Misconduct allegations dog Swalwell as Dem rivals seize opening in California governor’s race
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., is facing increased scrutiny over allegations that he engaged in sexual misconduct with female staffers and other women, as several rivals take swipes at him ahead of the state’s June gubernatorial primary election. “I’m very disappointed in Eric Swalwell,” former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said on social media Wednesday. “As more and more women come forward with sexual harassment allegations, Swalwell skipped town to avoid facing tough questions about these allegations.” “If Swalwell wants voters to trust him, he needs to show up, stop hiding behind his campaign staff and social media accounts, and answer every question from reporters and the public. Voters deserve nothing less,” he added. The Swalwell campaign fired back in a statement to Fox News Digital, calling Villaraigosa’s claims that the Democratic lawmaker is inaccessible “false” and “absurd.” ADAM SCHIFF MAKES ENDORSEMENT IN CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL RACE “Congressman Swalwell spoke to more than 1,000 town hall attendees for nearly 90 minutes Tuesday in Sacramento,” Micah Beasley, a spokesperson for the Swalwell campaign, said. “Afterward, he met with members of the media to answer their questions.” Beasley added that Swalwell was unable to attend Wednesday’s candidate forum due to prior commitments, but had met with the group previously. Villaraigosa’s social media post referenced a series of accusations circulated by former Democratic congressional staffer and attorney Cheyenne Hunt and other left-leaning politicos who have alleged, without evidence, that Swalwell made sexual advances toward women employed in his office. The allegations threaten to shake up California’s gubernatorial primary, where Swalwell is vying to be among the top two vote-getters who will advance to the November general election. The crowded field also includes Trump-backed former Fox News host Steve Hilton, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and progressive billionaire Tom Steyer. Former Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., another candidate in the race, has described the allegations as “troubling” and said she is committed to supporting the accusers, who have yet to go public. “It is those women’s stories to tell when they are ready, and I hope that they feel safe and supported if they choose to do so,” Porter told CNN on Tuesday. “I believe women. I think that has to be the starting place here. So when those women speak up, I will be there, helping to amplify their truths.” SWALWELL’S ‘I SHOULD BE WORKING’ GYM, POOL VIDEOS RESURFACE AS DEM RIVAL HAMMERS HIS MISSED HOUSE VOTES Swalwell has denied any wrongdoing, and his campaign has characterized the sexual misconduct allegations as “outrageous” and implied that the accusers are tied to MAGA. Hunt, executive director of Gen-Z for Change, said she is working with multiple women to go public with their allegations against Swalwell. Hunt has not provided verifiable evidence to support the allegations, and no woman has yet come forward. “The Democratic candidate currently leading in the California governor’s race has a known history of being predatory towards women,” Hunt claimed in a post to social media in March. She posted an image of a direct message sent to her privately containing an allegation against Swalwell. “You know, Eric Swalwell has slept with many of his interns and makes them all sign [non-disclosure agreements] so they don’t speak up, right? And when I was 19, he tried hitting on me and sliding into my DMs,” the quote read. Bhavik Lathia, a Democratic operative, has also called on his party to take the allegations against Swalwell “seriously.” “Hey, I just got off the phone with a trusted friend. This is real. Take it seriously. Eric Swallwell cannot be our nominee. There is going to be a lot more coming out soon. I can’t say more right now, but stay tuned,” Lathia wrote on social media Monday. Swalwell, 45, has served in the House of Representatives since 2013, where he has emerged as a frequent Trump critic. He launched a campaign in late 2025 to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., as the Golden State’s next governor.
Foreign fugitive wanted for woman’s killing lived undetected in US for possibly years before ICE arrest
A foreign fugitive who illegally entered the U.S. and is wanted for killing a woman in Mexico was caught near the southern border after evading notice for possibly years. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Mexican illegal immigrant Jose Gustavo Angulo Bernal outside a residence in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, last week. Though Angulo Bernal had no criminal record in the U.S., he is wanted in the Mexican state of Sinaloa on homicide charges connected to the 2018 murder of a woman. He was arrested during a targeted traffic stop while driving a vehicle registered in his name. In a public statement, the Department of Homeland Security mockingly referred to Angulo Bernal as “one of the Media’s ‘Non-Criminals.’” The agency emphasized that while nearly 70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of crimes in the country, those with foreign charges are not part of that statistic. DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis commented that while “nearly 70% of ICE arrests have been convicted or charged with a crime in the United States,” the “actual arrests of public safety threats and criminals is much higher.” HOMELAND SECURITY VOWS DEPORTATION OPERATIONS ‘WILL CONTINUE’ AS ICE AGENTS HELP TSA, AGENCY DEFUNDED “Jose Gustavo Angulo Bernal is a cold-blooded killer and an example of who the media often refer to as a ‘non-criminals,’ [sic] because they only have heinous convictions in their home country,” said Bis. According to DHS, Angulo Bernal is charged with participating in the murder of a woman alongside two other accomplices in Nov. 2018. The agency said that after killing her, the trio allegedly dumped the woman’s body in the town of El Tamarindo, Sinaloa. Then, Angulo Bernal entered the U.S. at an unknown date and time. He evaded detection until recently. On March 31, ICE officers staking out a residence in Lake Havasu City observed Angulo Bernal entering his vehicle around 5:50 a.m. The federal officers conducted a targeted vehicle stop, during which Angulo Bernal was positively identified through his Mexican identification card. He was arrested and taken to ICE’s field office in Phoenix for processing. VICTIM’S FAMILY THANKS TRUMP FOR DEPORTING MIGRANT CRIMINAL DHS said he will remain in ICE custody pending the outcome of his immigration proceedings. “Thanks to ICE law enforcement, this monster wanted for murdering a woman in Mexico is off our streets. From foreign fugitives, gang members, and terrorists, ICE is getting the worst of the worst off our streets and out of our country.” MEET THE FAIRFAX KILLERS: TOP VIOLENT ILLEGAL ALIEN CRIMINALS WREAKING HAVOC ON MAJOR AMERICAN SUBURB This comes as DHS continues to undergo a lapse in funding due to a partial government shutdown. The shutdown has been brought on by disagreements in Congress over ICE and Border Patrol enforcement tactics, with Democrats making renewed funding contingent on significant changes to the agency’s current posture.
Republicans block Jeffries’ gambit to curb Trump’s Iran war powers
House Republicans shot down an attempt by Democratic lawmakers Thursday to curb President Donald Trump’s war powers amid a two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran. A group of House Democrats, led by Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., sought to pass a war powers resolution by unanimous consent during a pro forma session Thursday morning. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., who presided during the pro forma, gaveled out of session before recognizing the Maryland Democrat on the floor. The war powers measure, supported by House Democratic leadership, would have ended the Iran conflict and blocked Trump from taking further military action absent congressional approval. “Congress needs to consider this. The time has come. The time has come,” Ivey said after Smith adjourned the session. WATCH: CAPITOL HILL DEBATE ERUPTS OVER WHETHER TRUMP’S IRAN STRIKES AMOUNT TO ‘WAR’ The floor battle comes as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has demanded that House GOP leadership immediately reconvene the chamber and vote to check Trump’s war powers in Iran. The House is currently in a two-week recess and is not expected to formally reconvene until the week of April 13. “A two-week ceasefire is woefully insufficient. Accordingly, we have demanded that the House come back into session immediately in order to vote on our resolution to permanently end the war in the Middle East,” Jeffries wrote in a “Dear Colleague” letter Wednesday. Jeffries’ demand followed Trump’s announcement of a temporary ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday evening, with administration officials hailing Operation Epic Fury as an unequivocal success. Vice President JD Vance, Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to head to Islamabad for in-person talks hosted by Pakistani mediators. It is unclear whether Iranian officials, who are insistent upon a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, will attend. AOC DOUBLES DOWN ON CALL FOR TRUMP’S OUSTER EVEN AFTER CEASEFIRE ANNOUNCEMENT Democrats in both chambers have repeatedly attempted to curb Trump’s military authority in Iran since the conflict began in late February, but have been thwarted by GOP opposition. Trump could still veto a war powers resolution if a bipartisan measure passes Congress. House Democrats are likely to force another vote on reining in Trump’s war powers as early as next week. Several House Republicans who previously voted against a war powers resolution, including Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., have signaled openness to supporting the measure if it comes to the floor again. Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, have previously crossed party lines to support blocking Trump from using military force in Iran absent congressional authorization. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced that Democrats in the upper chamber would force a vote on a fourth war powers resolution as soon as next week. The top Democrat also argued that Operation Epic Fury was “one of the very worst military and foreign policy actions that the United States has ever taken,” at a news conference in New York City on Wednesday.
Rogue Dem bucks party on Trump war powers, calls Iran ‘47-year-old war crime’
A Democratic rogue isn’t buying his party’s argument that President Donald Trump was on the cusp of committing war crimes in Iran and plans to again stop their attempts to handcuff his policing power in the region. “If you want to talk about a war crime, you know, Iran is a 47-year-old war crime,” Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., said on “Hannity” Wednesday night. Fetterman, a staunch backer of Israel, has time and again broken with his party on the war, joining Republicans to block several attempts by Senate Democrats to reassert Congress’ authority in the ongoing conflict. He is again fracturing from the party line, as several of his peers, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have declared that Trump’s Iran mission, Operation Epic Fury, was a failure. SCHUMER BLASTS TRUMP’S IRAN WAR AS FAILURE, MOVES TO REIN IN HIS WAR POWERS AMID CEASEFIRE Congressional Democrats have demanded that Trump be removed from office for his posts on Easter Sunday and in recent days, in which he laid out an apocalyptic ultimatum for Iran to either reopen the Strait of Hormuz or see their “civilization die tonight.” “If you target civilian infrastructure for the purposes the president was talking about — in other words, what he’s saying is, if you don’t open the Strait of Hormuz, I’m going to blow up civilian infrastructure — that’s a war crime,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said ahead of the ceasefire deal struck Tuesday night. TOP GOP HAWK GRAHAM WARNS IRAN DEAL HAS ‘TROUBLING ASPECTS’ AS CEASEFIRE BEGINS Schumer, speaking at a press conference in New York City Wednesday, argued that Trump’s action in Iran was “one of the very worst military and foreign policy actions that the United States has ever taken.” “This war has made us worse off today than before it started,” Schumer said. Fetterman strayed from top Senate Democrats’ messaging against Trump’s campaign in the Middle East and countered that the president’s actions have been for the better, particularly as negotiations for a full end to the conflict are gearing up. TRUMP’S IRAN THREAT RATTLES GOP AS SOME REPUBLICANS BREAK RANKS AMID 2-WEEK CEASEFIRE “Everything that’s happened so far has made the world safer, and now we are in a position to finally finish it this way, with these kinds of important negotiation points,” Fetterman said on “Hannity.” Senate Democrats plan to launch another attempt to handcuff Trump’s war powers when the upper chamber returns in the coming days. It would mark the fourth such attempt and will likely again be blocked by Republicans, despite some growing wary of the conflict. Like previous attempts, Fetterman plans to cross the aisle to block Democrats’ plan. “We are the force of good in the world and … now, we’re not even 40 days into this,” Fetterman said on “Hannity.” “And now I’m reading that they’re going to force another war powers vote, and I will vote against that, because we have to stand by our military and allow them to accomplish the goals of Epic Fury.”
Vulnerable Dem incumbent caught calling home state ‘stolen land’ in resurfaced video
A House Democrat running for re-election in a battleground district previously said his home state was “stolen land” and claimed racism was “embedded” into nearly everything, according to a resurfaced video reviewed by Fox News Digital. “We are on stolen land,” Rep. Gabe Vasquez, N.M., said in 2020 before entering Congress during an interview with a New Mexico-based outlet. He added the land used to be Mexican territory and before that was inhabited by Native Americans. “Just about every part of life that we experience has some racism embedded into it,” Vasquez continued. “I have become less optimistic about where this country stands in terms of being able to eradicate racism, because it is intergenerational. It is passed on. It is embedded into our system.” Vasquez, who is seeking a third term in November, made the remarks while serving as a city councilmember of Las Cruces — the largest city in his southwestern New Mexico district. He entered Congress in January 2023 after defeating a Republican incumbent while positioning himself as a moderate. TEXAS DEM SENATE PRIMARY FRACTURES OVER RACE RHETORIC AS ‘MEDIOCRE’ JAB, ‘OPPRESSOR’ REMARKS IGNITE BACKLASH Vasquez also suggested that he was open to replacing some of the city’s police officers with licensed psychologists and clinicians to respond to certain events during the interview. “Those are the types of things that I’m committed to supporting, where if we do have to take budget away from a specific department, whether you know, it be police or otherwise,” Vasquez said, adding that he believed it was unnecessary with the current budget. “If we don’t need those positions anymore, if we don’t need those budget line items anymore, then we need to get rid of them,” he continued. “And that’s a decision I’m happy to try to champion at the city council.” Vasquez in 2020 appeared to justify rioting following the death of George Floyd, CNN’s KFile first reported. He also voiced support for the defund the police movement while using a pseudonym during an interview with a local outlet at a Black Lives Matter protest that year. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) said Vasquez has been an unequivocal supporter of law enforcement during his House tenure in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Rep. Vasquez has supported increased funding for law enforcement for his entire political career, including over $4 billion for state and local police as Congressman just this year,” DCCC spokesperson Anna Elsasser said. The New Mexico Democrat has joined the majority of House Democrats in refusing to fund federal immigration enforcement absent reforms, including the tightening of warrant requirements and prohibiting officers from wearing masks. NEW DEM STAR’S QUICK HARD-LEFT TURN AFTER ‘MODERATE’ CAMPAIGN WON HER COVETED RESPONSE TO TRUMP: LAWMAKER The Republican National Committee sharply criticized Vasquez’s prior comments in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Gabe Vasquez is a truly sick individual who may have a terminal case of the woke mind virus,” RNC spokesman Zach Kraft said in a statement. “He should get the help he needs to realize how insane it is to call every single American racist, and he should be nowhere near Congress.” Vasquez is a top target of national Republicans, who are mounting a second attempt to unseat him after he improved his performance in 2024 despite Trump carrying the district. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report shifted the race from “toss-up” to “lean Democrat” in January, citing President Donald Trump’s declining job approval and Democrats’ strong electoral performance in 2025. Fox News Digital reached out to Vasquez’s campaign for comment.
Homan warns Spanberger blocking access to Virginia jails could force more ICE street operations: ‘Do the job’
President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, blasted Democratic Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger over her policies surrounding federal immigration officials and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer requests that have been ignored by the state under her leadership. Homan sat down with Fox News Digital for an exclusive interview, where he said if Spanberger is unwilling to cooperate with federal law enforcement, the border czar is willing to “send more teams into the streets.” “Elections have consequences,” Homan explained. “[Spanberger] ran on a law enforcement position that she was a career law enforcement person. [She] is a much different person now since she’s in that governor’s slot.” TRUMP BORDER CZAR LEAVES DOOR OPEN TO ICE DEPLOYMENT IN OTHER SANCTUARY CITIES AS FEDS LEAVE MINNEAPOLIS “Bottom line is, I wish she’d take a page out of the Minnesota chapter when the president sent me to Minneapolis to get more cooperation with the county jailers, which means less public safety threats in the communities,” Homan added. The border czar said, “ICE is not going to stop enforcing law” and that if blue states like Virginia continue to uphold strict sanctuary laws, the Trump administration will deploy more immigration enforcement agents into the streets. “We’ll just send more teams into the streets, into the neighborhoods,” Homan told Fox News Digital. “Because we’re going to do the job that President Trump promised, to make his country safer again, especially against illegal aliens that committed other crimes while they’re here.” WEST VIRGINIA WORKED WITH ICE — 650 ARRESTS LATER, OFFICIALS SAY MINNESOTA-STYLE ‘CHAOS’ IS A CHOICE A Washington Post-Schar School poll released earlier this week showed a dramatic 46% of Virginians disapprove of Spanberger’s job performance — the lowest since 1994 compared to previous Republican and Democratic Virginia governors. During a press gaggle on Wednesday, Spanberger said it is an “absolute lie” that state and local police are unwilling to work with federal agencies, including ICE, and addressed her poll numbers. “Virginia State Police is a top-notch law enforcement agency, and I don’t think it’s responsible for us, for me as governor, for the commonwealth of Virginia, to put Virginia State Police under the supervision or direction of ICE,” Spanberger told reporters. “That is a change I made, I think it is the right one, I know it is the right one, and I stand by it.” The Virginia governor also addressed the recent poll when speaking with the press. “I would say if everyone hated me, then why is everyone putting my face on their mailers, for the referendum, would be question number one,” Spanberger said. “The only poll that matters, is my election, 17 point win, and now I’m doing the work for Virginians, so what matters to me in the end, is what I’m delivering for the people.” In early February, Spanberger issued an executive directive cutting off collaboration between state agencies and federal immigration officials. HOMAN VOWS IMMIGRATION MISSION ‘WON’T SKIP A BEAT’ AS BONDI EXITS DOJ She also rescinded the 287(g) program put in place by former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Youngkin’s program authorized local law enforcement to carry out certain immigration enforcement duties while operating under ICE supervision. This includes stopping the release of undocumented individuals with criminal records and helping federal immigration agencies identify those already held in local jails. Homan said the concept of releasing illegal migrants accused of committing crimes from jail without notifying ICE is “ridiculous.” “These people are in the country illegally, they commit a serious crime, public safety crime, and the local jurisdiction chooses to release them into the community rather than turning them over to ICE,” Homan told Fox News Digital. HOMAN BLASTS ‘AGITATORS’ ACCUSED OF HELPING RAPE SUSPECT EVADE ICE: ‘THEY’RE JUST IDIOTS’ “The Department of Justice has got lawsuits pending against sanctuary jurisdictions,” Homan added. “I think they’ll win them in the long run, because I think sanctuary cities are illegal.” “We’re out there trying to educate these sanctuary cities that if you let us in the jail… that means less of our agents are in the street,” he said. Homan also said the administration has their “foot on the gas” when it comes to enforcing the president’s campaign promise to secure the border and deport migrants living in the U.S. illegally, while echoing a popular message from the administration that criminal migrants will be the first to go. “As a guy who’s done this over 40 years, you have a criminal here and a non-criminal here, you’re always gonna get the criminal first because they pose the biggest threat to our neighborhood,” Homan explained. “Prioritization will remain public safety threats and national security threats.” HOMAN FIRES BACK AT BOOKER AFTER SENATOR VOICES ‘OUTRAGE’ OVER ICE AIRPORT DEPLOYMENTS “But as I said from day one, if you’re in the country legally, you’re not off the table,” Homan added. “And if we find you, we’re gonna arrest you and deport you.” Homan has served as the border czar since the beginning of the Trump administration. Kristi Noem formerly served as DHS secretary prior to her reassignment in March. Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who served in the U.S. Senate as a Republican representing Oklahoma, was appointed to the role following Noem’s departure. Mullin affirmed that he believes sanctuary cities are not lawful during an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier earlier this month, and Mullin has been leading DHS during a spending fight and partial government shutdown over funding for his department. Homan told Fox News Digital he thinks Mullin is the right man for the job and said he talks to Mullin daily, “if not several times a day.” “I think he’s the right guy, the right time, and the right job,” Homan said. “I think you’re going to see great things from Markwayne Mullin.”
Minnesota fraud scandal: Sixth family member who met with AG Ellison set to plead guilty
Yet another member of a family within Minnesota’s Somali community is expected to plead guilty Thursday in the massive fraud scandal that has drawn national attention and prompted criticism of Attorney General Keith Ellison over a meeting he held with members of the family in question. Gandi Mohamed, 45, is expected to either plead guilty at a change of plea hearing scheduled for Thursday or choose to enter a plea of no contest, which would allow him to accept conviction and be sentenced without admitting guilt, according to court records. Mohamed is the sixth member of his family who would be pleading guilty in the scheme prosecutors say fraudulently claimed to be serving meals while instead pocketing $14 million from the federal child nutrition program, Fox 9 Minneapolis reported. Center of the American Experiment policy fellow Bill Glahn told Fox News Digital that “it’s good that he and his co-conspirators have all been convicted in the case, however, a courtroom trial would have been a useful exercise to show the public the scope and scale of the fraud.” TOM EMMER CALLS FOR TIM WALZ, KEITH ELLISON TO ‘SERVE JAIL TIME’ IF FRAUD COVERUP ALLEGATIONS ARE TRUE The Mohamed family was present at the now infamous 2021 meeting between Ellison and members of the Somali community where would-be fraudsters could be heard asking the state’s attorney general to help them secure more funding, before the conversation turned to campaign donations. “The only way that we can protect what we have is by inserting ourselves into the political arena. Putting our votes where it needs to be. But most importantly, putting our dollars in the right place. And supporting candidates that will fight to protect our interests,” one of the Somali community members says in the recording. “That’s right,” Ellison responds. JOSH HAWLEY STANDS BY ACCUSATIONS AFTER FIERY SENATE HEARING CLASH WITH MINNESOTA AG ELLISON Ellison has denied any wrongdoing regarding the recording, saying he was completely unaware of the fraudsters’ crimes at the time of the meeting. The meeting occurred before any convictions in the case and before President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice had indicted anyone. “I took a meeting in good faith with people I didn’t know and some turned out to have done bad things. I did nothing for them and took nothing from them,” Ellison wrote in an April 2025 op-ed for the Minnesota Star Tribune. Following that meeting, Gandi gave the maximum $2,500 campaign donation to Ellison that the attorney general returned to the Department of Justice in 2025. TRUMP ADMIN SCORES MINNESOTA COURT WIN IN MEDICAID FRAUD CRACKDOWN “Our Attorney General, Keith Ellison, is not only looking the other way but doing so after taking donations from these very fraudsters,” Republican Dalia al-Aqidi who is running for Congress in Minneapolis against Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., told Fox News Digital. “This is a betrayal of every Minnesotan who trusted him with that office.” Al-Aqidi explained that the voters in her district are “furious” about the fraud scandal. “Which is why I’ve rolled out a five-point plan to prevent fraud before it starts,” al-Aqidi said. “This isn’t just about taxpayers, it’s about people who really need food and housing. Preventing fraud isn’t complicated, it just takes the political will to stop this type of abuse. It’s clear that this scheme is being used to buy votes, and that has to stop.” Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom and Alexis McAdams contributed to this report.
Federal judge blocks Trump admin effort to end temporary protected status for Ethiopia
A federal judge has postponed the Trump administration’s termination of temporary protected status (TPS) for Ethiopia. “Plaintiffs brought suit to challenge the lawfulness of the termination, arguing that Defendants had violated the TPS statute, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the Equal Protection Clause. Before the Court is Plaintiffs’ motion to postpone the effective date of the termination pending resolution of the merits. Because Defendants terminated Ethiopia’s TPS designation without regard for the process delineated by Congress, the Court will grant Plaintiffs’ motion,” Judge Brian Murphy of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts wrote. The judge was nominated by then-President Joe Biden in 2024, according to the court’s website. BIDEN-APPOINTED JUDGE TWICE SHUT DOWN BY SCOTUS FACES ‘ACTIVIST’ FIRE AFTER LATEST TRUMP POLICY BLOCK Last year, then-Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem issued a notice indicating that the TPS designation for Ethiopia would be terminated as of Feb. 13 at 11:59 p.m. But that move did not take effect, as it was stymied amid legal wranglings. “Fundamental to this case — and indeed to our constitutional system — is the principle that the will of the President does not supersede that of Congress. Presidential whims do not and cannot supplant agencies’ statutory obligations,” Murphy wrote in the April 8 memorandum and order. TRUMP ADMIN UNLAWFULLY TERMINATED LEGAL STATUS OF MIGRANTS WHO USED BIDEN-ERA APP, JUDGE RULES “The Constitution requires that the President ‘take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed,’ a directive which includes enforcing the laws in accordance with congressional commands. And administrative agencies granted executive authority by Congress may operate only within the bounds Congress has set. Yet, in this case, Defendants have disregarded both that foundational principle and the statutory scheme enacted by Congress,” he asserted. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment on Thursday. BIDEN-APPOINTED JUDGE WHO SLAPPED DOWN TRUMP DEPORTATION POLICY PREVIOUSLY REBUKED BY SCOTUS “This stay by radical, Biden-appointed Judge Brian Murphy is just the latest example of judicial activists trying to prevent President Trump from restoring integrity to America’s legal immigration system,” a DHS spokesperson declared in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Temporary means temporary. Country conditions—including armed conflicts—in Ethiopia have improved to the point that it no longer meets the law’s requirement for Temporary Protected Status. The Trump administration is putting Americans first.”
DC’s bid to block Trump’s National Guard deployment hits basic legal snag: Can’t sue itself
FIRST ON FOX: A conservative watchdog urged a federal appeals court Wednesday to toss Washington, D.C.’s National Guard lawsuit, arguing the city cannot sue itself because it is part of the federal government. “To start, one cannot sue oneself,” Oversight Project lawyers wrote in a brief in the case. “And that is what this case ultimately is—the United States suing itself. Moreover, it is a foundational principle of the law that a municipal corporation cannot sue its sovereign creator.” The appeal sits at the intersection of Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops in Washington last year and D.C.’s long-running fight over self-government. What began as a lawsuit over the president’s deployment of forces into the capital has now evolved into a threshold legal battle over whether the district has the right to challenge that move in federal court at all. Oversight Project lawyers told Fox News Digital in an interview that if the appellate court judges in Washington were to agree with them, the decision would reach far beyond the National Guard lawsuit, which arose last year when the Trump administration began deploying military forces to blue cities in several jurisdictions to support immigration officials and, in D.C.’s case, to make the city “safe and beautiful.” NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS WILL LIKELY REMAIN IN DC THROUGH 2026, OFFICIAL SAYS “If the judges find our argument valid, it’s going to kind of restore the normal system, which is D.C. is entirely subordinate to the federal government and these disputes are resolved politically,” Oversight Project lawyer Sam Dewey said. The proper recourse for D.C. against the federal government on any issue would be for the D.C. Council to turn to the president and Congress, not the courts, Dewey said. The case stemmed from D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb suing last September, arguing Trump encroached on the city’s perceived independence by disregarding “Congress’s decision, half a century ago, to afford the residents of the District ‘the powers of local self-government.’” A three-judge panel temporarily paused a lower court’s injunction against the administration while the appeals court continues to examine the merits of the case. Two of the judges on the panel, both Trump appointees, wrote in a concurring opinion that the pause was necessary because D.C. did not, in fact, have standing to sue, echoing what the Oversight Project detailed in its new amicus brief in the case. “We have never recognized that the District possesses an independent sovereignty that can give rise to an Article III injury from actions of the federal government,” the two Trump-appointed judges wrote. PIRRO TOUTS DC CRIME IS BEING PROSECUTED ‘LIKE NEVER BEFORE’ IN ANNOUNCING YEAR-END STATS President Donald Trump began deploying National Guard forces to cities across the country last year as part of an effort to support immigration authorities, who faced waves of protests and riots over their deportation efforts. The Supreme Court stepped in, however, saying the deployment was likely unlawful under the law Trump invoked. The order applied to cities including Portland, Oregon; and Chicago, but not D.C., because of the district’s unique status. In D.C., Trump extended roughly 2,600 National Guard soldiers’ presence through the end of 2026, and the president has signaled he hopes to further extend that timeline, despite continued opposition from D.C.’s Democratic leadership. “This is actually training. I never want to take them out of D.C. I mean, maybe somebody later on will do it,” Trump said in a Cabinet meeting last month. ALITO RIPS SUPREME COURT MAJORITY AS ‘UNWISE’ FOR BLOCKING TRUMP’S NATIONAL GUARD PLAN Briefing in the lawsuit is set to stretch through May and the appeals court could schedule oral arguments after that before making a decision on the legality of the National Guard’s presence and activities. Fox News Digital reached out to Schwalb’s office for comment.
Spanberger ripped after taking credit for billions in investments secured under GOP predecessor: ‘Pathetic’
Virginia’s Democratic Governor Abigail Spanberger took credit for billions in economic achievements secured under her GOP predecessor, earning her backlash from Republican leaders and their representatives running the state before she got there. Spanberger touted signing legislation that authorized four separate investments from the aerospace, energy and pharmaceutical industries earlier this week. The investments, according to a press release from Spanberger’s office, would welcome 3,250 new jobs and $7.1 billion in business investment to the state. “From my very first day in office, I have been working to create a stable business environment so companies can hire, expand, and continue to invest in our Commonwealth,” Spanberger said in her press release. “I am signing these bills into law so we can continue to grow Virginia’s economy and create opportunities for Virginians.” However, Spanberger’s signature was effectively just a formality, as the deals she touted were part of previous Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s broader push to spur economic development as governor of Virginia, which included a record of $156 billion in total CEO commitments during his term. As he was exiting office, the former GOP governor garnered more than the previous six gubernatorial administrations combined, according to a press release from Youngkin’s team. BIDEN ALLY TELLS SPANBERGER TO EXIT ‘BUNKER’ AS EX-GOV RENEWS DEBATE PUSH “She’s trying to take credit for somebody else’s work,” former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares told Fox News Digital. “In grade school we call that cheating.” “The last three months have been nothing but horrible news for Virginians as Abigail Spanberger broke every single promise she made on the campaign trail and now has the lowest approval rating of any Virginia governor this century,” added Youngkin spokesperson Justin Discigil. “Governor Youngkin is happy that Virginians are being reminded of some good news, even if it means Gov. Spanberger taking credit for the economic deals he secured for the Commonwealth.” Spanberger did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment on the matter. WHO IS ABIGAIL SPANBERGER, AND WHY DID DEMOCRATS CHOOSE HER FOR TO THEIR STATE OF THE UNION RESPONSE? The four bills she signed, which with her signature authorized the awards, were announced during Youngkin’s term as governor. The first, HB 1531, allocates $537 million to aerospace company Avio USA and is expected to create over 1,500 jobs. The award, according to public reports at the time, was announced in December 2025. The next bill, HB 799, will allocate $457 million and is expected to create over 825 jobs. This award was announced by Youngkin in September 2025. HB 800, allocating over $2 billion to pharmacuetical manufacturer Eli Lilly and expected to create more than 450 jobs to manufacture the active ingredient in major cancer, autoimmune and other advanced drugs, was announced in September 2025 as well. Meanwhile, rounding out the handful of investments touted by Spanberger this week was HB 1076, which invested $4 billion into pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and is expected to create around 500 jobs. That commitment was announced in October 2025. “Attracting new businesses and jobs to Virginia is a core focus of my administration — and I’m proud of the hundreds of millions of dollars in investment we have already announced this year,” Spanberger continued in her press release this week announcing the Virginia investments. “I look forward to continuing to work with legislators, local communities, and business leaders as we make clear that Virginia is the top state in the nation to grow or start a business.” In a background section of the press release, the announcement continues touting Spanberger’s commitment to growing Virginia’s economy. FORMER VIRGINIA GOV GLENN YOUNGKIN HINTS AT POLITICAL FUTURE, SAYS HE’S ‘CHOMPING AT THE BIT’ AFTER EXIT “My simple message for Abigail Spanberger is, to quote Elizabeth Warren, ‘You didn’t build that!’” Sean Kennedy, president of Virginians for Safe Communities, said. “Spanberger has to take credit for her Republican predecessor’s accomplishments bringing jobs to Virginia because her policies are actually raising taxes, killing jobs, and hiking energy costs. Spanberger has to play make believe that she is delivering on her affordability agenda to impress the 2028 Democratic Party kingmakers. I expect that Spanberger will nevertheless persist in her false claims.” Critics of Spanberger have questioned the moderate campaign message she campaigned on, as well as her economic strategy, which has included ushering in new taxes in the state despite campaigning on a message of affordability. “Abigail Spanberger’s first 100 days in office have been a disaster when it comes to economic development,” argued Miyares, who lost to current Democratic Attorney General Jay Jones in November. Jones infamously called for the murder of his GOP rival, something that ultimately did not matter enough for voters as he and Spanberger came out victorious in November. “Three pillars of a good business environment is a good tax environment, a good regulatory environment and an environment that – from a litigation perspective – is not anti-business. Spanberger has already indicated and done a rash of bills that will make Virginia less competitive. Virginia does not compete by itself, we compete with 49 other states, and Spanberger seems hellbent to hurt us with her tax, regulatory and litigation.” Miyares added that he was aware of multiple Virginia businesses that former Governor Youngkin had recruited and were thinking about expanding in Virginia, but will no longer do so as a result of Spanberger’s policies. He also pointed out that Spanberger “does not believe in energy abundance” despite touting energy infrastructure investments this week. “I find it in some ways laughable and pathetic what she is attempting to do,” Miyares said. “Abigail Spanberger inherited a $2.7 billion surplus and benefitted from hundreds of thousands of new jobs created under Republican leadership,” the Virginia GOP added in February, in response to headlines about rising Virginia unemployment numbers. “Her and her Democrat allies are squandering it all in a matter of weeks while breaking every promise they made on ‘affordability.’”