The Trump administration sanctioned three vessels and their owners for providing support to the Houthis – the Iranian regime’s network of terrorist proxies and partners, Fox News Digital has learned. 

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced the sanctions Monday, following the Houthis’ efforts to deploy missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and naval mines to attack commercial shipping interests in the Red Sea – activities that “threaten global freedom of navigation and the integrity of international commerce.” 

TRUMP TELLS DOD TO MOVE MORE FORCES EQUIPPED FOR COMBAT INTO MIDDLE EAST AS US UPS PRESSURE ON HOUTHIS

“Today’s action underscores our commitment to disrupt the Houthis’ efforts to fund their dangerous and destabilizing attacks in the region,” Treasury Deputy Secretary Michael Faulkender said Monday, adding that the department will “continue to leverage” its tools and authorities “to target those who seek to enable the Houthis’ ability to exploit the people of Yemen and continue their campaign of violence.” 

The State Department designated the Houthis as a specially designated global terrorist in February 2024 and redesignated the group as a foreign terrorist organization in March. 

“Providing material support to the Houthis not only carries acute sanctions risk, but also exposes vessels and crew members to serious safety risk from potential Houthi attacks,” a Treasury Department official told Fox News Digital. 

TRUMP ADMIN IMPOSES SANCTIONS AGAINST BANK OF YEMEN FOR SUPPORTING HOUTHIS

A Treasury official told Fox News Digital that the Houthis control the strategic Yemen Red Sea ports of Hudaydah, Ras Isa and Al-Salif, and are funneling millions of dollars derived from port revenues and the seizure of refined petroleum products to fund a “reckless attack campaign against U.S. interests and those of our allies in the region.” 

The official said the group sells refined petroleum products at “exorbitant prices” on Yemen’s black market, which enables the Houthi operatives to “purchase military materials, create an artificial shortage of essential goods for average Yemenis, and fuels rampant corruption among Houthi leaders.” 

Marshall Islands-registered Zaas Shipping & Trading Co. used one of the vessels targeted, the Tulip BZ, to facilitate the delivery of liquid petroleum gas to the Houthi-controlled port of Ras Isa, the Treasury said. It also has been used to transport petroleum products on behalf of Iran. 

Mauritius-registered Bagsak Shipping Inc. is also targeted, and facilitated the delivery of gas oil to Ras Isa using the Panama-flagged vessel, the Maisan. The Maisan also has been involved in the export of Russian crude oil and petroleum products from Russian ports since February 2023, according to a Treasury official. 

AFTER DEBILITATING STRIKES, TRUMP TELLS HOUTHIS: STOP SHOOTING AT US AND ‘WE WILL STOP SHOOTING AT YOU’

And Marshall Islands-registered Great Success Shipping Co. facilitated the delivery of gas oil to Ras Isa using the Panama-flagged vessel, the White Whale. 

The move comes after President Donald Trump officially informed Congress in March that he had directed the Department of Defense to move additional combat forces into the Middle East, as U.S. forces carry out military strikes against Houthi militants in Yemen. Those strikes have been conducted in an effort to stop attacks on American forces and commercial ships in the Red Sea.

“I will no longer allow this band of pirates to threaten and attack United States forces and commercial vessels in one of the most important shipping lanes in the world,” Trump wrote March 28. “We will act to keep Americans safe.”

He said the U.S. will continue striking until the group no longer poses a threat to navigation or U.S. personnel.

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The strikes have been from Navy ships, Air Force bombers and drones targeting Houthi weapons, leadership and command centers. 

The airstrikes began after renewed Houthi threats against Israeli ships and attacks on U.S. forces, including seven Reaper drones brought down since March 3.

The Houthis began ramping up attacks in the Red Sea after the October 2023 Hamas terror attack on Israel. They’ve claimed responsibility for targeting U.S. warships and have so far avoided hitting Chinese and Saudi ships, raising questions among defense officials about their strategic aims. 

Earlier in April, the Trump administration sanctioned the International Bank of Yemen Y.S.C. (IBY) for its financial support of Houthi terrorists.

Fox News’ Greg Wehner, Jasmine Baehr, Brie Stimson, Caitlin McFall and Liz Friedan contributed to this report.

More than two-thirds of Reserve and Guard troops are overweight, a potential threat to readiness and their ability to deploy at a moment’s notice, a new report by the American Security Project (ASP) found. 

Some 68% of the nation’s reserve forces are overweight, ASP researchers estimate. 

“With the diminished size of the [active-duty] force and increasing demands on the National Guard and reserves, service members separated due to obesity and its comorbidities are vital personnel the Armed Forces cannot afford to lose,” researchers concluded in the report.

The study calls for new policies to ensure troops’ health and better access to obesity-related healthcare. 

NAVY TORPEDOES BIDEN-ERA CLIMATE AGENDA TO FOCUS ON LETHALITY

“Completely unacceptable. This is what happens when standards are IGNORED — and this is what we are changing. REAL fitness & weight standards are here. We will be FIT, not FAT,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared in a post on X. 

An ASP report from October 2023 found that two-thirds of active duty service members fell into the overweight to obese category based on body mass index. 

“These service members experience heightened risk for a wide variety of serious health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and osteoarthritis, which may lead to life-threatening health events such as stroke and heart failure,” the report warned. 

Past studies from ASP have found a similar rate of obesity among active duty forces, based on the controversial BMI scale that does not account for muscle mass. 

However, the report warned, for reserve forces who hold day jobs and often live far away from military bases, ​”commanders and policy makers will not be able to combat these trends with a uniform approach.”

PENTAGON CALLS MARK MILLEY ‘CORPULENT’ AS IT KICKS OFF REVIEW OF PHYSICAL FITNESS AND GROOMING STANDARDS

The report recommended further tracking and research of obesity rates within reserve forces, noting the Defense Department’s most recent data is from 2018.

Hegseth launched a review of grooming and physical fitness standards last month after voicing concerns that fitness standards have eroded and questioning whether mismatched standards for men and women are affecting readiness. 

It directed the undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness to look at “existing standards set by the Military Departments pertaining to physical fitness, body composition, and grooming, which includes but is not limited to beards.”

The memo also called for a review to examine how standards have changed since 2015. 

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The service branches began making accommodations for recruits who do not meet physical fitness standards in recent years as a way to address the recruiting crisis. The Army and Navy offered pre-boot camp training for those who did not meet physical fitness or testing scores. However, those recruits had to meet the same standards in order to graduate from training courses and serve. 

“When I was in the Army, we kicked out good soldiers for having naked women tattooed on their arms, and today we are relaxing the standards on shaving, dreadlocks, man buns, and straight-up obesity,” Hegseth wrote in his book “The War on Warriors.”

President Donald Trump is giving himself a big thumbs-up when it comes to his job performance during his second tour of duty in the White House.

“I think we’re doing really well,” Trump told reporters last week. 

The president, as he neared the 100-day mark into his second administration, predicted that “we’re going to be the strongest that we’ve ever been as a nation.”

Trump has aggressively asserted executive authority in his second term, overturning long-standing government policy and making major cuts to the federal workforce through an avalanche of sweeping and controversial executive orders and actions – with some aimed at addressing grievances he has held since his first term.

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING AND ANALYSIS ON TRUMP’S FIRST 100 DAYS BACK IN OFFICE

However, the latest poll numbers suggest that Americans are not overly thrilled with the job Trump’s doing steering the nation.

The president stands at 44% approval and 55% disapproval in the most recent Fox News national poll, which was conducted April 18-21.

The president’s numbers are also underwater in polls released the past few days by ABC News/Washington Post (42% approval-55% disapproval), New York Times/Siena College (42%-54%), CNN (43%-57%), Reuters/Ipsos (42%-53%), Pew Research (40%-59%), and AP/NORC (39%-59%)

Most, but not all, of the most recent national public opinion surveys indicate Trump’s approval ratings in negative territory, which is a slide from the president’s poll position when he started his second tour of duty in the White House.

CLICK HERE TO SEE WHERE TRUMP STANDS IN THE LATEST FOX NEWS NATIONAL POLL

Contributing to the drop are increasing concerns over the economy and inflation, which were pressing issues that kept former President Joe Biden’s approval ratings well below water for most of his presidency. Additionally, Trump’s blockbuster tariff announcement earlier this month, which sparked a trade war with some of the nation’s top trading partners, triggered a massive sell-off in the financial markets and increased concerns about a recession.

Trump’s approval rating on the economy stands at 38% in the Fox News poll, with just a third of respondents approving of the job he is doing handling inflation and tariffs.

The Fox News poll is the latest to indicate a massive partisan divide over Trump.

Nearly nine-in-10 Republicans questioned gave the president a thumbs-up, with 90% of Democrats disapproving of the job Trump’s doing. Nearly three-quarters of Independents also disapprove of the president’s performance in office.

Daron Shaw, who serves as a member of the Fox News Decision Team and is the Republican partner on the Fox News poll, noted “the consolidation of the Republican base.”

TRUMP’S THIRD-TERM TRIAL BALLOON GETS RESOUNDING RESPONSE IN NEW POLL

“The party’s completely solidified behind him,” added Shaw, a politics professor and chair at the University of Texas, who pointed out that Trump’s current solid GOP support was not the case at the start of the first term, when he had trouble with some Republicans.

However, Trump’s overall approval rating is close to where he stood 100 days into his first term in office, in 2017, when he stood at 45% approval in Fox News polling.

So how does Trump stack up against his presidential predecessors?

“John F. Kennedy and Dwight Eisenhower had the highest first-quarter average ratings, with both registering above 70%, while Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan averaged between 60% and 69%. George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, Joe Biden and Bill Clinton had similar average ratings of 55% to 58% in their first quarters,” Gallup noted in a poll released two weeks ago on presidential approval ratings.

Gallup highlighted that “Trump is the only president to have sub-50% average approval ratings during a first quarter in office.”

However, enjoying promising approval ratings out of the gate does not guarantee a positive and productive presidency.

Carter’s poll numbers sank into negative territory less than two years into his presidency, and he was resoundingly defeated in his bid for re-election in 1980.

Biden stood at 54% approval in Fox News polling 100 days into office, with his numbers hovering in the low-to-mid-50s during the first six months of his single term as president.

However, Biden’s numbers sank into negative territory in the late summer and autumn of 2021, in the wake of his much-criticized handling of the turbulent U.S. exit from Afghanistan and amid soaring inflation and a surge of migrants crossing into the U.S. along the nation’s southern border with Mexico.

Biden’s approval ratings stayed underwater throughout the rest of his presidency, and he dropped his bid for re-election last summer.

“He just got crippled and never recovered,” Shaw said of Biden.

Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., says he is stepping back from his leadership rolls in Congress and will not run for re-election after announcing that his cancer has returned on Monday.

Connolly will step down from his role as ranking member on the House Oversight Committee in the coming days, he says. The lawmaker announced his initial diagnosis with esophageal cancer roughly six months ago.

“After grueling treatments, we’ve learned that my cancer, while initially beaten back, has now returned,” Connolly said in a statement to constituents. “I’ll do everything possible to continue to represent you and thank you for your grace.”

“The sun is setting on my time in public service, and this will be my last term in Congress. I will be stepping back as Ranking Member of the Oversight Committee soon. With no rancor and a full heart, I move into this final chapter full of pride in what we’ve accomplished together over 30 years,” he added.

HOUSE DEMS DEMAND ‘PROOF OF LIFE’ OF ABREGO GARCIA AFTER BEING DENIED MEETING IN EL SALVADOR

Well-wishes for Connolly quickly began to flow in following his announcement. 

“Throughout his career, Gerry Connolly has exemplified the very best of public service — fiercely intelligent, deeply principled, and relentlessly committed to the people of Northern Virginia and our nation,” said Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va. “Whether it’s standing up for federal workers, advocating for good governance, or now confronting cancer with the same resilience and grit that have defined his life of public service, Gerry is one of the toughest fighters I know.”

Connolly is currently serving his ninth term in the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia’s 11th District, according to his online biography. His district is centered in Fairfax County and includes the wealthy suburbs outside the nation’s capital.

DEMS FUME OVER ‘DUE PROCESS’ FOR ABREGO GARCIA DESPITE LONG HISTORY OF PARTY BUCKING THE LEGAL PRINCIPLE

The 75-year-old won his current term by defeating Republican Mike Van Meter, a Navy veteran and former FBI agent.

Connolly has been a fixture in northern Virginia politics for roughly 30 years. He was first elected as a Fairfax County supervisor in 1995. In Congress, he has played a leading role in oversight investigations.

Fox News’ Pilar Arias contributed to this report.

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., staged a sit-in on the steps of the U.S. Capitol on Sunday, taking a “moral moment” to reject President Donald Trump’s agenda as Congress returns to Washington to negotiate the “big, beautiful bill.”

On the final day of the two-week congressional recess, Booker and Jeffries discussed their relationship with faith, invited Americans to share their experience of Trump’s first 100 days and sounded off on “what’s at stake with Trump’s budget.” The sit-in’s hours-long livestream had amassed hundreds of thousands of views on X and YouTube.

Instead of church on Sunday, the Democratic leaders opted for a “sacred civic space” outside the Capitol for more than 12 hours. Activists and politicians joined the Democrats throughout the day, including American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga.

“This is how we will stop cuts to Medicaid, this is how we will stop Trump and congressional Republicans’ devastating agenda, this is how we will rise,” Booker said on X at the end of the sit-in. 

TRUMP KICKS OFF WHIRLWIND WEEK MARKING HIS 100TH DAY BACK IN THE OVAL OFFICE

Democrats have been warning Americans about Trump’s ambitious budget bill since he was elected in November, claiming his budget cuts will threaten funding for entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare. The Trump administration has maintained that no cuts will be made to those services, despite the anticipated $1.5 trillion in spending reductions and extension of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts. 

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT SENATOR BOOKER’S OVERNIGHT SPEECH

As Congress returns to session this week, committees begin mark-ups on the budget framework passed by both the House and Senate before recess, with plans to finalize legislation by Memorial Day.

Trump added pressure to the negotiations on Sunday, posting on Truth Social that it is a crucial week for the budget bill, “which will contain Massive Tax Cuts, Strong Border Security Measures, Major Military Advancements, Dramatic Deregulation, Powerful Spending Reforms, and more!”

“IT MUST BE DONE. We will unleash Economic Prosperity, and accelerate into the Golden Age of America,” Trump said of his “big, beautiful bill.”

However, Democrats have a drastically different depiction of Trump’s vision for the country, and the 12-hour livestream on the Capitol steps covered their laundry list of concerns – everything from Department of Education cuts, Planned Parenthood funding and protecting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. 

“This is a moment of moral urgency. We are in this moment where Congress is going to come back tomorrow from a two-week recess, and the Republican leaders on your side of the Capitol are saying that they’re going to force a bill through. They want to get it done during this work period and back over to the Senate to be voted on and put on the president’s desk,” Booker said to Jeffries. 

“This bill, we believe, presents one of the greatest moral threats to our country that we’ve seen in terms of what it will do to providing food for the hungry, care for the elderly, services for the disabled, health care for the sick,” he added. 

Booker said the goal of the protest was to “center the stories of people who will be affected by this bill that will cut Medicaid so savagely and so many other things, to give tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans.”

Booker, who celebrated his 56th birthday on Sunday, has been mocked by critics for similar stunts rejecting Trump’s second-term agenda. The New Jersey senator broke the record for the longest-ever speech on the Senate floor last month, speaking out against Trump’s executive orders, tax cuts and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency for 25 hours. 

He also joined his Democratic colleagues ahead of Trump’s joint address to Congress earlier this year in a social media campaign with identical scripts describing “S— That Ain’t True” about the Trump administration. 

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who has drawn tens of thousands of supporters to his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour rallies across the United States, told NBC on Sunday that “what Democrats lack right now is a vision for the future,” as the party struggles to find a consistent message and clear party leader in the aftermath of big November losses. 

Booker’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment by deadline. 

President Donald Trump made history during his first 100 days in office, surpassing former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s record for the number of executive orders issued during that same window. 

To date, Trump has signed more than 135 executive orders during his first 100 days in office during his second term — up from the 33 he signed during the first 100 days of his first term, and up from the 99 Roosevelt signed during that period too. 

The slew of executive orders indicates a shift in power away from the legislative branches, and also indicates that Trump has a clear set of priorities he wants to accomplish during this term, according to experts. 

Trump’s approach signals that power has diverted away from Congress and that the executive branch is assuming increased lawmaking authority — a trend that will likely continue into future administrations, James Broughel, a senior fellow at the regulatory reform focused Competitive Enterprise Institute, told Fox News Digital. 

THESE ARE THE JUDGES GOING TOE TO TOE AGAINST TRUMP’S AGENDA 

“So much of the power in the federal government is now housed in the executive branch, and so this is really a sign that the president can implement a very vast and sweeping agenda through executive actions,” Broughel said. “And so I would expect future presidents to probably follow Trump’s lead on this.” 

These first 100 days are critical to set the president’s agenda and drive media coverage of these initiatives — and that becomes more and more challenging as the term progresses, Broughel said. 

“These initial directions coming early are very important, because you’ll run out of time in your presidency if they’re not, if it’s not set out early,” Broughel said. 

Additionally, the Trump administration has advanced this plethora of executive orders because it had four years out of office to prepare and plan administrative priorities, according to Thomas Berry, the director of the libertarian think tank Cato Institute’s Center for Constitutional Studies. 

Berry said it’s evident that the Trump administration has thought about what issues it wanted to target in the executive orders for a long time, and that many of them are focused on dismantling hurdles he faced during his first term. That includes executive orders that ease restrictions on firing federal employees, Berry said. 

JUDGES BLOCKING TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDERS ARE ACTING ‘ERRONEOUSLY,’ WHITE HOUSE SAYS 

“It seems clear that a lot of these executive orders are really aimed at trying to push past what they viewed as the obstacles to his agenda in his first administration,” Berry said. 

“The weakness of executive orders is they can simply be reversed by the subsequent president. It’s not set in stone in statute,” Berry said. “The one possible exception for that is if you weaken an agency so much that it’s hard for it to be built back up under the next administration.”

For example, Berry said that massive staff reductions at agencies like the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) could take several administrations to replenish. The Trump administration unveiled plans in March to cut thousands of staffers at the agency — which historically has functioned as an independent agency that works to deliver aid to impoverished countries and development assistance — and move its remaining functions to the State Department. 

Likewise, Trump signed an executive order in March to dismantle the Education Department, and said that functions of the agency that oversee student loans and financial aid would move to separate agencies. 

Berry said the onslaught of executive orders is placing strain on the judicial branch, as there have been more than 150 lawsuits filed challenging Trump’s executive orders. Among these cases are high-profile ones, including ending birthright citizenship and banning transgender individuals from serving in the military, which are temporarily blocked. 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SIGNIFICANTLY DISMANTLED IN NEW TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER 

“It’s making it hard for the judicial branch to keep up,” Berry said. “It’s taxing courts to the limit, and it’s forcing courts to act fast, and the judicial branch doesn’t act as functionally when it’s forced to act really fast.”

“To some extent, it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy when Trump complains about judges ruling without much law or deliberation,” Berry said. “It’s because the administration is kind of forcing them to by taking all these actions with immediate effect and not doing the normal time for deliberation.”

Berry anticipates that the pace of the executive orders will slow in the near future though since the majority of the ones that emerged during the first 100 days appeared to be pre-planned. 

“They will, they will run out, I expect, certainly by the end of his first year, if not in the next few months, and then any remaining ones would be reactive,” Berry said. 

A Republican congresswoman from Iowa in a swing district has picked up an endorsement from a group working to elect more GOP women. 

Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, was among a group of candidates in the House and Senate to receive first-round 2026 endorsements by Winning for Women PAC, which works to support free-market conservative women running for federal office. Cook Political Report – the leading nonpartisan handicapper – rates Miller-Meeks’ district as a “Toss Up” in 2026. 

Miller-Meeks won her 2024 re-election bid in November after a recount confirmed her lead, helping her party pad its thin majority in the U.S. House and retain control of all four of Iowa’s congressional seats. She defeated Democrat Christina Bohannan in a rematch of 2022, when Miller-Meeks won by 7 percentage points. The 2024 margin was much tighter – Miller-Meeks’ lead over Bohannan was less than a percentage point, or fewer than 1,000 votes, according to the Associated Press. 

SENATE REPUBLICAN DOGE LEADER JONI ERNST FACES FIRST DEMOCRATIC CHALLENGER IN 2026 RACE

Miller-Meeks earned a first term in Congress representing Iowa’s 2nd District when she defeated Democrat Rita Hart by just six votes in 2020. 

She currently represents the 1st District, which includes the eastern part of the state and a swath of south-central Iowa, including Johnson County, home to the University of Iowa in Iowa City.

Winning for Women PAC on Monday also endorsed Reps. Young Kim R-Calif., and Jen Kiggans, R-Va., in the House, as well as Sens. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, in the upper chamber. Kim and Kiggans’ districts both “Lean Republican” in 2026, according to Cook Political Report. Moody and Ernst are both in “Solid R” seats, while Collins’ district “Leans R” in the 2026 contest.

WHITE HOUSE DISPLAYS LAWN SIGNS HIGHLIGHTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIME

“Early financial support is critical, particularly in close races,” Danielle Barrow, the president of the Winning for Women PAC, said in a statement obtained by The Hill. “Given Republicans’ narrow control of Congress, we are announcing our initial endorsements earlier than ever before to ensure we hold and expand our majorities. We look forward to endorsing more strong women leaders in Congress in the coming weeks.”

The House currently has 31 Republican women members, while the Senate has just 10. Winning for Women PAC has spent more than $20 million since 2020 on boosting Republican female candidates in competitive primaries and general elections.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

In the latest example of the so-called “Biden effect,” a constituent of 79-year-old Rep. David Scott chose to launch a primary run against him after a tense exchange at a town hall, saying Congress shouldn’t be a “retirement community.”

“We just had two Democratic members die within weeks at a time when every vote counts,” Everton Blair told Fox News Digital on Monday of his decision.

“It’s a huge concern for Democrats to accomplish our agenda and to be in touch with the issues of today if we don’t proactively broaden our bench,” he said, adding that Congress should be a representation of the nation’s populace and “not exclusively a retirement community.”

In January, Blair, a former member of the Gwinnett County Board of Education, questioned Scott, D-Ga., at the event and was reportedly taken aback by the congressman’s demeanor and response.

CRITICS SAY 11-TERM GEORGIA DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN TOO OLD TO BE RE-ELECTED

At the Gwinnett County forum, Blair said he would “love to just hear a little bit more of the congressional and legislative strategy, congressman, that you have for this administration, particularly as it pertains to safeguarding federal funds,” according to Semafor.

Scott responded: “Hold on,” and then reportedly became confrontational.

“I don’t know who sent y’all, but we got these folks here who are providing answers. And I’m doing this. That’s what I’m doing,” he said, according to the outlet.

In response to the exchange, Blair launched a primary bid against the 12-term incumbent from Stockbridge – an Atlanta suburb.

“Why are we allowing this to continue to be our representation?” Blair told Semafor after the incident.

Almost 50 years younger than Scott, Blair represents another example of what is being called the “Biden effect” – several elderly, entrenched, Democratic lawmakers either retiring or potentially facing primary challenges following former President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance that led to his own decision to step aside for the younger Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

GEORGIA GOV. KEMP SIGNS LAW REQUIRING JAILS TO CHECK IMMIGRATION STATUS OF INMATES

Scott previously went viral for calling a press photographer an “a–hole” for taking a photo of him being pushed through the Capitol in a wheelchair in December: “Who gave you the right to take my picture?” he snapped at Politico’s Francis Chung.

On April 19, the local Covington News outlet in Georgia received a release stating Blair would indeed be running for Scott’s seat next year.

Scott, who is also the brother-in-law of Braves legend Hank Aaron, has been in that seat since it was created following the 2000 census, effective the 2002 election cycle.

“I am running for Congress because it is time for the next generation to step up and correct the direction that this country is headed… Change can’t wait, and Democrats need a new bench of leaders who are committed to solving real problems for working people,” Blair’s release said.

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Democratic Georgia state Sen. Emanuel Jones is also challenging Scott and Blair in the 13th District’s primary. The Cook Political Report ranks the seat as solidly Democratic with a D+21 rating.

Fox News Digital reached out to Scott’s office as well as a campaign inquiry box but did not receive a response.

During his 2024 re-election bid, Scott told the AP, “Thank God I’m in good health, moving and doing the people’s work.”

FIRST ON FOX: In President Donald Trump’s first 100 days, the Department of Energy says it has saved taxpayers more than $700 million by cutting programs the administration labeled as “wasteful.”

The immediate savings are resulting from the cancellation of ongoing contracts at the DOE relating to topics such as diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) and progressive climate change goals linked to the Democrats’ Green New Deal proposals. They are part of a broader $3 billion in savings that the Trump administration has projected will occur as a result of the cancellation of additional contracts that were not yet finalized. 

“In the first 100 days of the Trump Administration, the Department of Energy has saved the American taxpayer more than $3 billion in projected savings – and this is just the beginning,” DOE spokesperson Ben Dietderich told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

TRUMP PRAISES ELON MUSK AS ‘PATRIOT, A BRILLIANT GUY, AND A FRIEND OF MINE’ AMID DOGE EXIT

Dietderich said to date, the DOE has suspended contracts supporting DEI initiatives and Green New Deal priorities, as well as other “wasteful” programs, “generating more than $700 million in immediate savings for the American taxpayers.” 

“President Trump and Secretary Wright are fully committed to making government more accountable, efficient, and effective stewards of the American taxpayers’ dollars,” he said.

During Trump’s first 100 days in office, according to Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the administration’s efforts have saved the government at least $160 billion. That amounts to $993.79 per taxpayer, according to DOGE. 

An “Agency Efficiency Leaderboard,” tracking which departments have received the most savings, shows the Department of Health and Human Services ranked number one. 

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

HHS is followed by the General Services Administration at number two, the Department of Education at number three, the Labor Department at number four, and the Office of Personnel Management rounds out the top five.

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The Department of Justice is ranked last, just before the Department of Veterans Affairs. The DOE, according to DOGE, is ranked as the agency with the third least savings.

The savings reportedly stemmed from a combination of asset sales, contract and lease cancellations or re-negotiations, fraud and improper payment deletion, grant cancellations, interest savings, programmatic changes, regulatory savings and workforce reductions.  

Trump’s border czar Tom Homan issued a word of caution to illegal immigrants remaining in the U.S.: The Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement is on the hunt for you. 

“If you’re an illegal alien in the United States, this message is for you: You cannot hide from ICE,” Homan told reporters Monday. “We’re actively looking for you.” 

Homan addressed reporters at the White House to share details on the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda, just ahead of Trump’s 100th day in office Tuesday. In honor of the event, the White House placed 100 posters of the “worst illegal immigrants arrested” during the first 100 days of the term on the White House lawn. 

“Make no mistake, if you’re in the country illegally and you fail to do what the law requires, we will prosecute you,” Homan said. “You will go to jail, then we deport you.”

Specifically, Homan said that there are roughly 1.4 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. who’ve been instructed to leave, but remain in the U.S. Homan issued caution to them and said that they could expect to face prosecution for failing to follow orders. 

“We will aggressively prosecute, consistent with long-standing law, those aliens for failing or refusing to depart, or who take other related actions aimed at hindering the removal,” Homan said. 

This is a breaking news story and will be updated. 

The White House kicked off its celebration of President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office by highlighting its efforts to combat illegal immigration on Monday.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement chief Tom Homan joined White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt at an early morning briefing on Monday. The pair touted massive decreases in border crossings as well as new executive orders aimed at deportations and further border enforcement.

“We are in the process of carrying out the largest deportation campaign in American history,” Leavitt said. “After four years of being vilified by the Biden-Harris administration, our heroic ICE officers can finally do their jobs.”

Homan joined Leavitt and accused the Biden administration of having “unsecured the border on purpose,” despite receiving a very secure border from the first Trump administration.

TRUMP REPORTS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ENCOUNTERS AT HISTORIC LOWS DURING FIRST FULL MONTH IN OFFICE

“When 96% less people are coming [across the border], how many women aren’t being sexually assaulted by the cartels?” Homan said. “How many children aren’t dying making that journey? How many women and children aren’t being sex-trafficked into this country? How many known and suspected terrorists aren’t making it into this nation? How many pounds of fentanyl isn’t getting into this country to kill young Americans?”

TRUMP ADMIN ENDS DEPORTATION PROTECTIONS FOR MASSIVE NUMBER OF VENEZUELANS AMID ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN

Monday’s briefing was the first of several morning press conferences the White House has scheduled this week. Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent will join her for a similar briefing on Tuesday, Leavitt said.

The administration’s ongoing Operation Tidal Wave is the largest deportation operation in American history, the pair said. Leavitt added that it is only the beginning, however, and is a “sign of things to come.”

The Trump administration said in early April that it had already deported 100,000 illegal immigrants, though officials did not offer a new total at Monday’s briefing.

Recent high-profile deportations have seen migrants deported to an El Salvador mega prison after the president invoked the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 wartime immigration law, to deport Venezuelan gang members. That move has since been held up in court with the Trump administration opting to deport 17 alleged members of Tren de Aragua to El Salvador from Guantánamo Bay on Sunday night via Title 8.

FIRST ON FOX: A nonprofit patient’s rights advocacy group has placed a billboard in New York City’s Times Square praising President Donald Trump for “delivering” on a major healthcare promise within his first 100 days in office. 

The billboard, placed by PatientsRightsAdvocate.org, (PRA) will run from April 28 to May 4 and touts Trump’s executive order signed in February directing the departments of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services to make healthcare prices transparent.

“President Trump delivers healthcare price transparency,” the billboard, along with a picture of Trump resembling Superman says. “First 100 Days!”

Trump’s order directed the departments to “rapidly implement and enforce” the Trump healthcare price transparency regulations, which he claims were slowed by the Biden administration.

TRUMP AND A HEALTHIER AMERICA WELCOMED BY DOCTORS: ‘NEW GOLDEN AGE’

The departments will ensure hospitals and insurers disclose actual prices, not estimates, and take action to make prices comparable across hospitals and insurers, including prescription drug prices.

PRA says that more than 1 in 3 Americans postponed or avoided care due to “fear of unknown costs” and that 100 million Americans are in medical debt, which represents the country’s largest cause of personal bankruptcy. 

 “The magnitude of President Trump’s delivering ‘radical’ price transparency in healthcare is historic,” Cynthia Fisher, founder and chairman of PatientRightsAdvocate.org, said in a statement. 

SOARING MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES TARGETED IN TRUMP’S NEW EXECUTIVE ORDER

“Patients soon will have access to actual prices, not estimates, before they receive care. Prices create a functional market where the consumer benefits from competition and choice to lower costs,” Fisher continued. “Soon, patients will be able to shop for the best quality of care at the best price. Prices protect patients with remedy and recourse from overcharges, errors, and fraud. We are closer than ever to shifting the power to the consumer to live healthier and longer lives at a far lower cost.”  

Andrew Bremberg, former assistant to President Donald Trump and director of the Domestic Policy Council at the first Trump White House, also touted Trump’s executive order, saying that the president “built on his first term healthcare legacy and signed an even stronger price transparency executive order. 

“His efforts to deliver real prices, not estimates, underscore his unwavering commitment to the American people. President Trump has a bold vision to transform the American healthcare system with price transparency as the catalyst.” 

The executive order notes a number of concerns with current healthcare pricing, including that prices vary between hospitals in the same region.

“One patient in Wisconsin saved $1,095 by shopping for two tests between two hospitals located within 30 minutes of one another,” according to the statement.

The White House claims one economic analysis found Trump’s original price transparency rules, if fully implemented, could deliver savings of $80 billion for consumers, employers and insurers by 2025.

“The hospital wanted me to pay $3,700 up front for a simple fibroid removal surgery,” Arizona patient Theresa Schmotzer said in a statement at the time of the billboard’s placement. “Because that seemed high, I went looking for what it should cost. I found the actual price online and saw that my share was only $700 not $3,700. Because I had access to real prices, not estimates, I saved $3,000. President Trump’s executive order on healthcare price transparency will allow more people to find real prices and save.”  

States across the country have been pushing similar measures in the form of legislation to ensure that patients are given more transparency about the healthcare costs they are assuming, including in Ohio, where legislation was recently signed into law requiring hospitals to post exact prices in dollars and cents for all available services. 

“They’ll be able to check them, compare them, go to different locations, so they can shop for the highest-quality care at the lowest cost,” Trump wrote in a statement when he signed the executive order. “And this is about high-quality care. You’re also looking at that. You’re looking at comparisons between talents, which is very important. And, then, you’re also looking at cost. And, in some cases, you get the best doctor for the lowest cost. That’s a good thing.”

Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.

Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton picked up an endorsement from Sen. Tammy Duckworth in the primary to succeed the retiring Sen. Dick Durbin. 

Stratton launched her campaign last week after Durbin, an 80-year-old who was first elected to the Senate in 1996, announced he would not seek re-election in 2026. She was endorsed last week by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

“Juliana has not only proven to be an experienced and effective Lieutenant Governor — she’s demonstrated time and again that she truly understands and cares for working people,” Duckworth, who represented Illinois, told Politico.

“I’d be honored to have her by my side in the Senate as we work to deliver real results for Illinoisans, and I’m proud to endorse her campaign,” she added. 

DICK DURBIN, NO. 2 SENATE DEMOCRAT, WON’T SEEK RE-ELECTION 

In her campaign launch video, Stratton said, “Donald Trump and Elon Musk are trying to distract us to create such a mess that we don’t even know where to start. But in Washington, they’re still doing the same old things they’ve always done, and that old playbook isn’t working.” 

Stratton described herself as the daughter of a teacher and Navy veteran from the South Side of Chicago, and a mother of four. 

She told Politico that she was “honored” by Duckworth’s endorsement and that “Tammy is a true leader for Illinois who doesn’t back down from a challenge.” 

DURBIN SAYS ELDERLY LAWMAKERS SHOULD CONSIDER LEAVING POLITICS ‘BEFORE THEY’RE CARRIED OUT’ 

The outlet also reported that Stratton had previously appeared alongside Duckworth to support the Asian American community during Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Last Wednesday, Durbin said, “The decision of whether to run for re-election has not been easy.” 

“I truly love the job of being a United States Senator. But in my heart, I know it’s time to pass the torch. So, I am announcing today that I will not be seeking re-election at the end of my term,” he added. 

Durbin becomes the fourth Democrat in the Senate whose term is up at the end of next year who decided against seeking re-election in the 2026 midterms, joining Sens. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Gary Peters of Michigan, and Tina Smith of Minnesota. 

Fox News’ Michael Dorgan and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report. 

The White House lawn is lined with posters of 100 of the “worst illegal immigrant criminals” arrested in the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s second term.

“Good Morning from The White House!” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X on Monday morning, sharing video of the posters, which say “arrested” at the top and appear to have a mugshot or other photo of the person followed by the label “illegal alien.” 

The bottom of the poster lists a crime the person is accused of committing, including rape, murder, sexual assault of a child, lewd acts in front of a child, and distribution of fentanyl and illegal guns. 

OVER 100 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED IN COLORADO SPRINGS MASSIVE UNDERGROUND NIGHTCLUB RAID

“We will hunt you down. You will face justice. You will be deported — and you will never set foot on American soil again,” the White House wrote in a separate X post. “Oh, and your mugshot may just end up on a yard sign at the White House.” 

Leavitt and Border Czar Tom Homan have an early morning press briefing scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Monday.

Fox News’ Patrick Ward contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump said that some people’s income taxes will be lowered or perhaps even completely eliminated due to tariffs.

“When Tariffs cut in, many people’s Income Taxes will be substantially reduced, maybe even completely eliminated. Focus will be on people making less than $200,000 a year,” he declared in a post on Truth Social.

“Also, massive numbers of jobs are already being created, with new plants and factories currently being built or planned. It will be a BONANZA FOR AMERICA!!! THE EXTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE IS HAPPENING!!!” the president added.

TRUMP SAYS THERE’S A ‘REAL CHANCE’ TARIFFS COULD REPLACE INCOME TAX

The president discussed income tax and tariffs while speaking to reporters on Sunday.

“And eventually we’ll be reducing taxes very substantially for the people of our country, because the money is so great coming in from tariffs that I’ll be able to reduce taxes … to a very large extent, and maybe almost completely,” he said.

TRUMP PROPOSES ABOLISHMENT OF FEDERAL INCOME TAX, BRINGING US BACK TO ‘RICHEST PERIOD’ IN HISTORY

“And it’s possible we’ll do a complete tax cut, because I think the tariffs will be enough to cut all of the income tax,” he noted. 

The president indicated Americans will be given “a tremendous tax cut,” starting “with people making less than $200,000 dollars a year.”

TRUMP KICKS OFF WHIRLWIND WEEK MARKING HIS 100TH DAY BACK IN THE OVAL OFFICE

Trump, who will mark the 100-day milestone of his second term in office this week, is slated to hold a rally in Michigan on Tuesday.

EXCLUSIVE: Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said President Donald Trump has accomplished more in the first 100 days of his tenure than “most politicians or presidents accomplish in their entire lifetimes.”

The top House Republican said this first period of a new GOP trifecta in government has been a “flurry of activity” used to set the stage for the party’s plans to pass a massive piece of legislation setting up Trump’s priorities on defense, taxes, energy and the border.

“So much of what we’ve done is leading up to the big reconciliation bill, and that is the legislative vehicle, as I’ve explained to people, it will help us, through which we will deliver the president’s America First agenda,” Johnson told Fox News Digital.

“We’ve done it with arguably the smallest margin in the history of the Congress, so challenges every day, but it’s been very rewarding to lead us through that.”

MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE

He noted that Trump and Congress had worked together on passing the Laken Riley Act, and on keeping transgender women out of biological women’s spaces.

But the speaker also acknowledged that Trump has acted quite a bit on his own, as well.

“He’s issued, I think, 110 executive orders and many other executive actions. And we’ve been working to codify so much of that. It’s been kind of a partnership,” Johnson said.

But not everyone views it as equal. Democrats have accused Republicans of acquiescing power to Trump on issues ranging from tariffs to government funding.

“I don’t think we’ve ceded any authority. I think that he’s doing what is within his scope to do. There’s an assumption made by Congress that the administration, whoever is in the administration, will use the money that is appropriated to the executive branch as a good steward, that they will take every measure possible to prevent fraud, waste and abuse,” Johnson said. 

“And tariffs as well – the president, whomever is president, has a responsibility and I think an expectation from Congress that they will deal with unfair trade partners around the globe.”

He also pointed out that a significant number of Trump’s orders have targeted Biden administration actions or policies that were similarly enacted without Congress.

SENATE GOP PUSHES TRUMP BUDGET FRAMEWORK THROUGH AFTER MARATHON VOTE SERIES

“I don’t think the president has engaged in executive overreach,” Johnson said. “So much of what he’s done by executive order is reversing executive orders of his predecessor. So, it looks like he’s doing a lot, but he’s unwinding the damage done by the previous occupant of the Oval Office. So, he certainly has latitude to do that.”

But Johnson, a former constitutional law attorney who styled himself “a jealous guardian of Article I,” vowed he would raise his concerns with Trump if he ever felt Congress’ power was being infringed. 

“I don’t think he’s crossed the line yet. If he does, or if he did, you know, I would address it with him personally as a concern, as a partner, and explain that I think it’s been overdone,” he said.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is reintroducing legislation Monday that would ban members of Congress and their spouses from trading stocks while in office.

Hawley introduced the “PELOSI Act” in 2023, but failed to make progress under President Joe Biden’s administration. The proposal has since gained popularity among lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, and President Donald Trump himself said last week that he would “absolutely” sign such a ban if it came to his desk.

“Members of Congress should be fighting for the people they were elected to serve—not day trading at the expense of their constituents,” Hawley told Fox News Digital in a statement.

“Americans have seen politician after politician turn a profit using information not available to the general public. It’s time we ban all members of Congress from trading and holding stocks and restore Americans’ trust in our nation’s legislative body,” he added.

WHIP WATCH: DICK DURBIN GIVES TEARFUL GOODBYE AS DEM POWER PLAY BEGINS FOR NO 2 SENATE SPOT

Hawley’s ban would prohibit lawmakers and their spouses from holding, purchasing or selling stocks for the duration of the lawmaker’s time in office. Lawmakers would be allowed to invest in diversified mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, or U.S. Treasury bonds while in office.

If passed, current lawmakers would have 180 days to comply with the legislation. Likewise, newly elected lawmakers must achieve compliance within 180 days of entering office.

Lawmakers who continue to make wrongful transactions under the law would be required to hand over any profits they made to the U.S. Treasury Department. The House or Senate ethics committees could also impose a fine on such lawmakers amounting to 10% of each wrongful transaction.

CBS ANCHORS SALUTE OUTGOING ’60 MINUTES’ PRODUCER, SAY EFFORT TO SETTLE TRUMP LAWSUIT TIED TO CORPORATE MERGER

Trump himself endorsed banning trading for members of Congress in an interview with Time Magazine on Friday.

“I watched Nancy Pelosi get rich through insider information, and I would be okay with it. If they send that to me, I would do it,” he said of a trading ban.

“You’ll sign it?” the reporter pressed.

“Absolutely,” Trump responded.

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Democrats in the House of Representatives have also expressed support for a ban, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries throwing his weight behind the proposal last week.

A Kentucky lawmaker is urging the federal government to delay its forthcoming REAL ID deadline as his state and others face a whirlwind of logistical issues.

“Kentucky wants to comply with REAL ID, but we’re simply not ready. And we’re not alone. At least 17 other states are still below 50% compliance, and 30 states are below 70% compliance,” Republican Kentucky state Sen. Jimmy Higdon told Fox News Digital.

“If we flip the switch now, millions of Americans could be denied access to air travel and federal buildings. We need more time, and that’s a reasonable request.”

REAL ID was first created by law in 2005, but the federal government has delayed its implementation multiple times – most recently in 2022. But the Trump administration has made clear that the current May 7 deadline is final.

NO ‘REAL ID’ APPOINTMENTS OPEN IN NEW JERSEY AS RESIDENTS SOUND OFF: ‘GET WITH THE TIMES, NJ’

Higdon and his colleagues in the Kentucky state Senate wrote to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Secretary Kristi Noem last week seeking an extension. 

“I can tell you for a fact, I’m hearing from constituents and my fellow legislators, ‘Hey, this is a problem. This is a real problem,’” he told Fox News Digital.

The Kentucky Republican called on other state officials to reach out to Noem and ask for a delay as well.

“We’re not alone here in Kentucky. We’re not the lone ranger when it comes to non-compliance. We’re at 40%,” he said. “We’re simply not ready.”

Indeed, a recent CBS News analysis found that Pennsylvania, Maine and Washington were among the states that came in under 40% compliance. New Jersey’s compliance rate was just 17% as of April 18, according to the study.

The Trump administration has argued that finally acting on REAL ID helps the White House’s crackdown on illegal immigrants, millions of whom have entered the country since President Donald Trump was last in office.

But Higdon said there was confusion over what REAL ID is. He described long lines and a dearth of appointments as Kentuckians have scrambled to meet the deadline.

“It’s almost a panic of sorts trying to get the REAL ID, a lot of people don’t understand it,” Higdon said. “The media’s done a good job of letting people know the deadline’s approaching. But a lot think they need a real ID, and they don’t if there’s other means of real ID – a passport, passport card, military ID – all those things work.”

“And if you don’t plan to travel, if you’re not going to get on a commercial airline flight or visit a military base or federal courthouse, you really don’t need that REAL ID-compliant ID” 

‘MASS SURVEILLANCE’: CONSERVATIVES SOUND ALARM OVER TRUMP ADMIN’S REAL ID ROLLOUT

Starting May 7, a REAL ID will be needed for domestic airline travel – rather than a normal state-issued license – as well as in areas where federal identification is required, but having a REAL ID itself is not required.

Higdon suggested giving Americans another year to catch up, noting that people had grown used to the government delaying the deadline over the last two decades.

“I think we’ve trained people to ignore that deadline,” he said. “So, if we’re going forward in a year to get the word out, ‘Hey, this is it. We’re either going to do away with REAL ID or we’re gonna make it mandatory this time next year,’ I think that would definitely help.”

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But it appears the Trump administration is not budging.

In response to Kentucky legislators’ request, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) told Fox News Digital, “Beginning on May 7, passengers will need a REAL ID or another acceptable form of identification to fly, like a passport or military ID. TSA is committed to enforcing the law, as directed by Congress.”

“Non-compliant passengers may expect wait times or additional measures at airports. If you are an illegal alien without a REAL ID, the only way you will be permitted to fly is if you are self-deporting,” TSA said.

President Donald Trump on Sunday called on Republicans to respond to “disruptors and troublemakers” at town halls by having them “immediately ejected,” after protests and heated exchanges at some of these events hosted by GOP lawmakers.

Trump alleged that “Radical Left Democrats” are “paying a fortune to have people infiltrate” the town halls held by Republicans in Congress.

“These Great Patriot Politicians should not treat them nicely,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Have them immediately ejected from the room – They are disruptors and troublemakers.”

The president said GOP lawmakers need to quell the idea that the event disruptors are Republican dissidents unhappy with the actions and policies pushed by his administration and the party.

REP. BYRON DONALDS SAYS HE WON’T BE INTIMIDATED AFTER PROTESTERS DISRUPT TOWN HALL

“You must allow your audience to know what you are up against, or else they will think they are Republicans, and that there is dissension in the Party,” Trump wrote.

“There is not, there is only LOVE and UNITY. Republicans are happy with what is taking place in our Country. We all love America!” he continued.

This comes as several Republican lawmakers in recent months have faced intense criticism by attendees at their town halls over some of Trump’s policies.

Some Republican leaders have urged members to avoid holding in-person town halls and instead hold phone and livestreamed events due to concerns that “paid protesters” and Democratic activists may hijack the in-person events.

“We’ve been encouraging our members to communicate directly with their constituents, and they’re anxious to do that,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said at a press conference last month. “There’s lots of different ways and forums to do it. You can do it in telephone town halls. You can have small subgroups of people from different industries and segments of the community. We find that to be very, very productive, and more productive than if you just go to an open forum right now. Why? Because we’ve seen this movie before. George Soros-funded groups and others literally pay protesters.”

But some Republican lawmakers continue to hold in-person town halls with their constituents.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., hosted a town hall earlier this month in which at least six people were removed. Three of the people escorted out of the event were arrested, including two whom police used stun guns to apprehend.

CHAOS ERUPTS AT GOP LAWMAKER’S TOWN HALL AFTER LEFT-WING GROUPS PROMOTE PROTESTS

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“I’m not intimidated by the Democrats who tried to shut down my town hall tonight,” Greene said after the event on April 15. “I refused to tolerate their selfish attempts to disrupt an event that was for all of my constituents, not just the ones who could make the most noise. This is the type of business that should be handled at the voting booth.”

Other Republican lawmakers, including Florida Rep. Byron Donalds and Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, were involved in heated exchanges this month at town hall events while attempting to defend moves taken by the Trump administration.

President Donald Trump said Sunday that he was disappointed with Russia for launching missiles while trying to reach a peace deal between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Trump spoke with reporters before boarding Air Force One on Sunday evening, where he was asked about everything from the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, and Iranian peace talks to the suicide of Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre.

During the gaggle, the president said his meeting on Saturday with Zelenskyy went very well.

“We’ll see what happens over the next few days,” Trump said. “I was very disappointed that missiles were flying, by Russia…very disappointed.”

TRUMP AND ZELENSKYY HAVE ‘VERY PRODUCTIVE’ TALK AS THEY ATTEND POPE FRANCIS’ FUNERAL

Trump and Zelenskyy met face-to-face for the first time since their infamous Oval Office spat in February, as both were attending Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome.

After the meeting, the Ukrainian president posted on X that the meeting was “very symbolic” and could potentially be “historic.”

The meeting came as peace talks between Russia and Ukraine appeared to be at a standstill with Zelenskyy and Putin making competing demands.

TRUMP INSISTS UKRAINE-RUSSIA PEACE DEAL IS CLOSE, BUT MISTRUST IN PUTIN LEAVES EXPERTS SKEPTICAL

Trump called the meeting with Zelenskyy on Saturday “beautiful.”

“Look, we have a tough road ahead, okay?” Trump said. “He told me that he needs more weapons, but he’s been saying that for three years. He needs more weapons, and we’re going to see what happens.

“I want to see what happens with respect to Russia,” Trump added.

He explained that he was very disappointed with Russia for conducting bombings in Kyiv after the discussions with both countries.

NIKKI HALEY ON RUSSIA AND UKRAINE SAYS US SHOULD ‘WANT TO BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY’

Trump said Zelenskyy spoke to him about Crimea, which has been a sticking point for the Ukrainian president.

American officials have apparently floated the idea of recognizing Russia’s control of Crimea, a territory that Russia seized in 2014, as part of a ceasefire proposal. This would also involve the freezing of current frontlines.

But Zelenskyy has drawn a red line about Crimea.

In 2022, Zelenskyy said the Russian war against Ukraine and against the entire free Europe “began with Crimea and must end with Crimea – and its liberation,” according to a report from Axios.

VANCE ISSUES ULTIMATUM TO RUSSIA, UKRAINE ON PEACE NEGOTIATIONS

On Tuesday, Zelenskyy reiterated his stance, shutting down the idea that Ukraine would recognize Russian control of Crimea.

Trump blamed the state of Crimea on former U.S. presidents.

“Crimea was given away by Barack Hussein Obama, and by Biden, like 11 or 12 years ago. That’s a long time ago,” Trump told reporters. “I don’t know how he could bring up Crimea, because that’s been a long time. Nobody brought it up for 12 years, and now they’re bringing it up now. So, I told them, I told him, he should maybe go back to Obama, ask him why they gave it up. They gave it without a shot being fired by him.”

As far as current negotiations about reaching peace, Trump said he wanted Putin to “stop shooting, sit down and sign a deal.”

“We have the confines of a deal, I believe, and I want him to sign it and be done with it,” the president said.

TRUMP SAYS ‘INFLAMMATORY’ ZELENSKYY STATEMENT ON CRIMEA PROLONGS WAR WITH RUSSIA

Since his return to the Oval Office, Trump said the U.S. has been more respected than ever before. He also noted that with that strength, there are actions he can take against Russia, though he is not looking to act.

“There’s no more games,” he said before taking another dig at former President Biden. “We have somebody that knows what he’s doing, not like the previous person who didn’t have a clue.”

Trump touted that since implementing tariffs, costs are dropping “way down.”

For instance, he said groceries, eggs and gasoline are coming down. He also said the U.S. is collecting “a lot” of money from the tariffs.

“Eventually, we’ll be reducing taxes very substantially to the people of our country because the money is so great coming in from tariffs, that I’ll be able to reduce taxes to a very large extent, and maybe almost completely,” Trump said.

Along with tariffs, the president addressed peace negotiations in Iran, saying he thinks the deal is going to be made without “having to start dropping bombs all over the place.”

VIRGINIA GIUFFRE, JEFFREY EPSTEIN AND PRINCE ANDREW ACCUSER, DEAD AT 41 BY SUICIDE: REPORT

On a more somber note, Trump was asked for his reaction to Virginia Giuffre’s suicide in Australia.

Giuffre, 41, one of Epstein’s and Prince Andrew’s most prominent accusers, filed a lawsuit against the English royal in New York in 2021. In the lawsuit, Giuffre claimed she was forced to have sex with him three times between 1999 and 2002, when she was underage.

She died in Neergabby, Australia over the weekend, where she had been living, according to an NBC report.

“Well, it’s a very sad situation, the whole thing,” Trump said. “That whole situation is very sad, her and others. And so certainly that’s a horrible thing, horrible.”

Fox News Digital’s Brie Stimson, Bradford Betz and Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.