Steve Daines’ handpicked Senate successor Kurt Alme vows to keep Montana in Republican hands in 2026
FIRST ON FOX: Montana will again have a new face coming to the Senate, with Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., bowing out. His chosen successor knows he was picked to stop Democrats from taking the seat. Former U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme was handpicked by Daines at the last minute to replace him, and he has no qualms about it as Republicans try to maintain their majority in the upper chamber in a midterm election cycle that is historically a referendum on the party — and president — in control. “Knowing how important it was for Republicans to hold the Senate, I told him if he decided to retire, I would be interested,” Alme told Fox News Digital in an interview. TOP TRUMP ALLY STEVE DAINES EXITS MONTANA SENATE RACE, PLANS TO RETIRE Daines, who was seeking a third term in the Senate, dropped out of the race in early March, withdrawing his name just as the registration deadline in Montana was approaching. As he bowed out, Alme leapt in. The move drew heavy criticism from Daines’ opponents in the state and from Democrats in Washington, D.C., but Alme described the plan as one geared toward maintaining the balance of power in the upper chamber. Seth Bodnar, the former University of Montana president who jumped into the race as an independent hours before Daines’ exit, said on X that the lawmaker had “so little respect for Montana Republicans that he withdrew at the last minute to coronate his handpicked successor instead of giving them a voice at the ballot box.” “This is the disgusting arrogance of Washington politicians and their party bosses who trade power back and forth like candy while Montanans are crushed under higher costs and fewer opportunities,” Bodnar said. 10 SENATE RACES THAT COULD DECIDE CONTROL OF THE CHAMBER IN THE 2026 MIDTERMS It’s a move fitting for Daines, given that he has become one of Washington’s savviest political operators and played a key role in clinching Republicans’ Senate majority while serving as National Republican Senatorial Committee chair during the 2024 election cycle. “The way it happened was Senator Daines called me a few days before the filing deadline, and he said he wanted to retire, but he didn’t want to lose the seat and the Senate to the Democrats,” Alme said. “He said he’d only retire if he knew someone like me would step up and keep the seat in Republican hands.” “So then, the morning of the filing deadline, he let me know that he would withdraw if I stepped up. So I resigned as U.S. attorney and entered the race, and now, with President Trump’s endorsement, we’re moving forward full speed with the election,” he continued. Alme quickly racked up endorsements from President Donald Trump, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte and his possible future colleague Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont. It’s no surprise, considering Trump twice tapped Alme to serve as U.S. attorney in the Treasure State and that he previously served as Gianforte’s budget director. Trump said on Truth Social that “if Kurt didn’t have the highest level of aptitude and talent, Steve would have remained exactly where he is.” SCHUMER, JEFFRIES SUE TRUMP, ACCUSE HIM OF TRYING TO ‘RIG’ MAIL-IN VOTING “But Kurt is exceptional, and I will be giving him, based on Steve’s strongest recommendation, my Complete and Total Endorsement,” Trump said. Though Trump won Montana by nearly 20 points in 2024 and has consistently notched double-digit wins in his three bids for the White House, Alme’s ascension to the upper chamber isn’t guaranteed. He’ll have to prevail in a three-way statewide contest against Bodnar, the independent, and the expected Democratic nominee, former Montana state Rep. Reilly Neill, who believes Daines’ exit will give her a boost. “His stepping down opens the field for the United States Senate, and this is a good development for Montana,” Neill said. Still, Alme is leaning into his bona fides in his pitch to Montana voters, particularly when it comes to bringing back “fiscal discipline” and continuing the Trump administration’s crackdown on crime. “I’ve got to go out and prove who I am, and I’m going to have to earn people’s votes,” Alme said. “We think that the Republican platform — and certainly President Trump’s approach to governing — is a winner in Montana,” he continued. “And we think that if we stick to our conservative roots, we’re going to perform well against anyone.”
Arizona Republicans force probe of county’s anti-ICE policies, putting Democrat AG on the clock
EXCLUSIVE: An Arizona border county considering multiple ordinances targeting ICE will be investigated after State Senate leaders forced the Democratic attorney general to conduct a review, the top Republican in Phoenix told Fox News Digital. Officials in Pima County, which encompasses Tucson, have directed county authorities to deny immigration enforcement agents access to county property unless they have judicial warrants. Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, told Fox News Digital that the chamber’s resolution, SB 1487, will start a 30-day clock for Mayes to respond and ultimately determine whether Pima County has violated state law or the U.S. Constitution. Petersen, who was joined in the move by Senate President Pro-Tempore TJ Shope of Coolidge and Senate Majority Leader John Kavanagh of Fountain Hills, told Fox News Digital that Democrats in places like Pima are putting “radical political agendas ahead of public safety.” “Instead of supporting law enforcement and protecting their citizens from crime, they’re creating barriers that make it harder to enforce the law and easier for criminals to stay in our communities,” he said. STATE TOP COP MOVES TO CRUSH ALLEGED DHS RECORDS RESTRICTION AS COUNTY DENIES ICE-OUT Depending on Mayes’ findings, the county may be required to change the policy, face a loss of state-shared revenue, or the case could be referred to the Arizona Supreme Court, Senate leadership told Fox News Digital. “This is about making sure our laws are applied consistently across Arizona,” Shope said. “When one county decides to go rogue, it creates gaps that undermine enforcement statewide. Arizonans expect coordination between all levels of government, not policies that tie the hands of law enforcement.” Kavanagh also faulted Mayes for taking a similarly confrontational tack with DHS and ICE, saying that she doesn’t get to ignore laws she disagrees with. “Given her record and her public opposition to immigration enforcement, there is a serious question about whether she can review this case objectively. This is not a policy debate. The law is clear, and it must be applied,” Kavanagh said. Mayes made waves in recent months with some of her rhetoric, including conjecture that ICE operations could run afoul of stand-your-ground laws, according to FOX’s Phoenix affiliate. MONTANA GOVERNOR LAUNCHES SANCTUARY CRACKDOWN, PROBES CAPITAL CITY OVER ICE LIMITS “I will not be deterred from speaking out or criticizing the Trump administration for its ongoing abuses of power and its trashing of our sacred Constitution,” Mayes said in response in January. She also released a statement after the DHS-involved shooting deaths of agitators in Minnesota, saying that “right-wing media” has mischaracterized her previous comments, including those regarding the “danger to public safety” posed by ICE. Asked about such criticisms on Monday by Fox News Digital, a Mayes spokesman said, “President Trump promised to go after drug cartels, but in reality, his administration is pulling federal agents off drug cases by the thousands to target immigrant workers.” “Attorney General Mayes will continue to go after the actual threats to public safety: the drug traffickers flooding Arizona communities with fentanyl and other illicit drugs.” When reached for comment on the criticisms, a Pima County official provided text of the resolution to Fox News Digital, which read in part: “Recent arbitrary and unfocused civil immigration activities conducted by the Department of Homeland Security and ICE have trampled on civil and constitutional rights, recklessly endangered citizens and non-citizens alike, and culminated in the deaths of detainees and peaceful protesters.” JONATHAN TURLEY: DEMOCRAT POLITICIANS ARE RISKING LIVES WITH RECKLESS ANTI-ICE RHETORIC Pima County Supervisor Jennifer Allen followed up, telling Fox News Digital, “What is there to criticize? The county’s action is in response to the egregious and abusive behavior of federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, Los Angeles and elsewhere in the country over the past year.” “Americans protesting this outrageous behavior were killed while peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights. Pima County has no interest in allowing property intended for the benefit of the people of Pima County to be used in support of such lawless actions by the federal government,” Allen said. She said that criticism, if any, should be directed at DHS and not at counties trying to prevent alleged abuses. Allen added that any law enforcement with proper warrants can still access Pima property. Supervisor Steve Christy, the lone Republican, voted against the resolution being challenged by the Senate, a representative for the lawmaker told Fox News Digital late Monday. The county also passed a resolution seeking to prevent immigration enforcement agents from wearing face coverings, but details, including an enforcement mechanism, have yet to be ironed out, according to a county official.
Hegseth cuts Ivy League ties in military education shake-up, taps Hillsdale
FIRST ON FOX: Hillsdale College told War Secretary Pete Hegseth it would be “honored” to help educate senior U.S. military officers — aligning itself with the administration’s push to cut ties with Ivy League schools over concerns about ideological influence. In a March 30 letter to Hegseth, Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn thanked the Department of War for including the school among institutions selected for the Senior Service College Fellowship Program, which sends senior military officers to civilian universities for advanced education as they prepare for top leadership roles. “Thank you for including Hillsdale College among the institutions qualified to educate America’s military leaders,” Arnn wrote, adding that he supports Hegseth’s goal of equipping the military with “the lethality necessary to protect our national interest.” The letter comes weeks after Hegseth announced the Department of War would end partnerships with several elite universities, including Harvard and Princeton, arguing that “woke” ideology had weakened military education. HEGSETH ENDING MILITARY EDUCATION TIES WITH HARVARD AMID TRUMP FEUD: ‘WE TRAIN WARRIORS, NOT WOKESTERS’ A February memorandum shows the Department of War canceled 93 fellowship positions across 22 institutions, including Harvard, MIT, Georgetown, Columbia and Princeton. “We train warriors, not wokesters,” Hegseth said at the time. Hegseth himself is a graduate of Princeton University and later earned a degree from Harvard University’s Kennedy School. In their place, the Pentagon is steering officers toward a new set of schools, including Hillsdale, Liberty University, George Mason University, Pepperdine University and Texas-based Baylor University, along with large public universities such as the University of Florida, Auburn University and the University of North Carolina. The new list also includes senior military colleges such as The Citadel and Virginia Tech, as well as Pentagon-affiliated programs like the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies in Alaska. The institutions were selected based on criteria including “intellectual freedom,” limited ties to foreign adversaries and alignment with the department’s mission, according to the memo. WHY ELITE COLLEGES FEAR TRUMP AND MCMAHON’S NEW ACADEMIC COMPACT TYING FUNDING TO FREE SPEECH In his letter, Arnn pointed to Hillsdale’s curriculum and mission, saying the school emphasizes the U.S. Constitution and the “political philosophy of the West.” He also echoed criticism of higher education, writing that “anti-American ideologies” have “infect(ed) so many of our colleges and universities.” Arnn said Hillsdale “refuses all government money to preserve its independence” and that any role in the program would be funded through private sources. The shift away from traditional academic partners marks a significant change in how senior military officers may receive advanced education, with the administration steering the program toward institutions that more closely align with its views on education and national identity. Hillsdale has also worked with the White House on initiatives tied to America’s 250th anniversary, including contributing historical material for the administration’s “Freedom Trucks” campaign and collaborating on a video series featuring President Donald Trump. It remains unclear when the Department of War will finalize new partnerships under the program or how many officers will ultimately be sent to schools like Hillsdale.
Meet the Fairfax killers: Top violent illegal alien criminals wreaking havoc on major American suburb
Democratic leaders in Virginia’s most populous county are facing criticism over an ongoing “epidemic” of violence by illegal immigrants that has left 13 dead in a major American suburb near the nation’s capital. Seven illegal immigrants have been arrested in Fairfax County, a suburb of Washington, D.C., in recent years for violent attacks ranging from infanticide to a machete killing and gang activity. Despite these arrests, critics of Fairfax County leaders say they are prioritizing criminal illegal immigrants over Americans’ safety by maintaining sanctuary-type policies that limit cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Virginia’s new Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger is also facing criticism for a day-one executive order that reversed the state’s policy of cooperating with ICE. One critic, Katie Gorka, chair of the Fairfax County GOP, referred to the spate of violence as an “epidemic” ravaging her community. She blamed local Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano and the Democratic-controlled Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. ‘VIRGINIA FATHER’ CHARGED WITH MURDERING INFANT DAUGHTER IS ILLEGAL ALIEN, SAYS DHS Meet the illegal immigrants behind the ongoing spate of violence in Fairfax County. ICE has lodged a detainer, or request to hold, with the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office for Misael Lopez Gomez, 28, who is charged with murder and felony child abuse for allegedly killing his 3-month-old daughter. According to the Fairfax County Police Department, the 3-month-old was in the care of Lopez Gomez at the time of the incident at a home in Bailey’s Crossroads, Virginia. The department said that during the investigation, detectives and hospital staff observed evidence consistent with abuse. Preliminary results from an autopsy by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma. Lauren Bis, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, called Lopez Gomez a “cold blooded killer” and “monster.” DHS said Lopez Gomez crossed the border into the country illegally in New Mexico in July 2023, under the Biden administration. The same week, ICE lodged a detainer request asking Fairfax County not to release Anibal Armando Chavarria Muy, 38, following his arrest in connection with a fatal stabbing the prior weekend. ICE PRESSURES SPANBERGER AS FAIRFAX MURDER SUSPECTS TRIGGER NEW DETAINERS IN ‘SANCTUARY’ CLASH Chavarria Muy is charged with second-degree murder in connection with the stabbing, which also took place in a home in Bailey’s Crossroads. Local outlet WUSA9 reported that officers responding to the scene found a man with multiple stab wounds inside the home. The man was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. According to DHS, Chavarria Muy is in the U.S. illegally and entered the country at an unknown place and time. A month before Chavarria Muy’s arrest, Fairfax County Police arrested and charged Abdul Jalloh, 32, with second-degree murder in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 41-year-old Virginia woman named Stephanie Minter. Officers responding to the incident, which took place at a bus stop in the Hybla Valley neighborhood in Fairfax County, found her with multiple stab wounds in her upper body. She was pronounced dead at the scene on Feb. 23. Surveillance footage captured Jalloh and Minter exiting a bus at the stop where she was killed, and Fairfax County detectives determined Jalloh was allegedly responsible for the stabbing. He is charged with second-degree murder. He is also charged with larceny that occurred the day after the fatal stabbing. According to DHS, Jalloh is an illegal alien from Sierra Leone who entered the U.S. illegally under the Obama administration in 2012. DHS said that before his arrest for murder, Jalloh had been arrested more than 30 times and faced charges including rape, malicious wounding, assault, drug possession, identity theft, trespassing, larceny, firing a weapon, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and pickpocketing. On Dec. 19, DHS said it “vehemently condemns Fairfax County’s sanctuary policies” after Salvadoran illegal immigrant Marvin Fernando Morales Ortez, 23, was charged with second-degree murder for a fatal shooting the day after the agency said local authorities released him after declining to honor a detainer request. DHS said ICE had lodged a detainer request for Morales Ortez after he was arrested for assault and brandishing a firearm on Sept. 14. Morales Ortez had prior arrests for aggravated assault of a police officer, larceny and disorderly conduct, according to DHS. Morales Ortez was charged with second-degree murder in connection with a fatal shooting at a home in Reston, Virginia, which is in Fairfax County. He illegally entered the U.S. in Sept. 2016 near Hidalgo, Texas. DHS said he was released into the country by the Obama administration and that in 2022, the Biden administration dismissed his immigration proceedings and marked him as a non-enforcement priority. Maldin Anibal Guzman, 27, a Honduran illegal immigrant, was convicted of second-degree murder by mob in connection with a July 2024 killing in Oakton, within Fairfax County. Local outlet ABC7 reported that Guzman was given a plea deal by Descano’s office, allowing him to serve only five years in prison. Local affiliate Fox 5 reported that Guzman entered the country illegally through the Texas border under the first Trump administration in 2018. The outlet said that ICE lodged multiple detainers for Guzman with the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office that were not honored, allowing Guzman back into the community before the mob murder. Elmer De Jesus Alas Candray, 28–29, a Salvadoran illegal immigrant and member of the MS-13 gang, was convicted of six murders, including conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise; five counts each of conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering and murder in aid of racketeering; and three counts of using a firearm during a violent crime resulting in death. Five of the murders took place in Fairfax County from 2018 to 2022. The killings were carried out by Candray and co-conspirators using pistols and machetes. One of the killings, which took place in Reston in 2020, involved Candray and co-conspirators luring a young woman under false pretenses and taking turns shooting her in the face. In Herndon, a
Trump reveals Iran made ‘significant proposal’ after ultimatum, but ‘not good enough’
President Donald Trump said Iran negotiators made “a significant proposal, a significant step,” following the ultimatum he issued on Easter Sunday, but it is not “good enough.” “They made a proposal, and it’s a significant proposal, a significant step,” Trump told reporters at the Easter Egg Roll on Monday, a White House tradition that comes amid the backdrop of war. “It’s not good enough, but it’s a very significant step,” Trump continued. “They are negotiating now. And they have made a very significant step. We’ll see what happens.” This is a developing report. Check back here for updates.
Newsom’s California rail project now expected to cost $126B, official admits, with still no tracks laid
California’s delayed, over-budget high-speed train from Los Angeles to San Francisco is running fast in only one direction: Rising costs to even get rolling, which are now estimated to be $126 billion. “Today, we estimate with the right optimization just over $125 billion,” California High Speed Rail Authority board member Anthony Williams told CBS’s “60 Minutes” on Sunday. “I think $126 billion is the current estimate for that.” That is nearly four times the $33 billion price tag presented to voters in 2008, making the long-delayed project a black eye for Democratic-run California, derided as the latest political example of “waste” in deep-blue America and a “train to nowhere.” “We’re now in 2026: There are no trains; there’s no track laid; it was a complete bait and switch,” Rep. Vince Fong, R-Calif., told “60 Minutes,” saying the project “needs to stop.” NEWSOM TOUTS CALIFORNIA’S NUMEROUS LEGAL FIGHTS WITH TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IN FINAL STATE OF THE STATE “The California high-speed rail nightmare is the probably quintessential example of government waste and mismanagement.” California’s long-troubled high-speed rail project is facing renewed scrutiny after state Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin acknowledged that many of its critics have a point. “There were mistakes made,” Omishakin told CBS. “Some of the criticisms on this project, I think, are very fair.” TRUMP ADMIN UNCOVERS ‘STAGGERING’ $8.6 BILLION IN SUSPECTED CALIFORNIA SMALL BUSINESS FRAUD “I don’t think the voters fully understood, and neither did we in the public sector, what it was going to take to actually get this project delivered,” Omishakin added. Taking aim at California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, President Donald Trump called California’s project “the worst cost overrun, I’ve ever seen,” a statement he has in the past reserved for Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell’s Federal Reserve Building in Washington, D.C. “This administration is working to usher in a Golden Age of Transportation,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told CBS in a statement. “That vision includes high speed rail and we’re exploring opportunities to efficiently build that infrastructure in America. NEWSOM’S FAILED LEADERSHIP HAS LET CALIFORNIA BECOME A LAND OF FRAUD AND SCAMS “What this administration won’t stand for is boondoggle projects like Newsom’s Train to Nowhere that wasted billions in taxpayer dollars yet delivered nothing to the American people,” Duffy said. “Under President Trump, America is building again. We defunded Newsom’s disaster and created the first Trump Infrastructure Dividend. Those dollars will now actually fund critical projects that enhance safety on rail networks across America.” Newsom himself cast doubt on the full San Francisco-to-Los Angeles plan in 2019, and the project now faces a funding gap of roughly $90 billion. “For $10 billion, Elon Musk put 300 rockets in orbit; for $11 billion, the state of California has built 1,600 feet of elevated rail with no rail,” Palantir CTO Shyam Sankar said in 2024. State officials say they remain confident more money can be found to dump into the project, but for now California’s high-speed rail stands as a costly symbol of ambition, delay and deep public skepticism. ‘THE DAILY SHOW’ ROASTS GAVIN NEWSOM ON HOMELESSNESS, HIGH-SPEED RAIL IN SATIRICAL ‘LEADING MAN’ VIDEO “The ultimate 494 miles of building this out without the federal government’s help will be challenging: There’s no doubt about that,” Omishakin said. Nearly two decades since the start of the project, no track has been laid, and the only major visible progress is on a Central Valley segment between Bakersfield and Merced, according to the report. The project’s earliest projected opening is now 2033, far later than originally promised. Critics, including Bakersfield’s Fong, a member of the House Transportation Committee, want the project completely “stopped.” CALIFORNIA IS BROKE, BUT IT’S NOT TOO LATE FOR THE REST OF US “The business plan that was put out in 2008 was very theoretical,” Fong said. “You know, ‘This is what we think is gonna happen.’ “And it became very clear that they didn’t have the specifics worked out.” Fong has sought oversight and accountability on the waste, including 597 change orders that have cost more than $2.3 billion alone as of November 2025, which is nearly 7% of the initial $33 billion project estimate. “Taxpayers deserve full transparency and accountability,” Fong wrote in a statement in February. “The high-speed rail nightmare is a glaring example of structural mismanagement. “Reckless, repeated contract amendments have squandered resources and precious tax dollars. Hardworking California taxpayers cannot afford to let this continue. This project should be canceled before even more money and time are wasted.”
Behind ‘No Kings’ St Paul protest: $250K production machine equal to a Def Leppard concert
When anti-Trump protesters took to the streets across the country in late March for rallies branded as “No Kings,” CNN reported that anti-Trump protests had “popped up” nationwide, including at the Minnesota State Capitol. But a Fox News Digital investigation reveals that nine vendors were paid an estimated $250,000 to build a professionally-sophisticated protest infrastructure behind the “flagship” event held in St. Paul, and a former Obama and Biden administration political and communications strategist, Roger Fisk, took credit for being the “Senior Advisor to the #NoKings flagship event,” fine-tuning the “art and science” of throwing the protest, along with two other “No Kings” protests last year. The machine behind the protest included deploying about 30 semi-trucks to deliver concert-level equipment, a massive mobile stage, nearly a mile of heavy-duty feeder cable used to distribute electricity throughout the rally site, scores of porta-toilets and folding chairs, eight jumbo screens, high-speed internet and bike-rack barriers to keep the crowds away from the stage, filled with bold-faced celebrities, including rock star Bruce Springsteen, actress Jane Fonda and singer Joan Baez. The operation amounted to a massive buildout that resembled the setup for an outdoor music festival or Def Leppard concert, according to the event’s vendors, most of whom requested anonymity. The logistical details behind the event illustrate how modern protests increasingly resemble professionally produced public events rather than spontaneous grassroots demonstrations. The investigation reveals a rare behind-the-scenes view of the infrastructure, funding and logistics that power the modern day protest industry, details organizers rarely disclose. 500 GROUPS WITH $3B IN REVENUES ARE BEHIND THE #NOKINGS PROTESTS AND COMMUNIST CALL FOR ‘REVOLUTION’ As Fox News Digital previously reported, about 500 organizations with an estimated $3 billion in annual revenues sponsored, endorsed and participated in the nationwide protest. The network includes stalwart Democratic nonprofits, including Indivisible, MoveOn and the ACLU, which have received millions of dollars over the years from billionaire George Soros and his Open Society philanthropies. Another network tied to the protests includes pro-communist groups, like the People’s Forum, CodePink, the ANSWER Coalition and the Party for Socialism and Liberation, backed by American-born tech tycoon Neville Roy Singham, who lives in Shanghai, promoting messaging aligned with the Chinese Communist Party, President Xi Jinping and the People’s Republic of China. Notably, anti-American rhetoric from China labeling the United States as “fascist,” “rogue” and “autocratic” has been parroted by these groups and surfaced as a recurring theme in the St. Paul protest, where communist and socialist organizations flew the flags of Iran, Venezuela and Cuba. Singham didn’t respond to a request for comment. POWER COUPLE OF CHAOS: HOW A TYCOON AND ACTIVIST BUILT A ‘REVOLUTIONARY BASE’ AT THE HOUSE OF SINGHAM It’s understood that Indivisible footed most of the bill for the St. Paul protest, sources said. Nancy Snow, author of the book “Propaganda and Persuasion,” told Fox News Digital that it’s important to follow the money on all aspects of political communication, including protests. “We are in an age of cognitive warfare, in which there is a competition to shape how people think, and it’s always important to follow the money because it tells you who is setting the agenda and amplifying the message,” she said. “Following the money doesn’t automatically invalidate the grievances of citizens who show up for a protest. Both things can be true at once.” About 24 hours before demonstrators arrived with signs calling the U.S. a “fascist” nation, a different scene unfolded on the Capitol grounds, with semi-trucks loaded with equipment rolling into the State Capitol. ‘NO KINGS’ CALLS ITSELF LEADERLESS, BUT ITS OWN INTERNAL DOCUMENTS TELL A VERY DIFFERENT STORY “You need a platform for people to stand on and a way for people to be seen and heard in order to reach everybody,” Matt Svobodny, a production manager with Slamhammer Sound & Roadcase Co., a live-event production company based in nearby St. Louis Park, Minn., told Fox News Digital. “And, in order to do that, you need professionals that know what they’re doing and are going to do it also safe for all the people…,” he said. “So you can’t just have people with good intentions and no idea what they’re doing.” A longtime professional, Svobodny provided a rare warehouse tour of the elements required to make the protest happen. Svobodny said crews began physical setup around 8 a.m. Friday and continued working until after midnight, returning in early morning. Along with the mobile concert stage and cable, the system they assembled included about 100 speakers and extensive lighting equipment. Three vendors supplied eight large video screens across the Capitol grounds so people far from the stage at the far end near Martin Luther King Boulevard could see the speakers. Additional delay speakers were positioned farther back from the stage so that speeches would remain synchronized across the large audience area, he said. For security reasons, the stage was partially fitted with ballistic bullet-resistant glass to protect the speakers. “It has all the elements and infrastructure of a music festival,” Svobodny said. Permit records, obtained by Fox News Digital, identify the organizing entity for the event as the “No Kings Coalition and Indivisible Twin Cities.” Indivisible is the brand name for several powerful Democratic groups: Indivisible Action, a political action committee; Indivisible Project, a 501(c)(4) with $10.4 million in revenues; and Indivisible Action, a 501(c)(3) with $5.2 million in revenues. The permit application listed a local leader, Kris Ragozzino, as the applicant and described the rally as a program including “speakers, artists and musicians.” The production itself relied on a network of specialized vendors, each responsible for a different component of the rally’s infrastructure. The estimated total for the logistical expenses was $250,000, sources said. Svobodny said he worked mostly with Ragozzino and Fisk, a former advance man for presidential trips in the Obama and Biden administrations. In a post on LinkedIn after the protest, Fisk described himself as a “Senior Advisor to the #NoKings flagship event.” In the post, Fisk recalled the “complexity” of organizing
President Trump makes endorsement in California gubernatorial race: ‘He will be a GREAT Governor’
President Donald Trump has endorsed Steve Hilton in the California gubernatorial race. “I have known and respected Steve Hilton, who is running for Governor of California, for many years. He is a truly fine man, one who has watched as this once great State has gone to Hell,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post about Hilton, a former Fox News host, on Monday. “Gavin Newscum and the Democrats have done an absolutely horrendous job. People are fleeing, crime is increasing, and Taxes are the highest of any State in the Country, maybe the World. Steve can turn it around, before it is too late, and, as President, I will help him to do so! With Federal help, and a Great Governor, like Steve Hilton, California can be better than ever before! Steve Hilton has my COMPLETE & TOTAL ENDORSEMENT. He will be a GREAT Governor and, importantly, WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!!!” the president declared in the post. VANCE ANTI-FRAUD TASK FORCE SUSPENDS 221 CALIFORNIA HOSPICE AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS SO FAR Fox News Digital reached out to Hilton’s campaign and to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office on Monday. Hilton, a Republican, is running in a crowded jungle primary that includes candidates from both sides of the political aisle. The top two candidates in the June 2, 2026, primary will advance to the general election. Some of the Democratic candidates seeking the governorship include Biden-era Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becera, Rep. Eric Swalwell and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. MEDIA PERSONALITY STEVE HILTON ENTERS CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL RACE Trump’s full-throated endorsement of Hilton may hurt Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who is one of the other Republicans running for the role. Hilton and Bianco had been the top two contenders in some public opinion polls, giving Republicans hope that no Democrat would finish in the primary’s top two positions. That scenario may be less likely now, as Hilton’s support is likely to rise and Bianco’s drop in light of the president’s endorsement. “Trump kills any GOP hopes of an R vs R runoff in the California governor’s race,” Rob Pyers of California Target Book wrote in a post on X regarding the president’s endorsement of Hilton. “Trump’s endorsement of Steve Hilton likely frees up tens of millions of dollars for Democratic groups who would have otherwise had to spend heavily to elevate one of the two leading GOP gubernatorial candidates to avoid a Democratic lockout,” Pyers wrote in another post. BIANCO SAYS ‘DEMOCRAT POLICY IS INDEFENSIBLE’ AS GOP CANDIDATES TOP CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR POLLING Hilton became a U.S. citizen in 2021, and renounced his U.K. citizenship in 2025, he noted during an interview with GB News.
Ayanna Pressley ripped for calling evictions an ‘act of violence’
A House Democrat is facing backlash for comparing evictions to violence, despite appearing to benefit from rental income tied to her husband’s growing real estate portfolio. “Eviction is an act of violence,” Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., said in a video posted to social media Thursday. “And we have to do everything to prevent it.” “It degrades the health of communities. There is great stigma associated with it,” she continued. “Housing is a human right.” Pressley, a progressive lawmaker and member of the “Squad,” has long advocated for rent cancellation legislation and pushed for an eviction moratorium during the COVID-19 pandemic. She introduced legislation Wednesday that would prevent evictions from being factored into credit reporting and fund legal assistance for those at risk of eviction. SQUAD MEMBER BRANDS ICE ‘RACIST’ AND ‘ROGUE’ IN CALL TO ABOLISH AGENCY Her sales pitch is falling flat with supporters of free markets and conservatives. “Great. When can I move into your house for free?” journalist Brad Polumbo wrote in response to Pressley’s statement. “The only violence in this statement is what Ayanna Pressley is doing to the meaning of words and the English language,” conservative commentator Steve Guest added. A spokesperson for Pressley emphasized the congresswoman’s perspective on evictions in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Evictions are destabilizing life events with devastating consequences for the physical, financial, and mental wellbeing of those being evicted, who are disproportionately women and families with young children,” the spokesperson said. Pressley, a four-term lawmaker, has previously faced charges of hypocrisy for pushing rent-relief policies while appearing to profit from her husband’s status as a landlord. GET OFF MY LAWN! 5 TIMES SQUATTERS TOOK ADVANTAGE OF UNWITTING HOMEOWNERS IN 2024 According to Pressley’s 2024 financial disclosure, Pressley and her husband reported up to $8 million in combined assets derived from four Massachusetts rental properties. Pressley’s spouse earned up to $350,000 in rental income and a property sale, according to the congresswoman’s 2024 financial disclosure form. The rentals include a house on Martha’s Vineyard worth more than $1 million. The couple sold a one-bedroom condo in Fort Lauderdale in 2024 valued at under $500,000. The Massachusetts Democrat also raised eyebrows in February for comparing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to members of the Ku Klux Klan. “In the same way that the KKK cannot be reformed, another — you know, masked militia group — I do not believe that ICE can be reformed and that this has anything to do with training and protocols,” Pressley said in an interview.
GOP races to pass ICE, Border Patrol funding bill as priorities pile up, divisions emerge
A party-line tactic to ram legislation through Congress and bypass the Senate filibuster has become a dumping ground for Republicans’ legislative priorities throughout the year. Now, as Democrats refuse to fund immigration operations, Republicans are once again readying a budget reconciliation package. The hard part will be getting enough of the GOP on the same page to craft a bill that can pass and survive the strict rules underpinning the process. Republicans used the same process to pass President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” last year. It’s a time-consuming, labor-intensive legislative maneuver that nearly blew up and could fail unless both the Senate and House align on what exactly they want to include. SENATE PASSES BILL TO FUND MOST OF DHS AFTER HOUSE GOP CAVES Trump officially backed using reconciliation again this week as a way to skirt Democrats’ refusal to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), as Congress inches closer to ending the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown. Trump demanded that Republicans get the bill on his desk by June 1. “We are going to work as fast and as focused as possible to replenish funding for our Border and ICE agents, and the Radical Left Democrats won’t be able to stop us,” Trump said on Truth Social. Still, Republicans have viewed reconciliation as a vehicle to tackle fraud, affordability, Trump’s tariff authorities, additional tax provisions, healthcare, funding for the Iran war, supplemental agriculture spending and election integrity measures in the months since passing the “big, beautiful bill.” DHS SHUTDOWN BREAKTHROUGH COMES AT COST FOR REPUBLICANS AS FUNDING FIGHTS NEARS END Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has warned that if reconciliation is going to work — especially given the limited timeframe lawmakers have to start and finish the process — Republicans need to “keep our expectations realistic.” “Our theory of the case behind all this was to keep that thing as narrow and focused as possible, and that maximizes the speed at which we can do it and the support for it,” Thune said. “There will probably be some attempts to add things,” he continued. “There are things out there that, obviously, many of us are interested in. But on a reconciliation vehicle like this — which we need to move with haste, as the president has pointed out — it’s probably not a likely magnet for all these other issues.” Senate Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told voters at an event this week in South Carolina that he is eyeing two new reconciliation packages, which could ease concerns about cramming all the GOP’s priorities into one massive bill. GOP RAILS AGAINST ‘S— SANDWICH’ DEAL AS ALL EYES TURN TO HOUSE TO END DHS SHUTDOWN “We want to do it quick — ICE, Border Patrol — fund it as much as you can, multi-year,” Graham said. “Then there’s another one coming. I just made news. There’s another one coming in the fall, and that’s going to be about going after fraud.” House Republicans spent their recent policy retreat earlier this year pushing a so-called “reconciliation 2.0,” gearing up to load the package with several provisions that could drain time and struggle to earn support in the Senate — where strict guidelines could kill proposals entirely if they don’t comply with the rules. The Republican Study Committee (RSC), which has long called for a second reconciliation bill, also wants to add proposals addressing affordability concerns. “We support pursuing funding for military readiness and Homeland Security through this legislative process, while simultaneously codifying the president’s agenda to deliver lower costs for working families,” the RSC Steering Committee said in a statement to Fox News Digital. Some Republicans are also pushing to include the latest policy fight: the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. The voter ID and citizenship verification legislation has no chance of passing the Senate given unified Democratic opposition. It’s also unlikely to survive the Senate’s reconciliation rules, which allow only provisions that directly impact spending. “I think we have to set our sights a little bit lower on this reconciliation bill,” Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., told Fox News Digital. “It’s got to be targeted to fund ICE for 10 years — I think that’s the number one thing for us. If we can nibble at the edges of the SAVE Act, that would be great, but the parliamentarian is not going to let us do the SAVE Act. That’s just an impossibility.” Some of the loudest proponents of the bill in the House GOP acknowledge that adding the SAVE Act to reconciliation would be a challenge — largely because they would prefer to keep the bill intact and push it through the Senate. “Look, it’s time for them to do a walk-and-talk and filibuster, and let’s make this thing happen,” Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said. “The American people are watching — piecing it together just to try to get a piece.”