Trump’s birthright citizenship crusade draws backing from cohort of prominent legal scholars
A group of at least seven law professors have mounted a campaign to challenge the longstanding interpretation of birthright citizenship, arguing in favor of President Donald Trump’s effort to narrow the constitutional provision, even as Supreme Court justices signal skepticism. The legal scholars’ arguments aim to persuade the Supreme Court and opponents of Trump’s efforts that there are serious originalist and historical arguments for narrowing birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment that deserve consideration rather than dismissal as a fringe political theory. Ilan Wurman, a law professor at the University of Minnesota, told Fox News Digital the recent wave of support is intended to reinforce the point that birthright citizenship is not a settled matter despite the institutional consensus on it. “That several prominent law professors have come out over the past year, including a few in the past month, in varying degrees of support for the Trump Administration’s birthright citizenship executive order, shows that their position is serious,” Wurman said. “The Supreme Court cannot simply rely on the conventional wisdom. It will have to show its work.” TRUMP ELEVATES IMMIGRATION FIGHT AT SUPREME COURT, TURNING UP HEAT ON DEMOCRATS AHEAD OF MIDTERMS Wurman, who specializes in constitutional law, was one of dozens who also weighed in on the case by submitting amicus briefs to the high court ahead of April 1 oral arguments on birthright citizenship, which grants automatic citizenship to most babies born on U.S. soil under the 14th Amendment. He argued, in part, that the amendment never intended to grant illegal immigrants’ babies citizenship, saying that in the 19th century, parents who were residents of a country owed allegiance to the country in exchange for protections from its government. “This exchange of allegiance and protection was often described as a ‘mutual compact,’” Wurman wrote. “Lawful aliens generally fell within the scope of the rule, while foreign soldiers and ambassadors did not. … Illegally present aliens would likely have fallen outside the scope of the rule.” The other law professors include Randy Barnett of Georgetown University, Kurt Lash of University of Richmond, Richard Epstein of New York University, Tom Lee of Fordham University, Adrian Vermeule of Harvard University and, most recently, Philip Hamburger of Columbia University, each of whom has argued in varying degrees that Trump’s birthright citizenship order is constitutionally defensible. SCOTUS SLATED TO WEIGH FUTURE BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP PROTECTIONS FOR MILLIONS — HERE’S WHAT AT STAKE Trump’s order, signed soon after he took office, would prevent children born to mothers who are illegal immigrants or legal temporary visitors from gaining automatic citizenship. While all the justices, aside from Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, appear poised to toss out Trump’s order, the case has nevertheless invited polarizing debate. If approved by the high court, it could strip citizenship from those ineligible for it under Trump’s new interpretation and broadly shift immigration policy. The Trump administration has contended that temporary visitors and illegal immigrants are not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States and that that phrasing in the amendment was intended to apply to freed slaves in the Civil War-era. The administration has argued that birth tourism companies have illegally exploited the generous citizenship policy and that it also incentivizes illegal immigration. Chief Justice John Roberts challenged Solicitor General John Sauer during oral arguments on the small exceptions built into the 14th Amendment, such as children born to foreign diplomats, saying they were not comparable to a wide category of illegal immigrants. JUSTICE JACKSON SPARKS ONLINE UPROAR AFTER LINKING BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP TO STEALING A WALLET IN JAPAN “The examples you give to support that strike me as very quirky,” Roberts said. “You know, children of ambassadors, children of enemies during a hostile invasion, children on warships, and then you expand it to a whole class of illegal aliens. … I’m not quite sure how you can get to that big group from such tiny and sort of idiosyncratic examples.” The American Civil Liberties Union lawyer who argued against the executive order told the Supreme Court the policy was enshrined in the 14th Amendment to “put it out of reach of any government official” and that its exceptions were intentionally narrow. “It excludes only those cloaked with a fiction of extraterritoriality because they are subject to another sovereign’s jurisdiction even when they’re in the United States, a closed set of exceptions to an otherwise universal rule,” ACLU lawyer Cecillia Wang said. Wurman noted that the professors siding with Trump’s executive order have been met with “swift and vicious” reactions. David Bier, immigration expert at the libertarian CATO Institute, said the bloc of dissenters was unserious. “Oh SEVEN!? That’s remarkable given that to qualify as a judge or appointee you need to align yourself with the president,” Bier wrote on X. “The case is a joke. It’s sad that these people are debasing themselves in a losing effort for an ignoble cause.”
Golden eagles, lions and a winged Lady Liberty top Trump’s proposed 250-foot DC Triumphal Arch designs
The fate of the President Donald Trump-touted 250-foot Triumphal Arch will be decided next week at a White House Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) meeting after the official proposed designs of the monument were filed by the Trump administration and released for the first time Friday. “I am pleased to announce that TODAY my Administration officially filed the presentation and plans to the highly respected Commission of Fine Arts for what will be the GREATEST and MOST BEAUTIFUL Triumphal Arch, anywhere in the World,” Trump said in Truth Social post. “This will be a wonderful addition to the Washington D.C. area for all Americans to enjoy for many decades to come!” TRUMP ADMIN OFFICIALS REVEAL DETAILS OF FREEDOM 250 GRAND PRIX IN DC Speculation has swirled about the final look of the proposed arch since late last year, with many iterations making the rounds on social media before the official mock-ups were shared earlier today. The mock-up, designed by architecture firm Harrison Design, is a 12-page addendum shared on the Commission of Fine Arts official meeting page. According to those mock-ups, the arch rises to 250 feet, evoking the nation’s 250th anniversary and more than double the height of the nearby 99-foot Lincoln Memorial. The central opening of the arch in the provided designs is roughly 110 feet high, providing a picture frame effect for both the Lincoln Memorial across the Potomac River and Arlington National Cemetery. The arch’s location would be roughly equidistant from both landmarks, sitting at the roundabout between Memorial Bridge and Memorial Avenue near the Arlington Cemetery Metro Stop. The scale would be unlike any monument in Washington, D.C., with the arch theoretically dwarfing nearby memorials and towering above the roadway. TRUMP ADMIN URGES RESTORING BALLROOM CONSTRUCTION IN EMERGENCY MOTION: ‘TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE’ Friday’s released designs revealed a golden, winged Lady Liberty-style figure atop the arch flanked by two bald eagles crowning the monument and adding even more height to the structure. This is in contrast to previous possible designs Trump posted to social media in January, which had no ornamentation atop the arch. The most iconic detail released in Friday’s design, emblazoned across the top of the large central archway, are golden letters that say “ONE NATION UNDER GOD” centered on its white stone facade. Harrison Design confirmed to Fox News Digital that the principal architect behind the arch is Nicolas Charbonneau, the award-winning director of Harrison Design’s Sacred Architecture Studio. He is known primarily for his work on churches. “The world is ordered so that there’s a harmony to everything,” Charbonneau told The Arlington Catholic Herald. “And we’ve been designed to know that there should be an ordering to what we do. A lot of modern architecture flies in the face of that.” RARE AND ORIGINAL AMERICAN FOUNDING DOCUMENTS TO FLY ON FREEDOM PLANE ACROSS NATION According to the mock-ups reviewed by Fox News Digital, there appear to be internal staircases within the arch’s pedestals leading to what is implied to be a viewing deck for visitors to the monument. Four golden lions sit at each corner of the monument, renderings show. The White House reiterated its goals for the monument in a statement it had previously shared with Fox News Digital earlier this year when asked for comment. “The Triumphal Arch in Memorial Circle is going to be one of the most iconic landmarks not only in Washington, D.C., but throughout the world,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle reiterated in a statement to Fox News Digital. AMERICA 250 ORGANIZERS UNVEIL SWEEPING PLANS FOR THE COUNTRY’S HISTORIC BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION “It will enhance the visitor experience at Arlington National Cemetery for veterans, the families of the fallen and all Americans alike, serving as a visual reminder of the noble sacrifices borne by so many American heroes throughout our 250-year history so we can enjoy our freedoms today. President Trump will continue to honor our veterans and give the greatest nation on earth — America — the glory it deserves.” Trump has previously touted the arch, saying he’d “like it to be the biggest one of all,” adding, “We’re the biggest, most powerful nation.” The Commission of Fine Arts, founded in 1910, consists of members who are personally selected by the sitting president and describes itself as “an independent federal agency charged with giving expert advice to the President, the Congress and the federal and District of Columbia governments on matters of design and aesthetics.” The White House Commission of Fine Arts is scheduled to meet Thursday morning in D.C. The entire packet of renderings of the arch can be viewed here. Harrison Design did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the arch’s design.
Wes Moore preemptively unloads on Baltimore Sun ahead of expose, as spox beefs with ‘right wing’ ownership
Before The Baltimore Sun published a word of its reported investigation into Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s record, the Democrat state leader and his team were already blasting the paper’s new ownership as “right-wing” and cozy with President Donald Trump. The Baltimore Sun, which was purchased by Sinclair executive chairman David D. Smith in 2024, is reportedly examining Moore’s military record, scholastic sports tenure and other parts of his background, Semafor reported earlier this week, citing the Sun has brought on investigative reporters from sister outlets under the Sinclair umbrella. “It’s actually a very sad day because the Baltimore Sun used to be our paper of record. It’s now become the paper of the right wing,” Moore told former Biden spokeswoman Jen Psaki in a recent interview, after Psaki noted the Sun was purchased in 2024 by Smith. Moore, who has downplayed talks of a 2028 presidential bid, has previously faced scrutiny for listing a Bronze Star on a Bush-era White House fellowship application before he received the award, as well as questions about the depth of his Baltimore roots during his 2022 race against then-Gov. Larry Hogan. Moore ultimately received the Bronze Star in 2024. WES MOORE WARNS DHS FEDERAL OCCUPATION OF NEW ICE COMPOUND NOW UNDER STATE INVESTIGATION “[Y]ou’ve had a MAGA billionaire who is now currying favor for [President Donald Trump] and utilizing what used to be a prized paper for our region and now turning it to something that is not much more than right-wing drivel,” Moore said. The governor added that Army members he served with don’t question his integrity in the same way and that Smith is the “canary in the coalmine” for wealthy conservatives trying to use their resources to please Trump, including using the media. The interview elicited a lengthy rebuttal from the managing editor of the Smith-linked outlet investigating Moore: Spotlight on Maryland. The outlet is a collaboration between the Sinclair-owned FOX affiliate in Baltimore, ABC affiliate in Washington and the Sun. “Democrats sure are putting in a lot of work to discredit a series before it’s even started running. That alone should raise a question: why?,” Spotlight on Maryland managing editor Candy Woodall tweeted, captioning Moore’s interview. Woodall claimed Moore’s office threatened to disseminate files to “every media reporter” to try to discredit her investigation. “We saw the same playbook in 2022 when a FOX-45 reporter asked why Moore allowed claims that he had received a Bronze Star that he didn’t have at the time. His team accused the reporter and media outlet of bias and a smear campaign,” she wrote. “Two years later, after the New York Times wrote about the Bronze Star Moore hadn’t received, the narrative changed, and the governor said it was ‘an honest mistake’. In an August 2024 statement on his military record, Moore acknowledged he knew before leaving Afghanistan that he had not received the award.” In that statement, Moore said his deputy brigade commander encouraged him to apply for a White House fellowship and simultaneously recommended him for a Bronze Star and told him to include that on his application. He added that in his officer evaluation, his superiors ranked him in the top 1% of Operation Enduring Freedom officers and called him “the best lieutenant I’ve encountered…” before later noting he “sincerely wish[ed he] had gone back to correct the note on my application.” Woodall pushed back again in her tweet, saying that her journalists’ loyalties aren’t to officials but to Marylanders and that her team sent “hundreds” of questions to Moore and his staff to scant responses. She claimed a Moore official admitted Spotlight doesn’t deserve to be treated like a news outlet and “nothing that comes out of Sinclair should be taken seriously.” “If you want to know more, keep reading The Baltimore Sun, a 200-year-old newspaper that has survived many governors,” she quipped. When asked for a response, Moore press secretary Ammar Moussa told Fox News Digital that “in light of revelations that Sinclair owner and Trump-donor David Smith is personally involved in Spotlight on Maryland’s reporting, what is the extent of Sinclair owner and Donald Trump ally David Smith’s influence in the FOX-45 and Baltimore Sun newsrooms?” He also said Spotlight reporter Gary Collins is “not a journalist,” directing Fox News Digital to an X response to Collins, criticizing him as a former Maryland Republican Party official “working at the direction of your Trump-supporting boss.” ANTI-ICE LEGISLATION HEADS TO DESK OF RISING STAR DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR, TESTING HIS PRESIDENTIAL AMBITIONS “I will continue to report facts, just like my colleagues do,” Collins said. Collins had also published a March 26 report on a roundtable Moore participated in near a Washington County warehouse rumored to be destined as an ICE facility. Collins’ piece noted Moore’s complaint about the feds’ “lack of transparency” and contrasted it with what he said was a similar dynamic in Annapolis. “[Moore’s] administration has yet to release full documentation tied to his military record, academic history, and prior credentials — records Spotlight On Maryland has requested for months,” Collins wrote, going on to scribe that Sun co-owner and Moore friend Armstrong Williams penned a column calling on the governor to “tell the truth and release the facts.” Moussa also took aim at Woodall, asking her if Smith was behind her lengthy tweet. “Did your Trump-supporting boss write this? Or does he only monitor your emails?” Moussa said. Smith previously ruffled feathers on the left when Sinclair pulled “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from its lineup following the controversial comic’s reaction to Charlie Kirk’s murder. Sinclair is reportedly the largest owner of affiliates of ABC – the network that employs Kimmel. Fox News Digital reached out to Sinclair and Smith for additional comment on Friday.
Fox News Campus Radicals Newsletter: Antifa-tied group’s plan for chaos, school probe over transgender policy
RADICAL PLAYBOOK: Far-left group’s training manual to cause chaos at upcoming event revealed in leaked doc WOKE SHOWDOWN: Feds launch Title IX probe into K-12 school district over gender identity policy RECORD REVERSAL: School clears student suspension over pro-ICE flyers it deemed ‘harassment’ SIGN UP TO GET THE CAMPUS RADICALS NEWSLETTER ‘DESERVE THE TRUTH’: Conservative group urges crackdown on hidden campus crime ‘DEEPLY INAPPROPRIATE’: GOP rep demands answers after university hosts abortion-support training for teens as young as 14
Streamer who said Rick Scott should be ‘killed’ invited to Yale as lawmaker demands funding cut
A Senate Republican wants federal funding revoked from Yale for a forthcoming speech from a controversial streamer who once called for him to be “killed.” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., blasted an upcoming event at the Ivy League university featuring Twitch streamer and political commentator Hasan Piker, who has become a flashpoint for Democrats and fodder for conservatives because of his views and alignment with the far-left of the party. Piker, who has come under fire for his previous comments that “America deserved 9/11” and for excusing sexual violence committed on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack against Israel, is set to appear at the Yale Political Union for an event dubbed “Resolved: End the American Empire” Tuesday. SENATE GOP VOWS TO ‘GO IT ALONE’ ON ICE FUNDING AS DEMS DOUBLE DOWN ON SHUTDOWN “This is WILD,” Scott said on X. “I spoke at the Yale Political Union last year on why we need to buy made in America products. Now, they are hosting a guy who said I should be killed.” “Yale receives billions from the federal government — President Trump and Congress need to IMMEDIATELY revoke it,” he continued. “An elite private university that hosts an antisemite who says a Senator should be killed, capitalists should be killed, and the U.S. deserved 9/11, shouldn’t get ONE CENT from taxpayers.” The Yale Political Union did not respond to a request for comment on Scott’s push to nix funding for the university. Scott and Piker have had a run-in, indirectly, before. MICHIGAN DEMOCRAT DEFENDS APPEARING WITH HASAN PIKER, DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM PODCASTER’S CONTROVERSIAL REMARKS When Republicans were crafting President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” in 2025, Piker said during a stream — in reaction to comments from House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., that Republicans were targeting Medicaid fraud — that Scott should be killed. “The reason why I’m saying, if you cared about Medicare or Medicaid fraud, you would kill Rick Scott is because — and not make him a prominent part of the Republican Party — is because he, to this day, is still also known as committing the largest Medicare fraud in U.S. history,” Piker said. At the time, Republicans were trying to include several provisions in the budget reconciliation process that they pitched as reforms to Medicaid designed to cut costs and root out fraud in the system. SQUAD MEMBER SUMMER LEE CALLS ‘UPPER CLASS’ THE ‘ENEMY’ AT EL-SAYED RALLY A provider rate crackdown; denying states Medicaid funding for having illegal immigrants on the benefit rolls; preventing illegal immigrants from participating in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP); and preventing Medicaid and CHIP funding from going toward gender-affirming care were all on the table. However, those provisions were gutted from the bill for not complying with the strict guardrails that dictate the reconciliation process. Still, Republicans were able to include stringent work requirements for the healthcare program. Scott’s office didn’t comment on Piker’s Medicare fraud accusation but told Fox News Digital that “no Democrat elected official calls this guy out and the press seems to give all the Democrats a pass for actively campaigning with him.” Piker’s management team and Yale did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Pro-Palestinian activist refuses to condemn political violence after threat against her is foiled
Nerdeen Kiswani, a Palestinian-American activist, blasted what she called Zionist aggression after investigators foiled a Molotov cocktail plot against her life — but refused to condemn political violence across the board. In the past, Kiswani’s organization, Within Our Lifetime (WOL), has drawn scrutiny for refusing to condemn U.S.-designated terror organizations. “For years, I and so many other Palestinian organizers have been the targets of coordinated harassment, threats, stalking,” Kiswani said at a press event. Undercover investigators prevented Alexander Heifler, 26, from carrying out a plan to make and use Molotov cocktails against Kiswani late last month. According to court filings, Heifler had made as many as 12 incendiary devices and was preparing to throw them at Kiswani’s car and home. NURSE FIRED FOR RANT AGAINST ISRAELIS IN TIMES SQUARE AS SPIDER-MAN TRIES TO STOP CONFRONTATION She also said she believed Palestinians had the right to act in their own interests. “I believe that in accordance with international law, the victims of a genocide have the right to defend themselves, and I also believe the American people should be concerned about Zionist terrorist organizations attempting to assassinate their critics on the streets of American cities.” She did not clarify if self-defense also included acts of violence. CONTRIBUTOR FOR FAR-LEFT OUTLET CALLS FOR ‘WIPING OUT ISRAEL,’ SAYS ISRAELIS ‘MUSTN’T FEEL SAFE’ NYC MAYOR MAMDANI’S WIFE LIKED POSTS CELEBRATING OCT 7 TERROR ATTACKS BUT GETS SOFT TREATMENT FROM THE PRESS Reacting to Kiswani’s statement, Yuval David, a fellow with the Middle East Forum, a pro-Israel research group, said Kiswani’s framing did not come as a surprise. “She refuses to condemn political violence, and she also refuses to condone terrorism because she tries to manipulate the narrative to justify terrorism by calling it resistance,” David said. David noted that Kiswani’s organization has shied away from condemning violence against Israel in the past. WOL made headlines in the wake of Hamas’ terror attack on Israel in October 2023 for its anti-Israel support, stating in online messaging that “we are anti-Zionists” and that the “liberation of Palestine requires the abolition of Zionism.” David recalled WOL’s messaging to its followers at the outset of the Israel-Hamas war. “A month after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad attacks [Kiswani] and her organization published maps of Jewish organizations across New York City, labeled them as having, quote, ‘blood on their hands.’ And told followers to, quote, ‘know your enemy.’ She said that the map should serve as a call for every struggle to act,” David said. The Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism has said WOL demonstrates “very explicit support for violence against Israeli civilians in support of terrorist organizations like Hamas, Hezbollah, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.” For its part, WOL has said it is anti-Zionist, not antisemitic. After news of the plot against Kiswani broke, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called on viewers to denounce violence across the board. “We do not tolerate any kind of violent extremism in this city. No one should face violence for their political beliefs or for their advocacy. And I am relieved she is safe,” Mamdani said in a press event. NYC BOOSTS PATROLS AMID ‘HEIGHTENED THREAT ENVIRONMENT,’ AFTER GUNMAN RAMS TRUCK INTO MICHIGAN SYNAGOGUE When asked if she would condemn political violence in the wake of the foiled plot, Kiswani blasted the inquiry. “Since its inception, Fox News has not only cheerled the Israeli occupation of Palestine, it has spread lies that launched the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, which led to the deaths of over a million people, and it presently supports Trump and Israel’s war on Iran,” Kiswani told Fox News Digital. “It is ironic that a news network that glorifies violence when carried out in the interest of American imperialism puts the burden on me, the Palestinian victim of a Zionist terrorist plot, to explain my position on political violence,” she continued.
WATCH: America250 backdrop topples near Shapiro, Revolutionary War reenactors
A hefty backdrop sign toppled toward Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Benjamin Franklin reenactor and a woman portraying Betsy Ross on Thursday as the governor unveiled headliners for the “Commonwealth Concert Series” in anticipation of the nation’s semiquincentennial. Shapiro, Franklin and Ross announced five free, star-studded concerts would take place around the commonwealth leading up to America’s 250th birthday on July 4 – at a cost of $675,000 from Pennsylvania’s Marketing to Attract Marquis Events program. As Shapiro joked that state Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, would be a good singer for a concert in that city, he pivoted to announcing the finale of the series. “Then on June 27th, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the newly refurbished, refashioned, redone Point State Park,” he boomed, before being interrupted by a crashing sound as the large “America250PA” backdrop fell forward, nearly clipping him, Ross and Franklin. $20M ‘ONE SMALL STEP’ CAMPAIGN AIMS TO REBUILD AMERICAN PRIDE AHEAD OF 250TH ANNIVERSARY “You all right, Doctor Franklin?” Shapiro asked. “I feel like Sandra Day O’Connor,” Franklin replied – referencing a near-catastrophic incident in 2003 in Philadelphia as the Reagan-appointed Supreme Court justice was announcing the opening of the Constitution Center on Independence Mall. At that event, Day O’Connor counted down to the pulling of ribbons to unveil the center, and when her count hit zero, a large horizontal beam crashed down within inches of her head. WASHINGTON MONUMENT TO BECOME ‘BIRTHDAY CANDLE’ AS US MARKS START OF 250TH YEAR Shapiro announced several acts including Lady A (formerly Lady Antebellum), The Fray, Cole Swindell and Gabby Barrett, before the sign crashed down. After ensuring all on the dais were unharmed Thursday, Shapiro finished his announcement, saying that Third Eye Blind would headline that final concert at the park – which is at the “point” confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio Rivers. “I don’t know if you saw this the other day, we redid the fountain there. Austin Davis, the great lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, y’all should give them a little grief for this. He turned that fountain on so high, he soaked himself and every other guest who was there that day,” Shapiro quipped. “Third Eye Blind and Nelly, that’s going to be a good one.”
Navy scraps Biden-era submarine contract as overhaul costs surge toward $3B
The Navy is canceling a long-delayed overhaul of the USS Boise after costs ballooned to nearly $3 billion, with Secretary of the Navy John Phelan saying the submarine no longer made financial or strategic sense to repair. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Phelan said the Los Angeles-class attack submarine had already consumed roughly $800 million and would require another $1.9 billion to complete — despite offering only about 20% of its remaining service life. Instead, the Navy plans to redirect funding and skilled labor toward building and delivering newer Virginia- and Columbia-class submarines, part of a broader push to accelerate ship production and overhaul troubled acquisition programs. “At some point, you just cut your losses and move on,” Phelan said. The Navy originally awarded a roughly $1.2 billion contract in 2024 under the Biden administration to overhaul the submarine, nearly a decade after it was first slated for repairs, but updated estimates later showed the total cost to complete the work had surged far beyond initial projections. “The Boise has been pier-side since 2015, cost nearly $800 million already, and it’s only 22% complete — the math really does not work,” he added. TRUMP UNVEILS MARITIME ACTION PLAN AS CHINA DOMINATES GLOBAL SHIPBUILDING The decision comes as the Navy faces mounting pressure to expand and maintain its fleet amid growing competition with China, which has built the world’s largest navy by number of ships. U.S. officials have increasingly emphasized the need to speed up shipbuilding and submarine production to keep pace with rising global demands. Boise’s problems long predate the canceled contract. The submarine last deployed in 2015 and was slated to begin a routine overhaul the following year, but delays at Navy shipyards left it waiting years for an available dry dock. As maintenance was pushed back, the situation worsened. The submarine lost its full operational certification in 2016 and its ability to dive in 2017, effectively sidelining it from combat operations. Despite being a frontline attack submarine, Boise remained tied up at port for years as the Navy struggled with a growing backlog of repairs across its fleet, driven by limited dry dock space, workforce shortages and competing maintenance priorities. The overhaul originally was planned to begin in 2016 but was repeatedly delayed for nearly a decade before the Navy finally awarded a contract in 2024 — by which point the submarine had already spent years out of service. US TO EXPEDITE NUCLEAR-POWERED SUBS TO AUSTRALIA THAT WILL SIT NEAR CHINA’S DOORSTEP Even after work began, the timeline stretched further, with repairs not expected to be completed until 2029 — meaning the submarine would have spent roughly 15 years inactive by the time it returned to sea. Over time, Boise became one of the clearest examples of the Navy’s broader maintenance and shipyard challenges, frequently cited by lawmakers and defense analysts as a case study in delays, rising costs and declining readiness. Phelan said a key factor in the decision was freeing up scarce shipyard labor and engineering talent currently tied up in the Boise overhaul, which he said could be better used to accelerate construction of newer submarines. “One of our big constraints in our shipyards, particularly in submarine building, is labor and engineering talent,” Phelan said. “We have a lot of that dedicated to this, which we could free up and put onto the Virginia-class submarine or Columbia and try to shift the schedule left on those.” He argued the overhaul no longer made sense from a return-on-investment perspective, comparing the cost of repairing the aging submarine to building a new one. “The Boise represents 65% of the cost of a new Virginia-class submarine, yet it only delivers 20% of the remaining service life,” Phelan said, adding that equates to roughly three deployments. The Boise, commissioned in 1992, is a Cold War-era attack submarine designed primarily for open-ocean combat, while newer Virginia-class submarines are quieter, more versatile and better suited for modern missions, including intelligence gathering, special operations and operating in contested coastal environments. “Is it time we just simply pull the plug on that one?” Sen. Mike Rounds, R-N.D., asked during a confirmation hearing in June 2025. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle called the situation “an unacceptable story” and “like a dagger in the heart” for the submarine force. No public criticism immediately surfaced after the decision was announced Friday. Phelan described the program’s failure as the result of multiple factors over more than a decade, including engineering challenges, shifting priorities and strain on the Navy’s industrial base. “I can’t point to one thing that killed it,” he said. “I think it was a combination … the complexity of the engineering, COVID impacts, and pressure on the industrial base.” The cancellation is part of a broader effort by Navy leadership to reevaluate underperforming programs and change how the service approaches acquisitions, Phelan said. “We’re reviewing every program,” he said, adding the Navy is pushing for “radical transparency” and a shift away from what he described as a culture of accepting delays and rising costs. Phelan said the decision reflects a broader push to prioritize speed and efficiency in delivering war-fighting capability to the fleet. “We need to be more disciplined and move out faster,” he said. “The president wants things yesterday.”
Harris, Buttigieg, other Dem hopefuls court key Black leaders at Sharpton convention
It’s only 2026, but the first major cattle call of potential Democratic presidential contenders in the 2028 White House race is underway. Eight Democrats who may launch presidential campaigns are speaking in New York City at the National Action Network’s 35th Anniversary Convention. The gathering, hosted by the civil rights organization’s founder, the Rev. Al Sharpton, gives White House hopefuls an opportunity to speak directly to an influential group of Black leaders and activists who are key players in the Democratic Party’s base. Govs. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, JB Pritzker of Illinois and Wes Moore of Maryland, along with Rep. Ro Khanna of California, spoke over the past two days, while Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona are scheduled to appear Saturday. KAMALA HARRIS’ TRAVELS AND COMMENTS CLEARLY POINT TO 2028 On Friday, two veterans of former President Joe Biden’s administration are in the spotlight: former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and the convention’s biggest draw, former Vice President Kamala Harris. Harris, in front of a very friendly crowd, was interrupted by chants of “run again.” Asked by Sharpton if she would seek the presidency again, Harris answered, I might. I might. I’m thinking about it….I’ll keep you posted.” The preseason moves in the next race for the Democratic presidential nomination have been underway for a year, with the potential contenders making stops in the early voting nominating states, such as New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada and Iowa, as well as in other key electoral battlegrounds. The showdown for the 2028 Democratic nomination is expected to draw a crowded and competitive field. “We have a pretty good bench. In fact, you’ve invited so many of them to come right here, they’ve been on this stage, or they’re going to be,” Pritzker told Sharpton on Thursday. HARRIS, NEWSOM, STIR 2028 SPECULATION AT MAJOR DEMOCRATIC PARTY MEETING Sharpton said earlier this week that when it comes to the potential contenders, he wants to “know what their vision is now, and what they’re doing now. So I’ve invited all of the people that could run.” Black voters have long played a very influential role in Democratic Party presidential politics. Case in point: the 2020 White House race. After fourth and fifth place finishes in the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, a battered and bruised Joe Biden finished a distant second to Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Nevada caucuses. 21 DEMOCRATS WHO MAY RUN FOR THE WHITE HOUSE IN 2028 But a major backing from Black voters fueled Biden’s landslide victory in the next contest, the South Carolina primary, which launched him towards the Democratic nomination and eventually the White House. The Republican National Committee (RNC) is giving thumbs down to the White House hopefuls appearing at Sharpton’s confab. “Democrats are kicking off the 2028 primary by parading Kamala Harris and a roster of failed governors trying to outrun their own records,” RNC national press secretary Kiersten Pels told Fox News. Fox News’ Alexis McAdams contributed to this report
Dems dodge on Trump removal as party weighs 25th Amendment move
House Democrats are weighing a long-shot scenario to remove President Donald Trump using the 25th Amendment but are declining to say whether they’ll act before the November midterm elections. House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin, D-Md., will brief congressional Democrats Friday afternoon on the constitutional mechanism that would rely heavily on Trump’s Cabinet agreeing to push him out of office. The 25th Amendment has never been used before to involuntarily remove a president and is effectively moot without widespread Republican buy-in. But a bevy of House Democrats have embraced that scenario following the president’s escalating conflict with Iran. “Donald Trump’s deranged threat to destroy ‘a whole civilization’ in Iran is a threat to commit war crimes and genocide,” Raskin wrote on social media Tuesday. “Republicans in Congress must prevail upon Vice President Vance, now campaigning for Putin’s puppet Viktor Orban in Hungary, to return to the U.S. and invoke Section 4 of the 25th Amendment.” MASSIE-LED PUSH TO HANDCUFF TRUMP ON IRAN GETS JEFFRIES’ BACKING “The 25th Amendment should be invoked to spare our country and the world from his increasingly unhinged behavior,” Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., a member of the Judiciary Committee, also said Tuesday. Dozens of House Democrats have continued to press for the president’s ouster despite the announcement of a two-week ceasefire. “All options should be on the table,” Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., said Thursday. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has offered support for the briefing and ongoing discussions about the president’s removal, saying Democrats are considering a “range of accountability mechanisms.” The lead Democrat, however, has remained ambiguous about his personal views despite signaling that all options remain on the table. That is largely in keeping with Jeffries’ efforts over the past year to keep the focus away from impeachment talk while leaning into policy fights over health care costs, tariffs and immigration enforcement. Fox News Digital reached out to members of House Democratic leadership but did not receive a response before publication. A spokesperson for the House Judiciary Committee declined to comment on the 25th Amendment briefing. LONGTIME TRUMP CRITIC REVEALS WHY SHE THINKS HIS IRAN ACTIONS ARE WRONG, WARNS IT’S A ‘MUCH BIGGER WAR’ Jeffries largely sidestepped a question Thursday regarding why Democrats are having conversations about removing Trump during a news conference in New York City. “We have a responsibility as a separate and co-equal branch of government to defend the American people, and we want to be able to do it in an informed way,” Jeffries said before pivoting to criticizing Republicans over the cost of living. “We’ve ruled nothing out, and we’ve ruled nothing in,” Jeffries told MS NOW when asked about whether he thought the 25th Amendment should be invoked. In both appearances, Jeffries did not acknowledge that Democrats, who are effectively powerless in Washington, lack the numbers to successfully push impeachment or constitutional mechanisms to oust Trump. In the 25th Amendment scenario, the power rests with Vice President JD Vance and Trump’s Cabinet, who would have to agree the president is unfit to serve. Assuming Trump were to challenge that decision, two-thirds of the House and Senate — meaning a significant number of Republicans in Congress — would have to vote in support of that judgment. At present, Democrats also have a math problem when it comes to impeachment and conviction, which requires a two-thirds majority in the Senate. Congressional Democrats failed twice to convict Trump in his first term.