President Trump blasts courts for getting in the way of deportation agenda
Speaking at the White House Tuesday evening, President Donald Trump blasted courts standing in the way of his administration’s immigration agenda of deporting “some very bad people,” who he said include “killers, murderers, drug dealers.” The president touted his administration’s progress in shutting down the border and cracking down on illegal immigration, saying, “Honestly, it’s one of the great successes; we have virtually nobody coming in illegally.” He noted, however, that certain rulings against his deportations pose a threat to his efforts to secure the country. “I hope we get cooperation from the courts, because, you know, we have thousands of people that are ready to go out, and you can’t have a trial for all of these people,” he said. “It wasn’t meant–the system wasn’t meant–and we don’t think there’s anything that says that.” KASH PATEL, FBI TOUT $5M REWARD FOR CAPTURING MS-13 ‘TERRORIST LEADER’ UNLEASHING EVIL ON AMERICANS Since Trump’s return to the Oval Office in January, his administration has faced hundreds of lawsuits targeting his executive orders and actions, some of which have resulted in nationwide injunctions. The Supreme Court is set to hear a case on May 15 about three federal judges who issued separate nationwide injunctions blocking an executive order by Trump ending birthright citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants. On Mar. 15, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued a ruling temporarily blocking the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport criminal illegal alien gang members to El Salvador. Trump said that court rulings slowing down his deportation agenda could lead to a “very dangerous country.” GORSUCH, ROBERTS SIDE WITH LEFT-LEANING SUPREME COURT JUSTICES IN IMMIGRATION RULING “We were having hundreds of thousands of people a month come in under Biden, and they came in from prisons. They came in from mental institutions. They came in from gangs in Venezuela and other countries all over the world, not just South America. They were emptying their prisons into the United States, Venezuela emptied its prisons out, but many countries emptied their prisons into the Congo as an example, in Africa, emptied their prisons into the United States,” he said. “I won an election based on the fact that we get them out,” he went on. “We’re getting them out and a judge can say, ‘No, you have to have a trial’ … the trials going to take two years, and now we’re going to have a very dangerous country if we’re not allowed to do what we’re entitled to do.” Trump also addressed his administration’s ongoing trade war with China, saying it is up to China to make a deal work. “Ultimately, they have to make a deal because otherwise they’re not going to be able to deal in the United States,” he said. “And we want them involved but they have to, and other countries have to make a deal. And if they don’t make a deal, we’ll set the deal because we’re the ones that set the deal.” JD VANCE CHAMPIONS ‘ROADMAP’ TOWARD US-INDIA TRADE DEAL, SAYS PARTNERSHIP CRITICAL TO DETERRING ‘DARK TIME’ The president said he expects that in whichever deal is ultimately reached, the current 145 percent tariff against China will be much lower, but noted it “won’t be zero” either. “It used to be zero. We were just destroyed. China was taking us for a ride and it’s just not going to happen,” he said. “We’re going to be very good to China, I have a great relationship with President XI. But they would make billions and billions and billions of dollars a year, and they would build their military out of the United States on what they made so that won’t happen.” “But they’re going to do very well,” he continued. “And I think they’re going to be happy and I think we’re going to live together very happily and ideally work together. So, I think it’s going to work out very well.” During the Q and A Trump also put to bed rumors that he would be firing Jerome Powell from his role as chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve over a disagreement about lowering interest rates. ‘NO LOVE LOST’: TRUMP IS ‘ONE PERSON’ TO DRAG JEROME POWELL OUT OF OFFICE ‘KICKING AND SCREAMING’ EXPERT SAYS In response to a question on whether he had any intention to fire Powell, Trump replied, “None whatsoever. Never did.” “The press runs away with things. No, I have no intention of firing him,” said Trump. “I would like to see him be a little more active in terms of his idea to lower interest rates,” he noted, adding, “This is a perfect time to lower interest rates. If he doesn’t, is it the end? No, it’s not, but it would be good timing. It would be it which could have taken place earlier. But, no, I have no intention to fire him.”
As REAL ID rollout approaches, congressional privacy hawks largely silent on concerns
With President Donald Trump back in the White House and the final rollout of federal REAL ID requirements set to take effect in May, many of the loudest privacy advocates in Washington have been largely silent. While privacy-minded lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have spent years blasting the Patriot Act, among other measures, few are raising alarms over the Trump administration’s looming implementation of the REAL ID Act — a law passed in 2005 that critics describe as a national identification system. Some of the privacy-hawk lawmakers remaining silent on REAL ID were very vocal when another expansion of the national security surveillance apparatus came about – the Patriot Act of 2001 – but not so when the U.S. is only days away from REAL ID implementation. Sens. Edward Markey, D-Mass., Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., were all in Congress when the Patriot Act faced ultimately-successful renewal in 2010s and when the 2020 bill amending and reauthorizing the related Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court came up for a vote. ‘MASS SURVEILLANCE’: CONSERVATIVES SOUND ALARM OVER TRUMP ADMIN’S REAL ID ROLLOUT “Congress has a duty to safeguard Americans’ privacy, but the USA Freedom Reauthorization Act fails to adequately limit the types of information that the government can collect about Americans, and it fails to adequately limit how long the government can keep the information it collects about us,” Markey said in a 2020 statement objecting to the FISA renewal. “I am unwilling to grant any president surveillance tools that pose such a high risk to Americans’ civil liberties,” he said. In 2011, Merkley was one of eight senators who voted to prevent the Patriot Act renewal from even coming to the floor for debate, according to Oregon Live. His Beaver State colleague, Wyden, ultimately voted to allow debate, but said on the Senate floor during such discourse that it needs to be potentially reconsidered. WHAT IS REAL ID? DEADLINE APPROACHES FOR NEW IDENTIFICATION CARDS REQUIRED TO FLY DOMESTICALLY “The Patriot Act was passed a decade ago during a period of understandable fear,” Wyden said at the time. “Now is the time to revisit this… and ensure that a better job is done of striking that balance between fighting terror and protecting individual liberty.” Merkley expressed concern at the time about the Patriot Act’s ability to let law enforcement collect many types of personal data like emails and phone records. In order to get a REAL ID, licensees must provide their Social Security number and other documentation. While the REAL ID implementation was delayed 20 years by several factors including COVID-19, Merkley cast a “protest vote” at the time of the Patriot Act renewal that a four-year extension of the post-9/11 act was being put forth without sufficient time for debate. In 2005, Wyden also gave a Senate floor speech opposing the first reauthorization of the Patriot Act. Markey did not respond to multiple requests for comment, left at his Washington and Boston offices. Merkley also did not respond to a request for comment. BLUE STATES RALLIED FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO OBTAIN DRIVER’S LICENSES AHEAD OF TRUMP’S REAL ID CRACKDOWN A representative for Wyden acknowledged Fox News Digital’s comment request, but said the Oregonian was traveling and holding town halls with constituents back home and could not be immediately reached. On his senatorial webpage, Wyden offered a rundown of all his comprehensive actions in favor of privacy, as well as “le[ading] the fight to address the Intelligence Community’s reliance on secret interpretations of surveillance law.” “When the American people find out how their government has secretly interpreted the Patriot Act, they will be stunned and they will be angry,” he said in 2011. Wyden was also outraged in 2013 when the NSA was found to be secretly interpreting the act to collect personal data of millions of Americans without a warrant. In a statement to Fox News Digital on privacy concerns with REAL ID, Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said REAL IDs rightly “make identification harder to forge, thwarting criminals and terrorists.” “Eighty-one percent of air travelers [already] hold REAL ID-compliant or acceptable IDs,” McLaughlin said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “DHS will continue to collaborate with state, local, and airport authorities to inform the public, facilitate compliance, curb wait times and prevent fraud.” Fox News also reached out for comment to a bipartisan series of lawmakers who have been party to pro-privacy bills or taken pro-privacy stances in the past, including Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
Trump admin will seize wages, pensions, tax refunds to repay student loans: ‘Debt cannot be wiped away’
Those who default or refuse to pay their federal student loans could have their wages, federal pensions and tax refunds garnished, the White House said Tuesday. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters in her weekly briefing that the Trump administration will go after those who don’t repay the loans instead of placing the burden on taxpayers. “The government can and will collect defaulted federal student loan debt by withholding money from borrowers, tax refunds, federal pensions and even their wages,” she said. TRUMP STILL NEEDS CONGRESS’ HELP WITH PLAN TO ABOLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT The Department of Education on Monday said it would resume collections on defaulted federal student loans in May for the first time since 2020. The student loan portfolio is nearly $1.6 trillion, Leavitt said, with fewer than four out of ten borrowers up to speed with their loans. Altogether, the official said that there are 4 million borrowers who are in the late-stage delinquency stage on payments, meaning that they are between 91 days and 180 days late on payments. “This is unsustainable, unfair and a huge liability for American taxpayers. Debt cannot be wiped away. It just ends up getting transferred to others,” she said. “So why should Americans who didn’t go to college, or went to college and responsibly paid back their loans, pay for the student loans of other Americans? The Trump administration will never force taxpayers to pay student loan debts that don’t belong to them.” STAFFING REDUCTIONS AT EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HAVEN’T HIT FAFSA OFFICE AMID TRUMP CUTS, AGENCY SAYS In a few months, there could be almost 10 million people in default, the Education Department said. The Biden administration attempted to bail out millions of student loan borrowers, but was blocked in some instances. “American taxpayers will no longer be forced to serve as collateral for irresponsible student loan policies,” said Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “The Biden Administration misled borrowers: the executive branch does not have the constitutional authority to wipe debt away, nor do the loan balances simply disappear. Hundreds of billions have already been transferred to taxpayers.” The Trump administration has long said that taxpayers shouldn’t foot the bill for trillions of dollars in student debt. “We must get our fiscal house in order and restore common sense to our country,” Leavitt said. “If you take out a loan, you have to pay it back. It’s very simple. President Trump will not kick the can down the road anymore.”
‘Growing heat’: Sotomayor spars with Alito during LGBTQ classroom books case
Justices Samuel Alito and Sonia Sotomayor snapped at each other during Tuesday’s arguments over parental rights in LGBTQ curriculum after the liberal justice attempted to jump back into the questioning as Alito was speaking. The short quarrel happened as the high court listened to arguments in Mahmoud v. Taylor, in which a coalition of parents sought to solidify the right to be informed about and opt their children out of reading LGBTQ-related material in elementary schools — which they argue conflicts with their faith. “There is a growing heat to the exchanges between the justices. Sotomayor just tried to disagree with Alito’s portrayal and Alito pushed back and asked to allow him to finish,” Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley observed on X. Sotomayor initially asked Mahmoud attorney Eric Baxter about a particular book titled “Uncle Bobby’s Wedding” that included a same-sex relationship storyline and whether exposure to same-sex relationships in children’s books could be considered coercion. PARENTS TELL SCOTUS: LGBTQ STORYBOOKS IN CLASSROOMS CLASH WITH OUR FAITH “Our parents would object to that,” Baxter responded. Sotomayor continued with her line of questioning to further clarify Baxter’s objection to the books. Baxter stated, “Our objections would be even to reading books that violate our client’s religious beliefs.” Alito then jumped in with additional questions related to the book. “I’ve read that book as well as a lot of these other books,” Alito began. “Do you think it’s fair to say that all that is done in ‘Uncle Bobby’s Wedding’ is to expose children to the fact that there are men who marry other men?” Baxter objected to Alito’s question. Alito then said that while the book “has a clear message and a lot of people think it’s a good message,” some with “traditional religious beliefs don’t agree with” it. As Alito continued with his explanation, Sotomayor jumped in. “What a minute. The reservation is—” Sotomayor began. ‘LET US BE THE PARENTS’: SUPREME COURT SHOULD LET PARENTS OPT KIDS OUT OF LGBTQ SCHOOL LESSONS, LAWYER ARGUES “Can I finish?” Alito said. “It has a clear moral message, and it may be a good message. It’s just a message that a lot of religious people disagree with,” Alito finished. As arguments wrapped, the Supreme Court appeared inclined to agree with the parents. A coalition of Jewish, Christian and Muslim parents with elementary school children in Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland brought suit against the school board after it introduced new LGBTQ books into the curriculum as part of the district’s “inclusivity” initiative. The curriculum change came after the state of Maryland enacted regulations seeking to promote “educational equity,” according to the petitioner’s brief filed with the high court. THE SUPREME COURT APPEARS TO SIDE WITH PARENTS IN RELIGIOUS LIBERTY DISPUTE OVER STORYBOOKS The parents lost both at the district court and the appellate level. The Fourth Circuit held that the parents had not shown how the policy violated the First Amendment. The case comes at a time when President Donald Trump and his administration have prioritized educational and DEI-related reform upon starting his second term. The Supreme Court has notably also heard oral arguments this past term in other religious liberty and gender-related suits. The high court heard oral arguments earlier this month in a suit brought by a Wisconsin-based Catholic charity group’s bid for tax relief. The decision could alter the current eligibility requirements for religious tax exemptions. Fox News’ Bill Mears, Shannon Bream, and David Spunt contributed to this report.
‘Can I finish?’: Sotomayor spars with Alito during LGBTQ classroom books case
Justices Samuel Alito and Sonia Sotomayor snapped at each other during Tuesday’s arguments over parental rights in LGBTQ curriculum after the liberal justice attempted to jump back into the questioning as Alito was speaking. The short quarrel happened as the high court listened to arguments in Mahmoud v. Taylor, in which a coalition of parents sought to solidify the right to be informed about and opt their children out of reading LGBTQ-related material in elementary schools — which they argue conflicts with their faith. Sotomayor initially asked Mahmoud attorney Eric Baxter about a particular book titled “Uncle Bobby’s Wedding” that included a same-sex relationship storyline and whether exposure to same-sex relationships in children’s books could be considered coercion. PARENTS TELL SCOTUS: LGBTQ STORYBOOKS IN CLASSROOMS CLASH WITH OUR FAITH “Our parents would object to that,” Baxter responded. Sotomayor continued with her line of questioning to further clarify Baxter’s objection to the books. Baxter stated, “Our objections would be even to reading books that violate our client’s religious beliefs.” Alito then jumped in with additional questions related to the book. “I’ve read that book as well as a lot of these other books,” Alito began. “Do you think it’s fair to say that all that is done in ‘Uncle Bobby’s Wedding’ is to expose children to the fact that there are men who marry other men?” Baxter objected to Alito’s question. Alito then said that while the book “has a clear message and a lot of people think it’s a good message,” some with “traditional religious beliefs don’t agree with” it. As Alito continued with his explanation, Sotomayor jumped in. “What a minute. The reservation is—” Sotomayor began. ‘LET US BE THE PARENTS’: SUPREME COURT SHOULD LET PARENTS OPT KIDS OUT OF LGBTQ SCHOOL LESSONS, LAWYER ARGUES “Can I finish?” Alito said. “It has a clear moral message, and it may be a good message. It’s just a message that a lot of religious people disagree with,” Alito finished. As arguments wrapped, the Supreme Court appeared inclined to agree with the parents. A coalition of Jewish, Christian and Muslim parents with elementary school children in Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland brought suit against the school board after it introduced new LGBTQ books into the curriculum as part of the district’s “inclusivity” initiative. The curriculum change came after the state of Maryland enacted regulations seeking to promote “educational equity,” according to the petitioner’s brief filed with the high court. THE SUPREME COURT APPEARS TO SIDE WITH PARENTS IN RELIGIOUS LIBERTY DISPUTE OVER STORYBOOKS The parents lost both at the district court and the appellate level. The Fourth Circuit held that the parents had not shown how the policy violated the First Amendment. The case comes at a time when President Donald Trump and his administration have prioritized educational and DEI-related reform upon starting his second term. The Supreme Court has notably also heard oral arguments this past term in other religious liberty and gender-related suits. The high court heard oral arguments earlier this month in a suit brought by a Wisconsin-based Catholic charity group’s bid for tax relief. The decision could alter the current eligibility requirements for religious tax exemptions. Fox News’ Bill Mears, Shannon Bream, and David Spunt contributed to this report.
Trump tells DOD to move more forces equipped for combat into Middle East as US ups pressure on Houthis
President Donald Trump has officially informed Congress that he has directed the Department of Defense to move additional forces equipped for combat into the Middle East as U.S. forces carry out military strikes against Houthi militants in Yemen in an effort to stop attacks on American forces and commercial ships in the Red Sea. In a letter dated March 28 and released Tuesday, Trump told House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley that he had directed the Department of Defense to increase U.S. military presence in the region and launch major strikes on Houthi-controlled areas. “I will no longer allow this band of pirates to threaten and attack United States forces and commercial vessels in one of the most important shipping lanes in the world,” Trump wrote. “We will act to keep Americans safe.” He said the U.S. will continue striking until the group no longer poses a threat to navigation or U.S. personnel. The strikes include Navy ships, Air Force bombers and drones targeting Houthi weapons, leadership and command centers. TRUMP ADMIN IMPOSES SANCTIONS AGAINST BANK OF YEMEN FOR SUPPORTING HOUTHIS Trump said the actions are consistent with his authority as commander in chief and in line with the War Powers Resolution, which requires Congress to be kept informed. The letter comes as the Trump administration continues daily military operations in Yemen, now entering their fourth week. The airstrikes began after renewed Houthi threats against Israeli ships and attacks on U.S. forces, including three Reaper drones brought down since March 3. AFTER DEBILITATING STRIKES, TRUMP TELLS HOUTHIS: STOP SHOOTING AT US AND ‘WE WILL STOP SHOOTING AT YOU’ Last week, the administration sanctioned the International Bank of Yemen (IBY), accusing it of helping the Houthis move money internationally and avoid restrictions. The U.S. Treasury blocked assets tied to the bank and its leadership, including Chair Kamal Hussain Al Jebry and two top managers. “Financial institutions like IBY are critical to the Houthis’ ability to fund attacks,” said Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender. The Treasury and State departments say the Houthis use the bank’s access to the SWIFT global system to support terror operations, including oil purchases and weapons procurement. In March, Trump posted on Truth Social that “many” Houthi leaders had been killed in the recent strikes, saying the group has been “decimated” and warning Iran, their chief backer, that it could be next if the attacks continue. “The choice for the Houthis is clear,” Trump wrote. “Stop shooting at U.S. ships, and we will stop shooting at you.” The Houthis began ramping up attacks in the Red Sea after the October 2023 Hamas terror attack on Israel. They’ve claimed responsibility for targeting U.S. warships and have so far avoided hitting Chinese and Saudi ships, raising questions among defense officials about their strategic aims. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Congress is expected to review Trump’s report in the coming days as U.S. strikes continue. Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner, Brie Stimson and Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.
Former NFL player reveals Trump assassination attempt inspired him to run for Congress
EXCLUSIVE: A former NFL kicker is launching his bid for Congress on Tuesday after revealing to Fox News Digital what inspired him to make the decision to run for office. The sports commentator, Jay Feely, is entering the Republican primary for Arizona’s Fifth Congressional District to replace Rep. Andy Biggs, who’s running to be the Grand Canyon State’s next governor. Feely said that while he’s been interested in politics for years, it was the assassination attempt on then-presidential candidate Donald Trump last year that inspired him to run for office. “The lawfare that Democrats did against President Trump and you watched him get shot. That was a big moment for me. I remember starting to really think about running for office the day that he got shot,” he told Fox News Digital during an exclusive interview shortly before his announcement. Ex-NFL kicker ‘seriously considering’ Congress run: report Feely played for the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, New York Jets, the Miami Dolphins, and the Chicago Bears. Most recently, he’s been a CBS Sports analyst. He noted that some of his experience on the executive committee at the NFL Player’s Association was an opportunity for him to hone his leadership skills to potentially bring to Washington. “One of those times we had a lockout and the players were locked out by the owners. We had to negotiate,” he said. “Those types of negotiations are similar to what goes on in the House and the Senate and goes on in Congress and, you know, you’re doing those types of negotiations all the time. And we saw it with the continued resolution just a month ago,” Feely added, adding that he’s “certainly prepared” for the job. DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKER ARGUES HIS PARTY SHOULDN’T LOOK KINDLY ON FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS AIDING TRUMP Amid major policy changes at the border, Feely maintains that the largest issue facing the state is illegal immigration. “The Democrats told us that they needed a bill passed in Congress or they couldn’t fix the border. And President Biden sat by and let tens of millions of illegals come into our country and he could have taken the measures that President Trump did in three months,” he said. The Republican primary currently includes former House Speaker Pro Tempore Travis Grantham and Army veteran Alex Stovall. GOP LAWMAKER CALLS FOR FBI INVESTIGATION INTO ‘ALARMING’ ALLEGATIONS AGAINST TOP DEM FUNDRAISING PLATFORM Cook Political Report ranks the district as solid Republican, and it is not a target by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee as a pickup opportunity, which is the case in Arizona’s first, second, and sixth districts. Still, Feely believes he’s a “uniter” ahead of what’s expected to be a competitive midterm cycle as Republicans have an extremely narrow majority in the House. “I think one of the things from a Republican perspective is we haven’t stayed united. Democrats stay united even when they completely disagree on issues. They’re a united front. And I give Speaker Johnson a lot of credit right now because he has kept this since President Trump was sworn into office. He has kept Republicans united, he got the cabinet members through, they’re staying united behind President Trump and his endeavors to fix the border and to fix our economy,” Feely said.
Media personality Steve Hilton unleashes on ‘failed and rejected’ Kamala Harris at campaign launch
California Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton came out swinging against former Vice President Kamala Harris as she mulls a bid to become Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom’s successor. “It’s never about us. It’s always about her,” Hilton said about the discussion of a potential run, citing a Politico report that she’s interested in the idea of being the country’s first Black woman governor. “Let me tell you, leading the greatest state in the greatest nation on Earth is not some consolation prize to be handed out to a failed and rejected machine politician from Washington who can barely string a coherent sentence together and who thinks she should get this job because of her identity but not her ability,” he added. CALIFORNIA MAYOR WANTS TO GIVE HOMELESS PEOPLE ‘ALL THE FENTANYL THEY WANT’: ‘NEED TO PURGE THESE PEOPLE’ Hilton launched his campaign in Huntington Beach on Tuesday morning, touting endorsements ranging from Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Rep. Kevin Kiley and actor Jon Voight. He joins the race as recent polling indicated that just under half of likely voters in California would consider backing a Republican for governor, according to the Sacramento Bee. Politico recently reported that Harris is considering the bid after losing the presidential race to now-President Donald Trump in November. If she enters, she would likely become the frontrunner in the Democrat field. Hilton compared her to the “marine layer threatening to come in and block out the sun.” KAMALA HARRIS PAID LEBRON JAMES’ ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY $50,000 FOR ‘CAMPAIGN EVENT PRODUCTION,’ RECORDS SHOW “So, bring it, Kamala, if you decide to run for governor, we will beat you again,” Hilton told the crowd. The Golden State has a jungle primary system rather than a nomination system, which leads to the possibility that members of the same political party could be the finalists in a general election race. On the Democrat side, a long list of candidates includes former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, former Rep. Katie Porter and Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis. On the Republican side, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco is in the race to take the helm in Sacramento. SCOOP: NEWSOM LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN TO ENTICE RELUCTANT CANADIANS TO VISIT CALIFORNIA AMID TRUMP TARIFF PUSH If a Republican were elected governor of the Golden State, they would likely continue to face a Democrat supermajority in the legislature. Newsom will be termed out of office and unable to serve a third term. Newsom won re-election by a wide margin against Republican Brian Dahle in 2022, and the Democrat fended off a recall election in 2021. The state continues to face internal and external pressures as it deals with Los Angeles fire recovery, affordability concerns leading people to move, and recent oil refinery closure announcements that could create major energy production issues. Fox News Digital reached out to Harris’ office for comment.
Far-left lawmaker breaks silence after unearthed social media post ignites firestorm
Far-left Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., broke his silence on Tuesday after an unearthed social media post of rap lyrics set off a firestorm of controversy. Frost, who recently made headlines for flying to El Salvador to visit deported illegal immigrant and alleged MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia, was heavily criticized on social media after a seemingly cryptic tweet from 2016 resurfaced reading “f—– wit my gang gon get u spilled.” The post was in response to tweets including one by an account named “Hits LeBlunt.” The line is from the song “Gang” by rapper “Max P.” The post generated a spate of concern and condemnation, with many saying it was unbecoming of a member of Congress to have such a post on his official account. TRACE GALLAGHER: THE LEFT IS ‘ALL IN’ ON KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA Even Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, who has emerged as a key ally of the Trump administration, weighed in on the controversy by posting a shoulder shrug emoji. Rather than deleting the post, Frost simply responded to the controversy by saying, “Never thought Max P lyrics I tweeted at 19 would get so much attention from MAGA.” Frost also tweeted out “I’ve only ever been in one gang” with an image of him in his high school band. Frost kept going, tweeting again on Tuesday, “Keep looking through my old posts. There has to be some more funny stuff in there. Make sure you tag me.” DEMOCRATS’ EL SALVADOR TRIP LAMPOONED BY SENATE GOP GROUP IN FAUX TOURISM AD: ‘¡BIENVENIDOS!’ Frost’s responses, however, did not quell the controversy, with users continuing to bash him for the tweet and many even posting AI meme images showing Frost with tattoos reading “DeMS-13.” Some seemed to find the controversy funny, such as conservative influencer Benny Johnson, who posted a screenshot of Bukele’s roast of Frost with the caption, “never deleting this app.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE Conservative communicator Steve Guest posted a screenshot from Urban Dictionary defining “spilled” as “To be murdered. Most likely referring to blood being spilled.” Popular conservative account “End Wokeness” replied to Frost’s 2016 tweet by saying, “DeMS-13 or Tren Dem Aragua?” Others, like the popular account “DataRepublican,” expressed that the tweet was not fitting for a member of Congress. “You are a Congressman. You’re not a gangster. You’re not being cool or edgy. You are held to a high standard, as a representative of the mightiest nation on the Earth. Do better,” the account commented. HOUSE DEMS DEMAND ‘PROOF OF LIFE’ OF ABREGO GARCIA AFTER BEING DENIED MEETING IN EL SALVADOR Frost was one of five Democratic lawmakers who visited El Salvador last week to advocate for the release and return of Abrego Garcia from the Salvadoran mega prison known as the “Terrorist Confinement Center” (CECOT). Posting on X from El Salvador, the congressman accused President Donald Trump of “illegally arresting, jailing, & deporting people with no due process.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “We must hold the Administration accountable for these illegal acts and demand Kilmar’s release. Today it’s him, tomorrow it could be anyone else,” said Frost. Besides Frost, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Reps. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., Maxine Dexter, D-Ore., and Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., also flew to El Salvador on behalf of Abrego Garcia.
Bondi, Trump Cabinet convenes task force to root out ‘anti-Christian bias’ in federal agencies
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday hosted Cabinet officials from across the Trump administration for the first meeting of a new interagency task force aimed at eradicating “anti-Christian bias” within the federal government. During Tuesday’s meeting, Bondi described the task force as one aimed at remedying the “abuse” under the Biden-led Justice Department and at other federal agencies prior to Trump’s second presidential term. “As President Donald Trump has stated, the Biden administration engaged in an egregious pattern of targeting peaceful Christians while ignoring violent, anti-Christian offenses,” Bondi told a small group of reporters. “The president is right.” FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS HALT TO TRUMP ADMIN’S CFPB TERMINATIONS Bondi was joined Tuesday by a long list of senior Cabinet officials from across the federal government, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, FBI Director Kash Patel, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Other senior agency officials were also present. Bondi also used the meeting to highlight some of the actions the Trump administration has taken to crack down on anti-Christian biases. To date, the Justice Department has dropped three ongoing cases against pro-lifers and “redefined the FACE Act” to help protect against what Bondi and others have described as the weaponization of pro-life groups and others. Ultimately, “the First Amendment isn’t just the line in the Constitution. It’s the cornerstone of our American memory,” Bondi said. “It guarantees every citizen the right to speak freely, worship freely, and live according to their conscience without government interference. Protecting Christians from bias is not favoritism. It’s upholding the rule of law and fulfilling the constitutional promise.” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the group planned to use the meeting to hear from individuals who had been harmed as a result of “anti-Christian sentiment” under the Biden administration, and the various ways this bias may have shown up in their departments or agencies. That part of the meeting was closed to the press. SUPREME COURT TO HEAR ORAL ARGUMENTS IN BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP CASE Shortly before reporters were escorted from the room, Fox News asked the Department of Justice officials and other members of the task force whether they would share any examples of the anti-Christian bias within their agencies or any of the personal stories that they planned to touch on in the closed-door portion of the meeting. The officials in attendance did not immediately answer the question, and Justice Department officials told Fox News and other reporters present that they would circulate more information after the meeting. Trump first created the task force via an executive order in February, with the goal of rooting out “anti-Christian targeting and discrimination” within the government. The president also selected Bondi to head up the task force — whom he praised as someone he trusted to “fully prosecute anti-Christian violence and vandalism in our society.” The task force’s first meeting comes just days after Politico reported that the Trump administration sent an internal cable to State Department employees ordering them to report any instances of coworkers displaying “anti-Christian bias” as part of the task force initiative. The internal cable encouraged employees to share information via a tip form, noting that their responses could be kept anonymous, and was reportedly sent to embassies around the world, as well as the department headquarters in D.C. “Biden’s Department of Justice abused and targeted Christians,” Trump said earlier this year. “Pro-life Christians were arrested and imprisoned for peacefully praying outside abortion clinics… NO MORE!”