Trans activists set ‘survival skills’ focus amid Trump’s executive orders for Trans Day of Visibility weekend
Several events for transgender people are scheduled this weekend across the country’s bluest cities in celebration of Trans Day of Visibility on Monday, including a “Skillsharing & Practical Survival” workshop in response to President Donald Trump’s executive orders clamping down on progressive gender ideology. “We wanted to materially benefit transgender people instead of just giving them an event or some performances,” Zander Moreno, one of the activists organizing the survival workshop event in San Francisco, told KQED. “Of course, that can be powerful, too. But I think with the things that are happening now, what’s most important is to have trans people feel safe in their communities and know that there are transgender groups that are truly looking to build a movement against the things that are happening in the White House.” The workshop is included as part of a broader series of events for Trans Fest on Sunday in the Tenderloin district. TRANS EUROPEAN TRAVELERS WARNED BY THEIR COUNTRIES ABOUT US TRAVEL AMID TRUMP ‘TWO-SEXES’ ORDER Trans Fest – which will open in an indigenous prayer led by activist Angel C. Fabian, who goes by he/she/they pronouns and is known “in ceremonial spaces” as Tlahuizpapalotl, or “Butterfly of Light” – will offer people legal assistance, workshops about their rights, a political education class, and a self-defense session. “Art & Creative Resistance” is also one of the events, where people can do stencil making, printmaking and “hands-on altar making.” Skillsharing & Practical Survival will include self defense, “DIY hormones,” and “community-led safety and de-escalation,” according to the festival’s Instagram post. HIDING KIDS’ ‘GENDER IDENTITY’ FROM PARENTS IS COMMON IN BLUE STATE FIGHTING TRUMP ON TRANS ISSUES: WATCHDOG On Sunday, in the downtown Chicago Loop at Federal Plaza, the Trans Up Front and Indivisible Chicago coalition and 30 other LGBT organizations will host a rally and march in response to the “MAGA right, the Republican led Congress, and the Trump administration” who have “targeted transgender and nonbinary people with hate filled policies, executive orders, and disinformation,” according to the event flyer. “As a result we face increased discrimination, violence, and the erosion of our rights,” the flyer states. “From healthcare access to legal protections, our trans community needs to be seen, heard, and supported now more than ever. We call on all of the LGBTQ+ community and all of our allies to join together to demand equality, dignity and protection of our rights. This protest will amplify our collective voice and demand meaningful change.” The Chicago Democratic Socialist of America, Gay Liberation Network, Chicago Abortion Fund and Chicago Teachers Union are among the rally’s sponsors. In Atlanta, the LGBTQ affairs department in the mayor’s office is hosting a Trans Day of Visibility celebration at City Hall, called “Deeper than Visibility: How We Talk about Us.” TRANS ACTIVIST ACCUSED OF WITNESSING SEXUAL MISCONDUCT OF MINORS LEADS CHAPLAIN PRAYER IN MAINE LEGISLATURE “Communities are coming together to celebrate and show solidarity for transgender people at a critical moment in history – in blue states and red states, purple states and worldwide,” GLAAD president and CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement. “Equal treatment is not a partisan issue, it’s a value that unites all of us. Transgender Day of Visibility is a chance to show up and speak out for everyone’s right to be themselves and be safe, and rally around values of acceptance and equality that make every community stronger, safer, and kinder.” The events this year come on the heels of President Trump’s series of executive orders aimed at limiting gender ideology influence in federal policies and education. In February, Trump signed an executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” banning biological males from participating in female-designated athletic competitions. Trump also signed the “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government” executive order establishing a binary definition of sex as male and female, determined at conception. Several cases dealing with gender ideology, particularly involving minors, are currently pending in the U.S. Supreme Court.
Trump administration asks Supreme Court to review El Salvador deportation flight case
The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Friday to review a restraining order that temporarily blocks its use of an 18th century wartime immigration law to immediately deport Venezuelan nationals, including alleged members of the gang Tren de Aragua, from U.S. soil. In the filing, lawyers for the Trump administration said that the lower court’s orders have “rebuffed” Trump’s immigration agenda, including its ability “to protect the Nation against foreign terrorist organizations and risk debilitating effects for delicate foreign negotiations.” The request for Supreme Court intervention comes shortly after the DC. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 on Wednesday to uphold a lower court’s decision that temporarily blocked the administration’s use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act law to immediately deport Venezuelan nationals. That decision paused the Trump administration’s use of the law for a 14-day period to allow the judge time to review the merits of the case. The Trump administration had vowed it would appeal the circuit court decision the Supreme Court for further review. APPEALS COURT BLOCKS TRUMP ADMIN’S DEPORTATION FLIGHTS IN ALIEN ENEMIES ACT IMMIGRATION SUIT In their Supreme Court filing, U.S. Acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris said the lower court’s “flawed” orders “threaten the government’s sensitive negotiations with foreign powers,” and risk “serious and perhaps irreparable harm if not immediately reviewed” by the nation’s highest court. At minimum, the Trump administration said, the Supreme Court should grant an administrative stay, which would allow them to continue using the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan nationals while the court considers the government’s orders. They also sharply criticized the appeals court’s decision handed down Wednesday. Writing for the 2-1 majority in the appeals court decision, U.S. Circuit Court Judges Karen Henderson, a Bush appointee, and Patricia Millett, an Obama appointee, focused heavily on concerns of due process violations, as well as complaints of immediate and irreparable harm cited by the plaintiffs. Allowing Trump to use the law in the near-term “risks exiling plaintiffs to a land that is not their country of origin,” Henderson said in a concurring opinion siding with the lower court judge. ‘WOEFULLY INSUFFICIENT’: US JUDGE REAMS TRUMP ADMIN FOR DAYS-LATE DEPORTATION INFO “The equities favor the plaintiffs,” Henderson said. “And the district court entered the TROs for a quintessentially valid purpose: to protect its remedial authority long enough to consider the parties’ arguments. Millett, for her part, said that siding with the Trump administration would “moot the Plaintiffs’ claims by immediately removing them beyond the reach of their lawyers or the court.” Lawyers for the Trump administration also used the Supreme Court filing to criticize the growing trend of temporary restraining orders and injunctions blocking key policies, calling the lower court’s ruling part of a “rule-by-TRO” pattern. Harris argued this approach has become so common that “the Executive Branch’s basic functions are in peril.” In the two months since Inauguration Day, district courts have issued more than 40 injunctions or TROs against the Executive Branch, they noted in the filing. The Trump administration continued to rail against the lower court decisions, which White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described to Fox News on Wednesday as an “unauthorized infringement” on the president’s authority. The administration “will act swiftly to seek Supreme Court review to vindicate the president’s authority, defend the Constitution, and Make America Safe Again,” Leavitt added. This is a breaking news story. Check back shortly for updates.
Vance solidifies dominance driving European foreign policy ahead of Greenland trip
Vice President JD Vance refuses to mince his words with European allies. From blasting European nations on censorship issues, to publicly urging Ukrainian Vice President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to express gratitude for U.S. support during its conflict with Russia, Vance has secured his spot as a vocal advocate and messenger for the Trump administration’s “America First” agenda. Now Vance has another opportunity to deliver the Trump administration’s gospel. He will be visiting Greenland Friday amid efforts from President Donald Trump to check off another foreign policy win for his administration and acquire the Danish territory. While, historically, vice presidents have resorted to the wings and allowed the president to take center stage on foreign policy issues, that is not the case for Vance. He is in the foreign policy spotlight now. JD VANCE STEPS INTO SPOTLIGHT DEFENDING TRUMP’S FOREIGN POLICY IN OVAL OFFICE DUSTUP WITH ZELENSKYY “He’s someone who’s not going to just sit by and stand back like Mike Pence did a lot of the times,” a GOP source familiar with Trump’s “America First” agenda told Fox News Digital on Thursday. “He’s really taking the charge.” Vance and second lady Usha Vance, along with National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, are poised to visit Pituffik Space Base in Greenland Friday, the Department of Defense’s northernmost military installation that houses Space Force’s 821st Space Base Group to conduct missile warning, missile defense and space surveillance operations. Vance’s departure from his predecessors and involvement in the foreign policy theater stems from a generational shift following the Global War on Terror, according to Republican Rep. Brian Mast of Florida. While former vice presidents Mike Pence and Joe Biden had no direct military experience, that’s not the case for the current cohort of foreign policy leaders at the White House. Vance, who served for four years in the Marine Corps and completed a deployment to Iraq, and Waltz, a former Army Green Beret who served four deployments to Afghanistan, are now calling the shots on foreign policy initiatives for the White House’s agenda. “Like myself, Mike Waltz, and others, he served in the Global War on Terror and saw firsthand the damage of bad foreign policy,” Mast, a combat veteran who lost both his legs during a deployment to Afghanistan, said in a Thursday statement to Fox News Digital. “Unlike other vice presidents, JD’s not afraid to go out there and talk about what he cares about — and what he cares about is putting America First.” VANCE EVISCERATES ‘SOVIET’-STYLE EUROPEAN CENSORSHIP IN ADDRESS TO MUNICH SECURITY CONFERENCE The Trump administration has accused Denmark of neglecting Greenland, and Trump has said that acquiring Greenland is critical for national security purposes as a strategic area in the Arctic. But leaders in Denmark and Greenland remain unequivocally opposed to Greenland becoming part of the U.S., although Greenland’s prime minister has called for independence from Copenhagen. Meanwhile, Denmark has come under scrutiny for its treatment of indigenous people from Greenland. A group of indigenous women from Greenland sued the Danish government in May 2024 and accused Danish health officials of fitting them with intrauterine devices without their knowledge between the 1960s and 1970s. Denmark and Greenland launched an investigation into the matter in 2022, and the report is expected for release this year. A senior White House official said in a statement to Fox News Digital that Denmark’s treatment of the people of Greenland will be a prominent aspect of the visit. “Unfortunately, Danish leaders have spent decades mistreating the Greenlandic people, treating them like second-class citizens and allowing infrastructure on the island to fall into disrepair. Expect the Vice President to emphasize these points as well,” the official said. Greenland is rich in natural resources, including oil and natural gas, and both Russia and China have bolstered their presence in the region in recent years. HEGSETH SAYS HE AND VANCE ARE ‘ON THE SAME PAGE’ DESPITE VP’S REMARK ON US TROOPS IN UKRAINE Mast also pointed out how European countries are now vowing to bolster defense spending as an example of Vance’s leadership. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen put forth an $841 billion proposal March 4 for European Union nations to enhance defense spending. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged in February to boost his country’s defense spending to 2.5% of its gross domestic value. That is an increase from the 2.3% the U.K. currently spends, and amounts to a nearly $17 billion increase. As a result, Mast said that Vance’s approach is proving successful in lighting a fire under European allies to take action. “He wants to make sure America is not being taken advantage of, or being taken for granted,” Mast said. “We need a Europe that steps up and is an equal partner, because if you are not a partner, then you are a dependent. Europe needs to hear this tough talk, and it’s already working.” Vance’s tough stance on Europe emerged recently when messages from a group chat discussing strikes against Yemen leaked on Monday, according to a report from the Atlantic. The group chat, which included White House officials like Waltz and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, outlined plans to strike Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Vance initially remained skeptical of the strikes, and in one message, he said: “I just hate bailing out the Europeans again.” Vance has signaled such views publicly as well in recent appearances. At the Munich Security Conference in February, he laid out the Trump administration’s stance that Europe “step up in a big way to provide for its own defense,” while also cautioning that Russia and China don’t jeopardize as great a threat to European nations as the “threat from within,” in regard to issues like censorship and illegal immigration. European leaders decried the statements, and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said he interpreted the remarks as a comparison to “conditions in parts of Europe with those in authoritarian regimes.” When Zelenskyy visited the White House in February, Vance also didn’t shy away from
HUD chief puts illegal aliens living in government-funded housing on notice: Americans are ‘our only priority’
PHILADELPHIA — Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner warned illegal immigrants living in government-funded housing, telling Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that HUD is prioritizing only Americans under the Trump administration. “Those that are here illegally, that are living in HUD-funded public housing, we’re putting (them) on notice this is not acceptable,” Turner told Fox News Digital from Philadelphia, as he toured the city’s recent HUD successes and met with local housing and business leaders. “We will not have it anymore,” “At HUD, we only serve one out of four Americans that we should be serving, and that has to come to an end,” Turner continued. “And so we’re not only making it a priority, but we are making that our only priority, that American citizens will benefit from hard-working American taxpayer dollars.” The HUD secretary has been on an immigration blitz, including joining forces with Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to form a new interagency initiative aimed at ensuring that federal housing funds do not go to illegal immigrants. The pair of Trump officials signed a Memorandum of Understanding Monday that solidified the partnership in its effort to end “wasteful misappropriation” of taxpayer-funded public housing resources that previously benefited illegal immigrants who flooded the nation under the Biden administration. HUD ENDS FHA MORTGAGES FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS: ‘SHOULD BENEFIT AMERICANS WHO PLAY BY THE RULES’ “American tax dollars should be used for the benefit of American citizens, especially when it comes to an issue as pressing as our nation’s housing crisis,” Turner said Monday. “This new agreement will leverage resources, including technology and personnel, to ensure American people are the only priority when it comes to public housing. We will continue to work closely with DHS to maximize our resources and put American citizens first.” On Wednesday, Turner announced that his department had axed taxpayer-backed Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgages for illegal immigrants. Turner said after announcing the change that HUD-backed mortgages should benefit Americans “who play by the rules and work hard, not those who enter our country illegally.” HUD JOINS FORCES WITH DHS TO ENSURE FEDERAL HOUSING RESOURCES GO TO US CITIZENS, NOT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS Turner told Fox News Digital Thursday that the Biden administration rolled out “harmful” immigration policies that worsened homelessness across the U.S. and prioritized illegal immigrants over U.S. citizens in need of housing. “We have a homelessness and we have a housing affordability crisis,” he said. “During the Biden administration, there were very harmful, irresponsible border security and immigration policies. They prioritized illegal aliens over American citizens.” HUD TERMINATES OBAMA-ERA HOUSING RULE THAT TRUMP WARNED WOULD ‘DESTROY’ HOME VALUES Turner highlighted to Fox News Digital that “government is not the answer” to issues related to America’s housing crisis, homelessness, drug addiction and crime, but instead must operate as a “partner” to the private sector, faith-based programs and nonprofits. “Homelessness is a big deal in our country,” he said. “It went up 18% in the last year — over 770,000 people on one single night in January of 2024 were homeless, and that’s unacceptable. With record funding coming from HUD, we still have a homelessness crisis in our country.” HUD OFFICES BECAME AS VACANT AS A ‘SPIRIT HALLOWEEN’ STORE UNDER BIDEN: ADMIN SOURCES “Public-private partnerships are vital to eradicating homelessness,” he continued. “Faith-based institutions, nonprofit institutions that are doing the work on a daily basis, we have to partner. The federal government is not the answer. The federal government is a great partner, a great facilitator. But it’s the private sector, it’s faith-based, it’s the nonprofits that really have their hands to the plow and their feet on the ground, that are doing the everyday work.” Turner cited that crime, drug use and illegal immigration have all compounded the U.S.’ housing crisis. Turner traveled to Philadelphia on Thursday to visit “Opportunity Zones” in the City of Brotherly Love. HUD’s Opportunity Zones are defined as economically distressed areas across the nation that incentivize investment and economic development through federal tax benefits to investors. LIBERAL NORTH CAROLINA CITY’S DEI PLAN FOR HURRICANE RELIEF SHUT DOWN BY HUD SECRETARY The HUD secretary previously served as the executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during the first Trump administration, and he led the Opportunity Zones Initiative to revitalize economically distressed areas with affordable housing, and the launch of new businesses — such as the creation of grocery stores in food deserts often found in inner cities. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fox News Digital’s Alec Schemmel and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
Josh Hawley believes his bill can stop ‘resistance’ judges from ‘provoking a crisis’
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., a member of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee, is confident his new bill to stop federal judges from making nationwide injunctions will stop them from “provoking a crisis.” Earlier this week, the Missouri Republican debuted a measure to “stop nationwide injunctions.” In an interview with Fox News Digital, Hawley explained, “I don’t think these judges have the authority to do that under the Constitution anyway, but they’re trying to and this legislation would make sure they can’t do it.” REPUBLICANS LOOK TO ABOLISH TSA IN FAVOR OF PRIVATE SECURITY AT AIRPORTS The bill was rolled out in response to the slew of nationwide injunctions by federal district judges halting the actions of President Donald Trump’s administration. The number of such orders levied against Trump so far this term exponentially outweighs the number his predecessors saw. The courts have hit him with roughly 15 wide-ranging orders since he took office in January, more than former Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden received during their entire tenures. SCOOP: TOP REPUBLICAN CHUCK GRASSLEY SETS PROMPT HEARING ON JUDGES BLOCKING TRUMP Hawley said he has personally urged Senate Republican leadership to take up his bill. However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has not indicated any plans to do so. When asked previously by Fox News Digital if he had ideas for policy regarding the injunctions, or whether he believed Congress needed to act, Thune’s office did not provide comment. He noted to reporters earlier this week that Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, was examining the issue. “At the end of the day, there is a process, and there’s an appeals process. And, you know, I suspect that’s ultimately how it’s going to be ended,” Thune said. SENATE CONFIRMS DR MARTY MAKARY AS TRUMP’S FDA CHIEF Hawley believes it should be brought to the floor even with the risk of not overcoming the legislative filibuster’s 60-vote threshold. “If their views have changed, I’d love to hear the explanation for why they have suddenly changed in the space of four months,” he said of Democrat senators, some of whom were critical of nationwide injunctions during the Biden administration. Hawley said he believed Trump would support his bill, given the president’s past public comments calling for ending nationwide injunctions. GOP SENATOR SAYS DR OZ IGNORED HIS QUESTIONS ON TRANSGENDER ISSUES, ABORTION “Unlawful Nationwide Injunctions by Radical Left Judges could very well lead to the destruction of our Country! These people are Lunatics, who do not care, even a little bit, about the repercussions from their very dangerous and incorrect Decisions and Rulings,” Trump recently wrote on Truth Social. “STOP NATIONWIDE INJUNCTIONS NOW, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE,” he added. Hawley slammed the judges for piling on orders, explaining “they’re just liberal judges who are fancy themselves, part of the resistance, who are willing to do whatever it takes to stop Trump.”
Dem candidate caught on camera applauding notorious antisemite’s violent rhetoric: ‘You break his neck’
Progressive Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, one of the top Democratic candidates for New Jersey governor, was caught on video applauding and embracing radical Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan as he calls White people “demons” and calls for violence as retribution. Farrakhan, 91, is a longtime radical antisemite preacher known for making inflammatory statements against Jews, White people and LGBTQ individuals. He has also praised Adolf Hitler as a “great man” and has become one of the most controversial religious figures in the United States due to his derogatory comments about Israel. The video – taken in 2004 at a Newark church – shows Baraka introducing Farrakhan to the congregation by calling him a major personal inspiration and “the leader of every Black person.” The full speech is viewable on the Nation of Islam website. ‘MODERATE’ DEM GIVING REBUTTAL TO TRUMP’S JOINT ADDRESS PROMOTED STAFFER WHO BOOSTED FARRAKHAN “I don’t think that there’s any man today, present today, that has the kind of moral authority or spiritual strength,” Baraka said. “Not president, not community leader, not political international activist, nowhere that has the moral authority, the historical and political framework, that the Minister Farrakhan has, that. Who can stand where he stands and truly say that he is the leader of black people anywhere and everywhere.” During the speech, which was first reported on by the New York Post, Baraka stood to give Farrakhan a standing ovation two times. The first is after Farrakhan denounces the non-violent protests of the civil rights movement, saying, “We didn’t believe in no non-violence. The cracker hit you on your jaw, you break his neck. That’s the way we think.” Baraka applauds again after Farrakhan demonizes White people as “the enemy.” “Now the enemy comes in. You, the Crips, and the Bloods, they’ll send people in to give you rumors about your brother over there. These demons will even kill a policeman and then blame it on you. You dealing with a devil, man. You’re not dealing with righteous people. This cracker is the real devil. And you better wake up and realize that,” said Farrakhan. During the speech, Farrakhan also criticized African Americans joining the military, saying, “I better not catch you in no d— Army uniform fighting for the enemy.” He also disparaged White women in particular and slammed interracial dating. JEWISH ACTIVISTS BLAST ‘SQUAD’ DEM FOR ‘APPALLING’ DEFENSE OF FARRAKHAN MURAL: ‘LACK OF FITNESS TO LEAD’ This was not the last time Baraka hosted Farrakhan and gave him a platform to speak. A Farrakhan-aligned news outlet called The Final Call reported in 2012 that Baraka hosted Farrakhan to give a speech to over 1,000 high school students at Central High School in Newark, where he was principal. The New York Amsterdam News reported in 2017 that as Newark mayor, Baraka organized another Farrakhan address, titled “Separation or Death.” According to the outlet, Farrakhan bashed the United States and the civil rights movement during this address. He also called for African Americans to be given reparations and to break away from the nation to form a separate state. Again in 2018, Essex News Daily reported that Farrakhan gave another speech in Newark, this time directly in support of Baraka, saying, “I came here tonight to stand for my brother; to stand for his mother; to stand for his family; to stand for you. That’s why I’m here tonight.” After the videos resurfaced, Baraka told Jewish Insider that he “will not be bullied or silenced into walking away from the fight for justice.” “I will not be cowed into denouncing my lifelong work for peace, equality, and equity,” Baraka said. “These latest accusations and insinuations aren’t just false—they’re a reflection of the fear my candidacy is provoking in the political establishment.” “The Nation of Islam holds deep respect in many parts of the Black community because of the work they’ve done to reduce violence and support self-determination in neighborhoods that have been ignored and abandoned for generations,” he added. Farrakhan is infamous for his hateful comments against White people and Jews, which have been closely monitored by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) for several years. The ADL, which has called Farrakhan “one of the most prominent antisemites,” lists dozens of his quotes on its website, including several from past Saviours’ Day speeches. SPLC has classified Nation of Islam as a hate group. NEWARK MAYOR RAS BARAKA CALLS DEFUNDING POLICE A ‘BOURGEOIS LIBERAL’ SOLUTION Fox News Digital has exposed several Democrats in recent years for their embrace of Farrakhan, including multiple pastors, Democrat staffers and left-wing activists, including the left-wing Hip Hop Caucus’ events and fields coordinator Terence Muhammad, Sen. Elissa Slotkin’s top staffer Dr. Terra DeFoe, among others. Baraka’s campaign website calls for voters to “reimagine New Jersey,” as a state “where we come together, regardless of zip code, or race, or gender or nationality.” His website also includes a comment he made to the New Jersey Globe in which he said as governor he would “deconstruct the state budget and reassemble with equity as our north star; judging every decision as either a step towards equity or a step towards inequity.” Baraka did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment by the time of publication.
IRS sharing info with ICE would put illegal immigrants between ‘rock and a hard place’: expert
A potentially historic deal between the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could put illegal immigrants in a difficult position, according to one expert. “It is going to discourage those taxpayers from even filing, so it really does put them between a rock and a hard place,” Adam Brewer, a federal tax expert who works for AB Tax Law, told Fox News Digital. The comments come as the IRS and ICE are nearing a deal that would allow ICE to submit the names and addresses of illegal immigrants to the IRS, who could then cross-check those immigrants’ tax records and provide the immigration agency with current address information. ICE NEARING HISTORIC DEAL WITH IRS TO AID IN DEPORTATIONS: REPORT But some longtime IRS employees have expressed concerns about the deal, arguing that the tax agency has long assured the safeguarding of records in exchange for illegal immigrants filing tax returns, something they are required to do by law even though they are not in the country legally. The draft agreement between the IRS and ICE would authorize verification “subject to criminal investigation” for violating immigration law, stretching the definition of a narrow IRS privacy exemption that allows the use of taxpayer data in the case of criminal investigations. The deal comes as President Donald Trump has continued to increase efforts to speed up deportations, following through on one of the key promises he set on the campaign trail. According to Brewer, stretching the definition of criminal investigations to those who entered the country illegally would be an “unprecedented” step for the IRS. COURT ORDER HALTING DEPORTATION FLIGHTS ‘UNCONSTITUTIONALLY IMPEDES’ EXECUTIVE BRANCH, TRUMP ALLIES ARGUE “For the IRS to get involved in criminal investigations, that’s not uncommon,” Brewer said. “They have done a lot of information sharing, historically, with DEA to crack down on drug proceeds, those types of things. I guess the way I’m looking at it is, if illegal immigration itself is the crime, if you look at it through that scope, then yes, it’s pretty unprecedented.” ‘This feels like a deviation from what we’ve known for years … that if you share information with the IRS, it stops there,” he added. Brewer believes that the agreement could also damage the credibility of the IRS, which has built trust by strictly adhering to privacy regulations. “That would be true of any government agency if they had said, ‘Hey, the DMV is going to start turning over your address to ICE.’ You’re going to get less people who register their vehicles or who renew their driver’s license. That’s just the reality,” Brewer said. Brewer noted that a lot of illegal immigrants depend on filing their tax returns as a way to help gain their legal status, but the potential for deportation if their records are shared could dissuade them from going through the process. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The IRS knows and ICE knows that these tax returns are required, and now they’ve really put a big disincentive in front of taxpayers from filing,” Brewer said. But Brewer also acknowledged that in some cases the information the IRS provides could prove to be a critical missing link for immigration authorities, pointing out that the IRS has long assisted other law enforcement agencies on other criminal matters. “If someone just filed a tax return last month for 2024, that address information would be more recent or more likely to be accurate than some immigration document they filed last year,” Brewer said. “If we have the information in one department, you don’t want ICE spending a ton of time and resources trying to track someone down … just for efficiency’s sake, we do want government agencies sharing information.”
‘Show of force’: Trump ally kicking off campaign in race to succeed Florida Gov DeSantis
GOP Rep. Byron Donalds formally launches his campaign for Florida governor on Friday with what is being billed as a hometown kickoff rally. The conservative lawmaker, who has represented Florida’s 19th Congressional District in the southwest part of the state for four years, is currently the only major Republican to jump into the 2026 race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis. Donalds, a staunch supporter and ally of President Donald Trump, announced his candidacy during an appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity” late last month, days after landing the president’s endorsement. Additionally, two MAGA world rock-stars – Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, and Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist and commentator who leads the powerful Turning Point USA youth organization – have recorded videos for Donalds’ campaign kick-off, sources tell Fox News. Conservative commentator Benny Johnson will speak in person at the event. FIRST ON FOX: LEADING CONSERVATIVE GROUP BACKS DONALDS IN FLORIDA The campaign event, in Bonita Springs, comes as Florida first lady Casey DeSantis has acknowledged she is considering a 2026 gubernatorial run to succeed her husband in Tallahassee. “I think what you’ll see is a show of force and I think the support and the momentum that Bryon is generating across the state, whether it’s fundraising or grassroots support, will be evident,” veteran Republican strategist and Florida native Stephen Lawson told Fox News. WHAT BYRON DONALDS TOLD FOX NEWS’ LARA TRUMP Lawson – who served as an adviser to DeSantis as well as his predecessor in Tallahassee, former governor and current Sen. Rick Scott – emphasized that “with President Trump’s backing, Donalds is the person to beat in this race.” DeSantis has repeatedly touted his wife’s accomplishments as Florida first lady and framed her as a worthy successor. Additionally, Casey DeSantis, late last month, stoked speculation when asked by reporters if she would run. “To quote the late Yogi Berra,” DeSantis said as she reiterated a famous line from the late baseball legend. “If you see a fork in the road, take it.” The governor then quipped to reporters that “you guys can read into that what you will.” RON AND CASEY DESANTIS TEE OFF WITH TRUMP AS FLORIDA GOVERNOR’S RACE HEATS UP When asked this month at the National Review Institute’s Ideas Summit in National Harbor, Maryland, if she might launch a campaign, Casey DeSantis said “we’ll see.” Sources last month confirmed to Fox News that the governor has been reaching out to donors on behalf of his wife. The next campaign cash filing deadline in the Florida governor’s race comes at the end of this weekend, and a source in the congressman’s political orbit predicted to Fox News that Donalds would “easily eclipse” the $1 million DeSantis raised in his first month as a gubernatorial candidate in his successful 2018 campaign to succeed Scott as governor. “I think he’s going to show a really strong fundraising number,” added another Florida-based Republican strategist, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely. Donalds has been complimentary of Gov. DeSantis. “We have a great governor,”Donalds said last month in his “Hannity” interview. “Ron DeSantis has done a tremendous job for our state. But now the job is to keep the best state in the country as the best state in the country. And so that’s going to be the mission at hand.” A GOP strategist who has long worked on Florida races said he thinks Donalds “has been really careful to be kumbaya with the governor and Casey. I think you’ve seen that from his messaging… He wants to build on the conservative record of success in Florida while also forging his own path.” However, the source added that Donalds will use Friday’s campaign kickoff to “put a marker down to show that this is his race to win.” An internal poll conducted earlier this month for Donalds’ campaign indicated the congressman edging Casey DeSantis by single digits in a hypothetical GOP primary showdown. However, the survey suggested that Donalds’ lead surged to more than 20 points when respondents were informed that he is supported by Trump, whose sway over the GOP is stronger than ever. Florida used to be the nation’s top general election battleground state, but it has dramatically swung to the right in the past couple of election cycles. DeSantis won his 2022 re-election by nearly 20 points, and Trump carried the state last November by 13 points. With Florida now clearly a red state, the winner of the Republican gubernatorial primary will be considered the favorite in next year’s general election.
Walz says Dems weren’t ‘bold enough’ to double down on DEI, immigration
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said the Democratic Party has gotten into its current mess because it wasn’t “bold enough” to stand up for diversity, equity and inclusion and immigration. The former vice-presidential candidate appeared Thursday at a town hall event in Rosenberg, Texas, alongside former Rep. Beto O’Rourke. He told supporters “I’m just going to note this s— show of a [Signal] text chain that was going on could have used a little diversity, equity, inclusion in the people who were there.” “So I think and I’m going to own this, when we see people back off and we see corporations back off to the threats, instead of leaning into and knowing we’re doing this because it’s not only morally the right thing to do, it’s economically the right thing to do. And our culture proves that our strength is our diversity,” Walz continued. “We’ve been talking about this for years as a country of immigrants, and we let them define the issue on immigration. We let them define the issue on DEI, and we let them define what woke is,” Walz declared. “We got ourselves in this mess because we weren’t bold enough to stand up and say ‘you damn right we’re proud of these policies. We’re going to put them in, and we’re going to execute them.’” TRUMP RIPS ‘LOSER’ TIM WALZ FOR HURTING DEMS IN 2024 ELECTION Walz added that Republicans are “going to use fear” and “they’re going to do whatever they can. “What I would say is we need to make sure we’re highly organized,” he told the audience. “One of the groups that has benefited greatly by us understanding that diversity, equity and inclusion and having policies around that, were veterans themselves for hiring. Veterans are a part of the group when the federal government hires people based on that,” Walz also said. “The rest of it is, as we all know, in Minnesota, pretty white, pretty cold, much like you see in the Northern hemisphere, northern states, population going down, 70% of our workforce over the next 20 years is going to come from communities of color,” he added. “Our very existence depends on diversity, equity and inclusion.” TIM WALZ SAYS HE WAS JOKING WHEN HE MOCKED TESLA’S FALLING STOCK Last week, Trump said Walz contributed to the Democrats’ loss in the 2024 election. Trump’s comments came in response to statements Walz provided in a podcast with California Gov. Gavin Newsom, in which Walz predicted he could kick the “a–” of most Trump supporters. “Well, he’s a loser. Yeah. No, I think so. He lost an election,” Trump said. “He played a part. You know, usually a vice president doesn’t play a part. They say. I think Tim played a part. I think he was so bad that he hurt her. But she hurt herself. And Joe hurt them both. They didn’t have a great group, but I would probably put him at the bottom of the group.” Fox News’ Diana Stacey contributed to this report.
Elon Musk becomes DNC’s target in high-stakes Wisconsin Supreme Court showdown
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) launched its first-ever ad buy Friday targeting Elon Musk and the millions of dollars he has injected into the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, previewing what could be a broader strategy for the party going forward. The DNC ad buys, which are slated to run through Tuesday in seven local newspapers across Wisconsin, take aim at the $19 million Musk and his affiliated PACs have spent on behalf of conservative candidate, Brad Schimel, in a high-stakes state Supreme Court election that will determine whether the court retains its current 4-3 liberal majority. Musk “has threatened Medicare, gutted Social Security services, and now he thinks he can buy himself a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court,” DNC Chair Ken Martin said in a statement Friday. “That’s why, today, the DNC is out with our first paid media explicitly calling out Musk for his attempts to meddle in Wisconsin’s elections.” JUDGES V TRUMP: HERE ARE THE KEY COURT BATTLES HALTING THE WHITE HOUSE AGENDA DNC officials told Fox News Digital that the ads will run in seven local newspapers across the state – the Chippewa Herald, the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter, the Beloit Daily News, the Daily Jefferson County Union, the Janesville Gazette, the Watertown Daily Times and the Oshkosh Northwestern – and highlight the message, “Wisconsin is not for sale.” “Wisconsinites deserve a Supreme Court justice who looks out for them, not the ultra-wealthy,” Martin said. “Now and forever, Wisconsin is not for sale.” The closely-watched state Supreme Court in Wisconsin is already the most expensive judicial election in U.S. history, reaching a total of more than $81 million in spending and far eclipsing the $56 million spent on the state Supreme Court race just two years earlier, according to figures compiled by the Brennan Center for Justice. Musk’s two super PACs spent more than $17 million on Schimel’s behalf, while Musk personally donated $3 million to the Wisconsin Republican Party earlier this year – funds that in turn can be used for Schimel’s campaign. President Donald Trump and Musk have thrown their weight behind conservative candidate Schimel, with Trump himself stumping for Schimel during a Thursday evening tele-town hall event and billing the race as one that could have an “outsized impact on the future of the country.” “I know you feel it’s local, but it’s not,” Trump said, adding, “The whole country is watching.” Meanwhile, former President Barack Obama and other notable Democrats have thrown their weight behind liberal opponent Susan Crawford, the current Dane County circuit judge whose campaign has attracted more than $25 million in funding ahead of the race. AFTER STINGING ELECTION DEFEATS, DNC EYES RURAL VOTERS AS KEY TO 2026 MIDTERM SUCCESS Democrats, for their part, see the race as fertile proving grounds to test their attack against Musk as they look to retain a critical state Supreme Court seat in Wisconsin and gear up for the 2026 midterm elections. The efficacy of the ad campaign in Wisconsin, a that narrowly elected Trump in both the 2016 and 2024 presidential contests, remains to be seen. However, it comes as Democrats have struggled to coalesce around a unifying message in the aftermath of the 2024 elections, which could make Musk, and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), more attractive targets. Polling numbers in Wisconsin also bear this out. Fifty-three percent of Wisconsin voters said earlier this month that DOGE is disrupting programs required by law, according to a survey from Marquette University Law School, while a slightly lower 47% said the quasi-agency is carrying out Trump’s agenda. A larger 59% majority said Trump’s freezing spending and his closing of federal agencies is beyond his governmental authority.