Who is Ashley Williams, the longtime Biden aide grilled by House GOP investigators Friday?
Former White House aide Ashley Williams is the latest ex-Biden administration official to appear in the House Oversight Committee’s probe. Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., is investigating allegations that Biden’s former top White House aides covered up signs of his mental and physical decline while in office, and whether any executive actions were commissioned via autopen without the president’s full knowledge. Biden allies have pushed back on those claims. Williams is the third member of Biden’s White House inner circle to show up, though she said nothing to reporters on her way into the room late Friday morning nor during a brief lunch break in the afternoon. FAR-LEFT FIREBRAND SAYS SHE ‘NEVER HAD A CONCERN’ ABOUT BIDEN’S MENTAL STATE AS HOUSE PROBE HEATS UP She’s a longtime Biden ally whose time with the Democrat goes back to assisting then-second lady Jill Biden during the Obama administration, according to a 2019 profile of Biden staffers. Williams later worked for both Biden’s 2020 campaign and presidential transition team. She served as his trip director before being hired to the White House as deputy director of Oval Office Operations and a special assistant to the president. Williams ended her White House tenure as deputy assistant to the president, senior advisor to the president, and director of Strategic Outreach, according to her LinkedIn page. Notably, the social media page also says Williams still works for the ex-leader as senior advisor in the Office of Former President Joe Biden. Williams is a graduate of Georgetown University, and received a doctorate of Law from the University of Pennsylvania. She also got a Master’s degree in political management from George Washington University. She was subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee last year in Republicans’ investigation into Biden’s cognitive health, but GOP investigators say the White House blocked her from giving any information. COMER DISMISSES BIDEN DOCTOR’S BID FOR PAUSE IN COVER-UP PROBE: ‘THROWING OUT EVERY EXCUSE’ “The Biden White House obstructed the Committee’s investigation and refused to make the aides available for depositions or interviews,” the committee said in a press release this year. Williams’ Friday appearance was not forced under subpoena, however. She appeared voluntarily for her closed-door transcribed interview. The Trump White House waived executive privilege for Williams along with several other former Biden aides last month.
Court throws out plea deal for 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, two other terrorists
A divided federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., on Friday tossed out an agreement that would have allowed 9/11 terror mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to plead guilty in another failed effort to end a years-long legal saga surrounding the military prosecution of men held at Guantánamo Bay. The 2-1 D.C. Circuit appeals court decision upheld then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s decision to undo the plea deal approved by military lawyers and senior Pentagon staff. The deal would have carried life without parole sentences for Mohammed and two co-defendants, potentially taking capital punishment off the table. FEDERAL JUDGE SAYS ATTEMPTED DEPORTATION OF ANTI-ISRAEL RINGLEADER MAHMOUD KHALIL MAY BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL Mohammed, a Pakistani national, is accused of spearheading the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, Pentagon and another commercial jetliner that crashed in Pennsylvania. Austin said a decision on whether to take the death penalty off the table could only be made by the Secretary of Defense. However, legal concerns stemmed from whether the original plea deal was legally binding and whether Austin waited too long to get it dismissed. TRUMP FOE JUDGE BOASBERG RULES DEPORTED MIGRANTS CAN CHALLENGE REMOVALS, IN BLOW TO ADMINISTRATION The court found Austin indisputably had legal authority to withdraw from the agreements because the promises made in the deal had not yet been fulfilled, and the government had no adequate alternative remedies. Since the appeals court put the agreement on hold, the defendants were not sentenced Friday as previously scheduled, marking a temporary victory for the Biden administration. Judges Patricia Millett and Neomi Rao, of the majority opinion, noted the government “adequately explained that Secretary Austin delayed action to avoid an unlawful influence challenge, waiting to see what type of agreement, if any, would result from the negotiations and only then deciding whether intervention was necessary.” Citing previous unlawful influence allegations against various government officials, including the secretary of defense, Millett and Rao found Austin was “reasonable” to withdraw from the agreements to avoid additional litigation. “Having properly assumed the convening authority, the Secretary determined that the families and the American public deserve the opportunity to see military commission trials carried out,” the judges wrote. “The Secretary acted within the bounds of his legal authority, and we decline to second-guess his judgment.” ANTI-ISRAEL RINGLEADER MAHMOUD KHALIL’S FREE SPEECH LAWSUIT AGAINST US GOVERNMENT MUST BE HEARD: JUDGE Judge Robert L. Wilkins, in dissent, argued that siding with the government would be an overreach. “The Court’s holding is stunning,” Wilkins wrote. “Not only does the majority believe that Respondents [prosecutors who negotiated the plea deal] did not begin performance, but it holds that the government established a clear and indisputable right to a writ of mandamus or prohibition. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “It is impossible for me to conclude that the government has shown it is clearly and indisputably entitled to relief,” he continued. “That demanding mandamus standard is even further out of the government’s reach where the government cannot cite binding on-point precedent in support of its claims and we are constrained to reviewing for clear error both the Military Judge’s finding that the PTAs encompassed the relevant promises and his application of the withdrawal regulation. But even on de novo review of those findings, the government has not met its burden.”
Newsom donor’s cannabis farm under federal investigation for ‘child labor violations’
FIRST ON FOX: The President of Glass House Farms, the cannabis farm that federal immigration authorities raided in California on Thursday despite protests, has donated thousands to Democrats in California. Co-founder, president, and board director Graham Farrar, who self-identifies on social media as residing in Santa Barbara, California, has made numerous political donations to the Santa Barbara County Democratic Central Committee’s federal political action committee and Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Calif., according to Federal Election Commission records. According to California public campaign finance records, he also donated $10,000 to California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2018, and his most recent public political donation was to California Democratic Assemblymember Gregg Hart in July 2023. IMMIGRATION OPERATION AT CALIFORNIA CANNABIS FARMS LEADS TO CLASH BETWEEN FEDERAL AGENTS AND PROTESTERS Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott tweeted that the farm is “now under investigation for child labor violations” and the Department of Homeland Security told Fox News on Friday that nine unaccompanied children in the U.S. illegally were rescued. “So glad our law enforcement could rescue another child,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated. Glass House Brands said in a statement that they complied with the federal warrants issued. “Yesterday, Glass House Brands received immigration and naturalization warrants. As per the law, we verified that the warrants were valid and we complied. Workers were detained and we are assisting to provide them legal representation,” the company tweeted. GOV GAVIN NEWSOM: TRUMP IS TRYING TO DESTROY OUR DEMOCRACY. DO NOT LET HIM “Glass House has never knowingly violated applicable hiring practices and does not and has never employed minors. We do not expect this to affect operations moving forward. We will provide additional details when applicable.” “Know there are lots of questions, we have a lot of them too, as we get more information we will update. Our team has been continually on site and we are focused on taking care of our people and our plants,” Farrar posted to X. Farrar’s X feed also shows him retweeting Republicans, such as former Rep. Matt Gaetz, in support of cannabis policy reforms. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE Protesters clashed with federal authorities in Camarillo on Thursday during an immigration operation. Federal authorities had a warrant for illegal employees, Fox News has learned. Another raid also occurred at another Glass House Farm in Carpinteria. In addition, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli said the FBI has offered a $50,000 award for information leading to the conviction of an unknown suspect who appeared to fire a pistol at federal law enforcement officers near Camarillo. ICE OFFICERS ASSAULTED DURING RAID THAT NABBED 70 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AT MEAT PLANT: DHS People were seen confronting the agents, who used tear gas and smoke bombs. Federal personnel used gas to push back protesters who arrived on the scene after getting word of a raid. Military helicopters were also seen flying low over the fields, a maneuver generally used to flush out people hiding. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “It is becoming increasingly apparent that the actions taken by ICE are bold and aggressive, demonstrating insensitivity towards the direct impact on our community,” Luis Mc Arthur, the mayor of nearby Oxnard, said in a social media post. “These actions are causing unnecessary distress and harm. I remain committed to working alongside our Attorney General and the Governor’s office to explore potential legal avenues to address these activities.” When the governor was asked his thoughts on the footage of somebody firing a gun at federal authorities by right-wing social media account Libs of TikTok, Newsom replied “Of course I condemn any assault on law enforcement, you sh* poster. Now do Jan 6.” “California prosecutes child exploiters and traffickers. Trump tear-gasses children, rips them from their parents, and deports farmworkers. Priorities,” Newsom tweeted in response to Scott’s post about the child labor allegations against the farm. Fox News reached out to Glass House and Newsom.
Jasmine Crockett rips Trump ‘regime,’ vows ‘solidarity’ with Biden witnesses during House probe
Progressive firebrand Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, made a second surprise appearance at the House Oversight Committee’s closed-door discussions with former Biden administration aides this week, once again criticizing President Donald Trump on the way out. Crockett surprised reporters when she arrived roughly 15 minutes after House investigators’ transcribed interview with former White House advisor Ashley Williams began, declining to speak on the way in. The Texas Democrat emerged just over 30 minutes later, saying little about what went on inside but telling reporters she still had “absolutely” no concerns about Biden’s mental fitness while in office. She said it was important to “be there physically” for Biden allies being interviewed in the GOP probe – even going as far as suggesting the Trump administration created a threatening environment for members of Congress and its own political opponents. FAR-LEFT FIREBRAND SAYS SHE ‘NEVER HAD A CONCERN’ ABOUT BIDEN’S MENTAL STATE AS HOUSE PROBE HEATS UP “It is important…in my mind, to be there for these witnesses. Unfortunately, we know what happens when this regime gets going. We know about the threats that come upon them, that come upon us as members of Congress,” Crockett said. “I think it is important to stand there in solidarity and to at least be there physically so that they don’t feel like they’re alone as they are enduring egregious attacks consistently from this administration.” Crockett was the only lawmaker seen going in or out of Williams’ meeting with investigators on Friday. The transcribed interview was expected to be staff-led, and lawmakers were not required to attend. “Right now, the Republicans continue to act as if this is a main priority. Yet none of them are showing up,” she said. “I do think that it is important that I show up because if they are going to make allegations about the former commander-in-chief, egregious allegations they continue to wage. I want to make sure that I’m in the room to correct the record, because a lot of times they like to mischaracterize things.” COMER DISMISSES BIDEN DOCTOR’S BID FOR PAUSE IN COVER-UP PROBE: ‘THROWING OUT EVERY EXCUSE’ When asked by Fox News Digital if the interview was still ongoing as she exited, however, Crockett answered, “It’s still going. I’m leaving early. I’ve got to get to another thing.” A source familiar with the ongoing proceeding told Fox News Digital that Crockett came in during Republican investigators’ round of questioning and so was unable to make inquiries herself. Fox News Digital reached out to Crockett for a response. Williams was the former Director of Strategic Outreach under the Biden administration. She did not speak to reporters on the way into her transcribed interview. Crockett initially caught reporters and potentially even staff off guard when she arrived for the closed-door deposition of Biden’s former White House physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., was there as well, as is the norm for sworn depositions. Williams, unlike O’Connor, is not on Capitol Hill under subpoena. During her Wednesday appearance, Crockett declared she never had any concerns about Biden’s mental state while he was president, though she did raise similar claims about Trump. White House spokesman Harrison Fields told Fox News Digital in response to Crockett questioning Trump’s mental acuity: “The Democrats’ rising star has done more to cement the party’s demise than the President she breathlessly supported, the decrepit and feeble Joe Biden. Jasmine continues to prove she’d be better suited as a reality TV star on VH1 than an elected official on Capitol Hill.” Comer is investigating accusations that Biden’s former top White House aides covered up signs of his mental and physical decline while in office, and whether any executive actions were commissioned via autopen without the president’s full knowledge. Biden allies have pushed back on those claims.
President Trump, first lady head to visit Kerrville, Texas following fatal floods
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump departed to visit Kerrville, Texas, Friday, following massive floods in the region that have taken the lives of more than 120 people. The Trumps are expected to meet with local officials and first responders who are navigating the aftermath of flash floods that devastated the Central Texas community, after the Guadalupe River surged more than 22 feet in just a matter of hours. Among those who died in the flooding were at least 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp founded nearly 100 years ago for girls. Meanwhile, more than 160 people are missing and unaccounted for in Kerry County, Texas, following the floods, according to officials. The White House disclosed Monday that Trump would visit the flood site to witness the devastation. “I’ll be going down on Friday with the first lady, and we will be taking a trip,” Trump said Tuesday at a Cabinet meeting. “And we don’t want to get in anyone’s way, because, you know, it’s what happens. The president goes, and everyone’s around focused. I don’t want anyone to focus on us, but it’s possible they could have.” EX-BIDEN OFFICIAL SCOLDS TRUMP ON CLIMATE CHANGE AFTER TEXAS FLOODS The Trump administration has faced scrutiny from Democrats for its response to the disaster, particularly for a new policy that Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem approved in June, before the floods, that requires her to sign off on any department expenses, including disaster-related expenses, that are more than $100,000. Noem reportedly waited more than 72 hours after the flooding started before she approved the deployment of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Urban Search and Rescue teams, according to CNN. Meanwhile, Noem dismissed the report’s credibility during a segment on “Fox & Friends” on Thursday, claiming the report was “fake news.” The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees FEMA, told Fox News Digital that the agency has “taken an all-hands-on-deck approach” in responding to the crisis, when asked about the CNN report. “The old processes are being replaced because they failed Americans in real emergencies for decades,” DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement to Fox News Digital. Trump also defended his administration’s response and said at the White House during a Tuesday Cabinet meeting that “you had people there as fast as anybody’s ever seen.” Still, the disaster creates uncertainty about the future of FEMA, since Trump has called for massive reforms to the agency. WHITE HOUSE BLASTS SCHUMER, DEMOCRATS FOR ‘DEPRAVED LIE’ BLAMING TRUMP FOR TEXAS FLASH FLOOD Trump said in June that he wanted to “wean off of FEMA, and we want to bring it back to the state level.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the future of FEMA is an ongoing discussion, when asked whether the flood had prompted Trump to re-evaluate his position on overhauling FEMA. “The president wants to ensure American citizens always have what they need during times of need,” Leavitt told reporterson Monday. “Whether that assistance comes from states or the federal government, that’s a policy discussion that will continue. And the president has always said he wants states to do as much as they can, if not more.” OBAMA BROS BALK AT FAR-LEFT SAYING TEXANS BROUGHT FLOOD DISASTER ON THEMSELVES BY SUPPORTING TRUMP Meanwhile, Noem lauded FEMA’s efforts responding to the disaster during the Cabinet meeting, even as some lawmakers like Rep. Jared Moscowitz, D-Fla., have called for an investigation into reports of a delayed FEMA response. “FEMA has been deployed, and we’re cutting through the paperwork of the old FEMA, streamlining it much like your vision of how FEMA should operate,” Noem said. “It’s been a much better response to help these families get through this terrible situation.”
‘Sacred Covenant’ – How the Paxton divorce rocks the bruising Republican Senate primary in Texas
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton came out strong Friday morning, announcing a “historic” $2.9 million fundraising haul over the past three months for his Republican Senate campaign. Paxton, a MAGA champion and longtime ally of President Donald Trump – who has been battered over the past decade by multiple controversies – is primary challenging longtime GOP Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, in what is shaping up to be an expensive and bitterly brutal battle. The fundraising announcement by Paxton came hours after a new development rocked the Lone Star State’s primary race. Paxton’s wife, Texas state Sen. Angela Paxton, a Republican, announced Thursday that she’s filed for divorce from her longtime husband. ‘BIBLICAL GROUNDS’ – KEN PAXTON’S WIFE FILES FOR DIVORCE “Today, after 38 years of marriage, I filed for divorce on biblical grounds,” the state senator wrote in a social media post. “I believe marriage is a sacred covenant and I have earnestly pursued reconciliation,” she added. “But in light of recent discoveries, I do not believe that it honors God or is loving to myself, my children, or Ken to remain in the marriage.” In his own statement, Ken Paxton said that “after facing the pressures of countless political attacks and public scrutiny, Angela and I have decided to start a new chapter in our lives.” The attorney general added that “I could not be any more proud or grateful for the incredible family that God has blessed us with, and I remain committed to supporting our amazing children and grandchildren. I ask for your prayers and privacy at this time.” TRUMP ALLY PAXTON LAUNCHES SENATE PRIMARY CHALLENGE IN TEXAS Paxton, who first won election as Texas attorney general in 2014 and has been re-elected twice, was impeached a couple of years ago by the Texas House of Representatives on allegations of corruption, which included claims related to an extramarital affair. He was later acquitted by the state Senate. A veteran Texas-based Republican strategist, when asked how the divorce bombshell will impact the Senate primary, said the key is whether there are more damaging revelations to come. “Most people I’m talking to are expecting a lot more details in this story that Republican primary voters aren’t going to be too happy about,” said the strategist, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely. “I think there is quite more to come and soon.” Paxton, in his fundraising release, highlighted that he was “blown away by the support I’ve received since launching my campaign. The grassroots movement to fire John Cornyn continues to grow stronger every single day, and this is only just the beginning.” “Our voters have been excited to send John Cornyn packing for years, which is why he’s down over 20 points, and his campaign is getting more and more desperate,” Paxton said, as he pointed to a number of recent polls indicating his lead over the senator. Thanks to his strong support among MAGA world, polling has never been Paxton’s’ problem in taking on Cornyn. The more important issue was whether he could compete financially with a senator with a history of strong fundraising. Cornyn’s campaign has yet to announce its second quarter fundraising. But Texans for a Conservative Majority, a Cornyn-aligned super PAC, announced on July 1 that they had raked in $10.9 million over the past three months. A separate GOP consultant in Texas, who also asked for anonymity, said Paxton needs to quickly answer questions to make sure supporters and donors don’t jump ship. “The people that are backing him with their public support, such as elected officials, or people who are backing him financially, are going to want answers very quickly, as in today, about what’s the damage. Is this true? Do you deny it? What other issues may come up if your spouse is looking to tell their version of the truth,” the consultant said. And the consultant noted that what Paxton’s wife says going forward will be crucial. “State Sen. Angele Paxton had been by Ken’s side for the entire saga over the last decade and up close and personal with all the issues he’s been accused of. She’s been front and center for it all.” While Cornyn’s campaign didn’t put out any statement regarding the divorce news, it did issue a release titled: “Ken Paxton’s TERRIBLE week.” It included a social media post from Matt Schaeffer, a conservative former member of the state legislature who argued that “Paxton is morally unfit to hold office.” While Trump has stayed neutral in the primary so far, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) are backing Cornyn. There’s a possibility another Republican could enter the Senate primary. Three-term Rep. Wesley Hunt, a rising MAGA star who represents a Houston-area district, has been mulling a Senate run. Sources confirmed to Fox News earlier this year that Hunt had made his case to President Donald Trump’s political team that he’s the only person who can win both a GOP primary and a general election. And on Friday, a Texas-based conservative strategist who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, told Fox News he believes “Hunt is still the only candidate in Texas that can win the primary and the general election.” A different consultant noted that “the possibility that Ken will exit the race changes the dynamics dramatically,” and that “it absolutely does give Hunt something to think about.”
‘That ends now:’ White House vows removal of illegal immigrants from taxpayer benefits
The White House is ramping up efforts to remove illegal immigrants from an array of taxpayer-funded benefits, framing the move as part of a broader campaign to reduce government waste. The Trump administration shared additional details on the new restrictions that would bar illegal immigrants from accessing more than 15 federal assistance programs, which collectively account for $40 billion in public spending. White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers told Fox News Digital that illegal immigrants will no longer be able “to steal public benefits at the expense of hardworking American taxpayers.” TRUMP ADMINISTRATION BANS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM HEAD START “That ends now. Under President Trump, it’s America first always,” Rogers said. The lion’s share of the programs being put off-limits to undocumented immigrants are overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services, while others fall under the Departments of Education, Agriculture, Labor, and Justice. The White House said that several government health services – including Head Start, substance abuse prevention and treatment programs, family planning benefits, and health workforce loans and scholarships – will be inaccessible to illegal immigrants. The move aligns with President Donald Trump’s dual campaign promise of stricter immigration enforcement and elimination of wasteful government spending. The latest revelation comes on the heels of the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Trump’s hallmark spending and tax bill. Medicaid, the insurance program for low-income and disabled Americans, proved to be a sticking point in both the House and Senate. TRUMP’S SPENDING BILL FACES SETBACK AS SENATE RULES KNOCK OUT KEY MEDICAID PROVISIONS As the bill inched across the finish line, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt downplayed claims that the measure would strip vulnerable Americans of their healthcare. “This bill protects Medicaid… for those who truly deserve this program, the needy, pregnant women, children and sick Americans who physically cannot work. It ensures that able-bodied Americans who can work 20 hours a week are actually doing so, and that will therefore strengthen and protect those benefits for Americans who need it,” Leavitt told reporters during a White House briefing last month. Leavitt added that the measure will address “waste, fraud and abuse” and remove approximately 1.4 million illegal immigrants from the program. EXPERTS SAY MEDICAID CHANGES IN ‘BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL’ ARE ‘COMMON SENSE’ FOR HEALTHCARE POLICY “It is perfectly reasonable for taxpayers who are paying into the Medicaid program to insist that everyone in the program who can contribute do so, by working,” Michael Cannon, Director of Health Policy Studies at the Cato Institute, previously told FOX Business. The bill asks Medicaid members who are able-bodied, prime-age adults without children to work or volunteer roughly 20 hours a week. HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLLING Nina Schaefer, the director of the Center for Health and Welfare Policy at the Heritage Foundation, described the Medicaid provisions as “common sense administrative changes.” “The Medicaid program is over 60 years old and has been running on autopilot for far too long. These changes begin to bring much needed oversight, transparency, and accountability to the program,” Schaefer said.
Veteran political reporter reveals what the media missed about Trump’s appeal to Americans in 2024
In her new book, “Butler: The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America’s Heartland,” released just days before the first anniversary of the assassination attempt on President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, veteran political reporter Salena Zito reveals what she believes is the one element the mainstream media has missed in their coverage of his rallies. The Pennsylvania-based told Fox News Digital that when she first interviewed Trump during his 2016 run, she noticed how he interacted with “the people behind the scenes – the janitors, the people that were pushing the water bottles, the caterers, the plumbers, the electricians, the people that made the event happen that are never seen.” Zito said she saw Trump communicating with American voters with an authenticity and curiosity that she hadn’t seen in a lot of politicians. “I understood in that moment that he wasn’t a billionaire running for president, he was a guy that saw people that don’t usually get seen by elected officials, in a way that was very unique. Between that and driving across the country and interviewing people, I understood that he was going to win that cycle,” Zito said of the 2016 election. TRUMP ATTRIBUTED SURVIVAL AT BUTLER RALLY TO ‘HAND OF GOD’: AUTHOR AND WITNESS REVEALS FIRSTHAND ACCOUNT Flash forward to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. “What I noticed covering 2024 was the amount of young people that were out there, that were engaged, that were excited, that were voting for the first time, and really excited to be part of ‘bigger than self’… and they really glommed on and became excited about the way that President Trump talks about Americanism and love of country and getting to a better place together,” Zito said. JOURNALIST WHO REFUSED TO DUCK DURING TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT REFLECTS ON BUTLER RALLY IN NEW BOOK Zito’s book takes readers back to July 13, 2024, when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks fired multiple gunshots into the Butler crowd, grazing Trump’s ear, injuring two people and killing one rally attendee, firefighter Corey Comperatore. She had planned to interview Trump at the Butler rally and was mere steps away from him when the shots were fired. But when Zito heard the shots, she told Fox News Digital, “I didn’t get down. There was this inner voice that told me, ‘You have a job to do, continue doing it.’” As a journalist, Zito quickly began to commit the historic moment to memory as it was unfolding, gathering details that eventually led to her book. Throughout the campaign, Zito said she could feel that sense of community building at Trump rallies. While his supporters have various degrees of support for the president, at Trump rallies, she said they are happy, patriotic and excited. “Trump pulled them together by place and rootedness and connective tissue, and it was really, really missed by my profession, but it was so right in front of me everywhere I went in Pennsylvania.”
State Department to axe 1,800 employees
The State Department will move to layoff nearly 2,000 employees on Friday as it begins its reorganization plan. An internal memo circulated Thursday evening by Michael Rigas, deputy secretary of management and resources, announced that domestic employees affected by the reduction in force (RIF) would be notified “over the coming days.” Approximately 1,800 people will be affected, Fox News has learned. The RIF notices plus voluntary departures under the Trump administration amount to a 15% work force reduction. SOTOMAYOR BREAKS WITH JACKSON IN SUPREME COURT DECISION OVER TRUMP CUTS TO FEDERAL WORKFORCE “The departments, bureaus, offices and domestic operations have grown considerably over the last 25 years, and the resulting proliferation of bureaus and offices with unclear, overlapping or duplicative mandates have hobbled the department’s ability to rapidly respond to emerging threats and crises or to effectively advance America’s affirmative interests in the world,” a senior State Department official said. The official added that there are “more than 700 domestic offices for 18,000 people.” SUPREME COURT LETS TRUMP’S ‘WRECKING BALL’ FEDERAL JOB CUTS PROCEED WHILE LEGAL FIGHT CONTINUES “A lot of this, as we said, covers redundant offices and takes some of these cross-cutting functions and moves them to the regional bureaus and to our embassies overseas, to the people who are closest to where diplomacy is happening, to empower them with the resources and authorities they need to be able to carry out the President’s foreign policy.” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce warned on Thursday the agency would move quickly after the Supreme Court stayed the lower court’s injunction blocking the administration from implementing widescale force reductions across federal agencies. A senior official said there are currently no plans for overseas closures of embassies and outposts. They added the State Department will work to preserve the dignity of affected workers. “We’re going to work to preserve the dignity of federal workers,” the official said. “We want to be sensitive to that process and make sure people have the resources they need … and make sure everyone is treated with dignity.”
DOJ investigating Minnesota hiring practices in latest clash with Walz
The Justice Department has launched an investigation into Minnesota “to determine whether it has engaged in race- and sex-based discrimination in its state employment hiring practices.” The inquiry is the Trump administration’s latest clash with Gov. Tim Walz’s state following his failed 2024 vice presidential bid. It comes as the Minnesota Department of Human Services is rolling out a new policy demanding supervisors “provide a hiring justification when seeking to hire a non-underrepresented candidate when hiring for a vacancy in a job category with underrepresentation” — or else they face possible disciplinary action, including termination. “Minnesotans deserve to have their state government employees hired based on merit, not based on illegal DEI,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. “Federal law has long prohibited employment policies that discriminate based on race or sex,” added Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department refuses to tolerate such conduct, and states invite investigation when they engage in biased hiring practices tied to protected characteristics.” TIM WALZ BLASTED FOR COSTING MINNESOTA TAXPAYERS $430,000 IN LEGAL PREP AHEAD OF HILL HEARING The Minnesota Department of Human Services said the purpose of its new “hiring justification” policy is to make sure the state “meets affirmative action responsibilities to comply with state statutes and must increase the diversity of its workforce to reflect and effectively serve its client base.” “The policy defines ‘underrepresented candidates’ to include ‘females,’ and racial ‘minorities’ who are ‘Black, Hispanic, Asian or Pacific Islander,’ ‘American Indian or Alaskan native,’” Dhillon wrote in a letter on Thursday to Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minnesota Department of Human Services’ temporary commissioner Shireen Gandhi. “Title VII prohibits an employer from discriminating against an individual on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. When the Attorney General has reasonable cause to believe that a state or local government employer is engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination in violation of Title VII, it is the Attorney General’s responsibility to take appropriate action to eliminate that violation, including presenting the matter to the appropriate court for civil proceedings,” Dhillon added. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION RESPONDS TO MINNESOTA’S LAWSUIT TO LET TRANS ATHLETES IN GIRLS’ SPORTS “Specifically, we have reason to believe the Minnesota Department of Human Services is engaging in unlawful action through, among other things, the adoption and forthcoming implementation of its ‘hiring justification’ policy,” he also said. The Minnesota Department of Human Services told Fox News Digital that it “follows all state and federal hiring laws.” “Justification of non-affirmative action hires for some vacancies has been required by state law since 1987,” it added. The probe comes after the Justice Department in late June filed a complaint challenging laws in Minnesota that provide free and reduced in-state tuition to illegal aliens, claiming the laws are unconstitutional. Ellison also announced a lawsuit against the Trump administration and Department of Justice in April to ensure that states can continue letting biologically male trans athletes play in girls’ sports. Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner and Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.