Proud Boys members file federal lawsuit over ‘illegal’ tactics in Jan. 6 prosecutions
Five members of the Proud Boys are suing the U.S. government and certain employees in the FBI and Department of Justice for $100 million over their Jan. 6 prosecutions. Enrique Tarrio, Zachary Rehl, Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs and Dominic Pezzola allege in the lawsuit the FBI and DOJ violated their constitutional rights with their prosecution over what prosecutors said was their planning of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. In a document filed in a Florida federal court and obtained by Fox News Digital, the men claim “egregious and systemic abuse of the legal system and the United States Constitution to punish and oppress political allies of President Trump, by any and all means necessary, legal, or illegal. “Through the use of evidence tampering, witness intimidation, violations of attorney-client privilege, and placing spies to report on trial strategy, the government got its fondest wish of imprisoning the J6 Defendants, the modern equivalent of placing one’s enemies’ heads on a spike outside the town wall as a warning to any who would think to challenge the status quo.” OUTGOING US CAPITOL POLICE CHIEF CRITICIZES TRUMP PARDONS FOR JAN. 6 DEFENDANTS Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.S. Department of Justice for comment. Four of the five men were convicted of seditious conspiracy after the attack, and Tarrio faced the harshest punishment — 22 years for planning the attack — of any of the Jan. 6 defendants, according to The Wall Street Journal. Nordean was sentenced to 18 years, Biggs was sentenced to 17 years and Rehl was sentenced to 15 years. Pezzola was found guilty of conspiracy to obstruct Congress and sentenced to 10 years in prison. However, President Donald Trump pardoned or commuted the sentences of nearly all the defendants after he took office this year, including Tarrio, Rehl, Nordean, Biggs and Pezzola. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AGREES TO PAY ASHLI BABBITT’S FAMILY $5 MILLION All the men except Tarrio were at the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6, according to the Journal. Tarrio had been barred from entering Washington, D.C., because of a previous arrest, The Washington Post reported. “Now that the Plaintiffs are vindicated, free, and able to once again exercise their rights as American citizens, they bring this action against their tormentors for violations of their Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment Rights … as well as the common law tort of malicious prosecution and false imprisonment,” the suit adds. Prosecutors said Pezzola was seen on video using a police riot shield to commit the first breach of the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6. Prosecutors alleged the men were charged under a “novel theory of criminal conspiracy called the ‘tool theory,’” according to the suit. “Despite the legal jiggery-pokery employed by the government to obscure the fact, the Plaintiffs were essentially convicted of ‘stochastic terrorism,’ a leftist bugbear used to describe rhetoric offensive to them that they claim provokes violent acts.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The men also claimed in the lawsuit that the government didn’t have probable cause to raid their homes.
Democrats celebrate return of suspected human trafficker Kilmar Abrego Garcia
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., who has led the party’s advocacy for suspected gang member Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, is celebrating his return to the U.S., saying, “This is not about the man, it’s about his constitutional rights.” “For months, the Trump administration flouted the Supreme Court and our Constitution,” Van Hollen asserted in a statement sent to Fox News Digital via email. “Today, they appear to have finally relented to our demands for compliance with court orders and with the due process rights afforded to everyone in the United States.” Van Hollen was the first of several Democratic lawmakers to fly to visit Abrego Garcia after he was deported to a high-security prison in his home country, El Salvador, in March. FEDERAL JUDGE DELIVERS ONE-TWO PUNCH TO TRUMP IN ABREGO GARCIA CASE Abrego Garcia, 29, has been returned to the U.S. and is facing charges in a sealed federal indictment in Tennessee for alleged conspiracy to unlawfully transport illegal aliens for financial gain and unlawful transportation of illegal aliens. Though many Democrats claim Abrego Garcia is an innocent man who was wrongly deported, the administration has pointed to considerable evidence he is a member of the MS-13 gang. Abrego Garcia allegedly moved illegal immigrants from Texas to interior states in what prosecutors say was an organized operation stretching back years. He has also been accused of being a member of the violent Salvadoran gang MS-13. According to court records filed by his wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, he also allegedly physically abused her on multiple occasions. AG BONDI DETAILS ‘VERY SERIOUS CHARGES’ FACING KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA Since Abrego Garcia’s deportation to his home country, Van Hollen has advocated for his return. After Fox News Digital asked Van Hollen in May whether he was aware of the domestic violence allegations against Abrego Garcia before he went to visit him in El Salvador, the senator became defensive, saying, “What I said here was these issues need to be litigated in the courts.” In a statement Friday, Van Hollen doubled down on that sentiment, saying, “As I have repeatedly said, this is not about the man. It’s about his constitutional rights, and the rights of all. “The administration will now have to make its case in the court of law, as it should have all along.” TENNESSEE BODYCAM OF ‘MARYLAND MAN’ TRAFFIC STOP SHOWS TROOPERS’ HANDS TIED DESPITE SMUGGLING CLUES Despite the gravity of his alleged crimes, returning Abrego Garcia to the U.S. has become a major cause for the Democratic Party. Earlier Friday, another Maryland Democrat, Rep. Glenn Ivey, who also made a trip to El Salvador to advocate for Abrego Garcia, used his X account to promote an event to continue the “critical conversation on the fight to return those who are wrongfully imprisoned in El Salvador.” Ivey claimed Abrego Garcia’s case is “part of a much larger crisis — and we must not look away.” ABREGO GARCIA’S WIFE BEGGED JUDGE FOR PROTECTION ORDER, SAYING ‘HE SLAPPED ME’: AUDIO In a statement to Fox News Digital, Ivey also asserted that the Trump administration “defied the Supreme Court and misled the American people for months, saying they could not bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia back to the United States under any circumstances, knowing that they had the power to do so all along. “I went to El Salvador and advocated for Kilmar’s return because he was entitled to due process under our Constitution. Kilmar will now get his day in court. I hope he receives the fair trial that he is guaranteed.” Rep. Andy Harris, Maryland’s lone Republican congressman, responded to the news of Abrego Garcia’s return with disgust, posting on X, “What a waste of hard-earned taxpayer dollars. Bringing an already deported illegal alien criminal back to the US to be housed in a US jail at taxpayer expense so he can stand trial and then be deported back to his homeland.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fox News Digital also reached out to representatives Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., Maxine Dexter, D-Ore., Maxwell Frost, D-Fla. and Robert Garcia, D-Calif., all of whom have made trips to visit Abrego Garcia in prison.
Snub of Musk’s NASA nominee ally preceded sudden ‘big, beautiful bill’ criticism, Trump feud
A day after the White House held a farewell press conference for SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk to highlight his efforts as outgoing leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), President Donald Trump suddenly pulled Musk ally Jared Isaacman as his pick for NASA administrator. While the White House released a May 30 video chronicling Musk’s contributions to DOGE and several X posts thanking him and listing various “DOGE wins,” the gestures were some of the last, final public actions of goodwill between Trump and Musk. On Saturday, Trump announced in a social media post he was pulling the nomination for Isaacman, a commercial astronaut and founder and CEO of payment processing company Shift4 Payments after “a thorough review of prior associations.” Trump also said he would unveil a “new Nominee who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space.” MUSK CONFIDENT DOGE WILL SAVE $1 TRILLION AS GOVERNMENT COST CUTTING CONTINUES Isaacman’s affiliations with Musk include being an investor in SpaceX, in addition to leading two private spaceflight missions with SpaceX, including Inspiration4. The 2021 Inspiration4 mission was the first time an all-civilian crew orbited Earth. Isaacman addressed his pulled nomination in an episode of the “All-In Podcast,” which is hosted by four venture capitalists and covers business, technology and society, that dropped Wednesday. Specifically, Isaacman said he received a call from the White House May 30 notifying him his nomination wouldn’t advance because the White House had “decided to go in a different direction.” DOGE STAFFING SHAKEUP AS ELON MUSK HANGS UP HIS HAT, WHITE HOUSE CONFIRMS Isaacman said he suspected his ties to Musk were part of the decision, noting the call came the same day Musk’s tenure with DOGE concluded. “I don’t need to play dumb on this,” Isaacman said in the podcast. “I don’t think that the timing was much of a coincidence, that there were other changes going on the same day. “There were some people that had some axes to grind, I guess, and I was a good, visible target.” Tensions between Musk and Trump continued to escalate after Musk’s departure as a special government employee May 30 and Isaacman’s withdrawn nomination the following day. Although Musk previously told CBS News in an interview clip released May 27 that he was disappointed by the House’s passage of Trump’s massive tax and spending package, the “big, beautiful bill,” because it would increase the federal deficit, Musk’s attacks on the measure ramped up exponentially after Trump rescinded Isaacman’s nomination. Specifically, on Tuesday, Musk labeled the measure a “disgusting abomination” and followed up by urging the American public to contact lawmakers to “KILL the BILL” in an X post Wednesday. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Tuesday that Trump was aware of Musk’s position on the bill and that it didn’t change the president’s stance on the measure. And Trump did not mince words Thursday as tensions between the two men reached a boiling point. Trump said Musk was irritated with provisions in the bill that would cut an electric vehicle tax credit that benefits companies like Tesla. He also suggested Musk may suffer from “Trump derangement syndrome,” a term used to describe deeply negative reactions to the president. UNFINISHED BUSINESS: THE BUDGET CUTS MUSK COULDN’T COMPLETE AND WHAT’S NEXT FOR DOGE “I’m very disappointed because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here, better than you people,” Trump said in the Oval Office during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. “He knew everything about it. He had no problem with it. All of a sudden, he had a problem, and he only developed the problem when he found out that we’re going to have to cut the EV mandate because that’s billions and billions of dollars, and it really is unfair.” Trump also specifically mentioned Isaacman’s nomination, claiming Musk recommended Isaacman for the role. But Trump voiced concern about Isaacman’s ties to the Democratic Party. “He wanted and rightfully, you know, he recommended somebody that he, I guess, knew very well. I’m sure he respected him, but to run NASA,” Trump told reporters Thursday. “And I didn’t think it was appropriate. And he happened to be a Democrat, like, totally Democrat. And I say, you know, look, we won. We get certain privileges. And one of the privileges is we don’t have to appoint a Democrat. NASA is very important.” Trump then said he “understood” why Musk was upset over the pulled nomination. The White House directed Fox News Digital to Trump’s comments Thursday and Isaacman’s previous donations to Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. Isaacman told the “All-In Podcast” he doesn’t think his past political donations to Democrats were a factor in his pulled nomination, and that he identifies as “right-leaning.” Isaacman and Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Trump and Musk continued to trade barbs Thursday. At one point, Musk urged the removal of the “disgusting pork” included in Trump’s tax and spending bill. He also said it was “false” that he was shown the measure “even once.” Musk even went so far as to say Trump wouldn’t have won the 2024 election if it weren’t for Musk’s backing. Meanwhile, Trump accused Musk of going “CRAZY” over cuts to the EV credits and said Musk was “wearing thin.” Although Politico reported that Trump and Musk were slated to speak Friday over the phone, Trump shut down speculation of a call between the two. “No. I won’t be speaking to him for a while I guess, but I wish him well,” Trump said, according to CNN. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “I’m not even thinking about Elon. He’s got a problem. The poor guy’s got a problem,” Trump said. Despite Musk’s departure, White House officials have said DOGE’s efforts to address waste, fraud and abuse will continue, and Trump and cabinet members will oversee DOGE.
DOGE will go on: Hill pork hawk says rooting out government waste will continue after Elon
FIRST ON FOX: While Tesla CEO Elon Musk has departed the Department of Government Efficiency amid a blazing public tiff with the president, congressional DOGE leaders are primed to carry on the legacy well beyond his tenure. “It’s never easy to see two friends at odds, but DOGE is bigger than any one person,” House DOGE Caucus chairman Aaron Bean, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital on Friday – expressing endearment towards both Musk and President Donald Trump. “Our caucus, with 110 members, is laser-focused on delivering real solutions for the American people, reining in wasteful spending, demanding oversight, and ensuring every taxpayer dollar is spent wisely.” Bean said his panel’s work rooting out government waste and streamlining the bureaucracy will continue on-track, with a major effort planned next week to change the Treasury’s payment system to curb improper disbursements. DRAIN THE SWAMP ACT SEEKS TO MOVE DC BUREAUCRACY ‘OUT OF CRAZYTOWN’: HOUSE DOGE LEADER The Jacksonville lawmaker said that longstanding issue has led to about $162 billion in wrongful payments every year. During his tenure, Musk also worked with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to fix systemic problems there. The House DOGE Caucus will continue to advocate to “enact the cuts found by DOGE,” Bean went on. The panel looks forward to working with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to pass $9.4 billion in rescissions identified by DOGE and presented to Congress for action by OMB Director Russ Vought. Republicans faced criticism for moving too slowly on DOGE’s proposed cuts, but GOP leadership sources said they needed either a formal request from Vought or separate bills outside the Big Beautiful Bill Act to avoid jeopardizing its eligibility for Senate reconciliation. DOGE MEETS CONGRESS: FL REP LAUNCHES CAUCUS TO HELP MUSK “Taking on Crazytown is no easy task,” Bean quipped to Fox News Digital last November when he launched the House DOGE Caucus. On the Senate side, DOGE caucus chairwoman Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, scrutinized a recent government report on COVID aid fraud and has already launched an effort to head off what she called easily-determinable signals that an application for government emergency aid is likely falsified or ineligible. Ernst this week flagged an analysis from the Pandemic Resources Accountability Committee – led by federal inspectors general – that randomly sampled nearly 700,000 identity records from 67.5 million applications for PPP, EIDL and other COVID-19 relief programs and found nearly $80 billion in potentially fraudulent payouts. Ernst said much of the likely fraud could have been prevented if officials had simply verified Social Security numbers, matched them with SSA records, and confirmed whether applicants were still alive. In turn, she informed Fox News Digital exclusively that she would be launching a bill Friday to prevent this kind of easily-avoided oversight issues in the future. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The DOGE in Spending Act would prevent “con artists,” she said, who, during COVID-19, “raided America’s piggy bank.” The bill’s name also signaled that the Senate, too, would continue its Musk-inspired work long after the mogul has left. “There is nothing more frustrating than losing billions of dollars to preventable fraud,” Ernst said, calling the illicit payouts during the pandemic “unprecedented.”
Supreme Court rules DOGE can access Social Security information
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday ruled the Department of Government Efficiency could access Social Security information. The ruling blocked a lower court order that kept DOGE from seeking certain sensitive Social Security information. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The information from the U.S. Social Security Administration includes Social Security numbers, medical information, citizenship records and tax returns. Three liberal justices dissented.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: ‘Totally lost it’
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -Trump’s border wall expansion moves forward in several critical areas: ‘Crisis is not yet over’ -Trump admin asks Supreme Court to life injunction blocking dismantling of Education Dept –Elon Musk may speak to Trump aides in push to calm feud President Donald Trump told Fox News on Friday that he isn’t interested in talking to SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, adding that “Elon’s totally lost it.” Trump also said to Fox News’ Bret Baier that he isn’t worried about Musk’s suggestion to form a new political party, citing favorable polls and strong support from Republicans on Capitol Hill. The comments come as Musk and Trump have been arguing over social media in recent days…Read more FEUD AFTER VICTORY: Who deserves the most credit for president’s resounding 2024 White House win TAX BATTLE ROYALE: Trump’s tariff strategy could pay for his tax bill, but only if they stick, experts warn ‘VENDETTA’: Judge temporarily blocks Trump admin’s entry ban for international Harvard students NOT HAPPY: Biden book author reveals how White House staff truly felt about Karine Jean-Pierre as press secretary BORDER BLITZ: Trump administration drops hammer on ‘narco sub’ cocaine ring as cartels threaten US borders ‘BEGAN TO FEEL ILL’: South Sudan deportations have placed migrants, and ICE officials, in danger: new court filing DEFENDING THE CUTS: House Budget chairman explains why there’s no ‘pork’ in Trump tax bill after Elon Musk attacks POLITICS IN ORBIT: Claim Trump nixed top Musk ally from NASA post over Dem donations belied by ex-Dems on team UNITY ON IMMIGRATION: Handful of House Democrats join Republicans in sanctuary city crackdown ‘IT’S ABSURD’: Dems who want ICE agents unmasked ‘mandated mask wearing for years’ during COVID ‘WORLD STANDARD’: Risch urges ‘top to bottom’ USAID spending review after waste, fraud exposed MICHIGAN GOES GUARD: After ‘agro-terror’ fungus caught in Detroit, MI House says it has best national plan to blunt CCP influence Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
EXCLUSIVE: Legal institute celebrates SCOTUS decision, declares ‘religious liberty is alive and well’
EXCLUSIVE: A legal organization whose mission it is to defend the religious liberty of Americans has called the Supreme Court’s 9-0 ruling in favor of the Catholic Charities Bureau (CCB) “a huge moment for religious liberty in America,” and a clear rejection of government overreach into religious life. “This was not a hard call,” Tiffany Dunkin, a legal fellow and attorney with the First Liberty Institute, emphasized in an interview with Fox News Digital, citing Thursday’s unanimous SCOTUS decision to strike down Wisconsin’s attempt to withhold a religious tax exemption because the CCB does not proselytize or serve only Catholics. “What Wisconsin was doing… they were saying that the Catholic Charities was not a religious institution because they did not proselytize or serve people of their own faith,” Dunkin explained. SUPREME COURT RULES WISCONSIN UNCONSTITUTIONALLY DISCRIMINATED AGAINST CHRISTIAN CHARITY “What they were doing was deciding what it means to be religious,” she added. “And the First Amendment prohibits the government from doing that.” The case, Catholic Charities Bureau Inc. v. Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Commission, questioned whether faith-based nonprofits that provide public services are “religious enough” to receive the same benefits as churches or houses of worship. Catholic Charities, affiliated with the Diocese of Superior, Wisconsin, provides critical care services for people with disabilities and mental health needs. Wisconsin argued those acts were not “primarily religious.” The Supreme Court disagreed. SCOTUS RULINGS THIS TERM COULD STRENGTHEN RELIGIOUS RIGHTS PROTECTIONS, EXPERT SAYS Justice Sonia Sotomayor, writing the opinion for the court, stated clearly that the government has no authority to assess or rank the religious nature of charitable work. Dunkin said the consequences of the ruling go far beyond Wisconsin. “This is actually a pretty ongoing problem across the country,” she noted. “It’s not just Wisconsin. First Liberty Institute represents Dad’s Place in Bryan, Ohio… they’re saying that because you’re running a 24-7 homeless shelter, you’re not [religious].” Other clients of Plano, Texas-based First Liberty in Colorado and Arizona have faced similar arguments from local governments, which question whether providing food, clothing or shelter to those in need is inherently religious. “Even though there are churches doing this kind of work, the governments are saying, ‘Well, you’re not religious enough,’” Dunkin said. The court’s language in the ruling, Dunkin pointed out, “affirms what the Supreme Court has said for nearly a century,” that the government cannot choose which expressions of faith are valid. “This sends a great message to people of all religions and all charitable organizations,” she said. “The government… cannot intrude into telling you exactly what you can and can’t do, whether you’re religious or not religious, in order to receive a government benefit or participate in society.” Had SCOTUS ruled the other way, Dunkin warned, it would have “grave implications” for religious charities and ministries nationwide. “It would allow the government to step into the religious doctrine of all faiths more than our Founding Fathers ever intended,” she said. “The government cannot step in and get involved in deciding and picking and choosing between one type of religious activity and another.” When asked what this means for churches and ministries on the ground, Dunkin’s answer was clear: “They should feel emboldened to continue to do what they feel called to do by their religious faith… especially in a charitable sense.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP And for those who may see this as a one-off legal win? Not so fast. “I see this really as two different things,” she said. “One, an affirmance of what the First Amendment has always stood for… but of course, going forward, we do hope and we’re encouraged that religious liberty in America is alive and well. And of course, First Liberty Institute is here to continue to fight for that.”
Kilmar Abrego Garcia indicted on human trafficking charges, ordered to appear before judge in Nashville
Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national deported earlier this year, is now back on U.S. soil — but this time, in handcuffs. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Friday that Abrego Garcia, 29, has landed in the United States and is set to face federal charges for human smuggling and conspiracy. “Abrego Garcia has landed in the United States to face justice,” Bondi said. “A grand jury in the Middle District of Tennessee returned a sealed indictment charging him with alien smuggling and conspiracy.” According to the indictment, Garcia played a “significant role” in a human smuggling ring operating for nearly a decade. Bondi described him as a full-time smuggler who made more than 100 trips, transporting women, children, and MS-13 gang-affiliated persons throughout the United States. DEPORTED ALLEGED GANG MEMBER ABREGO GARCIA ‘WILL NEVER BE ON AMERICAN STREETS AGAIN,’ DHS SAYS “He traded the innocence of minor children for profit,” Bondi said. Children were among those allegedly trafficked. The indictment, filed under seal last month, includes two felony counts. Fox News Digital obtained Tennessee Highway Patrol bodycam footage from a 2022 traffic stop where troopers pulled over Garcia for speeding. Inside his vehicle were eight other men, raising immediate suspicions. “He’s hauling these people for money,” one trooper said. Troopers found $1,400 in cash and flagged Garcia in the National Crime Information Center, which returned a gang/terrorism alert. ICE was called, but never responded. “What’s changed since then?” Bondi asked rhetorically at the press conference. “Donald Trump is now president of the United States, and our borders are again secure.” The grand jury also heard allegations that Garcia trafficked firearms, narcotics, and solicited explicit images of a minor. He is even accused by a co-conspirator of being involved in the murder of a rival gang member’s mother. Pam Bondi thanked El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele for cooperating with the U.S. government and returning Garcia after the U.S. presented an arrest warrant. “This is what American justice looks like,” she said. KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA SUSPECTED OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN REPORT OBTAINED BY FOX NEWS This development comes after controversy erupted in March when Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador, a move many politicians on the Left claimed was unjust. “For months the Trump Administration flouted the Supreme Court and our Constitution. Today, they appear to have finally relented to our demands for compliance with court orders and with the due process rights afforded to everyone in the United States,” wrote Democrate Senator Van Hollen in a statement. Van Hollen made the trek to El Salvador to visit Garcia earlier this year, sparking internet backlash after being photographed with purported margaritas at a restaurant. “As I have repeatedly said, this is not about the man, it’s about his constitutional rights – and the rights of all. The Administration will now have to make its case in the court of law, as it should have all along,” Van Hollen concluded. Abrego Garcia was reportedly sent to the notorious CECOT mega-prison in El Salvador after deportation, despite a 2019 court order temporarily blocking his removal due to claimed fears of persecution. Court records show Garcia entered the U.S. illegally in 2011 and was ordered deported in 2019. He will be prosecuted and, if convicted, serve his sentence in the U.S. before being returned to El Salvador, officials confirmed. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News’ Adam Sabes contributed to this report.
Mike Johnson says he hopes Trump, Musk ‘reconcile’ amid ongoing feud
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said he hopes President Donald Trump and Elon Musk “reconcile” after a furious public feud over Republicans’ “one big, beautiful bill.” “I was with the president in the Oval Office yesterday afternoon as some of this was unfolding, and I can tell you, as he said in his own words, he was just, he was disappointed, and I was surprised by Elon’s sudden opposition,” Johnson told reporters on Friday. “I believe in redemption. That’s part of my worldview, and I think it’s good for the party and the country if all that’s worked out.” Then, without addressing Musk directly, Johnson appeared to chide him for attacking Trump. MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE “I’ll tell you what, do not doubt and do not second guess and don’t ever challenge the President of the United States, Donald Trump. He is the leader of the party, he’s the most consequential political figure of this generation, in probably the modern era, and he’s doing an excellent job for the people,” Johnson said. Asked whether he’d spoken to Musk since the tirade, Johnson said earlier Friday morning, “We exchanged texts, but I’m not going to talk about the content of it.” Johnson also said Republicans were unfazed by the criticism coming from the tech billionaire often called the richest man in the world. MIKE JOHNSON, DONALD TRUMP GET ‘BIG, ‘BEAUTIFUL’ WIN AS BUDGET PASSES HOUSE “Members are not shaken at all. We are going to pass this legislation on our deadline, and we’re very bullish about it,” he said. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital when asked about Johnson’s call for unity, “President Trump is focused on making our country great again and passing the One Big Beautiful Bill.” Trump told Fox News’ Bret Baier in an interview on Friday that he was not interested in speaking with Musk, nor was he worried about Musk’s threat to launch a third political party. “Elon’s totally lost it,” the president said. Musk accused Republicans of not working hard enough to cut federal spending with their budget reconciliation bill, which is aimed at advancing Trump’s priorities on tax cuts, immigration, energy, defense and the debt limit. The Tesla CEO called out Trump, Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., all by name as well. Republicans, for the most part, have closed ranks around Trump and their bill.
Far-left House candidate rallies around healthcare for illegal immigrants: ‘How is it controversial?’
Kat Abughazaleh, a 26-year-old Democratic candidate for Illinois’ ninth congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives, said “every single person in the world deserves healthcare,” even illegal immigrants. “How is it controversial?” Abughazaleh asked a CNN “NewsNight” panel on Thursday night. The young progressive candidate, with a campaign website that reads, “I don’t have health insurance, and I’m running for Congress,” repeatedly told the panel that every person is entitled to healthcare when asked if that includes illegal immigrants. “I’m such a monster… How is it controversial that I don’t want someone to die in the hospital if they can’t afford it?” Abughazaleh asked. DEMS WARN HOUSE REPUBLICANS WILL PAY PRICE AT BALLOT BOX FOR PASSING TRUMP’S ‘BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL’ President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act is currently under consideration by a Republican-led White House and Congress. The president has championed the legislation as fulfilling his key campaign promises, including border security, American energy production and tax cuts. GOP RAILS AGAINST ‘BLATANTLY FALSE’ DEM CLAIMS ABOUT MEDICAID REFORM IN TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ House Republicans have celebrated Medicaid reform included in the megabill, which they say eliminates waste, fraud and abuse in the welfare program to deliver for Americans who need coverage most. Removing illegal immigrants from Medicaid is one of the key provisions of that Medicaid reform. Meanwhile, Democrats have railed against possible Medicaid cuts since Trump was elected in November. Every House Democrat voted against the bill, and Democrats are already defining Medicaid cuts as a driving issue ahead of competitive midterm elections in 2026. The bill does not cut Medicaid for the most vulnerable, according to Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Ind., who served on three major committees leading budget markup in the reconciliation process. Houchin told Fox News Digital that targeting waste, fraud and abuse in the Medicaid program cuts benefits to illegal immigrants, those ineligible to receive benefits who are currently receiving benefits, duplicate enrollees in one or more states and those who are able-bodied but are choosing not to work. “Your bill is going to cut coverage for 11 million Americans and it’ll still cost more than universal healthcare. Healthcare is a human right, you absolute ghouls,” Abughazaleh said in response to a Republican National Committee (RNC) rapid response account calling her comments, “madness.” Abughazaleh said she is running for the U.S. House of Representatives because, “Our leaders are out of touch.” The young Democrat is challenging Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., who has served decades in congress. Abughazaleh is a former staffer for the progressive watchdog group, Media Matters, and a progressive influencer.