Judge’s swift arrest for illegal’s courtroom escape contrasts with Biden DOJ handling of similar case in 2022
A Massachusetts judge who allegedly let a twice-deported illegal immigrant evade ICE capture in 2018 is now facing the prospect of removal from the bench six years after federal charges were first filed against her and three years after those charges were dropped by the Biden administration. By contrast, the Trump administration swiftly arrested a judge in Wisconsin for committing a similar offense just a week after the incident. Judge Shelley Joseph of the Boston Municipal Court is facing charges of “willful judicial misconduct” for allowing illegal immigrant Jose Medina-Perez to slip out a side door to avoid ICE in April 2018, according to the Boston Herald. She was originally charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice in 2018 by Trump-appointed then-U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling. However, in 2022, the Biden Department of Justice agreed to drop the charges against Joseph after she agreed to refer herself to the Massachusetts Commission on Judicial Conduct. That state commission did not file charges for disciplinary action against Joseph until late in 2024, with her hearing date set for June 9. VANCE REVEALS ‘EMPOWERING’ ASPECTS OF TRUMP’S LEADERSHIP THAT ENABLES ‘TRUST’ AND SQUASHES ‘TURF BATTLES’ Joseph’s case stands in stark contrast with the swift actions of the Trump administration to punish Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan, who is also alleged to have facilitated a courtroom escape for an illegal immigrant. According to charges filed in the Supreme Court of Wisconsin, Dugan allowed illegal immigrant Eduardo Flores-Ruiz to exit her court via a restricted door after federal agents arrived to arrest him on April 18. Dugan demanded that the federal officers proceed to the chief judge’s office and, after his hearing ended, escorted Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out a restricted jury door, bypassing the public area where agents were waiting in order to help him avoid arrest, per the complaint. Just a week after this incident, Dugan was arrested by the FBI and charged with federal charges of felony obstruction of a federal agency and concealing a person to help them avoid arrest, which is a misdemeanor. NEW RESISTANCE BATTLING TRUMP’S SECOND TERM THROUGH ONSLAUGHT OF LAWSUITS TAKING AIM AT EOS Dugan is currently prohibited from exercising her judicial powers and will remain barred pending further order by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Attorney General Pam Bondi blasted Dugan’s actions on Fox’s “America Reports.” “We could not believe that a judge really did that,” Bondi said. “You cannot obstruct a criminal case. And really, shame on her. It was a domestic violence case of all cases, and she’s protecting a criminal defendant over victims of crime.” Bondi said Flores-Ruiz beat up two people, “a guy and a girl.” “[He] beat the guy, hit the guy 30 times, knocked him to the ground, choked him, beat up a woman so badly; they both had to go to the hospital,” she said. Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
DOGE says it’s referred dozens of potential voter fraud cases to DOJ
DOGE has referred 57 cases of potential voter fraud to the U.S. Justice Department, a DOGE official noted, Fox News Digital has reported. Antonio Gracias noted that the individuals were “resident aliens who were registered to vote and may or may not have voted in elections,” according to NBC News. In a statement to Fox News Digital on Thursday, a DOJ spokesperson noted, “DOGE has assisted agencies and departments in identifying potential cases of fraud which have been referred to the Department of Justice. DOGE is working closely with DOJ to identify potential fraud.” ELON MUSK RECEIVES APPLAUSE FROM CABINET AS HE BEGINS PLANNED DEPARTURE FROM DOGE ROLE Fox News Digital was invited, along with a small group of reporters, to have an on-the-record discussion with Elon Musk in the White House’s Roosevelt Room on Wednesday evening. “The wheels of justice turn slowly but, hopefully, surely,” Elon Musk said. “When we find cases of fraud, we refer those cases to the DOJ — it is not DOGE prosecuting anyone.” ICE CREAM FROM TRUMP AND A ‘COMICALLY TINY OFFICE’: INSIDE ELON MUSK’S WILD 3 MONTHS GETTING DOGE ROLLING Musk, the hard-charging business tycoon who has been spearheading the DOGE initiative, has indicated that he plans to spend less time on the effort going forward. “Not stepping down, just reducing time allocation now that @DOGE is established,” he noted in a post on X last week. “The federal government is a gigantic beast — very complicated — and so if you’re trying to figure out how to stop waste and fraud, you’ve got to map the territory,” Musk said on Wednesday. “That required three months of intense effort, and you have to build the team as well.” SCOOP: DOGE CAUCUS PLANS WHITE HOUSE MEETING AS ELON MUSK PREPS TO STEP BACK “A new administration is like a start-up,” Musk continued. “Now, we’re getting more of a rhythm and so the amount of time necessary for me to spend here is much less and I can return to primarily running my companies, which do need me.”
‘Bad for parents’: School choice supporters protest exclusion of religious charter in Supreme Court case
Dozens of school choice advocates gathered outside the Supreme Court Wednesday as justices weighed whether public funds could go directly to religious charter schools. The protesters rallied and held signs that said “all students, all options, all dollars” and “free to learn,” as they advocated for expanded access to alternatives to traditional public schools, especially for students who struggle in those settings. The case, St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School v. Drummond, challenges a ruling by the Oklahoma Supreme Court that struck down a contract establishing St. Isidore – a publicly funded, Catholic online school – as a violation of state and federal law. Now before the U.S. Supreme Court, advocates argue that excluding religious schools from state-run charter programs amounts to unconstitutional discrimination. “The court has time and time again said that the Free Exercise Clause demands that the government treat religious and secular organizations the same, and that’s not what happened here. The state excluded St. Isidore simply because of its religious character, that’s wrong and bad for parents,” said Kate Anderson, an attorney at ADF working on the case. LIBERAL SUPREME COURT JUSTICES GRILL RELIGIOUS INSTITUTION IN LANDMARK SCHOOL CHOICE CASE For students like Contina Jones’ son, public schools are not always a good fit. “He was very sad, very emotional every day, he was overstimulated, teachers were in and out, and I needed something that was able to cater to how my son learns,” said Jones, a Mississippi resident who joined the crowd outside the court. “Every child, regardless of zip code, should be able to go to a school that is for them for their families.” The justices are being asked to weigh whether a religious charter school is entitled to the same treatment and funding as a secular one – a question that could redefine how states draw the line between church and state in public education. “Charter schools are not public schools in the same way as traditional ones,” said Thomas Fisher, executive vice president of EdChoice. “They’re designed to have curricula other than what public schools provide. The First Amendment protects their free exercise and doesn’t prohibit them from exercising their religion.” At issue is whether the school should be considered a public school – which have largely been considered as extensions of the state government, and required to be nonreligious under the Establishment Clause – or whether it should be considered private entities or contractors. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, a Republican who is running for governor, filed the lawsuit against the school, stating that the establishment of St. Isidore would violate both the Oklahoma Constitution and the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Public funds should not be used to support religious institutions, he emphasized, asserting that such a move could set a dangerous precedent for government endorsement of religion. SUPREME COURT TO HEAR ARGUMENTS ON SCHOOL CHOICE CASE INVOLVING CATHOLIC CHARTER SCHOOL The Oklahoma Supreme Court agreed with Drummond’s assessment, ruling that charter schools are public entities and must remain nonsectarian. The court’s decision highlighted concerns that approving St. Isidore as a religious charter school could lead to state-sponsored religious indoctrination, undermining the neutrality of public education. “The key here is that this school is its own school. This school is not a state school – it’s a charter school. It has the ability to set its own curriculum,” added John Tidwell, Oklahoma state director of Americans for Prosperity. He called the case a “great test to see what the opportunity is for similar schools all across the country.” “We’re really excited by this opportunity.” Erika Donalds, chair of America First Policy Institute’s Center for Education Opportunity, echoed the sentiment, framing the case as a potential expansion of “the free market of education.” “St. Isidore is just one example of many high-quality options that are out there that could be chartered for families,” Donalds said. “The Supreme Court has struck down discrimination against religious institutions in other contexts. If they can offer high-quality education, families should be able to access those options with public funds.” Donalds emphasized that the choice remains with families. “Parents are not required to choose a religiously affiliated charter school, but they should have the option to do so — so long as financial and academic accountability measures are met.” She also pointed to bipartisan support for school choice nationwide. “We’ve seen polling that shows 70% of Republicans, nearly 70% of Democrats, and Independents all support school choice. This movement has momentum, and it’s not going to stop.” The court’s ruling, expected by the end of June, could have sweeping implications for charter school policy and religious liberty jurisprudence across the country, and comes at a time when 45 U.S. states currently authorize charter schools. Fox News’ Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.
‘Woke’ hospital could be in crosshairs of Trump admin after scathing complaint alleges DEI discrimination
FIRST ON FOX: A pro-Trump legal nonprofit has filed an official complaint with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) calling for an investigation into diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices at a prominent Midwest hospital system following a Fox News Digital report on criticism of those policies. The complaint, which was filed by America First Legal (AFL) to the Civil Rights Office of HHS, charges that Henry Ford Health (HFH) has “implemented and institutionalized an organization of race- and sex-based discrimination under the banner of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (“DEI”) across its operations, including its employment practices, residency programs, and delivery of patient services.” The complaint comes after Consumers’ Research, a leading nonprofit dedicated to consumer information, launched an ad campaign alleging the hospital’s DEI policies and transgender treatment for children had put “politics over patients,” Fox News Digital exclusively reported. The AFL is demanding an “immediate investigation,” as it accuses HFH of using federal dollars to promote DEI initiatives, including racial quotas in their hiring practice, prioritizing organ transplants based on race, elevating “identity-restricted” students for medical scholarships and awarding supplier contracts based on race and gender. TRUMP’S CRACKDOWN ON HARVARD, ‘WOKE’ COLLEGES WILL TAKE MORE THAN 100 DAYS TO LEAVE LASTING REFORM: PROFESSOR “Failure to act in the face of such egregious and well-documented violations would not only signal tolerance of unlawful discrimination but would undermine the federal government’s duty to ensure that taxpayer dollars are not used to advance unconstitutional or ideologically driven practices,” the AFL wrote in the complaint. MAJOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER ACCUSED OF HIDING DEI PROGRAMS, INFLUENTIAL SENATOR CALLS THEM OUT The complaint accuses HFH of violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, gender or national origin, and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, which prohibits such discrimination within the healthcare industry. The AFL also alleges that HFH is violating President Donald Trump‘s executive order signed this year that bans federal support for DEI mandates. “Since 2021, HFH has received nearly $1 billion in federally obligated awards containing DEI-related provisions that embed race and sex-based priorities into clinical, research, and administrative functions. These awards show that HFH operates federally funded programs that affirmatively integrate DEI into its internal governance, recruitment, clinical decision-making, and service delivery,” the AFL said. The complaint described HFH’s “discriminatory programs and practices” as “flagrant, ongoing, and systematic violations of non-discrimination mandates” and an “unlawful misuse of federal taxpayer funds.” In addition to a formal investigation into HFH’s alleged violations, the AFL is requesting a compliance review of all HHS-funded programs, a suspension of all race- and sex-based policies and practices, revised HFH plans to comply with “federal civil rights law,” legal and administrative penalties for noncompliance and referral of “any potentially unlawful conduct” to federal enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office of Inspector General. The AFL described the Midwest hospital as perpetrating a “sweeping, deliberate, and ongoing pattern of discriminatory practices by a major healthcare institution receiving significant federal support.” The complaint is addressed to leading Trump Cabinet members, including HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Attorney General Pam Bondi, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. It also addresses Department of Justice Civil Rights Chief Harmeet K. Dillon, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Chair Andrea R. Lucas, Director of Office of Federal Operations at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Carlton M. Hadden and Senior Bureau Official at the Department of State Riley M. Barnes. “Henry Ford Health is prioritizing politics over patients,” Will Hild, Consumers’ Research executive director, told Fox News Digital this month during the advertising campaign launch. “Driven by gender ideology, Henry Ford has continued performing deeply harmful and irreversible sex-change treatments on children and must be stopped… Consumers’ Research will continue to put these hospitals on blast for putting a woke agenda over patient care.” Consumers’ Research targeted the Detroit hospital with a campaign earlier this month called “Ford Health Exposed” that included a website spotlighting its “discriminatory practices” that it said included “administering harmful transgender treatments on kids, and prioritizing a radical climate agenda.” The Henry Ford Health website is littered with examples of “woke” ideology being promoted, including DEI, which the hospital admitted on its website is “woven into the fabric of everything we do.” “Diversity always will be the foundation on which Henry Ford Health stands,” the organization’s website states. The website also openly promotes its use of “unconscious bias training” as well as Employee Resource Groups to promote its “diversity” agenda that it says will “enhance the quality of care and comfort for each person that we serve.” TOP US HOSPITAL HIT WITH SCATHING AD CAMPAIGN OVER ‘EXTREME WOKE’ AGENDA: ‘POLITICS OVER PATIENTS’ CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The healthcare system also promotes what it describes on its website as “supplier diversity,” where it prioritizes working with businesses that are at least 51% owned by LGBTQ+ persons or certain minority categories. “Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are simply not enough,” Kimberlydawn Wisdom, senior vice president of community health and equity and chief wellness and diversity officer at Henry Ford Health, said in a 2021 newsletter posted on the provider’s website. An HHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the department “does not comment on potential or active investigations.” In a statement to Fox News Digital, a Henry Ford Health spokesperson said, “Henry Ford Health respects and fully complies with all state and federal anti-discrimination laws.” “For more than a century, Henry Ford Health has been fully committed to serving Michigan’s richly diverse communities, providing health care services and employment opportunities to everyone. Our commitment to non-discrimination remains steadfast,” the spokesperson continued.
Former Air Force major who defied Biden vaccine mandate speaks out, applauds Hegseth
A 16-year veteran and former Air Force major who voluntarily left the military after she refused to receive the COVID-19 vaccination under President Biden’s 2021 executive order commended Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Trump administration’s actions to undo the effects of the controversial mandate. Kacy Dixon, a former intelligence officer and judge advocate officer (JAG), was pregnant at the time the Biden administration issued the executive order mandating active duty service members to get vaccinated against COVID-19. “I’ve spent my whole adult life in the military,” Dixon told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. “I’ve gotten tons of vaccines, you know, smallpox, anthrax, without really a second thought. But because of my pregnancy, I had second thoughts about [the COVID-19 vaccine].” COVID VACCINE BOOSTERS CALLED INTO QUESTION BY FDA CHIEF: ‘VOID OF DATA’ While the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended the vaccine for pregnant women, Dixon said her doctor at the time told her that “because the vaccines had been produced so quickly and were still under emergency use authorization, pregnant women had not been included in the clinical trials.” She ultimately decided against getting the shots. The vaccine mandate, which lasted until January 2023, cost the U.S. military an estimated 8,700 service members just months before Russia invaded Ukraine. Many members of the military applied for exemptions, but few were granted. Most service members were honorably discharged, generally discharged, or discharged under other than honorable conditions (UOTHC). “This mandate devastated our military in many ways. In terms of morale, there were many service members who were aware of this legal issue, who knew that this was an unlawful order,” Dixon explained. “You don’t follow unlawful orders. You have an affirmative duty not to follow unlawful orders, and service members who tried to uphold their oaths and do that lost their livelihoods, lost their careers.” HEGSETH SAYS HE’S UNDOING ‘SOCIAL JUSTICE/BIDEN INITIATIVE’ THAT TRUMP SIGNED INTO LAW In the first week of his presidency, Donald Trump signed an executive order to begin the process of reinstating military service men and women. During President Trump’s inaugural speech, he pledged “full payback” for those who were forced out of the U.S. military. Hegseth delivered remarks last week on the continued effort to enforce the president’s executive order. “We all know that the previous administration issued unlawful orders on mandatory vaccines on an experimental vaccine, COVID-19,” Hegseth explained. “We’re doing everything we can, as quickly as we can, to reinstate those who are affected by that policy.” Hegseth signed a memorandum last week “that directs the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness to provide additional guidance to the boards that are reviewing these cases.” Kacy Dixon applauded Hegseth for recognizing the “unlawful” nature of the military mandate. “It has been very heartening to have the secretary speak so candidly about this issue to acknowledge that these vaccines were experimental when used on our service members,” Dixon told Fox. Noting that the attitude of the DOD “has been a big morale boost.” U.S. lawmakers also weighed in on the administration’s efforts to provide support for the thousands of service members whose lives were upended as a result of the mandate. HEGSETH SIGNS ‘NO MORE WALKING ON EGGSHELLS’ POLICY, DEMANDS REVIEW OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY COMPLAINT PROCESS “The Biden military vaccine mandate was a destructive mistake that ruined troop morale, negated force readiness, and destroyed the lives of so many of our best and bravest — and their families,” Congressman Darrell Issa, R-California, told Fox News Digital. “Secretary Hegseth is demonstrating true leadership and working to repair the damage that was done. At this crossroads moment, he is choosing duty, honor, and country over divisive, partisan politics.” While the wheels are in motion to reverse the damaging effects of the mandate. Dixon pointed out that service men and women who decide to reenter the military will now be years behind in rank from their former colleagues. Additionally, the logistics of reinstating military members may also be a challenge for the DOD. Andrew Cherkasy, co-founder of Golden Law, Inc. and former Air Force JAG, told Fox News Digital that “Secretary Hegseth is trying to undo one of the greatest political attacks on our troops in America’s history.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “I’ve seen countless outstanding service members be discharged after COVID refusals,” Cherkasky added. “The most difficult challenge for Hegseth will be reversing the discharges of those that were kicked out not directly due to the vaccine refusal but rather for misconduct surrounding their refusal.”
Hunter Biden drops lawsuit against IRS, which whistleblowers say ‘tells you everything you need to know’
Hunter Biden on Wednesday dropped the lawsuit he filed against two Internal Revenue Service whistle-blowers in September 2023. Biden’s attorneys brought a motion in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to dismiss the lawsuit with prejudice, meaning the case cannot be brought again in any court. The lawsuit, initially filed by the former first son two years ago, alleged that IRS Special Agent Gary Shapley and IRS Criminal Investigator Joseph Ziegler had “targeted and sought to embarrass” Biden through statements to the media disclosing the details of the tax matters of a “private citizen.” HUNTER BIDEN SUES IRS, ALLEGES AGENTS TRIED TO ‘TARGET’ AND ‘EMBARRASS’ HIM Shapley and Zielger had testified before the House Oversight Committee earlier that year, saying they faced various limitations when tasked with investigating former President Joe Biden’s son. “It’s always been clear that the lawsuit was an attempt to intimidate us,” Shapley and Zielger said in a statement after Hunter Biden dropped the case, according to the New York Post. “Intimidation and retaliation were never going to work. We truly wanted our day in court to provide the complete story, but it appears Mr. Biden was afraid to actually fight this case in a court of law after all.” “His voluntary dismissal of the case tells you everything you need to know about who was right and who was wrong,” they added. Lawyers for the two whistle-blowers first emphasized how Hunter Biden “dismissed his case with prejudice – meaning he can never bring it again,” and did so “in exchange for nothing at all.” “Hunter Biden brought this lawsuit against two honorable federal agents in retaliation for blowing the whistle on the preferential treatment he was given,” the attorneys said, according to the Post. HUNTER BIDEN PLEA DEAL APPEARS TO FALL APART AT COURT HEARING Four of Hunter Biden’s attorneys – Abbe David Lowell, Christopher Man, David Kolansky and Isabella Oishi – moved to withdraw as the former first son’s counsel about a month ago. The Justice Department had been investigating Hunter Biden for several years for possible tax crimes when Shapley’s lawyers sent a letter to Congress alleging “irregularities” in the DOJ handling of the investigation, and he sat down with CBS News in May 2023 about his decision to blow the whistle. Hunter Biden’s plea deal, which would have granted him broad immunity from prosection in exchange for admitting guilt to two misdemeanor tax counts, fell apart during a July 2023 federal court hearing in Delaware. Hunter Biden later pleaded guilty in September 2024 to all nine federal tax charges brought against him by special counsel David Weiss. It was determined that Biden failed to pay $1.4 million in taxes from 2016 to 2019. He later paid it back. In December, former President Biden granted his son a sweeping pardon, granting Hunter clemency from all crimes he “has committed or may have committed” over the past decade.
Harris draws social media scorn for digression about elephants during an earthquake
Former Vice President Kamala Harris urged Democrats across the country to act like elephants in an awkward digression during her speech Wednesday night. Harris delivered her first public address since losing the 2024 election on Wednesday in California, offering an angry and negative view of President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office. “Please allow me, friends, to digress for a moment,” she told the audience at Emerge’s 20th anniversary gala in San Francisco. “Okay, it’s kind of dark in here, but I am going to ask for a show of hands. Who saw that video from a couple of weeks ago? The one of the elephants at the San Diego Zoo during the earthquake. Google it if you have not seen it. “So that scene has been on my mind. Everybody has been asking what are you thinking about these days. For those who haven’t seen it, here those elephants were, and as soon as they felt the earth shaking beneath their feet, they got in a circle and stood next to each other to protect the most vulnerable. Think about it. What a powerful metaphor,” she continued. ‘I AM AFRAID’: ANOTHER PROTECTIVE ORDER FILING AGAINST DEPORTED ‘MARYLAND MAN’ CHAMPIONED BY DEMS SURFACES “Because we know those who try to incite fear are most effective when they divide and conquer. When they separate the herd, when they try to make everyone think they are alone. But in the face of crisis, the lesson is don’t, don’t scatter,” she added. ‘PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT’: TRUMP CELEBRATES FIRST 100 DAYS IN OFFICE WITH HIGH ENERGY MICHIGAN RALLY “The instinct has to be to immediately find and connect with each other, and to know that the circle will be stronger,” she said. Many users on social media were quick to mock Harris’ story as bizarre and jarring in the context of her speech. “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt,” wrote one user, @JohnETiffany1, referencing a common maxim. The former vice president did not address rumors that she may be considering a run for governor of California during her speech. The organizer, Emerge, is a training organization that seeks to prepare Democratic women to run for office. It charged $25 for viewers to gain access to the virtual livestream. Other package options included a $100 fee for young professionals and a $250 general admission ticket.
Democrat gun control push persists with reintroduction of assault weapons ban
U.S. lawmakers are continuing to advocate for gun control by pushing an assault weapons ban proposal. “It shall be unlawful for a person to import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, a semiautomatic assault weapon,” the Assault Weapons Ban of 2025 stipulates — it also includes the same prohibition pertaining to “a large capacity ammunition feeding device.” But the measure would grandfather in those who currently own such items. The text indicates that the prohibitions “shall not apply to the possession, sale, or transfer of any semiautomatic assault weapon otherwise lawfully possessed under Federal law on the date of enactment of the Assault Weapons Ban of 2025” or “to the possession of any large capacity ammunition feeding device otherwise lawfully possessed on or before the date of enactment of the Assault Weapons Ban of 2025.” TRUMP ROASTED DEM CRITICS, MEDIA WITH NEW NICKNAMES IN FIRST 100 DAYS ONLINE: ‘WATERMELON-HEAD’ Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California leads Democratic Sens. Alex Padilla of California, and Democratic Sens. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, in pushing the measure in the Senate, according to a Schiff news release. It also names 37 other Senate Democrats as cosponsors. There are more than 100 original co-sponsors of the measure in the House, according to Rep. Lucy McBath’s, D-Ga. news release. The measure will almost certainly fail to advance through either GOP-controlled congressional chamber. Many Americans oppose such legislation, contending that it would represent an unconstitutional infringement on gun rights protected by the Second Amendment. SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS BIDEN ADMIN ‘GHOST GUN’ REGULATION But during a news conference about the legislation, Padilla asserted, “This is not about the Second Amendment. This is about saving lives.” The NRA pushed back, declaring in a post on X, “Anti-gun lawmakers insist their push to ban ‘assault weapons’ isn’t about the Second Amendment. Let’s be honest — that’s exactly what it’s about. And it’s about disarming law-abiding Americans.” The U.S. previously had an assault weapons ban in place for a decade — it expired on Sept. 13, 2004, according to a Congressional Research Service report. ADAM SCHIFF REVEALS WHAT A SAN FRANCISCO CASHIER BLUNTLY TOLD HIM ABOUT DEMS, WARNS PARTY HAS ‘MAJOR PROBLEM’ Former Presidents Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, and Jimmy Carter joined together in a May 1994 message in which they urged the House to “support for a ban on the domestic manufacture of military-style assault weapons,” calling it “a matter of vital importance to the public safety,” according to a Los Angeles Times report.
Ice cream from Trump and a ‘comically tiny office’: Inside Elon Musk’s wild 3 months getting DOGE rolling
Elon Musk says he saved the U.S. taxpayer more than $160 million during his first three months getting the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) off the ground — but he also enjoyed midnight snacks of ice cream from the White House kitchen, a “comically tiny office” and a friendship with President Donald Trump. Fox News Digital was invited, along with a small group of reporters, to have an on-the-record discussion with Musk in the White House’s Roosevelt Room on Wednesday evening about his first 100 days as a special government employee. That status allowed him to work for the federal government for “no more than 130 days in a 365-day period,” according to data from the Office of Government Ethics. Musk said the first 100 days was “an intense period” and said at times, he was in Washington, D.C., working on his DOGE efforts “7 days a week, or close to 7 days a week.” Musk said he will cut that down to one or two days a week, or every other week, and will continue working for the Trump administration “at the discretion of the president.” ELON MUSK RECEIVES APPLAUSE FROM CABINET AS HE BEGINS PLANNED DEPARTURE FROM DOGE ROLE “I’m willing to contribute one to two days a week, coming to D.C. every other week for one to three days—indefinitely, as long as the president wants me to do that,” Musk said. “It’s largely a volunteer organization.” Musk, in response to a question from Fox News Digital, said he has slept in the White House’s Lincoln bedroom multiple times. “I didn’t think I would ever sleep in there,” Musk said. “The president, we’re good friends, and we’ll be on Air Force One, or Marine One, and he’ll be like, ‘do you want to stay over?’ and I’ll be like, ‘sure,’ and he’ll send me to the Lincoln bedroom.” Musk said he did not ever “request it,” but that Trump would always ask “‘do you want to stay here?’” “And he gave me a tour of the Lincoln bedroom, and told me all the history,” Musk said. SCOOP: DOGE CAUCUS PLANS WHITE HOUSE MEETING AS ELON MUSK PREPS TO STEP BACK “And then, he’ll actually call me late night and say, ‘by the way, make sure you get ice cream from the kitchen,” Musk recalled. “I ate a whole tub of ice cream—caramel. Häagen-Dazs.” Musk laughed, “Yeah, it’s epic.” “Don’t tell RFK I ate a whole tub,” Musk laughed. “The president is a very good host, and he said, make sure you have some of the ice cream, and I said OK. I went to the kitchen and got some ice cream.” When asked for the exact number of nights Musk slept in the Lincoln bedroom, he replied, “I don’t know if I should say the number—more than once.” Musk was also given a small office in the White House, which he said he intends to keep. “I’m keeping my micro-office,” Musk said, adding that it is “on the top floor it has a view of nothing.” “It has a window but all you see is an HVAC unit,” Musk explained. “I guess it’s harder to shoot me—there’s not a good line of sight in there.” “I like my comically tiny office upstairs,” Musk said, adding that, while it is tiny, he has “the biggest monitor,” where he views “important information—secret stuff.” Musk admitted, though, that he has “occasionally played a video game.” When asked by Fox News Digital which video game, Musk laughed and said, “Diablo in the Path of Exile.” As for DOGE, Musk said he is proud of its work so far, and “in the grand scheme of things, I think we’ve been effective,” just “not as effective as I’d like.” “I think we could be more effective, but we’ve made progress —and more progress than I think has happened since Clinton and Gore,” Musk said. “It is ironic to see the Clinton and Gore speeches — they sound like DOGE. If you took a transcript and say who said it? DOGE or Clinton-Gore? You would have a hard time. They sound identical to what we say.” He added, “We are just Democrats from the ’90s who got teleported into 2025.” DOGE SLASHES ‘WASTEFUL’ ‘PROBLEM-SOLVING’ CONTRACT WORTH $50K IN LATEST ROUND OF ELIMINATIONS “Things have just evolved. There is that classic saying, we didn’t leave the Democratic Party — the Democratic Party left us,” Musk continued. “Just, objectively, from a policy standpoint, that is just objectively true. Our goals are safe cities, secure borders, sensible spending—these used to be Democrat positions and perhaps they will be in the future — but they just seem like common sense.” Meanwhile, Musk reflected on his day-to-day for the first 100 days, saying that things “have to be very intense for the first three months, so trying to understand what’s going on and map out the government in general.” “The federal government is a gigantic beast — very complicated — and so if you’re trying to figure out how to stop waste and fraud, you’ve got to map the territory,” Musk said. “That required three months of intense effort, and you have to build the team as well.” “A new administration is like a start-up,” Musk continued. “Now, we’re getting more of a rhythm and so the amount of time necessary for me to spend here is much less and I can return to primarily running my companies, which do need me.” Fox News Digital asked Musk if he has had fun during his first three months leading DOGE. “It’s like, 60% fun. 70% fun — depends on the week,” Musk said. “But being attacked relentlessly is not super fun. Seeing cars burning is not fun. But when I feel like we’re doing good for the American taxpayer and stopping wasteful spending and fixing computer systems, I feel like that’s a good thing.” A DOGE official at the meeting on Wednesday said that 1% of the federal workforce, or
Trucking vet lawmaker sounds off on illegal immigrant drivers as REAL ID deadline looms
A House Republican whose family found success in the trucking industry is voicing concerns about illegal immigrants working in the industry in the U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., praised President Donald Trump’s executive order mandating English proficiency as a requirement for professional drivers in an interview with Fox News Digital. It also comes as the REAL ID deadline fast approaches in the U.S. as the Trump administration finally seeks to impose the 20-year-old measure in a bid to crack down on illegal immigrants, including those who have been made eligible for driver’s licenses in blue states. HOW A DOGE REVIEW CAN ACTUALLY IMPROVE THE PROGRAMS THAT FIGHT HIV/AIDS “Accident rates have gone up 75% because we have people that are driving trucks across this country, they can’t read or speak English,” Collins told Fox News Digital, noting he’d been in the trucking industry for 30 years. “I don’t know how that makes sense … but thank goodness the president saw that when he signed an executive order.” In recent years, illegal immigrants have been able to obtain driver’s licenses in 19 states and Washington, D.C., where they are issued regardless of immigration status. Collins said it’s had an effect on the trucking industry more widely, however. “It impacts the trucking industry because you got people that have no skin in the game, so to say. It doesn’t matter if they get involved in an accident, what do they care? Because they’re not here legally anyway. So, at worst-case scenario, they just lose the vehicle because they weren’t even kicking them out,” Collins said. “Let’s at least get these people off the road, make them stop driving and, oh, by the way, pack your bags and go home.” It’s not clear how much REAL ID will help in the immediate future, considering states will be allowed to continue issuing non-REAL ID-compliant licenses alongside the new federal standard. DOGE SLASHES ‘WASTEFUL’ ‘PROBLEM-SOLVING’ CONTRACT WORTH $50K IN LATEST ROUND OF ELIMINATIONS But the Trump administration is attempting to at least stop people who cross the border illegally from being able to get to Collins’ home state of Georgia and others via airline travel. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Noncompliant state IDs will be banned from use on commercial flights and from entering federal buildings starting May 7. “Under Biden, illegal aliens used non-compliant IDs from sanctuary cities to board flights, but REAL ID’s higher security standards make it nearly impossible to forge legitimate documents, ensuring only verified travelers can fly,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a memo this month.