Republicans, Democrats trade barbs in heated hearing on activist judges blocking Trump agenda
Democrats and Republicans repeatedly clashed on Tuesday during a lengthy hearing on what the GOP calls “activist judges” blocking President Donald Trump’s agenda. The House Judiciary Committee’s subcommittees on the Constitution and on courts held the joint hearing in preparation for a House-wide vote on legislation that would limit district judges’ ability to issue nationwide injunctions. That bill is currently stalled, however, after an unrelated fight on proxy voting paralyzed the House floor. During the hearing, Democrats repeatedly tried to press Republicans on the issue of judicial impeachments — something pushed by conservatives but that House GOP leaders have shown little appetite for pursuing. WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S DEPORTATION EFFORTS? “Some guy I’ve never heard of, he, might be in Congress, introduced an impeachment resolution, and he’s not here,” Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., said of an impeachment resolution targeting U.S. district Judge James Boasberg by Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas. “He hasn’t been here for at least the last hour, and every witness here is in agreement that we really shouldn’t be impeaching judges. I haven’t heard a single colleague on the other side say we should be impeaching judges.” Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., who was co-chairing the hearing alongside Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, asked Swalwell to yield his time — but the California Democrat refused. “I don’t think they have anything to talk about with the bills, since they offered a similar bill, and even the solicitor general, as late as October of last year in the Biden administration, wanted exactly what we’re moving out of committee today,” Issa told Fox News Digital about Democrats’ ploy. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., compared conservatives’ push to impeach judges to House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry efforts into former President Joe Biden — which ultimately did not end in any such proceedings. “I guess we’re taking a page out of [House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer’s] playbook, we’re just doing fake impeachments,” Moskowitz told Fox News Digital. But Roy, who co-led the hearing with Issa, told Fox News Digital it was about “trying to make clear that you’ve got a handful of judges acting, clearly politically, to stop the administration from acting.” “It’s pretty clear that my Democratic colleagues prefer to defend the right of an MS-13 gang member, clearly here illegally, from being deported,” Roy said. ‘WOEFULLY INSUFFICIENT’: US JUDGE REAMS TRUMP ADMIN FOR DAYS-LATE DEPORTATION INFO But Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., another member of the committee, said at least one goal was to “raise the profile of the issue.” “Maybe the more headlines a hearing like this gets, it clearly sets it on the plate of Chief Justice Roberts, right, to take action and try to get control of the courts again,” he said. It’s not immediately clear when Issa’s bill will get a vote, after House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., announced House floor activity was canceled for the rest of this week.
FBI to increase personnel in field offices to address violent crimes in Native American communities
The Trump administration will surge FBI resources across the country to address unsolved violent crimes in lands inhabited by Native American tribes, including crimes related to missing persons and the murders of indigenous persons. Under “Operation Not Forgotten,” the FBI will send 60 personnel to various parts of “Indian Country” over a six-month period where they will rotate in 90-day temporary assignments, the Justice Department announced Tuesday. The additional personnel will support FBI field offices in Albuquerque; Denver; Detroit; Jackson, Miss.; Minneapolis; Oklahoma City; Phoenix; Portland, Oreg.; Seattle; and Salt Lake City. TRIBES BLAST SOUTH DAKOTA GOVERNOR ‘S CLAIM THAT LEADERS ARE BENEFITTING FROM DRUG CARTELS The announcement came a day after the FBI field office in Albuquerque said a man admitted to killing an Indigenous artist following a November 2021 argument. DeAnna Autumn Leaf Suazo, a talented artist and the daughter of Native American artists Geraldine Tso, a Navajo artist, and David Gary Suazo, a Taos Pueblo painter, was killed by her boyfriend, Santiago Martinez, the FBI said. “Crime rates in American Indian and Alaska Native communities are unacceptably high,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “By surging FBI resources and collaborating closely with U.S. Attorneys and Tribal law enforcement to prosecute cases, the Department of Justice will help deliver the accountability that these communities deserve.” The FBI will work with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal law enforcement agencies, authorities said. Fox News Digital has reached out to the BIA. Crime continues to persist in Native American communities, the Justice Department said. Beginning in fiscal year 2025, the FBI’s Indian Country program had around 4,300 open investigations, including more than 900 death investigations, 1,000 for child abuse and more than 500 for domestic violence and sexual abuse. In a statement, FBI Director Kash Patel said his agency will “manhunt violent criminals on all lands.” In 2019, Trump signed an executive order during his first term establishing the Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. The order was aimed at addressing the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous people, particularly women and girls. Tuesday’s announcement will be the third iteration of Operation Not Forgotten, which has provided investigative support to over 500 cases in the past two years. The operations resulted in the recovery of 10 child victims, 52 arrests, and 25 indictments or judicial complaints.
Trump to deliver ‘Liberation Day’ announcement from Rose Garden flanked by Cabinet members
President Donald Trump will make his “Liberation Day” announcement focused on tariffs from the Rose Garden Wednesday afternoon. Trump will head to the White House’s Rose Garden at 4 p.m. Wednesday, where he will be joined by members of his Cabinet to unveil his highly anticipated tariff plan that aims to unshackle the U.S. from its decades-long reliance on goods made overseas. “On Wednesday, it will be Liberation Day in America, as President Trump has so proudly dubbed it,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told members of the media Monday. “The Cabinet will be here for the event. It’ll be our first Rose Garden event of this administration. … The president will be announcing a tariff plan that will roll back the unfair trade practices that have been ripping off our country for decades.” TRUMP IS ‘ALWAYS UP FOR A GOOD NEGOTIATION,’ WHITE HOUSE SAYS, AS APRIL 2 ‘LIBERATION DAY’ TARIFFS LOOM Trump has for weeks promoted April 2 as America’s “Liberation Day,” and he will announce reciprocal tariffs on foreign nations that export goods to the U.S. Trump and his administration have remained relatively tight-lipped on details of the tariff plan, instead noting that upcoming tariffs will reportedly even the playing field for the U.S. on trade policy. “I think it’s going to be something that’s going to bring a lot of wealth back to our country, tremendous wealth back to our country, actually,” Trump told the media Monday. “And other countries are understanding because they’ve been ripping us for 50 years, longer.” The Trump administration has argued that placing tariffs on nations that produce goods overseas will encourage industries to establish manufacturing and production operations on U.S. soil to avoid the additional tax. The administration has said the tariffs will lead to an increase in jobs available to U.S. workers as overseas companies set up shop in the U.S. EU THREATENS ‘FIRM COUNTER-MEASURES’ AS TRUMP’S TARIFF DEADLINE LOOMS White House trade advisor Peter Navarro said during a “Fox News Sunday” interview over the weekend the new tariffs will generate $600 billion annually for the U.S., or $6 trillion during the next decade. The president said Sunday the tariff plan would affect “all countries” and has reiterated that his administration will be “nice” to foreign nations compared to how they have charged the U.S. “We’re being nicer than they were,” he said while speaking to the media after signing an unrelated executive order Monday. “We have a lot of countries, friend and foe. I always say friend and foe, but the friend in many cases is worse than the foe. They took advantage of us, and we are going to be very nice by comparison to what they were. “The numbers will be lower than what they’ve been charging us, and, in some cases, maybe substantially lower. But we sort of have a world obligation, perhaps,” he added. “But we’re going to be very nice, relatively speaking. We’re going to be very kind.” WALL STREET FIRMS SEE RECESSION RISK RISING OVER TARIFFS, TRADE WAR The highly anticipated trade announcement has sparked uncertainty about the cost of goods to Americans, which Leavitt brushed aside Tuesday during a press briefing, arguing the tariff plan “is going to work.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Trump’s tariff advisors are “not going to be wrong,” Leavitt told Fox News’ Peter Doocy Tuesday when asked about concerns over the plan. “It is going to work. And the president has a brilliant team of advisors who have been studying these issues for decades. And we are focused on restoring the Golden Age of America and making America a manufacturing superpower.”
Trump admin defends deporting accused MS-13 leader to El Salvador amid backlash
The Trump administration is remaining firm in its stance to arrest Kilmer Armado Abrego Garcia following a report from The Atlantic that the federal attorneys said that there was an “administrative error” in bringing him to CECOT men’s prison in El Salvador. However, there was strong disagreement between the administration and The Atlantic’s angle, saying that Abrego Garcia needs to be behind bars regardless of where that is because of the criminal allegations against him, including allegedly being a member of the MS-13 gang. “If you just saw the headline from the insane, failing [The Atlantic] magazine this morning, you would think this individual was father of the year living in Maryland, living a peaceful life, and that couldn’t be further from the truth,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a briefing on Tuesday afternoon. REPUBLICAN STATE AGS BACK TRUMP BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ORDER IN COURT FILING: ‘TAXPAYERS ARE ON THE HOOK’ “This individual is an illegal criminal who broke our nation’s immigration laws. He is a leader in the brutal MS-13 gang, and he is involved in human trafficking,” she added. “And now MS-13 is a designated foreign terrorist organization. Foreign terrorists have no legal protections in the United States of America. And this administration is going to continue to deport foreign terrorists and illegal criminals from our nation’s interior,” she continued. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin posted to X on Tuesday to further detail the allegations against him. “The individual in question is a member of the brutal MS-13 gang— we have intelligence reports that he is involved in human trafficking. Whether he is in El Salvador or a detention facility in the U.S., he should be locked up,” she tweeted. RED STATE MOVES TO DEFUND COUNTY AFTER LEADER VOWS TO ‘INTERFERE AND INTERRUPT’ ICE DEPORTATIONS “Remarkable [The Atlantic] and other MSM continue to do the bidding of these vicious gangs and ignore their victims,” McLaughlin added. The court document referenced in The Atlantic piece is from the lawsuit by Abrego Garcia against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE “On March 15, although ICE was aware of his protection from removal to El Salvador, Abrego Garcia was removed to El Salvador because of an administrative error,” the document, which is from DHS’s attorneys, stated. DHS’ KRISTI NOEM SAYS TRUMP ADMIN WILL RESUME CONSTRUCTION OF 7 MILES OF SOUTHERN BORDER The attorneys for Abrego Garcia argue that he was deported without due process and there is no solid proof that he is a member of the gang, according to NBC News. Attorneys for several removed Venezuelan migrants have emphasized that the administration has falsely labeled several of the removed migrants as gang members based on their tattoos, though administration officials have repeatedly stated those sent to the prison are the “worst of the worst.” Certain tattoos flagged as gang-affiliated, which could lead to a migrant’s removal, include art of things like a crown or NBA legend Michael Jordan’s famous “Jumpman” logo rather than only symbols of a notable gang in El Salvador or Venezuela. The administration maintains that those tattoos have gang affiliations. Vice President JD Vance got into a discussion with journalists on X about the allegations, including referencing a court filing that states that Abrego Garcia was denied bond in 2019 over an informant’s allegation that he was a member of MS-13, but he has not been convicted. El Salvador President Nayib Bukele has remained supportive of the United States’ efforts to bring alleged gang members to the country, as the prison was used to tackle crime issues in the Central American country, saying the “operation is another step in the fight against terrorism and organized crime” in an X post on Monday. “Thank you President Bukele, of El Salvador, for taking the criminals that were so stupidly allowed, by the Crooked Joe Biden Administration, to enter our Country, and giving them such a wonderful place to live!” Trump posted in response to Bukele’s comments. Fox News’ Landon Mion contributed to this report.
GOP lawmakers unleash proposal to reverse Biden’s ‘ill-informed’ policies crippling crucial industry
EXCLUSIVE: Republican lawmakers are introducing legislation to undo a method used by the Biden administration to limit the ability to produce oil. The “LIZARDS Act of 2025” would remove the dunes sagebrush lizard from the endangered species list, as proponents of the bill argue that it was used by the Biden administration to limit energy production in places like Texas’ Permian Basin — a hub for the American oil and gas industry. The legislative effort is being led by Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, and Rep. Tracey Mann, R-Kansas. “Former President Biden spent four years fulfilling his promise to kill the fossil fuel industry one horrible policy at a time – including listing the dunes sagebrush lizard under the Endangered Species Act, a direct attack on our hard-working men and women in the energy sector,” Pfluger said in a statement. GOP LAWMAKER SEEKS TO SLAM BRAKES ON BIDEN’S ‘WOKE AND WASTEFUL’ EV TAX CREDIT “This listing, along with many others, was completely misguided and repudiates significant private conservation efforts in West Texas,” he added. In addition, the duo is also sending a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum asking the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to remove both the lizard and the lesser prairie chicken from the list. “Reversing these listing would recognize the success of local conservation efforts and restore regulatory certainty for the communities and industries that depend on access to these lands,” the letter states. AZ SENATE LEADER URGES BURGUM TO END BIDEN-OBAMA LAND GRABS OF URANIUM SITES The service added the dunes sagebrush lizard to the list in May 2024, and the lesser prairie chicken was listed in 2022. “From day one, President Biden used every tool in his toolbox to trample on the livelihoods of America’s energy and agricultural producers,” the Republican lawmaker said in a statement. ENERGY SEC WRIGHT OUTLINES DAY-1 PRIORITIES: REFILLING SPR, NIXING BIDENESQUE APPLIANCE RULES, NUKE UPDATES “His administration continuously ignored the facts on the ground and decided federal bureaucrats were better equipped to manage these populations than local citizens. Our bill restores power back to the local communities most impacted by these decisions and removes the regulatory handcuffs put on them by the Biden Administration. We look forward to working with President Trump and Secretary Burgum to reverse these ill-informed listings and unleash the American energy dominance 77 million Americans voted for this past November.” The Trump administration has made major energy policy changes, including scrapping certain regulations on Alaska, declaring a national energy emergency, and signing a Congressional Review Act to end a tax on natural gas production.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Tonight’s elections are a Trump, Musk referendum
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -HHS downsizing begins amid RFK Jr. ‘Make America Healthy Again’ push: ‘Win-win for taxpayers’ –Trump agenda upended after GOP rebellion shuts down House floor -GOP firebrand dares Dems to condemn attacks on Elon Musk’s Tesla Voters in two states are casting general election ballots for the first time since November, when they sent President Donald Trump back to the White House. Wisconsin will choose a new justice on the state Supreme Court, which has a 4-3 liberal-leaning majority. Florida is holding special elections in two deep-red districts last held by Reps. Matt Gaetz and Michael Waltz. At stake: court decisions over abortion, unions and voting rights in Wisconsin, and the size of the Republican majority in the U.S. House…Read more TRUMP CARD: Trump-backed bills targeting activist judges, non-citizens voting head for House-wide votes ‘JUDICIAL COUP D’ETAT’: Wave of court orders blocking Trump’s agenda are a ‘judicial coup d’etat,’ Gingrich says BAN DRAGS ON: Trump’s transgender military ban dealt legal blow after appeals court ruling ‘ELEMENT OF SURPRISE’: Trump pick for Joint Chiefs chair tells Senate ‘element of surprise’ should be guarded amid Signal chat leak ‘CLAWED BACK’: Trump Labor Department secures eye-popping sum to return to taxpayers amid DOGE push BOASBERG AND ME: Trump allies scrutinize Judge Boasberg’s DC connections as high-stakes legal battles escalate ‘FALL GUY’: Trump commutes prison sentence of Hunter Biden’s ‘fall guy’ Jason Galanis RED MUTINY: Anna Paulina Luna forces House leadership’s hand on proxy voting as GOP war escalates BOOKER STAFFER BOOKED: Cory Booker staffer arrested for allegedly carrying pistol without license at Capitol CONTEMPT: Judge Boasberg impeachment push gains support despite House GOP leaders’ resistance APRIL FOOLS: Colorado Gov. Jared Polis pokes fun at Trump with official ‘South Park’ portrait in April Fools post BY THE NUMBERS: Election Day in Wisconsin, Florida: What to watch as conservatives face a statewide electoral test ‘PAID PUPPET’: Conservative economist funded by left wing orgs quietly leading anti-DOGE charge ‘STOLE 400,000 SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS’: Musk says Social Security scammer who allegedly ripped off 400k Americans facing imminent arrest ‘DISTURBING CASE’: Massachusetts judge charges ICE agent with contempt of court OFF THE HOOK: Second COVID nursing home death’s case against Cuomo tossed SUPREME POWER: SCOTUS rulings this term could strengthen religious rights protections, expert says ‘BETTER WAY’: Blue state sheriff vows to ‘eliminate’ major tax if elected governor: ‘We will work immediately’ Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
White House warns of Trump veto if Tim Kaine ‘stunt’ vote to cancel tariffs passes Senate
FIRST ON FOX: The White House is warning President Trump may veto a Democrat-led resolution that would undo his tariffs against Canada if it passes the Senate on Tuesday. In a statement of administrative policy obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital, the Trump White House said that if the resolution came to his desk, “his advisors would recommend that he veto it.” Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., led several other Democrats in introducing the privileged resolution, which would specifically roll back the tariffs that the Trump administration levied on Canada. The resolution would reverse the national emergency that Trump declared on Feb. 1 at the northern border. CORY BOOKER STAFFER ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY CARRYING PISTOL WITHOUT LICENSE AT CAPITOL A White House official told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement, “President Trump promised to secure our borders and stop the scourge of fentanyl that’s poisoning our communities, and he’s delivering. Democrat Senator Tim Kaine is trying to undermine the President’s Emergency Declaration at our Northern Borders—a measure that prioritizes our national security—for reasons that defy logic.” “Under Joe Biden’s failed leadership, criminal networks, fentanyl, and terrorists ran rampant along the northern border. Today’s stunt by Tim Kaine proves once again how woefully out of touch the Democrat Party is with the American people as they use a matter of national security for political gamesmanship. The stakes are too high to reverse course; the declaration must stay in place.” Kaine responded with his own statement, telling Fox News Digital, “The Trump Administration’s own threat assessment report on fentanyl did not mention Canada—not even once. Trump’s order is a blatant abuse of his authority, and it is critical that Congress push back before he inflicts even more damage to our economy and to the relationship with one of our top trading partners and closest allies.” In a recent op-ed in the Washington Post, Kaine wrote, “The emergency powers Trump is invoking — based on provisions of the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act — are intended for use in legitimate emergencies related to foreign threats and adversaries.” The senator claimed that “Trump’s rationale for an ‘emergency’ that justifies billions in taxes on American consumers doesn’t make sense in Canada’s case.” HAWLEY OFFICIALLY A YES ON DR. OZ AFTER SECURING COMMITMENTS ON TRANSGENDER, ABORTION ISSUES He also accused the president of making “spurious claims of a fentanyl crisis at the northern border on par with the drug situation at the southern border, but his numbers don’t add up.” According to the White House, since the emergency was declared, border crossings from the north have fallen by 65%. The White House also pointed to the significant increase in encounters along the northern border under former President Joe Biden, who saw a more than 420% increase in encounters at their peak. In 2024, the White House further claimed U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized enough fentanyl to kill nearly 10 million people. Trump took to Truth Social himself on Monday to rail against Kaine’s resolution: “Senator Tim Kaine, who ran against me with Crooked Hillary in 2016, is trying to halt our critical Tariffs on deadly Fentanyl coming in from Canada. We are making progress to end this terrible Fentanyl Crisis, but Republicans in the Senate MUST vote to keep the National Emergency in place, so we can finish the job, and end the scourge.” ‘BLINDSIDED’: HOW STEFANIK’S TRUMP NOMINATION AS UN AMBASSADOR IMPLODED “By their weakness, the Democrats have allowed Fentanyl to get out of hand. The Republicans and I have reversed that course, strongly and quickly. Major additional progress is being made. Don’t let the Democrats have a Victory. It would be devastating for the Republican Party and, far more importantly, for the United States. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” he continued. Republican leadership is echoing Trump’s message in the Senate, with Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., set to make similar arguments in a floor speech on Tuesday. In prepared remarks obtained by Fox News Digital exclusively, Barrasso will say, “For four years, America’s attention has been on the southern border. Meanwhile, the criminal cartels noticed how Joe Biden and the Democrats threw open the northern border.” He will note that Trump recognized its unique threats and “is taking bold, swift action to secure it.” HOW TRUMP-BLOCKING JUDGES MANAGED TO GET PAST SENATE JUDICIARY HAWKS “Why would we let up?” Barrasso will ask, also pointing to the facts that “Canada is making changes. Canada agreed to deploy to the border more technology and more law enforcement officers. Canada also created its first ever National Fentanyl Czar.” The resolution is expected to get a vote on Tuesday. However, it could be moved depending on the length of Sen. Cory Booker’s record-breaking floor speech, which is still ongoing. It will only require a simple 51-vote majority to be agreed to. This means there’s a significant chance that it advances, with some Republicans, such as Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., having expressed concerns about the tariffs.
April Fools’ Day in politics: On April 1, lawmakers trade punchlines instead of policy
While private companies are taking advantage of April Fools’ Day to market their products, politicians are using it to take jabs at their enemies across the aisle. Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis used the day to poke fun at President Donald Trump over his recent self-portrait snafu, while Republican House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer used it to take a jab at Hunter Biden’s painting skills. House GOP conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain, R-Mich., chose to target all Democrats with her dig from the podium during a press conference Tuesday. Polis put out a press release early Tuesday morning announcing he had unveiled a new official gubernatorial portrait to be displayed in the State Capitol. The press release included an image of the new “portrait,” which was not actually a painting of the governor, but a caricature of himself. TIGER WOODS TROLLS MILLIONS OF SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWERS WITH EPIC APRIL FOOLS’ PRANK: ‘READY TO PLAY’ “No one likes an unflattering photo or painting of themselves, which is why I went against the grain for my official portrait,” Polis said in his announcement. His timing was right on cue, since, earlier in the week, Trump demanded a portrait of himself be taken down because he did not like the way it made him look, calling it “purposefully distorted.” “I’m pleased with the final product and want to thank the artists for their vision, and feel that I have never looked better,” Polis said. The press release included a photo of the caricature, which looked like a character from “South Park,” along with various requirements he ostensibly gave to the artist who drew it. “The Governor must be depicted directly facing the viewer. The Governor’s well-known signature look, specifically his signature blue polo, must not be altered. The portrait must utilize the bright blue hue of the Governor’s iconic tennis shoes. The Governor must be smiling or smizing,” the list said. ‘GUTFELD!’ RUNS THROUGH THE WEEK’S LEFTOVER JOKES Republicans got into the action too, with Comer sharing a sarcastic post on X, commissioning Hunter Biden to do some artwork for him. “I heard Hunter Biden is facing financial hardship, so I decided to commission him to paint my official chairman portrait,” Comer wrote in an X post, which included what appeared to be an AI-generated image of Hunter Biden painting a portrait of Comer. “No favors from the Big Guy, I promise,” he added. Hunter Biden faced criticism during his father’s presidency — and amid an ongoing corruption scandal linked to his family — for allegedly leveraging his status to fetch high prices for his amateur artwork, with reported sales ranging from $75,000 to $500,000. At a GOP press conference on Capitol Hill Tuesday, McClain got in on the action, too. However, her jab sought to target all Democrats, chiding them for lacking unity or a cohesive strategy for taking power back from Republicans. POLITICAL CARTOONS OF THE DAY “The Democrats, however, have found their vision,” McClain said as she blasted the party for disrupting GOP town halls across the country. “The Democrats have found their leader. And the Democrats – oh wait, no April Fools’. I forgot it was April Fools’ today. That was my attempt at an April Fools’ joke. We know the Democrats have no vision, no message and no leader.” At the local level and on social media, a state senator from Michigan threw shade at Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for “playing politics” with a special election in the state, and, in North Carolina, the state’s Republican Party created a graphic that referred to Democratic leaders in the state, including newly elected Gov. Josh Stein, as “April Fools.”
EXCLUSIVE: Emerging GOP leader backing Trump’s use of Alien Enemies Act at Supreme Court
EXCLUSIVE – Freshman Congressman Brandon Gill, R-Texas, is teaming with pro-MAGA law firm America First Legal to file an amicus brief to the Supreme Court backing President Donald Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport illegal immigrant gang members. Gill, an outspoken conservative, was behind the effort to impeach the activist judge who halted the Trump administration’s deportation of members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua – a violent criminal group known by its acronym TdA. The brief was filed to the Supreme Court on Tuesday, just days after acting U.S. Solicitor General Sarah Harris petitioned the court to lift a temporary restraining order inhibiting the administration from carrying out its deportation agenda. In their brief, America First and Gill argue the president has “absolute authority” under the Alien Enemies Act to determine when an invasion has occurred, and that this decision is “not judicially reviewable.” RED STATE MOVES TO DEFUND COUNTY AFTER LEADER VOWS TO ‘INTERFERE AND INTERRUPT’ ICE DEPORTATIONS The brief argues that “the evidence is that TdA has invaded the United States at the direction of the Venezuelan government and continues to invade, attempt to invade, and threaten to invade the country; perpetrated irregular warfare within the country; and used drug trafficking as a weapon against American citizens.” In a statement to Fox News Digital, America First senior counsel James Rogers said, “The notion that a single unelected judge may take it upon himself to micromanage the defense of our nation is an unprecedented and complete corruption of the separation of powers, which is a bedrock feature of our Republic.” “AFL is proud to join with Rep. Brandon Gill to stand up for the rule of law and to protect our American citizens,” said Rogers. “The evidence is that TdA is tied to the Government of Venezuela; members of this violent gang clearly qualify as invading aliens under the Alien Enemies Act,” he added. “This law was passed more than 226 years ago, and courts have always held that they lack the power to interfere with the President’s authority as Commander in Chief to decide when to invoke the Act and expel aliens under its terms.” DISTURBING CONTENT WARNING: ILLEGAL ACCUSED OF KILLING GEORGIA GRANDMOTHER FACES NEW DISTURBING CHARGES “No plaintiff is entitled to use the courts to frustrate the president’s exercise of clear constitutional authority,” added America First Vice President Dan Epstein. “The Biden administration’s failures depict clear reasons why the United States must fight this visceral threat to American self-government and the rule of law,” he went on, adding, “The president declared that the United States is under invasion. The president has the power to make such a determination.” This comes after a 2-1 decision by a D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals panel upheld a ruling by D.C. federal Judge James Boasberg, a Biden appointee, further blocking the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement plans. At issue is the Trump administration’s authority to invoke the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 wartime law, to immediately deport Venezuelan nationals, including alleged members of Tren de Aragua, which was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump State Department. BLUE STATE SANCTUARY LAWS ENABLED ILLEGAL ‘ABOLISH ICE’ ACTIVIST TO EVADE CAPTURE, SAYS LOCAL DA Trump issued an executive order on March 15 titled “Invocation of the Alien Enemies Act Regarding the Invasion of the United States by Tren De Aragua.” In the order, Trump stated that TdA is sponsored by Venezuelan socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro with the goal of “destabilizing democratic nations in the Americas, including the United States.” In response, Boasberg issued a temporary restraining order immediately blocking the Trump administration from using the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan nationals. In his ruling, Boasberg cited the need to better consider the merits of the case, prompting the administration to file an emergency request for the U.S. appeals court to intervene. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE The Trump administration’s appeal described the restraining order as a “massive, unauthorized imposition on the Executive’s authority to remove dangerous aliens who pose threats to the American people.” SAN DIEGO BORDER PATROL CHIEF SAYS CALLING LOW CROSSING NUMBERS A ‘DRAMATIC CHANGE’ IS AN ‘UNDERSTATEMENT’ In the administration’s petition to the Supreme Court, Harris said this case “presents fundamental questions about who decides how to conduct sensitive national-security-related operations in this country – the president, through Article II, or the judiciary, through TROs [temporary restraining orders].” She said the Constitution “supplies a clear answer: the president,” adding, “The republic cannot afford a different choice.”
SCOOP: Trump ally Donalds showcases campaign cash surge since announcing Florida governor run
EXCLUSIVE – Republican Rep. Byron Donalds has enjoyed a fundraising frenzy since announcing his run for Florida governor in late February, in the 2026 race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis. Donalds, who has represented Florida’s 19th Congressional District in the southwest part of the state for four years, raised roughly $12 million in the 35 days since he announced his candidacy, according to his political team. The fundraising included $540,000 in hard dollars for his gubernatorial campaign, and around $11.5 million for Friends of Byron Donalds, an aligned super PAC. The contributions for the campaign and the super PAC came from around 4,300 donors. The figures were shared first with Fox News on Tuesday. WHAT BYRON DONALDS TOLD FOX NEWS AS HE KICKED OFF HIS BID FOR FLORIDA GOVERNOR 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. “Byron Donalds has hit the ground running with President Trump’s endorsement and has amassed a $12 million war chest since announcing his bid for Governor just 35 days ago. We are grateful to the thousands of donors supporting Byron’s vision for Conservative leadership,” veteran Republican strategist Danielle Alvarez, who is helping Donalds, said in a statement. FIRST ON FOX: LEADING CONSERVATIVE GROUP BACKS DONALDS IN FLORIDA In a Fox News Digital interview on Friday, as he held his campaign kickoff in Bonita Springs, Donalds pledged that “we’re going to campaign hard and we’re going to take this to every part of Florida.” And pointing to the support from Trump, whose immense grip over the GOP is stronger than ever, he emphasized “having his endorsement, it’s a great thing to have, I’m glad I have it.” “And when he makes these choices, they tend to turn out well for his candidates,” Donalds noted. Donalds is currently the only major Republican to date to jump into the race. But Florida first lady Casey DeSantis has acknowledged she is considering a 2026 Republican gubernatorial run of her own, to succeed her husband in Tallahassee. She stoked speculation in February 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 last 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.” The governor has repeatedly touted his wife’s accomplishments as Florida first lady and framed her as a worthy successor. And sources confirmed in February to Fox News that the governor has been reaching out to donors on behalf of his wife. Asked about a possible face-off with Casey DeSantis, Donalds told Fox News Digital last week that “races take on a shape of their own, so we’ll see what actually happens.” “My mission is going to be focused on our future and the things that are necessary for Florida to go and to thrive and be prosperous for everybody. So that’s going to be my mission. We’ll see how the race shapes up,” he added. And Donalds said he aims to convey to voters that “I have a vision for their future and I think that when they hear it, they’re going to choose me.”