EXCLUSIVE: Trump admin nixes giant wind farm approved ‘last-minute’ by Biden team
FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump’s Interior Department is canceling what would have been one of the largest land-based wind farms in the United States after former President Joe Biden’s “last-minute” push to approve the project during his final weeks in office. The Lava Ridge Wind Project, approved in December 2024 by the Biden administration’s Bureau of Land Management, was expected to be a 1,000-megawatt wind farm with up to 231 wind turbines across nearly 57,447 acres in southern Idaho. Following a review of the project by the Trump administration, officials at the Interior Department claimed to find “crucial legal deficiencies” with Biden’s approval of the project, including certain statutorily binding criteria that were ignored, according to a press release announcing the decision to terminate the wind farm project. GARGANTUAN ‘BIRD CEMETERIES’ IN BURGUM’S CROSSHAIRS AS DOI LOOKS TO CURB GREEN WIND PROJECTS “Under President Donald Trump’s bold leadership, the Department is putting the brakes on deficient, unreliable energy and putting the American people first,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “By reversing the Biden administration’s thoughtless approval of the Lava Ridge Wind Project, we are protecting tens of thousands of acres from harmful wind policy while shielding the interests of rural Idaho communities. This decisive action defends the American taxpayer, safeguards our land, and averts what would have been one of the largest, most irresponsible wind projects in the nation.” The Interior Department’s action follows a Day One executive order signed by Trump that moved to place a temporary moratorium on the controversial wind project. The order was followed up by another executive directive from Idaho GOP Gov. Brad Little, which directed state agencies to comply with Trump’s order to halt the Lava Ridge project and other wind energy leasing in all areas within the Offshore Continental Shelf. In Trump’s executive order, the president also requested a new review be conducted by the Interior Department, citing the fact that the Biden administration may have skirted certain legal obligations associated with approving the Lava Ridge project. TRUMP ADMIN REBUFFS SCHIFF, REOPENING MASSIVE PACIFIC OIL RESERVE CAPABLE OF 80% OF REGIONAL PRODUCTION Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador previously accused the Biden administration of not adequately reviewing the wind farm’s potential risk to low-flying aircraft. According to Labrador, Federal Aviation Administration rules dictate that any structure over 200-feet tall must be evaluated for low-level flight hazards. Labrador has also asserted that the Lava Ridge project would have mainly shipped generated power to California, as opposed to Idaho. Meanwhile, Idaho GOP Congressman Mike Simpson accused the Biden approval process in a June op-ed of failing to “genuinely engage with stakeholders to address concerns about the Minidoka National Historic Site, grazing, wildfire response, and more.” “For four years, the Biden administration demonstrated that it would rather prioritize renewable wind power over multiple-use mandates directed by Congress,” Simpson added. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In a press release put out Wednesday, the Interior Department said it was “restoring common sense to American energy policy by reversing the Biden administration’s misguided, last-minute push to approve the Lava Ridge Wind Project.” “Under President Donald J. Trump, the Department of the Interior will no longer provide preferential treatment towards unreliable, intermittent power sources that harm rural communities, livelihoods and the land,” the press release concluded. “The Department of the Interior will continue its review of wind energy leasing and permitting practices, with a focus on assessing the impact these developments have on our nation’s natural resources and communities.”
SCOOP: Trump admin, OpenAI partner to unleash artificial intelligence on federal government
FIRST ON FOX: The federal government is stepping into the future and embracing artificial intelligence, specifically ChatGPT, across its agencies, which proponents say will streamline productivity while solidifying President Donald Trump’s pledge to keep the U.S. in the driver’s seat of the cutting-edge technology, Fox News Digital exclusively learned. The U.S. General Services Administration announced Wednesday that OpenAI’s ChatGPT Enterprise is now available to all federal agencies to incorporate into their workflow at a $1 per agency cost, the GSA told Fox Digital. The deal with OpenAI, the tech company behind ChatGPT, is part of GSA’s OneGov Strategy that aims to modernize “how the federal government purchases goods and services” under the Trump administration. “The use of this tool has been deployed and tested with responsible policy makers, with responsible legal folks,” GSA Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum told Fox News Digital of integrating AI into the federal government. “It’s not just auto-piloting and saying, ‘go machine’ and we just respond. … It’s automation, it’s ease of processes, but it’s also thinking about … the typical waste, fraud and abuse that we’re also focused on with this administration.” ChatGPT is a wildly popular AI chatbot that can hold conversational discussions, provide research accompanied by citations, automate routine tasks such as data entry or file processing, summarize books or lengthy files, and even assist with brainstorming project ideas or problem-solving tasks. DETAILS OF TRUMP’S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED AI PLAN REVEALED BY WHITE HOUSE AHEAD OF MAJOR SPEECH “Open AI just announced the ChatGPT has over 700 million weekly users, so the amount of commercial adoption is quite astounding,” OpenAI’s Joseph Larson told Fox Digital Tuesday of the partnership. “What we didn’t want to see was a gap between the tools available for artificial intelligence to the federal workforce, a gap between what is available in … the private sector or available to the public. So with this GSA partnership, what the administration is doing, which we believe to be in line with the AI action plan, is to make ChatGPT Enterprise, which is … the most advanced AI tools available to the entire federal government will now be available to all agencies of the federal government at the nominal cost of $1 per agency.” OPENAI UNLEASHES CHATGPT AGENT FOR TRULY AUTONOMOUS AI TASKS How federal agencies employ the technology will likely range from department to department, with employees offered access “to a new government user community and tailored introductory training resources” as well as “custom training platforms and guided learning, either directly or through partner-led sessions” to best fit their needs. “One of the best ways to make sure AI works for everyone is to put it in the hands of the people serving our country,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said of the partnership in a Wednesday press release. “We’re proud to partner with the General Services Administration, delivering on President Trump’s AI Action Plan, to make ChatGPT available across the federal government, helping public servants deliver for the American people.” The Trump administration rolled ut its AI Action Plan in July after Trump ordered the federal government in January to develop a plan of action for artificial intelligence in order to “solidify our position as the global leader in AI and secure a brighter future for all Americans.” The AI Action Plan includes a three-pillar approach focused on American workers, free speech and protecting U.S.-built technologies. “We want to center America’s workers, and make sure they benefit from AI,” AI and crypto czar David Sacks told the media in July of the AI plan. “The second is that we believe that AI systems should be free of ideological bias and not be designed to pursue socially engineered agendas,” Sacks said. “And so we have a number of proposals there on how to make sure that AI remains truth-seeking and trustworthy. And then the third principle that cuts across the pillars is that we believe we have to prevent our advanced technologies from being misused or stolen by malicious actors. And we also have to monitor for emerging and unforeseen risks from AI.” CHINA IS EXPLOITING OUR GOVERNMENT’S TECH WEAKNESS. WE NEED A RAPID REBOOT Gruenbaum told Fox Digital that when the GSA reviewed the administration’s AI action plan, it jumped at rolling out “widespread adoption” for the government to help answer Trump’s call for the U.S. to stay on top of the artificial intelligence race on the global stage. “Where we see ourselves playing, obviously, is through a lot of the Federal Acquisition Service, which is the largest procurement arm in the federal government,” he said. “And as we kind of examined the President’s AI action plan, heard the call to action of, ‘Hey, this is a race, and we are going to win this race.’ From our perspective, all that meant, synonymously, was widespread adoption. Those were the words, quite frankly, that the OpenAI team used to us in our very first call. And their call to action was, ‘we need to get this into the hands of as many federal workers as possible.’ We at the GSA took that extremely seriously.” OPENAI CHIEF DECLARES LOVE FOR US WHILE LAMENTING DEMOCRATIC PARTY’S RADICAL TURN AGAINST ‘TECHNO-CAPITALISM’ “Everything’s kind of leading to the place of having us poised for this AI revolution,” he added. The Trump administration has notched massive wins in the artificial intelligence race, which has pitted the U.S. against China to develop the most high-tech artificial intelligence systems, including Oracle and OpenAI announcing in July that the companies will further develop the Stargate project, which is an effort to launch large data centers in the U.S. The two companies’ most recent announcement promises an additional 4.5 gigawatts of Stargate data center capacity, a move expected to create more than 100,000 jobs across operations, construction, and indirect roles such as manufacturing and local services. The Stargate project includes a commitment from OpenAI, Oracle, SoftBank and MGX to invest $500 billion in U.S.-based artificial intelligence infrastructure throughout the
GOP congressman vows ‘all options are on the table’ to stop US-wide redistricting war
Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., is promising that “all options are on the table” to try and stop states from creating a nationwide fight over redistricting congressional maps. “It creates a lot of instability if you’re just constantly shifting the lines on the map around so that, you know, representatives are losing constituents, losing communities, gaining new ones. People elect one person as their representative, and then suddenly that person is representing an entirely different area,” Kiley told Fox News Digital in an interview Tuesday. “It’s just total chaos. It’s not good for representative government. It’s not good for constituents. It is not good for Democrats or Republicans.” The California Republican spoke with Fox News Digital hours after introducing a bill that would block states from shifting the boundaries of their current congressional districts ahead of the 2030 census. BETO O’ROURKE DROPS F-BOMB AS HE URGES DEMS TO ‘MEET FIRE WITH FIRE’ AGAINST GOP REDISTRICTING PLANS IN TEXAS Texas Republicans are currently mounting a push to redraw the Lone Star state’s congressional map. President Donald Trump, who supports the effort, said it would give the GOP as many as five new seats in the House of Representatives. California Democrats have launched their own redistricting bid in response, with Gov. Gavin Newsom signaling he’s ready to wield the Democratic supermajority in the state legislature to push a special election for voters to decide on new congressional maps. Several states, both with Republican and Democratic majorities, have since followed suit in threatening their own redistricting efforts. When asked if he thought the issue began with Texas, however, Kiley pointed out that Newsom’s bid would require sidelining the state’s independent redistricting commission. California is one of eight states that has an independent commission charged with redrawing state maps, according to a chart by Loyola Law School. GOP LAWMAKERS CLASH OVER STRATEGY TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CRISIS “What Newsom is doing is unique because he is actually trying to abolish an independent commission that currently exists and exercise a power that he doesn’t actually have, and to override the will of voters in the process,” Kiley said. “That being said, I don’t love what’s happening in Texas, or I don’t like the idea of this happening anywhere else in the country.” Kiley said he’d already spoken with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., about his bill, but would not discuss the details of their conversation. “I made it very clear my view on this and what I think he needs to do. And I’m hoping that he’ll do the right thing,” Kiley said. He said at another point, “This is an issue that affects our Republican conference – and all of this is not popular among Republican members of our conference – but it’s also a matter of the House as an institution. And he, as the leader of the House, I think, needs to show some leadership.” Johnson, for his part, has yet to weigh in on Texas and California, as well as the wider redistricting fight across the country. The Louisiana Republican has been on a congressional delegation trip to Israel for several days while the issue exploded onto the national stage. But when asked if he saw a realistic path to getting his bill passed, Kiley told Fox News Digital, “I’m ready to use any and all legislative tools available to get the bill to the floor.” SCHWARZENEGGER PUSHES BACK AGAINST NEWSOM IN REDISTRICTING FIGHT “The easiest way to do that would be for the speaker to do the right thing and get behind it. But I’m going to fight in every way I can to get it approved, because this is a matter that’s of tremendous importance for the country,” Kiley said. “It’s of particular importance to my state, and I’m not a lot about to let the governor, you know, go down this incredibly destructive road that will do grave damage to democracy in California.” He did not rule out mechanisms to force a vote on his bill, like a discharge petition or a privileged resolution, if House leaders did not act. “We need to get this passed. We need to stop Newsom. And we need to bring this chaos to an end,” Kiley said. Any such action would have to wait until early September at the earliest, however. Congress is currently in its annual August recess, when lawmakers are back in their home districts connecting with constituents. Kiley said he was not “super concerned about my own seat,” noting he won re-election by a healthy margin. Indeed, Kiley won re-election in California’s 3rd congressional district by double-digits in November 2024 – even outpacing Trump, who won the area by 3% over former Vice President Kamala Harris. But Kiley said he was confident his bill would pass and argued House colleagues on both sides of the aisle disapprove of what’s happening in California, Texas and nationwide. “People almost universally do not like the idea of suddenly overhauling district lines in an unscheduled mid-decade redistricting,” he said. “I mean, I know that’s true of the Republican members in Texas, that they don’t want to see their district, you know, completely changed overnight, communities that they’ve represented, that have repeatedly chosen them as their representatives. And that’s pretty universally true.” Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson and Newsom’s offices for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Detroit mayoral race is set: councilmember vs. pastor
A longtime city council member and a popular pastor will face off to become the next mayor of Detroit in November as the top two vote-getters in Tuesday’s primary contest. Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield received 50.82% of the vote on Tuesday, while Pastor Solomon Kinloch received the second-highest amount at 17.37%, according to unofficial election results published by the City of Detroit website. November’s general election will decide which of the two will succeed popular three-term Mayor Mike Duggan, who is running as an independent for Michigan’s open governor’s seat in 2026. Sheffield and Kinloch bested a field of seven others, including former police Chief James Craig, former City Council member Saunteel Jenkins and current member Fred Durhal III. Voter turnout was 16.69% out of a total of 518,314 registered voters. NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR’S RACE: DEMOCRAT SHERRILL LEADS REPUBLICAN CIATTERELLI BY SIX POINTS IN 2026 BELLWETHER If elected, Sheffield would be the first woman to hold the role of Detroit mayor. She was first elected to the City Council in 2013 at age 26 and has been council president since 2022. Her father, Horace Sheffield III, is an activist and pastor of New Destiny Christian Fellowship church. Kinloch has been senior pastor at Triumph Church for about 27 years. The Detroit-based church has more than 40,000 members across a number of campuses. Kinloch was also an autoworker and member of the United Auto Workers union. “Detroit, we made this moment together,” Sheffield told supporters at a downtown rooftop venue Tuesday night after easily taking the top spot in the crowded field. “We claimed it together, and, Detroit, I believe that our best days are ahead of us.” She said the primary win belongs to every boy or girl told to “dream small,” every neighborhood where people feel left behind, every senior who “paved the way” and every college student who wants to stay in the city. “This is our moment,” she said. Kinloch said that despite Detroit’s resurgence, prosperity has not trickled down to enough of its residents. “Until we reach the whole town, we have not done nearly enough,” he told supporters Tuesday night before being declared the second highest vote-getter. “I didn’t enter this race to chase power. I came to serve with a purpose. If we want a city that shines, we cannot ignore what’s in the shadows. If we want Detroit to rise, we cannot celebrate billions in investment downtown, but poverty in the neighborhoods.” Kinloch also said crime still needs to be addressed. “It’s time we reckoned with reality, that far too many Detroiters feel left out,” he said. ALLEGED ‘SERIAL CRIMINAL’ NABBED IN MICHIGAN TRAFFIC BUST AFTER BIDEN ADMINISTRATION RELEASED HIM INTO US President Donald Trump campaigned in Detroit last October on the promise of revolutionizing U.S. auto-making and pointed to the city’s former manufacturing might as a broader symbol of an American industrial comeback. The president has said his tariffs policy is pressuring automakers to move investments and onshore production to the U.S., but automakers are facing initial uncertainties regarding the costs of imported auto parts and aluminum and steel. Stellantis, the maker of Jeep and Ram vehicles, has two facilities in Detroit. The automaker said last month that its preliminary estimates showed a $2.68 billion net loss in the first half of the year due to U.S. tariffs and some hefty charges. Dearborn-based Ford Motor Co., meanwhile, reported in June that second-quarter results fell $800 million due to tariffs, but Ford CEO Jim Farley said the company was in daily contact with the White House and expected “a lot of upside” longer term as the administration continued tariffs negotiations, Reuters reported. Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer – a potential 2028 presidential candidate who often clashed with Trump during his first term – made her second visit to the White House on Tuesday to discuss tariff relief for the state’s auto industry. Duggan, who is running for Michigan’s governor in 2026 as an independent, led Detroit as it exited the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history and surged back to respectability following decades of economic hardship. The former prosecutor and medical center chief has overseen a massive anti-blight campaign and pushed affordable housing developments across the city. The next mayor will inherit a city on much firmer footing than the one Duggan was elected to lead in 2013, when an emergency manager installed by the state to oversee the city’s flailing finances filed for bankruptcy on its behalf. Perhaps the most visual example of the city’s turnaround has been the renovation of the Michigan Central train station. For decades, the massive building just west of downtown symbolized all that was wrong with Detroit. Ford Motor Co. stepped in and bought the old station and adjacent properties. It reopened in 2024 following a six-year, multimillion-dollar renovation that created a hub for mobility projects. Detroit shed or restructured about $7 billion in debt and exited bankruptcy in December 2014. A state-appointed board managed the city’s finances for several years. Detroit has had 12 consecutive years of balanced budgets. Developers have built hundreds of affordable housing units in the city, and more than 25,000 vacant and derelict homes and buildings have been demolished. The next mayor will be under pressure to maintain that progress and continue to keep the city’s financial and population growth going. In 2023, the census estimated that Detroit’s population rose to 633,218 from 631,366 the previous year. It was the first time the city had shown population growth in decades. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Detroit is also becoming a destination for visitors. The 2024 NFL draft, which was held downtown, set a record with more than 775,000 in attendance. New hotels are popping up in and around the downtown area. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn launches campaign for governor
Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee announced she is running for governor after more than six years in the upper chamber. Current Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican who has held the post since early 2019, is prevented from running for re-election in 2026 due to term limits. Blackburn isn’t the only federal lawmaker eyeing the job — U.S. Rep. John Rose, R-Tenn., launched a gubernatorial bid earlier this year. “In his first six months, President Trump has made historic strides in Making America Great Again, but as he sends power back to the states, he’s going to need strong conservative governors who can bring that revolution home. I’m running to serve as Tennessee’s next governor to ensure Tennessee is America’s conservative leader,” Blackburn said in a statement. SEN. BLACKBURN CALLS OUT ‘GASLIGHTING’ COMEY, FBI FOR CLINTON PROBE Blackburn, who has served in the U.S. Senate since early 2019, won re-election to a second six-year term back in November 2024. Tennessee state Rep. Lee Reeves, a Republican, issued a full-throated endorsement of Blackburn for governor, declaring in a post on X that she “has always been Tennessee’s conservative warrior” and “is the tip of the spear in the fight against the Left in our state, fighting alongside President @realDonaldTrump.” REPUBLICAN DOOLEY JUMPS INTO GEORGIA’S SENATE RACE WHILE TOUTING SUPPORT FOR TRUMP AND TAKING AIM AT OSSOFF GOP state Rep. Jason Zachary described Blackburn as “A proven, conservative leader!” and noted that he supports her for governor. Blackburn signaled earlier this year that she planned to run. “I am strongly looking at it,” she had told the Tennessee Journal, according to The Tennessean. “I intend to run. I will win, and we’ll make certain that Tennessee is the most conservative state in the country.” CONGRESSMAN’S SPEECH GOES VIRAL AFTER HIS SON MAKES SILLY FACES IN THE BACKGROUND The Republican primary in the Volunteer State will take place exactly one year from today, on Aug. 6, 2026, with the general election being held on Nov. 3, 2026.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: US Attorney Investigating Adam Schiff
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… -Justice Department weighing release of Ghislaine Maxwell interview –Hunter Biden says he’s started new job with California nonprofit -Fifth Cincinnati brawl suspect’s mugshot released after FBI arrest Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., is under criminal investigation for mortgage fraud, a Trump administration source told Fox News. Fox News host Laura Ingraham broke the news on Tuesday night on “The Ingraham Angle,” saying the source said a criminal investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland on possible charges involving mortgage fraud…. READ MORE ‘COOLEST GUY’: Michelle Obama celebrates Barack as ‘coolest guy’ on his birthday after the pair joked off divorce rumors UP TOP: Trump appears on White House roof amid talks of historic renovations THE BIG HYPOTHETICAL: Trump answers question on whether he’ll try to run again BENCHING THE BLUE: Replace cops with social workers, ‘transit ambassadors’ on some 911 calls MISSING IN ACTION: Mamdani’s attempted police pivot continues after Adams asks ‘Where was he?’ ‘DARK MOMENT’: Mamdani preaches from pulpit of radical pastor pushing reparations, abolishing police: ‘Brother and friend’ SNUBBING THE BLUE: Adams asks ‘where was’ Mamdani at previous NYPD funerals SOCIALIST SURGE: Will progressive challenger top incumbent mayor in Seattle’s primary? LEFTIES UNITE: Zohran Mamdani in position to help socialist party ‘seize state power,’ DSA leader admits DUTCH DOLLARS: Netherlands becomes first NATO ally to buy US weapons for Ukraine PUTIN’S PAYDAY: Witkoff scrambles for peace deal with Russia as sanctions loom targeting India, China URGENT EFFORT: Fox News gets inside look at Gaza humanitarian situation as Israel weighs next steps NUCLEAR SHOWDOWN: Russia drops missile deployment moratorium amid tensions with Trump admin PRIMARY CHALLENGE: Iowa Republican targets GOP Sen. Joni Ernst for ouster, saying ‘she doesn’t vote like’ Republicans GOP SHOWDOWN: South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson accuses Rep. Nancy Mace of ‘ranting and raving’ INNER CIRCLE SECRETS: 9th ex-Biden aide appears before House Oversight investigators in autopen probe BILL ON THE HILL: Comer subpoenas the Clintons, Trump’s DOJ in House Oversight’s Epstein probe NAMED AND SHAMED: DOJ names and shames 35 sanctuary cities that ‘put American citizens at risk’ TAXPAYER WATCHDOGS: Florida dispatches DOGE agents to Fort Lauderdale, Gainesville to analyze tax hikes, ‘reckless’ trends SHELTERS SHUT DOWN: Left-wing governor scraps migrant shelter plan after $1B blowup POWER LINES: Supreme Court orders new arguments in pivotal elections case TRANSCRIPT RELEASE: Ghislaine Maxwell opposes release of grand jury transcripts DEBT DIAGNOSIS: Parental rights group on new healthcare price transparency tool for families to Make America Healthy Again STAMP OF APPROVAL: Voter ID law in Texas wins at appeals court after Biden admin lawsuit ARNOLD’S NEW ROLE: Schwarzenegger pushing back back against Newsom redistricting bid in California Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Trump says JD Vance would be ‘probably favored’ for 2028 Republican presidential nomination
Vice President JD Vance would be favored to secure the Republican nomination for president in 2028, President Donald Trump said Tuesday. Trump was at the South Court Auditorium where he signed an executive order to create a 2028 Los Angeles Olympics task force when senior Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked him if Vance was likely to become the face of the Make America Great Again movement after noting the president said he wouldn’t be running for a third term. “You could clear the entire Republican field right now,” Doocy told Trump. “Do you agree that the heir-apparent to MAGA is JD Vance?” RUBIO DOWNPLAYS 2028 TALK, TOUTS VANCE AS TRUMP’S SUCCESSOR In his answer, Trump noted that Secretary of State Marco Rubio could team up with Vance to create a formidable ticket. “Well, I think most likely. In all fairness, he’s the vice president, and I think Marco is also somebody that maybe would get together with JD in some form,” Trump replied. “I also think we have incredible people, some of the people on the stage right here. So it’s too early, obviously, to talk about it, but certainly he’s doing a great job,” he added. “And he would be probably favored at this point.” CHARLIE KIRK NAMES JD VANCE AS GUIDING LIGHT FOR YOUNG CONSERVATIVES, BUT SAYS GOP MUST DELIVER ON PROMISES The president also said others in his Cabinet could possibly lead the MAGA movement. Trump and some of his allies have previously floated the idea of him running for a third term, which is constitutionally prohibited. Rubio ran against Trump during the 2016 primary but has since positioned himself as a Trump ally. Last month, Rubio dismissed speculation that he could be the Republican Party’s 2028 presidential nominee. Instead, he threw support behind Vance. “I think JD Vance would be a great nominee if he decides he wants to do that,” Rubio said during an interview with Lara Trump that aired on the Fox News Channel. He also commended Vance’s performance as vice president during the segment on “My View with Lara Trump” and made clear he is satisfied with his current role in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet.
Sen Adam Schiff under federal criminal investigation for alleged mortgage fraud violations
Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., is under criminal investigation for mortgage fraud, a Trump administration source told Fox News. Fox News host Laura Ingraham broke the news on Tuesday night on “The Ingraham Angle,” saying the source said a criminal investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland on possible charges involving mortgage fraud. The investigation comes a month after a story broke about the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) sending a criminal referral to the Department of Justice (DOJ) alleging that Schiff, in multiple instances, falsified bank documents and property records to acquire more favorable loan terms. In a 2011 affidavit signed by the then California congressman, Schiff certified that a property in Montgomery County, Maryland, is his primary residence. HOW TRUMP’S ‘NO SHRINKING VIOLETS’ DOJ IS DIGGING IN ON SCHIFF’S MORTGAGE DEALINGS AS LEGAL PERIL LOOMS Schiff also owns a condominium in Burbank, California, which he has also claimed as his primary residence as recently as 2023, during his campaign for Senate. Schiff’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the matter. The director of the UFHFA sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in May citing alleged misconduct by Schiff. COULD SENATOR ADAM SCHIFF REALLY GO TO JAIL OVER ALLEGED MORTGAGE FRAUD? “Based on media reports, Mr. Adam B. Schiff has, in multiple instances, falsified bank documents and property records to acquire more favorable loan terms, impacting payments from 2003-2019 for a Potomac, Maryland-based property,” FHFA Director William Pulte wrote in the letter. “As regulator of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks, we take very seriously allegations of mortgage fraud or other criminal activity. Such misconduct jeopardizes the safety and soundness of FHFA’s regulated entities and the security and stability of the U.S. mortgage market.” Pulte later received a memo from the Fannie Mae financial crimes investigations concluding that Schiff allegedly engaged in “a sustained pattern of possible occupancy misrepresentation” on five Fannie Mae loans, Fox News has learned. Schiff and his wife purchased a home in Potomac, Maryland, in 2003 for $870,000, according to the letter. They entered into a Fannie Mae-backed mortgage agreement for $610,000 at a rate of 5.625% over a term of 30 years, asserting the property would be their primary and principal residence. The letter said they reaffirmed that the Maryland home was their primary residence in mortgage refinancing filings in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013, despite Schiff being an elected official representing the state of California at the same time. Fox News obtained a copy of the 2011 affidavit showing Schiff signed certifying that the Maryland house is his primary residence. Pulte said Schiff and his wife did not list the Maryland home as their secondary residence until 2020. Over the same time frame, Schiff took a homeowner’s tax exemption on a condo that he owns in Burbank, California, also claiming that home as his primary residence for a $7,000 reduction off of the 1% property tax, Pulte wrote, citing media reports. In 2023, the letter notes, a spokesperson for Schiff asserted that, “Adam’s primary residence is Burbank, California, and will remain so when he wins the Senate seat.” The federal housing official wrote that he believes Schiff’s alleged misconduct could be violations of federal criminal codes banning wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud and false statements to financial institutions. Schiff “appears to have falsified records in order to receive favorable loan terms, and also appears to have been aware of the financial benefits of a primary residence mortgage when compared to a secondary residence mortgage,” Pulte wrote. According to the letter, a spokesperson for Schiff in 2023 told CNN that, “Adam’s California and Maryland addresses have been listed as primary residences for loan purposes because they are both occupied throughout the year and to distinguish them from a vacation property.” Last year, the letter notes, a federal jury convicted Marilyn Mosby of making false statements on a mortgage application for a Florida condominium when she was the Baltimore City state’s attorney. Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
Hegseth announces return of Confederate memorial to Arlington National Cemetery, removed by ‘woke lemmings’
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Tuesday that “The Reconciliation Monument,” a Confederate memorial, will be returning to Arlington National Cemetery. “I’m proud to announce that Moses Ezekiel’s beautiful and historic sculpture — often referred to as “The Reconciliation Monument” — will be rightfully returned to Arlington National Cemetery near his burial site,” Hegseth wrote on X. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE ANNOUNCES IT WILL RESTORE, REINSTATE STATUE HONORING CONFEDERATE GENERAL ALBERT PIKE The monument was removed in 2023 amid moves by the Pentagon to remove statues and rename military installations honoring Confederate figures and moved into a Defense Department storage facility in Virginia. “It never should have been taken down by woke lemmings. Unlike the Left, we don’t believe in erasing American history—we honor it,” Hegseth said. DAVID MARCUS: BRING BACK THE REDSKINS, AND EVERYTHING ELSE TORN DOWN BY WOKENESS At the time the monument was removed, GOP lawmakers said it does not honor the Confederacy, but instead, commemorates reconciliation and national unity. The memorial was unveiled in 1914 by then-President Woodrow Wilson, after being commissioned by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Congress had authorized the reinternment of Confederate remains to Arlington National Cemetery just 14 years prior. Ezekiel was a Jewish American sculptor who fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War. After the war, General Robert E. Lee encouraged him to become a sculptor, and he attended the Virginia Military Institute and studied anatomy, according to the Smithsonian American Art Museum. He is also buried with honors at Arlington.
Marjorie Taylor Greene urges Trump to commute George Santos’ federal prison sentence: ‘Far worse offenses’
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., is urging that President Donald Trump commute former Rep. George Santos’ seven-year sentence, calling the punishment “a grave injustice” and an “abusive overreach by the judicial system.” The former New York congressman was sentenced to 87 months, or just over seven years, after pleading guilty in 2024 to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Santos reported to prison on July 25 to begin serving his sentence. Santos was assessed the maximum sentence in April by U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert. He was also ordered to pay nearly $374,000 in restitution and forfeit more than $205,000 in fraud proceeds. Santos’ guilty plea followed an investigation into campaign finance fraud, donor identity theft and false COVID-era unemployment claims. FORMER CONGRESSMAN GEORGE SANTOS DELIVERS ‘GLAMOROUS’ FAREWELL BEFORE GOING TO PRISON: ‘THE CURTAIN FALLS’ On Monday, Greene said in a post on X that she sent a letter to the Office of the Pardon Attorney urging Trump to commute Santos’ sentence. “A 7-year prison sentence for campaign-related charges is excessive, especially when Members of Congress who’ve done far worse still walk free,” she wrote in the post. “George Santos has taken responsibility. He’s shown remorse. It’s time to correct this injustice. We must demand equal justice under the law!” Greene addressed her letter to the Honorable Edward R. Martin Jr., pardon attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and she acknowledged the gravity of the actions by her former colleague. ABREGO GARCIA LAWYERS SEEK SANCTIONS ON TRUMP OFFICIALS OVER STONEWALLING, DEFYING COURT ORDERS “As a Member of Congress, I worked with Mr. Santos on many issues and can attest to his willingness and dedication to serve the people of New York who elected him to office,” she wrote. “He is sincerely remorseful and has accepted full responsibility for his actions. Furthermore, my office has spoken with a pastor of his who discussed the regret and remorse of Mr. Santos, agreeing that the sentence imposed is a grave injustice. “While his crimes warrant punishment, many of my colleagues who I serve with have committed far worse offenses than Mr. Santos yet have faced zero criminal charges,” Greene continued. “I strongly believe in accountability for one’s actions, but I believe the sentencing of Mr. Santos is an abusive overreach by the judicial system.” Prosecutors shared how Santos and his campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, doctored donor reports to qualify for national Republican Party funding. They fabricated contributions from Santos’ family and falsely reported a $500,000 loan from Santos, though he had under $8,000 in his accounts. TRUMP COMMUTES SENTENCE OF MAJOR POLITICAL DONOR IN LATEST ROUND OF CLEMENCY He also stole credit card information from donors, including “victims he knew were elderly persons suffering from cognitive impairment or decline” and made unauthorized charges to fund both campaign and personal expenses, according to the DOJ. Santos also used a fake political fundraising company to solicit tens of thousands of dollars, which he spent on “designer clothing.” During the pandemic, Santos fraudulently claimed over $24,000 in unemployment benefits while employed at an investment firm. He also submitted false congressional financial disclosures to the House. Santos was elected in 2022 after flipping New York’s 3rd District for the GOP. His resumé was easily debunked. He falsely claimed academic degrees, Wall Street jobs and family ties to the Holocaust and 9/11. He was expelled from Congress in December 2023 after a scathing ethics report, becoming just the sixth member ever removed from the People’s House. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Santos has remained publicly active after his sentencing, selling video messages on Cameo and making social media posts. Unless pardoned, Santos is expected to remain incarcerated until at least early 2032. He has reportedly appealed to President Donald Trump for clemency. Greene and the White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital’s Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.