‘Louder by the hour’: Senate GOP wants the Epstein drama to end, but Democrats aren’t letting it go
Senate Democrats have begun to ramp up their push for the full release of documents related to the late, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, while Senate Republicans have tried to focus their attention elsewhere. “The story Republicans hoped would quietly fade is growing louder by the hour,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the Senate floor. SENATE REPUBLICAN DEMANDS STATE, FEDERAL COURTS ‘IMMEDIATELY UNSEAL ALL’ EPSTEIN DOCS Schumer has led the charge among Senate Democrats in demanding more transparency on the Epstein issue, and has used the drama in recent weeks as a political cudgel to go after congressional Republicans and the White House. His remarks come after a recent Wall Street Journal report alleged that President Donald Trump‘s name appeared in the documents surrounding Epstein, and that he was told by the Justice Department about it before publicly saying he was not among the untold number of names within the documents. Trump also ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to “produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony” on the matter, and top Justice Department official Todd Blanche met with Epstein accomplice Ghislane Maxwell in Florida on Thursday to discuss the late pedophile and alleged sex trafficker. “It has the stench of a cover-up,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, told Fox News Digital. “The only right outcome here is to release and disclose all the files. There should be no secret meetings or secret deals.” ‘NOT GOING AWAY’: INSIDE THE EPSTEIN DRAMA THAT’S THROWN HOUSE GOP INTO CHAOS However, the Epstein saga has not had near the effect in the Senate as in the House, where House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., sent lawmakers home early this week for a monthlong break after some Republicans and Democrats joined forces in their calls to bring the so-called Epstein files out in the open. Senate Republicans, meanwhile, have downplayed the issue, arguing that Congress has far less power to obtain the information than the Justice Department does. Sen. Ron Johnson, who chairs the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, told Fox News Digital that he does not like “duplicating efforts,” but noted that he is still curious to know more information about the Epstein documents. “I’m like every American who knows anything about this – I’m curious,” the Wisconsin Republican said. “It doesn’t make any sense to me, starting back with his original trial and very light sentence. But I think there are far more important things to worry about.” Senate Democrats are trying to force the issue, however. Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., again tried to introduce a non-binding resolution that called on Bondi to release all files related to Epstein, and the move was again blocked by Sen. Markwaye Mullin, R-Okla. TABLES TURN AS HOUSE GOP BLASTS DEMS FOR SUDDENLY DEMANDING EPSTEIN TRANSPARENCY FROM TRUMP ADMIN Gallego said that the White House continues to make the issue “political theater,” something that began on the campaign trail. “They fed this monster, and now they have to figure out the solution to what the American public is asking for, which is, you know, resolution and answers to their questions,” he said. Mullin, however, introduced his own resolution that comported with the president’s order for state and federal courts to release all Epstein documents surrounding the criminal investigation and prosecution against him. But when Gallego offered to combine the two, he objected, and accused him of turning the issue into a “political football.” “One, in this particular case — in a lot of cases — we’re not willing to stretch the truth to tell something that’s not accurate,” Mullin said. “We want to be accurate with what we’re telling the American people. And the truth is, what can Congress do?” So far, Mullin’s resolution is the only action offered by Senate Republicans in the ongoing Epstein saga. When asked if he would be interested in bringing the resolution to the floor for a vote, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said “obviously there is some interest in taking action on it, and we’ll see how intense that feeling is.” Still, some Republicans want to focus their efforts elsewhere. “I hope we don’t waste our time on that,” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-TX, and a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “We’ve got enough to do.”
DHS has begun flying migrants out of Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ DeSantis announces
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that Homeland Security has started flying migrants out of the “Alligator Alcatraz” detention facility. “I’m pleased to report that those flights out of Alligator Alcatraz by DHS have begun. The cadence is increasing. We’ve already had a number of flights, in the last few days, we’ve had hundreds of illegals [that] have been removed from here,” DeSantis said Friday while speaking in South Florida. When asked for the exact number of deportations and where the planes were heading to, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin delivered a one-line statement to Fox News Digital. “Fire up the deportation planes,” she said. INSIDE ‘ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ’: THE NEWEST MIGRANT DETENTION FACILITY ERECTED AT AN ABANDONED EVERGLADES AIRPORT DeSantis authorized the construction of the illegal immigrant detention center on a 30-square-mile property in the Everglades’ swamplands of Miami–Dade County under an emergency order. The property in Ochopee is a former airport that has been outfitted with sturdy tent structures. The Florida Division of Emergency Management said the site has the capacity for 2,000 detainees but will eventually hold 4,000. TRUMP SAYS THE ONLY WAY OUT OF ‘ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ’ IS DEPORTATION DeSantis said Friday that “The whole purpose is to make this be a place that can facilitate increased frequency and numbers of deportations of illegal aliens, and that is the goal.” “And one of the reasons why this was a sensible spot is because you have this runway that’s right here. You don’t have to drive them an hour to an airport. You go a couple thousand feet and they can be on a plane and out of here,” the governor added. “This airport is able to accept commercial-sized aircraft and conduct both, both day and nighttime operations,” DeSantis also said. Fox News’ Danamarie McNicholl, Emma Colton and Mara Robles contributed to this report.
Unearthed video exposes Mamdani’s ‘unabashed’ commitment to supporting anti-Israel sanctions as lawmaker
FIRST ON FOX: A resurfaced interview by New York City socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani highlights his commitment to BDS and sanctions against Israel, as he runs for mayor in a city with the highest Jewish population in the United States outside of Israel. “I’m very excited about being a member of DSA, specifically the New York City chapter,” Mamdani told SAAG Interactive in June 2021. “Within the questionnaire when you submit to be considered a candidate to be endorsed by the organization, you’re asked what your views are on BDS and I think that has also brought what it is typically thought of as a separate issue into the sphere of local politics where we create a bench of candidates. We’re not legislating on BDS on a daily basis, but it’s clear that our commitment is unabashed to justice.” Mamdani was interviewed in the clip by a journalist named Naib Mian, who has a social presence littered with anti-Israel posts, including accusing Israel of benefitting from “manufacturing antisemitism” and defending the phrase “from the river to the sea.” NYC COUNCILWOMAN WARNS MAMDANI VICTORY WILL DRIVE AWAY KEY VOTING BLOC: ‘AFRAID TO LIVE HERE’ Mamdani went on to speak more about BDS, an acronym for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, in the interview, saying that “the ways in which we can marry our struggle to our day-to-day life and show our solidarity in that life, I think that’s critical to winning this fight because it can’t all be, as you’ve very well stated, just kind of exclusively considered a legislative battle. It has to be a society-wide battle.” “And I think there is no thing that’s too banal to stand up against the brutality of the occupation and apartheid. And so, you know, if it’s a shipping container, or if it is a university that is being funded, a university that helped to develop IDF’s weapons technology, or it is an event with an Israeli ambassador, whatever it may be, I think that we have to showcase what that solidarity looks like.” Dating back to his college days, Mamdani has expressed support for BDS, which Influence Watch describes as “an international campaign to delegitimize the State of Israel as the expression of the Jewish people’s right to national self-determination by isolating the country economically through consumer boycotts, business and government withdrawal of investment, and legal sanctions.” MAMDANI’S FORMER DEM COLLEAGUE RAILS AGAINST HIS SIGNATURE CAMPAIGN PROMISE: ‘NAIL IN THE COFFIN’ Mamdani, who founded the Students for Justice in Palestine chapter at the prestigious Bowdoin College in Maine, wrote about the importance of an academic boycott of Israel in the school paper, Fox News Digital previously reported. “It also helps to highlight just how intertwined this oppression is, and just how much it relies on us normalizing it and saying that, you know, my convictions stop at the point when it becomes inconvenient, and we have to showcase that convenience means nothing in the face of these things,” Mamdani said in the interview. “On a personal level, I am very much committed to actively working to stop any additional anti-BDS bills that come through the Assembly.” Mamdani told Mian that he has been working on a letter to “circulate to support proactive measures that we can take to stop apartheid and to hold Israel accountable.” Mamdani continued, “My predecessor was somebody who very much marched in support and showed up at press conferences in support of the Israeli state. And I am somebody who is unabashedly in support of Palestinian liberation. My constituency hasn’t changed that much in between our terms. But it’s very clear to me that my constituency now, after I’ve said these things, the response that I received is just overwhelmingly in support. And so there are so many other people, so many other districts in New York City where people are just waiting to be given the go-ahead to express that solidarity.” Mamdani said that it is “my job” to give those people he previously mentioned “as many opportunities as possible and to push as many other colleagues of mine and people in any place of power to do the same.” “I really do believe that we have not yet hit the ceiling of support for the Palestinian people’s fight for justice,” Mamdani said. Fox News Digital reached out to the Mamdani campaign for comment. Mamdani’s support for BDS has drawn criticism from Jewish groups in New York and his father, Mahmood, has also voiced support for BDS while sitting on the advisory board of a tribunal that has routinely called for sanctions against Israel,” Fox News Digital previously reported. Mamdani has defended his support of BDS on the campaign trail, including in May where he said, “My support for BDS is consistent with my core of my politics, which is non-violence.”
SCOOP: Key GOP group starts work on 2nd ‘big, beautiful bill’ for Trump
FIRST ON FOX: House Republicans are already discussing contours for a potential second “big, beautiful bill” advancing President Donald Trump’s agenda. The Republican Study Committee (RSC), the 189-member-strong group that acts as a de facto “think tank” for the House GOP, is launching a working group to look at what a second budget reconciliation bill would look like, Fox News Digital has learned. It’s the largest organized effort so far by congressional Republicans to follow through on GOP leaders’ hopes for a second massive agenda bill. FAR-LEFT FIREBRAND SAYS SHE ‘NEVER HAD A CONCERN’ ABOUT BIDEN’S MENTAL STATE AS HOUSE PROBE HEATS UP “We must capitalize on the momentum we’ve generated in the first 6 months of a Republican trifecta in Washington,” RSC Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital. “To fulfill the promises we made to the American people, conservatives must begin laying the groundwork for the second reconciliation bill to ensure we continue to drive down the cost of living and restore America’s promise for future generations.” House Republicans left Washington on Wednesday to kick off a five-week recess period, where they’re readying to sell the benefits of their first massive agenda bill to their constituents. Meanwhile, Pfluger also directed lawmakers part of the new working group to begin reaching out to colleagues, conservative senators, and GOP organizations about potential policy proposals for a new bill, Fox News Digital was told. The goal of the new group is to create a framework for what a second “big, beautiful bill” could look like, and to recommend that framework to GOP leaders. TAX CUTS, WORK REQUIREMENTS AND ASYLUM FEES: HERE’S WHAT’S INSIDE TRUMP’S BIG BILL The first bill was a massive piece of legislation advancing Trump’s agenda on taxes, the border, immigration, defense, and energy. It made much of Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) permanent, while imposing new work requirements on Medicaid and food stamps, among other measures. After passing the House and Senate, Trump signed it into law during a celebratory event on the Fourth of July. But the political fight to get just one reconciliation bill took Herculean political efforts across both the House and Senate, with debates and even heated arguments ongoing for months before the bill passed. Notably, however, Republicans did get the legislation to Trump’s desk by July 4 – meeting a goal that many in the media and even within GOP circles thought impossible. The budget reconciliation process allows the party controlling the White House and both chambers of Congress to pass massive partisan policy overhauls, while completely sidelining the other side – in this case, Democrats. Reconciliation bills can pass the Senate with a simple majority rather than 60 votes, lining up with the House’s own passage threshold. But the legislation must adhere to a specific set of rules and only involve measures related to fiscal policy. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told “Sunday Morning Futures” earlier this month that he was eyeing multiple reconciliation bills. “With President Trump coming back to the White House, and us having the responsibility for fixing every metric of public policy that Biden and Harris and the Democrats destroyed over the previous four years – so the big beautiful bill was the first big step in that,” he told host Maria Bartiromo. “But we have multiple steps ahead of us. We have long planned for at least two, possibly three, reconciliation bills, one in the fall and one next spring.”
FDA chief has no ‘plans’ for abortion pill policy changes but continues safety review
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary said in a recent interview he has “no preconceived plans” to modify policies surrounding abortion pill mifepristone, which is designed to end a pregnancy in the first 10 weeks. “We have an ongoing review of safety data on mifepristone, which is a requirement from the prior administrations,” Makary said in an interview with POLITICO. “You always have to be open-minded. You have to listen to different opinions and make decisions based on what you think is the right thing to do.” His comments mirror those he made during the Semafor World Economy Summit in April. During the summit, Makary said he has “no plans to take action” that would restrict the abortion drug’s availability, but cautioned the agency wouldn’t hesitate to act if the data suggested there was a safety issue. ABORTION PILL MIFEPRISTONE SPARKS NEW PRO-LIFE DEBATE AS SOME DOCTORS STRESS SAFETY CONCERNS “There is an ongoing set of data that is coming into the FDA on mifepristone,” he said. “So if the data suggests something or tells us that there’s a real signal, we can’t promise we’re not going to act on that data.” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., wrote an April 28 letter to Makary regarding safety concerns about mifepristone. SENATOR INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO REIN IN WIDELY USED, CONTROVERSIAL ABORTION PILL “I urge you to follow this new data and take all appropriate action to restore critical safeguards on the use of mifepristone. The health and safety of American women depend on it,” Hawley wrote. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Makary said during the interview with POLITICO that he has no plans to make “any changes” with policy regarding mifepristone, adding he would “continue to listen to folks that say they have concerns.” Fox News Digital reached out to the FDA and Sen. Hawley for comment.
Youngkin unleashes cutting-edge AI technology in effort to slash Virginia’s government red tape
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is embarking on a landmark project to use “agentic” artificial intelligence to hasten his 2022 pledge to cut one-quarter of Virginia’s red-tape regulatory structure during his tenure. The term-limited Republican signed an executive order that introduced a pilot program using AI to scan the entirety of Richmond’s regulations and official guidance. “We ask each agency to calculate the savings to them associated with any action that is taken. For more information about our methodology, I would point you to the Regulatory Economic Analysis Manual, which can be found online,” Youngkin spokesperson Peter Finocchio told Fox News Digital. “AI is utilized in two key ways in this process: comparing existing regulations with what is actually required by statute, to identify any redundancies, and comparing Virginia’s regulations to those in other states, to see if other states are accomplishing similar goals more efficiently and with less red tape.” ‘VETO CORLEONE’: YOUNGKIN KILLS LEFT-WING DREAMS WITH RECORD-SETTING BILL NIXING SPREE “AI is utilized in this way to make recommendations, but there is always a human in the loop making the final decisions, which is required by Executive Order 30,” Finocchio added. Agentic AI refers to artificial intelligence that differs from typical reactive bots like ChatGPT or Grok that provide information based on prompts, and instead can be programmed to pursue a goal, make autonomous decisions and take actions. Driverless cars like Waymo taxis are another real-world example of such technology. AI will “supercharge” the Youngkin administration’s efforts, his office said in a statement, and help ensure that government is streamlined and modernized to better serve the people of the Old Dominion. EDUCATION IS THE BEDROCK OF ATTAINING THE AMERICAN DREAM, YOUNGKIN TELLS REAGAN FORUM “We have made tremendous strides towards streamlining regulations and the regulatory process in the Commonwealth. Using emergent artificial intelligence tools, we will push this effort further in order to continue our mission of unleashing Virginia’s economy in a way that benefits all of its citizens,” said Youngkin, who was a successful executive in the private sector before entering government. The AI tool will alert the state to any areas in which regulations are redundant, contradictory or overbroad. State agencies will then be able to use the AI platform in the future as well to continue breaking down the barriers to effective governance. “The ‘Virginia model’ for regulatory modernization has become the gold standard across the U.S., with other states and federal agencies looking to replicate our reforms,” Virginia Regulatory Management Director Reeve Bull said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “With this newest initiative, Virginia will continue to lead the nation, becoming the first state to launch an agentic AI tool to power the regulatory reduction process,” Bull added. Thus far, state government guidance documentation has been culled by nearly half, as roughly 48% of the total word counts have been deleted. That figure adds to the 26% of regulatory requirements statewide that have been either streamlined or eliminated, resulting in an estimated $1.2 billion annual taxpayer savings. The state indicated that there are still some agencies in Richmond that have not met Youngkin’s 25% goal laid out in his original order.
US-Mexico Tijuana River sewage crisis deal is ‘massive’ win for Americans, EPA says
A new deal between the United States and Mexico aimed at resolving the Tijuana River sewage crisis is “massive” win for Americans living in the San Diego area, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced this week. The memorandum of understanding was signed Thursday as the EPA said “For many decades, untreated raw sewage has flowed into Southern California from Mexico, polluting the Tijuana River Valley, closing beaches, fouling the air, harming the region’s economy, and sickening people on both sides of the border.” “The Trump Administration is proud to deliver this massive environmental and national security win for Americans in the San Diego area who have been living with this disgusting raw sewage flowing into their communities for far too long,” Zeldin said in a statement. The EPA said the deal meets multiple “top Trump Administration priorities and milestones critical to ensuring a 100% solution to this issue” — including expediting already-existing critical infrastructure projects. LIV GOLF STAR PHIL MICKELSON ADDS HIS REACTION TO DEEPENING SEWAGE CRISIS IN SAN DIEGO “The United States — which has withheld sending more American dollars to projects until Mexico fulfilled their obligations toward other projects — agreed to release EPA Border Water Infrastructure Program funding to complete the rehabilitation of Pump Station 1 and the Tijuana River collection pipes. This is because Mexico agreed to fund and begin construction on two priority projects this year, the diversion of treated effluent from two wastewater treatment plants and the rehabilitation of the Parallel Gravity Line,” the EPA said, in reference to a wastewater collecting pipe in Mexico. “This increased the total number of projects planned for this year from two to six.” “To that end, Mexico will immediately seek internal funding to initiate the construction process for the diversion, which will divert 10 million gallons per day of treated effluent entering the Tijuana River, and the rehabilitation of the Parallel Gravity Line. This will be completed no later than December 31, 2025,” the EPA added. It also said “Several necessary Mexico side projects have been added to account for future population growth in Tijuana and operation and maintenance costs.” DEAL STRUCK BETWEEN US AND MEXICO TO ENSURE TEXAS FARMERS GET MUCH-NEEDED WATER The deal was reached after Zeldin traveled to San Diego in April to speak to those affected by the situation. “I made a commitment to the residents that I would spearhead an effort to construct an all-encompassing plan to finally bring the sewage crisis to an end,” Zeldin said. “Since my visit, the Mexican and United States’ governments have been working collaboratively to urgently finalize a permanent 100% solution to this longstanding issue. Secretary Rubio and the whole State Department, and the National Security Council at the White House worked hand-in-hand with EPA, and other federal partners, to make this agreement a reality.” “This is not just a solution for 2025,” he added. “We devised this agreement to factor in population growth, operation and maintenance costs, and other variables that would make this solution durable and long term. Grateful to President Claudia Sheinbaum, Secretary [of the Environment and National Resources of Mexico Alicia] Bárcena, and the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their partnership, cooperation, and commitment to work with us to clean up the Tijuana River Valley. This is a huge win for millions of Americans and Mexicans who have been calling on us to end this decades old crisis.”
Former Congressman George Santos delivers ‘glamorous’ farewell before going to prison: ‘The curtain falls’
Former Rep. George Santos posted a theatrical farewell on social media Thursday night, just hours before he was to begin serving a federal prison sentence for fraud and identity theft. “Well, darlings… The curtain falls, the spotlight dims, and the rhinestones are packed,” Santos wrote on X. “From the halls of Congress to the chaos of cable news what a ride it’s been! Was it messy? Always. Glamorous? Occasionally. Honest? I tried… most days. To my supporters: You made this wild political cabaret worth it. To my critics: Thanks for the free press.” The former New York congressman is expected to report to federal custody Friday to begin serving an 87-month sentence, just over seven years, after pleading guilty in 2024 to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Santos was assessed the maximum sentence in April by U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert. He was also ordered to pay nearly $374,000 in restitution and forfeit more than $205,000 in fraud proceeds. CALIFORNIA TAX EXPERT ADMITS ROLE IN ILLEGAL ALIEN’S MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR FRAUD SCHEME His guilty plea followed a sweeping investigation into campaign finance fraud, donor identity theft and false COVID-era unemployment claims. “This prosecution speaks to the truth that my office is committed to aggressively rooting out public corruption,” said U.S. Attorney John J. Durham, who called the sentence “judgment day” for Santos and justice for his victims. Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly said Santos “traded in his integrity for designer clothes and a luxury lifestyle.” MENENDEZ TO REPORT TO PRISON FOR 11-YEAR TERM FOR CORRUPTION Prosecutors shared how Santos and his campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, doctored donor reports to qualify for national Republican party funding. They fabricated contributions from Santos’ family and falsely reported a $500,000 loan from Santos, though he had under $8,000 in his accounts. He also stole credit card information from donors, including “victims he knew were elderly persons suffering from cognitive impairment or decline” and made unauthorized charges to fund both campaign and personal expenses, according to the DOJ. Santos also used a fake political fundraising company to solicit tens of thousands of dollars which he spent on “designer clothing.” During the pandemic, Santos fraudulently claimed over $24,000 in unemployment benefits while employed at an investment firm. He also submitted false congressional financial disclosures to the House. Santos was elected in 2022 after flipping New York’s 3rd District for the GOP. His résumé was easily debunked. He falsely claimed academic degrees, Wall Street jobs and family ties to the Holocaust and 9/11. He was expelled from Congress in December 2023 after a scathing ethics report, becoming just the sixth member ever removed from the People’s House. Santos has remained publicly active after his sentencing, selling video messages on Cameo and making social media posts. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP His tweet concluded, “I may be leaving the stage (for now), but trust me legends never truly exit.” Unless pardoned, Santos is expected to remain incarcerated until at least early 2032. He has reportedly appealed to President Donald Trump for clemency. The White House and Santos did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: A Big, Beautiful Clawback
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… – Trump admin readies for fight after judges block Abrego Garcia removal for now – Thailand, Cambodia troops open fire on each other, killing at least 12 – Senate Republicans call on DOJ to appoint special counsel to probe Obama-Russia intel President Donald Trump signed into law his roughly $9 billion rescissions package to scale back already approved federal funds for foreign aid and public broadcasting Thursday, after both chambers of Congress approved the legislation earlier in the month, sources familiar to the matter have confirmed. The signing marks another legislative victory for the Trump administration just two weeks after the president signed into law his massive tax and domestic policy measure, dubbed the “big, beautiful bill.” The rescissions package pulls back nearly $8 billion in funding Congress already approved for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), a previously independent agency that provided impoverished countries aid and offered development assistance… READ MORE ‘LAWLESS AND INSANE’: Trump admin readies for fight after judges block Abrego Garcia removal for now CLASH OVER AUTHORITY: Trump foe Boasberg to grill DOJ over migrant flights in heated hearing REVERSING COURSE: Trump says he wants Elon Musk to ‘thrive’ after suggesting DOGE could investigate him POWER STRUGGLE: Trump stands by Alina Habba as DOJ clashes with judges over her replacement LEGAL SCRUTINY: DOJ forms Russiagate ‘strike force’ to investigate declassified Obama-era evidence LEGAL SETBACK: Federal appeals court rules against Trump’s birthright citizenship executive order ‘I AM RECOVERING’: Pam Bondi cancels appearance at anti-trafficking summit over medical issue ACCOUNTABILITY TEST: Zelenskyy forced to rethink anti-corruption law after public backlash MAN MACHINE MERGER: China experimenting with brain-computer interfaces in global race for AI dominance: report BORDER BATTLE ERUPTS: Thailand, Cambodia troops open fire on each other, killing at least 12 BEACH BLAST: Battle over the Black Sea: Russia, Ukraine strike top resort cities EYES IN THE SKIES: Rules keeping drones on leash could loosen with deregulation proposal from Congress COLLUSION CHAOS: Trump-foe Adam Schiff dismisses Tulsi Gabbard’s declassified Russia collusion intelligence as ‘dishonest’ BEG YOUR PARDON: WATCH: House Republicans zero in on Biden autopen pardons after bombshell report EPSTEIN SECRETS: Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell to see how feds meeting plays out amid subpoena: brother CREATING OPPORTUNITY: EXCLUSIVE: GOP proposal seeks to end ‘backdoor hiring practices’ at American universities INTEL DECEPTION: Senate Republicans call on DOJ to appoint special counsel to probe Obama-Russia intel BRIDGING THE DIVIDE: ‘Shirts and Skins’: How one Republican bridged the gap to pass Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ NOT WELCOME: House Republican introduces companion bill to end China’s buying of American farmland ‘GOOD LUCK’: House to vote on censuring Dem rep charged in ICE facility incident KLAIN TO FAME: Ex-Biden chief of staff Ron Klain faces grilling in House GOP’s cover-up probe ANTI-ANTISEMITISM: Pro-Israel Dem says those who won’t decry Hamas over Oct. 7 attack ‘have no business’ posing as humanitarians FINDING THE FORCE: ‘Star Wars bar of leftists’: Weingarten, Hunter, Mamdani prove Democrat Party lead by extreme figures ‘SEVER’ CONNECTIONS: West Point Bible crest controversy spurs lawsuit from conservative watchdog THE CHOSEN ONE: RNC Chair Michael Whatley to seek open Republican-held Senate seat in battleground North Carolina: sources HATE SPEECH SILENCE: Dem governor criticizes Mamdani for not condemning ‘blatantly antisemitic’ rhetoric WAKE UP CALL: Mamdani’s former Dem colleague rails against his signature campaign promise: ‘Nail in the coffin’ Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Heckler hijacks Florida governor’s Hulk Hogan tribute with profane tirade against ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
A heckler launched into a profanity-laced tirade Thursday, slamming Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis‘ immigration policies during a news conference in Bradenton, interrupting the governor while he was paying tribute to pro wrestling legend and state resident Hulk Hogan, who died earlier in the day. The man, positioned near the back of the room, was caught on camera jumping up from his seat and pointing aggressively at DeSantis while shouting, “Alligator Alcatraz — is that your f—ing legacy?” Authorities moved in as DeSantis abruptly stopped speaking and raised his voice at the man. PRO WRESTLING ICON HULK HOGAN DEAD AT 71 “Hey, stop, stop! Stop! Get out of here! Get outta here!” the Republican governor said, gesturing toward the disruption. The unidentified heckler continued yelling as he was removed by authorities. The outburst came just three minutes into DeSantis’ remarks. At the time, DeSantis had been sharing a personal memory of watching Hogan’s iconic showdown against André the Giant at WrestleMania III. “I remember WrestleMania III. He was up …,” DeSantis started, before the heckler interjected with the jab about Alligator Alcatraz. DeSantis recently made headlines for pledging $245 million to Alligator Alcatraz, an immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades. TRUMP TAUNTS NEWSOM TO VISIT ‘ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ’ AND ‘LEARN SOMETHING’ ABOUT IMMIGRATION Before the incident, DeSantis opened the press event with unscripted remarks about the 71-year-old Hogan’s shocking death earlier in the day in Clearwater. “I was sad to see the news that Hulk Hogan passed away today. He was a major icon for anybody in Gen X,” DeSantis said. Hogan, who was born in Georgia and whose real name was Terry Bollea, grew up in the Tampa Bay area and called Florida home for most of his life. “You know, back then, when they would do these big events like WrestleMania, you could go to it … they didn’t even have pay-per-view. … It was closed-circuit,” DeSantis recalled. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fox News Digital has reached out to the governor’s office for further comment.