A Massachusetts judge who allegedly let a twice-deported illegal immigrant evade ICE capture in 2018 is now facing the prospect of removal from the bench six years after federal charges were first filed against her and three years after those charges were dropped by the Biden administration.

By contrast, the Trump administration swiftly arrested a judge in Wisconsin for committing a similar offense just a week after the incident. 

Judge Shelley Joseph of the Boston Municipal Court is facing charges of “willful judicial misconduct” for allowing illegal immigrant Jose Medina-Perez to slip out a side door to avoid ICE in April 2018, according to the Boston Herald. 

She was originally charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice in 2018 by Trump-appointed then-U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling. However, in 2022, the Biden Department of Justice agreed to drop the charges against Joseph after she agreed to refer herself to the Massachusetts Commission on Judicial Conduct. That state commission did not file charges for disciplinary action against Joseph until late in 2024, with her hearing date set for June 9. 

VANCE REVEALS ‘EMPOWERING’ ASPECTS OF TRUMP’S LEADERSHIP THAT ENABLES ‘TRUST’ AND SQUASHES ‘TURF BATTLES’

Joseph’s case stands in stark contrast with the swift actions of the Trump administration to punish Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan, who is also alleged to have facilitated a courtroom escape for an illegal immigrant.

According to charges filed in the Supreme Court of Wisconsin, Dugan allowed illegal immigrant Eduardo Flores-Ruiz to exit her court via a restricted door after federal agents arrived to arrest him on April 18.  

Dugan demanded that the federal officers proceed to the chief judge’s office and, after his hearing ended, escorted Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out a restricted jury door, bypassing the public area where agents were waiting in order to help him avoid arrest, per the complaint.

Just a week after this incident, Dugan was arrested by the FBI and charged with federal charges of felony obstruction of a federal agency and concealing a person to help them avoid arrest, which is a misdemeanor.

NEW RESISTANCE BATTLING TRUMP’S SECOND TERM THROUGH ONSLAUGHT OF LAWSUITS TAKING AIM AT EOS

Dugan is currently prohibited from exercising her judicial powers and will remain barred pending further order by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. 

Attorney General Pam Bondi blasted Dugan’s actions on Fox’s “America Reports.”

“We could not believe that a judge really did that,” Bondi said. “You cannot obstruct a criminal case. And really, shame on her. It was a domestic violence case of all cases, and she’s protecting a criminal defendant over victims of crime.”

Bondi said Flores-Ruiz beat up two people, “a guy and a girl.”

“[He] beat the guy, hit the guy 30 times, knocked him to the ground, choked him, beat up a woman so badly; they both had to go to the hospital,” she said.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report. 

FIRST ON FOX: The House GOP’s standoff over the former Biden administration’s green energy subsides is colliding with Republicans’ plans for a massive bill advancing President Donald Trump‘s agenda.

Thirty-eight House Republicans are writing to Ways & Means Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., the chamber’s top tax writer, urging a full repeal of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in the coming budget reconciliation bill.

“We are deeply concerned that President Trump’s commitment to restoring American energy dominance and ending what he calls the ‘green new scam’ is being undermined by parochial interests and short-sighted political calculations,” the lawmakers wrote.

They argued the IRA subsidies would cost American taxpayers roughly $1 trillion over the next decade.

TRUMP EASES AUTO TARIFFS AS HE CELEBRATES 100TH DAY WITH MICHIGAN RALLY

“The IRA contains eight major energy subsidies, each of which burdens taxpayers, inflates energy costs, and threatens the reliability of our power grid. Each of these subsidies props up unreliable energy sources while displacing dependable, proven energy like coal and natural gas,” the letter said.

The lawmakers then took direct aim at fellow Republicans who are pushing for some of the credits to remain intact.

“Republicans ran—and won—on a promise to completely dismantle the IRA and end the left’s green welfare agenda. The first chapter of our 2024 platform reaffirms our commitment to ‘terminating the Socialist Green New Deal.’ Despite our previously unified stance, some Members of our conference now feel compelled to defend wind and biofuel credits, advocate for carbon capture and hydrogen subsidies, or protect solar and electric vehicle giveaways,” the letter said. “Keeping even one of these subsidies opens the door to retaining all eight.”

“How do we retain some of these credits and not operate in hypocrisy? The longstanding Republican position has been to allow the market to determine energy production. If every faction continues to defend their favored subsidies, we risk preserving the entire IRA because no clearly defined principle will dictate what is kept and what is culled.”

Republicans are working on a massive piece of legislation advancing Trump’s agenda on taxes, border security, national defense and energy, while also raising the debt limit.

The budget reconciliation process allows them to do that by lowering the Senate’s threshold for passage from 60 votes to 51, thereby allowing the party controlling Congress and the White House to pass sweeping legislation while sidelining the opposition, in this case Democrats.

Conservative fiscal hawks successfully got House GOP leaders to agree that the trillions of dollars of new spending in the bill – primarily for Trump’s tax policies – must be offset by at least $1.5 trillion in federal funding cuts.

Former President Joe Biden’s IRA subsidies have been a significant flash point in that fight.

In March, 21 House Republicans signed a letter urging their colleagues to preserve the green energy tax credit.

“Countless American companies are utilizing sector-wide energy tax credits – many of which have enjoyed broad support in Congress – to make major investments in domestic energy production and infrastructure for traditional and renewable energy sources alike,” they wrote.

DEFUNDING DEI: HERE’S HOW THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS UNDONE BIDEN’S VERY PRIZED PROGRAMS

That letter pointed out that investments have already been made in American entities with the understanding that those subsidies would have a 10-year window.

“These timelines have been relied upon when it comes to capital allocation, planning, and project commitments, all of which would be jeopardized by premature credit phase outs or additional restrictive mechanisms such as limiting transferability,” it said.

They argued that changing that now could lead to rising energy costs for American families.

The anti-IRA Republicans, however, said in their letter that the U.S.’ growing green energy sector was the product of government handouts rather than genuine sustainable growth.

“Leaving IRA subsidies intact will actively undermine America’s return to energy dominance and national security,” they said. “They are the result of government subsidies that distort the U.S. energy sector, displace reliable coal and natural gas and the domestic jobs they produce, and put the stability and independence of our electric grid in jeopardy.”

Meanwhile, House GOP leaders like House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., have made clear they have issues with the wider bill, but share concerns about ending measures in use under the current administration and risking political blowback in GOP districts that have seen investments by entities that have benefited from the subsidies.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Ways & Means Committee for comment but did not hear back by press time.

EXCLUSIVE – Bipartisan lawmakers are introducing a bill on Capitol Hill Thursday focused on protecting the country’s water systems from foreign hackers, just months after China admitted behind closed doors that it was responsible for a series of attacks on U.S. infrastructure.

Senators Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., and Tom Cotton, R-Ark., authored the Water Cybersecurity Enhancement Act to help protect public water systems and respond to cyberattacks, which have become more frequent in recent years.

“In Arizona, we know better than most the importance of safe and secure access to water. But adversaries also understand the importance and are increasingly trying to undermine our water security,” Gallego said. “It is critical that we ensure our public water systems have the resources they need to prevent and respond to cyberattacks. That’s exactly what this bipartisan, commonsense bill does.”

The bill would extend and expand a portion of the Safe Drinking Water Act, called the Drinking Water Infrastructure Risk and Resilience Program, to provide technical assistance and grants to community water systems that can be used for training and guidance on cyberattack protections and responses.

CHINESE OFFICIALS CLAIMED BEHIND CLOSED DOORS PRC PLAYED ROLE IN US CYBERATTACKS: REPORT

Cotton said cyberattacks on public infrastructure are a growing threat.

“This bipartisan bill will strengthen our ability to protect essential services and support local water utilities in building stronger cyber defenses,” he added.

The bill comes less than a month after the Wall Street Journal reported that Chinese officials acknowledged behind closed doors in December that their government was responsible for a series of attacks on U.S. infrastructure.

CHINA ATTACKED US WITH HACKERS. WE NEED TO HIT BACK HARD

In the exclusive report, those who spoke on condition of anonymity claimed Chinese officials connected the cyberattacks on U.S. ports, airports, utilities and other important targets to America’s support for Taiwan.

The report noted that Biden administration officials learned of the attacks first hand during a summit in Geneva, as their Chinese counterparts blamed the campaign, referred to as Volt Typhoon, on a criminal organization.

Chinese officials also accused the U.S. of blaming China based on their imagination.

BIDEN ADMIN DOUBLING TARIFFS ON CHINESE SOLAR PANEL PARTS AFTER REPORTED ‘INDUSTRIAL ESPIONAGE’

A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital earlier this month it had made clear to Beijing that the U.S. will continue to take actions in response to Chinese malicious cyber activity targeting the U.S.

“Chinese cyber threats are some of the gravest and most persistent threats to U.S. national security,” the spokesperson said. “The United States will continue to use all the tools at its disposal to safeguard U.S. critical infrastructure from irresponsible and reckless cyberattacks from Beijing. President Trump is committed to protecting the American people and U.S. critical infrastructure from these threats.”

The Chinese Embassy told FOX Business that China “firmly opposes” the smear attacks against it without any factual basis.

BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WARNS STATES OF POSSIBLE ATTACKS ON WATER SYSTEMS FROM FOREIGN HACKERS

The Biden administration warned state leaders in March 2024 that cyberattacks by hackers linked to Iran and China could take down water systems across the U.S. if cybersecurity measures were not taken as a precaution.

Then Environmental Protection Agency administrator Michael S. Regan and Jake Sullivan, the assistant to Biden for national security affairs, said in an email to state governors that cyberattacks were targeting water and wastewater systems throughout the U.S.

In the letter, the two Biden administration officials said the attacks could disrupt clean and safe drinking water and impose significant costs on affected communities.

In January 2024, Russian hackers launched an attack on the water system in Muleshoe, Texas.

The hack caused the small Texas town’s water sytem to overflow and within two hours sent tens of thousands of gallons of water flowing out of the town’s water tower. Muleshoe was one of three small towns in the rural Texas Panhandle targeted by a Russian hacktivist group.

Former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told legislators in a letter that the cybersecurity firm Mandiant attributed the attack on Muleshoe to Sandworm, which is believed to be connected to Russia’s spy agency, the GRU.

Dozens of school choice advocates gathered outside the Supreme Court Wednesday as justices weighed whether public funds could go directly to religious charter schools.

The protesters rallied and held signs that said “all students, all options, all dollars” and “free to learn,” as they advocated for expanded access to alternatives to traditional public schools, especially for students who struggle in those settings.

The case, St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School v. Drummond, challenges a ruling by the Oklahoma Supreme Court that struck down a contract establishing St. Isidore – a publicly funded, Catholic online school – as a violation of state and federal law. Now before the U.S. Supreme Court, advocates argue that excluding religious schools from state-run charter programs amounts to unconstitutional discrimination.

“The court has time and time again said that the Free Exercise Clause demands that the government treat religious and secular organizations the same, and that’s not what happened here. The state excluded St. Isidore simply because of its religious character, that’s wrong and bad for parents,” said Kate Anderson, an attorney at ADF working on the case. 

LIBERAL SUPREME COURT JUSTICES GRILL RELIGIOUS INSTITUTION IN LANDMARK SCHOOL CHOICE CASE

For students like Contina Jones’ son, public schools are not always a good fit. “He was very sad, very emotional every day, he was overstimulated, teachers were in and out, and I needed something that was able to cater to how my son learns,” said Jones, a Mississippi resident who joined the crowd outside the court. “Every child, regardless of zip code, should be able to go to a school that is for them for their families.”

The justices are being asked to weigh whether a religious charter school is entitled to the same treatment and funding as a secular one – a question that could redefine how states draw the line between church and state in public education.

“Charter schools are not public schools in the same way as traditional ones,” said Thomas Fisher, executive vice president of EdChoice. “They’re designed to have curricula other than what public schools provide. The First Amendment protects their free exercise and doesn’t prohibit them from exercising their religion.”

At issue is whether the school should be considered a public school – which have largely been considered as extensions of the state government, and required to be nonreligious under the Establishment Clause – or whether it should be considered private entities or contractors.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, a Republican who is running for governor, filed the lawsuit against the school, stating that the establishment of St. Isidore would violate both the Oklahoma Constitution and the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Public funds should not be used to support religious institutions, he emphasized, asserting that such a move could set a dangerous precedent for government endorsement of religion.

SUPREME COURT TO HEAR ARGUMENTS ON SCHOOL CHOICE CASE INVOLVING CATHOLIC CHARTER SCHOOL

The Oklahoma Supreme Court agreed with Drummond’s assessment, ruling that charter schools are public entities and must remain nonsectarian. The court’s decision highlighted concerns that approving St. Isidore as a religious charter school could lead to state-sponsored religious indoctrination, undermining the neutrality of public education.

“The key here is that this school is its own school. This school is not a state school – it’s a charter school. It has the ability to set its own curriculum,” added John Tidwell, Oklahoma state director of Americans for Prosperity. 

He called the case a “great test to see what the opportunity is for similar schools all across the country.”

“We’re really excited by this opportunity.” 

Erika Donalds, chair of America First Policy Institute’s Center for Education Opportunity, echoed the sentiment, framing the case as a potential expansion of “the free market of education.”

“St. Isidore is just one example of many high-quality options that are out there that could be chartered for families,” Donalds said. “The Supreme Court has struck down discrimination against religious institutions in other contexts. If they can offer high-quality education, families should be able to access those options with public funds.”

Donalds emphasized that the choice remains with families. “Parents are not required to choose a religiously affiliated charter school, but they should have the option to do so — so long as financial and academic accountability measures are met.”

She also pointed to bipartisan support for school choice nationwide.

“We’ve seen polling that shows 70% of Republicans, nearly 70% of Democrats, and Independents all support school choice. This movement has momentum, and it’s not going to stop.”

The court’s ruling, expected by the end of June, could have sweeping implications for charter school policy and religious liberty jurisprudence across the country, and comes at a time when 45 U.S. states currently authorize charter schools.

Fox News’ Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report. 

A 16-year veteran and former Air Force Major who voluntarily left the military after she refused to receive the COVID-19 vaccination under President Biden’s 2021 executive order commended Department of Defense (DOD) Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Trump Administration’s actions to undo the effects of the controversial mandate.

Kacy Dixon, a former intelligence officer and judge advocate officer (JAG), was pregnant at the time the Biden Administration issued the executive order mandating active duty service members to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

“I’ve spent my whole adult life in the military,” Dixon told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. “I’ve gotten tons of vaccines, you know, smallpox, anthrax, without really a second thought. But because of my pregnancy, I had second thoughts about [the COVID-19 vaccine].”

COVID VACCINE BOOSTERS CALLED INTO QUESTION BY FDA CHIEF: ‘VOID OF DATA’

While the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended the vaccine for pregnant women, Dixon said her doctor at the time told her that “because the vaccines had been produced so quickly and were still under emergency use authorization, pregnant women had not been included in the clinical trials.” She ultimately decided against getting the shots.

The vaccine mandate, which lasted until January 2023, cost the U.S. military an estimated 8,700 service members just months before Russia invaded Ukraine. Many members of the military applied for exemptions, but few were granted. Most service members were honorably discharged, generally discharged, or discharged under other than honorable conditions (UOTHC).

“This mandate devastated our military in many ways. In terms of morale, there were many service members who were aware of this legal issue, who knew that this was an unlawful order,” Dixon explained. “You don’t follow unlawful orders. You have an affirmative duty not to follow unlawful orders, and service members who tried to uphold their oaths and do that lost their livelihoods, lost their careers.”

HEGSETH SAYS HE’S UNDOING ‘SOCIAL JUSTICE/BIDEN INITIATIVE’ THAT TRUMP SIGNED INTO LAW

In the first week of his presidency, Donald Trump signed an executive order to begin the process of reinstating military service men and women. During President Trump’s inaugural speech, he pledged “full payback” for those who were forced out of the U.S. military. 

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered remarks last week on the continued effort to enforce the president’s executive order. 

“We all know that the previous administration issued unlawful orders on mandatory vaccines on an experimental vaccine, COVID-19,” Hegseth explained. “We’re doing everything we can, as quickly as we can, to reinstate those who are affected by that policy.”

Secretary Hegseth signed a memorandum last week “that directs the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness to provide additional guidance to the boards that are reviewing these cases.” 

Kacy Dixon applauded Defense Secretary Hegseth for recognizing the “unlawful” nature of the military mandate.

“It has been very heartening to have the secretary speak so candidly about this issue to acknowledge that these vaccines were experimental when used on our service members,” Dixon told Fox. Noting that the attitude of the DOD “has been a big morale boost.”

U.S. lawmakers also weighed in on the administration’s efforts to provide support for the thousands of service members whose lives were upended as a result of the mandate. 

HEGSETH SIGNS ‘NO MORE WALKING ON EGGSHELLS’ POLICY, DEMANDS REVIEW OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY COMPLAINT PROCESS

“The Biden military vaccine mandate was a destructive mistake that ruined troop morale, negated force readiness, and destroyed the lives of so many of our best and bravest — and their families,” Congressman Darrell Issa, R-California, told Fox News Digital. “Secretary Hegseth is demonstrating true leadership and working to repair the damage that was done. At this crossroads moment, he is choosing duty, honor, and country over divisive, partisan politics.”

While the wheels are in motion to reverse the damaging effects of the mandate. Dixon pointed out that service men and women who decide to reenter the military will now be years behind in rank from their former colleagues. Additionally, the logistics of reinstating military members may also be a challenge for the DOD. 

Andrew Cherkasy, co-founder of Golden Law, Inc. and former Air Force JAG, told Fox News Digital that “Secretary Hegseth is trying to undo one of the greatest political attacks on our troops in America’s history.”

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“I’ve seen countless outstanding service members be discharged after COVID refusals,” Cherkasky added. “The most difficult challenge for Hegseth will be reversing the discharges of those that were kicked out not directly due to the vaccine refusal but rather for misconduct surrounding their refusal.”

FIRST ON FOX: A pro-Trump legal nonprofit has filed an official complaint with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) calling for an investigation into diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices at a prominent Midwest hospital system following a Fox News Digital report on criticism of those policies. 

The complaint, which was filed by America First Legal (AFL) to the Civil Rights Office of HHS, charges that Henry Ford Health (HFH) has “implemented and institutionalized an organization of race- and sex-based discrimination under the banner of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (“DEI”) across its operations, including its employment practices, residency programs, and delivery of patient services.”

The complaint comes after Consumers’ Research, a leading nonprofit dedicated to consumer information, launched an ad campaign alleging the hospital’s DEI policies and transgender treatment for children had put “politics over patients,” Fox News Digital exclusively reported.

The AFL is demanding an “immediate investigation,” as it accuses HFH of using federal dollars to promote DEI initiatives, including racial quotas in their hiring practice, prioritizing organ transplants based on race, elevating “identity-restricted” students for medical scholarships and awarding supplier contracts based on race and gender. 

TRUMP’S CRACKDOWN ON HARVARD, ‘WOKE’ COLLEGES WILL TAKE MORE THAN 100 DAYS TO LEAVE LASTING REFORM: PROFESSOR

“Failure to act in the face of such egregious and well-documented violations would not only signal tolerance of unlawful discrimination but would undermine the federal government’s duty to ensure that taxpayer dollars are not used to advance unconstitutional or ideologically driven practices,” the AFL wrote in the complaint. 

MAJOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER ACCUSED OF HIDING DEI PROGRAMS, INFLUENTIAL SENATOR CALLS THEM OUT

The complaint accuses HFH of violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, gener or national origin, and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, which prohibits such discrimination within the healthcare industry. 

The AFL also alleges that HFH is violating President Donald Trump‘s executive order signed this year that bans federal support for DEI mandates.

“Since 2021, HFH has received nearly $1 billion in federally obligated awards containing DEI-related provisions that embed race and sex-based priorities into clinical, research, and administrative functions. These awards show that HFH operates federally funded programs that affirmatively integrate DEI into its internal governance, recruitment, clinical decision-making, and service delivery,” the AFL said. 

The complaint described HFH’s “discriminatory programs and practices” as “flagrant, ongoing, and systematic violations of non-discrimination mandates” and an “unlawful misuse of federal taxpayer funds.”

In addition to a formal investigation into HFH’s alleged violations, the AFL is requesting a compliance review of all HHS-funded programs, a suspension of all race- and sex-based policies and practices, revised HFH plans to comply with “federal civil rights law,” legal and administrative penalties for noncompliance and referal of “any potentially unlawful conduct” to federal enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office of Inspector General. 

The AFL described the Midwest hospital as perpetrating a “sweeping, deliberate, and ongoing pattern of discriminatory practices by a major healthcare institution receiving significant federal support.”

The complaint is addressed to leading Trump Cabinet members, including HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Attorney General Pam Bondi, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 

It also addresses Department of Justice Civil Rights Chief Harmeet K. Dillon, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Chair Andrea R. Lucas, Director of Office of Federal Operations at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Carlton M. Hadden and Senior Bureau Official at the Department of State Riley M. Barnes.

“Henry Ford Health is prioritizing politics over patients,” Will Hild, Consumers’ Research executive director, told Fox News Digital this month during the advertising campaign launch. “Driven by gender ideology, Henry Ford has continued performing deeply harmful and irreversible sex-change treatments on children and must be stopped… Consumers’ Research will continue to put these hospitals on blast for putting a woke agenda over patient care.”

Consumers’ Research targeted the Detroit hospital with a campaign earlier this month called “Ford Health Exposed” that included a website spotlighting its “discriminatory practices” that it said included “administering harmful transgender treatments on kids, and prioritizing a radical climate agenda.”

The Henry Ford Health website is littered with examples of “woke” ideology being promoted, including DEI, which the hospital admitted on its website is “woven into the fabric of everything we do.”

“Diversity always will be the foundation on which Henry Ford Health stands,” the organization’s website states.

The website also openly promotes its use of “unconscious bias training” as well as Employee Resource Groups to promote its “diversity” agenda that it says will “enhance the quality of care and comfort for each person that we serve.”

TOP US HOSPITAL HIT WITH SCATHING AD CAMPAIGN OVER ‘EXTREME WOKE’ AGENDA: ‘POLITICS OVER PATIENTS’

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The healthcare system also promotes what it describes on its website as “supplier diversity,” where it prioritizes working with businesses that are at least 51% owned by LGBTQ+ persons or certain minority categories. 

“Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are simply not enough,” Kimberlydawn Wisdom, senior vice president of community health and equity and chief wellness and diversity officer at Henry Ford Health, said in a 2021 newsletter posted on the provider’s website.

An HHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the department “does not comment on potential or active investigations.”

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a Henry Ford Health spokesperson said, “Henry Ford Health respects and fully complies with all state and federal anti-discrimination laws.”

“For more than a century, Henry Ford Health has been fully committed to serving Michigan’s richly diverse communities, providing health care services and employment opportunities to everyone. Our commitment to non-discrimination remains steadfast,” the spokesperson continued.

Hunter Biden on Wednesday dropped the lawsuit he filed against two Internal Revenue Service whistle-blowers in September 2023. 

Biden’s attorneys brought a motion in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to dismiss the lawsuit with prejudice, meaning the case cannot be brought again in any court. 

The lawsuit, initially filed by the former first son two years ago, alleged that IRS Special Agent Gary Shapley and IRS Criminal Investigator Joseph Ziegler had “targeted and sought to embarrass” Biden through statements to the media disclosing the details of the tax matters of a “private citizen.” 

HUNTER BIDEN SUES IRS, ALLEGES AGENTS TRIED TO ‘TARGET’ AND ‘EMBARRASS’ HIM

Shapley and Zielger had testified before the House Oversight Committee earlier that year, saying they faced various limitations when tasked with investigating former President Joe Biden’s son. 

“It’s always been clear that the lawsuit was an attempt to intimidate us,” Shapley and Zielger said in a statement after Hunter Biden dropped the case, according to the New York Post. “Intimidation and retaliation were never going to work. We truly wanted our day in court to provide the complete story, but it appears Mr. Biden was afraid to actually fight this case in a court of law after all.”

“His voluntary dismissal of the case tells you everything you need to know about who was right and who was wrong,” they added. 

Lawyers for the two whistle-blowers first emphasized how Hunter Biden “dismissed his case with prejudice – meaning he can never bring it again,” and did so “in exchange for nothing at all.”

“Hunter Biden brought this lawsuit against two honorable federal agents in retaliation for blowing the whistle on the preferential treatment he was given,” the attorneys said, according to the Post.

HUNTER BIDEN PLEA DEAL APPEARS TO FALL APART AT COURT HEARING

Four of Hunter Biden’s attorneys – Abbe David Lowell, Christopher Man, David Kolansky and Isabella Oishi – moved to withdraw as the former first son’s counsel about a month ago. 

The Justice Department had been investigating Hunter Biden for several years for possible tax crimes when Shapley’s lawyers sent a letter to Congress alleging “irregularities” in the DOJ handling of the investigation, and he sat down with CBS News in May 2023 about his decision to blow the whistle. 

Hunter Biden’s plea deal, which would have granted him broad immunity from prosection in exchange for admitting guilt to two misdemeanor tax counts, fell apart during a July 2023 federal court hearing in Delaware. 

Hunter Biden later pleaded guilty in September 2024 to all nine federal tax charges brought against him by special counsel David Weiss. It was determined that Biden failed to pay $1.4 million in taxes from 2016 to 2019. He later paid it back.

In December, former President Biden granted his son a sweeping pardon, granting Hunter clemency from all crimes he “has committed or may have committed” over the past decade. 

Elon Musk says he saved the U.S. taxpayer more than $160 million during his first three months getting the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) off the ground — but he also enjoyed midnight snacks of ice cream from the White House kitchen, a “comically tiny office” and a friendship with President Donald Trump. 

Fox News Digital was invited, along with a small group of reporters, to have an on-the-record discussion with Musk in the White House’s Roosevelt Room on Wednesday evening about his first 100 days as a special government employee.

That status allowed him to work for the federal government for “no more than 130 days in a 365-day period,” according to data from the Office of Government Ethics. Musk said the first 100 days was “an intense period” and said at times, he was in Washington, D.C., working on his DOGE efforts “7 days a week, or close to 7 days a week.” 

Musk said he will cut that down to one or two days a week, or every other week, and will continue working for the Trump administration “at the discretion of the president.” 

ELON MUSK RECEIVES APPLAUSE FROM CABINET AS HE BEGINS PLANNED DEPARTURE FROM DOGE ROLE

“I’m willing to contribute one to two days a week, coming to D.C. every other week for one to three days—indefinitely, as long as the president wants me to do that,” Musk said. “It’s largely a volunteer organization.” 

Musk, in response to a question from Fox News Digital, said he has slept in the White House’s Lincoln bedroom multiple times. 

“I didn’t think I would ever sleep in there,” Musk said. “The president, we’re good friends, and we’ll be on Air Force One, or Marine One, and he’ll be like, ‘do you want to stay over?’ and I’ll be like, ‘sure,’ and he’ll send me to the Lincoln bedroom.” 

Musk said he did not ever “request it,” but that Trump would always ask “‘do you want to stay here?'”

“And he gave me a tour of the Lincoln bedroom, and told me all the history,” Musk said.

SCOOP: DOGE CAUCUS PLANS WHITE HOUSE MEETING AS ELON MUSK PREPS TO STEP BACK

“And then, he’ll actually call me late night and say, ‘by the way, make sure you get ice cream from the kitchen,” Musk recalled. “I ate a whole tub of ice cream—caramel. Häagen-Dazs.” 

Musk laughed, “Yeah, it’s epic.” 

“Don’t tell RFK I ate a whole tub,” Musk laughed. “The president is a very good host, and he said, make sure you have some of the ice cream, and I said OK. I went to the kitchen and got some ice cream.” 

When asked for the exact number of nights Musk slept in the Lincoln bedroom, he replied, “I don’t know if I should say the number—more than once.” 

Musk was also given a small office in the White House, which he said he intends to keep. 

“I’m keeping my micro-office,” Musk said, adding that it is “on the top floor it has a view of nothing.” 

“It has a window but all you see is an HVAC unit,” Musk explained. “I guess it’s harder to shoot me—there’s not a good line of sight in there.” 

“I like my comically tiny office upstairs,” Musk said, adding that, while it is tiny, he has “the biggest monitor,” where he views “important information—secret stuff.” Musk admitted, though, that he has “occasionally played a video game.” 

When asked by Fox News Digital which video game, Musk laughed and said, “Diablo in the Path of Exile.” 

As for DOGE, Musk said he is proud of its work so far, and “in the grand scheme of things, I think we’ve been effective,” just “not as effective as I’d like.” 

“I think we could be more effective, but we’ve made progress —and more progress than I think has happened since Clinton and Gore,” Musk said. “It is ironic to see the Clinton and Gore speeches — they sound like DOGE. If you took a transcript and say who said it? DOGE or Clinton-Gore? You would have a hard time. They sound identical to what we say.” 

He added, “We are just Democrats from the ’90s who got teleported into 2025.”

DOGE SLASHES ‘WASTEFUL’ ‘PROBLEM-SOLVING’ CONTRACT WORTH $50K IN LATEST ROUND OF ELIMINATIONS

“Things have just evolved. There is that classic saying, we didn’t leave the Democratic Party — the Democratic Party left us,” Musk continued. “Just, objectively, from a policy standpoint, that is just objectively true. Our goals are safe cities, secure borders, sensible spending—these used to be Democrat positions and perhaps they will be in the future — but they just seem like common sense.” 

Meanwhile, Musk reflected on his day-to-day for the first 100 days, saying that things “have to be very intense for the first three months, so trying to understand what’s going on and map out the government in general.” 

“The federal government is a gigantic beast — very complicated — and so if you’re trying to figure out how to stop waste and fraud, you’ve got to map the territory,” Musk said. “That required three months of intense effort, and you have to build the team as well.” 

“A new administration is like a start-up,” Musk continued. “Now, we’re getting more of a rhythm and so the amount of time necessary for me to spend here is much less and I can return to primarily running my companies, which do need me.” 

Fox News Digital asked Musk if he has had fun during his first three months leading DOGE. 

“It’s like, 60% fun. 70% fun — depends on the week,” Musk said. “But being attacked relentlessly is not super fun. Seeing cars burning is not fun. But when I feel like we’re doing good for the American taxpayer and stopping wasteful spending and fixing computer systems, I feel like that’s a good thing.” 

A DOGE official at the meeting on Wednesday said that 1% of the federal workforce, or slightly more than 20,000 people, have been fired. However, that official stressed that the federal government has “hired 26,000 people.” 

“So we have hired more people than we’ve fired,” the official said. 

DOGE’S GREATEST HITS: LOOK BACK AT THE DEPARTMENT’S MOST HIGH-PROFILE CUTS DURING TRUMP’S FIRST 100 DAYS

Musk chimed in and said, in America, “we actually want to have fewer people in the federal government and more people making things.” 

Musk also told reporters that DOGE has referred cases of fraud to the Justice Department for criminal prosecution. 

“The wheels of justice turn slowly but, hopefully, surely,” Musk said. “When we find cases of fraud, we refer those cases to the DOJ — it is not DOGE prosecuting anyone.” 

Musk said there are “hundreds of thousands of cases of what appear to be fraud,” but a DOGE official said they have referred, at this point, 57 cases of possible voter fraud to the DOJ. 

Musk also said he will meet with the House DOGE caucus next week, and said his work with House and Senate lawmakers has been “extremely positive.”

At the end of the conversation, Musk laughed and said, “It is funny that we’ve got DOGE.” 

“Are we in a simulation here? Or what’s going on? How did we get here?!” Musk laughed.

DAVID MARCUS: WHAT AMERICA OWES ELON MUSK AFTER DOGE

“I’m proud of the incredible work by the DOGE team who have taken a lot of flak and these are people who could easily get high-paying jobs in the private sector, and, in fact, came from high-paying jobs in the private sector,” Musk said.

DOGE has fewer than 100 employees.

“Some will stay on, some will not,” Musk said. “It is up to them. This is basically a volunteer organization.”

When asked if DOGE is winding down, Musk said, “No.”

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“DOGE is a way of life,” Musk said. “Like Buddhism. You wouldn’t ask who would lead Buddhism.”

When asked who would lead DOGE when Musk is not in Washington, Musk replied, “Is Buddha needed for Buddhism?”

U.S. lawmakers are continuing to advocate for gun control by pushing an assault weapons ban proposal.

“It shall be unlawful for a person to import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, a semiautomatic assault weapon,” the Assault Weapons Ban of 2025 stipulates — it also includes the same prohibition pertaining to “a large capacity ammunition feeding device.”

But the measure would grandfather in those who currently own such items. 

The text indicates that the prohibitions “shall not apply to the possession, sale, or transfer of any semiautomatic assault weapon otherwise lawfully possessed under Federal law on the date of enactment of the Assault Weapons Ban of 2025” or “to the possession of any large capacity ammunition feeding device otherwise lawfully possessed on or before the date of enactment of the Assault Weapons Ban of 2025.”

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Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California leads Democratic Sens. Alex Padilla of California, and Democratic Sens. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, in pushing the measure in the Senate, according to a Schiff news release. It also names 37 other Senate Democrats as cosponsors.

There are more than 100 original co-sponsors of the measure in the House, according to Rep. Lucy McBath’s, D-Ga. news release.

The measure will almost certainly fail to advance through either GOP-controlled congressional chamber.

Many Americans oppose such legislation, contending that it would represent an unconstitutional infringement on gun rights protected by the Second Amendment.

SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS BIDEN ADMIN ‘GHOST GUN’ REGULATION

But during a news conference about the legislation, Padilla asserted, “This is not about the Second Amendment. This is about saving lives.”

The NRA pushed back, declaring in a post on X, “Anti-gun lawmakers insist their push to ban ‘assault weapons’ isn’t about the Second Amendment. Let’s be honest — that’s exactly what it’s about. And it’s about disarming law-abiding Americans.”

The U.S. previously had an assault weapons ban in place for a decade — it expired on Sept. 13, 2004, according to a Congressional Research Service report.

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Former Presidents Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, and Jimmy Carter joined together in a May 1994 message in which they urged the House to “support for a ban on the domestic manufacture of military-style assault weapons,” calling it “a matter of vital importance to the public safety,” according to a Los Angeles Times report.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris urged Democrats across the country to act like elephants in an awkward digression during her speech Wednesday night.

Harris delivered her first public address since losing the 2024 election on Wednesday in California, offering an angry and negative view of President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office.

“Please allow me, friends, to digress for a moment,” she told the audience at Emerge’s 20th anniversary gala in San Francisco. “Okay, it’s kind of dark in here, but I am going to ask for a show of hands. Who saw that video from a couple of weeks ago? The one of the elephants at the San Diego Zoo during the earthquake. Google it if you have not seen it.

“So that scene has been on my mind. Everybody has been asking what are you thinking about these days. For those who haven’t seen it, here those elephants were, and as soon as they felt the earth shaking beneath their feet, they got in a circle and stood next to each other to protect the most vulnerable. Think about it. What a powerful metaphor,” she continued.

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“Because we know those who try to incite fear are most effective when they divide and conquer. When they separate the herd, when they try to make everyone think they are alone. But in the face of crisis, the lesson is don’t, don’t scatter,” she added.

‘PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT’: TRUMP CELEBRATES FIRST 100 DAYS IN OFFICE WITH HIGH ENERGY MICHIGAN RALLY

“The instinct has to be to immediately find and connect with each other, and to know that the circle will be stronger,” she said.

Many users on social media were quick to mock Harris’ story as bizarre and jarring in the context of her speech.

“It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt,” wrote one user, @JohnETiffany1, referencing a common maxim.

The former vice president did not address rumors that she may be considering a run for governor of California during her speech.

The organizer, Emerge, is a training organization that seeks to prepare Democratic women to run for office. It charged $25 for viewers to gain access to the virtual livestream. Other package options included a $100 fee for young professionals and a $250 general admission ticket. 

A House Republican whose family found success in the trucking industry is voicing concerns about illegal immigrants working in the industry in the U.S.

Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., praised President Donald Trump’s executive order mandating English proficiency as a requirement for professional drivers in an interview with Fox News Digital.

It also comes as the REAL ID deadline fast approaches in the U.S. as the Trump administration finally seeks to impose the 20-year-old measure in a bid to crack down on illegal immigrants, including those who have been made eligible for driver’s licenses in blue states. 

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“Accident rates have gone up 75% because we have people that are driving trucks across this country, they can’t read or speak English,” Collins told Fox News Digital, noting he’d been in the trucking industry for 30 years.

“I don’t know how that makes sense … but thank goodness the president saw that when he signed an executive order.”

In recent years, illegal immigrants have been able to obtain driver’s licenses in 19 states and Washington, D.C., where they are issued regardless of immigration status.

Collins said it’s had an effect on the trucking industry more widely, however.

“It impacts the trucking industry because you got people that have no skin in the game, so to say. It doesn’t matter if they get involved in an accident, what do they care? Because they’re not here legally anyway. So, at worst-case scenario, they just lose the vehicle because they weren’t even kicking them out,” Collins said.

“Let’s at least get these people off the road, make them stop driving and, oh, by the way, pack your bags and go home.”

It’s not clear how much REAL ID will help in the immediate future, considering states will be allowed to continue issuing non-REAL ID-compliant licenses alongside the new federal standard. 

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But the Trump administration is attempting to at least stop people who cross the border illegally from being able to get to Collins’ home state of Georgia and others via airline travel.

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Noncompliant state IDs will be banned from use on commercial flights and from entering federal buildings starting May 7.

“Under Biden, illegal aliens used non-compliant IDs from sanctuary cities to board flights, but REAL ID’s higher security standards make it nearly impossible to forge legitimate documents, ensuring only verified travelers can fly,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a memo this month.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris returned to the political scene with a fiery speech on Wednesday night in which she slammed the Trump administration’s first 100 days.

Harris had a very negative, often angry-sounding message in her first speech since she left office, even saying, “we are seeing the wholesale abandonment” of American ideals in reference to President Donald Trump’s priorities.

“Now, I know tonight’s event happens to coincide with the 100 days after the inauguration, and I’ll leave to others to give a full accounting of what has happened so far,” she said. “But I will say this. Instead of the administration working to advance America’s highest ideals, we are witnessing the wholesale abandonment of those ideals.”

Harris accused Trump of advancing “an agenda [of] a narrow, self-serving vision of America,” threatening to bring a “constitutional crisis” to the nation.

‘PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT’: TRUMP CELEBRATES FIRST 100 DAYS IN OFFICE WITH HIGH ENERGY MICHIGAN RALLY

She accused Trump of bringing “chaos” to the U.S. through his tariff policy, accusing him of being responsible for the “greatest manmade economic crisis in modern presidential history.”

But beyond this, Harris claimed that the Trump administration is advancing an intentional vision to undermine American democracy.

“Some people are describing what has been happening in recent months as absolute chaos, and of course, I understand why, and it’s certainly true of those tariffs,” she said. “But friends, please let us not be duped into thinking everything is chaos.”

She continued: “What we are in fact witnessing is a high-velocity event. Where a vessel is being used for the swift implementation of an agenda that has been decades in the making. An agenda to slash public education, an agenda to shrink government and then to privatize its services, all while giving tax breaks to the wealthiest among us.”

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“Right now, we are living in their vision for America,” Harris went on. “It’s an agenda, a narrow, self-serving vision of America where they punish truth tellers, favor loyalists cashing in on their power, and leave everyone to fend for themselves, all while abandoning allies and retreating from the world.”

Harris further alluded to the Trump administration’s deportation of illegal alien and suspected MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia, saying, “It is not okay to detain and to disappear American citizens or anyone without due process.”

She praised the actions of congressional Democrats resisting the Trump administration, naming several lawmakers, including Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.; Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.; Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.; and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., who she said “all in different ways, have been speaking with moral clarity about this moment.”

The former vice president said she was inspired by the Democrat’s electoral victory in the Wisconsin Supreme Court election as well as “the courage of judges to uphold the rule of law” and “universities that are defying unconstitutional demands that threaten the pursuit of truth and academic independence.”

‘I AM AFRAID’: ANOTHER PROTECTIVE ORDER FILING AGAINST DEPORTED ‘MARYLAND MAN’ CHAMPIONED BY DEMS SURFACES

Harris went on to say that “if Congress fails to do its part, or if the courts fail to do their part, or if both do their part, but the president defies them anyway. Well, friends, that is called a constitutional crisis.”

Harris gave her speech at Emerge’s 20th anniversary gala in San Francisco. Emerge, a training organization that seeks to prepare Democratic women to run for office, charged $25 for viewers to gain access to the virtual livestream. Other package options included a $100 fee for young professionals and a $250 general admission ticket. 

The former vice president did not address rumors that she may be considering a run for governor of California. 

Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump revealed Tuesday evening what he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed during their viral meeting at the Vatican when both were in attendance for the late Pope Francis’ funeral. 

“I was telling him that it’s a very good thing if we can produce a deal, that you sign it, because Russia is much bigger and much stronger,” Trump said Tuesday evening during a town hall hosted by NewsNation, which he participated in by phone.

The pair met face-to-face for the first time since their contentious Oval Office meeting in February, while both attended the papal funeral. Neither White House or Ukrainian officials gave many details on the nature or content of the talk, other than that it was “productive” and “symbolic.”

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“We discussed a lot one on one,” Zelenskyy posted on X following the viral meeting. “Hoping for results on everything we covered. Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out. Very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results.”

Despite few details being released about the meeting, Trump did tell reporters over the weekend that part of the pair’s discussion revolved around the U.S. sending more weapons to Ukraine. 

“He told me that he needs more weapons, but he’s been saying that for three years,” Trump said. “We’re going to see what happens – I want to see what happens with respect to Russia. Because Russia, I’ve been surprised and disappointed – very disappointed – that they did the bombing of those places after discussions.” 

TRUMP HAS BEEN FRUSTRATED WITH PUTIN AND ZELENSKYY, DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF SAYS

While Trump did not divulge any further details about the meeting to reporters, the president did add that he thinks Zelenskyy will be willing to give up Crimea in order to secure a peace deal. Russia’s annexation of the current Ukrainian territory has been a major sticking point amid negotiations between the two warring nations, with Zelenskyy indicating he would not be willing to sign a deal that includes giving up the territory. 

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sent a message to Iran on Wednesday night, warning the country that, because of its “LETHAL” support of the Houthis terrorist organization, they will pay the consequences.

“We see your LETHAL support to The Houthis. We know exactly what you are doing,” Hegseth said in a post on X. “You know very well what the U.S. Military is capable of — and you were warned. You will pay the CONSEQUENCE at the time and place of our choosing.”

Earlier this week, a Houthi drone forced the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier to make an evasive maneuver, which some believe caused an F-18 fighter jet worth $67 million to fall off the carrier and into the Red Sea.

$70M NAVY F-18 FIGHTER JET FALLS INTO RED SEA OFF THE USS HARRY S TRUMAN

The move came after 47 straight days of U.S. airstrikes against Houthi targets.

Hegseth then retweeted a Truth Social post by President Donald Trump from March 17.

“Let nobody be fooled! The hundreds of attacks being made by Houthi, the sinister mobsters and thugs based in Yemen, who are hated by the Yemeni people, all emanate from, and are created by, IRAN,” Trump posted. “Any further attack or retaliation by the ‘Houthis’ will be met with great force, and there is no guarantee that the force will stop there.

“Iran has played the ‘innocent victim’ of rogue terrorists from which they’ve lost control, but they haven’t lost control,” the president continued. “They’re dictating every move, giving them the weapons, supplying them with money and highly sophisticated Military equipment, and even, so-called, ‘Intelligence.’ Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN, and IRAN will be held responsible, and suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire!”

With Republicans firmly in control of Washington following the 2024 elections and President Trump implementing his second-term agenda, Democrats find themselves not just out of power but at odds over what the party stands for.

A new wave of candidates has emerged: not from outside the political system, but from within the Democratic establishment itself. 

According to Roll Call, at least four former Democratic congressional staffers are now running against long-serving members of their own party.

These challengers say they were motivated by frustration with the Democratic leadership’s lack of direction, ineffective communication, and failure to respond to Trump’s political momentum.

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Each of these candidates brings a unique perspective, but all share a common theme: the belief that the Democratic Party is no longer equipped to meet the moment.

Saikat Chakrabarti, the 32-year-old former chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is taking on one of the most iconic figures in the Democratic Party: former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi, who has not yet confirmed if she will seek a 20th term, faces increasing calls for generational change within her solidly blue district.

Chakrabarti told Roll Call that he was disillusioned by what he saw in Democrat leadership. “The main thing my time in Washington taught me is that the current Democratic Party and its leaders are not at all prepared for what is going on right now,” he said. 

Instead of taking on Trump strategically, he said, Democratic leadership was more concerned with bureaucratic details than national messaging.

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“The party thinks their main job is fundraising all day, and not fixing real problems for voters,” he added.

Jake Rakov, a 33-year-old former deputy communications director for Rep. Brad Sherman, is now running against his former boss in California’s San Fernando Valley. Sherman, who has served in Congress since 1997, is among the more senior Democrats now facing internal challenges.

Rakov said he decided to run after witnessing what he described as an outdated and ineffective approach to politics. “Looking after Trump won again and seeing [Sherman] use the exact same talking points that I helped draft for him back in 2017… he was still doing the same outdated things,” Rakov said. “He hasn’t been able to adapt.”

Sherman, for his part, dismissed the challenge, telling Roll Call that “nobody who’s actually involved in the civic affairs of my district runs against me,” suggesting Rakov lacks a connection to the community.

In Illinois, 51-year-old Jason Friedman, once an intern for Sen. Dick Durbin, is now running to replace longtime Rep. Danny K. Davis, who at 83 is one of the oldest members of the House. 

Davis has not yet announced whether he will run for a 16th term.

Though Friedman declined to be interviewed, he issued a statement warning about threats to democracy and economic stability from Trump and Elon Musk. His decision to run highlights growing restlessness even in safely blue districts like Davis’s, where younger candidates are eager to offer a new direction.

While most of the former staffers are challenging Democrats, Jordan Wood is taking on a well-established Republican: Sen. Susan Collins of Maine. 

Wood, previously chief of staff to former Rep. Katie Porter, is entering a tough race in a purple state where Collins has consistently won reelection.

Wood’s message echoes that of his fellow challengers: frustration with political stagnation and a desire to bring in new leadership. “I’m tired of waiting for the same establishment politicians to fix these problems,” Wood told Roll Call, citing concerns about affordability and economic pressure on working families.

These challengers reflect a broader generational divide within the Democratic Party. Roll Call reports that they are all under 40, except for Friedman, who at 51 is still younger than the House’s median age of 57. 

While their targets vary, their critiques are consistent: long-serving Democrats are not communicating effectively, not organizing nationally, and not offering solutions that resonate with frustrated voters.

Chakrabarti and Rakov both criticized the Democratic strategy of focusing solely on local races while the GOP builds a cohesive national message. “We need a national message; that’s the way to defeat the far right,” Chakrabarti said. 

“I don’t think Democratic leaders like Pelosi believe it is possible to improve Americans’ lives that dramatically, so we don’t even try.”

While Republicans continue to refine their national messaging and build momentum under President Trump’s leadership, Democrats are facing a credibility crisis within their own ranks.

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These former insiders challenging sitting members aren’t merely a flash in the pan for 2026’s early campaign cycle. They’re a sign of a party deeply unsure of how to respond to conservative policy gains, economic concerns, and a rejuvenated Republican base.

President Donald Trump said public entitlements, such as Social Security and Medicaid, will not be touched in the GOP’s contentious new budget bill currently working its way through Congress, during a town hall Tuesday night hosted by NewsNation.

Earlier this month, the Republican-led House of Representatives approved $2 trillion in spending cuts. Those cuts did not include any slashes to Social Security, but it did pave the way for cuts to Medicaid. 

However, in the Senate, Republicans have proposed implementing just $4 billion in cuts, a fraction of what House Republicans have called for. Meanwhile, a number of GOP senators have also expressed hesitancy over making cuts to Medicaid, setting up a potential intra-party battle over the matter.

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“We’re not doing anything with entitlements,” Trump told NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo, who was moderating the event alongside Bill O’Reilly and sports commentator Stephen A. Smith.

“If you look at Social Security – and by the way – I think I’m better to say this than anybody, because I did nothing with entitlements that would hurt people for four years. I could have done that. If I was going to do that, I would have done it, five years ago, six years ago or seven years ago. I’m not doing anything.” 

However, Trump did say that he is undeterred from reforming public entitlements, like Medicaid, to ensure they are free of waste, fraud and abuse. 

“There are a lot of illegal aliens that are getting Medicaid that shouldn’t be getting it. And nobody objects to taking people off Medicaid that aren’t allowed to be there,” Trump added. “But we are doing absolutely nothing to hurt Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security. Nothing at all.”

TRUMP SLAMS REPUBLICAN ‘GRANDSTANDERS’ OPPOSING BUDGET BILL, PREDICTS MASSIVE US TAX INCREASES IF IT FAILS

Republicans, who are using a process known as reconciliation to bypass a senate filibuster, are hoping to finalize their plans for a new budget by Memorial Day, according to media reports. However, the GOP must come to a deal on where to cut funding to pay for many of the tax cuts they want to provide. 

“Guess what, boys? It’s game time. We’re here, and you’ve got mandatory spending sitting in front of you, and it’s Medicaid,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, told NBC News this week. “If they’re not going to vote for Medicaid reform, which is very much possible, and frankly, it’s our duty, then I want them to explain to me why they are for allowing the tax cuts to snap back in place. Because it’s the only math that will actually work. So anyone who is against Medicaid reform is for a tax increase.”

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Meanwhile, centrist Republicans like Reps. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., and Don Bacon, R-Neb., have indicated to Speaker Mike Johnson that they will not vote for any GOP budget bill that proposes deep cuts to Medicaid.

The Senate failed Wednesday to pass a resolution rejecting President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff agenda, as several Republicans signaled beforehand they favored halting the relatively new levies.

The disapproval resolution failed 49-49, with three Republicans joining all Democrats present in attempting to throw a wrench in Trump’s tariff plans.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced the resolution to end Trump’s “national emergency” as a “privileged” one – meaning it would require a vote regardless of the upper chamber being in Republican hands. The House, however, has signaled it is not inclined to pursue the same.

Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Rand Paul, R-Ky., split from the rest of the GOP and sought to end the national emergency that backs the tariffs. Sens. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., did not vote. 

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Whitehouse was reportedly on a plane back from South Korea and wouldn’t make the gavel, according to Providence’s CBS affiliate.

Before the vote, there was chatter about key absences that could swing the vote one way or another, as key tallies are all about the math.

One tariff critic told reporters earlier Wednesday that the disapproval motion sent “the message I want to send” that tariffs must be more “discriminatory.”

“It’s not perfect, I think it’s too broad,” Collins said, according to Politico.

In remarks on the Senate floor earlier in the day, Paul, – one of the most vocal opponents to tariffs and proponents of free trade – who suggested conservatives may want to reconsider their support for the tariffs.

“You know, there was an old-fashioned conservative principle that believed that less taxes were better than more taxes,” Paul said.

“That if you tax something, you got less of it. So that if you place a new tax on trade, you’ll get less trade.”

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“There was also this idea that you didn’t do taxation without representation. That idea goes not only back to our American Revolution, it goes back to the English Civil War as well. It goes back probably to Magna Carta,” he said of the phrase, which for some time was the District of Columbia’s official slogan, given its lack of full-vote representation in Congress.

Paul said the Constitution forbids taxation being implemented in a way that circumvents Congress and laid out why he thought that was the case today.

“An emergency has been declared, as the Senator from Virginia remarked,” he said. “Everywhere, there’s an emergency everywhere. Sounds like an emergency everywhere is really an emergency nowhere.”

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Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., had previously balked at Trump’s tariffs on Canada, saying that while fentanyl proliferation is an emergency as the president declared, it is not one that is germane to Canada.

Reached for comment, the office of Sen. Mitch McConnell – Paul’s fellow Kentucky Republican – did not offer any further remarks after reports suggested he too is uncomfortable with Trump’s tariff agenda.

Fox News Digital also reached out to Murkowski for comment in that regard.

Comedian and actress Rachel Bloom told Fox News Digital that she doesn’t find it hard to be funny, despite concerns from other comedians that political correctness has taken over the industry. 

Bloom acknowledged that “culturally” comedy changes over time, but she said that – in her opinion – the fear of being “canceled” does not impact her jokes. 

“For me, the way I approach writing and comedy is, ‘What can I say about the world that I haven’t seen another person say. Or what’s a show I want to see – what’s a joke I want to see that I haven’t seen, and usually servicing that – there are things to navigate – but as long as I’m servicing that, that’s my North Star,” Bloom told Fox News during an event over the weekend focused on preserving funding for the arts. 

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“I’m never be the comedian that was like, ‘Let me make people angry.’ That’s just not my thing,” Bloom added. “I kind of, almost look at it like ‘Shark Tank,’ where it’s like, ‘What’s a need? What’s a need I can fill?’ Which is why I went into musical comedy in the first place.”

While Bloom seems less fazed by the thought of being canceled over her jokes, other comedians like Dave Chappelle, Ricky Gervais, Bill Burr, Chris Rock and others have been outspoken with their complaints about the current environment for comedians. 

“It started off with something everyone could agree on, and then quickly it just spun out of control. I remember whenever that cancel culture got to the point of where it was, ‘I don’t like some of the topics in your stand up act,’ right? That’s when it got weird,” Burr told fellow comedian Bill Maher on an episode of his “Club Random” podcast.

EX-NEW YORK TIMES JOURNALIST RECALLS BEING ‘DISGUSTED’ BY NEWSROOM CANCEL CULTURE, SAYS THE PAPER ALLOWED IT

“Everybody’s scared to make a move,” Rock said on an episode on “The Breakfast Club” morning radio show. “That’s not a place to be. You know, we should have the right to fail because failure, failure is a part of art.”

For Bloom, however, cancel culture is less of a concern, she says, because her focus is not on making people angry but rather trying “to make audiences understand where I’m coming from.” 

“I just finished working on my Netflix special which was all about death, so it was more me telling a candid story about what happened to me in 2020 when I gave birth during COVID and my writing partner passed away,” Bloom recounted. “I’ve had a really good experience, because, again, I’ve been sharing my stories and that’s why I really love connecting with live audiences and sharing where I’m at. I’ve always – I always really – I don’t know I’m candid with my own journey. I try to make audiences understand where I’m coming from and that’s always been my style.”

Democrats in one Massachusetts city have purchased thousands of red cards intended to remind immigrants of their constitutional rights if approached by ICE or related agencies.

The Medford City Democratic Committee, based about six miles northwest of Boston, has already bought 4,000 cards, intended for use by citizens and noncitizens alike. 

The cards list their Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights: protecting them from warrantless searches, seizures, and having to speak to authorities without legal counsel. 

They are printed in English on one side, with translations in Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic and Haitian on the other, Medford City Councilor Matthew Leming notes on the committee’s website.

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Four-thousand more cards have also been approved for purchase, he said, writing, “Red cards are like helpful business cards that a holder can hand to an officer if they approach in public.”

The cost of the initiative was $826, according to WFXT, a Boston FOX affiliate. 

Leming told Fox News Digital that taxpayer funds are not being used to subsidize the program. Rather, he said, the Democratic City Committee footed the bill.

“We’re just trying to find things we can do that are feasible to resist what’s happening at the federal level,” Leming told WFXT. “It’s a way to protect our immigrant communities from the actions of the current administration.”

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“The cards list basic constitutional protections that apply to everybody, and everybody in the U.S. should be aware of their constitutional rights,” he further noted when asked by Fox News Digital.

The legal complexities of such an initiative are apparent — and whether constitutional rights apply to illegal immigrants can be a hot point of debate among legal scholars.

Leming hopes to take the initiative even further. 

“What we’re trying to do is find nonprofits who would be willing to sign up and give us a receipt for finance purposes so we can mail them out,” he said. “A lot of our actions are restricted by campaign finance laws.”

The Medford “red card” initiative comes amid widespread pushback by blue-state officials regarding the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown — including visits by members of Congress to El Salvador to protest the detention of suspected MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia, and recent court rulings attempting to restrict Border Patrol agents’ ability to detain suspected illegal immigrants.

The Senate failed Wednesday to pass a resolution rejecting President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff agenda, as several Republicans signaled beforehand they favored halting the relatively new levies.

The disapproval resolution failed 49-49, with three Republicans joining all Democrats present in attempting to throw a wrench in Trump’s tariff plans.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced the resolution to end Trump’s “national emergency” as a “privileged” one – meaning it would require a vote regardless of the upper chamber being in Republican hands. The House, however, has signaled it is not inclined to pursue the same.

Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Rand Paul, R-Ky., split from the rest of the GOP and sought to end the national emergency that backs the tariffs. Sens. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., did not vote. 

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Whitehouse was reportedly on a plane back from South Korea and wouldn’t make the gavel, according to Providence’s CBS affiliate.

Before the vote, there was chatter about key absences that could swing the vote one way or another, as key tallies are all about the math.

One tariff critic told reporters earlier Wednesday that the disapproval motion sent “the message I want to send” that tariffs must be more “discriminatory.”

“It’s not perfect, I think it’s too broad,” Collins said, according to Politico.

In remarks on the Senate floor earlier in the day, Paul, – one of the most vocal opponents to tariffs and proponents of free trade – who suggested conservatives may want to reconsider their support for the tariffs.

“You know, there was an old-fashioned conservative principle that believed that less taxes were better than more taxes,” Paul said.

“That if you tax something, you got less of it. So that if you place a new tax on trade, you’ll get less trade.”

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“There was also this idea that you didn’t do taxation without representation. That idea goes not only back to our American Revolution, it goes back to the English Civil War as well. It goes back probably to Magna Carta,” he said of the phrase, which for some time was the District of Columbia’s official slogan, given its lack of full-vote representation in Congress.

Paul said the Constitution forbids taxation being implemented in a way that circumvents Congress and laid out why he thought that was the case today.

“An emergency has been declared, as the Senator from Virginia remarked,” he said. “Everywhere, there’s an emergency everywhere. Sounds like an emergency everywhere is really an emergency nowhere.”

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Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., had previously balked at Trump’s tariffs on Canada, saying that while fentanyl proliferation is an emergency as the president declared, it is not one that is germane to Canada.

Reached for comment, the office of Sen. Mitch McConnell – Paul’s fellow Kentucky Republican – did not offer any further remarks after reports suggested he too is uncomfortable with Trump’s tariff agenda.

Fox News Digital also reached out to Murkowski for comment in that regard.