ICE arrests illegal immigrants convicted of attempted murder, rape and child sex crimes in targeted crackdown
In a series of sweeping nationwide operations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on Thursday arrested some of the “worst of the worst” criminal illegal aliens convicted of heinous crimes. Among those captured was Jose Solorzano-Felix, of Mexico, who was apprehended in Salt Lake City, Utah. Solorzano-Felix was previously convicted for the attempted murder of a federal law enforcement officer, use of a firearm during and in the commission of a felony, and being an illegal immigrant in possession of a handgun. ICE NABS ILLEGAL ALIENS CONVICTED OF CHILD SEX CRIMES AND METH TRAFFICKING IN NATIONWIDE ENFORCEMENT SWEEP In Santa Clara, California, ICE agents took Paulino Lugos-Perez, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, into custody following his conviction for lewd or lascivious acts with a child. Meanwhile, in Forsyth County, North Carolina, authorities arrested Adrian Valdez-Lopez, a Mexican national convicted of second-degree forcible rape. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SOCCER COACH WHO USED ALCOHOL AND DRUGS TO SEXUALLY ABUSE KIDS LEARNS FATE The crackdown also targeted violent gang affiliates, resulting in the Pasadena, California, arrest of Edgar Josue Centeno, a Honduran national and member of the Latin Kings gang convicted of assault with a deadly weapon. In Mineola, New York, agents arrested Rodolfo Umana, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador who had been convicted of burglary. “Yesterday, the brave men and women of ICE risked their lives to arrest illegal criminal aliens convicted for attempted murder of a federal law enforcement officer, lewd or lascivious acts with a child, rape, assault with a deadly weapon, and burglary,” Department of Homeland Security (DHS) acting assistant Secretary Lauren Bis wrote in a statement. SEE IT: ICE AGENTS PAUSE ARREST OPERATION TO SAVE WOMAN IN ROLLOVER CRASH The arrests represent a targeted effort to remove dangerous illegal immigrants from the country, with Bis emphasizing that under President Donald Trump and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, “ICE will continue to arrest and remove these public safety threats from our communities.” DHS said nearly 70% of ICE arrests are those of illegal immigrants who have already been charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S. “Thanks to our ICE law enforcement, our communities are safer,” Bis wrote.
Trump says he left instructions to ‘bomb’ Iran ‘at levels’ never seen if he is assassinated
President Donald Trump said he has left behind instructions to strike Iran should Tehran succeed in its attempts to assassinate him. “I’ve been on their list for a long time. That’s what we’re dealing with,” he told the New York Post on Friday. “… The only thing is, I’ve left instructions — if anything happens, to just literally bomb them at levels that they’ve never seen before.” Trump said that Tehran has wanted him dead for some time, noting that there were no new plans to kill him amid recent reports that Israel flagged an Iranian plot to take him out, the newspaper reported. ISRAEL SHARES INTELLIGENCE WARNING IRAN PLOTTED NEW ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AGAINST TRUMP: REPORT “No, no, Israel came up with nothing,” Trump said. “I’ve been No. 1 [on Iran’s kill list] for a long time, and it’s the way life is, you know.” Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment. Iran has sought Trump’s assassination after he ordered a 2020 strike that took out Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani. Most recently, mourners called for his death during the funeral for Iran’s former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. TRUMP CALLS TERRORIST IRANIAN A ‘CANCER.’ IS HE FINALLY THE ONE TO REMOVE IT? “I swear by the blood of the Supreme Leader, Trump, we will kill you!” they shouted, with women holding up placards reading “Kill Trump.” Domestically, Trump has been the target of assassination plots in the United States. In July 2024, a bullet grazed his ear when a shooter opened fire on him during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to escalate after Trump called off a ceasefire after Iran fired on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz this week. “The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue ‘talks,’” Trump wrote Friday on Truth Social. “We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER! Thank you for your attention to this matter.” Trump noted Iran’s ambitions to target him during a press conference this week at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. “They had leaders, they’re gone. Then they had another set of leaders, they’re gone,” he said. “Now they have another set of leaders — they may be gone, who knows? And you know what? I may be gone too. Because I’m their No. 1 target — it’s out all over the place. Because they’re scum.”
Platner officially terminates Senate bid after bombshell rape allegation ends campaign
Graham Platner the embattled Democratic Senate nominee in Maine, on Friday publicly released the letter formally withdrawing from the U.S. Senate race, thanking supporters before signing off with, “F**k ICE. Free Palestine. Up the Hearts.” Platner posted the July 10 letter on X after submitting it to the Maine Department of the Secretary of State’s Division of Elections. “I write to formally withdraw my candidacy for United States Senate,” Platner wrote. THE DOZEN RACES THAT WILL DETERMINE THE SENATE’S BALANCE OF POWER The letter thanked the 156,084 Mainers who voted for him in last month’s Democratic primary and argued they had backed “a new kind of politics” focused on issues including Medicare for All, stronger unions and limiting the influence of billionaires in politics. “My name may have been on the ballot, but that ballot line belongs to the people of Maine,” Platner wrote. “As such, please consider this notice as my official withdrawal from consideration for this office.” Platner concluded the letter by writing, “F**k ICE. Free Palestine. Up the Hearts.” The letter comes two days after Platner announced he was suspending his campaign amid mounting controversies and allegations of sexual misconduct that he has repeatedly denied, and a chorus of calls from top Democrats in Maine, the nation’s capital, and across the country to drop out of the race immediately. It also came three days before a crucial 5 p.m. Monday deadline. Missing it would have prevented Maine Democrats from replacing Platner with a new nominee on the general election ballot. A populist Democrat who was backed last September by progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders, Platner was challenging longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a high-profile, combustible and expensive race in Maine, which is one of a handful that will determine if the GOP holds onto its slim Senate majority in November’s midterm elections. “For the movement to continue, it can’t be me. For that reason, we are suspending campaign operations,” Platner said on Wednesday in a video posted to social media. The end of his campaign came a month after Platner won a landslide victory in Maine’s June 9 Democratic Senate primary, but just days after an explosive report contained an allegation of rape from a woman he previously dated. Maine resident Jenny Racicot told CNN “by dictionary definition” Platner “raped” her. She also said over the course of three interviews with Politico that Platner forced her to have sex five years ago against her will, a claim that he denied. Platner this week was hit with a second explosive allegation of sexual misconduct. In a report published by The Washington Post, Platner was accused of removing condoms during sex with his ex-girlfriend Lyndsey Fifield after she explicitly directed him to wear them. Fifield had previously accused Platner in a New York Times report of physical misconduct during their relationship, saying that he sometimes grabbed her hard enough to leave marks on her body and that one time he twisted her arm around her back, pushed her into a bedroom and held the door shut until she “calmed down.” The Platner campaign responded that Fifield’s latest allegations were “categorically false and politically motivated,” pointing to her previous work for the conservative Heritage Foundation. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB Addressing the multiple allegations in his video announcement, a visibly angry Platner charged, “This is all false. The things that have been claimed did not happen. It is not real.” The Marine Corps combat veteran and oyster farmer became the all-but-certain party nominee in the spring after two-term Gov. Janet Mills, who was backed by Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and the party establishment, suspended her bid after significantly trailing Platner in fundraising and polling. But as he moved towards capturing the nomination, Platner was forced to play defense amid multiple controversies that muddied the final days of his primary campaign and overshadowed his victory. Past inflammatory online comments made on a now-deleted Reddit account came back to haunt him at the same time he was reeling from revelations of a now covered-up tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi symbol. Then reports that Platner exchanged sexually explicit messages with several women while married came right before allegations from ex-girlfriends of a history of rape fantasies, heavy drinking and violent episodes. Platner repeatedly called the allegations of violence untrue. The mounting controversy drew plenty of attention, gave Republicans more ammunition to use against him and triggered some Democrats in the nation’s capital to question whether Platner was damaged goods. But the allegations didn’t stop him from riding a populist wave to capture the nomination in a landslide. SCANDAL-PLAGUED PLATNER CAPTURES DEMOCRATIC SENATE NOMINATION DESPITE MOUNTING CONTROVERSIES Platner, who struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from his three tours in the war in Iraq with the Marines and one tour with the Army National Guard in Afghanistan, apologized for his controversial Reddit posts after some of them made headlines after he launched his Senate campaign. In his primary night victory speech last month, Platner emphasized that he was a changed man. “If you believe, as I do, that we can change our politics and change our country, then you must also believe that people can change,” Platner told the crowd. “And the reason I believe that is because I have lived it.” After the latest allegations went viral last week, a growing chorus of Democrats called on Platner to quit the race, from establishment figures like Schumer to progressives among his biggest backers, including Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Mass., and Rep. Ro Khanna, Calif., who campaigned with Platner in Maine in June. The Maine Democratic Party announced earlier this week that officials were working “around the clock” to determine a replacement process, but claimed Platner’s team was trying “to put their thumb on the scale of what this process looks like.” Platner’s team, responding, said they had reached out to the party but denied they were trying to put any “finger
Mexico vows US will pay after ICE fatally shoots illegal migrant who allegedly attempted to ram agent with car
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum vowed to pursue “significant legal measures” against the United States after a Mexican national was fatally shot during an ICE operation in Texas. Mexican officials counted 17 cases of Mexican nationals who have died in U.S. immigration custody, while Sheinbaum focused on Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, an illegal migrant who has lived in the United States for decades. DHS officials claimed Araujo was the subject of an ICE arrest operation when an agent shot him in self-defense because he allegedly ignored orders and allegedly attempted to ram the agent. ICE SAYS OFFICER SHOT AND KILLED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WHO TRIED TO RAM HIM WITH CAR IN HOUSTON During Sheinbaum’s daily “Mañanera del Pueblo” press availability in Mexico City, she laid out her planned escalation of objections against U.S. immigration enforcement’s behavior. “Our goal is to go beyond diplomatic notes and the representations we made to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. We cannot tolerate the mistreatment of our fellow citizens, our brothers and sisters, in the United States. So, we are proposing further measures,” Sheinbaum said in Spanish. Sheinbaum said the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs will present the measures to Washington, and commented on Araujo’s death. ICE AGENTS IN FATAL HOUSTON SHOOTING WERE NOT WEARING BODY CAMERAS, SOURCES SAY “This occurred in the context of detention, even though their only offense was lacking documentation — and this despite having been hired by a U.S. company.” She said the U.S. has no reason to hold people like Araujo in detention or allegedly “subject [them] to violence.” “We are therefore preparing, obviously, more significant legal measures.” TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PLANS NEW ICE HOLDING FACILITY NEAR LOUISIANA DEPORTATION FLIGHT HUB On Thursday, Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco said he is requesting criminal charges be brought in connection with the 17 Mexican nationals who died in U.S. custody, according to the AP, which reported the requests will be sent to the Justice Department and various state attorneys general. Multiple reports suggested Sheinbaum’s demands would have no legal effect in U.S. courts. Mexico City has claimed 14 of the 17 died in custody while three have been killed during active DHS operations, according to the outlet. Fox News Digital reached out to the Justice Department and DHS for comment. The White House directed Fox News Digital to DHS. Araujo, 52, was reportedly transporting workers to a jobsite for a homebuilding company in the Magnolia Park section of Houston. As critics disputed the government’s recounting of events, objections arose over the lack of bodycams on the agents on-scene. A DHS spokesperson defended the agents, telling Fox News they had not been issued body-worn cameras because of the repercussions of the Democrat-backed agency shutdown earlier this year. “The process of purchasing and issuing body-worn cameras to all of our ICE field offices was interrupted by the Democrats multiple government shutdowns. Body cameras have been deployed to more than half the field offices, with the remaining half to receive them in the next 60 days,” a spokesperson said, while noting a 1,300% increase in assaults against agents during the same period. Meanwhile, advocacy group Voto Latino condemned the Araujo incident, saying that the Mexican national should still be alive. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “His story is the embodiment of what it means to seek the American Dream — the same dream that drives so many of us to call this nation home. Lorenzo called the United States home for nearly 35 years, and his family deserves immediate answers that come from a completely independent process, not from the very agency that upended their lives,” Voto Latino executive director Beatriz Lopez said in a statement, which also called for Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s resignation. Asked about Sheinbaum’s warning, an ICE spokesperson defended the agency and the accounting of events depicting Araujo as trying to hit an agent. “[He] refused to follow multiple verbal commands, and weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run over an ICE law enforcement officer resulting in our officer firing his weapon in self-defense,” the spokesperson said. “DHS-OIG is leading an investigation into the agent-involved shooting. FBI Houston is leading an investigation into the potential assault on a federal law enforcement officer. This is a developing situation, and we will update the public when more information is available.” Fox News’ Brooke Taylor and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Intel expert says Singham network is more than a nonprofit scandal—it’s a security threat
An intelligence expert warned that far-left sugar daddy Neville Roy Singham’s dark money network is a threat to national security, and said an ongoing federal grand jury probe into the China-based tech tycoon’s funding of socialist, communist and Marxist organizations is warranted. Adam Sohn, co-founder and CEO of the Network Contagion Research Institute, said Singham’s network is funneling hundreds of millions of dollars into nonprofit political advocacy organizations, including the People’s Forum, Breakthrough news, Tri-Continental, the Party for Socialism and Liberation. Those groups are mounting highly choreographed protests across the nation over a variety of left-wing causes and issues. “Without his money, these nonprofits have no reason for existence,” Sohn said. “I think Americans are seeing what this ecosystem looks like in the streets of our country. These aren’t protests, it’s coordinated chaos and attacks on infrastructure.” CRUZ PUSHES BILL TO HOLD TAX-EXEMPT SPONSORS ACCOUNTABLE AS DOJ PROBES SINGHAM NETWORK Singham, a 72-year-old Marxist who sold his tech company for $800 million in 2017 and now lives in Shanghai, is known to fund pro-Chinese Communist Party groups that operate in the U.S. He has funneled $278 million into the broad network of nonprofits since 2017, according to a Fox News Digital investigation. These groups regularly organize and participate in anti-ICE, anti-Israel and pro-Iran demonstrations. Fox News Digital reported last week that Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche authorized a grand jury in Manhattan to issue subpoenas as part of a probe of Singham’s financial network. The investigation was launched by U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York, one of the country’s most powerful districts for federal prosecutions. Singham hasn’t responded to repeated requests for comment from Fox News Digital. Nonprofits in Singham’s network mobilize agitators across the country to engage in demonstrations, including some which have resulted in clashes between federal and local law enforcement. PROBE INTO ‘SUBVERSIVE’ ANTI-AI SINGHAM NETWORK IS ‘ENORMOUS,’ FORMER TREASURY ADVISOR SAYS Sohn said Singham’s network has also fought against the building of data centers and the advancement of artificial intelligence in the U.S. While environmental concerns are usually cited by opponents of the data centers, proponents say blocking them could put the U.S. behind China in the AI race. Researchers at the Bitcoin Policy Institute released a report last week that said an estimated $23.6 billion in proposed AI and data center investment has been delayed, scaled back or blocked in campaigns where the Party for Socialism and Liberation served as “a critical mobilizer.” Sohn said his organization has provided information to the Southern District of New York surrounding the foreign-backed influence on U.S. AI policy. CHINA’S IRAN TIES COMPLICATE TRUMP-XI SUMMIT AS TENSIONS TEST US LEVERAGE “They’re functioning as unregistered foreign agents, [with] ties to Venezuela, ties to Iran, North Korea, Russia, Cuba,” Sohn said. “This same organizing muscle that’s been shutting down bridges, shutting down airports, attacking police officers, they’re now redeployed onto the artificial intelligence the United States is trying to engage in with China and other countries.” Sohn alleged that his organization “had some recent data that shows that Iranian operatives are formally partnered with the Singham networks,” though Fox News Digital was unable to independently verify the claim. The federal grand jury probe of Singham is part of a slew of investigations that includes ones launched by Congressional committees and top lawmakers in Washington D.C. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met with Goldman Sachs Chairman and CEO David Solomon in New York earlier this year, where, according to sources familiar with the meeting, he pressed the bank to assist the Justice Department’s investigation into Singham’s financial network. During the meeting, Bessent warned that Goldman Sachs itself could come under scrutiny over its alleged role in facilitating the movement of Singham’s funds and encouraged Solomon to fully cooperate with federal investigators. A source familiar with the meeting told Fox News Digital that the discussion was cordial, not contentious, and that Solomon expressed a willingness to aid the Justice Department’s investigation. “All distributions from Mr. Singham’s donor-advised fund were made to legally recognized nonprofit organizations, as determined by the IRS, a Goldman Sachs spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “No distributions have been made from the account since August 2023, and it was closed in early 2024.”
New Trump UFO file dump includes military footage of mysterious star-shaped object
The Trump administration released its fourth tranche of declassified unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) records Friday, including newly released military infrared videos and additional details about a 2015 unidentified object reported near the nation’s primary nuclear weapons assembly facility. Officials said the latest release is part of the administration’s effort to expand public access to UAP records while protecting information that could reveal sensitive military capabilities, eyewitness identities or national security operations. Among the newly released files is an 18-second infrared video submitted by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in 2025 showing an object officials described as resembling a six-pointed star. UFO EXPERT WARNS MYSTERY CRAFT ARE OUTMANEUVERING US MILITARY IN RESTRICTED AIRSPACE The footage, captured by an infrared sensor aboard a U.S. military platform over the Yellow Sea, shows the sensor tracking what the government described as an “area of contrast” while cautioning that the video’s description should not be interpreted as an official conclusion about the object’s identity or significance. The latest release also includes a newly declassified Department of Energy report detailing a 2015 incident involving an unidentified object over the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas — the nation’s primary facility for assembling, maintaining and dismantling nuclear weapons. Portions of the report previously had been released in a more heavily redacted form, but Friday’s tranche includes additional details and imagery. The release also includes a 1-minute, 46-second infrared video submitted by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in 2024 that shows a military sensor tracking an elongated area of contrast. As the sensor zooms in, the object appears as a line of several points moving across the field of view before becoming less distinct as it recedes into the distance. Officials cautioned that the video’s description should not be interpreted as an official conclusion about the object’s identity or significance. Another newly released Navy “Range Fouler Debrief” — a standardized report used to document unauthorized intrusions into military training airspace — describes a military operator observing a “quite small” object with a metallic appearance and reflective underside that continued traveling in a constant direction. The report cautions that the descriptions reflect the observer’s impressions at the time and are not definitive assessments of the object’s characteristics. PENTAGON FILES REVEAL AGENTS’ REPORTS OF ‘ORBS LAUNCHING ORBS’ NEAR SENSITIVE US SECURITY SITE The release also features additional infrared videos submitted by U.S. Central Command, the Air Force and Indo-Pacific Command. One 2024 video shows what appears to be an elongated area of contrast that later resembles a line of multiple bright points as the military sensor tracks it. Another 2023 video captures two areas of contrast crossing the sensor’s field of view in opposite directions. In at least one case, the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office included technical context alongside the footage, noting that apparent flickering in a 2019 Air Force infrared video could result from the sensor’s automatic contrast adjustments when tracking an object whose temperature closely matched its background. Congress established the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office in 2022 to investigate reports of unidentified objects across air, sea, space and other domains, with a focus on determining whether incidents could pose flight safety or national security risks. The office is tasked with assessing whether sightings can be attributed to foreign adversaries, classified U.S. programs or conventional explanations before labeling them unresolved. The latest release is the fourth tranche in a series that is part of President Donald Trump‘s directive to expand public access to UAP records, adding that redactions were limited to protecting eyewitness identities, sensitive military locations and unrelated government facilities.
Mamdani defends controversial NYC map after omitting iconic Little Italy, Jewish and Irish neighborhoods
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani defended a controversial city map highlighting immigrant enclaves Friday, saying it was never intended to be comprehensive and promising updates after criticism over the omission of Little Italy. In response to Fox News Digital’s request for comment, the Mayor’s Office pointed to remarks Mamdani made during an unrelated press conference Friday, where he said the map was created under the previous administration in 2023. “This map was initially created by the prior administration in 2023, and when we inherited it, we added a few additional neighborhoods,” Mamdani said. “It’s clearly not an exhaustive list of the more than 200 ethnic communities that call our city home, and we’re going to be making additional changes in the future to reflect that and that includes Little Italy.” PRO-ISRAEL INFLUENCER EMILY AUSTIN SAYS ZOHRAN MAMDANI REACHED OUT TO CO-HOST FIFA EVENT The “New York City Immigrant Enclaves” map resurfaced this week on social media after users noted it omitted Little Italy, as well as Jewish and Irish neighborhoods, despite highlighting 30 immigrant communities across the five boroughs. The map is part of the city’s Neighborhood Passport campaign tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The omission drew criticism from the Italian American Civil Rights League (IACRL), which accused the administration of erasing one of the communities that helped build New York. “Zohran Mamdani wants to ERASE Italian Americans. First, he denied our permit for Unity Day 2026. Now, he is excluding Little Italy as a recognized location all together on the map,” the group wrote on X. NY GOVERNOR HOPEFUL VOWS SHOWDOWN WITH MAMDANI OVER SOCIALIST AGENDA: ‘I WILL STOP HIM’ “Mamdani’s City Hall can find room for every fashionable progressive constituency, but somehow it cannot find Little Italy,” IACRL President Mike Crispi said in a statement. The controversy also drew reaction from Republican New York City Council Member Vickie Paladino, who mocked the map in an X post by joking she was renaming her northeast Queens district “Little America.” “Here we welcome refugees from the rest of the city who want to live amongst a culture reminiscent of the nation they once knew as The United States,” Paladino wrote. SOCIALIST MAYOR KATIE WILSON SILENT AMID PROTESTS OVER ‘HUMAN DUMPING GROUND’ AHEAD OF US WORLD CUP MATCH New York City Tourism + Conventions previously told Fox News Digital the map was created by the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs in 2023. Mamdani said his administration has already added a few neighborhoods since taking office and plans to make additional revisions, including adding Little Italy. According to the Library of Congress, more than 4 million Italians immigrated to the United States between the 1880s and 1924, with roughly one-third settling in New York City. The Italian American Civil Rights League did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital’s Ashley J. DiMella contributed to this report.
Hegseth steps in to ‘fix’ situation after Apache pilots suspended for ‘Salute from the Shores’ flyover
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stepped in quickly after reports that the pilots of eight Apache helicopters were suspended following a low-altitude flyover during South Carolina’s “Salute from the Shore” event celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. Video of the Apache helicopters conducting a low-altitude flyover as beachgoers cheered and waved flags quickly went viral. However, Fox affiliate Fox Carolina reported Thursday that after the pilots landed, they were informed they had been suspended pending an investigation. Their suspension did not last long. Shortly after news broke of the suspension, Hegseth posted on X, “We’ll fix this. Carry on, Patriots.” Early the next morning, Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesman and senior advisor to Hegseth, announced that “effective immediately, the suspension of all involved South Carolina pilots has been lifted.” Echoing Hegseth, he added, “Carry on Patriots.” HEGSETH SAYS PENTAGON WILL REVIEW MARK KELLY’S PUBLIC STATEMENTS ABOUT CLASSIFIED BRIEFING AMID ONGOING FEUD Fox Carolina reported on Thursday that South Carolina National Guard spokesperson Maj. Lisa Alle clarified the suspension was intended to be temporary and that the pilots remained in good standing with the military. Alle emphasized to the outlet, “We want to assure the community that a temporary suspension from flight duties is a routine administrative measure whenever a flight profile is under review. This is not punitive.” While suspended, the pilots were continuing to work and getting paid. Despite this, the pilots’ suspension outraged many online who expressed anger that they would be under review for participating in a patriotic event. FIRST ON FOX: BEHIND THE SCENES OF ARLINGTON’S MEMORIAL DAY TRIBUTE FOR AMERICA’S 250TH BIRTHDAY Conservative influencer Matt Van Swol posted on X, “WHAT ON EARTH??!!!! The National Guard has just SUSPENDED all 8 pilots of the Apache helicopters that flew on the ‘Salute to the Shore’ flyover across the South Carolina coast. No reason has been given for their suspension. A source says as soon as the pilots landed, they got a message saying they were suspended pending an investigation.” Another popular influencer who goes by the username Jammles9 reacted, “Are you kidding me?? This was incredible!!” Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., wrote, “Leave it to a beach Karen to make a frivolous complaint about the most EPIC flyover ever on Independence Day. Newsflash— we LOVED the flyovers!!!” The congressman added, “These heroes deserve to be CELEBRATED, not chastised. We stand with each of the Apache pilots!” ‘THE VIEW’ CO-HOST SUNNY HOSTIN LAMENTS ‘I SUDDENLY FEEL UNSAFE’ IN NEIGHBORHOODS WITH AMERICAN FLAGS In a statement shared with Fox News Digital Friday morning, the South Carolina National Guard confirmed the state adjutant general had lifted the administrative suspension of the eight pilots. The statement referred to the pilots as “experienced aviators” and noted that returning them to flight status “ensures that the South Carolina National Guard maintains its peak operational readiness and remains fully postured to support both state and federal missions.” “The South Carolina National Guard’s 59th Aviation Troop Command is an exceptional helicopter unit, renowned throughout the Army and the National Guard for its unwavering commitment to excellence and Soldier safety,” the statement read. “As is the hallmark of any professional organization, the 59th Aviation Troop Command continuously self-examines and critically evaluates its training and operations to ensure that the highest levels of professionalism and safety are maintained. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “The subject events of July 4th are no exception, as our pilots remain deeply committed to excellence and the highest standards of safety,” the South Carolina National Guard continued, adding, “The South Carolina National Guard appreciates the outpouring of concern and support from our community and state leaders. Go Guard!” Praise poured in for Hegseth after the decision, with Mike Davis, a former Capitol Hill staffer, posting, “This is why I love Pete.” Swol commented, “Really appreciate @PeteHegseth lifting this suspension. My wife and I were on that beach and we watched the flyover with my son… it was absolutely epic. This right here is why I love Pete Hegseth. Thank you @SecWar.”
Millions in Dem ad money vanished from Platner race days before rape allegation doomed Senate bid
Two Democratic-aligned political groups shifted millions of dollars in planned Maine Senate ad reservations days before a rape allegation against former Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner became public, handing Republicans a new line of attack over whether party leaders had already lost confidence in his campaign. WinSenate removed more than $6.2 million in Maine Senate ad reservations, including $5.9 million in broadcast reservations from July 7 through Aug. 31 and $330,000 in cable reservations that had been set to begin June 30, AdImpact, a leading ad-tracking and analytics firm that monitors political advertising, reported July 2. AdImpact also said a separate $240,000 in digital spending shifted from Majority Forward. The ad shift came roughly one week before one of Platner’s ex-girlfriends accused him of rape, though Majority Forward denied the shift was due to recent campaign turmoil. The rape allegation reported by Politico, which Platner denied, ended a campaign already weakened by months of controversy. Platner had faced scrutiny since October 2025 over comments from a deleted Reddit account and a Nazi-linked tattoo he acquired while serving in the armed forces. Pressure intensified June 4 after The New York Times reported that multiple ex-girlfriends described him as emotionally abusive, which he also denied. WATCH: CHUCK SCHUMER SIDESTEPS PLATNER SCANDALS, CONFIRMS SUPPORT FOR CONTROVERSIAL DEM “D.C. Democrats are furious that Graham Platner went down swinging with a lengthy swan song calling out their ‘political establishment’ coup to silence grassroots progressives,” one GOP operative told Fox News Digital. “Chuck Schumer’s ad spending proves he only discovered moral clarity when his midterm strategy was on life support.” The funding for the ads was rerouted to a different Democratic committee to reserve advertising space in Maine between July 7 and Aug. 31, according to AdImpact. Majority Forward denied the spending shift was connected to Platner’s campaign turmoil. “Majority Forward moved its (c)4 spending to another entity, a fairly common practice with issue advocacy campaigns,” a spokeswoman for the organization told Fox News Digital. “This change was not connected to recent campaign events.” WinSenate and Majority Forward are closely tied to the Democratic Senate campaign apparatus. Both organizations are affiliated with Senate Majority PAC, a wealthy political committee run by allies of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. WinSenate has historically been funded by Senate Majority PAC, while Majority Forward has shared staff and costs with the committee. Prior to the rape allegation, Schumer avoided commenting on Platner’s controversies, stating that he was committed to flipping Maine’s Senate seat. After the story broke, Schumer said he was “disturbed” and demanded that Platner “immediately withdraw” from the race. DAN BONGINO SAYS DEMOCRATS DUMPED GRAHAM PLATNER OVER ‘POWER’ NOT ‘PRINCIPLE’ AFTER BOMBSHELL RAPE ALLEGATION “What did they know and when did they know it?” journalist Chuck Ross wrote of the ad cancellations on X. Upon dropping out of the race on Wednesday, Platner claimed that the Democratic establishment sabotaged his campaign. “It’s not the false allegations though that have brought us to where we are,” Platner said of the rape allegations, which he denies, during his concession speech on Wednesday. “It’s the fact that they are being used by the political establishment to put structural pressure on us … Those in power who have the ability to do so are using these allegations as an excuse to take away all of the things that we need to run a campaign.” DEMOCRATS EXTEND PLATNER ‘GRACE’ DESPITE ABUSE ALLEGATIONS AFTER KAVANAUGH RECKONING Platner underwent an unusually short vetting process, a decision some argue allowed a candidate with significant baggage to make it much further than he should have. While most candidate background checks in key races often cost tens of thousands of dollars and take weeks to complete, Platner’s lasted just three days and cost just over $6,000, the Wall Street Journal reported. Democrats in Maine plan to hold a nominating convention to determine who will replace Platner to face off against incumbent GOP Sen. Susan Collins on the ballot in November. While independents could vote in Maine’s Democratic primary, the convention will only feature Democratic delegates. WinSenate and the Platner campaign did not respond to requests for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Thursday.
WATCH: Trump’s Energy chief reveals what escalating Iran tensions could mean for gas prices
Energy Secretary Chris Wright is telling Americans not to be concerned about the possibility of another surge of sharp increases in gasoline prices as tensions with Iran have started to escalate once again. Asked whether Americans should worry about higher prices at the pump and how the Trump administration is preparing to keep the economy stable if the conflict continues to worsen, Wright told Fox News Digital: “It has not been any good behavior from Iran that’s allowed oil to flow. It’s been the United States military.” “That’s not changing,” he assured, speaking from the Great American State Fair on the National Mall this week. US CLAWS BACK KEY CONCESSION TO IRAN AFTER FRESH ATTACKS ON COMMERCIAL SHIPS IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ With Iran striking three commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Monday and Tuesday, Wright doubled down in urging citizens to not credit Iran for the U.S. military’s work to ensure oil shipments continue flowing through the strait. “Look, the U.S. Military has been the key asset here,” he said. “They have assured the flow of oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz throughout. Not at the beginning of this conflict, but through the last six weeks.” Wright said the administration is closely monitoring global oil supplies as the tentative ceasefire with Iran seemingly came to a halt, with President Donald Trump telling Secretary-General Mark Rutte the call for peace with Iran is “over” at the NATO Summit in Turkey on Wednesday. But, he pointed to the continued shipping through the Strait as evidence that markets should remain stable. TRUMP SAYS IRAN CEASEFIRE IS ‘OVER’ AFTER IRANIAN ATTACKS TRIGGER MASSIVE US RESPONSE “We’re, of course, constantly watching the supply of oil, the supply of refined products and what’s going on there,” Wright said. “And I think still all positive trends.” Beyond geopolitical concerns, Wright also praised the new chain of discounted gas stations across Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Freedom Fuel, which promises customers prices below the national average. The Trump administration, though not involved with the network, has heavily endorsed the new chain and its 25 locations. “We love it,” Wright said when asked about Freedom Fuel. “I mean, look, any mechanism we can to lower energy costs for Americans of all kinds, we’re all in on.” “With Freedom Fuels, they’re just lowering it down to their wholesale price of gasoline,” Wright said. “So they’re not making any money selling gasoline, but they’ve got convenience stores. That’s how most gas stations make money.” NEWSOM UNDER FIRE AS CALIFORNIA GAS TAX HIKE SENDS PUMP PRICES EVEN HIGHER Gasoline costs are a known concern for many Americans, and amid surging prices there has been a considerable increase in those opting to purchase electric vehicles to save money long-term at the pump — with Tesla dominating the market for these types of models. Wright argued one of the benefits to living in America is having the option to choose what type of vehicle you drive. “We just want people to buy what they would prefer,” he told Fox News Digital when asked his thoughts on increasing calls for support of the electrification of cars. “Consumer choice — you wanna buy an electric car, you wanna buy a gas powered car, diesel powered car, buy a big truck. That’s the choice.” “That’s why you live in America. You get the choice of all those.”