Oliver Stone to testify at JFK files House hearing
Filmmaker Oliver Stone will be one of the witnesses at a Tuesday congressional hearing regarding the recent release of materials pertaining to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The long-concealed materials on the assassination of the American president were released after President Donald Trump issued an executive order that also called for a plan to release records on the assassinations of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Stone, who was behind the 1991 film “JFK,” said in a statement given to the Hollywood Reporter in January that Trump deserved “praise” for the order regarding release of the JFK assassination files. OLIVER STONE SAYS ‘LAWFARE’ BEING USED AGAINST TRUMP: ‘NEW FORM OF WARFARE’ “Those files should have been released in October of 2017. President Trump deserves further credit for going beyond that, and ordering the release of still classified files on the Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy assassinations,” Stone said in the statement, according to the outlet. “No one expects there to be a smoking gun ‘he did it’ document in those files. But from what previous writers understand, there will be information that will contribute to a more informed mosaic of what happened in those cases,” Stone noted. DIRECTOR OLIVER STONE DECLARES HE ‘MADE A MISTAKE’ WHEN HE VOTED FOR BIDEN, SAYS HE MAY START ‘WORLD WAR 3’ Fox News Digital reached out to Stone’s office to request a comment from the filmmaker on Monday. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. “After conducting some 25,000 interviews and running down tens of thousands of investigative leads, the FBI found that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone,” the federal law enforcement agency notes on its website. But Oswald was killed shortly after the Kennedy assassination. LAWMAKERS CHEER TRUMP’S JFK FILES RELEASE: ‘RESTORATION OF THE PEOPLE’S TRUST’ “By investigating the newly released JFK files, consulting experts, and tracking down surviving staff of various investigative committees, our task force will get to the bottom of this mystery and share our findings with the American people,” said Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., chair of the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, in a press release. “Our hearing is the first step and we look forward to hearing from our witnesses.”
Trump privatizing student loan system would spur higher-ed reform, lower costs: expert
Since its establishment in 1979, the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) has shaped federal student loan policies, which have, in turn, influenced the rising cost of an education and the loans to pay for it. As President Donald Trump moves to significantly downsize, and eventually shutter, the DOE, one expert says a completely private loan system would work better than shifting administration to other government agencies. “The Clinton administration introduced the direct loan program, so this was kind of the competitor to the quasi public-private system, where now the government was going to be the one issuing the loans, and both systems kind of coexisted for a couple years, until 2010, when we got Obamacare, and that basically used some of the paper profits from switching all the loans to government loans to help pay for Obamacare,” Cato Institute expert Andrew Gillen told Fox News Digital in an interview. “And so, ever since 2010, we’ve been in the government-lending exclusively area,” he added. CALIFORNIA UNDER INVESTIGATION BY TRUMP ADMIN FOR ALLEGEDLY HIDING ‘GENDER IDENTITY’ OF KIDS Initially, after Trump signed an executive order in March dismantling the DOE, the administration proposed transferring the $1.6 trillion student loan portfolio to the Small Business Administration (SBA). However, recent developments indicate that the Treasury Department may assume responsibility for federal student loans. The Trump administration is also proposing to transfer Pell Grants and Title I funding to other federal agencies, effectively reducing the department’s role in overseeing major educational programs. “If we just transfer student loans to the Treasury and don’t change anything else about the system, I don’t think this would have any real impact,” Gillen said. “So, all of these loan terms are already set by Congress, and so simply changing the administrative home of who oversees the paperwork in the background, that’s not going to have any impact.” The current system encourages “bad investments” by funding students or education without a realistic expectation of repayment, Gillen said. Instead, private lenders, who prioritize repayment risk, would likely avoid financing such loans. He suggested that moving to a private system would provide better incentives for both colleges and students, as universities would face pressure to produce students who can repay their loans, and students would be more likely to choose fields that lead to successful careers. NEWSOM’S ‘UNFAIR’ REMARK ON GIRLS’ SPORTS BELIES RECORD AS GOVERNOR: ‘ABSOLUTE BULLS—‘ The government has made it difficult to discharge student loans through bankruptcy, Gillen added, with only a few exceptions, but this rule doesn’t apply to private lenders. “There are a couple of things we can do to encourage private lenders to basically be willing to make those loans. So, one is clarifying how bankruptcy law works with these income-driven loans,” he said. Some lawmakers have made efforts to address this issue. Democratic Reps. Steve Cohen, Danny K. Davis, and Eric Swalwell reintroduced the Private Student Loan Bankruptcy Fairness Act, seeking to make private student loans dischargeable in bankruptcy, similar to other types of consumer debt. STUDENT LOANS, PELL GRANTS WILL CONTINUE DESPITE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT DOWNSIZING, EXPERT SAYS Currently, the government can garnish wages without needing to go through a lawsuit, making the process more efficient and less costly, which would be beneficial for private lenders as well. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The 1990s saw the introduction of income-driven repayment plans, starting with the Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR) plan in 1994 under former President Bill Clinton. These plans allowed borrowers to repay loans based on their income, extending the loan term and increasing the total interest paid. While they provided immediate financial relief, they also led to higher long-term costs for some borrowers. By fiscal year 2024, the DOE held approximately $1.6 trillion in student loan debt, issuing $85.7 billion in new loans, with $45.3 billion allocated for undergraduate education and $40.4 billion for graduate education.
Who are the most vulnerable Senate Republicans in 2026?
There are 35 U.S. Senate seats up for election in 2026, with at least four battleground states expected to decide the balance of power – and whether Republicans maintain control of all three branches of government during the second half of President Donald Trump‘s term. In 2025, Republicans control the Senate 53-47, including two independent senators who caucus with the Democrats. Republican Sens. Thom Tillis, Susan Collins, Jon Husted, John Cornyn and Bill Cassidy could all face fierce fights to maintain their U.S. Senate seats next year. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) announced in January that Sen. Kristen Gillibrand, D-N.Y., will chair the DSCC with Sens. Mark Kelly, Adam Schiff and Lisa Blunt Rochester as vice chairs during the 2026 election cycle. The DSCC has not yet announced their target races for next year. “Democrats have a Senate map that is ripe with offensive opportunities, particularly when coupled with the building midterm backlash against Republicans. Republicans have more seats to defend, and they’re doing it in a hostile political environment,” DSCC Spokesman David Bergstein said in a statement to Fox News Digital. GOP GEARS UP TO CHALLENGE GEORGIA’S DEM SENATOR IN STATE TRUMP WON BY 2% As the party in power tends to struggle more during the midterm elections, Democrats are already identifying “offensive opportunities” to regain Republican Senate seats. “I am confident that we will protect our Democratic seats, mount strong challenges in our battleground races, and look to expand our efforts into some unexpected states. Over the course of my career, I’ve won in red and purple places, and I look forward to helping the next generation of Senate candidates do the same,” Gillibrand said when she was named DSCC chair. ‘WE ARE BULLISH’: HOUSE GOP TAKES AIM AT THESE 26 DEM SEATS IN MIDTERMS Sen. Thom Tillis was censured by the North Carolina Republican Party in 2023 for reportedly veering from Republican ideology on gun control policies, LGBTQ+ and immigrant rights. Tillis is considered a moderate Republican for his commitment to Ukraine funding, support for gun control legislation that expanded background checks and implemented red flag laws, voting to codify same-sex marriage and supporting legal pathways for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients. The bipartisan senator was first elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2020. He went against his more conservative colleagues by voting to certify former President Joe Biden‘s victory over Trump in 2020. Tillis has fallen in line with Republicans in 2025 by voting to confirm Trump’s cabinet nominees, even as some expressed concern over his more controversial picks. However, that does not mean Tillis has been able to escape the ire of Trump’s orbit. “Thom Tillis is running 20 points behind DJT in North Carolina. We’re going to need a new senate candidate in NC unless we want to hand the gavel back to Schumer,” a political advisor to Donald Trump Jr., Arthur Schwartz, said on X earlier this month. The Cook Political Report, a top nonpartisan political handicapper, rated Tillis’ 2026 re-election bid as “lean Republican.” Maine has long been a political outlier as one of only two states to split its electoral votes for the presidential election. Former Vice President Kamala Harris won Maine in 2024, but Trump still secured one electoral vote for winning Congressional District 2. Republican Sen. Susan Collins is considered another moderate Republican – which could serve her once again in the politically split state. Collins voted against the Senate confirmations of Trump’s nominees for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and FBI Director Kash Patel. She has not shied away from criticizing Trump either, slamming his Jan. 6 pardons and proposed cuts to the National Institutes of Health grants. Collins has been a U.S. senator since 1996, surviving many primary and general election challenges from both sides of the political aisle. She became the first Republican woman to win a fifth term in the Senate in 2020. She is already facing two 2026 challengers – Democrat Natasha Alcala and Independent Phillip Rench. Maine’s Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, who sparred with Trump over transgender athletes playing in women’s sports, has not ruled out a run for Collins’ Senate seat. The Cook Political Report also rated Collins’ race “lean Republican.” Ohio’s Republican Sen. Jon Husted finds himself in a unique position heading into the 2026 midterms. He was appointed by Gov. Mike DeWine on Jan. 17, 2025 to fill the vacancy left by Vice President JD Vance. Husted is Ohio’s former lieutenant governor. He also served as Ohio’s secretary of state and as a state legislator. Because Husted was not elected U.S. senator, he will need to campaign in 2026 for the special election. If he wins, Husted will retain his seat and complete the remainder of Vance’s term – through 2029. Rumors swirled that DeWine could choose Trump-ally Vivek Ramaswamy to replace Vance this year, but the moderate Republican governor ultimately chose his politically similar ally. Meanwhile, Ramaswamy has launched his own bid for Ohio governor. The race is rated “likely Republican” by The Cook Political Report. Sen. John Cornyn has been the senator for Texas since 2002. While Cornyn is solidly conservative and has supported Trump, he has expressed private disagreement with the president on issues such as budget deficits and border security. Cornyn is already gearing up for tough potential primary challenges from Trump-ally Rep. Wesley Hunt and conservative Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Both Hunt and Paxton have not formally announced campaigns to primary the long-time Texas senator, but both candidates would set up a competitive race for Cornyn to keep his seat. The race is ranked “solid Republican” by The Cook Political Report with some GOP infighting expected if Hunt or Paxton announce Senate campaigns. Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy is also expected to face a tough primary challenge in 2026. John Fleming, the Louisiana state treasurer and former representative, has declared a Senate bid. Rep. Clay Higgins, who was also expected to challenge Cassidy, announced on Thursday that he will not pursue a Senate
Elon Musk hands out million-dollar checks amid ‘super important’ Wisconsin judicial race
Billionaire Elon Musk handed out a pair of $1 million checks to voters in Wisconsin on Sunday in an effort to galvanize conservatives ahead of the state’s Supreme Court elections on Tuesday. Musk handed out the checks at a town hall in Greenbay, Wisconsin, after the state Supreme Court declined to intervene in the giveaway. The recipients of the checks were each voters who had signed a petition calling for an end to “activist judges.” “Judges should be simply interpreting the law and not making the law,” Musk said at the rally. “We just want judges to be judges, you know, which is the reasonable thing to ask for. We’re obviously seeing some crazy stuff in D.C. where, you know, it seems like any federal judge can stop any action by the President of the United States. This is insane. This has got to stop.” Wisconsin Democrats had sought to prevent Musk from handing out his checks, arguing he was illegally buying votes. State Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat, was struck down by two lower courts on the issue before the state’s supreme court declined to even hear the case. The court has a 4-3 liberal majority. DOGE DEPUTY, TREASURY SECRETARY DISH ON CRUSADE TO PULL THE IRS OUT OF ITS ‘REALLY BIG HOLE’ Wisconsin voters will head to the polls on Tuesday to decide the court’s new makeup in an election that Musk has described as “super important.” Musk’s attorneys argued in court filings that the payments are “intended to generate a grassroots movement in opposition to activist judges, not to expressly advocate for or against any candidate.” The effort echoed Musk’s similar program of offering $1 million checks in battleground states ahead of the presidential election last year. In that case, a judge in Pennsylvania similarly said prosecutors failed to show the effort was an illegal lottery and allowed it to continue through Election Day. Musk’s campaign is in support of Brad Schimel, Republican former attorney general. Schimel told “Fox News Sunday” that he does not control “any of the spending from any outside group, whether it’s Elon Musk or anyone else.” ELON MUSK, DOGE TEAM OFFER UNPRECEDENTED PEEK BEHIND THE CURTAIN OF TRUMP’S COST-CUTTING DEPARTMENT CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “That’s exactly what I’ve committed to anybody, whether it’s President Trump, Elon Musk or any donors and donors or supporters or voters in Wisconsin,” the candidate added. “That’s my commitment.” The Associated Press and Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz and Patrick McGovern contributed to this report.
Trump’s 11th week in office set to focus on tariffs as president touts ‘Liberation Day’
President Donald Trump’s 11th week in office is slated to focus heavily on tariffs, including the roll-out of the president’s promised “Liberation Day,” when his reciprocal tariffs will be announced. “Liberation Day, I call it Liberation Day in America,” Trump said from the White House last week, previewing April 2. “You’ll be seeing tariffs. And I think I’ve been very fair. I have them set. But I think I’ve been very fair to countries that have really abused us economically for many, many decades.” For weeks, April 2 has been touted as the day when Trump’s trade policy emphasizing “America First” will be laid out in earnest and end the U.S.’ reliance on goods made overseas. He is expected to roll out his reciprocal tariff plan on Wednesday, which will likely match other countries’ higher tariff rates and aims to counter other trade barriers like burdensome regulations, value-added taxes, government subsidies and exchange rate policies and to negotiate with some countries to reduce those barriers. “For DECADES we have been ripped off and abused by every nation in the World, both friend and foe. Now it is finally time for the Good Ol’ USA to get some of that MONEY, and RESPECT, BACK. GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social of April 2 earlier in March. HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED DURING TRUMP’S 10TH WEEK IN OFFICE The tariffs on Wednesday follow Trump already leveling a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports, 25% tariffs on goods imported from Canada and Mexico, and a 20% tariff on goods from China. Another 25% tariff on all cars imported into the U.S. will also take effect late Wednesday of this week. TRUMP SAYS HE ‘COULDN’T CARE LESS’ IF FOREIGN AUTOMAKERS RAISE PRICES OVER TARIFFS: ‘WE HAVE PLENTY’ Trump is also expected to hold another conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week after the two world leaders also spoke last week as Trump and his administration continue working to help hash out a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine amid the ongoing war. On Sunday, however, Trump told NBC News that he is “pissed off” with Putin after the Russian president slammed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s leadership last week. Russia also carried out a series of attacks on Ukraine over the weekend amid ongoing talks to reach a potential peace agreement. TRUMP SAYS HE IS ‘PISSED OFF’ WITH PUTIN OVER LACK OF PEACE PROGRESS: REPORT “If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia’s fault — which it might not be — but if I think it was Russia’s fault, I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia,” Trump told NBC News. “That would be that if you buy oil from Russia, you can’t do business in the United States,” he continued. “There will be a 25% tariff on all oil, a 25- to 50-point tariff on all oil.” Trump added that his anger will “dissipate quickly” if Putin “does the right thing.” This week, Trump is also expected to assess options for his “Golden Dome” missile-defense project, according to Defense One. Trump signed an executive order in January to build a “a next-generation missile defense shield for the United States against ballistic, hypersonic, advanced cruise missiles, and other next-generation aerial attacks.” Trump dubbed the system the “Golden Dome” earlier this month, which is a play on Israel’s air defense system, called the “Iron Dome.” Trump’s 11th week in office follows a break-neck pace of executive orders and actions since Jan. 20. Trump has signed at least 106 executive orders alone, which surpasses the number of executive orders signed by his predecessors in their respective first years in office since the Carter administration. Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom and Eric Revell contributed to this report.
Top Five takedowns: Kash Patel’s FBI hits the ground running with major early victories
Kash Patel has spent his first month as FBI director cracking down on some of the Trump administration’s top law enforcement priorities, including violent crime, gang activity and drug trafficking – all while managing to avoid much of the high-profile controversy that has embroiled some other senior national security officials. His early moves have earned him accolades from Republicans in Congress, who have been quick to praise Patel’s first weeks in office, including his effort to move quickly and share certain documents long requested by majorities on the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. “Under the leadership of Attorney General Pam Bondi, the Bureau is working aggressively each and every day to find violent criminals, no matter where they are, and bring them to justice,” Patel told Fox News Digital in reflection on his first few weeks heading up the bureau. “Any success thus far is a credit to the brave men and women of the FBI and our state and local law enforcement partners who do amazing work to execute the mission,” he added. Just five weeks after his confirmation as FBI director, here are some of Patel’s earliest – and most significant – wins. JUDGE FIGHTING TRUMP OVER EL SALVADOR DEPORTATIONS ASSIGNED TO LAWSUIT OVER SIGNAL CHAT LEAK The FBI this week announced the arrest of the top U.S. MS-13 leader, 24-year-old Salvadoran national Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos. Santos was captured in Woodbridge, Virginia, and was charged with being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. Officials told Fox News this week that Santos is one of the top three leaders of the MS-13 gangs in the U.S. Bondi, the U.S. attorney general, and Patel both watched the arrest take place from a nearby tactical operation center. In an interview with Fox News, Bondi praised the team for executing a “clean, safe operation” and credited FBI personnel for getting “one of the worst of the worst of the MS-13 off the streets this morning.” Patel announced last week that since Jan. 20, the FBI has apprehended three fugitives from the FBI’s top 10 Most Wanted list – an achievement that he said on social media is the result of good leadership and hard work from bureau personnel. The individuals captured include Arnoldo Jimenez, accused of murdering his wife in Burbank, Illinois, in 2012; Donald Eugene Fields II, charged with child sex trafficking and child rape charges in federal and state court, respectively; and Francisco Javier Roman-Bardales, another MS-13 leader arrested in Mexico last week and extradited to the U.S., where he was charged with racketeering, conspiracy, conspiracy to provide and conceal material support and resources to terrorists, narco-terrorism conspiracy and alien smuggling conspiracy. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION INVOKES STATE SECRETS ACT ON HIGH-PROFILE DEPORTATION CASE Roman-Bardales had been a fugitive for nearly three years prior to his arrest and is believed to be a founding member of the MS-13 leadership structure in the U.S., where he helped direct the group’s unlawful activities in the U.S., El Salvador, and elsewhere for roughly 20 years. Patel praised the arrests in a post on X, noting that the successes of the FBI are “not an accident.” “When you let good cops be good cops, this is what happens,” he said. “This administration is giving the new FBI and AG Bondi the resources to get the job done — and we won’t stop.” The FBI under Patel successfully raided and arrested 22 members of a narcotics trafficking ring in Lubbock, Texas, believed to be tied to violent drug cartels based in Mexico. The operation comes as Patel and Bondi have moved to crack down on narcotics and drug trafficking as part of Trump’s agenda for his second White House term. In a post on X, Patel praised the work of the FBI’s Dallas Field Office, the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. “These are the operations that mean safer streets for American families,” Patel said. “And we are just getting started.” MORE THAN HALF A MILLION LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL BACK PATEL AS FBI DIRECTOR The FBI and U.S. Department of Justice have worked in tandem to crack down on a wave of vandalism targeting Tesla dealerships, charging stations, and individual Tesla cars in the U.S. – actions that Bondi described in a press conference earlier this month as acts of “domestic terrorism” punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Individuals have been arrested in recent weeks for setting fire to, and shooting at, Tesla cars and dealerships across the country, vandalizing charging stations and carving graffiti, including anti-Trump messages, into personal vehicles. The crimes have prompted a federal crackdown pursued by FBI and DOJ leadership. Most recently, authorities on Thursday announced federal charges against a 36-year-old Las Vegas resident accused of setting fire to vehicles at a Tesla collision business in Nevada earlier this month. Video footage obtained by authorities shows an individual using Molotov cocktails to set the Teslas on fire, using an AR-30 rifle to shoot bullets into the vehicles, and spray-painting the word “resist” onto the individual cars. Las Vegas authorities described the crime as a “targeted” attack on the Tesla facility. “As promised, acts of violence and vandalism will not be tolerated, and today law enforcement personnel acted quickly to arrest an individual on charges including arson,” Patel said Thursday in a press release announcing the federal charges. “Under Attorney General Bondi’s leadership, we will continue to pursue these investigations with the full force of law and will bring to justice anyone responsible for these attacks.” This week, the Department of Justice announced the successful disruption of a major cryptocurrency financing scheme believed to be used to launder money to Hamas – a significant victory for the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division and Cyber Division and the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, which ran point on the investigation. The financing ring purportedly controlled by Hamas was used by the terrorist group to launder more than $1.5 million in virtual cryptocurrency from donors since October 2024, according to
Dems ridicule bill aimed at abolishing TSA, suggest ‘Bin Laden’ and ‘the Ayatollah’ would support it
Two House Democrats appeared to ridicule Sen. Mike Lee’s, R-Utah, bid to abolish the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). “Who supports my bill to abolish TSA?,” Lee asked in a post on X. “Bin Laden,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., wrote in response to Lee’s question. “The Ayatollah, probably,” Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., replied to Lee. REPUBLICANS LOOK TO ABOLISH TSA IN FAVOR OF PRIVATE SECURITY AT AIRPORTS The TSA was created in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. “The attacks resulted in the creation of the Transportation Security Administration, designed to prevent similar attacks in the future,” according to the agency’s website. “The Aviation and Transportation Security Act, passed by the 107th Congress and signed on Nov. 19, 2001, established TSA.” Lee and Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., introduced the “Abolish TSA Act of 2025” last week. MIKE LEE CONTINUES CALLING FOR ABOLITION OF TSA The measure calls for shifting the performance of airport security screenings to private companies. “The TSA has not only intruded into the privacy and personal space of most Americans, it has also repeatedly failed tests to find weapons and explosives,” Lee said. “Our bill privatizes security functions at American airports under the eye of an Office of Aviation Security Oversight, bringing this bureaucratic behemoth to a welcome end. American families can travel safely without feeling the hands of an army of federal employees.” The measure would call for the Homeland Security secretary, in consultation with the Transportation secretary, to submit to Congress a plan to create an Office of Aviation Security Oversight in the Federal Aviation Administration — the office would oversee and regulate aviation security activity. FLIGHT PASSENGER, 106, SAYS AIRPORT PERSONNEL CONTINUE TO FLAG HER AGE: ‘NOT SOME STUPID OLD LADY’ CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The secretary would also need to furnish plans to shift aviation security activity and equipment to private companies, and “to transfer to the Department of Transportation any functions, personnel, assets, and liabilities of the Administration with respect to surface transportation, including activities relating to mass transit, freight rail, highway motor carriers, and pipelines,” according to the measure.
Trump says Zelenskyy wants to back out of mineral deal, addresses 3rd term during gaggle
President Donald Trump said Sunday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is trying to back out of a rare earth deal with the U.S., adding if he does that he is going to have “some problems.” “I think Zelenskyy, by the way, he’s trying to back out of the rare earth deal, and if he does that, he’s got some problems – big, big problems,” Trump said while speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Sunday. “We made a deal on rare earths, and now he’s saying, ‘well, you know, I want to renegotiate the deal.’ He wants to be a member of NATO. Well, he was never going to be a member of NATO. He understands that, so, if he’s looking to renegotiate the deal, he’s got big problems.” Zelenskyy said last month that Ukraine is ready to sign an agreement on minerals and security with the U.S. at any time, noting that the agreement is seen as a step toward greater security and solid security guarantees. Zelenskyy’s statement came after a visit to the White House where the two leaders were expected to sign an agreement on rare Earth minerals. But the visit turned sour, and Zelenskyy was kicked out of the president’s home with no deal in hand. TRUMP SAYS INTEL PAUSE ON UKRAINE HAS BEEN ‘JUST ABOUT’ LIFTED; SAYS TARIFFS WILL MAKE AMERICA RICH While speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump said he and his team were making progress on a ceasefire deal between Ukraine and Russia. One reporter asked if Trump would say his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin was at its lowest point. The president said no, adding he did not think Putin was going to go back on his word for a partial ceasefire. He also said deals are made with people whether you like them or not. TRUMP EXEMPTS MEXICO FROM TARIFFS FOR USMCA GOODS UNTIL APRIL 2 Trump explained that Putin had said some things over the last few days about Zelenskyy not being credible, adding he was not happy about that. But, Trump added, he thinks Putin is going to be good. He also said he would not want to put secondary tariffs on Russia. The U.S. put secondary tariffs on Venezuela, which Trump said has had a “very strong impact.” “You know that every ship just got out and left. A lot of them left. They dropped the hoses right into the ocean, and they left. They didn’t want to be there for a minute because they didn’t want those tariffs to catch on,” Trump said. “But they didn’t want me to see them there. So, Venezuela and secondary tariffs, all secondary tariffs, are very strong, because essentially it says if you disobey our orders, you cannot do business in the United States of America, and that’s the catch.” Trump said he plans to hit all the countries across the board with tariffs. TRUMP TO PUT TARIFF EXEMPTIONS ON CERTAIN GOODS FROM CANADA, MEXICO “If you look at the history, and you look at what’s happened to us…take a look at trade with Asia, and I wouldn’t say anybody is doing it as fairly or nicely,” Trump said. “We’re…going to be much more generous than they were to us.” Trump also addressed questions about possibly running for a third term, which earlier in the day he said he was “not joking” about. Initially, Trump told reporters he was not looking at a third term, noting that people have spoken with him about a possible third term. EMMANUEL MACRON CALLS ‘EMERGENCY MEETING’ FOR EUROPEAN LEADERS TO DISCUSS TRUMP: REPORT He said the 2020 election, in which he lost to now former President Joe Biden, was “totally rigged,” but he would not take credit for a third try. Trump also said his administration has had the best 100 days than any other president. “I was with some very important people today, and they said they’ve never seen turnaround as fast as this,” he said. As reporters continued to press him about a third term, though, Trump quickly shot them down. “I don’t want to talk about it,” he told one reporter. “I don’t want to talk about a third term now. We have a long time. We have almost four years to go.”
Wisconsin Supreme Court rejects Democrat AG’s attempt to block Elon Musk’s $1M giveaway to voters
The Wisconsin Supreme Court unanimously decided not to hear a last-minute attempt by a state attorney general seeking to prevent Elon Musk from giving away million-dollar checks on Sunday. The news came just before the Tesla CEO was set to host an America PAC town hall in Green Bay on Sunday night, where he is slated to hand over $1 million checks to two voters. Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul had asked the 4-3 liberal-majority court to reach a decision “as soon as possible but no later than the planned event on Sunday evening.” “Wisconsin law prohibits offering anything of value to induce anyone to vote,” Kaul’s filing stated. “Yet, Elon Musk did just that.” DOGE DEPUTY, TREASURY SECRETARY DISH ON CRUSADE TO PULL THE IRS OUT OF ITS ‘REALLY BIG HOLE’ In court filings, Musk’s attorneys maintain that the payments are “intended to generate a grassroots movement in opposition to activist judges, not to expressly advocate for or against any candidate.” This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The Associated Press and Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
Trump announces plan to chop down magnolia tree purportedly planted by Andrew Jackson: ‘Must come to an end’
President Donald Trump announced plans to chop down a tree that was said to have been planted by former President Andrew Jackson. In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump said that he was working with “the wonderful people at the National Park Service” to make “tremendous enhancements to the White House, thereby preserving and protecting History!” “One of the interesting dilemmas is a tree planted many years ago by the Legendary President and General, Andrew Jackson,” Trump described. “It is a Southern Magnolia, that came from his home, The Hermitage, in Tennessee. That’s the good news!” “The bad news is that everything must come to an end, and this tree is in terrible condition, a very dangerous safety hazard, at the White House Entrance, no less, and must now be removed,” he continued. TRUMP NOMINATES SUSAN MONAREZ TO BECOME THE NEXT CDC DIRECTOR, SAYS AMERICANS ‘LOST CONFIDENCE’ IN AGENCY The historic tree will be chopped down in coming days, and Trump wrote that it will be replaced “by another, very beautiful tree.” “The Historic wood from the tree will be preserved by the White House Staff, and may be used for other high and noble purposes!!!” the president added. Jackson, who served as president from 1829 to 1837, reportedly planted two magnolia trees near the White House in honor of his wife Rachel, who died in 1828. But according to the National Park Service’s (NPS) website, the trees’ connection to Old Hickory is debatable. “Historical photographic documentation shows that magnolias first appeared at this location near the South Portico in the 1860s, still the trees are attributed to President Jackson,” the agency explained. IMPEACHMENT ARTICLES HIT JUDGE WHO ORDERED TRUMP TO STOP DEPORTATION FLIGHTS “In 2006, the trees were designated as Witness Trees by the National Park Service, having borne witness to many ‘significant historic and cultural events,’” the NPS described. “The base of the trees also took the brunt of a Cessna airplane crash which targeted the White House in September 1994 and were subject to significant branch removal and pruning in December 2017.” Initial reactions to Trump’s announcement were mixed on social media, though supporters of the president largely supported the decision. “I am a tree expert by trade, I’ve worked with trees for three decades now… these [magnolia] trees have notoriously soft wood that can become dry and brittle with age,” one X user wrote. “I wouldn’t be anywhere near that thing.” “Be prepared for the left to treat this like WW3,” another joked. “He is trying to lie his head off and rewrite or destroy history!” a Trump critic wrote. “The tree is much more important than Trump will EVER be!”