The Biden administration engaged in a “cover-up” by failing to disclose details about the health of former President Joe Biden, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. 

“I can tell you there was certainly a lack of transparency from the former president, from the entire former administration,” Leavitt told reporters on Friday. “And frankly, a lot of people in this room, when it came to the health in the competence of the former President of the United States, Joe Biden — there was one of the greatest cover-ups and, frankly, political scandals this nation has ever seen. It’s been unraveled in some recent books that are being written by journalists who engaged in that cover-up in scandal, which is quite ironic.” 

A spokesperson for Biden did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

BIDEN AIDES ‘SCRIPTED’ EVERYTHING, ALLOWED HIS FACULTIES TO ‘ATROPHY,’ NEW BOOK CLAIMS

New books out have detailed Biden’s mental and physical well-being during his time in the White House. 

“Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History,” published Tuesday and authored by Chris Whipple, a former producer for CBS’ “60 Minutes,” claims that the White House kept Biden from socializing with those who previously worked alongside him — a tactic that backfired and contributed to his declining mental agility. 

EX-BIDEN AIDE SAYS FORMER PRESIDENT WAS ‘FATIGUED, BEFUDDLED, AND DISENGAGED’ PRIOR TO JUNE DEBATE: BOOK

Leavitt’s remarks come as President Donald Trump is receiving an annual physical at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday. The White House says it will provide a readout of the appointment. 

“But this president is clearly committed to transparency,” Leavitt said. “You in this room see him and hear from him on a daily basis. You in this room know from covering him. It’s hard to keep up with him. He is a machine working around the clock every single day. And the physician, after today’s physical, will provide an update on the report in the effort of transparency.”

FIRST ON FOX: A conservative nonprofit is warning Tennessee lawmakers about a hospital group it says is quietly pushing radical DEI policies — even as some of those lawmakers have taken the group’s donations.

As institutions begin aligning their policies with President Donald Trump’s efforts to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, Consumer’s Research Group, a nonprofit conservative consumer agency, sent a letter to several Tennessee Republican lawmakers urging them to cut ties with the Tennessee Hospital Association (THA).

“Tennessee representatives who accept DEI Dollars from woke institutions like the Tennessee Hospital Association are putting themselves directly at odds with President Trump,” executive director Will Hild told Fox News Digital. “The President was clear: organizations continuing to push discriminatory DEI policies should be investigated.”

RED STATES GET IN LINE WITH TRUMP’S DEI BAN IN SCHOOLS AS COMPLIANCE DEADLINE NEARS

The letter, sent to Lt. Gov. Randy McNally and House Speaker Cameron Sexton, both Republicans, comes after the group launched a campaign last month titled “What Is Vanderbilt University Medical Center Hiding?” after finding that the university had been not just deleting some of its references to DEI commitments and resources, but also hiding them behind password-protected web pages. 

The letter was also cc’d to state House Majority Leader William Lamberth, state Sens. Shane Reeves, Jack Johnson, Ed Jackson, Becky Massey, Ferrell Haile and state Reps. Gary Hicks, Sabi “Doc” Kumar and Ryan Williams.

Public documents indicate the lawmakers received financial backing from the THA, which the association found still promotes DEI and “‘health equity’ through its Council on Inclusion and Health Equity.”

“Our campaign asking what is Vanderbilt University Medical Center hiding exposed the health system’s frantic and futile attempts to cover its widespread DEI tracks – essentially waving a great big red flag asking to be investigated,” Hild added.

TRUMP ADMIN WARNS STATES TO COMPLY WITH HOUSING PRISONERS BY THEIR BIOLOGICAL SEX OR FACE FUNDING CUTOFF

From 2020 through 2024, the Tennessee Hospital Association’s political action committee (PAC) made $707,950 in contributions to candidates and PACs in the state, which includes both the House and Senate Republican caucuses. 

“This is why Consumers’ Research has significant concerns that your acceptance of THA’s DEI Dollars signals an organizational effort to prevent state investigations into hospitals, like VUMC, that have faced criticism for prioritizing equity over healthcare and providing irreversible gender transition procedures to minors,” the letter to lawmakers on Friday states.

“This should be alarming to you and your constituents who rely on hospitals to provide exceptional care to patients, free of a political agenda.”

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DOLED OUT OVER $200M TO UNIVERSITIES TO INJECT DEI INTO COUNSELING COURSES: REPORT

In a previous statement to Fox News Digital, VUMC spokesperson John Howser said that in light of Trump’s recent executive actions mandating an end to DEI programs, particularly in educational institutions, VUMC “is undertaking a thorough review” of its programs to figure out “where revisions may be required to remain in compliance, including updating information on websites and other public platforms.”

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Trump signed the “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” order in January to eradicate all DEI programs within federal agencies and among federal contractors. It revoked previous directives that had promoted affirmative action and required contractors to implement DEI initiatives, arguing that these programs led to “preferential treatment.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to VUMC, the Tennessee Hospital Association and Tennessee Republican lawmakers who received financial donations from them.

Fox News Digital’s Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump’s longtime legal counsel and appointee as U.S. attorney for New Jersey announced Thursday she will launch a probe into Gov. Phil Murphy and Attorney General Matt Platkin over reports that state police were asked to ignore new immigration warrants.

Alina Habba said on “Hannity” she decided to launch the probe following a Shore News Network report that an internal memo from New Jersey State Police (NJSP) Col. Patrick Callahan revealed Murphy and Platkin ordered that officers not pursue thousands of immigration warrants recently added to the National Crime Information Center.

The move was reportedly meant to be in line with former Attorney General Gurbir Grewal’s 2018 “Immigration Trust Directive,” which limited the types of voluntary assistance state and local police could offer the feds.

“We know that the governor has on his website, currently, dos and don’ts for his local state of law enforcement. Those dos and don’ts instruct them not to cooperate with illegal immigrants who have administrative warrants that have been issued by the court after due process,” Habba said.

NJ GOV SAYS HE’LL ‘FIGHT TO THE DEATH’ AGAINST TRUMP ACTIONS HE DEEMS ‘CONTRARY TO VALUES’

“It is instructing them to go against our federal rules, our executive orders.”

She said her new probe into Murphy and Platkin should be a warning to all other state leaders that if they hinder the FBI, DEA or other federal law enforcement agencies, they will be held accountable.

“[W]e are to take all criminal, violent criminals and criminals out of this country and to completely enforce federal law. And anybody who does get in the way of what we are doing – which is not political, it is simply against crime – will be charged in the state of New Jersey for obstruction, for concealment, and I will come after them hard.”

Habba, whose office is based in Newark, said she met with state law enforcement on Thursday and noted they do not have the same authority as federal officers, but they can still legally notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hand off or alert them to immigration-related investigations.

DEMOCRATS RAIL AGAINST ‘EGREGIOUS’ ICE RAID IN NEW JERSEY AFTER MILITARY VETERAN QUESTIONED 

“If anybody wants to use politics or their position to go and violate any federal law or any executive order in this state, and that includes sanctuary cities, and I’m looking at you in Paterson – I will be investigating you, and if you did commit a crime, if you ordered obstruction, if you are ordering concealment and harboring, you will be charged.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Murphy, Platkin and Paterson, New Jersey, Democratic Mayor Andre Sayegh for comment.

Sayegh recently made waves politically last month, when he declared Paterson the American “capital of Palestine.” The city has a large Muslim and Arabic population.

Murphy recently suggested he was housing a migrant at his Monmouth County home and went on to dare Trump to do something about it.

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In February, he said he and New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy were talking about “someone in our broader universe whose immigration status is not yet at the point that they are trying to get it to.”

“And we said, you know what? Let’s have her live at our house above our garage,” Murphy said.

“Good luck to the feds coming in to try to get her.”

Fox News Digital reached out to NJSP for more information on the memo and its actions in regard to Murphy’s order.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman and Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report.

A Democratic lawmaker in Massachusetts was arrested and charged after he allegedly stole tens of thousands of dollars from a local trade association to fund both personal and political expenses.

Massachusetts state Rep. Christopher Flanagan, 37, was indicted on five counts of wire fraud and one count of falsification of records on Friday, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Flanagan served as the executive officer of the Home Builders Association in Cape Cod and received a salary and benefits ranging from $65,800 to $81,600 from 2019 to 2024, when he was working there. Flanagan also received $97,546 and $100,945 in 2023 and 2024, from his position as a legislator.

Beginning around October 2021, Flanagan was facing financial trouble and stole $36,000 in Home Builders Association funds through bank wire transfers, according to the DOJ.

CONNECTICUT HOUSE OF HORRORS STEPMOM DENIES CHILD ABUSE ACCUSATIONS THAT CAME AS ‘EXTREME SHOCK’: ATTORNEY

From Nov. 18, 2021 and Jan. 28, 2023, Flanagan wired anywhere from $1,500 and $10,000 on several separate occasions.

The Justice Department said Flanagan used the funds to pay mortgage bills, pay down debt, and even used it to pay for personal psychic services.

In an expense report, the DOJ said Flanagan claimed to have spent $159.36 on “technology services” at Best Buy and $537.26 on “Office Supplies” at 4Imprint, but records showed the money was used to buy a Bluetooth speaker and T-shirts for his political campaign.

JUDGE DISMISSES CHARGES IN ALLEGED CAMPUS VIGILANTE ‘CATCH A PREDATOR’ STING TARGETING ARMY SOLDIER

Another expense report shows $3,784.84 was spent on office supplies. The DOJ, however, said that $2,118.10 was used for personal expenses at Best Buy, Macy’s and Target.

Federal authorities also alleged that Flanagan obstructed an investigation by the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance when he attributed the source of a campaign mailer to “Jeanne Louise,” a false persona that he allegedly created.

Flanagan faces up to 20 years in prison for the wire fraud charge and up to 20 years for the falsification of records charge.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Flanagan and his attorney for comment.

FIRST ON FOX: Republicans in Congress are launching a probe into a Biden-era green energy grant program that sent billions in funding to climate groups tied to Democrats and former President Joe Biden’s allies.

GOP leaders on the House Energy and Commerce Committee sent letters to the eight nonprofits awarded grants from the $20 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), seeking answers to ensure the Biden Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) followed proper ethics and conflict of interest protocols in distributing the funds.

In February, the Trump administration’s EPA announced it would take steps to get the money back, citing concerns over a lack of oversight related to how the money was being disbursed. In the announcement, new EPA administrator Lee Zeldin cited comments from a former Biden EPA political appointee, who described disbursements made through GGRF as akin to “tossing gold bars off the Titanic,” because Biden officials were allegedly trying to get money out the door before Trump took over. 

EPA ADMINISTRATOR ROLLS BACK 31 BIDEN-ERA REGULATIONS

It was also revealed that $2 billion from GGRF went to a Stacy Abrams-linked group, Power Forward Communities, which had not been established until after the Biden administration announced the GGRF application process. Meanwhile, during Power Forward’s first few months of operations – prior to receiving the funding – the group reported just $100 in revenue.

Climate United, another group that received the most money from the GGRF, roughly $7 billion, currently staffs a former Biden climate advisor who worked during the last two years of the former president’s term. The same group is also run by a CEO with ties to the Obama administration and a board member who was among those invited to Biden’s signing ceremony for his multitrillion-dollar infrastructure bill in 2021.  

Several GGRF grant recipients have ties to Democrats and Biden advisors, and some were reportedly founded shortly before or after the Biden administration announced the program. Meanwhile, these groups, according to Zeldin, had sole discretion on how to use the funds.

COMER PROBES NGOS THAT RECEIVED $20B IN BIDEN EPA GRANTS DESPITE ALMOST NO REVENUE: ‘SHADY DEAL’

House Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., alongside fellow committee members Reps. Gary Palmer of Alabama and Morgan Griffith of Virginia, both Republicans, said in a joint statement that their investigation into the GGRF recipients will be “key” to understanding whether these funds were allocated “fairly and impartially to qualified applicants,” while also helping to determine the manner in which the money has been used. 

“The Committee has had concerns about the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund program since its creation—including concerns about the program’s unusual structure, a potential lack of due diligence in selecting award recipients, and the recipients’ ability to manage the large influx of federal dollars they received from the EPA,” the lawmakers said in their statement. 

“A recent Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing that examined these concerns coupled with the speed with which money was pushed out the door by the Biden Administration’s EPA heightened the Committee’s concerns and raised additional questions about certain Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund recipients.”

LEE ZELDIN STANDS FIRM ON EFFORTS TO CLAW BACK BIDEN-ERA EPA FUNDING: ‘I’M NOT GOING TO APOLOGIZE’

Several of the groups that were recipients of GGRF money sued the Trump administration in March over its attempts to rake back the funds. 

Subsequently, Obama-appointed Judge Tanya Chutkan issued a temporary restraining order preventing the EPA from freezing $14 billion in GGRF funds awarded to three of the climate groups.

The Pentagon fired the commander at the U.S. Space Force base in Greenland after she distanced herself from Vice President J.D. Vance, who recently visited the headquarters. 

After the vice president’s visit, Col. Susannah Meyers emailed base personnel on March 31, writing, “I do not presume to understand current politics, but what I do know is the concerns of the U.S. administration discussed by Vice President Vance on Friday are not reflective of Pituffik Space Base.”

She added that she had “spent the weekend thinking about Friday’s visit – the actions taken, the words spoken, and how it must have affected each of you.” The email was first reported by Military.com.

The Space Force said in a public statement Meyers had been relieved of command “due to loss of confidence in her ability to lead.” 

US ACCUSES DENMARK OF TREATING GREENLANDERS AS ‘SECOND-CLASS CITIZENS’ DURING VANCE VISIT TO ARCTIC BASE

“Commanders are expected to adhere to the highest standards of conduct, especially as it relates to remaining nonpartisan in the performance of their duties,” the statement read. 

Col. Shawn Lee has now assumed the command, Space Force said. 

“Actions to undermine the chain of command or to subvert President Trump’s agenda will not be tolerated at the Department of Defense,” Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell posted on X. 

Meyers became commander of the 821st Space Base Group in July, according to a Facebook post about the change-of-command ceremony. 

Republican Sens. Tommy Tuberville, Ala., Eric Schmitt, Mo., and Jim Banks, Ind., all praised the firing of the commander on X. 

“Colonel Meyers tried to politicize the Space Force and was held accountable. Lloyd Austin isn’t SecDef anymore,” Banks wrote. 

‘MIND-BOGGLING’: SPACE FORCE CHIEF FIRES OFF DIRE WARNING ABOUT CHINESE CAPABILITY TO KNOCK OUT US SATELLITES

Vance, during his visit to the snow-covered island, criticized Denmark for treating Greenlanders as “second-class citizens.” 

“Our message to Denmark is very simple,” Vance said. “You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland. You have underinvested in the people of Greenland, and you have underinvested in the security of this incredible, beautiful landmass.”

The vice president further accused Denmark of not keeping Greenland safe from China and Russia. 

Vance was the highest-ranking official to ever travel to the base in Pituffik, the White House said. 

The Trump administration has made acquiring Greenland a top goal. 

“We need Greenland for national security and international security,” Trump said on March 11. 

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“So, we’ll, I think, we’ll go as far as we have to go,” the president continued, speaking from the Oval Office. “We need Greenland. And the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark. Denmark has to have us have Greenland. And, you know, we’ll see what happens. But if we don’t have Greenland, we can’t have great international security.”

“I view it from a security standpoint, we have to be there,” Trump added.

President Donald Trump is weighing in on a national debate, apparently calling on Congress to make Daylight Saving Time permanent.

“The House and Senate should push hard for more Daylight at the end of a day. Very popular and, most importantly, no more changing of the clocks, a big inconvenience and, for our government, A VERY COSTLY EVENT!!!” the president declared Friday morning in a post on Truth Social.

Senators debated the annual changes between Daylight Saving Time and Standard time during a hearing Thursday.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
 

FIRST ON FOX: A group of House Republicans is asking Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to crack down on any remaining gun control efforts within his department, which they argue is in “direct violation of federal law.”

“We write to you today to urge you to protect the Second Amendment from attacks by a partisan and weaponized Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and National Institutes of Health (NIH)—which became a dangerous threat to gun ownership under the Biden Administration,” the letter led by Rep. Diana Harshbarger, R-Tenn., read.

Harshbarger’s letter also demanded that Kennedy reverse a Biden-era policy declaring gun violence a “public health emergency.”

“Treating firearm-related violent crime as a public health issue may start with a study about gun control but ends with tyranny,” it said.

NRA LEGISLATIVE EXPERT SAYS GUN RIGHTS COULD SEE ‘MOST MONUMENTAL’ WIN IN CONGRESS SINCE 2005

Congress banned federal funding from being used to advocate for gun control in a 1996 spending bill, a measure called the Dickey Amendment. A 2018 spending bill softened that language somewhat, allowing for the CDC to research the causes of gun violence.

But the letter, which was signed by 15 House GOP lawmakers total, argued that the Biden administration went beyond what was allowable.

“[T]he Biden White House and gun control advocates censored self-defense statistics from the CDC website, statistics that would have helped explain the importance of the Second Amendment to our citizens,” they wrote. 

“Meanwhile, the Biden Administration also weaponized millions of dollars of research funding appropriated by Congress in good faith for ‘Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research’ to promote gun control.”

The letter went on to point out several initiatives on gun control by the Biden administration’s Health Department, including $428,000 to study “episodic crime reports” and depictions of violence that lead to victim blaming and “racist stereotypes.”

It also highlighted $1.1 million to examine ties between “lawful gun ownership and risk,” and hundreds of thousands of dollars targeting gun confiscation and other firearm policies in states like Michigan and California.

“Congress intended for the CDC and NIH to conduct research on medical procedures, practices, treatments, medicines, and therapies related to firearm injuries and recovery,” the lawmakers wrote. “Instead, this funding has been weaponized to promote and advocate gun control in direct violation of federal law.”

SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS BIDEN ADMIN ‘GHOST GUN’ REGULATION

They urged Kennedy to end any remaining funding that could be in violation of the Dickey Amendment and restore “censored” statistics on self-defense on the CDC website.

The lawmakers also asked for a series of new studies, including on the effects of gun-free zones, the effects of a lack of widespread sound suppression technology, and “the current media coverage practices concerning mass public shootings, which a growing body of evidence suggests may increase the likelihood of future mass public murders.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) for a response.

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, literally tore up a list of 70 orders former President Joe Biden enacted that he said stymied the Last Frontier’s energy capabilities, and spoke Thursday about a bright future for the Land of the Midnight Sun.

Sullivan described the Trump administration’s openness to building an 800-mile LNG pipeline to power the U.S. and trade with Asia.

The pipeline would run from Prudhoe Bay – on the Arctic Ocean – to the Kenai Peninsula near Homer. Currently, essentially the only way to transport liquefied natural gas on the North Slope is via the AK-11 Dalton Highway of “Ice Road Trucker” fame, which is considered very inefficient and dangerous.

“This is a huge project, very geostrategically important — and, of course, it’s important to Alaskans to get us the gas we need… but also to get our allies: [South] Korea, Japan, Taiwan, energy that they need.”

AK CAN BE ‘CURE TO THE NATION’S ILLS’ WITH HELP FROM TRUMP ADMIN: GOV DUNLEAVY

Sullivan said Japan is still buying oil and gas from Russia – while a source familiar with the pipeline plans noted an Alaska-to-Asia trade route does not include any diplomatic or geographic pinch points like those that exist in the Mideast and elsewhere.

“Korea and Taiwan are getting their LNG from Qatar. None of that makes sense. Alaska is really close – We were the first place anywhere in the world to start exporting LNG in the late 1960s,” he said. “We did that to Japan for over 50 years.”

In his Joint Address to Congress, President Donald Trump flagged the pipeline plan, saying he is working on a “gigantic” project in Alaska.

Amid tariff and trade news, Sullivan said building the pipeline and supplying both North America and Asia with LNG obtained through the U.S.’ environmentally conscious means could reduce the West-to-East trade deficit by up to $10 billion per year.

Plus, the pipeline itself could “revitalize” the domestic steel industry and employ thousands of Americans.

He also sought to dispel a “fallacy” often touted on the left, that Native communities in and around the LNG territory are opposed to such development.

“Most of the media gets it wrong,” he said.

“The Alaska Native people … want this resource development done. This is how you help them with regard, not only to their economy, but their health, their pride, right? The best social program in the world is a good job.”

IN THE ONLY US STATE BORDERING RUSSIA, GOV SAYS DEFENSES ARE STRONG

Instead, he said, the Biden administration fought Juneau’s efforts to expand its energy production at every turn.

“Eight times [the Biden Interior Department] told [Natives visiting Washington] to go pound sand. They would never meet with them to develop their resources.”

When it comes to politicians in other states allegedly trying to dictate energy policy in Alaska, whether on environmental or other grounds, Sullivan quipped, “we don’t appreciate the lower 48 radical environmentalists coming up telling us what to do. And I really don’t appreciate what my Senate colleagues who try to do that, too.”

“You may have seen I gave a speech last week on the Senate floor ripping the hell out of one of them just because he needed it, right.”

As for talks with Trump, he said Secretaries Scott Bessent, Howard Lutnick and Doug Burgum have been very open and supportive.

Procuring financing is the next major battle, along with reciprocal trade agreements with target countries.

“Then you can finance these projects and start to build them. We’re talking about laying pipe as early as the end of this year or the beginning of next year. And think about the jobs that would come with that.”

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Turning to Biden, Sullivan held up a sheet listing 70 executive orders and actions the administration took to “shut [Alaska] down.”

“The left-wing media never cries about the jobs that were killed by Biden: Good union jobs; 70 EOs. The good news is this is now history,” he said, ripping up the list of orders and presenting instead a singular Trump order seeking to advance Alaska’s comprehensive LNG project.

The project is the only West Coast venture to secure federal permits and $26 million in loan guarantees. It would utilize more than 500,000 tons of steel and 5 million cubic yards of concrete.

In remarks to Fox News Digital, Energy Department spokesman Ben Dietderich said Alaskan LNG “has massive potential.”

“Accessing over 100 trillion cubic feet of North Slope natural gas will provide enormous energy security to the United States and its allies, thousands of high-paying jobs, and is estimated to reduce the United States trade deficit by $10 billion annually,” Dietderich said.

“While the previous administration openly discouraged investment in American LNG, President Trump and Secretary Wright are committed to expanding American energy at home and abroad.”

“Potential large scale investments and partnerships in U.S. LNG projects, including Alaska LNG, were discussed in the Secretary’s meetings with UAE officials yesterday and the Secretary intends to also raise these in Saudi Arabia in the coming days as well.”

President Donald Trump is heading to get his annual physical Friday after declaring earlier this week that he’s “never felt better.” 

The 78-year-old announced the medical appointment on his Truth Social account, writing, “I am pleased to report that my long-scheduled Annual Physical Examination will be done at Walter Reed Army Medical Center on Friday of this week.

“I have never felt better, but nevertheless, these things must be done!” Trump added.

The physical, which will take place early Friday afternoon in Bethesda, Maryland, comes less than a year after Trump survived an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania while on the campaign trail.

TRUMP DEMANDS DO-OR-DIE NUCLEAR TALKS WITH IRAN – WHO HAS THE LEVERAGE? 

At the time, Trump released a letter from his former physician Ronny Jackson, who wrote that “it is an absolute miracle he wasn’t killed.” 

“The bullet passed, coming less than a quarter of an inch from entering his head, and struck the top of his right ear,” Jackson added. 

Months later, in November, Florida neurosurgeon Dr. Brett Osborn told Fox News Digital that Trump remained in good health. 

TRUMP THREATENS TARIFFS AND SANCTIONS ON MEXICO FOR ‘STEALING’ WATER FROM TEXAS FARMERS 

“The fact that he attended 120 events in seven months, often multiple rallies in a single day in different states, is proof-positive that Trump has a tremendous amount of stamina, mentally and physically,” Osborn noted. 

But Democrats have disputed Trump’s health in the past, and members of the medical community have demanded Trump release his medical records. In an open letter from Oct. 13, over 230 doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals asked for a record release. 

The physical on Friday will be the first one of Trump’s second term in office. 

In 2020, during his first administration, Trump was treated for COVID-19 at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. 

Fox News’ Andrea Margolis contributed to this report. 

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., launched a gubernatorial campaign on Friday, becoming the second Democrat to jump into the 2026 race to succeed term-limited Gov. Jared Polis. 

Phil Weiser, Colorado’s Democratic attorney general, has already announced a bid. Weiser has emerged as a high-profile opponent of President Donald Trump’s administration, joining with other state attorneys general to file lawsuits over a series of policies and executive orders.

But Bennet, a former Denver Public Schools superintendent, immediately becomes the defacto front-runner in blue-leaning Colorado’s gubernatorial contest.

“From expanding the Child Tax Credit to securing $7B for Colorado’s infrastructure, we’ve made real progress together,” Bennet said on X. “Now, it’s time to keep building a future in Colorado that works for all of us.”

DEM SENATOR SAYS PARTY BRAND IS ‘REALLY PROBLEMATIC’ AND LED TO THE LOSS OF TRUST OF WORKING-CLASS VOTERS

Bennet has served in the Senate more than 16 years. 

The senator won re-election in 2022, so if elected governor next year, he would vacate his Senate seat before the end of his current six-year term.

RFK JR’S CONFIRMATION HEARING GOES OFF RAILS AMID MULTIPLE CLASHES WITH DEM SENATORS: ‘REPEATEDLY DEBUNKED’

Colorado was once a key general election battleground state, but it hasn’t elected a Republican as governor since 2002.

Bennet in 2019 launched a bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. He ran as a moderate candidate, and his campaign failed to catch fire. After failing to qualify for most of the primary debates, he dropped out of the race.

COLORADO DEMS RAM ABORTION, TRANSGENDER BILLS THROUGH ON LIMITED SUNDAY SESSION DEBATE: ‘UNPRECEDENTED’

His announcement on Friday makes Bennet the latest Senate Democrat planning to move on from Congress at the end of next year.

Sens. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Gary Peters of Michigan, and Tina Smith of Minnesota announced earlier this year that they wouldn’t seek re-election in the 2026 midterms.

In a statement announcing his launch, Bennett emphasized that “the best solutions to our challenges will not come from Washington’s broken politics. They will come from us.

Bennet was endorsed by fellow Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper of Colorado, a former two-term governor.

“Michael will build on this work to shield Colorado from Trump’s corruption, create economic opportunity for every Coloradan and protect the environment,” Sen. Hickenlooper said. “I think Michael has the potential to be a truly great governor- I wholeheartedly endorse his campaign.”

Bennet served as Hickenlooper’s chief of staff during Hickenlooper’s tenure as Denver mayor.

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Weiser released a statement following Bennet’s news, highlighting his commitment to Colorado and emphasizing the need for keeping the state’s experienced leaders in Washington.

“Two years ago, the voters sent Senator Bennet back to DC because we believed he would be there for us no matter what – especially in historically dangerous moments like the one we currently face. Now more than ever, we need experienced Democratic leaders in Washington,” Weiser argued.

A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from revoking temporary legal status for hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans, Venezuelans, Cubans and Haitians who were initially granted parole.

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani said on Thursday the Department of Homeland Security incorrectly read the law when it made a decision to end a two-year parole given to them by the Biden administration.

Talwani, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, said the revocation of temporary legal status would open up around 450,000 individuals to an expedited deportation process.

“What you’re prioritizing is not people coming over the border but the people who followed the rules,” Talwani said.

TRUMP ADMIN PULLING LEGAL STATUS FOR MORE THAN 530K MIGRANTS

Justice Department lawyer Brian Ward argued during a Thursday hearing that parole programs were always discretionary.

“The nub of the problem here is that the secretary, in cutting short the parole period afforded to these individuals, has to have a reasoned decision,” Talwani said, according to Time magazine. “There was a deal and now that deal has been undercut.”

Immigration advocacy groups initially sued the Trump administration for its plan to end the parole program which began under the Biden administration.

SANCTUARY GOVERNORS WALZ, PRITZKER, HOCHUL CALLED TO TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS

The Trump administration attempted to revoke the temporary legal status of migrants from the four countries on March 25.

They flew to the United States after submitting their application under a Biden-era policy that was closed by Trump when he took office for a second time.

The program let migrants and their immediate family members fly to the United States as long as they had sponsors in America, then they would be placed on parole for two years.

Fox News’ Landon Mion and Reuters contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: House Republicans passed a key hurdle to move forward President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful” tax agenda on Thursday without the support of a single Democrat, prompting the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) to launch ads against over a dozen vulnerable Democrat incumbents.

“The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) launched a paid digital advertising campaign targeting 25 vulnerable House Democrats for voting against the budget resolution, leading to higher taxes for Americans by slashing the child tax credit in half and making families pay thousands more,” the NRCC said in a press release on Friday morning.

The paid digital ad campaign will target 25 House Democrats identified as vulnerable heading into next year’s midterms. The list of Democrats targeted includes: (CA-09) Josh Harder, (CA-13) Adam Gray, (CA-27) George Whitesides, (CA-45) Derek Tran, (CA-47) Dave Min, (FL-09) Darren Soto, (FL-23) Jared Moskowitz, (IN-01) Frank Mrvan, (ME-02) Jared Golden, (MI-08) Kristen McDonald Rivet, (NC-01) Don Davis, (NJ-09) Nellie Pou, (NM-02) Gabe Vasquez, (NV-01) Dina Titus, (NV-03) Susie Lee, (NV-04) Steven Horsford, (NY-03) Tom Suozzi, (NY-04) Laura Gillen, (NY-19) Josh Riley, (OH-09) Marcy Kaptur, (OH-13) Emilia Sykes, (TX-28) Henry Cuellar, (TX-34) Vicente Gonzalez, (VA-07) Eugene Vindman and (WA-03) Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.

“Once again, House Democrats made their priorities crystal clear: They’re taking a wrecking ball to America’s economy and sticking the working class with higher taxes just to ram their radical agenda down the throats of all Americans,” NRCC spokesperson Mike Marinella told Fox News Digital. 

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“Voters will consistently be reminded of this betrayal all the way through next Fall.”

The NRCC ad campaign makes the case that by voting against the resolution, Democrats are supporting raising taxes on Americans at every income level and supporting the lowering of key tax credits. 

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) spokesperson Viet Shelton said, “This is what happens when the same people who want to eliminate the Department of Education write political ads.”

“If they actually read the bill, they would realize their budget takes away health care, cuts off food assistance, and raises costs to pay for massive tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy while sticking working families with the bill. The Republican budget is exhibit A of their failure to make life affordable for Americans.”

While the party in power, which clearly is the Republicans, traditionally faces serious political headwinds in the midterm elections, the NRCC chair told Fox News last month he is optimistic.

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Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., emphasized in an interview on Fox News’ “Fox and Friends” that 13 of the 26 House Democrats they are targeting are in districts that “were carried by President Donald Trump in the last election.”

Hudson characterized the upcoming midterms as an “opportunity election for House Republicans.”

Additionally, Hudson, who is steering the House GOP’s campaign arm for a second straight cycle, added, “We are bullish. Republicans are on offense thanks to Donald Trump.”

The Cook Political Report unveiled its first rankings for the next midterm elections in February and listed 10 Democrat-held seats and eight Republican-controlled seats as toss-ups. 

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Courtney Rice, communications director for the rival DCCC, emphasized that “voters will hold House Republicans accountable for failing to lower costs while fostering a culture of corruption that benefits their billionaire backers.”

“The political environment is in Democrats’ favor heading into 2026 — and with stellar candidates who are focused on delivering for their districts, House Democrats are poised to take back the majority in 2026,” Rice predicted.

Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser and Liz Elkind contributed to this report.

Republican Rep. Mike Lawler’s opinion of Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York is crystal clear.

“I think Kathy Hochul is the most feckless, incompetent governor in America,” Lawler said in an interview with Fox News Digital.

Lawler, who’s in his second term representing the state’s 17th Congressional District, which covers a large swath of New York City’s northern suburbs, is mulling a 2026 GOP run for governor.

“I’ll make a decision at some point – middle of the year. Obviously, you know if we’re going to do it, you got to get out there, and you got to campaign hard,” Lawler said.  

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He added, “I haven’t made a decision yet. I think, obviously, there’s a number of factors in play, but you know, we’re working through that right now.”

Lawler is one of three Republicans mulling a gubernatorial run. So are Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman and longtime Bethany town supervisor Carl Hyde Jr.

It’s been 23 years since a Republican won a gubernatorial election in heavily blue New York. You have to go all the way back to former Gov. George Pataki’s second re-election victory in 2002.

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But Hochul’s approval ratings and favorable ratings remain underwater, giving Republicans hope the losing streak will come to an end next year. The governor also faces potential primary challenges from her lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado, as well as Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York City.

“There’s a reason New York leads the nation in out-migration. It has nothing to do with the weather and everything to do with the high cost of living and the declining quality of life from the migrant crisis to the crime epidemic in New York to the overall cost of living,” Lawler said.

And the former political strategist and adviser-turned-politician said “people can’t afford to live in New York. They want balance and common sense, and I think that’s where there is an opportunity, if you articulate the vision to New Yorkers. They’re pragmatic, they’re commonsense, and they understand the need for change.”

In 2022, then-Rep. Lee Zeldin had the best performance by a GOP gubernatorial candidate in New York since Pataki’s 2002 victory. Zeldin, who now steers the Environmental Protection Agency in President Donald Trump’s second administration, lost to Hochul by less than six and a half points.

And Trump lost the state to then-Vice President Kamala Harris by 13 points in last November’s presidential election, but that was a 10-point improvement from his loss margin to Joe Biden in the 2020 election.

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While Republicans have been more competitive statewide in New York the last two cycles, Lawler said next year’s elections will “be determined by a few things.”

“No. 1, does the economy take off?” he said. “And with the tax bill, with energy production increases, you know, if the economy takes off, then I think people are going to be very willing and open to change in New York.”

“Obviously, what we’re doing at the border matters,” Lawler said. “New York has borne the brunt of some of the disastrous decisions of the Biden administration and Kathy Hochul, spending billions of dollars of taxpayer money on free housing, clothing, food, education and health care for illegals.”

And Lawler pointed to his push to raise the cap on the state and local tax deduction, known by its acronym SALT, which is a pressing issue for many New Yorkers.

“Do I deliver on things like SALT and lifting the cap on SALT? And so, if we get these things done, and you know, things are looking up, I think New Yorkers can be very open to a change,” he said.

Lawler grabbed attention in 2022 by narrowly defeating incumbent Sean Patrick Maloney, the then-chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

But he’s currently one of only three House Republicans who represent districts carried by Harris in November.

Asked if he needs to keep his distance from the president if he seeks statewide office in New York, Lawler told Fox News, “Look, he’s the president of the United States, and [I] certainly would welcome his support.”

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But he also said “New Yorkers will make a determination, though, based on the choice before them” rather than on Trump.

“If you present a viable alternative vision to New Yorkers and explain how you’re going to deal with housing, how you’re going to deal with infrastructure, how you’re going to deal with crime, how you’re going to deal with the fact that Wall Street is leaving New York in droves, these are significant issues that we have to tackle,” Lawler said. “And it requires leadership. It requires a plan. And I think if that is presented to New Yorkers, they’ll make a determination based on that.”

A group of California Republican lawmakers is asking for a formal audit of the state’s Medicaid program, known as Medi-Cal, after its costs have gone up significantly after a law went into effect last year allowing illegal immigrants to enroll.

The Medi-Cal program is $2.8 billion over budget, as it was originally expected to cost $6 billion this fiscal year. Since then, the governor’s office has requested $6.2 billion in two separate loans.

“On March 12, 2025, the Governor informed the legislature that Medi-Cal was insolvent and could not continue to pay all of its obligations to healthcare providers,” the letter states.

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“Despite the alarming nature of this problem, the Governor has failed to provide an explanation for why Medi-Cal costs are far greater than what was budgeted. Many are concerned that continued growth in the cost of Medi-Cal benefits for undocumented immigrants is a major driver of the cost overruns,” the letter continues.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

Specifically, the letter asks what the “future estimates for enrollment of undocumented immigrants” are in the program, as well as “cost containment strategies” to make sure that it does not harm Californian’s healthcare access.

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The lawmakers are also seeking answers about why the forecast of the cost was incorrect.

The letter was led by Republican Assemblyman Carl DeMaio, who went viral for questioning a state budget official amplifying the spending issue earlier this year. Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher and Republican Reps. Kate Sanchez, Leticia Castillo, Stan Ellis, Tom Lackey, Phillip Chen, Heath Flora and David Tangipa.

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Gov. Gavin Newsom previously said illegal immigrants being allowed to enroll in Medi-Cal is a “partial” part of the problem, but his office argues that overall rising healthcare costs led to higher than expected Medicaid program costs in other states as well.

“With tough fiscal choices ahead, Governor Newsom, jointly with Pro Tem McGuire and Speaker Rivas, will evaluate proposals to rein in long-term spending — including in Medi-Cal — while working to protect the core health and social services Californians rely on,” Newsom spokesperson Izzy Gardon told Fox News Digital in a statement last month. 

Newsom’s office was not immediately available for comment. 

Former Vice President Kamala Harris took to social media this month to cheer on the growing resistance by Democrats to President Donald Trump.

“Today in every state across our nation, Americans are standing up to the administration,” Harris wrote.

Also taking aim at Trump’s most visible advisor and the world’s richest person — Elon Musk — the former vice president emphasized that “the voices of working people will always be louder than the unelected billionaires.”

Harris, in a possible tease of potential future political plans, spotlighted on social media a clip from the closing line of a speech from earlier this month.

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Railing against moves by the Trump administration and vowing to remain active in the fight, Harris said, “I’ll see you out there. I’m not going anywhere.”

And earlier this year, Harris, in a video message to the Democratic National Committee as it huddled for its winter meeting, pledged to be with the party “every step of the way.”

But five months after losing the presidential election to Trump, Harris’ public appearances are still few and far between. 

HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING AND ANALYSIS REGARDING KAMALA HARRIS

And unlike her 2024 running mate — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — and other top Democrats, she has not appeared at rallies or town halls to directly address a Democratic Party base that is increasingly angry and energized over Trump’s sweeping and controversial upending of the federal government during the first three months of his second tour of duty in the White House.

Harris has also avoided doing any television interviews or taking part in any podcasts, ceding the spotlight to others in the party.

But her every public word is quickly dissected.

“I’m not here to say I told you so,” Harris said on April 3 in Dana Point, California, to a gathering of Black female business leaders, politicians and other prominent people, as she pointed to her warnings about Trump on the campaign trail last summer and autumn.

The clip, during which both Harris and the crowd cracked up, instantly went viral.

And there’s intense speculation over what may be Harris’ next political move.

Two potential options are launching a gubernatorial run next year in her home state of California, in the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom, or seeking the presidency again in 2028. 

Extremely early polls in the next Democratic Party presidential nomination race — which are heavily reliant on name recognition at this point — indicate that the former vice president holds a significant lead over other potential White House contenders.

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It is very unlikely she could do both. Running and winning election in 2026 as governor of heavily blue California, the nation’s most populous state and home to the world’s fifth-largest economy, would likely take a 2028 White House run off the table, allies and political analysts have indicated.

Harris previously served as San Francisco district attorney and California attorney general, and represented the Golden State in the U.S. Senate before joining former President Joe Biden’s 2020 ticket and winning election as vice president.

A source in the former vice president’s political orbit confirmed to Fox News Digital last month that Harris has told allies she will decide by the end of summer on whether to launch a gubernatorial campaign. The news was first reported by Politico.

But other California Democrats aren’t waiting, as the gubernatorial field is growing.

Some of the candidates are criticizing Harris for waiting until the summer to decide. Among them are former Los Angeles Mayor Anotonio Villaraigosa.

“The challenges facing California are too great for us to wait for a candidate who wants to come in late in the game,” Villaraigosa, who launched his 2026 campaign last summer, recently told the Los Angeles Times. “California is not a steppingstone to higher office.”

“This will not be a coronation,” he said in his interview. Pointing to Harris’ three-and-a-half-month-long presidential campaign — she succeeded Biden as the party’s nominee after he dropped his bid last July — Villaraigosa said, “You can’t run at the end of the rainbow. We saw a 100-day campaign. Look what that brought us.”

Two other Democrats running for California governor — former Rep. Katie Porter and former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra — made similar arguments.

But polls indicate Harris would be the clear front-runner if she entered the 2026 race in California, and other candidates already in the field have indicated they would defer to the former vice president if she ends up running.

One of those candidates who would likely drop their bid is California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, a close friend and ally of the former vice president.

Harris has reportedly received encouragement from top Democrats to run for California governor. Among them is former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a former DNC chair, according to a report from The New York Times.

Harris also received some unexpected encouragement — and a bit of advice — from her 2024 opponent.

“Let her run,” Trump said in a recent podcast interview. “One thing she’s going to do, she’s got to start doing interviews.”

Babydog is back on Capitol Hill — and this time, she’s weighing in on America’s energy future.

On Thursday, the beloved English bulldog and constant companion of Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., made her official debut before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, where Justice delivered remarks focused on energy policy, national unity and, yes, a few lighthearted barks from Babydog herself.

“She humanizes us,” Justice told the committee as he lifted Babydog into view. “She makes us absolutely get off our pedestals… She makes you smile… She still loves you.” The moment ended with applause from the room and a unanimous motion to enter the pooch’s “testimony” into the Senate record.

In an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital, Justice said: “From committee appearances to TV appearances, Babydog is always around to bring a smile to everyone’s face. She worked hard this week as the 101st senator to make sure all canine priorities were spoken (or barked) for when the microphone was on.”

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The moment drew attention from both lawmakers and social media.

“@BabyDogJustice’s testimony will be admitted into the record without objection,” declared the official Senate Energy Republicans account.  

Babydog’s big day didn’t stop there. 

Before heading to FOX Business for her “Bottom Line” appearance, Babydog shared a behind-the-scenes moment from the Fox News D.C. Bureau, tweeting a glammed-up photo with the caption, “I’m ready for my close up.” 

Justice joined “The Bottom Line with Dagen McDowell” on FOX Business, where he discussed his priorities for America’s energy sector, including support for President Donald Trump’s recent executive order aimed at bolstering domestic energy production.

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“President Trump has made us proud in regard to coal,” Justice said. “We’ve got to have coal.”

Asked about concerns that tariffs may be hindering international energy markets for West Virginia, Justice pushed back, saying, “It’s so premature to think such a thought… He will adjust when adjusting needs to be made.”

Justice warned that America faces serious decisions within the next 18 months if energy production isn’t scaled to meet demand.

“There could be a possibility that it could have expanded just a little bit more than that, but really and truly, within a year-and-a-half, we’re going to have to make some really, really tough decisions,” he said. “It could very well be an electricity demand of double what it is today.”

Justice also addressed budget and entitlement reform, tying economic growth directly to energy: “The ticket to growing… is energy. Energy. Energy. Period.”

Babydog has previously appeared at Senate Agriculture Committee hearings and remains a constant presence in the halls of Congress. As Fox News Digital has reported, she continues to resonate with lawmakers and staff alike across party lines for her ability to, as Justice puts it, “bring people together.”

“She loves everybody,” he said. “Rich, poor, a kid or an adult, or God forbid, a Democrat or a Republican.”

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Her bipartisan appeal and growing public profile have helped Babydog carve out a unique role in Washington—part mascot, part morale booster, and now, a regular presence in policy settings. As Thursday’s hearing showed, she’s not just along for the ride—she’s helping shape the tone in the room.

Now heading into April recess, the Senate adjourns with energy questions unresolved, but bipartisan agreement that Babydog is always welcome.

The Senate has voted to confirm the general who told President Donald Trump that ISIS could be eradicated “very quickly” with loosened rules of engagement during his first term to the role of chairman of the Joint Chiefs. 

The vote came in the wee hours of Friday morning after Democrats rejected a GOP attempt to quickly confirm Caine on Thursday and get out of town.

The vote tally was 60 to 25, with 15 Democrats supporting the Trump nominee.

An Air Force F-16 pilot by background, Caine will be the first National Guard general to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Trump plucked him from retirement to reactivate and serve as his top military advisor after firing Gen. C.Q. Brown in February. 

Brown had been behind a 2022 memo laying out diversity goals for the Air Force.  

Caine will be the first Joint Chiefs chairman who was not a four-star and the first to come out of retirement to fill the role. He hasn’t been a combatant commander or service chief, meaning Trump had to grant him a waiver to serve in the role. 

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Caine acknowledged his unconventional nomination during a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee: “In our family, we serve. When asked, we always say yes. Senators, I acknowledge that I’m an unconventional nominee. These are unconventional times.” ​

He worked as the associate director of military affairs for the CIA from 2021 to 2024 and founded a regional airline in Texas. He was a White House fellow at the Agriculture Department and a counterterrorism specialist on the White House’s Homeland Security Council.

Caine was among a group of military leaders who met with the president in December 2018 at the Al Asad airbase in Iraq. Trump was there to deliver a Christmas message and hear from commanders on the ground, and there Caine told Trump they could defeat ISIS quickly with a surge of resources and a lifting of restrictions on engagement. 

“‘We’re only hitting them from a temporary base in Syria,'” Trump said Caine told him. “‘But if you gave us permission, we could hit them from the back, from the side, from all over – from the base that you’re right on, right now, sir. They won’t know what the hell hit them.'” 

Trump had claimed Caine was wearing a red MAGA hat the first time he met him – a claim Caine repeatedly denied during the hearing.

“Sir, for 34 years, I’ve upheld my oath of office and my commitment to my commission, and I have never worn any political merchandise,” Caine told Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss. 

Trump, when he picked Caine, praised him as “an accomplished pilot, national security expert, successful entrepreneur, and a ‘warfighter’ with significant interagency and special operations experience.”

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Caine vowed his duty would be to advise the president on defense considerations without any political influence. 

The role, he said, “starts with being a good example from the top and making sure that we are nonpartisan and apolitical and speaking the truth to power,” Caine said.

Trump’s first chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. Mark Milley, has now become a top foe – the president recently stripped him of his security clearance and had his portrait taken down at the Pentagon. 

President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs, and possibly sanctions against Mexico, if it continues to rob South Texas farmers of Rio Grande water promised under a decades-old treaty.

In a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump proclaimed that Mexico owes Texas 1.3 million acre-feet of water under the 1944 Water Treaty, though Mexico was violating their obligation.

“This is very unfair, and it is hurting South Texas Farmers very badly,” the president wrote. “Last year, the only Sugar Mill in Texas CLOSED, because Mexico has been stealing the water from Texas Farmers. Ted Cruz has been leading the fight to get South Texas the water it is owed, but Sleepy Joe refused to lift a finger to help the Farmers. THAT ENDS NOW!”

Trump continued, saying he will make sure Mexico does not violate treaties with the U.S. and hurt farmers in Texas.

TEXAS FARMING CRISIS LOOMSAS US, MEXICO SPAR OVER LONG-STANDING WATER TREATY

“Just last month, I halted water shipments to Tijuana until Mexico complies with the 1944 Water Treaty,” he said. “My Agriculture Secretary, Brooke Rollins, is standing up for Texas Farmers, and we will keep escalating consequences, including TARIFFS and, maybe even SANCTIONS, until Mexico honors the Treaty, and GIVES TEXAS THE WATER THEY ARE OWED!”

Texas farm groups warned of a disastrous season ahead of them for citrus and sugar, last year, as Mexican and U.S. officials tried to resolve a dispute over the 1944 water treaty that supplies U.S. farmers with critical irrigation.

The two countries have tussled over the treaty before, but the drought-driven water shortages were the most severe in nearly 30 years.

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Under the treaty designed to allocate shared water resources, Mexico is required to send 1.75 million acre-feet of water from the Rio Grande to the U.S. over a five-year cycle.

Texas’s half-billion-dollar citrus industry is heavily dependent on water from Mexico, especially with drought conditions growing more severe in the region. In fact, Texas is the third-largest citrus state behind California and Florida.

Last month, the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs posted that it was denying a request from Mexico to deliver water to Tijuana.

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“Mexico’s continued shortfalls in its water deliveries under the 1944 water-sharing treaty are decimating American agriculture – particularly farmers in the Rio Grande valley,” the agency wrote on X. “As a result, today for the first time, the U.S. will deny Mexico’s non-treaty request for a special delivery channel for Colorado River water to be delivered to Tijuana.”

The day before, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas., said South Texas was facing a water crisis, which he called a “man-made crisis.”

He also noted that he was leading the fight in the Senate to hold Mexico accountable and abide by the treaty to deliver water to farmers in South Texas.

He shared the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs’ post, calling the move, “excellent.”

“As I said yesterday, this option is absolutely what the Trump administration needs to pressure Mexico to fulfill its obligations under the 1944 Water Treaty,” Cruz wrote on X. “Texas farmers are in crisis because of Mexico’s noncompliance. I will work with the Trump administration to pressure Mexico into complying and to get water to Texas farmers.”

Reuters contributed to this report.