Dem governor’s ‘dangerous’ anti-ICE law ignites backlash after alleged box cutter attack by illegal alien
FIRST ON FOX: The arrest of an illegal alien who allegedly sliced his wife’s neck open with a box cutter in Anne Arundale County, Maryland, would have been jeopardized by a new sanctuary law signed by the governor on Tuesday, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Democratic Gov. Wes Moore pushed back, saying that “nothing in today’s legislation would prevent criminals from getting deported.” DHS told Fox News Digital that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested the illegal, Filberto Gonzalez Gutierrez, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, who was charged with attempted murder, assault, and reckless endangerment in Anne Arundale County, Maryland. BLOCKING ICE COOPERATION FUELED MINNESOTA UNREST, OFFICIALS WARN AS VIRGINIA REVERSES COURSE Local Maryland outlet, the Capital Gazette, reported that Gutierrez sliced his wife’s neck open with a box cutter and accused her of cheating on him. Following the crime and his subsequent arrest, DHS said that the ICE detainer lodged with the Anne Arundale County Detention Center was honored, “allowing a safe and controlled transfer of custody.” Gutierrez is currently in ICE custody pending removal proceedings, according to DHS. The agency said that “safe arrests like these are now in jeopardy with sanctuary politicians in the Maryland legislature passing a bill banning cooperation with ICE.” The bill, signed by Democratic Gov. Wes Moore on Tuesday, prohibits state and local jurisdictions in Maryland from partnering with ICE in immigration enforcement operations through what is known as the 287(g) program. Signed as a piece of emergency legislation, the bill takes immediate effect and requires any local jurisdictions with standing 287(g) agreements to terminate them immediately. The bill does not ban local law enforcement from honoring ICE detainers, which, under Maryland law, is up to the discretion of the local agency. However, by banning 287(g) partnerships, local law enforcement agencies are prohibited from issuing immigration detainers of their own. Ammar Moussa, a spokesperson for Moore’s office, responded to DHS by telling Fox News Digital that, “Nothing in today’s legislation would prevent criminals from getting deported.” DHS URGES NEWSOM TO HONOR ICE DETAINERS AFTER FEDERAL AGENT ASSAULTED WHILE ARRESTING ILLEGAL ALIEN AT JAIL A Tuesday statement released by Moore’s office said that the legislation does not authorize the release of criminals, impact state policies and practices in response to immigration detainers issued by DHS, prevent state or local jurisdictions from working with the federal government on the removal of violent criminals who pose a risk to public safety or prevent state or local jurisdictions from continuing to notify ICE about the impending release of an individual of interest from custody or from coordinating the safe transfer of custody within constitutional limits. In the same statement, Moore ripped into federal immigration agents, saying, “In Maryland, we defend Constitutional rights and Constitutional policing—and we will not allow untrained, unqualified, and unaccountable ICE agents to deputize our law enforcement officers.” Moore said that “this bill draws a clear line: we will continue to work with federal partners to hold violent offenders accountable, but we refuse to blur the lines between state and federal authority in ways that undermine the trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.” “Maryland is a community of immigrants,” added Moore, “and that’s one of our greatest strengths because this country is incomplete without each and every one of us.” However, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, who is set to depart from DHS next week, told Fox News Digital that the Maryland legislature is “unfortunately following a dangerous path … of putting criminal illegal aliens over American citizens.” TEXAS GOVERNOR EXPOSES ‘HYPOCRISY’ OF DEM PUSH FOR STATES’ RIGHTS IN MINNESOTA AFTER BIDEN YEARS “Filberto Gonzalez Gutierrez, a monster who sliced his wife’s neck open with a box cutter, will never walk American streets again because Anne Arundale County worked with ICE to keep this criminal off our streets,” continued McLaughlin. “Now, Maryland sanctuary politicians are playing Russian roulette with American lives by outlawing cooperation with ICE and forcing law enforcement to RELEASE criminals from their jails into our communities and perpetrate more crimes and create more victims.” In addition to Gutierrez, DHS accused Maryland politicians of “choosing to protect” other “public safety threats” recently arrested by ICE in Maryland. The agency pointed to the recent arrests by ICE of Vladimir Herrera-Garcia, from El Salvador, who was convicted of homicide and larceny; Manuel Portillo Cardoza, from El Salvador, convicted of assault and lewd or lascivious acts with minor; Jose Rivera Medrano, from El Salvador, convicted of incest with minor, sex offense against child-fondling, and another sex offense; Nilo Herrera Sanchez, from Peru, convicted of strong-arm rape, sex assault, sex offense, and rape with weapon; And Jeffry Alfaro Lemus, an MS-13 member from El Salvador, convicted of possession of a weapon. DHS stated that “by outlawing cooperation with ICE, Maryland’s sanctuary policies are siding with heinous criminal illegal aliens over public safety. McLaughlin added that “unfortunately, the only consequence will be the continued murder, rape, assault, robbery, and carnage of American lives.”
‘Giving judicial saboteurs new tools’: Conservatives slam new ethics guidance for federal judges
Legal experts and conservatives are taking aim at newly published ethics guidelines that allow federal judges to speak out on certain issues, arguing the guidance issued by the court’s policy-making body is hypocritical and has been unfairly applied. At issue is new ethics guidance published this month by the U.S. Judicial Conference, the national body led by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts in his official capacity and tasked with setting policy for the federal courts. It is unclear whether Roberts himself was directly involved in the guidance, but critics assailed it all the same. Article III Project founder Mike Davis told Fox News Digital that Roberts is “giving judicial saboteurs new tools” for the courts to overstep. In a statement, he railed against the ethics guidance as “sabotaging the exercise of core Article II powers of the duly-elected president,” and another example in which he argued the federal judiciary has overstepped its powers. JUDGES V TRUMP: HERE ARE THE KEY COURT BATTLES HALTING THE WHITE HOUSE AGENDA “Friendly reminder: when federal judges take off their judicial robes, climb into the political arena, and throw political punches, they should expect powerful political counterpunches,” Davis said. In a departure from earlier guidance, the new advisory opinion states that judges may engage in a “measured defense” of the judiciary, including defending against “illegitimate forms of criticism and attacks” that risk “undermining judicial independence or the rule of law,” and doing so “regardless of whether these comments rise to the level of persecution,” according to a copy of the opinion reviewed by Fox News Digital. It goes on to list four areas of illegitimate activity identified by Chief Justice Roberts in his 2024 year-end report, including activities that “either threaten the judges themselves” or threaten the rule of law: “Violence, intimidation, disinformation and threats to defy court orders.” “It does not follow, however, that every activity that involves the law or the legal system is considered permissible activity,” the report said. The new guidance comes as Trump has assailed so-called “rogue” or “activist” judges who have paused or blocked some of his biggest policy priorities from taking effect during his second term as president. It also comes as threats against federal judges saw a sharp uptick in 2025 compared to the previous 12-month period, according to federal data, including increases in online harassment, threats of physical violence and “doxxing” incidents targeting judges and their families. The guidance in question seemingly attempts to give judges a forum to dispel some of the criticism against them. EX-JUDGES BLAST TOP TRUMP DOJ OFFICIAL FOR DECLARING ‘WAR’ ON COURTS But it also invited fresh backlash from Trump allies, conservative commentators and court watchers, who argued the guidance is being unfairly applied to protect certain members of the judiciary. “The first thing to note” about the new guidance is its timing, said Josh Blackman, a constitutional law professor at the South Texas College of Law, in an interview. “It is clearly a response to conservative criticism of liberal judges,” Blackman said. “We didn’t see much of this in the last four years, [when] there were routine death threats against conservative judges.” The timing, he added, “is a bit unfortunate, because it gives a sense that only [certain] criticisms warrant a response.” FEDERAL JUDGE LAUNCHES SCATHING BROADSIDE OF TRUMP’S EFFORTS TO DEPORT PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS The opinion comes as dozens of former judges have voiced concern over the Trump administration’s rhetoric towards the federal court judges, describing them in a series of interviews with Fox News Digital as unnecessarily inflammatory and amounting to “pouring oil” on an already fast-burning fire. The new guidance also stressed that judges “should avoid sensationalism” and commentary that “may result in confusion or misunderstanding of the judicial function or detract from the dignity of the office.” The news comes as several judges have been criticized formally for overstepping their duties on the bench, and for otherwise making overtly political comments. The Supreme Court last year condemned U.S. District Judge William Young, a Reagan appointee, for failing to respect the commander-in-chief in repeated opinions that assailed Trump as a bully, and as being laser-focused on “retribution.” He has also accused the administration of “racial discrimination” and “discrimination against the LGBTQ community,” and asked in one order, “Have we no shame?”
Latina House Republican asks Supreme Court to block Dems’ bid to ‘racially gerrymander’ her out of Congress
New York City’s lone Republican lawmaker in the House of Representatives is asking the highest court in the land to stop a Democrat-backed bid to gerrymander her seat in Congress. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., filed a petition with the Supreme Court late last week asking it to halt a state court-ordered redraw of New York’s congressional map ahead of the November midterm elections. The New York State Supreme Court ruled last month that Malliotakis’ district unfairly dilutes the power of Black and Latino voters, following a lawsuit led by Democrat lawyer Marc Elias’ law firm on behalf of four New York residents. New York’s 11th congressional district (NY-11), which Malliotakis won in 2020, encompasses all of Staten Island and a sliver of southern Brooklyn. It’s the only district in the Big Apple represented by a Republican after Malliotakis defeated one-term former Rep. Max Rose, D-N.Y. BATTLEGROUND GOP LAWMAKER MOVES TO BLOCK WHAT HE CALLS DEMOCRATIC REDISTRICTING ‘POWER GRAB’ Malliotakis’ court petition argued that the Manhattan court “violated the Equal Protection Clause by prohibiting New York from running congressional elections until the state racially gerrymanders” her district. The GOP congresswoman pointed out in a recent interview with Fox News Digital that she herself is Latino, with a mother who fled Cuba’s communist regime. “The fact that they’re claiming somehow Hispanics and minorities are disenfranchised when I’m the first Hispanic elected to represent the district makes it even more ridiculous,” Malliotakis said at the time. DEMOCRATS SAY TRUMP REDISTRICTING PUSH BACKFIRING AS VIRGINIA ADVANCES NEW HOUSE MAPS The state court decision by Justice Jeffrey Pearlman found that “Black, Latino, and Asian Staten Islanders’ political representation and participation in politics still lags behind White Staten Islanders” in violation of the New York State Constitution. “A demonstration of racially polarized voting shows that the minority groups at issue vote as a bloc, as do White voters, and that the minority preferred candidates ‘usually’ lose,” Pearlman’s decision said. “Petitioners have demonstrated that here.” Malliotakis’ Supreme Court petition said, “The New York State Legislature adopted CD11’s current boundaries two years ago, with an overwhelming majority of the Legislature’s Black and Latino members voting in favor of it.” It argued that the lawsuit was brought, however, “less than four months ago under the theory that the votes of CD11’s Black and Latino voters — who comprise about 23% of CD11 — have been unconstitutionally diluted because their candidate of choice wins only 25% of the time.” The petition said the court’s decision to “racially gerrymander” the district is a “recipe for unconstitutional chaos, with no map in place and uncertainty as to whether nominating petitions can start circulating on February 24, with no end in sight.” But Democrats have been salivating at the idea of drawing out the deep-blue city’s lone House Republican. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said in a statement last month, “This ruling is the first step toward ensuring communities of interest remain intact from Staten Island to Lower Manhattan.” New York is one of several states plunged into the redistricting battle that has gripped the United States. It began last year in Texas, when the state’s GOP-led legislature redrew its congressional map to give Republicans an advantage of as many as five new House seats. California soon followed suit, creating a new map giving Democrats the same advantage.
Springsteen jabs Trump as ‘wannabe king’ as famed rocker launches concert tour ‘in defense of America’
Rock legend Bruce Springsteen is heading back on the road, as he steps up his criticism of President Donald Trump. Springsteen on Tuesday charged that Trump was a “wannabe king” as he announced the launch late next month of the “Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour.” “We are living through dark, disturbing and dangerous times,” Springsteen said in a video posted on social media. “But do not despair, the cavalry is coming. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will be taking the stage this spring from Minneapolis to California to Texas to Washington, D.C., for the Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour.” And the 76-year-old rocker added, “We will be rocking your town in celebration and in defense of America, American democracy, American freedom, our American Constitution and our sacred American dream — all of which are under attack by our wannabe king and his rogue government in Washington, D.C.” WHITE HOUSE BLASTS SPRINGSTEEN’S NEW SONG Springsteen’s announcement of his 20-day tour, which will kick off on March 31 in Minneapolis, comes a few weeks after the release of his latest song, “Streets of Minneapolis,” a protest tune that criticizes Trump and his administration’s deployment of thousands of federal agents to crack down on illegal immigration in the blue-leaning state. Trump’s focus on illegal immigration during the 2024 campaign, and his pledge to deport millions of undocumented migrants, helped fuel his re-election victory. ROCK LEGEND PRAISES BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN FOR ‘NOT BEING AFRAID’ TO SLAM TRUMP ON STAGE But the president and his administration have faced political backlash after federal agents in January fatally shot two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis — Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti. In response, the administration announced earlier this month that their operation in Minnesota was winding down. Springsteen, who has long been a vocal Trump critic, in the 2024 presidential election backed then-Vice President Kamala Harris. He performed at a couple of rallies for the Democratic presidential nominee in the final stretch leading up to Election Day. And last year, during a performance at a concert in Manchester, England, he called the president and his administration “corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous.” ROCK STAR MELTS DOWN AFTER WHITE HOUSE CALLS HIM ‘WASHED-UP,’ RAGES THAT TRUMP IS A ‘LOW-LIFE FASCIST’ Trump, responding, declared that Springsteen was “obnoxious” and a “dried out prune of a rocker.” “Never liked him, never liked his music, or his Radical Left Politics and, importantly, he’s not a talented guy — Just a pushy, obnoxious JERK, who fervently supported Crooked Joe Biden, a mentally incompetent FOOL, and our WORST EVER President, who came close to destroying our Country,” Trump added in a social media post at the time. Springsteen renewed his criticism of Trump in September, arguing that the president should “be consigned to the trash heap of history.” And pointing to Trump’s jabs at the rocker, Springsteen said, “I absolutely couldn’t care less what he thinks about me.” Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for a reaction to Springsteen’s new tour, but had not received a response at the time this report posted. Springsteen, for decades, has been known for his songs that pay tribute to and highlight the concerns of working-class Americans, many of whom over the past decade have become Trump supporters. “A lot of people bought into his lies,” Springsteen charged last autumn, as he pointed to Trump. “He doesn’t care about the forgotten anybody but himself and the multibillionaires who stood behind him on Inauguration Day.” And on Tuesday, in announcing his upcoming tour, Springsteen appeared to reach out to his fans who now support Trump. “Everyone, regardless of where you stand or what you believe in, is welcome. So come on out and join the united free republic of E Street nation for an American spring of rock and rebellion. I’ll see you there,” he said.
US kills 11 in 3 strikes on alleged drug-running boats
The U.S. military conducted airstrikes on three vessels it says were operated by “designated terrorist organizations” and were engaged in narco-trafficking, U.S. Southern Command announced Tuesday. “Late on Feb. 16, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted three lethal kinetic strikes on three vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes and were engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Eleven male narco-terrorists were killed during these actions, 4 on the first vessel in the Eastern Pacific, 4 on the second vessel in the Eastern Pacific, and 3 on the third vessel in the Caribbean. No U.S. military forces were harmed,” SOUTHCOM said in a statement posted to X. This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.
Iran signals nuclear progress in Geneva as Trump calls for full dismantlement
Negotiations between the United States and Iran advanced Tuesday toward what Tehran described as the beginning of a potential framework, but sharp public divisions between the two sides underscored how far apart they remain. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the two sides reached a “general agreement on a number of guiding principles” and agreed to begin drafting text for a possible agreement, with plans to exchange drafts and schedule a third round of talks. “Good progress was made compared to the previous meeting,” he said, adding that while drafting would slow the process, “at least the path has started.” Yet Washington publicly has insisted that any agreement must result in the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program — including its enrichment capacity — along with limits on Tehran’s ballistic missile program and an end to its support for allied militant groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah. Those demands go well beyond temporary enrichment pauses or technical adjustments. ISRAELI OFFICIALS REPORTEDLY WARN IRAN’S BALLISTIC MISSILES COULD TRIGGER SOLO MILITARY ACTION AGAINST TEHRAN Iran Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei appeared to push back directly against that premise, signaling a firm ceiling on Iran’s concessions. “The Americans say, ‘Let’s negotiate over your nuclear energy, and the result of the negotiation is supposed to be that you do not have this energy!’” he wrote on social media as talks were underway. “If that’s the case, there is no room for negotiation.” Khamenei’s remarks suggest that while Iranian negotiators may be discussing limits or interim measures, Iran is unlikely to accept an agreement that eliminates its nuclear program outright — setting up a direct collision with the Trump administration’s insistence on dismantlement. “Progress was made, but there are still a lot of details to discuss,” according to a U.S. official. “The Iranians said they would come back in the next two weeks with detailed proposals to address some of the open gaps in our positions.” President Donald Trump said Monday he would be watching the talks closely. The mistrust runs deep. Iranian officials have pointed to U.S. military strikes on their nuclear facilities in June 2025 as part of the broader backdrop complicating diplomacy, arguing such actions demonstrate Washington’s willingness to use force even as negotiations unfold. VANCE WARNS IRAN THAT ‘ANOTHER OPTION ON THE TABLE’ IF NUCLEAR DEAL NOT REACHED Behind the diplomatic push, the United States has significantly expanded its military footprint in the region. The USS Abraham Lincoln is operating in the Arabian Sea, and F-35 fighter jets from the carrier shot down an Iranian Shahed-139 drone recently after it approached the strike group — a move U.S. officials described as demonstrating low tolerance for provocations. The USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, is now transiting toward the Middle East. President Trump confirmed the deployment on Feb. 13, saying, “In case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it.” Reports indicate a third carrier, the USS George H.W. Bush, is being prepared for possible expedited deployment, which would create a rare three-carrier U.S. presence near Iranian waters. The buildup extends beyond naval forces. A squadron of F-35A Lightning II aircraft landed at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom earlier in February as a staging point for potential deployment to the Middle East, while satellite imagery shows additional U.S. aircraft — including F-15E Strike Eagles and A-10 Thunderbolts — positioned at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. Logistics flights into the region have also surged. More than 100 C-17 cargo aircraft have arrived since late January, transporting advanced air defense systems, including Patriot and THAAD batteries, to bases in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, according to defense tracking data. At the same time, Iran’s leadership has paired diplomatic engagement with forceful warnings. Khamenei said the United States could be “struck so hard that it cannot get up again,” and a senior commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy declared the country is prepared to close the Strait of Hormuz if ordered — a move that could disrupt roughly one-fifth of global oil flows through the strategic waterway. Despite the heightened rhetoric and military signaling, Iranian officials said talks would continue, framing the Geneva discussions as a step toward a possible agreement — even as the fundamental dispute over dismantlement versus preservation of Iran’s nuclear capabilities remains unresolved. Fox News’ Nick Kalman contributed to this report.
DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin to leave Trump admin, source confirms
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin is leaving the Trump administration, Fox News has confirmed. McLaughlin, one of the administration’s most vocal defenders of President Trump’s immigration enforcement policies, is set to leave the administration next week. She planned to leave as early as December but delayed her departure amid high-profile DHS incidents, including the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis last month. Politico was first to report that McLaughlin plans to depart DHS next week. McLaughlin also served in the first Trump administration at the Treasury Department under then-Secretary Steven Mnuchin and at the State Department on arms control issues. An Ohio native, McLaughlin previously served as political communications director for Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and as a senior adviser on Vivek Ramaswamy’s 2024 Republican presidential campaign, according to the DHS website. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Trump withholds endorsement in fiery GOP Senate primary as early voting begins in Texas
President Donald Trump says he’s not ready yet to take sides in the combustible Republican Senate primary in right-leaning Texas. “I just haven’t made a decision on that race yet,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday night as he returned to the nation’s capital from Florida. “I like all three of them.” Trump, whose comments came on the eve of the start of early voting in Texas ahead of the March 3 primary, was referring to longtime Republican Sen. John Cornyn, who’s seeking re-election, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and two-term Rep. Wesley Hunt, a West Point graduate who flew Apache helicopters during his Army service and who represents a solidly Republican district in the Houston area. Paxton and Hunt are challenging Cornyn in the state’s high-profile and divisive nomination race. “They’ve all supported me. They’re all good, and you’re supposed to pick one. So, we’ll see what happens, but I support all three,” Trump said. CORNYN TORCHES DEMOCRATIC FIELD AS HE SEEKS RE-ELECTION IN TEXAS Cornyn, who is backed by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), has been highlighting his Trump credentials, telling Fox News Digital late last year, “I get along well with the president. I’ve supported him during his first term, and now in his second term — I think the figure we came up with was 99.3% of the time. So I want the president to be successful and look forward to continuing to support him and his policies.” But Paxton, a MAGA firebrand and longtime Trump supporter, and Hunt, a rising star in the MAGA world, question Cornyn’s loyalty to Trump and depict him as a RINO, the acronym for “Republican in Name Only.” EARLY VOTING UNDERWAY IN TEXAS PRIMARY Meanwhile, the NRSC and establishment Republicans are raising concerns that if Paxton wins the primary, it could give Democrats a chance to flip the Senate seat in November’s general election, when the GOP will be defending its 53-47 majority in the chamber. They point to the slew of scandals and legal problems that have battered Paxton over the past decade, as well as the state attorney general’s ongoing messy divorce. The primary race is competitive, with many public opinion polls suggesting Paxton and Cornyn battling it out with Hunt in third place. Trump noted that the Senate GOP nomination battle in Texas has “got a ways to go.” That’s because the Republican nomination is likely to head to a May 27 runoff, which would only be averted if one of the three contenders tops 50% of the vote in the March primary. Trump’s latest thoughts on the Texas Republican Senate primary follow comments earlier this month when he told reporters he was “taking a serious look” at making an endorsement in the race, which he said would come soon. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a progressive champion and vocal Trump critic, and state Rep. James Talarico, a former middle school teacher and Presbyterian seminarian who, like Crockett, is also seen as a rising Democrat, are facing off for their party’s nomination.
Trump hammers AOC Munich stumbles as ‘not a good look for the United States’
President Donald Trump said the way Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez answered questions at the Munich Security Conference “was not a good look for the United States.” The Democratic lawmaker from New York and potential 2028 presidential candidate has been facing criticism for making foreign policy gaffes at the event. In one instance, Ocasio-Cortez appeared to stall for nearly 20 seconds when asked if the U.S. should send troops to defend Taiwan from a possible invasion by China, and in another, claimed Venezuela is below the equator. “By the way, I watched AOC answering questions in Munich. This was not a good look for the United States. I watched Gavin Newscum answering questions in Munich, and this was a bad look for our country,” Trump told reporters onboard Air Force One on Monday night. “This was a bad – these two people are incompetent, and at least Hillary is competent. She’s just Trump deranged. She was so deranged and she is an angry woman. But I watched the other two speaking and answering basic questions. Look, Gavin has destroyed California, and AOC I never really got her, I never heard her speak very much and they started answering questions. She had no idea what was happening,” Trump continued, referencing Newsom’s and Clinton’s attendance at the Munich Security Conference. RUBIO SHINES ON GLOBAL STAGE WHILE AOC, WHITMER, AND NEWSOM TAKE HEAT “She had no idea how to answer, you know, very important questions concerning the world. But she can’t answer questions concerning New York City either, because New York City [has] got some problems,” Trump also said about Ocasio-Cortez. Fox News Digital has reached out to Ocasio-Cortez’s and Newsom’s offices for reaction. Ocasio-Cortez was asked on Friday, “Would and should the U.S. actually commit U.S. troops to defend Taiwan if China were to move?” The four-term lawmaker appeared to stall for nearly 20 seconds before offering that the U.S. should try to avoid reaching a clash with China over Taiwan. AOC MOCKED FOR ‘ABSOLUTE TRAIN WRECK’ WEEKEND ON GLOBAL STAGE: ‘MADE A FOOL OUT OF HERSELF’ “This is, of course, a, a very long-standing, policy of the United States, and I think what we are hoping for is that we want to make sure that we never get to that point, and we want to make sure that we are moving in all of our economic research and our global positions to avoid any such confrontation and for that question to even arise,” Ocasio-Cortez said. Ocasio-Cortez also claimed that Venezuela was “below the equator” while criticizing the Trump administration for arresting the nation’s dictator Nicolás Maduro. “It is not a remark on who Maduro was as a leader. He canceled elections. He was an anti-democratic leader. That doesn’t mean that we can kidnap a head of state and engage in acts of war just because the nation is below the equator,” Ocasio-Cortez said. In a post on Truth Social Monday night, Trump said, “AOC and Newscum were an embarrassment to our Nation.” Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser, Lindsay Kornick and Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.
Election integrity groups press Supreme Court to require ballots by Election Day
FIRST ON FOX: A coalition of election integrity groups is urging the Supreme Court to uphold a lower court ruling that found federal law requires mail ballots to be received by Election Day. The conservative-leaning groups, including the Honest Elections Project and the Center for Election Confidence, filed an amicus brief on Tuesday supporting the Republican National Committee’s challenge to Mississippi’s postmark deadline. They argue that federal law establishing a single Election Day requires ballots to be in election officials’ hands by the close of polls. The case could determine whether similar postmark-based deadlines in 14 states remain valid ahead of the 2026 midterms. Supporters of the RNC’s position say a ruling affirming the lower court would establish a clear standard for when ballots must be received, though curtailing acceptance of late-arriving ballots would not guarantee that election officials won’t still be tabulating ballots in close races beyond Election Day. “Counting ballots that are received after Election Day unnecessarily damages public trust in election outcomes, delays results, and violates the law,” Jason Snead, Honest Elections Project executive director, told Fox News Digital in a statement. Others who signed onto the amicus brief included the American Legislative Exchange Council and Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections. SUPREME COURT SAYS ILLINOIS CONGRESSMAN CAN SUE OVER STATE MAIL-IN VOTING LAWS Oral arguments in the case, Watson v. Republican National Committee, are set for March 23, and a decision is expected by the summer. The case arose from a lawsuit brought by the RNC challenging Mississippi’s practice of counting mail ballots received up to five business days after Election Day if postmarked by that day. The RNC chose to bring the case in the Republican-friendly U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, which ruled in the RNC’s favor and found that federal law trumps the state’s deadline and requires ballots to be received by Election Day. At issue is whether statutes establishing a single Election Day mean that all ballots must be received by that day to be valid. The election integrity groups argued that under the Supreme Court’s decision from three decades ago in Foster v. Love, the “final act of selection” must occur on Election Day and that receipt of a mail-in ballot constitutes casting a ballot, which cannot happen after Election Day by that standard. Snead said a favorable ruling from the Supreme Court would “protect the rights of voters and the integrity of the democratic process, and ensure that it is easy to vote but hard to cheat in future elections.” The election integrity coalition argued that allowing ballots to arrive after Election Day can lead to delayed results and can chip away at voters’ confidence in elections. The groups also pointed to recent U.S. Postal Service guidance that warned that postmarks might not reliably reflect when a ballot entered the mail. HOUSE GOP MOVES TO REQUIRE PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP, PHOTO ID TO VOTE IN FEDERAL ELECTION Fourteen states and Washington, D.C., currently count ballots received after Election Day if postmarked on time. Since the 2024 midterm election, four Republican-controlled states, Kansas, Ohio, Utah and North Dakota, have moved to require receipt by Election Day. A ruling upholding the 5th Circuit could invalidate the laws in the 14 states and require ballots to be in election officials’ hands by the close of polls. The decision is expected to affect the 2026 midterms. Military and overseas ballots, which are governed by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, would likely remain unaffected.