DHS shutdown tied for second-longest ever as Dems again block funding amid airport chaos, terrorism concerns
Long airport lines and rising concerns about threats at home weren’t enough to stop Senate Democrats from blocking Homeland Security funding again Friday. It’s the fifth time Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Senate Republicans have tried to reopen the agency. The latest failed attempt comes as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown hit its 35th day, tying it for the second-longest shutdown in history. As airport lines stretch for blocks and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents go without pay, and concerns about further attacks in the U.S. increase after two shootings last week, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus aren’t budging. DEM SENATORS CALL TO FUND DHS AFTER VOTING TO BLOCK IT 4 TIMES AMID SHUTDOWN FIGHT They have tried several times to force votes on standalone funding bills for other portions of DHS that don’t involve immigration operations, including several attempts to pay TSA agents, which have been blocked. “Republicans are saying unless you pass ICE as is without reform, we’re not going to help the TSA workers get paid and reduce the lines at the airport,” Schumer said. Thune told Fox News Digital that Democrats have been beholden to their base and forced into a position to continue blocking government funding in a bid to defund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “The question is,” Thune said, “[Are] any number of Democrats going to be willing to actually make a deal and have enough respect for the appropriations process and for the job that we have here to keep the government functioning, to step up and do what may be a hard thing, even though their base is, you know, screaming at them to do something else.” DEMS UNMOVED AS WHITE HOUSE REVEALS DHS CONCESSIONS IN SHUTDOWN BATTLE Still, there was slight movement this week that could signal an off-ramp is forming. Democrats, after over two weeks of radio silence, sent the White House another counteroffer. The administration dubbed it an unserious effort by Democrats and, in response, made public a list of five concessions it was willing to offer to reopen DHS. “The parties remain far apart, in large part because the administration has put forward a five-part serious proposal that we are willing to engage in additional conversations on, but that has not been reciprocated in kind,” a senior White House official said earlier this week. But that offer and public counter led to a closed-door meeting with border czar Tom Homan on Capitol Hill on Thursday, where Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine; Katie Britt, R-Ala.; Angus King, I-Maine; Maggie Hassan, D-N.H.; and Patty Murray, D-Wash., had the first real face-to-face meeting of the shutdown. That same group is expected to meet again on Friday, Thune said. “I think we’re going to know today whether we’re actually serious about getting a deal,” he said. FIRED DHS CHIEF KRISTI NOEM FACES CRIMINAL REFERRAL FROM CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS It also comes as the Senate is moving to confirm Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., President Donald Trump’s pick to replace embattled DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. He eked out a committee approval thanks to support from Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., but faces a hostile Democratic crowd in the Senate. Schumer and Democrats demanded Noem’s firing, and Mullin made concessions during his confirmation hearing that his colleagues across the aisle have been demanding for weeks — most notably his willingness to require judicial warrants for ICE agents to enter homes in most cases. Still, Democrats were unswayed. They plan to force a vote on just funding TSA, which will also likely fail. And Thune isn’t keen on letting lawmakers leave Washington, D.C., again until the government reopens, given that after next week, they’ll get a two-week break for Easter. “It needs to get resolved, you know, by the end of next week,” Thune said. “I can’t see us taking a break if the government is still shut down.”
Fox News Campus Radicals Newsletter: College GOP chapter sues school, leaked docs expose union extremism
FREEDOM BATTLE: College Republicans chapter sues University of Florida over club shutdown following antisemitic allegations OUT IN THE OPEN: Leaked teachers’ union K-12 training presentation rails against Trump administration, red states COURTROOM VICTORY: Chicago Public Schools will now allow Bible college students into its teaching program, after lawsuit SIGN UP TO GET THE CAMPUS RADICALS NEWSLETTER CLASSROOM CRISIS: Illegal immigrant groping case latest allegation of misconduct in Northern Virginia school system BACKLASH ERUPTS: College Republicans of America stands by new political director amid scrutiny of past controversial comments SCHOOL PAYBACK: Scott moves to bypass teachers unions, send federal school funds straight to parents if classrooms close EQUITY EXPERIMENT: Minnesota school districts use taxpayer money for race-based teacher incentives and layoff protections
Pritzker pushes prosecutions of Trump officials as part of Dem ‘Project 2029’ agenda
Illinois Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker said Democrats should seek criminal prosecution against Trump administration and law enforcement officials who have “broken the law” if they were to gain control of the White House in 2028. Pritzker, who is running for a third gubernatorial term, sat down for an interview with The New York Times and proposed Democrats adopt their own version of Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s conservative policy blueprint for presidential administrations released in nearly every election cycle since the 1980s. Pritzker dubbed the Democrats’ counter “Project 2029,” urging it to be quickly implemented to “restore the rule of law.” TRUMP SAYS CHICAGO MAYOR, ILLINOIS GOVERNOR ‘SHOULD BE IN JAIL FOR FAILING TO PROTECT’ ICE OFFICERS “I don’t think you can speak of it in shorthand, but we’ve got to restore the rule of law, and that means holding people accountable who’ve broken the law,” Pritzker said. “I’m talking about the people in this administration who’ve broken the law and federal agents who’ve broken the law.” New York Times reporter Lulu Garcia-Navarro asked Pritzker whether this meant Trump officials and law enforcement agents would face criminal prosecution. “Criminally prosecuted, civilly prosecuted,” Pritzker said. “Whatever it is that we can do.” Fox News Digital reached out to Pritzker’s office for clarification on who he believes should face criminal prosecution. In response, his office shared a January press release calling on the Illinois Accountability Commission to review the public statements and policy decisions of key leadership in Operation Midway Blitz. The press release followed the removal of top Border Patrol leader Greg Bovino from Minnesota. The release named White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, “Border Czar” Tom Homan, former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, former Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin, acting ICE Director Tom Lyons, CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott and Corey Lewandowski, who served as a special government employee for DHS, as individuals who “led to the escalation of aggressive enforcement tactics” and should be held accountable. Trump and Pritzker have been at odds over Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda for months. In October, Pritzker filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago. The lawsuit argued that the deployment of the National Guardsmen to the Windy City was “unconstitutional and/or unlawful.” PRITZKER CLAIMS COUNTRY UNDER TRUMP WORSE THAN COVID PANDEMIC WHERE PEOPLE DIED ‘IN DROVES’ U.S. District Judge April Perry issued a temporary restraining order preventing the deployment of National Guard troops to the state as the lawsuit worked its way through the legal system. The Supreme Court also upheld Perry’s decision. The Trump administration withdrew federal troops from the state in January. Pritzker and Trump have also clashed over the tactics used by federal immigration enforcement agents in Illinois. Pritzker has accused federal agents of “waging war on our people” and “acting like jackbooted thugs.” The Trump administration faces another lawsuit stemming from accusations of immigration enforcement agents’ alleged misconduct during Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit accused federal agents of violating protesters’ constitutional rights through their use of tear gas and force. District Judge Sara Ellis issued a preliminary injunction barring federal agents’ use of force and tear gas on protesters, but an appeals court overturned her decision earlier this month. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.
Trump administration sues Harvard over alleged failure to protect Jewish and Israeli students, seeks billions
The Trump administration filed a lawsuit Friday against Harvard University, alleging that it failed to protect Jewish and Israeli students by essentially enabling antisemitism on campus in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack against Israel by Hamas. The 44-page lawsuit, filed in Massachusetts, is the latest in an ongoing battle between the White House and the Ivy League school. The complaint alleges that Harvard has tolerated antisemitic mobs comprised of students, faculty members and visitors opposed to Israel and has acted with indifference by selectively enforcing its campus rules to permit the continuation of the harassment. “Harvard University has failed to protect its Jewish students from harassment and has allowed discrimination to wreak havoc on its campus,” a White House spokesperson told Fox News. “President Trump is committed to ensuring every student can pursue their academic goals in a safe environment.” TRUMP SECURES $221M COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY SETTLEMENT OVER ALLEGED CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS The administration is seeking to recover billions of taxpayer dollars given to the elite university by federal agencies. “Since October 7, 2023, too many of our educational institutions have allowed antisemitism to flourish on campus – Harvard included,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “Today’s litigation underscores the Trump administration’s commitment to demanding better from our nation’s schools and putting an end to discriminatory behavior that harms students.” In a statement to Fox News Digital, a Harvard spokesperson said the university “cares deeply” about its Jewish and Israeli students and remains committed to making sure they are embraced and respected. “Our actions illustrate this. Harvard has taken substantive, proactive steps to address the root causes of antisemitism and actively enforces anti-harassment and anti-discrimination rules and policies on campus,” the statement said. “We also have enhanced training and education on antisemitism for students, faculty, and staff and launched programs to promote civil dialogue and respectful disagreement inside and outside the classroom. Harvard’s efforts demonstrate the very opposite of deliberate indifference.” The school said it will continue to prioritize such work and defend itself, calling the lawsuit “yet another pretextual and retaliatory action by the administration for refusing to turn over control of Harvard to the federal government.” Friday’s lawsuit is another in the protracted battle between Havard and President Donald Trump. In June, the administration said a civil rights investigation had led to a formal finding that Harvard tolerated antisemitism. TRUMP DOJ FILES NEW LAWSUIT ACCUSING HARVARD OF WITHHOLDING RECORDS ON RACE IN ADMISSIONS “Harvard remained deliberately indifferent to a level of hostility on its campus so well-known across the nation that members of Congress were writing about it,” government lawyers wrote. “Harvard also intentionally refused to enforce its campus rules — rules it enforced against others — when the victims were Jews or Israelis. This sent the clear message to Harvard’s Jewish and Israeli community that the indifference was not an accident; they were being intentionally excluded and effectively denied equal access to educational opportunities.” Last year, the school sued the Trump administration over the freezing of federal funds. A judge blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to freeze Harvard’s federal funds. The Internal Revenue Service was also considering stripping Harvard of its tax-exempt status. Harvard is slated to receive more than $2.6 billion from the Department of Health and Human Services, the Justice Department said. In February, the Trump administration said it was seeking to recover $1 billion in damages from Harvard, the main target in its attempt to leverage federal funding in order to crack down on antisemitism on college campuses. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said institutions that take taxpayer funds are obligated to protect civil rights. “We hold Harvard accountable on the principle that antisemitism has no place in any program funded by the American people,” he said.
Reporter’s Notebook: GOP pushes election security bill despite slim odds, as Trump pressure looms
“We have a unique moment in time here, right now, to address an issue that’s really fundamental,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., Tuesday. In just an hour, the Senate would launch debate on the SAVE America Act. Longtime Congressional agriculture reporter Matt Kaye had just asked Thune why the Senate was willing to burn so much time on the bill – despite it apparently lacking the votes to pass. “Floor time is the coin of the realm,” observed Kaye. “How does it help you if you are using up valuable floor time by having an extended debate on this issue?” Kaye then inquired why the Senate wouldn’t toil instead on a possible farm bill or even a supplemental spending plan for the war in Iran. Kaye is on to something. Senate floor time is always at a premium. There are only so many floor hours available each week. But floor time isn’t the issue here. There’s only one thing which is more valuable in politics. And in this particular case for the GOP, it’s staying on the right side of President Trump. TRUMP-BACKED SENATE HOPEFUL GAINS MOMENTUM WITH TOP GOP ENDORSEMENTS BEFORE MULLIN DHS SHIFT On Tuesday, the president proclaimed on Truth Social that the SAVE America Act is one of the “most important and consequential bills” in Congressional history. He added that he wouldn’t endorse any Republican who opposed the legislation. Republicans say ID is essential to prove you’re a valid voter. However, the SAVE America Act goes further than that. It requires proof of citizenship – like a passport or birth certificate. That worries Michael Suggs, who lives in the Bronx, New York. He spoke to Fox’s Chelsea Torres. “Your birth certificate? Social Security number when you show up at the polling place?” asked Suggs. “That might be a little unfair to certain people in this country, including myself. I don’t want to walk around with my birth certificate and my Social Security card. I’m a registered voter. I’ve been voting since I was 18 years old, and now I’m approaching 60. I don’t want that to be some kind of deliberate act to stop me from voting.” The bill is now into its fourth day of debate – even if it’s doubtful the Senate has the votes to pass the measure. Democrats oppose the legislation. But the main problem lingers among members of the president’s party. “Republicans by themselves don’t have the votes to get it passed,” said Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY). She cited that some Republicans opposed the bill over differences about mail-in voting. “It’s not a one size fits all process. And those challenges are not only apparent within the Democrat caucus. They’re apparent within the Republican caucus,” said Lummis. There’s been a lot of chatter in the Senate lately about torching the filibuster, so the Senate can pass the bill. Breaking a filibuster requires 60 votes. So if the bill doesn’t have a simple majority, there is simply no universe where the measure can command 60. Yours truly took this up with Thune. “You don’t have 60 votes. Why go through this? Is this basically just a show?” I asked. “We don’t know that we don’t have 60 votes yet. You’re making an assumption,” replied the South Dakota Republican. “Multiple members of your conference say that there aren’t even 51 votes,” I followed up. “Yeah. Well, you’re making an assumption that at the end of this debate that none of the Democrats will be won over. And I’m not saying that. I appreciate your skepticism. But I think it’s an important debate to have because it is an issue that is at the very core of elections in this country,” answered Thune. The “60 vote” issue galls some Republicans. Especially on a subject like this which Republicans believe resonates with the electorate. “If a body of 100 people can’t find 60 votes for an issue that’s an 80-20 issue, that’s a real disgrace,” said Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Penn., on Fox Business. “So we need to put the Democrats on the spot and have them defend this to their voters.” THUNE REVEALS REASON DEMOCRATS ARE ‘SCARED’ TO REOPEN DHS Even if the SAVE America Act is on a parliamentary road to oblivion, one of its feeder ramps has a junction with the midterm election. Republicans believe they have the political upper hand on this. They can again hammer Democrats on illegal immigration – punctuated by what the president cites repeatedly as voter fraud. The GOP hopes to boomerang that on Democrats this fall. Then, there are social issues – which Republicans hope to link to this measure, too. Senate GOPers devised amendments which would block men from playing women’s sports, bar transgender surgeries for kids and nix many forms of mail-in voting. Opponents ask what two of those three have to do with election security. That’s why they could be poison pills. “If those those amendments are made in order, doesn’t that bring down the threshold where you might have a chance of getting 51 votes?” I asked Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. “Let’s continue to work with leadership and see how all of this is going to proceed and what is going to be the best way to get these forward. I think the amendments are good amendments,” said Blackburn, not addressing the question. Remember what Thune said about Republicans potentially peeling off some Democrats? Good luck. “You’re somebody who sometimes bucks your party,” I queried Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn. “Why wouldn’t you side with the Republicans?” “Well, they’ve turned it into an unserious kind of a Christmas tree and attaching all these other things to it. And now bashing mail-in voting. Absolutely, it’s secure. Florida loves it and uses it. Ohio does too,” said Fetterman. Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., defended his state’s approach to sending in ballots. “Almost 99 percent of Republican voters in Colorado voted by mail in 2025,” said Hickenlooper. “Vote by mail has proven to be less expensive,
Thune reveals reason Democrats are ‘scared’ to reopen DHS
FIRST ON FOX: The top Senate Republican argued that while Senate Democrats may be the ones voting against reopening the government, they’re not the ones calling the shots. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told Fox News Digital in an interview that as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown continues, it’s Democrats’ voters who are pushing them to continue blocking funding for the agency. “The Democrats up here on the Hill are so afraid of their far-left base,” Thune said. “And I think the far-left base, their demand right now, is defund ICE, defund law enforcement, which is not, by any stretch, a reasonable position.” The agency has been shut down for 35 days, putting the latest closure into record-breaking territory. Senate Democrats have, so far, blocked four attempts to reopen the agency over demands for stringent reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and how agents operate in the field. THUNE ACCUSES CRITICS OF ‘CREATING FALSE EXPECTATIONS’ AMID BACKLASH OVER STALLED SAVE AMERICA ACT Negotiations had ground to a halt for several weeks, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus staying quiet on the latest offer from the White House. That communication breakdown began to thaw this week when Democrats responded with an offer the White House dubbed unserious. And signs of a deal further improved on Thursday when a handful of Democratic negotiators sat down for the first time with Senate Republicans and border czar Tom Homan. It also comes as lines at airports stretch for several blocks as workers go unpaid, and concerns of terrorist attacks are at a fever pitch in the wake of the Iran war. Thune will again put a bill to reopen the agency on the floor on Friday, and Democrats are again expected to block it. REPUBLICANS SIGNAL NO RETREAT ON SAVE ACT AS MARATHON SENATE DEBATE KICKS OFF Still, Thune said that the meeting “suggested even more movement” toward breaking the funding logjam but remained wary of Democrats actually wanting to make a deal to end the shutdown. He also noted that until Thursday, Democrats had consistently rejected Republicans’ offers to get into a room and hash it out, and he contended that it was the White House making their offers to Democrats public that likely spurred the latest confab. “My impression is, at least up until now, that the edict has gone out from the paternalistic Democrat fathers that none of their children should be talking to Republicans about how to solve this problem in a way that gets them actual reforms in place,” Thune said, “and funds an important department that has a number of agencies that are really critical, not only to national security, but to emergency management and other things.” DEMS UNMOVED AS WHITE HOUSE REVEALS DHS CONCESSIONS IN SHUTDOWN BATTLE “So it seems to me, at least they are — these guys — they are running scared,” he continued. “They, I think, believe they benefit politically from this.” Several Democrats left the meeting with Homan and Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Katie Britt, R-Ala., declining to comment on the discussion. When asked if lawmakers were any closer to a deal, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said, “No.” Still, Republicans were hopeful that there would soon be a breakthrough to the impasse. “Unfortunately, the Democrats’ list of demands keeps growing and growing, and that makes it difficult,” Collins said. “But the group that was in there is operating in good faith, and I hope we’ll get together again very soon.”
From ‘jump on a bus’ to tax crackdowns: Blue states chase wealthy residents fleeing to red havens
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul became the latest blue-state leader to lament the flight of wealthy tax-paying residents to Republican-led tax havens like Florida, Alaska, Wyoming and Tennessee, calling millionaires who stayed in the Empire State to fund its massive social services net “patriotic.” With Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declaring his jurisdiction a “free state” for transplants wishing to leave liberal policies and taxation behind, blue states like New York, Illinois and California are squeezing and at times pursuing natives who emigrate to financially greener pastures — while at the same time, some governors are blasting conservative voters as inauthentic neighbors and driving them out in the first place. Fox News Digital took a look back at taxing authorities and top officials in blue states that have pursued or criticized the very people they are trying to retain for taxation purposes – and those who aren’t simply urging them to return are finding ways to force continued collection. BRING THEM BACK FROM PALM BEACH Hochul, speaking during a Politico event this month, said “high-net-worth” people need to stay in New York to support the “generous social programs we want to have in our state.” “There are some patriotic millionaires who stepped up. OK, cut me the checks. If you want to be supportive — but maybe the first step should be [to] go down to Palm Beach and see who you can bring back home, because our tax has been eroded.” GRADUALLY, THEN SUDDENLY, BLUE STATE AMERICA IS HEADING FOR FINANCIAL DISASTER ‘JUMP ON A BUS’ Hochul has often criticized the most prominent New Yorker to flee to Palm Beach: President Donald Trump. At a 2022 rally for Rep. Pat Ryan, a moderate Democrat from Ulster County, Hochul trashed Republican-voting New Yorkers and urged them to do what she now wants to see reversed. BLUE STATE’S BILLIONAIRE EXODUS ABOUT TO GET MUCH WORSE IN 2026, INSIDER WARNS “And we are here to say that the era of Trump, and Zeldin and Molinaro, just jump on a bus and head down to Florida where you belong, OK?” “Get out of town. Because you do not represent our values. You are not New Yorkers,” Hochul said, while facing off with now-EPA chief Lee Zeldin and criticizing Ryan’s opponent, then-Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro whom Trump recently appointed as head of the FTA. THE ‘TEDDY BEAR’ TAX TEST Revenue agencies in states like New York have established multitiered tests to enforce residency liabilities for people who split their time between or try to claim other states as their primary home. In Albany’s lengthy guide to determining whether a taxpayer must consider themselves a New Yorker, a five-part review includes what some attorneys have called the “Teddy Bear Test” – in that it all depends on where you lay your head at night. A “Near and Dear” factor asks taxpayers to consider the “location of items which the individual holds ‘near and dear’ to his or her heart, or those items which have significant sentimental value” – such as teddy bears. MORE AMERICANS LEAVE BIG CITIES FOR RURAL STATES AS MIGRATION PATTERNS SHIFT IN 2026 “This analysis of ‘Near and Dear’ items can help to solidify the intent of the taxpayer concerning the location of his domicile,” the document read. Another aspect is whether a person uses or maintains his New York residence at the same level as his out-of-state residence, as it and other states have a 183-day threshold for determining tax liability. The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance conducted 3,000 nonresidency audits between 2010 and 2017, encompassing part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s term, and collected about $1 billion from those who fled the state. Cuomo, however, appeared to have what pundits called a political “epiphany” when he voiced concern about the state’s lurch to the left on tax policies. In 2019, The Wall Street Journal quoted Cuomo on realizing what Democratic policy had done to New York’s tax base: “Tax the rich, tax the rich, tax the rich. We did that. God forbid the rich leave.” The top 1% of taxpayers foot 46% of personal income tax in New York, which is not alone in trying to keep people in. REVERSE GOLD RUSH In 1849, when gold was discovered at John Sutter’s mill not far from Sacramento, people from across the country rushed in to make a buck. Today, people are reversing flow and trying to escape Sacramento’s reach. “California … they don’t particularly like when people that were large taxpayers … leave,” Marc Minker, lead managing director at accounting provider and consulting firm CBIZ MHM, previously told FOX Business. “The state becomes very aggressive with respect to making you prove that you essentially changed your domicile.” While California does not have an explicit “Exit Tax,” the term is thrown around to describe the complex hierarchy of levies and policies Sacramento enforces on people who leave or now only spend part of their year in the state. MILLIONAIRE ACTOR MARK RUFFALO TELLS NEW YORKERS TO ‘TAX THE RICH’ WHILE CRITICS DEMAND ‘HIM FIRST’ Gov. Gavin Newsom opposed a 2023-24 iteration of an “exit tax” – that would have applied to the wealthiest Californians who leave for the first four years of nonresidency. If the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) determines a taxpayer to be a nonresident, their California-based income sources, like rental homes, can still be taxed. The recent Super Bowl in Santa Clara brought the state’s “jock tax” back to the fore, as Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold’s tax liability following his win led to a net financial loss for him. The FTB also regularly conducts residency audits similar to New York’s, with residency requirements remain more complex than other states’ calculation of number-of-days-spent. WASHINGTON POST CITES U-HAUL DATA IN CALIFORNIA EXODUS TO ‘PRO-GROWTH’ STATES, SAYS ‘DECLINE IS A CHOICE’ FTB considers a resident someone who is “present in California for other than a temporary or transitory purpose” or “domiciled in California, but outside California for a
Trump-backed Senate hopeful gains momentum with top GOP endorsements before Mullin DHS shift
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and National Republican Senatorial Committee chair Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., have both endorsed Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., for U.S. Senate. “Kevin Hern is a proven conservative leader and fighter for Oklahomans in the House, where he has championed our shared Republican agenda. He will be a great asset in the Senate and has my full support and endorsement,” Thune said in a statement. “Kevin Hern is a principled conservative, Oklahoma-first leader who knows what it means to create jobs and unleash prosperity. He is a fighter for President Trump’s agenda, and we’re excited to welcome him to our Republican majority as Oklahoma’s next Senator,” Scott said in a statement. THUNE ACCUSES CRITICS OF ‘CREATING FALSE EXPECTATIONS’ AMID BACKLASH OVER STALLED SAVE AMERICA ACT President Donald Trump has tapped GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma to take over the role of Department of Homeland Security secretary. If the Senate confirms Mullin to serve in the post, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, will get to appoint a replacement to fill the vacancy, but that appointment would come with a significant catch. HOUSE GOP LEADER LAUNCHES SENATE BID AS TRUMP TAPS MARKWAYNE MULLIN FOR DHS Oklahoma state law stipulates that “a person who is a prospective appointee shall submit to the Secretary of State an oath affirming that the person will not file as a candidate for the office when it next appears on the ballot.” In a post on X last week, Stitt wrote, “I appreciate @POTUS taking time to meet to discuss the importance of appointing a new U.S. Senator for Oklahoma. President Trump has made a great selection in Markwayne Mullin to join his cabinet, and I am committed to making a swift decision on his replacement once Mullin is confirmed by the Senate.” Trump endorsed Hern for the Senate seat last week. ‘TELL ME TO MY FACE’: TOP MOMENTS IN MULLIN’S HEATED CONFIRMATION HEARING TO BE TRUMP’S NEXT DHS CHIEF “Kevin Hern will be an outstanding Senator, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement – HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!” the president declared in a Truth Social post.
Most Americans expect Trump to send boots on the ground in Iran — but majority oppose it: Poll
Nearly two-thirds of Americans think that President Donald Trump will send U.S. ground troops into the fighting against Iran, a new national poll indicates. A Reuters/Ipsos survey, conducted Tuesday through Thursday (March 17–19), also indicates that a majority of Americans, 55%, say they don’t support sending ground troops into the operation against Iran. The poll’s release comes as the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran are about to close out their third week. HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLLING Only 7% of those questioned in the survey said they’d support a large-scale strike by American ground forces, with 34% saying they’d back a more limited-in-scope incursion by U.S. special forces. Fourteen percent of Republicans surveyed said they’d support a large ground force operation, with 63% saying they’d back inserting special forces into a ground action. Twenty-one percent of Republicans gave a thumbs-down to sending in American ground troops. CLICK HERE FOR FOX NEWS LIVE UPDATES ON THE ATTACKS ON IRAN Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, at a Pentagon briefing earlier this month, declined to rule out the use of U.S. ground forces. Trump said on Thursday that he was “not putting troops anywhere,” when asked by a reporter about his war plans. “If I were, I certainly wouldn’t tell you,” the president added. The military attacks by the U.S. and Israel have resulted in the deaths of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top officials, and the decimation of the country’s military. But Iran has retaliated with attacks against Israel and many of its other neighbors in the volatile Middle East. ONLY ON FOX NEWS: PENCE SAYS TRUMP ‘TURNED A DEAF EAR’ TO ISOLATIONISTS IN GOP Iran has targeted energy facilities with missile and drone attacks in a number of Persian Gulf nations. It has also made the Strait of Hormuz nearly impassable to commercial shipping, bringing to a halt roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply and in turn sending fuel prices skyrocketing in the U.S. and across the globe. Most national polls conducted since the launch of the strikes at the end of February indicate opposition to the attacks outweighing support, and the Reuters/Ipsos survey is no exception. According to the poll, which questioned 1,545 adults nationwide, 37% of Americans approved of the fighting with Iran, with 59% disapproving. But there’s a wide partisan divide, with 77% of Republicans but just 6% of Democrats and 28% of independents supporting the operation.
Ex-FBI agents involved in Arctic Frost probe sue for wrongful termination
Two former FBI agents who helped investigate efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election sued Thursday to challenge their abrupt firings from the bureau, arguing that their terminations were “solely” due to their involvement in the probe. The two agents, identified only as John Doe 1 and John Doe 2, accused FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi of politically retaliating against them for their work in the 2020 election case, known internally as “Arctic Frost,” despite having played brief and largely administrative roles in the investigation. The lawsuit argues that the firings were a violation of FBI policy as well as the agents’ rights under the First and Fifth Amendments of the Constitution. Both former agents are seeking reinstatement to the bureau, and a declaration from the court that their terminations were unlawful. FBI AGENTS GROUP TELLS CONGRESS TO TAKE URGENT ACTION TO PROTECT AGAINST POLITICIZATION “Political support for President Trump is not a legal or appropriate requirement for the effective performance of plaintiffs’ respective roles within the F.B.I.,” the lawsuit states. “Accordingly, perceived lack of political support for President Trump is an impermissible basis for termination of plaintiffs’ F.B.I. employment.” According to the lawsuit, the two agents were fired last fall, within a five-day period, and shortly after, unredacted internal documents related to the Arctic Frost probe were shared with members of Congress. FBI Director Kash Patel proceeded to “summarily” fire both agents in late October and early November, the lawsuit says, “without evidence,” and without “internal investigation, notice, or hearing” to precede their terminations. Neither the FBI nor the Justice Department responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on their removals, or the new lawsuit. During House testimony Thursday, however, FBI Director Kash Patel dismissed criticism raised by Democrats about terminations within the bureau. “There’s 36,000 people employed at this FBI,” Patel told lawmakers. “And I reject the notion wholeheartedly that the termination of those that were weaponizing law enforcement are the only ones that can do the mission,” he added. FBI AGENTS SUTE TRUMP DOJ TO BLOCK ANY PUBLIC IDENTIFICATION OF EMPLOYEES WHO WORKED ON JAN.6 INVESTIGATIONS The lawsuit argues that the terminations run afoul of FBI policy, which states that non-probationary special agents may be removed only for cause, such as misconduct, national security concerns, or an inability to perform the essential duties or responsibilities of their roles. Both had been lauded for their work at the bureau, it notes, and had received “exemplary” performance reviews and other outside recognition. “In Arctic Frost, as in all other investigations to which they were assigned, Plaintiffs fully adhered to DOJ policies and procedures, including applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, and executed their law enforcement duties without bias or political motives,” they said in the lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, D.C. BONDI SWORN IN AS ATTORNEY GENERAL WITH MISSION TO END ‘WEAPONIZATION’ OF JUSTICE DEPARTMENT Lawyers for the agents also argued the removals break with Patel’s remarks last year during his Senate confirmation hearing, in which he vowed that agents would not be fired based on case assignments, and stressed that personnel decisions “should be based on performance and adherence to the law.” The lawsuit adds to a growing list of unlawful termination lawsuits filed by ex-FBI agents in recent months, including former agents who have argued they were removed solely for their perceived political views, or for their involvement in certain politically sensitive investigations. Former Department of Justice officials have cited concerns that the probe or any retaliatory measures carried out as a result could have a chilling effect on the work of the FBI, including its more than 52 separate field offices. The FBI Agents’ Association, or FBIAA, a voluntary agents’ group that represents more than 14,000 active and former special agents, sharply criticized the removals of the two special agents, saying in a statement released at the time that Patel “has disregarded the law and launched a campaign of erratic and arbitrary retribution.” “An Agent simply being assigned to an investigation and conducting it appropriately within the law should never be grounds for termination,” the group said. “FBI Agents deal in facts, and we urge Director Patel to do the same.”