JD Vance has ‘exchange of opinions’ on issues like deportations during meeting with top Vatican official
Vice President JD Vance met with the Vatican’s No. 2 official Saturday in Rome, and the pair had an “exchange of opinions” on international issues, including migrants and deportations under the Trump administration. “There was an exchange of opinions on the international situation, especially regarding countries affected by war, political tensions and difficult humanitarian situations, with particular attention to migrants, refugees and prisoners,” a statement from the Vatican said after the meeting. “Finally, hope was expressed for serene collaboration between the state and the Catholic Church in the United States, whose valuable service to the most vulnerable people was acknowledged.” Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, and Archbishop Paul Gallagher, its foreign minister. VP VANCE SHARES SPECIAL MESSAGE TO AILING POPE FRANCIS AMID BREATHING CRISIS He and Parolin “discussed their shared religious faith, Catholicism in the United States, the plight of persecuted Christian communities around the world and President Trump’s commitment to restoring world peace,” Vance’s office said. Pope Francis has cut back his official meetings since a bout with double pneumonia. The Vatican has clashed with the Trump administration over its deportation push, but the Holy See affirmed its good relations with the United States after the meeting. The vice president’s Vatican meeting Saturday is part of an official trip to Italy and India. Vance, with second lady Usha Vance and their two young children, arrived in Rome Friday, and he met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. “I’m grateful every day for this job, but particularly today, where my official duties have brought me to Rome on Good Friday,” the 40-year-old wrote on his X account Friday. “I had a great meeting with Prime Minister Meloni and her team, and will head to church soon with my family in this beautiful city. I wish all Christians all over the world, but particularly those back home in the US, a blessed Good Friday. He died so that we might live.” JD VANCE SOUNDS OFF ON DEPORTATION, ‘RATIFICATION OF BIDEN’S ILLEGAL MIGRANT INVASION’ VIA ‘FAKE LEGAL PROCESS’ The meeting came a day after President Trump met with Meloni at the White House to discuss a trade deal. U.S. Bishop Robert Barron, who, along with being bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester in Minnesota, is also an online evangelist and founder of Word on Fire Ministries, told Fox News Digital he “was pleased to hear that Vice President JD Vance met with Cardinal Parolin and Archbishop Gallagher at the Vatican. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “American Catholics will appreciate that our Catholic Vice President was received with such a warm welcome. I’m sure that among the many topics they addressed were immigration and the war in the Ukraine, both of which are top of mind for both the Holy See and the United States. “The Vice President, as a Catholic, shares a common faith with his Vatican interlocutors, but also a common language in Catholic social teaching, which brings to bear into political and cultural realities moral and theological principles, insights and recommendations.” The vice president is expected to leave Italy for India, the second leg of his trip, on Monday, where he’ll meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
US senator blasts president of Mexico, says toxic sewage dump threatens ‘national security’
FIRST ON FOX: United States Senator Tim Sheehy, R-Montana, called out Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum in a scathing letter addressing the large amount of raw sewage and waste the neighboring country has dumped in the Tijuana River. The letter outlines Sheehy’s concern not only for the health and safety of local residents, but also points out that the toxic leak could potentially be jeopardizing U.S. national security. “This continuous discharge is sickening thousands of Americans annually, including U.S. Navy SEALs and Marine special forces who train in the affected waters,” the letter to the president of Mexico reads. “In February 2025, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General concluded that, absent action, Navy Special Warfare Command would be advised to cancel or relocate up to 75 percent of water training exercises at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado due to elevated bacterial contamination levels.” EPA CHIEF TAKES ON MEXICAN ‘SEWAGE CRISIS’ FLOWING INTO US WATERS WHERE NAVY SEALS TRAIN Last week, the International Boundary and Water Commission stated that Mexico is dumping 5 million gallons of sewage a day into the Tijuana rRver. The toxic waste then flows up into the United States, and can even make its way into the Pacific Ocean. “For decades, Mexico has been dumping toxic waste into the water where our most elite servicemen train, causing serious health issues and harming our readiness,” Sheehy told Fox News Digital. “The problem is only getting worse, and their failure to do anything about it is harming our troops and our national security. Mexico needs to put a stop to this toxic tide immediately.” While Sheehy is sounding the alarm from Congress, local leaders have also confirmed that the Mexican government’s intentional waste dump has left residents with dangerous and harmful environmental conditions. SCOOP: BIDEN-ERA GRANT PROGRAM DESCRIBED AS ‘GOLD BAR’ SCHEME BY TRUMP EPA ADMINISTRATOR UNDER SCRUTINY ARMY TAKES CONTROL OF FEDERAL LAND ALONG NEW MEXICO BORDER TO INCREASE SECURITY, PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT “This sewage isn’t just disgusting — it’s dangerous. It contains E. coli, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, arsenic and other toxic chemicals,” San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond explained in a recent Fox News op-ed. “Our water is contaminated. Our air is polluted with aerosolized waste. Residents are reporting everything from skin infections to viral pharyngitis — and even family pets have gotten sick after exposure.” Next Tuesday, Fox News Digital reported that EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin is very aware of the issue, and intends to visit a local treatment facility in San Diego to assess the harmful flow of poisonous waste entering the U.S. from Mexico. A source close to Zeldin told Fox that this is a top priority for President Donald Trump’s environmental leader. GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE “We have heard far too many horror stories of Navy SEALs – some of the bravest and brightest service members in the military – falling ill from training in waters that have been contaminated by Mexican sewage that has flown into our nation,” Zeldin told Fox on Friday. “This has been a human health crisis that has lingered for decades.”
College president whose school takes no fed funding says Harvard ‘could make it on their own’ after Trump cuts
The president of a prominent Christian college in Michigan reacted Thursday to President Donald Trump’s battle with Harvard University — and the billions it stands to lose due to a federal funding freeze over its response to on-campus antisemitism. “We all have a right to free speech, but if you join the academic community, you don’t get to say whatever you want. You can’t go to physics class and talk about English Lit. Also, you can’t spit on people because they’re Jews or denounce them… because that breaks down the friendship that is necessary to the partnership of a college,” Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn told Fox News Digital in an interview. “Now, having said that, of course — you shouldn’t say ‘dirty Jew.’ It’s perfectly legitimate to say, ‘I don’t agree with it.’ But to say, ‘Israel took that land, and they don’t have a right to it,’ and the response would be, ‘OK, see if you can prove that.’ That’s an academic undertaking,” he said. TRUMP ADMIN SLASHES OVER $2.2B IN FUNDING TO HARVARD AFTER SCHOOL DEFIES DEMANDS “Shouting, preventing people from going to class, threatening them personally. That breaks down the academic community. They shouldn’t be doing that. And it’s, you know, because the [1964] Civil Rights Act is written in a certain way; if they permit that kind of activity, Harvard is in violation of that act, and that act applies to every organization in America.” A college, being an incubator of learning, should especially be an organization to prohibit such virulent behavior outright, Arnn added. 5 CONTROVERSIES EMBROILING HARVARD UNIVERSITY AS TRUMP SEEKS TO CUT FUNDING Earlier this month, the Trump antisemitism task force froze $2 billion in grants to Harvard, and Trump later floated stripping its tax-exempt status after the school’s administration released a statement saying it would not comply with demands. Arnn said that, antisemitic behavior or not, there are thousands of stipulations a college must agree to in order to receive funding from the federal Department of Education. “The government has changed so much since 1960, and it’s all over everything now, including education. And Harvard doesn’t like some recent things it’s been demanded to do, but it’s obeying hundreds of pages of rules that are detailed, and they have to comply with because they have a lot of money from the government,” he said. “So the obvious solution would be, don’t take the money from the government, which is what we do,” he said, referring to Hillsdale. Arnn said Hillsdale, founded in the mid-19th century in part by friends of then-Illinois attorney Abraham Lincoln, has never been as wealthy as Harvard but remains an exceptional institution. “The fact that they are defending [themselves] is good, and maybe they should have the complete courage of their convictions and just give [the funding] up,” he said. If the frozen funds account for the school’s annual federal contribution, it would calculate to $90,000 per student, Arnn added, noting the school also has a large endowment. “Maybe they could make it on their own,” he said. “Every transaction at Hillsdale College… is a voluntary transaction… [N]obody comes here unless they want to, they have to sign an honor code to come.” Arnn compared Hillsdale’s connections to a politically budding Lincoln to Harvard’s title as the oldest college in the country, and Princeton University’s ties to Founding Fathers like President James Madison. “If James Madison had come to college here, I would never shut up about it, right? Frederick Douglass spoke on our campus twice. I never shut up about that,” he said. Arnn cited how the first Trump administration investigated Princeton after figures there publicized its supposed racist structures. “[Madison] personally took pride in the fact they had kept the word ‘slave’ out of the Constitution, because although they had to make a compromise and not abolish it in certain ways, and that compromise is for a very big reason,” he said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The problem is, we have a set of principles that are perfect, but we will never serve them perfectly,” said Arnn. “[T]he attempt to do so can do a lot of harm depending on what the attempt is.” “My suggestion [to Harvard] would be to go in the right direction. It’s written in your own history. And you should probably do it with your own resources if you don’t like bureaucrats in Washington telling you what to do,” he said. In a statement, Harvard President Alan Garber said Harvard will “not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights,” and “no government… should dictate what private universities can teach, who they can admit and hire…”
Republican changes Van Hollen’s office plaque after Dem’s visit to El Salvador
Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., claimed in a post on X that he altered the name plaque outside the office of Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. The Republican lawmaker’s post included a photo in which the plaque outside Van Hollen’s office says that he represents El Salvador. OREGON LAWMAKER LATEST DEMOCRAT TO VISIT EL SALVADOR FOR DEPORTED ILLEGAL MIGRANT ABREGO GARCIA “Hey [Sen. Van Hollen], I went ahead and changed your office plaque for you,” Collins wrote. Collins has repeatedly criticized Van Hollen for traveling to El Salvador to meet with accused MS-13 member and illegal immigrant Kilmar Abrego-Garcia. In another post on X, Collins slammed Van Hollen as “traitorous.” Additionally, when Van Hollen first announced his trip to El Salvador, Collins responded by saying, “If you’re going to advocate harder for illegal gang members than you do American citizens, don’t come back.” Abrego-Garcia’s deportation sparked an uproar among Democrats, many of whom say that the El Salvadorian national was a hard-working Maryland resident whose right to due process was violated. KILMAR ABREGO-GARCIA SUSPECTED OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN REPORT OBTAINED BY FOX NEWS However, Abrego-Garcia, who entered the U.S. illegally in 2011, remained in the country unlawfully despite being issued a deportation order back in 2019. Prince George’s County Police Gang Unit identified Abrego-Garcia as a member of the notorious Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang in 2019, according to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The HSI report also noted that Abrego-Garcia was suspected of human trafficking after a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper encountered him in December 2022. According to the HSI report, on Dec. 1, 2022, a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper stopped Abrego-Garcia after he was “observed speeding,” and noticed eight individuals in the vehicle, but no luggage. Abrego-Garcia said he began driving three days prior from Houston, Texas, to Temple Hills, Md., so the individuals could “perform construction work.” Additionally, the individuals in the car reportedly gave the same address as Abrego-Garica’s home. The report states that the trooper suspected it was a human trafficking incident. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP This past week, President Donald Trump hosted Angel Mom Patty Morin, a Maryland resident, at the White House. Morin’s daughter, Rachel, was beaten, raped and killed in Maryland by an illegal migrant from El Salvador in 2023. Patty Morin claims Van Hollen never contacted her after Rachel’s murder. Fox News Digital reached out to Rep. Collins’ office for comment.
GOP gubernatorial candidate in key state touts record in race against Ramaswamy: ‘Results, not just rhetoric’
WASHINGTON, DC – Ohio Republican Attorney General Dave Yost, who is running for governor against tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy in the primary, spoke to Fox News Digital about his campaign and what he sees as the key difference between the two campaigns. “We do agree on an awful lot of things,” Yost, who was in Washington to celebrate with the national champion Ohio State Buckeyes college football team at the White House, told Fox News Digital about the gubernatorial race. “The difference is that I’m running on a record of results, not just rhetoric.” Part of that record, Yost explained, is his time as the state auditor in Ohio, where he helped uncover $260 million of efficiency savings. SCOOP: RAMASWAMY SCORES ENDORSEMENT FROM A POWERFUL HOUSE MEMBER IN OHIO GOVERNOR RUN “I was DOGE before DOGE was cool,” Yost said, adding later that “virtually nobody” he talks to in Ohio is opposed to the fraud and waste spending that is taking place with DOGE amid vocal Democratic pushback. Yost also touted his record on crime and public corruption as the state’s attorney general since 2019 and suggested his experience differentiates him from Ramaswamy. “We’ve been fighting for the Constitution, for the rights of Ohioans, fighting public corruption,” Yost said. “More than 170 people have gone to jail because of my work and the work of my team. So, we’ve been in the trenches. We don’t need on-the-job training, and I think that that record of results is going to make a difference for Ohioans.” OHIO COLLEGE ‘ILLEGALLY FORCING STUDENTS’ TO SHARE BATHROOMS WITH OPPOSITE SEX: WATCHDOG Recent polling shows that Ramaswamy, who has been endorsed by President Trump, Elon Musk, Rep. Jim Jordan and others, holds a commanding lead in the race, but Yost remains optimistic. “Obviously, there’s a long way to go, but I love Ohio,” Yost said. “I’ve been getting back out and talking with folks. The reception has been amazing. People are eager for a new America First kind of leadership in Ohio. And I am really excited about where we’re heading.” One specific issue that Yost believes he has been clearer on where he stands is the death penalty. “I don’t know where my opponent is on that,” Yost said. “He hasn’t spoken about it. I imagine that that’s why we have campaigns, and we’ll find out. But look, I support the death penalty.” Yost explained that “safeguards” must be used, and he emphasized that there are “no do-overs” but said that “we need” the death penalty. “What do you do with a guy who’s serving life without parole and then he kills a prison guard or a cook inside?” Yost said. “A family loses a loved one because of this murder. Was that a freebie? What, are we gonna give them another life sentence? So, at least in that circumstance, we need to have the death penalty, and then we’re just arguing about when we use it.” “But the death penalty is not working in Ohio right now. We haven’t abolished it. We still have the promise of it out there as the ultimate justice. We haven’t executed anyone since 2018. The average time that somebody on death row has been waiting for their date with justice is 22 years. That’s not due process, it’s overdue process, and we need to either man up and say, okay, we’re not gonna do this anymore, or we need to go about following the law and bringing the 116 people on death row to their date with justice.” A person close to the Ramaswamy campaign told Fox News Digital that the team is “looking forward to helping Dave Yost be successful in his next venture, whatever he chooses to do.” Another local issue in Ohio that Yost told Fox News Digital he is concerned about is the recent push by professional sports teams to secure taxpayer funds for stadiums. Yost expressed concerns about taxpayers being on the hook for sums of several hundred million dollars. “I’m not so sure that the taxpayers ought to be throwing tax money at these big public stadium projects,” Yost said. “I mean, those bonds, those taxes are going to be paid for by people that in a lot of ways can’t afford to go to a pro game. That strikes me as unfair. But beyond that, we have no limiting principle here.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “We’ve got all these different sports teams. We already have three of them now, since the Browns said we want $600 million. The Bengals come forward, and they want $350 million, and FC Cincinnati is saying, ‘Well, what about us?’ And pretty soon, we’re spending billions of dollars on sports stadiums that are used in one town a few days a year, when we could be spending that money on any number of other things, whether we’re talking about roads, bridges, economic development, whether we’re talking schools, or we’re talking about tax cuts. None of this makes sense to me. We at least need a plan and a limit. Right now, it looks like the candy store is just open.” Fox News Digital asked Yost what he hears most often when he travels the state talking to voters, and he said that the economy and “kitchen table” issues are most prevalent, but pointed out that Trump’s tariff policies, which have been much maligned by the Democrats, are more popular than the media lets on. “Right now, everybody’s watching as the world economy is being reordered, and unlike what I’m hearing from the disaster predicted by the elite press on the coasts, it’s a much different situation on the ground in Ohio,” Yost said. “I talk to a lot of businesses that think that this is going to be good for them, that the fair and reciprocal kinds of trade are going to bring a new resurgence to Ohio and to their industries, even though they see some pain and that’s what everybody’s talking
Global church network pushes ‘climate justice’ narrative during Holy Week: ‘Moral imperative’
FIRST ON FOX: One of the world’s leading liberal ecumenical Christian organizations published a post during Holy Week promoting climate change activism, sparking criticism from some experts who spoke to Fox News Digital. “Training shows climate justice a moral imperative for churches,” a post on the World Council of Churches website said on Monday as the billions of Christians worldwide began observing Holy Week and commemorating the seven days leading up to Easter. The post stated: “Exploring how churches can do more for climate justice, the World Council of Churches (WCC), in cooperation with the National Council of Churches in Bangladesh, organized a climate litigation training in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 11 April.” In a Thursday post on X, WCC again spoke about climate change saying, “Climate crisis isn’t siloed—neither should our solutions be. At a joint seminar in India, experts push for a nexus approach to land, water & food justice.” FLASHBACK: BIDEN PROCLAIMED TRANS DAY OF VISIBILITY IN 2024 THAT COINCIDED WITH EASTER SUNDAY “Amidst the poly-crises the world is experiencing now, the role of churches and other faith actors in terms of our contributions to climate justice is more important than ever,” WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay said in Bangladesh. “Our moral voice is necessary for the urgently needed system changes.” Last week, WCC announced that it has “debuted its new resource on legal tools for climate justice, the focus was on hope for children—a hope strongly backed by knowledge on how churches can hold financial actors accountable for their role in perpetuating the climate crisis.” Fox News Digital reached out to WCC for comment. Dan Turner, founder and executive director of Power The Future, likened the climate change push to Christianity’s “long history of a battle against paganism.” “It is unsurprising that neo-pagans hide behind climate change to pollute religion and push their agenda,” Turner said. “The most Christian countries have the cleanest air and water, and the greatest respect for the Earth.” EASTER AND PASSOVER FOODS THAT AMERICANS MOST LIKE AND DISLIKE, ACCORDING TO NEW DATA Gabriella Hoffman, Independent Women’s Forum Center for Energy & Conservation Director, told Fox News Digital that it is not “uncommon” for religious institutions to preach the “biblical” teaching of “stewardship of the land” but that climate justice “strays from this teaching by encouraging its adherents to reject positive human interactions with nature.” “They believe nature supersedes the needs of people. Both interests can be balanced and not at odds with each other,” Hoffman said. Steve Cortes, founder of the League of American Workers and a Senior Advisor for Catholic Vote, told Fox News Digital, “During Holy Week, the church should be focused on reflecting on Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, instead of advancing climate hysteria. The church should be spreading the Gospel, not advance divisive legal battles that amplify fear over faith.” The WCC, which claims 352 member church bodies from more than 120 countries, representing over 580 million Christians worldwide, has a long history of political activism on behalf of liberal causes. The organization has “established several highly biased and politicized subgroups,” according to NGO Monitor, some of which have been linked to anti-Israel efforts and BDS activities. Last year, the WCC issued a statement in support of the International Criminal Court’s controversial decision to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in response to the fallout from the October 7th terror attack. Shortly after that attack, the WCC issued a statement calling for “underscor[ing] the necessity of addressing the root causes of the current conflict, which are deeply intertwined with decades of occupation, prolonged sieges on Gaza, and the systematic violation of fundamental human rights.”
Dem senator’s El Salvador trip might violate law liberals used as pretext for Michael Flynn probe: critics
Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s, D-Md., sudden trip to El Salvador to try to free deportee Kilmar Abrego Garcia is getting the attention of critics who believe the Maryland Democrat may have violated a 1799 law prohibiting unauthorized diplomacy. The Logan Act – named for former Pennsylvania Sen. George Logan – stipulates a fine and/or imprisonment for Americans corresponding with foreign officials “with intent to influence the[ir] measures … in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States.” Logan met with French diplomat Charles de Talleyrand after Paris rebuffed President John Adams, and he attempted to entreat him – in part via a letter from Vice President Thomas Jefferson – to end the Franco-American hostilities of the so-called “Quasi War.” In that way, several prominent conservatives questioned whether Van Hollen’s actions similarly violated the law. MORE DEMS WORK TO JOIN VAN HOLLEN IN EL SALVADOR TO PUSH FOR ALLEGED GANG MEMBER’S RETURN TO US “Why hasn’t this U.S. senator been arrested for violation of the Logan Act? It’s illegal to conduct your own foreign policy,” longtime Republican consultant Roger Stone tweeted. WMAL host Vince Coglianese read the Logan Act statute aloud and asked his audience whether Van Hollen had done what the code outlined. “Is Chris Van Hollen violating the Logan Act?” Coglianese said. “Because this is what they accused General [Michael] Flynn of doing … the incoming national security advisor … who was merely having conversations with foreign diplomats [after] people had chosen President Donald Trump.” Democrats previously seized on the Logan Act when Flynn contacted Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak prior to Trump being sworn in the first time, which ultimately led to an FBI probe and tanked his public-service career. Notes from former FBI agent Peter Strzok read, “VP: Logan Act” and suggested then-Vice President Joe Biden floated using it against Flynn, while then-FBI director Jim Comey said the Kislyak correspondence appeared “legit.” NOT A MARYLAND MAN: GOP BLASTS DEMOCRAT SENATOR FIGHTING FOR RETURN OF SALVADORAN NATIONAL Fox News contributor Byron York responded to an X question on the matter by saying that he repeatedly argued during the Flynn matter that the act is a “dead letter.” “But politically, it’s useful to know that Sen. Van Hollen traveled to a foreign country to bash the President of the United States.” The American Accountability Foundation (AAF) sent a letter to Senate Ethics Committee Chairman James Lankford, R-Okla, asking to probe for violations, according to the New York Post. AAF’s Thomas Jones said Garcia “is essentially an enemy combatant in the ongoing invasion … by transnational gangs.” Fox News Digital reached out to Lankford for comment. The act was last invoked by Trump critics after a book by Watergate journalist Bob Woodward claimed the mogul held several calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin between his terms in the White House. Trump was lambasted by the “Never-Trump” Lincoln Project and Kamala Harris over Woodward’s book’s claims. Agents also considered getting Flynn to admit to breaking the Logan Act: “What is our goal?” one of the notes from ex-FBI counterintelligence chief Bill Priestap read: “Truth/Admission or to get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired?” After that situation, Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa., unsuccessfully sought a Logan Act repeal. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan suggested it be used against Rev. Jesse Jackson for his travels and communications to Cuba and Nicaragua. Trump previously accused both ex-Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Conn., of violating the Logan Act via their contact with Iran in 2019 and 2020. “It’s literally my job to meet with foreign leaders,” Murphy shot back, citing his position on a Senate Mideast subcommittee. Ultimately, no one has been successfully prosecuted under the Logan Act, as the namesake Philadelphian himself was essentially grandfathered out. Fox News Digital reached out to Van Hollen for comment.
Drag queen group mocks Jesus, Christianity in Easter show marketed to kids
A San Francisco drag queen group called the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a self-professed “order of queer and trans nuns,” is sparking controversy in the days leading up to their annual transgender Easter event. This year’s event, which is being called “No Easter without the T,” is meant to honor transgenderism and features a children’s Easter egg hunt and a costume contest encouraging attendees to come dressed in drag as “Hunky Jesus and Foxy Mary.” The event’s invitation poster includes a depiction of a tattooed “Jesus” surrounded by men in drag. Pictures posted from the event in previous years include men dressed as Jesus in high heels, dresses and minimal clothing, and holding signs that say “can I get a gaymen?” and “Haus of Jesus.” According to the group’s website, past winners of the contest include “Barbie’s Ken Jesus”, “Historically Accurate Jesus,” “Transgender Maria de Guadalupe,” “Pro-Choice Mary” and “Black Woman as God.” FLASHBACK: BIDEN PROCLAIMED TRANS DAY OF VISIBILITY IN 2024 THAT COINCIDED WITH EASTER SUNDAY Libs of Tiktok, a popular conservative social media account, slammed the event, especially calling attention to the drag group for encouraging children to attend while simultaneously admitting that “parents are advised that some may find the latter portion of the show inappropriate for young children.” “They literally say that their show is inappropriate for children while still encouraging children to attend,” said Libs of TikTok. “Disgusting,” commented Catholic Vote senior advisor Steve Cortes, adding, “The ruling class abides bigotry, as long as it’s targeted against faithful Christians generally, & Catholics specifically.” POPE FRANCIS: ‘GENDER IDEOLOGY’ IS ONE OF ‘MOST DANGEROUS IDEOLOGICAL COLONIZATIONS’ Logan Church, political director of CatholicVote, told Fox News Digital the group is “disgusted, though sadly not surprised.” “The so-called ‘Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence’ have made it their mission to mock Christianity with open hostility, and this blasphemous Easter event is just the latest example,” he said. “This is not bold, it’s not brave, and it’s certainly not art. Its bigotry dressed in costume, and Americans are right to be outraged,” he went on. “Let’s be clear: Sacrilege is not a religion, and it is not protected under the banner of religious freedom. While we live in a country that defends free speech, that does not mean Christians are required to sit silently while our faith is ridiculed. We have every right, and every reason, to push back.”
Here’s what happened during Trump’s 13th week in office
President Donald Trump met with foreign leaders from El Salvador and Italy this week, advancing negotiations on both trade and immigration issues at the White House. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited Washington during a pause in steep tariffs against the European Union and other countries that could go into effect in June. But both Trump and Meloni voiced optimism that the two countries would secure a deal before then. “There will be a trade deal, 100%,” Trump told reporters at the White House Thursday. “Of course there will be a trade deal, they want to make one very much, and we’re going to make a trade deal. I fully expect it, but it’ll be a fair deal.” ITALY’S MELONI GOES TO WASHINGTON FOR TARIFF HUDDLE WITH TRUMP When asked whether she still considered the U.S. a reliable trading partner due to changes related to tariff policy, Meloni said that she wouldn’t have made the trek to the White House unless it were so. Meloni said her objective for the trip was to invite Trump to meetings on behalf of Italy and Europe to foster a trade negotiation between the two states. “I think the best way is that we simply speak frankly about the needs that every one of us has and find ourselves in the middle for that’s useful for all,” Meloni told reporters Thursday. Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance met with Meloni Friday in Rome to continue discussing economic policies between the two countries. Here’s what also happened this week: Trump kicked off the week meeting with El Salvador President Nayib Bukele Monday, launching a debate about whether El Salvador should return Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego-Garcia after he was deported there. On Monday, Trump administration officials and Bukele agreed that they didn’t have the authority to return Abrego-Garcia to the U.S., even though the Trump administration admitted in court filings that he was deported in an “administrative error.” Even so, the Trump administration has accused Abrego-Garcia of being a member of the MS-13 gang, a designated terrorist group. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court upheld in April a lower court’s order that “requires the government to ‘facilitate’ Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador.” While Attorney General Pam Bondi told reporters Monday that El Salvador would call the final shots on whether it would return Abrego-Garcia, Bukele said it was “preposterous” for El Salvador to do so. “How can I smuggle a terrorist into the U.S.? I don’t have the power to return him to the United States,” Bukele said. Additionally, the Justice Department unveiled documents Wednesday detailing domestic violence allegations that Abrego-Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez, included in a court filing in 2021. Vasquez alleged in the filing that Garcia beat her and that she had documentation of the bruises he left on her. The Trump administration also continued to go after federal funding at higher education institutions. After Harvard refused to comply with a series of requests from the Trump administration to reform various practices on campus, the administration revealed Monday that it would freeze more than $2 billion in federal funding for the institution. Harvard University President Alan M. Garber said in a Monday statement that the Trump administration included additional requests unrelated to tackling antisemitism on campus. As a result, Garber said the institution would not bend to those requests, claiming they were unconstitutional. WHITE HOUSE SLAMS IVY LEAGUE INSTITUTIONS FOR ‘EGREGIOUS ILLEGAL BEHAVIOR’ AMID TRUMP FEUD WITH HARVARD Garber said the new requests “direct governmental regulation of the ‘intellectual conditions’ at Harvard,” including auditing viewpoints of student, faculty and staff members on campus, and eliminating all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, offices and initiatives at Harvard. “It makes clear that the intention is not to work with us to address antisemitism in a cooperative and constructive manner,” Garber said. “We have informed the administration through our legal counsel that we will not accept their proposed agreement.” Trump also signed an executive order Tuesday seeking to combat soaring prescription drug prices. The directive instructs Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to standardize Medicare payments for prescription drugs, including those used for cancer patients, no matter where a patient receives treatment. This could lower prices for patients by as much as 60%, according to a White House fact sheet. The order also includes a provision to match the Medicare payment for certain prescription drugs to the price that hospitals pay for those drugs. That amounts to up to 35% lower than what the government pays to acquire those medications, the White House said. Drug prices have significantly risen in recent years. Between January 2022 and January 2023, prescription drug prices rose more than 15% and reached an average of $590 per drug product, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Of the 4,200 prescription drugs included on that list, 46% of the price increases exceeded the rate of inflation.
Colorado lawmaker latest Democrat to visit El Salvador for deported illegal migrant Abrego Garcia
A Democratic congresswoman from Colorado is the latest lawmaker to announce she will travel to El Salvador to advocate for the release of deported illegal migrant Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia. Rep. Maxine Dexter, D-Ore., said late Friday she would jet to the South American country following Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s, D-Md., highly publicized visit there this week when he met with Abrego Garcia, who was deported to the country’s “Terrorism Confinement Center” (CECOT) megaprison with other suspected illegal migrant gang members last month. “A legal U.S. resident has had his due process rights ripped away and is now being held indefinitely in a foreign prison,” Dexter said in a statement. “This is not just one family’s nightmare; it is a constitutional crisis that should outrage every single one of us. I will travel to El Salvador to confront this crisis head on. Our constitutional rights are on the line.” FEDERAL JUDGE HAMMERS DOJ ON WHEREABOUTS OF ALLEGED MS-13 GANG MEMBER FOLLOWING SCOTUS ORDER The case has drawn a wedge between Democrats and Republicans. The Trump administration argues Abrego Garcia is an MS-13 gang member who is suspected of human trafficking and has a violent history of abusing his wife. A 2022 Homeland Security Investigations report identified Garcia as a member of MS-13 and a suspected human trafficker. A 2021 domestic violence filing, written by his wife, Jennifer Vasquez, claimed, “I have multiple photos/videos of how violent he can be and all the bruises he [has] left me.” Democrats say he is a hard-working Maryland resident who has had his due process rights stripped away after being sent to the notorious prison. The Supreme Court acknowledges that Abrego Garcia was subject to a 2019 withholding order forbidding his removal to El Salvador, and that the removal to El Salvador was “therefore illegal.” The Court stressed that the government must facilitate his release from custody in El Salvador and treat his case as if he were never deported. WHITE HOUSE PHOTO BLUNTLY SHOWS WHERE PARTIES STAND ON IMMIGRATION AMID ABREGO GARCIA DEPORTATION Trump administration officials acknowledged in court that his deportation had been an administrative error, although now some top Trump officials say he was correctly removed and contend he’s a member of the notorious MS-13 gang. One immigration judge in 2019 found that Garcia had not sufficiently refuted evidence of MS-13 affiliation and was thus removable to anywhere other than El Salvador because of a threat from a rival gang. This is called a withholding order. On Friday, Trump released an image of Abrego Garcia’s hand showing purported MS-13 gang tattoos. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller on Monday said that two courts found Abrego Garcia to be an MS-13 gang member, and he was deported after Trump declared the violent gang a terrorist organization. Miller said that when Trump declared MS-13 a terrorist organization, Abrego Garcia was no longer eligible for any form of immigration relief in the United States. Critics, including Republicans and Trump allies, have questioned why Van Hollen would travel abroad to advocate for someone with alleged gang ties and a record of domestic abuse while remaining silent on victims like Rachel Morin, a Maryland woman murdered by an illegal immigrant in 2023. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The White House released a split-screen image to underscore what it says is the stark contrast between where Republicans and Democrats stand on illegal immigration. One image featured distraught Angel Mom Patty Morin, mother of Rael Morin, being comforted by President Trump in the Oval Office. The other image showed Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., sitting and talking with Abrego Garcia, 29, in El Salvador. “We are not the same,” the White House captioned the image while tagging Van Hollen. Fox News’ Greg Wehner, Kerri Urbahn and Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.