SCOOP: White House rallies House GOP on Trump tariff plan in secret call
FIRST ON FOX: The White House is taking a top-down approach in making sure Republicans are united on President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs plan. U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer briefed House Republican staffers on the administration’s strategy on Wednesday evening, Fox News Digital was told. Greer opened the call stressing that Trump was ushering in a magnitude of economic change not seen since the post-World War II era. He also said the U.S. had been subjected to unfair trade practices for decades since lowering its own tariffs against other countries in a bid to bolster global trade, Fox News Digital was told. WALL STREET FIRMS SEE RECESSION RISK RISING OVER TARIFFS, TRADE WAR Examples Greer cited for Capitol Hill aides included both Brazil and the European Union, while stressing that exemptions would be made for foreign products already subject to U.S. penalties — rather than double up on the taxes. While political communications offices often hold coordinated messaging calls on important issues, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital that it was the first such communications policy call between this White House and House Republican staff. It underscores tariffs’ importance in the Trump administration’s policy platform, as the White House works to ensure the GOP is in lock-step on its messaging. When reached for comment by Fox News Digital, a White House official emphasized that the Trump administration has been the most transparent in history, and that the president wants to ensure his allies are armed with the most up-to-date information. And while the vast majority of Republicans are praising Trump’s moves, some GOP lawmakers have conceded to at least some concerns. “I think tariffs that are equal to what they’re charging are defensible. We want a level playing field,” Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., told Fox News Digital on Wednesday evening. “The automobile one can be messy because the parts are from all over.” Meanwhile, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine., spoke out in support of a Democratic bid to exempt Canada from tariffs on the Senate floor Thursday, hours before Trump’s formal announcement. “The price hikes that will happen for Maine families, every time they go to the grocery store, they fill their gas tank, they fill their heating oil tank, if these tariffs go into effect, will be so harmful,” Collins said of the Canada tariffs specifically. “And as price hikes always do, they will hurt those the most who can afford them the least. Therefore, I will support this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to do so likewise.” Another GOP lawmaker who spoke with Fox News Digital on Thursday, however, downplayed any longstanding concerns. “I think as long as it’s a short-term tool, folks will be OK with it,” the GOP lawmaker said. During the Thursday evening call rallying House GOP aides, first-term Rep. Julie Fedorchak, R-N.D., sent out a statement backing Trump’s move but conceding she understood the concerns. TRUMP TO DELIVER ‘LIBERATION DAY’ ANNOUNCEMENT FROM ROSE GARDEN FLANKED BY CABINET MEMBERS “The U.S. is taking action to address decades of unfair trade barriers that have put American manufacturers, producers, and businesses at a huge disadvantage. I support President Trump’s efforts to create a level playing field and his long-term strategy to strengthen our critical domestic supply chains,” Fedorchak said. “At the same time, I recognize the challenges these tariffs create for North Dakota’s farmers and producers, and I will continue to advocate for expanding market opportunities for our products as well as other policies to help counter the negative impacts tariffs may create for producers.” A number of Republican lawmakers were at the White House in support of the announcement on Thursday, including Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. “President Trump is sending a clear message with Liberation Day: America will not be exploited by unfair trade practices anymore,” Johnson said in a public statement. “These tariffs restore fair and reciprocal trade and level the playing field for American workers and innovators. The President understands that FREE trade ONLY works when it’s FAIR!” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., a close Trump ally, wrote on X, “President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs are a brilliant economic strategy. Joe Biden left the United States with a whopping $1.2 trillion trade deficit at the end of his regime.” Fox News Digital also reached out to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative for comment but did not immediately hear back. Trump’s plan involves a 10% blanket tariff on all foreign imports into the U.S., as well as tariffs up to 50% on both adversaries and allies. It also introduces some level of reciprocal tariffs on countries that tax U.S. exports, though in most cases, the U.S. rate is lower than the foreign country’s.
‘False’: Trump admin rebukes claims intel officials are frequently using Signal to send classified info
The White House is clapping back against media reports alleging intelligence officials have been using the end-to-end encrypted messaging app Signal to send classified information, describing the allegations as “false” in a statement to Fox News Digital. The statement from National Security Council (NSC) spokesman Brian Hughes comes after Politico published a report suggesting Trump National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and his team have used the app frequently to discuss sensitive communications on a variety of different issues. “This is a clear attempt by some in media and the Democrats to obscure the simple truth: The President and his national security team are delivering for the nation by confronting our adversaries and standing with our allies to bring peace through strength,” Hughes said in a statement to Fox News Digital. WHITE HOUSE CONSIDERS SIGNAL CHAT LEAK CASE ‘CLOSED,’ REITERATES SUPPORT FOR WALTZ, PRESS SECRETARY SAYS Hughes added that Signal is “an approved” messaging app, particularly as it pertains to unclassified info, “and any claim NSC officials are sending classified information over these channels is false.” Questions have circulated about the Trump administration’s use of Signal since The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg released his exposé alleging he was accidentally invited by Waltz to a sensitive group chat on the encrypted messaging app. Critics of the Trump administration have said the messages included “war plans” for an attack on Houthi rebels in Yemen. There have also been debates over whether the information discussed in the chat uncovered by Goldberg was classified information or contained “war plans.” Media reports from The Wall Street Journal, Politico and The Washington Post have claimed Waltz and his team have frequently used Signal and other public messaging platforms to discuss sensitive topics and official government business. TRUMP PICK FOR JOINT CHIEFS CHAIR TELLS SENATE ‘ELEMENT OF SURPRISE’ SHOULD BE GUARDED AMID SIGNAL CHAT LEAK “Using Signal to send unclassified information is appropriate, and these same facts have been reported multiple times in the last few days,” Hughes said, noting there are federal agencies that “automatically install” Signal on government devices. “Some in NSC, like those in the media and many areas across the federal government, use the Signal app,” Hughes added. “All communications are a reflection of a thoughtful dialog of those committed to the effective implementation of the president’s agenda.” In December, before President Trump took over the White House from Joe Biden, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency called on senior government and political officials to switch to end-to-end encrypted messaging platforms like Signal. DEMS HAVE LONG HISTORY OF SUPPORTING ENCRYPTED SIGNAL APP AHEAD OF TRUMP CHAT LEAK Still, critics of the Trump administration are demanding answers. On Tuesday, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee sent letters to “non-principal agency officials” who were part of the original Signal group chat that accidentally included Goldberg. The letters call for the individuals, who Democrats say may have “firsthand knowledge concerning the discussion of sensitive and/or classified national security information on Signal,” to appear before Congress for transcribed interviews. Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, sent another letter to Waltz Tuesday as well, demanding he and his staff stop using Google’s Gmail for official government business after The Washington Post published a report claiming members of the president’s National Security Council were using personal Gmail accounts to discuss official business. The letter to Waltz demanded he turn over all communications relating to official government business that he or his staff sent over Signal or other “unauthorized messaging and email applications and platforms.” Waltz has taken responsibility for the leaked Signal chat that Goldberg accidentally accessed, but he also insisted “no classified information” was ever discussed in the messaging thread.
GOP defectors help Senate advance resolution to cancel Trump tariffs despite White House veto warning
A Democrat-led resolution undoing President Donald Trump’s tariffs against Canada advanced past the Senate on Wednesday after multiple Republicans joined their counterparts in support of it. Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul of Kentucky supported the resolution, bucking the president to do so. The final vote was 51 to 48. “As I have always warned, tariffs are bad policy, and trade wars with our partners hurt working people most. Tariffs drive up the cost of goods and services,” former GOP Senate leader McConnell said in a statement afterward. SENATE DEMS FORESHADOW MORE FORCED VOTES TO BLOCK TRUMP’S EMERGENCY ORDERS Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso slammed the resolution’s passage, saying in a statement, “Senator Kaine’s goal was not to make law. It was simply an effort to undermine President Trump’s successful work to secure the Northern Border.” “Speaker Johnson already declared Senator Kaine’s resolution dead on arrival in the House of Representatives. It will never make it to President Trump’s desk,” he explained. “This meaningless messaging resolution will not stop Senate Republicans from making America’s communities safer.” The privileged resolution was introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and would end the emergency Trump declared at the northern border on Feb. 1. In a statement of administrative policy ahead of the vote, Trump’s White House said his advisors would urge the president to veto the resolution if it passed the Senate. “President Trump promised to secure our borders and stop the scourge of fentanyl that’s poisoning our communities, and he’s delivering. Democrat Senator Tim Kaine is trying to undermine the President’s Emergency Declaration at our Northern Borders—a measure that prioritizes our national security—for reasons that defy logic,” a White House official told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement on Tuesday. “Under Joe Biden’s failed leadership, criminal networks, fentanyl, and terrorists ran rampant along the northern border. Today’s stunt by Tim Kaine proves once again how woefully out of touch the Democrat Party is with the American people as they use a matter of national security for political gamesmanship. The stakes are too high to reverse course; the declaration must stay in place,” they continued. SCOOP: LINDSEY GRAHAM AMENDMENT SIGNALS GOP BUDGET BREAKTHROUGH, SETS STAGE FOR TRUMP AGENDA Kaine pushed back, telling Fox News Digital in a statement, “The Trump Administration’s own threat assessment report on fentanyl did not mention Canada—not even once. Trump’s order is a blatant abuse of his authority, and it is critical that Congress push back before he inflicts even more damage to our economy and to the relationship with one of our top trading partners and closest allies.” The resolution was required to be brought to the floor for a vote, due to its privileged nature, and it only required a simple majority vote of 51 senators to pass. TRUMP, SENATE GOP BUDGET LEADERS HUDDLE AT WHITE HOUSE ON RECONCILIATION BILL Trump took to Truth Social on Wednesday to call out multiple Republicans he warned against voting in favor of the resolution. “Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Rand Paul, also of Kentucky, will hopefully get on the Republican bandwagon, for a change, and fight the Democrats wild and flagrant push to not penalize Canada for the sale, into our Country, of large amounts of Fentanyl, by Tariffing the value of this horrible and deadly drug in order to make it more costly to distribute and buy,” he said in a post. Collins revealed in floor remarks earlier in the day that she would vote in favor of the resolution. “Mr. President, the price hikes that will happen for Maine families, every time they go to the grocery store, they fill their gas tank, they filled their heating oil tank, if these tariffs go into effect, will be so harmful. And as price hikes always do, they will hurt those the most who can afford them the least. Therefore, I will support this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to do so likewise,” she said. DISTRICT JUDGES’ ORDERS BLOCKING TRUMP AGENDA FACE HEARING IN TOP SENATE COMMITTEE Paul has been a vocal critic of tariffs during his entire tenure, including during the Trump administration. He is a co-sponsor of the Kaine resolution. He told reporters before the vote, “I think tariffs on trade between US and Canada will threaten our country with a recession. I think they’re a terrible idea economically and will lead to higher prices. Tariffs are simply taxes. Republicans used to be and conservatives, in particular, used to be against new taxes.”
EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: AOC refuses to say whether Democrats’ rhetoric is responsible for Tesla attacks
Questioned by Fox News Digital, “Squad” member and leading Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York refused to answer whether she believes Democrats’ inflammatory rhetoric against Elon Musk has any connection to the violent attacks and vandalism against Tesla owners and dealers across the country. Ocasio-Cortez also refused to answer whether she still owns a Tesla, citing “security reasons.” Democrats have been critical of Musk for his role leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), with some labeling him a “Nazi” and a “threat to democracy.” The congresswoman has also been critical of the DOGE chief, saying in a March 1 X post, “this guy is a leech on the public.” MUSK NOT LEAVING YET, WRAPPING UP WORK ON SCHEDULE ONCE ‘INCREDIBLE WORK AT DOGE IS COMPLETE’: WHITE HOUSE “No matter how many billions he gets in tax cuts and government contracts, it will never be enough for him. Now he’s going after the elderly, the disabled, and orphaned children so he can pocket it in tax cuts for himself. It’s disgusting,” she wrote. During her “fight oligarchy” rally tour with Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., Cortez claimed “an extreme concentration of power and corruption is taking over this country like never before.” Fox News Digital asked Cortez whether she sees a connection between language against Musk and the violent incidents across the nation. Cortez began to answer, saying, “Yeah, I mean, again, I’ve seen Republicans call me communist and that I hate this country,” before trailing off. NUMBER OF TESLA ATTACKS SOARS PAST 50 AS VIOLENCE TARGETING MUSK’S COMPANY ESCALATES Pressed whether she still owns the Tesla Model 3 she bought in 2020, Cortez declined to answer, saying, “Um, for security reasons, I’m not commenting.” After weeks of Democrats condemning Musk for his role at DOGE, there have been at least 80 acts of vandalism against Tesla vehicles in the U.S. and Canada and at least 10 incidents of vandalism and arson against Tesla dealerships, charging stations and properties. EXCLUSIVE: GOP FIREBRAND DARES DEMS TO CONDEMN ATTACKS ON ELON MUSK’S TESLA U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has said the Justice Department is treating the incidents as “domestic terrorism.” On March 20, the Justice Department charged three people with domestic terrorism after they allegedly used Molotov cocktails to attack Tesla properties around the country. “The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended,” Bondi said. “Let this be a warning: If you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars.” All three face charges carrying a minimum penalty of five years and up to 20 years in prison, the department said. Despite this, few Democrats have spoken out against the vandals, and key leaders like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., declined to comment on the issue. DEM SENATOR WHO DITCHED TESLA TO PROTEST MUSK REFUSES TO CALL VIOLENCE AGAINST CARS ‘DOMESTIC TERRORISM’ Though she would not comment on the acts of terror against Tesla owners and workers, Ocasio-Cortez, considered one of the country’s leading Democratic voices, has previously accused her Republican opponents of engaging in “stochastic terrorism,” using inflammatory language to incite violent action, by criticizing her, which she said prompted her to hire security. Speaking on CNN in 2023, she said, “It’s uncomfortable serving with people who engage in what many experts deem stochastic terrorism, which is the incitement of violence using digital means and large platforms so that individuals themselves may not be the one that’s wielding a weapon. “I’ve consistently had to ride in 20,000-pound armored vehicles, engaging in some of the most gruesome threats that you can imagine that were incited by Republican members,” she said. “This is not just about a tweet. It’s about what life looks like and the marshaling of hundreds, thousands, if not millions of people into doing something.” During the same interview, she also accused President Donald Trump of being aware his rhetoric stokes violence, saying, “He uses and used his rallies very strategically in order to engage in political intimidation that he deems his political enemies.” Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca and Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
DeSantis blasts newly elected Florida GOP congressman, continuing history of attacks: ‘He’s a squish’
Ron DeSantis intensified his attacks on Randy Fine Wednesday, blaming the representative-elect’s “unique problems” for a thin special election victory in a district known as a Republican stronghold. The Trump-endorsed candidate won Tuesday night’s special election to take over former Congressman Mike Waltz’s seat by 14 points, the slimmest margin of victory for a Republican in the district since 2018. DeSantis, who had already been criticizing Fine’s ability to pull out a victory, called the representative-elect a “squish” who Republican voters didn’t even want to cast their ballots for Tuesday night. “The president really had to bail him out at the end because this race would have been much closer had the president sat on the sidelines,” DeSantis said. “I think these were voters who didn’t like Randy Fine but who basically were like, ‘You know what? We’re going to take one for the team.’” EXCLUSIVE: JUBILANT MIKE JOHNSON CLAIMS VICTORY AS FLORIDA HELPS HOUSE GOP GROW MAJORITY The governor also challenged media reports characterizing the close race as a reflection of President Donald Trump’s agenda. “I don’t think that’s true at all for this district,” DeSantis said at the press conference. “I think you have a candidate in Randy Fine, who, one, he’s a squish.” DeSantis added that Fine “repels” people, including his former colleagues in the state legislature. During the press conference Wednesday, the governor recounted how lawmakers in the state requested he nominate Fine to be the president of Florida Atlantic University so he would not have to serve in the legislature anymore. TIME TEBOW, WIFE PAY VISIT TO TRUMP, FELLOW FLORIDA ALUM MARCO RUBIO IN OVAL OFFICE “I did, and the whole board [at Florida Atlantic] would have resigned rather than make him president,” DeSantis said. DeSantis and Fine have had a contentious relationship for some time, which can be traced back to at least 2023, when Fine was the first Florida Republican to switch his endorsement from DeSantis to Trump during the 2024 Republican presidential nomination battle. Fine articulated his decision to endorse Trump over DeSantis during the 2024 presidential primary in a subsequent op-ed that slammed the Florida governor for failing to tamp down antisemitism after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on innocent Israelis. According to DeSantis, Fine has supported restrictions on the Second Amendment, tried to defeat his immigration proposal earlier this year aimed at boosting the enforcement of immigration laws and tried to enact a de facto sanctuary city policy. 3 TAKEAWAYS FROM FLORIDA’S SPECIAL ELECTION In response to DeSantis’ criticisms, Fine responded on X alongside video of the governor’s remarks at the press conference Wednesday. “A dying star burns hottest before it fades into oblivion. I’m focused on working with President Donald Trump to stop Democrats from taking this country backwards, not working with them,” Fine wrote. “Let’s go.” Allies of Fine have been unhappy about DeSantis’ public criticisms of the representative-elect, who will now add another crucial vote to the GOP’s narrow House majority that had dwindled as a result of several members going to work in the Trump administration. “Ron and Casey DeSantis are disloyal and consistently put their agenda ahead of the president’s,” a national Republican operative in Trump’s orbit told Fox News Digital. “With the congressional majority on the line in their own backyard, Ron and Casey didn’t lift a finger to help President Trump’s endorsed candidates. Worse, Ron undermined President Trump, openly attacked his candidates leading up to the special election, which could have suppressed Republican turnout, and then crowed about it on Fox News. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “DeSantis’ personal politics once again betrayed the Trump agenda and the MAGA movement.” Gov. DeSantis’ office declined to provide comment for this article.
Former President Obama photobombs children taking cherry blossoms pics in Washington
A Virginia family in Washington, D.C., got an image for the ages when former President Barack Obama accidentally photobombed a shot of their two children next to the area’s treasured cherry blossom trees, prompting the former commander-in-chief to apologize on social media. Obama was seen accidentally strolling into the background of a professional photograph of Belle, 4, and Preston, 1, at the Tidal Basin on Monday, the New York Post reported. “Preston and Belle, hope you enjoyed peak bloom,” Obama wrote on Instagram. “My bad for stepping into the shot.” Millions of tourists from all over flock to the nation’s capital each spring to catch a glimpse of the blossom trees. TRUMP QUIPS HE’S ‘LOVE’ TO RUN AGAINST OBAMA IN HYPOTHETICAL THIRD-TERM PRESIDENCY The photo shows the pair of children smiling under a branch with pretty pink petals with the Washington Monument in the background. Obama is shown walking behind the pair while wearing a cap and sunglasses, with his hands in his pockets. The children had just finished posing with their parents, Portia Moore and Damien Thomas, when their dad noticed Obama making the unexpected cameo, Moore wrote on Instagram. “Look who strolled by in our picture for our family Cherry Blossom photo shoot!” she wrote. “Story time! It’s the kids turn to take a photo together and Damien is saying something to me,” she added. “I’m just focused on Preston not running towards the water (peak mom moment). After that shoot was done I pick Preston up and asked Damien ‘what were you saying’? He goes ‘that was President Obama who just walked by’ and looks his direction. I was like whaaaaat?! I ran to the photographer and asked her if she got the picture. She scrolls through and BOOM there is it! The perfect shot!” TRUMP MAKES ENDORSEMENT IN ‘IMPORTANT’ WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT RACE Photographer Briana Inell, who was taking pictures of Moore’s young children, told the Washington Post that she’s been photographing families and newborns for over a decade. She said she’s used to people walking in the background, mostly tourists. “I go to the Tidal Basin every single year,” Inell said. “I’m very used to people walking in on my pictures. I tell my clients ‘don’t worry they will be Photoshopped out.’” In addition to his apology, Obama also posted about the day on his own Instagram account. “It’s fun to be able to play tourist once in a while. The cherry blossoms were beautiful this morning!” he wrote.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Not so fast-Musk will finish the job
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… -Dozens arrested in major border state bust targeting bloodthirsty Venezuelan gang -Bitter House GOP divisions erupt after Johnson shuts down votes over Republican mutiny -FBI flooded with record number of new agent applications in Kash Patel’s first month leading bureau Elon Musk will exit his role with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on schedule later this spring, once “his incredible work at DOGE is complete,” the White House confirmed Wednesday. “This ‘scoop’ is garbage,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted to X Wednesday. “Elon Musk and President Trump have both *publicly* stated that Elon will depart from public service as a special government employee when his incredible work at DOGE is complete.” Leavitt was referring to a Wednesday Politico article reporting that “Trump has told his inner circle & members of his Cabinet that” Musk “will be stepping back in the coming weeks from his current role.” Musk, however, has long been anticipated to step back from DOGE when his 130 days as a “special government employee” run out in May…Read more HIGH VEEPSTAKES: Vance’s active VP role is a historical rarity, ‘huge asset’ to US, says top GOP ally RECIPROCITY: These are the ‘Dirty 15’ countries Trump might target with Liberation Day tariffs OLD SICKORY: Does President Trump really need to cut down Andrew Jackson’s magnolia tree? Expert weighs in DEPORTATION FIGHT: Trump tells Supreme Court his authority is under siege in deportation showdown ‘LIVE NOT BY LIES’: Vance says we can ‘reclaim’ society from totalitarian left if we ‘keep on fighting’ BLOCKED: Federal judge blocks Trump admin’s terminations of probationary federal workers at 18 agencies TALKING TAXES: Trump, Senate GOP budget leaders huddle at White House on reconciliation bill ‘MOST IMPORTANT’ DAY: What is Trump’s new Liberation Day and what to expect April 2? BETTING ON THE BUDGET: Lindsey Graham amendment signals GOP budget breakthrough, sets stage for Trump agenda PARTY CRASHER: Rising star Dem critical of Schumer’s leadership launches 2026 bid in key Senate battleground ‘SHADY EIGHT’: ‘Shady trial lawyer pipeline’ funneling millions to Democrats ‘OUTRAISED AND UNDERESTIMATED’: Jubilant Mike Johnson claims victory as Florida helps House GOP grow majority ‘ABUSE OF POWER’: Booker called filibuster an ‘abuse of power’ years before setting Senate speech record EXPIRED: Dem AGs take Trump-Kennedy HHS to court over cuts to COVID-era grants JUST ANOTHER DAY: April Fools’ on Capitol Hill FAMILY DYNASTY?: Daughter of late Dem congressman launches campaign for father’s seat: ‘Building something powerful’ ‘WON BIG’: 3 takeaways from Florida’s special election ‘CLIMATE IDEOLOGY’: DeSantis rebukes Republicans for backing bill for carbon sequestration task force: ‘Absolutely embarrassing’ Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Trump admin shares border plans for 2025 and beyond: ‘As much wall as we need’
Trump administration officials tell Fox 85 miles of new border wall is expected to go up this year with plans for hundreds of miles more in 2026 and beyond. “Our absolute intent is to build as much wall as we need to get the border under control,” says Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks. He recently boasted on X “back in business” with photos of one project along the Rio Grande in Texas. Over the past week, Fox has spotted work crews plugging gaps in the existing wall line east of Yuma, Ariz., and in a rugged area of San Diego known locally as “Smuggler’s Gulch.” CBP RELEASES MARCH BORDER CROSSING NUMBERS, MARKING LOWEST TO DATE EVER RECORDED “Operational control is what we are trying to achieve,” Jeffrey Stalnaker, San Diego Border Patrol Sector Chief, said Tuesday. “We’re trying to detect anyone and everything coming across the border illegally. And to have 100 percent situational awareness of what’s going on in our area of responsibility.” Other planned projects for this year include Jacumba, Calif., where, during the Biden administration, thousands of migrants – many from China – were seen crossing over the rugged landscape to then claim asylum. Most of whom were then released into the country to await further proceedings. That location and many others along the border are now much quieter than in recent years. In October, the San Diego sector averaged 451 illegal crossings every day. In March, under President Trump, that average daily number fell to 39. “If you’ve got laws that aren’t being enforced, or if you have an administration like the Biden administration that refuses to allow the border patrol to actually enforce the law and provide a consequence, then walls by themselves don’t work,” Banks told Fox. “We’ve gotten the border under more control than it’s ever been, but the goal is operational control, and we’re not going to quit until we get there.” MIGRANT BORDER ENCOUNTERS PLUMMET UNDER TRUMP VS. BIDEN’S RECORD HIGHS On that front, Banks wants to expand the use of large blocking buoys in the middle of the Rio Grande and backstop them with walls on the shoreline. It’s a multi-layered security zone that exists in other areas of the border. “What you’ll have is a two-tiered system,” Banks says. “So, you’ll have the buoy systems in the river in Texas. If you were to make it past those buoys and made it to the shore, then you still would have the actual border wall system.” All told, Border Patrol officials would like to add up to nearly 1,000 miles of additional barriers in the years to come – if Congress provides the funding. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) introduced a bill in January that would allocate $25 billion for that purpose. In the meantime, crews continue to plug gaps like the one in Smuggler’s Gulch. “We’re going to catch everyone that’s crossing and be aware of what’s going on in our area of responsibility,” Stalnaker said as a bulldozer behind him cleared the way for the next wall panel to go into the ground.
Supreme Court divided over state effort to defund Planned Parenthood
The Supreme Court appeared divided Wednesday over whether a state can block Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood clinics, in a technical interpretation over healthcare choices that has become a larger political fight over abortion access. In nearly two hours of oral arguments, the court’s conservative majority offered measured support for South Carolina’s position. The specific issue is whether low-income Medicaid patients can sue in order to choose their own qualified healthcare provider. The federal-state program has shared responsibility for funding and administering it, through private healthcare providers. Federal law bans taxpayer money from going to fund almost all abortions, but Planned Parenthood also provides a range of other medical services with and without Medicaid subsidies, including gynecological care and cancer screenings. PLANNED PARENTHOOD APOLOGIZES FOR ‘INADVERTENTLY’ GIVING SEXUALLY EXPLICIT COLORING BOOK TO CHILDREN Blocking the provider from Medicaid networks could effectively defund it. Given the divisive underlying issue of abortion, groups on both sides rallied outside the high court ahead of the arguments. The state’s governor in 2018 signed an executive order blocking Medicaid funding for the state’s two Planned Parenthood clinics, saying it amounted to taxpayers subsidizing abortions. Courts have put that order on hold, leading to the current case. South Carolina now bans abortion around six weeks of pregnancy, or when cardiac activity is detected, with limited exceptions. The key provision in the 1965 Medicaid Act guarantees patients a “free choice of provider” that is willing and qualified. Much of the court session dealt with whether Planned Parenthood was a “qualified provider” under the Medicaid law, and whether individual patients have an unambiguous “right” to sue to see their provider of choice, under its specific language. “It seems a little bit odd to think that a problem that motivated Congress to pass this provision was that states were limiting the choices people had,” said Justice Sonia Sotomayor. “It seems hard to understand that states didn’t understand that they had to give individuals the right to choose a provider.” TRUMP ADMIN WITHHOLDS MILLIONS FROM PLANNED PARENTHOOD FOR CIVIL RIGHTS AND EXECUTIVE ORDER VIOLATIONS: REPORT “The state has an obligation to ensure that a person… has a right to choose their doctor,” added Justice Elena Kagan. “It’s impossible to even say the thing without using the word ‘right.’” But some conservative justices questioned how to interpret a provision that does not contain the word “right.” “One can imagine a statute written as an individual benefit that’s mandatory on the states but isn’t right-creating” for the patient, said Justice Neil Gorsuch. “I mean, that’s an imaginable scenario.” Justice Samuel Alito added it was “something that’s quite extraordinary” to give individuals that right to sue under the Constitution’s spending clause. The votes of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett could be key: They asked tough questions of both sides. Barrett offered a hypothetical of the right of a patient to go to court over their doctor accused of medical malpractice. “Does it make sense in that circumstance for Congress to want plaintiffs to be able to sue?” she asked. Planned Parenthood says its future is at stake, noting nearly $700 million – about a third of its overall nationwide revenue – originates from Medicaid reimbursements, and government grants and contracts. But the group notes just $90,000 in Medicaid funding goes to Planned Parenthood facilities every year in South Carolina, which is comparatively small to the state’s total Medicaid spending. Julie Edwards, a South Carolina resident, sued along with Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, which operates two clinics in Columbia and Charleston. She has type-1 diabetes and associated medical complications and wanted to choose the Columbia clinic for its range of services, including reproductive care. A federal appeals court ruled against the state in 2024, concluding the “free choice of provider” provision “specifies an entitlement given to each Medicaid beneficiary: to choose one’s preferred qualified provider without state interference.” In a 2023 Supreme Court opinion involving care for nursing home residents, the justices concluded that a different law from Medicaid gives individuals the right to sue. A year earlier, the high court overturned its Roe v. Wade precedent of a nationwide right to abortion. Several states – including Texas, Missouri and Arkansas – have already done what South Carolina wants to do by cutting Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood and more could follow if South Carolina prevails. “The people in this state do not want their tax money to go to that organization,” said Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, who attended the oral argument. “I believe the decision of this court will be that the people of South Carolina have the right to make this decision for themselves, for our state. Other states may make a different decision, but not ours. South Carolina stands for the right to life, and we’ll do whatever is necessary to protect that.” ‘A BIRTH IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN AN ABORTION’: CO DEMS ARGUE FISCAL VIRTUES OF LIBERAL HEALTHCARE BILL The Trump Justice Department is supporting the state, and abortion rights groups say the issue is about patient choice. “Our health centers serve an irreplaceable role in the state’s healthcare system, providing birth control and cancer screenings to people who can’t afford those services anywhere else,” said Paige Johnson, interim president and CEO of Planned Parenthood South Atlantic. “Government officials should never block people from getting healthcare or be able to decide which doctor you can or cannot see.” One concern raised by healthcare advocates is finding gynecological and family planning services in states with limited facilities. Low-income women often have greater difficulty traveling long distances to get such quality care, a requirement for Medicaid providers. Justice Brett Kavanaugh said he would make it his mission to bring as much clarity over when patients can go to court, which he called a 45-year “odyssey.” Much of the public arguments dealt with whether a “right” to sue was a magic word to automatically decide the matter. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “I’m not allergic
Trump touts return of the ‘American Dream’ in historic tariff announcement
President Donald Trump announced reciprocal tariffs during a highly anticipated “Make America Wealthy Again” event which he said will restore the American dream and bolster jobs for U.S. workers. “American steel workers, auto workers, farmers and skilled craftsmen,” Trump said from the White House Rose Garden Wednesday afternoon. “We have a lot of them here with us today. They really suffered, gravely. They watched in anguish as foreign leaders have stolen our jobs, foreign cheaters have ransacked our factories, and foreign scavengers have torn apart our once beautiful American dream. We had an American dream that you don’t hear so much about. You did four years ago, and you are now. But you don’t too often.” “Now it’s our turn to prosper, and in so doing, use trillions and trillions of dollars to reduce our taxes and pay down our national debt,” he said. “And it will all happen very quickly. With today’s action, we are finally going to be able to make America great again, greater than ever before or. Jobs and factories will come roaring back into our country and you see it happening already. We will supercharge our domestic industrial base.” TRUMP TO DELIVER ‘LIBERATION DAY’ ANNOUNCEMENT FROM ROSE GARDEN FLANKED BY CABINET MEMBERS Trump was joined by members of his Cabinet for the highly anticipated announcement, which marked the first official presidential event held in the Rose Garden since Trump’s January inauguration. “For nations that treat us badly, we will calculate the combined rate of all their tariffs, nonmonetary barriers and other forms of cheating. And because we are being very kind, we will charge them approximately half of what they are and have been charging us. So the tariffs will be not a full reciprocal. I could have done that. Yes. But it would have been tough for a lot of countries,” he said. Trump pointed to the European Union, and explained the U.S. will charge its nations a 20% tariff, compared to its 39% tariffs on the U.S. Japan will see 24% tariffs compared to the 46% the country charges the U.S., while China will be hit with a 34% tariff compared to the 67% it charges the U.S. Trump rattled off the countries that will face the reciprocal tariffs, which also included nations such as Chile, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and others. Other nations will face 10% baseline tariffs, Trump said. Trump also railed against “non-tariff barriers” imposed on the U.S. Non-tariff barriers are understood as trade restrictions that limit international trade through means other than tariffs, such as quotas or regulations. Non-tariff barriers imposed by other countries on the U.S. commonly focus on agricultural goods, such as limits on meats and fresh produce the nation can export abroad. “For decades, the United States slashed trade barriers on other countries, while those nations placed massive tariffs on our products and created outrageous non-monetary barriers to decimate our industries,” Trump said. “And in many cases, the non-monetary barriers were worse than the monetary ones. They manipulated their currencies, subsidized their exports, stole our intellectual property, imposed exorbitant taxes to disadvantage our products, adopted unfair rules and technical standards, and created filthy pollution havens.” WALL STREET FIRMS SEE RECESSION RISK RISING OVER TARIFFS, TRADE WAR Trump said that for more than 100 years, the U.S. was a tariff-backed nation, which provided a surge of wealth. “From 1789 to 1913, we were a tariff-backed nation. And the United States was proportionately the wealthiest it has ever been,” he said. “So wealthy, in fact, that in the 1880s they established a commission to decide what they were going to do with the vast sums of money they were collecting. We were collecting so much money so fast, we didn’t know what to do with it. Isn’t that a nice problem to have?” Trump added that if nations “complain” about the tariffs, they should set up shop in the U.S. “And my answer is very simple. If they complain, if you want your tariff rate to be zero, then you build your product right here in America. Because there is no tariff. If you build your plant, your product in America. And we’ve seen companies coming in like we’ve never seen before,” he said. Trump and his administration have for weeks touted April 2 as “Liberation Day,” arguing that reciprocal tariffs will even the playing field for the U.S. after decades of unfair trading practices. “April 2nd, 2025, will go down as one of the most important days in modern American history,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during Tuesday’s White House press briefing. “Our country has been one of the most open economies in the world, and we have the consumer base, hands down — the best consumer base. But too many foreign countries have their markets closed to our exports. This is fundamentally unfair.” Trump and his administration have touted that the tariff plan will encourage business in the U.S. as industries set up shop on American soil to avoid tariffs, opening up job opportunities for U.S. workers. TRUMP IS ‘ALWAYS UP FOR A GOOD NEGOTIATION,’ WHITE HOUSE SAYS, AS APRIL 2 ‘LIBERATION DAY’ TARIFFS LOOM White House trade advisor Peter Navarro previewed during a “Fox News Sunday” interview over the weekend that the new tariffs will generate $600 billion annually for the U.S. — or $6 trillion during the next decade. Details on Trump’s tariff plan remained hazy until his Wednesday announcement. The Liberation Day tariffs follow other tariffs Trump has leveled against foreign nations, including a 25% tariff on all aluminum and steel imports and a 20% tariff on goods from China that were leveraged to help curb the flow of deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl from China into the U.S. Trump’s previously announced 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada also are slated to take effect Wednesday after Trump granted temporary exemptions that expire on “Liberation Day.” EU THREATENS ‘FIRM COUNTER-MEASURES’ AS TRUMP’S TARIFF DEADLINE LOOMS Trump also announced a 25% tariff