Every politician operates with a certain degree of shamelessness. It’s practically in the job description.

As they try to navigate in howling political winds, they regularly have to justify changing their positions. Maybe the country’s mood has shifted. Maybe it’s a matter of party loyalty. Maybe they’re bowing to pressure from big donors.

And maybe they’re being hypocritical because something they opposed during the Biden administration is now perfectly fine in the Trump administration.

WE ARE STILL NOT GETTING THE ‘STRAIGHT STORY’ ABOUT ALLEGED BIDEN DECLINE: KURTZ

Whatever the circumstances, it’s shameless to offer an explanation that everyone knows is garbage. 

And they have to do it with a straight face. They can’t very well say, Donald Trump is going to make sure I’m primaried if I don’t go along on this one. So they offer the transparently bogus explanation.

That, you could argue, is the nature of politics. You need to have some flexibility, some wiggle room. 

In one of my two interviews with President Trump last year, he tried to explain why he had totally flipped on TikTok. After all, he had spent his first term trying to ban the Chinese-owned company on national security grounds, only to be blocked by the courts. Now, suddenly, he had done a 180 and was trying to save the app, despite a congressional ban.

Trump told me he changed his mind because outlawing TikTok would help Facebook, which he considered a greater threat. 

I didn’t buy it. He had concluded that TikTok was incredibly popular, especially with younger people, and wanted to position himself as its savior. This, of course, was before Mark Zuckerberg began cozying up to Trump, such as by making a million-dollar donation to his inaugural.

Trump may have the biggest shameless gene of them all–and that’s part of why he’s successful. 

TRUMP RATTLED BY 'NASTY' 'TACO' QUESTION FROM REPORTER

He doesn’t get hung up on what he said the day before or an hour before. He can go from expressing sympathy for Joe Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis to saying he doesn’t feel sorry for Biden at all. He can go from blaming the Ukraine war impasse on Volodomyr Zelenskyy to finally condemning Vladimir Putin to calling it Biden’s war.

Ross Douthat has a smart take on this in his New York Times column:

"The willingness to swerve and backpedal and contradict himself is a big part of what keeps the president viable, and the promise of chickening out is part of Trump’s implicit pitch to swing voters — reassuring them that anything extreme is also provisional, that he’s always testing limits (on policy, on power) but also generally willing to pull back."

So MAGA voters trust Trump to go pretty far–but not too far?

That brings them into John Kerry territory: "I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it," referring to military aid to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Republican ads immediately portrayed the 2004 presidential nominee as a flip-flopper. Kerry later allowed that he had been "inarticulate." 

It’s useful to think about flipping the script. In the media furor over Trump’s spate of pardons, the president gave one to the leader of a violent Chicago gang, Larry Hoover, a drug dealer who’s been serving six consecutive life sentences for killing a man. 

Largely symbolic? Sure, because Hoover will remain in prison on state charges. Doesn’t matter.

If Biden had done that, conservative voters would have gone haywire. How dare he side with a murderer? Does Biden have no regard for human life? The man who was killed doesn’t get a second chance.

DEMOCRATS ABANDON TRADITION AS 2028 PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFULS OPENLY DECLARE WHITE HOUSE AMBITIONS

The MAGA-driven story would have been on television every 10 minutes. With Trump, it was a blip, barely a story at all.

Naturally, Biden’s hands aren’t exactly clean on the pardon front. He repeatedly promised not to pardon Hunter, then did exactly that after the election. It was a blatant lie and a big story. 

The other day Trump got angry when a CNBC reporter asked him about his TACO nickname, Trump Always Chickens Out, based on the chatter on Wall Street. He called the question "nasty," this from the king of bestowing derogatory nicknames (see Joe, Sleepy). 

Poultry metaphor aside, the president does frequently delay draconian tariffs, conduct quick negotiations and declare victory. His supporters like that because the markets usually shoot up, though the turmoil clearly shakes up the global economy.

One reason Trump gets away with all this is that the Democrats don’t have a national spokesman. Tim Walz, the VP flop, toying with running for president? People like Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer aren’t breaking through. AOC gets some good jabs in on social media, but she’s not even a member of the leadership. 

You also have to credit Trump’s political skills. He doesn’t have the slightest fear of being shameless.

Puerto Rico’s Supreme Court has reached a decision to allow nonbinary and gender-nonconforming people to update their birth certificates.

The action was brought about by six non-binary individuals born in Puerto Rico who filed a lawsuit claiming that "the Commonwealth’s current Birth Certificate Policy violates the right to equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution, according to the court filing."

The court's decision will now allow people who identify as nonbinary or gender-nonconforming to select "X" as their gender marker on birth certificates.

TEXAS LAWMAKERS CONSIDERING BILL TO BAN GENDER CHANGES ON BIRTH CERTIFICATES

In the filing, the court explains that there would be no rational basis to deny the request.

"The current Birth Certificate Policy of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico arbitrarily distinguishes between binary and nonbinary individuals and subjects nonbinary individuals to disfavored treatment, without any justification for doing so. In such cases, it is the duty of the federal courts to intervene, to guarantee the equal protection of all persons under the law," it states.

Pedro Julio Serrano, president of Puerto Rico’s LGBTQ+ Federation, called Friday’s ruling a historic one that upholds equality, according to the Associated Press.

TRANSGENDER PEOPLE SUE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER NEW PASSPORT POLICY ELIMINATING 'X' GENDER MARKER

The defendants named in the case opposed the request, arguing that "the government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico has a legitimate interest in maintaining vital records and statistics regarding its citizens."

The filing argued that this argument ignores the fact that the Commonwealth already permits its citizens to amend information on their birth certificates, including modifying the gender marker.

The legislators have already enacted legislation to ensure that, in the case of modifications, the original, unaltered birth certificates are preserved by the state.

Puerto Rico joins at least 17 U.S. states that permit their residents to include the nonbinary or gender-neutral sex on their birth certificates.

Nearly six months into his second term, President Donald Trump has a new portrait posted to the White House website.

White House officials posted an eight-second video to social media on Monday, showing the new portrait being hung on the wall at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House Campus.

In his previous presidential portrait, which was unveiled just days before taking the oath of office for his second term, Trump could be seen wearing a blue suit coat, white button-up shirt and blue tie.

The president showed no expression in the previous portrait, compared to an official portrait taken of him in 2017, in which he was smiling.

LIZ PEEK: DONALD TRUMP IS OUR PRESIDENT AND DEMOCRATS HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO

In the portrait unveiled on Monday, Trump is wearing a blue suit coat, white button-up shirt and a red tie. In both images, he has an American Flag pinned to his coat.

The president also shows little expression in the new portrait.

White House officials told Fox News Digital the photo was taken by White House photographer Daniel Torok.

TRUMP PORTRAIT HE CLAIMED WAS 'PURPOSEFULLY DISTORTED' TO BE TAKEN DOWN FROM COLORADO CAPITOL

As of Monday evening, the photo is hanging in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, and it will eventually start rolling out to other offices and federal buildings.

Trump’s new portrait was unveiled just days after he announced that he was firing Kim Sajet, the director of the National Portrait Gallery, for being a "strong supporter" of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

He announced Sajet’s termination in a post on Truth Social on Friday afternoon.

DONALD TRUMP FIRES NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY DIRECTOR FOR BEING 'STRONG SUPPORTER' OF DEI

"Upon the request and recommendation of many people, I am hereby terminating the employment of Kim Sajet as Director of the National Portrait Gallery," the president wrote. "She is a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI, which is totally inappropriate for her position. Her replacement will be named shortly. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

A White House official told Fox News Digital that Sajet had donated $3,982 to Democrats, including the presidential campaigns of former President Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. Sajet also reportedly donated to other Democrats, including former Vice President Kamala Harris.

The White House also pointed to the gallery's photo of Trump, which was curated by Sajet. 

The caption of the photo reads, "Impeached twice, on charges of abuse of power and incitement of insurrection after supporters attacked the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, he was acquitted by the Senate in both trials. After losing to Joe Biden in 2020, Trump mounted a historic comeback in the 2024 election. He is the only president aside from Grover Cleveland (1837-1908) to have won a nonconsecutive second term."

President Donald Trump turned to social media on Monday evening to sell Americans on his vision for the "Big, Beautiful Bill," calling it an opportunity to turn the U.S. around after what he called "four disastrous years" under former President Joe Biden.

The House passed the spending bill in late May and it is now in the Senate’s hands.

"We will take a massive step to balancing our Budget by enacting the largest mandatory Spending Cut, EVER, and Americans will get to keep more of their money with the largest Tax Cut, EVER, and no longer taxing Tips, Overtime, or Social Security for Seniors — Something 80 Million Voters supported in November," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "It will unleash American Energy by expediting permitting for Energy, and refilling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. It will make American Air Travel GREAT AGAIN by purchasing the final Air Traffic Control System."

The president said the bill includes the construction of The Gold Dome, which he says will secure American skies from adversaries. The bill will also secure the border by building more of the wall and "supercharging the deportation of millions of Criminal Illegals" that he said Biden allowed into the U.S.

WHITE HOUSE: DEMS HAVE 'NEVER BEEN MORE RADICAL, OUT OF TOUCH' AFTER VOTING AGAINST 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL'

"It will kick millions of Illegals off Medicaid, and make sure SNAP is focused on Americans ONLY! It will also restore Choice and Affordability for Car purchases by REPEALING Biden’s EV Mandate, and all of the GREEN NEW SCAM Tax Credits and Spending," Trump wrote. "THE ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL also protects our beautiful children by stopping funding for sick sex changes for minors."

The Senate returned to Washington on Monday, and in his post, Trump called on his Republican allies in Congress to work quickly to get the bill on his desk before July 4.

In a separate post, Trump addressed what he referred to as false statements about the bill, reiterating that it is the "single biggest Spending Cut in History."

GOP HOLDOUTS SOUND ALARM ON $36T DEBT CRISIS AS TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL' PASSES HOUSE VOTE

He noted that there will not be any cuts to Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid, adding they will be saved from "the incompetence of the Democrats."

"The Democrats, who have totally lost their confidence and their way, are saying whatever comes to mind — Anything to win!" Trump said. "They suffered the Greatest Humiliation in the History of Politics, and they’re desperate to get back on their game, but they won’t be able to do that because their Policies are so bad, in fact, they would lead to the Destruction of our Country and almost did.

"The only ‘cutting’ we will do is for Waste, Fraud, and Abuse, something that should have been done by the Incompetent, Radical Left Democrats for the last four years, but wasn’t," he concluded.

HOUSE GOP UNVEILS MEDICAID WORK REQUIREMENTS IN TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL'

Senate Republicans will get their turn to parse through the colossal package and are eying changes that could be a hard sell for House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who can only afford to lose three votes.

Congressional Republicans are in a dead sprint to get the megabill — filled with Trump’s policy desires on taxes, immigration, energy, defense and the national debt — onto the president’s desk by early July.

If passed in its current state, the bill is expected to add roughly $3 trillion to the national debt, including interest, according to the Committee for Responsible Federal Budget.

Fox News Digital's Amy Nelson, Pilar Arias, Brie Stimson and Alex Miller contributed to this report.

A report from Axios has indicated that the United States plans to allow Iran to continue limited low-level uranium enrichment on its soil for an unspecified period of time. 

On Saturday, the Trump administration presented its first formal proposal to Tehran in an attempt to sign a nuclear deal with the country, but did not share any details of the proposed deal publicly. "President Trump has made it clear that Iran can never obtain a nuclear bomb," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said over the weekend. "Special Envoy Witkoff has sent a detailed and acceptable proposal to the Iranian regime, and it's in their best interest to accept it."

The report, from Axios, cited two sources familiar with the Trump administration's ongoing negotiations with Iran. The White House did not deny the details of Axios' reporting when Fox News Digital reached out for confirmation. 

IRAN CONDEMNS AUSTRIA OVER REPORT ON ADVANCED NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM

Instead, a White House official responded with a statement calling the terms of the deal "very tough" and insisted the terms of the deal prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

"President Trump is speaking the cold, hard truth. The terms we gave Iran were very tough and would make it impossible for them to ever obtain a nuclear bomb," the official said. 

Media reports Monday said that Iranian officials were planning to reject the U.S.'s proposed deal. The new details reported by Axios might serve to assuage some of the Iranians' concerns, but could also anger some Republicans, as well as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who have all expressed that they only want zero nuclear enrichment as part of the deal – in addition to full dismantlement of Iran's nuclear program.

WHITE HOUSE URGES IRAN TO ACCEPT NUCLEAR DEAL AS IAEA REPORTS URANIUM ENRICHMENT SPIKE

Axios reported that the details of the proposal described to them indicated that Iran would not be allowed to build any more new enrichment facilities, must "dismantle critical infrastructure for conversion and processing of uranium," and would be forced to halt any new research and development on nuclear centrifuges. However, according to the details of the proposal reported by Axios, Iran will be allowed to participate in a regional enrichment consortium under certain conditions. 

For example, Iran will only be able to develop domestic enrichment capabilities for civilian purposes only, according to Axios. Meanwhile, after signing the agreement, Iran would be forced to reduce its enrichment concentration to 3% and shut down all underground enrichment facilities for an agreed-upon time period by both parties.

 CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The new proposal also seeks to develop auditing and oversight mechanisms to ensure Iran follows the rules of the agreement. 

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…

Both Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman and GOP Sen. Dave McCormick spoke in a bipartisan forum about the importance of border security, with Fetterman going so far as to call out his own party on the issue.

"I've kind of, I've lost some support in my party. I thought the border was really important, and our party did not handle the border appropriately," Fetterman told "Fox News Sunday" host Shannon Bream during a FOX Nation presentation of The Senate Project series on Monday. 

"Look at the numbers, 267,000, 300,000 people showing up at our border. And, you know, we can all agree that's roughly the size of Pittsburgh. Now, that's unacceptable. And that's a national security issue. And that's chaos. So a secure border, being very pro-immigration, that's who I am as a Democrat."…READ MORE

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'SUICIDAL MIGRATION': Boulder terror attack puts Biden-era immigration policies in the hot seat: 'Must be fully reversed'

'I'M VERY ANGRY': Jewish House lawmaker urges deportation of Boulder terror suspect's family

'RAMPANT': Fetterman, McCormick react to 'astonishing' Boulder attack on pro-Israel group

IDEOLOGICAL VIOLENCE: Boulder, Colorado suspected terror attack suspect Soliman faces murder, assault charges, jail records show

'SUICIDAL MIGRATION': Boulder terror attack puts Biden-era immigration policies in the hot sea

ANTI-AMERICAN': Trump says Boulder terror attack 'will not be tolerated,' deportations must continue

NONCITIZEN: Alleged Boulder terrorist overstayed visa, granted work permit by Biden administration

TERROR IN BOULDER: Holocaust survivor among victims in Boulder, Colorado suspected terror attack

TENSION IN TURKEY: Ukraine, Russia meet for peace talks in Istanbul after explosive weekend

DECEIT REVEALED: Tensions rise as Israel strongly denies firing on Palestinians at Gaza humanitarian site

NATIONALIST COMEBACK: Polish conservative Karol Nawrocki wins presidential election to succeed Duda

‘DEFAMATORY ALLEGATIONS’: China accuses Hegseth of espousing 'Cold War mentality' for labeling country as a threat

IN HOT WATER: Maxine Waters campaign to pay $68,000 for violating campaign finance laws

'UNREAL': Marjorie Taylor Greene slams FDA green lighting of mNEXSPIKE COVID-19 vaccine

FIXING THE UNFIXABLE: As Musk exits DOGE, a look back at previous efforts to cut waste, fraud, and abuse — and how they fared

APPEALS DENIED: Supreme Court declines to examine appeals over Maryland, Rhode Island gun control laws

DEI DOLLARS: Hundreds of millions in tax money goes to contracts for DEI groups, watchdog finds

‘UPS THE ANTE’: US government taking ‘dramatically different approach’ using terrorism charges against drug cartels: FBI alum

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

The Washington Post is being mocked online and by the White House for "pathetic" reporting on what the liberal-leaning news outlet calls a "mysterious" decline in fentanyl flowing across the border.

Fentanyl is a dangerous drug that is often trafficked into the United States across the southern and northern borders by cartels and other criminal elements. In 2024, fentanyl was linked to the death of 48,422 persons in the United States, according to the CDC.

During his campaign, President Donald Trump vowed to wage a war against fentanyl traffickers through increased border security and by cracking down on illegal immigration. Since taking office, Trump has deployed U.S. troops to the southern border, targeted cartels and transnational criminal groups as "foreign terrorist organizations" and hit cartel leaders with sanctions.

According to the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), the U.S. law enforcement seizures of fentanyl, which the group explains is a "key indicator of broader total smuggling at and between the southern border’s ports of entry," have dropped 50% since the November election. CIS states that this significant decline indicates a "greater decline in total fentanyl smuggling."

BONDI ANNOUNCES ONE OF LARGEST FENTANYL SEIZURES IN US HISTORY

The Washington Post reports on this decline, stating that U.S. seizures at the southern border are down by almost 30 percent compared with the same period in 2024. The outlet, however, states that the drop "represents something of a mystery."

"After years of confiscating rising amounts of fentanyl, the opioid that has fueled the most lethal drug epidemic in American history, U.S. officials are confronting a new and puzzling reality at the Mexican border. Fentanyl seizures are plummeting," wrote the Post.

Among the possible reasons listed by the outlet are cartels finding other ways to smuggle the drug into the U.S., cartel internal strife, ingredient shortages and a possible decline in demand.

Though baffled by the reason for the decline, The Washington Post posited that "public health authorities are concerned that the Trump administration’s budget cuts could hurt programs that have promoted overdose antidotes and addiction treatment."

SOME FENTANYL DEALERS WOULD BE CHARGED WITH FELONY MURDER UNDER NEW BILL

The article was widely mocked by conservatives online.

Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., commented on X, "The Washington Post is reporting a ‘mysterious drop’ in fentanyl seizures at the southern border. Mystery solved! The Trump effect is working."

Charlie Kirk, a popular conservative influencer, also commented, saying: "Four months into the Trump administration, The Washington Post is marveling at the ‘mysterious’ drop in fentanyl seizures on the Mexican border … Is the Post simply lying, or are their reporters as dumb as the people they're writing propaganda for?"

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

The Department of Homeland Security's official X account also replied, commenting: "It’s no mystery. On day one, [President] Trump closed our borders to drug traffickers."

DHS said that "from March 2024 to March 2025 fentanyl traffic at the southern border fell by 54%."

"The world has heard the message loud and clear," said DHS. 

WHISTLEBLOWER ACCUSES BIDEN ADMIN OF LEAVING THOUSANDS OF MIGRANT CHILD TRAFFICKING REPORTS UNINVESTIGATED

Several top White House spokespersons also weighed in. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt simply called the Post "pathetic," and White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said: "They can’t stand that President Trump’s strong border policies have led to a DECREASE in fentanyl coming into the U.S."

Abigail Jackson, another White House spokeswoman, told Fox News Digital that "the drop in fentanyl seizures at the border is only a mystery to Washington Post reporters suffering from Trump-Derangement Syndrome."

"As of March, fentanyl traffic at the Southern Border had fallen by more than half from the same time last year – while Joe Biden’s open border was still terrorizing America," said Jackson. "Everyone else knows the simple truth: President Trump closed our border to illegal drug traffickers and Americans are safer because of it."

The Washington Post did not immediately respond to a request by Fox News Digital for comment.

As she runs for re-election in 2026, Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York will now face a primary challenge from her own lieutenant governor.

New York Lt. Gov. Anthonio Delgado on Monday announced his bid to try and oust his boss as the Democrats' nominee in next year's election, in a very rare move by a lieutenant governor to primary challenge a sitting incumbent.

"New York, I’m not here to play the game. I’m here to change it. I’m running to be your next Governor," Delgado said in a social media post.

In an accompanying video, the 48-year-old Delgado took a jab at his boss, saying "what we need right here in New York is bold, decisive, transformational leadership."

 MORE POLLING PROBLEMS FOR THIS BLUE STATE DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR FACING RE-ELECTION NEXT YEAR

And in an interview with the New York Times, the lieutenant governor said that "people are hurting and New York deserves better leadership."

Delgado, who is Black, in 2018 became the first person of African-American or Latino descent to be elected to Congress from Upstate New York. 

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

Four years later Hochul appointed Delgado to fill the then-vacant lieutenant governor's office, making him the first Latino to hold statewide office in New York.

But in recent years, their working relationship deteriorated and after months of political friction with Hochul and mulling a bid for governor, Delgado made it official.

Hochul was the state’s lieutenant governor when, in August 2021, she 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.

While the governor's approval ratings in a recent Siena College poll were holding slightly in positive territory, the survey indicated a majority of New Yorkers would still prefer someone else to win the 2026 election for governor in the Empire State.

REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS CHAIR, POINTING TO CAMPAIGN BATTLES AHEAD, TOUTS ‘OUR POLICIES ARE BETTER’

According to the poll, which was conducted May 12-15, 36% of registered voters in New York state said they would vote to re-elect Hochul to a second four-year term, with a majority (55%) saying they wanted someone else. 

It is a 10-point negative movement for Hochul compared to Siena's April survey, when 39% of those questioned said they were prepared to vote to re-elect the governor and 48% wanted someone else.

Fifty-one percent of Democrats surveyed in the new poll said at this early point in the 2026 election cycle they are prepared to re-elect Hochul, with 38% of Democrats saying they want "someone else."

But the poll indicated Hochul holding a wide lead over Delgado and Rep. Richie Torres, who is also mulling a Democratic gubernatorial campaign. Hochul stood at 46% in the poll in the Democratic nomination race, with Delgado at 12% and Torres at 10%.

The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) praised Hochul in a statement following Delgado's announcement.

"Governor Kathy Hochul is a proven leader with a strong record of delivering for New Yorkers: putting money back in their pockets, protecting reproductive rights, and keeping communities safe. The Governor knows how to take on big fights and win for New York families — and her agenda is overwhelmingly popular with New Yorkers on both sides of the aisle. The Democratic Governors Association is 100 percent behind Governor Hochul as she continues to deliver for New York, take on Donald Trump, and build the operation it will take to beat Republicans up and down the ballot in 2026," DGA executive director Meghan Meehan-Draper said.

Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi of New York, who unsuccessfully primary challenged Hochul in 2022, took to social media to caution Delgado.

"Antonio, you are a talented guy, with a great future. Based upon my experience this may not be the most well-thought out idea!" Suozzi said.

Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, who is seriously considering a 2026 run for governor, used Monday's news of Delgado's primary challenge to reiterate her criticism of Hochul.

"There is a reason I dubbed Kathy Hochul the worst Governor in America. It's because it's true," Stefanik claimed in a statement.

And the six-term congresswoman from Upstate New York, whom the Siena poll indicated was the front-runner in a hypothetical GOP primary, added that Hochul's "own Lieutenant Governor that she hand picked is now primarying her which shows she has lost support not just from Republicans and Independents, but Democrat New Yorkers as well."

GOP Rep. Mike Lawler of New York, who is also seriously considering a run for governor, took to social media to also blast Hochul "as the worst Governor in America — failed, feckless, and grossly incompetent."

"She must be defeated in 2026 and replaced with a Republican Governor who can restore balance and common sense to Albany," he argued.

Progressive Democrats spoke out against antisemitism following a terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado, in which an Egyptian national set peaceful protesters on fire at a demonstration to bring Israeli hostages home. 

"I am horrified by last night’s horrific attack in Boulder," progressive Democrat and potential 2028 presidential candidate,Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said on X. "My heart is with the victims and our Jewish communities across the country. Antisemitism is on the rise here at home, and we have a moral responsibility to confront and stop it everywhere it exists."

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who was voted off the House Foreign Affairs Committee in 2023 and was hit with a censure resolution in 2024 for alleged antisemitism, condemned the violence on Monday. 

"I’m holding the victims and families in Boulder, Colorado in my heart," Omar said in a social media post. "Violence against anyone is never acceptable. We must reject hatred and harm in all its forms."

TRUMP SAYS BOULDER TERROR ATTACK 'WILL NOT BE TOLERATED,' DEPORTATIONS MUST CONTINUE

While Omar's censure resolution never passed, the House did vote to censure fellow "Squad" member Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., in 2023 for alleged anti-Israel comments. 

US POLITICIANS, JEWISH GROUPS CONDEMN 'HORRIFYING' BOULDER TERROR ATTACK: 'VILE, ANTISEMITIC ACT OF TERROR'

"The violent attack in Boulder is horrific. My heart goes out to all of the victims and their families. Violence has no place in our communities," Tlaib said on X.

Two progressive Democrats, who joined Congress in 2022, also slammed the "antisemitic attack" in social media statements. 

"I am horrified by the antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colorado," Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, who was elected in 2022, said on social media. "My thoughts are with the victims, their families, and Jewish communities across the country.

"Yesterday's antisemitic attack against those in Boulder, CO calling for the safe return of hostages is deplorable and heartbreaking," Rep. Delia C. Ramirez, D-Ill., said on X, condemning both violence against Gaza and violence in our local U.S. communities. 

"Neither bombing in Gaza nor violence perpetrated in our communities will bring us closer to peace. Only by recognizing our interconnected safety and shared humanity can we carve a path forward. As we hold those affected by the attack close, our nation's leaders must unite to reject all forms of hate and violence that continue to make us all less safe, and to honor the dignity of every human life," she added. 

Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., the first Gen-Z congressman, admitted he should have supported a resolution in 2023 condemning antisemitism on college campuses. He joined the progressive Democrats on Monday who condemned the attack. 

"I’m horrified to hear about the antisemitic attack in Boulder, just weeks after the shooting of two Israeli embassy officials in DC. My thoughts are with the victims and their families. There is no place for this hatred and violence — and we must keep working to end it. Political and bigoted violence in our country must be denounced swiftly and strongly by all," he said. 

One of the original "Squad" members who was elected in 2018, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., added on X on Monday afternoon, "The antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colorado is horrifying and unacceptable. Violence against innocent people is never the answer. It will never bring justice for anyone, and we must do everything to root it out. I pray for the victims, their loved ones, and everyone impacted."

The Massachusetts Democrat also spoke out against President Donald Trump on Monday. 

"Donald Trump wants to sow fear & chaos in our communities so we feel alone & defeated — but we won't let him. Tune in as I join immigrant justice advocates, local leaders, & impacted families to tell Trump & ICE: Hands off our immigrant neighbors," Pressley wrote on X, as she directed her followers to a livestreamed event condemning Trump's deportation policies.

As of Monday afternoon, "Squad" member, Rep. Summer Lee of Pennsylvania did not condemn the attack on social media. Lee's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. 

The Defense Department (DOD) is starting a voluntary program for its civilian employees to go to the southern border to support Department of Homeland Security (DHS) efforts there. 

The agency released a memo Monday authorizing its civilian employees to volunteer to travel and support border operations. 

NOEM MAKES AGGRESSIVE NEW MOVE TO RAMP UP ARRESTS, DEPORTATIONS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

"Protecting our homeland from bad actors and illegal substances has been a focus of the President and of the Secretary of Defense since Day One of this Administration," said Sean Parnell, chief Pentagon spokesperson. "Whether on the border or in our communities, allowing qualified DoD civilian employees to support DHS will accelerate the progress already made by Service members in achieving our national security goals."

This voluntary program was at the request of DHS, a U.S. official told Fox News.

NOEM, DHS OUTLINE NEXT STEP TO SPEED UP DEPORTATION PROCESS

It was not clear how many DOD civilian employees are expected to volunteer or what kind of work they will do. Fox News Digital has reached out to the DOD and DHS. 

The memo, authored by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, reads, "Detail assignments may be either reimbursable or non-reimbursable.

US MILITARY STATIONED AT THE BORDER IN NEW MEXICO NATIONAL DEFENSE AREA CAN DETAIN ILLEGAL MIGRANTS

"Non-reimbursable details are authorized where the expected benefit of a detail would be comparable to training or development programs that otherwise would be conducted at a DoD Component's expense."

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News of the voluntary program comes as the Trump administration continues to crack down on illegal immigration and target criminal illegal immigrants for deportation. 

FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Justice is demanding that California’s public high schools confirm by next week that they do not allow transgender athletes to compete in girls’ sports, escalating a federal inquiry into the state over its compliance with Title IX.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who heads the DOJ Civil Rights Division, said in a letter obtained by Fox News Digital that public school districts must "certify in writing" by June 9 that they will not abide by the California Interscholastic Federation’s gender identity rules.

"Knowingly depriving female students of athletic opportunities and benefits on the basis of their sex would constitute unconstitutional sex discrimination under the Equal Protection Clause," Dhillon wrote in the letter.

CALIFORNIA HIGH SCHOOLER BEGS STATE OFFICIALS TO BAN TRANS ATHLETES FROM GIRLS' SPORTS AT CONTENTIOUS MEETING

The California Interscholastic Federation governs public and private high school sports in the state and has a bylaw that requires its members to recognize gender identity in sports.

All students should be able to participate in school sports "in a manner that is consistent with their gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on a student’s records," the bylaw states.

Dhillon, a former California-based conservative attorney, said the certifications she is seeking from the public school districts will "ensure compliance" with Title IX and help them to "avoid legal liability."

Her demand pits public school districts against the California Interscholastic Federation, the entity that schools are required to comply with to participate in state sports competitions.

DOJ INTERVENING IN CALIFORNIA TRANS ATHLETE CONTROVERSY AS TRUMP MONITORS GIRLS' TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIP

Fox News Digital reached out to the California Interscholastic Federation’s executive director for comment.

Dhillon's move comes after she and the U.S. attorney for the Central District of California announced last week that they were investigating the California Interscholastic Federation and other public entities over whether the state's laws conflicted with Trump's interpretation of Title IX.

When Trump took office, he ordered federal agencies to enforce Title IX in a manner that excluded gender identity after the Biden administration attempted to reinterpret the statute.

Title IX, passed in 1972, is a landmark civil rights law designed to prevent sex discrimination in schools. Former President Barack Obama made the first, albeit unenforceable, attempt to reinterpret Title IX at the end of his term by directing schools that received federal funds to allow transgender students to use bathrooms and participate in sports that corresponded to their gender identities.

Trump quashed those efforts in his first term and, in coordination with former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, began a lengthy process of creating new rules within the Education Department to require schools to adhere to the long-held meaning of Title IX.

Former President Joe Biden made embracing gender identity and reimagining Title IX a pillar of his presidency by moving to unravel the Trump administration's new rules. Biden was, however, met with numerous injunctions and never able to get his version of Title IX off the ground.

TRUMP DOJ, EDUCATION DEPT FORM TASK FORCE TO PROTECT FEMALE ATHLETES FROM 'GENDER IDEOLOGY' IN SCHOOLS, SPORTS

Now, Trump has aggressively sought to enforce his first term's rules. He signed a string of executive orders focused on, as one order described it, the "biological reality of sex," and his agencies have sent demand letters and opened federal inquiries into states that are resistant to the administration's efforts.

In addition to targeting California, the DOJ sued Maine over Title IX, arguing that its state Education Department was out of compliance with federal law, citing a transgender athlete who won a girls' pole-vaulting competition in February.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, has downplayed the matter, telling local news at one point that there were "like two" transgender athletes in her state.

Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom, meanwhile, has shown an openness to Trump's position that transgender athletes competing in girls' sports is unfair, to the chagrin of some of Newsom's liberal base.

Newsom also recently said he supported a new pilot initiative by the California Interscholastic Federation to allow any female track and field athlete who would have qualified for an upcoming state championship to compete if they had been displaced by a transgender athlete.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is coordinating with his colleagues in the House to push back against Senate Republicans’ efforts to ram President Donald Trump’s wish list of policy desires through the Senate.

In a letter to Senate Democrats on Sunday, Schumer, D-N.Y., laid out a multipronged strategy to inflict as much pain on Republicans as possible in the budget reconciliation process, the legislative strategy the GOP is employing to sidestep negotiating with Democrats to advance the president’s priorities.

SENATE REPUBLICANS EYE CHANGES TO TRUMP'S MEGABILL AFTER HOUSE WIN

While congressional Republicans don’t need Democrats to move the colossal bill to Trump’s desk, Schumer wants to make the process as uncomfortable as possible as Senate Republicans begin a roughly monthlong sprint to put their fingerprints on what Trump deemed a "big, beautiful bill."

The top Senate Democrat is coordinating with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and the top Democrats on crucial House committees to "share firsthand insight from their process and key Republican fault lines" with their Senate counterparts.

"Based on Senate Republicans’ public comments, it’s clear that if this reckless reconciliation bill passes the Senate it is very likely to contain changes, forcing it to be sent back to the House of Representatives," Schumer wrote. "That’s why we must be united with our House Democratic colleagues to fight this assault on working families."

Indeed, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said much of the debate and subsequent tweaks to the bill would focus on finding deeper spending cuts. The House’s offering set a goal of $1.5 trillion in spending cuts over the next decade, but some Senate Republicans want to hit $2 trillion, while a smaller cohort of fiscal hawks want to go even deeper.

DEMS CALL BUDGET BILL ‘BUREAUCRATIC WATER TORTURE’ AS GOP ‘GLAD TO HAVE THE BALL IN OUR COURT’

Thune said that Republicans' main focus during the next month would be ensuring that Trump's first-term tax cuts are made permanent with the massive bill and not allowed to expire by the end of the year on the Senate floor, marking the Senate's return on Monday. 

"We are not going to let that happen, and our biggest focus this month is completing this tax relief legislation with the goal of getting the final bill to the president before the Fourth of July," he said. "It’s going to be a very busy month, Mr. President." 

In all, 10 Senate committees will be tasked with sifting through the massive bill’s contents, which include the president’s policy desires on taxes, immigration, energy, defense and the national debt.

FETTERMAN DEFIES ‘PUNITIVE’ PUNISHMENT FOR BREAKING WITH DEMOCRATIC PARTY DURING BIPARTISAN DISCUSSION

Schumer’s edict comes as those committees gear up to make their own revisions to the bill to, in part, fall in line with their own policy and spending desires and to also comply with Senate rules.

He noted that Senate Democrats have been working "overtime" to target a litany of policies in the GOP’s plan that "are in clear violation of the reconciliation rules and, in some cases, an assault on our very democracy."

Some Republicans already have issues with certain policies in the bill, like cuts to Medicaid or the plan to move up the timeline to phase out green energy tax credits ushered in by the Biden administration.

Schumer also prodded Democrats to continue aggressively denouncing the bill on the ground in their home states and districts, arguing that "if the American people truly knew how deeply devastating, damaging, and deceitful this Republican plan is, they will reject it."

"Republicans’ ‘One Ugly Bill’ is a farce; an attack on the values that make America great," he wrote. "We know the first four months of Donald Trump’s presidency have been catastrophic for the American people. It is our duty to fight for American families, to stop the damage, and make certain Republicans are held accountable."

Operation Patriot, the largest ever ICE operation, resulted in the arrest of nearly 1,500 illegals, including murderers, rapists, drug traffickers and child sex predators, in the deep blue sanctuary city-heavy state of Massachusetts.

Operation Patriot concluded on Saturday after netting 1,461 illegal aliens throughout the Greater Boston area and the state of Massachusetts, which includes numerous sanctuary jurisdictions.

Sources at ICE told Fox News that 790 of those arrested had criminal convictions or charges and 277 had final removal or deportation orders. The sources said that all the targeted criminals were roaming the streets of Massachusetts cities freely before being apprehended.

The operation ran throughout May and included ICE teams from other states in the Northeast and authorities from the FBI, DEA, and ATF.

36 CHINESE, TAIWANESE NATIONALS ARRESTED AFTER ICE RAIDS UNDERGROUND NIGHTCLUB IN LOS ANGELES

Fox News was embedded with ICE Boston on Thursday as part of this operation. While Fox News was embedded with ICE, agents arrested a murderer, two child rapists, including one living next to a playground, one fentanyl trafficker, one adult rapist, and one child sexual assaulter, all within the span of a few hours.

Prior to this, the largest ICE operation was Operation Tidal Wave in Florida, which netted 1,120 arrests. Fox News was told Operation Patriot was significantly more difficult because, unlike Florida, ICE received no local assistance from Massachusetts sanctuary jurisdictions.

Sources said the operation was in direct response to leaders in the city of Boston and Massachusetts refusing to cooperate with ICE.

The sources said "hundreds" of the arrested targets had been released by local sanctuary jurisdictions with ICE detainers ignored. ICE also said it encountered daily interference from anti-ICE activist groups throughout Massachusetts.

‘RAMPANT’ ABUSE IN BLUE STATE MIGRANT SHELTER SYSTEM, SAYS FORMER DIRECTOR: ‘COLOSSAL MESS’

Massachusetts Democratic Governor Maura Healey has responded to ICE’s operations in her state with outrage. Healey took to social media on Sunday evening to demand answers after ICE agents arrested 18-year-old Marcelo Gomes, who was an illegal and a junior at Milford High School in Milford, Massachusetts. 

In her post, Healey says she is "disturbed and outraged" and that she wants answers immediately explaining why the student was taken into immigration enforcement’s custody.

Healey asserted that "the Trump Administration continues to create fear in our communities, and it’s making us all less safe."

HOMELAND SECURITY REMOVES 'SANCTUARY JURISDICTIONS' LIST FROM ITS WEBSITE

Speaking during a press conference on Monday, acting ICE Director Todd Lyons commented on the resistance from Massachusetts leaders, saying: "If sanctuary cities would change their policies and turn these violent criminal aliens over to us into our custody instead of releasing them into the public, we would not have to go out to the communities and do this."

Lyons said the operation "just showed we need to come back and we're going to keep coming back because ICE is going to make sure that we keep our community safe and keep our neighborhood safe from these sex offenders and these criminal aliens."

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The press conference was held the same day that an illegal alien in Massachusetts named Lorenzo Lopez Alcario was arraigned on charges of raping a child with force. A copy of the charges obtained by Fox News Digital alleges that the child was tied during the rape.

Commenting on the arraignment and on Operation Patriot, Jon Fetherston, a former Massachusetts migrant shelter director, told Fox News Digital that Democratic Governor Maura Healey’s resistance to federal immigration enforcement operations is "not only unsafe for ICE agents, it’s unsafe for all of us."

Fetherston added that Healey’s policies are "creating a climate of lawlessness, where even convicted criminals are shielded from federal enforcement."

"That’s not compassion — it’s recklessness," he said. 

Healey's office did not immediately respond to a request by Fox News Digital for comment.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement will be directing more resources to its 24/7 tip line after the antisemitic Boulder, Colorado, terrorist attack, as the suspect overstayed his visa.

"For four years, the Biden Administration allowed millions of unvetted illegal aliens – including terrorists, gang members, and other violent criminals – to pour into our country," Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement on Monday.

"Yesterday’s terrorist attack by a suspect illegally in our country, underscores the importance of getting these illegal aliens out of our country," McLaughlin added.

BOULDER TERROR ATTACK PUTS BIDEN-ERA IMMIGRATION POLICIES IN THE HOT SEAT: 'MUST BE FULLY REVERSED'

"Secretary Noem is revamping ICE’s illegal alien tip line to devote more resources and personnel to help remove these criminal illegal aliens from our country. To report suspicious criminal activity, call 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) – help President Trump, Secretary Noem and our brave law enforcement remove these public safety threats from our communities and to make America safe again."  

According to a news release, the tip line is being used so ICE can gather information from the public and authorities from around the country, and more staff will be added as part of the revamp.

On Sunday, 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman allegedly burned eight people, including a Holocaust survivor, who were rallying for the return of hostages in Gaza.

ALLEGED BOULDER TERRORIST OVERSTAYED VISA, GRANTED WORK PERMIT BY BIDEN ADMINISTRATION

The attack has brought renewed attention to the long-term impacts of Biden-era immigration policies, as the suspect was granted work authorization in the United States after applying for asylum in 2022 while in the country on a tourist visa.

He was permitted to work a month after his visa expired in March 2023, and the work permit expired in March 2025. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller posted to X on Sunday, "Suicidal migration must be fully reversed."

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"Yesterday’s horrific attack in Boulder, Colorado, WILL NOT BE TOLERATED in the United States of America," President Donald Trump wrote on TRUTH Social. "He came in through Biden’s ridiculous Open Border Policy, which has hurt our Country so badly. He must go out under ‘TRUMP’ Policy. Acts of Terrorism will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law. This is yet another example of why we must keep our Borders SECURE, and deport Illegal, Anti-American Radicals from our Homeland."

He is now facing federal hate crime charges, and he is charged with attempted murder in Colorado.

TRUMP SAYS BOULDER TERROR ATTACK 'WILL NOT BE TOLERATED,' DEPORTATIONS MUST CONTINUE

"The Department of Justice has swiftly charged the illegal alien perpetrator of this heinous attack with a federal hate crime and will hold him accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Our prayers are with the victims and our Jewish community across the world," Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.

"This vile antisemitic violence comes just weeks after the horrific murder of two young Jewish Americans in Washington, D.C. We will never tolerate this kind of hatred. We refuse to accept a world in which Jewish Americans are targeted for who they are and what they believe," she continued.

The tip-line announcement also comes as the Trump administration is boosting its daily goal to 3,000 illegal immigrant arrests, as ICE continues to conduct sweeps in cities throughout the country, including arresting those with additional criminal records. 

Ukraine’s surprise Sunday attack on Russian offensive weapons caches may be a good time for the U.S. to reflect on its own weaknesses, should one of its adversaries attempt a similar strike.

Col. Seth Krummrich, a retired Army Special Forces commander and vice president at the Virginia-based security firm Global Guardian, warned that the U.S. remains vulnerable to drone attacks.

"Interestingly, it is not a technological gap, it is a policy/authority process to engage and deny drone attacks," Krummrich said.

"I assess it will take a major drone strike in the U.S. to change policy."

DRONE ACTIVITY NEAR TRUMP-BEDMINSTER, ARMY ARSENAL SPURS NJ FLIGHT RESTRICTION: FAA

Even civilian operations have a tough time getting approval for drone-interception-authority protections, the NFL excepted, he said.

"Ukraine proved how easy it is to hide a drone swarm in a truck bed, get close to the target, then swarm and destroy targets in a minute or two.

"Drones are cheap and easy to lethally modify. This know-how is readily available to all State and non-state enemy actors."

America’s best snipers will have trouble downing a target moving at 35mph, as quadcopter-drones can reach, according to Krummrich.

He noted the panoply of threat-groups that could harness drone warfare, from China and North Korea to homegrown threats like Antifa and environmental extremists -- and laid out how a villainous actor could carry-out a strike on a sporting event from 1,000 miles away with proper planning and orchestration.

Gen. David Grange, a retired veteran of the 101st Airborne, recently returned from Ukraine where his Osprey Relief Foundation team of elite military vets conducted a "point-of-need" assessment and supply delivery to field hospitals and the like.

Grange said Ukraine’s use of drones is a "textbook example of asymmetric warfare" – jargon depicting the proverbial David v. Goliath scenario.

"If a similar drone-based attack were launched on U.S. soil, it would be extremely difficult to intercept once set forth in motion, much like the events of 9/11," Grange said.

The general estimated that there are 3,000 gang members, terrorists and/or sleeper agents of hostile nations already stateside – and drone actions would be inexpensive and difficult to detect at present.

But, the feds are aware there are vulnerabilities and actively working to prepare for a potential scenario, he added:

"It’s not a matter of complacency — it’s a matter of catching up to a rapidly evolving threat landscape."

BEDMINSTER DRAFTS VIP SECURITY PLAN AFTER TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

Last year, civilians and officials alike appeared flummoxed by repeated sightings of suspicious drones in the Mid-Atlantic – including near the U.S. Army garrison at Picatinny Arsenal in Dover, N.J., and President Donald Trump’s nearby golf club.

Several "spy balloons" allegedly launched by China crossed over the Arctic, Great Plains and sandhills in 2023. One balloon was downed and recovered off the Grand Strand, while remnants of another were scooped up in Lake Huron.

Grange said the New Jersey situation was a "critical wake-up call."

"Incidents like that underscore the importance of shifting from reactive posture to proactive deterrence," he said.

"We’re not starting from zero, but we are in a race to close the gap between emerging threats and our ability to counter them."

The idea of an impenetrable North America is not sustainable, he said – warning not to panic but instead to surgically address those vulnerabilities.

"Solving this challenge will require an all-hands-on-deck approach: federal, state, and local governments must work hand-in-hand with private industry, research institutions, and technology developers to close the gaps in our homeland defense posture," Grange said, adding the Ukraine-Russia conflict illustrates "the new face of warfare."

At a December hearing, House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, warned that, "in the wrong hands, drone technology can negatively impact American national security while disrupting critical infrastructure."

"We must secure our skies from unauthorized aerial systems, but most importantly the homeland from foreign adversaries."

Pentagon brass testified NORTHCOM would’ve downed any drone that appeared to pose any imminent physical threat.

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Kelly Siegel, CEO of National Technology Management, a Michigan-based cybersecurity firm, told Fox News Digital the Ukraine operation reminds us that more than three-quarters of all drones are made in China.

Drone and cyber-related threats to the homeland overlap, he said.

"Just like drones have rapidly become critical weapons, causing about 65% of Russian battlefield losses, cyber threats evolve at lightning speed. Staying disciplined and ahead of emerging tech is vital."

Russia has already disrupted American-supplied guided weapons by electronically jamming them – an example of something that mirrors current threats to U.S. critical infrastructure and security systems, he added.

In response to the concerns, a defense department official told Fox News Digital the Pentagon "routinely conducts threat assessments as the operational environment continues to evolve."

"Our objective is to enable tailored response options to protect our service members and installations. Specific implementation details are not disclosed for operational security reasons."

Israel, a key U.S. ally, is known for its "Iron Dome" missile defense system – backed by more than $2 billion in U.S. funding. The system has played a crucial role in intercepting rocket attacks from Hamas and other malign actors.

The U.S. currently lacks a similar system, though Trump proposed what he calls a "Golden Dome" system.

Canada can join the "Golden Dome" for $61 billion, or become the 51st state and join for free," Trump quipped Friday on Truth Social.

The Trump administration is fighting to pause a second court ruling that blocked President Donald Trump's sweeping and so-called reciprocal tariffs, the signature economic policy of his second term. 

The administration’s new appeal, filed Monday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, comes less than a week after a very similar court challenge played out in the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) in New York, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington.

At issue in both cases is Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to enact his sweeping "Liberation Day" tariff plan. The plan, which Trump announced on April 2, invokes IEEPA for both his 10% baseline tariff on most U.S. trading partners and a so-called "reciprocal tariff" against other countries. 

TRUMP TARIFF PLAN FACES UNCERTAIN FUTURE AS COURT BATTLES INTENSIFY

Trump’s use of the emergency law to invoke widespread tariffs was struck down unanimously last week by the three-judge CIT panel, which said the statute does not give Trump "unbounded" power to implement tariffs. However, the decision was almost immediately stayed by the U.S. Court of Appeals, allowing Trump’s tariffs to continue. 

But in a lesser-discussed ruling on the very same day, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras, an Obama appointee, determined that Trump’s tariffs were unlawful under IEEPA. 

Since the case before him had more limited reach than the case heard by the CIT – plaintiffs in the suit focused on harm to two small businesses, versus harm from the broader tariff plan – it went almost unnoticed in news headlines.

But that changed on Monday. 

TRUMP DENOUNCES COURT’S 'POLITICAL' TARIFF DECISION, CALLS ON SUPREME COURT TO ACT QUICKLY

Lawyers for the Justice Department asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit – a Washington-based but still separate court than the Federal Court of Appeals – to immediately stay the judge’s ruling.

They argued in their appeal that the judge’s ruling against Trump’s use of IEEPA undercuts his ability to use tariffs as a "credible threat" in trade talks, at a time when such negotiations "currently stand at a delicate juncture."

"By holding the tariffs invalid, the district court’s ruling usurps the President’s authority and threatens to disrupt sensitive, ongoing negotiations with virtually every trading partner by undercutting the premise of those negotiations – that the tariffs are a credible threat," Trump lawyers said in the filing. 

Economists also seemed to share this view that the steep tariffs were more a negotiating tactic than an espousal of actual policy, which they noted in a series of interviews last week with Fox News Digital.

TRUMP TARIFF PLAN FACES UNCERTAIN FUTURE AS COURT BATTLES INTENSIFY

The bottom line for the Trump administration "is that they need to get back to a place [where] they are using these huge reciprocal tariffs and all of that as a negotiating tactic," William Cline, an economist and senior fellow emeritus at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said in an interview.

Cline noted that this was the framework previously laid out by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who had embraced the tariffs as more of an opening salvo for future trade talks, including between the U.S. and China.

"I think the thing to keep in mind there is that Trump and Vance have this view that tariffs are beautiful because they will restore America's Rust Belt jobs and that they'll collect money while they're doing it, which will contribute to fiscal growth," said Cline, the former deputy managing director and chief economist of the Institute of International Finance.

"Those are both fantasies."

What comes next in the case remains to be seen. The White House said it will take its tariff fight to the Supreme Court if necessary. Counsel for the plaintiffs echoed that view in an interview with Fox News.

But it's unclear if the Supreme Court would choose to take up the case, which comes at a time when Trump's relationship with the judiciary has come under increasing strain. 

In the 20 weeks since the start of his second White House term, lawyers for the Trump administration have filed 18 emergency appeals to the high court, indicating both the pace and breadth of the tense court battles. 

FIRST ON FOX: A Republican Florida congressman is looking to codify several of President Donald Trump's executive actions pertaining to domestic energy production through legislative action he took Monday. 

Rep. Byron Donalds, who has been endorsed by Trump to replace term-limited Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, introduced the "Strengthening American Nuclear Energy Act" in an effort to codify four of the president's executive actions related to boosting nuclear energy production and use in the United States. Trump signed the orders late last-month. 

"In November, the American people granted us an unprecedented mandate to implement President Trump’s America First Agenda. Now more than ever, it’s up to Congress to hold up our end of the bargain," Donalds told Fox News Digital. "Energy security is national security, and it’s imperative that our nation re-asserts our dominance in the nuclear space."

On May 23, Trump signed four executive orders aimed at accelerating the development and deployment of nuclear energy in the United States. 

NUCLEAR ENERGY IS ONE OF THE ‘MOST IMPORTANT THINGS’ TRUMP HAS FOCUSED ON: RICK PERRY

One of those orders, the "Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security," directs the Army to build a nuclear reactor "at a domestic military base or installation" by September 30, 2028. The order also directs the Secretary of Energy to establish artificial intelligence data centers that run on nuclear energy at Department of Energy facilities across the 48 contiguous States and the District of Columbia, with the goal of having the first one completed within the next 30-months. Finally, in addition to these measures and others, the wide-ranging executive order directs the country to pursue at least 20 new international nuclear cooperation agreements. 

Meanwhile, another one of the orders that Donalds' legislation seeks to codify compels the Secretaries of Defense, Transportation and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to prepare a comprehensive report within 240 days of when the order was signed. The report is supposed to include a national strategy to support the management of spent nuclear fuel and other "high-level waste," an evaluation of the current reprocessing and recycling efforts related to spent nuclear fuel and recommendations on how to improve it, and a program to develop methods and techniques for transporting used and unused nuclear fuel.

5 PRIORITIES CRUCIAL TO SUCCESS OF TRUMP’S ENERGY COUNCIL

The order also includes several other timelines, including one for the publication of a report on how to strengthen domestic uranium conversion capacity and enrichment capabilities. It also imposes timelines for the government to update its nuclear energy policies to spur production, and says that at least 10 large nuclear reactors must be under construction no later than 2030.

The final two orders from Trump, which Donalds is seeking to codify, are largely aimed at reducing regulatory burdens surrounding nuclear energy production.

The first of the two seeks to reform the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in order to help accelerate domestic nuclear energy production. The order aims to do away with what it describes as the NRC's excessive caution that has hindered the growth of nuclear energy in the United States.

TRUMP CAN POWER THE US INTO THE FUTURE WITH A MUSCULAR NUCLEAR ENERGY POLICY

The second regulatory-focused nuclear energy directive from Trump is aimed at reforming the Department of Energy's nuclear reactor testing, in an effort to speed up the development of nuclear power plants. For instance, the order requires officials at the Energy Department to revise internal procedures to ensure that new reactors can become operational within two years of when builders apply to construct it.

The safety risks of nuclear energy have long been a debate among energy policymakers in Washington. Part of Trump's orders are to expedite some of the safety regulations which his administration claims have been stifling domestic nuclear energy production.

However, nuclear energy experts, such as Ernest Moniz, an Obama-era energy secretary and nuclear physicist, have said Trump's move to reform the NRC could be problematic. 

"Reorganizing and reducing the independence of the NRC could lead to the hasty deployment of advanced reactors with safety and security flaws," Moniz told the Washington Post. "A major event would, like those in the past, increase regulatory requirements and set back nuclear energy for a long time."

Others, such as Paul Dickman, a former senior staffer on the NRC, have said Trump's reforms have "no scientific foundation."

"You can’t just do this by fiat," Dickman told the Post.

A federal judge on Monday blocked the Trump administration from deporting a Venezuelan migrant under the Alien Enemies Act, saying it hasn't provided adequate notice or due process for it to be challenged. 

U.S. District Court Judge John Holcomb, a Trump appointee, ruled that those subject to deportation under the Alien Enemies Act have to be given a chance to challenge the move. 

"The Government is hereby preliminarily ENJOINED and RESTRAINED from removing or transferring out of this district any member of the putative class pursuant to the Proclamation pending further Order of this Court regarding the amount of notice and process that is due prior to removal," Holcomb wrote. 

In a win for Trump, Holcomb also said the president has "unlimited" authority to invoke the AEA, which is being challenged separately. 

Monday's ruling came amid a complaint by Darwin Antonio Arevalo Millan, a Venezuelan citizen being held at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Adelanto, California.

TRUMP ASKS SCOTUS TO STRIP PROTECTED STATUS FOR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF VENEZUELAN MIGRANTS

In his lawsuit, Arevalo said he is a "vocal dissident" of the Venezuelan government who was granted a permit authorizing him to work and reside in the U.S. pending the review of his asylum application.

He was arrested after he reported for a scheduled ICE check-in, his lawsuit states. The arrest was premised upon his status as a Venezuelan with allegedly basketball-related tattoos, which could indicate that Arevalo is affiliated with the notorious Venezuelan Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang, it said. 

Arevalo's complaint was filed on behalf of himself and other Venezuelan citizens subjected to Trump's AEA executive order proclamation. He is asking a judge to require the government to provide at least 30 days' notice before any removal or transfer. 

SUPREME COURT BLOCKS NEW DEPORTATIONS OF VENEZUELANS IN TEXAS UNDER 18TH CENTURY ALIEN ENEMIES ACT

Monday's ruling came days after the Supreme Court handed Trump a win by staying a lower court order that blocked the administration from deporting roughly 500,000 migrants from Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

The order stays the lower court ruling that halted Trump's plans to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) protections for some migrants living in the U.S. TPS allow certain individuals to live and work in the U.S. legally if they cannot work safely in their home country due to a disaster, armed conflict or other "extraordinary and temporary conditions."

The TPS program is typically extended to migrants in 18-month increments, most recently under the Biden administration toward the end of his presidency. 

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However, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in February attempted to end protections for a specific group of Venezuelan citizens, saying they were not in the national interest. 

Fox News Digital's Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report. 

FIRST ON FOX: The House Freedom Caucus is demanding the House of Representatives vote on the White House’s impending $9.4 billion federal spending cut proposal the same week it lands on Capitol Hill.

The conservative group, led by Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., is drawing its line in the sand on Monday with an official position on the coming package, which is expected to call for clawing back government funding for NPR, PBS and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

"When the White House submits its first rescissions package to enact [Department of Government Efficiency] spending cuts to Congress, the House of Representatives should immediately move this to the floor for swift passage," the Freedom Caucus position said.

"The House Freedom Caucus strongly supports these critical rescissions, and we will support as many more rescissions packages as the White House can send us in the coming weeks and months. These first DOGE cuts target taxpayer-funded public broadcasters notorious for their liberal bias like NPR and PBS, as well as billions in wasteful foreign aid dollars."

SCOOP: HOUSE GOP MEMO HIGHLIGHTS REPUBLICAN WINS IN TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL'

It comes as Elon Musk’s time leading President Donald Trump’s DOGE effort comes to an end, with the tech billionaire shifting his focus back to Tesla and his other private ventures after his billions of dollars in proposed spending cuts drove a partisan wedge through Congress. 

"Passing this rescissions package will be an important demonstration of Congress’ willingness to deliver on DOGE and the Trump agenda," the statement continued.

"While the Swamp will inevitably attempt to slow and kill these cuts, there is no excuse for a Republican House not to advance the first DOGE rescissions package the same week it is presented to Congress then quickly send it for passage in the Republican Senate, so President Trump can sign it into law."

The White House is expected to send its $9.4 billion spending cuts package to Congress on Tuesday.

The proposal is called a "rescissions package," a vehicle for the president to block funds that were already allocated by Congress in its yearly appropriations process. Once transmitted to Capitol Hill, lawmakers have 45 days to take it up before it's voided.

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And GOP officials have made clear that it’s the first of several such proposals that could come from the White House.

National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told Fox News Channel last week that there will "100%" be further rescissions packages coming from the White House.

Bringing the first package to a House-wide vote within a week would require quick political maneuvering.

Under House GOP conference rules, lawmakers must get 72 hours to read a bill before the chamber weighs in – a provision that conservatives also fought for – putting a possible vote on Friday at the earliest and possible into the weekend.

But the House Freedom Caucus is not the only GOP group pushing for a swift vote. Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, said on Friday, "This brings fairness and accountability back to taxpayers who are sick of funding government waste while making progress towards our crushing $36 trillion national debt. Congress must promptly cement these cuts in law through rescissions and the FY26 appropriations bills."

It comes just over a week after House Republicans pushed through Trump’s multitrillion-dollar tax and immigration bill via the budget reconciliation process.

That bill is now being considered by the Senate, and will have to go back to the House if the upper chamber makes any changes.

Republican leaders are hoping to have that bill on Trump’s desk by Fourth of July.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., noted both deadlines in an appearance on NBC News’ "Meet The Press" on Sunday.

"We're going to have a second budget reconciliation bill that follows after this, and we're beginning next week the appropriations process, which is the spending bills for government. And you're going to see a lot of the DOGE cuts and a lot of this new fiscal restraint reflected in what Congress does next. So stay tuned, this is not the end-all, be-all," he said of the reconciliation bill.

Johnson said on X Friday that "Congress is working with the White House to codify DOGE savings to stop government misuse and misspending of our tax dollars."

Two foreign nationals have been charged for their role in a scheme to smuggle U.S. military equipment and technology — including missiles — into China, according to the U.S. Justice Department. 

The charges come as President Donald Trump and his administration have launched multiple efforts to beef up the vetting process for foreigners seeking visas in the U.S., particularly those from China. 

Cui Guanghai, 43, of China, and John Miller, 63, of the United Kingdom, were charged with interstate stalking and conspiracy to commit interstate stalking, conspiracy, smuggling and violating the Arms Export Control Act, the Justice Department announced Friday. 

Prosecutors believe that Cui was working on behalf of the Chinese government, according to court documents. 

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Court documents allege that Cui, who is based in China, and Miller, who is a permanent resident in the U.S., sought to procure military equipment including missiles, an air defense radar, drones and cryptographic devices starting in November 2023. The two allegedly coordinated with two other individuals, who, unbeknownst to Cui and Miller, were working on behalf of the FBI, on ways to export the cryptographic device to China.

Cui and Miller allegedly discussed how to hide the cryptographic device in a blender, other small electronics or a motor starter — or ship the device to Hong Kong first — to avoid detection. They paid $10,000 as part of a deposit for the cryptographic device, court documents say. 

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Additionally, Cui and Miller allegedly recruited two people to help them conduct a scheme that sought to silence an unnamed U.S. citizen from speaking out against Chinese President Xi Jinping’s appearance at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November 2023, court documents say. 

Specifically, both Cui and Miller allegedly orchestrated a plot to surveil the U.S. citizen, install a tracking device on his or her car, slash the car’s tires, and purchase and destroy a pair of statues the U.S. citizen created of Xi and Xi’s wife. 

However, the individuals that Cui and Miller allegedly recruited were actually working in coordination with the FBI, according to court documents. 

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"The defendants targeted a U.S. resident for exercising his constitutional right to free speech and conspired to traffic sensitive American military technology to the Chinese regime," Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement Friday. "This is a blatant assault on both our national security and our democratic values. This Justice Department will not tolerate foreign repression on U.S. soil, nor will we allow hostile nations to infiltrate or exploit our defense systems."

Cui and Miller were arrested by Serbian law enforcement officials in April at the request of the U.S. government and are currently detained in Serbia. The Justice Department said it is working with the Serbian government regarding their pending extraditions. 

If convicted, Cui and Miller face up to five years in a U.S. prison for conspiracy, up to five years for interstate stalking, up to 10 years for smuggling, and up to 20 years for violating the Arms Export Control Act. 

The Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the U.S. did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the U.K.'s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office told Fox News Digital that it is providing consular assistance to Miller following his arrest and "are in touch with the local authorities and his family." 

Separately, the State Department has unveiled a series of initiatives aimed at bolstering the screening process for various visa applicants seeking to come to the U.S. For example, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in May that the agency was planning to "revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications" for those originating from China and Hong Kong. 

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT FROM CHINA SHIPPED WEAPONS TO NORTH KOREA FROM CALIFORNIA: DOJ