Illegal who conspired to bludgeon teen to death with baseball bat among latest ICE roundups
An illegal alien convicted of a conspiracy to murder a teenager using a baseball bat in the Philadelphia area is among some of the “worst of the worst” criminal illegals arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement across the country in recent weeks, according to the agency. A statement by ICE says that Bou Khathavong, an illegal alien and dual citizen of Laos and Thailand, was arrested on July 25 by officials from ICE Philadelphia. According to ICE, Khathavong has previously been convicted of conspiracy to murder a teenager with a baseball bat in in Pennnsylvania. Another statement by the Department of Homeland Security released on Tuesday highlighted other “worst of the worst” illegal aliens arrested in recent weeks, including several pedophiles, drug traffickers and individuals convicted of cruelty and neglect of a child and involvement in a hit-and-run that resulted in death. DHS said illegal alien Santiago Geovany Garcia-Rosales, a 35-year-old from Guatemala, was convicted of failure to stop and render aid involving a death in Harris County, Texas. He was arrested by ICE Houston on July 28, according to ICE. ICE IN HOUSTON RELEASES NEW DETAILS ABOUT ARRESTED ILLEGAL CHILD SEX OFFENDERS ICE also arrested Hector Bonaparte-Contreras, a 42-year-old criminal illegal alien from from Mexico, on July 24. Bonaparte-Contreras was convicted of predatory criminal sexual assault on a child less than 13 years old in Chicago. Another alien, Julio Armando Gomez-Fernandez, was arrested by ICE on July 27 in Dallas. Also an illegal from Mexico, Gomez-Fernandez was previously convicted in Colorado of meth possession with intent to distribute as well as unlawful re-entry. Manuel Loja, a criminal alien and sex offender from Ecuador, was arrested by ICE Newark on July 24. Loja has been convicted of cruelty and neglect of children in New Jersey. DANGER REMAINS, DESPITE TRUMP SECURING BORDER: AZ REPUBLICANS DHS pointed out in its release that 70% of ICE arrests include illegal aliens with either criminal convictions or pending charges. The statement said that “under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Noem, DHS is delivering on its promise to prioritize the American people over illegal aliens and criminal protection policies, removing these public safety threats from American communities.” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin also commented on the arrests, blaming the Biden administration for having “allowed dangerous criminals to pour into our country.” ALLEGED ‘SERIAL CRIMINAL’ NABBED IN MICHIGAN TRAFFIC BUST AFTER BIDEN ADMINISTRATION RELEASED HIM INTO US CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “President Trump and Secretary Noem unleashed ICE to arrest these criminal illegal aliens,” said McLaughlin, adding, “From pedophiles to drug traffickers, ICE is prioritizing arresting the worst of the worst. We will not allow criminal illegals to terrorize American communities.”
Trump’s CDC pick confirmed—but her pro-vaccine stance may clash with RFK Jr.’s agenda
The Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after his first choice struggled to gain support. Susan Monarez, a longtime fixture in Washington who has taken on leadership positions in a number of government public health roles, was confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday, crossing yet another position off the lengthy and growing number of nominees awaiting confirmation. Monarez was confirmed on a 51 to 47 party line vote. SENATE CONFIRMS TRUMP PICK TO LEAD INDEPENDENT NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Across her roughly two-decade career in D.C., she has served as deputy director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health within the Department of Health and Human Services and in roles at the White House, including at the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Security Council. She is the first CDC director to undergo the Senate confirmation process after a new law changed the requirement in 2023. Prior to her confirmation, Monarez had served as the acting director of the CDC since the beginning of this year. But Monarez, who has a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology, was not Trump’s first pick to lead the public health agency, which is tasked with protecting Americans from public health threats. KEY TRUMP NOMINEES STALLED BY SENATE DEMS PUTS PRESSURE ON GOP LEADERS Trump tapped Monarez in March shortly after withdrawing his nomination of Dr. David Weldon, a former House member, after it was clear that he couldn’t get enough votes from Senate Republicans to make it across the finish line. He lauded Monarez’s credentials, and charged that Americans had “lost confidence” in the CDC. “Dr. Monarez will work closely with our GREAT Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert Kennedy Jr,” he said on social media at the time. “Together, they will prioritize Accountability, High Standards, and Disease Prevention to finally address the Chronic Disease Epidemic and, MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN!” But questions also linger on how well Monarez and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. might work together. During her confirmation hearing last month, Senate Democrats grilled Monarez over whether she agreed with Kennedy’s positions on vaccines. Kennedy has long been outspoken about his skepticism regarding vaccines, particularly COVID-19 vaccines. ‘ALL THE OPTIONS’: GOP EYES CUTTING AUGUST RECESS TO MOVE DOZENS OF TRUMP NOMINEES STALLED BY DEMS The CDC has been hit with thousands of staff cuts and resignations and subject to changes in vaccine policy — notably Kennedy’s decision to remove the COVID-19 from the vaccine schedule for pregnant women and healthy children — in the last six months. “I think vaccines save lives. I think that we need to continue to support the promotion of utilization of vaccines,” Monarez said during her confirmation hearing. Her confirmation also comes as Kennedy, in his budget request for the HHS, seeks a slash in funding to the CDC of nearly 50%, or from about $9.2 billion to $4.2 billion, for the upcoming fiscal year. But Kennedy made clear in an X post at the time of her nomination that he supports Monarez to take on the position. “I handpicked Susan for this job because she is a longtime champion of MAHA values, and a caring, compassionate and brilliant microbiologist and a tech wizard who will reorient CDC toward public health and gold-standard science,” he said. “I’m so grateful to President Trump for making this appointment.” And an HHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital, “Once Dr. Monarez is confirmed, the Secretary looks forward to working with her to advance common-sense policies that will Make America Healthy Again.”
Fox News Poll: Voters support a third political party, but not if it’s Elon Musk’s
Elon Musk’s talk of a third political party is an idea supported by more than half of voters in the latest Fox News national survey – as long as that party isn’t linked to the billionaire. By an 11-point margin, more voters think it is a good idea rather than a bad one for there to be a third major party (53% vs. 42%). That’s down from a 27-point spread in 2010, the most recent time Fox asked the question. Independents – by a 44-point margin and Democrats – by 20 points say a third party is a good idea while Republicans think it’s a bad one by 9 points. FOX NEWS POLL: SUPPORT FOR DEPORTATION DEPENDS ON WHO IS BEING TARGETED The decline from 2010 is mostly because of a 22-point shift among Republicans, who were 13 points more likely to say it was a good idea (50%) than a bad one (37%) 15 years ago. “In 2010, anger and disappointment with both parties among some Republicans and independents fueled the tea party movement,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who helps conduct the Fox News survey with Democrat Chris Anderson. “This time around the disappointment and anger is coming from the Democrats.” Voters draw the line, however, at a third party led by Musk. Most, 75%, say they are “not very” or “not at all” open to supporting a party created by the billionaire, while 22% say they are “extremely” or “very” open to it. Those most likely to back a Musk political party are men (31% extremely/very open), especially Republican men (41%), men under age 45 (38%), and White men without a college degree (36%). Independents (32% extremely/very open) and Republicans (31%) are roughly 20 points more likely than Democrats (11%) to support a Musk-run party. FOX NEWS POLL: THE GOP IS SEEN AS MORE LIKELY TO HAVE A CLEAR PLAN FOR THE COUNTRY Some support for a third major party comes from voter dissatisfaction with both major parties, as 64% think the Democratic Party lacks a clear plan for dealing with the problems facing the country and 54% say the same about the GOP. The survey also asks voters to respond to a series of agree-disagree statements about third parties and finds they are equally likely to view them positively as negatively. For example, 6 in 10 voters agree third parties are desperately needed because the Democratic and Republican parties are failing to address voter concerns (61% agree), while another 6 in 10 think third-party candidates are just spoilers that distract from the two major parties (59%). Democrats (59% agree) and Republicans (66%) are more likely to agree third-party candidates are spoilers while independents feel the opposite (60% disagree). Majorities of independents (76% agree) and Democrats (67%) are in alignment on needing a new party, whereas Republicans are split (49% agree third parties are needed, 50% do not). About 4 voters in 10 feel third-party candidates tend to be less qualified than those from the two major parties (54% disagree). More Republicans (51% agree) than Democrats (41%) and independents (33%) think a third party is not suitable to run. Voters are more decisive when asked if the U.S. political system is rigged against third parties as 70% feel it is, including most Democrats (73%), Republicans (66%), and independents (76%). “The survey shows the dilemma for third parties in the U.S.,” says Shaw. “Voters want another choice, but don’t particularly like the options they’ve seen and are reluctant to back candidates they think are doomed.” CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE Conducted July 18-21, 2025, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,000 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (114) and cellphones (636) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (250). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics of respondents are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis and voter file data.
Democrat policies paved way for brutal Cincinnati attack, say Ohio Republicans: ‘Fear and chaos’
Republican members of Ohio’s congressional delegation say Democratic policies created societal conditions that led to a violent beating in downtown Cincinnati that went viral online. “Name one major city in America where you’d feel safe letting your kids walk alone. You can’t, and that should alarm every one of us,” Rep. Michael Rulli, R-Ohio, told Fox News Digital on Tuesday. “For too long, we’ve accepted fear and chaos as normal while left-wing politicians push sanctuary cities, slash police funding, and let violent criminals and the mentally ill roam the streets. This isn’t compassion. It’s failure.” Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, called for Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval’s resignation over the incident. CINCINNATI MAYORAL CANDIDATE, VP VANCE’S HALF-BROTHER, SLAMS CITY LEADERSHIP AFTER BRUTAL BEATDOWN “It’s a heinous attack. The mayor of Cincinnati is a disgrace,” Moreno said. When asked what could be done to stop such incidents, he said, “Have the mayor resign. Have a congressman that actually cares about his district, and fund the police in Cincinnati.” Fox News Digital reached out to the mayor’s office for comment, as well as the office of Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, whose congressional district includes Cincinnati. It comes after a video lit up social media over the weekend that appeared to show a mob of people violently attacking one man, and a woman who tried to help him. CINCINNATI POLICE CHIEF SAYS OUT OF 100 PEOPLE WATCHING AND RECORDING VIOLENT ATTACK, ONLY 1 CALLED 911 Pureval issued a statement condemning the “vicious fight” and pledging that arrests were “forthcoming.” Fox 19 Cincinnati reported Monday that five people had been charged. But Rulli and Moreno are two of the latest Republican officials from Ohio to comment on the beating that took place on Saturday. Vice President JD Vance, who served in the Senate before being elected to the White House with President Donald Trump, said Monday that Moreno showed him a video of the violence. “It’s disgusting. I hope every single one of those people who engaged in violence is prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” Vance said during an event in Canton, Ohio. “When you have a grown man sucker-punching a middle-aged woman, that person ought to go to jail for a very long time. And frankly, he is lucky there weren’t some better people around because they would handle it themselves… We’ve had way too much lawlessness on the streets of great American cities.” The details of what started the fight, and who initiated the aggression, are still unclear.
Republican congressman kicked by horse, breaks rib during farm accident
A Tennessee congressman is recovering after he was “accidentally” kicked by a horse over the weekend, breaking one of his ribs. Sources said Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., is feeling “fine now,” and there will not be any changes to his schedule. “While working on his farm over the weekend, Congressman Burchett was accidently kicked by a horse,” according to a statement from spokesperson Will Garrett. “He suffered a broken rib and bruising but hasn’t missed a beat.” THE ‘TOUGH COOKIES’ OF BUTLER, PA., REMAIN UNITED, HOPEFUL ONE YEAR AFTER TRUMP RALLY SHOOTING Burchett told Fox News correspondent Chad Pergram that a horsefly landed on his horse’s tail, causing it to get spooked. The horse kicked Burchett in the chest “with both hooves,” leaving him with a unique battle scar. SUSPECT SHOOTS TROOPER, OPENS FIRE AT KENTUCKY CHURCH, LEAVING MULTIPLE PEOPLE INJURED “It’s a cool mark,” Burchett told Pergram. “I’ve been toying with the idea of getting a tattoo.” While the congressman made light of the situation, he added the doctor told him he was “lucky,” because it would have been a problem had the blow “been an inch-and-a-half higher.” The 60-year-old previously served as mayor of Knox County, Tennessee. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Burchett spoke in Maury County, Tennessee, on Monday night and has a full slate of district events throughout the week. Burchett’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News’ Chad Pergram contributed to this report.
North Korea breaks silence on Trump’s return, sends message from ‘Rocket Man’
Kim Jong-Un’s powerful sister opened up about relations with the second Trump administration, warning the U.S. not to try to restart talks centered on getting North Korea to give up its nuclear program. Kim Yo Jong, in remarks blasted out by state media, said relations between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un are “not bad” but added Pyongyang would view any attempt to pressure North Korea to denuclearize as “nothing but a mockery.” She said that North Korea’s nuclear arsenal has sharply increased since Trump and Kim last spoke, and the pair would not meet for a summit again if denuclearization was on the table. The North Korean dictator’s sister did not rule out bilateral talks entirely — as she did with South Korea in a separate statement. WOMAN LEARNS FATE AFTER DOJ GUILTY PLEA ADMITTING SHE HELPED NORTH KOREAN TECH WORKERS INFILTRATE US COMPANIES “If the U.S. fails to accept the changed reality and persists in the failed past, the DPRK- U.S. meeting will remain as a ‘hope’ of the U.S. side,” Kim Yo Jong said, referring to the nation by its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. She said it would be “advisable to seek another way of contact.” Trump held three unprecedented summits with the North Korean leader he dubbed “Little Rocket Man” during his first term: in Singapore in 2018, Hanoi in 2019 and the Korean Demilitarized Zone in 2019, becoming the first president to step foot on North Korean territory. None of the meetings resulted in any breakthroughs: North Korea kept its nukes, and the U.S. left sanctions that have isolated it from international markets in place. Kim Yo Jong is a top official on the Central Committee of the North’s ruling Workers’ Party and handles relations with the U.S. and South Korea. RUSSIA’S LAVROV WARNS US AGAINST ‘EXPLOITING’ ALLIANCES AS HE MEETS WITH KIM JONG UN IN NORTH KOREA Kim Yo Jong’s comments came after an article posted by Yonhap news agency cited an unnamed White House official as saying Trump “remains open to engaging with Leader Kim to achieve a fully denuclearized North Korea.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said last month Trump would like to see “progress” this term on the summits he held during the first term. In a statement commemorating the 72nd anniversary of the end of the Korean War on Monday, Trump said, “I was proud to become the first sitting President to cross this Demilitarized Zone into North Korea.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP He underscored the U.S. alliance with South Korea. “Although the evils of communism still persist in Asia, American and South Korean forces remain united in an ironclad alliance to this day.”
Mamdani’s rise, ‘vile hatred’ of US Jews the focus of ‘critical’ closed-door congressional huddle
EXCLUSIVE: Lawmakers on the House Homeland Security Committee met with stakeholders and law enforcement to address the rise of antisemitic violence in the U.S., during a closed-door congressional roundtable on July 22, Fox News Digital has learned. The roundtable comes amid growing concerns about antisemitic violence months after recent attacks in Boulder, Colorado, and Washington, D.C., along with growing fears surrounding the potential election of Zohran Mamdani, who has espoused anti-Israel viewpoints, as New York City mayor. “Jewish communities across the country are living in fear, and I am committed to standing with them. This roundtable comes at a critical moment: a far-left activist who has defended the phrase ‘globalize the intifada’ is inching closer to leading a city home to one of the world’s largest Jewish populations,” Rep. August Pfluger, the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee’s counterterrorism and intelligence subcommittee, said in his opening statement, obtained by Fox News Digital. BOULDER TERROR ATTACK RESULT OF ‘RECKLESS BIDEN POLICIES,’ WHITE HOUSE SAYS “Antisemitic and anti-Israel rhetoric is becoming dangerously mainstream. We must act now to expose and combat this vile hatred wherever it is spread,” Pfluger said. The roundtable focused on improving interagency coordination, intelligence sharing, training, and enforcement to better prevent and respond to antisemitic violence, according to a House Homeland Security Committee aide. In particular, the meeting addressed ways to bolster communication between the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, along with state and local law enforcement, according to Michael Masters, the CEO of the Secure Community Network, a non-profit organization focused on the safety of the Jewish community in North America. This interagency coordination is absolutely paramount as the Secure Community Network has flagged 500 credible threats to life this year – which all have required immediate law enforcement intervention, according to Masters. “Bad guys don’t respect orders. Bad actors don’t respect jurisdictions, and that means that our intelligence can’t be siloed,” Masters told Fox News Digital on Monday. SHOOTING AT CAPITAL JEWISH MUSEUM HIGHLIGHTS RISING WAVE OF ANTI-JEWISH HATE CRIMES Additionally, the roundtable’s discussion highlighted how extremist rhetoric can spread, especially on college campuses and via social media, the aide said. Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, student protests have erupted across college campuses in the U.S., including at Columbia University in New York. Likewise, those participating in the roundtable addressed the prevalence of homegrown and foreign-influenced extremism, when one participant highlighted instances where anti-Israel terrorist organizations have disseminated tool kits and talking points aimed at promoting attacks in the U.S., the committee aide said. The discussion is expected to inform legislative priorities centered around bolstering officer training, improving data collection, and ensuring “robust prosecution” of antisemitic offenses, the committee aide said. BIDEN DHS REVEALS 50 MIGRANTS STILL AT LARGE AS ISIS-AFFILIATED SMUGGLING NETWORK BRINGS HUNDREDS TO US Those who participated in the roundtable included representatives from the Secure Community Networks; the Anti-Defamation League, an organization dedicated to stopping the defamation of the Jewish people; the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence & Analysis; and law enforcement officials. Pfluger, a Republican from Texas, has spearheaded legislation that would bar any visa holders backing Hamas or other designated terror groups from staying in the U.S. He also led a hearing last month on the rise of antisemitic violence in the U.S., following a May shooting that killed two Israeli Embassy employees in Washington and a terrorist attack in Colorado targeting a grassroots group advocating for the release of Israeli hostages. Antisemitic violence reached a new high in 2024, according to the Anti-Defamation League. The group recorded 9,354 antisemitic instances of harassment, assault, and vandalism in the U.S. in 2024 – a 5% increase from the 8,873 incidents recorded in 2023 and a 344% increase in the past five years. Likewise, the number of incidents is the highest the group has recorded since 1979, when the group first started tracking these cases. Incidents of antisemitic violence in 2024 were highest in the state of New York, where Mamdani is currently a state assemblyman. Mamdani has attracted scrutiny, including from Democrats, for initially failing to condemn the term “globalize the intifada,” a phrase used to back Palestinian resistance against Israel. However, he has since said he will not use the term and will discourage others from using it as well. Still, concerns remain over what his potential leadership as mayor could mean for the Jewish community in New York City. Roughly 1.4 million people in the Greater New York Area identified as Jewish in 2023, according to UJA-Federation of New York. “There’s a lot of fear in the Jewish community if this guy becomes mayor,” New York City Republican councilwoman Inna Vernikov told Fox News Digital. “This is a guy who wants to globalize the intifada,” Vernikov said. “We’ve never seen anything close to this in New York City. We have the largest Jewish population in America, and I’ll tell you Jews are telling me they’re going to run away from New York City, and Jews have contributed a lot to the city and to this country, and the idea that they are now afraid to live here – it’s unacceptable and unprecedented really, this has never happened here.” Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
Trump backs NYPD after gunman kills off-duty officer in Manhattan office tower shooting
President Donald Trump voiced support for law enforcement agencies and said he has full faith in their ability to determine why a “crazed lunatic” opened fire in a Manhattan office tower on Monday that killed a New York City Police Department officer. “I have been briefed on the tragic shooting that took place in Manhattan, a place that I know and love,” Trump said in a social media post on Tuesday. “I trust our Law Enforcement Agencies to get to the bottom of why this crazed lunatic committed such a senseless act of violence. My heart is with the families of the four people who were killed, including the NYPD Officer, who made the ultimate sacrifice. God Bless the New York Police Department, and God Bless New York!” NYC GUNMAN APPEARED TO HAVE GRIEVANCE AGAINST NFL, WENT TO WRONG ELEVATOR BANK IN DEADLY RAMPAGE, MAYOR SAYS Authorities identified the gunman as Shane Tamura of Las Vegas, who died from a self-inflicted gun wound. A total of four other people were killed in the shooting, including New York Police Department Officer Didarul Islam, 36. Islam had been on the force for three-and-a-half years and is survived by his pregnant wife and two children. “He was doing the job that we asked him to do. He put himself in harm’s way. He made the ultimate sacrifice,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference on Monday. “He died as he lived. A hero.” NFL’S ROGER GOODELL PRAISES NYPD OFFICER WHO WAS KILLED IN NYC SHOOTING New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced on Tuesday that flags across the city would be lowered to half-staff to honor Islam. “As a mark of respect for the memory of NYPD Officer Didarul Islam who died in the line of duty and the multiple victims of the mass shooting in Midtown Manhattan at 345 Park Avenue yesterday, I’ve ordered all flags on all city buildings and stationary flagstaffs throughout the five boroughs to be lowered to half-staff until further notice.” “Officer Didarul Islam died as he lived, a hero and protector of New York City. We will never forget you,” Adams wrote in another post on X. ACTIVE SHOOTER REPORT PROMPTS MASSIVE POLICE RESPONSE IN MIDTOWN MANHATTAN BUSINESS DISTRICT Fox News’ Greg Norman and Christina Shaw contributed to this report.
Trump boasts he ‘stopped about five wars’ while opening new Scotland golf course, vows to work with Netanyahu
President Donald Trump touted his foreign policy achievements while visiting his newest Scottish golf course on Tuesday, a day after appearing to break with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s stance on food supply to Gaza. The president appeared before reporters at Trump International Golf Links near Aberdeen, Scotland, where he and his sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, opened a new golf course on Tuesday. “I look forward to playing it today. We’ll play it very quickly. And then I go back to D.C., and we put out fires all over the world,” Trump said before cutting the ribbon opening the new course in the village of Balmedie on Scotland’s northern coast. “We did one yesterday. You know, we stopped the war, but we stopped about five wars,” Trump said. “So that’s much more important than playing golf. As much as I like, it’s much more important.” “It’s going to be a special year, and it’s going to be a special decade. And we’re going to make all of our countries strong and great and really wonderful again,” Trump added. “And that’s happening, and it’s happening very fast.” EX-ISRAELI OFFICIAL OFFERS BOLD 2-PRONGED STRATEGY AS ‘THE ONLY WAY’ TO FREE HOSTAGES FROM HAMAS Amid U.S. pressure, Thailand and Cambodia reached a ceasefire agreement. The Trump administration has also claimed responsibility for stopping a nuclear escalation between India and Pakistan, averting conflict between Serbia and Kosovo and diffusing violence between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa. Earlier this year, Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen agreed to a ceasefire following U.S.-U.K. strikes. In late June, Trump ordered U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and infrastructure, which he claimed ended the Israel-Iran conflict in just 12 days, preventing greater loss of life. Meanwhile, the U.S. and Israel pulled their negotiators from ceasefire talks in Doha, Qatar, last week. Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said Hamas did not appear to be “coordinated or acting in good faith” to reach an agreement to return the remaining hostages taken in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel or to “create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza.” As the opening ceremony closed Tuesday, a reporter shouted a question at Trump, asking what the president would say next to Netanyahu. “We’re working together to try to get things straightened out for the world,” Trump said. Trump on Monday held a bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at another of his golf courses, Trump Turnberry in Girvan, Scotland. When reporters asked if he agreed with Netanyahu’s recent remarks about concerns of mass starvation in Gaza being overstated, he replied, “I don’t know. I mean, based on television, I would say not particularly, because those children look very hungry.” Trump has also insisted the U.S. did not receive enough credit for the aid already provided to Gaza, which Hamas terrorists control. The president is capping a five-day foreign trip designed around promoting his family’s luxury properties and playing golf. TRUMP PRAISES STARMER ON TURNING AROUND MIGRANT BOATS: ‘FANTASTIC THING’ Trump used his trip to meet with Starmer and reach a trade framework for tariffs between the U.S. and the European Union’s 27 member countries – though scores of key details remain to be hammered out. “We just signed a very big deal, as you know, with the European Union, but also with the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom was a week before, and it’s a very big deal and a great deal for the country. And it’s a great deal for everybody,” Trump said Tuesday. Trump had invited Starmer, who famously does not golf, aboard Air Force One so that the prime minister could get a private tour of his Aberdeen properties before Tuesday’s ceremonial opening. Billing itself the “Greatest 36 Holes in Golf,” the Trump International Golf Links, Scotland, was designed by Eric Trump. The course is hosting a PGA Seniors Championship event later this week, after Trump leaves. “These are very hard to build, and you won’t see them built anymore. You’ll probably never see another course built in the dunes, not dunes like this,” Trump said of the course on Tuesday. The new golf course will be the third owned by the Trump Organization in Scotland. Trump bought Turnberry in 2014 and owns another course near Aberdeen that opened in 2012. Trump honored Sarah Malone, the Executive Vice President of Trump International Golf Links Scotland, during Tuesday’s opening ceremony. Eric Trump said Malone “has truly become a member of our family” after 16 years overseeing the properties. The president’s late mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, was born on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland’s north and immigrated to New York. She died in 2000 at age 88. “We love Scotland. You know, my mother was born here and she loved it. She would come back here religiously once a year during the summers with my sister Marianne, and sometimes my sister Elizabeth. But they would come here religiously,” Trump said Tuesday. “Stornoway. That’s serious Scotland, by the way.” The president also thanked his daughter-in-law Lara Trump, who was on the new course with him Tuesday, for the work she did leading the Republican Party during the 2024 presidential election. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Trump’s assets are in a trust, and his sons are running the family business while he is in the White House. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
China may gain greater control of Panama Canal after BlackRock deal misses deadline
China may soon gain greater influence over the Panama Canal following the collapse of a proposed deal between U.S.-based BlackRock and Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison, which had initially sparked tensions with Beijing. The original agreement would have transferred control of dozens of international ports — including two in Panama — to a consortium involving BlackRock. The deal was reportedly welcomed by former President Donald Trump, who voiced support for reducing Chinese influence over the canal and even floated the idea of the U.S. “taking back” the strategic waterway. However, Beijing pushed back. China advocated for state-owned shipping giant Cosco to be included in the transaction, signaling its desire for a direct stake, not just an indirect one through the Hong Kong-based Hutchison, in the canal’s operations. Amid mounting pressure from China and the threat of an anti-monopoly investigation, CK Hutchison announced Monday that the exclusive negotiation window with BlackRock had expired. However, the company also signaled its openness to reconfiguring the deal. CHINA, HONG KONG THREATEN TO THWART SALE OF PANAMA CANAL PORTS TO AMERICA’S BLACKROCK It said it would “remain open to discussions with a view to inviting a major strategic investor from the [People’s Republic of China] to join as a significant member of the consortium.” According to the company, changes in deal structure and participant makeup are necessary to gain approval from “all relevant authorities.” The original $23 billion deal involved transferring ownership of 43 ports across 23 countries — including the two critical Panamanian ports located at either end of the canal in Balboa and Cristobal. CK Hutchison has operated both since 1997. The firm is owned by the family of Hong Kong’s wealthiest man, Li Ka-shing. China’s growing footprint in Latin American infrastructure has long raised bipartisan alarms in Washington. However, Trump stands out as the first modern U.S. president to suggest reclaiming the Panama Canal, which the U.S. completed in 1914 and handed over to Panama in 1999 under a treaty signed in 1977 during the Carter administration. CHINA’S BILLION-DOLLAR FOOTPRINT NEAR FLORIDA COAST POSES US NATIONAL SECURITY RISK, EXPERT WARNS “China is operating the Panama Canal, and we didn’t give it to China — we gave it to Panama — and we’re taking it back,” Trump recently declared. One analyst believes China may ultimately be excluded from the Panama port holdings while gaining control of most other assets in the larger deal. “China will insist this be the quid pro quo: that the other global ports have Cosco participation. And obviously, Cosco is already a major global port holder,” said Dane Chamorro, head of Global Risk Analysis at consulting firm Control Risks, in an interview with Fox News Digital. “From a U.S. perspective, they might say, ‘Okay, great—we got Hutchison, or China (since they tend to refer to them interchangeably), out of the two Panama ports.’ But in the long run, that may result in even more ports globally ending up in the hands of a Chinese state-owned entity.” If that happens, Cosco — through this broader consolidation — would become “far and away the dominant port owner and operator globally,” Chamorro said. “That aligns with the fact that China is the world’s largest trading economy, the largest manufacturing economy, and the largest shipbuilder.” Chamorro also noted that U.S. companies do not operate on the same global scale in the port industry as Chinese, Hong Kong or Singaporean firms. The failed Hutchison-BlackRock deal underscores the precarious position of Hong Kong businesses under growing pressure from Beijing to prioritize national loyalty — even when it threatens ties with Western partners. Meanwhile, Panama insists it retains full sovereignty over the canal itself and maintains that Hutchison’s operation of the port facilities does not grant China any influence over canal operations.