Colorado Democrats are facing criticism for leading a fundraiser with Rep. Ilhan Omar less than an hour after Sunday's antisemitic terrorist attack in which 12 people were hurt, including a Holocaust survivor.
The suspect, 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, is facing federal hate crime charges and numerous state-level attempted murder charges for using incendiary devices to burn people who were rallying for the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza ever since the terrorist group attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Soliman was in the country illegally after overstaying his visa and work authorization, according to authorities.
About 30 minutes later in nearby Denver, there was a "private reception" with Omar, who has been a major critic of Israel, with many other Democrats listed as the hosts. Ticket prices ranged from $500 to $7,000. Omar is a member of a progressive group of lawmakers in Congress called the "Squad."
"Colorado Democrats who raise money for a notorious anti-Semite should be ashamed of themselves for ever doing so, but doing it while victims of the latest wave of anti-Semitic violence were en route to the hospital is even more hypocritical and reprehensible," Colorado House Minority Caucus Chair Rep. Anthony Hartsook, a Republican, said in a statement on Monday.
"Just last year, House Democrats turned away families of Israeli hostages, denying them access to the House floor for fear that House Democrats' own radical members might cause a scene. Enough is enough. We must speak loudly and clearly against extremists who justify violence against Jewish communities worldwide. There is no place for anti-Semitism in Colorado," Harstook added.
In the aftermath of the attack, Omar posted on X, "Violence against all forms is never acceptable. We must reject hatred and harm in all its forms."
Rep. Junie Joseph, D-Boulder, who attended the event, faced additional scrutiny, but she told Fox News Digital that she condemns antisemitism.
"Sunday was a deeply painful day for our community. My heart is with the victims of the Boulder attack and all those affected. I unequivocally condemn hate and violence in all forms—including antisemitism and Islamophobia," Joseph said in an email to Fox News Digital.
"I’ve heard concerns about my attendance at a private event for Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. I was originally invited to introduce her at a Young Democrats event focused on youth engagement—something I care deeply about. When she was unable to attend, I chose to welcome her at a separate gathering, as a matter of courtesy and civic respect," she continued.
"Attending that event was not an endorsement of any particular policy or comment. It was an extension of my role as a public servant who believes in dialogue, inclusion, and maintaining open lines of communication—even when views differ."
"Condemning antisemitism and supporting peace, dignity, and human rights for all—including Israelis and Palestinians—are not mutually exclusive. I believe both are essential to a just and compassionate society," Joseph further stated. "These are difficult times, and I remain committed to listening, learning, and leading with care—for all members of our community—Jewish, Muslim, and beyond."
Fox News Digital reached out to Omar’s campaign for comment.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams led urban responses to the antisemitic terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, over the weekend, with his office telling Fox News Digital the city with the largest Jewish population outside Israel is taking steps to protect its own holy sites and neighborhoods.
"Another act of horrific, vile antisemitism and terrorism in our country, as an individual violently attacked a peaceful crowd in Boulder, Colorado, gathered to call for the release of the hostages still held in Gaza since Hamas’ terror attacks on October 7, 2023," Adams said.
"Out of abundance of caution, the NYPD is increasing resources at religious sites throughout our city ahead of the sacred holiday of Shavuot. We will not rest until we root out this unacceptable violence and rhetoric from our communities."
When reached for comment on how the city’s posture against antisemitic protests may change after the attack, an official told Fox News Digital that Adams has and will continue to protect New York’s Jewish population.
Adams set up an Office to Combat Antisemitism – making the Big Apple the first major city to do so.
"This office will be a sledgehammer in this fight, taking on lawsuits and working tirelessly to root out antisemitism from our city," the official said.
After the deadly attack on Jews in Washington, D.C., Adams called out "antisemitic propaganda masquerading as activism." He ordered the NYPD to deploy additional resources following that attack as well.
In the District of Columbia, Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office struck a similar tone when asked how that city’s threat posture may change. Bowser’s office directed Fox News Digital to prior remarks made after the Jewish Museum attack.
"It is not up to the Jewish community to say support us, it is up to all of us to denounce antisemitism in all forms," Bowser said in part.
On the other side of the country, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the Boulder attack "an atrocious affront to the very fabric of our society and our beliefs here in Los Angeles."
Bass said she will be calling an emergency meeting at city hall focused on safety and security for the Shavuot holiday and the days after.
In Miami Beach, which is home to an estimated 16,000 people of the Jewish faith among its 79,000 residents, Police Officer Christopher Bess told Fox News Digital there has been a focus on protecting residents ever since a March 2024 anti-Israel protest led city council to unanimously pass legislation prohibiting protesters from obstructing streets.
Mayor Steven Meiner, who is Jewish, spearheaded that new law, and Bess said the police too have established an "extremely robust operational plan, as it relates to demonstrations – whether they’re pro-Israel or pro-Palestinian."
"What we do is come up with the operational plans, and we increase and augment operational needs as necessary – and we have a specialized unit, the Rapid Intervention Team, that is specialized in [responding to] civil disturbances and protests."
Instead of a macro approach, Miami Beach Police attack problem spots from a "methodical and strategic law enforcement avenue."
Many such protests have been "uneventful" since then, Bess said, adding that the department tries to work with event organizers and the city’s legal apparatus to respond in the most professional way they can.
"If we see anyone that is escalating the situation, we take swift law enforcement action to make sure that one individual doesn’t compromise the entire operation."
"We do respect First Amendment rights; the right to peaceful assembly – emphasizing peaceful – and if someone deviates from that they will go to jail."
After each protest that requires law enforcement response or preparation, there is debriefing to see what can be done better next time, Bess said.
"After any incident around the country [including Boulder]," he said, "Intel detectives stay in touch with federal, state and local partners – and based on their intelligence, we’re able to implement any plan that best fits our city."
After the Washington attack, police increased patrols at religious facilities – with Bess citing the large Jewish population in Mid Beach – engaged in partnerships with rabbis and increased foot patrols there.
"That should send a loud message that… we will not tolerate that [violence]."
Bess added that the Miami Beach Police have employed drones as "eyes in the sky" because human officers cannot be everywhere at once. The city is considered very safe for its boisterous reputation, and Bess added that drones help with issues like antisemitic protests, as well as in response to simpler incidents on the city’s famed Ocean Drive.
FIRST ON FOX — A Senate Republican wants to hold people who overstay their visas to the same standard as illegal immigrants in the wake of the tragedy in Boulder, Colo.
Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., is set to introduce legislation on Tuesday that would reclassify the act of overstaying a visa as "illegal entry," effectively treating those who stay too long the same as someone that illegally enters the U.S.
Banks’ bill comes on the heels of the weekend attack in Colorado where Mohamed Sabry Soliman, an Egyptian national whose visa expired in March, allegedly targeted a pro-Israel protest meant to advocate for the release of hostages still held by the terror organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
In a one-pager of the bill obtained by Fox News Digital, Banks explicitly pointed to Soliman, along with the Sept. 11, 2001 hijackers, as examples of people who overstayed their visas.
Soliman, in particular, came to the U.S. two years ago under a work visa from the Biden-led Department of Homeland Security.
"The Boulder terrorist and 9/11 hijackers didn’t sneak in, they overstayed visas," Banks said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "That’s just as serious and just as dangerous. My bill cracks down on visa overstays with criminal penalties to stop threats before they happen."
The latest data from the DHS from fiscal 2023 found that over 565,000 people overstayed their visas.
Along with reclassifying those that overstay their visas, his legislation would make visa overstays a misdemeanor criminal offense punishable by a maximum of six months behind bars for first-time offenders, which would crank up to a maximum of two years for subsequent offenses.
It would also raise civil penalties to between $500 and $1000, with penalties doubling for each subsequent offense. Currently, visa overstay penalties start at $50.
Soliman on Sunday allegedly attacked the "Run for Their Lives" group, which was engaged in a peaceful protest advocating for the release of hostages held by Hamas. He allegedly used Molotov cocktails on the group, injuring eight people whose ages ranged from 52 to 88-years-old. One of the victims was a survivor of the Holocaust.
Since then, Soliman has been charged with a federal hate crime, attempted murder, assault and other charges following what the FBI dubbed a "targeted terror attack." Combined, the charges against Soliman carry a total of 624 years.
The suspect involved in the attack, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, first entered the U.S. under the Biden administration and had overstayed his visa, multiple Department of Homeland Security sources first told Fox News.
"This tragedy is a sobering reminder of the consequences of the Biden administration's failed policies," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a White House press briefing Tuesday.
"He overstayed, filed an asylum claim and was given a work authorization by the Biden administration," Leavitt said. "Instead of deporting this heinous individual, Joe Biden's administration allowed him to stay in our country and to work. President Trump sounded the alarm over these reckless Biden policies for years because this is the predictable result of letting anti-American radicals and illegal immigrants pour into our country."
A spokesperson for former President Joe Biden did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Lawmakers and intelligence experts have been sounding the alarm about potential terrorism threats stemming from those in the U.S. illegally long before Sunday’s terrorist attack injured eight people in Boulder, Colorado.
Fox News first reported that the suspect involved in the attack originally entered the U.S. under the Biden administration and had overstayed his visa.
But various officials have long cautioned about the risk of terrorism due to lax border security.
For example, then-chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chair Mike Turner, R-Ohio, and House Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green, R-Tenn., raised concerns in August 2024after a report from House Judiciary Committee Republicans found that the Biden administration released nearly 100 illegal immigrants into the U.S.
"Since the Biden-Harris Administration’s failed open border policies have welcomed potential terrorists into our nation, we’re working to combat these threats and safeguard Americans in their own backyards," Turner and Green said in a joint statement in August2024 in response to the report.
Meanwhile, the FBI has previously issued similar concerns about foreign terrorists entering the U.S. and conducting attacks against American citizens.
"I have warned for some time now about the threat that foreign terrorists may seek to exploit our southwest border or some other port of entry to advance a plot against Americans," former FBI Director Christopher Wray told the House Judiciary Committee in April 2024. "Just last month, for instance, the Bureau and our joint terrorism task forces worked with ICE in multiple cities across the country as several individuals with suspected international terrorist ties were arrested using ICE’s immigration authorities."
Wray said in 2024 that those arrests involved hundreds of FBI employees to properly identify dangerous individuals. But the use of false documents from those crossing the border amplifies concerns related terrorism threats, and makes it even more challenging for FBI employees to track down, Wray said.
"As concerning as the known or suspected terrorists encountered at the border are, perhaps even more concerning are those we do not yet know about because they provided fake documents or because we didn’t have information connecting them to terrorism at the time they arrived in the United States," Wray said.
Meanwhile, Democrats have claimed that U.S. citizens are primarily responsible for conducting terrorist activity in the U.S. For example, House Border Security and Enforcement Subcommittee ranking member Rep. Lou Correa, D-Calif., pointed to a study from the Cato Institute that found that no people were murdered by a foreign-born terrorist who entered the U.S. illegally between 1975 and 2022.
"Most terrorist activity is conducted by U.S. citizens," Correa said in September 2024. "Again, zero Americans have been injured or killed by terrorist attacks perpetrated by undocumented immigrants who entered through the southwest border. However, DHS and the FBI regularly tell us that one of the greatest terrorist threats to our homeland is domestic terrorism."
Law enforcement officials said that Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, yelled "Free Palestine" and used a makeshift flamethrower to attack those attending an event in Boulder, Colorado, organized by "Run for Their Lives," a grassroots group that holds events urging the release of Israeli hostages.
Soliman was in the U.S. illegally after his visa expired, three Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sources told Fox News. Soliman entered the U.S. in 2022 on a nonimmigrant visa, and eventually obtained work authorization — but that expired in March.
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said FBI officials are coordinating with local law enforcement to investigate the attack.
"We are investigating this incident as an act of terror, and targeted violence," Bongino said in a post on X on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has chastised the Biden administration for its immigration policies that facilitated Soliman’s entry to the U.S.
"A terror attack was committed in Boulder, Colorado by an illegal alien," White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller wrote on X. "He was granted a tourist visa by the Biden Administration and then he illegally overstayed that visa. In response, the Biden Administration gave him a work permit. Suicidal migration must be fully reversed."
Meanwhile, Green described the attack as a "wake-up call" regarding growing terror threats jeopardizing safety in the U.S.
"This is another wake-up call to the heightened terror threat facing the United States — and to the fact that the enemies of freedom are persistent," Green said in a statement Sunday. "I am requesting a briefing from DHS for House Homeland Security Committee members as soon as department officials are available to provide one."
FIRST ON FOX: Ohio GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno has sent a letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation calling for the bureau to get to the bottom of questions surrounding possible terror ties of the man accused of committing a terrorist attack against a pro-Israel group in Colorado.
"Jewish Americans are under attack," Moreno wrote to FBI Director Kash Patel in a letter obtained by Fox News Digital. "We are now seeing the horrifying reality of that phrase played out on American streets. If Jews aren't being murdered in cold blood in our nation's capital, they are quite literally being burned alive by an illegal alien."
Moreno's letter comes in the wake of an attack on a pro-Israel group in Boulder, Colorado.
Mohamed Sabry Soliman, a 45-year-old Egyptian national in the country illegally, was arrested at the scene after he allegedly set his victims on fire as they peacefully rallied on behalf of Israeli hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza. Soliman was heard yelling "Free Palestine" and other anti-Israel slogans during the attack on victims ranging in age from 52 to 88.
Moreno thanked the FBI, which quickly labeled the violence as a "targeted terror attack," for its "swift action."
"As a member of the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs and the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, it is my responsibility to investigate and tell the American people the truth about how this illegal alien entered the country under the Biden-Harris Administration and was permitted to not only stay in the country but also commit acts of terror on Jewish Americans," Moreno wrote.
Moreno's letter asks the FBI to respond with answers to questions within 60 days about the potential terror ties of the suspect, including who was harboring him in the United States, who paid for his travel overseas, and what, if any, links does the suspect have to ISIS or Hamas.
Moreno also asked about the vetting process for the suspect when he entered the country during the Biden administration, including how he was allowed to obtain a work authorization and what the basis was for any asylum claim that might have been filed.
Fox News Digital reached out to the FBI for comment.
"The FBI is investigating the attack as a targeted act of terrorism and is working with the Boulder Police Department to process the crime scene, interview witnesses and gather evidence," the FBI said in a statement on Sunday.
"Our strength as a society comes from our shared values, and our commitment to protecting one another. Any attempt to divide us through fear or harm has no place in Boulder – Colorado or anywhere in our nation," said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek.
Federal court filings, according to Fox News national correspondent Bill Melugin in a post on X, show that Soliman, who has been charged with a federal hate crime, "admitted in an interview that he wants to kill all ‘Zionist’ people and had been planning the attack for a year, and that he would conduct the attack again if he could."
"This man was admitted into the country via a tourist visa during the Biden administration. He overstayed, filed an asylum request, and was granted work authorization by the Biden admin, which expired at the end of March of this year."
The United States has seen an increase in antisemitic attacks and violent pro-Palestinian protests amid the war between Israel and Hamas.
Following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, anti-Jewish hate crimes in the United States soared to the highest number on record, according to the FBI.
And a new incident in Boulder, Colorado, over the weekend is being investigated as a targeted terror attack.
Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn said his department received reports in the early afternoon Sunday of a man with a weapon and people being set on fire on Pearl Street.
A male suspect with minor injuries was taken into police custody at the scene, Redfearn said.
Suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman is now facing murder, assault and other charges following what the FBI called a "targeted terror attack" in Boulder, Colorado.
The violence against a pro-Israel group advocating for Hamas to release Israeli hostages left eight people, ages 52 to 88, with injuries, including one in critical condition, according to the FBI. Police responded to the area after receiving reports of a man with a weapon setting people on fire.
"Run for Their Lives," was the organization hosting the event. The group organizes run and walk events calling for the immediate release of all hostages being held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Soliman was charged with murder in the first degree – deliberation with intent; murder in the first degree – extreme indifference; crimes against at-risk adults/elderly; 1st degree assault – non-family; 1st degree assault – heat of passion; criminal attempt to commit class one and class two felonies; and use of explosives or incendiary devices during felony.
Soliman was also in the United States illegally, Fox News has learned.
Boulder Police Department confirmed Monday that no victim has died. Soliman was booked into the Boulder County, Colorado, Jail Sunday evening and remains held on a $10 million bond.
A commencement speaker accused the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) of being part of wiping "Palestine from the face of the Earth," leading multiple students to walk out.
Megha M. Vemuri, MIT's class of 2025 president, praised her classmates for protesting against Israel in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks and the ensuing Gaza War.
"Last spring, MIT's undergraduate body and graduate student union voted overwhelmingly to cut ties with the genocidal Israeli military," Vemuri said. "You called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. And you stood in solidarity with the pro-Palestinian activists on campus. You faced threats, intimidation and suppression coming from all directions, especially your own university officials."
Her comments drew a mix of boos and cheers, according to video obtained by Fox News Digital. One of the attendants, waving what appeared to be a Palestinian flag, scuffled with security. Some students walked out as Vemuri spoke. Others in the crowd shouted, "Shame."
"But you prevailed because the MIT community that I know would never tolerate a genocide," Vemuri continued. "Right now, while we prepare to graduate and move forward with our lives, there are no universities left in Gaza."
She went on to say, "We are watching Israel try to wipe Palestine off the face of the earth. And it is a shame that MIT is a part of it."
Jewish and Israeli students walked out and some in the crowd protested as Vemuri accused the university of being "directly complicit in the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people."
After Vemuri gave her speech at the commencement event, she was told she would not be allowed at the following undergraduate ceremony.
"With regard to MIT’s Commencement 2025 activities, the speech delivered by a graduating senior at Thursday’s OneMIT Commencement Ceremony was not the one that was provided by the speaker in advance. While that individual had a scheduled role at today’s Undergraduate Degree Ceremony, she was notified that she would not be permitted at today’s events," an MIT spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement.
"MIT supports free expression but stands by its decision, which was in response to the individual deliberately and repeatedly misleading Commencement organizers and leading a protest from the stage, disrupting an important Institute ceremony."
On May 21, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, two staffers of the Embassy of Israel to the U.S. – a couple set to be engaged – were shot and killed as they left a museum’s event focused on finding humanitarian solutions for Gaza.
Lischinsky was born in Israel and grew up in Germany. His father is Jewish, and his mother is Christian.
Authorities took Elias Rodriguez, a 31-year-old man from Chicago, into custody. Upon being taken into custody, Rodriguez began shouting, "Free, free Palestine!"
The FBI is investigating the incident as a possible hate crime and investigating any ties to terrorism.
Steven Jensen, the assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington field office, said in a news conference that the federal law enforcement entity is working alongside the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to "look into ties to potential terrorism or motivation based on a bias-based crime or a hate crime."
Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family were forced to evacuate their home after celebrating the first night of Passover in April, after an individual set fire to the residence while they were asleep inside.
Cody Balmer, 38, has been charged with attempted murder, aggravated arson, burglary, terrorism and related offenses for allegedly setting fire to Shapiro's residence.
Shapiro, when recounting the horrific attack, said the intruder "had a bag that contained some Molotov cocktails and had a metal type of hammer," and hid in the bushes near the fence before eventually tripping the home's security sensors.
Shapiro said the security sensor prompted a Pennsylvania state trooper to arrive at their home, but according to the governor, "it was dark, and the trooper was unable to spot him."
Shapiro said the suspect was able to make his way through a backyard walkway, broke a window with a hammer, and threw a Molotov cocktail into the home.
Balmer has reportedly admitted in multiple instances that he was motivated by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and what Shapiro, who is Jewish, "wants to do to the Palestinian people."
"Gov. Josh Shapiro needs to know that Cody Balmer will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people," Balmer allegedly told a dispatcher in a 911 call after the attack. "He needs to leave my family alone. He needs to get his eyes off of my daughters. And he needs to stop having my friends killed."
"You all know where to find me. I'm not hiding, and I will confess to everything that I had done," he added.
A warrant details Balmer’s interview with state troopers in which he allegedly admitted to "harboring hatred towards" Shapiro. Balmer also reportedly admitted to a trooper that he was responsible for the arson attack and said he planned to attack Shapiro with his hammer if he were to find the governor in the mansion.
Fox News' Joshua Nelson, Alexandra Koch, Landon Mion and Marc Tamasco contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump reacted on Monday for the first time since an Egyptian national allegedly threw Molotov cocktails into a crowd of pro-Israel protesters in Boulder, Colorado, injuring eight people.
"Yesterday’s horrific attack in Boulder, Colorado, WILL NOT BE TOLERATED in the United States of America," 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."
"My heart goes out to the victims of this terrible tragedy, and the Great People of Boulder, Colorado!" Trump added.
An FBI affidavit unsealed on Monday brings hate crime charges against the alleged attacker, Mohammed Soliman, who is accused of shouting "Free Palestine" while throwing improvised incendiary devices that ignited in a crowd of peaceful protesters walking in support of the Israeli hostages who remain held by Hamas. Eight people were burned by the blasts. Law enforcement found 14 unlit Molotov cocktails on the scene, according to the affidavit.
Soliman, who overstayed his tourist visa to be in the United States, allegedly told investigators that "he wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead," the affidavit says.
The suspect also allegedly "stated he would do it (conduct an attack) again," the affidavit says.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday that Trump is committed to protecting Jewish Americans.
"We have seen two horrific cases of antisemitic violence in our country in the last two weeks, and it is unacceptable to this president and this White House," Leavitt said. "And rest assured, to all Jewish Americans across our great country, this president has your back, and he's not going to allow anyone to take part in violent terrorism. It's acts of terrorism in our country. And that's what this case in Boulder, Colorado, is being investigated as."
"Kudos to our FBI director, Kash Patel, for immediately calling this a targeted terrorist attack. That's clearly what it was," she added.
The affidavit says Soliman told investigators he targeted what he described as the "Zionist Group" after learning they gathered for weekly walks in Boulder through an online search and planned the attack for a year. He allegedly said he was "waiting until after his daughter graduated to conduct the attack." He lives in Colorado Springs with his wife and five children, according to the affidavit.
The Department of Homeland Security announced Monday it is revamping its Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tip line in the wake of the Boulder attack.
"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. Yesterday’s terrorist attack by a suspect illegally in our country, underscores the importance of getting these illegal aliens out of our country," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
DHS Secretary Kristi 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," McLaughlin said. "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."
This is a developing news story. Check back for updates.
EXCLUSIVE: One of four Jewish Republicans serving in the House of Representatives is calling for the federal government to deport the alleged illegal immigrant accused of setting Jewish people on fire in Colorado on Sunday.
Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., called for both the alleged perpetrator and his family to be kicked out of the United States in an interview with Fox News Digital Monday.
"I'm very angry, if you can't tell. Many of us have been talking about this stuff for years," Fine said sternly. "Maybe next time somebody says, ‘Globalize the Intifada, resistance by any means necessary,’ maybe people will take it seriously."
A man identified as Mohamed Sabry Soliman allegedly threw Molotov cocktails and used a "makeshift flamethrower" to set peaceful Jewish activists on fire Sunday, according to officials. He allegedly yelled, "Free Palestine," while committing the attack.
"The entire Palestinian cause is a lie… The entire justification of the cause is to eradicate Israel and to exterminate Jews," Fine said.
"Find me a single person who yells, ‘Fee Palestine,’ who says they're OK with Israel existing. You won't find them. Find someone who says, ‘Globalize the intifada,’ who thinks Israel should exist. This is a philosophy built on evil. And this is what happens when we don't do anything about it."
Fine told Fox News Digital that House Republicans' massive tax and spending reconciliation bill – President Donald Trump's "one big, beautiful bill" – would give the White House resources to help mitigate such risks.
"President Trump needs the resources to round up and deport every single illegal immigrant, everyone – number one, starting with the family of Mohamed, who's sitting at home illegally in Colorado right now."
The immigration status of Soliman's relatives – and whether he has family in the U.S. – is not immediately clear.
But the Department of Homeland Security said Monday morning that the suspect was in the U.S. illegally. Spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin wrote on X, "He entered the country in August 2022 on a B2 visa that expired on February 2023. He filed for asylum in September 2022."
It comes after Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sources told Fox News that Soliman is an Egyptian immigrant who overstayed a visa but then was given a work permit during the Biden administration.
Eight people aged 52 to 88 were injured in the attack, including a Holocaust survivor. No fatalities have been reported so far. The activists were marching in support of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
Soliman has been hit with multiple charges, including murder in the first degree.
"Jews were burned alive in the United States in 2025. We got burned 80 years ago, and we said, ‘Never again.’ And I'll be damned if I let this continue," Fine said.
He also called on Congress to pass his recent legislation that would make religion a protected class on college campuses, and for the U.S. to "cut off" Qatar's financial influence in the U.S.
Asked how he would accomplish that, Fine pointed out he had previously been given the nickname, "Hebrew Hammer."
"I didn't come up with it, but they gave it to me for a reason," Fine said.
Fox News' Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
A former high-ranking officer in the Venezuelan military is contesting a recent report by the U.S. intelligence community about the massive Tren de Aragua gang present throughout the country.
Jose Arocha, who is a former lieutenant colonel in the Venezuelan military, told Fox News Digital that the recent intel community report denying Tren de Aragua is linked to the Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro is missing a key aspect: the socialist regime's animosity towards the United States and penchant for asymmetric warfare.
Tren de Aragua, also known simply as TdA, is a violent Venezuelan gang that has been terrorizing U.S. cities over the last several years. The group is linked to high-profile murders such as the killing of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley and the seizure of an entire apartment building in Aurora, Colorado.
As one of his first moves back in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump directed the State Department to designate TdA a "foreign terrorist organization."
Speaking with Fox News Digital via Zoom, Arocha, a national security expert at the Center for a Secure Free Society, said he agrees with the Trump administration’s moves against Tren de Aragua, which he believes is an "asymmetrical warfare" tool of the Maduro regime to sow discord in the United States and other countries in the Western Hemisphere.
"The Maduro regime doesn't need to send troops to the USA. It sends criminals instead," he said. "TdA is a plug-and-play insurgency – assembled in prison, deployed abroad."
Arocha’s statements, however, contrast with a new public memo released by U.S. intelligence agencies last month that denied any solid connection between the Maduro government in Caracas and the gang.
"While Venezuela’s permissive environment enables TDA to operate, the Maduro regime probably does not have a policy of cooperating with TDA and is not directing TDA movement to and operations in the United States," the report states.
The report says that the intelligence community based its conclusion "on Venezuelan law enforcement actions demonstrating the regime treats TDA as a threat; an uneasy mix of cooperation and confrontation rather than top-down directives [that] characterize the regime's ties to other armed groups; and the decentralized makeup of TDA that would make such a relationship logistically challenging."
Arocha, meanwhile, said that "the missing point here is that the intelligence report is too narrow a lens about the TdA."
"It's about crime and migration, but they're missing the warfare dimension," he said. "They are missing that for the Maduro regime, the United States is the enemy, has been the enemy for years."
"The TdA is not a gang," he went on. "It's the enabler arm of the Venezuelan regime in the hybrid warfare strategy, the asymmetrical tour of war. That's the missing point. And that is the point that explains how a local gang is right now in more than 10 countries, including the United States. That's incredible, and that is not possible without a state sponsor behind them."
While the report points to law enforcement actions the Maduro government has taken against TdA, Arocha explained that in reality Venezuelan prisons, including the "Tocorón" prison where the gang started, are more like resort hotels.
"Tocorón, [which] they said is the epicenter of the crime in Venezuela, it wasn't a prison, it was a palace for organized crime. Full equipment, we have a zoo, nightclubs and even a pool for the prisoners there," he said.
Arocha also posited that the 2023 raid the Venezuelan government conducted on Tocorón "appears choreographed" and that key TdA leadership was able to escape through pre-made tunnels.
"While the regime gained optics of cracking down on crime, TdA’s mobility remained intact," Arocha told Fox News Digital.
The intel report admitted that the escaped TdA members were "possibly assisted by low-level Venezuelan military and political leaders." But to Arocha, the connection goes straight to the top.
He pointed to the kidnapping and murder of Venezuelan political dissident Ronald Ojeda in Chile, which, according to Reuters, is being investigated by the Chilean government as a possible Tren de Aragua operation sponsored by the Maduro government.
Reuters reported in March that Chilean Attorney General Angel Valencia said that Ojeda's murder "doesn't have the characteristics of a normal crime" and "all the evidence we have at this state of the investigation lets us conclude that a cell or group linked to the Tren de Aragua that was politically motivated that originated from an order of a political nature."
The outlet also reported that the Venezuelan government denied the accusations as baseless.
El Aissami was arrested on corruption charges and is currently in prison.
"He has a strong influence with Iran and China and Russia, too. Right now, he's in prison, which means that he's living in the palace in prison," Arocha remarked, smiling.
"The Venezuelan regime is a proxy of Russia, China and Iran, especially China right now," he went on. "They use Venezuela [to] create chaos in Latin America especially … not confronting directly the United States, but indirectly, using criminals, using disinformation, using every single tool they have."
In response, Arocha urged the Trump administration to continue to take a whole-of-government approach in combating TdA. He urged the administration to "increase our scope" by reaching out to Latin American countries with experience with TdA, such as the Chilean government.
"They have a knowledge right now about the TdA. We have to understand what they’ve learned about, and we have to put all the pieces together to have the big picture instead of the local one," he said. "And then I'm very sure that we are going to realize the missing and the main link is in Caracas."
Tom Barrack, US Ambassador to Turkey and former advisor to President Donald Trump, announced on Friday that he would be filling the role of U.S. Special Envoy for Syria, highlighting recent sanctions relief.
In a post on X, Barrack said he will be assuming the role to support Secretary of State Marco Rubio "in the realization of the President’s vision" for the country.
"President Trump has outlined his clear vision of a prosperous Middle East and a stable Syria at peace with itself and its neighbors," Barrack wrote in the post.
On May 13, the president committed to lifting the United States’ sanctions against Syria to allow the new government to stabilize the country.
U.S. sanctions were first administered on Damascus in 1979, when it was designated as a state sponsor of terrorism.
Barrack said the cessation of sanctions against Syria will "preserve the integrity of our primary objective — the enduring defeat of ISIS," and give the people of Syria a chance to recover after theBashar al-Assad regime was ousted by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham last year.
Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, a U.S. and U.N.-designated terrorist organization, separated from al Qaeda in 2016.
Nearly 1,500 U.S. troops are stationed in Syria to fight ISIS, and about 10,000 ISIS fighters are being held by the Syrian Democratic Forces, a U.S.-backed Kurdish militia, Fox News Digital previously reported.
"In this way, we, together with regional partners including Türkiye and the Gulf, are enabling the Syrian government to restore peace, security, and the hope of prosperity," Barrack wrote. "In the words of the President, we will work together, and we will succeed together."
Fox News Digital's Morgan Phillips and Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.
A former aide to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass who served as the deputy mayor of public safety has agreed to plead guilty to threatening to bomb City Hall last year, the Justice Department said Thursday.
Brian Williams, 61, of Pasadena, agreed to plead guilty to a single-count of "information with threats regarding fire and explosives", which carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
"In an era of heated political rhetoric that has sometimes escalated into violence, we cannot allow public officials to make bomb threats," said U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. "My office will continue its efforts to keep the public safe, including from those who violate their duty to uphold the law."
The threat was carried out on Oct. 3, 2024 during a virtual meeting with Williams and others related to his duties, federal prosecutors said. During the call, Williams used the Google Voice application on his personal cellphone to place a call to his city-issued cellphone.
He then left the meeting and called the chief of staff of the Los Angeles Police Department, in which he falsely stated that he had just received a call on his city-issued cellphone from an unknown man who threatened to bomb Los Angeles City Hall.
Ten minutes after the call, Williams texted Bass and several high-ranking city officials in the mayor’s office and falsely reported, "Bomb threat: I received phone call on my city cell at 10:48 am this morning. The male caller stated that ‘he was tired of the city support of Israel, and he has decided to place a bomb in City Hall. It might be in the rotunda.’ I immediately contacted the chief of staff of LAPD, they are going to send a number of officers over to do a search of the building and to determine if anyone else received a threat."
Investigators determined that Williams never received a call and had made the bomb threat himself. Federal prosecutors noted that Williams never intended to carry out the threat.
The LAPD responded to City Hall to search for any suspicious devices. None were found, prosecutors said.
Williams described the threatening call he claimed to have received to police and showed them the record of an incoming call that appeared as a blocked number on his city-issued cellphone.
That incoming call record was the call Williams had placed to himself from the Google Voice application on his personal cellphone, investigators determined.
Williams then texted Bass and other city officials.
"At this time, there is no need for us to evacuate the building, I’m meeting with the threat management officers within the next 10 minutes," he allegedly wrote. "In light of the Jewish holidays, we are taking this thread a little more seriously. I will keep you posted."
"Mr. Williams, the former deputy mayor of Public Safety for Los Angeles, not only betrayed the residents of Los Angeles, but responding officers, and the integrity of the office itself, by fabricating a bomb threat," said Akil Davis, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office. "Government officials are held to a heightened standard as we rely on them to safeguard the city. I’m relieved that Mr. Williams has taken responsibility for his inexplicable actions."
Williams is expected to appear in court in the coming weeks, prosecutors said.
Two young Israeli Embassy staffers were shot and killed in an antisemitic attack in Washington D.C. Wednesday night.
It was the latest incident being investigated by federal authorities as domestic terrorism.
The U.S. has seen an increase in antisemitic attacks and violent pro-Palestine protests amid the war between Israel and Hamas.
But the incidents of domestic terrorism aren’t limited to antisemitism. Extremists who hold anti-American sentiment have attempted attacks on vehicles, military bases and more.
Here is a breakdown of the domestic terrorism incidents in the U.S. this year:
On Wednesday, May 21, a pro-Palestinian man opened fire outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.
Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, two staffers of the Embassy of Israel to the U.S.—a couple set to be engaged—were shot and killed as they left the museum’s event focused on finding humanitarian solutions for Gaza.
Lischinsky was born in Israel and grew up in Germany. His father is Jewish, and his mother is Christian.
Authorities took Elias Rodriguez, a 30-year-old man from Chicago, into custody. Upon being taken into custody, Rodriguez began shouting, "Free, free Palestine!"
The FBI is investigating the incident as a possible hate crime and investigating any ties to terrorism.
Steven Jensen, the assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington field office, said in a news conference that the federal law enforcement entity is working alongside the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to "look into ties to potential terrorism or motivation based on a bias-based crime or a hate crime."
On May 17, a bombing took place at a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, Calif. The bombing killed the suspect and injured four others.
Authorities identified the perpetrator of the incident as a 26-year-old suspect motivated by a fringe ideology known as "pro-mortalism."
"Pro-mortalism," a radical offshoot of anti-natalism, views human reproduction as inherently immoral and embraces death as a moral corrective.
According to federal and local law enforcement, the suspect targeted the American Reproductive Centers facility specifically to destroy human embryos stored on-site.
Surveillance footage and online postings suggest he parked in the rear of the building to remain unnoticed, ingested drugs and then detonated an explosive device – killing himself in the process.
The FBI has classified the bombing as an act of domestic terrorism, citing the ideological motivation behind the violence.
Officials have said that it is the first high-profile case linked to the pro-mortalist ideology and are now monitoring it as a potential emerging threat. Authorities have urged families and communities to remain vigilant for signs of ideological extremism, especially among those who may feel disenfranchised.
Earlier this month, a former Michigan Army National Guard member, Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said, 19, was arrested for allegedly planning a mass shooting near the U.S. Army’s Tank-Automotive & Armaments Command (TACOM) center at the Detroit Arsenal in Warren, Michigan.
Said planned to carry out the attack on behalf of ISIS.
Said "launched his drone in support of the attack plan" and told an undercover FBI agent in the lead-up to the foiled plot he recommended that "everyone have about seven magazines because you don’t want to be in there and run out of ammo," according to officials.
Said is now facing charges of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and distributing information related to a destructive device. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years per count if convicted.
The FBI disrupted the attempted attack, with FBI Director Kash Patel telling Fox News Digital that any individual targeting the U.S. military or conspiring with foreign terrorist organizations will be "prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
"Let this be a warning: Anyone who targets our military or conspires with foreign terrorist organizations will be found, stopped and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Patel told Fox News Digital on Thursday. "I commend the men and women of the Joint Terrorism Task Force and our law enforcement partners for their continued dedication to protecting the American people."
Since January, there have been a number of instances of vandalism, arson and targeted shootings against Tesla vehicles, dealerships, and charging stations across the nation.
Tesla vehicles and dealerships have been targeted nationwide amid Elon Musk's involvement with the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has been focused on slashing wasteful spending and fraud within the federal government. Musk is the co-founder and CEO of Tesla.
The FBI launched a task force to crack down on violent Tesla attacks.
The FBI’s task force was created in conjunction with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) and will coordinate investigative activity.
A threat tag has been created at the FBI to streamline reports and a command post at FBI headquarters has been created. It consists of a joint FBI/ATF task force to mitigate that threat stream.
The FBI is treating the attacks as "domestic terrorism." Attorney General Pam Bondi called the attacks on Tesla "domestic terrorism," and the Department of Justice announced charges against suspects in Tesla arson cases.
Musk spoke out against the "deranged" attacks, suggesting that "there's some kind of mental illness thing going on here, because this doesn't make any sense." The billionaire even alluded to "larger forces" potentially behind the attacks that have sprung up across the nation.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin had just met with one of the slain Israeli Embassy staffers earlier in May, posting to social media Thursday he was "heartbroken" over her shooting by a "Jew-hating radical."
Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, two staffers of the Embassy of Israel to the United States who were engaged to be married, were shot and killed as they left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., Wednesday night.
Zeldin posted to X Thursday afternoon that he had met Milgrim, who was an American employee of the embassy, two weeks ago in his office.
"I just met Sarah two weeks ago in my office at EPA HQ," Zeldin posted. "She struck me as a young woman filled with life and positivity.
"Heartbroken to learn she was one of two tragically murdered last night by a Jew-hating radical screaming ‘Free Palestine,’" he continued. "May Sarah and Yaron rest in peace."
Lischinsky was born in Israel and grew up in Germany. His father is Jewish, and his mother is Christian.
Authorities took Elias Rodriguez, a 30-year-old man from Chicago, into custody. Upon being taken into custody, Rodriguez began shouting: "Free, free Palestine."
The widespread blackouts that recently brought parts of Spain and Portugal to a standstill triggered global speculation: was it an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack?
Though authorities later ruled out an EMP, the incident reignited urgent questions about America’s vulnerability to similar large-scale disruptions and whether the U.S. is prepared for a modern-day "black sky" event.
According to cybersecurity expert and former Army Cyber Institute board member Bryson Bort, the United States remains dangerously exposed to a range of threats: not just EMPs, but increasingly sophisticated cyber and artificial intelligence (AI) attacks.
"There are a lot of other problems that are higher probability," Bort told Fox News Digital. "The EMP thing is a little bit of a distraction – but that doesn’t mean it’s not a threat."
An EMP is a sudden burst of electromagnetic energy capable of disabling electronic devices across vast areas. It can be natural – from a solar flare – or man-made, triggered by a high-altitude nuclear detonation.
Unlike cyberattacks that target software, an EMP disables physical systems: from car engines and cellphone towers to hospital generators and water pumps. A major attack could throw society back to the pre-electric age, with devastating consequences.
Former CIA Director James Woolsey once called EMPs "one of the greatest national vulnerabilities," and some estimates suggest an EMP could result in the deaths of up to 90% of Americans within a year due to the collapse of infrastructure.
"The very first thing you’ve got to lose is your water supply," said Dr. William Forstchen, a longtime EMP researcher. "Within days, nursing homes, hospitals, law enforcement – they’re all in deep trouble."
While the Trump administration issued an executive order directing federal agencies to prepare for such an event, Bort said implementation has been inconsistent and fragmented.
"We are not prepared for this at all," he warned.
Forstchen expressed optimism that the administration’s "Golden Dome" project, a proposed ground-and space-based defense system, could intercept EMP threats – but the project remains years from completion.
While EMP attacks remain the stuff of both national security nightmares and Hollywood scripts, experts say cyberattacks are far more probable and still highly destructive.
"We know that the Chinese have been in the American civilian critical infrastructure since 2010," Bort said. "They haven’t done anything yet, but they are absolutely in there and setting up to do something at some point."
This week, Reuters reported that U.S. officials found communication modules embedded in Chinese-made power inverters – devices used to connect solar panels and wind turbines to the grid.
Bort pointed to "Jack Voltaic," a multi-year cyber warfare simulation by the Army Cyber Institute, designed to test military-civilian coordination in response to attacks on critical infrastructure.
"What we found is there’s a great interdependence," he said. "You can’t even have an electric grid if you don’t have water – because you can’t cool it."
Bort said cyberattacks are often the product of long-term reconnaissance, with hackers quietly positioning themselves inside systems for months or years.
"A cyberattack is not something where Putin says, ‘Hey, hit Detroit tomorrow,’" he explained. "It’s already set in place. When the political situation calls for it, that’s when the trigger gets pulled."
Another, less understood, threat to America’s infrastructure is the rise of AI. In particular, the race toward artificial general intelligence (AGI), or AI systems with human-level cognitive abilities.
Tyler Saltzman, a military technologist working on AI systems capable of operating in disconnected environments like an EMP aftermath, warned that AI – if used maliciously – could bring the grid down entirely. "Our infrastructure is very fragile," Saltzman said. "All you need to do is take down our power grid, and we’re in complete chaos."
Saltzman expressed deep concern about efforts to create AGI – systems he says could eventually surpass human control.
"Once AGI comes online, it could easily take down our power grid, infiltrate our financial systems, destroy our economy," he said. "If it sees how violent humans are to each other, why would it serve us?"
In 2023, a Chinese surveillance balloon drifted over U.S. territory for days before it was shot down by the military. While believed to be for spying, defense officials note that a high-altitude balloon could be used for electronic warfare – including an EMP.
The Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from EMP Attacks has long warned about balloon-based delivery. Others argue a missile would be more effective, since it would be harder to intercept.
Whether the next major threat comes from above or from a keyboard, experts agree: the U.S. is not ready.
"We’re still thinking about wars with tanks," Bort said. "Meanwhile, the real fight is already happening inside our infrastructure."
As the Trump administration has moved to end protections for thousands of Afghan nationals, faith leaders and advocates are sounding the alarm over the potential deportation of Christian converts, who, they say, face severe persecution under Taliban rule.
Pastor Behnam Rasooli, known as Pastor Ben, leads the Oklahoma Khorasan Church in Oklahoma City, a congregation primarily composed of Afghan Christian refugees. In an interview with Fox News Digital, he shared harrowing accounts of the dangers he says his Christian community faces.
"If any of these Afghan Christians are deported back to Afghanistan, the first thing that will happen is the husbands will be killed, the wives will be taken as sex slaves," Pastor Ben stated. "If they don't kill them, they'll put them in prison and beat them every single night."
The Department of Homeland Security officially ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghan nationals, potentially forcing more than 9,000 individuals to return to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
Department of Homeland (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem cited an "improved security situation" and a stabilizing economy as justification.
"This administration is returning TPS to its original, temporary intent," Noem said. "We’ve reviewed the conditions in Afghanistan with our interagency partners, and they do not meet the requirements for a TPS designation."
Afghans’ protected status is set to expire on May 20, with the program formally ending on July 12.
Noem added that terminating the designation aligns with the administration’s broader goal of rooting out fraud and national security threats in the immigration system.
TPS allows foreign nationals from countries facing armed conflict, natural disasters or other emergencies to live and work legally in the U.S. Then-President Joe Biden had originally designated Afghanistan for TPS following the Taliban’s takeover in 2021.
Among those at risk are members of Pastor Ben's congregation, many of whom he says undertook perilous journeys to reach the U.S. legally. He recounted the story of a group that he claimed traveled from Brazil to Mexico, including a 76-year-old woman and a 7-month-old girl, waiting ten months in a Mexican church sanctuary for approval to cross the border legally via the CBP One app.
"They didn't have food for weeks, they didn't have water for weeks, but they were willing to wait, face all those difficulties, to come to the United States with legal status," he said. "Now, with the new administration, we heard that those parolees are being revoked. They're not even giving work permits."
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House about the pastor's concerns and received the following response:
"In tandem with its failed Afghanistan withdrawal, the Biden administration illegally paroled tens of thousands of Afghans into the U.S., plus hundreds of thousands of other aliens. Parole, a temporary benefit, is granted case by case for urgent humanitarian reasons or public benefit—it is not a pathway to permanent residence or citizenship. Afghans lacking legal grounds to stay and fearing persecution on protected grounds may apply for asylum and have the courts adjudicate their cases," said White House spokesman Kush Desai to Fox News Digital.
Advocacy groups, including Help The Persecuted, have petitioned Noem to recognize Afghanistan as a Country of Particular Concern, and to allow Afghan Christians and minorities who have documented persecution due to religion or belief to have TPS while their asylum claims are properly vetted and processed.
The petition stresses the Taliban's active persecution of Christians, including arrests at border crossings, torture in detention and the enforcement of laws that make any practice of Christianity illegal.
Pastor Ben urges fellow Christians to stand in solidarity with their persecuted brothers and sisters.
"They need us today to be their voice," he said. "We have the freedom; they do not. We have all the comfort; they do not. But all they want is the church to be part of it."
He also addressed President Trump directly: "Mr. President, I fully support your deportation plan because we do not want criminals to live in the United States, but we have to be aware that among those people that you want to deport, some are not criminals. Some are people that are at the risk of being killed, being imprisoned, losing their wives, losing their kids."
"Please, let's not let this happen to them," said Pastor Ben. "Let's keep the American Dream alive."
Fox News Digital's Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
The State Department said nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran have been constructive, and President Donald Trump has been clear about wanting to see diplomacy.
U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott was asked during a press briefing Thursday about comments made by Trump, and he said the U.S. and Iran were close to an Iran nuclear deal.
Trump, speaking in Doha, Qatar, said he thinks the U.S. and Iran "are getting close" to making a deal without any violence. In Trump fashion, he said there are two steps — "a very nice step and a violent step" — which he added consists of violence people have never seen before.
The president also said Thursday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), that the U.S. and Iran have "sort of" agreed to terms on a nuclear deal.
"Iran has sort of agreed to the terms. They’re not going to make — I call it, in a friendly way — nuclear dust," Trump told reporters, suggesting a growing alignment with the terms he has been seeking. "We’re not going to be making any nuclear dust in Iran."
While Pigott would not comment on private diplomatic conversations or negotiations, he reiterated Trump’s stance on the matter.
"The president has been clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon," Pigott told reporters. "The talks have been described as constructive by the participants in them, and so, again, Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. And the president has been clear. He wants diplomacy. He wants to see a diplomatic solution here."
Pigott made his remarks as Trump tours the Middle East, making stops in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Trump, while speaking at the Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh Wednesday, reiterated his desire to make a deal with Iran and called for building upon the progress of the Abraham Accords by adding more countries to the historic agreement.
Trump made the comments while addressing leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council as part of his four-day visit to the region.
"I want to make a deal with Iran. I want to do something if possible. But for that to happen, it must stop sponsoring terror, halt its bloody proxy wars and permanently and verifiably cease its pursuit of nuclear weapons. They cannot have a nuclear weapon," Trump said.
Though Trump said he wants to make a deal with Iran and see Tehran prosper, he also recently accused the Iranian regime of not only hurting its own nation, but the region at large.
"Iran's leaders have focused on stealing their people's wealth to fund terror and bloodshed abroad. Most tragic of all, they have dragged down an entire region with them," Trump said.
The president pointed to the "countless lives lost" in Iran’s effort to prop up the former Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria, which collapsed in December, and accused its support of Hezbollah for the downfall of Beirut, which he said was "once called the Paris of the Middle East."
It is unclear how Trump’s negative comments toward Tehran could affect ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran.
Still, The Associated Press reported Thursday that a top political, military and nuclear advisor to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, told NBC News Wednesday that Tehran stands ready to get rid of its stockpiles of highly enriched uranium that can be weaponized, agree to enrich uranium only to the lower levels needed for civilian use and allow international inspectors to supervise the process.
In return, Ali Shamkhani, the advisor, said Iran wants an immediate lifting of all economic sanctions.
Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz and Caitlin McFall and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Providence, Rhode Island, officials have accepted a request to fly the Palestinian flag Friday at City Hall in the state's capital.
City officials emphasized that no American flags are being displaced by the display, adding there have been several other flags raised over the government office in the past.
"Providence City Hall displays many different flags throughout the year to mark different occasions and honor the many ethnic and cultural backgrounds and traditions that make our city strong," a spokesperson for Providence City Council told Fox News Digital Wednesday.
The spokesperson added the city has also flown the Dominican flag, Irish flag, Armenian flag and the Israeli flag in recent months.
"Like those examples, this idea came to us from the community as part of a request to honor the important role Palestinian-Americans play in the fabric of our beautifully diverse city," the spokesperson said.
Council President Rachel Miller will display the flag during Thursday’s city council meeting and then outside City Hall Friday.
When asked about the decision, a representative for Democratic Mayor Brett Smiley suggested the ceremony was the city council’s prerogative.
"In Providence, the executive branch and City Council are two separate branches of government. The Providence City Council, not Mayor Smiley’s office, will be raising the Palestinian flag on Friday," said Josh Estrella, a spokesman for Smiley.
A report from GoLocalProvidence added the Palestinian flag is reportedly becoming more prevalent at City Hall overall.
Typically, the indoor chamber only flies the state and national flags, the report said.
Fox News Digital reached out for comment from Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Jack Reed, D-R.I.
The U.S. State Department has determined and certified Cuba as a "not fully cooperating country" (NFCC) for not helping with counterterrorism efforts after the island nation failed to turn over at least 11 fugitives in 2024 to U.S. custody.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce made the announcement on Tuesday that the certification, which falls under Section 40A of the Arms Export Control Act, will result in the prohibition on the sale or license for export of defense services to Cuba.
"In 2024, the Cuban regime did not fully cooperate with the United States on counterterrorism," Bruce said in a statement. "There were at least 11 U.S. fugitives from justice in Cuba, including several facing terrorism-related charges, and the Cuban regime made clear it was not willing to discuss their return to face justice in our nation."
"The Cuban regime’s refusal to engage on this important issue, as well as other recent circumstances of non-cooperation on terrorism-related law enforcement matters, made efforts to cooperate on counterterrorism issues futile in 2024," she continued.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio not only certified Cuba as an NFCC, he also re-certified Iran, Syria, Venezuela and North Korea as NFCCs.
In January, the Biden administration lifted Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, reversing a move made by the Trump administration in 2021.
Former President Joe Biden said at the time that the Cuban government "has not provided any support for international terrorism during the preceding six-month period" as well as "provided assurances that it will not support acts of international terrorism in the future."
Cuba was given the designation in January 2021, shortly before Biden took office. At the time, the U.S. Embassy in Cuba accused the country of "repeatedly providing support for acts of international terrorism in granting safe harbor to terrorists."
The designation returned the Caribbean nation to a list that it was on from the Reagan administration to that of former President Barack Obama. In 2016, Obama became the first U.S. president to visit Cuba since 1928.
The Obama administration attempted to normalize relations in 2015 but encountered resistance from President Donald Trump, whose administration recently argued that Cuba has failed to cooperate on counterterrorism.
State Department officials said Cuba refused to extradite 10 suspects wanted in Colombia for a police academy bombing that killed 22 people and injured dozens more.
Authorities also accused Cuba of harboring multiple American fugitives, including Joanne Chesimard, also known as Assata Shakur. She was convicted of killing New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster in 1973.
In the summer of 2017, Trump imposed travel and financial restrictions on Cuba while blasting as "one-sided" Obama's 2016 deal with the regime.
Fox News Digital’s Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump confirmed that the last living American hostage, Edan Alexander, would be released by Hamas after nearly two years in captivity.
"I am happy to announce that Edan Alexander, an American citizen who has been held hostage since October 2023, is coming home to his family," Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform ‘Truth Social' on Sunday.
"I am grateful to all those involved in making this monumental news happen. This was a step taken in good faith towards the United States and the efforts of the mediators — Qatar and Egypt — to put an end to this very brutal war and return ALL living hostages and remains to their loved ones," Trump continued.
"Hopefully this is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict. I look very much forward to that day of celebration!"
Alexander, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, has been held captive in Gaza since the October 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel.
The news comes after the terror organization announced on Sunday it was "in contact with the U.S. administration in recent days."
"The movement has shown a high level of positivity, and the Israeli soldier with dual American citizenship, [Edan] Alexander, will be released as part of the steps being taken toward a ceasefire, the opening of border crossings, and the entry of aid and relief for our people in the Gaza Strip," the statement read.
It's unclear when Alexander will be released.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters also released a statement following the announcement of Alexander's release, saying that they "are embracing and supporting the Alexander family."
"Should this release be confirmed, the release of Edan Alexander must mark the beginning of a comprehensive agreement that will secure the freedom of all remaining hostages," the statement read.
"President Trump, you've given the families of all the hostages hope. Please, complete your mission and bring them all home."
Trump recently marked his 100th day in office, and the families of the five Americans still held hostage urged him to reflect on his strategy and apply pressure on both Israel and Hamas, through both economic and diplomatic means, to secure the release of all hostages.
In addition, fifty members of Congress sent Trump a letter on May 9 urging him to prioritize getting the remaining hostages out.
"As months have passed since the most recent exchange, we must keep the five remaining Americans and additional 54 hostages top of mind. The five American hostages include Edan Alexander, Omer Neutra, Itay Chen, Gadi Haggai and Judi Weinstein Haggai. Only Alexander is believed to be alive while Nuetra, Chen, Haggai and Weinstein Haggai were either murdered on October 7th or in captivity," the group wrote in a letter to President Trump.
"Our government’s most solemn responsibility is to keep Americans safe. With that responsibility in mind, we urge you to use all diplomatic tools at your disposal, in concert with our regional allies and partners, to ensure Edan’s release and the release of the remains of the deceased American hostages as soon as possible. Every day in captivity adds to the nightmare for the hostages and their families. We must bring them home now," the letter continued.
Raised in Tenafly, New Jersey, Alexander moved to Israel at 18 to volunteer for military service in the IDF’s Golani Brigade. He lived with his grandparents in Tel Aviv and at Kibbutz Hazor, where he was part of a group of lone soldiers.
He was kidnapped on the morning of October 7 — a Saturday, he wasn’t required to remain on base. His mother was visiting from abroad, and like many lone soldiers, he had the option to go home for the weekend. But he chose to stay, not wanting to leave his comrades short-staffed on guard duty.
There are 59 hostages still in Gaza, at least 24 of whom are assessed to be alive, including Alexander, now 21 years old after having spent two birthdays in Hamas captivity.
Fox News Digital's Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.
