Fox News Politics Newsletter: All Quiet on the Southern Front
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 endorses ‘MAGA warrior’ for RNC chairman after Whatley launches Senate campaign –Senate GOP threatens to ‘grind it out’ through August as Trump nominees face Democratic delays -Linda McMahon pulls back the curtain on Trump’s plan to dismantle the Department of Education The southern border has largely gone quiet. United States Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks posted to X on Friday that southwest border apprehensions hit a monthly record low in July, with only 4,399 apprehensions. For the third month in a row, there have been zero releases. This is the new all-time record low, beating the prior record low of 6,070 in June…READ MORE ‘CAN’T GO WRONG’: Trump takes jab at GOP senator, urging Republicans to ‘vote the exact opposite of’ how she does FIGHTING LUNATICS: Trump blasts reporter over tariffs questions: ‘Lunatics like you’ NUCLEAR NAILBITER: China’s growing nuclear arsenal aims to break US alliances and dominate Asia, report warns BEYOND REPAIR: US report urges UN agency’s shutdown over Hamas ties, Oct. 7 terror links FREE TO RUN: Trump ally Bukele’s party amends El Salvador constitution to allow indefinite presidential re-election CAPITAL RULE DISPUTE: Senate Republicans launch crackdown on DC permitting illegal immigrants, noncitizens to vote in elections DEFEND FROM DEFUND: Democrats escalate anti-Trump lawfare by targeting Congress in Planned Parenthood funding fight ‘LAWLESS’: Lawmaker unveils ‘ERIC ADAMS Act’ threatening criminal penalties for sanctuary city mayors SWAMP STOCK SHOWDOWN: Trump ‘wants to get’ stock-trading ban done, Hawley insists after president’s brutal attack on bill RAISING THE BAR: Top DHS official calls citizenship test ‘too soft,’ urges major overhaul of naturalization process ‘HALF A BRAIN’: Mamdani defund police walk back ripped as ‘political theatre’: ‘No one with half a brain is buying it’ TOXIC DANGER: Banned chemicals found in American shampoo, sunscreen and tampons across major brands Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Federal appeals court weighs Trump birthright citizenship order as admin outlines enforcement details
A federal appeals court will hear oral arguments Friday afternoon in a challenge to President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship in the U.S., one of several lower court cases that took shape after the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in June. The three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit agreed this summer to hear arguments in two consolidated cases centered on the matter, O. Doe. v. Trump, and the State of New Jersey v. Trump, joining several other appeals courts in reviewing the legality of Trump’s executive order. The hearing comes roughly five weeks after the Supreme Court partially sided with the Trump administration in a case centered on the birthright citizenship order. Justices narrowed when lower courts can issue so-called “universal injunctions” blocking the president’s orders from taking effect nationwide. Trump signed his birthright citizenship executive order on his first day in office. It seeks to clarify the 14th Amendment, which states, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” NINTH CIRCUIT REJECTS TRUMP’S BID TO REINSTATE BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ORDER Instead, the language put forth by the Trump administration, and subsequently blocked, would have clarified that individuals born to illegal immigrant parents, or those who were here legally but on temporary non-immigrant visas, are not citizens by birthright. The Supreme Court declined to rule on the merits, instead giving the Trump administration 30 days to outline how it would enforce the order — effectively punting the issue back to the lower courts. So far, the administration hasn’t found much success there. A federal judge in New Hampshire issued a nationwide injunction last month blocking Trump’s order from taking force, and certified as a class all infants born in the U.S. who would be denied citizenship under the order. Arguments before the First Circuit come just one week after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals also blocked Trump’s birthright citizenship order from taking force nationwide. Judges on the Ninth Circuit voted 2-1 to block the order, siding with the Democratic-led states in ruling it unconstitutional. They also ruled it “is impossible to avoid this harm” caused by the order “absent a uniform application of the citizenship clause throughout the United States,” prompting them to issue the nationwide injunction. “The district court below concluded that a universal preliminary injunction is necessary to provide the states with complete relief,” U.S. Circuit Judge Ronald Gould, writing for the Ninth Circuit majority, said in the ruling. “We conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion in issuing a universal injunction in order to give the states complete relief.” It’s unclear how judges on the First Circuit will rule. But their oral arguments come days after the Trump administration detailed new specifics on how it plans to enforce its order in question. Guidance from roughly half a dozen U.S. agencies outlines these new requirements for parents. One document published by the Social Security Administration outlines new requirements parents will need to meet to prove their child is a U.S. citizen at birth. “With respect to citizenship, an SSN applicant may currently demonstrate U.S. citizenship by providing a birth certificate showing a U.S. place of birth,” a document from SSA said. “Once the EO takes effect, a birth certificate showing a U.S. place of birth will not be sufficient documentary evidence of U.S. citizenship for persons born after the EO takes effect.” The policy, which remains halted by the lower courts, is widely unpopular. More than 22 U.S. states and immigrants’ rights groups have sued the Trump administration to block the change to birthright citizenship, arguing in court filings that the executive order is both unconstitutional and “unprecedented.” And to date, no court has sided with the Trump administration’s executive order seeking to ban birthright citizenship, though multiple district courts have blocked it, including in wake of the Supreme Court ruling, from taking effect. This is a developing news story. Check back soon for updates.
Federal judge halts Trump TPS policy, accuses DHS of making migrants ‘atone for their race’
A federal judge in California delayed the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) decision to terminate protections for immigrants from three countries, a move that adds to the legal hurdles for the Trump administration as it pushes to carry out its deportation agenda. Judge Trina Thompson said that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s terminations of temporary protected status, also known as TPS, for immigrants from Honduras, Nicaragua and Nepal were likely “preordained decisions” that violated the Administrative Procedure Act and were driven by racial animus. “The freedom to live fearlessly, the opportunity of liberty, and the American dream. That is all Plaintiffs seek,” Thompson, a Biden-appointee, wrote in an order. “Instead, they are told to atone for their race, leave because of their names, and purify their blood. The Court disagrees.” Thompson later added: “Color is neither a poison nor a crime.” DHS TERMINATES TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS FOR AROUND 76K HONDURAN, NICARAGUAN MIGRANTS The lawsuit was brought by a group representing TPS holders, including some who have lived in the country for more than two decades. Attorneys wrote in court papers on behalf of the immigrants that they were “laborers, health care workers, artists, and caretakers” who have “relied on TPS to provide the most basic forms of human security — a stable place to live and a chance to work for a living during a time of severe crisis in their home countries.” They argued that Noem declining to extend their TPS status was, by law, supposed to be reached based on an individualized analysis of each country. The judge found that Noem likely failed to condition TPS termination on factors specific to the immigrants’ countries of origin. They also said Noem had given the immigrants a historically short notice period of 60 days before they would lose their TPS status. And she and other Trump administration officials have normalized using “racist invective” to explain their TPS decisions, the attorneys said. FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION POLICY IN SHOCKING DECISION ON HAITIAN PROTECTIONS The attorneys cited dozens of examples of Trump or Noem describing migrants as MS-13 gang members, murderers, terrorists and people who have it in their “genes” to commit crime. They pointed to Trump’s viral debate moment in which he made the unproven claim that Haitian immigrants were eating Ohioans’ house pets. The TPS program gives the DHS authority to permit immigrants who might otherwise have no legal status to temporarily reside in the United States because of extraordinary circumstances in their home countries, such as wars or natural disasters. The plaintiffs argued that roughly 61,000 people would lose their TPS as a result of Noem’s decision, which would end the immigrants’ legal status and work authorizations and make them eligible for deportation. The Trump administration has argued that the statute governing TPS gives DHS secretaries sole discretion over TPS designations and that Noem should be allowed to end the status using the same authority that past secretaries used to grant it. In May, the Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration in an emergency order related to a case involving TPS for Venezuelans. The order temporarily paused a lower court order, clearing the way for Noem to end TPS for about 350,000 immigrants. Thompson’s decision will stay in place until at least November, when the next hearing is scheduled. DHS told Fox News Digital it plans to appeal the decision.
Trump repositions 2 nuclear submarines after ‘highly provocative’ Russian comments
President Donald Trump announced Friday that he has “ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions” following “highly provocative statements” made by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Medvedev said earlier this week that Trump’s new deadline for Russia to end the conflict with Ukraine is an additional “step towards war.” “Based on the highly provocative statements of the Former President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, who is now the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances,” he added. MEDVEDEV WARNS TRUMP’S NEW DEADLINE TO END RUSSIA-UKRAINE CONFLICT IS A ‘STEP TOWARDS WAR’ There was no immediate response to Trump’s comments from Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond Friday to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Medvedev, now the deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, cautioned that Trump’s announcement Monday that Russia must end the conflict with Ukraine in 10 to 12 days would not end well for the U.S. “Trump’s playing the ultimatum game with Russia: 50 days or 10… He should remember 2 things: 1. Russia isn’t Israel or even Iran. 2. Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country,” Medvedev said in a post on X on Monday. “Don’t go down the Sleepy Joe road!” While Trump announced on July 14 that he would sign off on “severe tariffs” against Russia if Moscow failed to agree to a peace deal within 50 days, Trump said Monday that waiting that period of time was futile amid stalled negotiations. “I’m going to make a new deadline, of about 10 — 10 or 12 days from today,” Trump told reporters from Scotland. “There’s no reason for waiting. It was 50 days. I wanted to be generous, but we just don’t see any progress being made.” Trump’s remarks come as his frustration with Putin has grown in recent weeks amid no progress toward peace between Russia and Ukraine, and just a day after Russia launched more than 300 drones, four cruise missiles and three ballistic missiles into Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian air force. Trump also wrote on Truth Social Friday that “I have just been informed that almost 20,000 Russian soldiers died this month in the ridiculous War with Ukraine. “Russia has lost 112,500 soldiers since the beginning of the year. That is a lot of unnecessary DEATH! Ukraine, however, has also suffered greatly. They have lost approximately 8,000 soldiers since January 1, 2025, and that number does not include their missing,” the president added. “Ukraine has also lost civilians, but in smaller numbers, as Russian rockets crash into Kyiv, and other Ukrainian locales. This is a War that should have never happened — This is Biden’s War, not ‘TRUMP’s.’ I’m just here to see if I can stop it!” Fox News’ Diana Stancy contributed to this report.
Biden slurs way through latest speech, touts nominating ‘demographically diverse’ judges
Former President Joe Biden touted appointing Supreme Court Justice Kentanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court, during a slur-filled speech at the National Bar Association’s 100th annual gala at the Hyatt in Chicago Thursday evening — just hours after one of his top aides testified before the Republican House Oversight Committee for their investigation into the former president’s fitness for office. Biden slurred on multiple occasions during the night, including while discussing serving as the vice president to the first Black president, former President Barack Obama, and selecting Kamala Harris as his vice president. Harris was the first woman of Black and South Asian heritage to serve in the role. Likewise, Biden said he also selected demographically diverse judges during his administration. KAMALA HARRIS TO PUBLISH BEHIND-THE-SCENES ACCOUNT OF FAILED 2024 CAMPAIGN “I promised to have an administration that looked like America and appoint a bench that looked like America,” Biden said. “And I kept my promise. I appointed the most demographically diverse … slate of judges ever in the history of the United States of America. The top of that list, one of the greatest lawyers I’ve ever met, Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman on the United States Supreme Court.” “Justice Jackson, as you witnessed earlier this week, has proven herself to have the wisdom and the character that I saw in her when I nominated her. Appointed 13 Black women to the Courts of Appeals of the United States Federal Court, more than every other president in American history combined,” he said. “For other historic firsts as well, for historic, for Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, Muslim Americans, by the way, I didn’t just appoint Ivy League judges.” DNC VICE CHAIR COMPARES TRUMP TO NOTORIOUS SEGREGATIONISTS DURING HEATED TOWN HALL EVENT WITH BETO O’ROURKE The National Bar Association originally formed in Iowa before Black attorneys were permitted to join the American Bar Association, and is now made up of 66,000 members working in law who advocate for civil rights and diversity. Those who attended the event included Jackson, as well as Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, MSNBC pundit Joy-Ann Reid and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Biden and his allies have faced allegations of concealing the truth about Biden’s mental fitness while in office, following his debate performance against President Donald Trump on June 27, 2024 in Atlanta, where Biden struggled to answer seemingly basic questions. LONGTIME BIDEN AIDE TESTIFIES HE STOOD TO EARN UP TO $8M HAD PRESIDENT WON RE-ELECTION Multiple books have been written in 2025 detailing Biden’s final days in office, his deteriorating mental faculties and challenges within the Democratic Party as a result of his decision to withdraw from the election. Additionally, several investigations are ongoing on Capitol Hill concerning Biden’s mental decline. For example, the House Oversight Committee is examining the cover-up of Biden’s cognitive decline and potentially unauthorized executive actions taken during his presidency. Earlier Thursday, longtime Biden aide Michael Donilon appeared before the House Oversight Committee and told lawmakers that he could have raked in a total of $8 million if Biden had won re-election in 2024, Axios first reported. Fox News Digital reached out to Biden’s spokesperson for comment and has not yet received a reply. Fox News’ Charlie Creitz and Alex Schemmel contributed to this report.
China’s growing nuclear arsenal aims to break US alliances and dominate Asia, report warns
China is no longer building nuclear weapons solely for deterrence — it’s using them to fuel its ambitions as a dominant power in Asia, seeking to intimidate U.S. allies and undermine American influence across the region, according to a new report. The Hudson Institute warns that by the mid-2030s, China is expected to become a nuclear peer of the United States in both quantity and quality, fielding a modern, survivable and diverse arsenal that includes over 1,000 warheads, a fully developed nuclear triad and tactical nuclear capabilities. However, Beijing’s goal isn’t to win a nuclear war, the report argues. It’s to manipulate and degrade trust in America’s nuclear umbrella, particularly among U.S. allies in East and Southeast Asia. By sowing doubt that Washington would defend them in a crisis, China hopes to pressure countries like Japan, the Philippines and South Korea into strategic passivity, giving Beijing more room to act — including a potential move on Taiwan — without triggering a broader allied response. “The purpose of amplifying uncertainty is to manipulate notions of risk to China’s advantage,” the report states. “This is primarily about exacerbating hesitancy among U.S. allies by exploiting persistent fears of abandonment and doubts regarding America’s commitment.” JAPAN CALLS AXIS OF CHINA, RUSSIA, NORTH KOREA THE ‘GRAVEST THREAT’ TO GLOBAL ORDER SINCE WWII China’s military strategy blends rapid nuclear modernization with psychological operations and information warfare. The country is investing in advanced technologies such as hypersonic boost-glide vehicles and fractional orbital bombardment systems — space-based platforms that can deliver nuclear strikes from low-Earth orbit with little warning. Its warheads can now be launched from silos, submarines, road-mobile launchers and aircraft. The report urges the U.S. to “abandon the false hope of arms control” with China and instead embrace a doctrine of strategic ambiguity and instability, one that deters Beijing through strength and unpredictability rather than bilateral disarmament. President Donald Trump has expressed interest in future arms control talks with both China and Russia, but analysts say Beijing has shown little genuine interest in limiting its nuclear forces. The Hudson report devotes case studies to three key allies — the Philippines, Japan and South Korea — and how China uses nuclear intimidation differently in each case. While Manila is more concerned with gray-zone conflicts in the South China Sea, China may increasingly use implied nuclear threats to dissuade it from hosting U.S. missile systems like the Typhon launcher, which can strike deep into Chinese territory. China has already begun deploying messaging via state-linked outlets that hint at targeting Philippine-based assets. Heavily dependent on the U.S. nuclear umbrella but constrained by strong domestic anti-nuclear sentiment, Tokyo faces an information campaign from Beijing designed to shake confidence in U.S. commitments. China applies psychological pressure to prevent Japan from building counterstrike capabilities or assisting in a conflict over Taiwan. PENTAGON PRESSES JAPAN, AUSTRALIA ON ROLE IN POSSIBLE TAIWAN CONFLICT Seoul remains narrowly focused on North Korea’s nuclear threat, not China’s. It has been reluctant to fully align with U.S. efforts to deter Beijing, and it’s unclear whether South Korea would permit U.S. forces to use its bases in the event of a Taiwan contingency. China, the report says, is working to keep Seoul compartmentalized and disengaged from the broader East Asian conflict. The report outlines four core recommendations: “Washington and its allies must show that China’s buildup is backfiring — leading not to fear and passivity, but to renewed resolve and regional rearmament,” the report says. The report lands ahead of the Pentagon’s forthcoming global force posture review, expected later this year. The Department of Defense is widely expected to announce a shift in forces from Europe to the Indo-Pacific, reflecting the Biden administration’s—and potentially Trump’s — emphasis on great power competition with China.
Kavanaugh cites 3 presidents in explaining Supreme Court’s ballooning emergency docket
As President Donald Trump has faced an onslaught of legal bids to block his agenda during his second term in office, Trump-nominated Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh spoke at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit judicial conference on Thursday, according to reports. “Executive branches of both parties over the last 20 years have been increasingly trying to issue executive orders and regulations that achieve the policy objectives of the president in power,” Kavanaugh said, according to the New York Times. “And I think presidents, whether it’s President Obama – I think the phrase was ‘pen and phone’ – or President Biden or President Trump, have really done more of that, and those get challenged pretty quickly in court,” he said, according to CNN. FOX NEWS POLL: APPROVAL OF SCOTUS AT 5-YEAR HIGH, REBOUNDING FROM RECORD LOW IN 2024 Unlike regular Supreme Court rulings that fully explain the rationale behind the decision, decisions on the high court’s emergency docket may go unexplained. “We’ve been doing certainly more written opinions on the interim orders docket than we’ve done in the past,” Kavanaugh said, according to CNN. SCOTUS TO DISCUSS GHISLAINE MAXWELL’S CASE PRIVATELY IN SEPTEMBER AT POST-SUMMER CONFERENCE Though he noted that issuing written opinions may pose the “risk” of “lock-in effect” in which that opinion does not “reflect the final view,” reports indicate. Kavanaugh described the court’s “collegiality” as “very strong,” noting that the nine members on the bench “look out for each other” and consider one another “patriots” and “good people,” according to reports. Trump nominated Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court during his first term in office. US JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP EFFORT TO CUT PLANNED PARENTHOOD FUNDING He also nominated Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch, meaning he chose one third of the current justices.
Border apprehensions hit record low in dramatic turnaround from Biden era
The southern border has largely gone quiet. United States Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks posted to X on Friday that southwest border apprehensions hit a monthly record low in July, with only 4,399 apprehensions. For the third month in a row, there have been zero releases. This is the new all-time record low, beating the prior record low of 6,070 in June. BORDER CROSSINGS PLUMMET TO HISTORIC LOWS; TRUMP’S ENFORCEMENT POLICIES YIELD BIG RESULTS In July, it averages out to 141 apprehensions per day at the southern border. At the height of the Biden-era crisis, there were 10,000-plus apprehensions on some days in December 2023. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE The high number of crossings resulted in an intense strain on resources in small border communities for years, as agents struggled to keep up with the demand while also dealing with responsibilities at the legal ports of entry. In addition, many migrants were bused at the request of some Republican leaders to Democratic-run areas like New York City. ‘TRUMP EFFECT’ TOUTED AS SOUTHERN BORDER NUMBERS STAY LOW, INCLUDING NEW RECORD During the Biden administration, the record high was December 2023, with 249,785 apprehensions, the majority of which were released into the U.S. The nosedive in numbers is seen as a major victory by Republicans and the Trump administration. “The border is secure again — as it should be. Strong policies equal quiet borders,” Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, posted to X. At the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, troops were deployed to the border, and the CBP One app that was commonly used for people crossing illegally to claim asylum was shuttered. NEW DATA REVEALS BORDER CROSSINGS REACH RECORD LOWS AMID TRUMP ADMIN’S CRACKDOWN The app was replaced with CBP Home, which is used for people to self-deport. The Department of Homeland Security has been touting for months an offer to give people $1,000 and free travel outside the U.S. if they have not committed other crimes. Deportation efforts are now underway throughout the U.S., as the administration is honing in on areas with sanctuary policies, with push back from Democratic officials at different levels of Congress. Still, border and immigration enforcement is expected to get a resources boost with the recent passage of the Trump-backed spending bill, dubbed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Billions were allocated for border security efforts, including to pay back states for costs incurred during the Biden administration, and ICE is now beginning recruitment for thousands more agents they’ve been given the budget to hire.
Trump officials visit Gaza aid sites as international community pressures Israel
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff visited Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) sites amid controversy over the distribution of aid in the Strip. “Went into Gaza today [and] observed humanitarian food program by U.S.-launched GHF. Hamas hates GHF [because] it gets food to [people without] it being looted by Hamas. Over 100 MILLION meals served in 2 months,” Huckabee wrote on X. In a separate post, Huckabee hailed GHF’s work as “an incredible feat.” HUCKABEE, WITKOFF SLATED FOR HIGH-STAKES GAZA VISIT TO ADDRESS ‘DIRE’ STARVATION CRISIS “At [President Trump’s] direction, [U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee] and I met yesterday with Israeli officials to discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Today, we spent over five hours inside Gaza — level setting the facts on the ground, assessing conditions, and meeting with [GHF] and other agencies. The purpose of the visit was to give [President Trump] a clear understanding of the humanitarian situation and help craft a plan to deliver food and medical aid to the people of Gaza,” Witkoff wrote on X after the visit. GHF also posted about the visit, saying it was the organization’s “privilege and honor” to have the Trump officials at one of its sites as it delivered its 100 millionth meal. GAZA HUMANITARIAN FOUNDATION: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE US-BACKED AID GROUP “The GHF food program is working. It’s working very well,” Huckabee told Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade on Friday. He also said that the situation in Gaza is “a mess” because of Hamas. Huckabee dismissed two prevailing charges against Israel: that the IDF is randomly shooting Palestinians and that there is no proof that Hamas has been stealing aid. Both the U.S. and Israel have backed the GHF largely as a way to distribute aid to people and block Hamas from looting trucks. The ambassador told Kilmeade that incidents of people being shot by the IDF at aid sites are “never random” and expressed his exhaustion with the narrative. Additionally, he dismissed claims that Israel lacked evidence of Hamas stealing aid as “ludicrous.” Huckabee said he had seen evidence of Hamas looting aid trucks and selling food on the black market for outrageous prices. According to Huckabee, a 4-kilogram (8.8-pound) bag of sugar is being sold on the black market for as much as $200. HAMAS LOSING IRON GRIP ON GAZA AS US-BACKED GROUP GETS AID TO PALESTINIANS IN NEED “People need to understand that until now, most of the humanitarian aid that entered Gaza was looted by Hamas and various clans. They sold the goods to Gazans for money,” GHF executive chairman Rev. Johnnie Moore wrote in a recent Jerusalem Post op-ed. “As a result, prices of basic products in the Strip skyrocketed — Hamas created conditions that led to hunger in Gaza by denying food to the population that had no means, and with the money and supplies it looted, it managed to recruit new fighters and keep operating.” In the interview with Kilmeade, Huckabee went on to call out the United Nations, demanding it stop “pretending” that GHF’s system isn’t effective and instead work with the U.S.- and Israeli-backed organization. Huckabee also accused the international body of having more interest in acting like a humanitarian organization than doing the work. ISRAEL ANNOUNCES IMMEDIATE RESUMPTION OF GAZA AID AIRDROPS AMID GROWING HUNGER CRISIS The U.N. and the GHF have been at odds since before the American-backed organization began distributing aid in May. While the U.N. has expressed concern that GHF sites are dangerous and ill-prepared to hand out food, the organization has pointed to the number of meals distributed as a success. “When parents no longer have to plead with Hamas for flour, something good has happened. When women can safely collect food for their children, a small piece of dignity is restored. When children are fed without conditions or coercion, a bit of light breaks through the darkness. These are victories, even if others refuse to see them,” Moore wrote in his op-ed. Huckabee and Witkoff’s visit comes as the Trump administration appears to shift its messaging on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. While in Scotland this week, President Donald Trump pledged to set up new food centers in Gaza in an apparent break with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. While Trump said he saw “real starvation in Gaza,” Netanyahu sent exactly the opposite message. “There is no starvation in Gaza, no policy of starvation in Gaza, and I assure you that we have a commitment to achieve our war goals,” Netanyahu said in a video statement on X. On Friday, Trump told Axios that he is working on a plan to “get people fed” in Gaza. The outlet noted that the president was concerned about starvation in Gaza, but placed the blame on Hamas. Additionally, Trump told Axios that Witkoff was “doing great work,” but that he had not gotten a briefing from his special envoy yet.
Trump endorses ‘MAGA warrior’ for RNC chairman after Whatley launches Senate campaign
President Donald Trump issued a full-throated endorsement of Florida state Sen. Joe Gruters for the role of Republican National Committee chair. “He will be a wonderful Chairman!” the president declared in a post on Truth Social. Current RNC Chairman Michael Whatley announced he is running for U.S. Senate in North Carolina. Trump has endorsed Whatley’s campaign. Trump also backed Jennifer Saul-Rich for the role of RNC treasurer. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.