Orange County, California, District Attorney Todd Spitzer said there was not a "plea deal" made in the case of an illegal immigrant convicted of manslaughter in the death of two teens after new scrutiny over the man's early release from a California prison.

"A convicted felon who was twice previously deported is being released after serving just a fraction of his sentence for killing two 19-year-olds because California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature refuse to hold criminals accountable," the Republican said in a news release Wednesday.

"This was not a plea deal. This was a defendant who pled to the court and was sentenced by a judge under California law, over the objection of Orange County prosecutors, who unsuccessfully argued for the maximum sentence.

TWO FEDERAL JUDGES MAY HOLD TRUMP IN CONTEMPT AS HE DEFIES COURTS IN IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN

"California’s creative concoction of good time, education and other credits has resulted in criminals being released quicker than ever before, fulfilling Gov. Newsom’s plot to empty California’s prisons and put dangerous and violent felons back on the street," Spitzer added.

Oscar Eduardo Ortega-Anguiano was driving drunk and high and speeding at nearly 100 mph on the 405 freeway in Orange County in November 2021, when he crashed into a car carrying 19-year-old Anya Varfolomeev and Nicholay Osokin. Both were killed and burned alive. In the spring of 2022, he was convicted of two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.

The victims' families were notified Easter Sunday that Ortega-Anguiano would be released early on July 19, over six years before his 10-year sentence is up.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CONVICTED OF KILLING TEENS IN HIGH-SPEED CRASH TO BE RELEASED EARLY: 'IT'S DISGUSTING'

However, after Fox News’ reporting, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said it would comply with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer and transfer him into federal custody. The Department of Justice announced it was filing federal charges against him, and border czar Tom Homan said his agency would do everything possible to keep him in custody.

"After being deported in 2013, this individual unlawfully re-entered the US & committed heinous crimes. A GOP DA then gave him a plea deal instead of pursuing 2nd-degree murder. [California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation] will again coordinate with ICE — as they have w/ 10,000+ inmates — to transfer him before release," the governor's press account tweeted Wednesday afternoon. 

In response to Spitzer’s comment, the governor’s office told Fox News on background that district attorneys get a say in what charges are prosecuted in cases. The governor's office said it was the Orange County District Attorney's office that dropped great bodily injury enhancements and other charges. Still, it does not play a role in the fact that the individual was scheduled to be released several years sooner, which could have been a part of the state's credit system to get out early. 

"For safety and security reasons, CDCR cannot provide information on an incarcerated person's release date or location in advance of their release. Incarcerated persons may earn credits for participating in rehabilitative programming, which may move their parole dates to an earlier date," the corrections department previously told Fox News.

TOP TRUMP OFFICIALS FILE CHARGES AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT AFTER FOX NEWS EXPOSES EARLY RELEASE PLANS

On Thursday morning, Bill Essayli, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, told "America's Newsroom" why the DOJ is pursuing federal prosecution.

"This is what happens when you have an open border policy like we did in the prior administration. But those days are over. Under this administration, our borders are closed," Essayli said.

"I've made it a top priority in my office, and I know throughout the United States, to enforce our immigration laws. So this defendant, he's not gonna get free. He's not going to be deported. He's coming to my jurisdiction, and we're gonna prosecute him. And once he's convicted, he's gonna spend many years in federal prison, and then he'll be deported again."

EXCLUSIVE: Leaders of a progressive group in the New York City suburbs are looking to protest a front-line House Republican's town hall on Sunday night – and Fox News Digital got an inside look at their plans.

Footage from the Indivisible Rockland Organizing Committee's monthly meeting on Wednesday shows one of the group's leaders discussing "potentially [having] thousands of people out front" of the event in West Nyack being held by Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., this weekend.

"It is a long street, and we’re trying to fill the entire street, so everyone coming into the rally will see people there and recognize it’s not going to be all, like, sunshine and daisies," organizer Pascale Jean-Gilles can be seen saying.

Jean-Gilles is also a local elected official in Lawler's district, serving on the Nyack Village Board of Trustees and as deputy mayor.

SENATE GOP PUSHES TRUMP BUDGET FRAMEWORK THROUGH AFTER MARATHON VOTE SERIES

"We want to be able to push back on some of the rules that we feel like are really cutting and chilling our First Amendment rights, like saying that we can’t record it. It’s a public meeting," Jean-Gilles said.

The demonstration outside Lawler's town hall will be a joint-organized effort as well, Jean-Gilles said, with "local unions" and other groups.

And while she made clear that her group was only behind the demonstration outside Lawler's rally, the local elected official appeared to endorse disruptions inside the event as well.

She said the rally rules made it "very clear you cannot whoop or shout or yell," but added, "There will be things we’re not gonna want to hear from him, and we should be able to make it known."

"I think that it looks poorly upon him if he’s kicking people out for just booing him, because that is, as people have seen through thousands of Supreme Court cases, that’s an acceptable form of dissent, and it’s covered under First Amendment rights," Jean-Gilles said. 

"Now, if people are shouting slurs and hate speech, that’s where I absolutely draw the line . . . that only feeds into his argument that we’re all crazy leftists and liberals, as opposed to people who live in this community."

Jean-Gilles said she and other activists would also prepare suggested questions for town hall attendees.

"We are prepared, and this will be something we may hand out on the day of – a couple of us have been working on just questions that we think that folks will either want to ask, or maybe want to add their own personal twist to," the official said. "So we’ll have those prepared for people, that just in case their number gets called, if you didn’t already think of one yourself, have a question that you can be prepared to ask."

Indivisible is a national left-wing organization whose local offshoots have been targeting Republican town halls for much of this year, encouraging activists to disrupt the events from both inside and outside.

An event listed by Indivisible on the organizing platform Mobilize is advertising a full-day event beginning in New York City and ending at Lawler's town hall on Sunday.

"Republicans are planning to cut Medicaid, SNAP, and other vital programs to fund massive tax cuts for billionaires. Congress will be home for April Recess and must hear from us," the event summary read.

"Join other activists to inform constituents in NY17/Tarrytown of this outrageous bill, urge them to phone Rep. Lawler to oppose it as well as attending Rep. Lawler's Town Hall on April 27. We'll be taking Metro North to Tarrytown."

Democrats are poised to pour enormous time and resources into New York's 17th Congressional District, where Lawler is widely seen as one of the most vulnerable House Republicans of the 2026 election cycle.

MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE

When reached for comment on plans to disrupt the upcoming town hall, Lawler spokesman Ciro Riccardi told Fox News Digital, "It is deeply disappointing that far-left radical groups like Indivisible Rockland are planning to disrupt the upcoming town hall."

"These actions undermine our democratic process by stifling civil debate, harming the very constituents who attend to discuss critical voter issues. We remain committed to fostering open, respectful dialogue and will take precautions to ensure a safe environment for all attendees," Riccardi said.

Jean-Gilles referred Fox News Digital to the Indivisible Rockland Organizing Committee for comment. 

When reached, the group's steering committee said it had received "hundreds" of messages from constituents who could not get into Lawler's town hall.

"In response, we decided to organize a peaceful demonstration outside the venue. This demonstration is meant to give voice to those who were excluded from the room but still want to be part of the democratic process. We want to make it clear that we are not organizing or endorsing any protest activity inside the town hall," Indivisible Rockland said. 

"It is also important to recognize the truth of the matter: This so-called town hall offers very limited opportunities for real public engagement. That is not right, it is not fair, and, in fact, it goes against the spirit of the Constitution."

Regarding Jean-Gilles, specifically, the group noted she was hosting the event in a personal capacity unrelated to her government role.

"Her comments during what was a private organizing meeting reflected the consensus of our group and not her official role or anything related to the governance of Nyack. She accurately underscored our values of free expression and clear boundaries against hate speech and harassment," the group said.

"We hope Congressman Lawler does more than just see this demonstration. We hope he listens. The people showing up are his constituents. They are families, workers, students and neighbors who care deeply about this community and are demanding to be heard. This demonstration is not just a sign of civic involvement, it is a message: We are watching, we are engaged, and we expect better from those in power."

Yale University revoked the status of a registered pro-Palestinian student group this week, saying it "flagrantly violated the rules" and set up an unauthorized encampment to protest Israel and blocked Jewish students from crossing.

Students for Justice in Palestine's (SJP) chapter at Yale, Yalies4Palestine, rallied others to join the blockage over social media, the university said in a statement. SJP, which described the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel as a "historic win for the Palestinian resistance," has come under scrutiny in the last year for its alleged ties to Hamas. 

The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP) released a report last year alleging that SJP receives funding linked to organizations accused of supporting Hamas. The report also claimed that SJP endorsed violence against Israelis and collaborated with terrorist groups. A federal lawsuit was also filed against SJP and its affiliate, the American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), alleging they acted as collaborators and propagandists for Hamas.

HAWLEY TAPS DOJ TO INVESTIGATE PRO-PALESTINIAN STUDENT GROUPS' POTENTIAL TIES TO HAMAS

Lawmakers have been skeptical of the group, too. In 2023, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis directed state universities to disband SJP chapters, alleging that the organization illegally supported Hamas. 

"Concerns have been raised about disturbing antisemitic conduct at the gathering," Yale's statement said. "The university is investigating those concerns, as harassment and discrimination are antithetical to learning and scholarship. Yale condemns antisemitism and will hold those who violate our policies accountable through our disciplinary processes."

The university added that it supports "free expression on campus" that complies with the school's "time, place, and manner rules." 

The student group posted videos of the demonstration on its Instagram account, and videos posted to X showed a group linking arms and blocking a Jewish student from passing through the area.

Protesters were heard chanting, "Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest."

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PLANS TO PULL $1 BILLION IN FUNDING FROM HARVARD AMID CLASH WITH UNIVERSITY: REPORT

The disciplinary action comes nearly a year after anti-Israel protests erupted across Ivy League campuses, with Yale being one of the universities with major disruptions and arrests, including a massive graduation walkout. ​Yale University's president during the 2024 pro-Palestine protests was Peter Salovey. Maurie McInnis succeeded him June 30.

Yale maintains it took disciplinary action against the students appropriately this week and kept a "calm campus."

The removal of the student group's official status comes a few months after President Donald Trump clamped down on antisemitism on college campuses. In January, Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to report on actions taken to address antisemitism in public education and to analyze complaints related to campus antisemitism after the Oct. 7 attacks. 

But not all schools are falling in line with Trump's order. Harvard University announced this week a lawsuit against the Trump administration for freezing billions of dollars in research funding to the Ivy League school.

The complaint argues the administration can't make a "rational connection" between antisemitism on the campus and the federal funding it receives.

The Trump Department of Homeland Security slammed the New York Times for publishing "sob stories" about deported criminal illegal immigrants while ignoring their victims.

The department criticized the outlet for publishing such an account about Nascimento Blair, a 44-year-old Jamaican national who was removed from the country by ICE on Feb. 27 after being convicted of kidnapping.

On Thursday, The New York Times published an extensive story about Blair in which the outlet claimed that he was a "changed man" who "had been rebuilding his life and seeking redemption."

The Times reported that, in addition to kidnapping, Blair had been selling marijuana and had been accused of kidnapping, "pistol-whipping" and demanding money from a teenager who had stolen some of his supply. After being convicted of kidnapping, The Times said that Blair used his time in prison to get bachelor’s and master’s degrees and that after his release, he got involved with his community and volunteered.

DEPORTED ‘MARYLAND MAN’ CHAMPIONED BY DEMS WAS PULLED OVER DRIVING CAR BELONGING TO HUMAN SMUGGLER

The outlet wrote that "to Mr. Blair and his supporters, his life story was one of rehabilitation, nuanced and filled with qualities that they believe Mr. Trump’s deportation machine disregards as it flies out immigrants en masse."

Slamming The Times’ coverage, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin asked, "Why does the New York Times continue to peddle sob stories about criminal illegal aliens and ignore their victims?"

According to a statement by ICE, Blair entered the U.S. in 2004 and then violated the terms of his admission. A year after his arrival, Blair was arrested by the Mount Vernon Police Department for first-degree kidnapping. He was convicted of the crime and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

The agency said that an immigration judge ordered Blair removed from the U.S. on Aug. 4, 2008. However, Blair was allowed to stay in the country after the New York State Department of Corrections released him on parole on April 9, 2020.

TRUMP ADMIN FILES FIRST RACKETEERING CHARGES AGAINST MASSIVE MIGRANT TERRORIST GROUP PRESENT IN US

ICE's New York City field office finally arrested him on Feb. 3, 2025.

McLaughlin told Fox News Digital that it was "because of the previous administration’s open border policies, this criminal illegal alien was released onto the streets of New York."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

She said, "Thanks to President Trump and Secretary Noem, this kidnapper was arrested and is now out of our country."

"President Trump and Secretary Noem have made it clear that we are prioritizing arresting and deporting the worst of the worst," said McLaughlin.

PRESIDENT TRUMP BLASTS COURTS FOR GETTING IN THE WAY OF DEPORTATION AGENDA

"That includes convicted kidnappers," she continued, adding, "We are restoring commonsense to our immigration system."  

In response to the DHS criticism, a New York Times spokesperson told Fox News Digital that "Mr. Blair's history is central to our reporting, and prominently described throughout the story."

A federal judge in New Hampshire on Thursday blocked the Trump administration from cutting funding to public schools that maintain diversity programs, a setback to its broader crackdown on DEI.

U.S. District Judge Landya McCafferty said the effort by Trump's Education Department to block federal funding to public schools that continue to promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs likely violates the First Amendment, presenting what she described as "textbook viewpoint discrimination."

At issue is a memo sent by the Education Department this month to public schools nationwide, threatening to withhold Title I federal funds from public schools that continue to "unfairly" promote DEI views or programs.

The effort sparked an immediate wave of concern, and lawsuits, across the country from education groups that cited the importance of Title I funds as a critical source of funding for many low-income public schools.

 TRUMP-APPOINTED JUDGE ORDERS ADMINISTRATION TO RETURN SECOND DEPORTED MIGRANT

The DEI-slashing effort was met with a wave of court challenges, including a lawsuit filed by the National Education Association, the group's New Hampshire affiliate chapter, and the Center for Black Educator Development, who challenged the case in New Hampshire's federal court.

Two other U.S. courts are slated to hear similar challenges to the Education Department's effort, with one case in Washington, D.C., expected to be heard as early as this week.

McCafferty's ruling stopped short of issuing a nationwide injunction to block the policy in all 50 states. 

Rather, it blocks the Trump administration from halting the disbursement of Title I funds to any schools that employ or contract with plaintiffs in the lawsuit. 

"The right to speak freely and to promote diversity of ideas and programs is ... one of the chief distinctions that sets us apart from totalitarian regimes," McCafferty said in her 82-page opinion, adding that the actions taken by the Education Department "threate[n] to erode these foundational principles."

TRUMP URGES SUPREME COURT TO LET TRANS MILITARY BAN PROCEED

She also said the Trump administration failed to provide the court with a sufficient definition of the DEI programs that were at risk as a result of the anti-DEI push.

The order comes after the Trump administration and the plaintiffs in the lawsuit reached a short-term agreement to delay the policy from taking force.

That agreement was slated to expire Thursday, prompting the court to rule on the matter.

The White House hit back hard Thursday at Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's state of the state address in which Kamala Harris' former running mate slammed President Donald Trump over his immigration policies and other "chaos." 

"It’s rich of Tim ‘Jazz Hands’ Walz to decry chaos when he let his largest city burn to the ground while his wife opened their mansion’s windows to savor the fumes," White House deputy press secretary, Harrison Fields, said in a statement to Fox News Digital, referring to the Minneapolis George Floyd riots of 2020. "Walz also willingly served alongside Vice President Harris, who presided over one of the most chaotic administrations in American history." 

The former Democratic vice presidential candidate used his state of the state address on Wednesday to criticize Trump and his administration for moving to deport illegal immigrants, including suspected gang members, as well as terrorist sympathizers.

"The president has also chosen, and I stress this, chosen, to tear up the values that once made America the shining light of the world. In this land of the free and home of the brave, we have university students being swept up, shoved into unmarked vans, and fathers being tossed into Salvadorian gulags without a hint of due process," Walz claimed. 

"I want to be real clear about this. If you say you love freedom, but you don't believe freedom is for everybody, then the thing you love isn't freedom, it's privilege," the governor said, garnering a standing ovation on the Minnesota House floor.

FEDERAL JUDGE DECLARES TRUMP ADMIN BLOCKING FEDERAL MONEY TO SANCTUARY CITIES UNCONSTITUTIONAL

Walz appeared to indirectly reference the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia – an illegal immigrant and suspected member of MS-13, which the administration newly designated a foreign terrorist organization. The administration admitted to mistakenly deporting Abrego Garcia to El Salvador, though Trump and federal officials have doubled down on Abrego Garcia's alleged ties to the violent Mexican gang, as well as a domestic violence case involving his wife claiming he beat her. 

Abrego Garcia was initially suspected of human smuggling during a 2022 Tennessee traffic stop but was not charged. Democrats, categorizing Abrego Garcia as a "Maryland father," meanwhile, have traveled to El Salvador to visit him while urging the administration to comply with Supreme Court and other court orders instructing that he be returned to the U.S. 

Abrego Garcia was initially held at the El Salvadoran megaprison known as the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), but he has since been transferred to the lower security Centro Industrial Penitentiary facility in Santa Ana, El Salvador. The State Department said in court filings he remains held there "in good conditions and in an excellent state of health."

Waltz also appeared to excoriate how federal immigration authorities have taken into custody foreign students whose visas were rescinded by the Trump administration for allegedly organizing anti-Israel demonstrations at U.S. college campuses. 

Though Waltz did not mention anyone by name, another group of House Democrats traveled to Louisiana detention facilities holding Tufts University fifth-year doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk and former Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil this week. 

FEDERAL JUDGE ALLEGES 'WILLFUL AND BAD FAITH REFUSAL' TO COMPLY IN ABREGO GARCIA DEPORTATION CASE

The Democratic governor also took jabs at Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, claiming that the Trump administration wants to take Medicaid coverage away. 

"I can't help but point out that we also gather at a moment of great uncertainty for our nation. And let's be honest, this uncertainty, this chaos is no accident," Waltz said. "The President of the United States has chosen, chosen to destroy the federal government's ability to help people. He literally hired the richest man in the world to take a chainsaw to the basic services that Minnesotans rely on to build better lives. His plan leaves nobody there working to prevent the next pandemic, nobody to pick up the phone at the Social Security office, nobody making sure kids with special needs get the quality education they deserve." 

Walz also slammed Trump over his reciprocal tariffs policies, alleging the Republican president is out of touch with working-class Americans. 

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz – the former Democratic vice presidential candidate – used his state of the state address on Wednesday to criticize President Donald Trump and his administration for moving to deport illegal immigrants, including suspected gang members, as well as terrorist sympathizers.

"The president has also chosen, and I stress this, chosen, to tear up the values that once made America the shining light of the world. In this land of the free and home of the brave, we have university students being swept up, shoved into unmarked vans, and fathers being tossed into Salvadorian gulags without a hint of due process," Walz claimed. 

"I want to be real clear about this. If you say you love freedom, but you don't believe freedom is for everybody, then the thing you love isn't freedom, it's privilege," the governor said, garnering a standing ovation on the Minnesota House floor.

FEDERAL JUDGE DECLARES TRUMP ADMIN BLOCKING FEDERAL MONEY TO SANCTUARY CITIES UNCONSTITUTIONAL

Walz appeared to indirectly reference the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia – an illegal immigrant and suspected member of MS-13, which the administration newly designated a foreign terrorist organization. The administration admitted to mistakenly deporting Abrego Garcia to El Salvador, though Trump and federal officials have doubled down on Abrego Garcia's alleged ties to the violent Mexican gang, as well as a domestic violence case involving his wife claiming he beat her. 

Abrego Garcia was initially suspected of human smuggling during a 2022 Tennessee traffic stop but was not charged. Democrats, categorizing Abrego Garcia as a "Maryland father," meanwhile, have traveled to El Salvador to visit him while urging the administration to comply with Supreme Court and other court orders instructing that he be returned to the U.S. 

Abrego Garcia was initially held at the El Salvadoran megaprison known as the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), but he has since been transferred to the lower security Centro Industrial Penitentiary facility in Santa Ana, El Salvador. The State Department said in court filings he remains held there "in good conditions and in an excellent state of health."

Waltz also appeared to excoriate how federal immigration authorities have taken into custody foreign students whose visas were rescinded by the Trump administration for allegedly organizing anti-Israel demonstrations at U.S. college campuses. 

Though Waltz did not mention anyone by name, another group of House Democrats traveled to Louisiana detention facilities holding Tufts University fifth-year doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk and former Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil this week. 

FEDERAL JUDGE ALLEGES 'WILLFUL AND BAD FAITH REFUSAL' TO COMPLY IN ABREGO GARCIA DEPORTATION CASE

The Democratic governor also took jabs at Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, claiming that the Trump administration wants to take Medicaid coverage away. 

"I can't help but point out that we also gather at a moment of great uncertainty for our nation. And let's be honest, this uncertainty, this chaos is no accident," Waltz said. "The President of the United States has chosen, chosen to destroy the federal government's ability to help people. He literally hired the richest man in the world to take a chainsaw to the basic services that Minnesotans rely on to build better lives. His plan leaves nobody there working to prevent the next pandemic, nobody to pick up the phone at the Social Security office, nobody making sure kids with special needs get the quality education they deserve." 

Kamala Harris’ former running mate also slammed Trump over his reciprocal tariffs policies, alleging the Republican president is out of touch with working-class Americans. 

Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair Ken Martin, aiming to quell a raging firestorm in the party, is making it crystal clear the DNC will stay neutral in intra-party primaries.

"No DNC officer should ever attempt to influence the outcome of a primary election, whether on behalf of an incumbent or a challenger," the recently elected national party chair said during a conference call with reporters on Thursday.

Martin's comments were directed at DNC vice chair David Hogg, who last week pledged to shell out $20 million through his outside political group, Leaders We Deserve, to primary-challenge some older Democrats in blue districts. 

Hogg's effort is aimed at helping to elect younger Democrats and includes supporting primary challengers to House Democrats in safe seats who Hogg argues "are asleep at the wheel."

DEMOCRATS’ VICE CHAIR IGNITES CIVIL WAR, TARGETING 'ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL' INCUMBENTS IN PRIMARIES

Hogg, the 25-year-old survivor of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, drew sharp attention by spending money against fellow Democrats—a move a DNC official called unprecedented. The action has deepened internal party tensions that have simmered since President Donald Trump’s decisive election last November.

DAVID HOGG DONATES $100K TO DCCC AFTER PLAN TO PRIMARY 'INEFFECTIVE' DEMOCRATS IGNITED CIVIL WAR IN PARTY

"I have great respect for David Hogg. I think he's an amazing young leader who's done so much already to help move our movement forward," Martin said.

But the DNC chair added that while he understands what Hogg is trying to do, "I've said to him, if you want to challenge incumbents, you're more than free to do that, but just not as an officer of the DNC, because our job is to be neutral arbiters. We can't be both the referee and also the player at the same time."

"It's important for us to maintain the trust that we have built with Democratic voters and to keep our thumb off the scale as party officers," Martin added.

Jane Kleeb, the president of the Association of State Democratic Chairs (ASDC) who joined Martin on the call, noted, "I, too, have a deep relationship with David. I was just talking with him this morning. We hope that he realizes that he got elected to be an officer of the DNC, which means that we remain neutral."

Hours later, Hogg responded in a series of social media posts.

"The role of the DNC is to set the Presidential primary calendar, set the Presidential debate schedule, to help strengthen our state parties, play a key role in building our data infrastructure for the party, and to be the campaign in waiting for whoever the next Democratic nominee is. Nothing I'm doing is at odds with any of that.," Hogg argued.

And he charged that the DNC is "trying to change the rules because I'm not currently breaking them. As we’re seeing law firms, tech companies, and so many others bowing to Trump, we all must use whatever position of power we have to fight back. And that’s exactly what I'm doing."

The move by Hogg comes as the party's base is angry and energized in fighting back against Trump's sweeping and controversial moves since returning to the White House three months ago. That anger is directed not only at Trump and Republicans, but also at Democrats. Many in the party's base feel they haven't been effective or vocal enough in pushing back against the president.

The energy has been evident at town halls this past winter and early spring held by both Democratic and Republican members of Congress. And progressive champions Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York have drawn large crowds to their "Fighting Oligarchy" rallies across the country over the past six weeks.

JAMES CARVILLE CALLS DAVID HOGG'S PLAN TO PRIMARY 'INEFFECTIVE' DEMS THE 'MOST INSANE THING' HE'S EVER HEARD

Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez, and other politicians who are leading the fight against Trump — including Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut — have seen a surge in their fundraising over the past three months.

Another leader on the left who has been among those vocal in their resistance to the Trump administration, Rep. Ro Khanna of California, said in a Fox News Digital interview that "we have to have a whole rebrand of the Democratic Party with a coherent platform and a future-oriented platform, and many leaders need to do that, new leaders, not the old guard. And I hope to be part of that."

In a social media post, Khanna said last week he supports Hogg's primary plan and urged Democrats to "embrace a new generation of leadership & competition!"

But while Democrats are increasingly energized to resist Trump, a slew of national polls this year indicated the favorability ratings of the Democratic Party sinking to all-time lows.

Martin's comments on DNC neutrality in primaries came as he and Kleeb announced a $1 million investment in Democratic state parties.

The chair called the investment "historic" and said that it "will remake how we do business and how we achieve sustained political power in the Democratic Party."

"I ran for this job to get the DNC out of the D.C. . . . I don't think it benefits Democrats to sit in Washington and gaze at the problem and expect solutions to present themselves. Everyone here just wants to win the argument. I want to win elections, and you win elections in the States. So, that's where the DNC will invest our resources," Martin said.

Kleeb said that "the reform package that Ken Martin is bringing forward, that he will be discussing over the next several months that he ran on as chair is not a reaction to David, but is a step in the right direction of reforms that we've been fighting for, for 15 years. So I just wanted to make sure that that was clear."

Former DNC Chair Howard Dean, who instituted a previous 50-state strategy when he steered the national party committee two decades ago, praised the new plan, saying "this is a really critical move that’s being made here."

"The DNC's job has got to shift outside of Washington. We cannot be a Washington-centric party and expect to win," Dean added.

Martin was expected to detail the new investments for the state parties, along with a strengthened neutrality pledge for DNC officials, in a call later Thursday with national party committee members.

Some Democratic politicians and pundits have criticized Hogg's strategy.

During an interview with CNN last week, longtime Democratic strategist James Carville ripped Hogg for challenging those within his own party when he could be investing those same funds to "take on a Republican." 

"The most insane thing I ever heard is the vice chair of the Democratic National Committee is spending $20 million running against other Democrats. Aren't we supposed to run against Republicans?" Carville asked. 

Carville said Hogg's job is to challenge Republicans, not Democrats, and suggested Hogg's investment breached his "fiduciary duty" to the Democratic Party. Other strategists have joined Carville in calling out Hogg's "insane behavior."

"When @davidhogg111 became Vice-Chair, I was quoted worrying he would not make the switch from activist to his new role. And he didn't. This is insane behavior from a DNC official, especially as Trump takes a chainsaw to our democracy," Democratic strategist Matt Bennett said on X. 

But a DNC voting member who was granted anonymity to speak more freely was more diplomatic, telling Fox News Digital that "because we are so close to winning the [House] majority, having that money spent picking up seats to win the majority is probably a better use of the funds."

And a Democratic Party operative who works on campaigns and who asked to remain anonymous told Fox News Digital that "this is unusual, but we do need some better Democrats in office and there's been a push to have a new generation come in and replace the 70- and-80-year-olds who have been in elective positions and shown that they're not up to the fight."

President Donald Trump said he is sticking to his own timeline when it comes to hashing out a peace deal to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. 

Trump’s remarks coincide with a Thursday visit from Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store at the White House, and following Wednesday comments saying there was a high likelihood that a peace agreement would emerge within the next several days. 

"I have my own deadline," Trump told reporters Thursday. "And we wanted to be fast. And the Prime Minister's helping us." 

"He wants it to be fast, too," he said. "And I think everybody in this, at this time in NATO, they want to see this thing happen."

"I think it has a very good chance of getting done," Trump said. 

TRUMP TELLS PUTIN TO ‘STOP’ AFTER DEADLY RUSSIAN STRIKES ON KYIV

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital requesting details on Trump’s self-imposed deadline. 

Following criticism of both Russia and Ukraine in recent days, Trump said his only priority is to save lives by securing a peace deal. 

"I have no allegiance to anybody," Trump told reporters on Thursday. "I have allegiance to saving lives."

Trump voiced his displeasure with Russia for continuing Thursday strikes on Kyiv, which killed at least 10 and injured at least 90, including children, according to Ukraine. 

"I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing," Trump said Thursday in a social media post. "Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!"

Additionally, Trump signaled in the Oval Office that he would consider additional sanctions on Russia if Moscow were to continue to launch strikes against Ukraine. 

"I'd rather answer that question in a week. I want to see if we can have a deal. No reason to answer it now, but I won't be happy. Let me put it that way. Things, things will happen," he said.

Despite these attacks from Russia, Trump also told reporters that "we are thinking very strongly that they both want peace, but they have to get to the table."

Even so, Trump said in a Wednesday post on Truth Social that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s opposition to certain concessions related to territorial control of Crimea would only stall peace negotiations. 

Vice President JD Vance disclosed on Wednesday that a proposal is on the table — but if neither party agrees, the U.S. will disengage from advancing the peace talks. Vance said the deal would require both Russia and Ukraine to give up some of their territory, but that the lines would remain "close to where they are today." 

TRUMP INSISTS UKRAINE-RUSSIA PEACE DEAL IS CLOSE, BUT MISTRUST IN PUTIN LEAVES EXPERTS SKEPTICAL

"We've issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and Ukrainians, and it's time for them to either say yes or for the U.S. to walk away from this process," Vance told reporters on Wednesday. "We've engaged in an extraordinary amount of diplomacy, of on-the-ground work." 

The Trump administration has recently signaled that a deal may be on the horizon, and Trump expressed optimism Sunday that Ukraine and Russia could nail down an agreement that would pave the way for them to start conducting "big business" with the U.S. 

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and Trump has promised since the campaign trail that he would move to end the conflict between the two countries. 

Fox News’ Rachel Wolf contributed to this report. 

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., held a press conference alongside a business owner and supporter of President Donald Trump, who is speaking out against the president's tariff agenda.

On Long Island on Thursday, Schumer stood with Tandy Jeckel, the owner of TandyWear, a women’s clothing shop in Suffolk County.

"No matter what your vantage, if you're a business, if you are a consumer, if you are in the industry, the tariffs are one giant mess," Schumer said.

Jeckel told Fox News Digital that she is the exemplar of a split-ticket voter – consistently supporting Trump, while also praising Schumer’s years of work on behalf of Long Islanders, including after Superstorm Sandy.

BIDEN EFFECT HITS THE SENATE: WAVE OF RETIREMENTS CLEARS PATH FOR YOUNGER DEMS

When asked how she would grade Trump, she told Fox News Digital, "I would give him an 8 – it's absolutely not a fail."

"I would say an A," she added, when asked for a letter grade. "But, with the tariffs, that’s my only issue… because I have a small business. So it’s not really political, it’s just something that - this has to be rectified for our small business, because how long can we go on with this for my small business?"

Tariffs, she told Fox News Digital, bring uncertainty to both businessowners and customers, adding that customers are "resistant to buy" these days "because of this shaky uncertainty."

She declined to answer a handful of questions that were political in nature.

Jeckel told Fox News Digital that, in the long run, the Trump economy is "going to be great – once we get this situation with the tariffs" considered.

Meanwhile, Schumer also announced he would force a vote next week to end what he called Trump’s trade war, and called on the House of Representatives to act in-kind.

SCHUMER SAYS TRUMP ‘FEELING THE HEAT’ AFTER RECIPROCAL TARIFF PAUSE

Long Island, though a suburban area of a blue state, is remarkably red for its environs – with particularly the eastern half of the island solidly Republican for more than a decade.

Long Island lawmakers in Congress have real sway to pressure Republicans to act, Schumer suggested in a release prior to the event.

The event was billed as one where Schumer "st[ood] with Long Island Trump voters who love MAGA, but hate tariffs. . . . "

Schumer claimed Nassau County, the central part of the island abutting Queens, could lose nearly 11,000 jobs, and Suffolk could see 24,000 disappear.

His new bill to force an end to the tariffs, he said, was co-sponsored by Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Tim Kaine, D-Va., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Peter Welch, D-Vt.

"On Monday I was in restaurants in Syracuse and Albany," he said of cities 300 miles to the northwest. "They're having the same problem: paying more for their goods, less money in people's pockets. So, it's all across the state."

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He also expressed hope that the House will take up a Senate-passed resolution to nix tariffs directed specifically at Canada, an issue Welch brought up in recent comments to Fox News Digital as well.

When asked for a response, the White House said through a spokesman that Schumer wasn’t being forthright about his prior criticisms of unfair trade practices by other countries.

"[He] railed against America’s historic and persistent trade deficits with China for years until President Trump took historic action to actually do something about China’s unfair trade practices and cheating," spokesman Kush Desai said.

"As always, Democrats are playing political games instead of working with the Trump administration to do what’s right," he added.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin gifted President Donald Trump in March a portrait showing the moment Trump pumped his fist into the air in defiance after surviving an assassination attempt last year.

While outlets previously reported the gift as a mystery portrait, the Russian painter has now revealed the details behind his work, according to a Russian embassy. 

Artist Nikas Safronov said he created the painting in hopes that the artwork would strengthen U.S.-Russia ties, the Russian Embassy in Kenya said on Wednesday in a post on X.

The painting depicts Trump pumping his fist into the air while the other hand holds a red cap similar to Trump’s famed MAGA headwear. The American flag and Statue of Liberty are spread across the background, and blood is splattered across the president’s face.

TRUMP SAYS HE IS 'PISSED OFF' WITH PUTIN OVER LACK OF PEACE PROGRESS: REPORT

"It was important to me to show the blood, the scar and his bravery during the attempt on his life," Safronov told CNN. "He didn’t break down or become afraid, but raised his arm to show he is one with America and will bring back what it deserves."

The painting is an illustration of a dramatic photo that captured the moment Trump survived an assassination attempt during a presidential campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024.

RUSSIA, UKRAINE AGREE TO BLACK SEA CEASEFIRE FOLLOWING US TALKS
 

Safronov has painted numerous global figures, including the late Pope Francis and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. He told the outlet that he was "visited by some people who said they want me to paint Trump as I see him." 

While Safronov said he did not know who the visitors were, adding that some clients "do not go into details," he suspected it was the Kremlin, the outlet reported.

"When I started the portrait, I realized this could bring our countries closer, and decided not to charge any money because I suspected what this painting was for," the artist said.

TRUMP TELLS PUTIN 'STOP' AFTER DEADLY RUSSIAN STRIKES ON KYIV

The painting was given to Trump envoy Steve Witkoff in March when the official was in Moscow seeking a ceasefire in the three-year war between Russia and Ukraine, the Associated Press reported, citing Russian president’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

AP said Witkoff described the artwork as a "beautiful" portrait by "a leading Russian artist," and added that Trump was "clearly touched by it."

While Trump and Putin have worked to strengthen their relationship, tensions over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine continue to simmer between the three countries. 

Russia recently pounded Kyiv with missiles and drones overnight and killed at least 10 people in the biggest attack on the Ukrainian capital this year. The attack on April 24 prompted a rare rebuke from Trump who said "Vladimir, STOP!" 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: The Trump administration is releasing a new online government tool designed to help millions of unlawful migrants living in the U.S. comply with a Trump order to register their biometric data with the government and carry documentation at all times. 

An online survey launched by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) determines whether an immigrant, lawful or unlawful, still needs to register under the renewed enforcement of the Alien Registration Act. 

The new tool, launched Wednesday, guides users through the requirement with a series of questions and tells them whether they still need to register. 

Registration is mandatory for everyone over the age of 14 and without legal status in the U.S., and requires a fingerprint and a home address, per an executive order from President Donald Trump. Some immigrants who are here legally and who did not have to go through the biometric vetting process upon arrival would also need to check their registration. The aim is to require those unlawful immigrants who have not interacted with the government by applying for asylum or a work permit to come forward. 

"Tens of thousands" of immigrants have already come forward to register, according to USCIS. 

TWO FEDERAL JUDGES MAY HOLD TRUMP IN CONTEMPT AS HE DEFIES COURTS IN IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN

"As we approach the 100-day mark of President Trump’s presidency, we have already seen tens of thousands of aliens come forward to register – a remarkable feat," spokesperson Matthew Tragesser told Fox News Digital. "For the first time in years, there is broad recognition that the failure to comply with the law will carry serious consequences. We look forward to many more registrations." 

Once an immigrant has registered and appeared for fingerprinting, DHS will issue evidence of registration, which any alien over the age of 18 must carry at all times.

They can register by filling out the form, G-325R, Biometric Information (Registration). 

NOEM ANNOUNCES DHS REGISTRY FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS IN US THAT WILL REQUIRE THEM TO BE FINGERPRINTED

If an immigrant fails to register, they could be fined, jailed, deported and unlikely allowed to return to the U.S., the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has warned. Those who fail to carry registration proof could also risk legal ramifications. 

The Alien Registration Act of 1940 required all people living in the U.S. who are not citizens, here legally or illegally, to register with the U.S. government. But until Trump’s executive order, the registration requirement for illegal immigrants went unenforced for decades. 

Immigrant advocates argue the new requirement puts those here illegally in a bind: do they register and give the government their location, making it easier to find them for deportation, or risk being charged with the crime of not registering. 

 "The Trump administration will enforce all our immigration laws – we will not pick and choose which laws we will enforce. We must know who is in our country for the safety and security of our homeland and all Americans," DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said. 

Advocates sued against the new rule, but a federal judge earlier this month allowed the Trump administration to move forward with the requirement. 

President George W. Bush created a similar immigration registry after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, requiring men and boys from predominantly Muslim countries to submit pictures and fingerprints to the government, and tens of thousands of people were deported from the registry. 

A transgender inmate in Indiana convicted of reckless homicide of a baby is suing President Donald Trump over alleged sexual assaults caused by the president's "transphobic" and "extremist rhetoric," court documents filed on April 1 show.

Jonathan C. Richardson, who goes by Autumn Cordellioné, claims in the handwritten complaint that, due to Trump's "extremist rhetoric and transphobic hate speech," he has "emboldened the Defendants and the assailants that brutally assaulted and raped plaintiff, not once, but multiple times, to act on their hate and prejudices, constituting the cause in action and his liability in this case. Therefore, President Trump was negligent due to his alleged knowledge that others may act on his words."

Cordellioné also claims the alleged assaults came after being transferred from New Castle Correctional Facility (NCN), where he was being "housed in protective custody," to Westville Correctional Facility (WCA), an all-male prison. Fox News Digital reached out to the Indiana Department of Corrections (IDOC) to find out whether the transfer was due to Trump's executive order mandating federal prisoners be housed in units according to their biological sex.

TRANS INMATE IN PRISON FOR KILLING BABY MUST GET GENDER SURGERY AT 'EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY': JUDGE

When reached for comment about the lawsuit, a White House spokesperson said: "President Trump has vowed to defend biological women from gender ideology extremism and restore biological truth to the Federal government."

The inmate is seeking $3.5 million in compensatory damages from Trump, alongside the other defendants, including prison employees and 12 other "gang affiliated inmates," who allegedly "stabbed" and sexually assaulted the inmate over a four-day period in January.

"Trump's president now, and we won’t even get in trouble for f-----g you trannies up, we’re patriots and even if you tell on us, Trump will pardon us and probably give us a medal," Cordellioné claimed one of the offenders said, according to the complaint. 

Cordellioné further alleged the unit team manager and case manager also said similar things during the alleged assaults.

"I’ve seen your case on the news, and I personally don’t think us tax payers should have to pay for your surgery," the case manager allegedly said.

INDIANA JUDGE RULES PRISON MUST PROVIDE TRANSGENDER SURGERY FOR INMATE WHO KILLED BABY

The lawsuit alleges that the offenders had violated Cordellione’s Eighth Amendment rights and committed gross negligence under Indiana tort law.

Cordellioné’s years-long legal battle began in August 2023, when, with support from the ACLU, Cordellioné sued the Indiana Department of Correction over a state law that bans taxpayer-funded transgender surgeries for inmates.

Since then, Cordellioné—serving a 55-year prison sentence for the reckless homicide of an 11-month-old stepchild—has filed several complaints, including a civil lawsuit against the prison chaplain for allegedly prohibiting the wearing of a hijab outside of immediate bedquarters, despite identifying as a Muslim woman.

ACLU SUES INDIANA OVER DENIAL OF SEX REASSIGNMENT SURGERY FOR INMATE WHO STRANGLED 11-MONTH-OLD TO DEATH

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has been defending the state's law and submitted a brief in January to a court of appeals defending Indiana’s law barring sex-change operations for inmates. The attorney general argued that the Eighth Amendment doesn’t require the state "to provide experimental treatments generally, and it certainly doesn’t here, when multiple doctors have said this inmate is a poor candidate for surgery," a spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital. 

In March, Judge Richard Young, a Clinton appointee, ordered the IDOC to arrange sex reassignment surgery for Cordellioné at the "earliest opportunity." 

Fox News Digital scooped earlier this month that states failing to comply with federal orders to house inmates based on their biological sex can expect "imminent changes" and funding cuts. Trump's orders also bar federal funds from being used for sex reassignment surgeries for inmates.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth may have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan — but now he’s facing another battle: this time on his home turf at the Pentagon.

Controversy has plagued Hegseth since Trump first nominated him to serve as the secretary of defense, from sexual assault and drinking allegations, to two Signal chat debacles, and an op-ed suggesting that Hegseth may be on the way out. 

The new Signal controversy, along with the op-ed, are only the latest blows in what the Trump administration claims are sustained effort against Hegseth as defense secretary, dating back to his nomination. 

Scrutiny has heightened after a Sunday New York Times report said that Hegseth shared information about a March military airstrike against the Houthis in a Signal messaging app group chat that also included his wife, brother and personal lawyer.  

That incident follows a similar episode in March, when the Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg was added to a Signal group chat alongside Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance and others, to discuss the same attack on the Houthis. 

DEFENSE SECRETARY PETE HEGSETH REBUFFS NEW GROUP CHAT ALLEGATIONS AS ATTEMPT TO ‘SABOTAGE’ TRUMP'S AGENDA 

While the White House continues to back Hegseth, a series of Democratic coalitions and multiple lawmakers are calling for Hegseth’s resignation. 

Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., is urging for the Pentagon’s inspector general to launch an investigation into the recent Signal chat allegations.  

"Since he was nominated, I have warned that Mr. Hegseth lacks the experience, competence, and character to run the Department of Defense. In light of the ongoing chaos, dysfunction, and mass firings under Mr. Hegseth’s leadership, it seems that those objections were well-founded," Reed said in a Sunday statement. "Accountability starts at the top, and I have grave concerns about Secretary Hegseth’s ability to maintain the trust and confidence of U.S. service members."

Meanwhile, Vance told reporters Wednesday that he believed Hegseth is doing a "great job." 

In response to a video post on X of Vance issuing the remarks, the Pentaton's Rapid Response Team replied: "We will not be stopped. We will not be deterred."

While the secretaries of defense historically have received bipartisan support in the Senate, the upper chamber did not issue broad backing for Hegseth’s nomination. 

The Senate confirmed Hegseth along party lines in January, with all 47 Democrats opposing his nomination. 

Every senator except for Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., voted to confirm Trump’s first secretary of defense in 2017, retired Marine Gen. Jim Mattis. Likewise, the Senate voted in 2019 by a 90–8 margin to confirm Trump’s second secretary of defense, Mark Esper. 

HEGSETH SHARED DETAILS OF YEMEN STRIKES IN SECOND SIGNAL CHAT: REPORT

Hegseth first came under fire as sexual assault allegations emerged leading up to his confirmation. For example, he told lawmakers in written responses during his confirmation process that he had paid $50,000 as part of a settlement payment to a woman who had accused him of sexual assault in 2017. The police report on the incident says a woman had alleged that Hegseth sexually assaulted her in a hotel room, confiscated her phone and blocked the door. 

Hegseth told lawmakers that he had been "falsely accused" by the woman. 

Hegseth also faced allegations of alcohol misuse during the confirmation process. In response, Hegseth told lawmakers that he is not a "perfect person," but said he was the subject of a "coordinated smear campaign orchestrated in the media."

Controversy has not left Hegseth since the Senate confirmed him in January, however. 

Hegseth's role in the original Signal chat that included the Atlantic editor-in-chief, Goldberg, emerged in the spotlight in March following an initial report. Even so, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz’s team was responsible for creating the chat. 

Hegseth has said that no "war plans" were discussed in both the initial Signal chat with Goldberg, and the one with his wife. Additionally, he said that all discussions conducted over Signal were unclassified.

"I said repeatedly, nobody is texting war plans," Hegseth told Fox News Tuesday. "I look at war plans every day. What was shared over Signal then and now, however you characterize it, was informal, unclassified coordinations, for media coordinations and other things. That’s what I’ve said from the beginning."

Staff firings at the Pentagon have also shined a light on Hegseth’s leadership. 

John Ullyot, a former senior communications official for the Pentagon who stepped down from his post in April under Hegseth, wrote that the abrupt Friday firings of three of Hegseth’s "most loyal" advisors were alarming and "baffling." Hegseth’s aide Dan Caldwell, his deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick and chief of staff to the deputy defense secretary, Colin Carroll, were all ousted. 

"The dysfunction is now a major distraction for the president — who deserves better from his senior leadership," Ullyot wrote in a Sunday op-ed for Politico. 

"Trump has a strong record of holding his top officials to account. Given that, it’s hard to see Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth remaining in his role for much longer."

Support for Hegseth is also cracking within Trump’s own party. For example, Rep. Don Bacon, a former Air Force general who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, told Politico on Monday that Hegseth is an "amateur person" and that he doesn’t believe that Hegseth has the experience to lead the Pentagon. These concerns started from the "get-go," said Bacon, a Republican from Nebraska. 

NPR reported on Monday that the White House was eying a new secretary of defense. The story was based on one anonymous U.S. official who was not authorized to speak to the media. 

Meanwhile, the White House has pushed back on allegations that it is eyeing a replacement for Hegseth. 

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"He is bringing monumental change to the Pentagon, and there's a lot of people in the city who reject monumental change, and I think, frankly, that's why we've seen a smear campaign against the Secretary of Defense since the moment that President Trump announced his nomination before the United States Senate," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Tuesday. 

"Let me reiterate: The president stands strongly behind Secretary Hegseth and the change that he is bringing to the Pentagon, and the results that he's achieved thus far speak for themselves," Leavitt said. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

A second U.S. judge in Maryland ordered the Trump administration to return another man who was deported from the U.S. to El Salvador last month under the Alien Enemies Act (AEA) — the latest case in a high-profile legal battle playing out in federal courts across the country.

U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher, a Trump appointee, on Wednesday ruled that the Trump administration violated a settlement agreement the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reached last year with a group of young asylum seekers when it deported a 20-year-old man, referred to in court filings as "Cristian," to El Salvador last month.

He was part of a group of migrants who had entered the U.S. illegally as unaccompanied children and who later filed asylum claims to remain in the U.S.

DHS agreed in the settlement that it would refrain from deporting any of the individuals in the class until their asylum claims could be fully adjudicated by a U.S. court.

Gallagher ruled that the government breached that agreement when it deported Cristian, a member of the class, and ordered that they return him to the U.S. 

News of the case and settlement in question was first reported by ABC News. 

FEDERAL JUDGE JAMES BOASBERG FINDS PROBABLE CAUSE TO HOLD TRUMP IN CONTEMPT OVER DEPORTATION FLIGHTS

Gallagher stressed in her ruling that, unlike other court challenges to Trump's deportations under the Alien Enemies Act, this one centers on a "breach of contract" by the government. 

Her ruling also alluded to the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an alleged MS-13 member living in Maryland who was deported to El Salvador last month. U.S. officials have resisted court orders to facilitate his return to the U.S.

In response to this, Gallagher specifically tasked the Trump administration in her ruling with "making a good faith request to the government of El Salvador and to release Cristian to U.S. custody for transport back to the United States to await the adjudication of his asylum application on the merits by USCIS."

The Trump administration, meanwhile, told the court it had determined that Cristian was eligible for removal under the Alien Enemies Act because he had been arrested and convicted for cocaine possession earlier this year.

They told the court that his designation as an "alien enemy pursuant to the AEA results in him ceasing to be a member" of the class that had negotiated a settlement. 

JUDGES V TRUMP: HERE ARE THE KEY COURT BATTLES HALTING THE WHITE HOUSE AGENDA

That agreement did not appear to hold water with Gallagher, who ordered the government not to remove any other members of the class until their asylum claims are properly adjudicated.

"Therefore, under the plain terms of the Settlement Agreement and fundamental tenets of contract law, removal from the United States of a Class Member, including but not limited to Cristian, without a final determination on the merits by USCIS on the Class Member’s pending asylum application violates the Settlement Agreement," Gallagher said.

She also granted a temporary restraining order to another member of the class, an 18-year-old referred to as "Javier," whom counsel for the group said was in "imminent danger" of being deported earlier this month, as ABC reported. 

Gallagher agreed that Javier was covered by the settlement with the government and blocked his removal from the U.S.

A federal judge in San Francisco blocked the Trump administration from withholding federal funds from "sanctuary" jurisdictions, claiming doing so would be unconstitutional.

U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick – who was nominated to the Northern District of California bench by former President Barack Obama – said that Trump’s executive orders instructing Attorney General Pam Bondi and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to withhold federal funds from "sanctuary" cities and counties that do not cooperate with federal immigration law would violate the Constitution’s separation of powers principles and the Spending Clause. 

The judge said Trump's orders – titled "Protecting the American People Against Invasion" and "Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders" –  also violate the Fifth Amendment "to the extent they are unconstitutionally vague and violate due process." Trump’s directives "also violate the Tenth Amendment because they impose coercive condition intended to commandeer local officials into enforcing federal immigration practices and law," Orrick wrote.

FEDERAL JUDGE ALLEGES 'WILLFUL AND BAD FAITH REFUSAL' TO COMPLY IN ABREGO GARCIA DEPORTATION CASE

Most of the plaintiffs are jurisdiction in California. They are the city and county of San Francisco, Santa Clara County, Monterey County and the cities of Oakland, Emeryville, San Jose, San Diego, Sacramento and Santa Cruz. 

Portland, Oregon; New Haven, Connecticut; Minneapolis and St. Paul, both of Minnesota; Santa Fe, New Mexico; and King County – where Seattle is located in Washington state – are also in the lawsuit. 

"The Cities and Counties have also demonstrated a likelihood of irreparable harm," the judge said. "The threat to withhold funding causes them irreparable injury in the form of budgetary uncertainty, deprivation of constitutional rights, and undermining trust between the Cities and Counties and the communities they serve." 

TRUMP-APPOINTED JUDGE ORDERS ADMINISTRATION TO RETURN SECOND DEPORTED MIGRANT

In granting the "sanctuary" jurisdictions a preliminary injunction, Orrick wrote that "defendants and their officers, agents, servants, employees, and attorneys, and any other persons who are in active concert or participation with them ARE HEREBY RESTRAINED AND ENJOINED from directly or indirectly taking any action to withhold, freeze, or condition federal funds." 

The judge ordered the Trump administration to provide written notice of the court order to all federal departments and agencies by Monday, April 28.

"The written notice shall instruct those agencies that they may not take steps to withhold from, freeze, or condition funds to the Cities and Counties," Orrick wrote. 

Orrick already found a similar executive order issued by Trump in 2017 to be unconstitutional, and the judge said so are the two new directives issued at the start of Trump's second term. 

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

The so-called "Biden effect" appears to be a factor in congressional longevity after Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., announced he would not seek re-election after nearly four decades in Congress.

In 2024, President Joe Biden was politically pushed out after a disastrous debate performance against President Donald Trump in favor of his decades-younger deputy, Kamala Harris.

Since then, several senators — mostly Democrats — and many above private-sector retirement age, have announced their retirement.

"This is fallout from the 'Biden Effect,'" said Rutgers University political scientist Ross Baker. "It contaminated old Democrats."

Durbin, 80, and Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., 78; Tina Smith, D-Wis., 67; and Gary Peters, D-Mich., 66, as well as Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., 83, all announced their exit in 2025.

Prior to Biden's infamous debate, several 2024-cycle Democrats — now-former Sens. Benjamin Cardin of Maryland, 81; Tom Carper of Delaware, 78; Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, 74; and Democrat-turned-independent Joe Manchin of West Virginia, 77 — all declared their exits.

SCHUMER SINKS AOC SOARS IN NEW POLL AS LIBERAL VOTERS DEMAND HARDER LINE ON TRUMP

Durbin’s seat has already been targeted by up-and-coming Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, 20 years his junior — who announced a bid shortly after he announced his retirement.

Of the members still seated in Congress, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., 74, is potentially facing a heated primary in 2028 from the likes of progressive star Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., 35.

After Schumer faced intense backlash from his own party for ultimately supporting the GOP’s government funding bill earlier this month, Ocasio-Cortez’s name returned to the discussion as a young upstart potentially taking out the old guard.

MCCONNELL FREEZES AGAIN DURING KENTUCKY PRESS CONFERENCE

Schumer saw his worst polling within the Empire State in 20 years, according to a Siena College survey, with the Brooklynite 10 points underwater following the funding bill debacle.

Meanwhile, Ocasio-Cortez's favorables are 47%-33% in New York, up about 10 points from 2021.

A renewed push for older Democrats to pass the torch came when Democratic National Committee vice chair David Hogg launched a project to recruit and bankroll primary opponents for older Democratic incumbents.

"Today’s party politics has an unwritten rule — if you win a seat, it’s yours for life. No one serious in your party will challenge you. That is a culture that we have to break," Hogg, 25, wrote on his political website, Leaders We Deserve.

The oldest member of Congress — Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, at 91 — is the rare example of a lawmaker who has not been in the retirement discussion due to the "Biden effect" or any other phenomenon.

On the left, the same appeared to be true for Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who — though older than Biden — was contrasted with him on an energy and cognitive level throughout the campaign season.

Sanders has signaled he may seek to serve a fourth term in 2030, when he will be 89, according to the Burlington Free Press. "Friends of Bernie Sanders" has already been listed on a Federal Election Commission filing for the 2030 sweeps.

McConnell, the former Republican leader, has stepped aside from leadership and was replaced by Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., nearly 20 years younger.

During a 2024 press availability, McConnell appeared to freeze up while speaking, though staffers later suggested he was fine. He has also announced his retirement after 40 years in the Senate.

Rep. Andy Barr, 51, and former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, 39, jumped into the fray to succeed the octogenarian Republican.

Of the oldest sitting senators not yet mentioned, Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, will be 82 by his 2026 potential re-election bid. Fox News Digital reached out for comment from the Gem State senator.

On the flip side, even some of the youngest Senate Democrats are seeing their re-election prospects heavily challenged.

Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., is facing potential Republican challengers in what is now a swing state. 

While none have declared their candidacy, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene — who would have the stated backing of President Donald Trump — as well as Rep. Earl "Buddy" Carter and Gov. Brian Kemp are all said to be formidable potential rivals, according to several reports.

Fox News Digital reached out to a representative for Biden for comment on the moniker "the Biden effect."

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser and Chad Pergram contributed to this report.

The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to allow its ban on transgender military service to proceed in the near-term while lower courts continue to debate the issue — arguing in a filing that further stalling the policy could pose a threat to U.S. military readiness.

In a court filing, the Justice Department requested the Supreme Court intervene to block a lower court's order and allow the military to disqualify from service "individuals who have gender dysphoria or have undergone medical interventions for gender dysphoria."  

Justices on the high court asked plaintiffs in the case to file a response brief by next week, indicating that they could move quickly on the issue. 

"Absent a stay, the district court’s universal injunction will remain in place for the duration of further review in the Ninth Circuit and in this Court – a period far too long for the military to be forced to maintain a policy that it has determined, in its professional judgment, to be contrary to military readiness and the Nation’s interests," U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer said in the filing.

HEGSETH SAYS HE'S SIGNING MEMO ON COMBAT ARMS STANDARDS FOR MEN AND WOMEN

At issue is President Donald Trump's Jan. 27 executive order requiring the Defense Department to update its guidance regarding "trans-identifying medical standards for military service" and to "rescind guidance inconsistent with military readiness." 

U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle in March issued a preliminary blocking the Trump administration from identifying and removing transgender service members while the case proceeds.

The Trump administration immediately appealed the ruling to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which declined its request for an administrative stay.

Trump officials have argued that the transgender military policy "furthers the government’s important interests in military readiness, unit cohesion, good order and discipline, and avoiding disproportionate costs."

"The Department of Justice has vigorously defended President Trump’s executive actions, including the Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness Executive Order, and will continue to do so," a Justice Department official told Fox News Digital at the time. 

The policy has faced multiple legal challenges, including a high-profile lawsuit filed in Washington, D.C.

FEDERAL COURT WARNS PENTAGON NOT TO ACT AGAINST TRANSGENDER SERVICE MEMBERS DURING APPEAL

On March 27, a three-judge panel on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals paused a lower court’s order blocking the ban. The panel emphasized that the stay "should not be construed in any way as a ruling on the merits" of the case.

The panel also said it reserved the right to lift the stay if the military was found to have taken adverse action against transgender service members.

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes on March 26 denied the administration's motion to dissolve her earlier injunction blocking the Pentagon's transgender troop ban. The decision came two days before the ban was slated to take effect. 

TRUMP'S TRANSGENDER MILITARY BAN DEALT LEGAL BLOW AFTER APPEALS COURT RULING

Reyes had asked the government to push its original March implementation deadline, saying she wanted to allow more time for the appeals process. 

She also said she had previously allowed plenty of time to appeal her earlier opinion blocking the ban from going into effect. 

"I don’t want to jam up the D.C. Circuit. That’s my main concern here," Reyes said during the March 21 hearing. "My chambers worked incredibly hard to get out an opinion on time."

A Democratic mayor fed up with the way homelessness has proliferated in his state has proposed a bold new solution for his city: jailing homeless people who refuse housing services three times.

"There's an extremely vulnerable subset of folks who refuse those options, no matter how nicely designed they are," San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan told Fox News Digital in an interview Wednesday. "That speaks to me of a persistent challenge we face with addiction and mental illness on our streets, and we've sort of built a system that biases toward helping those who want help, while turning a blind eye to those who are trapped in a cycle of addiction. And the reality is it's deadly. We're sentencing people to die on the streets."

The move comes as California Gov. Gavin Newsom placed the onus on local governments last year to get homeless encampments in some of the state's most populous cities cleaned up. In San Jose alone, roughly 6,000 people are homeless, a stark contrast to the city’s image as the heart of Silicon Valley’s tech boom.

NEW LAW CLAMPS DOWN ON HOMELESS AS BLUE CITY ADVOCATE ADMITS THE 'FRUSTRATION' IS JUSTIFIED

Mahan offered the proposal last month after observing how homeless people in his town have avoided the housing services offered as well as talking with recovery groups to find out what most commonly breaks the cycle of addiction.

A new study from the University of California San Francisco's Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative (BHHI) last month found that approximately 37% of California's homeless population are regular illicit drug users. The study also found that 48% have complex behavioral health needs, encompassing regular drug use, heavy drinking, hallucinations or recent psychiatric hospitalization. Additionally, 66% reported experiencing mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, hallucinations or cognitive difficulties.

"I think the appropriate response is to say, you've got to, at a minimum, come indoors," Mahan said. "Camping can't be a choice when we're offering housing. And if you're so caught in the throes of addiction that you can't say yes to interim housing or dignified shelter, we need to create accountability."

Mahan said "it's the threat of consequence, it's the intervention, it's disrupting the pattern" that actually propels people who "are most susceptible to addiction to break out of that cycle."

NEWSOM MAKES GENERIC $24 NARCAN AVAILABLE AFTER PRO-DRUG POLICIES PUSH 'SAFE' USE

While Mahan's proposal is a departure from the progressive flank of his party, a poll from Politico and UC Berkeley's Citrin Center this month indicates that 37% of voters, including political experts, support arresting homeless people if they refuse shelter. As the San Francisco Chronicle has reported, San Francisco and Sacramento are thus seeing an uptick in homeless people being arrested over illegal encampments in the wake of City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, where the Supreme Court ruled municipalities have the power to make public camping illegal.

State lawmakers this session are also considering a bill brought forth by Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez, a Los Angeles County Democrat, which would ban measures that result in criminal penalties for refusing housing.

But to Mahan, who campaigned on reducing homelessness before taking office in 2023, it's not a "partisan issue." 

"I'm just interested in figuring out what works," he said. "And clearly, what we're doing on homelessness in California is not working. We're about… nearly half of the nation's unsheltered population, so the status quo is failing, and the sooner we acknowledge that the status quo on homelessness in California is failing, the sooner we will embrace solutions that work to get people indoors and connected to services."

​California's "Housing First" model, adopted statewide in 2016, prioritizes providing permanent housing to homeless individuals without preconditions such as sobriety or participation in treatment programs as prerequisites. Critics of the policy argue that offering housing without mandatory treatments has only made the problem worse and more expensive, as some estimates of building a single unit reach up to $1.2 million in cities like San Francisco. 

SCOOP: NEWSOM ASKS WORLD LEADERS TO EXEMPT CALIFORNIA EXPORTS FROM RETALIATORY TARIFFS

Of that policy, Mahan said, "We have to meet people where they are." 

"The insight we have taken from housing first, that I think is very much worth preserving, is that we've designed these interim housing communities to be low barrier. We allow people to bring their pets, their partner, their belongings. We do not have a strict sobriety requirement, though I do believe that sober living environments absolutely should be an option and one that the public sector invests in."

FIRST ON FOX: A powerful House Committee is demanding information from DeepSeek on what U.S. data it used to train the AI model as members accuse the company of being in the pocket of the Chinese government.

In announcing a new probe into DeepSeek, House Energy and Commerce committee members penned a letter expressing concern that companies like it "harvest Americans’ personal and proprietary information and introduce new data security vulnerabilities into the U.S. economy."

"DeepSeek admits to sending Americans’ personal information to servers in China, where it is undoubtedly accessed by officials connected to the Chinese Communist Party," Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., and Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., said in a statement. "We are concerned that this close relationship with agents having close connections to our primary adversary jeopardizes our data and our national security."

The company’s privacy policy states that it collects user data and stores it "in secure servers located in the People’s Republic of China." That data entails all questions or chats sent to DeepSeek’s AI model and the answers provided.

DEEPSEEK FALLOUT: GOP SEN JOSH HAWLEY SEEKS TO CUT OFF ALL US-CHINA COLLABORATION ON AI DEVELOPMENT

A growing number of states – New York, Texas and Virginia – have banned DeepSeek from government devices. 

It’s reminiscent of the arc of TikTok, where Chinese-owned ByteDance’s video-sharing platform became widely popular in the U.S. before growing skepticism of its data-sharing with the CCP. Now, the app is banned on government devices and may soon be banned entirely in the U.S. 

Several countries, including Canada, Australia, South Korea, Taiwan and Italy, have already blocked DeepSeek due to security risks. 

South Korea in February accused DeepSeek of sharing user data with ByteDance.

The letter expressed concern about how Chinese companies access U.S. technology to advance AI development. Reports have suggested that DeepSeek trained its R1 model by "distilling" outputs from American competitors. 

CHINA'S DEEPSEEK AI STARTUP RELEASES NEW MODEL IN RIVALRY WITH OPENAI

Guthrie requested DeepSeek offer the committee a description of the types and sources of data used to train its AI models, including any U.S. proprietary or personal information, and confirm whether data collected by DeepSeek is shared with any Chinese state entity.

The letter also requests details on how the AI system is trained and whether any steps are taken to influence the system output to align with the CCP’s political goals.

The letter requests a response by May 8. 

DeepSeek sent shockwaves across Silicon Valley and the rest of the U.S. as the company appears to be nearly matching the capabilities of chatbots like OpenAI's ChatGPT, but at a fraction of the development cost.

The Energy and Commerce Committee has jurisdiction over AI and data privacy. Last year’s legislation that forced TikTok to divest from ByteDance, or face a ban in the U.S., originated with the committee. Trump has extended TikTok’s deadline twice, buying more time to work out a deal to keep the app operating in the U.S. 

In April, the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party released a report finding that DeepSeek both funneled American data to China and manipulated the results it offers to align with CCP propaganda.