Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content.

Here's what's happening…

-Gabbard announces RFK files released months after Trump's order: 'Light on the truth'

-Top Dem asks Noem how TSA will prevent 'major disruptions' as many travelers still lack REAL ID

-Biden's vax-focused COVID-19 website obliterated by White House, replaced with 'true origins' virus guide

The White House released a splitscreen image overnight to underscore the stark contrast between where Republicans and Democrats stand on illegal immigration.

One image featured distraught Angel Mom Patty Morin being comforted by President Trump in the Oval Office. Morin’s daughter, Rachel Morin, was savagely beaten, raped and killed in Maryland by an illegal migrant from El Salvador in 2023. 

The other image showed Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., sitting and talking with deported illegal alien Kilmar Abrego Garcia, 29, in El Salvador…Read more

HOMELAND SECURITY REPORT: Kilmar Abrego Garcia suspected of human, labor trafficking in Homeland Security report

'LOOKED LIKE A FOOL': Trump calls Sen. Van Hollen a 'fool' after meeting with deported MS-13 suspect in El Salvador

POLL POSITION: How Trump's approval rating compares to his presidential predecessors

PUT THAT ON HOLD: Federal judge bucks Trump admin, delays dismissal of of MS-13 leader's case

CROWN OF THORNS: LGBTQ Christians crusade against Trump's religiously 'hostile' policies during Holy Week

'BIG HONOR': Trump announces a conservative media star, a GOP governor, and others for Homeland Security Advisory Council

CENTURY-OLD LAW: When did the US stop keeping up with the Joneses? The maritime law at the crux of US shipbuilding

'YOU WANT PEOPLE TO BUY': Trump says US 'talking to China end may be in sight amid tariff hikes

'NEVER ALONE': Huckabee visits iconic holy site in Israel, delivers Trump's prayer for peace

HAMAS CASH CRISIS: Hamas terror group reportedly buckling under financial strain amid Israeli military gains and growing unrest

‘UNACCEPTABLE’: Chinese firm aiding Houthi attacks on US vessels, as airstrikes kill 74

HOLY WEEK OUTREACH: Pope Francis visits Rome prison during Holy Week

'MOVE ON': Rubio says US ready to 'move on' within days if no progress on Russia-Ukraine peace deal

DEMOCRATS IN DISARRAY: Confidence in Congressional Democrats hits all time low in new poll

PINK ALERT: Top GOP senator calls out Code Pink, The People’s Forum allegedly pushing CCP propaganda in US

UNMASKED: Anti-Israel agitator charged in violent hate crime attack on two Jewish college students

GLOVES ARE OFF: Top GOP lawmaker, Hochul trade barbs amid speculation Trump ally is jumping in gubernatorial race

'SAFER TODAY': ICE arrests over 200 illegal aliens in New York City's 'most crime-infested neighborhoods'

GATHERING INFO: ICE and DOGE seek sensitive data in crackdown on illegal immigration, waste: report

UNHEALTHY: HHS probing hospital over firing of nurse who blew whistle on minors getting gender treatments

'WIDE FISSURE': Federal judge temporarily restricts DOGE access to personalized Social Security data

Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., says the margaritas were fake. The outrage, he says, is real.

Returning from a highly publicized trip to El Salvador to meet with deported illegal immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia, Van Hollen addressed reporters Thursday after landing at Dulles International Airport in Virginia. He attempted to set the record straight on what’s now being dubbed "margarita-gate," a viral photo posted by Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele that appeared to show the senator and Garcia sitting casually at a table with two salt-rimmed drinks.

"Let me just be very clear," Van Hollen said. "Neither of us touched the drinks that were in front of us. And if you want to play a little Sherlock Holmes, I’ll tell you how you can know that. … If you sip out of one of those glasses, some of whatever it was — salt or sugar — would disappear. You would see a gap. There’s no gap.

"Nobody drank any margaritas or sugar water or whatever it is."

KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA SUSPECTED OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN REPORT OBTAINED BY FOX NEWS

Van Hollen claimed the glasses were placed after the meeting began as a staged photo-op, adding that earlier footage shows the table without drinks. Van Hollen accused both El Salvador President Nayib Bukele and the Trump administration of trying to distract from what he described as a constitutional crisis.

"This is a lesson into the lengths that President Bukele will do to deceive people," Van Hollen said. "And it also shows the lengths that the Trump administration and the president will go to, because when he was asked by a reporter about this, he just went along for the ride."

Trump had his own take, posting on Truth Social Friday, "Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland looked like a fool yesterday standing in El Salvador begging for attention from the Fake News Media, or anyone. GRANDSTANDER!!!"

The controversy stems from the case of Garcia, a 29-year-old Salvadoran national deported from Maryland last month and placed in the country's notorious CECOT prison. 

WHITE HOUSE PHOTO BLUNTLY SHOWS WHERE PARTIES STAND ON IMMIGRATION AMID ABREGO GARCIA DEPORTATION

Federal officials have called the deportation an "administrative error" in court. Van Hollen and other Democrats have since argued it violated Garcia’s constitutional right to due process.

But the Trump administration has pushed back, pointing to Garcia’s alleged domestic abuse, gang ties and suspected involvement in human trafficking. 

A 2022 Homeland Security Investigations report identified Garcia as a member of MS-13 and a suspected human trafficker. A 2021 domestic violence filing, written by his wife, Jennifer Vasquez, claimed, "I have multiple photos/videos of how violent he can be and all the bruises he [has] left me."

Despite these reports, Van Hollen insists no evidence has been presented in court and that the removal was unlawful. He cited rulings by a federal district court and the U.S. Supreme Court ordering Garcia’s return.

"The government in this case, the Trump administration, is asserting a right to stash away residents of this country in foreign prisons without the semblance of due process," Van Hollen said, quoting a recent Fourth Circuit decision. "That is the foundation of our constitutional order."

He added that Judge Paula Xinis, the federal judge who first reviewed the case, found the administration "offered no evidence linking Abrego Garcia to MS-13 or any terrorist activity."

Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador this week after the Salvadoran government initially denied him access to Garcia. After press coverage, he said, officials arranged a meeting at a hotel, which was filmed. He said Salvadoran soldiers had previously stopped him from approaching the prison and that he was surprised by the last-minute permission to meet.

He also revealed that the U.S. had committed $15 million to El Salvador to support detention operations and said over $4 million had already been paid. Van Hollen claimed this funding was unauthorized and pledged to oppose future appropriations.

"I won’t support the use of one penny of taxpayer dollars to keep Abrego Garcia illegally detained in El Salvador," he said.

Critics, including Republicans and Trump allies, have questioned why Van Hollen would travel abroad to advocate for someone with alleged gang ties and a record of domestic abuse while remaining silent on victims like Rachel Morin, a Maryland woman murdered by an illegal immigrant in 2023.

The White House drew a sharp contrast, posting side-by-side photos of Trump meeting with Morin’s mother and Van Hollen meeting with Abrego Garcia. The caption: "We are not the same."

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Asked about the comparison, Van Hollen said his "heart breaks" for Morin’s family but defended his actions as grounded in the Constitution.

"The reason we have courts of law is to punish the guilty, but also to make sure that those who have not committed crimes are not found guilty and arbitrarily detained," he said.

Fox News' Rachel Wolf, David Spunt, Greg Norman, Greg Wehner, and Bill Mears contributed to this report.

The American Civil Liberties Union appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday, asking for an emergency injunction against the Trump administration from deporting Venezuelan nationals held in Texas back to South America under the rarely used Alien Enemies Act. 

The Supreme Court previously ruled there are restrictions on how the government can use the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, including that those targeted under it are entitled to a hearing before being deported. 

Hours before appealing to the Supreme Court on Friday, the ACLU had asked two federal judges for an injunction on the deportations. 

One of the judges, James E. Boasberg, scheduled a Friday evening hearing over the request. 

SENATOR CALLS FOR PROBE INTO JUDGE BOASBERG AFTER DEPORTATION CLASH

Boasberg, who originally ruled on the Alien Enemies Act, previously found probable cause that the Trump administration committed criminal contempt in disobeying his ruling on the deportations. 

The Supreme Court then ruled that only judges in the areas from where migrants are set to be deported have jurisdiction over their cases. 

Boasberg is in Washington, D.C. 

Judges in Colorado, New York and south Texas have temporarily halted deportations in those areas, but there’s no ban for the Venezuelan nationals facing possible deportation from the Bluebonnet Detention Center in northern Texas. 

TRUMP REVEALS THE ONLY DETAIL HE HASN'T DECIDED IN HIS SELF-DEPORTATION PROGRAM

The ACLU has called for a deportation ban on two Venezuelans being held at the center2, saying the administration is accusing them of being members of the Tren de Aragua gang, and any immigrants in the region. 

President Trump on Friday also commented on the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national who had been living in Maryland and had protections against deportation, who was mistakenly deported to a prison in the county last month. 

"This is the hand of the man that the Democrats feel should be brought back to the United States, because he is such ‘a fine and innocent person,’" Trump wrote on Truth Social with a picture of him holding a photo that shows tattoos on Garcia’s knuckles. The photo says the symbols on Garcia’s knuckles spell out MS-13. 

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He continued: "They said he is not a member of MS-13, even though he’s got MS-13 tattooed onto his knuckles, and two Highly Respected Courts found that he was a member of MS-13, beat up his wife, etc. I was elected to take bad people out of the United States, among other things. I must be allowed to do my job. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

FIRST ON FOX: Days of highly publicized departures at the Pentagon appear to have come from weeks – if not months – of simmering tensions and factional infighting, Fox News Digital can reveal. 

According to multiple defense officials, the three employees put on leave this week were never told what they were accused of leaking, were not read their rights and were given no guidance on who they could or couldn’t speak to. They were also not asked to turn over their cellphones as part of the leak probe.

At least one of the former employees is consulting with legal counsel, but none have been fired and all are awaiting the outcome of the investigation.

Top aides to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were placed on leave and escorted out of the building this week as the Pentagon probes unauthorized leaks: senior adviser Dan Caldwell, deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick and Colin Carroll, chief of staff to Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg.

On Friday evening, those three employees were fired, two defense officials confirmed to Fox News Digital, along with chief of staff Joe Kasper. 

PENTAGON FIRES GREENLAND US BASE COMMANDER WHO 'UNDERMINED' JD VANCE AFTER PITUFFIK VISIT

Another press aide, John Ullyot, parted ways with the Pentagon because he did not want to be second-in-command of the communications shop. 

Officials denied that the three men were placed on leave because of their foreign policy views and said they saw no connection to their positions on Iran and Israel – even as reports surfaced that President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the Pentagon would not intervene if Israel attacked Iran.

Selnick was focused on operations, administration and personnel matters; Carroll was focused largely on acquisitions; and Caldwell advised mostly on the Europe portfolio. 

But the trio were united, according to one defense official with knowledge of the situation, in the fact that Kasper had a "deep vendetta" against them. Kasper issued a memo in late March directing the Pentagon to investigate unauthorized disclosures to reporters and to go so far as using lie detector tests if necessary. 

The three had raised concerns to Hegseth about Kasper’s leadership, and Kasper believed they were trying to get him fired, according to the official. 

Those tensions had boiled into "shouting matches in the front office," the official said. 

TRUMP, HEGSETH REVEAL WHOPPING FIGURE THEY WANT FOR THE NEXT PENTAGON BUDGET

Another Pentagon official disputed those claims and insisted that any accusation the leave had to do with anything other than the unauthorized leak investigation was "false." 

"This is not about interpersonal conflict," that official said. "There is evidence of leaking. This is about unauthorized disclosures, up to and including classified information." 

Legal experts say the employees don't need to be notified of what they're accused of doing until the investigation is concluded.

"Being placed on paid leave is not considered a disciplinary decision. It's considered a preliminary step to conduct an investigation, so if they think they're being railroaded or hosed, they'll have some due process opportunity to respond when there's a formal decision," said Sean Timmons, a legal expert in military and employment law. 

"They've been humiliated in the media to some extent. However, this happens every day in the federal government. Generally speaking, what's happened so far is not necessarily considered discipline. It's just considered a security protocol step to suspend their authorization, suspend their access to their emails, and a full, thorough independent investigation can be conducted."

The three aides are civilian political appointees, meaning they could be fired at-will regardless of the investigation. But if they are found to have engaged in unauthorized leaking, they could have their security clearances yanked away.

"There are very few protections when it comes to political appointees versus career civilian staff," said Libby Jamison, an attorney who specializes in military law. "For appointees, there is very broad discretion to be placed on administrative leave or reassigned." 

If employees are accused of leaking, a report is sent to the Defense Information System for Security, and then there is an independent review of their eligibility for access to sensitive information.

"They'll get a chance, potentially, to try to keep their clearance and show that they didn't violate any security clearance protocols when it comes to handling sensitive information," said Timmons. "If it is found they were leaking information in violation of the rules, and then there's a guideline violation for personal misconduct and for breaching of sensitive information. So they could be possibly criminally prosecuted and certainly terminated from their employment and have their clearance stripped and revoked."

Or, if the independent officer does not find sufficient evidence to tie them to the leaks, they could return to their positions and maintain clearances. 

Ullyot, meanwhile, said that he had made clear to Hegseth from the beginning that he was "not interested in being number two to anyone in public affairs."

Ullyot ran the public affairs office on an acting basis at the start of the administration, leading a memo that yanked back workspaces for legacy media outlets and reassigned them to conservative networks. Ullyot also took a jab at former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, saying his "corpulence" set a bad example for Pentagon fitness standards. 

But as his temporary chief role came to a close and Sean Parnell took the Pentagon chief spokesperson job, Ullyot said he and Hegseth "could not come to an agreement on another good fit for me at DOD. So I informed him today that I will be leaving at the end of this week."

Ullyot said he remains one of Hegseth’s "strongest supporters." 

The office of the secretary of defense and the three aides who were placed on leave this week either declined to comment or could not be reached for this story. 

EXCLUSIVE: Christian leaders say President Donald Trump has a chance to fix a Biden-era mistake by halting deportations of believers facing torture or death.

As thousands of Christians rallied during Holy Week, faith leaders across the U.S. urged Trump to intervene and stop the deportation of Afghan Christians who face near-certain persecution under the Taliban.

On April 10, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it would terminate humanitarian parole for Afghan nationals, effectively ordering thousands to leave the U.S. within days.

Though early reporting referred to the change as ending temporary protected status (TPS), internal DHS notifications confirm the affected Afghans were in fact under humanitarian parole. The mislabeling was repeated by media outlets and DHS but has since been corrected in official memos from advocacy groups.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ENDS TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS FOR THOUSANDS OF AFGHANS AMID DEPORTATION PUSH

The policy shift affects about 9,000 Afghans living legally in the U.S. while awaiting special immigrant visa (SIV) or asylum adjudication.

Among them, according to documents obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital, are hundreds of Christians, many of whom converted after the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and now face life-threatening danger under Taliban rule.

"We believe all 9,000 could face persecution upon return to the Taliban, but we are particularly concerned about a group of hundreds of Christians who we believe will face an immediate threat of torture or death," a coalition memo states.

The document sent to Trump and copied to Vice President JD Vance; DHS Secretary Kristi Noem; House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.; and Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., asks for a 90-day pause on deportations to allow time for legal pathways or protections.

HOUSE GOP RELEASES SCATHING REPORT ON BIDEN'S WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN

Their proposal includes a "vetted and qualified exemptions list," identifying Christians most at risk to help DHS reinstate humanitarian protections or expedite asylum or SIV review.

One individual on that list, using the pseudonym "Nashinas," is an Afghan Christian who was tortured by the Taliban in 2021, later resettled in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is now active in his local church. Despite having filed for asylum, he received a formal DHS notice ordering his departure.

The timing of the parole termination during Holy Week has energized Christian leaders in the U.S. and around the world.

"This isn’t just a legal issue; it’s a moral one," according to the Enduring Hope Alliance (EHA). "As Christians across the globe reflect on the sacrifice of Christ, we’re being asked to turn away fellow believers facing real persecution."

The EHA, a coalition of churches, veterans, nonprofits and volunteers formed in the aftermath of the Biden administration’s 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, helped rescue and resettle over a thousand Christian converts and allies of the U.S. military. It reports spending millions in private donations and thousands of volunteer hours to bring persecuted individuals to safety.

"This is a moment for the administration to show compassion and leadership," a source close to the EHA told Fox News Digital. "We’re not asking for open borders. We’re asking for a narrow, temporary solution to protect lives that are clearly at risk."

The Aug. 26, 2021, suicide bombing at Kabul's Abbey Gate that killed 13 U.S. service members remains a defining failure of the U.S. withdrawal. Faith leaders argue this is a chance for the Trump administration to fix one of the most painful consequences of that Biden-era decision — abandoning persecuted Christians. 

"The Afghanistan withdrawal was one of the darkest chapters in American foreign policy," said Mike Mannina, a former Bush White House official who helped lead the rescue alliance. He had never spoken publicly about it until now. 

"What followed, though, was one of our finest hours — thousands of everyday Americans stepping up to save lives. I’d hate to see that work undone."

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Rev. Franklin Graham, the president of Samaritan’s Purse, said he believes there may now be more time to resolve the crisis.

"No, it did not come up at the White House," Graham said. "But I understand from Kristi Noem — she said that I think it's July, that the Afghans have till July, or the government will work with them till July to get this work solved. So, it looked like they're going to be deported maybe as of today. That's what I heard. But … now [it’s] July. So, they've got more time to work out this visa issue."

DHS has not publicly confirmed any extension. Multiple Afghan Christians received notices giving them seven days to leave the country.

Independent groups, including the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and Human Rights Watch, confirm that Afghan Christians are specifically targeted under Taliban rule. Conversion from Islam is considered apostasy and is punishable by death.

"Afghan Christians are in a more vulnerable position today under the Taliban than even Christians were under ISIS," an assessment from Help The Persecuted says.

Advocates say deporting these individuals would violate both U.S. values and international law, which prohibits returning people to countries where they face likely torture or death.

Josh Youssef, founder of Help The Persecuted, said Trump has a clear opportunity to right a grave wrong left by the Biden administration’s chaotic 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal. 

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"We know Christians were beaten, imprisoned and even killed by the Taliban," Youssef told Fox News Digital. "Now, as some of those same people face deportation, President Trump can take a scalpel — not a hammer — and protect those at real risk of death for their faith.

"This is Good Friday," he added. "It’s unthinkable to send Christians back to a country where they could face their own crucifixion. We’re asking the president to fix this."

DHS did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

President Trump on Friday said that career government employees working on policy matters for the administration will be reclassified "Schedule Policy/Career," – or at will employees – and will be fired if they don’t adhere to his agenda.

"Following my Day One Executive Order, the Office of Personnel Management will be issuing new Civil Service Regulations for career government employees," the president wrote on Truth Social Friday afternoon. 

He added, "Moving forward, career government employees, working on policy matters, will be classified as ‘Schedule Policy/Career,’ and will be held to the highest standards of conduct and performance."

This comes as the Trump administration continues to fire federal employees in an effort to shrink the government. 

FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS HALT TO TRUMP ADMIN'S CFPB TERMINATIONS

The administration’s Office of Personnel Management (OPM) estimated the rule change in Trump’s executive order "Restoring Accountability to Policy-Influencing Positions Within the Federal Workforce" would affect around 50,000 employees or 2% of the federal workforce, the White House said in a Friday memo. 

The regulations for civil service employees "with important policy-determining, policy-making, policy-advocating, or confidential duties" will now be considered "at-will" employees, "without access to cumbersome adverse action procedures or appeals, overturning Biden Administration regulations that protected poor performing employees." 

Trump added in his post: "If these government workers refuse to advance the policy interests of the President, or are engaging in corrupt behavior, they should no longer have a job. This is common sense, and will allow the federal government to finally be ‘run like a business.’ We must root out corruption and implement accountability in our Federal Workforce!" 

SUPREME COURT RULES ON STATUS OF TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FIRED PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES

The White House said the "rule empowers federal agencies to swiftly remove employees in policy-influencing roles for poor performance, misconduct, corruption, or subversion of Presidential directives, without lengthy procedural hurdles."

The employees aren’t required to personally support the president, but "must faithfully implement the law and the administration’s policies."

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The proposed rule won't change the status of affected employees' jobs until another executive order is issued, the White House said. 

Anti-Israel law students at Harvard conspired to smear numerous law firms that have stood opposed to anti-Israel efforts on college campuses, an investigation by the conservative Washington Free Beacon found.

Harvard's student-led chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, a left-wing legal advocacy group with chapters around the country, held a "Big Law, Big Secrets: Wikipedia Edit-A-Thon" earlier this month on campus. The event, led by a student with a reported history of anti-Israel activity, was meant to "gather data to edit the Wikipedia pages of Big Law firms to reflect cases they have recently argued." 

Two days later, over a dozen law firms that have been critical of antisemitism at Harvard and other college campuses, including some that rescinded job offers from Harvard law students over it, saw their Wikipedia pages amended. 

The changes were done by a Wikipedia account linked to another Harvard law student with a history of anti-Israel advocacy, the Free Beacon found, and the changes effectively sought to make the law firms look bad in the eyes of liberals. Some changes also sought to soften language critical of campus antisemitism.

5 CONTROVERSIES EMBROILING HARVARD UNIVERSITY AS TRUMP SEEKS TO CUT FUNDING

For instance, a section on the Wikipedia page for the firm Davis Polk, which describes cases it has worked on, was changed from "Race Relations" to "Defense of Segregation." The firm's page also saw the addition of a lengthy section about its "Representation of Purdue Pharma," a pharmaceutical company blamed by Democrats for playing a part in the opioid crisis.    

In 2023, Davis Polk rescinded a job offer it gave to a Harvard student over the student's leadership in organizing anti-Israel protests on campus. It was also among 100 law firms that sent a November 2023 letter to Harvard urging it to clamp down on campus antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attacks against innocent Israelis. 

Jones Day, which also signed the letter, had its Wikipedia page changed to include additions about it defending Walmart against allegations of overprescribing opioids, Second Amendment rights and "racial gerrymandering."

TRUMP SAYS HARVARD HAS ‘LOST ITS WAY,’ DOESN'T DESERVE FEDERAL FUNDING

Latham & Watkins, another signer, saw a section about its work on a case related to the Chevron deference principle changed to say the firm "eroded agencies' abilities to protect civil rights, human health and the environment, and other critical public functions." 

Jenner & Block, another signer of the November letter, saw a criticism about its representation of Uber in a suit over whether its drivers should be considered full-time employees or contractors added to its page.

Meanwhile, the edit history for some of the firms that signed on to the letter, such as Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, showed efforts to dull language about what occurred on college campuses after Hamas' attacks. For instance, the Harvard law student-linked account changed "amid a wave of antisemitism in the United States," to "amid a wave of Gaza war protests in the United States" on the firm's page. Additionally, "antisemitic incidents at elite U.S. law schools" was changed to "pro-Palestine protests at elite U.S. law schools."

Overall, 14 law firms saw changes such as these, according to the Free Beacon's investigation. When reached for comment, Harvard University spokesperson Jeff Neal said the Wikipedia Edit-A-Thon was organized by a student-run organization "and does not represent the views of Harvard Law School." 

HARVARD SLAMMED FOR REFUSING TO COMPLY WITH TRUMP ADMIN DEMANDS AMID ANTISEMITISM FIGHT

Fox News Digital reached out to the National Lawyers Guild's Harvard chapter and its national organization but did not receive a response. 

Earlier this month, the Trump administration's Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism froze over $2.2 billion in federal funding for Harvard. The administration has indicated it could take away as much as $9 billion if Harvard does not meet its requirements on antisemitism and other federal directives from Trump.

The Trump administration is also looking at ways to strip Harvard's tax-exempt status after the school said it would not comply with a number of the president's demands related to campus antisemitism, DEI and other policy priorities the president has laid out during his first 100 days in office. 

The government has given the go-ahead for pubs and bars to stay open for two hours longer than usual.

President Donald Trump said that Kilmar Abrego Garcia holds an "unbelievably bad" record, following Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s, D-Md., visit to El Salvador to meet with the Maryland resident the Trump administration deported there. 

When asked if Trump encouraged other Democrats to visit Abrego Garcia in El Salvador, the president proceeded to blast the "fake" Democrats for not actually caring about Abrego Garcia, who entered the U.S. illegally from El Salvador in 2011 and that the Trump administration has asserted is a member of the MS-13 gang. 

"They're all fake, and they have no interest in that prisoner," Trump told reporters Friday at the White House following a swearing-in ceremony for Dr. Mehmet Oz to oversee Medicare and Medicaid services. "That prisoner's record is unbelievably bad."

KILMAR ABREGO-GARCIA SUSPECTED OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN REPORT OBTAINED BY FOX NEWS

The Trump administration deported Abrego Garcia, 29, to El Salvador in what it described in court filings as an "administrative error," and has since said that it is up to El Salvador whether Abrego Garcia returns to the U.S. Meanwhile, a federal court and the Supreme Court have instructed the Trump administration to coordinate Garcia’s return so that proper deportation hearings can occur. 

The remarks come after the Justice Department unveiled documents on Wednesday detailing domestic violence allegations that Abrego Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez, included in a court filing in 2021. Vasquez alleged in the filing that Abrego Garcia beat her and that she had documentation of the bruises he left on her.

"At this point, I am afraid to be close to him," she said, according to the filing. "I have multiple photos/videos of how violent he can be and all the bruises he (has) left me."

TRUMP CALLS SEN. VAN HOLLEN A 'FOOL' AFTER MEETING WITH DEPORTED MS-13 SUSPECT IN EL SALVADOR

Additionally, a 2022 Homeland Security Investigations report obtained by Fox News claims that Abrego Garcia was suspected of partaking in labor and human trafficking. The report said that a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper pulled Abrego Garcia over in 2022 after swerving. The patrol officer found eight other individuals in the car with Abrego Garcia, who had just begun driving three days prior. 

The officer originally believed the incident qualified as a human trafficking case because no luggage was found in the car, but the officer ultimately only wrote up Abrego Garcia for driving with an expired license. 

The report also identified Abrego Garcia as a member of MS-13, a designated terrorist organization under the Trump administration. 

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"Abrego Garcia is a MS-13 gang member, illegal alien from El Salvador, and suspected human trafficker," Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News. "The facts reveal he was pulled over with eight individuals in a car on an admitted three-day journey from Texas to Maryland with no luggage." 

"The facts speak for themselves, and they reek of human trafficking," McLaughlin added. 

Meanwhile, Trump has also condemned Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland, for even conducting the visit to El Salvador. 

"Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland looked like a fool yesterday standing in El Salvador begging for attention from the Fake News Media, or anyone. GRANDSTANDER!!!" Trump wrote Friday on his Truth Social account. 

Fox News’ David Spunt, Rachel Wolf and Greg Norman contributed to this report. 

A Washington, D.C.-based federal judge on Friday temporarily halted the Trump administration's planned mass layoffs at the Consumer Financial Protections Bureau (CFPB), shortly after an appeals court narrowed her earlier injunction.

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson's order temporarily blocks the terminations, which would have slashed the bureau's workforce by roughly 90%, as she weighs whether the planned layoffs violate her earlier injunction. 

Her order comes after plaintiffs in the case, which include the CFPB Employee Association and other labor entities, accused the government of violating her earlier injunction. The plaintiffs alleged these layoffs would take place on Friday evening.

SUPREME COURT CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS SWOOPS IN TO SAVE TRUMP FIRING DECISION

Jackson noted on Friday that the agency was slated to carry out a reduction in force, or RIF, of roughly 1,400 employees — which would have left just several hundred in place. 

Jackson said that within several days of an appeals order narrowing her initial injunction, CFPB employees were told the agency would do "exactly what it was told not to do," which was to carry out a RIF. 

"I’m willing to resolve it quickly, but I’m not going to let this RIF go forward until I have," she said during the Friday hearing, noting that she is "deeply concerned, given the scope and scope of action."

Justice Department lawyers had sought to appeal Jackson's order earlier this year, arguing in a filing that the injunction "improperly intrudes on the executive [branch’s] authority" and goes "far beyond what is lawful."

SUPREME COURT RULES ON STATUS OF TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FIRED PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES

Jackson blocked the administration from moving forward with any layoffs or from cutting off employees' access to computers at the bureau until she has time to hear from the officials in question later this month.

"We’re not going to disperse" more than 1,400 employees "into the universe... until we have determined that is lawful or not," Jackson said.

She proceeded to then set an April 28 hearing date to hear testimony from officials slated to carry out the RIF procedures. 

The plaintiffs in the suit filed their legal challenge in D.C. district court in early February seeking a temporary restraining order after the Trump administration moved to severely downsize the bureau. 

The court issued a preliminary injunction in late March, finding that the plaintiffs would likely succeed on the merits.

The order directed the government to "rehire all terminated employees, reinstate all terminated contracts, and refrain from engaging in reductions-in-force or attempting to stop work through any means." 

The Trump administration appealed the order shortly thereafter.

SUPREME COURT TO HEAR ORAL ARGUMENTS IN BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP CASE

The Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit stayed Jackson's order only in part, staying the provision dictating that the government must rehire the terminated employees. 

The appeals court also stayed the provision of the order prohibiting the government from "terminating or issuing a notice of reduction" to employees the administration deemed "to be unnecessary to the performance of defendant's statutory duties."

After a video showing federal agents smashing a car window to arrest an illegal immigrant went viral online, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is dispelling rumors about both the agent involved and the detainee.

The arrest was carried out by Boston ICE officials and took place in New Bedford, Massachusetts, on Monday. 

The footage, which the detainee’s wife took from the inside of a car, shows two federal agents attempting to speak with two individuals who have locked themselves in the vehicle, claiming they are waiting for their lawyer. After unsuccessfully trying to access the vehicle, the agents use a large hammer to smash the backseat car window.

BOSTON POLICE COMMISSIONER DOUBLES DOWN ON ICE RESISTANCE: 'WE DON’T ENFORCE' DETAINERS

Eventually, the agents arrested one of the car’s occupants, a 29-year-old Guatemalan man named Juan Francisco-Mendez. 

According to local outlet The New Bedford Light, Francisco-Mendez’s lawyer, Ondine Gálvez, claims he has no criminal history in Massachusetts and is seeking asylum status. 

Francisco-Mendez’s wife, who is identified by the outlet as "Marilú," said the agents "pulled us out violently" and "treated us very harshly."

The video has since gone viral and sparked significant controversy. Some people online have even claimed that the agent who smashed the window is a far-right militia member named Lewis Arthur.

A spokesperson for ICE told Fox News Digital that Francisco-Mendez "refused to comply with officers’ instructions and resisted apprehension" and that the agent’s actions were in line with training on applying the minimum amount of force needed. 

ICE ARRESTS OVER 200 ILLEGAL ALIENS IN NEW YORK CITY'S 'MOST CRIME-INFESTED NEIGHBORHOODS'

"ICE concurs with the actions deemed appropriate by the officers on the scene who are trained to use the minimum amount of force necessary to resolve the situation in a manner that ensures the success of the operation and prioritizes the safety of our officers," the spokesperson said. 

The representative categorically denied that the agent involved in the arrest was Arthur, saying rather that he is a legitimate federal agent working with ICE.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

The spokesperson declined to release the name of the officer publicly but confirmed to Fox News Digital that "he is a federal law enforcement officer who has worked with ICE to help keep New England communities safe for years."

"The officer recorded making an arrest in New Bedford, Mass., is not militia leader Lewis Arthur," the spokesperson said, adding that "the rumors circulating on social media that ICE Boston employed a militia leader from Arizona to make arrests in New England are not only false, but they are also inflammatory and place the safety of federal officers in jeopardy."

WHITE HOUSE DEFENDS ICE, SAYS DEMS, MEDIA WANT 'SICK' CRIMINAL MIGRANTS LEFT ON STREETS

"ICE vehemently denies the lies that are being spread on social media," the spokesperson said, noting that "our ICE officers are facing a 300% increase in assaults while carrying out enforcement operations."

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Regarding the detained migrant, ICE said Francisco-Mendez is in the country illegally despite reporting that he is a legal asylum seeker.  

Francisco-Mendez has now been served with a notice to appear before a Justice Department immigration judge.

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is investigating how Harvard University uses taxpayer money as the school faces scrutiny on civil rights issues like antisemitism.

Committee Chairman James Comer and House Republican Leadership Chairwoman Elise Stefanik sent a letter to the university president, Dr. Alan M. Garber, Thursday afternoon, after the Trump administration halted $2.2 billion in funding to the school. The Department of Homeland Security is also scrapping $2.7 million in grants, and the IRS is weighing an end to the university's tax-exempt status.

The goal is to ultimately decide "whether legislation is necessary to ensure that institutions of higher education receiving federal financial assistance are no longer able to violate the law while lucratively benefiting from the generosity of the American people."

JOHN YOO SAYS HARVARD DOES NOT HAVE 'RIGHT TO FEDERAL GRANTS' AMID BATTLE WITH TRUMP ADMIN

The committee is asking for "documents and communications" to investigate the issue.

"On April 11, 2025, officials from the General Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Department of Education wrote to you with a proposed settlement agreement seeking to return Harvard into compliance with civil rights laws," the letter states.

"Instead of working with the government, you wrote to the Harvard community claiming that efforts to comply with basic civil rights law obligations would ‘surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights," it continues.

"Even as Harvard is apparently preparing to reject all federal financial assistance so it can avoid complying with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Harvard has received enormous sums from foreign sources, including from authoritarian governments," the letter added.

HARVARD WON’T COMPLY WITH TRUMP ADMIN’S DEMANDS AMID THREATS OF CUTTING FEDERAL FUNDING

On the possibility of the federal government ending the university’s tax-exempt status, the university told Fox News Thursday it has "no legal basis" to do so.

"The government has long exempted universities from taxes in order to support their educational mission. The tax exemption means that more of every dollar can go toward scholarships for students, lifesaving and life-enhancing medical research and technological advancements that drive economic growth," a spokesperson said.

President Donald Trump has been a vocal critic of Harvard, saying its hires have been "almost all woke."

TRUMP ADMIN PAUSES $1B FROM CORNELL, $790M FROM NORTHWESTERN AMID CIVIL RIGHTS INVESTIGATION: REPORT

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"Harvard is a JOKE, teaches Hate and Stupidity, and should no longer receive Federal Funds," Trump posted recently.

Antisemitism on American college campuses has become a major focus after anti-Israel protests hit a breaking point in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. 

Harvard University said it's reviewing the letter about the oversight investigation.

"Harvard is reviewing the committee’s inquiry, which — like the sdministration’s announcement of the freeze of $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in contracts, scrutiny of foreign student visas, and consideration of revoking Harvard’s 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status — appears to be a direct response to the university’s commitment to uphold its independence and constitutional rights," a spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

"Harvard continues to comply with the law, and we have made significant strides in combating antisemitism on our campus, strengthening our policies, disciplining those who violate our policies, encouraging civil discourse and promoting open, respectful dialogue. 

"However, complying with the federal government’s demands, which are largely unrelated to combating antisemitism, would undermine our rights under the First Amendment and due process under Title VI and erode academic freedom. Such demands include changing Harvard’s governance structure, ‘reducing the power held by students and untenured faculty' and submitting to external audits for viewpoint diversity. These demands go well beyond the requirements of federal law."

FIRST ON FOX: Days of highly publicized departures at the Pentagon appear to have come from weeks – if not months – of simmering tensions and factional infighting, Fox News Digital can reveal. 

According to multiple defense officials, the three employees put on leave this week were never told what they were accused of leaking, were not read their rights and were given no guidance on who they could or couldn’t speak to. They were also not asked to turn over their cellphones as part of the leak probe.

At least one of the former employees is consulting with legal counsel, but none have been fired and all are awaiting the outcome of the investigation.

Top aides to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were placed on leave and escorted out of the building this week as the Pentagon probes unauthorized leaks: senior adviser Dan Caldwell, deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick and Colin Carroll, chief of staff to Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg.

PENTAGON FIRES GREENLAND US BASE COMMANDER WHO 'UNDERMINED' JD VANCE AFTER PITUFFIK VISIT

Another press aide, John Ullyot, parted ways with the Pentagon because he did not want to be second-in-command of the communications shop. 

Officials denied that the three men were placed on leave because of their foreign policy views and said they saw no connection to their positions on Iran and Israel – even as reports surfaced that President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the Pentagon would not intervene if Israel attacked Iran.

Selnick was focused on operations, administration and personnel matters; Carroll was focused largely on acquisitions; and Caldwell advised mostly on the Europe portfolio. 

But the trio were united, according to one defense official with knowledge of the situation, in the fact that Hegseth's chief of staff, Joe Kasper, had a "deep vendetta" against them. Kasper issued a memo in late March directing the Pentagon to investigate unauthorized disclosures to reporters and to go so far as using lie detector tests if necessary. 

The three had raised concerns to Hegseth about Kasper’s leadership, and Kasper believed they were trying to get him fired, according to the official. 

Those tensions had boiled into "shouting matches in the front office," the official said. 

TRUMP, HEGSETH REVEAL WHOPPING FIGURE THEY WANT FOR THE NEXT PENTAGON BUDGET

Another Pentagon official disputed those claims and insisted that any accusation the firings had to do with anything other than the unauthorized leak investigation was "false." 

"This is not about interpersonal conflict," that official said. "There is evidence of leaking. This is about unauthorized disclosures, up to and including classified information." 

Legal experts say the employees don't need to be notified of what they're accused of doing until the investigation is concluded.

"Being placed on paid leave is not considered a disciplinary decision. It's considered a preliminary step to conduct an investigation, so if they think they're being railroaded or hosed, they'll have some due process opportunity to respond when there's a formal decision," said Sean Timmons, a legal expert in military and employment law. 

"They've been humiliated in the media to some extent. However, this happens every day in the federal government. Generally speaking, what's happened so far is not necessarily considered discipline. It's just considered a security protocol step to suspend their authorization, suspend their access to their emails, and a full, thorough independent investigation can be conducted."

The three aides are civilian political appointees, meaning they could be fired at-will regardless of the investigation. But if they are found to have engaged in unauthorized leaking, they could have their security clearances yanked away.

"There are very few protections when it comes to political appointees versus career civilian staff," said Libby Jamison, an attorney who specializes in military law. "For appointees, there is very broad discretion to be placed on administrative leave or reassigned." 

If employees are accused of leaking, a report is sent to the Defense Information System for Security, and then there is an independent review of their eligibility for access to sensitive information.

"They'll get a chance, potentially, to try to keep their clearance and show that they didn't violate any security clearance protocols when it comes to handling sensitive information," said Timmons. "If it is found they were leaking information in violation of the rules, and then there's a guideline violation for personal misconduct and for breaching of sensitive information. So they could be possibly criminally prosecuted and certainly terminated from their employment and have their clearance stripped and revoked."

Or, if the independent officer does not find sufficient evidence to tie them to the leaks, they could return to their positions and maintain clearances. 

Ullyot, meanwhile, said that he had made clear to Hegseth from the beginning that he was "not interested in being number two to anyone in public affairs."

Ullyot ran the public affairs office on an acting basis at the start of the administration, leading a memo that yanked back workspaces for legacy media outlets and reassigned them to conservative networks. Ullyot also took a jab at former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, saying his "corpulence" set a bad example for Pentagon fitness standards. 

But as his temporary chief role came to a close and Sean Parnell took the Pentagon chief spokesperson job, Ullyot said he and Hegseth "could not come to an agreement on another good fit for me at DOD. So I informed him today that I will be leaving at the end of this week."

Ullyot said he remains one of Hegseth’s "strongest supporters." 

The office of the secretary of defense and the three aides who were placed on leave this week either declined to comment or could not be reached for this story. 

A new investigation tracking the current state of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at colleges and universities from conservative nonprofit Defending Education found that there are still 383 "currently active" DEI offices and programs, with 243 universities maintaining institution-wide DEI offices or programming.

Defending Education, formerly known as Parents Defending Education, is a nationwide grassroots organization that works to "fight indoctrination in classrooms and on campus to promote the reestablishment of a quality, non-political education for all students." 

In addition to tracking those DEI offices and programs that are still active, the group's investigation also highlighted that Defending Education uncovered dozens of schools that have taken steps to rebrand or reorganize their DEI efforts, as opposed to shutting them down like others have done. 

MAJOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER ACCUSED OF HIDING DEI PROGRAMS, INFLUENTIAL SENATOR CALLS THEM OUT 

At least 27 universities, colleges or schools within such institutions have taken steps to do this, according to the investigation. Meanwhile, in "a few cases," schools have moved their online DEI resources behind password-protected web pages, Defending Education also pointed out.

"DEI evangelists at federally funded institutions are hiding race discrimination in an effort to violate federal law and think they won’t be found out. But our latest report demonstrates they already have been," said Sarah Parshall Perry, Defending Education Vice President and Legal Fellow, who has extensive legal experience in the higher education realm. "Despite a very clear directive from the White House to end ‘DEI’ practices, too many institutions of higher education have simply sent their discrimination underground by renaming or reorganizing race-based initiatives and DEI offices."

Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is an example of one of the universities that has been accused of attempting to hide their DEI resources. 

In response to the accusations, a VUMC spokesperson told Fox News Digital at the time that it was undergoing "a thorough review" of its programs to figure out "where revisions may be required to remain in compliance, including updating information on websites and other public platforms." 

However, today, offices such as the Office of Health Equity, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and the Office for Diversity Affairs are seemingly still active, according to Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.

WATCHDOG GROUP EXPOSES RED STATE COLLEGE ADMINISTRATOR EXPLAINING ‘LOOPHOLE’ AROUND ANTI-DEI LAW

The White House blasted some of the nation's premier universities for "egregious illegal behavior," after Harvard refused to comply with Trump administration demands related to ending their DEI programs. Amid Harvard's refusal to comply, the administration revealed this week that it would freeze more than $2 billion in federal funding for the institution.

During a press briefing this week, when asked why federal funding was so available to premier Ivy League institutions like Harvard, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said it was a question President Donald Trump frequently ponders himself.

"It's a question the president has obviously raised in his discussions," Leavitt said. "I think a lot of Americans are wondering why their tax dollars are going to these universities when they are not only indoctrinating our nation's students, but also allowing such egregious illegal behavior to occur."

Perry told Fox News Digital that Defending Education will not stop looking for "discrimination" in higher education, in an effort to make the guarantee of a "colorblind education" for every American student a reality "once and for all."

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Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not hear back by time of publication.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., shared a health update regarding his son, Andrew, who has been at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., as doctors try to determine the cause of a possible mystery illness.

Mullin, whose eyes were bruised — presumably from surgery — announced on Friday that Andrew was set to undergo two procedures. Andrew said in the video that he wanted to be fully sedated, but the Mayo Clinic was allegedly unable to fulfill the request.

MAYO CLINIC FINDS NEW TYPE OF MEMORY LOSS THAT’S OFTEN MISTAKEN FOR ALZHEIMER’S

On Tuesday, the senator shared that several members of his family, including himself, were facing health issues. The senator underwent eye surgery on April 11 and his wife, Christie, had "major knee reconstructive surgery" on April 8, and his mother had a stroke on the same day as his procedure. He said on April 17 that his wife and mother were doing better, as was he.

Mullin’s son, Andrew, however, was facing a different health challenge — one that the senator said in a video on Tuesday that he had been dealing with since January.

"Andrew has been dealing with something a little different since January," the senator said while standing next to his son in a video posted on Tuesday. "He was at practice at OU and um —"

"[I] had a severe side pain and had to go to the E.R. and get checked out," Andrew said. The University of Oklahoma wrestler explained that he had fluid in his lungs and some "growth spots" that kept getting worse.

MAYO CLINIC SEES AI AS 'TRANSFORMATIVE FORCE' IN HEALTH CARE, APPOINTS DR. BHAVIK PATEL AS CHIEF AI OFFICER

Since the video on Tuesday, Mullin has shared updates on his social media almost daily, if not more often. The day after sharing the health statuses of himself, his wife, his mother and his son, Mullin shared that the Mayo Clinic had ruled out cancer as a possible reason for the growth spots in Andrew’s lungs.

"Senator Mullin is at the Mayo Clinic this week supporting his son, Andrew, as he undergoes rigorous testing. The senator’s priorities are clear: God, Family, and everybody else," a spokesperson for Mullin told Fox News Digital.

Mullin has thanked the public for their prayers in multiple posts about his family’s health challenges.

The men held their first call since the US president imposed tariffs on UK goods earlier this month.

Earlier this year, King Charles III invited Donald Trump for an unprecedented second state visit.

A young girl collapsed near the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office while President Donald Trump spoke during a Friday swearing-in ceremony for former heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz, who rushed over to assist the child. 

A White House official confirmed to Fox News Digital that the girl was a family member of Oz's who fainted during the ceremony and that she has recovered. 

Department of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. swore in Oz to oversee the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The Senate confirmed Oz on April 3, and he is now tasked with managing nearly $1.5 trillion in federal healthcare spending. 

In addition to leading the Medicare and Medicaid services, he will oversee the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). He will be responsible for issuing decisions on how the government will cover procedures, hospital stays and medication. 

At the ceremony, Oz laid out his priorities in the role to advance the "Make America Healthy Again" movement that Kennedy is spearheading, and instituting reform for Medicare and Medicaid. 

NEW BIPARTISAN PROPOSAL TARGETS ‘ONE OF THE MOST EGREGIOUS’ KINDS OF FRAUD RAVAGING HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY

"Healthy people don't consume healthcare resources," Oz said in regard to the so-called "MAHA" movement. "The best way to reduce drug spending is to use less drugs, because you don't need them." 

"Next big thing we want to focus on is modernizing Medicare and Medicaid," Oz said. "That's how Americans will get the care that they want, need and deserve. Need to empower patients and providers, both the doctors and the patients, both have to be equipped with better tools." 

Lastly, Oz said he would seek to weed out any fraud or abuse within the Medicare and Medicaid systems. 

Medicare is a government healthcare program that provides coverage to roughly 65 million Americans aged 65 or older, according to the Center for Medicare Advocacy. Medicaid is a federal assistance program for approximately 72 million low-income Americans, according to Medicaid.gov. 

HHS DOWNSIZING BEGINS AMID RFK JR. ‘MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN’ PUSH: ‘WIN-WIN FOR TAXPAYERS’

Oz received medical and business degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and became a household name during television stints that include "The Oprah Winfrey Show," and 13 seasons of "The Dr. Oz Show."

Fox News' Alec Schemmel contributed to this report. 

Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard announced the release of the first batch of Robert F. Kennedy assassination files on Friday after teasing the news earlier this month. 

"Nearly 60 years after the tragic assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, the American people will, for the first time, have the opportunity to review the federal government’s investigation thanks to the leadership of President Trump," Gabbard said in a statement released. "My team is honored that the President entrusted us to lead the declassification efforts and to shine a long-overdue light on the truth. I extend my deepest thanks for Bobby Kennedy and his families’ support."

Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said in the same statement that releasing the files was "a necessary step toward restoring trust in American government."

GABBARD SAYS RFK, MLK JR RECORDS ‘READY TO RELEASE’ IN DAYS, HAS 'HUNTERS' LOOKING AT FBI, CIA FOR MORE FILES

"I commend President Trump for his courage and his commitment to transparency. I’m grateful also to Tulsi Gabbard for her dogged efforts to root out and declassify these documents," he continued. 

Likewise, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reacted to the files' release on X on Friday morning, writing, "RFK Files have been released. Promises Made. Promises Kept."

During a Friday morning appearance on "FOX and Friends," Gabbard said 10,000 pages had been released — none of which had previously been digitized or publicly viewed. Gabbard said the files included documents regarding the government's investigation of the assassination and "questions and theories" as the investigation played out, as well as State Department conversations and insight. 

"The significance of this is huge," Gabbard said. "It's been nearly 60 years since Senator Kennedy was assassinated. We're obviously not stopping here."

WEEKS AFTER EPSTEIN FILE FALLOUT, A NEW DEADLINE LOOMS IN THE RELEASE OF THE RFK AND MLK FILES

Gabbard also said that "just the other day, we discovered over 50,000 additional pages solely around Senator Kennedy's assassination," saying she had "over 100 people at National Archives" scanning through the documents in anticipation of a second release. 

"Nearly six decades have passed since the tragic assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and these historic files have been hidden from the American people all this time — until now," a White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "In the name of maximum transparency, President Trump has released over 10,000 pages of the RFK files with more to come. There has never been a more transparent president in the history of our country than President Donald J. Trump. Another promise made and promise kept."

Gabbard had previously mentioned the files' drop on April 10 during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, saying at the time that more than 100 people had been "working around the clock" scanning paperwork related to both the Martin Luther King Jr. and RFK assassinations and subsequent investigations. 

"These have been sitting in boxes in storage for decades," Gabbard told President Donald Trump. Kennedy was also present during the meeting. 

"They have never been scanned or seen before. We'll have those ready to release here within the next few days," Gabbard said. 

The RFK files' release comes as a result of Trump's declassification executive order issued shortly after he started his second term. The order specifically seeks to declassify files on the assassinations of former President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert and civil rights icon King.

EPSTEIN FILES DEBACLE SPURS NEW INTEREST IN CONTENTS OF PROMISED RFK, MLK ASSASSINATION FILES

Trump had previously promised to declassify the documents while on the campaign trail, saying at the time, "When I return to the White House, I will declassify and unseal all JFK assassination-related documents. It’s been 60 years, time for the American people to know the truth."

According to the order, the director of national intelligence and other officials were expected to submit their proposed release plans for the RFK and MLK files on March 9. 

DNI and the attorney general were previously given a Feb. 7 deadline to submit their release plans for the JFK files. 

The Justice Department saw a fallout in late February after releasing a batch of Jeffrey Epstein files. Many of the documents publicized then had already been released during the federal criminal trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former lover and convicted accomplice. 

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

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., have already begun trading barbs in the 2026 gubernatorial race amid reports that the Republican congresswoman is considering a run.

When asked about Stefanik’s potential bid, the Democrat responded by saying she’s heard from "people in the North Country" concerned about Trump’s tariffs policies and how that will impact the region, particularly with its relationship with Canada.

"So, no matter who the GOP nominee is next year that I’ll be running against, it’ll be an extreme MAGA Republican and I look forward to that fight," Hochul said while taking questions on Wednesday.

BILL MAHER SUGGESTS ANDREW CUOMO'S NURSING HOME SCANDAL MAY COST HIS NYC MAYORAL CAMPAIGN

Stefanik, who has not officially announced a campaign, clapped back at the governor.

"The Worst Governor in America takes the bait and responds by talking about ‘People in the North Country.’ Just a quick reminder of Hochul’s abysmal polling of the "People in the North Country - it is the region where she is the least popular in the entire state…and that’s saying a lot because she’s unpopular everywhere," Stefanik posted to X on Wednesday afternoon.

"And North Country voters will not forget her attempt to disenfranchise and rob them of their voice and vote. They will not forget what she did to our farmers and our COs. Oh and one more thing … even Democrat candidates in the North Country refuse to publicly support her. Just ask them!" she continued.

TRUMP ADMIN RIPS BLUE CITY CRIME IN VOW TO CLEAN UP DANGERS FOR COMMUTERS: 'THIS IS NOT HUMANE'

Although Cook Political Report ranks the race as "Likely D," Hochul is currently facing scrutiny for a 39% approval rating, according to a recent Marist poll. The Democrat notably faced off against Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin in 2022 while he was in Congress. He had the best Republican gubernatorial performance since Gov. George Pataki won in 2002.

Stefanik was recently pulled as the United Nations Ambassador pick in order to keep the narrow Republican majority in the House as high as possible.

"I have been proud to be a team player. The president knows that. He and I had multiple conversations today, and we are committed to delivering results on behalf of the American people. And as always, I'm committed to delivering results on behalf of my constituents," she said on Fox News' "Hannity" last month.

TOM HOMAN WARNS MAJOR SANCTUARY STATE WILL ‘GET EXACTLY WHAT THEY DON’T WANT’

Just hours before reports emerged that Stefanik was considering her next political move, Trump posted to Truth Social that "Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is GREAT!!!" Sources told Fox News that allies of the president have encouraged her to run.

On the Republican side, Rep. Mike Lawler, Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman and Bethany town supervisor Carl Hyde Jr. are also considering bids. On the Democratic side, Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado and Rep. Ritchie Torres may primary Hochul.

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.