Federal judge orders return of deported migrant to US, rejecting Trump request
A federal judge on Tuesday refused to change her order requiring the Trump administration to bring back a 20-year-old Venezuelan asylum seeker deported to El Salvador, citing due process protections. At a hearing Tuesday in Baltimore, U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher, a Trump appointee, rejected the government’s request to amend her earlier ruling which ordered the government to return Daniel Lozano-Camargo, a 20-year-old Venezuelan, to U.S. soil. But she also agreed to pause the ruling for 48 hours – enough time for the government to ask the 4th Circuit to take up the case. If the court declines, Gallagher said she will amend her ruling to set a formal timeline for the government to return the 20-year-old migrant to the U.S. IDENTITY OF SECOND DEPORTED MAN WHO JUDGE WANTS RETURNED TO US REVEALED AS TRUMP ADMIN FIGHTS ORDER This decision “strikes the right balance between giving the government the ability” to appeal to the higher court as they see fit – and also allows plaintiffs to seek due process in U.S. courts, Gallagher said. Lozano-Camargo, previously referred to in court documents as “Cristian,” was deported to El Salvador in March under the Trump administration’s early wave of Alien Enemies Act deportations. Gallagher ruled in April that the government violated a 2024 settlement between DHS and a group of young asylum seekers, including Lozano-Camargo. Under that deal, DHS agreed not to deport the migrants – all of whom entered the U.S. as unaccompanied children – until their cases were fully heard in court. Last month, Gallagher said Lozano-Camargo’s deportation was a “breach of contract,” since his asylum case had not yet been heard, and ordered the U.S. government to facilitate his release. Gallagher reiterated her previous decision on Tuesday. She also emphasized it has nothing to do with the strength of his asylum request, in a nod to two apparent low-level drug offenses and a conviction as recently as January. Rather, she said, it is about allowing him the process under the law, and under the settlement struck with DHS. That settlement agreement “requires him to be here and have his hearing,” she said. TRUMP-ALIGNED GROUP SUES CHIEF JUSTICE JOHN ROBERTS IN EFFORT TO RESTRICT POWER OF THE COURTS Gallagher noted that his removal without adjudication in a U.S. court “pre-judges the outcome,” with no ability for his attorneys to challenge the case in court. The Trump administration told the court that it had determined that Lozano-Camargo was eligible for removal under the Alien Enemies Act, citing his earlier arrest and conviction for cocaine possession in Houston this year. On Monday, lawyers for the administration told the court that his designation as an “alien enemy pursuant to the AEA results in him ceasing to be a member” of the class that had negotiated a settlement. At the status hearing Tuesday, Gallagher made clear her decision was based solely on due process protections. The government is “measuring utility using the wrong yardstick” in this case, she said, adding that it is not a case of whether Lozano-Camargo will eventually receive asylum – it’s a question of process. Process, she said, is important for various reasons – noting that even when outcomes in certain criminal cases or trials seem obvious, individuals are still entitled to a trial under U.S. law. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “We don’t skip to the end and say, ‘We all know how this is going to end so we’ll just skip that part,’” she said. The administration’s appeal to the 4th Circuit, should it choose to file it, is due by Thursday afternoon.
‘Off our streets’: ICE makes major arrest of internationally wanted ‘suspected terrorist’
EXCLUSIVE: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) made a high-profile arrest on Monday in Maryland. DHS told Fox News Digital that Joel Armando Mejia-Benitez, 38, is a “validated MS-13 gang member” from El Salvador who had no visas “approved or pending” at the moment of his arrest. “ICE Baltimore arrested Joel Armando Mejia-Benitez an MS-13 gang member with an Interpol Red Notice. He first entered the country illegally in 2005 and was deported. He then reentered our country at an unknown date before he was arrested by HSI Baltimore in 2014. He was issued a notice to appear and released back into Silver Spring, MD,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement. An Interpol Red Notice is put out by the international legal group asking to “locate and provisionally arrest” somebody. It’s not considered an “international arrest warrant,” but it’s meant to make sure a person is taken into custody for further legal action, according to Interpol’s website. The Red Notice database has over 6,500 individuals. FEDERAL JUDGES IN NEW YORK AND TEXAS BLOCK TRUMP DEPORTATIONS AFTER SCOTUS RULING The arrest comes as the Department of Homeland Security marks 100 days with Secretary Kristi Noem at the helm as of Monday. “This criminal illegal gang member and suspected terrorist should have never been released into our country. Thanks to President Trump and Secretary Noem, he is off our streets and will soon be out of our country,” McLaughlin continued. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE The latest arrest comes as ICE touts over 65,000 illegal alien removals and over 66,000 arrests since Trump took office in January, including thousands with existing criminal convictions on top of being in the United States illegally. DHS UNLEASHES POSSIBLE MONEY-SAVING MEASURE FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS TO SELF-DEPORT: ‘SAFEST OPTION’ “The brave men and women of ICE protect our families, friends and neighbors by removing public safety and national security threats from our communities,” ICE acting Director Todd M. Lyons said in a statement. “During President Trump’s first 100 days, ICE alone has arrested over 65,000 illegal aliens — including 2,288 gang members from Tren de Aragua, MS-13, 18th Street and other gangs. Additionally, 1,329 were accused or convicted of sex offenses, and 498 were accused or convicted of murder.” Many alleged gang members have been to CECOT in El Salvador, which has garnered praise, but it’s also ignited a major debate about who qualifies for due process. US INTEL AGENCIES SAY VENEZUELAN REGIME DOESN’T DIRECT TREN DE ARAGUA GANG, UNDERCUTTING TRUMP ADMIN: REPORT The Trump administration has made the argument that members of designated foreign terrorist organization, which includes MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, do not go through the same legal processes, whereas many others, including Democrats, have argued to the contrary. Meanwhile, encounters at the border have taken a nosedive in recent months.
White House rips blue state Dems using ‘lawfare’ to protect wind industry
President Donald Trump is facing a legal challenge to another one of his executive orders, this time over his temporary withdrawal of offshore wind energy leases and review of wind power permitting practices. The District of Columbia and 17 states are suing Trump, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and a slew of other officials over the administration’s move to do what they describe as halting progress to undertake an “amorphous, redundant, extra-statutory, and multi-agency review of unknown duration.” “Citing unspecified ‘legal deficiencies’ and ‘inadequacies’ in past federal wind energy reviews, the Wind Directive orders the heads of relevant federal agencies to relinquish their congressionally imposed responsibilities,” the suit alleged. “It orders that agency defendants instead ‘shall not issue new or renewed approvals, rights of way, permits, leases, or loans for onshore or offshore wind projects pending the completion of a comprehensive assessment and review of federal wind leasing and permitting practices’ — a review, grounded in no statute and duplicative of already required reviews…,” the suit said. TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER FORCES NJ TO CANCEL ITS FIRST OFFSHORE WIND FARM The plaintiff states go on to warn against job loss, economic effects and a roadblock to the source of 10% of the U.S.’s energy generation. Filed in Boston federal court Monday, the suit seeks to allow states like Massachusetts to continue their projects after hundreds of millions of dollars have already been invested in offshore wind and “well-paying green jobs,” according to a statement from Bay State Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell. “The president’s attempts to stop homegrown wind energy development directly contradict his claims that there is a growing need for reliable domestic energy,” Campbell said. “My colleagues and I will continue to challenge this administration’s unlawful actions to chill investment and growth of this critical industry.” TRUMP HITS BIDEN ON LAST-MINUTE ENERGY CRACKDOWN, PROMISES DAY 1 REVERSAL The White House pushed back, with spokesperson Taylor Rogers telling Fox News Digital that instead of working with Trump to “unleash American energy and lower prices for American families, Democrat attorneys general are using lawfare to stop the president’s popular energy agenda.” “The American people voted for the President to restore America’s energy dominance, and Americans in blue states should not have to pay the price of the Democrats’ radical climate agenda,” Rogers said. Meanwhile, California Attorney General Rob Bonta added separately that Trump’s directive is “reckless” and will “not only reverse America’s progress in clean energy initiatives, but our communities will also suffer the economic consequences of the president’s misguided lawlessness.” Bonta claimed Trump’s order and similar actions billed as aiming to lower energy costs will only do the opposite. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy added in a statement that his state will continue to move toward its goal of 100% clean energy by 2035, and that wind power plays a key role in it. “We are committed to reversing this disruptive action and will take every step necessary to get these projects back on track,” he said. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said the Ocean State will also continue to work toward its climate goals. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Despite its affinity for hot air, this administration’s attack on wind is not unexpected,” Neronha said in statement. “Mere hours after taking office, this president issued an executive order reaffirming his commitment to dismantling substantial clean energy progress in this country.”
GOP to grill blue state governors on sanctuary policies in high-profile hearing
Three blue state governors are being summoned to Washington, D.C., to testify on their sanctuary policies before the Republican-run House Oversight Committee. Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is announcing a hearing set for next month, June 12, featuring three Democratic leaders – New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. “Sanctuary policies only provide sanctuaries for criminal illegal aliens. Former President Biden created the worst border crisis in U.S. history and allowed criminal illegal aliens to flood our communities,” Comer said in a statement. SCOOP: REPUBLICANS DISCUSS DEFUNDING ‘BIG ABORTION’ LIKE PLANNED PARENTHOOD IN TRUMP AGENDA BILL “The Trump administration is taking decisive action to deport criminal illegal aliens from our nation but reckless sanctuary states like Illinois, Minnesota and New York are actively seeking to obstruct federal immigration enforcement,” he continued. “The governors of these states must explain why they are prioritizing the protection of criminal illegal aliens over the safety of U.S. citizens, and they must be held accountable.” It’s likely to be a contentious hearing, with Hochul, Walz and Pritzker all serving as past boogeymen on the left. Republicans have blamed blue state governors for continuing to fuel the border crisis by resisting the Trump administration’s stringent crackdown on illegal immigration. Walz will be particularly notable to watch. A former House member himself, it’s one of the Democrat’s first appearances back in Washington since losing the 2024 presidential election as ex-Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate. Both Walz and Pritzker have also been floated as potential 2028 presidential contenders. MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE The hearing is set to come after a similar event in March, when the House Oversight Committee heard from Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Comer sent each of the three governors requests for information on their sanctuary policies in April. Fox News Digital reached out to the three governors for comment.
Dems grill Pentagon nominee Tata over past inflammatory remarks, calling Obama ‘terrorist leader’
Retired Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata, President Trump’s pick for a top Pentagon post, came under fire at his Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday for past inflammatory remarks, including calling former President Barack Obama a “terrorist leader” and suggesting ex-CIA Director John Brennan deserved execution. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, called Tata’s record of political statements “disqualifying” and said his rhetoric was “not appropriate for a position of this significance.” “I respect and appreciate your military service,” Reed said, “but your record of public statements and behavior toward individuals with whom you disagree politically is disqualifying.” Tata, under questioning from Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said he regretted the comments, calling them “out of character.” HEGSETH ORDERS ‘HISTORIC’ REDUCTION OF GENERAL OFFICERS IN THE MILITARY “I regret making those comments,” said Tata. “I have 45 years of solution-oriented leadership, that was out of character. I regret it. I can guarantee that I will be an apolitical leader.” The retired Army general and former Trump administration official was nominated for a senior Pentagon role in 2020, but the Senate canceled his confirmation hearing at the last minute over similar concerns. Trump later appointed him to a civilian advisory role without Senate confirmation. Tata’s post-military career includes stints as a school district official, North Carolina’s secretary of transportation, and a military thriller author. After calling Obama a terrorist in 2018, Tata later wrote on X that he was “joking” and meant to criticize Obama for the Iran deal. “I was joking! Of course it’s not a conspiracy theory. He did more to harm US vital interests and help Islamic countries than any president in history. The Iran deal alone is more than enough evidence of his drive to subvert US national interests to Islam and a globalist agenda.” “Might be a time to pick your poison,” Tata had also replied on X to Brennan in a since-deleted post, accusing him of treason. Last month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Darin Selnick, his deputy chief of staff who had also been performing the duties of undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness. Selnick was one of three top aides Hegseth fired after a leak investigation and fights between the aides and his former chief of staff. HEGSETH ORDERS SWEEPING ARMY OVERHAUL AND CONSOLIDATION AIMED AT COUNTERING CHINA AND GOLDEN DOME CAPABILITIES Senators also pressed Tata on more recent social media posts, including a tweet suggesting military officers were engaged in “mutinous discussions” and another calling for senior defense officials appointed by President Joe Biden to be fired. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., asked whether Tata valued loyalty to the Constitution or the administration’s political agenda more. “We all raise our right hand to uphold the Constitution,” Tata responded, though he defended Trump’s vision of avoiding “unnecessary wars” and rebuilding the military. He pledged to uphold his oath even “if it means getting fired.” If confirmed as undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, Tata would oversee military recruitment, education, healthcare and overall force readiness. He would also play a key role in implementing efforts backed by Trump allies to reduce the number of general officers and eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the department. Tata said he would push to improve military recruiting by expanding access to high school programs to build a “warrior ethos,” and streamline medical waivers for disqualified candidates. He also pledged to advise the chain of command on “apolitical and objective hirings,” and denied supporting any kind of “blatant purge.” Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., expressed concern about political pressure on military leadership, citing the recent ouster of Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. C.Q. Brown. Tata insisted his approach would be objective. In contrast, the nomination of Katherine Sutton for a top Pentagon technology role drew little opposition. Sutton, currently chief technology advisor at U.S. Cyber Command, warned that China’s cyber threats demand urgent investment in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. Sutton was pressed by Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., on whether she believed Signal and Telemessage were permissible for work purposes at the DoD, after a slew of reports about the secretary’s use of the encrypted messaging applications. “Depends on the level of classification,” said Sutton, adding there are a “wide variety” of apps in use at the DoD. “OK, glad you got your talking point answer out,” said Slotkin. “It’s concerning to me that going into this job you can’t give a straight balls and strike answer.”
Newark mayor takes fight to the gates of ICE detention center amid legal battle over alleged safety violations
The Democrat mayor of Newark, New Jersey, on Tuesday continued his crusade to stop Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities inside a previously vacant prison that is being converted into an immigrant detention center. Mayor Ras Baraka arrived at the gates of Delaney Hall this morning alongside activists to demand entry into the facility that he claims GEO Group, the building’s new owner, is unlawfully preventing from being inspected. A lawsuit filed on behalf of the City of Newark on April 1 alleges that GEO Group failed to permit entry to safety inspectors and violated city construction code, including by conducting electrical and plumbing renovations without proper oversight. Fox News Digital reached out to the mayor’s office for comment on the ongoing litigation and Baraka’s visit to the facility. ‘BOGUS CLAIMS’: BLUE CITY MAYOR UNDER FIRE FOR TRYING TO HALT REOPENING OF ICE FACILITY In a press conference on Monday, Baraka said GEO Group is “following the pattern of the president of the United States who believes that he can just do what he wants to do and obscure the laws, national and constitutional laws, and they think they can do the same thing in the state of New Jersey and in Newark.” Baraka said fire department officials were trying to verify whether people were being detained in Delaney Hall after hearing “from word of mouth that they said they’ve been putting people in the building, from an employee there who told us that detainees were in fact being allowed in the building.” “In the initial inspection, we found some violations. Some of them weren’t grave violations, but they were, in fact, violations. Violations that put first responders at risk, violations that put detainees or workers that are there at risk,” the mayor continued. Possible violations listed later in the press conference by lawyer Kenyatta K. Stewart included unsanitary kitchens, lack of emergency exits and lack of proper ventilation. IDENTITY OF SECOND DEPORTED MAN WHO JUDGE WANTS RETURNED TO US REVEALED AS TRUMP ADMIN FIGHTS ORDER Stewart and Baraka expressed concern about the possibility of children being detained in the building. The mayor said it violates the law to refuse access to fire inspectors, health inspectors and uniform code of construction inspectors. GEO Group contends they are using an old certificate of occupancy from 2007, but Baraka says it’s invalid. “The attempt by local and state officials to stop the opening of a lawful federal immigration processing center at the Delaney Hall facility in Newark is another unfortunate example of a politicized campaign by sanctuary city and open borders politicians in New Jersey to interfere with the federal government’s efforts to arrest, detain, and deport dangerous criminal illegal aliens in accordance with established federal law,” a spokesperson for the group told Fox News Digital in a statement last month. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “These politically motivated tactics threaten both public safety and the local economy and are based on bogus claims about the Delaney Hall facility, which previously operated as a federal immigration processing center for six years under President Obama’s administration, without opposition from local political leaders,” the statement continued. Baraka, who is running for governor of the Garden State, denied politicizing the issue. “The reality is, this is not a Republican or a Democratic issue, in my mind. It’s an issue of human rights. It’s an issue of due process. It’s the issue of the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States,” he said.
Supreme Court hands down decision in trans military ban suit
The Supreme Court has sided with the Trump administration in lifting a lower court’s order that paused the Pentagon’s transgender military ban. In a short order on Tuesday, the high court handed the White House win as Trump seeks to unmake the Biden-era diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) agenda. The court stayed a lower court order, allowing the Pentagon policy to take effect. Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson would have denied the administration’s appeal and kept the lower court injunction in place. At issue in the suit, Shilling v. United States, is President Donald Trump‘s January executive order banning transgender military members. The order required the Department of Defense to update its guidance regarding “trans-identifying medical standards for military service” and to “rescind guidance inconsistent with military readiness.” HEGSETH SAYS HE’S SIGNING MEMO ON COMBAT ARMS STANDARDS FOR MEN AND WOMEN Seven transgender military members proceeded to then bring suit against the administration in a Seattle-based federal court in early February. Trump was dismissed from the suit as a defendant in his official capacity as the suit played out in court. The initial complaint argued that the executive order “turns” away transgender military members “and kicks them out – for no legitimate reason.” “Rather, it baselessly declares all transgender people unfit to serve, insults and demeans them, and cruelly describes every one of them as incapable of ‘an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life,’ based solely because they are transgender,” it continued. U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle had issued a preliminary injunction in March that blocked the administration from identifying and removing transgender service members as the suit worked its way through legal proceedings. In his opinion granting the injunction, Settle characterized the ban as a “blanket prohibition on transgender service.” Settle found the plaintiffs would likely succeed on the merits of their equal protection, First Amendment, and procedural due process claims, among others. TRUMP’S TRANSGENDER MILITARY BAN DEALT LEGAL BLOW AFTER APPEALS COURT RULING “The government’s arguments are not persuasive, and it is not an especially close question on this record,” Settle wrote. Settle wrote in his order that the injunction was to “maintain the status quo of military policy regarding both active-duty and prospective transgender service” that were in place prior to Trump’s January 27 executive order. The administration quickly appealed the order to the Ninth Circuit, requesting the appellate court stay Settle’s order. The administration argued in court filings that the policy “furthers the government’s important interests in military readiness, unit cohesion, good order and discipline, and avoiding disproportionate costs.” A three-judge panel – composed of Judges Atsushi Wallace Tashima, a Clinton-appointee, John B. Owens, an Obama-appointee, and Roopali H. Desai, a Biden-appointee – denied the administration’s request for a stay on March 31. HEGSETH SUGGESTS JUDGE REPORT TO MILITARY BASES AFTER RULING THAT PENTAGON MUST ALLOW TRANSGENDER TROOPS The stay would have allowed the administration to enforce the ban while the legal challenge moved forward. “The Department of Justice has vigorously defended President Trump’s executive actions, including the Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness Executive Order, and will continue to do so,” a Justice Department official told Fox News Digital at the time. Shilling v. United States is just one of several suits challenging the Trump administration’s military ban. Transgender plaintiffs also notably sued in D.C. federal court where U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes also initially blocked the ban from going into effect. Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.
Josh Hawley calls for federal investigation after whistleblower alleges child labor at Tyson Foods plant
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is urging President Donald Trump‘s Department of Labor to open an investigation into Tyson Foods on Tuesday after receiving a whistleblower report claiming the company employed child labor at one of its facilities. Hawley wrote a letter to Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer on Tuesday, urging her to investigate the matter. He said his Senate Judiciary subcommittee opened its own investigation after being contacted by the whistleblower. Tyson plants in Tennessee and elsewhere have been the subject of child labor investigations in recent years. “The whistleblower, a former Tyson Foods employee who oversaw plant safety, alleges that they personally witnessed underage workers and also received multiple reports from hourly Tyson employees about child workers in the plant. According to the allegations, these child workers were employed by a third-party entity contracted by Tyson for work in the plant,” Hawley wrote in his letter. “After reporting concerns to company superiors about child workers employed at the plant, the whistleblower was subjected to retaliation and a ‘toxic work environment.’ Due to the toxic work environment, the whistleblower quit. Tyson is now pursuing legal action against them related to their departure from the company,” the letter continued. ONE DEAD, 2 HOSPITALIZED AFTER FIRE AT TYSON FOODS PLANT IN GEORGIA Hawley went on to note media reports showing that “Tyson purposely uses subcontractors to avoid punishment for illegally employing children. As a result, Tyson has successfully avoided all liability and culpability for its clear violations of child labor laws.” Tyson denied any wrongdoing in a statement to Fox News Digital on Tuesday. “We do not allow the employment of anyone under the age of 18 in any of our facilities, and we do not facilitate, excuse, or in any other way participate in the use of child labor by third parties. We take the enforcement of all labor laws seriously, and we verify the age of all team members by fully participating in the federal government’s E-Verify and IMAGE programs. We also have multiple processes in place, including an anonymous ethics hotline, for all team members to report suspicious activity,” a Tyson Foods spokesperson said in a statement. EXPLOSION AT LOUISVILLE FACTORY KILLS 2, INJURES SEVERAL, COMPANY CONFIRMS During her confirmation hearing, Chavez-DeRemer vowed to use her role in the new Trump administration to crack down on labor abuses. “Child labor should not be accepted by anybody in America. The Department of Labor has the enforcement capability to double down if [companies] are knowingly breaking the law and exploiting children in their factories,” she told Hawley during the confirmation process. Chavez-DeRemer’s office confirmed to Fox News Digital that the secretary had received Hawley’s letter on Tuesday. “The Secretary is reviewing the Senator’s letter and remains committed to protecting America’s children from potential labor violations,” Labor Department spokesperson Courtney Parella said in a statement. Tyson also faced heavy criticism in 2024 after announcing plans to hire asylum seekers for one of its plants in Tennessee, just days after closing another facility in Iowa, costing roughly 1,000 jobs.
Trump dares Newsom to run in 2028, slams record on LA wildfires
President Donald Trump said he would “love” California Gov. Gavin Newsom to launch a White House bid for the Democrats, but said his response to wildfires and other issues would “pretty much put him out of the race.” The president, during a bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, took a swipe at Newsom, blasting California’s high-speed rail project. SMELT TEST: TRUMP ORDER OVERRIDES CALIFORNIA’S FISH-PROTECTING RULES TO MAXIMIZE WATER SUPPLY “A little train going from San Francisco to Los Angeles that’s being run by Gavin New-scum—the governor of California,” Trump said. “Did you ever hear of Gavin Newsom? He has got that train—the worst cost overrun I’ve ever seen. It’s like, totally out of control.” Trump said he “always liked Gavin” and “had a good relationship with him.” “I just got him a lot of water, you know, I sent in people to open up that water because he refused to do it,” Trump said, adding that “if they would have done what I said to do, they wouldn’t have had the fires in Los Angeles.” “Those fires would have been put out very quickly,” Trump said. Trump traveled to Southern California in January, just days after taking office, to see damage from the devastating wildfires that destroyed thousands of acres and more than 10,000 buildings in the Los Angeles area. After the visit, Trump issued an executive order calling on federal agencies to overrule California regulations on endangered species to create more water availability, expedite the removal of debris in the areas affected by the fires and conduct investigations into the City of Los Angeles’ use of federal grants. Trump also called on the Department of the Interior to immediately override existing regulations in California that “unduly burden efforts to maximize water deliveries” to the Central Valley Project, a water management effort in the state. TRUMP MEETS WITH CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS, FIRE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS TO SEE LA WILDFIRE DAMAGE FIRST HAND Shifting back to the high-speed rail project, Trump said he has “watched a lot of stupid people build a lot of stupid things,” but that this is “the worst cost overrun I’ve ever seen.” California’s high-speed rail project was designed to cart riders between San Francisco and Los Angeles in less than three hours. It was expected to cost $33 billion and be finished by 2020, but the project has been riddled with funding challenges, cost overruns and delays. The project is now reportedly expected to cost an estimated $106 billion to complete. “This government is not going to pay,” Trump said, noting that he told Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy that the Trump administration is “not going to pay for that thing” – [it’s] “30 times over budget.” “It was supposed to be a simple train,” Trump said. Duffy, in February, began a Transportation Department review to determine whether the California High-Speed Rail Authority had “followed through on the commitments it made to receive billions of dollars in federal funding.” “If not, I will have to consider whether that money could be given to deserving infrastructure projects elsewhere in the United States,” Duffy said at a news conference in Los Angeles in February. Looking ahead to 2028, the president said he would “love” to see Newsom run for president. Newsom is barred from seeking re-election as California governor in 2026 due to term limits. NEWSOM PROPOSES TO WORK WITH TRUMP TO ‘MAKE AMERICA FILM AGAIN,’ FLOATS $7.5B FEDERAL TAX CREDIT “But I don’t think he’s going to be running because that one project alone—well, that and the fires and a lot of other things—pretty much put him out of the race,” Trump said. Newsom has been rumored to be mulling a 2028 presidential bid but has not committed to doing so. In a statement to The New York Times, Newsom said he wanted to work with the Trump administration on a $7.5 billion federal tax credit program to bolster the TV and film production industry. “California built the film industry – and we’re ready to bring even more jobs home,” Newsom wrote on X on Monday. “We’ve proven what strong state incentives can do. Now it’s time for a real federal partnership to Make America Film Again.” The White House said Monday that “no final decisions” had been made as the administration was “exploring all options” to deliver on Trump’s directive “to safeguard our country’s national and economic security while Making Hollywood Great Again.” Trump first announced in a Truth Social post on Sunday that he was authorizing the Department of Commerce and the U.S. trade representative “to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100% Tariff on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
SCOOP: Trump ally’s Gulf of America bill sparks frustration in House GOP
FIRST ON FOX: A scheduled vote on making President Donald Trump’s Gulf of America name change permanent is causing some heartburn within the House GOP conference. Multiple House Republicans who spoke with Fox News Digital said they were frustrated by House GOP leaders’ decision to spend time voting on what they saw as a largely symbolic gesture in an otherwise light legislative week. It comes as GOP negotiators work behind the scenes to iron out divisions on Medicaid, tax policy and green energy subsidies in time to pass Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” by the Fourth of July. “This is a time where we should be in our districts, going to graduations, making sure that we’re listening to folks who have tariff issues,” a more moderate GOP lawmaker, granted anonymity to speak freely, told Fox News Digital. “Instead, we’re going to spend time doing this… it’s frustrating for somebody who’s got a lot of pragmatic legislation, waiting in the queue to be heard. Instead, we’re doing posture bills. It’s not what I came here to do.” SCOOP: REPUBLICANS DISCUSS DEFUNDING ‘BIG ABORTION’ LIKE PLANNED PARENTHOOD IN TRUMP AGENDA BILL But the frustration is not limited to moderate and mainstream Republicans. One conservative GOP lawmaker vented to Fox News Digital, “125 other [executive orders], this is the one we pick.” “Folks are upset that we’re not doing something more important,” the conservative lawmaker said. Two sources familiar with House Republicans’ whip team meeting said at least three GOP lawmakers aired concerns about the bill — Reps. Don Bacon, R-Neb., Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., and Glenn Grothman, R-Wis. One of the sources described their sentiments as, “They just think it’s kind of frivolous or not serious.” “I’ve heard criticisms from all corners of the conference. Conservatives to pragmatic ones,” Bacon told Fox News Digital. “It seems sophomoric. The United States is bigger and better than this.” Bacon is among the Republicans pushing hard for a restrained hand on Medicaid cuts in Trump’s multitrillion-dollar bill, while other GOP lawmakers are pushing for more significant cuts. Grothman would not confirm or deny his concerns, telling Fox News Digital, “That’s behind-the-scenes stuff.” Obernolte’s office did not respond to requests for comment by press time. While the concerns have not come from a large number of the overall conference, any degree of defections is significant with the GOP’s razor-thin House majority. With all lawmakers present in the chamber, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., can currently lose up to three votes to still pass something along party lines. It’s also a sign of Trump’s continued dominance on Capitol Hill starting to wear on some Republican lawmakers. It’s not clear that the lawmakers who expressed concerns will vote against the final bill, however, particularly with pressure from House GOP leaders. A third House Republican who spoke with Fox News Digital anonymously acknowledged the frustrations, but nevertheless said, “It’s not the hill to die on.” It’s worth noting that congressional Republicans have passed several bills promoting Trump’s agenda already, including resolutions to roll back key Biden administration policies. The budget reconciliation package, Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” is GOP negotiators’ current priority. MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE The Gulf of America Act was introduced by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a top Trump ally. When reached for comment on some GOP lawmakers’ concerns, Greene told Fox News Digital, “Codifying the rightful renaming of the Gulf of America isn’t just a priority for me and President Trump, it’s a priority for the American people. American taxpayers fund its protection, our military defends its waters, and American businesses fuel its economy. My bill advances President Trump’s America First agenda.” “If certain moderate Republicans want to start elsewhere, where do they suggest?” she continued. “I have bills ready for all of it. But let’s be clear, we should be voting to codify every single executive order President Trump issues.” The bill is currently slated to get a vote on Thursday morning, and Johnson promoted it during his House GOP leadership press conference on Tuesday. “We’re going to pass Marjorie Taylor Greene’s bill to permanently rename the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of America. And then we’re going to codify dozens more of President Trump’s budget-related executive orders, spending-related executive orders through the budget reconciliation process,” the speaker said. Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R-Fla., posted on X in response to the speaker, “This will be a tremendous economic driver for my district. Families across the country will flock to the Florida Panhandle to be the FIRST to enjoy the Gulf of AMERICA!” The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.