Democrats caught on camera coaching candidate on how to be ‘authentic’ in 2026 messaging
FIRST ON FOX — Democrats campaigning in Pennsylvania inadvertently posted a video online, giving a look behind the curtain of their 2026 midterm strategy and how they’re preparing to appear more authentic and win back voters who felt “left behind.” The clip, viewed by Fox News Digital and not previously reported, shows Democratic Pennsylvania candidate Bob Brooks in a conversation with Biden-era Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who couldn’t even remember what district he was campaigning in. The pair received coaching from an off-screen staffer, urging them to stay on message. “Think about your audience,” the staffer prompted. “Why is this race so important? We need to win the House [of Representatives] — all of that. Winning over people who feel like they’re left behind by the party, flipping the district. All of that, I think, is really strong, showing up for working people, affordability.” FORMER OBAMA STAFFERS URGE DEMOCRATS TO STOP SPEAKING LIKE A ‘PRESS RELEASE,’ LEARN ‘NORMAL PEOPLE LANGUAGE’ The rare look at a behind-the-scenes campaign moment, filmed by Democratic campaign arm The Bench, highlights the efforts the party is taking to underscore affordability, appeal to everyday voters and come across as naturally as possible after losing swaths of their base in the 2024 election. “We are going to have a really normal conversation with three cameras pointing at you,” the staffer joked. “Everybody act normal,” Buttigieg chuckled. “And remind me the district number we’re in?” he asked the staffer before the conversation commenced. The staffer also gave Buttigieg and Brooks guidance on a pair of beer cans set out as “props.” Brooks, who faces a tight primary race next week, has attracted the support of a wide swath of Democratic Party figures, garnering endorsements from the likes of Buttigieg; Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.; and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. BUTTIGIEG SAYS HE’S ‘LOOKING AT’ POSSIBLE SENATE RUN IN BATTLEGROUND STATE His background as a firefighter has also drawn the support of the Bench, a campaign group that consists of several veteran Democratic operatives. The group describes its ideal candidates as “community-rooted, values-driven and ready to connect with voters across party lines.” The Bench also supports Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, Michigan Senate candidate Mallory McMorrow and Iowa House candidate Sarah Trone Garriott. Brooks faces a four-way primary for a chance to unseat Republican incumbent Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa. Pennsylvania’s 7th District is among the most competitive in the country. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report places the race as a “toss-up,” just one of 18 seats to receive that designation this year. DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE APOLOGIZES FOR PAST PRO-POLICE, PRO-GUN POSTS IN KEY BATTLEGROUND RACE Despite their coaching, the off-screen staffer told Brooks they would try to avoid directing the interview too much. “Bob, feel free to prompt Pete with a question: Why this race, why here in the Lehigh Valley, and we will interject if needed to do a little directing, but we’re going to be mostly hands-off,” the staffer said.
Vance confronted about 2028 ambitions after Trump teases ‘dream team’ Rubio ticket
Vice President JD Vance brushed off questions about a possible 2028 Republican ticket with Secretary of State Marco Rubio after President Donald Trump floated the pair as a political force earlier this week. “I love Marco. I think he’s a great secretary of state. He’s become a very, very dear friend. But I think both of us are very much focused on accomplishing the American people’s business right now,” Vance said during a news conference Wednesday focused on the administration’s fraud crackdown. Trump teased a potential ticket with Vance and Rubio earlier this week, but the president did not say who would fill Trump’s shoes. Vance had previously said the media was creating “conflict” when asked in recent months about alleged tension between the pair as Washington, D.C., inches closer to 2028. “Who likes J.D. Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio? All right. Sounds like a good ticket,” Trump said Monday. “By the way, I do believe that’s a dream team.” JD VANCE ADDRESSES POSSIBLE PRESIDENTIAL RUN WITH MARCO RUBIO AFTER TRUMP TEASES ‘UNSTOPPABLE’ TICKET Vance shared that it is one of the topics he least likes to discuss when he is “having a good time and trying to do good work in the job that the American people already elected me to do.” “If I was the American people, there are a few things that I would hate more than a person who’s barely been in one office for a year and a half, is angling for a job two and a half years down the road,” Vance said, referencing himself. VANCE TAPPED AS ‘FRAUD CZAR’ AS TRUMP TARGETS BLUE STATES OVER TAXPAYER THEFT A second reporter followed up during the news conference that the media was not promoting 2028 tension between the pair as the president floated the potential ticket. “I just don’t think it sounds like the president of the United States to have a televised competition for who would succeed him as his apprentice,” Vance quipped in response. “I just think that’s not at all what you would expect the president to do.” Vance added it was “natural” for Trump to joke around with him and Rubio, adding that the president has “always been fascinated by politics.” RUBIO HEADS TO ROME WITH TRUMP’S IRAN CLASH LOOMING OVER POPE LEO, MELONI TALKS Vance’s big initiative has been cracking down on fraud, waste and abuse while leading the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. The news conference Wednesday was held as Vance holds down the fort at the White House while Trump is in China for high-stakes meetings alongside administration leaders, such as Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
Trump gets red-carpet welcome in China, but past Beijing trip shows pageantry only goes so far
President Trump received a red-carpet welcome when he landed in Beijing Wednesday with a military honor guard, band and children waving American and Chinese flags ahead of high-stakes talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The ceremony also highlighted the bigger question around Trump’s return to China about whether this visit can yield more lasting progress than his 2017 trip, which featured major business announcements but was followed by a sharp deterioration in U.S.-China trade relations. The meeting comes as trade tensions, the Iran war and disputes over Taiwan place new pressure on Washington and Beijing to stabilize relations between the world’s two largest economies. TRUMP HEADS TO BEIJING FOR HIGH-STAKES XI TALKS AS TAIWAN TENSIONS, TRADE DISPUTES TEST US STRENGTH The red carpet was rolled out with a welcome ceremony consisting of a military honor guard and a military band with Chinese children waving American and Chinese flags. “Welcome, welcome! Warm welcome!” the children chanted in Chinese. Trump exited Air Force One and was greeted by United States Ambassador to China David Perdue, Chinese Vice President H.E. Han Zheng, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the United States H.E. Xie Feng and Executive Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Ma Zhaoxu. First lady Melania Trump accompanied Trump nearly nine years ago for his first state visit. The 2017 trip emphasized pomp, personal diplomacy and commercial announcements and included excursions such as a Forbidden City tour, a Peking opera performance and a formal welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People. The 2017 trip produced more than $250 billion in announced commercial deals and cooperation pledges, but it did not prevent trade relations from deteriorating in 2018. Most notably, Trump announced a $12 billion deal for cellphone chips from Qualcomm and $37 billion for Boeing commercial jets, AP reported at the time. DONALD TRUMP DETAILS ‘MOST EXCITING PART’ OF CHINA TRADE AGREEMENT “These deals will create jobs for American workers, farmers and ranchers by increasing United States exports to China and stimulating investment in American communities,” the White House said at the time. A strategic focus of his first visit was North Korea’s nuclear program. Trump and Xi agreed at the time that North Korea should not become a nuclear weapons state, declaring the two countries would apply “maximum pressure.” China had already tightened enforcement earlier that year, including suspending North Korean coal imports, while Trump later said Chinese banks were scaling back business with North Korean entities. But U.S.-China cooperation weakened as broader trade tensions escalated, and North Korea continued advancing its missile and nuclear programs. The summit did not prevent a sharp deterioration in trade relations the following year, after Trump imposed tariffs on Chinese imports, triggering a prolonged trade standoff. Trump’s latest visit comes after a broader tariff escalation in which his administration imposed sweeping duties on imports from dozens of countries, with China emerging as the central flashpoint after Beijing retaliated and later tightened export controls on rare earth minerals, prompting Trump to threaten an additional 100% tariff on Chinese goods. Trump is expected to press Xi on trade once again, suggesting that American entrepreneurs and executives could help drive growth inside China if Beijing lowers barriers and allows U.S. firms more room to operate. TRUMP WARNS CHINA OF ‘STAGGERING’ 50% TARIFF IF CAUGHT SUPPLYING MILITARY AID TO IRAN Accompanying Trump on the trip are top U.S. executives, including Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, Cargill CEO Brian Sikes, Citi CEO Jane Fraser, GE Aerospace CEO Larry Culp, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra, and Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon. Iran is expected to be among the issues during the talks, though Trump has downplayed differences with Xi over the war. Trump and Xi will hold talks and a formal banquet Thursday. Fox News Digital’s Eric Mack and Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
Senate confirms Kevin Warsh as Fed chair as Trump’s economic vision comes into focus
The Senate cleared Kevin Warsh on Wednesday to lead the Federal Reserve, ushering in a new era at the central bank under President Donald Trump’s nominee. The Senate confirmed Warsh, 54–45, concluding a monthslong search that began last summer for a successor to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell as his term neared its end. The vote was largely along party lines, with only Pennsylvania Democrat Sen. John Fetterman crossing over in support. Earlier in the week, Warsh was confirmed to the Fed’s Board of Governors, a 14-year appointment and a required step before serving as chair. He previously served on the board as its youngest member at age 35 and now returns to lead the central bank at a pivotal moment. FROM MORTGAGES TO CAR LOANS: HOW AFFORDABILITY RISES AND FALLS WITH THE FED Though the Federal Reserve operates largely out of public view, its decisions shape borrowing costs, job growth and interest rates for millions of Americans, making Warsh’s confirmation a pivotal moment for how that influence will be wielded. Warsh, a lawyer and financier, steps into the role at a particularly volatile time. The central bank is grappling with persistent inflation, the economic fallout from the war in Iran and a looming Supreme Court decision involving Fed Governor Lisa Cook, all while political pressure builds ahead of the midterm elections in November. The 56-year-old multimillionaire has already signaled a clear break from the central bank’s current approach. In testimony before lawmakers on April 21, Warsh pledged to keep monetary policy “strictly independent” and said he intended to keep the central bank “in its lane,” warning that the Fed had become too involved in social policy. He has also taken aim at what he sees as a complacent central bank, warning that large institutions are prone to inertia and that clinging to the “status quo” in a fast-moving economy is not just outdated but dangerous. WATCH: SEN WARREN UNLOADS ON TRUMP’S FED NOMINEE KEVIN WARSH IN EXPLOSIVE HEARING SHOWDOWN At the same time, he has signaled openness to closer coordination with elected leaders and to work with the White House and Congress on non-monetary matters, an approach that could reshape how the Fed operates in Washington. How that balance is struck could define not only Warsh’s tenure, but the future direction of the institution that plays a major role in the financial lives of millions of Americans. Warsh will take the reins from Powell, whose eight-year tenure as Fed chair concludes Friday. Powell, widely considered the most crisis-tested Fed chair, is not leaving the central bank entirely. Powell’s term on the Fed board runs through 2028, and he has indicated he plans to remain in place until all investigations into a renovation project at the Fed’s headquarters are complete. POWELL WILL REMAIN AT THE FED FOR NOW, SETTING UP POTENTIAL CLASH WITH TRUMP If Powell stepped aside entirely, it would have opened a seat for Trump to fill, giving him another opportunity to shape the Fed’s leadership. By staying on, Powell retains influence over U.S. monetary policy, potentially intensifying tensions with the president. “I plan to keep a low profile as a governor. There is only ever one chair of the Federal Reserve Board. When Kevin Warsh is confirmed and sworn in, he will be that chair,” Powell told reporters at a news conference at the Federal Reserve on April 29. Powell said that decision ultimately depends on the outcome of the investigation. “I will not leave the board until this investigation is fully resolved with transparency and finality,” Powell said. “I’m encouraged by recent developments, and I am watching the remaining steps in this process carefully. My decisions on these matters will continue to be guided entirely by what I believe is in the best interest of the institution and the people we serve.” Powell’s tenure at the central bank dates back to 2017, when he was selected by Trump to succeed Janet Yellen. He was reappointed to a second four-year term by President Joe Biden in 2022, which expires on May 15. The White House and Federal Reserve did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Dem ripped for ‘disgusting’ absence on bill to punish violent criminals after girl strangled in grisly killing
FIRST ON FOX: Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico is being ripped by critics accusing him of making a “disgusting” decision to be absent during a vote on a Texas bill to automatically deny bail to illegal immigrants charged with violent felonies after a local preteen was strangled to death. As a member of the Texas House of Representatives in 2025, Talarico was absent during the final voting on a bill dubbed by state lawmakers “Jocelyn’s Law,” in honor of slain Houston preteen Jocelyn Nungaray. The measure, which would have added a Texas constitutional amendment to deny bail to illegal immigrants charged with violent felonies, ended up failing due to lack of bipartisan support. Before being absent for the final vote, Talarico voted against killing two amendments to the bill that would have exempted immigrants present in the country on humanitarian parole, an order of supervision, a pending green card application, trafficking or Violence Against Women Act victim protections, visa extension applications, deferred action or Temporary Protected Status. He is now taking flak over his absence as he runs for U.S. Senate in one of the states most impacted by illegal immigrant crime. Nungaray, 12, was sexually assaulted and killed, allegedly by two Venezuelan illegal immigrants, in a Houston neighborhood in June 2024. Zach Kraft, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, slammed Talarico for what he said amounts to helping to kill the bill, saying, “It is disgusting that James Talarico is letting his anti-American agenda show by siding with a violent illegal over a Texas family.” DA TO SEEK DEATH PENALTY AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ACCUSED IN NUNGARAY MURDER CASE Kraft told Fox News Digital that Talarico’s alleged opposition to the bill has “once again … proven his priority is criminals, not the safety of Texans.” JT Ennis, a spokesperson for Talarico’s campaign, pushed back on this, telling Fox News Digital that “James is a law and order Democrat who supports prosecuting violent felons, and has a proven track record voting for tighter bail laws for violent offenders and voting repeatedly to increase funding for Texas police.” Ennis added that “while [incumbent Sen.] John Cornyn, [challenger Texas Attorney General] Ken Paxton, and the billionaires who prop them up lie about James’ record, he will continue standing up against both political parties to fix this broken, corrupt political system.” Texas bore much of the brunt of the border crisis during the Biden administration. Prosecutors say Nungaray was abducted, sexually assaulted and strangled. Her body was later found in a creek drainage area. Two men, Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel and Franklin Jose Peña Ramos, both Venezuelan nationals illegally present in the U.S., have been charged with capital murder in the case. JAMES TALARICO IS NEWEST TEXAS DEMOCRAT MEDIA DARLING, BUT DREAMS OF STATE ‘GOING BLUE’ HAVE LONG BEEN DASHED Before Nungaray’s killing, the men were encountered by U.S. Border Patrol near El Paso, Texas, in early 2024. However, they were released on their own recognizance under the Biden administration into the U.S. The murder happened just months after their illegal entry. According to data gathered by the House Homeland Security Committee toward the end of the Biden administration, there were more than 10.8 million border encounters and roughly two million known gotaways under former President Joe Biden. Against this backdrop, Talarico has been criticized as soft on crime and pro-defund the police, the latter of which he has denied as a “flat-out lie.” During his time in the Texas House, he has also voted against the Damon Allen Act, a bill that restricted bail for certain offenders named in honor of Texas state trooper Damon Allen, who was killed by a career criminal out on bail. In 2021, he also voted against a proposed constitutional amendment that would deny bail for anyone accused of violent sexual offenses or trafficking. GOV ABBOTT EXTENDS OFF-RAMP FOR NY BILLIONAIRES FLEEING MAMDANI’S POLICIES On the immigration issue, Talarico has taken heat for saying in 2019 that “undocumented Americans” are “also my constituents.” In a graphic put out by United We Dream, an activist group that supports abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Talarico encouraged people not to open their doors to federal immigration agents. He instructed people not to sign any documentation without an attorney and to “fight back.” Fox News Digital’s Leo Briceno and Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.
Twin Cities’ wage hikes roasted after report exposes job-crushing fallout in Tim Walz’s backyard
A new Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis study is handing conservatives fresh ammunition in the minimum wage fight, with critics mocking the findings as obvious after researchers linked $15 wage hikes to job losses and reduced hours in Minneapolis and St. Paul. “Who could have possibly seen this coming,” wrote RealClearInvestigations senior writer Mark Hemingway quipped on X in response to the study. The working paper found that the phased minimum wage increases in Minneapolis and St. Paul were associated with a decline in employment, along with reduced hours for some workers that could complicate ongoing national pushes for higher wage mandates. POLITICIANS PUSH JOB-KILLING MINIMUM WAGE HIKES WHILE IGNORING THE DEVASTATING ECONOMIC REALITY The debate comes as progressive leaders continue to advocate for increasing the federal minimum wage to address rising living costs. First passed in 2017, the Minneapolis Municipal Minimum Wage Ordinance was established to increase the minimum wage in phases to eventually meet $15 per hour by July 2024. Minneapolis’ minimum wage rose to $16.37 for all employers on Jan. 1, while neighboring St. Paul’s rate rose to $16.37 for large businesses as part of phased wage increase. Researchers said the employment declines persisted even after accounting for the COVID-19 pandemic and violent riots in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, two major shocks that also affected Twin Cities businesses during the study period. “We find that the increase in the minimum wage substantially decreased employment in restaurants, retail, and health, even after accounting for potential confounding effects from the pandemic and civil unrest,” the report said. The Minneapolis Fed analysis found the wage hikes increased hourly pay but reduced available jobs and hours, with researchers estimating that Minneapolis lost 5,425 jobs and St. Paul lost 3,797 jobs between 2017 and 2021 because of the minimum wage increases. The restaurant sector was hit especially hard, according to the report. Full-service restaurant jobs fell nearly 36% in Minneapolis and nearly 20% in St. Paul between 2018 and 2023, according to the Fed data cited by the Minnesota Star Tribune. “We demonstrate that establishments with larger exposure of their labor costs to the minimum wage experienced larger increases in their wage and larger declines in their jobs, hours, and wage bill,” economists stated. RESTAURANTS WARN TIPPED WAGE CHANGES COULD RAISE PRICES, CUT JOBS, RESHAPE DINING EXPERIENCE Social media critics seized on the findings, arguing the report confirmed long-standing warnings that aggressive wage mandates can reduce jobs and hours. “They swore the $15 minimum wage would be magical for everyone: higher pay, thriving businesses, cheaper happy hours. Instead, thousands of jobs are gone, restaurants gutted, and now we’re all paying more for the same thing as before except for worse service,” wrote an X user. ” But sure, keep telling me economics is just a suggestion.” AOC-BACKED $25 MINIMUM WAGE PLAN SOUNDS GREAT — BUT AT WHAT COST? “You know what can fix this? Another wealth (aka middle class) tax,” joked another. “Boosting minimum wage significantly above the market rate may temporarily benefit incumbents, but it reduces overall hours available, accelerates automation, and harms new-entrants,” said another user. “This happens time and again. This happened in Seattle. And the latest evidence comes from Minnesota.” “‘Workers are making more, but businesses are cutting back, research shows.’ Oh, really, you don’t say?,” posted a local radio host on X. “‘Why didn’t anyone warn us?!!’ Oh wait, we did,” wrote Minnesota self-proclaimed “grassroots conservative activist” Michael Holmstrom on X. The federal wage has remained at $7.25 since 2009 despite calls from left-leaning lawmakers to raise the minimum a step even further to $30 per hour. Back in 2018, Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz backed a $15 minimum wage statewide in Minnesota, declaring he would sign such a bill into law as governor. Local leaders sounded the alarm for the increase with backing from coalition of labor activists, progressive city council members, and community groups. “My advocacy for a housing wage is directly tied to my support for a $15 minimum wage. $15 is an important place to start, but in many places across Minnesota, that still isn’t enough for families to make ends meet,” he wrote on Facebook at the time. The findings come as progressive Democrats continue pushing to raise the wage floor well beyond the long-standing $7.25 federal minimum wage. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has argued that a $15 minimum wage is no longer enough for workers, while other left-leaning lawmakers and city leaders have backed proposals ranging from $20 to $25 or more. Fox News Digital reached out to the office of Gov. Walz and the Cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis for comment. Fox News Digital’s Amanda Macias contributed to this report.
Rand Paul brings CIA whistleblower to Senate hearing alleging ‘deep state’ COVID-19 conspiracy
A whistleblower is set to testify before the Senate on the alleged cover-up of the origins of COVID-19. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will hear testimony from an unnamed longtime CIA employee on Wednesday on allegations that there was a cover-up of the origins of the virus with roots that run deep in the federal government and intelligence community. It’s part of Sen. Rand Paul’s, R-Ky., crusade against former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Dr. Anthony Fauci and his role in examining the origins of COVID-19, his response to the virus and ensuing actions taken by the federal government during the pandemic. EX-FAUCI TOP ADVISOR INDICTED OVER ALLEGED COVID COVER-UP, HIDDEN EMAILS The hearing on Wednesday comes on the heels of the deadline for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to charge Fauci for allegedly lying to Congress about gain-of-function research — controversial research that could boost a virus’ transmissibility and virulence by altering its genetic code — in relation to COVID-19. The statute of limitations to take action against Fauci for that particular issue expired on Monday. “The DOJ may never act, but the American people know the truth: Fauci misled and defrauded this country,” Paul said on X. “I won’t stop uncovering the truth around the great COVID cover-up. That’s why I will have a whistleblower testify before my committee this Wednesday.” RAND PAUL VOWS TO KEEP PRESSURE ON FAUCI AS STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS ON CRIMINAL REFERRAL EXPIRES MONDAY Fauci has vehemently denied accusations that he lied about the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) role in funding research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China and argued that the research did not meet the level of gain-of-function research. But a longtime advisor of Fauci’s, David Morens, who served as a top advisor at NIAID, was indicted by the DOJ last month and accused of using his personal email account to hide communications related to a controversial coronavirus research grant that involved collaboration with the Wuhan Institute. BIDEN TEAM REPORTEDLY CONSIDERING PREEMPTIVE PARDONS FOR FAUCI, SCHIFF, OTHER TRUMP ‘TARGETS’ Wednesday’s hearing will zero in on the experience of a longtime CIA employee, who Paul told the New York Post would delve into an alleged and ongoing “deep state” conspiracy to cover up the origins of the virus. Paul told the outlet that the whistleblower was assigned to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), where he worked on a group that studied how the pandemic started in Wuhan. “For years, Americans were told to stop asking questions about COVID’s origins,” Paul said on X. “Today, a whistleblower with firsthand knowledge will testify that intelligence officials may have buried evidence, altered conclusions and concealed the truth from the public.”
Vance-led task force cuts off $1.4B from home health, hospice providers suspected of fraud
EXCLUSIVE: Vice President JD Vance’s anti-fraud task force has withheld $1.4 billion in federal funding from home health and hospice providers nationwide, following a wave of suspensions enacted by an anti-fraud task force targeting operations in California, Minnesota and several other states. Approximately 90% of the suspended providers have not reached out to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the agency tasked with combating fraud, waste and abuse, since payments have been suspended. Trump administration officials told Fox News Digital that they believe a lack of communication between alleged fraudulent providers and CMS indicates that the providers were not legitimate enterprises. The suspended group includes long-term providers who have been pocketing federal funds for years while failing to communicate with CMS, a senior Trump administration source told Fox News Digital. “The vice president’s task force continues to stop the flow of taxpayer funds before they fall into the hands of fraudsters and deliver savings to the American people,” a spokesperson for Vice President JD Vance told Fox News Digital. “This is great momentum in the fight for the President’s War on Fraud.” LOS ANGELES COUNTY FACES SCRUTINY AFTER ALLEGED WIDESPREAD HOSPICE FRAUD EXPOSED President Donald Trump has made the eradication of systemic fraud a cornerstone of his administration’s domestic policy. On Monday, CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz blasted California officials over the state’s hospice crisis, charging that the fraud is “stealing your lives” and pointing to a sophisticated web of international graft. “We’ve got Russian government involvement, we believe, in Los Angeles. We’ve got the Chinese government involved in a big fraud ring in New York,” Oz told guest host Kayleigh McEnany on “Jesse Watters Primetime.” “And, of course, the Cuban connection… pointed out to me by former Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. We’ve got twice as many durable medical equipment suppliers — selling wheelchairs and canes — as there are McDonald’s in South Florida. The owners often flee back to Cuba with the money the moment we move in on them.” Last month, Fox News Digital uncovered the suspension of 447 hospices and 23 home health agencies suspected of fraud in Los Angeles alone, with the total theft estimated at more than $600 million. Days later, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) referred 562,000 suspected fraudulent loans — totaling over $22.2 billion — to the U.S. Department of the Treasury for collection. These loans largely originated from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT MINNESOTA’S ‘FEEDING OUR FUTURE’ FRAUD AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S LATEST CRACKDOWN The SBA noted these files were flagged for suspected fraud during the Biden administration but were never sent to the Treasury Department for recovery. “The task force has made clear that the Biden administration’s policy of giving direct cash payments to fraudsters is over,” a senior White House official told Fox News Digital. In April, the head of a California hospice advocacy group warned congressional lawmakers that industry fraud is flourishing across the state. Sheila Clark, president and CEO of the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association (CHAPCA), questioned how these “ghost” providers managed to evade regulators for so long. “You’d be amazed at how many hospices… you can walk up to the door in California and there is nobody there. You can see five months’ worth of mail stacked up,” Clark told the House Ways and Means Committee during an April 22 hearing. “And yet, they passed a survey. How did that happen?” “How do you put a hospice in a burrito stand? How do you put a hospice in a retail store?” she quipped. “That all had to be vetted through licensure, certification and accreditation.” California Attorney General Rob Bonta recently announced the arrest of five individuals linked to an alleged multimillion-dollar hospice scheme that reportedly raked in $267 million through fraudulent billing to Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program. The Trump administration has intensified its focus on the abuse of taxpayer funds following last year’s arrests connected to the “Feeding Our Future” scheme in Minnesota — a massive “sham meal” operation that allegedly defrauded the government of hundreds of millions of dollars.
Senate Republicans balk at $1B White House ballroom request: ‘You made that number up’
Senate Republicans are having a hard time stomaching an eye-popping funding request that, in part, would fund security enhancements for President Donald Trump’s ballroom. Republicans in the upper chamber still aren’t completely on board with a $1 billion request from the Trump administration and Secret Service tucked into their immigration operations funding package, and many are wondering how exactly that figure was created. “It was one thing when private dollars were building it,” Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, said. “If you’re asking me for a billion dollars, I have some really hard questions. If I were a businessman and an employee came and said, ‘I have a project, and it’s a billion dollars,’ I’d say, ‘You made that number up,’ right? Like, where did the number come from?” ONCE TOUTED AS PRIVATELY FUNDED, REPUBLICANS SNEAK IN TAXPAYER CASH FOR TRUMP’S BALLROOM PROJECT Curtis’ skepticism came as Republicans were headed for a closed-door briefing on the request from Secret Service Director Sean Curran, who provided a high-level breakdown of the funding in a one-pager obtained by Fox News Digital. Curran’s explanation wasn’t enough for several Republicans, who left the meeting still wanting more detailed information on exactly how the funding, which is part of the broader reconciliation package meant for immigration enforcement, would be used. “They need to go back and get us more details about exactly how they arrived at the figure,” Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., said afterward. Curran presented lawmakers with a high-level breakdown of how the money would be spent, which included $220 million for “White House complex hardening.” TRUMP ADMIN DEFENDS WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM AS NATIONAL SECURITY MATTER That category, like the legislation released by the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, dictated that the funding would fund “above and below ground” security enhancements for Trump’s ballroom, which the administration argued would “afford needed protection for the president, his family, and visitors, along with the below-ground, highest-level security functions.” Those enhancements would include bulletproof glass, drone detection technology, chemical filtration and detection systems and “a host of other national security functions.” An additional $180 million would go toward a White House screening center for visitors. The remaining $600 million would go toward Secret Service training, enhancing protection for Trump and other officials, and other security measures including countering drones and other aerial incursions. “What was clear today is this whole statement, ‘It’s a billion dollars for a ballroom.’ Anyone who prints that is printing something they know is a lie. That’s not true,” Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., told Fox News Digital. “It’s not a billion dollars for the ballroom.” The entirety of the funding won’t be going exclusively to enhancing security for Trump’s colossal ballroom, so Republicans want more answers on how each dollar will be used. AFTER THIRD ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, DEBATE GROWS OVER WHETHER TRUMP ATTACK WARRANTS ANOTHER INVESTIGATION And they acknowledge that the price tag is a hard sell to make in the midst of growing economic issues across the country. “The way I look at it, I look at it like a business guy,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital. “So it’s an investment, and it’s gonna, you know, you have to explain to the American public, if you’re gonna spend their money, how do you get a return?” Scott, like several other Republicans, is in favor of boosting security for Trump, who faced a third assassination attempt last month, and future presidents. And there is an opportunity to cut the request down, which some Republicans suggested could be an option as they sprint to finish work on the broader $72 billion package. “We want to make sure we’re being responsible with taxpayer dollars and see what is the best vehicle for that, and then making sure that we’re judicious with that money,” Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., told Fox News Digital. Meanwhile, the funding request is a small piece in a broader package meant to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol for the next three and a half years through the budget reconciliation process. Whether the ballroom security and Secret Service funding actually stays in the package is an open question, given that the entire package will be reviewed under the Senate’s strict Byrd Rule guidelines that dictate what can and can’t make it into the reconciliation process. And Democrats are planning to push hard against the security funding, arguing that the money would be better spent elsewhere on affordability issues. “The bottom line is, this ballroom is a disgrace,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said. “The Republicans know it. Let’s see if they have the guts to do what they know is right, both substantively and politically, and tell Trump we don’t need a God — we don’t need a damn ballroom.”
House Republican misses another week of votes as health absence strains thin majority
Rep. Tom Kean Jr., a GOP lawmaker who has been absent from Washington for more than two months, will miss votes again this week, his office confirmed to Fox News Digital. “Congressman Kean is still attending to a personal health matter, and we appreciate the outpouring of support,” Dan Scharfenberger, Kean’s chief of staff, said in a statement Monday. “He will be returning to a regular full schedule soon.” Kean, 57, has not specified when he plans to return to work or the nature of his health issue. His office has insisted for weeks that he would resume his congressional responsibilities “soon.” The New Jersey Republican has not voted since March 5, according to GovTrack, a website that monitors congressional activities. During that time, he missed all 70 roll-call votes in the lower chamber, including legislation to end the government shutdown and extend a critical warrantless surveillance tool. JOHNSON WARNS HOUSE REPUBLICANS TO ‘STAY HEALTHY’ AS GOP MAJORITY SHRINKS TO THE EDGE Kean’s absence has an outsize impact on House Republicans’ razor-thin majority as House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., can afford to spare just a handful of votes on party-line bills. Democrats have also struggled to maintain full attendance in recent weeks. Johnson said in April that he spoke with Kean on the phone and expects him to make a full recovery. “Tom is one of the most dedicated and hardest-working members of Congress, and I am grateful for all he does and will continue to do to serve New Jerseyans and our country,” Johnson said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. DEMOCRAT TINA SHAH CALLS TRANSGENDER HEALTHCARE FOR CHILDREN A ‘NO BRAINER’ IN COMPETITIVE NJ HOUSE RACE Kean’s prolonged absence from Washington comes as he faces a potentially difficult re-election battle in one of the country’s most contested districts. House Democrats’ campaign arm is expected to aggressively target the swing seat and four Democratic candidates are vying to take him on in a crowded June primary. The New Jersey Republican has no GOP challengers and is running for a third House term with President Donald Trump’s endorsement. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the contest as a “toss-up” after downgrading the race in favor of Democrats last year. Kean’s office has continued to post on social media while he recovers from the undisclosed medical issue. “The Congressman’s team continues to serve the people of New Jersey uninterrupted,” Scharfenberger said in a statement.