JD Vance rails against Newsom, LA mayor for declaring ‘open season on federal law enforcement’
Speaking in Los Angeles Friday, Vice President JD Vance criticized California state and local politicians, especially Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass, for “endangering” federal law enforcement and effectively declaring “open season on federal law enforcement.” Vance said he was “shocked” to hear that “far-left agitators” have been posting the names, addresses and even family members of federal law enforcement officials in Los Angeles to harass, antagonize and threaten their lives. “Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass have got to stop this craziness,” Vance said. “Every single law enforcement officer I talked to today, every single one of them, said they feel like the local leadership — the mayor and the governor — are encouraging these far-left agitators. What is the justification for this?” VANCE TO MEET WITH FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, MARINES IN LA AMID ANTI-ICE RIOTS Vance said he has been told by law enforcement officials in the area that “when they go out, let’s say you have a Border Patrol official who needs to go out and arrest somebody, maybe a violent criminal who’s also an illegal alien. When that Border Patrol agent goes out to do their job, they said within 15 minutes of them trying to do their job, they have protesters, sometimes violent protesters, who are in their face obstructing them, preventing them from doing their job and endangering their lives. “Why do they have that?” he added. “Because those people have been egged on by local officials. Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass, by treating the city as a sanctuary city, have basically said that it is open season on federal law enforcement.” Newsom has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump’s use of the National Guard and Marines to help local police quell the anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles, calling it both illegal and immoral. The governor launched a lawsuit against the federal government to stop the use of the military in response to the riots. Though a district court ruled in Newsom’s favor, the 9th Circuit Court ruled Thursday to allow the Trump administration to continue using the military to assist local officials. FEDERAL AGENTS THWART MAN’S EXPLOSIVE ALLEGED PLOT AGAINST OFFICERS DURING LA RIOTS “They have treated Border Patrol and border enforcement as somehow an illegitimate force instead of what they are, which is the American people’s law enforcement trying to enforce the American people’s laws,” Vance said. “So, when Gavin Newsom encourages violence and rioting, he encourages people to get in the face of our great Border Patrol officers, he is absolutely endangering the lives of federal enforcement.” Commenting on the 9th Circuit’s ruling, Vance said, “It’s interesting that, for the past couple of weeks, Gavin Newsom has said that there’s an illegitimate effort to send federal resources to secure a city that he refuses to secure, and what the 9th Circuit said yesterday is that that was a completely legitimate and proper use of federal law enforcement. TRUMP ADMIN FIGHTS TO DEPORT CONVICTED MURDERER SHIELDED BY BIDEN-ERA TORTURE PROTECTION “The president has a very simple proposal to everybody, in every city, every community, every town, whether big or small. If you enforce your own laws and if you protect federal law enforcement, we’re not going to send in the National Guard because it’s unnecessary,” he said. “But if you let violent rioters burn great American cities to the ground, then, of course, we’re going to send federal law enforcement in to protect the people the president was elected to protect. “What I see here today is the great tragedy when a mayor and a governor encourage their citizens to harass and endanger the lives of our police officers and our law enforcement officers,” he said. “It’s heartbreaking to see, and thank God we’ve got great people who are willing to persevere despite it.”
User’s manual to the Big, Beautiful Bill this weekend and early next week
Next week is crucial to passage of the Big, Beautiful Bill in the Senate. If things go well, the bill could be done by the end of next week. If things go poorly, the Senate may be crashing to finish the bill before July 4. That could involve weekend sessions and the cancellation of the July 4 recess. AFTER MINNESOTA KILLINGS, CAPITOL HILL REPRESENTATIVES FACE STARK REALITY ABOUT FAMILY SAFETY On Sunday, Senate Republicans huddle with Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough to whittle away provisions which don’t comport with Senate budgetary rules. The Senate is using a special process known as “budget reconciliation” to avoid a filibuster. As a result, the bill must be fiscal in nature and not add to the deficit. It cannot include “policy.” This is known as the “Byrd Rule.” It’s named after late Senate Majority Leader Robert Byrd (D-W.V.). The process of meeting with the Parliamentarian is the “Byrd Bath.” MacDonough serves as a referee to decide what fits with Senate budget rules. The various provisions which MacDonough fillets from the bill are called “Byrd droppings.” HOW JOHNSON PULLED OFF ANOTHER IMPOSSIBLE WIN WITH JUST 1-VOTE MARGIN ON $9.4B SPENDING CUT BILL Anyway, despite the cornpone Senate humor, the process offstage on Sunday is crucial to the process. What’s ruled in or out could bolster chances of passing the bill – or kill it. We will start to get information about what is ruled in or out over the weekend and stretching into Monday. Those policy details will be critical. So watch for leaks and other information to dribble out beginning on Sunday. SENATE GOPS CAREFULLY WEIGHING CONTROVERSIAL TAX PROVISIONS BEFORE BRINGING BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL TO THE FLOOR This process will roll into early next week with an initial vote to begin the process mid-week. It will culminate with a round-the-clock voting session (known as a “vote-a-rama”) late next week. Then the measure must go back to the House. That’s because the Senate will inevitably change the bill. The House and Senate must be aligned before the bill can go to the president’s desk. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP And this is why the deadline to finish the bill by July 4 may slip.
State Department says it has provided guidance to more than 25,000 people in Israel, West Bank and Iran
The State Department said Friday it had provided “information and support” to over 25,000 people in Israel, the West Bank or Iran seeking guidance on what to do and how to get out. When pressed on the matter during a State Department briefing Friday afternoon, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce declined to go into further detail about how many of those 25,000 people are American citizens or any other breakdown of the number. News of the number of people the State Department has assisted comes after the agency announced the formation of a task force to assist Americans looking to leave Israel or other Middle Eastern countries. Bruce said during a press briefing Friday that the United States does not intend to help transport American citizens directly from Iran, and they will have to make it out first before they can be assisted by the government. TUGBOATS, CRUISE SHIPS AND FLIGHTS: ISRAEL BEGINS EMERGENCY EVACUATION OF CITIZENS AMID IRAN WAR United States Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said earlier this week the embassy in Jerusalem was “working on evacuation flights & cruise ship departures” for Americans trying to leave Israel. Huckabee released his statement hours after the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem wrote in its own X post that there was “no announcement about assisting private U.S. citizens to depart at this time,” but it simultaneously acknowledged “the Department of State is always planning for contingencies to assist with private U.S. citizens’ departure from crisis areas.” So far, the U.S. has not engaged in a large-scale effort to help Americans get out of Israel. But, according to ABC News, the military did assist in flying some American diplomats and family members from the U.S. Embassy this week. 1,500 JEWISH AMERICANS EVACUATED FROM ISRAEL AS DESANTIS SPONSORS RESCUE FLIGHTS TO TAMPA Private flights for American citizens did begin landing in Florida Thursday after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dispatched four planes to pick up U.S. citizens stuck in Israel during the ongoing violence. Other private options to get out of Israel are also available. On Monday, the State Department raised its travel warning for Israel to the highest level possible.
Several provisions fail to pass muster with Senate rules in ‘big, beautiful bill’
Several provisions in the Senate GOP’s version of President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” have run afoul of Senate rules and must be stripped if Republicans want to pass the package without the help of Democrats. The bill is undergoing what’s called a “Byrd Bath,” when the parliamentarian meticulously combs through each section of the mammoth bill to determine whether policies comport with the Senate’s Byrd Rule. The point of the budget reconciliation process is to skirt the Senate filibuster and pass a massive, partisan legislative package. But if provisions are left in that fail the test, Senate Republicans will have to meet the typical 60-vote threshold. Provisions that don’t pass muster can still be appealed, however. ‘I DON’T SEE ANY OTHER WAY’: REPUBLICANS PUSH FOR GUN TAX CUT IN TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ Senate Democrats vowed to use the Byrd Bath as a cudgel against the Senate GOP to inflict as much pain as possible and slow momentum as Republicans rush to put the colossal bill on Trump’s desk by July 4. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., could also overrule the parliamentarian but has remained adamant he would not attempt such a move. TOP TRUMP ALLY PREDICTS SENATE WILL BLOW PAST ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ DEADLINE Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough scrutinized three chunks of the megabill from the Senate Banking, Environment and Public Works and Armed Services committees and found numerous policies that failed to meet the Byrd Rule’s requirements. Among those was a provision that would have eliminated funding for a target of the GOP’s since its inception in 2008, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which would have effectively eliminated the agency. Doing so also would have slashed $6.4 billion in spending. Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott, R-S.C., said in a statement he would “remain committed to cutting wasteful spending at the CFPB and will continue working with the Senate parliamentarian on the Committee’s provisions.” ‘IT JUST BAFFLES ME’: SENATE REPUBLICANS SOUND ALARM OVER MEDICAID CHANGES, SPENDING IN TRUMP MEGABILL Attempts to put guardrails on the $150 billion in Defense Department funding baked into the package also failed to pass muster. The language would have required that Pentagon officials outline how the money would be spent by a certain deadline or see the funding reduced. Other provisions on the chopping block include language that cut $300 million from the Financial Research Fund and cut jobs and move the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board under the umbrella of the Securities and Exchange Commission, which would have saved roughly $773 million. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP An attempt to change the pay schedule for Federal Reserve employees was also nixed, which would have saved about $1.4 billion. Environmental standards and regulations set by the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act were also determined to have run afoul of the Byrd Rule, including a repeal of tailpipe emissions standards for vehicles with a model year of 2027 and later.
Issa floats constitutional amendment to let Congress, SCOTUS remove president after Biden health ‘cover-up’
Rep. Darrell Issa on Friday suggested that the House should consider taking up a constitutional amendment to make it easier to remove a president who is unable to perform the job in response to the alleged cover-up of former President Joe Biden’s declining mental state. Issa, R-Calif., who is a member of the House Judiciary Committee, said that actions taken by Biden administration officials to keep Americans in the dark about his health show that the provisions in the 25th Amendment may be insufficient. That amendment allows the Vice President and the Cabinet to remove a president from his role if he is “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” “The initiation was always intended to be the vice president and the cabinet based on the assumption that they would take their oath and their observation seriously and that they were closest to the president to know if that event was needed,” Issa told Fox News. “It now looks as though their impartiality can be questioned.” SENATE HEARING ON WHO WAS ‘REALLY RUNNING’ BIDEN WHITE HOUSE KICKS OFF WEDNESDAY Issa added: “If that’s the case, the other two branches need to be brought in in some way into the process of asserting that the president may be unable to perform his duties and determining that in a fair and, if necessary, public way.” The other two branches in this case would likely be Congress and the Supreme Court. Issa’s comments come as the House Oversight Committee is set to interview three Biden administration officials next week about the former president’s decline. Former Domestic Policy Council Director Neera Tanden will meet with the committee Tuesday. Former Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor to the First Lady Anthony Bernthal will meet with the committee Thursday. Former White House Physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor will testify under subpoena on Friday. FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS DISTRUST BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ON PRESIDENT’S MENTAL FITNESS The committee also has interviews scheduled with former administration officials Annie Tomasini and Ashley Williams. And it’s seeking interviews with several officials in the Biden inner circle, including former Chief of Staff Ron Klain and former Senior Advisor to the President for Communications Anita Dunn. Also among the questions investigators will have is whether any Biden officials used the autopen to authorize executive actions without the president’s permission. The results of that investigation, according to Issa, could help inform exactly how to write this potential constitutional amendment. “What Chairman Comer is doing is extremely important because he’s basically doing the fact-finding for the Judiciary Committee, which is going to undoubtedly take up a possible amendment to the 25th Amendment,” Issa said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP There is a very high threshold to amend the Constitution – a two-thirds vote in each chamber and ratification by three-quarters of states. So, if an amendment does materialize from the Judiciary Committee, it would face a tough road to make it through Congress, even with unified Republican control. But Issa says it’s worth making an effort to improve the system. “Since it didn’t work, we have to ask, is there another way to make it work better in the future?” he asked.
Federal appeals court rules Louisiana Ten Commandments school law is unconstitutional
A federal appeals court on Friday ruled that a Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all public-school classrooms and state-funded universities in the state is unconstitutional. Three federal appellate judges on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Louisiana said they affirmed a lower district court’s ruling that the statute was “facially unconstitutional.” Last June, a group of parents sued the state over concerns the law that went into effect in January violates the separation of church and state. The district court issued a preliminary injunction on the law last November in the five school districts that involve plaintiffs. ARKANSAS FAMILIES SUE TO KEEP 10 COMMANDMENTS OUT OF CLASSROOM BEFORE NEW LAW TAKES EFFECT “H.B. 71 is plainly unconstitutional. The district court did not err,” the appeals court said on Friday, referring to the statute. “H.B. 71’s minimum requirements provide sufficient details about how the Ten Commandments must be displayed. Plaintiffs have shown that those displays will cause an “irreparable” deprivation of their First Amendment rights.” The law was passed by Louisiana’s Republican-controlled legislature last year and says the text of the Ten Commandments must be written in “large, easily readable font.” SUPREME COURT WEIGHS RELIGIOUS LIBERTY DISPUTE OVER PUBLIC FUNDING FOR CATHOLIC CHARTER SCHOOL “The Ten Commandments must be displayed with a ‘context statement’ about the ‘History of the Ten Commandments in American Public Education,’ and ‘may’ be displayed with ‘the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, and the Northwest Ordinance,’” the statute says. “We are grateful for this decision, which honors the religious diversity and religious-freedom rights of public school families across Louisiana,” Rev. Darcy Roake, a plaintiff in the case represented by Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said. “As an interfaith family, we believe that our children should receive their religious education at home and within our faith communities, not from government officials.” Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said in a statement: “This ruling will ensure that Louisiana families – not politicians or public-school officials – get to decide if, when and how their children engage with religion. It should send a strong message to Christian Nationalists across the country that they cannot impose their beliefs on our nation’s public-school children. Not on our watch.” Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a statement on Friday that she and her office “strongly disagree” with the ruling, according to NOLA.com. “We will immediately seek relief from the full Fifth Circuit and, if necessary, the U.S. Supreme Court,” she added. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fox News Digital has reached out to Murrill for comment. Arkansas has a similar law and other Republican states are on the verge of similar laws.
DNC elects vice chair to replace David Hogg as Democrat Party rift rages on
Shasti Conrad, Washington State Democratic Party Chair, was elected vice chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) on Friday, ending the months-long David Hogg controversy in which the 25-year-old progressive bowed out from party leadership. The second voting period for the DNC’s “any gender” vice chair election ended Friday night as Conrad picked up the majority of votes cast by DNC members. Earlier in the week, candidates failed to secure a majority and Jeanna Repass was eliminated during the first round of voting. Hogg announced his exit from DNC leadership after members voted last week to uphold the Credentials Committee’s resolution proposed by longtime Democratic Party activist, Kalyn Free, to host a re-election for two vice-chair positions, which Hogg and DNC vice chair Malcolm Kenyatta won during the Feb. 1 party elections. “I’m honored to serve as Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee and am deeply grateful to the members who placed their trust in me,” Conrad said in a statement. “This was the longest election in DNC history, and every vote cast reflected our shared belief in building a stronger, more inclusive Democratic Party.” ‘DISTRACTION’: THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS READY TO LEAVE THEIR DAVID HOGG DRAMA IN THE DUST DNC Chair Ken Martin celebrated her win, describing Conrad as a “trailblazer who understands the importance of championing our communities and doing the hard work on the ground to help Democrats win up and down the ballot.” DNC CHAIR RIPPED DAVID HOGG OVER PARTY INFIGHTING IN LEAKED MEETING AUDIO: ‘REALLY FRUSTRATING’ Kenyatta told Fox News Digital after Hogg’s exit that the re-election drama has prevented the DNC from being “singularly focused.” “We’ve spent a lot of time talking about procedural nonsense within the DNC. I promise you nobody cares about that, and nobody wants to talk about it as little as I do. I want us to get refocused,” Kenyatta said. Hogg agreed, writing in a lengthy X statement that he was stepping down from the DNC, “so the party can focus on what really matters.” But Hogg ignited internal Democratic Party divisions this year through his $20 million plan to primary challenge vulnerable incumbent Democrats he said were “asleep at the wheel.” The plan, through his outside political action group, Leaders We Deserve, exposed an apparent rift with Martin, who gave Hogg the ultimatum to either forego his political influence through his PAC or give up his DNC leadership position. And the young progressive’s departure did little to stall headlines about the Democratic Party’s disarray, as this week DNC officials criticized Martin’s leadership and The New York Times reported officials had considered borrowing money to pay the bills this year. Earlier this week, The New York Times also first reported that two top union leaders had departed the DNC. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, and Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, declined offers to stay on as at-large members of the DNC. “I appear to be out of step with the leadership you are forging, and I do not want to be the one who keeps questioning why we are not enlarging our tent and actively trying to engage more and more of our communities,” Weingarten, the education leader and longtime voice in Democratic politics, said in a letter Martin that is now circulating on social media. Hogg’s decision to leave the DNC followed a damning Politico report, which included leaked audio from a Zoom meeting of Martin lamenting over Hogg’s fallout at the DNC, claiming it had made it harder for Democrats to do their jobs and for Martin to demonstrate his ability to lead. “I don’t think you intended this, but you essentially destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to. So, it’s really frustrating,” Martin said. The DNC on Friday touted raising nearly $40 million in its first four months under Martin, which the committee credited to “grassroots donors who are fired up to elect Democrats and defeat Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans’ billionaire-first agenda.” “Powered by our grassroots community, the DNC has just set a new record for most money raised in the first four months under a new Chair — ever. What matters is winning elections, making Democrats competitive everywhere, expanding our tent, and putting our party on the right path,” Martin said, in part. Free submitted her complaint following the DNC’s Feb. 1 officer elections, in which Hogg and Kenyatta were elected vice chairs. She claimed the DNC’s tabulation method violated the charter’s provision and parliamentary procedure and “discriminated against three women of color candidates.” “This was never about Malcolm Kenyatta or David Hogg,” Free told Fox News Digital after the Credentials Committee elevated her complaint before the full DNC. “For me, this was about ensuring that the Democratic Party lives up to our ideals as the only political party to believe in and stand up for election integrity and a free and fair democracy.” The Democratic Party maintained that the vice-chair re-election had nothing to do with the primary controversy Hogg stirred up earlier this year, but Hogg slammed the vote as a “fast-track” effort to remove him from party leadership. Fox News’ Paige Dukeman contributed to this report.
WATCH: Dem senators blame Trump for Iran crisis as GOP urges him to stand firm with Israel
While Democratic senators are blaming President Donald Trump for the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict, Republicans are urging the president to continue standing in support of Israel as it attempts to eliminate Iran’s nuclear weapon capabilities. This comes as Israel and Iran, two major powers in the Middle East, are locked in a heavy missile war. Israel, a U.S. ally, has been targeting Iranian nuclear facilities with the intent of keeping Iran from utilizing nuclear weapons, something Trump has long advocated. Following intense speculation that Trump would join the conflict by launching a U.S. strike on Iran, the White House issued a statement from the president in which he said there is a “substantial chance” for renewed negotiations to end the conflict. In the statement, Trump said he would decide which path to take in the next two weeks. The White House has said that any deal with Iran would have to include a full commitment to not developing nuclear weapons, including no uranium enrichment, a necessary step to developing nuclear weapons. Iran has said it will not accept an agreement with a zero enrichment provision. SENATE RETURNS AMID CONCERNS ABOUT DEEPER US INVOLVEMENT IN THE IRAN, ISRAEL CONFLICT Speaking with Fox News Digital in the halls of the Capitol, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., slammed Trump for pulling the U.S. out of a nuclear agreement of which Iran was a part during his first term. “The way to keep Iran from having a nuclear weapon is through negotiation,” she said. “We actually had that deal, and Donald Trump threw it out the window.“ “That means we lost our inspectors, we lost the plans that had been made,” she continued. “Right now, we need more deconfliction in the area. We need to bring down the temperature between Israel and Iran. That’s what’s best for Israel and Iran, it’s what’s best for the region and for the whole world,” said Warren. IRAN REFUSES ZERO ENRICHMENT AS NUCLEAR TENSIONS ESCALATE Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., also blamed Trump, saying, “He’s the one who put us out the deal in the first place,” which she said “very much so” contributed to the ongoing conflict. While he said the U.S. should not be involved in bombing missions or any other military action against Iran, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said, “What we should do is continue to provide Israel with all the tools they need to defend themselves.” “I hope the president will continue to promote a diplomatic solution that we had until he tore it up,” said Kaine. Meanwhile, Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, who caucuses with the Democrats, told Fox News Digital that the “question is can it be resolved without our involvement.” He said he hopes Iran “will see the light and decide they don’t need to keep developing nuclear fuel.” BEN HALL CONSIDERS HOW TRUMP’S DECISION ABOUT IRAN COULD ‘CHANGE THE WHOLE MIDDLE EAST’ On the other side of the aisle, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital that he believes Trump “standing unshakably with the nation of Israel” is the right move to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. “Israel is being incredibly effective with their military strike against Iran. They’ve taken out the senior military leadership, the leaders who would wage a war have been one after the other after the other surgically taken out by Israel. They are also taking out missile launch sites, and they’re taking out nuclear research sites, the sites where Iran is working to develop a nuclear weapon,” Cruz explained. “Deterrence is always the key,” said Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Ohio. “This president has been very clear he’s all about peace, and he doesn’t want to use the might of the United States unless we absolutely have to. I believe deterrence is the best foreign policy, because it shows peace through strength.” That being said, Mullin said Trump has he’s been “very clear for over a decade: In no way are we going to allow the Iranian regime, who is the number one sponsor of terror around the world, to have a nuclear weapon.” IRAN’S SUPREME LEADER REFUSES TO SURRENDER, MORE BALLISTIC MISSILES FIRED AT ISRAEL “So, we need to be prepared to back up Israel if they’re not able to do the job, then we need to be able to finish it,” he said. “Look, he has said this for 10 years. He has said Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, full stop,” said Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala. “So, it is not just about [uranium] enrichment, which absolutely should have never happened and cannot happen, but it is also complete and total dismantlement of the nuclear program.”
‘She’s wrong’: Trump says Tulsi Gabbard incorrect about Iran not having nuclear weapon capabilities
President Donald Trump told reporters Friday that his Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, is “wrong” in her assessment that Iran is not close to building a nuclear weapon. Trump’s comments came after he departed Air Force One en route to his Bedminister, New Jersey, golf club, when he stepped aside to take a few questions from reporters. “She’s wrong,” Trump said after he was asked about Gabbard’s assessment that Iran is not close to building a nuclear weapon. “My intelligence community is wrong.” VANCE DEFENDS GABBARD AS ‘CRITICAL PART’ OF TRUMP TEAM AFTER PRESIDENT DISMISSED IRAN NUKE THREAT COMMENTS Trump’s remarks were preceded by a question from a reporter asking the president, who publicly opposed the Iraq war roughly 20 years ago, what made this situation with Iran different – considering no weapons of mass destruction were ever found after the George W. Bush administration invaded Iraq. “There were no weapons of mass destruction. I never thought there were. That was somewhat pre-nuclear. You know, it was – there was a nuclear age, but nothing like it is today,” Trump said. “And it looked like I’m right about the material that they’ve gathered already [in Iran]. It’s a tremendous amount of material. And I think within a matter of weeks, or certainly within a matter of months, [Iran was] going to be able to have a nuclear weapon. We can’t let that happen.” In March, DNI Gabbard said during an opening statement to the Senate Intelligence Committee that that the intelligence community “continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003.” TRUMP BLOWS OFF GABBARD DOWNPLAYING IRAN NUKE THREAT, BUT WH STILL SAYS PRESIDENT AND INTEL CHIEF ARE IN SYNC Meanwhile, last week Gabbard posted a cryptic three and a half minute video on X last week, warning of the risks of a potential nuclear war, and blasting “warmongers” for bringing the world “closer to the brink of nuclear annihilation than ever before.” President Donald Trump said aboard Air Force One earlier this week that he doesn’t care what Gabbard says, “I think they were very close to having one,” when pressed on the pair’s divergent opinions. This week, according to The Guardian, Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair, Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said Gabbard’s assessment has been “reconfirmed” by current intelligence. Fox News Digital reached out to Gabbard’s office for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
Kentucky wanted this fight: Former AG backs illegal immigrant tuition lawsuit as voter-approved
Former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, the GOP frontrunner for retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell’s seat in 2026, told Fox News Digital the Justice Department’s lawsuit over discounted tuition for illegal immigrants is exactly the kind of fight Kentuckians voted for. Cameron lambasted Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, the top-named defendant in the suit, after Beshear’s office told Fox News Digital the potential 2028 hopeful had no connection to the issuance of the educational regulation. “Andy Beshear is always attempting to pass the buck. The fact of the matter is, he’s the governor of the commonwealth and he controls the executive branch. He gets to appoint people on the various boards and commissions that exist,” Cameron said. “He’s even got a lawsuit right now against statewide elected officeholders in the legislature, basically saying that he controls the Ethics Commission. And, so, you know, he can’t have his cake and eat it, too.” DISCOUNTED COLLEGE TUITION FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS POLICY LEADS DOJ TO SUE KENTUCKY Cameron praised Attorney General Pam Bondi for bringing the case, saying he’s glad the DOJ is reviewing a “preposterous” policy. “I think it’s well time that we take care of our American citizens as opposed to illegals,” Cameron said. “I think our legislature, the Republican legislature, is rightly trying to take back some control,” Cameron added, as a bill moves through Frankfort that would preclude illegals from being considered in-state residents for educational purposes. EX-MCCONNELL ADVISOR-TURNED-MAGA STAR DOESN’T RULE OUT POTENTIAL SENATE BID AS RUMORS SWIRL “This governor tries to work by fiat, and our legislature is trying to restore the balance, if you will,” he said. “This is about protecting the position of American citizens. I mean, the idea that we would give reduced or subsidized tuition, in-state tuition for illegals is just an absurd notion, especially when you’re telling out-of-state Americans that they’ve got to pay full freight. That doesn’t pass the smell test,” he said. When reached for comment, Beshear political strategist Eric Hyers rejected those characterizations. “We get Daniel Cameron is struggling with his attempted political comeback, but that doesn’t mean he can make things up,” Hyers said. He added that the regulation allowing in-state tuition for illegals was crafted two decades ago and that “if he had a problem with its legality, he should have done something about it while he was attorney general.” “The reality is that this is set by an independent board, and the governor doesn’t have any review of it; the GOP-controlled legislature does. If this was such a concern, the GOP supermajority could have passed the bill to address it that was introduced last session by one of their own members,” Hyers said. In his interview, Cameron also warned the border security issue itself has greatly affected his state in other ways, citing the Appalachian fentanyl epidemic. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Kentuckians care deeply about making sure that we are protecting our borders and making sure people are here legally. … And we know that fentanyl is coming across a porous southern border and making its way into the commonwealth. “Since President Trump has been in office, as he stated in his joint address to Congress, we didn’t need a new policy, we needed a new president. So, that has changed, but Kentuckians still recognize the concern around illegals who come into this country, bring poison into this country that hurt our communities or commit some sort of violent crime. “President Trump is committed to helping the hardworking folks of this country. And this is just another facet of that.” Cameron also noted he is leading the other major Republican, U.S. Rep. Andy Barr of Kentucky, in the race to replace McConnell. However, Kentucky has been trending bluer in recent elections and has a similar electoral makeup to swing-state Pennsylvania, which has a Democratic governor and, until recently, a Republican majority legislature. Beshear defeated Cameron in 2023 by about five points, while the incumbent, son of former Gov. Steve Beshear, squeezed out an upset against Republican Gov. Matt Bevin by a fraction of a point in 2019. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., defeated State Rep. Charles Booker, D-Louisville, by more than 20 points in 2022, while McConnell won a narrower race against retired Lt. Col. Amy McGrath in 2020.