Rubio rips Venezuela’s Maduro as ‘narco-terrorist’ leader threatening US one year after disputed election
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is hammering Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro on Sunday as the South American country holds municipal elections to fill hundreds of mayoral positions and thousands of council seats. The municipal contests are happening one day before the one-year anniversary of Venezuela’s presidential election, which was widely condemned by the United States and other international observers as illegitimate. The Trump administration, meanwhile, has been escalating pressure against Maduro in recent days, as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday accused the foreign head of state of being the leader of an entity aiding terrorism against the U.S. “One year since dictator Nicolás Maduro defied the will of the Venezuelan people by baselessly declaring himself the winner, the United States remains firm in its unwavering support to Venezuela’s restoration of democratic order and justice,” Rubio said in a statement on Sunday. “Maduro is not the President of Venezuela and his regime is not the legitimate government.” TRUMP FOE BOASBERG ORDERS DOJ TO DETAIL STATUS OF CECOT MIGRANTS SENT TO VENEZUELA “Maduro is the leader of the designated narco-terrorist organization Cartel de Los Soles, and he is responsible for trafficking drugs into the United States and Europe,” Rubio continued. “Maduro, currently indicted by our nation, has corrupted Venezuela’s institutions to assist the cartel’s criminal narco-trafficking scheme into the United States.” The Justice Department charged Maduro and 14 other former and current Venezuelan officials with narco-terrorism, corruption, drug trafficking and other criminal charges in March 2020. At the start of this year, 10 days before President Donald Trump returned to office, the State Department increased its reward for information leading to Maduro’s capture from $15 million to up to $25 million. “For years, Maduro and his cronies have manipulated Venezuela’s electoral system to maintain their illegitimate grip on power,” Rubio added on Sunday. “By scheduling the municipal elections on the eve of the anniversary of the stolen July 28 presidential election, the regime once again aims to deploy the military and police to suppress the will of the Venezuelan people.” “The United States will continue working with our partners to hold accountable the corrupt, criminal and illegitimate Maduro regime. Those who steal elections and use force to grasp power undermine America’s national security interests,” Rubio said. Maduro became the Venezuelan president in 2013, but the U.S. has not recognized his presidency since 2019. The U.S. and other countries have refused to recognize Maduro as the winner of the July 2024 Venezuelan election, citing widespread fraud. VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION MEMBER DETAILS HARROWING 400-DAY CAPTIVITY AT UN The Treasury Department on Friday sanctioned the Cartel de los Soles, also known as Cartel of the Suns, as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist.” The U.S. alleges that Cartel de los Soles is headed by Maduro and other Venezuelan high-ranking individuals in his regime “who corrupted the institutions of government in Venezuela, including parts of the military, intelligence apparatus, legislature, and the judiciary, to assist the cartel’s endeavors of trafficking narcotics into the United States.” The U.S. claims the Venezuela-based group provides material support to Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel. The Trump administration classified Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel as foreign terrorist organizations in February. According to the Treasury Department, the name Cartel de los Soles is derived from the sun insignias often portrayed on the uniforms of Venezuelan military officials. The cartel “supports Tren de Aragua in carrying out its objective of using the flood of illegal narcotics as a weapon against the United States,” according to the Treasury Department. Bessent said on Friday that the new action “exposes the illegitimate Maduro regime’s facilitation of narco-terrorism through terrorist groups like Cartel de los Soles.” “The Treasury Department will continue to execute on President Trump’s pledge to put America First by cracking down on violent organizations including Tren de Aragua, the Sinaloa Cartel, and their facilitators, like Cartel de los Soles,” he added.
Florida senator calls on New Yorkers who ‘hate socialism’ to move south with aerial ad
Florida Sen. Rick Scott flew an aerial ad across the skies of New York City on Saturday with a message encouraging residents to relocate to the Sunshine State to escape socialism, should Zohran Mamdani become mayor of the Big Apple. The banner was seen above Coney Island and Jones Beach as beachgoers soaked up the sun. “Hate socialism?” read Scott’s aerial ad. “Us too! Move 2 FL.” Scott addressed the aerial banner in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “While many New Yorkers are out enjoying the beach this weekend, we will be giving them a friendly reminder that in addition to our world class beaches, Florida is the state where you can escape socialism,” said Scott, who headed the state as governor from 2011-2019. UNEARTHED VIDEO EXPOSES MAMDANI’S ‘UNABASHED’ COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING ANTI-ISRAEL SANCTIONS AS LAWMAKER The Republican senator slammed New York City and the politics of Mamdani. “New York City once represented the American Dream – a city where anything was possible,” Scott said. “Today, it has now become the city where only billionaires can prosper, Jewish students are attacked on campus, capitalism is shunned and radical socialists like Zohran Mamdani are celebrated.” Mamdani handily won New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary last month against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Mamdani is seen as a frontrunner in the race for City Hall, though many in the Democratic establishment have yet to fully embrace the socialist nominee. NYC COUNCILWOMAN WARNS MAMDANI VICTORY WILL DRIVE AWAY KEY VOTING BLOC: ‘AFRAID TO LIVE HERE’ Scott said New York City reaped the rewards of capitalism, “the best system in the world,” which is now “being villainized by the Democrats all across this country.” “Democrats are working around the clock to discredit President Trump and tear down our country and rebuild it in their woke, radical image through socialist policies,” the Republican said. “But, this isn’t new. It’s just an old, barbaric, discredited idea that’s failed every time it’s been tried. Just look at Cuba and Venezuela and the many families who fled those brutal regimes to live in Florida.” Scott said that during his time in political office he worked to ensure that families in Florida could achieve the American Dream, including good jobs, education and safe communities. “That is the American Dream and it is deeply unfortunate that it is completely slipping away in New York,” he said. “New York families deserve better.” Fox News Digital’s Brie Stimson contributed to this report.
Democrats are hammering Republicans on Epstein, but one senator brushed off the issue years ago
Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., believes it’s “weird” that the Trump administration has not released documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, but at one point, it was the last thing on her mind. Democrats have searched for an opening to sharpen their messaging against Republicans, and have pounced on the administration and their colleagues across the aisle to release the documents. But Republicans have questioned why their counterparts didn’t have the same energy when former President Joe Biden was in office. In a recent interview on PBS’ “Firing Line,” Slotkin, who has emerged as a leading voice in the Democratic Party, said that while she did not know what was in the documents, it was odd that President Donald Trump and his administration had not released them. ‘LOUDER BY THE HOUR’: SENATE GOP WANTS THE EPSTEIN DRAMA TO END, BUT DEMOCRATS AREN’T LETTING IT GO “The president and his allies have created so much anticipation about these files at this point, it’s just weird that they’re not releasing them, right? The president fomented this,” she said. But nearly five years ago, ahead of Biden’s eventual victory and a Democratic trifecta in Washington, the issue of Epstein was not a priority for the lawmaker, who at the time was in her first term in the House. In a video from 2020 obtained by Fox News Digital, Slotkin said that diving into the connections between former President Bill Clinton and Epstein were not “front of mind.” The sentiment came in response to a question about why there had been little mention of allegations that Clinton was in the trove of documents related to Epstein. She argued that there were more pressing issues at the time, like the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the economic fallout spurred by it. SENATE REPUBLICAN DEMANDS STATE, FEDERAL COURTS ‘IMMEDIATELY UNSEAL ALL’ EPSTEIN DOCS “In the face of those problems, I will be honest, I don’t spend a ton of time looking into connections between Bill Clinton and other people, because that doesn’t help my constituents every single day, right? And my job is to focus on those issues,” she said. “I have no special knowledge of those issues, but my job is to focus on the things that affect people’s pocketbooks and their kids, and if I’m not making positive progress towards that, I’m not doing my job,” she continued. “And so, I can’t answer your question, because that’s not where I live and where I focus.” Fox News Digital reached out to Slotkin for comment for this report but did not hear back. ‘NOT GOING AWAY’: INSIDE THE EPSTEIN DRAMA THAT’S THROWN HOUSE GOP INTO CHAOS Congressional Democrats, and some Republicans, have pushed for more transparency from the Trump administration on the release of a trove of documents, known as the so-called Epstein files, in a saga that has engulfed Capitol Hill for much of July. The furor in Congress stemmed from a Justice Department memo released earlier this month that declared the Epstein case closed, and has not lost steam in the time since. Epstein intrigue paralyzed the House, causing House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to send lawmakers home early as a bipartisan swell grew to uncover the documents. The Senate has been less chaotic. Still, Senate Democrats have ramped up their messaging against the administration, while many Senate Republicans would prefer to focus their attention elsewhere.
NYC socialist would-be mayor Zohran Mamdani throws lavish wedding bash in Uganda
New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani reportedly celebrated his recent marriage this week with a three-day-long exclusive bash in his native Uganda that included masked military security and a cellphone jamming system. The party took place at Mamdani’s family’s private compound in the east African country in a wealthy area outside of Kampala, the capital, according to an exclusive report by the New York Post. The socialist candidate eloped with illustrator Rama Duwaji, with whom he lives in an apartment in Queens, earlier this year. “Outside the Mamdani house were more than 20 special forces command unit guards, some in masks, and there was a phone-jamming system set up — and all for the strictly invite-only Mamdani event,” a witness told the Post. “One gate had around nine guards stationed at it,” they added. DAVID MARCUS: WHY SOCIALIST NYC MAYORAL CANDIDATE’S UGANDA TRIP MAKES SURPRISING SENSE Last Sunday, he posted in a video on his X page that he was “going back to Uganda. I’m heading there in a personal capacity to celebrate Rama and I’s marriage with our family and friends.” He joked, “But depending on your perspective, don’t worry or I’m sorry: I’ll be back by the end of the month. See you soon, NYC.” On Tuesday, buses, several Mercedes and a Range Rover bused partygoers into the celebration, according to the Post. The revelers enjoyed music, food and dancing during the celebration, and when the bash was over, Mamdani’s personal security reportedly appeared to take over as the military guards left. The celebration came at the same time the country was mourning the death of former Ugandan Supreme Court Judge George Kanyeihamba, who was a neighbor to Mamdani’s family and died on July 14. “People are still in mourning,” one person told the Post, calling the wedding celebration “insensitive.” ‘NOT A DEMOCRAT’: JOHN FETTERMAN CALLS ZOHRAN MAMDANI’S NYC PRIMARY WIN A ‘GIFT’ TO THE GOP At one point, the street was blocked off by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s caravan when he came to the neighborhood to pay his respects. Mamdani’s family’s home sits on two acres of land with views of Lake Victoria, in a wealthy area known as Buziga Hill. Mamdani’s father is a Columbia University professor and his mother is a movie director. One of their neighbors includes Ugandan billionaire businessman Godfrey Kirumira. Masked security guards policed the entrances to the compound, which reportedly has at least three security gates. The U.S. State Department, in its travel advisory on Uganda, urges Americans to “reconsider travel” to the country due to the threat of “crime, terrorism, and laws targeting persons on the basis of sexual orientation. Exercise increased caution due to potential security risks and the unpredictable nature of public demonstrations.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Mamdani was born in Uganda but moved to New York when he was 7 years old, and got his U.S. citizenship seven years ago. Mamdani surprised by handily winning New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary last month, but many in the Democratic establishment have yet to fully embrace the socialist nominee.
Trump calls for immediate ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand amid escalating violence
President Donald Trump on Saturday said he had spoken to the leaders of Cambodia and Thailand, urging a ceasefire, adding the U.S. would not get back to the “trading table” with the southeast Asian countries until fighting stops. “I just had a very good call with the Prime Minister of Cambodia, and informed him of my discussions with Thailand, and its Acting Prime Minister,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Saturday while in Scotland as part of a five-day trip to the United Kingdom. “Both Parties are looking for an immediate Ceasefire and Peace. They are also looking to get back to the ‘Trading Table’ with the United States, which we think is inappropriate to do until such time as the fighting STOPS.” The president said Cambodia and Thailand have agreed to meet immediately and “quickly work out a Ceasefire and, ultimately, PEACE! It was an Honor to deal with both Countries. They have a long and storied History and Culture. They will hopefully get along for many years to come. When all is done, and Peace is at hand, I look forward to concluding our Trading Agreements with both!” HAMAS PUSHES BACK ON TRUMP AND WITKOFF’S CRITICISMS, DEMANDS US PRESSURE ISRAEL Border clashes between the two countries continued for the third day Saturday, leaving at least 33 dead and displacing 168,000. Tensions flared Thursday after a landmine on the border injured five Thai soldiers and both countries blamed each other for the fighting. Thailand has closed its border with Cambodia, and both countries have recalled their ambassadors. On Saturday, Cambodia said 12 more people were killed, and Thai authorities said a soldier was killed. RUSSIA, UKRAINE AGREE TO PRISONER SWAP AS CEASEFIRE TALKS COLLAPSE The U.N. Security Council has also called for a de-escalation to the fighting, and Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) had called for a peaceful resolution. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the current chair of ASEAN, said the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia are open to a ceasefire. “Thailand reaffirms its commitment to resolving the conflict peacefully and in accordance with international law,” Sangiampongsa said Saturday, urging Cambodia to “return to the negotiating table with sincerity and in good faith.” He said, however, that Cambodia will need to stop fighting before Thailand considers a ceasefire. Cambodia’s Defense Ministry on Saturday, however, condemned what it called an “unprovoked and premeditated act of aggression” after five heavy artillery shells were fired into a Cambodian province. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Neither Thailand nor Cambodia appears to be paying attention to international humanitarian law at great expense to civilians,” John Sifton, the Asia advocacy director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. “Diplomatic efforts underway need to prioritize protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Texas congressional candidate dragged out, arrested after explosive redistricting hearing: ‘It is a shame!’
Tensions boiled over at the Texas Capitol Thursday night, when a Democratic congressional candidate was forcibly removed and arrested during a volatile redistricting hearing. Isaiah Martin, running for Houston’s 18th Congressional District, defied repeated warnings to stop speaking after testimony accusing Republicans of rigging the redistricting process to appease President Donald Trump. Footage from the hearing shows Martin collapsing as he was pulled from the room by authorities. “History will NOT remember you for what you have DONE! It is a shame!” he yelled, prompting audible gasps from the crowd. He was charged with resisting arrest, criminal trespass and disrupting a public meeting. RED STATE MAP BATTLE HEATS UP AS TRUMP PUSHES TEXAS PLAN TO RESHAPE CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS Martin was released from the Travis County Jail Friday, and all charges were dropped. He later posted a video on X thanking supporters and pledging to continue speaking out. Martin began his testimony Thursday by challenging the legitimacy of the hearing. “It just seems as if many are just sitting here going with their motions, and it makes sense because the game is rigged,” he said. He then accused Texas Republicans of gerrymandering at Trump’s request. “You gotta get Trump’s endorsement. That’s the name of the game to be a Republican nowadays,” Martin said. “Trump told every single one of you that he needs five seats. … But the real conversation we should be having … is that there will be a retaliation for that.” Martin cited blue states he claimed are redrawing maps in response. “Gov. Kathy Hochul said that she will be gerrymanding Republicans out,” he said. “The same thing is gonna happen in New Jersey.” Martin also attacked Texas’ leadership over economic issues. “We live in a state that is unaffordable … property taxes going up … despite the fact that you Republicans have been in office for nearly 30 straight years,” he said. BETO O’ROURKE CALLS FOR DEMOCRATS TO BE ‘RUTHLESS’ IN PURSUIT OF POWER, BACKS NEWSOM’S GERRYMANDERING PROPOSAL Criticizing the timing of the redistricting process, he added, “After one of the worst mass casualty events in our state’s history, you choose to go and gerrymander people out of their seats.” Rep. Cody Vasut, the House Redistricting Committee chair, attempted to regain order, but Martin refused to yield. “No, I’m not going to finish. Because I’m … I’m NOT finished!” Martin then turned his ire toward Trump. “You can thank your failed, senile, dilapidated, Epstein-partying with president for all of the work that we’re about to do to every single one of you,” he said. “You did this, you caused this and this is the result of you and your work.” Vasut instructed state House sergeants to remove Martin. As Martin was dragged from the room, audience members shouted, “Get off of him!” Martin continued shouting, “America will rise up against you!” The committee resumed without commenting on the disruption. Neither Martin’s campaign nor Gov. Greg Abbott‘s office responded to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment. Abbott has previously described the redistricting effort as a compliance move following court rulings against coalition districts. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In a July 7 letter cited by The Dallas Examiner, the Department of Justice flagged TX‑18 as one of four congressional districts in Texas that may involve unconstitutional racial gerrymandering through “coalition district” configurations. Trump has publicly called on state lawmakers to secure five additional Republican House seats through redistricting. The map remains unfinished, with hearings continuing Saturday in Houston and Monday in Arlington. Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Incoming NGA Chair ‘disappointed’ in Dem governors ‘playing politics’ in bipartisan group
Incoming chair of the National Governors Association (NGA), Gov. Kevin Stitt, R-Okla., is “disappointed” that some Democratic governors might stop paying their dues to the bipartisan group. The Atlantic reported ahead of the NGA’s summer meeting in Colorado Springs, Colo., that at least two Democrats, Govs. Tim Walz of Minnesota and Laura Kelly of Kansas, plan to stop paying their dues when asked to renew their membership this month over the NGA’s response to President Donald Trump’s second term. “We shouldn’t be playing politics like they do in Washington, D.C.,” Stitt told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview at the summer meeting. “But sometimes, if you’re a governor running for president or a higher office, you make it political.” Kelly is chair of the Democratic Governors Association (DGA), the partisan gubernatorial arm that has been vocal in resisting the Trump administration. As Walz weighs a third gubernatorial run, the former vice presidential candidate has remained a leading critic of Trump’s administration since losing the White House alongside Vice President Kamala Harris last year. TIM WALZ LEADING DEM EFFORT TO TURN BIPARTISAN GROUP AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP: REPORT The Democratic discontent comes as Democratic Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado prepares to cede his chairmanship to Stitt, a Republican, at this weekend’s summer meeting. Gov. Wes Moore, D-Md., is set to become vice chair. DEMOCRATS FORGE STRANGE BEDFELLOWS AS PARTY FLOUNDERS IN TRUMP’S 2ND TERM “I would tell anybody, listen, do you want your leaders to take their ball and go home just because they get mad at something? That’s not the way to solve problems,” Stitt said, adding that he likes both Walz and Kelly. “Listen, this isn’t the time to take our ball and go home. Let’s sit down and debate what the best policies [are] going forward,” Stitt added. The Oklahoma governor said it can be “frustrating” when Democrats are constantly targeting Trump, but as a business leader, he said there are plenty of instances in which governors can find common ground, including a reduction of the United States’ more than $36 trillion in debt. Ahead of the summer meeting, Eric Wohlschlegel, NGA communications director, emphasized the bipartisan nature of the NGA and told Fox News Digital the NGA’s “mission hasn’t changed.” According to The Atlantic report, Democratic members of the NGA complained the group “did not respond forcefully enough” when the Trump administration paused federal funding early this year, as Gov. Janet Mills of Maine clashed with Trump over biological men playing in women’s sports and, more recently, when Trump authorized the National Guard to California to amid the anti-ICE protests. “Every public statement NGA issues reflects bipartisan consensus. So far this year, all but one statement has had that consensus, and when governors don’t agree, we simply don’t issue one. That’s how we preserve our role as a bipartisan convener, a principle we won’t compromise,” Wohlschlegel explained. Thirteen Republican and seven Democratic leaders planned to attend the summer meeting, featuring discussions with Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. A source familiar with the situation blamed the controversy on “Democratic infighting, unspoken campaign jockeying and a few anonymous voices looking to reshape a nonpartisan institution into a political one.” The source added that “no governors are on the record expressing discontent with the NGA. No allegations of misconduct, governance failure or mismanagement have been raised.” And without addressing the controversy directly, Conor Cahill, a spokesperson for Polis, told Fox News Digital the governor “has been honored” to lead the NGA and to “work across the aisle with governors on education, permitting reform, standing up to federal efforts to strip away gubernatorial authority around the National Guard and elevating the priorities of states.” He added that “during this polarizing time, bipartisan organizations are needed more than ever, and NGA must continue to demonstrate value to all governors and effectively communicate governors’ opinions on various matters with the public and the federal government.” Abegail Cave, a spokesperson for Stitt, told Fox News Digital ahead of the NGA that “people seem to forget NGA is a bipartisan organization, not a political one.” Fox News Digital reached out to Walz and Kelly for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
FTC firings take spotlight in Trump’s fight to erase independence of agencies
The Supreme Court has temporarily allowed President Donald Trump to fire numerous Democrat-appointed members of independent agencies, but one case still moving through the legal system carries the greatest implications yet for a president’s authority to do that. In Slaughter v. Trump, a Biden-appointed member of the Federal Trade Commission has vowed to fight what she calls her “illegal firing,” setting up a possible scenario in which the case lands before the Supreme Court. The case would pose the most direct question yet to the justices about where they stand on Humphrey’s Executor v. United States, the nearly century-old decision regarding a president’s power over independent regulatory agencies. John Shu, a constitutional law expert who served in both Bush administrations, told Fox News Digital he thinks the high court is likely to side with the president if and when the case arrives there. SUPREME COURT SAYS TRUMP CAN PROCEED WITH FIRING DEMOCRAT-APPOINTED CPSC MEMBERS “I think it’s unlikely that Humphrey’s Executor survives the Supreme Court, at least in its current form,” Shu said, adding he anticipates the landmark decision will be overturned or “severely narrowed.” Humphrey’s Executor centered on President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s decision to fire an FTC commissioner with whom he disagreed politically. The case marked the first instance of the Supreme Court limiting a president’s removal power by ruling that Roosevelt overstepped his authority. The court found that presidents could not dismiss FTC commissioners without a reason, such as malfeasance, before their seven-year terms ended, as outlined by Congress in the FTC Act. However, the FTC’s functions, which largely center on combating anticompetitive business practices, have expanded in the 90 years since Humphrey’s Executor. “The Federal Trade Commission of 1935 is a lot different than the Federal Trade Commission today,” Shu said. He noted that today’s FTC can open investigations, issue subpoenas, bring lawsuits, impose financial penalties and more. The FTC now has executive, quasi-legislative and quasi-judicial functions, Shu said. If the Supreme Court’s decision to temporarily allow two labor board members’ firings is any indication, the high court stands ready to make the FTC less independent and more accountable to Trump. In a 6-3 order, the Supreme Court cited the “considerable executive power” that the National Labor Relations Board and Merit Systems Protection Board have, saying a president “may remove without cause executive officers who exercise that power on his behalf.” TRUMP’S CONTROVERSIAL PLAN TO FIRE FEDERAL WORKERS FINDS FAVOR WITH SUPREME COURT The order did not mention Humphrey’s Executor, but that and other moves indicate the Supreme Court has been chipping away at the 90-year-old ruling and is open to reversing it. The case of Rebecca Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya gets closest to the heart of Humphrey’s Executor. Slaughter enjoyed a short-lived victory when a federal judge in Washington, D.C., found that Trump violated the Constitution and ruled in her favor on July 17. She was able to return to the FTC for a few days, but the Trump administration appealed the decision and, on July 21, the appellate court paused the lower court judge’s ruling. Judge Loren AliKhan had said in her summary judgment that Slaughter’s case was almost identical to William Humphrey’s. SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS TRUMP’S REMOVAL OF BIDEN APPOINTEES FROM FEDERAL BOARDS “It is not the role of this court to decide the correctness, prudence, or wisdom of the Supreme Court’s decisions—even one from ninety years ago,” AliKhan, a Biden appointee, wrote. “Whatever the Humphrey’s Executor Court may have thought at the time of that decision, this court will not second-guess it now.” The lawsuit arose from Trump firing Slaughter and Bedoya, the two Democratic-appointed members of the five-member commission. They alleged that Trump defied Humphrey’s Executor by firing them in March without cause in a letter that “nearly word-for-word” mirrored the one Roosevelt sent a century ago. Bedoya has since resigned, but Slaughter is not backing down from a legal fight in which Trump appears to have the upper hand. “Like dozens of other federal agencies, the Federal Trade Commission has been protected from presidential politics for nearly a century,” Slaughter said in a statement after she was re-fired. “I’ll continue to fight my illegal firing and see this case through, because part of why Congress created independent agencies is to ensure transparency and accountability.” Now a three-judge panel comprising two Obama appointees and one Trump appointee is considering a longer-term pause and asked for court filings to be submitted by July 29, meaning the judges could issue their decision soon thereafter.
WATCH: Gabbard’s Obama bombshell has GOP demanding accountability while Dems question timing as ‘distraction’
After reports that top officials from the Obama administration allegedly orchestrated a coordinated attempt to sabotage President Donald Trump’s 2016 election victory, GOP lawmakers are calling for transparency and accountability, while their Democratic colleagues are questioning the timing and credibility of the new claims. Trump’s director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, released a trove of intelligence documents beginning last week that Gabbard has said show former President Barack Obama and some of his closest advisors promoted a “contrived narrative” that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to sabotage Trump. However, Democrats have insisted that congressional investigations already prove that Russia did help Trump in the 2016 election, while also questioning the timing of the allegations due to pressure on Trump to release more Epstein files. “It is profoundly dishonest, and it’s dangerous,” Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz told Fox News Digital, in reference to the allegations from Gabbard. “What I have urged the administration to do is engage in radical transparency, make it all public and expose just how much the Obama administration knew what they were doing – that they knew they were lying. I think anybody that violated the law needs to be held accountable.” DNI GABBARD CLAIMS ‘DEEP STATE ACTORS’ DIDN’T WANT TRUMP-RUSSIA INFORMATION TO ‘SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY’ But Democratic California Sen. Adam Schiff told Fox News Digital he thinks the allegations are moot, pointing to former FBI Director Robert Mueller’s 2019 report, which he said “documented Russia’s efforts to help denigrate Hillary Clinton, which gave a boost to the Trump campaign. “I think what Gabbard and her staff are doing is dishonest,” he added. However, Republican Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford argued it has “long been established” that the Steele dossier was “clearly a Clinton plant” and that the Clinton campaign was actually “cooperating with the Russians to be able to actually use the Russians to be able to interfere with President Trump’s campaign.” “What Tulsi Gabbard is pulling out is to say, ‘How deep did this go into the White House that they knew about the Steele Dossier, they knew it was a Clinton document. When did they start pushing this out, and what official resources were they using to try to add validity to this to be able to undercut the election?’” Lankford said. “We got a long way to go still, but it’s good to be able to get all information out, to be able to pull it out there and to say, ‘Let’s let everybody look at it and let the chips fall where they may.’” OBAMA-ERA OFFICIALS MUM ON ALLEGATIONS OF ‘MANUFACTURED’ INTELLIGENCE LAUNCHING TRUMP-RUSSIA PROBE Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said he believed Gabbard was doing the right thing, also expressing hope for extreme transparency amid the alarming allegations. “Part of what this election was about, it was about transparency and government accountability. And that’s exactly what [Gabbard] is trying to do, and that’s exactly what the Trump administration is trying to do,” Scott said. “Let’s get the people the facts. Let’s follow where the facts are. If somebody’s done anything, we’ll hold them accountable. So, i think the right process is what’s happening.” Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., a former CIA analyst, questioned the timing of Gabbard’s release of the information, saying even her 10-year-old nephew understood the move as “a dodge and a distraction” to get eyes off the ongoing Epstein controversy. Amid Gabbard’s document release at the beginning of last week, Trump has been facing calls from within the GOP for the release of more documents and information pertaining to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. “President Trump had four years in his first term, and all the time since then, to go after this issue, and he picks the same day that his name appears in the Epstein files to talk about Barack Obama,” Slotkin told Fox News Digital. “American people are not dumb. Like, we get it. Trump wanted to talk about something different. I have to see these reports, and see how they’re sourced. … I like to read and make my own assessment. But the timing can’t be missed. The president is trying to dodge and distract you.” While partisan affiliation may play a part in how lawmakers and the broader public view the Obama allegations released by Gabbard, Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., said he thinks the issue “transcends” party affiliation. “Republican, Democrat, I mean, you know, this is something that transcends all that. This is really important,” Boozman told Fox News Digital. “Hopefully we’ll have open transparency so people will understand what’s going on. And whatever it is, I’m sure Congress will be involved, and certainly the Justice Department is involved. So, I think these are all good things.”
Texas man sues California doctor in unprecedented abortion pill case over unborn child’s alleged ‘murder’
A Texas man has filed a landmark federal wrongful death lawsuit against a California abortion provider, alleging the physician “murdered” his unborn children by mailing abortion pills across state lines. The case, Rodriguez v. Coeytaux, marks the first of its kind to test how far pro-life litigants can go to sidestep blue state abortion shield laws using century-old federal statutes and Texas civil code. Filed July 20 in the Southern District of Texas, the lawsuit accuses Dr. Remy Coeytaux of aiding illegal self-managed abortions in 2024, by mailing abortion-inducing drugs to Galveston County, Texas, where they were allegedly used to end two pregnancies. Plaintiff Jerry Rodriguez claims his girlfriend’s estranged husband purchased the pills from Coeytaux through a Venmo transaction and pressured her to take them, ending two pregnancies Rodriguez says were his. FEDERAL JUDGE PARTIALLY BLOCKS LAW BANNING ADULTS FROM HELPING MINORS GET OUT-OF-STATE ABORTIONS At the heart of the suit is an alleged $150 Venmo payment to “Remy Coeytaux MD PC” labeled “Aed axes,” followed by his girlfriend’s name. The lawsuit states Rodriguez interprets “Aed axes” to be a phonetic spelling of “Aid Access,” a network that helps women obtain abortion pills. Rodriguez alleges the first abortion occurred in September 2024, at the home of his girlfriend’s mother, and the second in January 2025, at the home of her estranged husband. Ultrasound images from January, attached as Exhibit 2, are offered as proof of a second pregnancy. According to the complaint, the baby was a boy. Rodriguez is seeking over $75,000 in damages, certification of a national class of “fathers of unborn children,” and a permanent injunction barring Coeytaux from mailing abortion drugs in violation of state or federal law. MEDICAL GROUPS URGE KENNEDY, FDA TO REEXAMINE BROAD APPROVAL OF ABORTION DRUGS The complaint’s legal foundation has drawn attention. The lawsuit revives the long-dormant Comstock Act, an 1873 federal anti-obscenity law banning the mailing of abortion-related materials. Though unenforced for over a century, the Comstock Act remains on the books. Jonathan Mitchell, the attorney behind Texas’s heartbeat law (SB8), represents Rodriguez in the case. He argues that Dr. Remy Coeytaux violated 18 U.S.C. §§ 1461 and 1462, the federal Comstock Act, by knowingly using the mail to send abortion-inducing drugs from California to Texas. The suit also alleges Coeytaux committed felony murder under Texas Penal Code § 19.02 by knowingly aiding an illegal abortion. It cites multiple violations of Texas law, including statutes that require abortion drugs to be administered only by in-state physicians, after informed consent and a mandatory ultrasound, and only at licensed abortion facilities. Coeytaux, who is not licensed in Texas, allegedly met none of those requirements. PRO-LIFE MOVEMENT CONFRONTS HIGH ABORTION RATES THREE YEARS LATER AFTER DOBBS The case is already being seen as a strategic test of blue state abortion shield laws. States like California, New York, and Washington have passed measures to protect their abortion providers from legal risks when treating out-of-state patients. But Rodriguez’s legal team avoided those roadblocks by filing a civil wrongful death suit directly in federal court, a move some legal scholars say could offer a new route for anti-abortion plaintiffs to reach providers beyond their own state’s borders. As of Friday, court records show Coeytaux had not filed a response to the complaint, and he has not made any public statements about the case. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Pro-abortion groups are expected to contest both the interpretation of the Comstock Act and the standing of private citizens to bring wrongful death claims tied to out-of-state telehealth prescriptions. If the case survives early procedural hurdles, it may offer a new template for pro-life litigants to target the supply chain of abortion pills three years after Dobbs was decided at the Supreme Court. Coeytaux did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.