Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday voted to advance President Donald Trump's former defense attorney Emil Bove to serve as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, clearing his nomination out of the committee to the full Senate for a vote.

The narrow vote came after roughly an hour of sharp debate from Democrats on the panel, who stormed out of the committee room shortly before the vote was held. Sens. Cory Booker, D-NJ, and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-NY, had unsuccessfully urged Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa to allow for more time to consider Bove's nomination, citing concerns made by a former Justice Department attorney and whistleblower, Erez Reuveni. 

The lack of candor prompted Whitehouse to declare, "there's something rotten in Denmark," invoking Shakespeare and Booker, moments later, to unsuccessfully appeal to Grassley's "decency and decorum."

"Debating the nomination, putting things on the record — Dear God, that's what we are here for," Booker erupted. "What are you afraid of?" 

TRUMP NOMINATES FORMER DEFENSE ATTORNEY EMIL BOVE FOR FEDERAL APPEALS COURT VACANCY

In the end, their appeal was unsuccessful, and Booker joined Democrats on the panel in walking out of the room before the vote was held.

The narrow confirmation vote from Republicans on the panel advances Bove's nomination to the full Senate for a vote. It comes as Bove, a hard-charging former federal prosecutor whom Trump installed earlier this year as a senior official at the Justice Department, faces fresh scrutiny over his role in the administration. In recent weeks, a group of former federal judges and several Democrats on the committee have urged senators to reject his nomination.

If confirmed by the Senate, he would serve a lifetime appointment on the federal bench, which has jurisdiction in the districts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

Grassley rejected a request Tuesday afternoon from Democrats on the panel to hold a second round of hearings on Bove's nomination, noting that, under the Democrat majority, the panel rejected at least four such requests made by Republicans.

"Many times during the last Administration, then-chairman Durbin said ‘there cannot be one set of rules for Republicans on this committee and another set of rules for Democrats,’" Grassley said. "I agree with this statement and intend to adhere to the precedent of then-Chairman Durbin."

Grassley added that Bove had participated in a lengthy confirmation hearing last month, testifying under oath about whistleblower allegations made by a former Justice Department attorney.

Bove said under oath at the time, "I have never advised a Department of Justice attorney to violate a court order." Grassley also noted that Bove provided members of the panel with 165 pages of written responses to their questions.

"Following a comprehensive review of the additional documents that you published following the hearing and discussed in the media, I do not believe that they substantiate any misconduct by Mr. Bove," Grassley said, outlining plans to move forward with the vote as planned.

HAWLEY URGES DHS SECRETARY NOEM TO DECLASSIFY ALL TRUMP BUTLER RALLY ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT DOCUMENTS

"I am not anybody’s henchman," Bove told the committee at his confirmation hearing last month. "I’m not an enforcer. I’m a lawyer from a small town, who never expected to be in an arena like this."

Bove, who spent nearly 10 years as a prosecutor for the Southern District of New York, previously represented Trump as his personal attorney in two criminal cases following his first term as president. As a prosecutor and at the Justice Department, he has earned a reputation for his fierce — and at times, aggressive — leadership style.

One longtime defense lawyer who crossed paths with Bove in New York told Fox News Digital the nominee was an arrogant "bully" and browbeat people.

At the Justice Department, Bove has also emerged as the man behind some of the administration's most contentious actions, including the decision to drop federal corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams, prompting some officials to resign rather than carry out his marching orders.

TRUMP FACES JUDGE BOASBERG OVER MIGRANT DEPORTATION FLIGHTS DEFYING COURT ORDER

These allegations were detailed in part by an explosive whistleblower report last month from former Justice Department attorney Erez Reuveni, who also detailed Bove's role in ousting some federal prosecutors involved in the investigations into the January 6 U.S. Capitol riot, and his alleged role in ordering department officials to ignore court orders with regard to the Alien Enemies Act

According to Reuveni, Bove "explicitly plotted to violate court orders" and directed law enforcement officers "to engage in illegal acts," among other things.

Reuveni, a 15-year DOJ veteran who was fired after struggling to defend the Trump administration's deportations in a U.S. court case in Maryland, said in the whistleblower complaint that Bove shocked longtime career officials handling immigration cases by telling them they would "need to consider telling the courts ‘f*** you’ and ignore any such court order."

The report prompted new concerns from former judges, including a group of more than 75 former federal and state judges, who urged lawmakers Tuesday to reject Bove's nomination — citing what they described in a letter as his "egregious record" at the Justice Department, according to the allegations from Reuveni.

"These are not actions of someone committed to equal justice under the law," the group said in a letter. "Rather, they reflect a troubling pattern of abusing prosecutorial discretion to shield political allies."

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who has worked closely with Bove for years, told Fox News Digital in an interview ahead of the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing last month that Bove is a "freaking brilliant lawyer," and described  his nomination to the appellate court as a "no-brainer."

Blanche described his colleague as the "most gentle, empathetic, great person that anybody could ever work with." 

Longtime President Donald Trump political foe Democrat California Sen. Adam Schiff was referred to the Department of Justice to face criminal prosecution over alleged mortgage fraud that reportedly stretches back years. 

Schiff, who was elected to the Senate in the 2024 election cycle following decades as a House lawmaker, is under scrutiny after the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) sent a letter to the Department of Justice in May sounding the alarm that in "multiple instances," Schiff allegedly "falsified bank documents and property records to acquire more favorable loan terms, impacting payments from 2003-2019 for a Potomac, Maryland-based property."

FHFA is an independent federal agency that oversees Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Bank System. 

This week, Trump publicly lambasted Schiff over the alleged mortgage fraud, while Fannie Mae's financial crimes investigations concluded Monday in a letter to the FHFA that Schiff allegedly engaged in "a sustained pattern of possible occupancy misrepresentation" on five Fannie Mae loans, Fox News Digital previously reported this week. 

WATCH: ADAM SCHIFF SILENT AFTER TRUMP ACCUSED HIM OF MORTGAGE FRAUD

"I have always suspected Shifty Adam Schiff was a scam artist," Trump posted to Truth Social Tuesday. "And now I learn that Fannie Mae’s Financial Crimes Division have concluded that Adam Schiff has engaged in a sustained pattern of possible Mortgage Fraud." 

"Adam Schiff said that his primary residence was in MARYLAND to get a cheaper mortgage and rip off America, when he must LIVE in CALIFORNIA because he was a Congressman from CALIFORNIA. I always knew Adam Schiff was a Crook. The FRAUD began with the refinance of his Maryland property on February 6, 2009, and continued through multiple transactions until the Maryland property was correctly designated as a second home on October 13, 2020."

Potomac, Maryland, is a suburb of Washington, D.C., located just more than 10 miles away from the nation's capital across the Maryland border. 

FEDERAL HOUSING OFFICIAL SUBMITTED SCHIFF CRIMINAL REFERRAL TO DOJ OVER MORTGAGE DOCUMENTS

Trump and Schiff have long been political foes, which was underscored during Trump's first administration when Schiff served as the lead House manager during the first impeachment trial against Trump in 2020 and when Schiff repeatedly promoted claims that Trump's 2016 campaign colluded with Russia

Fox News Digital took a look back at the timeline of Schiff's Maryland home, and when the public was first made aware in 2023 of allegations that Schiff claimed a more than 3,000-square-foot home in the suburbs of Washington as his primary residence, while taking a homeowner’s tax exemption on a small condo in his home state of California. 

TRUMP ACCUSES 'SCAM ARTIST' SCHIFF OF LYING ABOUT MARYLAND HOME TO COMMIT MORTGAGE FRAUD

LETITIA JAMES REAPS WHAT SHE SOWS AFTER LEVELING 'LAUGHABLE' CASE AT TRUMP: EXPERT

The investigation into Schiff's mortgages and homes follows a similar mortgage investigation earlier in 2025 focused on New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is also a longtime political Trump foe. The FHFA sent a criminal referral to the Department of Justice in April arguing the attorney general appeared to have falsified mortgage records to obtain more favorable loans.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

At the heart of that case is a Norfolk, Virginia, home James purchased in 2023, which she identified on mortgage documents and a Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac form as a property that would serve as her primary residence, according to the FHFA letter from April. James is legally required to live in New York as a statewide elected official in the Empire State. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Schiff's office for additional comment on the matter, but did not immediately receive a reply. 

Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace and Michael Dorgan contributed to this report. 

The minimum voting age will fall to 16 across the UK as part of a package of election reforms.

Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee stormed out of an executive committee meeting Thursday moments before the panel voted to advance President Donald Trump's judicial nominee, Emil Bove, to the full Senate floor for a vote.

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., urged Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa before the vote to allow them to consider the allegations against Bove made by a former Justice Department attorney, Erez Reuveni, in a whistleblower report.

Booker invoked Rule 4 of the committee rules in trying to push for additional debate time, which Grassley declined to acknowledge before ordering the vote — prompting the Democrat members of the panel to abruptly exit the hearing room.

Shortly before walking out, Booker took aim at Grassley. "What are you afraid of?" he erupted, after Grassley tried to speak over him and hold the vote. "Debating this [nomination], putting things on the record — Dear God," he said, "that's what we are here for."

"This lacks decency, this lacks decorum, it shows that you will not hear from your colleagues," Booker said to Grassley in another attempt. "You are a decent man," he said, imploring him to allow a small window of additional time for the panel to debate before pushing through with the committee vote. 

"Why are you doing this?" Booker pressed again. 

 "What are they saying to you," he said, referring to the Trump administration, "that is making you do something to violate the decorum, the decency and the respect of this committee to at least hear each other out?" 

President Donald Trump announced earlier this year the nomination of senior Justice Department official and his former defense attorney, Emil Bove, to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, a controversial choice that comes as the president continues to attack so-called "activist" judges for blocking his agenda.

His path to confirmation in the full Senate chamber remains rocky, and comes amid mounting concerns over the allegations made in the whistleblower report.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

FIRST ON FOX: Army Secretary Dan Driscoll called a set of training slides that deemed pro-life groups as terrorist organizations a "grievous error" that he'll work to ensure doesn't happen again, in a letter obtained by Fox News Digital. 

"This characterization was not only inaccurate but also deeply inappropriate," Driscoll wrote to a group of attorneys for the American Center for Law and Justice, who represented the pro-life groups affected. 

Thousands of soldiers at Fort Bragg were trained in counter-terrorism and security practices with slides that listed groups such as National Right to Life and Operation Rescue alongside recognized extremist organizations, and even pointed to pro‑life license plates as potential warning signs. The practice went on for seven years, until 2024. 

"Equally concerning was the previous administration’s inadequate response to this serious incident. Its failure to provide full transparency or take responsibility for such a grievous error is wholly unacceptable." 

HEGSETH ABRUPTLY PULLS PENTAGON OFFICIALS FROM 'GLOBALIST' ASPEN CONFERENCE

Driscoll said the Army has since reviewed all security training materials, including anti-terrorism training, and removed the slides that referenced pro-life groups, along with a slew of pro-animal and green groups like PETA, as "terrorist organizations." 

"Please be assured that I am firmly committed to rigorous oversight of all Army training materials to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future." 

‘EYES IN THE SKY’: ARMY DRONE EXPERT EXPLAINS US STRATEGY ON INNOVATION AS GLOBAL CONFLICT LOOMS

Agnes Schaefer, assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and Reserve affairs, said that the training deck, which was used to teach 9,100 Army soldiers, was "inconsistent with Army’s antiterrorism policy and training." 

The training module was used to instruct soldiers on what to look out for when guarding points of base access. 

She claimed there is "no evidence" to suggest the individual who created the slide deck did so to "deliberately subvert" Army policy or to "further a personal viewpoint." 

The slides caused a stir among congressional Republicans, who demanded answers from Army officials in a hearing last year and took issue with Schaefer’s assurances the slide did not represent a personal viewpoint. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"It’s downright ridiculous to claim the slide deck doesn’t ‘further a personal viewpoint,’ but there have been no consequences for the employee who ran anti-life training sessions at Fort Liberty that clearly violated Army policy," Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., told Fox News Digital in September. 

It’s not clear if anyone involved in the slide’s production and use has been fired or reprimanded. 

The Doge cost-cutting team is seeking data-sharing agreements with all of the councils Reform UK controls.

The National Urban League is sounding the alarm, asserting that there is a "state of emergency" in the country.

The organization's "State of Black America" report for 2025 titled "State of Emergency: Democracy, Civil Rights, and Progress Under Attack," takes aim at the Trump administration.

"Almost daily, since January 20, 2025, the federal government, at the direction of the White House, has set fire to policies and entire departments dedicated to protecting civil and human rights, providing access to an equal education, fair housing, safe and effective healthcare, and ensuring that our democratic process is adhered to across the nation," the report claims.

EXCLUSIVE: TRUMP ADMIN STRENGTHENS RELIGIOUS ACCOMODATIONS IN FEDERAL WORKFORCE

White House spokesman Harrison Fields pushed back in a statement to Fox News Digital.

"These so-called civil rights groups aren't advancing anything but hate and division, while the President is focused on uniting our country, improving our economy, securing our borders, and establishing peace across the globe," Fields said in the statement. "This is the same vision for America that a record number of Black Americans supported in the resounding reelection of President Trump. The Democrats have sold out Black voters to appease their base, which consists of illegals, the pronoun police, purple-haired lunatics, and radical anti-Semites."

National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial declared in the report, "The notion that we are living through a ‘state of emergency’ is not rhetorical flourish. It is an honest reckoning with a government increasingly determined to sacrifice its founding principles—equality, liberty, and justice—rather than accept the truth of a diversifying nation and deliver equitable opportunity to all."

DOJ INVESTIGATING MINNESOTA HIRING PRACTICES IN LATEST CLASH WITH WALZ

The report claims that the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department has been twisted "into a tool for political retribution."

"Under its new leadership, the Civil Rights Division has been hollowed out and repurposed— transforming from a guardian of justice into a tool for political retribution," the report asserts. "The radicalization of the DOJ is more than bureaucratic rot—it is an existential threat to civil rights enforcement, allowing discrimination to flourish unchecked under the false guise of ‘reverse racism.’"

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION REFINES EEOC APPROACH TO TRANSGENDER WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION CLAIMS

The report, which includes House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. and several other U.S. lawmakers among the list of contributors, speaks favorably about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.

"In short, DEI policies don’t just level the playing field in education and employment; they fortify democracy itself. By expanding opportunities, ensuring equitable access to information, and creating leadership pipelines, DEI helps guarantee that every American—not just the privileged few— can contribute to the nation’s future," the report declares.

NEW YORK, NY - Donald Trump, Jr., born and raised in New York City and heavily involved in the real estate market there, spoke to Fox News Digital about the prospects of the nation’s largest and most recognizable city possibly electing socialist Zohran Mamdani as its next mayor. 

"If what possibly could happen in November happens, I mean, it's scary and, you know, perhaps that's what New York needs," the president’s son told Fox News Digital in New York City on Wednesday.

"Maybe it has to fail to be able to come back, to be able to, you know, put the nail in the coffin of these ideas that have failed so many times around the world."

Trump Jr., who was at the New York Stock Exchange ringing the bell for the IPO of his latest business venture "GrabAGun," told Fox News Digital that he expects a mass exodus from New York City to Florida if Mamdani is elected mayor. 

MAMDANI'S FATHER SITS ON COUNCIL OF ANTI-ISRAEL GROUP TIED TO TERROR, LEGITIMIZES ROLE OF SUICIDE BOMBERS

"In New York, I think the stat I remembered, it was from like 10 years ago, but it was something like 18,000 people pay 80% of New York City’s city tax," Trump Jr. said. "Well, those people are all very mobile. They can go wherever they want. This new mayor could possibly be the greatest marketing campaign for Florida ever to exist."

Trump continued, "But what happens to New York then? And as a lifelong New Yorker, as someone who grew up here, someone who changed the skyline here with my father for many years before he got into politics, that's a scary notion, but perhaps it's exactly what America needs. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom, and I think if this communist mayor gets elected, rock bottom is what New York's going to see."

MAMDANI'S FAILURE TO WALK BACK THESE POSITIONS COULD CAUSE RECKONING IN DEMOCRATIC PARTY: 'FIVE-ALARM WARNING'

1789 Capital founder and President Omeed Malik, Trump Jr.’s partner who orchestrated the special purpose acquisition merger of Grab-A-Gun, told Fox News Digital he believes Mamdani is just a "young version" of NYC’s former progressive mayor Bill de Blasio.

"If you didn't see it on the writing on the wall with de Blasio I don't know what to tell you," Malik said. "I definitely don't want those people in Florida because if you haven't already moved out of here you've got the wrong politics."

Mamdani burst onto the national political scene last month after winning the Democratic Primary for New York City mayor despite being a self-avowed "Democratic socialist" and bringing a track record of calls to defund the police, anti-Israel statements, and socialist economic principles to the ballot box.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Mamdani campaign for comment. 

Like his son, President Trump referred to Mamdani as a "communist" this month, warning that New York City will "never be the same" if he's victorious in November.

"I'm not getting involved, but I can tell you this: I used to say we will not ever be a socialist country," Trump said. "Right. Well, I'll say it again. We're not going to have — if a communist gets elected to run New York, it can never be the same."

Just 19% of voters questioned in a new national poll give Democrats in Congress a thumbs up on how they're handling their duties, with 72% disapproving.

That's an all-time low since Quinnipiac University first began asking congressional approval questions in their surveys 16 years ago.

The Democratic Party has been in the political wilderness since November's elections, when Republicans won back control of the White House and the Senate and defended their fragile House majority. And Republicans made gains among Black, Hispanic and younger voters, all traditional members of the Democratic Party's base.

HEAD HERE TO CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLLING

Since President Donald Trump's return to power earlier this year, an increasingly energized base of Democrats is urging party leaders to take a stronger stand in pushing back against the president's sweeping and controversial second-term agenda. Their anger is directed not only at Republicans, but at Democrats they feel aren't vocal enough in their opposition to Trump.

And that's fueled a plunge in the Democratic Party's favorable ratings, which have hit historic lows in several surveys this year.

FOUR MONTHS INTO TRUMP'S SECOND TERM, DEMOCRATS REMAIN DEEPLY PESSIMISTIC ABOUT THEIR PARTY

The trend is reflected in the new Quinnipiac poll, which was conducted July 10-14.

Just 39% of Democrats approve of the way Democrats in Congress are handling their jobs, with 52% disapproving and 9% not offering an opinion.

"The approval numbers for Democrats can be characterized as flat out terrible," Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy said.

While the approval ratings for Republicans in Congress aren't as "terrible" as the Democrats, they're nothing to brag about.

Only a third of voters questioned in the poll said they approved of the way congressional Republicans were handling their duties, with 62% giving them a thumbs down.

But just over three-quarters of Republicans (77%) said they approved of the way GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill were handling their jobs, with just one in five disapproving.

Forty percent of respondents approved of how Trump is handling his job as president, with 54% disapproving.

Trump's approval ratings were in positive territory during the first weeks of his second tour of duty in the White House. But the president's poll numbers have been underwater in most, but not all, of the latest national surveys.

Presidential and congressional approval ratings have long been closely watched barometers ahead of a midterm election.

Republicans will be defending their slim House and Senate majorities in next year's midterms, and will also be facing traditional headwinds that hamper the party in power.

FIRST ON FOX: Some House fiscal hawks are cautiously readying to accept the $9 billion spending cuts package passed by the Senate overnight.

The House of Representatives must pass the bill, called a rescissions package, by Friday.

Rescissions packages are spending cuts requested by the White House of funds that Congress already appropriated for that fiscal year. 

It's a process that lets Republicans sideline Democrats by lowering the Senate's threshold for passage from 60 votes to 51, but the request must be considered within 45 days. If that window passes, the funds must be re-obligated.

148 DEMOCRATS BACK NONCITIZEN VOTING IN DC AS GOP RAISES ALARM ABOUT FOREIGN AGENTS

As of Thursday morning, at least three conservatives – Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., and Ralph Norman, R-S.C. – signaled to Fox News Digital that they are leaning toward supporting it.

It's good news for House GOP leaders who are dealing with a razor-thin, three-vote margin. 

A group of House conservatives wrote to the Senate earlier this week warning them not to change any part of the original $9.4 billion spending cuts package – though they stopped short of threatening to vote against it.

The Senate version of the bill rolled back a spending cut for an HIV/AIDS research program in Africa after concerns were raised by Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine, and others.

It wound up passing 51-48 after 2 a.m. on Thursday, with Collins and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, voting against the bill.

It's highly unlikely the minimal change will stir a significant rebellion, particularly after the White House green-lit the change. But leaders can afford few missteps.

Like the House, the Senate GOP's majority is just three votes – and with all Democrats in both chambers prepared to vote against the legislation, Republicans are counting every vote.

Roy told Fox News Digital he would support the bill on the House floor "if I understand what [the] Senate passed correctly."

Burchett said, "I think so," when asked if he would vote for the bill, and Norman responded, "yes," when asked as well.

TAX CUTS, WORK REQUIREMENTS AND ASYLUM FEES: HERE'S WHAT'S INSIDE TRUMP'S BILL

Of the three, just Norman signed conservatives' letter warning, "In order to facilitate President Trump’s voter mandate, the Senate must pass the entire $9.4 billion of spending cuts in the rescission bill. Weakening any of these provisions would undermine both his leadership and the discipline our budget urgently demands."

The bill would cut roughly $8 billion from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and $1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which deals federal grants to NPR and PBS.

It's expected to come before the House Rules Committee sometime Thursday, the final gatekeeper before a chamber-wide vote.

If the House passes it on Thursday or Friday, it heads to President Donald Trump's desk for a signature.

Fox News Digital's Alex Miller contributed to this report.

Lawmakers long opposed to providing aid to Ukraine are now on board, if cautiously. President Donald Trump’s plan to assist the war effort comes with a twist because Washington won’t pay for the weapons sent to Kyiv. 

Months after calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a "dictator" and questioning whether he even wanted to end the war with Russia, Trump has seemingly pivoted his frustrations to President Vladimir Putin. 

Now, the U.S. will provide weapons to Ukraine using European money. 

Even Vice President JD Vance is supportive of the move. 

NATO CHIEF PRAISES TRUMP'S WEAPONS SALES TO ALLIES AS 'SIGNIFICANT' MOVE THAT COULD FORCE PUTIN TO NEGOTIATE

"Vice President Vance completely supports President Trump’s plan to save American taxpayers from indefinitely funding the conflict in Ukraine and remains committed to the president’s goal of ending the bloodshed in Eastern Europe," a Vance spokesperson told Fox News Digital. 

"While Joe Biden stupidly sent billions of American tax dollars to Ukraine, President Trump put America first and smartly struck a deal that puts the onus on our allies in Europe to pay for the aid to Ukraine."

Under the Biden administration, Vance struck a different tone. 

TRUMP SAYS US WILL SEND PATRIOT MISSILES TO UKRAINE, ADDS THAT PUTIN 'TALKS NICE AND THEN HE BOMBS EVERYBODY'

"This is not just a matter of dollars. Fundamentally, we lack the capacity to manufacture the amount of weapons Ukraine needs us to supply to win the war," he wrote in a New York Times op-ed last year. "The Biden administration has no viable plan for the Ukrainians to win this war."

Less than two years ago, House Republicans ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy over a "secret side deal" to fund Ukraine. Months later, Speaker Mike Johnson risked the same fate over a Ukraine package that most of his members voted down. 

But last week, Trump abruptly undid a Pentagon review that paused weapons shipments to Ukraine.  Now, with Trump’s new Europe pays model, the weapons are flowing, and the resistance is fading.

After repeatedly criticizing Zelenskyy and casting doubt on Ukraine’s war goals, Trump now says Putin may not be serious about peace. 

"We get a lot of bulls--- thrown at us by Putin," Trump said during a recent Cabinet meeting. "He’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless."

The about-face has given Republican holdouts cover to reframe their positions — even if they remain skeptical. 

"I think they’re going to have to justify it, why now?" said Ralph Norman, R-S.C., who voted against all Ukraine supplemental funding packages. 

"When Biden was doing it, he didn’t know what he was doing. It was just money going to all different directions," he added. "But there'll be a lot of debate on it, as it should be."

The successful strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites were a win for interventionism, some lawmakers say, and have seemingly quieted isolationist sentiment. 

"I trust the generals right now," Norman said when asked whether he believed more weapons would prolong or shorten the war. "They would do the right thing in Ukraine." 

SENATE MOVES TO REIN IN TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S FLUCTUATING UKRAINE POLICY

Freshman Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, said he still saw Trump’s policy as a return to "realism and restraint." 

"Many people in this country have been burned by an overzealous foreign policy," Gill said. "Getting involved in conflicts abroad without any understanding of what a path to peace would look like, what victory really means. And President Trump is reining that in.

"He's doing things a little bit differently, is getting NATO on board, and that's a good thing."

In March, when the administration paused military aid, Gill had celebrated Trump "driving a knife right through the foreign policy UniParty." 

Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., called the new U.S.-NATO plan for Ukraine aid "great." 

"I think more weapons will shorten [the war,]" he said. "We're looking at NATO purchasing weapons from us. That's a good thing right there." 

"Putin needs to understand that our patience is running short. And he needs to understand it's Vladimir Putin against the world," said Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis.

Last year, Van Orden railed against the Biden administration for failing to provide a plan to end the war. This time, the idea of Europe footing the bill seems to have sold him. 

"Europe has to step up and do the preponderance of their own defense," he told Fox News Digital. 

Van Orden blamed the invasion on European NATO allies failing to meet their 2% goal for defense spending. 

"If the members of NATO had gone to 2% of GDP ten years ago when they promised to, do you think Vladimir Putin would have invaded Ukraine?" Van Orden wondered.

At a White House meeting Monday with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump said a "very big deal" had been agreed to by Europeans to purchase.

"Billions of dollars’ worth of military equipment is going to be purchased from the United States, going to NATO … And that’s going to be quickly distributed to the battlefield," Trump said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Trump said the package would be comprehensive, including Patriot missile batteries that Ukraine needs for air defenses. 

"It’s everything. It’s Patriots. It’s all of them. It’s a full complement with the batteries," Trump said.

President Donald Trump signed a bill into law on Wednesday that classifies fentanyl-related drugs as more dangerous substances as part of the president’s broader crackdown on the country’s opioid epidemic.

The bill, called the Halt All Lethal Trafficking (HALT) of Fentanyl Act, was a Republican-led effort but gained wide bipartisan support in the House and Senate.

It places fentanyl-related substances permanently into Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, which means crimes related to the illicit drugs will require prison sentences.

More than two dozen Republican state attorneys general previously urged Congress to pass the bill, calling it "vital" to addressing a "cataclysmic surge of overdose deaths" in the United States in a letter to congressional leaders.

SENATE PASSES HALT FENTANYL ACT TO PERMANENTLY RECLASSIFY ALL FENTANYL-RELATED SUBSTANCES

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson told Fox News Digital just before Trump signed the bill that even though laws already impose mandatory minimum prison sentences for drug traffickers who sell fentanyl, the bill addresses fentanyl analogues, which are synthetic opioids similar in structure to the original drug.

"When a Chinese chemist or a Mexican cartel chemist changes one molecule, changes one component of the fentanyl drug, they actually make it difficult for federal prosecutors to go after them," Wilson said, adding that the new law will end what has become a game of "cat and mouse" for prosecutors.

Schedule I drugs are those that have no government-approved medical use. Fentanyl analogues had been temporarily classified under that schedule, but the new bill permanently codifies it.

Opioids and synthetic opioids are the top two causes of drug overdose deaths in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Drug overdoses declined in 2024 but still remain the leading cause of death for Americans 18–44 years old, according to the agency.

I BLAME BIDEN'S BORDER CRISIS FOR MY TEEN'S FENTANYL DEATH AND THANK TRUMP FOR TRYING TO END THIS SCOURGE

Critics of the HALT Fentanyl Act, who include some Democrats and civil rights groups, warned that harmless substances that do not warrant mandatory prison time could get swept up in the "fentanyl analogue" category and that the bill does nothing to address the root causes of substance abuse.

"It's shocking that lawmakers still believe we can police our way out of a public health crisis — despite over fifty years of evidence to the contrary," Liz Komar, counsel at the Sentencing Project, said in a statement.

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird supported the stricter sentencing practices, telling Fox News Digital she has witnessed firsthand as the top cop in her state how "those sentences protect victims" and "help get justice for victims, for our communities."

"I really think the only people that could be against [the HALT Fentanyl Act] would be the drug cartels, because they have so much to lose by us cracking down on fentanyl and the money that they make by poisoning thousands of Americans," Bird said.

Among those attending Trump’s bill signing in the East Room of the White House on Wednesday were several of the attorneys general, congressional leaders, immigration groups and families who have lost loved ones to addictions and overdoses.

FATHER WHOSE SON DIED FROM FENTANYL WARNS ‘OVERDOSES CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE’

Gregory Swan spoke about his son Drew, who died from a fentanyl overdose at 24 years old. He was prescribed painkillers after a sports injury, which spurred his addiction.

"It's the honor of my life to be here," Swan said while holding a framed picture of his son. "Drew was — the happiest day of my life was when he was born, and he always called me his hero until the day he died. And his passing ruined, I thought, my life. … There is despair and there's hopelessness. But, we've been able to find some repose in going out and advocating."

The new bill came as part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to curb overdose deaths and stem the flow of illegal drugs into the country.

Just one day prior, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Acting Drug Enforcement Administrator Robert Murphy announced recent major drug bust operations and an update on their seizures of fentanyl, widely known for being highly potent in minuscule doses. Authorities warn that overdoses can occur because more innocuous drugs, such as Adderall, can be laced with it, unbeknownst to the consumer.

The DEA has this year seized over 44 million fentanyl pills and 4,500 pounds of fentanyl powder, Bondi said, adding that federal authorities have made 2,105 fentanyl-related arrests.

"I want to remind all Americans to exercise extreme caution: a pill can kill," the attorney general said.

A new think tank analysis finds that public corruption is a significant problem in the U.S., and is most prevalent in state and local governments that have larger bureaucracies and higher regulations.

The libertarian Cato Institute said it analyzed Department of Justice data on public corruption convictions in the nation’s 94 federal judicial districts and measured the annual average number of convictions per 100,000 population over the 2004–2023 period.

"The data show that some of the most corrupt places by this measure match their reputations," the authors of the Cato analysis wrote.

Washington, D.C., topped the rankings with 469 total convictions during the nearly 20-year period and an annual conviction rate of 3.49, according to Cato’s report.

DEMOCRAT DA IN HOT SEAT AFTER RETAIL THEFT SURGES IN MAJOR AMERICAN CITIES

"It has a huge number of legislative and executive branch federal employees, and there are many opportunities for graft," the report says.

Louisiana’s eastern district, which includes New Orleans, ranks at number four on Cato’s list with 430 total convictions during this period and an annual conviction rate of 1.29.

"New Orleans has long been infamous for state and local corruption," the report says.

TARIFF CASE PITS CATO INSTITUTE AGAINST TRUMP OVER ‘UNLIMITED’ EXECUTIVE POWER UNDER EMERGENCY LAW

The Cato analysis found that New Hampshire had the lowest public corruption by this metric, with 13 convictions over the period and an annual conviction rate of .05. Cato called it "the freest state in the nation with one of the smallest governments."

Cato said it appeared that "larger governments with more spending and regulations create more opportunities for bribery and embezzlement." 

The think tank, however, noted that some academic studies have suggested other reasons for corruption differences between states and cities, including varying cultures, education levels, and poverty rates.

Though Senate Republicans were successful in their mission to pass President Donald Trump’s clawback package, not every member of the conference was on board.

Only two Republicans, Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, joined with every Senate Democrat to vote against the $9 billion package geared toward clawing back foreign aid and public broadcasting funding.

SENATE GOP BLOWS THROUGH 2ND HURDLE OF THE NIGHT, TEEING UP TRUMP'S CLAWBACK BILL FOR HOURSLONG DEBATE

Senate Republican leaders had hoped that stripping $400 million in cuts to Bush-era international AIDS and HIV prevention funding could win over all the holdouts, both public and private. But the lawmakers who voted against the bill had deeper concerns about the level of transparency during the process and the impact successful rescissions could have on Congress’ power of the purse.  

Collins, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, said she agreed with rescissions in general and supports them during the appropriations process, but couldn’t get behind the White House’s push because of a lack of clarity from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) about exactly what would be cut and how.

She said that "the sparse text" sent to lawmakers included little detail and did not give a specific accounting of programs that would be cut to hit the original $9.4 billion target.

TRUMP'S $9 BILLION CLAWBACK PASSES FIRST SENATE TEST, WHILE MORE HURDLES AWAIT

"For example, there are $2.5 billion in cuts to the Development Assistance account, which covers everything from basic education, to water and sanitation, to food security — but we don't know how those programs will be affected," she said.

Murkowski demanded a return to legislating and appeared to warn that lawmakers were just taking marching orders from the White House rather than doing their own work. 

Both Murkowski and Collins were also concerned about the cuts to public broadcasting, particularly to rural radio stations. Both attempted to make changes to the bill during the vote-a-rama. Collins' ultimately decided not to bring her amendment, which would have reduced the total amount of cuts in the bill to north of $6 billion, to the floor. However, Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., still brought the change for a vote. And Murkowski offered an amendment that would have drastically reduced the cuts to public broadcasting. 

The climactic vote for the bill came hours after tsunami warnings rippled through Alaska, and Murkowski argued that federal warnings were relayed through local public broadcasting. 

"The tsunami warnings are now thankfully canceled, but the warning to the U.S. Senate remains in effect," she said. "Today of all days, we should vote down these misguided cuts to public broadcasting."

Still, both attempts to modify the bill failed to pass muster. 

Their decision to go against the package left some scratching their heads. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., argued that the cuts amounted to less than a tenth of a percent of the federal government’s entire budget.

"This should be a chip shot, OK? I have faith in [OMB Director] Russ Vought," he said. "I have faith in the Trump administration. They're not going to cut things that are important spending."

SENATE GOP AGREE TO STRIP CUTS TO HIV, AIDS PREVENTION PROGRAM FROM TRUMP'S CLAWBACK BILL

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., who is leading the bill in the Senate, rebuked the duo's arguments and said that lawmakers weighing in on the rescissions package was in line with their legislative duties.

"That's exactly what we're doing," the Missouri Republican said. "I would hope that maybe what this will also do is highlight some of the wasteful spending, so when we get into the appropriations process in the next few months that we would be more keen to be focused on saving people money."

Trump’s bill, which would cancel unspent congressionally approved funding, would slash just shy of $8 billion from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and over $1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the government-backed funding arm for NPR and PBS.

Some lawmakers, like Sen. Thom Tillis, who earlier this month voted against Trump's "big, beautiful bill" over cuts to Medicaid funding, understood where the pair were coming from.

The North Carolina Republican told Fox News Digital that Collins, in particular, would be leading negotiations for an end-of-year bipartisan funding deal with Senate Democrats, and to vote in favor of canceling congressionally approved funding could hurt her ability to find a solution to keep the government funded.

"I don't think people really understand the value of your word and your consistency and your living up to commitments and how important that is to getting things done," Tillis said. "And this, I think, that's what Susan's looking at, I think Murkowski is as well, and I respect them for that."

New York City socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is facing heat online over a clip where he explains how he was able to take time off work because he knew his parents would financially support him. 

"I worked until January, and then I took time away from my job and one of the major reasons I could do that was because I knew that if I ran out of my savings my family would be able to support me," Mamdani said in the clip of a Zoom call posted on X by a Washington Free Beacon reporter.

The clip received criticism on social media from those pointing to Mamdani’s socialist policies and suggesting the clip is evidence he is comfortable spending money that belongs to taxpayers due to a wealthy upbringing.

"The one thing my parents told me: if you aren't working, and you don't have money, we cannot and will not support you," New York Post columnist Kirsten Fleming posted on X. "This guy is very comfortable with other people's money."

MAMDANI'S FAILURE TO WALK BACK THESE POSITIONS COULD CAUSE RECKONING IN DEMOCRATIC PARTY: 'FIVE-ALARM WARNING'

"‘The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money,’ -Margaret Thatcher," Fox News contributor Katie Pavlich posted on X. 

"Classic Socialism: Once I blow through my money, I’ll take yours," former CIA officer Bryan Dean Wright posted on X. 

"Him and every other American socialist in 2025," digital strategist Greg Price posted on X. 

MAMDANI'S FATHER SITS ON COUNCIL OF ANTI-ISRAEL GROUP TIED TO TERROR, LEGITIMIZES ROLE OF SUICIDE BOMBERS

"He’s privileged," Twitchy’s Amy Curtis posted on X. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Mamdani campaign for comment. 

Mamdani, who has faced criticism from his mayoral opponent, Mayor Eric Adams, for his "silver spoon" upbringing, rocketed onto the political scene last month when he was victorious in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary.

Part of Mamdani’s success has been with working-class voters as he campaigns on various issues affecting working voters, including housing affordability and taxpayer-subsidized programs. 

Mamdani will square off against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Adams in the general election in November.

The money will expand an existing pilot which works with perpetrators to help them resolve personal issues.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia to serve as the Sunshine State's chief financial officer.

The governor described Ingoglia as "the most conservative senator in the state of Florida," while delivering remarks on Wednesday.

Ingoglia pledged to work on property tax relief.

A TALE OF TWO FLORIDAS: REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY TORN OVER DESANTIS' PUSH TO ELIMINATE PROPERTY TAXES

"I am going to work hand and glove, side by side, with this governor to make sure that we get rid of property taxes on homestead exemption and offer real property tax relief to" Floridians, he declared.

Former state CFO Jimmy Patronis ran successfully for U.S. Congress, winning the seat in Florida's 1st Congressional District that had previously been occupied by Rep. Matt Gaetz.

FORMER DESANTIS OFFICIAL DEFEATS DEM FOR MATT GAETZ'S HOUSE SEAT

"I’m honored to be appointed by @GovRonDeSantis as Florida’s next Chief Financial Officer. Over the next year and a half, my number one priority is meaningful property tax relief. I won’t rest until we find a solution for Florida taxpayers," Ingoglia wrote on on X.

DESANTIS WINS AGAINST ‘WOKE’ ACCREDITATION IN PUSH TO OVERHAUL HIGHER EDUCATION

"I will be an unrelenting, proactive fiscal watchdog for our state and protect your tax dollars against waste, fraud and abuse. If insurance companies don't live up to their contractual obligations Floridians will know because I will call them out," he continued. "We will shine a light on bad actors, stop fraud, and bring down rates. Floridians deserves accountability. I'm here to deliver it. We will NOT let Florida become New York or Californa. Florida is the most amazing place to live. Let’s keep her free, strong, and thriving."

First on Fox: Eric Conroy, a U.S. Air Force veteran and former CIA case officer, announced his campaign to represent Ohio's 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday. 

Speaking with Fox News Digital ahead of his announcement, the Cincinnati native said southwest Ohio deserves a "common-sense advocate" in Washington, D.C., who can help the city reach its full potential. 

Conroy criticized incumbent Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman as "anything but" that common-sense decision maker for Ohioans, tying Landsman's policy record to President Joe Biden's progressive agenda. 

"This is decision-making more along the lines of an AOC or a Nancy Pelosi and not someone from Southwest Ohio," Conroy said of the second-term Democrat. 

AIR FORCE VETERAN JUMPS INTO KEY HOUSE RACE TO UNSEAT 22-TERM VULNERABLE DEM: 'TIME TO PASS THE TORCH'

Ohio, once a reliable swing state, has shifted to the right over the past few election cycles. Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno, a businessman and political outsider, defeated longtime incumbent Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown in 2024, securing a Republican majority in the U.S. Senate. 

REPUBLICANS TARGET VULNERABLE SENATE DEMOCRAT OVER LOS ANGELES RIOTING

On the campaign trail, Moreno also tied his Democrat opponent's voting record to Biden's, capitalizing on Ohio's conservative shift. 

Conroy blamed the Democratic Party's "lack of initiative, lack of foundation, and lack of any real ideas" for Ohio's red wave. 

"Greg Landsman has been a part of that problem and a part of that party that has really failed to address any day-to-day issues that people are encountering. Instead, they are focused on promoting a far-left agenda, which does not put money back in their pockets or help them solve day-today issues," he explained. 

Landsman was elected to represent Ohio's 1st District in 2022, unseating former GOP Rep. Steve Chabot. The Democrat won his re-election campaign last year against Republican challenger Orlando Sonza, an Army veteran and former Hamilton County prosecutor. 

Conroy said he would bring a multi-faceted approach to representing Cincinnati in Washington, D.C., given his experience growing up locally, nationally in the U.S. Air Force, and internationally at the CIA’s Directorate of Operations, leading intelligence missions around the world. 

"I’m running for Congress because I’ve seen the threats we face abroad and the struggles families face here at home. It’s time for new leadership that will stand up to the extremes, restore common sense, and fight to make sure the American Dream stays within reach for every Ohioan," Conroy said. 

Core among Conroy's campaign promises are a commitment to building the economy, supporting law enforcement and securing the border. The Republican has also vowed to protect Social Security and Medicare, a hot-button issue heading into the 2026 midterm elections as Democrats seize on Republicans' Medicaid reform included in President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill."

Progressive "Squad" leader Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., opened up about her breakfast with democratic socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday, as well as ICE activity in her district.

Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive who is now seen as a leading voice in the Democratic Party as well as a possible 2028 presidential candidate, met with Mamdani on Wednesday morning at a "Communication and Organizing Skillshare Breakfast."

The congresswoman told Fox News Digital that she thought the meeting with Mamdani and other Democrats was "really positive."

"It’s just important for folks to meet people in person, kick the tires and talk between themselves," she said.

AOC WELCOMES SOCIALIST MAMDANI TO NATION'S CAPITAL AS DEM LEADERS WITHHOLD ENDORSEMENTS

This comes as many Democratic leaders, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have yet to endorse Mamdani, despite his winning the Democratic mayoral nomination. Several top Democrats have criticized Mamdani for refusing to condemn the use of the phrase "globalize the intifada," which is seen by many as calling for violence against Jewish people.

Mamdani recently said he would not use the phrase and would "discourage" others from using it as well, but did not fully condemn the slogan. 

Along with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Ocasio-Cortez was one of the first national leaders to endorse Mamdani’s campaign before his surprise upset against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Before the Wednesday meeting, Ocasio-Cortez told reporters she was eager for people to meet him "face to face" and "hear what he has to say about making New York affordable for working people," while championing issues like rent freezes, affordable childcare and grocery prices.

'EXISTENTIAL THREAT': JEWISH LEADERS WARN OF NYC 'MASS EXODUS' IF ZOHRAN MAMDANI WINS IN NOVEMBER

In response to Democrats who are still on the fence about Mamdani or who have criticized his policies, Ocasio-Cortez told Fox News Digital, "I always think that the best approach to these things is to hear it directly from the person themselves instead of, you know, whatever the media static is or whatever it may be."

"If anyone has any reservations, you know, I think it's important to meet and hear it straight from the source and make a determination from there," she added.

Regarding recent ICE immigration enforcement activity targeting illegal gang members in her district, Ocasio-Cortez said, "If you are engaged in violence, if you are hurting women, children, of course, you're subject to crackdowns from the federal law and deportation."

PROGRESSIVE DEM REP FACES BACKLASH FOR CALLING ICE 'NAZI THUGS' WHILE DEFENDING MS-13 GANG MEMBER

However, she went on to claim that "the problem is that a lot of ICE activity is wasting resources not on people who are actually hurting and engaged in violence, but they're raiding kitchens and people who have been doing hard, honest work for years, paying taxes, being productive members of society."

"We shouldn't be wasting our resources going after our neighbors," she went on. "Everyone needs to be held accountable to the law. If you hurt somebody, you hurt somebody, that's the way that it is. And if you're undocumented, and you hurt someone, you know, that puts you on the track of deportation."

Other planned changes include expanding voter ID to include bank cards and moving to automatic registration.