Nashville mayor stands behind doxing ICE agents even after officials said his actions put them in danger
The Democratic mayor of Tennessee’s largest city, who has been accused of obstructing federal immigration efforts, defended his office’s decision to publicly dox the names of immigration officers. Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s defense came even after the names of federal immigration officials were removed from a public immigration report detailing a month’s worth of immigration-related interactions between local police and federal immigration authorities. Initially, the public report detailed immigration officers’ names, but following backlash over the move the names were taken down. “I wouldn’t say it was an endangerment process, I would say they may have some concerns – I’m far more concerned about the overall dynamic we have about unmarked, unidentifiable masked people whisking people into vehicles – i think that’s a bigger concern,” O’Connell, who is currently under investigation by GOP House lawmakers for potentially interfering with federal immigration efforts, said during a press conference with reporters. DHS ISSUES NEW GUIDANCE FOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WHO WANT TO VISIT ICE DETENTION FACILITIES O’Connell did add the move was not “intentional,” but then quickly followed up that he wouldn’t have described what happened as “doxing” in the first place. “It’s not a process that I would characterize as doxing. It was an unintentional release of names that were already part of a public record,” he told reporters. “They were already part of a public record by being in Department of Emergency Communication’s calls, so I don’t think it puts them at additional risk. But it’s also not an intention of the executive order under which those names are released.” Fox News Digital reached out to O’Connell’s office for comment but did not hear back in time for publication. Larry Adams, an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Field Office Director, told local Fox affiliate in Nashville WZTV that ICE agents disagree that making their names public is not a risk, noting their faces can easily be matched to photos on social media. DHS FIRES BACK AT BLUE-CITY MAYOR UNHAPPY ABOUT ICE OPERATION, PROVIDES RAP SHEETS FOR THOSE CHARGED “It has gotten more and more difficult,” Adams said of his job under the new administration’s aggressive deportation tactics, during a ride along with WZTV that occurred last week. “What affects me the most, is we understand the job we are doing, we understand what we sign up for, it’s mostly the attacks or threats against our families.” After Tennessee Republican Congressman Rep. Andy Ogles requested the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) investigate the Nashville mayor over allegedly obstructing federal officials, the agency followed through and opened an investigation. Meanwhile, two congressional committees are also investigating him, including requesting documents related to O’Connell’s Executive Order 30, which has required city departments to report federal immigration communications to the city of Nashville’s Office of New Americans. In an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin remarked at the danger associated with doxing federal immigration officers, noting that the act effectively handed cartels intelligence “on a silver platter.” “These are the tip of the spear, these are the people on the front lines trying to make our communities safer,” McLaughlin said. “So, when Democrats and the media show us who they are, we’ll believe them, and it’s the fact that they’re fighting for people like MS-13 and child rapists to be on American streets.” According to local news outlet, the Tennessee Lookout, McLaughlin has also clapped back at O’Connell’s claims that the release of immigration officials’ names was a mistake. “They claimed it was a mistake. There’s zero chance it was a mistake, and there will be repercussions,” she said, according to the outlet.
Dem lawmaker sparks social media firestorm with ‘cringe’ anti-Trump guitar performance: ‘Talk about tone-deaf’
Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Georgia, garnered some backlash from conservatives on social for a rendition of “Hey Joe,” which was made popular by Jimi Hendrix and other artists in the ’60s, which he retooled as a criticism of President Donald Trump. “I hate to hurt your ears and everything, but I’m just learning to play guitar,” he said in a video posted to X on Wednesday, adding that he was inspired by Black Music Month to provide political commentary through song. He noted that he was “just learning to play guitar,” then proceeded to sing an anti-Trump parody of the famous song. “Hey Trump, where you goin’ with that gun in your hand?” Johnson sang. “I’m goin’ down the street to shoot democracy. You know I wanna be a king someday.” BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN RELEASES DIGITAL DOWNLOADS OF HIS LIVE ANTI-TRUMP SPEECHES As of Friday afternoon, the video had received over 800 comments on the platform, most of which were criticisms from conservatives. “Talk about Tone-Deaf messaging!” Media Research Center posted on X. “Democrat Rep. Hank Johnson releases hilariously bad anti-Trump song, and you just have to hear this.” “This would make Jimi Hendrix advocate for a ground war with Iran,” Josh Holmes, co-host of the Ruthless Podcast, posted on X. “Democrat Rep. Hank Johnson sings an Anti-Trump song on his guitar about Trump shooting down Democracy with a gun to be a king,” conservative influencer account LibsofTikTok posted on X. “Yes, this is real….” RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE GUITARIST RIPS TRUMP OVER PRESIDENT’S FEUD WITH BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN IN FIERY RANT Another user simply quipped, “I love the internet.” “Heyyy Hank, Please tune that dang guitar if you can,” another one wrote, directly pulling from the lyrics of the song. Hendrix most notably played “Hey Joe” at the notorious Woodstock Festival in 1969. “Democrats are doing another one of their cringe sing-a-longs,” Ben Petersen, National War Room Director of the National Republican Congressional Committee, posted on X. “This horribly sounding performance is yet another waste of our tax dollars and proof of the uselessness of the Democrat Party,” conservative influencer Paul A. Szypula posted on X. KID ROCK TURNS HEADS IN TRUMP OVAL OFFICE MEETING WITH BEDAZZLED, PATRIOTIC OUTFIT “Ok. A few things. If you’re going to do a song like this, it’s best to tune your guitar beforehand,” Jeff Charles, news editor at Townhall, posted on X. “Also, covering Jimi Hendrix when you don’t know how to tune a guitar is cringe AF. The lyrics are something I could have come up with when I was five years old. I’m almost embarassed for him.” “Hank Johnson – Thinks Guam can capsize… Also Hank Johnson – Thinks he can play guitar,” comedian Tim Young posted on X. “He’s dumber than AOC. Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson’s office for comment. The video comes as Democrats continue to experiment with different social media strategies during Trump’s second term and have consistently faced criticism from conservatives for doing so, including earlier this year when Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other House Democrats were lambasted online over “choose your fighter” TikTok video.
Massive identity theft scheme led by illegal immigrants uncovered after raid at meatpacking plant
ICE has uncovered a massive identity theft scheme led by illegal immigrants and possibly tied to organized criminal networks following a workplace raid at a meatpacking plant in Omaha. According to an ICE statement, approximately 70 illegal aliens working at the plant were discovered to be using stolen Social Security numbers and identities to unlawfully obtain employment authorization, wages and benefits at the expense of over 100 victims. The statement said that the victims have faced “devastating financial, emotional and legal consequences” as a result of the identity theft. Working with other federal and state partners, ICE agents conducted a major workplace raid at Glenn Valley Foods in Omaha on June 10. The raid resulted in over 70 illegal immigrants being arrested, which sparked protests both in the community and across the country. While the arrests have sparked outrage from some in both the local community and nationally, ICE said the illegals’ identity theft proves they were not innocent, hardworking members of society, as some have suggested. ICE OFFICERS ASSAULTED DURING RAID THAT NABBED 70 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AT MEAT PLANT: DHS Another ICE representative told Fox News Digital that the illegal aliens who were apprehended at Glenn Valley Foods were behind the crime and that “some may have used organized criminal networks” to carry out the crime. The representative said that the investigation is still ongoing and that the exact number of individuals impacted is still unknown. The ICE spokesperson pointed to a few examples of those victimized by the apprehended illegals’ identity theft scheme. The spokesperson said a disabled person in Texas, who was unable to work, struggled to get their Social Security disability payments because an illegal alien was fraudulently using their identity and earning wages at Glenn Valley Foods. DEM SHREDDED FOR CALLING TO PUT ‘EVERY SINGLE’ ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ON A QUICK PATH TO CITIZENSHIP Another victim in Colorado received a notice from the IRS to repay more than $5,000 after their income was falsely increased due to an illegal alien using their identity to work at the plant. In Missouri, a full-time nursing student lost their college tuition assistance because it was fraudulently reported that they earned too much money due to an illegal alien at Glenn Valley Foods using their Social Security number. Another person living in California has had to work for nearly 15 years to regain their identity and fix the financial damage done by an illegal who was working at Glenn Valley Foods, according to the spokesperson. Mark Zito, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations Kansas City, which covers Omaha, said in a statement emailed to Fox News Digital that “the criminals who stole these identities didn’t just break the law, they upended lives.” DHS ANNOUNCES ARREST OF MIGRANT SEX OFFENDER WHO DRAGGED ICE OFFICER WITH CAR “There have been individuals who have gone on the record recently referring to the identity thieves we arrested last week as ‘good, hardworking, and honest,’” he said. “These so-called honest workers have caused an immeasurable amount of financial and emotional hardship for innocent Americans. If pretending to be someone you aren’t in order to steal their lives isn’t blatant, criminal dishonesty, I don’t know what is.” “These victims aren’t faceless statistics; they’re real people who are being denied healthcare and have lost educational opportunities,” added Zito.
Large city signs onto deal with ICE: ‘Keep the American people safe’
City commissioners in Miami, Florida, voted 3-2 on Tuesday to allow police officers to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The city entered a 287(g) partnership with ICE, which various cities use to assist with federal enforcement using different methods. It’s a sharp contrast to some governments throughout the United States, especially in major cities, which do not allow local or state authorities to help enforce immigration laws. “We value our partnerships with state and local law enforcement, and the success of the 287(g) program allows for a force multiplier in enforcing immigration laws,” an ICE spokesperson said in a statement. “This whole-of-government approach enables law enforcement partners to protect cities across the nation from public safety and national security threats, and we encourage others across the country to join.” ICE PARTNERSHIP WILL BUILD ‘PUBLIC TRUST,’ VICE MAYOR OF TOWN WITH LARGE VENEZUELAN COMMUNITY SAYS In February, Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an Executive Order for state-level law enforcement to establish agreements with ICE to assist in the Trump administration’s deportation efforts. “Florida is setting the example for states in combating illegal immigration and working with the Trump Administration to restore the rule of law,” DeSantis said at the time. “By allowing our state agents and law enforcement officers to be trained and approved by ICE, Florida will now have more enforcement personnel deputized to assist federal partners. That means deportations can be carried out more efficiently, making our communities safer as illegal aliens are removed.” However, there was opposition to entering the agreement from some residents and groups like the American Civil Liberties Union and the Florida Immigrant Coalition. FLORIDA OFFICIALS DIVIDED OVER ICE DEPORTATION DEAL AIMED AT CRIMINAL ALIENS: ‘EMBARRASSED FOR OUR CITY’ “This is a shameful day for Miami,” Dariel Gomez, Statewide Organizer with the ACLU of Florida said in a press release. “With their vote, commissioners chose fear over facts, and division over unity. This agreement will not make us safer – it will only spread fear and isolate the very people who make our city strong.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE “287(g) doesn’t belong in any city, but especially not in Miami – a place shaped by immigrants, built by immigrants, and powered by immigrants,” Tessa Petit, Executive Director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, said in a statement. “More than half of our residents are foreign-born. The commissioners who voted to implement this ruthless program have turned their back on the very community they were put into office to protect. They are turning our diversity into a target.” However, the White House told Fox News Digital the city’s decision was ultimately the right move. BLUE STATE SHERIFFS COMBINE FORCES TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST SANCTUARY LAWS “President Trump’s promise to deport illegal aliens is a key plank of his agenda to Make America Safe Again. The Administration is always grateful to work with state and local officials to get dangerous criminals off the streets and keep the American people safe.” Abigail Jackson, White House spokeswoman, stated. In April, a massive ICE operation in collaboration with Florida authorities led to the arrest of 1,120 illegal immigrants, and the agency said 63% of them had “existing criminal arrests or convictions,” and many had alleged gang affiliations.
Judge orders anti-Israel ringleader Mahmoud Khalil to be released on bail
A federal judge on Friday ordered anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil to be released on bail while his immigration and civil cases proceed through the courts, citing the “extraordinary circumstances” of his case. Judge Michael Farbiarz, a Biden appointee, assessed during a hearing in New Jersey that Khalil was not a flight risk or a danger to the community and that his detention was therefore “highly unusual.” Khalil’s attorneys had said in a letter to the court that his imprisonment in an immigration detention center in Jena, Louisiana, was an “exceedingly rare” decision on the part of the government and amounted to unconstitutional retaliation. Khalil, a lawful permanent resident, has been detained for three months after he was arrested in March at his apartment at Columbia University. He has a U.S. citizen wife who lives in New York, and the pair have a baby, who was born while he was behind bars. His release could happen as soon as Friday. DOJ SEEKS TO KEEP ANTI-ISRAEL ACTIVIST KHALIL DETAINED IN LOUISIANA IMMIGRATION JAIL After Khalil’s arrest, an immigration judge found he was removable based on a memo from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that said Khalil’s activism on campus was at odds with U.S. foreign policy interests. Rubio cited an obscure provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act to justify his finding, and Farbiarz later enjoined the secretary from using that determination to deport Khalil. FEDERAL JUDGE SAYS ATTEMPTED DEPORTATION OF ANTI-ISRAEL RINGLEADER MAHMOUD KHALIL MAY BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL But the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also added a second reason for keeping Khalil detained and attempting to deport him. The DHS said Khalil allegedly omitted key information from his green card application about groups with which he was affiliated, including the Columbia University Apartheid Divest. Khalil’s case has become a lightning rod for anti-Israel protesters and immigration rights advocates. They have argued the Trump administration is retaliating against him for opposing the Israeli government and chilling free speech of those who oppose Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip and conflict with Iran. The administration has countered that in addition to the green card application allegation, Khalil violated immigration law by allegedly signaling support for the terrorist group Hamas through his activism. IVY LEAGUE ANTI-ISRAEL RINGLEADER MAHMOUD KHALIL FIGHTS DEPORTATION IN NEW JERSEY COURT CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Department of Justice attorneys argued to the judge that the federal court did not have authority to free Khalil from detention because the second claim against him regarding his green card application was still pending in immigration court. “Khalil remains detained because he is currently charged as removable for fraudulently or willfully misrepresenting material facts on his adjustment of status application,” the attorneys wrote in court papers this week. Fox News’s Kirill Clark contributed to this report.
Four plead guilty in massive bribery scheme at agency Democrats fought to protect from DOGE
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), an agency essentially dismantled by DOGE amid complaints from Democrats that cutting waste would harm impoverished countries, is at the center of a massive bribery scandal. A federal contracting officer and three businessmen have pleaded guilty in a scheme involving bribes like cash, NBA tickets, and a country club wedding in a scandal the Department of Justice (DOJ) said was part of a $550 million scam, Fox News Chief Washington Correspondent Mike Emanuel reported Friday. Roderick Watson, 57, worked as a USAID contracting officer, according to a DOJ press release, and pleaded guilty to “bribery of a public official.” According to the DOJ, Watson sold his influence starting in 2013, with contractors Walter Barnes, owner of Vistant, and Darryl Britt, owner of Apprio, funneling payoffs through subcontractor Paul Young to hide their tracks. RISCH URGES ‘TOP TO BOTTOM’ USAID SPENDING REVIEW AFTER WASTE, FRAUD EXPOSED “During the scheme, Britt and Barnes paid bribes to Watson that were often concealed by passing them through Young, who was the president of another subcontractor to Apprio and Vistant,” the press release explained. “Britt and Barnes also regularly funneled bribes to Watson, including cash, laptops, thousands of dollars in tickets to a suite at an NBA game, a country club wedding, downpayments on two residential mortgages, cellular phones, and jobs for relatives. The bribes were also often concealed through electronic bank transfers falsely listing Watson on payroll, incorporated shell companies, and false invoices. Watson is alleged to have received bribes valued at more than approximately $1 million as part of the scheme.” THOUSANDS OF USAID TERMINATIONS TO TAKE EFFECT BY SEPTEMBER IN AGENCY’S FINAL LEG OF ‘DRAWDOWN’ Vistant was awarded in November 2023, as part of a joint venture, a contract worth up to $800 million with one of the focuses of that contract being to address “a variety of issues affecting the root causes of irregular migration from Central America to the United States,” an issue that President Joe Biden tasked then-Vice President Kamala Harris with during his presidency. Several days later, that contract was canceled after USAID published a notice that said Vistant was excluded from government contracting due to “evidence of conduct of a lack of business honesty or integrity.” The joint venture then successfully sued the government over being put on that exclusion list and was re-awarded the contract and given a $10,000 payment in August 2024. “Corruption in government programs will not be tolerated. Watson abused his position of trust for personal gain while federal contractors engaged in a pay-to-play scheme,” Acting Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Sean Bottary of the USAID Office of Inspector General (USAID-OIG) said in the press release. “USAID-OIG is firmly committed to rooting out fraud and corruption within U.S. foreign assistance programs. Today’s announcement underscores our unwavering focus on exposing criminal activity, including bribery schemes by those entrusted to faithfully award government contracts. We appreciate our longstanding partnership with the Department of Justice in holding accountable those who defraud American taxpayers.” USAID was one of the public faces and most drastic examples of DOGE’s efforts to cut waste, fraud, and abuse in government, and the effort resulted in the agency’s programs being cut by 83%, while the programs deemed vital were moved to the State Department. USAID’s website went dark, and employees were barred from entering its headquarters on Feb. 3, while others had their work put on hold. The Trump administration then announced that all USAID direct-hire personnel would be put on administrative leave. The agency came under fire for many funding choices, including allocating $1.5 million for a program that sought to “advance diversity, equity and inclusion in Serbia’s workplaces and business communities” and a $70,000 program for a “DEI musical” in Ireland. During DOGE’s sweep, it was revealed that U.S. dollars were ending up in the hands of terror-linked groups, such as funds reportedly providing “full funding” for al-Qaeda terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki to attend college in Colorado, Fox News Digital previously reported. As DOGE was dismantling USAID, many Democrats and media outlets blasted the cuts, claiming they would harm impoverished recipients of aid across the globe and some, including U2 frontman Bono, who said the cuts would lead to over 300,000 deaths. Several House and Senate Democrats protested outside of USAID’s headquarters in early February, expressing outrage over the layoffs and cuts, The Hill reported. “Anybody who cares about good and effective government should be concerned about the waste, fraud, and abuse in government agencies, including USAID,” Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, said in the DOJ’s press release. Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy and Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.
‘This guy’: Slurring Biden takes shot at Trump, those trying to ‘erase our history’ at Juneteenth church event
Former President Joe Biden slammed critics of Juneteenth as he spoke Thursday at an AME church service in Galveston Island, Texas – the city where, on June 19, 1865, Gen. Gordon Granger issued the final federal orders enforcing emancipation at a time before telephones. Biden criticized the idea that Juneteenth is not worthy of federal holiday status. He also recalled visiting the Black community in Northeast Wilmington often while growing up in Claymont – suggesting he visited the underserved neighborhood after attending early-morning Catholic Mass in Greenville, Del. He also appeared to stop himself before slamming President Donald Trump by name – mentioning “this guy” – then pausing to make the Sign of the Cross to applause from the congregants. “I used to chair the African Affairs subcommittee,” Biden claimed. “I’ve been to the origins of where slavery started [in Africa]. And to listen to them talk about it now, how things are changing. We have to remember, our country is founded on the promise of freedom; freedom for everybody,” he said. ALASKA SENATOR LITERALLY TEARS UP BIDEN’S ENERGY ORDERS, BOOSTS WH EFFORTS TO LEVERAGE ARCTIC LNG IN ASIA TRADE “So, the events of Juneteenth are of monumental importance to the American story,” he said, calling slavery “America’s original sin.” Of the holiday’s critics, he said, “They don’t want to remember – but we all remember the moral stain. . . . “ “Well, I took the view as president, we need to be honest about our history, especially if there’s been any time going ever to erase our history. Not just here, but, this guy–” he added, trailing off and signing himself. “Too many people are trying to erase our history, especially in the face of ongoing efforts to erase history from our textbooks and our classrooms.” He went on to implicitly criticize Trump for returning southern military bases to their former names. However, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth recently noted in congressional testimony that the rescission of the base renamings does not return them to the namesakes of the Confederate generals but to other U.S. military heroes with the same surname. “[D]arkness can hide much but can erase nothing,” Biden said. “The Scripture tells us faith without work is dead.” SPEAKER JOHNSON QUESTIONS WHETHER BIDN KNEW WHAT HE WAS SIGNING WITH TRANS VISIBILITY DAY PROCLAMATION Biden then suggested Black Americans and other minorities are still facing roadblocks to the ballot box six decades after the Civil Rights Act. “Stop those who try to make it more difficult to vote, and help people register to vote. Let’s reach out to our families, our friends, our neighbors, remind them how critical it is,” Biden said. For his part, Trump said Thursday the additional federal holiday enacted by Biden is costing the U.S. “billions of dollars to keep all of these businesses closed.” “Soon we’ll end up having a holiday for every working day of the year.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Some other leaders, like West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey, issued Juneteenth proclamations but kept state offices open on the nation’s newest federal holiday. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.
Foreign policy experts rip Tim Walz’s claim that China has ‘moral authority’ in Middle East conflict
Former vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., is facing criticism after claiming China could be the voice of “moral authority” in the Israel-Iran conflict. During a “What’s Next: Conversations on the Path Forward” event hosted by the Center for American Progress (CAP) last week, Walz responded to a question from former Biden White House advisor, Neera Tanden, about the “escalatory” nature of the strikes between the two countries. “Now, who is the voice in the world that can negotiate some type of agreement in this? Who holds the moral authority? Who holds the ability to do that? Because we are not seen as a neutral actor, and we maybe never were,” Walz said of the United States’ role in deescalating tensions in the Middle East. As the United States weighs striking Iran and war in the Middle East rages on, Danielle Pletka, a distinguished senior fellow in Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute (AEI), told Fox News Digital that Walz’s comments are “ignorance on display.” TIM WALZ FLOATS CHINA AS ‘NEUTRAL ACTOR’ WITH ‘MORAL AUTHORITY’ TO NEGOTIATE MIDDLE EAST PEACE According to Walz, the United States once attempted “to be somewhat of the arbitrator” in the Middle East, but Americans must face the reality that the “neutral actor” with the “moral authority” to lead negotiations in the Middle East “might be the Chinese.” TIM WALZ LETS LOOSE IN RANT-FILLED TALK WITH LIBERAL THINK TANK Walz didn’t elaborate on why China would be that world leader. “It’s so staggering to me that Tim Walz was within a heartbeat of the presidency,” Pletka said, before adding, “We don’t need a neutral player here,” and urging him to “stick to local politics.” Andy Keiser, senior fellow at the conservative National Security Institute and former senior advisor on the House Intelligence Committee, told Fox News Digital that someone should “remind Governor Walz that China is far from a moral authority on much of anything,” and said China is committing “cultural genocide.” “The Chinese government has reportedly arbitrarily detained more than a million Muslims in reeducation camps since 2017,” according to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). “Most of the people who have been detained are Uyghur, a predominantly Turkic-speaking ethnic group primarily in China’s northwestern region of Xinjiang.” In addition to the detentions, “Uyghurs in the region have been subjected to intense surveillance, forced labor, and involuntary sterilizations, among other rights abuses,” according to the CFR. According to Human Rights Watch, President Xi Jinping has “detained human rights defenders, tightened control over civil society, media, and the internet, and deployed invasive mass surveillance technology” in Xinjiang and Tibet, which the human rights watchdog likened to “crimes against humanity.” “I would strongly beg to differ that China has a moral authority on much in the world,” Keiser said, and added, “I would not see them as a neutral arbiter here.” “Obviously, we are not going to be a neutral broker between a terrorist and a democratic state,” Pletka said. “That’s just not how it works. You threatened to kill the President of the United States, but we’re then meant to think of you in a balanced way with the state of Israel, our most important ally in the Middle East?” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News’ Bret Baier on Monday that President Donald Trump remains a target of the Iranians. “They want to kill him. He’s enemy No. 1.” “I don’t know how anybody could have said what [Walz] said about the role that China plays. The idea that there is some neutral interlocutor in this world, that anybody is an ‘honest burger’ is nothing other than grad school silliness,” Pletka said. Pletka added that “Of course, China can’t play that role. China is an authoritarian communist [state] that is supporting Russia in its war on Ukraine, that is threatening Taiwan, that has broken its word over Hong Kong.” And she said, “This is not a playground in which you need somebody who can talk to both Bobby and Billy about why it is you don’t smack your friends.” “The idea that it should be reduced to something where you have an arbiter who sees the arguments on both sides, no. This is a situation where there’s a right and a wrong, and there’s a winner and a loser. That’s how it should be, by the way, because Iran has fashioned itself as an enemy, not just to the state of Israel, but to the United States.” Nikki Haley – former U.S. Ambassador to Israel and a 2024 GOP presidential candidate, who sounded off on China’s threat to the United States on the campaign trail – was quick to criticize Walz’s viral comments last week. “This is absolute insanity. Democrats think that we need the Chinese to be the negotiators between Iran’s nuclear production and Israel…God bless Tim Walz. Totally tone deaf,” Haley posted on X.
Trump ‘doesn’t need permission’ from Congress to strike Iran, expert says
While lawmakers argue over their position in the command chain as President Donald Trump mulls a possible strike on Iran, one expert believes that the president is within his constitutional authority to move ahead with a bunker-busting bomb. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are embroiled in debate over where they are in the pecking order. Some argue they should have the sole authority to authorize a strike, let alone declare war, while others believe that is within Trump’s purview if he wanted to join Israel’s bombing campaign against Iran. ‘INSTINCTS FOR RESTRAINT’: SENATE DIVIDED OVER WHO GETS TO DECLARE WAR The predominant argument on the Hill is that the entire point of supporting Israel is to prevent the Islamic Republic from creating or acquiring a nuclear weapon. However, a legal scholar who helped to craft the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), which authorized the usage of the U.S. armed forces to engage with the entities that then-President George W. Bush believed were behind the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attack in New York City, argued that there was a difference between Congress’ constitutional authority to declare war and the president’s authority to use force abroad. “The position we took then, I think, is the same one that Trump should take now,” John Yoo told Fox News Digital. “As a legal matter, the president doesn’t need the permission of Congress to engage in hostilities abroad. But as a political matter, it’s very important for the president to go to Congress and present the united front to our enemies.” THUNE WARNS IRAN SHOULD RETURN TO NEGOTIATING TABLE ‘IF THEY’RE SMART’ The Constitution divides war powers between Congress and the White House, giving lawmakers the sole power to declare war, while the president acts as the commander in chief directing the military. Nearly two centuries later, at the height of the Vietnam War, the War Powers Resolution of 1973 was born, which sought to further define those roles. Yoo agreed that the Constitution was clear that Congress has the sole authority to declare war, which effectively changes the legal status of the country. However, he countered that “the framers did not think that language meant that the President and Congress are like the two weapons officers on a nuclear sub and have to turn the keys at the same time to use force.” “The founders were very practical men, and they knew that Congress is slow to act, that Congress is a large body that deliberates, but it’s the president who acts swiftly and decisively in defense of the nation,” he said. Adding fuel to the debate in Washington are a pair of resolutions in the Senate from Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and the House, from Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., that would require debate and a vote before any force is used against Iran. The measures are designed to put a check on Trump’s power and reaffirm Congress’ constitutional authority. ‘ANOTHER ENDLESS CONFLICT’: DEMOCRAT ECHOES TRUMP’S ANTI-WAR STANCE AS MIDDLE EAST TENSIONS ESCALATE Yoo said that the resolutions appeared to be forms of “political opportunism” and noted that when former President Joe Biden wanted to send aid to Ukraine, when former President Barack Obama engaged abroad or when Trump authorized a drone strike to kill Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, there was no resolution demanding Congress have a say. “People on the Hill are conflating what’s constitutionally necessary with what’s politically expedient,” Yoo said. “Two very different things.” Congress’ real power over war, he said, was the power of the purse, meaning lawmakers’ ability to decide whether to fund the Pentagon and military in their appropriations process. Republicans are currently working to ram Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” through Congress and onto his desk by Independence Day. Included in the colossal bill is roughly $150 billion in funding for the Defense Department. “If Congress really doesn’t want us to, doesn’t want Trump to, get deeper involved in the Israel-Iran war,” Yoo said. “All they got to do is not fund the military.” “The ironic thing is, you have people who are voting to give extra tens of billions of dollars to the Defense Department, who are then turning around and complaining that they don’t have the ability to vote on war,” he said. “Every time they vote for funding, they’re voting to make war possible.”
Inside the Situation Room, where Trump and his national security team are weighing next steps on Iran
President Donald Trump has reported to the West Wing’s Situation Room multiple times in recent days as the conflict in Iran comes to a rolling boil and the U.S. considers launching its own attacks on the Islamic Republic over mounting concerns it could produce a nuclear weapon in a short span of time. “Yes, I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do. I can tell you this that Iran’s got a lot of trouble, and they want to negotiate,” Trump told reporters Wednesday on the U.S. potentially striking Iran as it continues trading deadly strikes with Israel. “And I said, why didn’t you negotiate with me before all this death and destruction? Why didn’t you go? I said to people, why didn’t you negotiate with me two weeks ago? You could have done fine. You would have had a country. It’s very sad to watch this.” Fox News Digital spoke to previous presidential administration officials — Fox News host and former Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who served under the first Trump administration, and former National Security Advisor under the first Trump administration John Bolton, who also served as ambassador to the U.N. under President George W. Bush’s administration. They both conveyed the serious and historic tone the room and its meetings typically hold. The Situation Room is a high-tech 5,000-square-foot complex in the West Wing of the White House that includes multiple conference rooms. President John F. Kennedy commissioned the complex in 1961 following the failed Bay of Pigs invasion to overthrow the Castro regime in Cuba that same year, according to the National Archives. The complex was built in order to provide future presidents a dedicated area for crisis management, and was revamped in 2006 and renovated again in 2023. TRUMP WEIGHS STRIKING IRANIAN NUCLEAR FACILITIES: ‘I MAY DO IT, I MAY NOT DO IT’ “I often would sit there and think about the Osama bin Laden raid,” McEnany told Fox News Digital in a phone interview Thursday morning. “This is where we saw our heroic Special Forces take out Osama bin Laden during the Obama administration. And I think we’re at another point where similar decisions are being made, and even bigger decisions that may change the course of history are happening right now in that room.” Trump again held a meeting in the Situation Room Thursday morning, when he received an intelligence briefing with national security advisers, which followed a Situation Room meeting on Wednesday afternoon, another meeting on Tuesday afternoon with national security advisers and a Monday evening meeting upon his abrupt return from the G7 summit in Canada this week. Top national security officials, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, are among officials who have joined Trump in the meetings as the administration weighs the spiraling conflict. TRUMP, RUBIO CUTTING G7 TRIP SHORT, RETURNING TO DC AS CHATTER INDICATES IRANIANS FLEEING TEHRAN Bolton explained to Fox Digital in a Thursday morning phone interview that two types of top-level meetings are held in the Situation Room. The first is known as a “principals meeting,” he said, which includes Cabinet secretaries, such as the secretary of state and secretary of defense, and is chaired by the national security advisor — a role currently filled by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “The principals committee usually meets to try and get everything sorted out so that they know what decisions the president is going to be confronted with,” Bolton said. “They try and make sure all the information is pulled together so we can make an informed decision, set out the options they see, what the pros and cons are, and then have (the president) briefed.” ISRAEL-IRAN WAR DIVIDES DEMOCRATS, BUT TRUMP’S DIPLOMACY ALSO SPLITTING REPUBLICANS The second type of Situation Room meeting at the top level are official National Security Council meetings, which the president chairs. “He chairs a full NSC meeting, and people review the information, update the situation, and the president can go back and forth with the advisors about asking questions, probing about the analysis, asking for more detail on something, kind of picking and choosing among the options, or suggesting new options,” said Bolton, who served as Trump’s national security advisor between April 2018 and September 2019. “And out of that could well come decisions,” he added. NETANYAHU DECLARES ISRAEL ‘WILL EXACT THE FULL PRICE’ AFTER IRANIAN STRIKE HITS HOSPITAL IN ISRAEL McEnany served as the first Trump administration’s top spokeswoman at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the Coronavirus Task Force operated out of the Situation Room as COVID-19 swept across the nation. “A lot of critical decisions were made during the pandemic,” she said. “It’s a humbling encounter. Every time you go in, you leave your phone at the door. You go in, I think it’s like 5,000 square feet, you’re sitting there, there’s clocks up from every country around the world, the different time zones. And you’re just sitting there as critical decisions are made. And, in my case, it was regarding the pandemic, and there’s back and forth, there’s deliberation, and these decisions are made with the president there, obviously.” She continued that during the pandemic, the task force would spend hours in the Situation Room on a daily basis as the team fielded an onslaught of updates from across the country. Trump frequently received the top lines from the meetings and joined the Situation Room during key decisions amid the spread of the virus. “When he was in there, absolutely, there’s a deference,” she said, referring to how the tone of the room would change upon Trump’s arrival. “Yet, you had key officials who spoke up, who were not afraid to give their point of view to him. But I think there’s a recognition he’s the commander in chief.” IRAN STRIKES MAJOR ISRAELI