Latest Political News on Fox News

Appeals court says federal judge must reconsider blocking WH ballroom, weigh national security concerns

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 08:51:40 -0400

President Donald Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom construction will be able to continue for at least a little while longer, after an federal appeals court instructed a District Court judge to reconsider the situation.

A three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled Saturday that construction can proceed until Friday, April 17, giving the president time to seek a Supreme Court review as the Trump administration is claiming delaying the prospect leaves the construction site exposed and risks the security of the president and his staff.

The panel instructed U.S. District Judge Richard Leon to clarify whether — and how — his injunction interferes with the administration’s claims over safety and security.

Government lawyers argued that the project includes critical security features to guard against a range of possible threats, such as drones, ballistic missiles and biohazards and that holding up construction "would imperil the president and others who live and work in the White House."

DEMS MOVE TO SET LIMITS ON TRUMP’S DONOR-FUNDED WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM, CLAIMING ‘BRIBERY IN PLAIN SIGHT’

Trump had also made the case that the U.S. military was installing a "heavily fortified" facility under the ballroom, including bomb shelters and a medical facility.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) sued in December, a week after the White House finished demolishing the East Wing for a 90,000-square-foot (8,400-square-meter) ballroom.

The group claimed Trump exceeded his authority when he demolished the dated East Wing — built in 1902 during Theodore Roosevelt's presidency and expanded in 1942 — arguing the president needed congressional authorization.

TRUMP SAYS IT 'IS TOO LATE' TO STOP THE WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM CONSTRUCTION AMID LAWSUIT

Trump has said the president has historically had say over the White House remodeling, and has long noted Congress does not have to pay for the privately funded project.

A lower court had issued a March 31 injunction to halt ballroom construction, but it also paused that injunction to allow for an appeal.

The White House has argued that the injunction left the White House "open and exposed," threatening security for the building, the president and his family and staff.

TRUMP UNVEILS NEW RENDERING OF SPRAWLING WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM PROJECT

NTHP CEO Carol Quillen said in a statement that the organization awaited further clarification from the district court.

She said the group was committed "to honoring the historic significance of the White House, advocating for our collective role as stewards, and demonstrating how broad consultation, including with the American people, results in a better overall outcome."

Judge Leon exempted any construction work necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House, but said he reviewed material the government privately submitted before determining that a halt would not jeopardize national security.

"We cannot fairly determine, on this hurried record, whether and to what extent the district court’s ‘necessary for safety and security’ exception addresses Defendants’ claims of irreparable harm, insofar as it may accommodate the Defendants’ asserted safety and security need for the ballroom itself or other temporary measures to secure the safety and security of the White House, the President, staff, and visitors while this appeal proceeds," the D.C. Circuit said in its ruling.

WARREN-LED INQUIRY DRAWS NEW DETAILS ON TRUMP BALLROOM DONATIONS FROM MAJOR CORPORATIONS

The appeals panel noted that much of the government’s concerns focused on that below-ground security work, which the White House argued was "distinct from construction of the ballroom itself and could proceed independently."

The White House is making the case now that those security upgrades are "inseparable" from the project as a whole, the appeals court said, making it unclear "whether and to what extent" moving forward with certain aspects of the ballroom is necessary for the safety and security of those upgrades.

TRUMP PUSHES BACK AFTER MICHELLE OBAMA KNOCKS EAST WING RENOVATION, CALLING OLD ARRANGEMENT ‘A DISASTER'

Although Trump's project is funded by private donations, public money is paying for construction of underground bunkers and security upgrades.

The three-judge appeals court panel was made up of Judges Patricia Millett, Neomi Rao and Bradley Garcia. Millett was nominated by former President Barack Obama, Rao by Trump and Garcia by President Joe Biden.

Rao wrote a dissenting opinion, which cited a statute that allows the president to undertake improvements to the White House.

"Importantly, the government has presented credible evidence of ongoing security vulnerabilities at the White House that would be prolonged by halting construction," Rao wrote, adding that such concerns outweigh the "generalized aesthetic harms" presented in the lawsuit.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Carney casts himself as NATO defender amid Trump beef, despite Canada missing key benchmark for decades

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 07:00:16 -0400

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney defended his country's NATO commitments after being pressed over alliance spending by President Donald Trump, insisting Ottawa meets the benchmark – even though Canada only reached the 2% defense target in 2025.

Speaking recently at a press conference in Monteregie, Quebec, Carney said Iran remains a "grave threat" to the Middle East and beyond and argued Canada is meeting its obligations to the alliance.

But Canada only reached NATO’s 2% defense spending benchmark in 2025, after spending years well below the target. Carney acknowledged Ottawa had not hit that mark since the Cold War, underscoring the vulnerability in his pushback to Trump.

"I’ll underscore that just a few weeks ago that we've met for the first time since the fall of the Berlin Wall our NATO commitments in terms of 2% defense spending," Carney added.

ECONOMIST EDITOR SAYS EUROPEAN LEADERS NOW FEAR A TRUE NATO 'DIVORCE' AFTER TRUMP PULLOUT THREAT

Trump has blasted some NATO allies over what he sees as weak support during the Iran conflict, warning on Truth Social that the alliance "wasn’t there when we needed them and they won’t be there if we need them again."

When a reporter pressed that Trump threatened to punish NATO, including conflict-averse members Germany and Spain, Carney boasted that Canada "meet[s] its NATO commitments."

NATO’s 2014-2025 defense expenditure report estimated Canada’s defense spending at 1.01% of GDP in 2014, and below 1.5% through 2024 before reaching 2.01% in 2025.

NATO CHIEF SAYS WORLD IS ‘ABSOLUTELY’ SAFER UNDER TRUMP

Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has praised Trump for pushing allies to meet the 2% benchmark, as several Eastern Bloc nations have noticeably increased their tithes.

Over the past decade, U.S. defense spending has averaged roughly 3.3% of GDP, compared with about 1.3% for Canada. The U.S. GDP is also a higher gross figure than all other NATO members in dollars.

MORE KEY US ALLIES BLOCK MILITARY FLIGHTS AS IRAN WAR RIFT WIDENS WITH TRUMP

Greece and the U.K. have been the top two countries consistently contributing to NATO’s funding, while Canada, Spain, Belgium, the Czech Republic and Hungary all sit in the lower tier on average. The only outlier below them is Luxembourg, which contributes an average 0.6% of GDP to NATO, according to calculations made from the report’s figures.

TRUMP LASHES OUT AT 'SICK' IRANIAN LEADERS, CONFIRMS ESTIMATED TIMELINE FOR ENDING WAR

Rutte previously made waves for appearing to refer to Trump as "daddy," but said this week the Dutch-to-English translation was flawed and that he meant to refer to the president as a strong disciplinarian-like figure at a time when Trump was angry at both Israel and Iran.

"In Dutch, you would say the translation of your father is ‘daddy’ and I would say hey, yeah, some time, Daddy has to be angry, so I wasn’t going to say [he’s my] daddy," he said of a meeting between the two men in The Hague last June.

Rutte issued the response after being pressed on whether he still viewed Trump as "Daddy" or an ally amid the president’s issues with some member-nations.

The states revealed as best to start a family amid cratering belief in the American Dream

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 06:00:36 -0400

For those chasing the American dream, a new study has some insightful information about what it takes to attain it – along with data that might determine the best states to set down roots.

Declining marriages and broken families are crippling predominantly blue states, while red states thrive with better economic mobility, education and lower crime, according to a 2026 Family Structure Index released Tuesday by the Ohio-based Center for Christian Virtue.

In partnership with the Institute for Family Studies, the report examined three core factors: marriage rates, family stability and fertility rates. It also tracked cost of living, religious participation, family instability and education levels, finding wide gaps across states that affect the "health and attainability of the American Dream."

"This report should serve as a wake-up call for policymakers and community leaders across the country," CCV President Aaron Baer told Fox News Digital.

TAX AND RUN: HOW NY AND CALIFORNIA ARE BLEEDING PEOPLE AND PROSPERITY

Baer added that government programs alone "can’t replace strong families."

"No amount of paid family leave, childcare subsidies or social experimentation will rebuild the foundation that families provide," he said. "If those policies were enough, states like California and New York would be leading the way. The data show otherwise. If we’re serious about reducing poverty and expanding opportunity, we need to strengthen the institutions that have always made America strong: faith, family and economic freedom."

The report finds that only 1 in 3 Americans believe in the American Dream.

The index clearly shows geographic divides. Red states like Utah rank first in family stability, while blue states like New Mexico trail behind.

Rocky Mountain and Great Plains states generally have higher marriage and fertility rates, according to the report.

Behind Utah, the rest of the top five states for family stability were Idaho, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota.

The bottom five states: Vermont, Nevada, Louisiana, Rhode Island and New Mexico.

These differences are now impacting where people choose to live, according to the report.

South Carolina, for example, has seen marriage rates rise and its ranking on this list improve, while Hawaii has fallen as marriage rates decline and housing costs remain high.

HERITAGE FOUNDATION WARNS AMERICA 'DANGEROUSLY CLOSE' TO FAMILY BREAKDOWN POINT OF NO RETURN

As these pressures grow, more Americans are leaving high-cost blue states for more affordable red states.

"Strong families are the foundation of a healthy society," Baer said in a press release. "This report shows that when family structure weakens, the effects ripple outward to our schools, our communities and our economy. But it also makes clear that this is not inevitable. There is a solution and a path forward."

Notably, the report highlights a clear link between family structure and economic outcomes.

States with more married parents saw lower child poverty rates, better educational outcomes, less crime and stronger economies, while those with higher shares of single-parent households face long-term challenges.

Other contributing factors also emerged.

States with higher religious participation saw higher birth rates, while expensive housing markets are tied to lower fertility rates, according to the report. Education also plays a role as more college-educated adults are more likely to form stable families due to economic security.

Since 2000, the national index score has dropped from 100 to 87.3, signaling a decline in family structure, the report added. While marriage rates have stabilized in recent years, fertility rates continue to fall and pose lasting constraints for future generations.

However, these trends do vary across both red and blue states, according to a CCV spokesperson, who said the report "also underscores that these trends are not confined to any one region or political ideology."

The findings have prompted calls for policy changes focusing on strengthening families and economic conditions.

NEW POLL FINDS AMERICANS LIKELY TO SEE EACH OTHER AS ‘MORALLY BAD’ — BUT EXPERT SAYS STRONG FAMILIES CAN HELP

"The lesson going forward is clear," Baer said. "Red and blue states alike should advance policies that make housing more affordable, ensure good-paying jobs are within reach, keep taxes low and expand access to quality education."

Baer added this comes down to the impact of stable households.

Stable two-parent homes are linked to higher college graduation rates and a better shot at reaching the middle class, the report said. Married adults are also about 80% less likely to live in poverty than single adults.

"Family structure is one of the strongest predictors we have for whether children and communities are thriving," Brad Wilcox, University of Virginia sociology professor and lead researcher, said in a press release. "States that are doing well in this area have markedly lower levels of child poverty, as well as higher rates of economic mobility and homeownership."

For many, economic realities have continued to fuel skepticism about the American Dream. Since 1980, fewer adults ages 25 to 54 have been able to buy homes, and only about 50% of those born in the 1980s earn more than their parents—down from 90% among those born in the 1940s.

Marriage rates fell sharply from 2000 to 2010, followed by a 17% drop over the next decade, as "upward mobility has been cut nearly in half over two generations," the report said.

"This isn’t just about statistics," Baer said. "It’s about real children and real futures. If we want to see our nation thrive, we have to be serious about strengthening marriage and supporting families in every community."

Resurfaced clips from top Democrats echoing Trump on birthright citizenship spark online uproar: 'Wow'

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 05:00:59 -0400

As birthright citizenship is debated in the Supreme Court, resurfaced videos of top Democrats echoing the argument of the Trump administration sparked a conservative uproar on social media.

"If making it easy to be an illegal alien isn’t enough, how about offering a reward for being an illegal immigrant?" Sen. Harry Reid said on the Senate floor in 1993.

"No sane country would do that. Right? Guess again. If you break our laws by entering this country without permission and give birth to a child, we reward that child with U.S. citizenship and [a] guarantee of full access to all public and social services this society provides — and that’s a lot of services."

Reid, who served in the Senate as a Democrat for 30 years and was Senate majority leader for eight years, was speaking about the Immigration Stabilization Act of 1993, which he introduced. The legislation was a broad immigration reform package that included a provision to deny birthright citizenship to children born in the U.S. to mothers who were neither U.S. citizens nor lawful permanent residents.

CHINESE ELITES EXPLOITING US BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP AT ‘INDUSTRIAL SCALE,’ EXPERT WARNS

Reid, who died in 2021 at the age of 82, ultimately changed his tune on the legislation and said in 2018 that the bill was a "mistake."

Many on social media quickly pointed to Reid’s lofty stature within the Democratic Party and wondered aloud why he is not labeled "racist" the same way Republicans who oppose birthright citizenship often are.

"WOW," conservative influencer Libs of TikTok posted on X. "Senator Harry Reid, a DEMOCRAT, introduced a bill in 1993 to END birthright citizenship for illegal aliens .But if Trump wants to do it, Democrats call it ‘rAcIsT.’"

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE SUPREME COURT’S BLOCKBUSTER BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP CASE

"Lots of Democrats supported him," actor Kevin Sorbo posted on X. "They change their minds to fit whatever narrative suits them. That's why they can't be trusted."

"Democrats once said ‘no sane country’ would give birthright citizenship to illegal aliens," Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, posted on X. "Now, breaking our laws is rewarded with full US citizenship and access to every government benefit. SCOTUS should END this exploitation once and for all!"

"Harry Reid was right," Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, posted on X.

Another Democrat, the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein from California, also became fodder on social media in recent days over similar comments on immigration that were viewed over 8 million times after being posted by MAZE, a conservative influencer account on X.

"Should you have a system where people can come to this country, even if they’re well-to-do?" Feinstein said in 1993. "Get on Medicaid and give birth to a baby, then go back? The answer is no! And we know that Medicaid laws are being used and abused to do just this in the state of California. I’d like to see that stop."

The resurfaced posts come as the Trump administration argues at the Supreme Court in favor of an executive order signed on the president's first day back in office that seeks to end automatic citizenship for nearly all persons born in the U.S. to undocumented parents, or to parents with temporary non-immigrant visas in the U.S.

The high-stakes case brought into focus more than a century of executive branch action, Supreme Court precedent, and the text of the Constitution itself — or, more specifically, the citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment — which the administration argues has been misinterpreted in the more than 100 years since its passage.

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

'Christmas Vacation' and Congress: 'We're all in misery' amid the ongoing DHS shutdown

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 03:41:14 -0400

If you thought the congressional appropriations process couldn’t get any worse, I present you with 2026. And perhaps beyond.

The Department of Homeland Security remains shut down, running on pocket lint, nickels lost between the couch cushions and faded S&H Green Stamps (look ‘em up, kids). Congress hasn’t funded DHS for two months. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., torqued himself into a political pretzel – opposing, then supporting, then not acting on – a Senate-approved package to fund most of DHS.

As we always say, it’s about the math, and when it comes to DHS money, it appears that lawmakers have locked a box to which they lack the combination. There is apparently no sequence of votes in the House and Senate which can crack the DHS safe as a traditional, standalone appropriations bill.

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: WHY TRUMP MAY NOT BE ABLE TO FORCE CONGRESS BACK OVER THE DHS SHUTDOWN

Now, congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump are turning to one of the few methods which might work to fund DHS – something called budget reconciliation.

The congressional budget reconciliation process is not customarily used for appropriations bills – although lawmakers can plug the measure with money to spend on federal programs. However, reconciliation is inoculated from filibusters. Thus, Republicans don’t need 60 votes. They can – ostensibly – pass a DHS bill on its own without help from Democrats if they hold their narrow coalitions together in both the House and Senate.

Congressional Republicans intend to stuff this reconciliation package with only money for ICE and Customs and Border Patrol. Nothing for disaster aid. Nothing for farmers. Nothing about the SAVE America Act. The president agrees. The goal is to finish this by June 1 – months after the latest DHS funding lapse.

But it’s more complicated than that.

GOP INFIGHTING REPLACES CLASH WITH DEMS, DERAILS PATH TO END HISTORIC DHS SHUTDOWN

The House and Senate must take a number of steps to approve a shell of a budget resolution in order to have the filibuster-proof reconciliation tool available to them. Republicans undertook a similar endeavor last winter and spring. It was absolutely harrowing and consumed months before finally approving the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, via reconciliation. Republicans don’t have that kind of time now. Then again, DHS has either been unfunded or held together by interim spending bills since last October.

We haven’t even mentioned how Trump is using a somewhat dubious authority to pay TSA workers and others from other funds – without congressional approval.

That leaves some to question why the administration didn’t do this to start with. But the bigger issue is an alarming pattern of Congress ceding its most precious prerogative – the power of the purse – to the executive branch. That’s to say nothing as to whether Trump’s gambit to pay workers is even constitutional. And, it establishes a precedent which may be hard to ignore during other funding impasses.

However, here’s the bigger problem: the congressional paralysis to pass appropriations bills on a timely basis. That’s been an issue for years now.

Historically, Congress has missed the Oct. 1 fiscal deadline, relying on "Continuing Resolutions" (CR’s) which simply renew all funding on a temporary basis. Or, lawmakers cobble together a set of the 12 annual spending bills in a "minibus" appropriations package. Lawmakers who might oppose an individual bill are willing to support a group of bills – because there’s something in there which they like or support.

But turning to reconciliation as a way out of the appropriations box canyon is also another precedent which likely agitates congressional appropriators. Sure. They’ve done that before. And in this instance, it might finally get DHS funded. But what does this mean for the future?

Which brings us to Oct. 1, 2026. That’s when the federal government pivots from Fiscal Year 2026 to start Fiscal Year 2027.

Congress has struggled to fund the federal government since early 2025, when it began work on appropriations bills for this year. The FY ’26 funding crisis – which spawned the record-breaking, 43-day, government-wide shutdown in the fall, another partial government shutdown last winter and the current DHS stalemate – has been an issue since lawmakers were working on bills for this cycle around this time LAST spring. So how pray tell is Congress going to avoid a shutdown THIS autumn for FY ’27?

In fact, few are even speaking about that possible peril – because no one can wrap their heads around the present appropriations saga. And it’s possible that this fall’s problems could be worse than last fall’s impasse. The reason? The midterm elections hit in November. It’s doubtful that either side will be willing to make much of a deal right before voters head to the polls.

The scenarios are frightening to fathom, so people are just kind of ignoring them.

SEE IT: LAWMAKERS CAUGHT ON VACATION AMID RECORD-BREAKING SHUTDOWN WHILE DHS WORKERS GO UNPAID

We have entered a new period of semi-perpetual funding standoffs – exacerbated by mistrust between the sides, narrow congressional margins in both the House and Senate, parliamentary mathematical equations which don’t balance and an unwillingness by Trump to broker deals or even negotiate with Democrats.

Yes. They have options to cover DHS into next year, but it’s the other 11 spending bills which could be problematic.

Imagine trying to pass a defense spending bill which has a price tag 44% higher than the one last year? Or tacks a bunch of money on for the war in Iran?

Where’s the vote combination to approve a CR, let alone an individual bill? Will Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., be willing to help Republicans hit the 60-vote threshold to fund things? Especially if he sees the possibility of emerging again as majority leader? Probably not.

And let’s say Democrats win the House, Senate or both in the fall? Do you really think these spending standoffs get better over the final two years of Trump’s term?

Back to Chevy Chase and Clark Griswold. There’s a second part to that iconic quotation from "Christmas Vacation": "We’re at the threshold of hell!" he declares.

Pretty funny, but not if you’re trying to keep the government open after the adventures of the past year. This is not hilarious to millions of federal workers who suffer from paycheck PTSD. Another round of spending mayhem could only erode further trust between federal workers and their employers. It will damage morale – which is already subterranean. That’s to say nothing of courting people to work for the government.

Yes. Things can get a lot worse. The political schisms are deep and the vote matrices to pass the bills simply don’t exist.

It may be spring, but the "Christmas Vacation" movie provides insight into where we stand with the congressional appropriations bills: "It’s Christmas and we’re all in misery," declares Ellen Griswold, played by Beverly D’Angelo.

Yeah. And wait to see what Congress has in store for THIS Christmas.

Eric Swalwell accused of paying nanny with campaign funds while she lacked work authorization

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:16:08 -0400

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., is facing allegations he violated immigration and employment laws to keep a live-in nanny in the U.S., including claims he paid her with campaign funds while she lacked work authorization, according to two recently filed complaints.

A complaint filed Tuesday with the Department of Labor alleges that Swalwell and his wife, Brittany Swalwell, lied to keep their babysitter, Amanda Barbosa, employed, according to The New York Post.

In a separate complaint filed in February with the Department of Homeland Security by California filmmaker and political activist Joel Gilbert, first reported by The Post, Swalwell is accused of paying his nanny with campaign funds for roughly two years while she allegedly did not have valid work authorization.

"Barbosa appears in numerous social media photos with the Swalwell family throughout 2023 and 2024, indicating continued close association and ongoing childcare responsibilities despite the absence of known lawful work authorization," the DHS complaint states.

MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS DOG SWALWELL AS DEM RIVALS SEIZE OPENING IN CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR’S RACE

Barbosa was first hired by Swalwell — who is running for California governor — in 2021 after coming to the U.S. from Brazil on an au pair visa, according to The Post.

Barbosa was paid $3,914 in campaign funds in 2021 and received $46,930 in 2022, according to Federal Election Commission data.

According to a labor certification application reviewed by The Post, Swalwell began the process of sponsoring Barbosa for a green card in December 2022 as her visa was set to expire.

DEM SENATOR RIPPED FOR 'SMEAR' OF FEMALE ACTIVIST ADVOCATING FOR SWALWELL'S ACCUSERS: 'VERY BAD LOOK'

Barbosa later enrolled at a community college and was not allowed to work off campus under student visa rules, The Post reported. However, social media photos appear to show her interacting with Swalwell’s children at family events throughout 2023 and 2024.

FEC records reviewed by the outlet show that $52,262 in campaign expenses for "childcare" were reimbursed to Swalwell, which the complaint alleges was a workaround to keep Barbosa employed while she was not authorized to work in the U.S.

The Department of Labor told The Post the labor certification was approved in 2024. In 2025, Barbosa received $38,905 in campaign funds from Swalwell, according to FEC data.

SWALWELL CAMPAIGN SETS OFF ALARM BELLS AFTER ACCEPTING $25K DONATION FROM CCP-TIED LAWYER: 'OUTRAGEOUS'

The complaints surfaced as Swalwell faces separate allegations of sexual assault.

The San Francisco Chronicle first reported allegations from a former staffer, and three additional women later spoke to CNN with misconduct claims.

Swalwell has denied the allegations and faced calls to drop his gubernatorial bid.

SWALWELL THREATENS FBI WITH LEGAL ACTION AS PATEL REPORTEDLY WEIGHS 'FANG FANG' FILES RELEASE

"They are absolutely false. They did not happen. They have never happened. And I will fight them with everything that I have."

Fox News Digital has reached out to Swalwell's congressional office for comment, as well as the Departments of Labor and Homeland Security and Federal Election Commission.

Fox News Digital's Madison Colombo contributed to this report.

Vance says US-Iran talks end without deal after 21 hours of negotiations

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 22:43:48 -0400

Vice President JD Vance said Sunday that high-stakes talks between the U.S. and Iran ended without a deal after Iranian officials refused to accept American terms.

Speaking during a press conference from the Serena Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan, Vance said Iran has "chosen not to accept our terms."

"The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement," Vance said. "And I think that's bad news for Iran much more than it's bad news for the United States of America."

The vice president said talks with Iranian officials lasted 21 hours, describing them as "substantive discussions," but adding the U.S. was unwilling to compromise on its "red lines."

VANCE WARNS IRAN WILL 'FIND OUT' TRUMP IS 'NOT ONE TO MESS AROUND' IF CEASEFIRE DEAL FALLS APART

"So we go back to the United States, having not come to an agreement. We've made very clear what our red lines are, what things we're willing to accommodate them on and what things we're not willing to accommodate them on," Vance added. "And we've made that as clear as we possibly could, and they have chosen not to accept our terms."

Fox News Digital’s Preston Mizell asked Vance if he had been in contact with President Donald Trump during the talks, and the vice president said he had been "consistently."

"I don't know how many times we talked to him — a half dozen times, a dozen times over the past 21 hours," Vance said, adding that the U.S. team was also communicating with other members of the Trump administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

GEN JACK KEANE 'SKEPTICAL' THAT IRAN CEASEFIRE WILL HOLD, WARNS TEHRAN WILL 'DELAY AND OBFUSCATE'

"So, look, we were constantly in communication with the team because we were negotiating in good faith," Vance said. "And we leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding that is our final and best offer. We'll see if the Iranians accept it."

Vance arrived in Pakistan early Saturday to lead high-stakes negotiations with Iran aimed at preserving a fragile ceasefire announced by Trump earlier this week and preventing a broader regional war.

Vance was joined by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, as part of a senior delegation engaging Iranian officials in Islamabad.

TRUMP AGREES TO 2-WEEK CEASEFIRE IF IRAN OPENS STRAIT OF HORMUZ

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf were negotiating for Iran.

While Vance declined to elaborate on which terms Iran rejected, he said the U.S. sought assurances that Iran would not develop a nuclear weapon.

"The simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon," Vance said. "That is the core goal of the president of the United States. And that's what we've tried to achieve through these negotiations."

The talks came over a month after the U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28.

Fox News Digital's Preston Mizell and Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.

House Republican plans motion to oust Swalwell from Congress amid sexual assault allegations

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 14:40:53 -0400

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., announced Saturday she would be filing a motion to expel Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., from Congress after former staffers accused the congressman of sexual assault and misconduct.

"I am filing a motion to expel Eric Swalwell from Congress," she wrote in a tweet Saturday morning.

The move comes after at least four female former staffers of Swalwell's accused him of sexual impropriety. One staffer accused him of sexual assault on multiple occasions.

A former staffer told the San Francisco Chronicle that when she was 17 and Swalwell was 38, he began messaging her on the social media platform Snapchat, a messaging platform in which messages between users disappear.

'USEFUL PUPPET': ERIC SWALWELL IN THE HOT SEAT AFTER TRAVELING TO DOHA ON SEVERAL QATAR-SPONSORED TRIPS

The woman, who the Chronicle did not identify, said Swalwell began sending her inappropriate pictures and requesting pictures of her naked body.

She also claimed that, in 2024, she woke up alone in Swalwell's hotel room after a night she did not remember with "vaginal bleeding," according to the Chronicle.

Swalwell, who is married with children, has denied the sexual assault allegations as "false and outrageous." His lawyer also sent a cease and desist letter to the woman, the Chronicle reported.

Fox News Digital reached out to Swalwell's and Luna's offices but did not immediately receive a response.

MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS DOG SWALWELL AS DEM RIVALS SEIZE OPENING IN CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR’S RACE

Running in the open primary to become California's next governor, Swalwell was ahead of all other registered Democrats, trailing only Republican Steve Hilton in the latest polling average from Real Clear Politics. That may soon change though, as the allegations have prompted a wave of calls from prominent Democrats for Swalwell to bow out.

Those calls have come from party bosses like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and from those closest to Swalwell, such as Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., who retracted an earlier message of support to call for Swalwell to step down. Gallego, who Swalwell has referred to as a "dear friend," initially faced backlash for defending Swalwell.

While other party members like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., pile on to the calls to drop out, few have gone as far as calling for Swalwell to vacate his congressional seat, a fact Luna highlighted in a morning appearance Saturday on "Saturday in America with Kayleigh McEnany."

"It is unacceptable for him to just index his, campaign for governor in California but still sit in the House of Representatives," she told McEnany.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement Saturday, "As we continue to learn more, these allegations from multiple sources are deeply troubling and must be taken seriously."

Meanwhile, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office in New York City said it was investigating allegations against Swalwell.

"We urge survivors and anyone with knowledge of these allegations to contact our Special Victims Division at 212-335-9373," an office spokesperson said. "Our specially trained prosecutors, investigators and counselors are well-equipped to help you in a trauma-informed, survivor-centered manner."

Luna also lambasted the Dems on X, writing, "So the Dems don’t want Swalwell to be governor of California, but he can stay a member of Congress? Are we running a halfway house for sexual predators in Congress now? No. He should not be allowed to stay in Congress."

Luna's motion to expel Swalwell, should she get it to the House floor, would require a two-thirds majority vote from Congress to pass.

Trump blasts Spanberger ahead of Virginia meetings, says state faces tax base exodus like New York, California

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 12:03:09 -0400

President Donald Trump slammed Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger ahead of meetings in the state Saturday, warning her policies are triggering a tax base exodus similar to New York and California.

Trump, in an early morning Truth Social post, said the Democratic governor had imposed a wave of taxes he argued were draining the state’s economic strength.

"She is adding so many Taxes, a Food and Beverage Tax, Digital Services Tax, Utilities Tax, and more," Trump wrote. "It has lost its Energy, Vitality, and Strength. People are leaving that would never have even thought of doing so!"

Trump’s comments come as Republicans have criticized Democrats in the state legislature over a slate of tax and revenue proposals, warning the measures could hurt Virginia’s business climate, though the governor has not publicly supported or signed the measures referenced by Trump.

GLENN YOUNGKIN ACCUSES GOV SPANBERGER OF 'ILLEGAL AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL' GERRYMANDERING IN VIRGINIA MAP FIGHT

"New companies that signed to come into the Commonwealth under Governor Youngkin are now looking for ways to get out — Break their Deal," he said.

The president, who said he was heading to Virginia for meetings at Trump National Golf Club, drew comparisons to high-tax states like New York and California, which he has frequently criticized.

"We have a similar situation in New York and, most of all, in California, where Rich, Job Producing people and companies are being forced to FLEE at levels never seen before," Trump wrote.

He added that California’s tax base was "literally disappearing" as wealthy individuals and corporations relocate, warning Virginia could face a similar trajectory.

VA DEM REJECTS ‘POWER GRAB’ CLAIMS ON SPANBERGER REDISTRICTING AS GOP WARNS 10–1 MAP WOULD SPLIT RURAL VOTE

"Remember, once people and companies leave, they are never coming back!" Trump said.

Spanberger pushed back on the criticism in a post on X, arguing Trump and his allies were mischaracterizing her policies.

"The president and his allies are talking about taxes that our state legislature never even voted on and I certainly didn't sign," she wrote. "Why? Because if they don't flood the zone with fake news about fake taxes, people might hear about the bills I am signing to lower energy costs, strengthen our schools, make housing more affordable, and bring billions of dollars of business investment to Virginia."

Spanberger has supported a broader set of revenue measures since taking office, including proposals targeting digital services and business activity, as part of an effort to fund priorities such as education and health care.

A spokesperson for Spanberger’s office also issued a statement criticizing Trump’s claims.

"Virginians are tired of Donald Trump’s lies," the spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "Governor Spanberger has signed dozens of bipartisan bills to contend with high housing, healthcare and energy costs for Virginians — and not any of the taxes President Trump and his allies are lying about."

The spokesperson added that businesses have announced "more than $500 million in new investment in the commonwealth since Governor Spanberger took office in January," while accusing Trump of focusing on politics instead of economic stability.

"The ballgame changed when the President — whose been busy raising costs for Virginians by starting a reckless war that has skyrocketed inflation and driven gas prices up to $4 — strong-armed states into drawing more Republican congressional seats that he asserted he was 'entitled' to before the midterms," the governor's spokesperson added. "As prices rise in Trump’s economy, Governor Spanberger will continue her work with both parties to address the high housing, healthcare, and energy costs that Virginians are feeling."

On Saturday, House Speaker Mike Johnson and former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin also took aim at Spanberger as a state vote on redistricting approaches during a rally in Rockingham County opposing Democrats' proposed 10-1 gerrymander ahead of the April 21 referendum election.

"She talks like a moderate, and she governs like a Marxist," Johnson said. "I mean, this is serious stuff."

Johnson also warned that the outcome in Virginia could have national implications, citing the GOP’s narrow House majority.

Youngkin, meanwhile, accused Spanberger of weakening public safety policies in the state.

"She says she’s going to stand for public safety, and she makes Virginia a sanctuary state after one of the most successful federal-state collaborations in the entire country," Youngkin said. "We arrested thousands of violent criminals who are here illegally, and she put a stop to it."

Spanberger defeated Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in the 2025 gubernatorial race, securing a Democratic win. Youngkin was not eligible for re-election under state law.

Spanberger campaigned on issues including health care and abortion rights, while positioning herself as a more moderate alternative despite GOP criticism of her voting record.

Fox News Digital's Preston Mizell contributed to this report.

ICE detains relatives of 1979 Iran hostage crisis figure after Rubio revokes their legal status

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 10:42:36 -0400

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he revoked the lawful permanent resident status of family members linked to Masoumeh Ebtekar, a spokeswoman for the Islamic terrorists who stormed the U.S. Embassy during the 1979 hostage crisis.

Rubio said the individuals were placed in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody pending removal from the United States.

He said the Obama administration granted visas to Ebtekar’s son and his family in 2014 and later approved green cards for them through the Diversity Visa Program in 2016.

IRAN HOSTAGE SURVIVOR SAYS TRUMP 'ABSOLUTELY' RIGHT TO LAUNCH OPERATION EPIC FURY, FINALLY CONFRONT REGIME

"Masoumeh Ebtekar — also known as ‘Screaming Mary’ — was the spokeswoman for the Islamic terrorists who stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and held 52 Americans hostages for 444 days — subjecting them to beatings, starvation, and mock executions," Rubio wrote on X.

Rubio said her family should never have been allowed to benefit from the extraordinary privilege of living in the United States.

"America can never become home for anti-American terrorists or their families — and under the Trump administration, it never will," Rubio said.

Ebtekar also served in a formal role as vice president of Women and Family Affairs in Iran between 2017 and 2021. PBS' "Frontline" dubbed her "one of the highest-ranking women in the Muslim world" during an interview with the Muslim leader in 2002.

US DEPORTS 3 FORMER IRANIAN GUARD MEMBERS AMID RISING TENSIONS WITH TEHRAN

Fox News Digital this week obtained photos of Ebtekar's son, Seyed Eissa Hashemi, at what the New York Post described as a "fancy" gym in Los Angeles, where he reportedly brushed off a reporter's questions.

According to the New York Post, people have been protesting against Hashemi living in the United States for months. There are several petitions on Change.org calling on him to be investigated and deported, some of which have been put under review by the petition website, according to a Fox News Digital review.

The Post added that records show Hashemi lives in Agoura Hills, Los Angeles County, with his wife and fellow psychology professor Maryam Tahmasebi.

The move follows similar action against relatives of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who were also taken into custody in recent days.

Fox News' Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.

Swalwell calls sexual misconduct allegations 'flat out false,' says he will fight them 'with everything'

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 10:30:08 -0400

U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., released a video Friday evening strongly denying the allegations of sexual assault made against him, calling the accusations "flat out false" and "absolutely false."

Swalwell, who is the leading Democratic candidate in California's gubernatorial race, was accused by a former female staffer of sexually assaulting her while she was intoxicated on multiple occasions. The bombshell allegations, which included reports of sexual harassment against other female staffers, were reported by the San Francisco Chronicle on Friday.

The unnamed female accuser reportedly worked for Swalwell for about two years and said he pursued her shortly after she was hired as a 21-year-old staffer in his district office — despite him being married.

"A lot has been said about me today through anonymous allegations, and I thought it was important that you see and hear from me directly. These allegations of sexual assault are flat out false," Swalwell said in a video on social media. "They are absolutely false. They did not happen. They have never happened. And I will fight them with everything that I have."

PELOSI, CALIFORNIA DEMS SLAM SWALWELL OVER BOMBSHELL SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS: 'INDEFENSIBLE'

The alleged victim accused Swalwell of pressuring her to send naked pictures of herself, adding that he sent sexually explicit photos of himself to her. She also said he allegedly pulled out his private parts while driving in a car with her and asked her to perform oral sex on him.

On multiple occasions, the young staffer said she had blacked out from alcohol consumption before allegedly waking up naked in Swalwell's hotel bed with signs she had engaged in intercourse. Swalwell allegedly distanced himself after the incident, and their relationship faded.

The woman said they reunited when she no longer worked for him, and another incident allegedly took place.

SWALWELL'S FORMER FEMALE STAFFER DROPS BOMBSHELL ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT, EXPOSING HIMSELF: REPORT

In the video, Swalwell said he is not "perfect" or a "saint," but his past "mistakes in judgment" are between him and his wife. He then apologized for "putting [his wife] in this position."

He also apologized to his supporters for potentially causing them to doubt their support for him, but that apology was quickly followed with, "I think you know who I am."

"For over 20 years, I have served the public as a city councilman, as a member of Congress, and as a prosecutor who went to court on behalf of victims, particularly on behalf of sexual assault victims," Swalwell said. "That's who I am and have always been."

The allegations have caused a handful of Swalwell's top Democratic supporters to withdraw their endorsements of him for governor, some even encouraging him to drop out of the race entirely.

As of Saturday morning, Swalwell remains a candidate in California's gubernatorial race.

Fox News Digital's Alec Shemmel contributed to this report.

Social media erupts after Harris introduces 'mob boss' accent to attack Trump: 'Total cringe'

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 09:44:13 -0400

Former vice president and failed presidential candidate Kamala Harris was roasted online Friday after she introduced another accent while trying to impersonate President Donald Trump as a "mob boss."

"You know, the way that he's thinking of foreign policy, it seems, is when he talks about America First, it's to withdraw from these relationships and these connections," Harris said while arguing that the administration has lost sight of international cooperation as a means to address regional conflict.

"And then he kind of acts like a mob boss. So, then he's kind of like, 'Oh, well, you know, you take Eastern Europe, and I'll take the Western Hemisphere. And then you over there, you, you get Asia, and we'll just divide it up,' right?"

Harris made her comments while speaking at a forum with the National Action Network, which was founded by the controversial civil rights activist Al Sharpton.

RUBIO MEETS G7 MINISTERS IN FRANCE AS US LEADS ON IRAN — ALLIES UNDER FIRE FOR TEPID RESPONSE

Almost immediately, the mimicry prompted criticism online.

"JUST IN: CRINGE," Eric Daugherty, a right-leaning social media personality, said in a post to X.

"Add ‘mafia boss’ to Kamala Harris’ list of embarrassing accents," a Republican campaign account said in its own note.

WHY TRUMP’S WAR SPEECH FAILED: DECLARING VICTORY BUT STILL BOMBING IRAN BACK TO THE ‘STONE AGES’

A former Republican staffer for Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, included her Friday moment alongside a series of other impersonations.

"Kamala Harris just debuted a new accent: Mob boss. Despite a childhood in Berkeley, California and Montreal, Canada, Kamala has what she thinks is a Detroit accent," Steve Guest wrote.

"Kamala Harris' 'Trump Impersonation' is the worst thing I have ever seen," conservative influencer Benny Johnson said. "Total cringe."

Harris’ remarks come as Trump attempts to broker peace negotiations with Iran while also inviting European allies to put pressure on Tehran to reopen waterways vital to international energy trade.

LEAVITT REBUKES MEDIA OUTLETS RUNNING WITH IRANIAN NARRATIVES ON 10 DEMANDS

Trump blasted allies on social media for not joining the U.S. in its conflict with Iran.

"NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN," Trump said in a post to Truth Social on Wednesday.

Earlier this week, the president reached a tentative two-week ceasefire agreement with Iran despite uncertainty about its exact terms.

Iran has presented a list of 10 demands that appear to contradict the U.S.’s own set of expectations for ending the conflict.

In a post to state media, Iran demanded the lifting of all sanctions on Iran, continued control over key waterways in the region, U.S. military withdrawal from the Middle East and a suspension of hostilities against Iran and its allies, among other demands.

The two countries are set to continue negotiations in Pakistan on Saturday.

Swalwell ripped for changing his tune on how sexual assault victims 'deserve to be heard'

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 09:09:31 -0400

California gubernatorial candidate Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., is facing backlash on social media after it was reported that his lawyer was sending cease and desist letters to Swalwell's accusers a day before multiple bombshell allegations were published Friday.

Swalwell, who once called on lawmakers to hear out women raising allegations against Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh during his 2018 confirmation hearings and said they "deserve to be heard," is now being slammed for hypocrisy.

"I saw continued demeaning of victims of sexual assault, people who deserve to be heard, people who deserve their allegations to be investigated and a president who wants to rush this through," Swalwell said in an interview with MSNBC at the time.

"And, so, for Brett Kavanaugh’s sake, if he is innocent, I hope tomorrow he opens his statement and says, ‘You know what? Bring in all the victims, all of them to be questioned.’ That will clear his name if he is indeed innocent."

SWALWELL VOWS TO MAKE ICE AGENTS 'UN-HIRABLE' IN CALIFORNIA STATE GOVERNMENT POSITIONS

The resurfaced clip comes as Swalwell has made efforts to downplay allegations against him as he leads a crowded field of gubernatorial hopefuls in a race to replace outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is prevented by term limits from remaining in the role.

Jonathan Turley, a Fox News contributor and Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University, took to X on Friday, saying Swalwell is "hoping that voters will apply a different standard than the one he applied to Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation."

"When Kavanaugh was asserting his innocence, Swalwell was leading the mob," Turley continued.

Mike Davis, the former chief counsel for nominations in the Senate Judiciary Committee, posted "Receipt time" on X while reposting an old Swalwell post attacking Kavanaugh.

"Oh, how I remember this hypocritical predator peddling these utterly bulls--- allegations against Kavanaugh," Davis said in another post.

Rumblings of sexual misconduct from Swalwell first emerged last month when Cheyenne Hunt, a former Capitol Hill staffer and a progressive political media personality, began circulating testimony from women who said they had been sexually assaulted by the congressman.

Swalwell's lawyer, Elias Dabaie, reportedly sent out cease and desist letters to try to quell the rumors Thursday, but multiple outlets, including CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle, published bombshell reports Friday, which Swalwell denied in a video he posted late Friday night on X.

ADAM SCHIFF MAKES ENDORSEMENT IN CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL RACE

One of the alleged victims shared her story publicly for the first time, accusing Swalwell of taking advantage of her while she was intoxicated on multiple occasions, according to a report published by the San Francisco Chronicle.

The alleged victim's story also included claims that Swalwell pressured her to send naked pictures of herself and sent sexually explicit photos of his own, pulled out his private parts while driving in a car with her and requested she perform oral sex on him, among other incidents the victim said affected how Swalwell treated her professionally.

The unnamed female accuser reportedly worked for Swalwell for about two years and revealed that he started pursuing her despite being married shortly after she was hired as a 21-year-old staffer in his district office.

She also reportedly revealed that, years after she worked for Swalwell, she attended an April 2024 charity event Swalwell was being honored at and reunited with him. In her account of the night, which included grabbing drinks with him after the event and later blacking out, she alleged she remembered pushing Swalwell away and told him "no" as he allegedly tried to force her to have sex with him in his hotel room.

The woman reportedly texted a friend after the incident telling her she had been sexually assaulted by Swalwell. Other messages reviewed by the San Francisco Chronicle reportedly showed the victim indicating she had "blacked out" but "woke up once during it and even told him to stop at one point."

After the allegations went viral and top Democrats called for him to drop out of the California gubernatorial race, Swalwell said in a video message on X the "sexual assault allegations are flat false. They are absolutely false. They did not happen. They have never happened, and I will fight them with everything that I have.

"I've certainly made mistakes in judgment in my past, but those mistakes are between me and my wife. And to her, I apologize deeply for putting her in this position," Swalwell added.

"This false, outrageous rumor is being spread 27 days before an election begins by flailing opponents who have sadly teamed up with MAGA conspiracy theorists because they know Eric Swalwell is the frontrunner in this race," Micah Beasley, a spokesperson for Swalwell, said earlier this week.

Swalwell’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Top White House officials encouraged potential Bondi replacement to make case to Trump for AG job: Sources

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 09:00:57 -0400

FIRST ON FOX: Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche huddled with President Donald Trump in the hours after Pam Bondi was forced out last week to make his pitch for the job full-time, Fox News Digital confirmed.

Blanche was encouraged by top White House officials to speak with the president while other names, like Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, briefly circulated as possible contenders, two sources familiar told Fox News Digital. During that conversation, Blanche has made his case for why he should be the next attorney general.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed to Fox News Digital that the president and his then-deputy attorney general had spoken on Thursday, as did a source familiar with Blanche's movements that day.

Trump announced Bondi’s departure from the Justice Department and in the same social media post last Thursday said that Blanche would be taking over the role in an acting capacity, as Fox News and Fox News Digital previously reported.

HOMAN VOWS IMMIGRATION MISSION 'WON'T SKIP A BEAT' AS BONDI EXITS DOJ

The next moves could prove crucial for Blanche if he wants to clinch the president's nomination — and with the countdown ticking to the midterm elections, he only has a few months to convince the president he can lead the roughly 120,000-employee DOJ before a potential party power change in Congress.

"It’s really Todd’s role to lose at this point," one of the sources who spoke with Fox News Digital said.

A 30-year department veteran, however, speculated that Blanche won’t get the nomination and will continue to run the DOJ in an acting capacity.

PAM BONDI ALREADY FIRED AS ATTORNEY GENERAL, CABINET OFFICIAL TEED UP AS REPLACEMENT: SOURCES

"The safest thing for Trump to do is just to keep Blanche, the ultimate loyalist, in place as Acting, at least through the midterms, and avoid a confirmation fight," former DOJ prosecutor Kevin Flynn told Fox News Digital. "In terms of advancing Trump’s retribution agenda, I think Blanche could do pretty much everything as Acting [Attorney General] as a confirmed AG could do."

Trump fired Bondi on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, during an Oval Office meeting ahead of his speech to the nation on the war in Iran, Fox News Digital first reported a day after her ouster.

Trump confirmed her departure on Truth Social at 1:17 pm, roughly 45 minutes after the report became public.

In the hours after Bondi was dismissed and before Trump made his official DOJ personnel announcement, Blanche allegedly had a consequential conversation with the president where he was informed he would be acting attorney general. Blanche lobbied to get the full-time position in a following discussion, one source familiar said.

They also said that Blanche went to the White House a few times for various reasons in the days after he became acting AG.

The other source said it was this follow-up conversation that provided the president with the confidence to give Blanche the nod — at least for now.

Trump told his one-time personal attorney, "Here’s your audition," the source paraphrased.

Blanche "got a call from POTUS after leaving a podcast taping on Thursday following the report on Fox," a spokesperson for the Justice Department told Fox News Digital.

When Leavitt was asked whether the two had chatted on Thursday, the president's spokesperson replied, "Yes, they spoke."

The White House would comment on what the two discussed last week and whether Blanche made his case for a promotion.

DOJ Office of Public Affairs Director Emily Covington pushed back later Saturday in comment to Fox News Digital, saying Blanche never pitched himself to the president.

"Fox never reached out to DOJ for comment on this patently false accusation from two ‘sources.’ At no point did Todd Blanche pitch himself to the President. He was told he would serve as Acting AG, that is all. Anyone who claims another conversation took place is misinformed at best or purposefully lying at worst," Covington said.

Fox News Digital had reached out to the Department of Justice multiple times ahead of publication regarding the substance of the discussions. At the time, the DOJ declined to comment on what the two had discussed last week.

Now it’s up to Blanche to prove he’s up for the job full-time.

His first test was a Tuesday afternoon press conference focused on Trump’s push to crack down on fraud.

Blanche likely passed the pulse test as he showered praise on the president and said there would be no love lost if he weren't selected to be the next attorney general. "I love working for President Trump," he said. "It's the greatest honor of a lifetime. And if President Trump chooses to nominate somebody else and asks me to go do something else, I'll say, 'Thank you very much, I love you, sir.'"

He got to work right away shaping the DOJ.

On Thursday, Blanche announced his appointment of Trent McCotter as the principal associate deputy attorney general. He also stood up the new DOJ fraud division at Tuesday's press conference and put Colin McDonald in charge as assistant attorney general for the Fraud Division.

Additionally, he took two trusted advisers with him to the attorney general's office, Shane Hedges and James McHenry.

Blanche will likely need to differentiate himself from Bondi and distance himself from her failures — namely, the Jeffrey Epstein files debacle — if he wants longevity in the role, one of the sources familiar told Fox News Digital.

US INTERIM ATTORNEY GENERAL TODD BLANCHE CALLS SPECULATION SURROUNDING BONDI'S FIRING 'SIMPLY NOT TRUE'

In February 2025, Bondi said she had the Epstein files on her desk. A trickle of releases over the next year would yield no new investigations or prosecutions related to the sex trafficker’s crimes and left Americans unsatisfied.

The source familiar said every move Bondi made after that was an effort to "clean up" her broken promise to release the Epstein client list.

Convincing Trump he’s the right guy for the job is only the first hurdle. Blanche would also need to get past Congress and a confirmation process that is sure to be grueling.

Bondi passed with a Senate vote of 54–46, with all 53 Republicans and lone Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., voting for her to be attorney general. Every other Democrat voted against her confirmation.

Blanche, with the legacy of Bondi tied to his tenure in the Trump administration, could face an uphill battle even with some Republicans who have grown critical of the DOJ's handling of the Epstein files.

Russia seizes control of US-linked firm as it pushes for renewed ties with Washington

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 09:00:31 -0400

A Pennsylvania-linked manufacturer has been stripped of control over its Russian operations under a Kremlin order, raising fresh risks for Western companies as Moscow courts renewed economic ties with the United States.

CANPACK, a global aluminum beverage can manufacturer owned by a Pennsylvania-based holding company, operates in multiple countries across Europe and North America and said its Russian business — valued at roughly $700 million — was placed under state "external administration" by a Dec. 31, 2025, decree signed by President Vladimir Putin, effectively transferring control of 100% of its shares to state-appointed managers.

CEO Peter Giorgi said the company lost all operational authority after administrators arrived in mid-January.

"I'm only a nominal shareholder," Giorgi said in an interview with Fox News Digital. "I lose all control of the company."

BIPARTISAN SENATORS PROBE KREMLIN-LINKED DELEGATION'S MEETINGS WITH US OFFICIALS

The case underscores the risks facing Western companies that remained in Russia during the war, even as Moscow signals interest in rebuilding economic ties with Washington as part of potential peace negotiations.

Putin’s envoy for foreign investment, Kirill Dmitriev, is in the United States meeting with officials in President Donald Trump’s administration to discuss a potential Ukraine peace deal and future economic cooperation, according to Reuters.

Analysts say the move is part of a broader shift in Russia’s handling of foreign-owned assets since the Ukraine War.

"Let’s not be U.S.-centric about that," said Alexander Kolyandr, a fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis. "CANPACK is not alone."

CANPACK has operated in Russia for nearly 30 years and held an estimated 35%–40% share of the country’s aluminum beverage can market, according to the company, underscoring the scale of the takeover.

The company has had no direct access to, or communication with, its Russian operations since the move, according to a person familiar with the matter, and several senior executives — including the general manager and chief financial officer — were removed following the takeover.

Company officials say executives in Russia have faced pressure from state-appointed administrators, including demands to approve financial decisions under threat of dismissal or other consequences.

The situation has not changed in recent months, according to the officials. The company’s Russian operations remain under external administration, with no restoration of control or ownership as of April.

The move falls under a legal framework introduced in 2023 allowing the Russian government to place certain foreign-owned assets under temporary state control.

The decree identified a company called Stalelement as the entity overseeing the assets, which company representatives describe as a shell entity with ties to the Russian government.

The company has raised the issue with U.S. officials, but no formal action has been taken.

Russian business daily Vedomosti reported in February that CANPACK’s Russian division donated approximately 500 million rubles to a pro-Kremlin fund supporting Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.

The company believes roughly $18 million was directed to state-linked funds supporting Russian operations, with an additional approximately $6 million sent to a Russian Orthodox church, based on Russian media reports and information relayed by former executives. Fox News has not independently verified those claims.

The estimated transfers represent a small portion of the company’s overall value, but underscore how quickly financial control can shift under external administration.

The company continued operating in Russia after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, even as many Western firms exited the market.

Giorgi said the company considered leaving but faced challenges unwinding decades of investment and could not find a buyer at a fair price.

"We decided to stay the course," he said, adding that the company hoped conditions would eventually stabilize.

The same December 2025 decree also targeted the Russian subsidiary of Danish insulation manufacturer Rockwool. Other Western companies, including France’s Danone and brewer Carlsberg, have faced similar actions by Russian authorities in recent years.

"We are talking about dozens of companies," Kolyandr said.

Kolyandr said U.S.-linked companies have in some cases been treated more cautiously than their European counterparts.

"American companies fared much better than the European ones," he said, pointing to Moscow’s interest in preserving the possibility of improved ties with Washington.

He said the trend accelerated after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when Western companies began suspending operations or exiting the market.

"It all started in earnest with the beginning of the war," he said, adding that it became easier for authorities to take control of assets.

Kolyandr said the policy reflects a wider redistribution of property aimed at bringing profitable or strategic assets under closer state influence.

"It sends a signal across the system that if you do not toe the line, your property may be taken away," he said.

He added that while the process may generate some revenue for the state, funding the war is unlikely to be the primary driver.

"On the one hand, it helps to generate a bit of cash for the budget," he said. "But I don’t think it’s the main reason."

The Russian Embassy in Washington and the Russian foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

Trump adversary running for Senate borrows his filibuster playbook

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 06:00:40 -0400

One of President Donald Trump's top Democratic foes running for the Senate is taking a page from his and conservatives’ playbook in their pitch to reform the filibuster.

Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills, who is running to unseat longtime Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, released her policy platform in recent days. Among several pitches to voters is a call to reform the filibuster.

Mills, if elected, said in the 19-page document that she would require "Senators to remain on the Senate floor and actually speak, rather than simply threatening a filibuster to delay action."

The filibuster has become a flashpoint in the Senate, particularly for Republicans, given that its current 60-vote threshold requires legislation to be bipartisan in nature. And Mills' position, which has been previously supported by Democrats, is one Trump and some in the GOP are pushing for to pass a massive election integrity bill.

GRAHAM EYES ‘DOWN PAYMENT’ ON TRUMP-BACKED SAVE ACT WITHOUT DEMOCRATIC SUPPORT

Her desire to change the filibuster echoes one made by Trump and conservatives, both in Congress and online, that have demanded Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., launch a talking filibuster to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act.

"Washington is broken, and Maine people are paying the price," Mills said in a statement introducing the platform. "Donald Trump and Washington Republicans are undermining our fundamental rights and driving up costs, all while Congress fails to solve the big problems facing Maine people. Enough is enough. Maine people deserve better than what D.C. is giving them."

Mills and Trump have an adversarial relationship that reached a chaotic crescendo in 2025 when, during a meeting of governors at the White House, she declared, "We’ll see you in court," over the president’s executive order to deny federal funding to states that allowed transgender athletes to participate in sports.

THUNE ACCUSES CRITICS OF 'CREATING FALSE EXPECTATIONS' AMID BACKLASH OVER STALLED SAVE AMERICA ACT

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the Senate GOP’s main campaign arm, warned that Mills’ desired change to the filibuster was a dog whistle for Democrats’ plan to slow-walk Trump’s agenda.

"Janet Mills is saying the quiet part out loud: If she goes to Washington, she will use every tool at her disposal to push her radical anti-Trump agenda on Americans," NRSC spokesperson Samantha Cantrell told Fox News Digital.

Trump has asked Republicans to go a step further and nuke the filibuster altogether — an unlikely scenario in the Senate, given the lack of support to do away with the guardrail in its current form.

MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE CITES COMBAT TRAUMA WHEN CONFRONTED ON 'TERRIBLE' POSTS ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT

A talking filibuster, as Mills suggested, would require senators to debate a bill rather than falling back on the typical 60-vote threshold.

The Senate is currently doing a version of the talking filibuster in the GOP’s bid to shine a light on Senate Democrats’ refusal to support the SAVE America Act. But it won’t lead to the legislation passing because the GOP isn't unified to block Democratic amendments that could drastically alter the bill.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who handpicked Mills to run in Maine against Collins, has dubbed the legislation "Jim Crow 2.0" and rallied his caucus behind defeating the measure.

Before Mills has a chance to square off against Collins, she’ll first have to survive a tough primary battle against insurgent candidate Graham Platner, an oyster farmer who has the backing of Schumer’s left flank.

Fox News Digital reached out for comment from Mills, Platner and Collins, but did not hear back by publication.

Trump backs Hilton ahead of California GOP vote, testing Bianco’s grip on party endorsement

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 05:00:34 -0400

California Republicans this weekend will vote to endorse their pick for California governor in the race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The vote, this Sunday in San Diego at the California GOP's annual convention, comes a week after President Donald Trump took sides between the two major Republican candidates in the race, backing conservative commentator and former Fox News Channel host Steve Hilton over Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.

Trump, whose endorsements are extremely influential in GOP primaries, argued in his endorsement statement that California had "gone to hell" and that "Steve can turn it around, before it is too late, and, as President, I will help him to do so!"

The president's support for Hilton is expected to pay immediate dividends at the state GOP convention.

HERE'S WHO TRUMP IS BACKING IN THE GOLDEN STATE GUBERNATORIAL SHOWDOWN

"I think it definitely can help rally the base behind a candidate and generate some noise and some enthusiasm," California Republican Party chairwoman Corrin Rankin told Fox News Digital.

Bianco is a loyal Trump supporter who has plenty of friends and support among California Republican insiders. But Trump's endorsement of Hilton, a top adviser to then-British Prime Minister David Cameron a decade and a half ago before moving to the U.S. and becoming an American citizen in 2021, may boost him at the GOP convention, where backing from 60% of delegates is needed to land the party's endorsement.

But Bianco, the sheriff who recently grabbed plenty of national attention for seizing ballots in Riverside County, appeared defiant.

"For too long, politicians and insiders from Sacramento to Washington have tried to pick our leaders for us. That’s not leadership, that’s a coronation, and it’s exactly how we ended up with the failed leadership Californians are living with today," he said in a social media video. "This election belongs to the people, not the political class."

TOUGH ON CRIME REPUBLICAN SHERIFF LAUNCHES BID FOR CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR

Trump's endorsement may have another unintended consequence.

Candidates from both major political parties appear on the same ballot in the left-leaning state's June primary, with the top two finishers advancing to November's general election.

Some Democrats were concerned that with nine candidates in the race, support among Democratic voters would be so badly divided in the primary that no contender would reach the general election. Hilton and Bianco had been the top two candidates in some public opinion polls, giving some in the GOP hope of a final face-off between two Republicans.

That scenario may be less likely now, as Hilton's support is expected to rise and Bianco's drop in light of the president's endorsement. Polling in the past week gave a hint of a Hilton surge.

"Trump kills any GOP hopes of an R vs R runoff in the California governor's race," Rob Pyers of California Target Book, which describes itself as a non-partisan and unbiased political almanac, wrote last week in a social media post.

MEDIA PERSONALITY STEVE HILTON ENTERS CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL RACE

But Hilton dismissed as a pipe dream talk of shutting out the Democrats from the general election ballot.

"That scenario of two Republicans [making the general election ballot], I've been saying this for months, was always a fantasy," Hilton said on Fox Business' "The Bottom Line." "The idea that the Democrat machine in California was just going to hand over the state to two Republicans was never serious. It was never, never going to happen."

He further argued, "What was more likely was actually...you were going to have two Democrats in the top two and then we'll have no chance of change. So this really makes sure that we have a Republican in the top two."

No Republican has won a statewide election in California since then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's 2006 re-election victory.

And with the president's approval rating in California hovering in the 30s, Trump's endorsement will likely do Hilton no favors if he makes it onto the November ballot.

Watchdog, GOP lawmaker warn NY voter registration systems lacks key safeguards

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 05:00:04 -0400

One blue state is failing to enact adequate voting safeguards and refusing to correct its mistakes ahead of November’s midterm elections, an election integrity watchdog warns.

Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections (RITE), a nonpartisan organization focused on election security, alleges the New York State Board of Elections (NYSBOE) stonewalled a request to fix the state’s voter registration form to comply with federal voting law.

The watchdog sent the NYSBOE a letter in late 2025 outlining several violations they claimed could undermine the state’s election integrity if left unaddressed.

After the board failed to correct most of the violations, RITE and Tenney are demanding the board hand over comprehensive records and data to identify additional shortcomings in the state's voter registration system.

TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER OVERHAULING MAIL-IN VOTING IN MAJOR ELECTION INTEGRITY PUSH

"Your lack of a response is troubling and disregards the need to ensure public trust that New York is maintaining accurate voter rolls as required by federal law," they wrote in a letter to the NYSBOE earlier this week that was obtained by Fox News Digital.

If the board does not meet their May 2026 deadline, RITE and Tenney say they are prepared to go to federal court to enforce compliance with federal law.

The watchdog alleges two errors in New York State’s voter registration forms that violate the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).

First, New York State did not instruct individuals that they must provide their driver’s license information if they have one. It also continued registering individuals who did not provide a driver’s license, the last four digits of their Social Security number or a declaration that the applicant has neither, as required by federal law.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT’S TWO DECADES OF UNLAWFUL VOTES EXPOSE THE REAL 'THREAT' TO DEMOCRACY: EXPERTS

These errors have, in part, led to millions of New York voters providing incomplete information during the registration process, making it more difficult for the state to accurately maintain voter lists, according to RITE.

RITE and and Tenney also allege the board did not perform a requested audit to identify how many incomplete voter registration applications have been processed.

A 2022 report from the conservative Public Interest Legal Foundation found that at least 3.1 million New York registered voters have not provided a driver’s license or Social Security number on their application form.

"The law is clear: states may not accept registration forms that lack required identifying information," RITE President Justin Riemer said in a statement. New York’s own regulations direct officials to do exactly that. This flagrant violation of an important federal safeguard significantly erodes the integrity of New York’s voter registration system."

"We are committed to getting answers about the breadth of the problem and ensuring the state fixes it," Riemer added.

Tenney, who is chair of the Election Integrity Caucus, said she has called for an investigation into the NYSBOE since 2022.

"Transparency and accurate voter rolls are essential to maintaining public trust in our elections," the New York Republican said in a statement. "The people of New York deserve answers, accountability, and full compliance with HAVA to ensure the integrity of every vote."

The New York City Board of Elections system has also come under recent scrutiny for failing to enact adequate safeguards.

One of its employees declined to block a reporter who was posing as a noncitizen from attempting to register to vote, according to video footage obtained by Fox News Digital in February.

Fox News Digital reached out to the New York State Board of Elections for comment.

Vance arrives in Pakistan for high-stakes Iran talks as ‘fragile’ ceasefire teeters

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 23:59:42 -0400

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Vice President JD Vance arrived in Pakistan early Saturday, where he is leading high-stakes negotiations with Iran aimed at preserving a fragile ceasefire and preventing a broader regional war.

Vance is joined by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, as part of a senior delegation engaging Iranian officials in Islamabad.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf will be negotiating for Iran.

The talks, scheduled for Saturday, come over a month after the U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28 — a sweeping military campaign targeting Iran’s military infrastructure following the collapse of nuclear negotiations.

IRAN REVEALS 10-POINT PLAN FOR PEACE WITH THE US – HERE'S WHAT'S IN IT

That operation pushed the U.S. and Iran to the brink of a ground war before a tenuous diplomatic breakthrough in recent days.

Trump announced a two-week ceasefire Tuesday, agreeing to suspend further U.S. strikes on the condition that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route.

While Iran signaled it would allow passage through the strait as part of the agreement, traffic remains severely disrupted, with shipping companies hesitant to resume normal operations amid ongoing security concerns and uncertainty over enforcement.

Vance struck a cautious tone before departing, warning Iran not to test the U.S. negotiating posture.

"If they’re gonna try and play us, then they’re gonna find that the negotiating team is not that receptive," Vance said, adding that he still expects the talks to be "positive."

The outcome of the talks could determine whether the ceasefire holds or collapses into renewed hostilities, as both sides remain deeply divided after weeks of conflict.

Iranian officials have struck a cautious and conditional tone ahead of the talks.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said it accepted the two-week ceasefire but warned "this does not signify the termination of the war," adding that "our hands remain upon the trigger" if the agreement is violated.

Vance described the agreement Wednesday as a "fragile truce."

Iran also has tied the success of the ceasefire to developments in Lebanon, insisting that Israeli strikes on Hezbollah must stop as part of any broader agreement. Tehran has warned that continued attacks could jeopardize the talks, highlighting a key dispute with Israel and the U.S., which have argued Lebanon is not covered by the truce.

VANCE WARNS IRAN WILL 'FIND OUT' TRUMP IS 'NOT ONE TO MESS AROUND' IF CEASEFIRE DEAL FALLS APART

Pakistan has emerged as a key intermediary, positioning itself as a neutral venue between Washington and Iran after helping broker the initial truce. But that role is already facing scrutiny.

Pakistan’s defense minister, Khawaja Asif, sparked backlash recently after calling Israel’s actions a "curse on humanity" in a now-deleted X post and, in a separate exchange, saying critics should "burn in hell."

The remarks drew a sharp response from Israeli officials, who questioned Pakistan’s credibility as a neutral broker. Israeli leaders described the comments as "outrageous" and warned such rhetoric was incompatible with serving as a mediator, while Israel’s ambassador to India publicly said, "we don’t trust Pakistan."

Pakistani officials have not directly addressed the controversy surrounding Asif’s remarks but have defended their broader role, emphasizing Islamabad’s efforts to broker the ceasefire and facilitate talks. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for "dialogue and diplomacy," while officials say both Washington and Iran have expressed confidence in Pakistan’s mediation.

The talks are also unfolding against a challenging security backdrop.

U.S. officials have long treated Pakistan as a high-threat environment for official travel, with strict movement controls and layered security measures typically required for American personnel.

Bill Gage, a former Secret Service agent who traveled to Islamabad with President George W. Bush, told Fox News Digital the threat environment in Pakistan historically has ranked among the most severe faced by U.S. protective teams, requiring constant coordination and heightened precautions.

"The threat environment in Pakistan was one of the worst the Secret Service had ever operated in," Gage said of his experience in 2006. "We were briefed that al-Qaeda wanted to kidnap an agent, so we always had to be in pairs."

Pakistan continues to grapple with persistent terrorism threats.

The State Department currently classifies the country as a Level 3 travel risk, warning of potential attacks, crime and kidnapping, and noting that extremist groups have carried out strikes in major cities, including Islamabad.

Still, U.S. officials view the Islamabad meeting as a rare opening for diplomacy, with discussions expected to include nuclear restrictions, sanctions relief and broader regional security issues.

Whether the talks produce a lasting breakthrough or plunge the Middle East back into conflict may hinge on whether both Washington and Iran are willing to move beyond decades of mistrust.

Epstein survivors push back on Melania Trump hearing call as Comer vows ‘we will have hearings’

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 21:55:42 -0400

Some Jeffrey Epstein abuse survivors are pushing back on first lady Melania Trump’s call for public congressional testimony, as House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., confirmed Friday "we will have hearings," following a rare public statement Thursday by Trump at the White House where she came out swinging at those who have linked her to Epstein.

The first lady also called on Congress to conduct hearings "specifically centered around the survivors."

"Give these victims their opportunity to testify under oath in front of Congress with the power of sworn testimony," Trump said. "Each and every woman should have her day to tell her story in public if she wishes, and then her testimony should be permanently entered into the Congressional Record."

But a group of 15 Epstein victims released a joint statement Friday against the move.

"First Lady Melania Trump is now shifting the burden onto survivors," they said. "Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein have already shown extraordinary courage by coming forward, filing reports, and giving testimony," they added. "Asking more of them now is a deflection of responsibility, not justice."

MELANIA TRUMP DENOUNCES ‘LIES’ CONNECTING HER WITH DISGRACED FINANCIER JEFFREY EPSTEIN IN WHITE HOUSE EVENT

Comer said such hearings have always been on his radar.

"I agree with the first lady and appreciate what she said. We will have ⁠hearings," Comer told Fox News' Sandra Smith. "I've always planned on having hearings with the victims.

"My attorneys on the Oversight Committee have been communicating on a constant basis for months with the attorneys representing Epstein victims," he added. "There are some victims who are willing to come in, [but] most victims aren't, and I completely understand that, but we have always planned on having a hearing with Epstein's victims once the depositions have been completed."

Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton both sat for closed-door depositions with the House Oversight Committee in February for questioning related to Epstein, and a deposition is forthcoming for Microsoft founder Bill Gates in June.

EPSTEIN'S LAWYER 'NOT AWARE' OF ANY RELATIONSHIP TRUMP HAD WITH LATE CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER, COMER SAYS

"The first lady accomplished three things [Thursday] as it relates to the disgraceful Epstein," the first lady's senior advisor, Marc Beckman, told "Fox & Friends" Friday. "First, she cleared her record; she set the record straight, she debunked all of the lies surrounding her and Epstein."

MELANIA TRUMP ADVISOR SAYS SHE'S HAD ‘ENOUGH’ AFTER BREAKING SILENCE TO DENY JEFFREY EPSTEIN CONNECTION

"Second, she became a champion for these women, for the victims, and finally, third, she's a real leader in Washington, D.C. She's calling on Congress to act now."

It is unclear when or how many of the survivors will come forward to testify.

"Survivors have done their part. Now it’s time for those in power to do theirs," the survivors said in the statement.

Sen Tim Sheehy makes emergency landing after in-flight engine failure

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 20:53:15 -0400

Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., was forced to make an emergency landing Friday after experiencing in-flight engine failure while piloting a plane.

According to Sheehy’s chief of staff, Mike Berg, the senator was conducting a routine flight training exercise that he completes twice a year.

"This afternoon, Sen. Sheehy was engaged in a routine flight training exercise which he completes twice a year," Berg said in a statement. "The aircraft experienced a mechanical engine failure."

Berg said Sheehy and his co-pilot made an emergency landing in a field.

EMERGENCY LANDING ENDS IN TRAGEDY AS PLANE CRASHES ON NEW MEXICO GOLF COURSE

"Neither pilot was injured," he added.

PLANE DOOR OPENS IN MIDAIR MOMENTS AFTER TAKEOFF, LEAVING FLIGHT PASSENGERS STUNNED AND SOCIAL MEDIA BUZZING

The plane landed in a field in Ennis, Montana, according to KBZK.

The outlet reported that Sheehy is an FAA-certified commercial pilot and certified flight instructor.

Reached for comment, Sheehy’s office referred Fox News Digital to Berg’s statement.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Pelosi, California Dems slam Swalwell over bombshell sexual assault allegations: 'Indefensible'

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 20:45:18 -0400

California Democrats, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., have come out against Democratic gubernatorial candidate Eric Swalwell after multiple bombshell reports were published Friday accusing Swalwell of sexually assaulting a former female staffer and allegedly sexually harassing other female staffers.

Amid repeated denials and cease and desist letters sent by Swalwell's lawyer Thursday, one of the alleged victims shared her story publicly for the first time, accusing Swalwell of taking advantage of her while she was intoxicated.

The alleged victim's story also included claims Swalwell pressured her to send naked pictures of herself and sent sexually explicit photos of his own, pulled out his private parts while driving in a car with her and requested she perform oral sex on him.

She said these and other incidents affected how Swalwell treated her professionally.

SWALWELL'S FORMER FEMALE STAFFER DROPS BOMBSHELL ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT, EXPOSING HIMSELF: REPORT

On multiple occasions, the young staffer recalls blacking out from alcohol consumption, before waking up naked in Swalwell's hotel bed with signs she had engaged in intercourse. Swalwell allegedly distanced himself after the incident. Their relationship faded before they reunited when she no longer worked for him, and another incident allegedly took place.

After the bombshell report from the San Francisco Chronicle surfaced Friday, Swalwell's campaign website displayed an error page for endorsements, and a slew of Democrats withdrew their endorsements and called for Swalwell to drop out of the race for governor.

"The young woman who has made serious allegations against Congressman Swalwell must be respected and heard," Pelosi told media outlets. "As I discussed with Swalwell, it is clear that is best done outside of a gubernatorial campaign."

"I have read the San Francisco Chronicle’s account, and I am deeply distressed by its allegations," added Schiff. "This woman was brave to come forward, and we should take her story seriously. I am withdrawing my endorsement immediately and believe that he should withdraw from the race."

ERIC SWALWELL CAMPAIGN SETS OFF ALARM BELLS AFTER ACCEPTING $25K DONATION FROM CCP-TIED LAWYER: ‘OUTRAGEOUS’

"To the survivor who risked everything to come forward – I believe you. To the Democratic Party – you’d better hold him accountable," Matt Mahan, a former San Jose mayor and fellow Democrat gubernatorial candidate in California said Friday.

"If we don’t, we have no credibility asking anyone else to do the same. To Eric Swalwell – drop out."

"The allegations against Congressmember Swalwell are deeply disturbing," California Democratic Party Chairman Rusty Hicks said in a statement. "First, the stories of victims and survivors should be heard and believed. Period.

"Second, any person engaged in misconduct must take responsibility and be held accountable for their actions – including a member of Congress and candidate for Governor. Finally, my call for all — repeat, all — candidates for Governor to ‘honestly assess the viability of their candidacy and campaign’ still stands. In fact, that call is more important now than ever before."

"The allegations are incredibly disturbing and unacceptable against Rep. Swalwell," the California Teachers Association said on X. "We are immediately suspending our support. Our elected board will be meeting as soon as possible to follow our union’s democratic process to determine next steps."

Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., a longtime friend and former campaign chair for Swalwell's failed presidential campaign, is now backing away from his initial support for Swalwell amid the sexual misconduct allegations he is facing as the California congressman runs for governor.

Earlier this week, Gallego faced blowback for attempting to discredit a user on X who said sexual misconduct allegations against Swalwell will end up "kick[ing] his a--." Gallego also defended Swalwell for being "targeted" in a separate post on social media, arguing he is the subject of sexual misconduct allegations because he is "in first place."

However, after the report released by the San Francisco Chronicle, Gallego changed his tune dramatically.

SWALWELL THREATENS FBI WITH LEGAL ACTION AS PATEL REPORTEDLY WEIGHS 'FANG FANG' FILES RELEASE

"I’ve read the San Francisco Chronicle’s reporting and I take it seriously. What is described is indefensible," Gallego posted on social media Friday after the report. "Women who come forward with accounts like this deserve to be heard with respect, not questioned or dismissed. I regret having come to his defense on social media prior to knowing all the information. I am equally as shocked and upset about what has transpired."

Swalwell has fiercely denied the allegations that were first being elevated on social media by Democratically-aligned politicos, including Cheyenne Hunt, a former Capitol Hill staffer who is a nonprofit director at the group Gen-Z for Change, and Arielle Fodor, a "political content creator," teacher and mother who refers to herself "Mrs. Frazzled" online. On Friday, the first first-hand account of these allegations surfaced.

Neither Swalwell nor his attorney responded to Fox News Digital's inquiries about the first-hand allegations of sexual misconduct against him.

Following the San Francisco Chronicle's report Friday, CNN published a separate report indicating three other women it had spoken to also alleged various kinds of sexual misconduct by the Democratic congressman, including Swalwell sending them unsolicited explicit messages or nude photos.

Swalwell's former female staffer drops bombshell allegations of sexual assault, exposing himself: report

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 18:46:33 -0400

Sexual harassment allegations have been amplified online by Democrat-aligned politicos targeting Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., one of the leading Democratic candidates in California's gubernatorial race.

Amid repeated denials and cease-and-desist letters sent by Swalwell's lawyer, one of the alleged victims shared her story publicly for the first time, accusing Swalwell of taking advantage of her while she was intoxicated on multiple occasions, according to a bombshell report published by the San Francisco Chronicle Friday.

DEM SENATOR RIPPED FOR ‘SMEAR’ OF FEMALE ACTIVIST ADVOCATING FOR SWALWELL'S ACCUSERS

The unnamed female accuser, who spoke to the San Francisco Chronicle, reportedly worked for Swalwell for about two years and revealed that he started pursuing her, despite being married, shortly after she was hired as a 21-year-old staffer in his district office.

On multiple occasions, the young staffer recalls blacking out from alcohol consumption, before waking up naked in Swalwell's hotel bed with signs she had engaged in intercourse. Swalwell allegedly distanced himself after the incident, and their relationship faded, before they reunited when she no longer worked for him when another incident allegedly took place.

"Eric Swalwell should immediately drop out," Democratic strategist Bhavik Lathia said after the San Francisco Chronicle's report dropped. "It is damning."

Matt Mahan, a former San Jose Mayor and fellow Democratic Party gubernatorial candidate in California, also called on Swalwell to "drop out."

"To the survivor who risked everything to come forward – I believe you," Mahan said. "To the Democratic Party – you’d better hold him accountable.

"If we don’t, we have no credibility asking anyone else to do the same."

Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., a longtime friend of Swalwell who faced backlash earlier this week for trying to discredit allegations against the California Democrat, posted on Friday that he "regret[s] having come to his defense on social media prior to knowing all the information. I am equally as shocked and upset about what has transpired."

"What is described is indefensible. Women who come forward with accounts like this deserve to be heard with respect, not questioned or dismissed," Gallego said. "I am withdrawing my endorsement of Congressman Swalwell, effective immediately."

Swalwell's team did not respond to Fox News' request for comment, but he recently said during a press gaggle that the allegations are "false," including allegations that Swalwell previously pressured female staffers to sign non-disclosure agreements so they cannot speak out or that he was involved in an alleged hush money settlement.

"It's false. And also some of the allegations I've seen, which is that we've had NDAs in the office – never. There's never been an allegation, and there's never been a settlement," Swalwell insisted this week.

Cheyenne Hunt, a former Capitol Hill staffer who is a nonprofit director at the group Gen-Z for Change, is among the voices acting as a proxy for alleged Swalwell accusers and has been helping amplify their stories.

On Friday, she blasted Swalwell for "tak[ing] a page out of the Trump playbook by attempting to silence women" with cease-and-desist letters he allegedly sent out late Thursday night ahead of the San Francisco Chronicle's report sharing a first-hand account from one of Swalwell's alleged accusers.

Fox News Digital has not independently verified the allegations from the report.

The alleged victim, who began working for Swalwell during his short-lived presidential campaign in 2019, said a married Swalwell, who was 38, began pursuing her, including through messages on Snapchat, which allows users to send photos that subsequently disappear after someone has looked at them.

She claimed the relationship rapidly progressed as Swalwell began asking for pictures of her face, then her naked body and eventually her genitalia. When messaging, the victim alleged Swalwell would sometimes send shirtless selfies or other images of his own genitalia.

SWALWELL THREATENS FBI WITH LEGAL ACTION AS PATEL REPORTEDLY WEIGHS 'FANG FANG' FILES RELEASE

Swalwell then allegedly tried to kiss the victim in her car when she drove him home from a donor meeting one night. On another occasion, he allegedly pulled out his penis while in the vehicle and asked her to perform oral sex on him. She admitted to doing so in a parking lot but soon stopped out of fear someone might see them.

In September 2019, the alleged victim, who was then working in Swalwell's Castro Valley district office, reportedly said Swalwell invited her out for dinner and drinks when she drank too much and blacked out.

She claimed to have not even remembered leaving the restaurant but woke up in Swalwell's hotel room the next day with vaginal soreness indicative of sexual intercourse. She also reportedly had a brief memory of Swalwell sucking her toes.

After the alleged September 2019 incident in Swalwell's hotel room, the victim said the pair's relationship faded as Swalwell distanced himself from her and began treating her more formally during public interactions. She eventually stopped working for Swalwell but stayed in politics and noted Swalwell would occasionally remain in touch with her, including reaching out when she was looking for a job.

However, she claimed that, five years later, while attending an April 2024 charity event Swalwell was being honored at, the pair reunited. She was not working for Swalwell at this later date, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The woman indicated that she and Swalwell went out for drinks after the event, during which she once again became inebriated and could only remember bits and pieces about the night.

"Even though he had hurt me in the past, I felt like he was someone I could trust," the alleged victim said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. "Because we shared this secret together, it pulled me closer to him."

According to the San Francisco Chronicle's reporting on the alleged victim's experiences, one moment she did remember from the night was pushing Swalwell away and telling him "no" as he allegedly tried to force her to have sex with him. The woman reportedly texted a friend after the incident telling her she had been sexually assaulted by Swalwell. Other messages reviewed by the San Francisco Chronicle reportedly showed the victim indicating she had "blacked out" but "woke up once during it and even told him to stop at one point."

"This happened one other time when I was working with him, but I convinced myself I was an equal party in it even though same pattern: I blacked out and he had sex with me," the alleged victim wrote, referring to the 2019 incident, according to the San Francisco Chronicle's reporting.

ERIC SWALWELL CAMPAIGN SETS OFF ALARM BELLS AFTER ACCEPTING $25K DONATION FROM CCP-TIED LAWYER: ‘OUTRAGEOUS’

The outlet also indicated it spoke with the friend the victim was allegedly texting and the woman's boyfriend whom she reportedly told about the assault the next day. The boyfriend reportedly encouraged her to report Swalwell at the time.

However, she did not go to the authorities at the time, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, because she was afraid she would not be believed. Medical records reportedly showed she did obtain a pregnancy and STD test a week after the incident.

Swalwell subsequently messaged the alleged victim after the 2024 incident and told her not to tell anyone about their interaction that night, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

"He even sent me a message: you said you didn’t remember anything last time i hope you do now," the alleged victim reportedly texted her friend three days after the incident. "And i said: yeah I’m trying to forget thanks."

"He was sending messages like we just had a romantic encounter like he knows what he’s doing," the alleged victim also allegedly wrote to her friend at the time. "He was gaslighting me into thinking it was consensual."

Swalwell's alleged victim began talking to the San Francisco news outlet roughly a month ago, while weighing whether to go public with her allegations as they began anonymously surfacing online.

The victim was confused how the rumors began, considering she only told family and a small group of friends about the incident. The victim reportedly called the Swalwell campaign in March to see if her name had surfaced among the rumored victims, and one of Swalwell's staffers reportedly asked her to vouch for Swalwell.

"He was so confident that I would stay silent that he wasn’t scared," she said of Swalwell.

"I have no skin in the game of who becomes governor of California, but I feel people have a right to know whether the person who leads a state that is a safe haven for so many women actually treats women with dignity and will protect their rights," the woman, who still works on Capitol Hill, said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

"No one protected me from him, and so I have to protect the other young women like me who aspire to work in this field and he could prey upon."

Late Thursday night, Swalwell's attorney, Elias Dabaie, sent a cease-and-desist letter that Hunt, one of the individuals amplifying Swalwell's accuser's claims, argues is an effort to intimidate those trying to speak up about Swalwell's history with women.

"Today we learned [Swalwell] is intimidating survivors, serving cease and desist letters on those coming forward with stories of sexual harassment and abuse. He sent this threat in the dead of night — another attempt to delay the truth," Hunt wrote on social media, attaching a copy of the first letter of the cease and desist letter she claimed to have obtained.

"This is what it looks like when powerful men get caught," Hunt continued. "These cease and desists are a disgusting abuse of power against brave women who are courageously working together to share their stories. It begs the question: if Swalwell has done nothing wrong, as his campaign claims, why not let the women tell their stories in the light of day? Our team remains steadfast. We will not relent. The women will not recant."

The Los Angeles Times reported Friday that it had confirmed the authenticity of the letter. Fox News Digital reached out to the attorney who sent the letter to confirm the authenticity of the letter independently but did not immediately receive a response.

After the San Francisco Chronicle's report Friday, CNN published a separate report indicating three other women it had spoken to also alleged various kinds of sexual misconduct by the Democratic congressman, including Swalwell sending them unsolicited explicit messages or nude photos.

Trump’s birthright citizenship crusade draws backing from cohort of prominent legal scholars

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 18:30:24 -0400

A group of at least seven law professors have mounted a campaign to challenge the longstanding interpretation of birthright citizenship, arguing in favor of President Donald Trump’s effort to narrow the constitutional provision, even as Supreme Court justices signal skepticism.

The legal scholars' arguments aim to persuade the Supreme Court and opponents of Trump's efforts that there are serious originalist and historical arguments for narrowing birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment that deserve consideration rather than dismissal as a fringe political theory.

Ilan Wurman, a law professor at the University of Minnesota, told Fox News Digital the recent wave of support is intended to reinforce the point that birthright citizenship is not a settled matter despite the institutional consensus on it.

"That several prominent law professors have come out over the past year, including a few in the past month, in varying degrees of support for the Trump Administration's birthright citizenship executive order, shows that their position is serious," Wurman said. "The Supreme Court cannot simply rely on the conventional wisdom. It will have to show its work."

TRUMP ELEVATES IMMIGRATION FIGHT AT SUPREME COURT, TURNING UP HEAT ON DEMOCRATS AHEAD OF MIDTERMS

Wurman, who specializes in constitutional law, was one of dozens who also weighed in on the case by submitting amicus briefs to the high court ahead of April 1 oral arguments on birthright citizenship, which grants automatic citizenship to most babies born on U.S. soil under the 14th Amendment.

He argued, in part, that the amendment never intended to grant illegal immigrants’ babies citizenship, saying that in the 19th century, parents who were residents of a country owed allegiance to the country in exchange for protections from its government.

"This exchange of allegiance and protection was often described as a ‘mutual compact,’" Wurman wrote. "Lawful aliens generally fell within the scope of the rule, while foreign soldiers and ambassadors did not. … Illegally present aliens would likely have fallen outside the scope of the rule."

The other law professors include Randy Barnett of Georgetown University, Kurt Lash of University of Richmond, Richard Epstein of New York University, Tom Lee of Fordham University, Adrian Vermeule of Harvard University and, most recently, Philip Hamburger of Columbia University, each of whom has argued in varying degrees that Trump’s birthright citizenship order is constitutionally defensible.

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Trump’s order, signed soon after he took office, would prevent children born to mothers who are illegal immigrants or legal temporary visitors from gaining automatic citizenship. While all the justices, aside from Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, appear poised to toss out Trump’s order, the case has nevertheless invited polarizing debate. If approved by the high court, it could strip citizenship from those ineligible for it under Trump’s new interpretation and broadly shift immigration policy.

The Trump administration has contended that temporary visitors and illegal immigrants are not "subject to the jurisdiction" of the United States and that that phrasing in the amendment was intended to apply to freed slaves in the Civil War-era. The administration has argued that birth tourism companies have illegally exploited the generous citizenship policy and that it also incentivizes illegal immigration.

Chief Justice John Roberts challenged Solicitor General John Sauer during oral arguments on the small exceptions built into the 14th Amendment, such as children born to foreign diplomats, saying they were not comparable to a wide category of illegal immigrants.

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"The examples you give to support that strike me as very quirky," Roberts said. "You know, children of ambassadors, children of enemies during a hostile invasion, children on warships, and then you expand it to a whole class of illegal aliens. … I’m not quite sure how you can get to that big group from such tiny and sort of idiosyncratic examples."

The American Civil Liberties Union lawyer who argued against the executive order told the Supreme Court the policy was enshrined in the 14th Amendment to "put it out of reach of any government official" and that its exceptions were intentionally narrow.

"It excludes only those cloaked with a fiction of extraterritoriality because they are subject to another sovereign's jurisdiction even when they're in the United States, a closed set of exceptions to an otherwise universal rule," ACLU lawyer Cecillia Wang said.

Wurman noted that the professors siding with Trump's executive order have been met with "swift and vicious" reactions. David Bier, immigration expert at the libertarian CATO Institute, said the bloc of dissenters was unserious.

"Oh SEVEN!? That’s remarkable given that to qualify as a judge or appointee you need to align yourself with the president," Bier wrote on X. "The case is a joke. It’s sad that these people are debasing themselves in a losing effort for an ignoble cause."

Golden eagles, lions and a winged Lady Liberty top Trump's proposed 250-foot DC Triumphal Arch designs

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 18:21:46 -0400

The fate of the President Donald Trump-touted 250-foot Triumphal Arch will be decided next week at a White House Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) meeting after the official proposed designs of the monument were filed by the Trump administration and released for the first time Friday.

"I am pleased to announce that TODAY my Administration officially filed the presentation and plans to the highly respected Commission of Fine Arts for what will be the GREATEST and MOST BEAUTIFUL Triumphal Arch, anywhere in the World," Trump said in Truth Social post.

"This will be a wonderful addition to the Washington D.C. area for all Americans to enjoy for many decades to come!"

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Speculation has swirled about the final look of the proposed arch since late last year, with many iterations making the rounds on social media before the official mock-ups were shared earlier today.

The mock-up, designed by architecture firm Harrison Design, is a 12-page addendum shared on the Commission of Fine Arts official meeting page.

According to those mock-ups, the arch rises to 250 feet, evoking the nation's 250th anniversary and more than double the height of the nearby 99-foot Lincoln Memorial.

The central opening of the arch in the provided designs is roughly 110 feet high, providing a picture frame effect for both the Lincoln Memorial across the Potomac River and Arlington National Cemetery.

The arch's location would be roughly equidistant from both landmarks, sitting at the roundabout between Memorial Bridge and Memorial Avenue near the Arlington Cemetery Metro Stop.

The scale would be unlike any monument in Washington, D.C., with the arch theoretically dwarfing nearby memorials and towering above the roadway.

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Friday's released designs revealed a golden, winged Lady Liberty-style figure atop the arch flanked by two bald eagles crowning the monument and adding even more height to the structure. This is in contrast to previous possible designs Trump posted to social media in January, which had no ornamentation atop the arch.

The most iconic detail released in Friday's design, emblazoned across the top of the large central archway, are golden letters that say "ONE NATION UNDER GOD" centered on its white stone facade.

Harrison Design confirmed to Fox News Digital that the principal architect behind the arch is Nicolas Charbonneau, the award-winning director of Harrison Design’s Sacred Architecture Studio. He is known primarily for his work on churches.

"The world is ordered so that there’s a harmony to everything," Charbonneau told The Arlington Catholic Herald. "And we’ve been designed to know that there should be an ordering to what we do. A lot of modern architecture flies in the face of that."

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According to the mock-ups reviewed by Fox News Digital, there appear to be internal staircases within the arch's pedestals leading to what is implied to be a viewing deck for visitors to the monument. Four golden lions sit at each corner of the monument, renderings show.

The White House reiterated its goals for the monument in a statement it had previously shared with Fox News Digital earlier this year when asked for comment.

"The Triumphal Arch in Memorial Circle is going to be one of the most iconic landmarks not only in Washington, D.C., but throughout the world," White House spokesperson Davis Ingle reiterated in a statement to Fox News Digital.

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"It will enhance the visitor experience at Arlington National Cemetery for veterans, the families of the fallen and all Americans alike, serving as a visual reminder of the noble sacrifices borne by so many American heroes throughout our 250-year history so we can enjoy our freedoms today. President Trump will continue to honor our veterans and give the greatest nation on earth — America — the glory it deserves."

Trump has previously touted the arch, saying he'd "like it to be the biggest one of all," adding, "We’re the biggest, most powerful nation."

The Commission of Fine Arts, founded in 1910, consists of members who are personally selected by the sitting president and describes itself as "an independent federal agency charged with giving expert advice to the President, the Congress and the federal and District of Columbia governments on matters of design and aesthetics."

The White House Commission of Fine Arts is scheduled to meet Thursday morning in D.C.

The entire packet of renderings of the arch can be viewed here.

Harrison Design did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on the arch's design.