Fox News Politics Newsletter: ‘Totally lost it’
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -Trump’s border wall expansion moves forward in several critical areas: ‘Crisis is not yet over’ -Trump admin asks Supreme Court to life injunction blocking dismantling of Education Dept –Elon Musk may speak to Trump aides in push to calm feud President Donald Trump told Fox News on Friday that he isn’t interested in talking to SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, adding that “Elon’s totally lost it.” Trump also said to Fox News’ Bret Baier that he isn’t worried about Musk’s suggestion to form a new political party, citing favorable polls and strong support from Republicans on Capitol Hill. The comments come as Musk and Trump have been arguing over social media in recent days…Read more FEUD AFTER VICTORY: Who deserves the most credit for president’s resounding 2024 White House win TAX BATTLE ROYALE: Trump’s tariff strategy could pay for his tax bill, but only if they stick, experts warn ‘VENDETTA’: Judge temporarily blocks Trump admin’s entry ban for international Harvard students NOT HAPPY: Biden book author reveals how White House staff truly felt about Karine Jean-Pierre as press secretary BORDER BLITZ: Trump administration drops hammer on ‘narco sub’ cocaine ring as cartels threaten US borders ‘BEGAN TO FEEL ILL’: South Sudan deportations have placed migrants, and ICE officials, in danger: new court filing DEFENDING THE CUTS: House Budget chairman explains why there’s no ‘pork’ in Trump tax bill after Elon Musk attacks POLITICS IN ORBIT: Claim Trump nixed top Musk ally from NASA post over Dem donations belied by ex-Dems on team UNITY ON IMMIGRATION: Handful of House Democrats join Republicans in sanctuary city crackdown ‘IT’S ABSURD’: Dems who want ICE agents unmasked ‘mandated mask wearing for years’ during COVID ‘WORLD STANDARD’: Risch urges ‘top to bottom’ USAID spending review after waste, fraud exposed MICHIGAN GOES GUARD: After ‘agro-terror’ fungus caught in Detroit, MI House says it has best national plan to blunt CCP influence Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
EXCLUSIVE: Legal institute celebrates SCOTUS decision, declares ‘religious liberty is alive and well’
EXCLUSIVE: A legal organization whose mission it is to defend the religious liberty of Americans has called the Supreme Court’s 9-0 ruling in favor of the Catholic Charities Bureau (CCB) “a huge moment for religious liberty in America,” and a clear rejection of government overreach into religious life. “This was not a hard call,” Tiffany Dunkin, a legal fellow and attorney with the First Liberty Institute, emphasized in an interview with Fox News Digital, citing Thursday’s unanimous SCOTUS decision to strike down Wisconsin’s attempt to withhold a religious tax exemption because the CCB does not proselytize or serve only Catholics. “What Wisconsin was doing… they were saying that the Catholic Charities was not a religious institution because they did not proselytize or serve people of their own faith,” Dunkin explained. SUPREME COURT RULES WISCONSIN UNCONSTITUTIONALLY DISCRIMINATED AGAINST CHRISTIAN CHARITY “What they were doing was deciding what it means to be religious,” she added. “And the First Amendment prohibits the government from doing that.” The case, Catholic Charities Bureau Inc. v. Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Commission, questioned whether faith-based nonprofits that provide public services are “religious enough” to receive the same benefits as churches or houses of worship. Catholic Charities, affiliated with the Diocese of Superior, Wisconsin, provides critical care services for people with disabilities and mental health needs. Wisconsin argued those acts were not “primarily religious.” The Supreme Court disagreed. SCOTUS RULINGS THIS TERM COULD STRENGTHEN RELIGIOUS RIGHTS PROTECTIONS, EXPERT SAYS Justice Sonia Sotomayor, writing the opinion for the court, stated clearly that the government has no authority to assess or rank the religious nature of charitable work. Dunkin said the consequences of the ruling go far beyond Wisconsin. “This is actually a pretty ongoing problem across the country,” she noted. “It’s not just Wisconsin. First Liberty Institute represents Dad’s Place in Bryan, Ohio… they’re saying that because you’re running a 24-7 homeless shelter, you’re not [religious].” Other clients of Plano, Texas-based First Liberty in Colorado and Arizona have faced similar arguments from local governments, which question whether providing food, clothing or shelter to those in need is inherently religious. “Even though there are churches doing this kind of work, the governments are saying, ‘Well, you’re not religious enough,’” Dunkin said. The court’s language in the ruling, Dunkin pointed out, “affirms what the Supreme Court has said for nearly a century,” that the government cannot choose which expressions of faith are valid. “This sends a great message to people of all religions and all charitable organizations,” she said. “The government… cannot intrude into telling you exactly what you can and can’t do, whether you’re religious or not religious, in order to receive a government benefit or participate in society.” Had SCOTUS ruled the other way, Dunkin warned, it would have “grave implications” for religious charities and ministries nationwide. “It would allow the government to step into the religious doctrine of all faiths more than our Founding Fathers ever intended,” she said. “The government cannot step in and get involved in deciding and picking and choosing between one type of religious activity and another.” When asked what this means for churches and ministries on the ground, Dunkin’s answer was clear: “They should feel emboldened to continue to do what they feel called to do by their religious faith… especially in a charitable sense.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP And for those who may see this as a one-off legal win? Not so fast. “I see this really as two different things,” she said. “One, an affirmance of what the First Amendment has always stood for… but of course, going forward, we do hope and we’re encouraged that religious liberty in America is alive and well. And of course, First Liberty Institute is here to continue to fight for that.”
Kilmar Abrego Garcia indicted on human trafficking charges, ordered to appear before judge in Nashville
Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national deported earlier this year, is now back on U.S. soil — but this time, in handcuffs. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Friday that Abrego Garcia, 29, has landed in the United States and is set to face federal charges for human smuggling and conspiracy. “Abrego Garcia has landed in the United States to face justice,” Bondi said. “A grand jury in the Middle District of Tennessee returned a sealed indictment charging him with alien smuggling and conspiracy.” According to the indictment, Garcia played a “significant role” in a human smuggling ring operating for nearly a decade. Bondi described him as a full-time smuggler who made more than 100 trips, transporting women, children, and MS-13 gang-affiliated persons throughout the United States. DEPORTED ALLEGED GANG MEMBER ABREGO GARCIA ‘WILL NEVER BE ON AMERICAN STREETS AGAIN,’ DHS SAYS “He traded the innocence of minor children for profit,” Bondi said. Children were among those allegedly trafficked. The indictment, filed under seal last month, includes two felony counts. Fox News Digital obtained Tennessee Highway Patrol bodycam footage from a 2022 traffic stop where troopers pulled over Garcia for speeding. Inside his vehicle were eight other men, raising immediate suspicions. “He’s hauling these people for money,” one trooper said. Troopers found $1,400 in cash and flagged Garcia in the National Crime Information Center, which returned a gang/terrorism alert. ICE was called, but never responded. “What’s changed since then?” Bondi asked rhetorically at the press conference. “Donald Trump is now president of the United States, and our borders are again secure.” The grand jury also heard allegations that Garcia trafficked firearms, narcotics, and solicited explicit images of a minor. He is even accused by a co-conspirator of being involved in the murder of a rival gang member’s mother. Pam Bondi thanked El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele for cooperating with the U.S. government and returning Garcia after the U.S. presented an arrest warrant. “This is what American justice looks like,” she said. KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA SUSPECTED OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN REPORT OBTAINED BY FOX NEWS This development comes after controversy erupted in March when Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador, a move many politicians on the Left claimed was unjust. “For months the Trump Administration flouted the Supreme Court and our Constitution. Today, they appear to have finally relented to our demands for compliance with court orders and with the due process rights afforded to everyone in the United States,” wrote Democrate Senator Van Hollen in a statement. Van Hollen made the trek to El Salvador to visit Garcia earlier this year, sparking internet backlash after being photographed with purported margaritas at a restaurant. “As I have repeatedly said, this is not about the man, it’s about his constitutional rights – and the rights of all. The Administration will now have to make its case in the court of law, as it should have all along,” Van Hollen concluded. Abrego Garcia was reportedly sent to the notorious CECOT mega-prison in El Salvador after deportation, despite a 2019 court order temporarily blocking his removal due to claimed fears of persecution. Court records show Garcia entered the U.S. illegally in 2011 and was ordered deported in 2019. He will be prosecuted and, if convicted, serve his sentence in the U.S. before being returned to El Salvador, officials confirmed. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News’ Adam Sabes contributed to this report.
Mike Johnson says he hopes Trump, Musk ‘reconcile’ amid ongoing feud
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said he hopes President Donald Trump and Elon Musk “reconcile” after a furious public feud over Republicans’ “one big, beautiful bill.” “I was with the president in the Oval Office yesterday afternoon as some of this was unfolding, and I can tell you, as he said in his own words, he was just, he was disappointed, and I was surprised by Elon’s sudden opposition,” Johnson told reporters on Friday. “I believe in redemption. That’s part of my worldview, and I think it’s good for the party and the country if all that’s worked out.” Then, without addressing Musk directly, Johnson appeared to chide him for attacking Trump. MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE “I’ll tell you what, do not doubt and do not second guess and don’t ever challenge the President of the United States, Donald Trump. He is the leader of the party, he’s the most consequential political figure of this generation, in probably the modern era, and he’s doing an excellent job for the people,” Johnson said. Asked whether he’d spoken to Musk since the tirade, Johnson said earlier Friday morning, “We exchanged texts, but I’m not going to talk about the content of it.” Johnson also said Republicans were unfazed by the criticism coming from the tech billionaire often called the richest man in the world. MIKE JOHNSON, DONALD TRUMP GET ‘BIG, ‘BEAUTIFUL’ WIN AS BUDGET PASSES HOUSE “Members are not shaken at all. We are going to pass this legislation on our deadline, and we’re very bullish about it,” he said. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital when asked about Johnson’s call for unity, “President Trump is focused on making our country great again and passing the One Big Beautiful Bill.” Trump told Fox News’ Bret Baier in an interview on Friday that he was not interested in speaking with Musk, nor was he worried about Musk’s threat to launch a third political party. “Elon’s totally lost it,” the president said. Musk accused Republicans of not working hard enough to cut federal spending with their budget reconciliation bill, which is aimed at advancing Trump’s priorities on tax cuts, immigration, energy, defense and the debt limit. The Tesla CEO called out Trump, Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., all by name as well. Republicans, for the most part, have closed ranks around Trump and their bill.
Far-left House candidate rallies around healthcare for illegal immigrants: ‘How is it controversial?’
Kat Abughazaleh, a 26-year-old Democratic candidate for Illinois’ ninth congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives, said “every single person in the world deserves healthcare,” even illegal immigrants. “How is it controversial?” Abughazaleh asked a CNN “NewsNight” panel on Thursday night. The young progressive candidate, with a campaign website that reads, “I don’t have health insurance, and I’m running for Congress,” repeatedly told the panel that every person is entitled to healthcare when asked if that includes illegal immigrants. “I’m such a monster… How is it controversial that I don’t want someone to die in the hospital if they can’t afford it?” Abughazaleh asked. DEMS WARN HOUSE REPUBLICANS WILL PAY PRICE AT BALLOT BOX FOR PASSING TRUMP’S ‘BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL’ President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act is currently under consideration by a Republican-led White House and Congress. The president has championed the legislation as fulfilling his key campaign promises, including border security, American energy production and tax cuts. GOP RAILS AGAINST ‘BLATANTLY FALSE’ DEM CLAIMS ABOUT MEDICAID REFORM IN TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ House Republicans have celebrated Medicaid reform included in the megabill, which they say eliminates waste, fraud and abuse in the welfare program to deliver for Americans who need coverage most. Removing illegal immigrants from Medicaid is one of the key provisions of that Medicaid reform. Meanwhile, Democrats have railed against possible Medicaid cuts since Trump was elected in November. Every House Democrat voted against the bill, and Democrats are already defining Medicaid cuts as a driving issue ahead of competitive midterm elections in 2026. The bill does not cut Medicaid for the most vulnerable, according to Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Ind., who served on three major committees leading budget markup in the reconciliation process. Houchin told Fox News Digital that targeting waste, fraud and abuse in the Medicaid program cuts benefits to illegal immigrants, those ineligible to receive benefits who are currently receiving benefits, duplicate enrollees in one or more states and those who are able-bodied but are choosing not to work. “Your bill is going to cut coverage for 11 million Americans and it’ll still cost more than universal healthcare. Healthcare is a human right, you absolute ghouls,” Abughazaleh said in response to a Republican National Committee (RNC) rapid response account calling her comments, “madness.” Abughazaleh said she is running for the U.S. House of Representatives because, “Our leaders are out of touch.” The young Democrat is challenging Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., who has served decades in congress. Abughazaleh is a former staffer for the progressive watchdog group, Media Matters, and a progressive influencer.
Trump signs new executive orders intended to make flying cars a reality, slash flight times
President Donald Trump signed three new executive orders on Friday aimed at accelerating American drone innovation and supersonic air travel, while also restoring security to American airspace. The three orders will be critical to American safety and security, White House officials involved in the drafting of the orders indicated, particularly in light of major worldwide events coming to the United States in the next few years, such as the World Cup and the Olympics. In addition to bolstering safety and security, the new orders will also spur greater innovation in the aerospace and drone sectors, something White House officials said has been stifled in recent years as a result of burdensome regulations. “Flying cars are not just for the Jetsons,” Michael Kratsios, a lead tech policy adviser at the White House said. “Since the beginning of his first term, President Trump has recognized the incredible potential of drones to boost American productivity, create high-skilled jobs and meet national needs in areas like public safety, infrastructure, inspection, agriculture and more. But for too long, red tape has hindered homegrown drone innovation, restricting commercial drone use and burdening their development.” DUFFY CONTRASTS BIDEN-ERA ‘DRONE FIASCO’ WITH TRUMP ADMIN’S ‘RADICAL TRANSPARENCY’ AFTER FAA ANNOUNCES TESTING Kratsios said the same about supersonic aviation, noting that “Americans should be able to fly from New York to L.A. in under four hours.” Besides promoting innovation, the orders also seek to shore up American airspace sovereignty. This directive is aimed at not only addressing potentially criminal, or terror-related threats, but it also aims to increase penalties for and reduce the prevalence of drone misuse in American airspace. “The President week one, wanted us to take this issue seriously because of the national fury over the events over New Jersey,” Senior Director of Counterterrorism on Trump administration’s National Security Council, Sebastian Gorka, said of the new executive orders signed Friday. “For far too many years we have not had a requisite, necessary federal response – not only to the dominance of non-U.S. platforms in this field, but also protecting sensitive sites, military sites, critical infrastructure, but also just sporting events, mass events.” REBECCA GRANT: AMERICA HAS A DRONE PROBLEM, AND NO ONE IS IN CHARGE White House officials who advised the president on these new executive orders said there will be more protection for critical infrastructure for sporting venues as a result of the new directives, including the upcoming FIFA World Cup. They will also enable “routine beyond visual line of sight commercial operations,” such as drone deliveries, infrastructure maintenance and emergency response to incidents like wildfires. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The orders will also reduce the United States’ reliance on foreign countries for drone and other aviation technology, officials added. “These executive orders will accelerate American innovation in drones, flying cars and supersonic aircraft and chart the future of America’s skies for years to come,” Kratsios said. “Our message is simple. American innovation belongs in American aerospace.”
WATCH: Republicans rally behind Trump, continue to support Musk amid ‘big, beautiful’ brawl
A “big, beautiful” brawl erupted on social media Thursday as President Donald Trump and Elon Musk aired their grievances for all to see after months of working together to cut government waste. House Republicans rallied behind the president and continued to support Musk when discussing the fallout with Fox News Digital. “Obviously, I have President Trump’s back. I don’t think that he should be impeached. Do I think that he was on the Jeffrey Epstein island? I don’t think so,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said, referring to Musk calling for Trump’s impeachment and suggestiong Trump was “in the Epstein files.” Despite her defense, Luna admitted Musk is not a “terrible person,” and both men have made “great contributions” to the Republican Party. FETTERMAN DISSES DEMS FOR SUDDENLY EMBRACING MUSK AMID TRUMP FALLOUT “I assure you he crossed the line on what he said about the sitting president of the United States today,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said of Musk’s allegations about Trump. ‘GONE TOO FAR’: GOP LAWMAKERS RALLY AROUND TRUMP AFTER MUSK RAISES EPSTEIN ALLEGATIONS But Roy joined Luna in defending Musk’s contribution to cutting government waste through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). “The bottom line is, we have a job to do. Elon is doing a great job in terms of the rescissions in terms of the DOGE cuts they identified, and I don’t disagree with him about our need to go find more spending cuts. I don’t. But you know, guys, keep it in the lines,” Roy added. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., praised Trump Thursday for saving the country. “What’s broken apart can be put back together, but you’ve got two strong personalities,” Norman said of Trump and Musk. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn, dismissed the men’s social media brawl, telling Fox News Digital, “They’re the two biggest dogs in the pound. They’re going to fight.” “It’s going to settle down at some point,” Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, added. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt attributed Musk’s tirade to Trump’s bill, which is focused on working- and middle-class tax relief and not benefiting Musk and his companies enough. “This is an unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted. The president is focused on passing this historic piece of legislation and making our country great again,” Leavitt said. In the first of several posts targeting the bill, and then Trump directly, Musk said, “I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.” Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
After ‘agroterror’ fungus is seized in Detroit, lawmaker says Michigan has best plan to blunt CCP influence
EXCLUSIVE: After a dangerous fungus was intercepted in Detroit, Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall spoke out to Fox News Digital about the legislature’s efforts to blunt Chinese influence and espionage. The fungus, Fusarium graminearum, is considered capable of “agroterrorism” and was allegedly smuggled into the country by two Chinese nationals studying at the University of Michigan. Hall, R-Kalamazoo, said he and colleagues have sounded the alarm for months about Beijing’s efforts and that the incident shows Michigan and other states need to be vigilant and prepared. “As speaker, I led our Foreign Influence Protection package through the State House to block CCP operatives from buying Michigan farmland, infiltrating our universities and accessing our most sensitive data,” he said. CHINESE OFFICIAL CLAIMS NO KNOWLEDGE OF FUNGUS SITUATION, SAYS CHINA REQUIRES CITIZENS ‘ABIDE BY LOCAL LAWS’ “Our plan would have tackled this head-on and prevented Chinese government interference with our food supply and our universities.” He called the bill package the strongest collection of protections against CCP interference nationwide but said it is being held up by Senate Democrats and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Requests for comment from Whitmer and Senate President Pro Tempore Jeremy Moss, D-Bloomfield, were not immediately returned. “Their inaction means our farmland, our military bases and our universities are still at risk,” Hall lamented while praising President Donald Trump for taking action to protect U.S. land and people from Chinese “schemes.” “Too many professors and administrators have let Beijing use our campuses as pawns. We will expose every CCP operation, root out every vulnerability and mobilize every state resource to secure Michigan — farmland, universities and beyond.” While a Chinese embassy official claimed earlier this week to have no knowledge of the case involving two Chinese students allegedly attempting to bring a fungus to the University of Michigan, experts said the pathogen was capable of causing billions in damage to U.S. grain supplies. PATEL: CHINESE NATIONALS CHARGED WITH SMUGGLING ‘KNOWN AGROTERRORISM AGENT’ INTO US IS A ‘DIRECT THREAT’ The case drew some parallels to the coronavirus pandemic, which sparked global debate over whether a viral pathogen may have emerged from a lab and infected the world. A Michigan House Republican Communications Office official said too many federal and state oversight bodies can be infiltrated by CCP sympathizers, and they have allowed foreign agents to run rampant on college campuses with CCP-backed research grants on dangerous things like Fusarium graminearum. While state officials like Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs have vetoed attempts to block Chinese-linked land purchases, Michigan House leaders have said security breaches like the Fusarium graminearum incident prove the issue cannot go unchecked. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Republicans similarly criticized Whitmer for touting “corporate subsidy” deals with Chinese EV battery companies and a proposed Gotion vehicle plant in Big Rapids, Michigan. In 2024, House Chinese Communist Party Select Committee Chairman John Moolenaar, also a Michigan Republican, said he uncovered “indisputable evidence” that Gotion High Tech was connected to supply chains involving forced labor in China. “The American people expect companies in the U.S. to avoid all involvement with the Chinese Communist Party’s campaign of genocide,” Moolenaar said. The company, reportedly tied to both China and German-owned Volkswagen, denied the committee’s findings, calling them “baseless and absolutely false.” In October, five Chinese nationals studying in the Great Lakes State in partnership with a Chinese school were charged with espionage for what was an alleged spying operation outside Michigan National Guard Camp Grayling. A Michigan House source said the package would also block schools from accepting foreign grants if found to be promoting any anti-American agenda and strip foreign data-mining apps from government devices through provisions from Reps. Rachelle Smit, R-Allegan; Nancy Jenkins-Arno, R-Lenawee; and William Bruck, R-Erie. Michigan lawmakers are also trying to address another perceived threat from China: the use of drones and other technology linked to Chinese companies that are being employed by certain law enforcement agencies and municipal governments.
House Speaker Johnson: Dems who want ICE agents unmasked ‘mandated mask wearing for years’ during COVID
House Speaker Mike Johnson told Fox News on Friday that Democrats pushing for ICE agents to unmask themselves are the same “people who mandated mask wearing for years in America” during the coronavirus pandemic. Johnson was asked by Fox News for his reaction as “some Democrats, including [House Minority] Leader [Hakeem] Jeffries, have suggested that the ICE agents who are arresting some of these migrants should not be wearing masks.” “From the people who mandated mask wearing for years in America. It’s absurd. They need to back off of ICE and respect our agents and stop protesting against them,” Johnson said. “They’re trying to uphold the rule of law, and they don’t want to be targeted by Democrat activists. So I’m in favor of whatever protocol.” Jeffries said Tuesday that ICE agents who attempt to conceal “their identities from the American people, will be unsuccessful in doing that” and they will all be identified “no matter what it takes, no matter how long it takes.” ICE OFFICIAL PUTS POLITICIANS ON BLAST, DEMANDING THEY ‘STOP PUTTING MY PEOPLE IN DANGER’ Johnson was then asked Friday “so you’re okay with these agents sort of not identifying themselves when they’re arresting migrants?” “Why? So that they can target them?” he responded. “So they can put their names and faces online and dox them? That’s what these activists do. So we have to protect those who protect our communities. “And it’s absurd for anybody, members of Congress or any other elected leader, to be calling out ICE for trying to do their job. They’ve made it difficult for them to do it for years, and I just think it’s patently absurd,” Johnson also said. At his weekly press conference Friday, Fox News asked Jeffries if he was concerned that possibly demasking some ICE agents puts them or their families’ safety at risk. “It seems to me that the officials at the Department of Homeland Security, including ICE, should be held to the same standards as every other part of law enforcement in terms of transparency,” the Democrat from New York said. HOMELAND SECURITY SAYS BOSTON’S MAYOR COMPARING ICE AGENTS TO NEO-NAZIS IS ‘SICKENING’ On Jeffries’ official X account, in September 2020, he wrote “It’s not that complicated. Wear. A. Mask.” Then around a year later, in August 2021, Jeffries said “Get vaccinated. Wear a mask. Crush the virus.” Two Democrat senators from Virginia, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, also wrote a letter last month to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons and other top officials about ICE’s recent immigration enforcement operations taking an “alarming and dangerous turn.” “Across the country and in Virginia, masked ICE officers and agents without clearly visible identification as law enforcement have been arresting individuals on the streets and in sensitive locations, such as courthouses. Such actions put everyone at risk – the targeted individuals, the ICE officers and agents, and bystanders who may misunderstand what is happening and may attempt to intervene,” they said. WHITE HOUSE BACKS MAJOR LEGISLATION TO SPEED UP DEPORTATIONS “We urge you to direct ICE officers and agents to promptly and clearly identify themselves as law enforcement officers conducting law enforcement actions when arresting subjects, and limit the use of face coverings during arrests and other enforcement actions to avoid intimidation and reduce safety risks to the public,” the Senators added. In August 2021, Kaine pushed mask wearing as well, writing in a Facebook post that he was “Deeply concerned about the rapid rise of COVID-19 delta variant infections we are seeing across the Commonwealth” and that “We should do all we can to help stop the spread of the virus and keep ourselves and our loved ones safe, including following CDC guidance such as getting vaccinated, masking up indoors, and social distancing.” “Folks, let’s continue to protect ourselves by getting vaccinated, masking up, and social distancing so we can safely return to all of the activities we love,” Warner added at the time. Representatives for Jeffries, Kaine and Warner did not immediately respond Friday to requests for comment from Fox News Digital. Fox News’ Chad Pergram, Tyler Olson and Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.
Trump’s tariff strategy could pay for his tax bill, but only if they stick, experts warn
The White House and congressional Republicans have said that President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs would help pay for his mammoth tax bill, but tax experts say it depends on whether the president stays consistent. Senate Republicans are in the midst of hashing out their plan to tweak and reshape the president’s “big, beautiful bill,” which includes Trump’s desire to extend and make permanent his first-term tax policies. SENATE REPUBLICANS EYE CHANGES TO TRUMP’S MEGABILL AFTER HOUSE WIN However, the tax portion of the bill alone is expected to cost roughly $4 trillion. And when factoring in spending cuts and other revenue and economic drivers, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found in a report earlier this week that, in all, the colossal legislative package would add $2.4 trillion to the deficit over the next decade. The CBO, which has come under recent scrutiny from congressional Republicans unhappy with the scoring of the president’s “big, beautiful bill,” also found that Trump’s tariffs would reduce the deficit by $2.8 trillion over the same period. Joe Rosenberg, a senior fellow at the left-leaning Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, told Fox News Digital that the reconciliation package’s potential impact on the debt is more concerning now than in 2017, due to higher debt levels and rising interest rates. ‘GONE TOO FAR’: GOP LAWMAKERS RALLY AROUND TRUMP AFTER MUSK RAISES EPSTEIN ALLEGATIONS When Republicans were putting together the president’s original tax package, the national debt was roughly $20 trillion. Eight years later, that number has ballooned to over $36 trillion and counting. Rosenberg contended that if the CBO’s report were taken as is, then Trump’s tariffs would make the bill deficit neutral and then some. But the report assumed that the eye-popping sums that Trump’s tariffs could generate were based on whether they were permanent. “I think what we’ve seen is that the tariff policy, again, seems to change day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute,” he said. “And the administration is a little bit inconsistent about whether they view tariffs as purely a revenue source versus essentially a negotiating tool.” The report also found that in exchange for trillions in deficit reduction, household wealth would drop, and the economy would shrink each year over the next decade. Tad Dehaven, a policy analyst at the Cato Institute, argued that this factor—along with Trump’s tariffs being tied up in court over constitutional challenges and their shifting application—makes any projected benefits “extraordinarily unlikely.” “Let’s pretend that these tariffs are going to remain in place for 10 years at some level delineated today. That’s a major tax increase, so whatever alleged benefit you’re receiving from the tax cut in the reconciliation package, it’s being offset by a tax increase,” he said. “And a rather economically inefficient one.” TRUMP’S TARIFFS AND TAX CUTS ARE CRUSHING MAIN STREET AND MAKING MAR-A-LAGO ELITES RICH Mike Palicz, director of tax policy at the conservative Americans for Tax Reform, scoffed at the CBO’s recent scoring, and lamented the agency as “a bunch of bean counters” that often miss the mark on key pieces of legislation, like the president’s original Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. He argued that none of the outside noise should matter, telling Fox News Digital that “you cannot go out and explain to a normal person or business that their taxes aren’t increasing next year if the Trump tax cuts are allowed to expire.” “That’s what the whole point of this exercise is, preventing the expiration of tax cuts, preventing the largest tax increase in American history,” he said. “And no conservative, no Republican, should think that you address the deficit by raising taxes.”