Judge Boasberg weighs curbing Trump FTC demand for trans minors’ data after heated court clash
Lawyers for a coalition of medical groups on Tuesday urged a federal judge to block the Trump administration’s effort to access data on transgender procedures for minors, arguing the FTC demand is unconstitutional and retaliatory. The case marks a high-stakes legal clash over the Trump administration’s investigation into transgender treatments for minors, with the FTC arguing it is policing potential consumer harm while medical groups say the probe is politically motivated and unconstitutional. At issue in the lawsuits, filed by the Endocrine Society and the American Academy of Pediatrics, is the FTC’s demand for information from the groups regarding “pediatric gender dysphoria treatment[s]” they provided, according to the FTC, and whether the organizations engaged in false advertising or unfair practices as part of the process. FLORIDA EXECS SENTENCED IN $233M OBAMACARE FRAUD THAT TARGETED HOMELESS, HURRICANE VICTIMS The FTC in January launched an investigation into the medical groups, and issued the Civil Investigative Demand, or CID, that prompted the lawsuit. During back-to-back hearings Tuesday, lawyers for the medical groups urged U.S. District Judge James Boasberg to issue a preliminary injunction blocking the FTC’s wide-ranging demand for information. Plaintiffs argued the effort by the FTC was not a legitimate consumer protection effort, but rather a political effort to crack down on transgender procedures for minors and retaliate against the organizations for providing them. “Unable to prevail in the marketplace of ideas, the FTC has resorted to burdening AAP with an intrusive and expensive investigation that is unconstitutional and outside the scope of the FTC’s statutory authority,” lawyers for the pediatricians’ group told the court. Lawyers for the Trump administration sharply disputed that notion, however. They argued that the FTC has a mandate to ensure consumers are not misled — including in cases when medical procedures are provided to minors. Boasberg used the hearing to grapple with concerns about the scope of the FTC’s wide-ranging demand, broader constitutional concerns, as well as the administration’s assertion that the court lacked reviewability to consider the matter entirely. 100 DAYS OF INJUNCTIONS, TRIALS AND ‘TEFLON DON’: TRUMP SECOND TERM MEETS ITS BIGGEST TESTS IN COURT Justice Department lawyer John Bailey said any concerns about the scope or limitations of the FTC action should play out via the typical “agency administrative agency process” recognized by the Supreme Court. “So the answer is no, that I must quash it or let it proceed — that I have no power to narrow?” Boasberg asked, clarifying. “My answer, respectfully, would be that you have to let this proceed within the typical agency administrative process,” Bailey responded. Boasberg ultimately adjourned court without ruling from the bench, though he indicated he would move quickly on the matter. APPEALS COURT BLOCKS TRUMP ADMIN’S DEPORTATION FLIGHTS IN ALIEN ENEMIES ACT IMMIGRATION SUIT The hearings come as Trump takes steps to limit gender transition procedures for minors in his second term. Shortly after taking office, Trump signed an executive order, “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” which cut off federal support for transgender procedures for minors. Last year, the Health and Human Services Department proposed a new rule to strip federal Medicare and Medicaid funding for hospitals that provide “sex‑rejecting procedures” for children under the age of 18. Concerns over the regulations have prompted dozens of hospitals to shutter their transgender treatment programs in fear of losing federal funding.
5 US House races shift toward Democrats: Cook Political Report
As the GOP and Democratic Party vie for control of the House chamber during the 2026 midterm election cycle, The Cook Political Report has shifted five districts toward Democrats, and one toward Republicans. The analysis shifts two districts in Ohio in the Democrats’ favor. Ohio’s 1st Congressional District, represented by incumbent Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman, has been shifted from toss-up to lean Democrat, according to the report. The district was redrawn last year, “turning it into a district that would have voted for Donald Trump by 2.5 points in 2024,” according to the report. The Buckeye State’s 13th Congressional District, where incumbent Democratic Rep. Emilia Sykes is seeking re-election, has been switched from lean Democrat to likely Democrat, according to the election analysis. FOX NEWS POLL: SOUR VOTERS SAY WASHINGTON IS OUT OF TOUCH “In the redistricting deal negotiated by Ohio Republicans and Democrats last year, Democratic Rep. Emilia Sykes was a clear winner. Her current Akron-based district, which narrowly voted for Kamala Harris in 2024, was redrawn to shift three points to the left,” according to The Cook Political Report. New Jersey’s 9th Congressional District, represented by Democratic Rep. Nellie Pou, has been shifted from lean Democrat to likely Democrat, according to the report. Pou is a member of the left-wing Congressional Progressive Caucus. The Cook Political Report noted that 2025 Garden State gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat who won the race, won the “district by nearly 20 points” last year after President Donald Trump “carried it by 1.5 points” in 2024. “Although Pou won’t be able to replicate Sherrill’s landslide victory, it’s hard not to see her as the obvious favorite after the district snapped back to Democrats in 2025 — and as an unsettled primary has kept Republicans from turning their full attention to the general election,” the report states. MIDTERM ALARM BELLS: DEMOCRATS FACE STEEP FAVORABILITY DEFICIT DESPITE ELECTION GAINS The Cook Political Report has shifted Florida’s 27th Congressional District from solid Republican to likely Republican. Trump has endorsed incumbent GOP Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, who represents that district in the Sunshine State, for re-election. The analysis shifted Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, represented by GOP Rep. Rob Bresnahan, from lean Republican to toss up, saying that his “stock trades have dogged him all cycle, giving Democrats a potent line of attack in a district that has been trending Republicans’ way but is very much in play this cycle.” In a statement provided to Fox News Digital on Wednesday, Bresnahan campaign spokesman Chris Pack said, “We’re not focused on Washington, D.C. political race handicappers whose business model depends on creating the perception of a close race to drive paid subscriptions.” “The reality on the ground in Northeastern Pennsylvania tells a very different story,” Pack said. “Rob continues to rapidly consolidate labor union support and post strong fundraising numbers, while Mayor Cognetti is defined by an extreme record that includes supporting mass amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants, eliminating maternity leave for new mothers, and personally calling for disarming the police.” Trump has endorsed Bresnahan for re-election. TRUMP COMMANDEERS CABINET MEMBERS TO CAMPAIGN IN MIDTERMS, ORDERING THEM TO DROP OR MUTE CONTROVERSIAL STANCES The report highlighted one bright spot for the GOP: Colorado’s 3rd District has been shifted from likely Republican to solid Republican. Trump endorsed incumbent GOP Rep. Jeff Hurd, then withdrew the endorsement, then endorsed Hurd again. “We’re shifting this district from Likely Republican to Solid Republican for now, though if either Democratic candidate picks up momentum it could move back onto the board later this cycle,” The Cook Political Report analysis stated. Trump is facing underwater job approval polling, which could potentially serve as a drag for the Republican Party during the elections this year.
Trump, Rubio face NATO chief as US moves to ‘reexamine’ alliance after Iran clash
President Donald Trump will meet with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte Wednesday at the White House, just as transatlantic relations within the alliance have frayed during U.S. operations in Iran. Trump has repeatedly threatened to withdraw the U.S. from NATO and slammed European nations for blocking base access and providing limited help to the Iran offensive known as Operation Epic Fury. Despite a good relationship with the head of NATO, who once called him “daddy” of the alliance, Trump has said he views NATO as a “one-way street.” “You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us,” he said to the alliance in a Truth Social post March 31. TRUMP PRESSES NATO PARTNERS ON SUPPORT AS HEGSETH BLASTS HESITATION Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also meets with Rutte on Wednesday, told Fox News recently: “After this conflict is concluded, we are going to have to reexamine that relationship. We’re going to have reexamined the value of NATO in that alliance for our country.” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez closed Spanish airspace to any aircraft — including U.S. bombers departing from the U.K. — involved in strikes against Iran and denied the U.S. use of its in-country bases, the Rota Naval Station and Morón Air Base for any combat, refueling or staging missions related to the Iran conflict. EX-NATO AMBASSADOR WARNS US AND ALLIES MUST ‘STOP THE SNIPING’ AND UNITE TO END IRAN CONFLICT President Emmanuel Macron blocked Israeli aircraft from using French airspace to transport U.S.-made munitions intended for the war in Iran, Fox News Digital previously reported. Meanwhile, Finnish President Alexander Stubb told Trump in a phone call a “more European NATO” is taking shape. European nations have felt the brunt of the closing of the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for its natural gas supply and expressed frustration that they were not consulted prior to the start of the Iranian conflict. “I am not the commentator on an operation that the Americans decided on with the Israelis alone. They can later regret not being supported in an operation they decided on by themselves. This is not our operation,” Macron told reporters April 2.
Hegseth declares ‘decisive military victory’ over Iran
War Secretary Pete Hegseth declared a “decisive military victory” in Iran on Wednesday after President Donald Trump agreed to a two-week truce. Hegseth made the comments during a press conference at the Pentagon, telling reporters that the War Department had succeeded in decimating Iran’s military capabilities. “This morning, a big day for world peace. Iran wants it to happen. They’ve had enough. Operation Epic Fury was a historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield. A capital V,” Hegseth said. “In less than 40 days, one of our combatant commands…CENTCOM, using less than 10% of America’s total combat power, dismantled one of the world’s largest militaries,” he continued. “The world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism proved utterly incapable of defending itself, its people or its territory. IRAN’S TALLEST BRIDGE COLLAPSES AFTER REPORTED US AIRSTRIKES, IRAN THREATENS AMERICAN ALLIES IN RETALIATION “We utilized just a fraction of our strength, and Iran suffered a devastating military defeat. Together with our Israeli partners. America’s military achieved every single objective on plan, on schedule, exactly as laid out from day one,” he said. Hegseth went on to say that Iran had been “obsessed” with attacks on the USS Abraham Lincoln, firing hundreds of missiles and drones as the vessel. “Every single one of those shots easily shot down, miles and miles away from the Abe Lincoln. They were blowing ammo into Fantasy land,” Hegseth said. Trump agreed to a two-week truce with Iran on Tuesday night, saying Iran had agreed to open the Strait of Hormuz while wider negotiations continue. U.S. troops will remain in the region to enforce the ceasefire as talks are ongoing. TRUMP REVEALS IRAN MADE ‘SIGNIFICANT PROPOSAL’ AFTER ULTIMATUM, BUT ‘NOT GOOD ENOUGH’ In a Truth Social post early Wednesday, Trump suggested Iran was ready to reach a peace agreement and said the U.S. would help manage traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. “A big day for World Peace! Iran wants it to happen, they’ve had enough! Likewise, so has everyone else! The United States of America will be helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote. “There will be lots of positive action! Big money will be made. Iran can start the reconstruction process.” Trump said the U.S. will be “loading up with supplies of all kinds, and just ‘hangin’ around’ in order to make sure that everything goes well.” He added, “I feel confident that it will.” “Just like we are experiencing in the U.S., this could be the Golden Age of the Middle East!!!” Trump added. Trump later referenced a 15-point peace agreement the U.S. is negotiating for. Iran has previously proposed a 10-point plan. Fox News’ Michael Sinkewicz contributed to this report.
Abortion pill mifepristone stays available by mail for now as FDA faces 6-month review deadline
A federal judge allowed the abortion pill mifepristone to continue being distributed by mail nationwide for now, but warned the Biden-era policy could soon face major legal changes as a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) safety review of the drug unfolds. The legal challenge to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s January 2023 Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) seeks to end the “certified pharmacies” regulation that allows for the drug to be mailed across state lines while the federal agency continues its review. U.S. District Court Judge David C. Joseph, appointed by President Donald Trump, ruled against Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill on Tuesday, citing what he referred to as a “government by lawsuit.” “…It is the completion of FDA’s promised good faith, evidence-based, and expeditious review of the mifepristone REMS, not “government by lawsuit,” that this Court finds to be in the public interest,” Joseph wrote in his ruling. PLANNED PARENTHOOD ATTACKS HAWLEY EFFORT TO STRIP FDA APPROVAL OF MIFEPRISTONE Joseph also cited a letter from both Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary asking their respective agencies to “conduct a comprehensive safety review” of the 2023 mifepristone REMS. Murrill told Fox News Digital she plans on taking Joseph’s ruling to the Fifth Circuit despite the ongoing mifepristone REMS review from both agencies. “Judge Joseph concluded that Louisiana has standing to sue and is likely to succeed in showing that the 2023 REMS is unlawful,” Murrill said to Fox News Digital in a statement. YOUNG, GOP SENATORS URGES TRUMP TO REINSTATE ‘PROTECT LIFE RULE’ TO BLOCK TITLE X FUNDS FROM ABORTION CLINICS “He also concluded that Louisiana suffers irreparable harm every day that the 2023 REMS remains in effect,” she added. “Accordingly, under binding Fifth Circuit precedent, the only thing left to do is vacate the 2023 REMS pending the outcome of this litigation. We will ask the Fifth Circuit to do so.” The ruling sets up a high-stakes legal fight over abortion pills, with a federal appeals court showdown looming and the FDA under pressure to justify rules that dramatically expanded access in recent years. In the past year, many red states nationwide have taken the 2023 REMS mail-order regulation to the courts. In one notable incident last year, a Texas man who fathered an unborn child sued a California doctor who prescribed his ex-girlfriend mifepristone through the organization “Aid Access.” His case, Rodriguez v. Coeytaux, is still ongoing. HAWLEY INTRODUCES BILL TO STRIP FDA APPROVAL FROM ‘INHERENTLY DANGEROUS’ ABORTION PILL In the State of Louisiana v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Murrill seeks a full rollback of the REMS policy regardless of the findings of the review. Joseph denied injunction without prejudice in the suit that Louisiana brought to the court, but also granted stay of the case. His ruling orders the FDA to complete their safety review, which had been postponed through the November midterm elections, and to report back in six months. “Should the agency fail to complete its review and make any necessary revisions to the REMS within a reasonable timeframe, the Court’s analysis – and the weight accorded to these factors – will inevitably change,” Joseph wrote in his ruling. Joseph did point to Louisiana’s standing in the suit, claiming the state is suffering “ongoing harm” after the Dobbs decision in 2022 allowed the state to ban abortion. “Thus, in that post-Dobbs regulatory environment, there is evidence that the 2023 REMS was approved without adequate consideration, at least in part, as part of an effort to circumvent anti-abortion states’ ability to regulate abortion,” Joseph wrote. “Likewise, there is evidence that the consequences of this action were predictable – out-of-state providers and related entities would expand access to mifepristone in ways designed to reach into jurisdictions like Louisiana.” PRO-LIFE ORGANIZATION CALLS ON HHS AND FDA TO SUSPEND ABORTION PILL APPROVAL, TIGHTEN SAFETY RULES However, Joseph pointed to the FDA as the ultimate decision maker on the issue, as a matter of “public health judgment.” Mifepristone was first approved by the FDA in 2000 under strict guidelines, requiring a pregnancy at seven weeks’ gestation or fewer, and only administered in-person after being seen by a prescribing physician. The guidelines were first relaxed in 2016, where the gestational age of the proposed pregnancy was lengthened to 10 weeks, and required fewer in-person visits to obtain a prescription. After the COVID-19 pandemic, where mifepristone was prescribed and sent via mail under unprecedented circumstances, the same rules were legalized under the FDA’s REMS in 2023. Reuters reported that mifepristone is the single-most popular method of abortion in the U.S., representing about 60% of all abortions. HAWLEY LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO ABORTION DRUG MANUFACTURERS OVER ‘GRAVE RISKS’ TO WOMEN Joseph’s ruling orders the FDA to finish their review, which may revise rules under the 2023 REMS guidelines. It also allows the court to act if the agency continues to delay its safety review more than six months. “Should the agency fail… the Court’s analysis… will inevitably change,” Joseph concluded. Joseph maintained mifepristone access in Louisiana for now, but signaled the legal and scientific basis for those rules may not hold. “This is one of the many reasons why the investigation into the FDA must be sped up so that states can begin to regulate abortions if the feds don’t,” 40 Days for Life President Shawn Carney told Fox News Digital. “This was one of the great promises by RFK that they initiated last year, because we now know how dangerous these abortion drugs are.” “The investigation into the FDA must be sped up because every abortion pill sent through the mail is a huge, unregulated danger that has been a disaster since Biden deregulated it,” Carney added. The FDA did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Pope Leo calls out Trump’s Iran rhetoric before last-minute ceasefire emerges
Hours before President Donald Trump announced a two-week delay in attacking Iran, Pope Leo issued a rare and pointed condemnation, denouncing Trump’s Tuesday morning threat against the country as “truly unacceptable.” Speaking to journalists outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics spoke out against the escalating war and called for an immediate end to the conflict. “Today, as we all know, there has also been this threat against the entire people of Iran, and this is truly unacceptable,” the pope said. “There are certainly issues of international law here, but even more so a moral issue for the good of the whole entire population.” The comments were seemingly in reference to one of Trump’s earlier Truth Social posts, where he wrote, “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will… God Bless the Great People of Iran!” TRUMP VOWS US WILL STRIKE IRAN’S POWER PLANTS, BRIDGES IF STRAIT OF HORMUZ IS NOT REOPENED Trump later said that, based on conversations with Pakistani leaders, he would delay the “bombing and attack of Iran” for two weeks. The postponement is subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to “the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz,” the president wrote in a Truth Social post. He added the administration received a 10-point proposal from Iran, and officials “believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate.” Pope Leo had warned that attacks on civilian infrastructure are “against international law” and serve as a “sign of the hatred, the division [and] the destruction the human being is capable of.” The pontiff went on to describe the conflict as a war many are calling “unjust” that is “not resolving anything.” “In fact, we have a worldwide economic crisis, energy crisis situation in the Middle East of great instability, which is only provoking more hatred throughout the world,” he said. “So come back to the table. Let’s talk let’s look for solutions in a peaceful way.” The pope also took the unusual step of calling on everyday citizens to “contact the authorities — political leaders, congressmen — to ask them to work for peace and to reject war always.” A clash between the sovereign of the Vatican City State and world leaders is highly unusual, though the pope made his first direct appeal to Trump last week, urging him to find an “off-ramp” to end the war with Iran, according to a report from Reuters. Pope Leo on Tuesday pleaded for the protection of the innocent, urging the world to remember “the children, the elderly, the sick,” who he said “have already become, or will become, victims of this continued warfare.”
Liberals tighten grip on battleground state Supreme Court in low-key but high-stakes election
Liberals expanded their majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in an election Tuesday, strengthening control in a key battleground state, in a ballot box showdown that drew limited national attention but had plenty riding on the results. Wisconsin Appeals Court Judge Chris Taylor, a former democratic state representative, defeated Appeals Court Judge Maria Lazar, a conservative, the Associated Press reports. Taylor will succeed a retiring conservative justice and with the victory, liberals will expand their majority on the state Supreme Court to 5-2. While officially a non-partisan contest, state Supreme Court elections in Wisconsin have become extremely partisan in recent election cycles. PRIMARY PAUSE, POLITICAL FIRESTORM: HIGH-STAKES ELECTIONS THIS MONTH TAKE CENTER STAGE With the court’s majority on the line in last year’s contest, outside money poured in and out-of-state door knockers blanketed Wisconsin. One of the biggest spenders was Trump ally Elon Musk, who headlined a rally days before the election and donned a cheesehead hat worn by fans of the Green Bay Packers. Musk also personally handed out $1 million checks to voters. HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL The liberal candidate won that election by a larger-than-expected margin to capture a 4-3 majority on the state Supreme Court. Since the majority wasn’t at stake in this year’s showdown, the campaign battle wasn’t showered with national resources, money, or attention. “Tonight the people of Wisconsin stood up for our courts and freedoms, our democracy, our elections and a strong state Supreme Court that will protect the independence of our beloved state,” Taylor told supporters at her victory celebration. Lazar, in her concession speech, told supporters that “the fight is not over and we will keep fighting for our courts because they are that important.” With most votes tallied, Taylor held a larger than expected 19-point margin over Lazar. And national Democrats were quick to tout the over performance. “Wisconsin voters showed up and sent another big message to Republicans, securing a liberal majority until 2030!” Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said in a social media post.” Liberals took control of the state Supreme Court in 2023, ending a decade and a half of conservative control. Since taking the majority, the liberals have reversed several election-related rulings by the prior conservative majority, including one that banned absentee ballot drop boxes. This year’s campaign focused on abortion rights, congressional redistricting, and union rights cases that will likely come in front of the state Supreme Court. The judicial ballot box showdown also came six months ahead of November’s elections, when Democrats in Wisconsin aim to keep control of the governor’s office and potentially flip the state legislature, which Republicans have controlled for 15 years.
Swalwell campaign rejects ‘outrageous’ allegations of sexual misconduct as Dem activists issue viral warning
California gubernatorial candidate Rep. Eric Swalwell’s, D-Calif., campaign broke their silence on allegations circulated by Cheyenne Hunt, a former Capitol Hill staffer and a political media personality, fiercely denying any sexual misconduct towards former staffers or interns. “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, told the New York Post. Hunt, who now runs a youth political engagement group called Gen-Z for Change, a left-leaning group, began highlighting accusations that Swalwell had a practice of making sexual advances with women on his staff last week. SWALWELL’S ‘I SHOULD BE WORKING’ GYM, POOL VIDEOS RESURFACE AS DEM RIVAL HAMMERS HIS MISSED HOUSE VOTES “The Democratic candidate currently leading in the California governor’s race has a known history of being predatory towards women,” Hunt claimed in a post to social media. Hunt showed the image of a message sent to her through a private message. “You know, Eric Swalwell has slept with many of his interns and makes them all sign [non-disclosure agreements] so they don’t speak up, right? And when I was 19, he tried hitting on me and sliding into my DMs,” the quote read. Since posting her original video detailing Swalwell’s alleged advances, Hunt said she has been contacted by a number of other women sharing similar experiences. UNEARTHED PHOTO OF SWALWELL MEETING WITH TOP CCP OFFICIAL RAISES ALARM BELLS: ‘VERY DISTURBING’ “I am personally working with a group of women who want to come forward and share their stories. I am also aware of a much larger group that is also in this process that I am not personally working with,” Hunt said. Hunt has not provided names for the other women or indicated which other groups she is referring to. In addition to Hunt, multiple other Democratic operatives have posted about Swalwell, including Democratic strategist Bhavik Lathia, who told Democrats to take the allegations “seriously.” “Hey, I just got off the phone with a trusted friend. This is real. Take it seriously. Eric Swallwell cannot be our nominee. There is going to be a lot more coming out soon. I can’t say more right now, but stay tuned,” Lathia wrote on X. “Beasley challenged Hunt’s assertions, noting a lack of controversy surrounding Swalwell up to this point,” he continued. “In 13 years, no one in Eric Swalwell’s Congressional office has ever been asked to sign an NDA. Ever. In 13 years, not a single ethics complaint by any staff in his office or any other office has ever been lodged. Ever,” Beasley told the Post. In a post to X, Hunt struck back at Swalwell’s framing of her allegations. SWALWELL THREATENS FBI WITH LEGAL ACTION AS PATEL REPORTEDLY WEIGHS ‘FANG FANG’ FILES RELEASE “Smearing survivors with claims that they ‘teamed up with MAGA’ is morally repugnant,” Hunt said in a post to X. “These women are brave and deserve to be heard. We are working with legal counsel and the investigative team of a highly reputable outlet to ensure that those stories are told the right way,” she added. Mail-in voting for the primary begins on May 4, according to California’s Secretary of State. The gubernatorial primary is June 2. Swalwell’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump-backed Republican pads GOP’s fragile House majority by winning showdown for MTG’s former seat
RINGGOLD, GA — Republican congressional candidate Clay Fuller just gave House Speaker Mike Johnson a little bit of breathing room as the GOP clings to a razor-thin majority in Congress. Fuller, who was backed by President Donald Trump, on Tuesday defeated Democrat Shawn Harris in a special election to fill the empty U.S. House seat in Georgia’s solidly red 14th Congressional District, the Associated Press reported. “He was the difference maker,” Fuller told Fox News Digital following his victory, as he pointed to Trump. “He was the key factor in us winning…. Our results prove that President Trump means a ton to Georgia-14.” The seat was left vacant when MAGA firebrand Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene stepped down at the beginning of January. Greene quit Congress with a year left in her term, after a bitter falling out with Trump. The special election came as Republicans cling to a razor-thin 218–214 majority in the House. The GOP was under the gun to make sure the Democrats didn’t pull off an upset in the special election, in a district in northwest Georgia that Trump carried by a whopping 37 points in his 2024 presidential victory. PRIMARY PAUSE, POLITICAL FIRESTORM: HIGH-STAKES ELECTIONS THIS MONTH TAKE CENTER STAGE “It’s extremely crucial, and we need the reinforcements,” Fuller told Fox News Digital on the eve of the runoff election. Fuller, a local district attorney and a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard who’s served in the Air Force since 2009, added, “I think the voters in Georgia 14 understand that, and they’re looking forward to sending a MAGA America first fighter up on Capitol Hill to support that agenda.” TRUMP HITS CAMPAIGN TRAIL IN KEY BATTLEGROUND AS RACE TO REPLACE MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE HEATS UP Asked if he was concerned that MAGA supporters would sit out what was expected to be a low-turnout election since the president is not on the ballot, Fuller said Trump voters “would crawl through glass to make sure they have a representative up there that fights for them and fights for President Trump.” Harris, a cattle farmer who spent four decades in the military and retired as an Army brigadier general, needed the support of crossover Republicans in order to pull off an upset. “I am a Democrat, but I’m not tied to the party,” Harris highlighted as he spoke with Fox News Digital on Monday. And Harris argued, “My opponent, Clay, cannot say that. He actually sold his soul to President Trump.” Harris narrowly edged Fuller amid a field of 17 candidates, including 12 Republicans, in the first round of voting in early March. Since no candidate topped 50%, Harris and Fuller advanced to Tuesday’s runoff. HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL The congressional seat — which stretches from Atlanta’s outer suburbs to the state’s northwest borders with Alabama and Tennessee — was left vacant when Greene quit Congress with a year left in her term, after a very public falling out with Trump mostly over her push to release the Jeffrey Epstein files. While Greene remains popular among Republicans in the district, Fuller said the voters he talked with on the campaign trail were “focused on the fights of the future, not anything that had happened in the past.” Asked if he spoke with Greene, Fuller said he “reached out to Rep. Greene, had conversations with her and got advice on the district, and I’ll keep those conversations confidential.” Harris, who as a first-time candidate lost to Greene by nearly 29 points in her 2024 re-election, emphasized that he wasn’t “running against Marjorie Taylor Greene anymore,” and that his name “carries more weight than any other name in this district.” With the vast majority of votes tallied, Harris trailed Fuller by roughly 12 points, which was a significant improvement over his 2024 performance against Greene. Democrats touted their over performance in the special election runoff. “Tonight, in the deepest-red congressional district in Georgia – and despite more than $1.5 million in spending by Republicans to defend this Trump +37 seat – Democrat Shawn Harris notched a jaw-dropping more than 20-point over performance in Marjorie Taylor Greene’s backyard,” Democratic Party of Georgia Chair Charlie Bailey said in a statement. And Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin highlighted that Shawn Harris ran a fearless campaign in the reddest district in all of Georgia, delivering a double-digit overperformance.” Martin argued, “Enthusiasm for Democrats is growing everywhere. We’re closing the gap and Republicans are absolutely terrified.” Democrats have repeatedly showcased their slew of special election victories and over performances in the nearly 15 months since Trump returned to the White House. But Fuller pushed back on the Democrats’ messaging. “They lost. They’ve got to call me congressman, and they poured in millions of dollars, just lit millions of dollars on fire, and still got crushed,” he argued, in his Fox News Digital interview. Fuller doesn’t get much time to enjoy his victory. He’ll be running in next month’s primary in Georgia as aims to be the party’s nominee in the district in November, when he’ll seek a full two-year term in Congress. And Harris said he would be running again as well in the midterms. In a statement, Harris emphasized, “This wasn’t the result we wanted, but the message is clear — people here are ready for leadership that puts them first. The fight continues. On to November!”
Trump agrees to 2-week ceasefire if Iran opens Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced that, based on conversations with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, he will delay the “bombing and attack of Iran” for two weeks. Trump said the decision came after the leaders requested the U.S. “hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran,” which the president previously threatened would start at 8 p.m. eastern time if a deal was not reached. The president said the postponement is subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to “the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz.” TRUMP REVEALS IRAN MADE ‘SIGNIFICANT PROPOSAL’ AFTER ULTIMATUM, BUT ‘NOT GOOD ENOUGH’ “This will be a double sided CEASEFIRE!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all Military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive Agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East.” He added the administration received a 10-point proposal from Iran, and officials “believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate.” “Almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to between the United States and Iran, but a two week period will allow the Agreement to be finalized and consummated,” Trump wrote. “On behalf of the United States of America, as President, and also representing the Countries of the Middle East, it is an Honor to have this Longterm problem close to resolution.” IRAN’S TALLEST BRIDGE COLLAPSES AFTER REPORTED US AIRSTRIKES, IRAN THREATENS AMERICAN ALLIES IN RETALIATION The Supreme National Security Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran responded in a statement, thanking Sharif and Munir for their “tireless efforts” to end the war in the region, and agreeing to cease defensive operations if attacks against Iran are halted. For a period of two weeks, Iran said safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz “will be possible via coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces” and with “due consideration of technical limitations.” Israel has also agreed to suspend its bombing campaign in Iran as part of the last-minute deal. Sharif wrote in a statement the ceasefire will apply “everywhere,” including Lebanon, effective immediately. “I warmly welcome the sagacious gesture and extend deepest gratitude to the leadership of both the countries and invite their delegations to Islamabad on Friday, 10th April 2026, to further negotiate for a conclusive agreement to settle all disputes,” Sharif said. “Both parties have displayed remarkable wisdom and understanding and have remained constructively engaged in furthering the cause of peace and stability. We earnestly hope, that the ‘Islamabad Talks’ succeed in achieving sustainable peace and wish to share more good news in coming days!” The White House cautioned nothing is confirmed while addressing reports that further talks would happen in Pakistan on Friday. “There are discussions about in person talks, but nothing is final until announced by the President or the White House,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News.