Elite university professor sparks social media backlash after revealing what Iran should do next: ‘This demon’
A professor at Georgetown University is in hot water on social media over a post where he explained his “hope” for Iran doing “some symbolic strike” on a U.S. military base, igniting backlash on social media and calls for him to be fired. “I’m not an expert, but I assume Iran could still get a bomb easily,” Dr. Jonathan Brown, the Alwaleed bin Talal chair of Islamic Civilization in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, posted on X on Sunday after the U.S. struck Iranian nuclear sites on Saturday night. “I hope Iran does some symbolic strike on a base, then everyone stops. I’m surprised this is what these FDD/Hasbara people have been auto-erotically asphyxiating themselves for all these years. Ironically, the main takeaways (in my non-expert opinion, and I’m happy to be corrected) from all this have nothing to do with a US attack: 1) Iran can take a licking; 2) if Israel attacks Iranian cities, it gets f—ed up pretty bad. I mean I’ve been shocked at the damage Iranian missiles caused; 3) despite his best efforts, Reza Pahlavi HVAC repair services still only third best in Nova.” Many conservatives on social media immediately reacted to the post and interpreted it as a college professor wishing for Iran to attack U.S. soldiers or at least put them in harm’s way. AMERICAN TRAVELERS SHOULD KNOW ESCAPE ROUTES AT TRANSIT HUBS AFTER IRAN STRIKES, SECURITY EXPERT WARNS “Are you kidding me?” conservative commentator Sage Steele posted on X in response to the post being picked up by the conservative influencer account LibsofTikTok. A ‘Professor of Islamic Civilization’ at @Georgetown ‘hopes Iran does some symbolic strike’ on Americans,” GOP Rep. Randy Fine posted on X. “Some civilization. The President of Georgetown will be before @EdWorkforceCmte soon. This demon had better be gone by then. We have a Muslim problem in America.” “A Georgetown professor wants Iran to attack a US base,” Foundation for the Defense of Democracies CEO Mark Dubowitz posted on X, before providing information on the background of Brown’s wife. “Brown is married to Laila Al-Arian, a journalist for the Muslim Brotherhood propaganda outlet Al Jazeera. Her father, Sami Al-Arian, was deported from the U.S. to Turkey. He was accused of providing material support to the US-designated and Iran-backed terrorist organization Palestinian Islamic Jihad.” FORMER DEM ADVISOR BLASTS ‘UNHINGED CALLS FOR IMPEACHMENT’ AFTER TRUMP’S IRAN ATTACK AS ‘TRULY TDS’ Brown’s father-in-law, Sami Al-Arian, was deported from the United States to Turkey in 2015 after a long legal battle where he pleaded “guilty” to supporting Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a terrorist organization, according to Politico. A 2006 Department of Justice press release said he acknowledged “in the plea agreement that he knew the PIJ used acts of violence as a means to achieve its objectives. Nevertheless, Al-Arian continued to assist the terrorist organization, for instance, by filing official paperwork to obtain immigration benefits for PIJ associate Bashir Nafi, and concealing the terrorist associations of various individuals associated with the PIJ.” “Al-Arian admits that he performed services for the PIJ in 1995 and thereafter, when he was a professor at the University of South Florida and after he knew that the PIJ had been designated by President Clinton as a terrorist organization,” the press release said. “I went to graduate school with Jonathan Brown,” Jewish People Policy Institute fellow Dr. Sara Yael Hirschhorn posted on X. “I’m appalled to see him calling for Iran to attack U.S. troops and his awe at attacks on Israeli civilians. @Georgetown- enough!” “These are the people teaching your kids at colleges and Universities,” conservative influencer Laura Loomer posted on X. “@Georgetown should fire him.” In a follow-up post on Monday morning, Brown told his followers he deleted the post and explained why. “I deleted my previous tweet because a lot of people were interpreting it as a call for violence,” Brown posted on X. “That’s not what I intended. I have two immediate family members in the US military who’ve served abroad and wouldn’t want any harm to befall American soldiers… or anyone!” When reached for comment on his controversial post, Brown told Fox News Digital he “meant something like right after Solimani was killed, with telegraphed warning and no American casualties and no one felt any further need for attacks.” “I was calling for de-esclation as I am very opposed to American involvement in foreign wars,” he continued. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP A Georgetown University spokesperson told Fox News Digital the university was “appalled” by the social media post. “We are appalled that a faculty member would call for a ‘symbolic strike’ on a military base in a social media post. The original statement is from an individual faculty member and not the University, and the faculty member has since deleted the post and stated that he would not want any harm to befall American servicemembers,” the spokesperson said. “We are reviewing this matter to see if further action is warranted. We take our community’s concerns seriously and condemn language which is deeply inconsistent with Georgetown University’s values.” President Donald Trump announced the U.S. had struck a trio of nuclear facilities in Iran via a Saturday evening Truth Social post, which was not preceded by any media leaks of prior indication such strikes were imminent. The president ordered U.S. B-2 stealth bombers to carry out strikes against Iran’s Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities. “Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated,” Trump said. “And Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks would be far greater and a lot easier.” Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report
Americans must have ‘higher degree of vigilance’ amid Iran terror threat, House Intel chair warns
EXCLUSIVE: The chair of the House Intelligence Committee is urging Americans across the country to practice “a higher degree of vigilance and situational awareness” as concerns about possible terror threats in the U.S. skyrocket over the situation in the Middle East. Chair Rick Crawford, R-Ark., told Fox News Digital in an interview that people in the U.S. “need to have a sense of situational awareness and understand that there are people outside the United States that do seek to do us harm.” President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. military to hit three key Iranian nuclear bases over the weekend in a mission deemed a success by the vast majority of Republicans and some pro-Israel Democrats. The targeted strikes, which U.S. officials said are not an act of war, came after a week of escalating tensions between Israel and Iran. Israel, warning Iran was dangerously close to a nuclear weapon, launched preemptive strikes in and around Tehran earlier this month that killed several of the Islamic regime’s top military officials and nuclear scientists. ISRAEL’S ACTIONS AGAINST IRAN CREATE STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY FOR US IN NUCLEAR TALKS, EXPERTS SAY The Department of Homeland Security issued a memo warning of a “heightened threat environment” over the Israel-Iran conflict shortly after the U.S. strike. Meanwhile, NBC News reported that Iran threatened to activate sleeper cells in the U.S. if attacked. It has rung alarm bells for top U.S. national security officials both in and outside of Congress. Crawford, whose panel oversees the U.S. intelligence community, blamed the former Biden administration’s actions for creating an illegal immigration crisis that he said could have potentially allowed bad actors to enter the U.S. in recent years. “We know historically, Iran being the leading state sponsor of terror, we also know that during the Biden years, there were hundreds of Iranians that were allowed to come in, pretty much unchecked,” he said, referring to people who crossed the border illegally. “We don’t necessarily have a good read on where they are, what their intentions are… And so I think we need to redouble our [counter-intelligence] posture in the United States.” A FULL BREAKDOWN OF OPERATION MIDNIGHT HAMMER, THE ‘LARGEST B-2 OPERATIONAL STRIKE IN US HISTORY’ White House border czar Tom Homan said on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” that there were “1,272 nationals of Iran released in the country between the [Office of Field Operations] and the Border Patrol” under former President Joe Biden. On Congress’ part, Crawford said the next fiscal year’s Intelligence Authorization Act would broadly address the heightened terror environment in the U.S. “We want to step up our [counter-intelligence] presence here at home and make sure that across the federal law enforcement enterprise, that they’re adequately postured and resourced to address that threat,” he said. The Arkansas Republican also urged Americans to remember that Iran is also “trying to instill a sense of fear” with its threats. “I do think if there are terror cells in the United States, at some point they could act. I don’t think it would be anything on the scale of a 9/11, but it would certainly be designed to – just as the name implies – to inflict terror and cause the American people to adjust behavior and cause economic fallout and social upheaval and things of this nature,” he said. Nonetheless, he warned Americans to go about their daily lives aware of their surroundings, particularly in large public spaces. SATELLITE IMAGE SHOWS FORDOW NUCLEAR FACILITY AFTER MASSIVE BOMB STRIKE “For example, I mean, if something doesn’t feel right…don’t go there. Trust your judgment on that. I mean, just because you live in Arkansas as I do, doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re insulated from threats,” he said. “It also doesn’t necessarily mean that you should be living in fear. It just means that if you see something amiss, if you have sort of a sense that maybe something’s out of place, you know, trust your instincts. Maybe you need to call law enforcement, maybe you need to just remove yourself from a given situation if you don’t feel like it’s safe.” In the meantime, Crawford said he and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence will be seeking more information from federal officials. “Absolutely, we’ll be engaging with the intelligence community to get better insights into what’s going on and and updated information in real time,” he said, adding the panel generally gets information “quickly” from the intelligence community. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.
New York City on high alert for Democrat mayoral primary after US strikes Iran
New York City is prepping for primary elections on Tuesday as one of several major U.S. cities on high alert following U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. “We’re tracking the situation unfolding in Iran,” the NYPD said in an X post Saturday night. “Out of an abundance of caution, we’re deploying additional resources to religious, cultural, and diplomatic sites across NYC and coordinating with our federal partners. We’ll continue to monitor for any potential impact to NYC.” As New Yorkers brace for a major heat wave on Election Day, New York State Police are also “working to protect at-risk sites and fight cyberattacks,” Gov. Kathy Hochul shared Saturday night. Home to the largest Jewish diaspora outside Israel, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which reached a boiling point with U.S. involvement Saturday, has seeped onto the New York City campaign trail. ‘GLOBALIZE THE INTIFADA’ PHRASE STIRS TENSIONS ON NYC CAMPAIGN TRAIL AS MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT RAGES Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who resigned from office in 2021 following allegations of sexual harassment, has emerged as the frontrunner in a crowded field vying for the Democratic nomination. CUOMO’S LEAD SHRINKS WITH UNDER ONE WEEK UNTIL NEW YORK CITY MAYORAL PRIMARY: POLL Following the United States’ successful strikes on Iran Saturday night, Cuomo acknowledged, “Iran cannot have nuclear capability,” and admitted that eliminating Iran’s nuclear capacity “is in everyone’s best interest.” However, Cuomo joined the barrage of Democrats criticizing Trump for striking Iran without congressional approval. Reps. Thomas Massie, a Republican, and Ro Khanna, a Democrat, who proposed the bipartisan War Powers Resolution with 49 co-sponsors as of Sunday, called Trump green-lighting strikes against Iran “unconstitutional.” Congress has the sole power to declare war under Article I of the Constitution. “I don’t support the way he did it. I do believe he should have consulted Congress,” Cuomo, who secured an endorsement from former President Bill Clinton over the weekend, said in a statement. However, Cuomo’s closest competitors in the race were not so diplomatic. State Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Socialist with endorsements from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders, slammed Trump Saturday night. “Donald Trump ran for president promising to end wars, not start new ones,” Mamdani said. “Today’s unconstitutional military action represents a new, dark chapter in his endless series of betrayals that now threaten to plunge the world deeper into chaos.” Mamdani, who would be the first Muslim mayor of New York City if elected, added he is “thinking of the New Yorkers with loved ones in harm’s way.” Cuomo took a jab at Mamdani on Sunday, according to The New York Times, telling reporters, “This is not the time for on-the-job training,” in light of the U.S. strikes on Iran. Additionally, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who has cross-endorsed Mamdani as they attempt to consolidate support against Cuomo within the ranked-choice voting style, said during a Working Families Party unity rally Sunday, “Jewish New Yorkers and Muslim New Yorkers are not going to be divided against each other.” On Sunday night, Lander, who is Jewish, dissed “Trump’s reckless & unconstitutional strikes against Iran” as a “dangerous escalation of war” that “threaten countless Iranian, Israeli & American lives.” Democratic mayoral candidates who will also appear on Tuesday’s ballot include former Comptroller Scott Stringer, educator Selma Bartholomew, state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, state Sen. Jessica Ramos, investor and editor at Stansberry Research Whitney Tilson, former State Assembly Member Michael Blake and content creator and music artist Paperboy Prince. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The Democratic nominee will face incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who is running as an Independent. Former federal prosecutor Jim Walden is also running as an Independent, and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa will once again be the Republican nominee. Fox News’ Jess Loker contributed to this report.
Iran launches attack on US base in Qatar, Iranian state TV reports
Iran said it launched a retaliatory attack on Al-Udeid, the U.S. airbase in Qatar, on Monday. Explosions were heard in Doha, a source told Fox News. Iranian state media reported that “Operation Fatah’s Blessing against the American Al-Udeid base in Qatar has begun.” Just before the attack, Iran’s President Mahmoud Pezeshkian issued a warning promising not to let Saturday’s strikes on its nuclear facilities go “unanswered.” “We neither initiated the war nor wanted it; but we will not leave the aggression against #GreaterIran unanswered. We will stand by the security of this #belovednation with all our being and respond to every wound on Iran’s body with faith, wisdom, and determination,” he wrote on X. AMERICANS IN QATAR TOLD TO SHELTER IN PLACE AS IRANIAN MILITARY THREATENS ACTION AGAINST US INTERESTS The base is home to 10,000 American forces and is the U.S.’s largest military installation in the Middle East. Located southwest of Doha, it serves as a hub for logistical operations for the U.S. mission to fight ISIS in Iraq and Syria. It also hosts Central Command’s (CENTCOM) Forward Headquarters, as well as its air forces and special operations in the region. It also has been used as a headquarters for British involvement in airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq. President Donald Trump visited Al Udeid last month on May 15, where he inked a $1 billion military sales agreement with Doha. Qatar has walked a tight line between friendly relations with the U.S., through efforts to expand the base, and with Iran. Prior to the attack, Qatar suspended all flights and promised to “take all necessary preventive measures.” The attack was not entirely unexpected – satellite images showed the U.S. moved most of its unhangered aircraft out of Al Udeid last week. Iran vowed to retaliate against the U.S. after American B-2 bombers dropped 14 bunker buster bombs on three Iranian nuclear sites. “The criminal US must know that in addition to punishing its illegitimate and aggressive offspring, the hands of Islam’s fighters within the armed forces have been freed to take any action against its interests and military, and we will never back down in this regard,” Abdolrahim Mousavi, the new chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, warned in a statement. US TROOPS IN THE MIDDLE EAST COULD FACE INCREASED THREATS AMID IRAN CONFLICT: ‘IRREPARABLE DAMAGE’ But Trump warned Iran after Saturday’s strikes on its nuclear hubs: “Any retaliation by Iran against the United States of America will be met with force far greater than what was witnessed tonight.” The air base also hosts an array of military assets: B-52 strategic bombers, C-17 Globemaster transports and RC-135 Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft, in addition to 379th Air Expeditionary Wing’s airlift, aerial refueling, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. Fox News’ Thomas Ferraro contributed to this report.
Texas lieutenant gov calls out Abbott for last-minute THC bill veto
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, R-Texas, is not shy about his displeasure with Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who vetoed a cannabis-related state senate bill overnight. “Throughout the legislative session, @GregAbbott_TX remained totally silent on Senate Bill 3, the bill that would have banned dangerous THC products in Texas,” the lieutenant governor posted to X. “His late-night veto, on an issue supported by 105 of 108 Republicans in the legislature, strongly backed by law enforcement, many in the medical and education communities, and the families who have seen their loved ones’ lives destroyed by these very dangerous drugs, leaves them feeling abandoned,” he continued. “I feel especially bad for those who testified and poured their hearts out on their tragic losses,” Patrick said, promising to say more at a press conference that is set to take place on Monday. ONE BIG STATE NEEDS TO STOP PAYING LOBBYIST SALARIES Abbott has remained quiet on social media about his decision, but FOX 7 Austin reported it is one of 26 bills the governor has vetoed from the recent legislative session. SB 3, which would have banned THC products across the Lone Star State, is now on the agenda for a special legislative session in July, the local TV station reported. REPUBLICAN GOV SLAMS CITY FOR CONSIDERING ‘ANTISEMITIC’ RESOLUTION, THREATENS TO PULL FUNDING Abbott called SB 3 “well-intentioned,” but said “it would never go into effect because of valid constitutional challenges” in his veto proclamation. “Texans on each side of the Senate Bill 3 debate raise serious concerns,” Abbott wrote. “But one thing is clear—to ensure the highest level of safety for minors, as well as for adults, who obtain a product more dangerous than what they expected, Texas must strongly regulate hemp, and it must do so immediately.” Texas Hemp Business Council, which opposes SB 3, posted a statement to Facebook following Abbott’s veto. “By vetoing SB 3, he stood with millions of Texans, protected 53,000+ jobs,— and rejected the lies, donors, and Dan Patrick’s propaganda crusade. Governor Abbott showed real leadership today. Texas is stronger for it,” the statement said.
Trump slams Russia’s casual threat to arm Iran with nuclear weapons: ‘That’s why Putin’s the boss’
President Donald Trump took a swipe at former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev for suggesting that other countries would step in to supply Iran with nuclear warheads in retaliation for the U.S. strikes on Saturday that targeted three Iranian nuclear facilities. “Did I hear Former President Medvedev, from Russia, casually throwing around the ‘N word’ (Nuclear!), and saying that he and other Countries would supply Nuclear Warheads to Iran? Did he really say that or, is it just a figment of my imagination? If he did say that, and, if confirmed, please let me know, IMMEDIATELY. The ‘N word’ should not be treated so casually. I guess that’s why Putin’s ‘THE BOSS,’” Trump said in a Truth Social Post on Monday. Trump’s comments came after Medvedev, now the deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, said that Iran would continue to advance its nuclear program and would receive assistance from other nations to do so. RUSSIAN LEADER CLAIMS MULTIPLE COUNTRIES PREPPED TO PROVIDE IRAN NUCLEAR WEAPONS FOLLOWING US STRIKES “The enrichment of nuclear material — and, now we can say it outright, the future production of nuclear weapons — will continue,” Medvedev said in a Sunday X post. “A number of countries are ready to directly supply Iran with their own nuclear warheads,” Medvedev said. He did not specify which countries could be involved in providing Iran with nuclear capabilities, but Russia historically has supported Iran’s nuclear program. Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin also offered to broker peace talks between Iran and Israel. Likewise, Moscow has also offered to intervene and help negotiate a nuclear deal between the U.S. and Iran. ISRAEL-IRAN CONFLICT: LIVE UPDATES Moscow was involved in the 2015 Iran deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The agreement lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for limits on Iran’s nuclear program, but Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018. On Saturday, the U.S. launched strikes late Saturday targeting key Iranian nuclear facilities: Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. The mission involved more than 125 U.S. aircraft, including B-2 stealth bombers, according to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine. TRUMP ATTACKS IRAN NUCLEAR SITES: ARE OUR TROOPS IN DANGER FROM RETALIATORY STRIKES? Trump also touted the success of a guided-missile nuclear submarine involved in the strikes, which launched more than two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at key Iranian targets. “By the way, if anyone thinks our ‘hardware’ was great over the weekend, far and away the strongest and best equipment we have, 20 years advanced over the pack, is our Nuclear Submarines,” Trump said Monday in the Truth Social post. “They are the most powerful and lethal weapons ever built, and just launched the 30 Tomahawks — All 30 hit their mark perfectly. So, in addition to our Great Fighter Pilots, thank you to the Captain and Crew!”
Ex-ICE chief warns Biden’s border crisis likely fueled Iranian sleeper threat in US
The impact of the border crisis under the Biden administration likely added fuel to the fire of an Iranian sleeper cell threat domestically, according to a former top Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official who briefly led Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Following the strike on Iranian nuclear sites by the U.S. on Saturday, DHS issued a National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin warning about the risk of domestic terrorism from Iranian-backed or inspired perpetrators. “Definitely,” former acting ICE director and Fox News contributor Jonathan Fahey said when asked if the Biden border crisis likely made matters worse domestically. AMERICANS VULNERABLE TO CYBERATTACKS, LONE WOLF THREATS IN WAKE OF IRANIAN AIRSTRIKES: FORMER FBI AGENT “I think one thing that’s really concerning about that: One, they weren’t doing any really meaningful vetting in the last administration. The second part of it is, you know, we have probably 2 million known gotaways come through the last administration, and the people that went through the non-ports of entry, we knew they went through but nobody caught them, so we have no idea who went through,” he added. Fahey noted that other countries were likely paying close attention to the heavy flow of people crossing into the country illegally. He briefly led ICE toward the end of Trump’s first term and was the former deputy assistant secretary at the DHS. “But the thing that’s concerning is all of our adversaries knew at the time that we basically, in all intents and purposes, had an open border. So, to the extent they wanted to send people in to spy, to collect intelligence, to do us harm, to plan to do us harm in the future, they had carte blanche to get anyone in that they wanted to with really little or no resistance,” Fahey said. OVER 700 IRANIAN NATIONALS RELEASED INTO US DURING BIDEN ADMINISTRATION DESPITE TERRORISM CONCERNS “That’s what makes what Biden, the Biden-Mayorkas open border just so unconscionable,” he said. Fox News reported that roughly half of the 1,500 Iranian nationals who came through illegally during the Biden administration were let go into the U.S. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE “The likelihood of violent extremists in the Homeland independently mobilizing to violence in response to the conflict would likely increase if Iranian leadership issued a religious ruling calling for retaliatory violence against targets in the Homeland,” the DHS bulletin stated. “Multiple recent Homeland terrorist attacks have been motivated by anti-Semitic or anti-Israel sentiment, and the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict could contribute to US-based individuals plotting additional attacks,” it continued. ‘OPEN BORDERS’ UNDER BIDEN COULD HELP IRAN RETALIATE WITH US TERROR SLEEPER CELLS: FORMER FBI BOSS Other national security experts also doubled down that the releases and gotaways during the Biden administration continued to pose a risk. “We don’t know where those thousand Iranians are and who knows how many others got across the border. We missed an opportunity when they caught and released those thousand. We missed the opportunity to gather intel by interviewing them and thoroughly vetting them. We just simply let them go, which is gross negligence on the part of the Biden administration,” former FBI assistant director Chris Swecker told Fox News Digital. Border czar Tom Homan also sounded the alarm about gotaways on “Sunday Morning Futures” right after the Iran strikes. “We don’t know who they are, where they came from, because they got away because border patrol is so overwhelmed with the humanitarian crisis that Biden created. Over two million people crossed the border and got away. That is my biggest concern. And that’s what created the biggest national security vulnerability this country’s ever seen,” Homan said. When it comes to known releases, the Trump administration released nobody in May, compared with roughly 62,000 releases under the Biden administration last May, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data.
Trump campaign unleashes PAC to oust GOP congressman who questioned authority to strike Iran
President Donald Trump‘s political team has launched a political action committee (PAC) targeting GOP Rep. Thomas Massie’s congressional seat in 2026, Fox News Digital has confirmed. Chris LaCivita, a veteran Republican strategist who was co-campaign manager for Trump’s 2024 presidential bid, and Tony Fabrizio, longtime GOP pollster and Trump’s top pollster in 2024, will steer the “Kentucky PAC.” It is the first time the Trump campaign apparatus has directly targeted an incumbent Republican through a super PAC, and the move signals an aggressive new strategy to hold congressional Republicans accountable for thwarting Trump’s legislative agenda. The news was first reported by Axios on Sunday night. As the president considered whether to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, Massie emerged as the leading Republican voice willing to challenge Trump’s constitutional authority to usher the U.S. into the burgeoning conflict between Israel and Iran. When Trump announced successful strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran on Saturday night, Massie was clear in his rebuttal, “This is not constitutional.” THOMAS MASSIE SAYS HE FEELS ‘MISLED’ BY TRUMP AFTER IRAN STRIKES: ‘HE’S ENGAGED IN WAR’ “FAFO ….working on the FO …” LaCivita responded to Massie on Saturday, which means, “F— around and find out.” ‘NOT CONSTITUTIONAL’: CONGRESS EVOKES NEW WAR POWERS RESOLUTION TO REJECT TRUMP’S STRIKES ON IRAN By Sunday night, LaCivita confirmed the Axios report, responding on X, “Here’s the FO” – a clear message to Massie, and any Republican who undermines the president, that Trump’s political arm is prepared to respond. Massie was elected U.S. representative for Kentucky’s fourth congressional district in 2012. The fiscal firebrand, one of the few remaining House GOP members willing to disagree with Trump, staved off Republican primary challenges in deep red Kentucky in 2020 and again in 2024. Last week, the Republican co-sponsored the War Powers Resolution along with 48 Democrats, trying to prevent Trump from striking Iran without congressional approval. Congress has the sole power to declare war under Article I of the Constitution. The War Powers Resolution seeks to “remove United States Armed Forces from unauthorized hostilities in the Islamic State of Iran” and directs Trump to “terminate” the deployment of American troops against Iran without an “authorized declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military forces against Iran.” When Trump announced America’s successful strikes on Iran – without congressional approval – Massie and his Democratic co-sponsors, including Rep. Ro Khanna, were quick to criticize the president on social media and during a joint appearance on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” Sunday. “I feel a bit misled,” Massie told Fox News Digital in a Sunday afternoon interview. “I didn’t think he would let neocons determine his foreign policy and drag us into another war.” The Kentucky Republican has broken from Trump on several other occasions and has been one of the few GOP officials to openly clash with the president — particularly on government spending and foreign intervention. Trump threatened to primary Massie for his unwillingness to bend on the House GOP’s One Big Beautiful Bill negotiations, comments Massie subsequently used in fundraising messages for his 2026 re-election campaign. Massie was one of just two House Republicans who voted against Trump’s megabill last month, arguing it did not do enough to tackle the country’s enormous national debt, which sits at well over $36 trillion. In a lengthy Truth Social post Sunday afternoon, Trump signaled he had enough of Massie’s dissent, claiming “MAGA doesn’t want him, doesn’t know him, and doesn’t respect him,” and once again called him a “grandstander.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “MAGA should drop this pathetic LOSER, Tom Massie, like the plague! The good news is that we will have a wonderful American Patriot running against him in the Republican Primary, and I’ll be out in Kentucky campaigning really hard. MAGA is not about lazy, grandstanding, nonproductive politicians, of which Thomas Massie is definitely one,” Trump said Sunday. Massie did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s inquiry about the Kentucky PAC.
Americans in Qatar told to shelter in place as Iranian military threatens action against US interests
The U.S. Embassy in Qatar told Americans to shelter in place until further notice Monday morning following the weekend’s attacks on Iran. The embassy said it made the recommendation “out of an abundance of caution” but provided no other details. Qatar is home to Al Udeid Air Base, where approximately 10,000 U.S. soldiers are deployed. The advisory came after the State Department issued a warning to American citizens on Sunday. “There is the potential for demonstrations against U.S. citizens and interests abroad. The Department of State advises U.S. citizens worldwide to exercise increased caution.” STATE DEPARTMENT ISSUES WORLDWIDE CAUTION FOR US TRAVELERS FOLLOWING TRUMP’S IRAN STRIKES Iran vowed to retaliate against the U.S. after American B-2 bombers dropped 14 bunker buster bombs on three Iranian nuclear sites. “The criminal US must know that in addition to punishing its illegitimate and aggressive offspring, the hands of Islam’s fighters within the armed forces have been freed to take any action against its interests and military, and we will never back down in this regard,” Abdolrahim Mousavi, the new chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, warned in a statement. Qatar’s foreign affairs spokesperson said the “advisory from a number of embassies to their citizens do not reflect the existence of specific threats.” “The security situation in the country is stable,” the statement said, adding, “the relevant authorities are closely monitoring the situation and are ready to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of citizens, residents, and visitors.” US TROOPS IN THE MIDDLE EAST COULD FACE INCREASED THREATS AMID IRAN CONFLICT: ‘IRREPARABLE DAMAGE’ Qatar has struck a delicate balance between friendly relations with its neighbor Iran and the West. Some 40,000 U.S. troops are stationed across the Middle East. While Iran is largely expected to launch a counterattack to the weekend’s bombings, Israeli strikes have taken out Iran’s missile launchers and depleted its stock of medium-range missiles. The U.S. homeland, meanwhile, is under a “heightened threat environment” following the weekend’s strikes, including “low-level cyber attacks against US networks by pro-Iranian hacktivists are likely, and cyber actors affiliated with the Iranian government may conduct attacks against US networks.”
‘Mofo…in the White House’: Jasmine Crockett attacks Trump, praises Massie in anti-Iran strike rant
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, launched another tirade against President Donald Trump over the weekend, while offering rare praise for one of her House GOP colleagues who is currently at odds with the commander in chief. The Democratic firebrand took to Instagram Live late Saturday to criticize Trump’s strikes on Iran, while giving a “shout out” to Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., over his bipartisan resolution to rein in the president’s ability to conduct such operations. “So long story short, for those of you that are unaware, the mofo that resides in the White House has unilaterally, in my estimation, declared war,” Crockett said in the video. “Mofo” is often used as a shorthand term for the curse phrase “motherf—er.” RUBIO DECLARES IRAN’S DAYS OF ‘PLAYING THE WORLD’ OVER AFTER TRUMP’S DECISIVE STRIKE Crockett, an outspoken progressive, is part of the chorus of voices on the left accusing Trump of wrongly bypassing Congress in his military operation against Tehran’s nuclear sites. Trump officials have maintained that they are in compliance with the War Powers Act. “We are living in this time in which there is someone who is occupying the White House who does not care about any rules, any norms, any laws, nor the Constitution. And we cannot be a civilized country if there is no law and order,” Crockett said. She then launched an attack on Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration, accusing him of doing more harm with his strikes on Iran. US MILITARY TROOPS IN MIDDLE EAST COULD FACE INCREASED THREATS AMID IRAN CONFLICT “I know that they may claim, ‘We law and order, blah blah blah. So go get the undocumented people and let’s try to ship them out.’ Let me tell you something – they are not the people that are putting us in harm’s way,” Crockett said. “It is him and his administration that is putting us in harm’s way.” Crockett called on her supporters to confront Trump supporters, adding, “I literally need you to wake them the f— up, because everything since he has stepped into office has done nothing other than put us in harm’s way.” Later in the roughly 20-minute video, Crockett asked her supporters living in Republican-held districts to reach out to their representatives in Congress. “We need action now, and that is going to take a few Republicans, like, getting on the right page,” she said. “And right now there’s only one Republican that I know I can count on for sure doing the right thing. And that’s going to be Thomas Massie. The rest of them, it’s a little bit questionable.” Foreign entanglements, particularly when the U.S. military is involved, are an issue that’s made for strange political bedfellows in the past. When the House passed emergency foreign aid last year in separate packages by region, each passed with bipartisan support – while also seeing “no” votes from dovish progressives and conservatives wary of U.S. involvement overseas. DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS CRITICIZE ISRAEL’S DEFENSIVE STRIKES AGAINST IRAN’S NUCLEAR SITES Trump’s weekend strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities are no different. While the move gained wide support from Republican leaders and some pro-Israel Democrats, a small group of conservatives has expressed varying levels of concern. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., posted on X that she could “support President Trump and his great administration on many of the great things they are doing while disagreeing on bombing Iran and getting involved in a hot war that Israel started.” Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, commended the “strength and precision” of the strikes to Fox News Digital on Sunday but argued Congress needed to regain its “war powers.” “While President Trump has legal precedent on his side, the legal reality underscores how far we’ve drifted from the constitutional order,” Davidson said. Massie, who has been one of the most consistent lawmakers in Congress regarding his skepticism of foreign entanglements, is leading a resolution alongside Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., to limit Trump’s war powers on Iran. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP He told Fox News Digital on Sunday that he hoped to force a vote on the bipartisan measure and signaled cautious optimism that it could succeed. “I think it could [pass the House], because we have such a tight majority. And the Democrats aren’t very consistent about war, but when there’s a Republican in the White House, they find their religion, their anti-war religion again,” Massie said. When reached about Crockett’s video the White House pointed Fox News Digital to comments by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. “The last time I checked, Jasmine Crockett couldn’t dream of winning such a majority of the public as President Trump did. And the America First movement, which President Trump has built, is filled of hardworking patriots, the forgotten men and women, business owners, law enforcement officers, nurses, and teachers. And middle America – as we all know, you know, from where you all grew up, outside of this beltway – that’s who makes up this president’s movement,” Leavitt said. “Jasmine Crockett should go to a Trump rally sometime, and she can see it for herself.” Meanwhile, a White House official told Fox News Digital, “The fact Jasmine Crockett is siding with Massie tells you everything you need to know about both of them!” Fox News Digital also reached out to Massie’s office for comment on Crockett’s video.