Crackdown on illegal immigrants voting in DC elections launched by Senate GOP
EXCLUSIVE: Senate Republicans, led by Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, are gearing up to wield their federal oversight powers to force Washington, D.C., to demand an end to what they call the capital’s dangerous experiment of allowing illegal immigrants and noncitizens to vote in local elections. The development follows reports that roughly 400 noncitizens voted in the 2024 general election, with about 100 participating in the primary. Federal law supremacy prohibits state or local jurisdictions from allowing illegal immigrants from voting in federal elections, since a measure by then-Rep. C.W. Young, R-Fla., called the IIRAIRA passed in 1996. However, state and municipal leaders have the ability to allow illegal immigrants to vote in lower-tier elections, and Washington, D.C., is one of several that has. 148 DEMOCRATS BACK NONCITIZEN VOTING IN DC AS GOP RAISES ALARM ABOUT FOREIGN AGENTS Congress, meanwhile, has unique constitutionally-explicit leverage over the governance of the District on any matter, including local affairs and the overturning of council-passed laws. Britt’s bill would prohibit noncitizens from voting in District elections and repeal the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022 – which the City Council passed that authorized noncitizen voting in municipal elections. “This isn’t just about local school boards or fixing potholes. This is about the direction of our nation’s capital,” Britt said. ELECTION INVESTIGATION UNCOVERS ALLEGED ILLEGAL VOTING BY NONCITIZENS AND DOUBLE VOTERS IN MULTIPLE STATES “In the city representing the strongest democracy in the world, the D.C. City Council chose to flagrantly violate one of democracy’s core principles. This is a slap in the face to every American citizen, whether they live in DC or not, who should be the only voters deciding who represents them in every election and at every level of government. “I am hopeful we gain bipartisan support in the Senate for this commonsense bill–it is our duty to protect the votes of hardworking American citizens and those who came to our country legally and took the time and effort to go through the naturalization process. Ultimately, this is about strengthening the integrity of our elections.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Noncitizen voters spoke to the Washington Post after the last election, including a woman named Ana Lemus who came to the U.S. more than a decade ago from El Salvador. Her daughter, who was 4 years old at the time, said she is voting to help address “wealth inequality and police brutality” among other concerns. In the House, Rep. August Pflueger, R-Texas, is championing companion legislation. While Britt’s bill so far only has Republican co-sponsors, Pflueger’s effort has garnered about 50 Democratic supporters. In addition to Washington, select communities in Maryland, New York and Vermont – plus California in certain school board races – allow illegal immigrant voting. The first city to allow it was Takoma Park, Maryland, back in 1992. Current Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., helped spearhead that “Share The Vote” effort in the community, which abuts the nation’s capital to its northeast.
Senate GOP threatens to ‘grind it out’ through August as Trump nominees face Democratic delays
The U.S. Senate is barreling through a number of President Trump’s nominees: Picks for the federal bench, assistant Cabinet secretaries, ambassadors. Republicans complain that Democrats are bleeding out the summertime clock, trying to stall the Senate from confirming many of the president’s picks. PROTESTERS CAUGHT ON CAMERA DELIVERING COFFIN TO GOP CONGRESSMAN’S FRONT DOOR IN MOCK FUNERAL PROCESSION “We’ve seen an unprecedented level of obstruction and delay in blocking from Democrats. And as a consequence of that, we’ve had to kind of grind through. And that’s what we’re going to keep doing,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. Thune blasted Democrats for deploying clock-draining “tactics designed to block and obstruct, the president and his agenda.” He noted that the Senate has never failed to confirm any of an executive’s nominees on a fast track. That includes “en bloc” – where the Senate quickly green-lights a swath of nominees all at once. By unanimous consent. That’s where the majority checks with all 100 senators on both sides and makes sure everyone is okay with advancing a nominee or nominees on the floor. However, one objection can tank the entire enterprise. Then there’s “voice vote.” That’s where all senators in favor holler “aye” and those opposed shout “nay.” The nominee is confirmed if the “ayes” are the loudest. EPSTEIN FILES DIVIDE HOUSE REPUBLICANS IN GROWING ‘SUMMER OF DISCONTENT’ Each of these parliamentary methods are valid ways to “vote” in the Senate. They’re a lot faster than a roll call vote – which could drag on for 30 or 40 minutes. And if everyone agrees to do things quickly, there’s no need to burn through parliamentary hurdles which sometimes consume days. The most valuable commodity in the Senate is floor time. And the rules of the Senate often favor the minority party to chew up the minutes and hours to elongate the process and confound the majority. Senate Republicans were determined to rifle through the core of Trump’s Cabinet and top nominees in January, February and March. In fact, the Senate confirmed the bulk of Mr. Trump’s main nominees days ahead of the mark set by former President Biden in early 2021. But Democrats have slowed down the GOP and the president on other nominees for months now. That’s why Thune says the Senate will “grind it out here and Democrats are going to be here whether they like it or not.” The South Dakota Republican added that this was “bad practice” on behalf of the Democrats. And that “what goes around comes around” in the Senate the next time Democrats occupy the White House and the GOP sits in the Senate minority. Senate Republicans discussed parliamentary options to make long-term changes to rules and precedents to speedily confirm nominees. GOP senators also discussed the possibility of “recess appointments” to install some of Trump’s picks – without Senate confirmation. “He’s being sabotaged from the deep state from within,” said Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., on Fox Business. “I hate to do this to the Senate staff. But we ought to start voting overnight. Just grind the clock, try and grind them down.” But then Johnson offered this suggestion: “We ought to be talking about taking a full recess. Not having the pro forma session so that President Trump, if he has to, can do recess appointments,” offered Johnson. He’s not the only one. “No August recess until the Senate clears the confirmation backlog, with 144 nominees now pending —No more ‘pro forma’ sessions, which allow the Senate to take a ‘recess’ without triggering President Trump’s recess-appointment authority,” said Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, also joined in the chorus. “The Senate has 3 choices. 1) fully recess & allow POTUS to recess appoint. 2) NOT recess & do its job. 3) recess & do fake sessions to prevent recess appointments. Only 1 & 2 are acceptable,” declared Roy on social media. So what is a “recess appointment?” And what are these “pro forma” and “fake sessions” that Lee and Roy are talking about? In the 18th Century, the Founders didn’t want to hamstring a president in case vacancies in cabinet or other administration positions became open during a Congressional “recess.” The Senate must be in session to confirm presidential nominees. And in the 18th Century, Congress was often adjourned or in recess for months at a time. The Founders viewed recess appointments as “human resources grout,” – temporarily filling a position in case the Senate was out. Here’s how a recess appointment works: both the House and Senate must be adjourned for a period of 10 days. The Constitution requires the House and Senate to have the blessing of the other body to adjourn. And both bodies must vote to adjourn. Right now, the Republican House is scheduled to convene every three days – just gaveling in and gaveling out after a few seconds – to comply with the Constitution. So there is no way that the House could ever vote to adjourn. Moreover, the House could probably not pass an adjournment resolution anyway. The same with the Senate. A recess appointment, which lawmakers should technically bill as an “adjournment appointment,” is only valid if both bodies have “adjourned” for more than 10 days. Former President Obama tested whether Congress was truly in session for more than three days. He made a couple of recess appointments to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and National Labor Relations Board in 2012 during an abbreviated Senate recess. But the 2014 Supreme Court ruled in NLRB v. Canning that the administration couldn’t decide if the Senate was in session. Article I, Section 5 of the Constitution gives both bodies of Congress the right to “determine the Rules of its Proceedings.” In short, the High Court held that if the Senate says it’s out of session, it’s out of session. Thus, those recess appointments aren’t valid. On Truth Social, Trump implored Senate Republicans to “cancel August recess and long weekends to confirm nominees.” The Senate may stay in session
Top DHS official calls citizenship test ‘too soft,’ urges major overhaul of naturalization process
EXCLUSIVE: New Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow is wasting no time shaking up the path to American citizenship. Just weeks into the job, he’s calling for a major overhaul of the U.S. naturalization test — blasting the current version as too soft and out of step with what Congress envisioned. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Edlow said the civics and English exam, which forms the backbone of the naturalization process, fails to reflect the knowledge and assimilation he believes should be required to become an American. “The test needs to reflect the letter and the spirit of what Congress intended,” Edlow said. “It’s important for people to understand English, our history, our government… and the way the test is written and executed right now doesn’t meet that bar.” DOJ DIRECTS US ATTORNEYS TO SEEK TO REVOKE CITIZENSHIP OF NATURALIZED AMERICANS OVER CRIME Under the current format, naturalization applicants must correctly answer six out of 10 civics questions randomly selected from a list of 100, covering topics like the Constitution, U.S. history, geography and civic responsibilities. They must also read one sentence aloud and write one simple sentence correctly in English. Edlow says that’s not enough. He wants the test to probe deeper — presenting a broader cross-section of U.S. principles — and for English skills to be evaluated throughout the entire naturalization interview, not just in isolated reading and writing exercises. “I want adjudicators to really be listening and talking throughout the interview,” he said. “Switch up some of the wording… and see if the individuals are still able to comprehend the questions. That’s a better gauge of readiness.” Edlow said the test must preserve the integrity of the process and reflect assimilation expectations. He also pointed to a recent executive order declaring English the national language, calling language fluency “an imperative part” of the American dream. The director also took aim at long-standing flaws in the H-1B visa system, which permits U.S. companies to hire high-skilled foreign workers in specialty fields. KEY IMMIGRATION PROPOSAL VOWS TO END ‘BACKDOOR HIRING PRACTICES’ IN AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES “Companies are going for the highest-skilled workers but paying them at the lowest wage level,” he said. “That’s undercutting U.S. graduates, especially in STEM fields.” He cited cases when third-party contracting firms helped employers lay off American workers — sometimes even requiring them to train their own foreign replacements — as evidence of a program being exploited to suppress wages. Vice President JD Vance has echoed a similar sentiment. In July, he called out Microsoft for laying off around 9,000 American workers while applying for 4,700 H1-B visas. “I don’t want companies to fire 9,000 American workers and then to go and say, ‘We can’t find workers here in America.’ That’s a bulls— story.” The visa program has emerged as a political flashpoint within the GOP, creating a rift between MAGA populists and pro-business conservatives. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said he’d “go to war” in support of the H1-B visa program and branded its Republican opponents “hateful, unrepentant racists.” To tighten oversight of the program, Edlow said USCIS will work with the Department of Labor to expand worksite enforcement and ensure that wages and job functions match what’s on paper. “We want to make sure those brought over are truly commensurate with the roles they’re filling — and not part of a cost-cutting scheme,” he added. On the issue of welfare-related immigration policy, Edlow said USCIS is preparing to revisit the public charge rule — a legal standard that bars green cards for applicants likely to become reliant on public assistance. The rule has existed in some form for over a century but was more strictly interpreted during the Trump administration to include certain non-cash benefits like Medicaid or housing aid. The Biden administration returned to guidance that did not take non-cash benefits into account. Edlow said changes would take time. “It’s something we’ve got to study and get right,” he said. “We need to look at the means-tested benefits being offered and ensure our adjudicators know what to look for to determine if someone would be a burden on U.S. taxpayers.” Beyond policy changes, Edlow flagged the growing USCIS case backlog as a top operational threat — one he says now carries national security implications. “Backlogs that continue to grow are nothing short of a national security threat to this country,” he said, blaming the Biden administration for shifting agency resources away from legal immigration priorities in response to record-breaking illegal border crossings. While he pledged to reduce adjudication times, Edlow warned that shortcuts won’t be part of the strategy. “There may be short-term pain,” he said. “But we will decrease the backlog at a steady clip while protecting the integrity and security of the system.”
Linda McMahon pulls back the curtain on Trump’s plan to dismantle the Department of Education
Despite Democrats protesting President Donald Trump’s plan to dismantle the Department of Education, Education Secretary Linda McMahon said returning education to the states is a “nonpartisan issue.” “I’m not getting push back, because if it were just Democrat states or Republican states that were doing well or doing poorly, that would be one thing, but it’s many of the states on both sides of the aisle. That’s why this is really a nonpartisan issue,” McMahon explained in an exclusive interview at the National Governors Association (NGA) summer meeting. The Education Secretary participated in discussions with governors from both parties at the Colorado Springs, Colo., meeting, and her department announced the release of roughly $6.8 billion in previously frozen federal funds for K-12 programs ahead of her panel discussion with the outgoing NGA chair, Gov. Jared Polis, D-Colo. “It’s just incredibly important that if we are going to return education to the states, we have to talk to the governors,” McMahon emphasized. “What’s meaningful to them? How can we work together? This is both sides of the aisle because, clearly, education is a nonpartisan issue.” TRUMP ADMINISTRATION RELEASES OVER $6B IN FROZEN EDUCATION FUNDS TO THE STATES Trump signed an executive order earlier this year to dismantle the Department of Education, fulfilling one of his key campaign promises during the 2024 presidential election. McMahon explained that returning education to the states “just means giving them back the part that is now provided by the federal government, and they’re anxious for it.” EDUCATION SECRETARY LINDA MCMAHON TOUTS COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY’S $200M SETTLEMENT ‘TEMPLATE’ In a joint statement on behalf of the NGA, Polis and incoming NGA chair Gov. Kevin Stitt, R-Ok., said they were “thankful these bipartisan discussions with Secretary McMahon and other key officials during the NGA Summer Meeting led to the distribution of these education funds,” adding that they are “proud our advocacy helped secure this vital support for states and districts.” The Education Secretary, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), explained to Fox News Digital that participating in events like NGA, having discussions with governors from both parties and visiting as many states as possible is critical to understanding America’s diverse educational landscape. McMahon said she has already visited different types of schools, from charter schools to public schools, to learn the best practices across the country. “Every state does have different needs,” McMahon said. “There’s no one size fits all, but what I hear with every governor and almost every educator coming in, is what we are stressing, which is literacy.” A Department of Education report released earlier this year revealed that American students’ reading skills have continued to decline since the COVID-19 pandemic, and their math skills have barely improved. Despite the dismal report, McMahon said “the future for education is very bright” because the Trump administration has called attention to the “Nation’s Report Card,” which reveals “how the United States doesn’t compare all that favorably with the rest of the world.” “The president is very keen on making sure that those levels rise, so that the United States takes its rightful place as one of the leaders in education in the world,” McMahon explained. And when asked how the Education Secretary would address teachers who are anxious about the dismantling the Department of Education, McMahon said she is focused on ensuring best practices are carried out nationwide, while empowering states to deliver for teachers’ individual needs. “[Teachers] are working with their school boards, they’re working with their principals and superintendents and their governors to have the best policies in their states,” McMahon said. “This is a win for teachers because governors are already talking about that teachers should be paid fairly, that they should be allowed to innovate in the classroom, that they shouldn’t spend their time doing paperwork and regulatory compliance. They should be able to spend that time with the students.” “Let’s let teachers teach. This is all good,” McMahon explained.
Trump takes jab at GOP senator, urging Republicans to ‘vote the exact opposite of’ how she does
President Donald Trump targeted Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in a Thursday night Truth Social post, urging Republicans to vote in the opposite of the way that she does. “Republicans, when in doubt, vote the exact opposite of Senator Susan Collins. Generally speaking, you can’t go wrong. Thank you for your attention to this matter and, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” the president declared in the post. Fox News Digital reached out to Collins’ office early on Friday morning to request a comment from the senator. TWO REPUBLICANS VOTE AGAINST TRUMP’S $9 BILLION CLAWBACK OF FOREIGN AID, NPR FUNDING Last month Collins voted against passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and against passage of a rescissions measure, both of which Trump ultimately signed. Earlier this year she voted against confirming Pete Hegseth to serve as secretary of defense and against confirming Kash Patel to serve as FBI director. SENATE PASSES TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ AFTER MARATHON VOTE-A-RAMA In February 2021, she voted to convict Trump after the House impeached him in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot, but that Senate vote, which occurred after Trump had already departed from office, did not reach the threshold necessary for conviction. SUSAN COLLINS VOWS TO OPPOSE TRUMP FBI DIRECTOR NOMINEE KASH PATEL AHEAD OF CRITICAL VOTE Collins has served in the Senate since 1997.
Trump Clashes With Reporter Over Tariffs, Citing Pandemic and ‘Fighting Lunatics’
President Donald Trump clashed with a reporter Thursday over questions about a newly signed tariff, telling him that he had spent his first term “fighting lunatics like you.” The intense exchange follows a White House signing ceremony for a series of executive actions aimed at expanding reciprocal tariffs and strengthening U.S. trade policy. While speaking with reporters at the White House after the signing, a reporter confronted Trump on why he is emphasizing tariffs more in his second term. “You’re weighing your decision to do that, your authority to do that based on a 1977 law. It’s never been invoked before,” said the reporter. “Why didn’t you invoke this law in your first term? You could have taken in billions upon billions of dollars in your first term, but you waited until your second term?” FEDERAL JUDGES GRILL TRUMP LAWYERS OVER ‘LIBERATION DAY’ TARIFFS ON EVE OF ENFORCEMENT Without missing a beat, the president shot back: “Yeah, because in my first term, I was fighting lunatics like you who were trying to do things incorrectly and inappropriately to a president that was duly elected.” “And we did do certain tariffs in the first term,” he continued. “If you look at China, China, we took in hundreds of billions of dollars from China.” He also said that the COVID-19 pandemic also played a factor in his decision to not emphasize tariffs as much in his first term. “When Covid came the last thing I was going to do is tell France and Italy and Spain and a couple of other countries that we’re going to hit you with tariffs,” he explained. “We had to fight the Covid situation when that came.” DAILY BEAST PULLS STORY ALLEGING MELANIA-EPSTEIN CONNECTION AFTER LAWYERS DISPUTE FRAMING “But if you look at my first term,” he went on, “We took in hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of tariffs, but you people didn’t cover it very well.” A statement by the White House said that Trump’s executive actions taken on Thursday “reflects the President’s continued efforts to protect the United States against foreign threats to the national security and economy of the United States by securing fair, balanced, and reciprocal trade relationships to benefit American workers, farmers, and manufacturers and to strengthen the United States’ defense industrial base.” This comes shortly after Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a trade deal between the U.S. and E.U. on Sunday. TRUMP SETS UP PRESIDENTIAL FITNESS TEST FOR ANOTHER REVAMP AFTER OBAMA RETIRED IT DURING PRESIDENCY “We are agreeing that the tariff straight across for automobiles and everything else will be a straight-across tariff of 15%,” Trump said. “So, we have a tariff of 15%. We have the opening up of all of the European countries, which I think I could say were essentially closed. I mean, you weren’t exactly taking our orders. You weren’t exactly taking our agriculture,” he added, addressing von der Leyen. Von der Leyen said Europe will also purchase $150 billion worth of U.S. energy as part of the deal, in addition to making $600 billion in other investments into the U.S.
Longtime Biden aide testifies he stood to earn up to $8M had president won re-election
A longtime ally of former President Joe Biden told House Oversight Committee investigators that he could have been paid a total of $8 million if the former president won his 2024 re-election bid, a source familiar with the conversation told Fox News Digital. Michael Donilon served as senior advisor to the president for the entirety of Biden’s four-year term. Their relationship goes back decades, however; Donilon first worked for Biden in 1981 when he was a U.S. senator from Delaware. He is the latest ex-Biden administration official to sit down with the committee behind closed doors as it investigates whether the former president’s inner circle covered up evidence of his alleged mental decline, and if executive actions were signed via autopen without Biden’s full awareness. Donilon said he did not know what the autopen was used for and did not recall having any knowledge of the autopen, the source told Fox News Digital. COMER DISMISSES BIDEN DOCTOR’S BID FOR PAUSE IN COVER-UP PROBE: ‘THROWING OUT EVERY EXCUSE’ But Donilon, who was the top strategist for Biden’s 2020 and 2024 campaigns, would have apparently earned some $8 million total if Biden won. Donilon told investigators he was paid $4 million to work on Biden’s 2024 campaign, the source said. That information was reported by Axios reporter Alex Thompson and CNN host Jake Tapper in their book “Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again.” The $4 million he would have gained in addition would have come if Biden had won in 2024. Biden infamously dropped out of the 2024 race after his disastrous debate against Donald Trump in June of that year, after weeks of mounting pressure by fellow Democrats, both in public and in private. Donilon told investigators he “believes the punditry and Democrats in Congress overreacted after Joe Biden’s disastrous debate,” the source said. Donilon also argued Biden’s communications skills “got stronger” during his time as president, the source added. “During his interview, Mr. Donilon admitted that Joe Biden’s presence wasn’t as commanding, and he could stumble over more words. Mr. Donilon stated he was frustrated and knew it was difficult to get past the visuals of President Biden that people were seeing,” the source said. In his opening statement, obtained by Fox News Digital, Donilon emphasized his 40-year relationship with Biden and touted the Democratic administration’s accomplishments through the COVID-19 pandemic, the rebound in job growth in its wake and the Inflation Reduction Act and other legislative wins. “I was with President Joe Biden from his first day in office to the last day. What I saw, day in and day out, was a leader who was deeply engaged and in command on critical issues, both at home and abroad,” Donilon said in his statement. “Every President ages over the four years of a presidency and President Biden did as well, but he also continued to grow stronger and wiser as a leader as a result of being tested by some of the most difficult challenges any President has ever faced. “I thought that experience was enormously valuable for the nation. I believed that President Biden was the best person to lead the country on the day he took the oath of office and I continued to believe that was true every day he served as President.” RON KLAIN DODGES REPORTERS AFTER MARATHON GRILLING IN BIDEN COVER-UP PROBE Donilon is the eighth ex-Biden White House official to appear for the probe led by House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky. A source familiar with the Biden team’s thinking previously called Republicans’ probe “dangerous” and “an attempt to smear and embarrass.” “And their hope is for just one tiny inconsistency between witnesses to appear so that Trump’s DOJ prosecute his political opponents and continue his campaign of revenge,” that source said. Fox News Digital reached out to Donilon’s lawyer and a representative for Biden for comment. Fox News Digital’s Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report
Secret Service must ‘course correct’ after alleged smuggling episode on Trump trip, former agent says
The Secret Service must move to “course correct” after reports a Secret Service agent attempted to smuggle his wife onto a Secret Service cargo plane accompanying President Donald Trump on his trip to Scotland, according to a former agent. Tim Miller, who served as a Secret Service agent during the administrations of presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, said the alleged incident was unusual and that the agency must “step up” to address growing threats against Trump. “The threats to the President are serious and growing,” Miller said in an email Thursday to Fox News Digital. “This agency must step up to address these threats. … Imagine a world where our elected leaders are not safe to lead the critical issues facing our world? “The mission that they have been given requires the absolute best people available who have the highest level of commitment, experience, professionalism and skill.” ONE YEAR AFTER TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, BUTLER WIDOW DEMANDS ACCOUNTABILITY FROM SECRET SERVICE While Miller predicted conduct like this would have previously resulted in a suspension or firing of the agent, Miller said that is unlikely given that the Secret Service did not fire those on duty during the assassination attempt against Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024. The agency did, however, announce that it suspended six of its agents due to their response to the attempt. Likewise, Miller said he anticipates an investigation into the Scotland incident will be handled meticulously. “I am confident that they will thoroughly investigate this matter,” Miller said. “To that end, the Secret Service must course correct and hold agents accountable for these types of errors in judgment. The current threats are too high. It’s time for high levels of accountability and a return to mission focus. The lives of our elected leaders depend on it! This truly is a ‘no fail’ mission!” AGENT’S ALLEGED ATTEMPT TO SMUGGLE WIFE ON TRUMP SCOTLAND TRIP BEING PROBED IN LATEST SECRET SERVICE FIASCO Even so, Miller said the agency did the right thing in identifying the threat and fixing the problem. “The bottom line is there is more to this story and, with the exception of one agent’s extremely poor judgment, the Secret Service did a good job identifying and correcting this issue,” Miller said. RealClearPolitics first reported that a Secret Service agent attempted to smuggle his wife aboard a Secret Service cargo aircraft during Trump’s travels for his Scotland trip. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Trump told reporters Tuesday he had just heard about the alleged incident, describing it as a “weird deal.” He also told reporters the agency is handling the matter. “I don’t know, that’s a strange one. I just heard that two minutes ago. I think Sean’s taking care of it. … Is that a serious story?” Trump told reporters on Air Force One Tuesday, appearing to reference Sean Curran, Secret Service director. The White House confirmed to Fox News Digital Wednesday that Trump had been briefed on the matter and that an investigation was ongoing. SECRET SERVICE CHANGES THE AGENCY HAS MADE POST-TRUMP BUTLER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT “The U.S. Secret Service is conducting a personnel investigation after an employee attempted to invite his spouse, a member of the United States Air Force, aboard a mission support flight,” a Secret Service spokesperson told Fox News Digital Tuesday. “The aircraft, operated by the U.S. Air Force, was being used by the Secret Service to transport personnel and equipment,” the spokesperson added. “Prior to the overseas departure, the employee was advised by supervisors that such action was prohibited, and the spouse was subsequently prevented from taking the flight. No Secret Service protectees were aboard, and there was no impact to our overseas protective operations.”
Former blue state GOP lawmaker reveals why she’s not seeking re-election: ‘I have other goals’
Former California Republican Congresswoman Michelle Steel will not be seeking another term in Congress. The Republican, who lost by just over 600 votes in November to Rep. Derek Tran after serving two terms in the House, said she’s pursuing other political goals. “I have other goals that, you know what, I’m having so much fun, and I work on President Trump’s agenda right now. And I was appointed by Speaker Mike Johnson to that Asian-American coalition, so I want to help Asian-Americans in this country and then plus other Asian countries,” the Republican, who sits on the board of directors of the Lincoln Club, said. ‘NO ONE’ EXCITED ABOUT KAMALA HARRIS’ POTENTIAL GUBERNATORIAL RUN, SAY CALIFORNIA DONORS Her decision not to run will likely open the door to a competitive Republican primary and a multimillion-dollar general election race in 2026. “I can serve much better [with] what I’m doing right now,” she said, turning down the possibility of seeking another elected office. Steel, along with Reps. Young Kim and Marilyn Strickland, were the first Korean-American women in Congress, and Steel is a first-generation American. Steel said fundraising and connecting with the different ethnic communities in the district is key to a Republican seeking to win the seat back, noting that a large portion are “first generations” like her. DEM GOVERNOR HOPEFULS VOW TO RESIST TRUMP AS CALIFORNIA CHAOS BECOMES NJ CAMPAIGN ISSUE “I totally understand what they have to go through as a first generation, so that’s really important. Go through community by community, and you have to listen exactly what they are asking for to settle in America. This is a great country. You know what, as long as you work really hard, your dream comes true,” she said. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE Steel also called out anti-ICE sentiment in California and by Democrats around the country as people misunderstanding the underlying issues that come with illegal immigration. “People were accusing me that, ‘You are the first-generation immigrant, and then you are actually trying to abuse and trying to arrest first-generations.’ I said, ‘No, this is the illegal criminals we’re talking about.’ And, you know, when they get arrested and if they are not going to get deported, guess what happened? They are actually committing another crime. So very dangerous people,” Steel said. “And I know President Trump is doing a great job in deporting these criminals, and that’s what has to be done for American safety. ASSAULTS ON ICE OFFICERS SURGE 830% AS DEMOCRATS CAUGHT ‘DOXING AND PHYSICALLY ASSAULTING’ AGENTS: DHS “We really have to do the better message because, especially first generations, and you know what I heard few calling from outside of this country. They said, ‘Oh my God, they’re arresting all these immigrants, even their citizens.’ I said, ‘That’s not really true. When they commit serious crimes, yes, we kick them out because that’s for the safety, and, you know, safety for the Americans.’ That’s the reason that we are doing.” Her decision comes as California Gov. Gavin Newsom is floating the possibility of redistricting in the Golden State to thwart any potential Republican seat gains in Texas. “Two can play this game,” he posted to X July 15. “I just read this morning that all the Democrats are coming into California, and all the Republicans are leaving. You know, they have to really see this trade that exactly what’s going to be helpful for Californians. California is such a beautiful state. And I live in California. I still want to save California,” Steel said. “She doesn’t understand. He doesn’t understand exactly what they have to do to make California better,” she said of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Newsom. “So, I really want to stop those people that they are hurting. Not just California, but Californian people, that they are very much against these politicians. I hope they already hit the bottom, so in next year’s election, hopefully, a Republican is going to win.”
DHS scoops up trans illegal alien charged with heinous crime on child in sanctuary city: ‘Worst of the worst’
FIRST ON FOX: A transgender illegal alien is being charged with child rape in the sanctuary city of New York, according to the Department of Homeland Security. DHS told Fox News Digital that the illegal alien, Nicol Alexandra Contreras-Suarez, a Colombian biological man who identifies as a woman, is being charged with rape of a minor and stalking. According to the agency, Contreras-Suarez was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection for illegally entering the country in San Ysidro, California, in March 2023. Contreras-Suarez was released into the country under the Biden administration’s “catch and release” policy and then went on to commit several serious crimes in American communities. Contreras-Suarez had been arrested by the Medford Police Department in Massachusetts for armed robbery, prostitution and assault with a dangerous weapon. However, “due to local sanctuary policies,” DHS said, Contreras-Suarez was once again released. TRUMP ADMIN UNLEASHES CRUCIAL RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN WITH MASSIVE BONUSES TO BOLSTER ICE RANKS Contreras-Suarez is now facing criminal charges in New York for first-degree rape of a child less than age 17 and stalking. Contreras-Suarez has a preliminary criminal hearing in New York City this week and is set to have his case heard by the New York Supreme Court Sept. 10. The agency said Contreras-Suarez’s “horrific and preventable crime illustrates the consequences of the Biden administration’s catch and release and sanctuary policies.” Commenting on the arrest, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin lamented that “this creep should’ve never been released into our country.” FORMER ICE CHIEF TORCHES ‘UNCONSCIONABLE’ BIDEN-ERA POLICIES AS TRUMP’S DHS FINDS MIGRANT CHILDREN “Thanks to the failed sanctuary policies and Biden’s open-border agenda, this serial criminal was freed to prey on innocent American children — but that ends now,” she said. ICE lodged an immigration detainer against Contreras-Suarez in February. He is currently in custody at Rikers Island Prison in New York until his next court hearing. This comes as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is facing intense criticism for its crackdown on illegal immigration and as officers are dealing with an 830% increase in assaults. While the agency has said it will not back down from arresting any immigrants who are in the country illegally, the new DHS statement says that the vast majority of those arrested thus far have criminal charges or convictions. Despite claims by some Democrats that ICE is targeting innocent immigrant communities, 70% of the agency’s arrests have been of illegal aliens convicted or charged with crimes. DHS called Contreras-Suarez one of the “worst of the worst” criminal illegals it has arrested in its nationwide sweep thus far. “ICE will not allow predators like Contreras-Suarez to terrorize American citizens,” said McLaughlin.