Senate Republicans rallied to send President Donald Trump’s "big, beautiful bill" back to the House, notching a major victory in their record-shattering march toward getting the legislation signed into law.

Nearly every Republican in the upper chamber coalesced to advance Trump’s megabill, save for Sens.Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Rand Paul, R-Ky, and Susan Collins, R-Maine. No Senate Democrat crossed the aisle to support the bill.

DEM DELAY TACTIC ENDS, DEBATE BEGINS ON TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL'

Vice President JD Vance's tie-breaking vote was needed to push the bill across the finish line – unlike on Saturday, when the Ohio Republican descended on Capitol Hill in anticipation of a tight vote to proceed with debate on the bill.

That comes after Republican leadership tried to win over the votes of Collins and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska with sweeteners in the final, amended version of the bill. 

The bill now heads to the House, where fiscal hawks in the House Freedom Caucus are frustrated with what they say are shallow spending cuts, and moderates are concerned over cuts to Medicaid. All have warned that they may not support the bill. 

Still, Republican leaders have made clear that they intend to have the bill on Trump’s desk by Friday.

Many House Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., called on the Senate to change as little as possible. A product that could pass the House was front of mind for some Senate Republicans as the day dragged on. 

"We're talking to the House," Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., said. "We know they're going to have some issues over there, just like we had some issues when it came over here, too. But we think we're going to pass a bill that they can pass."

House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith, the chief tax writer in the House, said that he was "optimistic" about the bill on his way to the Senate floor Tuesday morning. 

"We're moving to the point that we're getting more balance, and what I've said all along is let's have balance in the bill," the Missouri Republican said. "We're going to get this done, we're going to get this to the president by July 4." 

Republicans pushed the chamber from the end of June to the beginning of July after a marathon weekend that saw a high drama unfold on the Senate floor, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., bleed time, hours of mostly one-sided debate, the occasional protest in the Senate gallery, a grueling blast of amendments and the penultimate vote to move the ball forward for the president’s ambitious agenda.

SENATE REPUBLICANS RAM TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' THROUGH KEY TEST VOTE

The blur from Monday to Tuesday, like the weekend slog before it, was not without its own dramatics.  

Senate Democrats tried numerous times to shelve the legislation during the "vote-a-rama," while Republicans sought to revive certain measures that were scrapped — like provisions that would have booted illegal immigrants from Medicaid — or amendments to sate key Republican holdouts. 

And before the bill was put on the floor for a final vote, last-minute deals were struck and changes made in a "wraparound" amendment to attract holdouts. 

Included was the doubling of the rural hospital fund to $50 billion pushed for by Collins, and a rollback of the start date of supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) work requirements for states with higher payment error rates, like Alaska. 

Trump’s "big, beautiful bill" is crammed with his and congressional Republicans’ legislative priorities, including billions for the Pentagon and to bolster the White House’s border and immigration agenda, the permanent extension of his 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, deep spending cuts and an effort to reform Medicaid.

Senate Republicans have pitched the bill as a way to both turbocharge the economy and as a means to prevent Trump’s first-term tax cuts from expiring. They have simultaneously used it as a vehicle to achieve deep spending cuts in the neighborhood of $1.5 trillion.

But Senate Democrats have railed against the package for the millions it could boot off of Medicaid and the trillions it could add to the federal deficit.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released two sets of scores Saturday and Sunday that reflected both current policy and current law. Under current policy, the bill would tack on just over $507 billion over the next decade. But under current law, the package would add roughly $3.3 trillion.

TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' FACES REPUBLICAN FAMILY FEUD AS SENATE REVEALS ITS FINAL TEXT

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., countered that when it came to spending, Senate Democrats were being hypocritical. 

"I've been here a long time," Thune said. "And I've not been involved in a single spending debate and fight in which Republicans were trying to spend less, and Democrats were trying to spend more, with one exception. 

"And that's national security," he continued. "Democrats are always willing to cut defense but never want to cut anywhere else."

But Schumer accused Trump of "lying" about the bill, particularly over the nature of proposed cuts to Medicaid and the economic growth potential tied to the tax package. 

And in one final act of defiance ahead of the bill's final passage, Schumer had the official title of the legislation "The One Big, Beautiful Bill Act" nixed. 

"The American people will not forget what Republicans do in this chamber today," Schumer said. 

While Republicans on the House Oversight Committee have started questioning former President Joe Biden's Cabinet members about the alleged cover-up of his cognitive decline, a former Democratic National Committee (DNC) insider says she is sitting on a trove of answers. 

In a wide-ranging exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Lindy Li, a former DNC fundraiser and National Finance Committee member, detailed her front-row seat to Biden's presidency and the people who pulled the strings behind the scenes. 

"[Biden is] definitely complicit, but there were a lot of people behind him, like puppet masters. [Former first lady Jill Biden] very much knew what she was doing. What she did was absolutely elder abuse. There is no question in my mind," Li said. 

Last week, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., issued a subpoena to Anthony Bernal, former assistant to the president and senior advisor to the first lady, to appear for a July 16 deposition. 

TOP BIDEN OFFICIALS SUMMONED TO TESTIFY ABOUT ALLEGED COVER-UP OF FORMER PRESIDENT'S MENTAL FITNESS

"They deny the cover-up, but I had a front-row seat watching it happen. People like Anthony Bernal. I saw him running the White House like he was in charge, like he was a king. It's just so amazing now to see him dodge a subpoena and completely dodge accountability. He can run, but he can't hide. His name is going to go down in infamy forever," Li told Fox News Digital. 

WHO IS ANTHONY BERNAL?: THE 'INDISPENSABLE' BIDEN AIDE DITCHING HOUSE OVERSIGHT PROBE ON HIS MENTAL DECLINE

Bernal had confirmed his appearance for a voluntary transcribed interview before the committee on June 26, but after the White House Counsel’s office informed him it was waiving executive privilege for the Oversight committee’s investigation, he refused to appear. 

Li said Bernal, who also served as the first lady's chief of staff, "followed Jill around like a dog." While Bernal's apparent power grab coincided with Jill Biden's growing role in the Biden White House, Li added that he ran the East Wing more than the West Wing. 

Li, who attended events at the White House and organized fundraisers in critical battleground states during the 2024 presidential election, said that in addition to Bernal, deputy chief of staff Bruce Reed, counselor Steve Ricchetti and senior advisors Anita Dunn and Mike Donilon were among those running the White House during Biden's presidency. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the aforementioned Biden aides but did not receive a response. 

Biden's former domestic policy advisor, Neera Tanden, testified for hours before the House Oversight Committee last week about her knowledge of the autopen, an automatic signature tool used throughout past presidencies that allowed aides to sign pardons, memos and other important documents on Biden's behalf. 

Tanden told reporters that she "answered every question, was pleased to discuss my public service, and it was a thorough process," adding she was "glad I answered everyone's question."

Li said Tanden played an "intricate" role in using the autopen when "Biden was manifestly unqualified and unable to prosecute the duties of the office."

The former DNC insider said Tanden's remarks that she "answered every question" reminded her of Jill Biden's demeanor after her husband's disastrous and consequential debate performance one year ago. 

Li said she was in the room when Jill proclaimed, "You answered every question!" and said the Democratic Party went to great lengths, even then, to cover up Biden's cognitive decline. She said that included talking points from Biden's campaign managers, who claimed Biden couldn't drop out of the race due to campaign finance laws. 

"This is such an eerie parallel. It's not enough to just give empty answers," Li said. 

The former Democrat, who said she has faced the wrath of her former friends and colleagues since she left the party, added that Jill Biden was ultimately the one running the White House. 

"Joe was not able to do a lot of campaign events, so Jill would come out on his behalf, acting like the president or the presidential candidate. That's why she graced the Vogue cover three times. She loved it. If I were to pinpoint two reasons why Joe decided to run again, it would be two people: Jill and Hunter Biden. Because Hunter Biden's freedom was on the line and Jill's ego was on the line," Li said. 

Before the president ultimately dropped out of the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris last summer, Jill Biden took a break from the campaign trail to show her support for Hunter Biden at his federal trial. 

Hunter was found guilty on all counts but received a presidential pardon from his father before departing the White House in January. 

When reached for comment about her allegations, a former Biden official quipped, "Who is Lindy Li?"

Fox News' Danielle Wallace, Alec Schemmel, Elizabeth Elkind and David Spunt contributed to this report. 

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk threatened to support primary challenges of GOP senators who vote in favor of President Donald Trump’s "big, beautiful bill," prompting pushback from some senators who spoke to Fox News Digital. 

"I'll take President Trump's endorsement over Elon's any day of the week back home," Kansas GOP Sen. Roger Marshall told Fox News Digital.

"Look, we need to pass this bill because it helps fulfill President Trump's agenda. His priorities were to secure the border, bring back prosperity and security. I think if we do those things, if we bring back the prosperity and the security, we're going to get re-elected. Elon's continuing his little spat, we are ignoring him. Let's get this bill across the finish line."

GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama told Fox News Digital that the "bottom line" is that "51 of us are going to vote for this tonight."

TRUMP WARNS OF 'WHOPPING 68% TAX INCREASE' IF SENATE FAILS TO PASS HISTORIC BILL

"I saw some of the things he's upset over, the subsidies that we're cutting out of energy, you know, the wind and solar. He thinks that we need to do more with energy, and I agree with that, but we can't keep funding it through the federal government. We've got to go out there and do it the right way through private enterprise like he's done it."

Missouri GOP Sen. Schmitt praised Musk’s work at DOGE, saying he has a "ton of respect" for the former DOGE chief and said he should be congratulated for the "incredible thing" he did for the country, finding waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government.

"Everybody’s entitled to their opinions," Schmitt said. 

GOP Tennessee Sen. Bill Hagerty told Fox News Digital that by the time primary elections come up in 2026, the country will "already be seeing the benefits of the bill."

"We're going to see more growth and more tax benefits, more revenue benefits, I should say, so, I don't think that the doom and gloom being predicted by many is actually going to manifest itself," Hagerty explained. "In fact, I think we're opening the door to a new golden era, as President Trump likes to say."

ELON MUSK SAYS US IS RULED BY 'PORKY PIG PARTY' AS TRUMP DEFENDS HIS VISION AGAINST FORMER ALLY'S CRITICISM

South Dakota GOP Sen. Jon Hoeven pushed back on the criticism that the bill would increase the deficit by arguing the deficit would be reduced via revenue growth and savings. 

"I think people understand that he, you know, didn't like the one big, beautiful bill," Hoeven said. "So I don't know that people have paid, you know, nearly as much attention to it this time around."

Marshall, when asked if he thought Musk’s primary threats would hurt Republicans in the midterms, said, "I haven’t given it a second thought today."

"It would be a big speed bump in certain states, in Kansas, probably not so much. I think President Trump was wildly popular in most of these states. I think we need to find a way to get Elon back on board. He's a smart person, brings a lot to our economy. Let's figure out how to bring Elon back into the fold here."

Musk intensified his ongoing feud with Trump and his allies this week in a political warning to lawmakers that he would work to unseat them if they voted in support of Trump's bill.

"Anyone who campaigned on the PROMISE of REDUCING SPENDING, but continues to vote on the BIGGEST DEBT ceiling increase in HISTORY will see their face on this poster in the primary next year," Musk posted to X Monday evening.

The message was accompanied by an image of Pinocchio sitting on fire and the caption, "LIAR Voted to increase America's DEBT by 5,000,000,000.00"

"Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame! And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth," Musk declared in a post on X on Monday.

On Tuesday morning, as the bill was being debated in the Senate, Trump warned that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is a "monster that might have to go back and eat Elon."

"DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon. Wouldn't that be terrible?" Trump told the media Tuesday morning as he departed for a trip to the Florida Everglades to visit a new migrant detention center. "He gets a lot of subsidies. But, Elon was very upset that the EV mandate is going to be terminated." 

His response followed a question regarding whether he would deport Musk, who is originally from South Africa. Trump responded, "I don't know, we'll have to take a look."

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.

Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul tops each of her potential Republican challengers by 20 points or more in potential 2026 gubernatorial showdowns in blue-leaning New York State, according to a new poll.

But Hochul, who is seeking a second four-year term steering the nation's fourth most populous state, fails to top 50% in a new survey by Siena College.

And a majority of New York State voters continue to want "someone else" elected governor next year other than Hochul, according to the poll, which was conducted June 23-26.

The survey also continues to indicate that Rep. Elise Stefanik is the polling frontrunner among three major Republicans considering runs for the GOP gubernatorial nomination, in the race to challenge Hochul next year.

COULD THIS TOP TRUMP ALLY BREAK THE REPUBLICAN PARTY'S TWO-DECADE LOSING STREAK IN THIS KEY STATE

Hochul, who at the time was the state’s lieutenant governor, in August 2021 was sworn in as New York’s first female governor, after three-term Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned in disgrace amid multiple scandals.

She defeated then-Rep. Lee Zeldin by just over six points in 2022 to win a full four-year term steering New York. Zeldin's showing was the best by a Republican gubernatorial nominee in blue-state New York since then-GOP Gov. George Pataki won re-election to a third term in 2002.

In July of last year, Hochul announced her intention to run for re-election in 2026.

But polling suggests New Yorkers are far from thrilled with the state of their state.

HOCHUL FACING PRIMARY CHALLENGE FROM HER OWN LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Half of those questioned in the survey said New York was headed in the wrong direction, with just 37% saying the Empire State was headed on the right track. Siena polling last month indicated voters thought the state was headed in the wrong direction by a much narrower 46%-43% margin.

According to the poll, Hochul's favorabiltiy rating remains underwater, at 42%-47%, while her job approval rating continues to hover slightly in positive territory, at 50%-45%.

Only 37% said they are prepared to re-elect Hochul next year, with 55% wanting "someone else." Those numbers are little changed from Siena's May survey.

Hochul leads Stefanik 47%-24% in a hypothetical 2026 general election showdown, according to the poll.

The survey also indicates Hochul topping GOP Rep. Mike Lawler by a slightly narrower 44%-24% margin and Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman by a slightly wider 44%-19% margin.

"While the early leads seem large, Hochul is not hitting the ‘magic’ 51% mark against any of these opponents, and in each matchup, between a quarter and a third of voters wasn’t able to choose between the two candidates," Siena College Research Institute Director Don Levy said.

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING, ANALYSIS, AND OPINION ON NEW YORK GOV. KATHY HOCHUL

In a potential Republican primary for governor, the poll indicates Stefanik (35%) continuing to top Lawler (18%) and Blakeman (7%).

Earlier this month Hochul's lieutenant governor — Antonio Delgado — launched a Democratic Party primary challenge against the governor. And Rep. Ritchie Torres continues to mull a possible primary challenge. 

But the survey indicates Hochul (49%) easily topping Delgado (12%) and Torres (10%) at this very early point in the 2026 election cycle.

But Torres said earlier this month that he wouldn't run for governor if democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani is elected New York City mayor this November.

The 33-year-old Mamdani, a state assemblyman from Queens who originally hails from Uganda, made national headlines last week by stunning Cuomo in the New York City Democratic Party primary. 

Mamdani took a big step towards becoming the first Muslim mayor of the nation's most populous city.

An Iran-linked cyber group is threatening to release a trove of emails it claims to have stolen from top Trump officials and allies. 

The hackers previously released a batch of stolen emails to the media during the 2024 campaign. 

Under the pseudonym Robert, the hackers first told Reuters they had roughly 100 gigabytes of emails from White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, President Donald Trump confidante Roger Stone, Trump lawyer Lindsey Halligan and Stormy Daniels, the porn star who claims to have had an affair with Trump. 

Attorney General Pam Bondi called the hack an "unconscionable cyberattack" and said government agencies would work to "protect the officials targeted by this rogue group."

FBI INVESTIGATING IRAN STRIKE LEAKER, LEAVITT SAYS: 'THEY SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE'

FBI Director Kash Patel added in a statement, "Safeguarding our administration officials' ability to securely communicate to accomplish the president's mission is a top priority."  

"Anyone associated with any kind of breach of national security will be fully investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

Marci McCarthy, spokesperson for the Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency, called Iran's threat "an effort to distract, discredit and divide." 

"These criminals will be brought to justice," she said in a statement.  

Last summer, at the height of the 2024 election, Iranian-linked hackers sent material stolen from the Trump campaign to individuals associated with the Biden campaign and to U.S. media organizations. In an indictment in September, the Biden Justice Department accused three members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps of being behind the leak. 

In May, the hackers behind "Robert" signaled to Reuters they would not be leaking any more documents. "I am retired, man." 

However, the group reached back out after Israel and the U.S. attacked Iran’s nuclear sites. They said they were organizing a sale of the stolen communications and asked Reuters to publicize it.

AMERICANS VULNERABLE TO CYBERATTACKS, LONE WOLF THREATS IN WAKE OF IRANIAN AIRSTRIKES: FORMER FBI AGENT

U.S. cyber officials warned on Monday that U.S. companies and critical infrastructure operators may still be in Iran’s crosshairs. Experts have suggested Iran may be looking for non-military ways to punish the U.S. for its strikes. 

"Despite a declared ceasefire and ongoing negotiations towards a permanent solution, Iranian-affiliated cyber actors and hacktivist groups may still conduct malicious cyber activity," U.S. agencies said in an advisory. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The new threat comes as Trump insists he is not speaking to Iran and has offered them nothing for nuclear negotiations. He has said Iran's facilities were "totally obliterated." 

Fox News' David Spunt contributed to this report. 

EXCLUSIVE: The No. 2 House Republican is dismissing Elon Musk's attacks on President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill" after the tech billionaire once again jumped into the public fray over the legislation.

"His criticism has been consistently off-base," House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told Fox News Digital on Monday. 

"You know, this is a bill that will create millions of jobs. And, you know, you go back and look at what happened in 2017 when we lowered rates and created a good atmosphere to create jobs, then we saw millions of jobs get created. And we're at the point again today where the economy is waiting for this bill."

Musk, who criticized the House version of the bill before appearing to back off, has launched another tirade against the legislation this week while it's being pushed through the Senate.

SENATE REPUBLICANS RAM TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' THROUGH KEY TEST VOTE

"It is obvious with the insane spending of this bill, which increases the debt ceiling by a record FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS, that we live in a one-party country – the PORKY PIG PARTY!! Time for a new political party that actually cares about the people," Musk posted on X.

But Scalise told Fox News Digital, "We're moving fast to get it done because of the positive impacts it will have on our economy."

The Senate is expected to pass the legislation sometime Wednesday, after which it is poised to move back to the House of Representatives.

An earlier version passed the House in late May by just one vote, but the two chambers must now sync up to get a bill on Trump's desk by the Fourth of July.

Two sources told Fox News Digital on Tuesday morning that House GOP leaders are still planning for a 12 p.m. House Rules Committee meeting to advance the bill.

The House Rules Committee is the final gateway before most legislation gets a chamber-wide vote.

That could tee up a procedural vote on the bill as early as Wednesday morning, and final passage by Wednesday evening or Thursday.

"I've always said failure's not an option because, you know, there have been many times where the bill could have fallen apart. And it didn't, because we always stayed focused on getting it done," Scalise said. "And that's that's where all the focus needs to be right now."

But the Senate's various modifications to the bill have angered both moderate and conservative Republicans. 

DEM DELAY TACTIC ENDS, DEBATE BEGINS ON TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL'

Moderates are wary of the Senate measures that would shift more Medicaid costs to states that expanded their programs under Obamacare, while conservatives have said those cuts are not enough to offset the additional spending in other parts of the bill.

"We're having a lot of conversations with our members, and we are following what changes are being made to the bill because some could help fix some of those issues," Scalise said.

"We're definitely aware of the concerns from our members. But there are a lot of other members that do want to get this bill passed for the president and recognize that the bulk of what we sent over to them is still intact."

Asked if he was optimistic about the timeline as of early Monday evening, Scalise said, "The plan is still to bring members back and have votes as early as Wednesday morning."

The legislation is a 940-page bill advancing Trump's agenda on taxes, the border, defense, energy, and the national debt.

Fox News Digital reached out to Musk for comment via email to Tesla.

Maine Democrat Gov. Janet Mills was at a loss for words last month during a trip to the nation's capital when pressed about her alleged cocaine use. 

"What the f---?" Mills replied when asked if "sniffing cocaine at work" is a "human right."

Mills refused to answer the question, which was followed by, "How much more does an eight-ball cost with inflation?" Mills ignored the second question and continued walking. 

A source shared the video with Fox News Digital after reporting Friday revealed the Department of Justice contradicted Mills' decades-old claim that the investigation over her alleged cocaine use was politically motivated. 

DEM GOVERNOR'S DECADES-OLD POLITICAL PERSECUTION CLAIM OVER ALLEGED COCAINE USE DISPUTED BY BOMBSHELL MEMO

In early 1990, the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) in Maine, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Maine’s Bureau of Intergovernmental Drug Enforcement (BIDE) investigated Mills, then a sitting district attorney in Maine, after a drug suspect accused her of using cocaine. 

BONDI SLAMS MAINE GOV FOR BRUSHING OFF TRANS ATHLETE ISSUE

The investigation was eventually dropped without charges being filed. Mills has maintained that the investigation never had any merit and that she was politically targeted for her Democratic affiliation and criticism of BIDE. In 1990, she and two other district attorneys in Maine criticized BIDE for inflating arrest numbers through excessive enforcement of low-level drug offenders. 

"It's scary," Mills told the Portland Press Herald in November 1991. "Maine apparently has a secret police force at work that can ruin the reputation of any who opposes it."

A March 1995 memorandum from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Professional Responsibility (DOJ/OPR), addressed to the deputy attorney general – Merrick Garland was serving as the principal associate deputy attorney general – and unearthed by Fox News Digital, refutes Mills' claim. It revealed that there was no misconduct by federal or state authorities investigating her case. 

According to the DOJ memo, WCSH-TV reported in December 1990 that Mills was being investigated by a federal grand jury for drug use, citing law enforcement sources. Mills later sued that reporter for libel and slander. The report also prompted Mills' attorney to demand a grand jury investigation, arguing that "the press received leaks from BIDE law enforcement officials."

The results of the libel and slander suit are no longer available. The docket for the case showed that the records were disposed of in 2015 in accordance with policy. However, a 1991 Lewiston Sun-Journal article appears to state that the effort to "end drug probe rumors" was thrown out by a judge. 

In January 1992, then-Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., stepped in and requested the DOJ/OPR investigate allegations that Maine's USAO had "refused to investigate the grand jury leak" and that attorneys had engaged in "intimidation and coercion of witnesses" during the investigation.

Those concerns were initially raised by Patrick Paradis and N. Paul Gauvreau, the House and Senate chairs of the Judiciary Committee of the Maine Legislature, in a letter sent to then-Sen. George Mitchell, D-Maine. The letter suggested that the allegations involving Maine’s USAO "go far beyond the state agency involved."

Ultimately, no charges were filed against Mills. 

But the Department of Justice (DOJ) also found that all of Mills' claims were "unsubstantiated," including allegations that she was politically targeted, that investigators solicited false testimony, that witnesses were coerced or threatened and that BIDE agents leaked grand jury information to the press. 

"The USAO in Maine conducted a proper investigation of serious allegations; no misconduct of any kind can fairly be attributed to any member of that office," DOJ/OPR concluded in 1995. 

While the DOJ debunked Mills' claims, she dismissed the allegations against her as politically motivated throughout the investigation.

According to the memo, Mills "announced publicly that she was the victim of a smear campaign" in 1991. 

"I’d say it’s awfully coincidental that this investigation started and was leaked to the press shortly after my public comments about the lack of accountability at BIDE," Mills said that same year.

Mills also claimed it sets a "very bad precedent when a prosecutor has to look over his or her shoulder every time you put somebody in jail and wonder whether that person is going to find an audience down the street in the BIDE office or down the road in the U.S. Attorney’s Office to say dirty things about you."

Fox News Digital reached out to Mills' office multiple times for comment about the memo but did not receive a response.

Earlier this year, Mills accused President Donald Trump of leading a "politically directed investigation" into Maine's Department of Education. 

During a National Governors Association (NGA) meeting at the White House in February, Mills and Trump publicly sparred over biological men playing in women's sports. 

Trump said Mills should comply with his executive order preventing transgender athletes from competing in girls' and women's sports, or "you're not going to get any federal funding," to which she replied, "We’ll see you in court," which is exactly where the issue has been tied up. 

Longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins is up for re-election in 2026, and with Mills' governorship term limited next year, she would be a competitive Democratic candidate to challenge Collins. 

Mills indicated in April that she did not "plan to run for another office," but admitted that "things change week to week, month to month," leaving the door open to a potential Senate bid. 

Democratic Rep. Dwight Evans of Pennsylvania announced that he will not pursue re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives next year, but noted that he will finish his current term.

According to a press release, the congressman indicated that he is "in good health and fully capable of continuing to serve," but has "decided that the time is right to announce that I will not be seeking re-election in 2026." 

The lawmaker disclosed last year that he had a minor stroke.

PENNSYLVANIA REP. DWIGHT EVANS SAYS HE'S RECOVERING FROM A MINOR STROKE

Evans, who began serving in the U.S. House in November 2016, had previously served in the Pennsylvania state House of Representatives since 1981.

"After careful consideration and deep reflection over this past weekend, I have decided that I will not seek re-election in 2026. It has been the honor and privilege of a lifetime to serve the people of PA-03. I will forever be grateful to the residents of Philadelphia for the trust they placed in me," he said in a statement.

TILLIS DENOUNCES TRUMP ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' HOURS AFTER SURPRISE RETIREMENT ANNOUNCEMENT

He indicated that he will work to help Democrats reclaim the House majority.

"I intend to spend the months ahead focused on increasing voter turnout in Philadelphia. Our voices matter, and our votes are our power. I will also do everything I can to help Democrats take back the majority in the House of Representatives," he said in the statement.

"Finally, I want to say this to my fellow elected officials: We must do a better job of listening — truly listening — to the people we represent. The challenges our constituents face are real, and they deserve leaders who are present and willing to act boldly on their behalf," he noted.

KEY HOUSE GOP MODERATE DON BACON WON'T SEEK RE-ELECTION

Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., also noted in a press release issued on Monday that he will not run in 2026.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., indicated in a statement issued on Sunday that will not seek re-election.

President Donald Trump warned the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is a "monster that might have to go back and eat Elon" after tech billionaire Elon Musk intensified his attacks on Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill." 

"DOGE is the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon. Wouldn't that be terrible?" Trump told the media Tuesday morning as he departed for a trip to the Florida Everglades to visit a new migrant detention center. "He gets a lot of subsidies. But, Elon was very upset that the EV mandate is going to be terminated." 

His response followed a question regarding whether he would deport Musk, who originally is from South Africa. Trump responded: "I don't know, we'll have to take a look."

Trump previously told the media in June that his relationship with Musk changed when the president began discussing plans to eliminate the electic vehicle mandate, which would affect Musk's signature electric company, Tesla. Trump signed a trio of congressional resolutions June 12 ending California's restrictive rules for diesel engines and mandates on elective vehicle sales, with Trump celebrating that his signature "will kill the California mandates forever."

"When you look at it … not everybody wants an electric car," Trump continued in his remarks regarding Musk Tuesday morning. "I don't want an electric car. I want to have maybe gasoline. Maybe electric, maybe a hybrid. Maybe some day a hydrogen. You have a hydrogen car, it has one problem: it blows up." 

REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS STAND FIRM AGAINST MUSK'S 'KILL THE BILL' ASSAULT ON TRUMP'S AGENDA

Musk intensified his feud with former close ally Trump this week in a political warning to lawmakers that he will work to unseat them if they vote in support of Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill."

"Anyone who campaigned on the PROMISE of REDUCING SPENDING , but continues to vote on the BIGGEST DEBT ceiling increase in HISTORY will see their face on this poster in the primary next year," Musk posted to X Monday evening. 

The message was accompanied by an image of Pinocchio sitting on fire and captioned: "LIAR Voted to increase America's DEBT by 5,000,000,000.00"

Musk previously served as a special government employee with the Trump administration to help lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and frequently attended Cabinet meetings and joined Trump during public events. Musk's tenure with DOGE wrapped up at the end of May, as negotiations over the "One Big Beautiful Bill" intensified in Congress. 

The budget reconciliation bill, if passed, will advance Trump's agenda on taxes, immigration, energy, defense and the national debt. The legislation is currently before the Senate. 

Musk found himself aligned with a handful of Republican lawmakers, like Kentucky's Sen. Rand Paul, who have spoken out against the legislation, arguing it would increase the debt ceiling by $5 trillion. 

Musk's post threatening to primary Republicans who vote in support of the legislation was followed by a late-night Truth Social message from Trump suggesting "DOGE take a good, hard, look" at how government subsidies assist Musk-owned businesses such as Tesla and SpaceX. 

"Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far, and without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa. No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE. Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!" Trump posted after midnight Tuesday.

The posted added: "Elon Musk knew, long before he so strongly Endorsed me for President, that I was strongly against the EV Mandate. It is ridiculous, and was always a major part of my campaign. Electric cars are fine, but not everyone should be forced to own one."

'HE'S NOT A BIG FACTOR': TRUMP'S SENATE ALLIES DISMISS ELON MUSK'S CALLS TO 'KILL THE BILL'

Trump added in comment to the media from the White House Tuesday morning that Musk is "upset is that he's losing his EV mandate."

"He could lose a lot more than that," Trump added. "I can tell you right now." 

ELON MUSK POSTS ‘KILL BILL’ MEME IN LATEST PUSH TO NIX TRUMP’S BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL

Musk first remarked in May that he was "disappointed" Trump's "one big beautiful bill" bill passed the House arguing it "undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing," before publicly working to rally Republican lawmakers to "kill the bill" in messages posted to X. 

"Call your Senator, Call your Congressman," Musk said amid a flurry of similar posts June 4. "Bankrupting America is NOT ok! KILL the BILL."

ELON MUSK WARPATH AGAINST TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' RATTLES HOUSE GOP

Musk had kept his criticisms of the legislation quiet in recent days, including posting messages in support of the Trump administration as anti-ICE riots raged in Los Angeles in June. Musk reignited his criticisms of the bill Monday as the July 4 deadline to pass the big beautiful bill looms over Washington this week. 

"It is obvious with the insane spending of this bill, which increases the debt ceiling by a record FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS that we live in a one-party country – the PORKY PIG PARTY!! Time for a new political party that actually cares about the people," Musk posted to X Monday afternoon. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"What’s the point of a debt ceiling if we keep raising it?" Musk asked in another post early Tuesday morning. Adding in another: "All I’m asking is that we don’t bankrupt America."

President Donald Trump blasted New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani after the New York State assemblyman from Queens refused to condemn the term "globalize the intifada." 

"Frankly, I've heard he's a total nut job," Trump told reporters Tuesday morning. "I think the people in New York are crazy because they go this route. I think they're crazy. We will have a communist in the for the first time, really a pure, true communist. He wants to operate the grocery stores. The department stores. What about the people that are there? I think it's crazy." 

Mamdani is a Ugandan-born Muslim who won the Democratic Party’s primary for New York City mayor in June and identifies as a Democratic socialist. 

On Sunday, Mamdani said he didn’t want to condemn the term "globalize the intifada," a phrase used to back Palestinian resistance against Israel, because he didn’t want to "police language" in an interview with NBC News. 

"I think he's terrible. He's a communist," Trump said Tuesday. "The last thing we need is a communist. I said, there will never be socialism in the United States. So even the communists, I think it's bad news. And I think you're going to have a lot of fun with him, watching him, because he has to break through this building to get his money. And don't worry, he's not going to run away with anything."

This is a breaking news story and will be updated. 

Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough reportedly has advised that a provision prohibiting Medicaid funds from supporting Planned Parenthood and other clinics that provide abortions can stay in President Donald Trump’s "big, beautiful bill." 

Senate Republicans revised the provision on Friday from blocking Medicaid funding to abortion providers for a full 10 years to just one year. The parliamentarian’s assessment that the provision could remain without jeopardizing the budget package from passing the upper chamber of Congress along party lines was championed by pro-life advocates. 

"The One Big Beautiful Bill Act that stops forced taxpayer funding of the abortion industry has been retained in the Senate bill, as we were confident it would, though for one year. This is a huge win," Susan B. Anthony Pro-life America’s President, Marjorie Dannenfelser, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Taxpayers should never be forced to funnel their hard-earned dollars to Big Abortion. This funding currently hits almost $800 million annually."

The provision's inclusion, meanwhile, was condemned by Democrats as essentially clearing the defunding of Planned Parenthood. 

"Republicans will stop at nothing in their crusade to take control of women’s bodies and deny them the right to make their own health care decisions," Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said in a statement. "Republicans are trampling the law to force their extremist ideology onto the American people."

SUPREME COURT BOOTS CHALLENGE TO STATE DEFUNDING PLANNED PARENTHOOD IN MAJOR PRO-LIFE VICTORY

The Hyde Amendment, introduced in the 1970s, has long prohibited federal dollars from paying for most abortions, with some exceptions. Planned Parenthood, which also provides other women’s health services, such as gynecological exams, contraception and STI testing, reported receiving approximately $792.2 million in taxpayer-funded grants, contracts and Medicaid reimbursements during the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

Republicans say the loophole essentially results in taxpayers subsidizing abortions. Planned Parenthood reported performing 402,000 abortions during that fiscal year. 

Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., defended the provision during Monday’s vote-a-rama session as "establishing a commonsense protection of taxpayer dollars by prohibiting abortion providers from receiving Medicaid funds for one year." 

"There was a time when protecting Americans’ tax dollars from supporting the abortion industry was an uncontroversial, nonpartisan effort that we could all get behind," Hyde-Smith said on the Senate floor. "Even if we had opposing views on protecting the dignity of human life, this provision does not target any one entity. If a medical provider wishes to stay within the Medicaid program, it should simply cut elective abortion procedures from its services." 

Hyde-Smith, chair of the Senate Pro-Life Caucus, spoke out against an amendment introduced earlier Monday by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., to strike the provision from the GOP’s $3.3 trillion budget package. 

PLANNED PARENTHOOD USING 'LOOPHOLE' TO GET MINORS GENDER TRANSITIONS WITHOUT PARENTS' OK: WATCHDOG

Murray's amendment ultimately failed by a 49-52 vote, according to the Washington Examiner. 

Murray claimed the one-year ban on Medicaid funds for abortion providers would "cut millions of women off from birth control, cancer screenings, essential preventive health care – care that they will not be able to afford anywhere else, and it will shutter some 200 healthcare clinics in our country." 

"This is a long-sought goal of anti-choice extremists—no surprise, it is overwhelmingly unpopular with the American people," Murray said. "But Republicans are bent on ripping away any access to abortion care, and happy to cut off this lifesaving care. No matter that women may not have another place to get the care that they can afford, or another place they can get any care at all!"

She pointed to a Congressional Budget Office assessment to argue that "defunding" Planned Parenthood would cost taxpayers $52 million over the next ten years. That was based on the 10-year Medicaid block in an earlier version of the bill passed by the House. 

This budget provision comes after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week that states have the power to block Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood clinics in a major pro-life victory. 

Many senators failed to get their amendments across the finish line during the chamber's vote-a-rama on Monday, leaving the future of President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill" uncertain.

Two key failures came from Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, with the former proposing a plan that would have boosted funding for rural hospitals and the latter calling for further cuts to Medicaid. 

Collins and Cornyn were far from the only lawmakers who had amendments fail, however. Here are some details on some of the unsuccessful efforts, plus one that succeeded with nearly unanimous support.

AMERICANS WEIGH IN ON TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL': POLLS

Collins' amendment would have doubled funding for rural hospitals from $25 billion to $50 billion over the next 10 years, and it would have allowed a larger number of medical providers to access the funds.

"Rural providers, especially our rural hospitals and nursing homes, are under great financial strain right now, with many having recently closed and others being at risk of closing," Collins said prior to the vote. "This amendment would help keep them open and caring for those who live in rural communities."

Collins said the bill was something of an olive branch to Democrats, who had criticized the cuts to Medicaid involved in the megabill. Her amendment would also have raised tax rates for individuals who make more than $25 million per year and couples who make more than $50 million.

SENATORS ENTER MARATHON VOTE-A-RAMA AS TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' DEADLINE BARRELS NEAR

"They’ve complained repeatedly about the distribution in this bill, of Medicaid cuts hurting individuals, rural hospitals, and tax cuts being extended for people who are wealthy, and yet when I tried to fix both those problems, they took a very hypocritical approach," Collins said.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., argued Collins' amendment was merely putting a "Band-Aid on an amputation."

Cornyn was joined by Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and John Barrasso, R-Wyo., in pushing an amendment cutting an additional $313 billion in Medicaid funding on Monday.

The trio said they were pushing to limit the growth of Medicaid, and they had been confident the adjustment would pass. All three were seen entering Senate Majority Leader John Thune's office on Monday as it became clear the amendment lacked support.

The base bill already cuts some $930 billion in funding for Medicaid, leading many of the trio's colleagues to balk at further cuts.

"It just seems like we’ve taken it as far as I’m comfortable taking it," said Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.V., regarding trims to Medicaid.

Kennedy had proposed an amendment that would have allowed teachers to deduct $600 in school supplies that they pay for out of pocket each year.

The proposal ultimately failed in a 46-54 vote.

SENATE REPUBLICANS RAM TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' THROUGH KEY TEST VOTE

Bennet proposed an amendment that would have increased both the amount and availability of the child tax credit included in the megabill, but it failed to garner enough support.

The Senate rejected Bennet's proposal in a 22-78 vote.

One amendment that did succeed was a measure that killed a provision in the bill that would have placed a 10-year moratorium on state AI regulations.

The original version of the bill would have forced states to choose between enforcing AI regulations or accepting federal funding to expand broadband internet access. Sens. Edward Markey, D-Ma., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., joined Sen. Maria Cantwell in sponsoring the amendment.

"The Senate came together tonight to say that we can't just run over good state consumer protection laws," Cantwell said Monday. "States can fight robocalls, deepfakes and provide safe autonomous vehicle laws. This also allows us to work together nationally to provide a new federal framework on Artificial Intelligence that accelerates U.S. leadership in AI while still protecting consumers."

The Senate passed the amendment in an overwhelming 99-1 vote.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., was the sole vote opposing the measure.

Socialist Zohran Mamdani, the presumptive Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, is facing criticism over a campaign policy document that explicitly calls for shifting the city’s tax burden onto "richer and whiter neighborhoods."

Mamdani caused a political earthquake in this week’s primary, trouncing former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in a stunning upset, all but securing his place on the November ballot. Housing affordability has been a central pillar of his campaign.

A policy document titled "Stop the Squeeze on NYC Homeowners" from Mamdani’s mayoral campaign website argues that the city’s current property tax system disproportionately benefits wealthy, White homeowners, particularly in Manhattan and affluent areas of Brooklyn, by allowing them to pay far less in taxes due to outdated assessment caps.

CITY-RUN GROCERY STORES, DEFUNDING POLICE, SAFE INJECTION SITES: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT NYC'S NEXT POTENTIAL MAYOR

In contrast, Black, Latino and immigrant homeowners in neighborhoods like Brownsville and Jamaica in the outer borough of Queens are overburdened and at higher risk of foreclosure.

His solution?

"Shift the tax burden from overtaxed homeowners in the outer boroughs to more expensive homes in richer and whiter neighborhoods," the proposal reads. "The property tax system is unbalanced because assessment levels are artificially capped, so homeowners in expensive neighborhoods pay less than their fair share."

The proposal would reduce the taxable portion of assessed property values citywide, and offset that by raising actual tax rates in wealthier areas. The result: lower tax bills for lower-income neighborhoods and higher ones for affluent areas — which the campaign describes as "richer and whiter."

The racial component of the policy position has come in for criticism online, with broadcaster Mark Levin sharing a New York Post story about the proposal and writing "Oh, and Mamdani is racist, too."

Political commentator Eric Daugherty also brandished it as explicitly "racist" on X, while the New York Post editorial board also slammed the proposal as "pure racism."

Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s campaign for comment but did not immediately receive a response. 

The campaign document also highlights racial disparities in deed theft and "tangled titles," which are situations where someone lives in a home they believe they own — often through inheritance — but their name is not on the deed, creating legal uncertainty about ownership.

The document states that predominantly Black neighborhoods face these challenges at much higher rates than White neighborhoods.

To address this, Mamdani is proposing a $10 million "Tangled Title Fund" to help city residents hire lawyers and clear legal titles so they can secure full homeownership rights and benefits.

REPUBLICANS USE MAMDANI BOMBSHELL VICTORY OVER CUOMO AS AMMUNITION TO BLAST DEMOCRATS AS EXTREMISTS

Mamdani is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, whose preamble discusses a way to "end white supremacy and racial oppression because its destruction is in the interest of all workers, including white workers."

Overall, the housing document frames the city’s housing inequities as structurally racist and economically unjust.

The document also claims that the city’s tax lien sale system is exploitative and racist. When a homeowner falls behind on property taxes under the system, the city sells that debt to a private trust of Wall Street-backed investors, usually at a discount. instead of collecting the debt directly.

"The tax lien sale has been particularly harmful to Black, brown, and working-class homeowners, leading many homeowners to lose their home to foreclosure, or forcing them to sell below market value in order to pay off their accumulating debts," the document reads. "The city is six times more likely to sell a tax lien in a Black neighborhood than a white neighborhood. This policy is extracting wealth from Black, brown, and working-class communities and stripping New Yorkers of their homes."

Mamdani said he will end the system on his first day in office and create a new tax collection system that provides "additional opportunities" for homeowners to enter into payment plans, pay down their debt and stay in their homes.

The Queens assemblyman wants to build 200,000 new publicly-subsidized affordable homes and immediately freeze rents for the city’s 2.4 million stabilized tenants. His proposals call for multi-year rent freezes and massive investment in public housing. Critics argue his proposals could worsen existing problems in the rental market,

Fox News' Madison Colombo contributed to this report. 

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s tough Bronx persona is under fresh scrutiny with a resurfaced childhood nickname from her suburban upstate New York upbringing casting doubt on that publicly portrayed image.

The progressive champion’s latest spat with President Donald Trump over the Iran strikes again called into question her true upbringing when she declared on X that she was a "Bronx girl" to make a point against the president. 

The 35-year-old "Squad" member wrote in part on X last week: "I’m a Bronx girl. You should know that we can eat Queens boys for breakfast. Respectfully," she said, referring to the president’s upbringing in Queens as she called for his impeachment over his decision to bypass Congress in authorizing U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. 

AOC’S CONSTITUENTS WEIGH IN ON PRESIDENTIAL RUN, RECALL HER STUNNING 2018 POLITICAL UPSET

Ocasio-Cortez was born in the Bronx but moved to Yorktown – which is nearly an hour outside New York City -- when she was 5 years old and went on to attend Yorktown High School, from where she graduated in 2007.

She was considered an accomplished student there and well-thought of by teacher Michael Blueglass, according to a 2018 report by local media outlet Halston Media News. 

"There, known by students and staff as ‘Sandy,’ she was a member of the Science Research Program taught by Michael Blueglass," the report states.

"She was amazing," Blueglass said, per the report. "Aside from her winning one of the top spots and going to the [Intel International Science and Engineering Fair], she was just one of the most amazing presenters in all of the years I've been at Yorktown. Her ability to take complex information and explain it to all different levels of people was fantastic."

After high school, Ocasio-Cortez attended Boston University, where she majored in economics and international relations, per the report.

Ocasio-Cortez’s "Sandy" nickname — which carries a more suburban and preppy tone — appears to undercut her politically crafted image as a tough, inner-city fighter, one she has portrayed since her famous 2018 congressional campaign, where she eventually ousted former 10-term Congressman Joe Crowley. 

AOC, DEMS CALLED OUT AS 'HYPOCRITES' FOR IMPEACHMENT TALK FOLLOWING US STRIKES ON IRANIAN NUCLEAR SITES 

New York GOP Assemblyman Matt Slater, who now represents Yorktown, added to the scrutiny of Ocasio-Cortez’s persona in the wake of her brush with Trump and released images of Ocasio-Cortez from his high school yearbook. He claimed he and the rising Democratic star attended Yorktown High School at the same time when she was a freshman and he was a senior. 

"I saw the attacks on the president and her [Ocasio-Cortez] claims that she's a big, tough Bronx girl," said Slater. "To sit there and say that she’s a Bronx girl is just patently ridiculous." 

"Everybody in our community knows this is just a bold-face lie," said Slater on "Fox & Friends First" last week. "She grew up in Yorktown, she was on my track team." 

"She's lying about her background, she's lying about her upbringing," Slater claimed.  

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Slater’s post sent social media ablaze and prompted Ocasio-Cortez to respond after an image of her family’s home in Yorktown was posted online. 

"I’m proud of how I grew up and talk about it all the time," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X Friday, responding to the post. "My mom cleaned houses and I helped. We cleaned tutors’ homes in exchange for SAT prep."

"Growing up between the Bronx and Yorktown deeply shaped my views of inequality & it’s a big reason I believe the things I do today!"

Fox News' Madison Colombo contributed to this report. 

Former Texas Rep. Colin Allred is making another run for the U.S. Senate after the Democrat lost to Republican Sen. Ted Cruz just eight months ago.

Allred is looking to challenge for the seat of Republican Sen. John Cornyn, who is facing his own challenge from within the Republican Party from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Allred announced his return to the political arena with a campaign video released Tuesday, in which he took shots at both Cornyn and Paxton, describing them as "too corrupt to care about us and too weak to fight for us."

A former NFL linebacker and attorney, Allred retold the story of how he went undrafted in the NFL but worked hard enough to eventually turn pro and buy his mom a house.

TEXAS AG KEN PAXTON ANNOUNCED RUN FOR US SENATE

"The truth is you shouldn’t have to have a son in the NFL to own a home," Allred said.

"Everything is backwards," he continued. "Folks who play by the rules and keep the faith just can’t seem to get ahead. But the folks who cut corners and cut deals — well, they’re doing just fine."

Allred pledged to run on an "anti-corruption plan."

"I know Washington is broken," he said. "The system is rigged. But it doesn’t have to be this way. In six years in Congress, I never took a dime of corporate PAC money, never traded a single stock."

TEXAS DEM ALLRED SAYS HE OPPOSES ‘BOYS IN GIRLS’ SPORTS' DESPITE PAST OF ALLOWING IT, FIGHTING PARENTAL RIGHTS

Allred's announcement comes just eight months after he lost by nearly 9 percentage points to Cruz. That race was one of the most expensive in the country last cycle, with Democrats spending more than $130 million trying to unseat Cruz.

Allred played four seasons in the NFL, all with the Tennessee Titans, after being undrafted out of Baylor University. He entered Congress by flipping a Republican district in Dallas in 2018.

Former astronaut Terry Virts also entered the U.S. Senate race as a Democratic candidate.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

As sixth-generation fighter programs ramp up, military insiders are divided over whether future warplanes need pilots at all. 

The Pentagon is pouring billions into next-generation aircraft, pushing the boundaries of stealth and speed. But as America eyes a future of air dominance, one question looms large: Should Americans still be risking their lives in the cockpit?

Autonomous drones backed by AI are progressing faster than many expected, and that has some defense leaders rethinking the role of the pilot.

Some are of the mindset that the F-35 should be the last manned aircraft. Many pilots, however, do not agree. 

DRONE INCURSIONS ON US BASES COME UNDER INTENSE SCRUTINY AS DEVICES PROVE LETHALITY OVERSEAS

"It’s highly controversial," one former senior defense official told Fox News Digital. "There's a whole cohort of people who think we should not be thinking about building a manned fighter for the last half of this century." 

"Inside the Air Force, there are hard-line air dominance people. They're on cloud nine this week, after what the B-2s did in Iran… but in my mind, I say, why would we put men in that loop? Why wouldn't we fly those things in 2050 unmanned, completely?"

Air Force pilots flew B-2 bombers on a 36-hour round trip to strike three Iranian nuclear facilities last weekend. Trump said the strikes left Iran's nuclear sites "obliterated like nobody’s ever seen before." He praised the "brave" pilots who crewed the planes as "the best shots in the world."

But the most rapid technological advancements in U.S. history have left defense officials stumped about how to plan for the future. 

"To date, the services are just scratching the surface on what manned versus unmanned TACAIR (tactical air) of the future might look like," the former official went on. 

"If AI technologies continue to evolve in five years, right when you're just in the infancy of beginning to make a decision about what F-47 would be, well, you're on exactly the wrong path."

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

Others insist unmanned systems still lack the decision-making reliability and network resilience needed for high-stakes combat.

"It's critically important that President Trump proceeded with the manned platform for the Air Force – obviously, F-47 being the solution," said former Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., a former F/A 18 naval aviator. "This academic debate about unmanned-only platforms is aspirational – but the networks just aren’t there yet. You need low latency, high-bandwidth, distributed networks with critical nodes, and we don’t have that."

But, he urged Boeing to move quickly. 

"Boeing needs to execute. They can’t afford to have this turn into a tanker program. This is absolutely critical to get done correctly."

With the famously lengthy acquisition timelines of the Pentagon, some worry sixth-generation aircraft won't make it to the battlefield before their autonomous counterparts match them in capability, with less risk to humans. 

Garcia emphasized that aircrews play a unique role in orchestrating combat operations. "You still need a quarterback in the air to manage unmanned aircraft and the situational awareness feeding back into the entire advanced battle management system," he said.

At the core of this debate is America’s ability to project power while preparing for near-peer conflict. Yet financial limitations are shaping what’s possible.

"We've ended up in a situation where the Air Force today is the oldest and the smallest and the least ready it's ever been in its entire history," said retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula, dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.

Deptula told Fox News Digital the "only" debate about the F-47 was about money, because of "arbitrary budgets that aren't tied in any way, shape or form to our national defense strategy."

Those who think drones will be ready to take the job of pilots anytime soon believe in "science fiction," he said. 

"It may be at some point in the future, but we're just not there yet."

Others warn that both the Air Force and Navy may be taking different bets on how unmanned technology will factor into the need for their prized fighter jets. 

"To date, the services are just scratching the surface on what manned versus unmanned tactical air might look like," another former defense official said. "The Air Force wants to rush F-47 to IOC to beat unmanned advocates to the trough," referring to initial operational capacity (IOC). 

"The Navy seems to be taking a more measured path to F/A-XX than they were a couple of years ago. Perhaps part of that is to see where the unmanned technology goes." 

Senior Democratic Party officials vowed Monday to "fight tooth and nail" to keep in place federal campaign spending limits up for Supreme Court review this fall — describing the GOP-led effort to repeal the limits as unprecedented and dangerous ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to review the case, National Republican Senatorial Committee v. Federal Election Commission, taking up a challenge filed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee, and on behalf of two Senate Republican candidates, including now-Vice President JD Vance, following the 2022 elections.

In a statement Monday, the Democratic campaign groups vowed to fight back against what they characterized as the GOP’s attempt to "sow chaos and fundamentally upend our campaign finance system, which would return us to the pre-Watergate era of campaign finance."

SUPREME COURT TO HEAR REPUBLICAN CHALLENGE THAT COULD SHAKE UP US ELECTIONS

At issue are federal spending limits that restrict the amount of money political parties can spend on behalf of certain candidates — and which Republicans argue run afoul of free speech protections under the First Amendment of the Constitution.

A decision from the Supreme Court’s 6-3 conservative majority could have major implications on campaign spending in the U.S., further eroding the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, a law Congress passed more than 50 years ago with the aim of restricting the amount of money that can be spent on behalf of candidates.

That law, and subsequent amendments, restricts the amount of money that political parties can funnel into certain campaigns.

Senior Democratic Party officials described the GOP-led effort Monday as the latest effort by Republicans to claw back campaign spending limits and erode some 50 years of federal election law.

"Republicans know their grassroots support is drying up across the country, and they want to drown out the will of the voters," DCCC chair Suzan DelBene, DSCC chair Kirsten Gillibrand, and DNC chair Ken Martin said in a joint statement Monday. 

The case is almost certain to be one of the most high-profile cases heard by the Supreme Court this fall.

Adding to the drama is the involvement of the Trump-led Justice Department, which said in May that it planned to side with the NRSC in the case — putting the Trump administration in the somewhat unusual position of arguing against a law passed by Congress.

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

Justice Department officials cited free speech protections as its basis for siding with the NRSC, which they said represents "the rare case that warrants an exception to that general approach" of backing federal laws." 

Meanwhile, the Democratic groups sought to go on offense with their message, describing the GOP efforts as the latest iteration of a decades-long effort to "rewrite" election laws in ways that benefit the party. They cited another Republican-led challenge to campaign spending limits brought more than 20 years ago, in Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Committee v. FEC. 

That challenge was ultimately rejected by the high court, DNC officials noted.

"To date, those efforts have failed at every turn, ensuring a stable, predictable campaign finance structure for party committees and political candidates across the country," DNC officials said. 

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

Meanwhile, Republican officials praised the Supreme Court’s decision to take up the case, which they described as helping the GOP ensure they are in "the strongest possible position" ahead of the 2026 midterms and beyond."

"The government should not restrict a party committee’s support for its own candidates," Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C. who chair the NRSC and NRCC, respectively, said Monday.

"These coordinated expenditure limits violate the First Amendment, and we appreciate the court’s decision to hear our case," they added.

Business tycoon Elon Musk indicated that he will donate to Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky.

Massie, a fiscal hawk who was one of the two House Republicans who voted against the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that cleared the House of Representatives in May, also labeled President Donald Trump's strikes against Iran last month as "not Constitutional."

"Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame! And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth," Musk declared in a post on X.

Former Rep. Justin Amash replied by urging Musk to back Massie.

"Please support @RepThomasMassie. The establishment is working to primary him because he’s a genuine fiscal conservative and opposes the Big, Bloated Scam," Amash wrote.

"I will," Musk replied.

ELON MUSK SAYS US IS RULED BY ‘PORKY PIG PARTY’ AS TRUMP DEFENDS HIS VISION AGAINST FORMER ALLY'S CRITICISM

Musk also responded to an individual who wrote, "I donated again to @RepThomasMassie’s re-election campaign. Who’s next?"

"Me," Musk answered.

Fox News Digital reached out to Massie for comment early on Tuesday morning.

TARGETED BY TRUMP, REPUBLICAN REP. THOMAS MASSIE HAULS IN CAMPAIGN CASH

Trump excoriated Massie in a June 22 Truth Social post, calling him a "pathetic LOSER" and declaring "we will have a wonderful American Patriot running against him in the Republican Primary, and I’ll be out in Kentucky campaigning really hard." 

Trump also targeted Massie in Truth Social posts on June 23 and 24.

But the House Republican has been hauling in campaign cash.

THOMAS MASSIE SAYS HE FEELS ‘MISLED’ BY TRUMP AFTER IRAN STRIKES: ‘HE’S ENGAGED IN WAR'

"My campaign is fueled by the grassroots donors on this map; 3,417 of you donated $308,665 last week. Thank you!" Massie declared in a Monday post on his campaign account on X.

Donald Trump must be feeling pretty powerful.

He’s even demanding that Israel cancel the criminal trial of Bibi Netanyahu.

By any objective analysis, whether you like the president or not, he has been on an incredible winning streak for the last two weeks. Everything seems to be breaking his way.

And as he racks up these victories, from the powder keg of the Middle East to the staunchly conservative Supreme Court, he seems to grow bigger and stronger, like some comic book superhero, and then zap his next adversary.

TRUMP SLAMS BIBI OVER CEASEFIRE VIOLATIONS, DENOUNCES CABLE CHANNELS OVER SKEPTICISM

By hitting Iran’s nuclear sites with 30,000-pound bombs – even as we debate the impact – Trump took a risk that stunned the world.

With media liberals and Democrats still in full resistance mode, the coverage has been largely negative, but that doesn’t matter. Since his days as a New York developer, he has been boosted by critical coverage because that drives the news agenda and gets everyone chattering about his preferred topic. 

But telling another country to drop criminal charges against its leader is a whole new level of what his native city calls chutzpah.

Trump posted the following: "It is terrible what they are doing in Israel to Bibi Netanyahu. He is a War Hero, and a Prime Minister who did a fabulous job working with the United States to bring Great Success in getting rid of the dangerous Nuclear threat in Iran."

Netanyahu is in "the process of negotiating a Deal with Hamas, which will include getting the Hostages back," and Trump wonders how the Israelis could force him "to sit in a Courtroom all day long, over NOTHING."

TRUMP PRESSURES ISRAEL TO END GAZA CONFLICT AS HE EYES ABRAHAM ACCORDS EXPANSION

As Axios points out, Netanyahu is charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust:  

"He’s accused of accepting more than $200,000 in gifts from wealthy businessmen, and of granting regulatory benefits worth hundreds of millions of dollars to a telecom tycoon in exchange for favorable news coverage."

The trial has dragged on for four years, thanks to Netanyahu’s delaying tactics, and there was this war thing that intervened. 

So now Trump has called for the trial to be cancelled or Netanyahu granted a pardon – and done it quite openly. 

Imagine if a foreign head of state urged this country to drop charges against a major political figure. But Trump doesn’t play by everyone else’s rules.

Another Trumpian tactic is to make a big move immediately after a major uproar, when the public and press barely has time to digest the previous controversy. 

So the president cut off trade talks with Canada to protest its taxation of major American tech companies such as Amazon and Google. This involves revenue they earn from online marketplaces, data and social media involving Canadian users.

Before the weekend was out, Canada caved and rescinded the taxes. It’s another case of Trump’s tough-guy negotiating tactics getting instant results.

The not-so-beautiful budget bill in the Senate is another classic case. Elon Musk – did you really think he’d stay quiet for long? – calls it "utterly insane" and "political suicide for the Republican Party." The CBO says it would add $3.3 trillion to the deficit over a decade. The Senate measure would also make deep cuts in Medicaid, which Trump has vowed to protect. 

Here’s the point: One of the loudest Republican critics is Sen. Thom Tillis, who has been voting against a bill he says would betray the president’s promise to protect those on Medicaid. Trump has trashed him, saying he will recruit a challenger to oust him from the Senate in next year’s primary. 

The next day, literally, Tillis announced that he would not run for reelection. 

So Trump can save his money. He knocked out the North Carolina lawmaker with a couple of postings. 

And then there’s the Supreme Court.

By ruling that local judges cannot issue nationwide injunctions, the court has immensely increased the power of Trump and the executive branch. The 6-3 decision came in the birthright citizenship case, though not on the merits, and tore down one of the last guardrails against unchecked presidential power.

It applies to Democratic presidents too, though far more of these injunctions – 40 – have been brought against Trump just in the opening months of his second term. Joe Biden faced 14 in the first three years of his term.

These injunctions – which have always seemed unfair to me, on both sides – also extend Trump’s winning streak in the high court. He has, after all, appointed three of the six justices that make up the conservative majority.

JOHN YOO: TRUMP SCORES HISTORIC WIN AS SUPREME COURT REINS IN LOWER COURTS' OVERREACH

And that’s not all. SCOTUS ruled that parents with religious objections can pull their children out of public school classrooms when books with LGBTQ themes are being taught.

In yet another decision, the court upheld a Tennessee law banning some forms of transition surgery for transgender youths. Trump has ordered transgender members of the military to leave the service.

SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE'S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A RIFF ON THE DAY'S HOTTEST STORIES

Sonia Sotomayor read two blistering dissents from the bench, especially in the birthright citizenship case: "Today’s decision is not just egregiously wrong, it is also a travesty of law…No right is safe." 

Trump has made clear that he will use expanded powers to be even more aggressive than in the past. Throw in his pressure tactics and funding freezes against elite law firms and Ivy League universities and you have an emboldened president even more determined to stick it to his opponents and detractors.

Of course, even Trump has his limits. The effort to derail Netanyahu’s corruption trial was destined to fail. 

Oh wait.

An Israeli court yesterday canceled this week’s hearings on diplomatic and national security grounds, based on classified information provided by the prime minister and the Mossad spy agency. 

Coincidence?

A deal that had been reached between Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, over how states can regulate artificial intelligence has been pulled from President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful" bill.

The collapsed agreement would have required states seeking to access hundreds of millions of dollars in AI infrastructure funding in the "big, beautiful" bill to refrain from adopting new regulations on the technology for five years, a compromise down from the original 10 years.

It also included carveouts to regulate child sexual abuse material, unauthorized use of a person’s likeness and other deceptive practices.

Blackburn announced Monday night that she is withdrawing her support for the agreement.

TRUMP WARNS OF 'WHOPPING 68% TAX INCREASE' IF SENATE FAILS TO PASS HISTORIC BILL

"For as long as I’ve been in Congress, I’ve worked alongside federal and state legislators, parents seeking to protect their kids online, and the creative community in Tennessee to fight back against Big Tech’s exploitation by passing legislation to govern the virtual space," Blackburn said in a statement to Fox News.

"While I appreciate Chairman Cruz’s efforts to find acceptable language that allows states to protect their citizens from the abuses of AI, the current language is not acceptable to those who need these protections the most," she continued. "This provision could allow Big Tech to continue to exploit kids, creators, and conservatives."

Blackburn added: "Until Congress passes federally preemptive legislation like the Kids Online Safety Act and an online privacy framework, we can’t block states from making laws that protect their citizens."

When asked about Blackburn pulling her support for the compromise, Cruz told Punchbowl News the "night is young."

ELON MUSK SAYS US IS RULED BY 'PORKY PIG PARTY' AS TRUMP DEFENDS HIS VISION AGAINST FORMER ALLY'S CRITICISM

But Blackburn appears to now be co-sponsoring an amendment with Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., that would completely pull the AI moratorium from the bill.

Cantwell had earlier said that the since-scrapped deal between Blackburn and Cruz would do "nothing to protect kids or consumers."

"It's just another giveaway to tech companies," Cantwell said in a statement Monday. "This provision gives AI and social media a brand-new shield against litigation and state regulation. This is Section 230 on steroids."

Blackburn is one of several Republicans who have expressed concerns about the 10-year ban on state AI regulation.

Last week, 17 Republican governors wrote a joint letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., calling for the pause to be scrapped completely.

"AI is already deeply entrenched in American industry and society; people will be at risk until basic rules ensuring safety and fairness can go into effect," the letter reads. "Over the next decade, this novel technology will be used throughout our society, for harm and good. It will significantly alter our industries, jobs, and ways of life, and rebuild how we as a people function in profound and fundamental ways."

"That Congress is burying a provision that will strip the right of any state to regulate this technology in any way – without a thoughtful public debate – is the antithesis of what our Founders envisioned," it continued.

Some House Republicans also said they do not support the AI provision, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who admitted she found out about it a few days after voting for Trump's spending bill.

"Full transparency, I did not know about this," Greene wrote on X. "I am adamantly OPPOSED to this and it is a violation of state rights and I would have voted NO if I had known this was in there."