‘Hamilton’ star put on notice by Trump’s Kennedy Center president after anti-GOP ‘publicity stunt’
The newly minted president of the Kennedy Center, Richard Grenell, took the Broadway star behind the creation of “Hamilton,” Lin-Manuel Miranda, to task over a “publicity stunt” he said discriminates against Republican voters and will likely “backfire.” “The American people need to know that @Lin_Manuel is intolerant of people who don’t agree with him politically. It’s clear he and (‘Hamilton’ producer Jeffrey Seller) don’t want Republicans going to their shows. Americans see you, Lin,” Grenell posted to X Wednesday. Seller and Miranda spoke to the New York Times in a piece published Wednesday afternoon detailing that they canceled a planned production of “Hamilton,” a popular rap musical on the life of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, slated for 2026 due to the Trump administration’s policies. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts serves as the national cultural center of the U.S. and is now led by President Donald Trump as its chairman, Grenell and its board of trustees. KENNEDY CENTER SHAKE-UP WILL USHER IN ‘GOLDEN AGE OF THE ARTS’ UNDER TRUMP, RIC GRENELL PREVIEWS “This latest action by Trump means it’s not the Kennedy Center as we knew it,” Miranda and Seller told the New York Times in a joint statement. “The Kennedy Center was not created in this spirit, and we’re not going to be a part of it while it is the Trump Kennedy Center. We’re just not going to be part of it.” TRUMP ENVOY RICHARD GRENELL SECURES FREEDOM FOR 6 AMERICANS FOLLOWING MEETING WITH MADURO IN VENEZUELA Seller claimed that Trump “took away our national arts center for all of us.” “It became untenable for us to participate in an organization that had become so deeply politicized,” the musical’s producer said. “The Kennedy Center is for all of us, and it pains me deeply that they took it over and changed that. They said it’s not for all of us. It’s just for Donald Trump and his crowd. So we made a decision we can’t do it.” ACTRESS ISSA RAE CANCELS SOLD-OUT KENNEDY CENTER SHOW AFTER TRUMP NAMED CHAIRMAN OF VENUE Grennel shot back at the Broadway chiefs, saying they need to “be clear on the facts.” “Seller and @Lin_Manuel first went to the New York Times before they came to the Kennedy Center with their announcement that they can’t be in the same room with Republicans,” he wrote on X. “This is a publicity stunt that will backfire.” “The Arts are for everyone – not just for the people who Lin likes and agrees with,” he continued. “Americans see you, Lin.” Fox News Digital reached out to Miranda’s press team for additional comment, but did not immediately receive replies. The press office representing “Hamilton” provided Fox Digital with Seller’s statement canceling the production at the Kennedy Center when approached for additional comment. Trump fired a handful of the Kennedy Center’s previous board members in February, arguing that they did “not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture.” He indicated that the motivation behind firing the former board members was due to the Kennedy Center’s drag show performances under the Biden administration that targeted children. The new Kennedy Center board elected Trump as chairman Feb. 12. Trump appointed Grenell – who became the U.S.’s first openly gay Cabinet member under the first Trump administration when he served as acting director of national intelligence – as interim executive director amid the board shakeup. Grenell – as well as Trump – has since vowed that he and the Kennedy Center team will usher in the “Golden Age of the Arts.” He previewed during his remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February that the Kennedy Center will now focus on performances “the public want to see,” such as Christmas-focused productions in December. “We have to do the big productions that the masses and the public want to see, we want to have really good programming,” Grenell said in February at CPAC. “So the first thing that we’re doing… you’ve got to be at the Kennedy Center in December, because we are doing a big, huge celebration of the birth of Christ at Christmas. How crazy is it to think that we’re going to celebrate Christ at Christmas with a big traditional production to celebrate what we are all celebrating in the world during Christmastime, which is the birth of Christ.” A BIDEN-ERA LEGAL WIN PAVED THE WAY FOR TRUMP’S KENNEDY CENTER BOARD FIRINGS Miranda has not shied away from slamming the Trump administration in previous years, including saying on X in 2017 that Trump would be “going straight to hell” amid the administration’s response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico that year. Following the Trump-Pence election win in 2016, the cast of “Hamilton” also came under fire when it performed before then-Vice President-elect Mike Pence. Trump demanded the “Hamilton” cast apologize after calling on Pence to “uphold our American values” from the stage. “We, sir, we are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us, our planet, our children, our parents, or defend us and uphold our inalienable rights,” a cast member said in comments aimed at Pence. “We truly hope this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and work on behalf of all of us. All of us.” Seller told the New York Times in 2016 that he and Miranda and other cast members wrote the curtain call statement aimed at Pence after they struggled with how to “cope” with Trump’s first White House win. “We had to ask ourselves, how do we cope with this?” Seller said. “Our cast could barely go on stage the day after the election. The election was painful and crushing to all of us here. We all struggled with what was the appropriate and respectful and proper response. We are honored that Mr. Pence attended the show, and we had to use this opportunity to express our feelings.” In 2025, conservatives are celebrating
New York City denied request FEMA return $80M in migrant funds
A federal judge blocked New York City’s request for President Donald Trump’s administration to return $80 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds allocated for migrant shelters and services. Judge Jennifer Rearden, from the Manhattan bench on Wednesday, refused to issue New York City a temporary restraining order to claw back the funds because the city did not prove it would suffer irreparable harm without the money. “We’re disappointed the court did not grant the emergency relief we were seeking while the case continued, and we are evaluating next steps,” a New York City Law Department spokesperson told Fox News. The City of New York filed the lawsuit on Feb. 21 against Trump, FEMA, the Treasury Department and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), arguing the $80 million was already approved and paid out by FEMA. NYC MAYOR ERIC ADAMS, AN EX-COP, HAS ‘UPPER HAND’ OVER OTHER SANCTUARY CITY MAYORS: BLUE LIVES MATTER FOUNDER “This morning, our office learned about the federal government clawing back more than $80 million in FEMA grants applied for and awarded under the last administration, but not disbursed until last week,” Mayor Eric Adams, D-N.Y., said in an X post the day the lawsuit was filed. The lawsuit said the funds were revoked on Feb. 11, after Elon Musk said the Department of Government Efficiency found a $59 million FEMA payment to New York City for luxury hotels used to house illegal migrants. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said she rescinded the funds over concerns that the Roosevelt Hotel is the “Tren de Aragua base of operations.” “I have clawed back the full payment that FEMA deep state activists unilaterally gave to NYC migrant hotels. FEMA was funding the Roosevelt Hotel that serves as a Tren de Aragua base of operations and was used to house Laken Riley’s killer. Mark my words: there will not be a single penny spent that goes against the interest and safety of the American people,” Noem said in a X post. NYC SUES AFTER TRUMP ADMIN CLAWS BACK $80M MIGRANT HOUSING GRANT NYC Comptroller Brad Lander, a mayoral candidate vying for Adams’ seat, said the Trump administration “stole” the funds. ”Let’s be clear: Donald Trump and his loser lackies—Elon Musk and Kristi Noem—acted illegally when they stole $80 million from New York City’s bank account. Seizing our Congressionally-authorized, FEMA-approved money was nothing more than attempted retribution against immigrants seeking asylum, many of them sent here on buses by Governor Abbott from Texas. Like all of Trump’s illegal efforts to freeze and seize Congressionally-authorized funds, this action harmed taxpayers and working families and would force the City to cut services if not reversed,” Lander said in a statement following the ruling on Wednesday. The ruling came as Adams and his fellow “sanctuary city” Democratic mayors testified about their response to the migrant crisis on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. “I’m here today to testify on how New York City can continue to reduce crime, even as a sanctuary city,” Adams told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. “To be clear: A sanctuary city classification does not mean our city will ever be a safe haven for violent criminals. It also does not give New York City the authority to violate federal immigration laws. To the contrary, New York City will always comply with city, state, and federal laws, as it does now,” Adams added. Adams vowed to protect law-abiding New York City residents, regardless of immigration status, while also directing NYPD officers to comply with DHS and ICE. The mayor’s comments reflect his ongoing effort to strike a balance between protecting New Yorkers and coordinating with the Trump administration’s illegal immigration crackdown. As New York City struggled to keep up with the busloads of migrants entering the city’s overwhelmed shelter system, Adams was critical of former President Joe Biden’s handling of the migrant crisis. In his plight against the migrant crisis, Adams has developed a relationship with Trump – holding a private meeting with the president in West Palm Beach, Florida, and then meeting with border czar Tom Homan to discuss the migrant crisis in New York City. Homan said he would hold Adams to his commitments, telling “Fox & Friends,” “If he doesn’t come through, I’ll be back in New York City, and we won’t be sitting on the couch. I’ll be in his office, up his butt, saying, ‘Where the hell is the agreement we came to?’” Adams’ office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Effort to stop ‘extreme abortion activist’ ramps up in pivotal swing state election
FIRST ON FOX: One of the top pro-life organizations in the country is deploying resources on the ground in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, which has become one of the most closely watched contests in the state’s history. Women Speak Out PAC, a partner of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, announced in a Thursday press release that it is deploying students to contact Wisconsin voters in favor of candidate Brad Schimel, who is the Republican-aligned Supreme Court candidate going up against Susan Crawford, who is aligned with Democrats, in a race that is technically considered nonpartisan. “Susan Crawford’s track record shows she is an extreme abortion activist, not an impartial judge. She has worked hand in glove with the big abortion industry – led by Planned Parenthood – to wage lawfare against commonsense safeguards for women and babies, including health and safety standards and protections against coercion,” Women Speak Out PAC’s political communications director Kelsey Pritchard said in a statement. Pritchard accused Crawford of using the “same euphemisms” as the abortion industry to mislead voters about her abortion position compared to Schimel, who “has a sound record of respecting the Constitution and checks and balances in our government.” ABORTION PILL MIFEPRISTONE SPARKS NEW PRO-LIFE DEBATE AS SOME DOCTORS STRESS SAFETY CONCERNS The press release also alleged that Crawford, “defended Planned Parenthood, a multi-billion-dollar abortion business, in their fight against laws requiring abortionists to have hospital admitting privileges and preventing women from being coerced into unwanted abortions.” The student canvassers will be knocking on doors to support Schimel and encourage voter turnout. “We must defeat Susan Crawford and the radical Left,” Pritchard said. “That is why we are deploying our hardworking field team to speak with voters at their doorsteps about the urgency of turning out to vote for Brad Schimel on April 1.” The press release describes Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America as a “network of more than one million pro-life Americans nationwide, dedicated to ending abortion by electing national leaders and advocating for laws that save lives, with a special calling to promote pro-life women leaders.” LIBERAL JUDGE RECRUITS SANCTUARY SHERIFFS WHO DEFIED ICE FOR AD TOUTING CRIME RECORD IN PIVOTAL RACE Although the Supreme Court seats are considered nonpartisan, Crawford, currently a circuit court judge, has earned the endorsement of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, which received $1 million from George Soros in January before then sending $2 million to Crawford and various liberal activist groups. She has also been endorsed by Reproductive Freedom for All, a group that supports abortion rights. “Wisconsin’s next state Supreme Court justice may be a make-or-break vote to decide whether or not an abortion ban will cut off access to care,” Reproductive Freedom for All President and CEO Mini Timmaraju said last month. “Now that Trump has allowed states to ban abortion, state courts are on the front lines of our fight for reproductive freedom more than ever. We need Judge Crawford who recognizes that abortion is a fundamental right, and we are proud to endorse her in this race.” Schimel, currently a Waukesha County judge, has the backing of the Wisconsin GOP, several top Republican donors, including Chicago Cubs co-owner Joe Ricketts and Elon Musk’s Building America’s Future PAC. The race is expected to have significant implications on the future of Wisconsin politics given that the court’s current 4-3 liberal majority would essentially be set in stone through 2028 or, if Schimel were to win, become a conservative-leaning court with Justice Brian Hagedorn serving as a key swing vote. Fox News Digital reached out to the Crawford campaign for comment but did not receive a response before publication.
Ramadan 2025 Timetable: Sehri, Iftar timings for March 7 in Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and more
The Ramadan timetable holds significant importance, guiding worshippers in their daily schedule of fasting, prayers, and spiritual activities.
House votes to censure Rep. Al Green for disrupting Trump speech
Green, a Democrat from Houston, was protesting any planned cuts in Medicaid. He said it was worth a punishment to stand up for those who depend on government benefits.
Trump blasts Rep. Al Green as ‘an embarrassment’ to Democrats, says he ‘should be forced to take an IQ test’
EXCLUSIVE: President Donald Trump told Fox News Digital Thursday that Rep. Al Green “should be forced to pass an IQ test because he is a low IQ individual and we don’t need low IQ individuals in Congress,” after the Democrat disrupted his joint session address. The House of Representatives Thursday, in a bipartisan vote, censured Green, D-Texas, for interrupting the president’s Tuesday joint session address to Congress. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, the president reacted. “He should be censured,” Trump told Fox News Digital. The president also blasted Green as “a fool and a clown.” TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM TRUMP’S ADDRESS TO JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS “Nobody takes him seriously,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “He is an embarrassment to Congress but a much bigger embarrassment to the Democrats.” The 77-year-old Democrat was removed from Trump’s joint address to Congress Tuesday night after repeatedly disrupting the beginning of the president’s speech. He shouted, “You have no mandate!” at Trump as he touted Republican victories in the House, Senate and White House. House Speaker Mike Johnson had Green removed by the U.S. Sergeant-at-Arms. Green, Tuesday night, after being thrown out of the House chamber, spoke to the White House press pool and said he was “willing to suffer whatever punishment is available to me. I didn’t say to anyone, ‘don’t punish me.’ I’ve said I’ll accept the punishment.” “But it’s worth it to let people know that there are some of us who are going to stand up against this president’s desire to cut Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security,” he said, according to the pool report. Green did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Hochul endangering National Guard with ‘indefinite’ prison duty amid corrections strike: State lawmaker
As a correctional officers’ strike stretches into its 17th day, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has deployed more than 3,000 National Guard soldiers to guard duty in 41 of the state’s 42 prison facilities with no firm end date in sight, a situation some close to the situation say is more perilous in some respects than a combat assignment. “My husband has done a combat deployment, like he got shot at, and he never once on his combat deployment has he called me up and said, ‘Oh my God, I’ve got to get out of here,’” one wife of a National Guard soldier told Fox News Digital in an interview. “But within like, days, he was like, ‘I’ve got to get out of here.’” A state Republican legislator whose district includes impacted prisons also shared his concerns with Fox News Digital, complaining that the Guardsmen were thrown into the situation without proper training and fearing that, if injured, they would be ineligible for federal VA benefits. Hochul assigned National Guard troops to facilities after 15,000 correctional officers (COs) across nearly all of New York’s prisons walked off the job on Feb. 17, citing “unsafe” working conditions they blame on the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement (HALT) Act passed by the Democratic-controlled legislature in 2022, which they say have led to a surge in inmate-on-guard assaults. NY CORRECTIONS OFFICERS WANT DEM PRISON-REFORM REPEAL, SAY DEAL ENDING STRIKE ‘SLAP IN THE FACE’ The HALT Act restricts solitary confinement and instead focuses on other rehabilitation methods. Protesters have also been mandated to work 24-hour shifts in some cases, they say, while dealing with violent inmates who are a constant threat of both violence and smuggling in weapons and contraband. Now, National Guard soldiers who have been thrown into the mix are experiencing long hours without proper training to deal with the inmates – placing them in essentially similar conditions that COs have been protesting – according to a Republican lawmaker who has seven prisons in his district. “So there’s one unit that’s a unit of military police, but none of them are trained COs, and a lot of them are very young,” state Republican Sen. Daniel Stec told Fox News Digital. “And again, they’re strong backs, and they’re young and alert, but they’re not trained to do this work, and it is intimidating for them.” “They’re not in the Middle East doing that, but I’ve heard anecdotally, a lot of them saying, ‘the situation I was in, I felt less threatened when I was deployed overseas than in a prison in New York state,’” Stec recalled. “And they know that they’re walking among criminals, and a lot of them are very dangerous people, and they’re not trained for it.” Stec added that the “orders that they’re on are indefinite,” and he said he is worried because they are “activated on state orders, which means that if they’re injured inside one of these facilities, they are not eligible for care from the VA.” When reached for comment, a spokesperson for the state’s National Guard said the soldiers have received “basic training in the task they’re required to conduct” but did not provide details. MEET THE FAR-LEFT GROUPS FUNDING ANTI-DOGE PROTESTS AT GOP OFFICES ACROSS THE COUNTRY Meanwhile, Hochul has threatened legal action and terminations for the thousands of strikers who refuse to return to work. Since the strike was not sanctioned by the government-run COs’ union, the strikers are in violation of the state’s Taylor Law. The union has encouraged officers to return to work. In response, hundreds of officers staged a rally in Albany on Tuesday, calling on strikers to “hold the line.” It is unclear how many officers have returned to work, but a spokesperson for the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision told Fox News Digital that “Notices of termination and cancellation of insurance have begun to be issued to correction officers who have failed to return to work.” One correctional officer who spoke with Fox News Digital said he was terminated and had his health insurance revoked and backdated to Feb. 17, the first day of the protest. “I would love to be able to have all of this settled, and I can say wholeheartedly talking with all of my fellow employees, we’re all in the same boat,” the officer, who wished to remain anonymous, said. “We want this done and over with. We don’t want to be here. We don’t want to do this, but we have spoken out. We have filed grievances. There has been lawsuits all put forth on the state by our union, and the state has ignored all of it. They have ignored our cry for help over the last three years, and now it’s gotten to the point that individuals are being assaulted inside of the facilities, having feces and urine thrown at you on a regular basis is not something anybody should have to deal with.” The former CO said strikers want HALT repealed, which can only be done through the legislature. However, Stec said he and his Republican colleagues believe Hochul has the power to suspend the law for a year using emergency powers to properly address the workers’ concerns. BLUE STATE GOVERNOR’S ‘GROSS MISMANAGEMENT’ COST TAXPAYERS $1.6B FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT HEALTHCARE: AUDIT Last week, a tentative deal was reached between the New York State Correctional Officers, the government-affiliated corrections officers union, Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA) and the state’s Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. Hochul touted the mediated deal – which included some pay bumps and a temporary emergency suspension to portions of the HALT Act – as a success, but the “wildcat” strikers who were not at the negotiation table generally disapproved of the deal. Thousands continue to strike as a result and hope the legislature convenes to propose changes to the law. In a letter alongside the agreement, mediator Martin F. Scheinman – who has donated thousands of dollars to state Democrats over
US ‘energy dominance’: Wright, Burgum visit Louisiana liquefied natural gas facility amid $18B expansion
FIRST ON FOX: Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum are traveling to a Louisiana-based liquefied natural gas exporter Thursday, as the company announces a massive $18 billion expansion of its existing facility — a move the Trump administration says sends a “signal to the rest of the world that American energy dominance is back.” Wright and Burgum will tour U.S. liquefied natural gas exporter Venture Global on Thursday as it announces its investment in expanding its Plaquemines Parish export facility. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry will join the Cabinet secretaries. TRUMP PROMISES TO RAMP UP ENERGY PRODUCTION, LOWER COST OF EGGS DURING JOINT ADDRESS: ‘LIQUID GOLD’ The facility was approved by President Donald Trump in 2019 during his first term, along with the company’s first facility, Calcasieu Pass. Both facilities have started liquefied natural gas production in just five years. U.S. liquefied natural gas exports were able to replace a substantial amount of gas supply to Europe after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Trump lifted former President Joe Biden’s pause on new liquefied natural gas export permits. The National Association of Manufacturers conducted a study on the Biden ban that found nearly 1 million jobs would be threatened by the liquefied natural gas pause over the next two decades if the restriction remained in place. The Plaquemines, Louisiana, liquefied natural gas facility is expected to produce approximately 27 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of liquefied natural gas, but with the additional investment, it is expected to provide a total production capacity of more than 45 MTPA at Plaquemines. “President Trump’s vision to unleash our energy potential, drive down inflation, and sell energy to our allies is signaling to the world that America is back,” Burgum told Fox News Digital. “By investing in American Energy Dominance, the administration is empowering companies like Venture Global and their hardworking employees to Make America Great Again.” Burgum told Fox News Digital that the success of facilities like Plaquemines Parish’s liquefied natural gas export operation “is proof that America’s next ‘Golden Age’ is underway.” Additionally, Wright told Fox News Digital that on day one of Trump’s second term, he and the Department of Energy “ended the Biden-Harris administration’s failed ban” on liquefied natural gas export permits, “sending a signal to the rest of the world that American energy dominance is back.” “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, companies are investing in America again,” Wright said. “Just 50 days in, the American people are already seeing the impacts of the energy dominance agenda — and this is just the beginning.” TRUMP LIFTS BIDEN’S LNG PAUSE, INCREASE OIL DRILLING DURING 1ST DAYS IN OFFICE The planned Plaquemines expansion is expected to consist of 24 trains and would represent an approximately $18 billion additional investment in Louisiana, bringing Venture Global’s total investment in U.S. projects to more than $75 billion. Venture Global CEO Mike Sabel told Fox News Digital that the expansion makes Plaquemines “the largest” liquefied natural gas “export facility built in North America,” and said supplying liquefied natural gas to U.S. allies will have a “substantial impact on the U.S. balance of trade.” “We believe this flexible incremental capacity will position us to respond rapidly to market growth signals,” Sabel said. “In a capital-intensive commodity industry, capital will always flow to the most competitive projects, and we believe that an expansion of Plaquemines is one of the most economically efficient opportunities available to meet growing” liquefied natural gas demands. Sabel also touted the Trump administration for creating “the best regulatory environment in decades.” The expansion is also expected to support hundreds of new, permanent Louisiana jobs and tens of thousands of indirect subcontractor, part-time and full-time jobs throughout the state, and more than 30 other states across the nation. “Today’s announcement is a result of President Trump’s dedication to strengthening our energy infrastructure,” Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry told Fox News Digital. “Under President Trump, Louisiana is now at the forefront of supplying LNG to our allies, and bringing America to energy independence once again.” The visit and the massive investment come just days after Trump’s first address of his second term to a joint session of Congress. The president vowed to “make America affordable again” by reducing the cost of energy. “A major focus of our fight to defeat inflation is rapidly reducing the cost of energy,” the president said during his speech. “We have more liquid gold under our feet than any nation on earth, and by far. … And now I fully authorize the most talented team ever assembled to go and get it.” He added, “It’s called drill, baby, drill.” Slashing energy prices was one of Trump’s many campaign promises before he was elected in November 2024. At a rally in State College, Pennsylvania, Trump vowed to lift the U.S. pause on U.S. liquefied natural gas export terminals.
Dems throw House into chaos after 10 moderates join GOP to punish Al Green
House lawmakers have voted to censure Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, after he was thrown out of President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night. Ten Democrats joined Republicans in voting for the measure. Green himself voted “present,” along with first-term Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Ala. “Al Green’s childish outburst exposed the chaos and dysfunction within the Democrat party since President Trump’s overwhelming win in November and his success in office thus far. It is not surprising 198 Democrats refused to support Green’s censure given their history of radical, inflammatory rhetoric fueled by Trump Derangement Syndrome,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News Digital. Before the formal censure could be read out to Green, however, Democrats upended House floor proceedings by gathering with the Texas Democrat and singing “We shall overcome.” Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., was forced to call the House into a recess after failing multiple times to quell the protest. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP CONCLUDES REMARKS AFTER DECLARING ‘AMERICA’S MOMENTUM IS BACK’ Decorum eroded further afterwards, with several Democrats including “Squad” member Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., engaging in a heated exchange with Republicans including first-term Rep. Ryan MacKenzie, R-Pa. The 10 Democrats who voted to censure Green are Reps. Ami Bera, D-Calif.; Ed Case, D-Hawaii; Jim Costa, D-Calif.; Laura Gillen, D-N.Y.; Jim Himes, D-Conn.; Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa.; Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio; Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla.; Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash.; and Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y. Republicans raced to introduce competing resolutions to censure Green on Wednesday, with three separate texts being drafted within hours of each other. Fox News Digital was told that Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., whose resolution got a vote on the House floor Thursday morning, had reached out to Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., about working on a censure resolution immediately after Trump’s speech ended on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the House Freedom Caucus had aimed to make good on a threat to censure any Democrats who protested Trump’s speech, and Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, crafted his own censure resolution against Green that got more than 30 House GOP co-sponsors. But Newhouse took to the House floor on Wednesday afternoon to deem his resolution “privileged,” a maneuver forcing House leaders to take up a bill within two legislative days. Newhouse told Fox News Digital after the vote, “President Trump’s address to Congress was not a debate or a forum; he was invited by the Speaker to outline his agenda for the American people. The actions by my colleague from Texas broke the rules of decorum in the House, and he must be held accountable.” A bid by House Democrats to block the resolution from getting a vote failed on Wednesday. Green himself voted “present.” The 77-year-old Democrat was removed from Trump’s joint address to Congress on Tuesday night after repeatedly disrupting the beginning of the president’s speech. He shouted, “You have no mandate!,” at Trump as he touted Republican victories in the House, Senate and White House. Johnson had Green removed by the U.S. Sergeant-at-Arms. It was part of a larger issue with Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday night, with many engaging in both silent and vocal acts of protest against Trump. Democrats were also chided for not standing up to clap when Trump designated a 13-year-old boy an honorary Secret Service agent. The House speaker publicly challenged Democrats to vote with Republicans in favor of the censure on Thursday. “Despite my repeated warnings, he refused to cease his antics, and I was forced to remove him from the chamber,” Johnson posted on X. “He deliberately violated House rules, and an expeditious vote of censure is an appropriate remedy. Any Democrat who is concerned about regaining the trust and respect of the American people should join House Republicans in this effort.” TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM TRUMP’S ADDRESS TO JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS Green, who shook Newhouse’s hand before speaking out during debate on his own censure, stood by his actions on Wednesday. “I heard the speaker when he said that I should cease. I did not, and I did not with intentionality. It was not done out of a burst of emotion,” Green said. “I think that on some questions, questions of conscience, you have to be willing to suffer the consequences. And I have said I will. I will suffer whatever the consequences are, because I don’t believe that in the richest country in the world, people should be without good healthcare.” Other recent lawmakers censured on the House floor have been Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., former Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., and now-Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.
It’s time to ban Chinese AI app DeepSeek from ‘government devices,’ state AGs urge Congress
State attorneys general have joined the growing calls from elected officials urging Congress to pass a law banning the Chinese-owned DeepSeek AI app on all government devices, saying “China is a clear and present danger” to the U.S. “DeepSeek appears to be another tool for Chinese spies to attack America’s national security,” the letter, signed by 21 attorneys general to House and Senate leaders, said. “Given the Chinese desire to steal America’s secrets and the ability of DeepSeek to carry out this theft, Congress should quickly pass legislation to ban DeepSeek on government devices,” the letter read. “Congress passed similar legislation two years ago to prevent TikTok from stealing information from our government.” MOST DOWNLOADED NEWS APP IN AMERICA WITH TIES TO CHINA HIGHLIGHTS DANGERS OF AI Montana AG Austin Knudsen, who drafted the letter, wrote that “China is trying to steal America’s secrets. America must fight back. Congress should shut down China’s latest Trojan horse by passing the No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act.” The letter comes as longstanding concerns about Beijing’s intellectual property theft of U.S. officials and Americans has been a point of public contention over the last several years. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., introduced legislation last month to outlaw the app. DeepSeek is an AI-powered search and data analysis platform based in Hangzhou, China, owned by quant hedge fund High-Flyer. The launch of DeepSeek’s new AI model, which is cheaper to operate than models from Meta and OpenAI, has raised concerns in U.S. markets. One of its chatbot functions is similar to ChatGPT, the California-based platform. HOW TO REMOVE YOUR PRIVATE DATA FROM THE INTERNET The AGs charge that DeepSeek could be used by Chinese spies to compromise U.S. national security through the app’s collection of user data, including chat history, keystrokes and IP addresses, and may secretly transmit this information to the Chinese Communist Party. Several countries, including Canada, Australia, South Korea, Taiwan and Italy, have already blocked DeepSeek due to these security risks. Several states, including Virginia, Texas and New York, have also banned the app from government devices. “Like it did with TikTok, Congress should protect America’s national security by banning DeepSeek on government devices,” the letter reads. “If it has not already taken action to administratively ban DeepSeek, we trust that the Trump Administration would swiftly implement this ban to protect our national security from America’s ‘potent and dangerous’ adversary.” TOP REPUBLICAN MOVES TO RESTRICT AI EXPORTS AMID CONCERNS OVER CHINESE TECH The letter was signed by AGs from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia. Fox News Digital has reached out to High-Flyer for comment.