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Trump announces peace deal with Iran, declares Strait of Hormuz will reopen: 'Let the oil flow!'

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 21:13:44 -0400

President Donald Trump announced Sunday that the United States and Iran have officially reached a peace agreement, marking a major diplomatic breakthrough that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports.

"The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

"Congratulations to all! I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade. Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!"

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country has served as a mediator, was the first to announce the peace deal, saying a signing ceremony is scheduled to take place Friday in Switzerland.

TRUMP SAYS HE'S CANCELED IRAN STRIKES, ADDS POTENTIAL DEAL-SIGNING 'TO BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY'

Trump added that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen once the parties formally sign the agreement.

"With the opening of the Strait upon the signing of the Deal on Friday, for purposes of mine removal, oil will flow on both ends again for the Region, and the World!" he said.

IRAN REVEALS 10-POINT PLAN FOR PEACE WITH THE US – HERE'S WHAT'S IN IT

According to Sharif, the deal includes the termination of military operations across the region, including in Lebanon, where Iran-backed terrorist proxy Hezbollah has been engaged in conflict with Israel.

"Both sides have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon," he said.

Additional details of the agreement, including any provisions related to Iran's nuclear program, were not immediately released.

Iran's deputy foreign minister said talks with the United States on a final and more comprehensive agreement will take place during a 60-day ceasefire period, according to Reuters.

The outlet reported that the future of Iran's nuclear program will be addressed in upcoming negotiations. Trump has long maintained that Iran cannot be in possession of a nuclear weapon and has repeatedly vowed to prevent Tehran from developing, acquiring or obtaining one.

Trump further praised his administration for securing the agreement.

"This Great Deal will bring Peace and Security to the whole Region," he said. "Many presidents have tried to make Peace with Iran, and all have failed before me. The Leaders of the Region have, for the first time, found a President who can help them achieve real Peace."

Sharif also thanked the United States and Iran for their "commitment to finding a diplomatic solution to the conflict," as well as Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey for their contributions to the mediation effort.

With the agreement now in place, mediators are expected to facilitate a series of meetings this week that could lay the groundwork for technical negotiations and the official signing ceremony, Sharif said.

The peace deal would formally end the high-stakes conflict that began on Feb. 28, which disrupted roughly 20% of global oil shipments that pass through the Strait of Hormuz and contributed to higher energy prices worldwide.

It comes roughly one year after Israel initiated massive strikes on Iran during Operation Rising Lion. The strikes sparked a 12-day conflict between the nations before Trump ordered strikes on a trio of nuclear facilities later that same month.

Fox News' Ashley J. DiMella and Reuters contributed to this report.

Congressional baseball game offers longstanding traditions, and plenty of confusion

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 14:31:23 -0400

There were two 1s. Three 3s. Three 4s. One 04. Three 6s. Two 06s. Two 7s. Two 07s. 2 9s. And three 12s.

No. I wasn’t trying to decipher computer programming code.

This wasn’t a routing number for a checking account.

Nor was I communicating in hexadecimals.

I was staring at these numbers to unravel the GOP’s uniform numbers for the annual Congressional baseball game at Nats Park.

REPUBLICANS DESTROY DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESSIONAL BASEBALL GAME AGAIN, WINNING FOR 5TH STRAIGHT YEAR

Congressional Republicans and Democrats play each other in the event. It’s a custom dating back to 1909. No other athletic team in any sport on the planet allows players on the same team to wear the same numbers. But since this is Congress, lawmakers get to choose whatever uniform number they want.

On the Republican team, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Rep. Brad Finstad (R-MN) both wear number one. Reps. Chuck Flesichmann (R-TN), Greg Murphy (R-NC) and Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) don number three.

You get the idea.

Old-time ballpark vendors used to hawk their wares by shouting, "You can’t tell the players without a scorecard."

With all of these numbers, a scorecard won’t do. You need an abacus.

The Democrats aren’t much better with their uniform algebra. Four Democrats utilized the same uniform digits. There were two 3s. Two 11s. Two 15s. And two 25s. For instance, Reps. Morgan McGarvey, D-Ky., and Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., sported number three. Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., and Frank Mrvan, D-Ind., requested number 11.

The game is a charity event, raising more than $3.2 million and coaxing 32,000 fans to the ballpark. So who wears what number really shouldn’t matter much.

SCHMITT GOES IN-DEPTH ON DIVING CATCH & CHANGES TO COLLEGE ATHLETICS ON ‘RUTHLESS’

Unless you’re broadcasting the game on national television.

That’s where I come in.

I’ve had the privilege of announcing the game for Fox Sports for five years now, live on FS1. I handle the color commentary. My Fox News colleague and former ESPN hand Kevin Corke does play-by-play. Fox Sports sends the same production crew which handles playoff games and the World Series to cover this. Led by Fox producer extraordinaire Aaron Stojkov, the same group of folks just worked Fox’s national broadcast of the Cardinals/Cubs game a few weeks ago in St. Louis. They handled the Phillies/Brewers game in Milwaukee Saturday night.

Congress is my thing. But baseball even more so.

I was at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati in 1985 the night Pete Rose broke Ty Cobb’s all-time hits record. I know that Atlanta Braves pitcher Tom House caught Hank Aaron’s 715th career home run in the bullpen, breaking Babe Ruth’s mark. I can talk about Ralph Branca on the mound for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Branca yielded "The Shot Heard ‘Round the World" to Bobby Thomson, propelling the New York Giants into the 1951 World Series. I’ll then regale you with the little known fact that Thomson is from Glasgow, Scotland. Not Staten Island. I can even give you a dissertation explaining the infield fly rule.

But the annual ritual of decrypting the Congressional baseball game is the most challenging thing I do professionally each year. The exercise involving the national pastime is a fabulous yet tough assignment.

I’ve often wondered if calling an actual Major League game would be easier than announcing the tilt between the Democrats and Republicans. For MLB, I follow the teams. I study box scores. I can tell who is on a winning streak. Who can’t hit a slider.

PRESENT AND ACCOUNTED FOR: HOUSE REPUBLICANS' SMALL MAJORITY COULD MAKE ATTENDANCE A PRIORITY

This is not to say that announcing a Big League game is easy. But there’s more information. It’s baseball as I know it.

Pete Rose said that the easiest place to hit was the Big Leagues. The pitching was better. The umpiring was better. The lighting was better.

Rose’s point is that most MLB hurlers have command. But down in the minors, some of the pitchers make Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn from the movie Major League look like Greg Maddux. Umpires in The Show work a consistent strike zone. But in the Pioneer League, an actual pioneer may have a better concept of what’s a ball or strike. Down in the South Atlantic League, you might struggle to even see the ball because the stadium is practically illuminated by foot candles. But the lighting at Major League Stadiums is better than a Taylor Swift concert.

So that’s the challenge. There’s a chasm between MLB and the Congressional baseball game. You have to figure out what to say about each player – who have limited stat lines. I know more about their voting records than batting averages. So, like any reporter, I dig around to prepare what to say during the game.

It was just before 7a.m. ET a few weeks ago. My phone buzzed with a text from Republican Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt. He was at the pre-dawn practice. Schmitt has the highest OPS (on base percentage, plus slugging percentage) in Congressional baseball history. He’s a mega St. Louis Cardinals fan. But despite his prowess at the plate, Schmitt made one of the most stellar plays in Congressional baseball history in the game Wednesday night.

LEARNING CURVE: THE NEW PLAYERS IN CONGRESS

Rep. Johnny Oleszewski, D-Md., looped a long flyball down the left field line. Approaching foul ground and the warning track, Schmitt laid himself out, with a diving, circus catch in the heel of his glove. Schmitt popped back up, blood streaming from his face after crashing into the warning track.

"I'm not as sore as I thought I would be," said Schmitt the next day, noting he scraped up his forearms.

That play goes into the baseball lore for next year’s broadcast.

Schmitt wasn’t the only Gold Glover this year.

Reps. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., and Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., also made spectacular catches in short left field.

Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, is the GOP manager. But he toiled as an Atlanta Braves farmhand for three seasons. Williams hit an impressive .318 for Wytheville, VA in the Appalachian League in 1971. An injury curbed Williams to batting just .135 and .203 the next two seasons. The Braves released him and Wiliams became a scout.

Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., manages the Democratic squad. She used to be one of a handful of women who played. After five seasons, Sanchez is still looking for her first win as the Democratic skipper.

"We don’t get our hits together then and strand people on the bases," said Sanchez.

As a kid, Sanchez pulled for the now Los Angeles Angels. She was a big Nolan Ryan fan. But Sanchez dropped her allegiance to the Angels after Ryan signed with the Houston Astros. That was just as "Fernando-mania" seized the baseball world as phenom Fernando Valenzuela won the Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year honor in 1981. Sanchez has been a Los Angeles Dodgers fan ever since.

I have two favorite tales about lawmakers and their connections to Major League Baseball.

Rep. Ray Cannon, D-Wis., served in Congress in the 1930s. But before that, Cannon represented Shoeless Joe Jackson and other members of the Chicago White Sox, banished from baseball during the Black Sox scandal. Eight players are accused of trying to throw the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds.

Then there was Rep. Jacob Ruppert, D-N.Y., who represented part of New York City in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. Ruppert wanted to acquire a baseball club. But a deal to purchase the New York Giants fell through. He opted to buy the New York Yankees – who were consistently a second division team in those days. Ruppert then acquired Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees became one of the most-storied franchises in the history of sports. And Ruth became the first American superstar.

Few in Congress know who Ruppert was in Congress. But when it comes to baseball, Ruppert is now enshrined in Cooperstown.

In order to get everyone to the ballpark on time for the game, Steve Scalise scheduled final votes for the day around 4:30 pm et last Wednesday. He also told committees to suspend votes until after the ballgame.

The House Appropriations Committee was prepping the annual Homeland Security bill that night. But Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., told Members he wanted everyone back to vote 30 minutes after the game. Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., had an amendment ready on collective bargaining for the TSA. Levin wondered if he’d return for the committee votes in his baseball uniform.

But no level of preparation fully arms you to call the game from the booth. I looked up at one point and found freshman Rep. Christian Menefee, D-Texas, pinch running at first base. But Menefee never appeared on any roster I was presented. I had no information on him.

Menefee beat Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, in a primary for next year recently. He’s only been in Congress a few months after winning a special election.

At first I couldn’t figure out who was out on the base paths. I scoured each each number on my roster.

Nothing.

A multitude of numbers. But none for Menefee.

Prep all you want to announce the Congressional baseball game. But you’d still be outnumbered.

Sen Mitch McConnell hospitalized, 'receiving excellent care,' his office says

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 14:13:49 -0400

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was hospitalized for an undisclosed health issue, according to his office.

"Sen. McConnell was admitted to the hospital this morning," McConnell's Communications Director David Popp told Fox News. "He is receiving excellent care."

McConnell, the longest-serving Senate party leader in U.S. history, was previously hospitalized for eight days earlier this year after experiencing "flu-like symptoms."

SEN. MCCONNELL REPORTEDLY FINE AFTER FALLING DURING GOP LUNCH

The 84-year-old senator announced last February that he would not seek reelection and would retire when his current term ends in January 2027.

McConnell has dealt with a series of health episodes in recent years, including injuries from falls and multiple instances in which he briefly froze while speaking publicly.

Only Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, at 92 and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., at 84, are older than McConnell in Congress.

This is a breaking news report. Check back for more updates.

Republican leaders embrace viral World Cup fans they say are discovering the 'real America'

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 13:14:10 -0400

As foreign soccer fans descend on the United States ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, some visitors are going viral for documenting their enthusiasm for distinctly American experiences — from Waffle House and Buc-ee's to college football and Southern hospitality.

While political battles over immigration and travel policy continue to dominate discussion ahead of the World Cup, foreign fans are going viral for celebrating a very different side of America.

Videos celebrating iconic restaurants, sprawling highways, local traditions and everyday hospitality have racked up millions of views online and drawn reactions from political leaders who say they highlight America's enduring appeal.

The upbeat posts have not gone unnoticed in Washington.

INTERNET FALLS IN LOVE WITH GERMAN SOCCER FAN DISCOVERING AMERICAN SOUTH AHEAD OF 2026 WORLD CUP

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy was among the officials to weigh in, sharing one of several viral posts from German soccer fan FreddyLA7, whose enthusiastic dispatches from across the United States have become a social media sensation ahead of the World Cup.

In a post on X, Duffy pointed to Freddy's journey through Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama as an example of the uniquely American experiences drawing attention online.

"There's no better way to see our country than on a road trip," Duffy wrote. "Because to LOVE AMERICA you have to SEE AMERICA."

WORLD CUP FANS FALL IN LOVE WITH AMERICAN CULTURE, COMFORT FOOD CLASSICS

He concluded the post by asking followers to suggest additional destinations for the German fan to visit as he continues his travels across the United States.

Freddy's posts have attracted millions of views for their enthusiastic portrayal of everyday American life, with the German fan praising everything from Waffle House and Taco Bell to Buc-ee's and Bass Pro Shops as he travels the country following the German national team.

After Freddy made stops across Alabama, Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., joined the conversation on X, highlighting the state's role in the German fan's increasingly viral American road trip.

After Freddy marveled at the atmosphere inside Auburn University's Jordan-Hare Stadium, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey invited him back for football season, writing: "Y'all ought to come back in the fall to see just how we do Saturdays in Alabama."

DeSantis similarly welcomed Freddy to Florida after the soccer fan posted footage from the Gulf Coast. The governor playfully corrected Freddy's description of the water as "the sea" before encouraging him to enjoy what he called some of the best beaches in the world.

As the United States prepares to welcome millions of visitors for the World Cup next year, Freddy's viral road trip has offered an early preview of the tournament's potential to showcase American culture far beyond the soccer pitch.

Gabbard says declassified biolab records validate concerns previously dismissed as misinformation

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 12:51:38 -0400

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released a trove of declassified records detailing U.S. funding of more than 120 biological laboratories across more than 30 countries, arguing the documents validate concerns that were previously dismissed as misinformation.

The release comes years after Gabbard drew criticism for raising concerns about U.S.-funded biolabs in Ukraine following Russia's 2022 invasion. Critics accused her of echoing Russian narratives, while supporters argued legitimate questions about the labs' activities and oversight were being unfairly dismissed.

The newly released records include ODNI briefing slides detailing the scope of U.S. involvement in Ukraine's laboratory network.

DNI TULSI GABBARD PROBES U.S. FUNDING TO MORE THAN 120 BIOLABS AROUND THE WORLD

One document states that more than 40 laboratories in Ukraine received U.S. funding and housed collections of dangerous bacteria and viruses, some dating back to the Soviet era. The records also show Ukrainian scientists received U.S.-funded training to work with hazardous pathogens and participated in a program focused on handling especially dangerous diseases.

The documents list pathogens studied or stored within the laboratory network, including anthrax, tuberculosis, plague, Ebola virus, Marburg virus, MERS and SARS.

Additional records detail U.S.-funded construction and upgrades at laboratories across Ukraine, including facilities in Kherson, Odesa and western Ukraine. The documents identify engineering firm Black & Veatch as a major contractor and show U.S. taxpayers spent between roughly $1.7 million and $3.5 million on individual laboratory projects.

LAWMAKERS DEMAND ANSWERS AFTER SUSPECTED BIOLAB DISCOVERED IN CHINESE NATIONAL'S LAS VEGAS HOME

One declassified assessment focuses on a veterinary research laboratory in Kharkiv that received Pentagon funding through the Defense Department's Biological Threat Reduction Program.

According to the assessment, the facility housed hundreds of samples of dangerous pathogens, including Brucella bacteria, which can cause a disease known as brucellosis. The document warned the lab could become a target of Russian propaganda efforts or be damaged, captured or otherwise compromised during the war.

Another ODNI slide outlines what it describes as a "web of connections" linking Ukrainian laboratories with U.S. government agencies, universities, research organizations and private contractors. The document says U.S. funding supported research on bird flu and other highly infectious viruses in high-security laboratories.

Gabbard said the documents demonstrate that the public was not given a full picture of U.S.-backed biological research programs overseas. Critics, however, maintain the facilities were part of long-running public health and threat-reduction efforts designed to secure dangerous pathogens and prevent biological proliferation rather than operate as biological weapons programs.

The declassification is likely to reignite debate over government transparency, gain-of-function research and the scope of U.S.-funded biological research overseas.

Trump marks 80th birthday, now second octogenarian sitting president: 'Seemed to utterly defy age'

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 12:15:12 -0400

President Donald Trump turned 80 on Sunday, becoming only the second sitting U.S. president to reach octogenarian status in the Oval Office, leaving even his onetime political opponents marveling at his defying the effects of Father Time – even if his critics continue to share concerns they never had with the older former President Joe Biden, now 83.

"You don't have to wish me a happy birthday, because I'm not happy about that birthday that I'm having," Trump joked with Dr. Mehmet Oz, 66, in an Oval Office video shared Thursday on Instagram. "It's a number I haven't thought too much about.

"It's not a number I like, but I'm here nevertheless."

Trump's White House is celebrating his keeping up the fight with an Ultimate Fighting Championship on the South Lawn.

TRUMP LOOKING FORWARD TO ATTENDING UFC WHITE HOUSE EVENT FEATURING ‘ALL TOP’ FIGHTERS

"At least to date, he has seemed to utterly defy age," said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. The 55-year-old Cruz was a target of Trump's political fire a decade ago on the opposite side of the Republican presidential primary race.

"I don’t know where he gets the energy that he displays, but he is up early in the morning and late at night," Cruz added.

Trump, born June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York, crossed the threshold previously reached by Biden, who turned 80 in 2022 while serving in the White House. Trump was already the oldest president ever sworn into office when he began his second term in January 2025 at age 78.

RFK JR: DR OZ SAYS TRUMP HAS 'HIGHEST TESTOSTERONE LEVEL' HE’S SEEN IN A MAN OLDER THAN 70

"He has gained in stamina as he has gotten older," former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, 82, said recently.

Unlike Biden, whose age and mental acuity became a central political liability before he left office, Trump and his allies have repeatedly pointed to the president’s busy public schedule, frequent media appearances and hands-on governing style as evidence that he remains active and engaged.

Trump hailed his latest physical by White House Dr. Sean Barbabella declaring him to be in "exceptional" health and his cardiac age being "approximately 14 years younger than his chronological age."

TRUMP DECLARED 'FULLY FIT' FOR ALL PRESIDENTIAL DUTIES AFTER ANNUAL PHYSICAL SHOWS 'EXCELLENT HEALTH'

"They said I'm very healthy," Trump told "Pod Force One with Miranda Devine" earlier this month, saying he has "an obligation" to give periodic cognitive reports on his mental acuity after Biden's administration.

"I took a test and cognitive test and I got 100% on it. I got as the expression goes: I aced it. And the doctors told me it's very, very few people can ace. That's actually a tough test."

Trump noted Biden was able to skirt potential prosecution for retention of classified documents because special counsel Robert Hur declared Biden to be a "sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory."

TRUMP PITCHES COGNITIVE TESTS FOR LEADERS, TAKES AIM AT HARRIS, WALZ, NEWSOM

"I have a great memory," Trump told Devine. "Look, so far so good. I hope I'm going to keep it that way.

"If I don't, you'll be the first to know. You'll say [after] this interview: 'This isn't the same Trump; I think he's lost it.'"

The White House has also sought to bolster that message with medical updates. Trump’s physician said the president remains in "excellent health" and "fully fit" to carry out the duties of commander-in-chief.

"Unlike other U.S. Presidents, none of whom have ever taken an approved, high difficulty, Cognitive Test, I scored a perfect 30 out of 30, considered 'extreme intelligence,'" the post began.

"Are the Dumocrats really surprised?"

WHITE HOUSE PROVIDES TRUMP HEALTH UPDATE AFTER MRI SCAN CONCERNS SWIRLED

Trump has long cast his stamina as a political asset, regularly contrasting his pace and public visibility with Biden’s more limited appearances during his presidency. Supporters say the difference is clear: Trump remains outspoken, combative and highly visible as he enters his ninth decade.

Some Democrats have seized on images of Trump's bruising of his hand and with his eyes closed during meetings and lengthy Cabinet news conferences, which Trump has noted provide unprecedented transparency and access to the administration lasting up to three hours of live back-and-forth.

"That's false: I've never seen him fall asleep," Secretary of State Marco Rubio, 25 years Trump's junior and another one-time target of Trump's political opposition, told a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing this month.

WHITE HOUSE REPORTERS WENT FROM COVERING AN 'INVISIBLE PRESIDENT' BIDEN TO 'OMNIPRESENT' TRUMP: POLITICO

"On the contrary, the guy doesn't sleep, which is a big problem because he calls me at 2 in the morning. He calls me at 5 in the morning. And, you know, I like to sleep a little bit, maybe not 12 hours, but at least six. So he works. The other day he was at the Oval Office until 12:30 a.m.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., 74, rejected age getting in Trump's way like it did for Biden, saying that "just because you’re 80 doesn’t mean you’re falling apart."

Trump’s birthday also arrives during a historically unusual stretch for America’s aging political class. Three baby boomer presidents — Trump, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush — all turn 80 in 2026. The latter two are long removed from active public service.

Trump is not looking to just rest after the UFC fight on the South Lawn on Sunday night. He plans to then travel early Monday to France for the annual G7 summit.

From Wasserman Schultz to Goldman, Democratic incumbents are fighting for survival

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 10:00:49 -0400

As Democrats seek to reclaim power in November's midterm elections, some of the party's long-standing progressives are in danger of losing their seats.

The warning signs are flashing red in hotly contested primaries across the country, from a longtime ally of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who is facing a challenger four decades younger, to a senior New York lawmaker seeking to fend off a Mamdani-backed opponent.

Not every race has a clear ideological divide, but every challenger is running on an anti-establishment message. Some are also advocating for generational change.

NY DEM WOULDN’T BACK MAMDANI FOR MAYOR — NOW MAMDANI IS BACKING HIS CHALLENGER

Though sitting lawmakers are historically difficult to defeat, a wave of anti-incumbent fever appears to be taking hold among voters. Four incumbents — including Reps. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, and Thomas Massie, R-Ky. — have already lost their re-election bids to primary challengers this cycle.

The following are the progressive lawmakers who could be next.

Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., 50, a prominent Trump foe who served as Democrats' lead counsel during President Donald Trump's first impeachment trial, is running as an endangered incumbent in a Democratic-heavy district spanning Lower Manhattan and deep-blue pockets of Brooklyn.

Former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, 56, who has the backing of Mamdani and leading progressives in Congress, is mounting an insurgent campaign from Goldman’s left. Leading progressive Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and the left-wing Working Families Party are also supporting his candidacy.

Goldman's endorsements from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., may not be enough to secure a third House term. Recent polling of the race shows Lander carving out a significant lead despite Goldman, who is one of the wealthiest members of Congress, outspending the progressive challenger.

Though Goldman has faced attacks from the left, he is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC). He has also supported a bevy of far-left proposals, including the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Green New Deal legislation and Medicare-for-all. If Democrats retake power in November, he’s vowing to help lead a third impeachment of Trump.

But Israel has become a key fault line in the contest. Lander has sharply criticized the incumbent's ties to the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC and his votes to supply Israel with military aid.

LEFT-WING ACTIVISTS HECKLE PRO-ISRAEL DEMOCRAT HALEY STEVENS AT MICHIGAN CONVENTION

Lander has also labeled Israel's war in Gaza a "genocide" — a term Goldman has distanced himself from. Both men are Jewish.

Mamdani is also seeking to flex his political muscle in another hotly contested New York City primary that could end the career of a senior progressive lawmaker.

Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, is facing a serious challenge from upstart candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier, a socialist and activist who joined Columbia University's pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

MAMDANI STANDS BY FELLOW SOCIALIST CANDIDATE DESPITE RESURFACED FAR-LEFT, ANTI-AMERICAN POSTS

Mamdani threw a wrench into Espaillat's re-election bid when he made the surprise decision to endorse Avila Chevalier, 32, just weeks before the primary. The move has led to fierce backlash from some of the party’s establishment, who alleged that Mamdani privately pledged to Espaillat that he would support his bid for a sixth House term, multiple outlets reported.

Espaillat, 71, is seeking to fend off a challenge from his left flank despite membership in the Congressional Progressive Caucus and his support for ICE's dismantlement. He has also touted his background as the first former illegal immigrant elected to Congress.

Avila Chevalier has sparked controversy over since-deleted social media posts in which she voiced support for open borders, abolishing the police and called former President Joe Biden a "rapist," according to CNN.

The deep-blue district covering parts of Upper Manhattan and the West Bronx is a progressive stronghold that swung hard for Mamdani's mayoral campaign last year. Espaillat notably did not endorse Mamdani's campaign until after his primary win over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D-N.Y.

Jeffries, who represents a neighboring Brooklyn district, has vowed to help give Espaillat a sixth House term.

"Adriano Espaillat has been a tremendous leader," Jeffries told CNN on Tuesday. "He's leading in terms of battling Donald Trump."

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., a junior member of House Democratic leadership, is gearing up for a tough re-election fight after Republicans carved up her deep-blue seat during redistricting earlier this year.

The 11-term incumbent sparked controversy after filing to run in a plurality-Black district that has been represented by a Black lawmaker for more than three decades.

She is expected to face four Black opponents ahead of the August primary, including former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., who is making a long-shot run for the seat after resigning amid an expulsion threat earlier this year. Cherfilus-McCormick is also facing a pending federal criminal indictment over alleged financial crimes that could result in more than 50 years in prison if convicted.

BIG LOSS FOR DEMOCRAT WHO WANTED ‘ZIONISTS’ IN CAMPS MAY STILL SIGNAL BIG TROUBLE ON HORIZON

Local Black leaders publicly urged Wasserman Schultz to run for a different seat, but she moved forward with seeking the Democratic nomination in Florida’s 20th Congressional District.

While the four Black candidates have reportedly met to discuss unifying behind one individual to take on Wasserman Schultz, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has thus far declined to bail her out.

The leading Democrat has repeatedly stopped short of offering his endorsement when asked by reporters, despite his long track record of backing incumbents. Jeffries has issued effusive praise for Wasserman Schultz’s record in Congress but signaled his concern that the incumbent’s victory could potentially decrease Black representation in Congress.

"I think we all recognize the sensitivities of the moment in terms of an unprecedented Jim Crow-like assault on Black political representation that has been unleashed by the Supreme Court's outrageous decision to gut the Voting Rights Act," Jeffries said during a news conference earlier in June when asked about Wasserman Schultz’s candidacy. "And it's an environment that all of us need to be sensitive to as we move forward."

HOUSE DEMOCRATS' CAMPAIGN ARM DRAWS PROGRESSIVE FURY FOR TRYING TO 'TIP THE SCALES' IN KEY HOUSE PRIMARY

Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., advanced to November’s general election after surviving California’s top-two primary system last week, but her leftist challenger received a higher share of the vote.

Mai Vang, 41, a progressive Sacramento city councilmember campaigning on generational change, is seeking to unseat Matsui, 81, who is twice her age. As of Thursday, Vang outperformed Matsui by one percentage point in the primary contest.

The Democratic candidates will face off for the Democratic-leaning district in November after shutting out the single Republican in the race.

Matsui has represented the Sacramento-anchored district for more than two decades and has never faced a serious primary challenger prior to Vang. Her husband, Robert Matsui, previously represented the seat for roughly 25 years prior to his death in 2005.

Matsui has long allied herself with Pelosi, who endorsed her reelection campaign for a 12th House term. She has also donated to her campaign.

Vang is endorsed by the progressive, anti-incumbent organization Justice Democrats and Our Revolution, a group formed by Sanders staffers after his failed 2016 presidential campaign.

She faced scrutiny during the primary contest after videos surfaced of her refusing to face the American flag and say the Pledge of Allegiance during city council meetings.

Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, one of Trump's most vocal critics in Congress, lost his bid for a 12th House term in May.

Green, 78, came up short in a Democratic primary runoff election for a Houston-area district against Rep. Christian Menefee, D-Texas, 38. The two incumbents faced off for a Democratic-heavy district after Republicans' redistricting efforts effectively forced both men to compete for the same seat.

Menefee, who was first elected to Congress in February, is seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party and ran on a message of new leadership.

REP AL GREEN TELLS HOMELAND SECURITY SEC MULLIN SHUT CALLING RACIST HEARING

Green faced widespread backlash over disrupting Trump's addresses to Congress two years in a row. After his outburst toward the president during a 2025 speech, Green was formally censured by Congress in a bipartisan vote.

Green has also repeatedly tried to impeach Trump. His most recent impeachment attempts since Trump retook office in 2025 were scuttled in part by Democratic opposition.

Trump mocked Green after his primary loss in a post on Truth Social.

"Congratulations to the Dumocrat Party!" Trump wrote. "Al Green, one of the most mentally deficient Congressmen in the history of our Country, has lost, in a landslide, his seat in Congress — but I will miss that lunatic not screaming and violently waving his cane at me during my next State of the Union Speech."

These 11 upcoming Supreme Court decisions could make or break Trump's second term agenda

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 09:07:08 -0400

As the Supreme Court enters the final stretch of its term, a flood of closely watched decisions could determine not only the fate of several of President Donald Trump’s key policy priorities but also the scope of presidential authority for years to come.

Around the marbled halls and chambers, the final weeks of June are often known as "flood season," the annual rush to complete opinions before the justices leave Washington for their summer recess. The nine justices and their law clerks are on tight, self-imposed deadlines to write and circulate final drafts of opinions in cases big and small.

This year, 23 cases remain unresolved after the court heard arguments in nearly 60 disputes during the term. Among them are four appeals involving executive actions by Trump, two election-related disputes and separate questions involving gun rights and transgender rights.

Several of the remaining disputes share a common thread: how much power a president can exercise over federal policy and the executive branch. The rulings could significantly affect Trump’s ability to advance his second-term agenda, particularly on immigration and government oversight, while further defining the boundaries between the White House, Congress and the courts.

TRUMP'S PRESIDENCY FACES CRUCIAL TESTS AS SUPREME COURT BEGINS PIVOTAL TERM

The court's last day before its traditional summer recess is still unknown, even to its nine members, but they hope to finish up by month's end. However, given the divided court's compressed workload, that is no guarantee.

Here are 11 remaining opinions that we are closely watching.

Arguably the most closely watched Supreme Court case remaining to be decided, this challenge centers on President Trump's Executive Order 14160, an effort to limit automatic citizenship for children born to parents who entered the country illegally.

The case could define the limits of presidential power by determining whether a president can change a longstanding interpretation of citizenship law without Congress.

Trump made history by personally attending oral arguments in March, becoming the first sitting president to do so — but that did not seem to matter.

The Supreme Court openly pushed back against the administration's sweeping efforts to restrict who can be called an American, expressing varying levels of skepticism about the claim a citizenship "privilege" has been historically abused and wrongly granted to those whose parents were in the country illegally or temporarily.

A ruling against Trump would affirm the longstanding legal, political and social consensus supporting the idea of granting automatic citizenship to all babies born in the country, regardless of their parents' immigration or temporary visitor status.

INSIDE SUPREME COURT: HOW TRUMP HEARD BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ARGUMENTS

Immigration-related executive power is also at the center of Mullin v. Doe, Dahlia and Trump v. Miot, cases involving the administration’s effort to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) protections from certain Haitian and Syrian migrants living in the U.S.

The TPS program currently covers roughly 1.3 million people fleeing war and natural disasters from 17 countries and allows them to live and work in the country for a limited time.

CHECKS AND BALANCES: TRUMP, SUPPORTERS SEEK TO PUSH BACK AGAINST 'ACTIVIST' JUDGES

The administration argues the Department of Homeland Security has broad discretion to end some Temporary Protected Status protections for migrants from certain countries, arguing protections are intended to be temporary. Migrant advocates counter that federal law requires specific procedures and allows courts to review those decisions.

The conservative court majority has signaled its support for the Homeland Security secretary's discretionary power to revoke deportation protections for 13 countries on the TPS list.

SUPREME COURT PREPARES FOR MAJOR TEST OF PRESIDENTIAL POWER IN TRUMP EFFORTS TO FIRE FEDERAL RESERVE GOVERNOR

In Trump v. Cook, the justices are weighing whether Trump can dismiss Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook.

Based on January's oral arguments, the court appears ready to give President Trump one of his biggest legal setbacks in office, offering strong support for Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook remaining in her leadership position — at least for now.

The questions of presidential power deal with whether Trump has broad unilateral executive authority to fire someone from the central bank, despite its special status as a stand-alone federal agency.

In arguments, most on the court seemed skeptical of Trump's actions.

"That's your position that there's no judicial review, no process required, no remedy available?" Justice Brett Kavanaugh told the Justice Department's Solicitor General D. John Sauer. "Very low bar for 'cause' that the president alone determines? I mean, that would weaken, if not shatter, the independence of the Federal Reserve."

But a separate case involving presidential firing authority, Trump v. Slaughter, could have even broader implications. Former Federal Trade Commission Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter is challenging her removal from the agency, setting up a direct test of a 1935 Supreme Court precedent set in Humphrey's Executor v. United States that limits a president’s ability to fire members of independent regulatory commissions except only for "cause."

A ruling favoring the administration could strengthen presidential control over agencies that regulate everything from communications and consumer safety to labor policy and financial markets, and a ruling in Slaughter's favor could greatly restrict the president's powers.

SUPREME COURT SHOWDOWN: TRUMP'S STRATEGY TO TEST LIMITS OF HIS POWER COULD SPELL DOOM FOR ADMINISTRATIVE STATE

The stakes could be enormous for how the federal government is run. Independent regulatory agencies and boards help manage almost every aspect of American life — from transportation safety, labor relations and the environment to Social Security and finance. Agencies include the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Reserve.

At issue is a federal law that caps coordinated spending between political parties and candidates running for Congress and the White House.

The high court in recent years, led by Chief Justice John Roberts, has tossed aside congressionally enacted federal campaign spending limits.

THE BIGGEST SUPREME COURT DECISIONS OF 2024: FROM PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY TO OVERTURNING THE CHEVRON DOCTRINE

And the six conservative justices appear ready to do so again, and could upend a nearly quarter-century opinion limiting how the major political parties spend tens of millions of dollars, much of it going to television advertising.

The dispute underscores a divide over whether campaign spending restrictions intended to prevent corruption improperly infringe on free speech rights guaranteed by the First Amendment.

At issue is a Mississippi law allowing election officials to count mail-in ballots received after Election Day, provided they were mailed on time.

SCOTUS CONSERVATIVES SIGNAL READINESS TO CURB LATE-ARRIVING MAIL BALLOTS

Mississippi is one of about 14 states, the District of Columbia and three territories that permit a grace period ranging from one day to several weeks during which regular ballots can be counted, so long as those ballots are postmarked on or before Election Day.

That is currently the case in California, where final results from the June 2 election may not be known for another couple of weeks or more.

The justices are deciding whether federal Election Day statutes preempt various state laws and may clarify exactly what "the election" means when it comes to the casting and receipt of ballots.

The outcome could rest with Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who could cast the deciding votes.

The court is also considering a pair of cases involving transgender athletes and school sports. In Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J., the justices are weighing whether state laws that restrict transgender girls and women from competing on female athletic teams violate the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause or federal protections under Title IX.

Almost 30 states have laws limiting participation for transgender females who were designated male at birth, in both public school and college athletics, and officials say their restrictions are a matter of ensuring a level playing field and student safety.

SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW STATE BANS ON TRANSGENDER ATHLETES' PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL SPORTS

But lawyers for a high school sophomore and a college senior counter those prohibitions are clearly discriminatory, and that the issues should be about equality and dignity for every student, free from politics and misinformation.

The high court is examining whether the laws unconstitutionally discriminate on the basis of sex.

The challenge targets a Hawaii law that prohibits individuals, including concealed-carry permit holders, from bringing firearms onto private property open to the public unless the owner has expressly granted permission.

This case could come down to whether property rights trump gun rights, and how those rights interact.

GUN RIGHTS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY DEBATED AT SUPREME COURT

A group of gun owners in Maui are challenging those default permission rules, arguing the law improperly makes it a crime to bear arms even where the owner of property accessible to the public is merely silent. They refer to these laws as "vampire rules," a nod to the legend of Dracula, who could not enter a room without being invited.

But Hawaii officials told the high court the restrictions balance gun and property rights, citing a long tradition in the Aloha State of limiting all kinds of dangerous weapons, dating back to when it was a monarchy.

A separate Second Amendment case still unresolved deals with the federal government's law banning people with a "habitual" use of marijuana from legally keeping a firearm.

The "guns and ganja" dispute centers on whether the widespread use of cannabis in recent decades — legal in some form in 40 states — makes criminalizing "mere possession" contingent on firearm ownership.

The same law was applied to former President Joe Biden's son Hunter, who was convicted under Section 922(g)(3), which bars any "unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance" from possessing a firearm.

Party Poopers' Fight Card: Jane Fonda, 'No Kings,' communists roll out rival spectacle to Trump's 250th

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 08:39:32 -0400

As President Donald Trump prepares to celebrate America's 250th anniversary today with a UFC event at the White House, a national network of angry activists has assembled its own fight card: a celebrity concert headlined by Jane Fonda, hundreds of "watch parties," local organizing events including a "RAGE AGAINST THE CAGE!" protest and a coordinated operation aimed at fighting Trump "through the midterm elections and beyond."

About 400 organizations in the "No Kings" coalition with combined annual revenues of about $3 billion have organized Sunday's nationwide protest operation. Internal planning documents obtained by Fox News Digital show organizers' plan to using the concerts, watch parties and local gatherings to build momentum for a political organizing network.

At 4 p.m., in one of day's many planned sideshows, "Refuse Fascism," a pro-communism group, plans its "RAGE AGAINST THE CAGE!" protest at McPherson Square near the White House. UFC fighter Sean Strickland released a video on social media, saying he had booked a ticket to protest at the White House for allegedly being cut from the main event for criticizing the state of Israel and the war in Iran. "Ill bring a bullhorn," he wrote in his social media post.

Meanwhile, the Women's March, a multi-millon-dollar nonprofit enterprise, has rented portable toilets that its staffers are setting up from noon to 6 p.m. at Farragut Square, blocks from the White House, for a protest dubbed "Dump on Trump."

A 16-page "No Kings Event Host Toolkit" describes June 14 as an opportunity to convert mass demonstrations into local political infrastructure. Organizers frame the event as a counter to Trump's hosting of the White House UFC event, saying "we will be doing the real work of democracy." The materials describe watch parties as "strategic community gatherings designed to build deep local connections and lay the grassroots infrastructure we need to defend our rights through the midterm elections and beyond."

Indivisible, a Democratic nonprofit funded by mega-donor George Soros, handed the headline role to the 88-year-old Fonda's "Committee for the First Amendment," which is hosting the day's premiere counter-event in New York City at a 90-minute concert, "Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment," starting at 7:30 pm. at a theater called "The Town Hall" on 43rd Street. This weekend, tickets in the orchestra section sold for $330.15.

JANE FONDA SLAMMED DEMOCRATIC LEADERS AS 'NOT GOOD ENOUGH' IN FIGHT AGAINST TRUMP

The "Committee for the First Amendment" describes itself as "a large collective of artists, storytellers, and cultural leaders" launched in October 2025 with about 500 leading figures from the entertainment industry. They invoked the name of a group established in 1947 by Hollywood celebrities, including Lauren Bacall, Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball and Groucho Marx, to challenge Sen. Joe McCarthy's investigations into the spread of communism in the U.S. and Hollywood. Later, some members of the original "Committee for the First Amendment" were identified as communist, and original members of the group wrote that they were duped into joining the effort. Ronald Reagan, then an actor, reportedly called committee member "suckers."

Actor Humphrey Bogart even published a politically frank column, headlined, "I'm No Communist," urging fellow celebrities not to be "used as dupes by Commie organizations."

Fast forward to today, and the anti-Trump concert will feature left-wing activists including Fonda, whose controversial 1972 trip to communist North Vietnam earned her the nickname "Hanoi Jane" and sparked backlash from critics who accused her of aligning with the North Vietnamese communist regime during the Vietnam War. She's scheduled to be joined in New York City by 1970s "godmother of punk" Patti Smith, actress Bette Midler, singer Rufus Wainwright, singer Sasha Allen, former MSNBC host Joy Reid and actor Wilson Cruz.

JANE FONDA WARNS AMERICA FACES 'EXISTENTIAL' CRISIS AS SHE URGES TURNOUT AT 'NO KINGS' PROTESTS

Organizers describe the event as "an uplifting evening of song, solidarity, and action" celebrating freedoms of "speech, religion, press, assembly, and protest."

But the internal planning documents reviewed by Fox News Digital show the concert is the public-facing component of a much broader anti-Trump organizing effort designed to be a funneling agent for "the midterm elections and beyond."

The day's messaging guidance casts the June 14 showdown as an alternative political narrative of "people power."

"The lead-up to America’s 250th is a test of who we are," the guidance goes. "President Trump is choosing self-promotion. We’re choosing community, participation and people power."

Organizers repeatedly frame the effort as direct counterprogramming to Trump's event. One suggested message prepared for supporters states: "On June 14, President Trump hosts a UFC cage fight at the White House. The main event will be in our living rooms."

The "No Kings" coalition's internal materials outline an extensive organizing apparatus. Host toolkits instruct local organizers to recruit co-hosts, appoint "greeters" and safety leads, collect attendee contact information, identify future organizers and schedule follow-up organizing meetings after the concert.

One host guide tells organizers their goal is to "bring people in and move them to ongoing participation." Another instructs hosts to determine "who might help you with organizing moving forward." Before attendees leave, organizers are directed to create "a clearly defined plan" and schedule another organizing meeting within two weeks.

Taken together, the documents show an effort focused not merely on a single day of protest but on building durable activist networks after June 14.

The coalition's messaging guidance makes that objective explicit. One recommended talking point states: "He wants attention. We're building a movement."

At the same time, organizers stress legal compliance and message discipline.

The protests include a "reimbursement" program, and the material explicitly states that it's administered through Indivisible Civics, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. In a departure from the clearly partisan nature of "No Kings" protests that have as an underlying theme that Trump is "a king," the guidance for today states that events "cannot include lobbying or partisan political activity."

The reimbursement material reveals for the first time that participating groups may receive up to $500 in reimbursements for watch parties connected to the event.

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The guidance further states that event's can't be "co-hosted with any political party or partisan organization" or "feature candidates running for elected office." The document also specifies that the program "cannot reimburse expenses from political rallies or protests (e.g. 'No Kings') or events hosted to prep for those activities."

The politics has been very thinly veiled. At the last "No Kings" protest in St. Paul, Minn., just like with earlier rallies, organizers, including Fonda, openly embraced Democratic politicians like Rep. Ilhan Omar, without any Republican lawmakers around.

Organizers emphasized strict commitment to a "NONVIOLENCE CLAUSE." One host guide warns: "DO NOT DELETE THE NONVIOLENCE CLAUSE. Your event will not be approved without this language."

Beyond the celebrity headliners, the campaign's leadership network overlaps with activists and organizations that have been the subject of congressional inquiries for their alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

Documents released by the House Ways and Means Committee show that attorney Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, executive director of the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit, represents the People's Forum, a nonprofit that has received millions of dollars Neville Roy Singham, an American businessman and self-described Marxist who lives in Shanghai, supporting the Chinese Communist Party. According to her official biography, Verheyden-Hilliard also serves on the steering committee of Fonda's "Committee for the First Amendment." Verheyden-Hilliard hasn't respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.

The operation is also supported by a professional communications infrastructure. Press inquiries for "Rise Up, Sing Out" are directed to Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis, a prominent New York-based public-relations firm known as "SSM&L." The organization created many of the planning documents for the New York City headline event, its name on the metadata of several documents. The PR company didn't respond to a request for comment.

Biden-appointed judge orders Trump to restore slavery, climate change references at national parks

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 08:24:20 -0400

A Biden-appointed federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore exhibits and other materials at national parks that highlighted slavery, climate change and other leftist ideology after they were removed under a directive targeting displays deemed disparaging to America.

U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley in Massachusetts, appointed to the federal bench by former President Joe Biden in 2021, issued a preliminary injunction Friday requiring the administration to reverse the changes and pause any further removals amid legal challenges.

The move comes amid the America 250 celebrations that will crescendo on July 4.

The Interior Department in a statement called Kelley a "liberal activist judge" and said it was reviewing its options to appeal its removal of what Secretary Doug Burgum rebuked as "improper partisan ideology."

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"This ruling is from a liberal activist judge," an Interior spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Sunday. "The Department will look at our appeal options while we celebrate UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House this weekend in honor of our nation’s 250th with the greatest president in the history of our country – President Donald J. Trump."

Trump’s March 27, 2025 executive order, "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History," sought to restore American heritage to national parks and monuments that were "changed to perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history" after the race riots of 2020 that might have ultimately helped fuel Biden's election.

Trump ordered Interior to "take action, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law," to ensure that all U.S. government descriptions and depictions do not "inappropriately disparage Americans past or living" – instead putting "focus on the greatness" of America.

While Kelley wrote that the plaintiffs had shown the administration’s actions were meant "to rewrite the Nation’s history with a white-out pen," Trump said he had issued the order because of the "false reconstruction" of U.S. history under Biden, the president who appointed her.

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Removing the disparagement of Americans and highlighting of U.S. greatness set a "dangerous precedent of censorship and sanitization," according to Kelley.

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The judge also ordered the administration to file weekly status reports detailing its progress in restoring the affected materials.

Among the materials Burgum's Interior removed were an exhibit at Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park describing the ownership of enslaved people by George Washington, the nation's first president, and signage detailing climate threats at Fort Sumter in South Carolina.

AMERICAN HISTORY WON'T BE DISPLAYED 'IN A WOKE MANNER' AT SMITHSONIAN, TRUMP SAYS

"Under the guise of promoting American dignity, this administration seeks to share a limited history by ordering the removal of all signs, displays, and interpretive exhibits at National Parks that do not align with its preferred narrative, thereby telling half-truths," Kelley wrote.

Trump signed the executive order to work to "restoring truth and sanity to American history" at the nation’s museums, parks and landmarks. Burgum later directed the removal of what he called "improper partisan ideology" from museums, monuments, landmarks and other public exhibits under federal control.

"Museums in our nation’s capital should be places where individuals go to learn — not to be subjected to ideological indoctrination or divisive narratives that distort our shared history," the Trump order read.

TRUMP ADMIN-MAMDANI CLASH OVER STONEWALL MONUMENT REACHES FINAL DECISIONOther changes denounced by leftist ideologues included the removal of a sign at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument in Arizona that included an image of a visitor holding a Pride flag, as well as the removal of films about labor history at Lowell National Historical Park in Massachusetts.

"What we were left, like virtually every Cabinet agency, was a complete mess from the Biden administration," Burgum told Fox News' Kayleigh McEnany on "Saturday in America," vowing that he is "cleaning up the mess that's been left with us."

"They were doing everything from climate extremism to DEI, ESG, you name it, and they were doing it all opposed to what the American people voted for and what President Trump promised the American people we would do."

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

'The Office' star blasts political 'hypocrisy,' explains why sitcom couldn't be made today

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 04:00:54 -0400

Rainn Wilson, best known for playing Dwight Schrute on hit sitcom "The Office," says partisan hypocrisy on both sides of the political aisle is fueling America's divisions, while arguing that cancel culture has stifled modern-day comedy.

Wilson told Fox News Digital that cancel culture, a result of growing political divisions, has damaged the ability for a comedy in a show like "The Office" to thrive and be acceptable in today’s society.

"I do feel like you couldn't make The Office today," Wilson said. "I think that would be too hard to be as politically incorrect as the show was. And I do, I do kind of miss that."

He explained how, despite that both his character and actor Steve Carell’s role as Michael Scott, were purposely portrayed as lacking "self-awareness" and "a boob," the humor still would not fly or be viewed as socially acceptable in today’s society.

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"We milked that for a lot of great, really inappropriate stuff," Wilson said. "But even with the fact that painting that character as just an idiot, I don't think you could get away with it today."

Aside from comedy, Wilson said one of the biggest drivers of America's political dysfunction is what he described as partisan hypocrisy, with both Republicans and Democrats quick to condemn misconduct of the opposing party while overlooking similar behavior on their own side.

Wilson used the response to Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner’s list of growing scandals throughout his campaign as an example, specifically citing the reaction to his Nazi tattoo as racist or religious discrimination.

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"The political right is all up in arms about that ‘Oh, he's a racist, see,’" Wilson explained. "But they won't look at their own side when people show racist tendencies or say racist things. And it's the same on the left. They're willing to overlook the Platner Nazi tattoo, but if it was someone from the other side that had a tattoo that was questionable, they would be all over MSNBC about it."

"It's the hypocrisy that gets me the most. It's the hypocrisy of like, both sides need to have, kind of, equal standards of behavior."

Despite his concerns about political division, Wilson argued that faith and spirituality remain one of the country's most overlooked sources of common ground.

"There's not any topic that has more commonality and mutuality than spiritual ideas," Wilson said.

"The ideas around spirituality have kind of been weaponized in terms of the national discussion, but actually the two sides have more in common than you would think."

PRIEST, PASTOR, RABBI ADDRESS 'CRISIS' OF DECLINING FAITH POPULATION IN DIVIDED AMERICA: IT'S AN 'OPPORTUNITY'

Wilson made the remarks while appearing on Capitol Hill alongside Reps. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., and Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., and religious leaders for the public release of A Common Endeavor: Realizing the Promise of America, a five-part letter backed by leaders of the Baha'i faith that works to bridge political polarization and focus on shared American values.

"The partisan divide and toxic partisanship, and corruption in partisanship, is something that the American people are very passionate about," Wilson said.

"The people want this fixed. There is an outcry from people. They want it fixed."

Trump backs MAGA champion Mike Collins in Georgia's Republican Senate runoff

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 01:27:28 -0400

President Donald Trump this weekend made an 11th-hour endorsement in a crucial Senate race in battleground Georgia, which is among a handful that will likely decide if the GOP holds its slim majority in the chamber in November's midterm elections.

Trump endorsed Republican Rep. Mike Collins, a MAGA champion and strong supporter of the president, who is facing off in Tuesday's runoff election against former college football coach Derek Dooley, who has the support of popular conservative Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.

The winner of the GOP Senate nomination will face off in the midterms against Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. Republicans view Ossoff as the most vulnerable Senate Democrat seeking re-election and are heavily targeting the first-term senator.

"It is my Great Honor to endorse "MAGA" Mike Collins, a Highly Respected Congressman who has been with me from the very beginning," the president wrote in a social media post on Saturday night. "Mike is strongly supported by the most Highly Respected MAGA Patriots in Georgia and beyond, and many Republicans in the U.S. House and Senate — He is a WARRIOR and WINNER!"

Collins, who represents Georgia's 10th Congressional District, which is located between Atlanta and Augusta, is the son of the late Rep. Mac Collins, and is the founder and co-owner, along with his wife, of a trucking company.

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He and Dooley, a lawyer, a former University of Tennessee football coach and the son of legendary University of Georgia head football coach Vince Dooley, were the top two finishers in a crowded field of candidates that also included Rep. Buddy Carter. Since no one topped 50% in last month's primary, Collins and Dooley advanced to Tuesday's runoff election.

While Collins has long showcased his MAGA credentials and support for the president, Trump remained neutral in the Georgia primary and runoff election until now.

Meanwhile, Dooley is strongly backed by the term-limited Kemp, who is a lifelong friend. Kemp and his wife, Georgia First Lady Marty Kemp, have regularly appeared with Dooley on the campaign trail, and the governor's top political advisor is a senior consultant for Dooley's Senate bid.

"I don’t know Derek Dooley, and neither does anyone else, but he seems like a nice person," Trump said of Dooley in his social media post.

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While Dooley has emphasized his outsider image and targeted Collins as a political insider, Collins has criticized him for a lack of political experience and for living outside of Georgia for much of his adult life.

Both candidates have some political baggage.

The House Ethics Committee launched an inquiry into Collins over allegations he paid an intern in a district office who had a romantic relationship with his congressional chief of staff but who did not actually perform any work. Collins denied any wrongdoing and kept the staffer on his Senate campaign.

But the staffer was later fired by Collins after taking to social media on behalf of the campaign to mock the wife of a Dooley campaign advisor who attempted suicide after accusing Matt Lauer of rape. The social media post was deleted and Collins apologized, calling the tweet "despicable and unauthorized."

Dooley, over the past week, was reportedly accused of being part of a "pay to play" scandal involving brother Daniel Dooley, and the governor. Dooley and Kemp have denied any wrongdoing, but Democrats in the legislature requested an independent investigation.

While the Republicans have been battling for their party's nomination over the past year, Ossoff has built a powerful war chest that will give him a major fundraising advantage as the general election gets underway.

While he isn't on the ballot, the president's immense clout over the GOP is also facing another key test in Georgia's other runoff, where Trump-backed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is battling billionaire businessman Rick Jackson for the GOP gubernatorial nomination, in the race to succeed Kemp.

The brute force of the president's endorsement power has been on display in GOP primaries over the past month, with his candidates ousting incumbents he targeted in showdowns in Indiana, Louisiana, Kentucky and Texas that grabbed plenty of national attention.

But Trump's endorsement streak in statewide and congressional Republican primaries was snapped two weeks ago when his 11th-hour endorsement of Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra of Iowa in the race to succeed retiring GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds wasn't enough to propel the three-term congressman to victory.

Feenstra was narrowly edged by Zach Lahn, a businessman, farmer and former political strategist who was backed by the political wings of MAHA — the acronym for the Make America Healthy Again movement aligned with Trump Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — and Turning Point USA, the powerful conservative organization co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk.

Trump rebounded last week, as the candidate he endorsed in the South Carolina GOP gubernatorial primary, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, finished first in a crowded field and clinched one of the two tickets in the race for the nomination.

Meanwhile, longtime Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham did win a majority of the vote in the Republican Senate primary, and avoided a runoff.

Graham, who was endorsed by Trump, was facing primary challenges from five candidates, including conservative businessman Mark Lynch, who took aim at the senator over his support for the war in Iran. Lynch was backed by some MAGA leaders who have been critical of the president.

Obama Presidential Center's $470M safety net under scrutiny as subcontractors say they're owed millions

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 17:17:44 -0400

Concern is mounting that taxpayers could be left holding the bag if the Obama Presidential Center runs into financial trouble, as the foundation behind it has yet to establish a promised $470 million safety net to guard against a public bailout.

The scrutiny comes as a Fox News Digital investigation found multiple contractors and subcontractors claiming losses ranging from hundreds of thousands of dollars to millions on the project, with some alleging they remain locked in payment disputes and face financial ruin just days before the center's grand opening.

Under its agreement with the city, the Obama Foundation pledged to create the fund, known as an endowment, as part of its 99-year deal to take control of the publicly owned 19.3-acre section of Jackson Park for a one-time payment of just $10.

Fox News Digital previously reported that the foundation had deposited just $1 million into the reserve fund in 2021 and that the balance remained largely unchanged in its most recent publicly available filings.

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Concerns about the center’s financial state have raged for years, especially since construction delays and costs have ballooned from an original estimate of roughly $330 million to at least $850 million based on 2021 figures. An updated final projected cost has not been made public.

Endowment concerns

"One of their core promises was they were supposed to create an endowment as basically an insurance policy so the taxpayers wouldn’t get stuck with the bill," Illinois GOP Chair Robert Grogan told Fox News Digital outside the center last week as worker vehicles entered and exited the center.

"They promised hundreds of millions of dollars for it. It’s still sitting at the $1 million mark [where it stood] when they opened it up. So I don’t believe that they’ve kept that promise."

The contractor disputes have renewed concern of the endowment because critics argue the fund was intended to serve as a backstop if the project ever encountered financial distress. The Obama Foundation disputes suggestions that taxpayers face exposure and said the project is funded through private contributions.

Grogan said reports that contractors and subcontractors remain locked in payment disputes make the largely unfunded reserve even more problematic.

"The fact that they have created this probably unsustainable edifice to an ego and then, eventually, if it goes under, who’s going to be caught with the bill time and time again? It’s the taxpayers of the city, citizens of Chicago and the state of Illinois."

BUREAUCRATS HIDE TRUE PRICE OF OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER AS TAXPAYERS HIT WITH INFRASTRUCTURE BILL

Richard Epstein, a New York University law professor who has spent years challenging the project in court, said the reserve fund was intended to protect against exactly this type of uncertainty.

"The whole point of an endowment is to fund future expenses," Epstein told Fox News Digital, adding that the endowment acts as a financial backup if future fundraising falls short.

"If the endowment hasn’t been filled, the building [could] fall into neglect, it then becomes a safety risk, and it turns out that nobody’s going to pay the bill," Epstein said. "The city therefore, is going to have to assume additional obligations to make sure that thing is kept in place."

Grogan said reports that contractors remain unpaid only reinforce the need for closer scrutiny and called for an investigation if allegations that subcontractors were left holding the bag prove accurate.

Subcontractor disputes raise new questions

A Fox News Digital investigation identified multiple construction firms claiming losses ranging from hundreds of thousands of dollars to tens of millions.

Outside the center last week, Adamson Plumbing President Mike Owen provided company spreadsheets to Fox News Digital, which he said showed that his firm is nearly $4 million in the red. He said that unnecessary rework, delays and more than 100 change-order requests left his company absorbing millions of dollars in additional costs.

In addition, Omar Shareef, the president of the African American Contractors Association, told Fox News Digital outside the center last Saturday that several Black-owned contractors are also in financial difficulty due to the project.

The claims raise fresh worries about the center’s long-term financial sustainability because an endowment is intended to provide a permanent source of income that can help fund future operations and cushion against financial stress. Endowments are typically invested, with a portion of the earnings used to support an institution over time.

The Obama Foundation told Fox News Digital that it is in compliance with its agreement with the city, noting that the pact required the creation of an endowment but did not specify a dollar target.

OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER DEPOSITS JUST $1M INTO $470M RESERVE FUND AIMED TO PROTECT TAXPAYERS

The foundation said the Obama Presidential Center is "fully funded" and that it plans to make "significant investments" in the endowment in the coming years.

"On the eve of our Grand Opening celebrations, we are pleased to reiterate that the Obama Presidential Center is fully funded with generous private contributions," the Obama Foundation said in a statement.

The $470 million figure emerged during public discussions surrounding the project and was later cited in the Obama Foundation's 2020 annual report, which featured a fundraising chart stating:

"$470M of our fundraising goal will go toward seeding an endowment that will sustain Obama Foundation activities and the operations of the OPC for generations to come."

The foundation previously estimated annual operating costs could reach approximately $40 million.

Nonprofit endowments are typically structured so that only a small percentage of the fund — often around 4% to 5% annually — is spent each year while the principal remains invested. The goal is to generate investment income that can help support operations over the long term without relying entirely on future fundraising. The Obama Presidential Center consists of a museum tower, digital library, athletic facilities, conference space and offices for the Obama Foundation on Chicago's South Side. The Obama Foundation is overseeing its construction and will run its day-to-day future operations.

Epstein disputed the foundation's interpretation, arguing that an endowment is intended to provide meaningful financial protection and that a promise to raise money in the future is not the same as having a funded endowment in place.

"On their view, putting a penny in an endowment fund covers all the risks," Epstein said.

"There has to be a pile of cash to fund any particular process and then ensure some kind of robustness against radical changes in the market."

Trump picks James McDonald to lead powerful Southern District of New York after Jay Clayton's departure

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 17:00:05 -0400

President Donald Trump on Saturday announced his intent to appoint James M. McDonald as the next U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY).

The high-profile position is opening up following Trump's recent nomination of the district's current U.S. attorney, Jay Clayton, to serve in his cabinet as the nation's new director of national intelligence.

"I am confident that Jamie will deliver strong results for our Country as the next United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, as he has the respect of, and will work fantastically with, our Law Enforcement Patriots, the Legal Community, and the Judicial Bench," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post announcing the pick.

TRUMP GREEN LIGHTS NEW DNI PULTE TO 'START THE PROCESS' ON MASS INTELLIGENCE FIRINGS

McDonald, an Oklahoma native, previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the SDNY and worked during Trump's first term as the director of enforcement at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Like his predecessor Clayton, McDonald has strong ties to the prominent law firm Sullivan & Cromwell, where he currently serves as a senior partner.

His legal background also includes clerking for Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts Jr., and graduating from Harvard College and the University of Virginia School of Law.

Rubio, Newsom share World Cup spotlight at US opener as 2028 presidential speculation swirls

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 16:48:57 -0400

Secretary of State Marco Rubio used Team USA's World Cup opener Friday night in California to meet with Paraguayan President Santiago Peña, according to a State Department official, as the Trump administration highlighted the secretary's diplomatic work during the quadrennial international soccer tournament.

"Secretary Rubio was honored to attend the first World Cup game in the U.S. [Friday] night and witness an incredible win for our country. Secretary Rubio never stops working to advance U.S. priorities and used the opportunity to meet with Paraguayan President Santiago Peña during the game to discuss our strategic partnerships," an administration official told Fox News Digital.

The U.S. men defeated Paraguay, 4-1, at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in the opening match of its World Cup campaign.

Rubio's attendance also generated political interest after reports indicated he would be seated in the same suite as California Gov. Gavin Newsom during the match.

USMNT WORLD CUP OPENER GETS OFF TO A FLYING START WITH OWN GOAL PUTTING AMERICANS AHEAD OF PARAGUAY

The appearance placed two of the country's most prominent political figures from opposite parties at the same event as speculation continues about the 2028 presidential race.

Newsom has repeatedly faced questions about a potential White House bid and has acknowledged he has considered a presidential run, though he has not announced any plans to seek the office.

Rubio, a former Republican presidential candidate and one of President Donald Trump's most visible Cabinet members, has likewise been discussed by some political observers as a potential future contender for the White House.

The State Department did not provide additional details about Rubio's discussion with Peña, including whether the meeting had been arranged before the match or what specific issues were discussed.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO OFFER 'PREMIUM' EXPEDITED VISA INTERVIEWS FOR $750

Paraguay has long maintained close ties with the U.S. and is one of Taiwan's few remaining diplomatic allies in South America, a relationship that has made the country strategically important in the region as the U.S. and China compete for influence across Latin America.

The World Cup is expected to draw government officials, world leaders and political figures from around the globe as matches are held across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The State Department and Newsom's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.

The administration's description of Rubio's meeting with Peña underscored that the secretary of state continued conducting diplomatic business while attending the tournament opener, which marked the beginning of Team USA's World Cup campaign on home soil.

Workers rip Trump's name from Kennedy center facade months after it goes on, hours after failed appeal

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 13:49:32 -0400

Workers removed President Donald Trump's name off the Kennedy Center facade Saturday, after an appeals court denied a request from the Kennedy Center's board to block a judge's ruling that Trump's name be removed.

Workers erected scaffolding around the Washington, D.C., landmark Friday and began removing the Trump name from the signage that had previously read "The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts."

The Kennedy Center board had approved the addition of Trump's name in December, claiming that the move was in recognition of Trump's accomplishments in saving "the institution from financial ruin and physical destruction."

Workers affixed Trump's name to the facade the next day.

TRUMP'S NAME ADDED TO KENNEDY CENTER FOLLOWING UNANIMOUS BOARD VOTE TO RENAME HISTORIC BUILDING

Now, however, the Trump name is coming down despite numerous legal efforts from the Kennedy Center board.

The board filed for both a stay pending appeal and an immediate administrative stay, arguing the name should not be removed before the matter gets an appellate review.

But an appeals court denied the request for an immediate administrative stay.

OBAMA-APPOINTED JUDGE WITH TIES TO ANTI-TRUMP CONSPIRACY THEORY HIT WITH MISCONDUCT COMPLAINT

The board then filed an emergency motion with the U.S. Court of Appeals, but a three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit denied it.

The board had requested a pause in the enforcement of Judge Christopher Cooper's ruling that Trump's name be removed, but Cooper, a U.S. district judge, denied the request Friday.

Cooper maintained in an opinion on his ruling that the Kennedy Center's name can only be changed or modified through an act of Congress.

Trump slammed Cooper's decision in an excoriating late May Truth Social barrage, writing, "Trump Hating Judge wants to keep it open because his wife probably told him to do so," while pointing out that Cooper's wife, Amy Jeffress, is a former Obama-era Department of Justice (DOJ) attorney who represented a number of high-profile Trump critics.

"We remain fully compliant with the court’s directive while we evaluate legal options regarding the Board’s unanimous vote," Roma Daravi, Vice President of Public Relations at the Kennedy Center said in a statement. "The establishment of the Trump Kennedy Center Fund is intended to recognize President Donald J. Trump’s significant contributions and dedication to America’s premier cultural center, while furthering our founding mission like never before."

Fox News Digital contacted the White House for additional comment.

Fox News' Bill Mears contributed to this report.

EXCLUSIVE: Collins pits record built in Maine potato fields against Platner's 'angry rhetoric'

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 10:00:02 -0400

EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, learned hard work in the dirt.

When she was 10 years old, like several other children in Caribou, Maine, she left school to pick potato fields to aid farmers with the harvest deep in potato country in Aroostook County, dubbed "The County" by locals.

"I remember my mother saying to me when I was going to pick for the first time at age 10, saying, ‘Now, Susan, this is really hard, back-breaking work, but you cannot quit. The farmers are depending on you, and you can't let them down,’" Collins told Fox News Digital. "And those words have always stayed with me."

SCHUMER’S ‘NO. 1 TARGET’ SAYS VOTERS WILL SEE HER DEMOCRAT SENATE CHALLENGER AS TOO EXTREMEN

It’s that work ethic born in her hometown of Caribou, molded by her parents' separate stints as mayor of the small town in the county that helped shape her into the political titan she is today, propelling her to a record 10,000th straight vote in the Senate and a gavel atop the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.

It’s also caused her to have the biggest target on her back in a highly contentious election cycle in which Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is once again trying to flip her seat.

Collins’ race has also become the most-watched and controversial of the cycle because of her unlikely opponent, Democratic nominee Graham Platner, who over the last several months has been rocked by scandal after scandal.

Speaking to Fox News Digital on the drive between Bangor, Maine, and Portland, one she's made several times since joining the Senate in 1997, Collins acknowledged Platner's rocky past and present but that she still was taking him seriously as an opponent.

MAINE DEMOCRATS DECIDE FATE OF SENATE CANDIDATE DOGGED BY EXPLOSIVE ALLEGATIONS

"I am surprised that [Gov. Janet Mills] is not my opponent," Collins said. "That's what I would have predicted, particularly given the very serious allegations against Graham Platner. Plus, his own words over many years, including recently. So, I think that he has a lot of questions to answer, but I do take him very seriously as a candidate."

Platner has been no stranger when it comes to attacking Collins in his insurgent campaign, skewering her for her vote to authorize the Iraq War two decades ago or her backing of parts of President Donald Trump's agenda.

During his acceptance speech earlier this week, he accused her of being "just as spineless and corrupt as the establishment she now serves."

Collins, who is no stranger to heated campaigns, argued that her ability to produce results was a better metric for Mainers.

"I think when people look at the accomplishments and results that I've delivered for the people of Maine, that the contrast is enormous," Collins said. "And angry rhetoric does not produce results."

She knows how to bring the bacon home to Maine. In her climb to the top of the Senate Appropriations Committee, she’s sent back $1.5 billion over five years, dozens of new or renovated fire stations, billions in rural healthcare funding and a fire boat that saved key businesses along Portland’s waterfront when a blaze broke out.

Still, she’s in a tight race with Platner despite the scandals and baggage.

And Schumer, who has spent years trying to defeat her, hopes to seize the opportunity in this cycle, even with a candidate who was not his first choice.

WATCH: CHUCK SCHUMER SIDESTEPS PLATNER SCANDALS, CONFIRMS SUPPORT FOR CONTROVERSIAL DEM

Schumer told Semafor Collins is "weaker than in 2020," when they last squared off, arguing that her defense of Trump, her vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and the role that vote played in overturning Roe v. Wade have weighed her down.

"To me, this is déjà vu all over again," Collins said, noting that, six years ago, Schumer and Democrats spent over $160 million to defeat her.

Collins contended, "Democratic leaders always distort my record," adding that when she voted to advance Trump’s "big, beautiful bill" last year, it was so she and others could modify the bill. She ultimately voted against the final product but scored a $50 billion rural hospital fund nonetheless.

"If we can't get on the bill, I can't help fix that," Collins said.

And on Kavanaugh, Collins noted that she disagreed with how he voted on Roe v. Wade, but that she also voted "for people who voted on the other side of that decision."  

"I voted for Sonia Sotomayor. I voted for Elena Kagan. I voted for Justice Jackson," Collins said. "And that always seems to get left out."

She doesn’t vote in lockstep with Trump, either, who recently said that Collins was "not my best friend at all" but was a "sane woman." That prompted a laugh from the longtime lawmaker, who noted, "I've worked with five different presidents, and I have never agreed with a single one of them on every issue."

"I know that there's some people who want me to oppose President Trump, just because he's President Trump, and that's not how I operate," Collins said. "I look at each individual issue and then make my decision. And based on whether it's helpful to the state of Maine, and improves the lives of families in the state of Maine."

Talarico touts Texas roots as out-of-state cash powers Senate campaign

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 08:00:56 -0400

Donors from outside Texas accounted for roughly 50% of the funds Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico received during the final stretch of the first quarter of 2026, compared to his Republican opponent, who received just about 25% of his cash from out of state.

Of the $8.5 million Talarico raised between Feb. 12 and March 31, a period where he saw a significant uptick in donations owing to his growing national profile, approximately $4 million came from states other than Texas, according to campaign finance records reviewed by Fox News Digital.

The Republican nominee, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, meanwhile, raised $640,000 out of the roughly $850,000 he brought in during that period from within Texas.

The fundraising disparity underscores the nationalization of Texas’ Senate race, with Talarico drawing major financial support from Democratic donors and executives far beyond the state he seeks to represent, even as he campaigns on Texas roots and opposition to outside special interests.

VULNERABLE DEM SENATOR’S ‘GRASSROOTS’ CAMPAIGN POWERED BY OUT-OF-STATE CASH, MOSTLY BY COASTAL ELITES

The haul gives Democrats a cash advantage in what is shaping up to be one of the most competitive Senate races this cycle, while giving Republicans an opening to cast Talarico’s campaign as powered by coastal liberal donors rather than Texas voters.

Donors from New York and California, for instance, showered Talarico with more than $1.3 million in the final six weeks of the first quarter, according to Federal Election Commission records.

Talarico has made an effort to highlight his ties to Texas during his Senate campaign, touting the fact that his family has lived in the state for eight generations and criticizing the influence of out-of-state interests on Texans.

"I’ve led the fight against the billionaire mega-donors that have rigged the system against working Texas families," Talarico’s campaign website reads. "Now, as those same billionaire mega-donors take over the federal government, we need more fighters in Washington who will take power back for working people."

ACTBLUE SUES TEXAS AG KEN PAXTON, ALLEGING POLITICAL RETALIATION OVER DEMOCRATS' FUNDRAISING

"James is proud to be the only candidate in this race not taking a dime of corporate PAC money, shattering grassroots fundraising records with donations from 246 Texas counties and the help of over 540,000 small dollar contributors — unlike John Cornyn and Ken Paxton, who have raked in millions of dollars from special interests and enriched their billionaire donors while working Texans struggle," campaign spokesman JT Ennis told Fox News Digital when asked about out-of-state donations.

"Our campaign is bringing Democrats, Republicans and Independents together to fix this broken, corrupt political system and bring down costs for families across our state."

Talarico accepted donations from out-of-state executives at Google, Warner Brothers, Apple, Meta, Victoria’s Secret and other major companies between Feb. 12 and March 31, according to FEC records. The Democratic Senate hopeful has also accepted donations from lobbyists representing major corporations such as Google, Airbnb, Boeing, Novo Nordisk, Comcast, CVS and JP Morgan.

While Talarico has attracted considerable support from outside Texas, his fundraising operation within the state has also eclipsed that of Paxton, who raised less than one-fifth as much from Texans as his Democratic opponent. Paxton, however, fought a brutal primary against Sen. John Cornyn, splitting the GOP donor base.

JAMES TALARICO ADMITS PAST COMMENTS 'MISSED THE MARK' WHEN CONFRONTED ON CLAIMS LIKE GOD IS 'NON-BINARY'

Beyond his campaign committee, Talarico has also benefited from Lone Star Rising PAC, a super PAC spending millions to help him win. In contrast to his campaign rhetoric, much of the cash behind the super PAC boosting Talarico’s campaign came from wealthy out-of-state donors.

Just 12% of the millions of dollars in donations collected by Lone Star Rising PAC, which the Washington Free Beacon reports is run by Talarico’s longtime friend, came from entities within Texas, according to campaign finance records.

Hasan Piker celebrates America being 'closer than ever' to socialism as he backs NYC candidates

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 08:00:36 -0400

Controversial Twitch streamer Hasan Piker threw his support behind two far-left candidates running for Congress in New York City, arguing their victories would help push the country closer to socialism.

"For the longest time, I thought we were so far away from socialism, and we might still be far away from socialism, but we do have an opportunity right here, right now, more than ever before," Piker said Thursday at a Brooklyn rally for candidates endorsed by the New York chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America ahead of the state’s June 23 primary.

Leading the DSA-backed slate are State Assemblywoman Claire Valdez, D-N.Y., and activist Darializa Avila Chevalier, whom Piker praised as "giants" of the socialist movement.

"We must seize that opportunity, and you all must continue your own disciplined organizing for that to happen," Piker told the crowd. "That is the challenge."

DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST MAMDANI ALLY MOUNTS BID FOR US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Both candidates are socialists who want to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), raise taxes on the wealthy and advance the Palestinian cause in Congress. If they win their contested primaries for deep blue districts, they would almost certainly pad the ranks of the Democratic caucus’ far-left flank.

"I've rarely ever seen such tremendous ideological representation at such an important level," Piker said, referring to Valdez and Avila Chevalier. "I mean, a congressional seat is a tremendous amount of power."

"What an honor it is to be joined by Darializa on stage," Valdez jokingly said, referring to a cardboard cutout of Avila Chevalier. "[It’s the] honor of my life to be on a slate with her with so many of my other socialist comrades."

Valdez is running for a seat vacated by retiring Rep. Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y., that spans progressive bastions in Queens and Brooklyn.

Meanwhile, Avila Chevalier is running as a formidable leftist challenger to Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., the chairman of the influential Congressional Hispanic Caucus, in a district covering Upper Manhattan and the West Bronx.

The leftist duo is backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Justice Democrats, the progressive group that helped launch New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's insurgent House campaign in 2018.

MAMDANI STANDS BY FELLOW SOCIALIST CANDIDATE DESPITE RESURFACED FAR-LEFT, ANTI-AMERICAN POSTS

Avila Chevalier has sparked controversy over since-deleted social media posts in which she asserted "Israel doesn’t exist," voiced literal support for open borders and claimed "all deportation is wrong," CNN first reported.

The Mamdani ally has also faced scrutiny over calling former President Joe Biden "a rapist" and writing "F--- Kamala Harris" in 2021 after the former vice president told Guatemalan nationals not to illegally cross the border.

Piker predicted a wave of socialist victories in New York City would soon eclipse the significance of Mamdani's mayoral win last year.

"By the end of these midterms, Zohran will seem unremarkable. Because, by then, we will have elected so many brilliant fighters into legislative offices throughout New York City and the state," Piker said, referring to the slate of socialist candidates.

"These are your comrades, these are your fighters."

Thursday’s rally comes as Piker, who has sparked widespread backlash over saying "America deserved 9/11," and Hamas is "a thousand times better" than Israel, has interviewed and campaigned with proudly socialist candidates across the country.

Several Piker allies have lost their primaries, including former Ocasio-Cortez chief of staff Saikat Chakrabarti, who launched a failed bid to succeed former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. However, the socialist streamer did score one notable victory with progressive surgeon Adam Hamawy's primary victory for a Democratic-heavy New Jersey House seat.

Fox News Digital reached out to spokespersons for Valdez and Avila Chevalier for comment.

Fox News' Matthew Donnell contributed to this report.

Platner's 'deranged' response to Musk becoming a trillionaire sparks online outrage: 'Loserthink'

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 06:59:25 -0400

Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner was widely mocked by conservatives on social media over a post lamenting Space X and Tesla CEO Elon Musk being labeled the world’s first trillionaire.

"Elon Musk just became the world’s first trillionaire," Platner posted on X on Friday.

"Let’s make sure he’s also the last."

Platner’s post, which was seen over 2 million times as of Friday evening, was referring to news that Musk’s SpaceX began trading at $150 a share on Friday, above its listing price of $135 a share, making him the world's first-ever trillionaire following the initial public offering.

THE GROWING LIST OF CONTROVERSIES THREATENING DEMOCRAT GRAHAM PLATNER'S MAINE SENATE BID

The post received heavy criticism from conservatives on social media, with many bringing up the various controversies surrounding Platner's campaign, including reports of infidelity, a Nazi tattoo, physical abuse of an ex-girlfriend and social media posts criticizing the military and rural America.

"Communists can never quite grasp that if you make Musk poorer, you make millions of others poorer in the process because unlike them, he actually creates value for others in society," Red State writer Bonchie posted on X. "It's deranged."

""Pick your fighter," Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee posted on X. "Guy who innovates constantly, has built phenomenally successful businesses, and now reaps the rewards.

PLATNER CAMPAIGN ROCKED WITH DAMNING ALLEGATIONS FROM ANOTHER EX-LOVER AS SENATE RACE HEATS UP: REPORT

Guy who thought it wise to permanently stain his chest with a Nazi SS Totenkopf tattoo."

"Worth reminding everyone that in addition to being a pathological liar Graham Platner also has the economic views of third world resentment socialists," Charlie Kirk show producer Blake Neff posted on X.

"This is loserthink," California Post opinion editor Joel Pollak posted on X. "Musk's IPO is making millions of Americans wealthier. And his success is inspiring others: ‘If it can happen for an immigrant kid -- why not me?’ The winning way to think -- the AMERICAN way to think -- is: Let's make some more trillionaires! "

"I hope @elonmusk is the first of many trillionaires," Actor Dean Cain posted on X. " Pray for others to have his success and continue to change the world for the better, for EVERYONE!!"

Fox News Digital reached out to Platner's campaign for comment.

Platner has faced widespread criticism since launching his campaign for overplaying his blue collar record and embracing the economic policies of progressives like Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who has emphatically endorsed him.

Musk's rocket and satellite company raised a record $75 billion, valuing the company at about $1.8 trillion, pushing the value of Musk's stake in SpaceX to an estimated $690 billion. The company is trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker "SPCX" after pricing its IPO on Thursday.

Combined with his holdings in electric vehicle maker Tesla, as well as other investments and assets, Musk's net worth is now estimated at about $1.1 trillion.

SpaceX stock jumped after it began trading, rising to $168.75 a share before paring some of those gains to trade around $158 a share. It subsequently rebounded and reached a new high of $176.52, and closed at $160.95 per share.

Investor demand for SpaceX has been intense. Reuters reported this week that the company attracted more than $250 billion in orders, while Bloomberg News reported Thursday that retail investors alone submitted more than $70 billion in requests for shares.

The company is expected to allocate at least 20% of the offering to retail investors, according to Bloomberg — an unusually large portion for individual investors in a deal of this size.

Fox News Digital's Eric Revell and Bradford Betz contributed to this report

WATCH: House Dems blame racism, 'all-White' jury for Karmelo Anthony's guilty verdict

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 04:00:41 -0400

House Democrats are raising concerns about how race and jury selection may have impacted the guilty verdict in the Karmelo Anthony case, with several arguing the verdict highlights the racism they believe exists in the criminal justice system.

"A travesty, two lives ruined, and what struck me most is that you had an all-White jury," Rep. Christian Menefee, D-Texas, said when asked his thoughts on the guilty verdict. "You had preemptive strikes that were used in order to achieve an all-White jury."

After Anthony was sentenced to 35 years in prison on Tuesday for the stabbing and killing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a high school track event, many activists and Democratic lawmakers have claimed the trial to be unfair and racist.

KARMELO ANTHONY VERDICT DRAWS ANTI-WHITE RAGE AND LIES FROM RADICAL DEM CONGRESSWOMAN, ANGRY ACTIVISTS

Many are claiming the jurors were all White, and that this contributed to the rejection of Anthony's self-defense claim.

"Juries should represent the diversity of this country, and if a White kid was convicted of murder and it was an all-Black jury that did the conviction, people would say this is patently unfair," Menefee said. "So why should it be fair if it's the other way around?"

But sources close to the trial told Fox News Digital that there were three jurors who were racial minorities. They said that of the 18 total jurors, including alternates, six were minorities. Additionally, four Black men testified in defense of Metcalf, saying Anthony was not provoked in any way to justify stabbing the 17-year-old.

SELF-DEFENSE CLAIM IN AUSTIN METCALF SLAYING IS 'UPHILL BATTLE': EXPERT

Supporters of Anthony claim that he stabbed Metcalf as an act of self defense, arguing he did not receive a fair trial. Some activists and Democratic lawmakers have called for further review of the case and urged Anthony to pursue an appeal.

"Here is a case where a young man certainly appears to have been being attacked and defended himself," Rep. Troy Carter, D-La., said about the case.

"It does bring in light the imbalance in our judicial system, as it relates to African Americans and people of color" Carter continued. "And that's a shame. So hopefully, there'll be an opportunity for some appeal and some further discussion."

"Case after case, after case you see that if it is a young Black person, they're not allowed to be fearful, they're not allowed self-defense, they don't get the same standard ground opportunities that other people get," Menefee said. "But then other races do."

AUSTIN METCALF'S DAD EXPRESSES EMPATHY FOR KARMELO ANTHONY AS KILLER'S PARENTS SAY 'THEY DID A NUMBER ON US'

Some lawmakers were less likely to directly blame the trial as unfair due to race, but were still sympathetic toward Anthony and were not blatantly opposed to the idea of looking further into the evidence in the case despite a verdict already being made.

"We've got to stop this loss and the killing of these young children, number one," Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill., said. "First of all, they need to reopen it and all the evidence needs to come forward."

"I think it's an unfortunate circumstance all the way around," Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Ala., said.

He continued, "You have one young man who was killed. His family will never get to be with him again. You have another young man who, for all intents and purposes, thrown a lot of years of his life. A lot of the years of this life. If he does 35 years, he’ll be 50 — in his 50s — when he gets out. And it's just totally unfortunate."

Throughout their criticism of the verdict, several lawmakers framed the case as part of a larger debate over race, self-defense claims and equal treatment for minorities under the law.

"The American justice system does not work equally for everybody," Menefee said.

Trump says US military eliminated 'infamous' Tren de Aragua leader in lethal strike

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 21:25:26 -0400

President Donald Trump on Friday night announced the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) "delivered a swift and lethal kinetic strike" to successfully execute Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, also known as Niño Guerrero, the "infamous" leader of Tren de Aragua (TdA).

The U.S. Department of State previously offered up to a $5 million reward for the 43-year-old Venezuelan's arrest or conviction.

"Before I returned to office, Joe Biden opened our Southern Border to millions of Illegal Criminals, and allowed this foreign army to rape, maim, and murder American Citizens with total impunity," Trump wrote in a statement on Truth Social. "During my Campaign, I pledged to expel these monsters from our Country, and bring Justice to the families of those they slaughtered, including the precious 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, 22-year-old Laken Reilly, and countless other beautiful souls."

DOJ INDICTS ALLEGED HIGH-RANKING TREN DE ARAGUA MEMBER ON TERRORISM CHARGES FOR THE FIRST TIME

VENEZUELAN GOVERNMENT USES TREN DE ARAGUA AS PROXIES TO UNDERMINE US PUBLIC SAFETY, FBI ASSESSMENT FINDS

The president said with Friday's action, the U.S. military "has brought retribution for them, their families, and their loved ones."

"Early in my Administration, I delivered on my promise to designate Tren de Aragua as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, deport thousands of evil criminals, and wage war against the Cartels, who have long been waging war against our Citizens, while weak leaders left America helpless and defensive," Trump wrote.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

"This action was coordinated closely with our friends in Venezuela, with whom we are working very well," he continued. "As a result, Tren de Aragua terrorists no longer have safe haven in Venezuela or anywhere else and, under my leadership, we will find these vicious murderers and drugs lords anytime, anyplace, and send them to the depths of hell where they belong."

TdA, originally a prison gang in the Aragua state of Venezuela, has grown into a transnational criminal organization led by Flores, according to the State Department. The group has since been designated by the U.S. as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

Authorities said Guerrero spent many years incarcerated at the Tocorón Prison in Aragua State of Venezuela and expanded the group's influence by extorting prison inmates and bribing prison guards.

The gang later assumed overall control of the Tocorón prison, gold mines in Bolivar State, drug corridors on the Caribbean coast and of some of the clandestine border crossings between Venezuela and Colombia.

California Dems accused of putting sanctuary law over migrant child welfare checks: 'Real children'

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 18:33:37 -0400

California Democrats are facing accusations that the state’s sanctuary policies are leaving vulnerable migrant children unchecked after California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office warned that local police welfare visits on unaccompanied minors using information from federal authorities could violate state law.

The warning from Bonta has become a flashpoint in a broader lawsuit brought by the City of El Cajon against California's sanctuary state policies. City officials, like Mayor Bill Wells and City Councilman Steve Goble, argue that the state is putting law enforcement in an impossible position, such as forcing them to make a determination on whether to check on potentially vulnerable children flagged by federal immigration authorities and risk violating state law, or leave the vulnerable unaccompanied minors unchecked.

Goble told Fox News Digital he was informed during a February 2025 meeting with San Diego-area Homeland Security officials that federal authorities had a list of unaccompanied migrant children, including 52 with addresses in El Cajon. He said federal officials asked whether local police could help "ensure these kids are safe" through welfare checks, prompting Goble to seek guidance from Bonta’s office before dispatching officers.

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"It’s kind of hard to imagine why they’re choosing this hill to die on," Wells told Fox News Digital. "What they basically want to say is, 'Because our narrative is so important, and protecting illegal aliens is so important, that, yeah, if a few kids get sex trafficked along the way — you know, you're just making this up. You're just using this as a way.' I mean, these are real people. These are real children. I think it's an incredibly insensitive argument."

Goble had asked Bonta’s office in a March 2025 letter whether local police could conduct the checks using contact information provided by federal authorities, writing that the city wanted to ensure all children were safe "regardless of citizenship or resident status."

In the letter, Goble cited the inspector general's concerns that unaccompanied minors are at heightened risk of trafficking, exploitation and forced labor, and wrote that "time is of the essence" in determining whether the children were safe.

Meanwhile, Bonta’s office responded in a June 2025 letter, warning that local law enforcement pursuing wellness checks "alongside or based on information provided by federal immigration authorities" could implicate conduct prohibited by SB 54, known as the California Values Act.

Bonta's letter said these violations could include if officers confirmed location information provided by ICE, or reported the results of the check back to federal immigration authorities.

But Goble told Fox News Digital that the city was not asking police to act as immigration agents, but primarily wanted to confirm whether the children are safe.

CALIFORNIA TOWN WITH LARGE MIGRANT POPULATION MIGHT REVOKE SANCTUARY STATUS

"All I care about is, is the kid safe?" Goble told Fox News Digital. "I don’t care the immigration status or citizen status of anybody else in the room."

The welfare-check dispute is one piece of a broader legal challenge El Cajon filed against Bonta on April 28, 2026, seeking relief from California’s sanctuary policies impacting how local law enforcement do their jobs, including SB 54, the TRUST Act and the TRUTH Act. In a May 20 motion for a preliminary injunction, the city asked the court to temporarily block Bonta from enforcing those laws against El Cajon while the case proceeds, arguing the policies are preempted by federal immigration law and put local police in the position of choosing between state restrictions and federal obligations.

The May 20 injunction motion specifically cites the Goble-Bonta exchange as an example of how the city says California’s sanctuary laws prevent El Cajon officers from engaging in "basic public safety work." The filing argues that the state’s legal framework forces officers to spend time navigating "legal hairsplitting" instead of responding quickly to public-safety concerns, including checks on children in the community.

"Every time an El Cajon police officer steps out onto the street, they’re going to be breaking one of two laws," Wells said to Fox News Digital. "They’re either going to be breaking federal law or they’re going to be breaking state law. And you cannot put police officers in that situation."

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El Cajon’s lawsuit is not limited to the welfare checks. The April 28 complaint broadly asks a San Diego County court to declare California’s sanctuary restrictions invalid and to stop Bonta from enforcing them against El Cajon police.

Bonta's office's June 2025 response said it "share[s]" El Cajon’s concern for children who may be at risk of harm, but suggested county social service agencies may have a role when there is no evidence of criminal activity requiring law enforcement.

Wells and Goble pushed back on that argument; however, arguing Bonta's suggestion ignored San Diego County’s December 2024 vote restricting county resources from being used to assist federal immigration enforcement.

"That means we’re not going to let our social service workers go do welfare checks on unaccompanied minors for the Department of Homeland Security," Goble told Fox News Digital. "It’s another rock and a hard place."

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Wells added that it was difficult to accept Bonta’s suggestion that county agencies could serve as a neutral fallback for welfare checks tied to information from federal authorities. "This is the same county we would be deferring to, to check on these kids," Wells added. "They’re not neutral. They’ve been very, very clear."

Immigrant-rights advocates nationally have warned that ICE "welfare checks" on unaccompanied migrant children can function as immigration enforcement under the banner of child safety. The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights has called the Trump administration’s ICE "wellness checks" harmful enforcement "in disguise," while other advocates have warned that DHS visits can discourage sponsors from coming forward or expose families to deportation fears.

But Wells and Goble rejected that framing, arguing local police could check on children without reporting immigration violations discovered during the visit.

"That doesn’t make us federal immigration officers," Wells said. "It just means that our officers could do their job like they’ve always done in the past before this unconstitutional law of SB 54 was passed."

"All a welfare check on anybody in our city, regardless of immigration status, is: Are they okay?" Goble added. "If they are, thank you very much. Have a good day. See you later."

Wells noted the lawsuit is not about deputizing local police as immigration agents, but about ensuring officers can do basic public-safety work without running afoul of state law.

Fox News Digital reached out to Bonta's office, as well as the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but did not hear back in time for publication.

Trump's name to be removed from Kennedy Center as appeals court denies board's request for administrative stay

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 17:39:44 -0400

The Kennedy Center board on Friday asked a federal appeals court to temporarily block a judge’s order requiring references to President Donald Trump’s name to be removed from the institution’s signage and official materials, as signage bearing Trump’s name remained visible on the building’s facade late Friday afternoon.

Hours later, the appeals court denied the board's request for an immediate administrative stay.

In an emergency motion filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the board requested both a stay pending appeal and an immediate administrative stay, arguing that physical changes to the building should not occur before appellate judges review the dispute.

The filing asks the court to issue an administrative stay by 7 p.m. Friday.

A three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit later denied the board's request for an immediate administrative stay, declining to temporarily block enforcement of the district court's order while the appeal proceeds.

The appeals court ordered Beatty to respond to the broader stay-pending-appeal motion by June 22, with a reply due June 29.

OBAMA-APPOINTED JUDGE WITH TIES TO ANTI-TRUMP CONSPIRACY THEORY HIT WITH MISCONDUCT COMPLAINT

Fox News Digital observed Friday afternoon that Trump's name remained mounted on the Kennedy Center facade as of 5:30 p.m. ET, with scaffolding erected around portions of the signage.

Earlier Friday, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper denied the board's request to pause enforcement of his ruling while the appeal proceeds, finding that the defendants had not demonstrated either a likelihood of success on appeal or irreparable harm.

The Kennedy Center board argued in its emergency filing that removing and potentially reinstalling signage would force it to incur costs that could not be recovered if it ultimately prevails on appeal.

The board also argued that removing Trump's name could impair fundraising efforts and create public confusion if the Center's name changes again following a successful appeal. The motion further contends that the case raises significant questions regarding the board's authority and whether Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, had standing to bring the lawsuit.

The latest filing stems from Cooper's May 29 ruling that Congress, not the Kennedy Center board, has authority over the institution's name. The judge ordered the removal of Trump's name from physical signage, digital materials and official branding and directed the Center to comply within 14 days.

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In a lengthy opinion, Cooper wrote that the Kennedy Center's governing statute "makes crystal clear" that the institution is to be named for President John F. Kennedy and cannot be formally renamed through unilateral board action.

The judge concluded that Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name and that only Congress can change it.

The ruling came in a lawsuit brought by Beatty, who serves as an ex officio member of the Kennedy Center board.

Following the May 29 decision, Kennedy Center Vice President of Public Relations Roma Daravi said the board intended to appeal.

EXCLUSIVE: TRUMP-LED KENNEDY CENTER NEARLY DOUBLES FUNDRAISING FROM BIDEN ERA, SMASHING RECORD WITH $23M HAUL

"We will review the decision carefully though the reality remains — the Center requires an urgent and significant restoration — a truth that even the plaintiff acknowledges," Daravi told Fox News Digital at the time.

"With $257 million secured by President Trump and approved by Congress, the resources are in place, and we remain committed to pursuing every lawful avenue to ensure the Trump Kennedy Center is restored as a national cultural landmark for all Americans to enjoy."

Beatty praised the ruling, saying in a statement that the Kennedy Center "belongs to the American people, not to Donald Trump."

Trump's name was added to the venue in December after a unanimous vote of the board. Signage bearing the president's name was installed above the existing Kennedy Center lettering shortly afterward.

The board sought emergency relief from the appeals court Friday to temporarily block Cooper's order. By late Friday, the D.C. Circuit denied that request.

The court has not yet ruled on the board's broader request for a stay pending appeal and instead set a briefing schedule extending into late June.

The White House and a representative for the Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano contributed to this reporting.

Clinton judge indefinitely blocks Trump's $1.776B anti-weaponization fund

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 16:55:26 -0400

A federal judge on Friday indefinitely blocked the Trump administration's $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund, even as another federal judge earlier this week declined to intervene after the Justice Department said the fund was no longer moving forward.

The court disputes have heightened pressure on the administration to formally dismantle the fund. While Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told Congress the fund would not move forward, the settlement agreement and departmental directives that created the fund have not been formally rescinded. Critics argue this leaves open the possibility that the fund could still proceed in the future.

U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema, a Clinton-appointed judge, extended a court order Friday preventing implementation of the fund, concluding that public assurances from administration officials were insufficient to eliminate concerns that it could later be revived.

Brinkema noted how Trump, "says he's disappointed that something is not going forward," suggesting this was evidence that the fund may "rear its head" at some point in the future.

JUDGE TEMPORARILY BLOCKS TRUMP DOJ'S NEARLY $2B 'ANTI-WEAPONIZATION' FUND

Over the weekend Trump shared on "Meet the Press" that he'd like to continue with the fund.

"If it was up to me, I'd pay them the kind of money that they deserve. People have been destroyed. Lives have been destroyed," Trump said.

Brinkema gave the Justice Department a week to put in writing that the Anti-Weaponization Fund is being terminated and will not be reinstated.

The ruling comes days after U.S. District Judge Richard Leon rejected a separate request from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) seeking emergency intervention, saying he was willing to rely on Justice Department representations that the fund had effectively been abandoned.

ACTING AG BLANCHE REVEALS FATE OF TRUMP'S 'ANTI-WEAPONIZATION FUND' UNDER PRESSURE FROM HOUSE LAWMAKERS

But Leon, a George W. Bush-appointed judge, simultaneously warned administration officials not to treat his decision as permission to revive the program.

"I give the Justice Department this warning: Don't play possum with me," Leon said from the bench.

Blanche announced during a hearing earlier this month that the Anti-Weaponization Fund, which was born out of President Donald Trump's lawsuit settlement with the IRS, would not be proceeding. The fund was intended to compensate alleged victims of government "lawfare," but its creation sparked immediate backlash from Democrats, who characterized it as a "slush fund" that could ultimately benefit Trump's political allies and individuals charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

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Justice Department attorney Andrew Block argued before Leon that Blanche's congressional testimony effectively mooted CREW's challenge because the government had publicly committed not to move forward.

Leon repeatedly questioned why Blanche has not formally rescinded a May 18 order that established procedures for the fund in the first place, a question Block could not answer.

CREW attorney Nikhel Sus argued the settlement agreement that established the fund remains legally operative and contains upcoming deadlines requiring action.

WAY HARDER THAN IT SHOULD BE: WHY CONGRESS MAY BALK ON $1.7B COMPENSATION FUND

According to Sus, a five-member board overseeing the fund must be established by June 17, while funding transfers are scheduled by July 17.

"On paper, the fund is still a legally operating entity," Sus argued.

However, Leon ultimately accepted the government's assurances for now that the fund is moot, but he noted that he can sanction attorneys who make false representations to the court.

He also indicated he will continue considering CREW's request for a preliminary injunction and suggested he could intervene if evidence emerges that the administration is attempting to revive the fund.