Biden awkwardly pulls trustee into spotlight and calls him ‘Barack’ at portrait unveiling
Former President Joe Biden raised eyebrows Tuesday at Syracuse University after making an awkward onstage remark comparing a Black member of the school’s Board of Trustees to former President Barack Obama. Biden returned to his alma mater Tuesday to celebrate the unveiling of his portrait, which will be permanently displayed in the law school’s Law Library Reading Room. Video shows Biden speaking at the podium, addressing the law school’s leadership by name before making the awkward joke. “I always want to turn around to one guy and say.. ‘Barack what are you doing?” Biden said as the audience laughed. 2025 LOOKBACK: MEDIA’S CREDIBILITY FRACTURES AGAIN AFTER BIDEN MENTAL DECLINE EXPOSED He then motioned for the man off camera to join him on stage. The man is Jeffrey M. Scruggs, chairman of the school’s Board of Trustees. “I feel like he should be standing on the right and I should be standing on the left,” Biden said as Scruggs and the audience laughed. Commentators on social media debated the moment, with critics remarking that Biden, a well-known gaffe machine, was showing his age. Others defended the president, saying it was clearly a joke. Biden’s following speech was personal and reflective, crediting family, classmates and mentors for his career while recounting how Syracuse Law shaped his belief in using the law to advance dignity, equality and democracy. He discussed his path from law student to public service through moments of national upheaval and personal tragedy, highlighted his late son Beau’s legacy, and described his commitment to “dignity, respect, fairness, equality.” EX-DNC INSIDER REVEALS ‘PUPPET MASTERS’ WHO RAN THE BIDEN WHITE HOUSE In his closing remarks, Biden touched on his legacy and said he hoped he’d be remembered for his fight for democracy. “As I began to build my presidential library and foundation, [I] hope to pass down to future generations a reverence for democracy,” Biden said. “And my classmates and I learned here at Syracuse because whatever, whatever my legacy may be, I hope will be said that I never stopped striving for the cause of democracy.” “And I hope that long after I’m gone on future classes of Syracuse law students see the portrait and the reminder, not of me, but of the greatness and power of our democracy and of their obligation to do their part to preserve, protect, defend our Constitution,” Biden continued. Fox News Digital reached out to the Office of Joe and Jill Biden for comment.
‘He should go’: Senate Dems turned on Swalwell ahead of resignation announcement
News that now-former Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., would abandon his California gubernatorial bid in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations on Sunday didn’t prevent Senate lawmakers on Monday from demanding that the embattled congressman go one step further and resign. “I do,” Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., said plainly when asked if Swalwell should step down from the House of Representatives. “Yes,” Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., answered. But even as lawmakers began weighing in, Swalwell said he had decided to yield to the pressure. He announced plans to leave office, even while pushing back on claims of abuse, harassment and even rape. ERIC SWALWELL FACES MANHATTAN SEX ASSAULT PROBE AFTER ENDING CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR CAMPAIGN AMID ALLEGATIONS “I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past. I will fight the serious, false allegations made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make,” Swalwell said in a statement. To Sen. Jeane Shaheen, D-N.H., the deciding pressure point likely came from his district. “I think he must have heard from his constituents and he responded to that,” Sen. Jeane Shaheen, D-N.H., said. Bombshell reporting from CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle last Friday recounted allegations from several women, providing detailed accounts of how Swalwell had pursued intoxicated women, pressured employees into intimate situations and asked for explicit images from female contacts. SWALWELL’S FALL FROM GRACE SPARKS DEMOCRAT RUSH TO RETURN CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS AMID SCRUTINY The story prompted several lawmakers across both chambers to demand Swalwell’s resignation. In the hours ahead of Swalwell’s resignation announcement, senators voiced alarm at the detailed accounts and their sources. “They sound extraordinarily serious and I think — I don’t know Mr. Swalwell, but I do think when you have this many people who know him well, [making accusations] he should go,” Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said. Ahead of his resignation, Swalwell had faced a potential expulsion resolution, a vote that, if successful, would have stripped him of his seat. Despite his ultimate decision to step away, Swalwell condemned the effort. PELOSI DISTANCES HERSELF FROM ALLY SWALWELL AMID SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS “I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members. Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong. But it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress,” Swalwell said. “These accusations are false, fabricated, and deeply offensive — a calculated and transparent political hit job designed to destroy the reputation of a man who has spent twenty years in public service,” Sara Azari, Swalwell’s attorney, wrote on social media Tuesday. “The timing, nature and coordinated rollout of these vile and heinous allegations speak for themselves. California Gov. Gavin Newsom must announce a special election to fill Swalwell’s seat within 14 days, according to California state law. Once announced, the election must be held within 140 days.
Spanberger’s ‘unconstitutional’ push to redefine presidential elections makes voters ‘NULL AND VOID’: critics
One of the Democratic Party’s rising star governors, Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, is being slammed for signing a bill to award the state’s presidential electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote. The bill signed by Spanberger adds Virginia to the National Popular Vote Compact, an interstate agreement between states to award the entirety of their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote. Virginia Republicans railed against the bill, arguing it makes the state’s votes “NULL AND VOID.” This comes as Spanberger, who was recently selected to deliver the Democrats’ response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union, has seen her approval ratings plummet. Critics have accused her of abandoning her centrist campaign message to advance far-left policies. Criticisms of Spanberger erupted anew after news broke that Spanberger had approved the bill. The Virginia Republican Party posted on X that “fake Moderate Spanberger just signed a bill to render Virginians’ vote for president NULL AND VOID!” SOROS-BACKED GROUP AMONG LIBERAL ORGS PUMPING EYE-POPPING CASH INTO VIRGINIA GERRYMANDERING EFFORT The GOP said that under the bill, “all of Virginia’s Electoral College votes will go to the winner of the national popular vote — no matter who wins the popular vote in our Commonwealth.” The party called the move “an unconstitutional assault on our democracy.” However, Spanberger won praise from groups that oppose the Electoral College. Stand Up America, a progressive voting rights organization, hailed the move, with Executive Director Christina Harvey calling it “an important step forward for representative democracy.” “Virginia has set another powerful example for other states of how to stand up for representative democracy even as they come under increasing pressure from the Trump administration,” said Harvey, adding, “The presidency should be won by the candidate who receives the most votes nationwide—not just the right combination of battleground states.” She said, “this brings us one step closer to a system where Americans’ votes for President and Vice President count equally, no matter where they live.” The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact operates on a conditional trigger that keeps the law dormant until it can guarantee a victory for the national popular vote winner. While member states pass the legislation individually, the compact only activates when the total electoral weight of all participating states reaches a majority of the Electoral College, at least 270 electoral votes. With Virginia officially joining, the compact currently sits at 222 electoral votes, meaning it remains 48 votes short of the threshold. SPANBERGER DENIES ‘DEAL’ WITH SWING-DISTRICT DEMOCRAT AS GERRYMANDERING CLAIMS ABOUND STATEWIDE Until that 270-vote mark is met, the law has no effect, and member states continue to award their electors based on their own internal state results. National Popular Vote, the organization advancing the compact, also celebrated Virginia being added, saying in a statement that the compact “will guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.” Patrick Rosenstiel, a spokesperson for National Popular Vote, told Fox News Digital he is “grateful” to Spanberger and the Virginia Legislature, saying “their support builds critical momentum for our movement to give 63 percent of American voters what they want, a national popular vote for President.” “With Virginia’s 13 electoral votes, the National Popular Vote Compact is 48 electoral votes short of reaching the 270 required to activate it,” Rosenstiel noted, adding, “We’ll continue our state-by-state work until the candidate who wins the most popular votes is elected president and every voter is treated equally in every presidential election.” The group noted that similar bills have been introduced in Wisconsin, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Nevada. Under the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, no voter will have their vote cancelled out at the state-level because their choice differed from plurality sentiment in their state. Instead, every voter’s vote will be added directly—without distortion—into the national count for the candidate of their choice. This will ensure that every Virginia voter is relevant in presidential elections moving forward. Spanberger has also recently been accused by former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin of “illegal and unconstitutional” gerrymandering amid her push to redraw Virginia’s congressional maps. Virginians will vote April 21 on Spanberger’s redistricting referendum, a move that Youngkin said would give Democrats 10 of the state’s 11 congressional seats. Spanberger signed hundreds of bills passed by the majority-Democratic legislature on Monday. She also vetoed a few bills relating to unregulated skill-gaming machines and a proposed Fairfax County casino and sent back dozens with proposed amendments. VIRGINIA DEM ADMITS REDISTRICTING PUSH AIMS TO ‘STOP TRUMP’, NOT ABOUT ‘FAIRNESS’ Among the bills that Spanberger signaled support for with proposed amendments was a slate of new restrictions on gun ownership, including a ban on “assault weapons,” as well as restricting law enforcement from assisting with immigration enforcement. Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger’s office for comment.
Trump DOJ fires prosecutors tied to FACE Act cases after report alleges bias and misconduct
The Trump administration has fired multiple prosecutors who handled cases that resulted in prison sentences for pro-life activists under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, as the Justice Department moves to overhaul enforcement of the law. The Justice Department confirmed to Fox News Digital that four prosecutors tied to those cases were dismissed, following a CBS News report on the firings. The department’s rapid response account on X said the Justice Department “has terminated the employment of personnel responsible for weaponizing the FACE Act who still remained at the department.” The personnel moves come after the Justice Department released a report Tuesday alleging the Biden administration “weaponized” federal law by selectively prosecuting pro-life activists under the FACE Act, which was designed to protect access to abortion clinics and pregnancy resource centers. BIDEN PUSH TO REVIVE TED KENNEDY-ERA LAW NOW HAUNTS DEMOCRATS AS CHARGES LOOM IN MINNESOTA CHURCH RIOT According to the report, based on a review of more than 700,000 internal records, prosecutors coordinated with abortion-rights groups to identify activists, sought harsher sentences for pro-life defendants and, in some cases, withheld evidence from defense attorneys. “This department will not tolerate a two-tiered system of justice,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. “No Department should conduct selective prosecution based on beliefs. The weaponization that happened under the Biden Administration will not happen again, as we restore integrity to our prosecutorial system.” The report also alleged prosecutors attempted to screen out jurors based on religious beliefs and, in some cases, pursued aggressive arrest tactics rather than allowing defendants to voluntarily surrender. FINAL CHARGE DROPPED IN YEARSLONG HARRIS-ERA CASE AGAINST PRO-LIFE ACTIVIST For instance, the report cited a case involving pro-life activist Mark Houck in which prosecutors declined a request for him to self-surrender and instead authorized an FBI arrest at his home. Justice Department officials said sentencing recommendations for pro-life defendants averaged 26.8 months in prison, compared to 12.3 months for individuals accused of attacks on pro-life organizations. The report argued FACE Act enforcement under the Biden administration was uneven, with authorities prioritizing cases involving abortion clinics while failing to adequately pursue attacks on pregnancy resource centers and churches. MINNESOTA AG KEITH ELLISON DENIES DON LEMON, ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS VIOLATED FACE ACT AS DOJ MULLS CHARGES Assistant Attorney General Daniel Burrows said the findings raised serious concerns about department attorneys. “The behavior unearthed in this report is shameful,” Burrows said, adding that some prosecutors “withheld evidence” and worked to exclude religious jurors. The Trump administration has already taken steps to reverse course, including issuing pardons for pro-life activists convicted under the prior administration, dismissing several civil cases and limiting future FACE Act prosecutions to “extraordinary circumstances.” The FACE Act, passed in 1994, prohibits the use of force, threats or physical obstruction to interfere with access to reproductive health services.
Trump swings for moon with nuclear reactor plans as China, Russia team up in space race
A memo released by the Trump administration on Tuesday detailed a goal of having a nuclear reactor on the moon’s surface by 2030, a move that furthers the United States’ quest for supremacy in space over China and Russia. In the six-page document, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy wrote that incorporating nuclear energy in space will be essential to advancing U.S. efforts in “space exploration, commerce, and defense applications.” “Nuclear power in space will give us the sustained electricity, heating, and propulsion essential to a permanent presence on the Moon, Mars, and beyond,” the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy wrote on X. SEN CYNTHIA LUMMIS: DON’T HAND CHINA THE NUCLEAR FUTURE — BUILD IT HERE AT HOME NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman celebrated the memo, which outlined how nuclear reactors will be crucial for eventual deep-space exploration to Mars. “The time has come for America to get underway on nuclear power in space,” Isaacman wrote on X. The memo cited President Donald Trump’s December 2025 executive order titled “Ensuring American Space Superiority.” TRUMP WANTS A MOON LANDING BY 2028, SO WHY IS NASA ALREADY HEDGING? It was signed just months after then-acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy said on “Sean Hannity” that he wanted the U.S. to build a nuclear reactor on the moon before China does. Last May, China and Russia agreed to work together to build a nuclear reactor on the moon’s surface by 2036. The Department of War, Department of Energy, NASA and the Office of Science and Technology Policy have all been tasked with meeting the White House’s goals of deploying nuclear reactors on the moon’s surface and in the moon’s orbit. TRUMP UNLEASHES NUCLEAR BOOM, POWERING AMERICA BACK TO ENERGY DOMINANCE The memo outlines the Trump administration’s plan to deploy mid-power nuclear reactors in the moon’s orbit by 2028. Each nuclear power reactor will be designed to provide 20 kilowatts of energy, roughly the same amount used by an average American household. The reactors will be designed to generate power for at least three years in orbit, and lunar surface-based nuclear reactors will provide energy for at least five years. The memo’s publication comes just two weeks after NASA launched Artemis II, the first lunar flyby in more than 50 years. The mission was designed to test the Orion spacecraft’s deep-space navigation, manual piloting capabilities and life-support systems. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and NASA for comment.
ICE lodges detainer for illegal migrant charged with strangling wife and dumping body near Oklahoma highway
FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged a detainer request for an illegal migrant in Oklahoma who is charged with murder for allegedly strangling his wife to death and dumping her body near a highway. Willie Ricardo Merida‑Escobar, 40, was charged with the first-degree murder of his wife, Karla Gramajo-Cabrera, in Tulsa County, on April 10. Merida-Escobar, a Guatemalan national, entered the country illegally in September 2016 and was issued a final order of removal in 2023, according to DHS. “Willie Ricardo Merida‑Escobar, a criminal illegal alien from Guatemala, strangled his wife and dumped her body under a highway in Oklahoma. This monster should have never been in our country,” Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital in a statement. ICE ARRESTS LATIN KINGS MEMBER AFTER NYC SANCTUARY RELEASE DESPITE ASSAULT CHARGE ON FIRST RESPONDER “ICE lodged an arrest detainer with our law enforcement partners in Tulsa County to ensure this sick individual is not released from custody. 7 of the top 10 safest cities in the United States cooperate with ICE,” Bis added. “Partnerships with law enforcement are critical to having the resources we need to arrest criminal illegal aliens across the country. Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, criminal illegal aliens are NOT welcome in the U.S.” According to NewsOn6, Gramajo-Cabrera was reported missing by her sister, prompting an investigation into her disappearance. Police noted a pattern of suspicious activity and domestic violence from her husband, Merida-Escobar, and after Escobar was taken into custody, the Guatemalan national confessed to the murder of his wife. Local police told NewsOn6 that the couple’s 17-year-old son was asleep in the home during the time when Merida-Escobar allegedly strangled his wife on April 8. FEDS CHARGE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT IN LOYOLA STUDENT KILLING AS ATTORNEY SAYS PROSECUTORS LACK ‘FAITH’ IN STATE Merida-Escobar also told police he couldn’t pinpoint the location where he dumped his wife’s body, though she eventually was located under a mattress near a highway after further investigation using phone data and further questioning, according to NewsOn6. According to DHS, an argument took place between the two where Merida-Escobar’s wife insulted him before he allegedly strangled her to death. Oklahoma, unlike some “sanctuary” states and jurisdictions, has the 287(g) program, which allows local law enforcement to work with ICE and federal immigration officers to refer illegal migrant criminals to the agency for deportation proceedings. Fox News Digital reached out to Republican Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt on whether Merida-Escobar would be considered under the program to be processed for removal but did not receive a response in time for publication.
‘Smart decision’: Swalwell’s resignation spurs praise from both parties after bombshell allegations emerge
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., announced he was planning to resign from Congress following sexual misconduct allegations, leading top Senate Democrats like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., to praise the decision. Meanwhile, Republicans are questioning how much top Democrats knew before the final ball dropped Monday with Swalwell’s resignation, which came just days after he suspended his California gubernatorial campaign. Swalwell said Monday that he was “deeply sorry” to his family, staff and constituents for his “mistakes,” but stood headstrong in calling the sexual misconduct and abuse allegations against him “false.” “I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members,” Swalwell said in his announcement. “Expelling anyone from Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong. But, it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress.” SWALWELL CAMPAIGN SETS OFF ALARM BELLS AFTER ACCEPTING $25K DONATION FROM CCP-TIED LAWYER: ‘OUTRAGEOUS’ “It was a good decision,” added Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., when asked about Swalwell’s resignation. “You don’t have to be a rocket science to figure that out. It’s terrible – what has been alleged.” Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., reportedly told CNN that he thought Swalwell made the right decision. Swalwell’s decision to resign keeps Democrats from having to vote on a contentious resolution to expel Swalwell, which was expected to happen if he had not resigned. “With a criminal investigation in the works, the move will avoid the need to answer questions immediately in an ethics investigation that might present legal dangers,” George Washington University professor and Fox News legal analyst Jonathan Turley pointed out. “Few defense attorneys would relish a client responding to an open-ended ethics investigation when the outcome seems likely expulsion.” When asked whether she had requested Swalwell resign, Pelosi reportedly responded, “Oh, I think that was his decision. I think it’s a smart decision to make,” according to Politico. Furthermore, when asked whether she had any previous idea about the sexual misconduct allegations, Pelosi responded, “none whatsoever,” Politico also noted. Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., a longtime friend and colleague of Arizona who faced heat for defending him, said minutes before Swalwell’s resignation that he “had no knowledge of the allegations of assault, harassment, and predatory behavior against Eric Swalwell.” ‘USEFUL PUPPET’: ERIC SWALWELL IN THE HOT SEAT AFTER TRAVELING TO DOHA ON SEVERAL QATAR-SPONSORED TRIPS Warren, who ran against Swalwell during the pairs’ bids for the presidency, said she is “glad that [Swalwell] will be gone,” adding that “people who are in positions of power and authority over others need to be held accountable when they take advantage of that position.” Within an hour after Swalwell’s announcement that he would resign, one of Swalwell’s colleagues in the House of Representatives, Rep. Tony Gonzalez, R-Texas, followed suit and announced he was resigning as well amid sexual misconduct allegations. “There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all. When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office. It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas,” Gonzales said. Gonzalez last month said he would not run for reelection, so it is uncertain what may change. If Gonzalez and Swalwell left tomorrow, the slim margin in the House between Republicans and Democrats would not change. Republican reactions to Swalwell’s resignation Monday mirrored the praise from Democrats. Republican frontrunner in the California gubernatorial race, Steve Hilton, also slammed “career politicians” for letting Swalwell “get away with it.” “Of course Eric Swalwell had to drop out of the California governor’s race. The question is, why was he ever in it, knowing he had all this going on?” Hilton told Fox News Digital. “First smart thing he’s done,” said Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who added that Gonzales “needs to follow his lead” right before he actually did. “Eric, you did the right thing by resigning. However, don’t you dare say there weren’t grounds for your expulsion, because there absolutely were,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said after Swalwell’s announcement he would be resigning. “He made the correct decision, but there still needs to be a full-fledged criminal investigation. Based on what I’m hearing, he may go to jail.” Other Republicans questioned how much Democrats knew before the allegations of sexual misconduct became public against Swalwell. “The mainstream media doesn’t attack a Democrat unless it helps a separate Democrat. It’s axiomatic. The Swalwell episode proves that in technicolor,” John Ashbrook, a co-host of the “Ruthless” podcast told Fox News Digital. “If he wasn’t jeopardizing their party’s ability to hold the California Governor’s mansion, none of them would have said a word.” “Eric Swalwell should’ve been removed from Congress long ago, yet Democrats rallied around him over and over even after it was shown he was compromised by a Chinese spy,” added Republican strategist Mark Bednar, who has worked for former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and current Transportation Secretary and former Congressman Sean Duffy. “The real questions for Democrats close to him are what did they know, when did they know it, and will they question then-Speaker Pelosi’s judgment regarding Swalwell’s committee assignments?” Hilton echoed Bednar’s questions about how much top Democrats knew. “Machine politicians and unions that endorsed Swalwell and threw money at him — they knew about his past. It was an open secret on Capitol Hill and Sacramento. Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, the teacher unions, SEIU — they are all totally full of it with their fake outrage and condemnation,” Hilton told Fox News Digital. “California is ruled by a corrupt Democrat elite that is collapsing into chaos, sleaze and scandal. That’s why the Swalwell stand-ins that they send to run against me in the general election, whether it’s Katie Porter or Tom Steyer, will be no better.”
Swalwell’s ‘best friend’ in Congress turns on him after bombshell allegations torpedo his political career
One of Rep. Eric Swalwell’s, D-Calif., closest friends in Congress is putting distance between himself and the lawmaker, contending he had no idea about the bombshell accusations of sexual assault that have surfaced against the former gubernatorial candidate. “I want to be clear: I had no knowledge of the allegations of assault, harassment, and predatory behavior against Eric Swalwell,” Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., said in a statement. “The women who have come forward have shown courage,” he continued. “They deserve to be believed, to be supported, and to see justice served.” HOUSE REPUBLICAN PLANS MOTION TO OUST SWALWELL FROM CONGRESS AMID SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS Gallego’s turn on Swalwell came just minutes before the lawmaker announced his resignation from Congress. He already pulled his endorsement of Swalwell’s now-defunct bid for governor shortly after the bombshell San Francisco Chronicle report was published, and said the lawmaker was “no longer fit to be a member of Congress” and supported the push to expel him from the lower chamber. It’s the culmination of a swift about-face for Gallego, who has signaled a desire for a 2028 presidential bid and was once described by Swalwell as his “best friend in the world.” The pair have been friends since Gallego’s time in the House and both came under fire for photos that surfaced of the duo riding shirtless on camels in Qatar as part of a private trip in 2021. And just days ago, Gallego defended Swalwell online. PELOSI, CALIFORNIA DEMS SLAM SWALWELL OVER BOMBSHELL SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS: ‘INDEFENSIBLE’ “When you are in first place, is when they target you,” Gallego said on X. “Eric is a fighter and he will win the Governors race.” Now, Gallego said he doesn’t know his once close friend. “I trusted someone who I believed was a friend, but it is now clear that he is not the person I thought I knew,” Gallego said. ERIC SWALWELL EXITS CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR RACE APOLOGIZING FOR PAST JUDGMENT WHILE DENYING CLAIMS Swalwell resigned from the House Monday night after ending his gubernatorial campaign in California, a move that was spurred by the San Francisco Chronicle’s report that detailed allegations of sexual assault against him. He currently faces allegations of sexual assault and misconduct from a former staffer and three other women. In the House, Swalwell faced pressure from his colleagues to resign. That comes as the House Ethics Committee launched a probe against him and a campaign to expel him, and others, from the chamber was gaining steam. “I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members. Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong,” Swalwell said in a statement. “But it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress.”
DoorDash driver hails key Trump policy after delivering McDonald’s to White House: ‘I’m going to enjoy it’
Sharron Simmons, the first DoorDash employee to ever deliver a meal to the White House, said she hopes that the benefits she’s reaping from President Donald Trump’s no-tax-on-tips policy will extend past its current 2028 lifespan. “Well, obviously, we would like for it to continue, but I’m going to enjoy it while I’ve got it. And, you know, it’s not for me to decide that,” she told Fox News Digital during a Monday interview shortly after delivering a McDonald’s order to Trump. Overall, Simmons says she believes she’s taking home more than $11,000 in extra income. “I figure that I’m probably going to be saving about $3,000 to $4,000,” Simmons said. SCOOP: TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ TAX CUTS PROMOTED IN NEW REPUBLICAN AD BLITZ Simmons’ story is one of the many ways the White House has attempted to highlight its work through Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, the president’s signature tax and border security package. Alongside tax breaks for tips, that bill also temporarily eliminated tax obligations for overtime pay, increased the senior deduction to $12,000 and upped the child tax credit by $200 per child. WATCH IT: SPEAKER JOHNSON HEARDS FROM UBER DRIVER ON ‘NO TAX ON TIPS’ BENEFIT: ‘BIG DIFFERENCE’ Critics of the package have argued that the tax breaks are cutting down the country’s revenue and contributing to the national deficit, while its supporters contend it will grow the economy by putting more back in the hands of consumers. SEN TIM SCOTT: REPUBLICANS JUST GETTING STARTED, BUT NEED TIME TO STOP RADICAL LEFTISTS Simmons originally joined DoorDash as a way to generate a little extra revenue on the side, stating that she began her partnership with DoorDash because of its flexibility after the COVID-19 pandemic. “I’ve been doing DoorDash since 2022. And I just got into it because it was something that after COVID and everything, I didn’t have to go into an office. And I kind of felt like by doing this, I would be able to help other people,” Simmons explained. Despite the future uncertainty of the policy’s current timeline, Simmons said she would focus on the present moment. “[In] younger years, I didn’t feel like my voice could be heard. And I feel now like we are heard,” Simmons said.
Gabbard claims ‘coordinated effort’ by intelligence community to advance narrative to impeach Trump
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released newly declassified testimony that she alleges shows a “coordinated effort” by the intelligence community to “manufacture a conspiracy” used as the basis of President Donald Trump first impeachment. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Monday released two declassified transcripts from closed-door House Intelligence Committee hearings that Gabbard’s office says show former Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson advanced as credible a whistleblower complaint based on secondhand information from an individual who had previously worked with then-Vice President Joe Biden in Ukraine. Gabbard’s office argued that, based on this and other testimony, Atkinson’s actions “weaponize[d] the whistleblower process and exceed[ed] his statutory jurisdiction.” Atkinson’s investigation helped trigger the first impeachment of Trump by advancing what he deemed a “credible” whistleblower complaint regarding a July 2019 phone call between the president and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Former Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson “did not follow standard IG procedures and relied upon politicized, manufactured narratives” while investigating the whistleblower claim that ultimately led to Trump’s 2019 impeachment, Gabbard’s office said Monday. GABBARD UNAWARE OF FBI PROBE INTO JOE KENT BEFORE RESIGNATION, OFFICIAL SAYS Gabbard, citing previously classified House testimony by Atkinson, said the former inspector general “aggressively advanced” his preliminary probe while relying on secondhand testimony and what she described as politicized witnesses. Gabbard’s office also charged that Atkinson “never conducted a formal or complete investigation.” “In his own words, IC IG Atkinson recognizes that his conclusions were based on a ‘preliminary investigation,’ noting that ‘I haven’t done an investigation to determine whether they actually, in fact, took place … that all of the alleged actions actually took place,’” according to the statement from Gabbard. Under federal law, the inspector general’s preliminary role is to determine whether a whistle-blower complaint “appears credible,” rather than to fully investigate or substantiate the underlying allegations. Atkinson did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. The testimony reveals that Atkinson was aware that the primary whistleblower, whose identity has still not been officially disclosed, was a “registered Democrat” and had alerted staff on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence before submitting their “Disclosure of Urgent Concern” form, Gabbard’s office said. The whistleblower also admitted having “worked closely with Vice President Biden” and “travelled with Biden to Ukraine and was part of conversations where LUTSENKO corruption was discussed,” according to the DNI release. Yuriy Lutsenko, Ukraine’s prosecutor general from 2016 to 2019, was the official who inherited and closed the Burisma investigation and was subsequently courted by Hunter Biden-linked lobbyists seeking to facilitate connections between the Ukrainian government and Democratic political circles, Fox News Digital previously reported. Gabbard also accused Atkinson of ignoring any bias, highlighting testimony in which he said, “I also want to make it clear that I never considered the whistleblower to be politically biased.” FBI’S CONTROVERSIAL TRUMP-RUSSIA ACTIONS PREDICTED WITH ‘ALARMING SPECIFICITY’ BY FOREIGN ACTORS: SOURCES The office said that on the initial form submitted by the whistleblower, they admitted, “I do not have direct knowledge of private comments or communications” by Trump. Notably, whistleblower laws do not require a whistleblower to provide first-hand information, according to the National Whistleblower Center. Gabbard’s office said one of the “key” witnesses Atkinson relied on to corroborate the whistleblower’s report during his preliminary investigation was also a co-author of the controversial 2017 intelligence community assessment on Russian collusion that Gabbard has previously said was instigated at the direction of former President Barack Obama. JAMES CLAPPER, JOHN BRENNAN HIT BACK AT TRUMP ALLEGATIONS ABOUT RUSSIA PROBE AS ‘PATENTLY FALSE’ Gabbard, herself a former Democrat, accused Atkinson of having “failed to uphold his responsibility to the American people, putting political motivations over the truth.” “Deep state actors within the Intelligence Community concocted a false narrative that was used by Congress to usurp the will of the American people and impeach the duly-elected President of the United States,” said Gabbard. “And this, along with the politicization of the whistleblower process by a former CIA employee who was working hand in glove with Democrats in Congress, are egregious examples of the deep state playbook on how to weaponize the Intelligence Community.” She added that “exposing these tactics and showing how they undermine the fabric of our democratic republic furthers the critical cause of transparency and accountability and will help prevent future abuse of power.” Democratic lawmakers largely dismissed the disclosures from Gabbard, framing the declassification as an attempt by the DNI to win favor from Trump. “This is a nothingburger — just another sad attempt by Tulsi Gabbard to get in Donald Trump’s good graces,” Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the ranking member on the Senate Intelligence Committee, told Politico’s NatSec Daily newsletter. Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, also criticized the declassification on X. “Everyone can read the transcript of Trump’s phone call to extort President Zelenskyy for dirt on Biden. That was an impeachable offense, and no amount of dust kicking and sycophancy can obscure it,” Himes wrote. “Had Joe Biden made that call, Republicans would have burned the place down.” Fox News Digital reached out to House and Senate Intelligence Committee Democrats for additional comment.