Boasberg grills DOJ over remarks from Trump, Noem, floats moving migrants to Gitmo in action-packed hearing
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg pressed Justice Department lawyers Wednesday evening over public comments President Donald Trump and other Cabinet officials made about deportation proceeding under the Alien Enemies Act— and floated the idea of moving some migrants to Guantanamo Bay. During the hearing, Boasberg specifically pressed Justice Department lawyers over statements made by Trump and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem about CECOT, the maximum-security prison in El Salvador where the U.S. has deported hundreds of migrants, as well as the White House’s ability to secure someone’s release. He asked specifically about Trump’s remarks in an interview with ABC News, in which Trump told ABC News that he “could” secure the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadorian man and alleged gang member, back to the U.S. from El Salvador if he chose to. “Is the president not telling the truth?” Boasberg asked Justice Department lawyer Abishek Kambl. “Or could he secure his release?” The question goes to the heart of whether El Salvador has custody of the deported migrants, a major question at the heart of the case. He also grilled Kambli over Noem’s comment that CECOT is “one of the tools in our toolkit the U.S. “can use” against individauls who “commit crimes against the American people,” and comments from as well as comments from White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt that the U.S. has provided $6 million dollars to El Salvador to house migrants at the infamous CECOT prison. In response, Kambli said these remarks sometimes “lack nuance.” WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S DEPORTATION EFFORTS? “That goes toward the president’s belief about the influence that he has.” “Influence does not equate to constructive custody.” Trump officials have sought to portray Boasberg, a high-profile judge in D.C., as the face of judicial overreach and today’s hearing could put him back in their crosshairs. Unlike the previous lawsuit heard by Boasberg in March, which sought to temporarily block Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to swiftly deport certain U.S. migrants, plaintiffs are asking the court to hear a larger request for more lasting relief. The preliminary injunction was filed as a class, and seeks to protect two classes of migrants: Detainees already removed from the U.S. to the infamous Salvadorian prison, as well as those still detained on U.S. soil at risk of imminent removal. TRUMP ADMIN SEEKS EMERGENCY RELIEF OF BOASBERG CONTEMPT THREAT Plaintiffs are seeking broader and more lasting relief for two sub-classes, or groups of individuals at risk of what they argue is “grave and irreparable harm” under the Alien Enemies Act. For U.S. detainees who could be removed under the law, plaintiffs asked for an order blocking their removal under AEA and requiring the Trump administration to provide them with at least 30 days notice before any planned removals – notice they said would be sufficient to allow them to challenge their removals in U.S. court. Migrants who were already deported to CECOT could face a trickier path to relief. TRUMP DEMANDS SUPREME COURT STEP IN AFTER FEDERAL JUDGES BLOCK HIS AGENDA: ‘THESE PEOPLE ARE LUNATICS’ Plaintiffs asked Boasberg in their amended request to order the Trump administration to not only facilitate the return of already deported migrants, but to take “all reasonable steps” to do so. This could include requiring the administration to request any contractors or agents in El Salvador to transfer the individuals from CECOT and into the “physical custody” of the U.S., they said. It’s unclear whether the Trump administration will take any steps to comply with the order, should Boasberg move to grant the injunctive relief plaintiffs are seeking. If their responses have been any indication, compliance in the near-term seems unlikely. 4 MORE DEMS TRAVEL TO EL SALVADOR TO PUSH FOR ABREGO GARCIA’S RETURN TO US The hearing comes as the Trump administration has grown increasingly defiant in the face of court orders to return migrants from CECOT back to the U.S. – including two migrants who were erroneously deported to the maximum security prison in March, and ordered back to the U.S. by two separate federal judges. The administration has refused to return them. So far, the Trump administration has not said whether it has returned any migrants deported from the U.S. to CECOT under the law. And the identities of these individuals can be difficult to track: To date, the Trump administration has not released a list of the names of individuals it has deported to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act‚ and the Salvadorian government has also shielded their identities from public disclosure. The administration’s growing resistance on the issue has sparked fresh concern from Trump critics and some court observers, who have cited fears that the administration could be testing their boundaries on executive branch authorities. Plaintiffs also cited fears of real harm to the migrants. They said in their filing that, absent injunctive relief, the Trump administration “will be free to send hundreds more individuals to the notorious Salvadoran prison, where they may be held incommunicado for the rest of their lives.”
Judge Boasberg to preside over new Alien Enemies Act lawsuit, teeing up high stakes court fight with Trump
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg will hear from Trump administration lawyers and the ACLU on Wednesday evening in a second court case focused on President Donald Trump‘s use of the 1789 Alien Enemies Act to deport certain migrants. Trump officials have sought to portray Boasberg, a high-profile judge in D.C., as the face of judicial overreach and today’s hearing could put him back in their crosshairs. Unlike the previous lawsuit heard by Boasberg in March, which sought to temporarily block Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to swiftly deport certain U.S. migrants, plaintiffs are asking the court to hear a larger request for more lasting relief. The preliminary injunction was filed as a class, and seeks to protect two classes of migrants: Detainees already removed from the U.S. to the infamous Salvadorian prison, as well as those still detained on U.S. soil at risk of imminent removal. WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S DEPORTATION EFFORTS? Plaintiffs are seeking broader and more lasting relief for two sub-classes, or groups of individuals at risk of what they argue is “grave and irreparable harm” under the Alien Enemies Act. For U.S. detainees who could be removed under the law, plaintiffs asked for an order blocking their removal under AEA and requiring the Trump administration to provide them with at least 30 days notice before any planned removals – notice they said would be sufficient to allow them to challenge their removals in U.S. court. Migrants who were already deported to CECOT could face a trickier path to relief. Plaintiffs asked Boasberg in their amended request to order the Trump administration to not only facilitate the return of already deported migrants, but to take “all reasonable steps” to do so. This could include requiring the administration to request any contractors or agents in El Salvador to transfer the individuals from CECOT and into the “physical custody” of the U.S., they said. It’s unclear whether the Trump administration will take any steps to comply with the order, should Boasberg move to grant the injunctive relief plaintiffs are seeking. If their responses have been any indication, compliance in the near-term seems unlikely. The hearing comes as the Trump administration has grown increasingly defiant in the face of court orders to return migrants from CECOT back to the U.S. – including two migrants who were erroneously deported to the maximum security prison in March, and ordered back to the U.S. by two separate federal judges. The administration has refused to return them. So far, the Trump administration has not said whether it has returned any migrants deported from the U.S. to CECOT under the law. And the identities of these individuals can be difficult to track: To date, the Trump administration has not released a list of the names of individuals it has deported to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act‚ and the Salvadorian government has also shielded their identities from public disclosure. The administration’s growing recalcitrance on the issue has sparked fresh concern from Trump critics and some court observers, who have cited fears that the administration could be testing their boundaries on executive branch authorities. Plaintiffs also cited fears of real harm to the migrants. They said in their filing that, absent injunctive relief, the Trump administration “will be free to send hundreds more individuals to the notorious Salvadoran prison, where they may be held incommunicado for the rest of their lives.”
Dems, GOP form rare alliance on youth homelessness bill as crisis impacts nation
More than 4 million youth and young-adult families face homelessness, statistics show, prompting rare bipartisan action in Congress to expand federal support and address the growing crisis. Sens. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., and Katie Britt, R-Ala., will introduce the Homeless Children & Youth Act on Wednesday, which is the former’s first piece of major bipartisan legislation in her short tenure since being sworn-in in January. Officials must ensure that children experiencing homelessness can get the support they need to exit that situation for good, Alsobrooks told Fox News Digital. “This legislation will begin to close the barrier to services for many young families and is a true action to one of my guiding principles: ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ No person deserves to experience homelessness, and HCYA is an important step in ending homelessness in our communities and breaking generational cycles,” she said. NEW LAW CLAMPS DOWN ON HOMELESS AS BLUE CITY ADVOCATE ADMITS THE ‘FRUSTRATION’ IS JUSTIFIED Britt added, “No child should be prevented from receiving the critical assistance they need,” and that the bill will “streamline” the definition of homelessness across all federal agencies. The bill seeks to better define homelessness in a federal context in order to provide fuller resources. In that current code, in some areas of government, it excludes counting youths who stay with people other than their parents or live in motel rooms as experiencing homelessness, while other federal programs consider them so. It would also “improve visibility and understanding” of the issue, as proponents said youth are often overlooked as a bloc of people that can face homelessness. By standardizing the definition of youth homelessness, and also opening up more federal resources to affected people, the bill will help communities break the cycle, proponents said. TRUMP SAYS DC MAYOR BOWSER MUST CLEAN UP HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS IN THE CAPITAL Youth homelessness has been an issue in the Washington, D.C., area, where Alsobrooks led a collar county for several years prior to defeating former Gov. Larry Hogan for her current seat. During her time as Prince George’s County executive, the county established the Youth Action Board, which aims to directly address the crisis from a young person’s perspective. In 2024, Alsobrooks credited the Department of Housing and Urban Development for an additional $2 million grant to assist organizations in Prince George’s that combat youth homelessness. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In nearby Frederick County, north of the nation’s capital, one homeless assistance group praised the legislation. “Programs like ours could serve these youth immediately upon experiencing homelessness,” Melissa Muntz of Student Homelessness Initiative Partnership of Frederick told Fox News Digital. “Shortening a young person’s period of homelessness by providing immediate support increases the likelihood that the youth will remain connected to school,” Muntz said. “We know that youth who do not graduate from high school are significantly more likely to experience homelessness as adults, making this an early intervention to prevent adult homelessness.” At least 15 other homelessness advocacy groups have also endorsed the act, according to its sponsors.
Undercover investigation: Planned Parenthood prescribing hormones to minors with minimal oversight
FIRST ON FOX: Undercover phone calls released today by pro-life activist group Live Action reveal that Planned Parenthood clinics across several states offer cross-sex hormonal treatments to minors as young as 16 with very little parental or medical supervision. The group is now calling on Congress to defund Planned Parenthood of hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer funding. Live Action conducted an undercover investigation in which a woman posing as a 16-year-old minor called dozens of Planned Parenthood locations seeking “gender-affirming care.” At least seven facilities told her they would prescribe cross-sex hormones at the first appointment. In several instances, Planned Parenthood assured the caller that she could choose to meet with a provider virtually and have access to cross-sex hormones as quickly as the same day, despite the person posing as a minor saying they had just begun considering changing her sex. Facilities in Minnesota and Oregon stated they could schedule the minor within days or on the same day. Five facilities stated that no prior therapy, mental health clearance or prior documentation was needed for her to obtain cross-sex hormones. ‘GENDER-AFFIRMING’ TREATMENTS DON’T BENEFIT YOUTH, SAYS PEDIATRICIANS GROUP: ‘IRREVERSIBLE CONSEQUENCES’ In addition to being the country’s largest abortion business, Planned Parenthood is also one of the leading distributors of sex-change drugs. Cross-sex hormonal treatments, such as taking either testosterone or estrogen, are meant to alter the body to exhibit characteristics to conform with a person’s “gender identity.” Besides altering the natural makeup and functions of the body, cross-sex hormonal treatments can result in several harmful side effects, including permanent infertility. Live Action President Lila Rose told Fox News Digital that the investigation exposes “a chilling reality” that “Planned Parenthood is fast-tracking vulnerable children into irreversible hormone treatments with almost no medical oversight.” “These dangerous drugs can sterilize, stunt growth and leave lifelong scars. This is not healthcare. It is child abuse, and it must be stopped,” she said. PLANNED PARENTHOOD UNDER INVESTIGATION BY JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OVER SALE OF FETAL TISSUE Live Action is calling on Congress to defund Planned Parenthood of all tax-dollar funding it receives from the federal government. “Planned Parenthood receives more than $700 million in taxpayer dollars every year. That is a catastrophe, and it must end,” said Rose. “It’s time for Congress and the president to act and defund this abusive corporation of the $700 million they receive from taxpayers every year.” This comes shortly after Fox News Digital reported that House Republicans are discussing measures that could potentially end federal funding of groups like Planned Parenthood as cost savings in their multitrillion-dollar bill advancing President Donald Trump‘s agenda. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Two sources close to the House Energy and Commerce Committee told Fox News Digital that the move was being floated as lawmakers look to find at least $1.5 trillion in spending cuts to offset the cost of Trump’s tax priorities. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said last week that Republicans would target “big abortion” in the budget reconciliation process. Planned Parenthood did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Trump says Tillis refusing US attorney nomination ‘disappointing’ as deadline for left-wing court action looms
President Donald Trump said it was “disappointing” that Republican North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis said he will not support the president’s nominee to serve as U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., Ed Martin. “It’s disappointing because, you know, I know that he’s very talented,” Trump said from the Oval Office Wednesday afternoon while taking questions from the media during a swearing-in ceremony for the U.S. ambassador to China, David Perdue. “Crime is down in Washington, D.C. Street crime, violent crime by 25%. And, that’s, people have seen they’ve noticed a big difference.” Tillis sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is overseeing the confirmation process of Martin. The nominee has served as interim U.S. attorney since Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration but is facing a May 20 deadline to be confirmed. Martin met with Senate lawmakers Monday, and Tillis told reporters Tuesday he wouldn’t support Martin, throwing the nomination into limbo on the committee that is composed of 12 Republicans and 10 Democrats. TILLIS PUTS ONUS ON TRUMP TO AVOID BOASBERG PICKING US ATTORNEY AFTER MARTIN’S NOMINATION APPEARS SUNK “I’ve indicated to the White House I wouldn’t support his nomination,” Tillis told reporters Tuesday. If an interim U.S. attorney is not confirmed by the Senate within 120 days, however, judges on the federal district court for that district could name a new interim U.S. attorney until the role is filled. Trump antagonist Judge James Boasberg, an Obama-appointed judge at the center of legal efforts targeting Trump’s deportation efforts, is the chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. “I didn’t know that. … I feel very badly about it,” Trump continued on Wednesday. “Only in the sense that, in this short period of time that he’s been there, crime is down 25% in Washington, D.C., but that’s really up to the senators. If they, you know, feel that way, they have to vote the way they vote, they have to follow their heart and they have to follow their mind.” When asked Tuesday if Tillis is comfortable with the left-wing court picking an interim U.S. attorney, his office told Fox News Digital it is the office’s understanding that Attorney General Pam Bondi can pick an acting replacement, bypassing involvement from federal judges. DEADLINE LOOMS ALLOWING LEFT-WING COURT TO SELECT US ATTORNEY AS STATE AGS URGE CONFIRMATION OF TRUMP PICK “Our understanding is that if the Senate does not confirm a U.S. attorney before an acting U.S. attorney’s term expires, the attorney general can still pick the next acting replacement as long as it is done before the original appointment expires under 28 USC 546,” a spokesman for Tillis’ office told Fox News Digital Tuesday. Tillis’ office referred Fox News Digital to 28 U.S. Code § 546, which says, “If an appointment expires under subsection (c)(2), the district court for such district may appoint a United States attorney to serve until the vacancy is filled. The order of appointment by the court shall be filed with the clerk of the court.” TRUMP NOMINATES JAN. 6 DEFENSE ATTORNEY FOR TOP PROSECUTOR ROLE IN DC Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Justice about the statute Wednesday, but did not immediately receive a reply. Martin previously worked as a defense attorney and represented Americans charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, which Tillis took issue with, he told reporters Tuesday. Trump granted clemency to more than 1,500 Jan. 6 criminal defendants upon taking office. TRUMP NOMINATES JUDGE TO SERVE AS NEXT US ATTORNEY FOR SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA “Mr. Martin did a good job of explaining the one area that I think he’s probably right, that there were some people that were over-prosecuted, but there were some, 200 or 300 of them that should have never gotten a pardon,” Tillis said. “If Mr. Martin were being put forth as a U.S. attorney for any district except the district where Jan. 6 happened, the protest happened, I’d probably support him, but not in this district.” Trump and his administration have rallied support for Martin as his confirmation process comes down to the wire. “His approval is IMPERATIVE in terms of doing all that has to be done to SAVE LIVES and to, MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN,” Trump wrote Monday on Truth Social. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Ed Martin will be a big player in doing so and, I hope, that the Republican Senators will make a commitment to his approval, which is now before them.”
MS-13, Tren de Aragua targeted for death blow in new GOP bill aimed at migrant crime
FIRST ON FOX: House Republicans introduced a bill Wednesday, the Punishing Illegal Immigrant Felons Act, which would dramatically increase penalties for criminal activity by illegal immigrants, something the bill’s sponsors believe can help deliver a death blow to organized crime by illegals in the U.S. Rep. Brad Knott, R-N.C., said the bill already has robust support in the House and that key members of the Trump administration have been very “supportive.” This comes as the Trump administration has moved quickly to lock down the border and begin arresting the “worst of the worst” illegal aliens present in the country. The Trump administration has promised to be “ruthlessly aggressive” in cracking down on illegal criminal groups endangering Americans. However, Knott, who introduced the bill Wednesday, told Fox News Digital that, from his experience as a prosecutor, he believes Congress must act quickly to secure the permanent changes needed to deter many of the hardened criminals who have made organized crime in the U.S. “big business.” NOEM CALLS FOR THE DEATH PENALTY FOLLOWING MARITIME HUMAN SMUGGLING ATTEMPT THAT LEFT CHILD DEAD “There is a very real set group of criminals that a wall and deportations alone is wholly insufficient to deter them from coming to the United States to commit crime,” Knott said. “I have prosecuted people who were deported more than ten times. Yet they come back exclusively to commit crime, whether that is human trafficking, whether it’s drug trafficking, whether it’s money laundering, you name it.” Knott said, up until now, there has been an “incentive” for criminals, including members of migrant gangs like MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, to come to the U.S. “because they are able to enrich themselves with very low risk of extreme cost.” “Two years is no deterrent,” he said. “I prosecuted cartel members, and if they got a 24-month sentence, a two-year sentence, it would not interrupt their criminal operation at all.” During his time as a federal prosecutor, Knott said, instances of illegal felons returning to commit more crimes after being deported were “too many to remember.” BLUE CITY MAYOR SAYS ICE ARRESTS OF DANGEROUS CRIMINALS ARE NOT ‘FOCUSED ON MAKING US SAFER’ “I talked to someone who was deported more than ten times … and I asked him, ‘Why do you keep coming back to the United States?’ And he was very candid with me. He said, ‘Why wouldn’t I?’” Knott shared. “He could make more money. He could operate in a country that was safer. People were nice. He could enrich himself while poisoning the children that he would sell drugs to. “This bill in large part closes that gap in the law,” he explained. “It categorizes illegal aliens who commit crimes in a wholly different category.” If passed and signed into law, Knott’s bill would increase the punishment for any crime committed by an illegal alien that is punishable by more than one year from a maximum of two years to a minimum of five years. Illegals who are removed and then reenter the country illegally can also face up to ten years in prison under the law. ‘OFF OUR STREETS’: ICE MAKES MAJOR ARREST OF INTERNATIONALLY WANTED ‘SUSPECTED TERRORIST’ For illegal felons who have been previously removed from the country and returned again to commit more crimes, the bill would increase the punishment to a minimum of ten years and up to life in prison. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE Knott explained that the bill still leaves flexibility to federal authorities, leaving the option of deportation on the table while simultaneously increasing the legal penalties available to erase the incentives for illegally entering the country to commit crimes. He said ” flexibility is what law enforcement needs to really combat this on a person-by-person basis.” 11 ALLEGED TEEN TREN DE ARAGUA GANG MEMBERS ATTACK NYPD OFFICERS: POLICE “The wall is important. Deportations are important, and we must maintain those. But we also must close the gap in the law so that, regardless of who’s president, we have the tools to fight the illegal immigrant criminals who inflict so much pain on this country,” said Knott. “Immigration should be a net benefit to our country,” he added. “If we don’t punish those who want to come here to commit crimes, we will never have a healthy immigration system again. If we don’t fix this problem now, we might not have the chance to do it.“
Biden admin prioritized ‘social engineering’ over air traffic safety, House aviation chair says
The chairman of the House’s Aviation Safety Caucus is accusing the former Biden administration of helping fuel the current air traffic control (ATC) crisis, by its choice to fund progressive diversity initiatives instead of modernizing the aging system. Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital that the former administration’s marquee bill, the bipartisan infrastructure bill, was among several “missed opportunities” to fund a revamp of the ATC system. “That was before I came to Congress, but, you know, you had just mistaken priorities in that, all this DEI policy, DEI staffing, that all got baked into the cake,” Langworthy said. “They could have taken that money and spent it on real modernization of what is critical infrastructure in this country.” “We had the longest period of incident-free aviation in this country’s history, where we didn’t have a commercial air crash from the time the crash happened in Buffalo, in my district, back in 2009, to just this year, and what happened at [Ronald Reagan Airport]. And it was avoidable.” HIDDEN REAL ID HASSLES FACING AIRLINE TRAVELERS AND STATES TO AVOID It comes after a blackout at Newark Liberty International Airport reportedly caused a roughly 90-second outage to its air traffic control screens. And earlier this year, a military helicopter collided with a passenger plane coming from Wichita, Kansas, in a deadly incident just off the shores of the nation’s capital. Langworthy clarified that he does not believe DEI policies “necessarily” directly hit ATC. “It’s what they spent the money [on]. I mean, you know, there’s infrastructure projects, ones in my backyard, where they want to bury and tunnel over our main artery in the town because it’s going to reunite a community somehow,” he said. MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE “Aviation is infrastructure. It’s transportation. It should have been spent then. Instead, they did all this social engineering with money and didn’t focus on what has been a glaring problem for the federal government for many years, modernizing our aviation infrastructure.” Part of the bipartisan infrastructure bill allocated $25 billion over five years to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), specifically for modernization. But lawmakers now believe that was not enough. Republicans’ plans for President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” via the budget reconciliation process include $12 billion for air traffic control modernization, specifically. During visits with air traffic controllers in his own upstate New York district, Langworthy said the message was simple but critical: “We need more bodies.” “We should be promoting this to young people that want to look at career service in the government. And it comes with a very competitive salary,” Langworthy said. “But it’s a tough job with a lot of hours. And you know, there’s always gonna be stress involved, but we have to prioritize it and not just take it for granted.” Langworthy said he would help push for as much funding as needed to meet the issue. “I will absolutely lead the fight for [Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy] and the president on their plan to modernize our aircraft,” he vowed. “When Secretary Duffy and the president roll this out as a spending priority, we have to frontload this process. We have to get them the resources that they need to get this done, because the flying public – everyone’s lives hang in the balance on this.”
Trump offers to help India, Pakistan amid growing conflict: ‘I want to see them stop’
President Donald Trump wants India and Pakistan to cease fighting and is open to helping both countries broker a peace agreement, following strikes from India against Pakistan early Wednesday. India launched missiles against at least nine sites “where terrorist attacks against India have been planned,” according to India’s Defense Ministry. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s military reported that the strikes killed at least 26 people — including women and children — and claimed the strikes amounted to an “act of war.” “Oh, it’s so terrible. My position is, I get along with both,” Trump told reporters Wednesday. “I know both very well, and I want to see them work it out. I want to see them stop. And hopefully they can stop now. They’ve got a tit for tat, so hopefully they can stop now. But I know both. We get along with both countries very well. Good relationships with both. And I want to see it stop. And if I can do anything to help I will. I will be there as well.” The Associated Press, Fox News’ Greg Wehner and Nick Kalman contributed to this report. This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
Pivotal trade talks with Beijing loom as Trump swears in new US ambassador to China: ‘What timing’
Former Georgia Republican Sen. David Perdue was sworn in as U.S. ambassador to China Wednesday, with President Donald Trump remarking on the timing of the ceremony as trade talks between the two nations are set to kick off. “We’re swearing in our next ambassador to the People’s Republic of China. What timing, David. What timing? Only you could have picked this timing,” Trump quipped as Secretary of State Marco Rubio prepared to swear Perdue in. The Senate confirmed Perdue April 29 in a 67–29 vote. His swearing-in ceremony comes as China and the U.S. are set to begin trade talks following Trump’s tariffs on the nation in recent months. “Our new ambassador brings to this position a lifetime of experience at the highest levels of business and politics,” Trump said. “And he is at the highest level. Over four decades in business, he rose to lead several major American corporations, including as the president and CEO of the footwear giant Reebok, where he did very well and did a great job. And later the CEO of Dollar General. Likewise, he did a great job. David also lived and worked in Singapore and Hong Kong for several years, developing a wealth of experience negotiating and doing tremendous business deals for lots of different leaders that he worked with.” SCOTT BESSENT SAYS US DOESN’T WANT TO DECOUPLE FROM CHINA AHEAD OF SCHEDULED MEETING WITH CHINESE COUNTERPART Trump told Perdue to “say hello to President Xi when you’re over there.” The Trump administration has leveled tariffs as high as 145% on Chinese goods as the president looks to bring parity to the nation’s chronic trade deficit with foreign countries. Trump paused his April 2 reciprocal tariff plan on dozens of nations in April as countries called on the administration to make trade deals, but he upped the ante on China as the country rebuked Trump’s trade policies with tariffs of its own, including 125% duty taxes on U.S. goods. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are scheduled to meet with their Chinese counterparts over the weekend in Switzerland to discuss economic matters, Bessent said on Fox News Tuesday. CHINA’S ECONOMIC WOES THREATEN REAL WAR AMID TARIFF BATTLE “We have shared interests,” Bessent said. “This isn’t sustainable, as I said before, especially on the Chinese side – and, you know, 145%, 125% is the equivalent of an embargo. We don’t want to decouple – what we want is fair trade.” China’s Ministry of Commerce said Friday that officials were “evaluating” an offer from the Trump administration to hold trade talks on the 145% U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods. “The U.S. has recently taken the initiative on many occasions to convey information to China through relevant parties, saying it hopes to talk with China,” the statement said, according to Reuters. US OFFICIALS TO MEET WITH CHINESE COUNTERPARTS IN SWITZERLAND AMID TRADE WAR “Attempting to use talks as a pretext to engage in coercion and extortion would not work,” the statement added. Trump and the administration have previously said they were willing to hold trade negotiations with China, including the president saying April 8, “We are waiting for their call. It will happen.” Trump continued during the ceremony that Perdue would help lead the charge to end the flow of the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl into the U.S., an issue Trump has railed against while leveraging tariffs on China to end the illegal drugs from entering the U.S. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “They have to stop fentanyl from coming in,” Trump said. “And that’ll be a very big part. And I had that understanding with President Xi before I left, last time. And we had a deal, and he would have honored the deal. But when Biden came in, of course, nothing ever happened with him. He didn’t know what the hell he was doing. But that would have saved a lot of lives, that election cost us a lot of lives and a lot of heartache. The fact that we went through four years of misery, and you look at what’s coming through the border and the job of getting murderers out of our country, so many, so many bad things happened.” Fox News Digital’s Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.
Blue state governor vows ‘resistance’ as Trump admin targets sanctuary policies
Gov. J.B. Pritzker, D-Ill., promised President Donald Trump‘s administration “resistance” on Wednesday following Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s immigration press conference near the Governor’s Mansion in Springfield, Illinois. “Secretary Noem must have not realized she was visiting during Latino Unity Day where we come together to celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of our community,” Pritzker said in a press release. “Today, Secretary Noem was met by a force stronger than her: the people of Illinois. Illinoisans are sending a clear message to Trump’s lackeys that we will not let you mess with us without a resistance.” Noem hosted the Illinois press conference “to call out the state’s sanctuary policies that undermine the rule of law and endanger fellow Americans,” urging Pritzker and his fellow Illinois Democrats to “abandon these dangerous sanctuary policies” and “return to law and order.” Noem was joined by two “Angel Families,” who had family members killed by illegal immigrants in Illinois. DEM GOVERNOR BLASTS TRUMP, MUSK IN NEW ATTACK CAMPAIGN AS 2028 BUZZ GROWS Fox News reported at least two dozen protesters were shouting and holding up signs during Noem’s press conference. Before the press conference began, the location was changed to the site where a woman was allegedly killed by a noncitizen. “Unlike Donald Trump and Kristi Noem, Illinois follows the law,” Pritzker fired back after Noem’s press conference. POTENTIAL 2028 HOPEFUL ACCUSED OF ‘INCITING VIOLENCE’ AFTER CALL FOR ‘MASS PROTESTS’ AGAINST TRUMP While Noem raged against Pritzker’s policies, the Illinois governor and potential 2028 presidential contender, who has stood out among the Democratic Party as a vocal opponent to Trump’s second term, accused the Trump administration of violating due process with their illegal immigration crackdown. “The Trump administration is violating the United States Constitution, denying people due process, and disappearing law-abiding neighbors, including children who are U.S. citizens. Yet, they are taking no real action to promote public safety and deport violent criminals within the clear and defined legal process,” Priztker said. Pritzker continued his streak of speaking out against the Trump administration as their latest contention found its way to his backyard on Wednesday. “Trump-Noem publicity stunts do not make our communities safer or our immigration system smarter,” Pritzker said. Ahead of Noem’s visit, Pritzker trolled the Homeland Security secretary in an apparent dig for once killing a dog, as outlined in her book released last year when she was still the governor of South Dakota. “We would urge all pet owners in the region to make sure all of your beloved animals are under watchful protection while the Secretary is in the region,” Pritzker’s office wrote in a statement to reporters. The Department of Homeland Security responded to Pritzker’s press release in a statement to Fox News Digital. “What’s unlawful and unconstitutional is Governor Pritzker’s sanctuary city laws that embolden violent criminal illegal aliens that victimize and kill Americans.” Fox News’ Olivianna Calmes contributed to this report.