – at a 38% increase in lethality in 2024 compared with 2018. Lethality in D.C. jumped by a whopping 341% when compared to 2012 data, the study found, reporting that there were 13 homicides per 1,000 serious violent crimes in 2012 to 57 homicides per 1,000 serious violent crimes in 2024. The study defined lethality as “the number of homicides per aggravated assaults and robberies.” TOP DEMOCRATS RIPPED ON SOCIAL MEDIA OVER ‘BONKERS’ REACTIONS TO TRUMP’S DC CRIME PLAN: ‘MASSIVE LIAR’ D.C.’s crime rates are under the national spotlight this week after President Donald Trump announced Monday morning during a packed press conference that he was federalizing the Metropolitan Police Department under section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which allows the president to assume emergency control of the capital’s police force for 30 days. WASHINGTON POST SOURCE SAYS DC IS SAFE BUT STAYS ANONYMOUS OVER ‘PERSONAL SAFETY’ CONCERNS “Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people,” Trump said during the press conference. “And we’re not going to let it happen anymore. We’re not going to take it.” Upon Trump’s announcement, Democratic lawmakers slammed the president for allegedly overstepping and sending in the National Guard despite crime trends falling in recent years. Top Democrats, such as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, promoted the narrative that crime is at a 30-year low. “Violent crime in Washington, D.C. is at a thirty-year low,” Jeffries said Monday. “Donald Trump has no basis to take over the local police department. And zero credibility on the issue of law and order. Get lost.” “As you listen to an unhinged Trump try to justify deploying the National Guard in DC, here’s reality: Violent crime in DC is at a 30-year low,” former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton posted to X. When asked about some Democrats touting that crime has fallen to a 30-year-low, Snider argued that it’s not “fair” to compare any city in 2025 to one in the 1990s. TRUMP CLAIMS DC CRIMES TROUNCE STATS FROM NOTORIOUSLY VIOLENT CITIES WORLDWIDE “The ‘90s were a shaky time in most urban and metropolitan areas,” she said. “We were coming out of the crack epidemic. We were coming out of economic instability from the late ’80s. And then the ’90s, we saw like this revolutionary policing, this broken windows policing, this now hot-spot policing, this CompStat-driven era.” “I don’t think that any agency today in 2025 should be saying, like, ‘Oh, we’re doing so much better than we were in 1995,’” she continued. “It’s a completely different world than it was in 1995. You have different demographics in different areas. You have different population counts in different areas.” The U.S. was rocked by violent crime waves from coast-to-coast in 2020 and the subsequent years, when the pandemic upended day-to-day life with lockdown orders and social justice protests and riots broke out in major cities nationwide. The FBI logged a nearly 30% increase in murders compared to the year prior, marking the largest single-year increase in killings since the agency began tracking the crimes. TRUMP ADMIN CUTTING $20M IN DC SECURITY FUNDING AFTER FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ORDERED TO INCREASE PRESENCE Washington, D.C., was among the cities caught up in the national crime trend, recording 198 homicides that year, which marked a 16-year high for the city. Homicides jumped to 226 in 2021, another 203 in 2022 and 274 in 2023 – which was a 20-year high for the city. D.C., saw homicides drop by roughly 31% from 2023 to 2024, according to year-end Metropolitan Police Department data reporting 274 homicides in 2023 compared to 187 in 2024. The data shows violent crime across the board fell by roughly 35% from 2023, when the department reported 5,345 violent crime incidents, to 2024, when it reported 3,469 violent crimes. “Everyone should be celebrating that crime is falling,” Snider said. “But at the same time, we don’t have the full picture: Why is crime more deadly than it once was?” The Council on Criminal Justice study found, specifically, that Washington’s lethality increased each year from 2012–2021, except for 2016. “The largest single-year increase was a 57% jump from 2014 to 2015,” the study reported. “From 2019 to 2020, lethality increased by 22%, followed by another 14% increase in 2021. It then declined slightly in 2022 (-3%) and 2023 (-8%), before a 5% uptick in 2024. Lethality in 2020 was significantly higher than in all earlier years, except for 2019. However, lethality levels observed in 2021 through 2024 were not significantly different from those in 2020.” The author behind the study, Council on Criminal Justice senior researcher Ernesto Lopez, explained to local media in July that “lethality has climbed significantly” in the nation’s capital despite crime trends falling. “We look back to 2012 lethality – again, that share of violence that ended a homicide – that increased by over 300% from 2012 to 2024, even though the homicide rate drops,” Lopez told WTOP in July. “So, the violent situations can be getting less frequent, but when those violent situations occur, they more likely end in a fatality