Former New York GOP Rep. George Santos faces up to 87 months in prison ahead of his sentencing in federal court Friday in connection with his wire fraud and identity theft case. 

The 36-year-old former representative served in Congress for close to a year before being ousted in 2023 by his House colleagues. Santos had not yet been convicted of a crime at that point, but had been indicted on 23 counts related to wire fraud, identity theft, falsification of records, credit card fraud and other charges.

Santos pleaded guilty to federal fraud and identity theft charges in August as part of a plea deal. He admitted to deceiving donors and stealing the identities of nearly a dozen individuals to fund his campaign. He further agreed to pay nearly $600,000 in penalties. 

EX-LAWMAKER GEORGE SANTOS FACES SEVEN-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE FOR FEDERAL FRAUD, IDENTITY THEFT

Federal prosecutors are seeking an 87-month custodial sentence, according to court filings. Santos’ legal team had previously asked the court for a two-year sentence in a court filing earlier this month. 

“I’m doing as well as any human being would be doing given the circumstances,” Santos told the Associated Press Thursday ahead of his sentencing. “I will be in court tomorrow, ready to face the music.”

The government submitted a list of Santos’ recent social media posts in an April 17 filing ahead of his sentencing, with prosecutors arguing that “Santos’s recent behavior continues to demonstrate that he remains unrepentant for his crimes.” 

GEORGE SANTOS ENDS CONGRESSIONAL RUN LESS THAN 2 MONTHS INTO INDEPENDENT CAMPAIGN

The posts, pulled from his X account, included tweets saying, “No matter how hard the DOJ comes for me, they are mad because they will NEVER break my spirit.” 

Santos responded to the filing in a letter with the court filed on April 21, writing that he was “profoundly sorry for the criminal conduct” to which he had pleaded guilty and that he believes “that the Department of Justice’s demand for an 87-month sentence, and its effort to weaponize my speech as proof of incorrigibility, is an overreach that I have both a constitutional right and a civic duty to protest.”

EX-LAWMAKER GEORGE SANTOS OFFERING CAMEO VIDEOS WITH HIS DRAG QUEEN ALTER EGO

“True remorse isn’t mute; it is aware of itself, and it speaks up when the penalty scale jumps into the absurd,” Santos wrote. “This distinction seems lost on the prosecution, who would rather slap a “keep quiet or else” sticker on me and steam-press whatever spirit I’ve got left.”

Santos was elected to Congress in 2022 after he flipped a district covering parts of Queens and Long Island for the GOP. During his campaign, he made several false claims about his background, including that he had attended New York University and worked at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, and that his grandparents had fled the Nazis during World War II. 

Santos attempted to relaunch his political career last year by running as an Independent in a neighboring district to re-enter the House.

The Associated Press, Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report. 

Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., suggested Thursday that more elderly lawmakers like himself should consider when they might want to exit politics and make way for a younger generation.

“If you’re honest about yourself and your reputation, you want to leave when you can still walk out the front door and not be carried out the back door,” Durbin told MSNBC, in a similar tenor to how he addressed his retirement at age 80 in front of his Springfield home later that day.

“And I’ve said whatever your interests may be, whatever issue you want to focus on in Congress, in the Senate if you stick around a couple terms, your minor is going to be aging. You can see it. You can observe it.”

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

However, Durbin added that it is up to each lawmaker when it’s best to make the call to step away from the Capitol for good, further suggesting that age can also be just a number.

He pointed to how Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who – while three years older than Durbin – continues to draw large crowds, particularly of younger progressive Democrats, at rallies against “oligarchy” and other concerns.

Sanders is also reportedly considering re-election in 2030 at age 89, as the Federal Election Commission (FEC) recorded a filing from “Friends of Bernie Sanders” for that cycle.

“I think it’s more complex,” Durbin said. “The bottom line is, are you competent? Can you still do the job? That’s the question the voters should ask.”

“But should a new generation be interested in public service? You bet.”

Speaking about the future of the Democratic Party as the proverbial old guard begins to depart, Durbin was asked about his onetime Illinois delegation colleague Barack Obama, and how he first ushered in a younger demographic in the 2000s to lead the Democratic Party.

BIDEN EFFECT HITS THE SENATE: WAVE OF RETIREMENTS CLEARS PATH FOR YOUNGER DEMS

“This is a different moment in history than I’ve read about or seen in my lifetime, for sure,” Durbin said.

“This is the moment where there’s a threat to the Constitution of the United States and our constitutional democracy. That is fundamental, and it’s in front of every other decision of policy that we might make. We have to get it together. I will plead with my Republican friends. Stand up for the Constitution.”

“That to me, I think, just supersedes all conversations about campaigns and even issues.”

Durbin’s retirement was said to be somewhat attributed to the “Biden effect,” the recent trend of elderly lawmakers announcing retirements in the month since the octogenarian Delawarean stepped away from his 2024 re-election bid amid intraparty pressure after a disastrous debate with now-President Donald Trump.

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Durbin and Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., 78; Tina Smith, D-Minn., 67; and Gary Peters, D-Mich., 66, as well as Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., 83, all announced their exits in 2025.

“You can see it, you can observe it,” Durbin said in general of politicians’ aging. 

“And you have to make that choice, that decision. I’ve made mine.”

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., blocked a portion of President Donald Trump’s executive order on election integrity that is popular among Americans, according to a Gallup poll.

The portion of the order that Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia struck down included provisions related to requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote.

TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDER ON VOTING BLOCKED BY FEDERAL JUDGE AMID FLURRY OF LEGAL SETBACKS

Less than two weeks before the 2024 election, Gallup found that 84% of U.S. adults were in favor of requiring voters to show identification and 83% supported requiring proof of citizenship when registering for the first time. 

When broken down by party, 67% of Democrats, 84% of Independents and 98% of Republicans were in favor of mandating voter ID. The party breakdown over proof of citizenship was similar, with 66% of Democrats, 84% of Independents and 96% of Republicans supporting the idea.

CITIZENSHIP VOTER REGISTRATION BILL IS ‘COMMON SENSE,’ GOP LAWMAKER ARGUES

Kollar-Kotelly, however, argued that Trump did not have the authority to issue such an order, as the Constitution delegates control of election regulations to Congress and states.

“Consistent with that allocation of power, Congress is currently debating legislation that would affect many of the changes the President purports to order,” Kollar-Kotelly, a Clinton appointee, wrote in her order. “No statutory delegation of authority to the Executive Branch permits the President to short-circuit Congress’s deliberative process by executive order.”

Earlier this month, the House passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require states to obtain proof of citizenship for those registering to vote in a federal election. Additionally, the act mandates that all non-citizens be removed from voter rolls. The Senate still needs to pass the measure before it can reach Trump’s desk.

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who sponsored the bill in the House, wrote, “In order to preserve this republic, we must uphold what it means to be able to vote in a U.S. election. I am grateful that my colleagues answered the call and passed the SAVE Act, as this serves as a critical first step to ensure that we maintain election integrity throughout our country.”

So far in 2025, five states have enacted voter ID requirements, and one has mandated proof of citizenship for registration, according to Voting Rights Lab. Additionally, 25 states are considering bills that would mandate proof of citizenship, while 40 are mulling legislation requiring voter ID.

Democrat Stacey Abrams is seriously considering a third-straight run for Georgia governor in 2026, a source familiar confirmed to Fox News Digital. 

Abrams, a former Democratic Party leader in the Georgia state legislature and a nationally known voting-rights advocate, narrowly lost to now-Gov. Brian Kemp in the 2018 gubernatorial election. She lost the 2022 rematch to Kemp by nearly eight points.

Kemp, the popular conservative governor, is term limited and cannot seek reelection in 2026. The Cook Political Report, a top nonpartisan political handicapper, ranked the race to succeed Kemp in the battleground state a “toss up” – teeing up a likely competitive race in the Peach State. 

Georgia has followed the national trend in the past three presidential elections, all with President Donald Trump at the top of the ticket. While Trump was triumphant in 2016 and 2024, former President Joe Biden won Georgia in 2020. 

GEORGIA REPUBLICANS DON’T RULE OUT SENATE BIDS AS POPULAR GOP GOVERNOR REMAINS UNDECIDED

Republican Attorney General Chris Carr has already announced his gubernatorial campaign in November 2024. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is rumored to be mulling his own bid for the Republican nomination. Campaign filings reported by WABE earlier this year revealed that Jones raised $1.7 million for a leadership committee – about half a million behind Carr. 

TOP GOP RECRUIT IN CRUCIAL 2026 SENATE RACE HINTS WHEN HE WILL MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT

On the Democratic side, Georgia state senator Jason Esteves announced his campaign for governor earlier this week. Rep. Lucy McBath, who had launched an exploratory committee for her own gubernatorial run, announced she was suspending her bid to support her husband, following complications from a cancer diagnosis. 

Despite two consecutive gubernatorial losses to Kemp, Abrams has remained politically active in Georgia since 2022. In 2023, she was appointed the Ronald W. Walters Endowed Chair for Race and Black Politics of Howard University, one of the nation’s leading historically Black colleges. 

Abrams also served as a senior counsel for Rewiring America, a climate action nonprofit organization. She is the founder of Fair Fight Action, Fair Count and the Southern Economic Advancement Project (SEAP) – organizations focused on voting rights in Georgia, economic power, community building and DEI initiatives. 

Abrams is an author, having published several novels under a pseudonym. Her most recent book, “Level Up: Rise Above the Hidden Forces Holding Your Business Back,” was published last year. She hosts a weekly podcast, “Assembly Required.”

The news that Abrams is considering a third run for governor was first reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

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

Famed late-term abortionist Dr. Warren Hern, long a target of pro-life protests, closed his Boulder clinic this week after 50 years, saying it’s time to pass on the “sacred commitment” of providing safe abortions to others.

“It has been a privilege to do this work for almost 55 years,” Hern said in a statement on his website. “It has been a privilege to know the many exceptional people in this field who were and are devoted to the highest standards of medical care for women and who are dedicated to the fundamental principle of reproductive freedom for everyone.”

Hern, who has detailed the gruesome procedure of “dismembering” fetuses during third-trimester abortions in his writings, said that although he loves his work, he has “wanted for years to be free from the operating room and the daily cares of a private medical practice.”

DEFUND ‘BIG ABORTION’ INDUSTRY THAT THRIVED UNDER BIDEN, 150 PRO-LIFE GROUPS URGE CONGRESS

“When I have a patient, I can’t do anything else. Her safety and well-being is my priority. Nothing else matters while her life is at stake,” he wrote.

Hern added that performing abortions has given him and his colleagues “great satisfaction and meaning in our lives.”

Hern’s clinic, the Boulder Abortion Clinic in Colorado, was one of the few that offered late-term abortions nationwide, even prior to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Hern would see visitors from all over the country. Colorado is one of nine states that has no restrictions on when abortions can take place in the course of the pregnancy. 

In his book, “Abortion Practice,” first published in 1984, Hern describes abortions in detail, including how “A long curved Mayo scissors may be necessary to decapitate and dismember the fetus.”

DOGE MUST ‘DEFUND’ PLANNED PARENTHOOD, MIKE PENCE’S WATCHDOG GROUP URGES MUSK

“The procedure changes significantly at 21 weeks because the fetal tissues become much more cohesive and difficult to dismember,” Hern wrote. “This problem is accentuated by the fact that the fetal pelvis may be as much as 5cm in width. The calvaria [head] is no longer the principal problem; it can be collapsed. Other structures, such as the pelvis, present more difficulty.”

Hern has been a dominating voice for late-term abortions since the 1970s. He was featured in prominent media outlets over the decades, including The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times and The Atlantic, among others. Hern also wrote a memoir recently, “Abortion in the Age of Unreason: A Doctor’s Account of Caring for Women Before and After Roe v. Wade.”

Hern writes in that memoir about how, in the early days of his clinic, he had to personally prove that abortions were being conducted safely. Following a dilation-and-evacuation procedure, he would have to “empty the cotton sock in the suction bottle of its contents, spread the tissue out on a glass plate, and look at it carefully over a light box” to show that no parts of the baby were left inside the woman, The New Yorker reported in a 2024 profile of Hern.

FEDS GAVE $700M TO PLANNED PARENTHOOD DURING YEAR OF RECORD ABORTIONS

In his interview with The New Yorker, Hern also said that after the decision to reverse Roe v. Wade, the clinic was flooded with patients – and it would prioritize the late-term pregnancies over the earlier ones. 

“We couldn’t see patients who were earlier in their pregnancies, because we were just too busy taking care of the more difficult patients. We have seen some earlier patients now, but our special interest is in helping women who are having abortions later in pregnancy because they have the most difficult circumstances. They’re at the end of the line. They can’t find anyone else to do this,” he said.

Later in the interview, Hern said, “The basic fact is that if you’re pregnant, you’re at risk of dying from that pregnancy,” and “All abortions are elective, and all abortions are therapeutic.”

President Donald Trump’s message for Russian President Vladimir Putin to “STOP!” airstrikes on Ukraine echoes a comment made by former President Joe Biden in 2022 in which he repeatedly warned Putin against using chemical or nuclear weapons in the conflict. 

“I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5,000 soldiers a week are dying. Let’s get the peace deal DONE,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday as Russian airstrikes rocked Kyiv. 

Three years ago, during an interview with CBS News, Biden was asked, “As Ukraine succeeds on the battlefield, Vladimir Putin is becoming embarrassed and pushed into a corner — And I wonder Mr. President what you would say to him if he is considering using chemical or tactical nuclear weapons?” 

“Don’t. Don’t. Don’t,” Biden responded. “It will change the face of war unlike anything since World War II.” 

RUSSIA IS ‘READY TO MAKE A DEAL’ ON UKRAINE WAR, LAVROV SAYS

The Thursday attack on Ukraine killed at least 10 and injured at least 90, including children, Ukraine said. 

Trump’s message to Putin to “STOP!” was criticized on the Friday cover of the New York Post, which featured the headline “Words aren’t enough.”

Trump administration officials claimed they had productive talks with Putin, but they have yet to secure a deal that would end the war that has been raging since Russia’s February 2022 invasion. 

RUSSIAN GENERAL KILLED IN MOSCOW-AREA CAR BOMBING, INVESTIGATORS SAY

Recently, several members of the administration suggested that the U.S. could end its efforts to secure a peace deal if Ukraine and Russia do not start making significant moves toward ending the war. 

White House envoy Steve Witkoff is in Moscow on Friday to meet with Putin. 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also told CBS News that the Kremlin is “ready to reach a deal” to end the war. In an excerpt of an interview that is set to air in full on Sunday, Lavrov said he agreed with Trump’s assertion that talks between Ukraine and Russia were “moving in the right direction.” 

However, Lavrov added there were “some specific points, elements of the deal, which need to be fine-tuned,” but did not explain what was being negotiated.

Lavrov also apparently made it clear to CBS News that Russia would not give up Crimea, which the country seized from Ukraine in 2014. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this week that his country would not recognize Russian control of Crimea, as it would go against Ukraine’s constitution. Trump slammed Zelenskyy over the “inflammatory” remark and said in a post on Truth Social that the comment was “very harmful” to peace efforts.

Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf contributed to this report. 

While all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories are all currently in compliance ahead of the federal deadline of May 7, REAL ID was once roundly opposed by several state governments.

As soon as two years after the law’s 2005 passage by President George W. Bush, several state leaders had already expressed objections to complying with the nationwide standard.

Then-Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, a Democrat, called REAL ID a “harebrained scheme” in a 2008 NPR interview.

“[W]e are putting up with the federal government on so many fronts, and nearly every month they come out with another… unfunded mandate to tell us that our life is going to be better if we’ll just buckle under on some other kind of rule or regulation,” Schweitzer said.

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

“And we usually just play along for a while, we ignore them for as long as we can, and we try not to bring it to a head. But if it comes to a head, we found that it’s best to just tell them to go to hell and run the state the way you want to run your state.”

One year prior, Schweitzer signed a law banning Montana’s DMV from enforcing REAL ID stipulations, calling it a “threat to privacy” in a letter to then-Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, also a Democrat. 

Not too far west in Washington state, fellow Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire signed similar legislation that required the feds to appropriate $250 million to cover the unfunded mandate.

“[E]ven worse, it doesn’t protect the privacy of the citizens of Washington,” Gregoire claimed when signing the bill.

On the Republican side, then-Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett signed a law in 2008 halting PennDOT’s implementation of REAL ID.

“Neither the governor nor the Department of Transportation or any other Commonwealth agency shall participate in the REAL ID Act of 2005 or regulations promulgated thereunder,” Act 38’s text read.

The policy was later reversed by Act 3 of 2017, signed by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf.

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

Meanwhile, New Jersey has the lowest reported compliance with REAL ID, according to a CBS News analysis, with only 17% of the population having one – and many complaining of not enough bandwidth for the state to handle the number of applications.

On Wednesday, Kentucky Republican state Sen. Jimmy Higdon, wrote to DHS asking for an extension to the May 7 enforcement date, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.

State compliance with REAL ID means that a state has met the federal security standards outlined by DHS for the actual issuance of drivers’ licenses. Since all states have done so, they are considered compliant. 

Because the program is optional for the licenseholder – due to the alternatives, like passports – an insufficient proportion of residents not having REAL IDs does not affect statistical state compliance.

REAL ID requirements, endeavored out of a post-9/11 national security law from then-Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., dictate that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will no longer accept a photo-ID that does not have a star in the upper corner denoting verification, unless it is a passport. 

To become verified, Americans must provide Social Security information or other personal identifiers.

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The law’s implementation date has been delayed several times, due to COVID and concerns about varied state compliance and states’ abilities to summon the necessary resources to meet federal standards.

Fox News Digital reached out for comment from the current governors of the three states referenced: Democrat Bob Ferguson of Washington, Republican Greg Gianforte of Montana and Democrat Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania.

Florida state Sen. Jason Pizzo — who had been serving as state Senate Democratic Leader — announced that he is switching to no party affiliation.

State Sen. Lori Berman has been tapped to replace Pizzo as Senate Democratic Leader.

During a speech on Thursday, Pizzo declared that “the political party system here in Florida is nearly dead.” He asserted that the “Democratic Party in Florida is dead,” adding that “there are good people that can resuscitate it. But they don’t want it to be me.” 

He also said the Republican Party has many problems. 

DEMOCRAT REP. WILSON URGES PEOPLE TO CALL, THREATEN LAWMAKERS OVER UPTICK IN ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION DETENTIONS

Florida Democratic Party chair Nikki Fried lambasted the state lawmaker.

“Jason Pizzo is one of the most ineffective and unpopular Democratic leaders in recent memory, and his resignation is one of the best things to happen to the party in years,” Fried asserted. “His legacy as leader includes continually disparaging the party base, starting fights with other members, and chasing his own personal ambitions at the expense of Democratic values.

“Jason’s failure to build support within our party for a gubernatorial run has led to this final embarrassing temper tantrum. I’d be lying if I said I’m sad to see him go, but I wish him the best of luck in the political wilderness he’s created for himself. The Florida Democratic Party is more united without him.”

TRUMP HAILS FLORIDA DEM’S DECISION TO DITCH PARTY, JOIN GOP: ‘THANK YOU HILLARY!’

Florida state Reps. Susan Valdés and Hillary Cassel both announced they were switching from Democrat to Republican last year.

Former U.S. Rep. David Jolly, who had served as a Republican, announced a switch to no party affiliation in 2018, though he was no longer in office at that time. 

But now Jolly has just changed his registration to Democrat, according to Politico.

DESANTIS WELCOMES FLORIDA STATE LAWMAKER TO REPUBLICAN PARTY AS SHE DITCHES DEMOCRATS

Jolly has said he is “very seriously considering a run for governor,” according to the outlet.

A new bill in the Golden State would allow homeless community college and state university students to sleep in their cars during the blue state’s housing crisis. 

A Public Policy Institute of California report found California has among the lowest homeownership rates and the most expensive housing in the U.S., with rent about 50% higher than the national median. 

The California bill seeks to provide a short-term solution to the state’s decades-long housing strife. 

Assemblymember Corey Jackson, a progressive California Democrat with a doctorate in social work, proposed a bill in March that would require the chancellors of the California state universities and the governing board of each community college district to develop an overnight parking program with “basic needs coordinators and campus security” by late 2026. 

CALIFORNIA MAYOR WANTS TO GIVE HOMELESS PEOPLE ‘ALL THE FENTANYL THEY WANT’: ‘NEED TO PURGE THESE PEOPLE’

“This bill confronts a harsh reality to many of our students who are sleeping in their vehicles or other displaced settings as they are unable to find affordable housing, and that’s jeopardizing their education,” Jackson said. “What I am proposing is practical, immediate relief, overnight parking programs that turn campus lots into safe, temporary havens while the state works on lasting solutions.”

Almost three out of five California community college students are housing insecure and one in four are homeless, a survey conducted by the Community College League of California in 2023 found. 

CALIFORNIA CAREER POLITICIAN BARBARA LEE WINS MAYOR RACE IN EMBATTLED OAKLAND

“We are in a housing crisis. We are in a homelessness crisis, and it’s not an either or approach. It’s a both and all of the above approach,” Jackson said. 

Many legislative proposals in California this year seek to fund student housing or cut through building regulation red tape, but Jackson aims to provide immediate relief for college students grappling with the housing crisis. 

Jackson, who acknowledged stakeholders’ disapproval of his bill, proposed a similar one during last year’s legislative session, but it failed. Its 2025 version, however, passed the Assembly Higher Education Committee this year. 

The bill has yet to face its first committee review and is already grabbing national attention as conservatives and progressives question what’s happening to California’s housing market. 

“After wrecking affordability in California, Democrats have nothing left but bad ideas,” California Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher told Fox News Digital in a statement. “They’re now proposing to let students sleep in cars because they can’t fix the housing crisis they created. This isn’t innovation. It’s desperation from a party that spent decades raising costs, blocking new housing and wasting billions on programs that failed. Letting students live in parking lots isn’t a solution. It’s proof their policies have completely collapsed.”

When reached for comment by Fox News Digital, Newsom’s office said it does not typically comment on pending legislation. 

“California is bucking not only national increases but reversing long-term trends in the state from decades of inaction prior to this administration. California’s progress in addressing homelessness is outperforming the nation,” a Newsom spokesperson said. 

Newsom’s office, citing 2024 records, stressed that homelessness is increasing nationwide by more than 18%, while California’s national trend is closer to 3%, lower than 40 other states. Newsom also touted the state’s more than 71,000 year-round shelter beds, which a spokesperson said is double the amount created during the 5-year period prior to the Newsom administration.

But that hasn’t stopped the criticism of Jackson’s bill. Fox News contributor Hugh Hewitt slammed the policy on “America’s Newsroom.”

“The problem in California is there are not enough homes and apartments. It’s a supply problem created over 50 years of no-growth, left-wing policies that are anti-housing. The solution is not to create homeless encampments, and each one of these will become that,” Hewitt said. “People are going to enroll in the community college for 18 bucks a credit, and then they’re going to put their car in the community college parking lot.”

Hewitt said these are the types of polices that drove people like him out of California “because it’s simply a broken state” with a “deep blue supermajority” and no ideas about how to build houses. 

“Newsom should spend more time governing and addressing California’s housing crisis, so students don’t have to sleep in cars & less time launching his own podcast. [I don’t know] how he sees himself as a 2028 contender when he has totally FAILED to address voters’ top issue: AFFORDABILITY,” Brendan Hartnett, a progressive policy advisor, added on X. 

Hartnett was referring to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s podcast, which features a revolving door of Trump allies and conservative guests, including Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon, in an attempt to show he is open to “criticism and debate without demeaning or dehumanizing one another.” The strategy follows criticism after the 2024 presidential election that Democrats didn’t prioritize new media appearances and unscripted conversations enough. 

The Trump administration is applauding a major move by a key South American ally in the global fight against terrorism.

On Thursday, the U.S. State Department issued a statement congratulating Paraguay’s President Santiago Peña for officially labeling Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a terrorist organization – a decision the U.S. calls a critical blow to Iran’s terror network in the Western Hemisphere.

“The United States welcomes President Santiago Peña’s designation of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization,” said State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.

In addition to the IRGC designation, Paraguay also expanded its 2019 designations of the armed wings of Hezbollah and Hamas to include the entirety of both organizations. The Trump administration hailed it as a firm stand against Iranian-backed extremism.

NUCLEAR WATCHDOG URGES ‘TRUST BUT VERIFY’ THAT IRAN ENGAGES IN GOOD-FAITH NEGOTIATIONS

“Iran remains the leading state sponsor of terrorism in the world and has financed and directed numerous terrorist attacks and activities globally, through its IRGC-Qods Force and proxies such as Hezbollah and Hamas,” Bruce said.

The decision is particularly significant in the Tri-Border Area, the region where Paraguay borders Argentina and Brazil, which has long been considered a financial hub for Hezbollah-linked operatives. The State Department said Paraguay’s action will help cut off the Iranian regime’s ability to fund terrorism and operate in Latin America.

“The important steps Paraguay has taken will help cut off the ability of the Iranian regime and its proxies to plot terrorist attacks and raise money for its malignant and destabilizing activity,” Bruce added, highlighting the Tri-Border Area as a critical front in this effort.

TRUMP TEAM HOLDS ‘CONSTRUCTIVE’ FACE-TO-FACE NUCLEAR TALKS WITH IRAN, WILL MEET AGAIN NEXT WEEKEND

The Trump administration said it plans to build on this momentum and continue working with allies to confront Iran’s global influence.

“The United States will continue to work with partners such as Paraguay to confront global security threats,” Bruce said. “We call on all countries to hold the Iranian regime accountable and prevent its operatives, recruiters, financiers, and proxies from operating in their territories.”

This isn’t a one-off. Since his first term, Trump has made confronting Iran’s terror apparatus a cornerstone of his foreign policy. 

In 2018, he pulled the U.S. out of the Obama-era nuclear deal with Iran, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), calling it “one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into.”

Now, the Trump administration is back at the negotiating table, but on its own terms. Two rounds of nuclear talks have already taken place this month, with a third scheduled for later this week. A senior administration official said the discussions have made “very good progress,” though the details remain closely guarded.

As Bruce emphasized, Washington is calling on “all countries” to follow suit in holding “the Iranian regime accountable.”

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The United States does not currently have a permanent Ambassador to Paraguay. Instead, Amir Masliyah holds the position of Chargé D’Affaires.

Fox News’ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.

The New York Attorney General’s Office has hired high-powered attorney Abbe Lowell to defend Attorney General Letitia James against fraud accusations being levied against her. 

The office confirmed it hired Lowell, who has represented high-profile political figures on both sides of the aisle, including Hunter Biden, Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, former Sen. Bob Mendez and Bill Clinton. 

It is unclear whether taxpayer dollars are going towards James’ defense, as the attorney general’s office stopped answering questions once Fox News Digital began asking about how Lowell would be compensated.

Lowell will represent James as a private citizen, not as part of Winston & Strawn LLP, where he is a partner.

HUNTER BIDEN HIRES ALEX MURDAUGH’S LAWYER IN LATEST COURT CASE; ABBE LOWELL OUT

U.S. Federal Housing Director William Pulte is requesting the Department of Justice investigate James and consider prosecuting her for allegedly falsifying bank documents and records in order to garner more favorable loans. Lowell, who hung up on Fox News Digital when reached by phone, sent a letter to the DOJ Thursday urging them to reject Pulte’s request for prosecution.

Local reporting from the Times Union said the attorney general’s office indicated the decision to hire Lowell to defend James was, in part, based on their allegation that the Trump administration is pushing a politically motivated criminal referral in response to James bringing a civil case against Donald Trump last year for allegedly inflating asset values to obtain favorable loans.   

Lowell, in his letter to the DOJ that was directed to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, referred to Pulte’s criminal referral as “the latest act of improper political retribution” from Trump.

NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL CLAIMS DOJ’S MORTGAGE FRAUD ACCUSATIONS ARE ‘BASELESS’

“The stunning hypocrisy of President Trump’s complaint that the Justice Department had been ‘politicized’ and ‘weaponized’ against him is laid bare as he and others in his administration are now asking you to undertake the very same practice,” Mr. Lowell wrote.

In his letter, Lowell points to instances where Trump has called for revenge, and instances where the president has personally attacked James. 

Lowell also went after the allegations, including that James listed a home in Virginia as her primary residence while serving as a state official in New York. According to Lowell, James had no intention of using the property as a primary residence and her indication of this in a power-of-attorney letter was a mistake. Lowell pointed out there were other documents where James indicated to her lender that the Virginia home would not be her primary residence.  

A second accusation of fraud against James accuses her of inflating the number of livable units in a multifamily Brooklyn residence to receive better interest rates. Lowell accuses Pulte of disregarding updated documentation listing the residence as a four-unit multifamily residence, and instead pointing to a certificate of occupancy from 2001.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are pushing back against a report saying they have discussed lifting sanctions on Russian energy assets, calling the anonymously sourced article from Politico “totally fictitious” and “fake crap.”

The outlet released a report citing internal White House officials Thursday, indicating Witkoff and Rubio had been in discussions about potentially lifting energy-related sanctions as part of a wider peace negotiation to end the war in Ukraine.

“This is false,” Rubio and Witkoff said in a joint statement released by the White House. “Neither of us have had any conversations about lifting sanctions on Russia as part of a peace deal with Ukraine. This is just totally fictitious and irresponsible reporting from Politico, a fifth-rate publication. If they have an ounce of journalistic integrity, they will fully retract this piece of fiction.”

The report from Politico claimed “five people familiar with the discussions” said Witkoff has been a “main proponent” of lifting sanctions against Russian energy assets, including the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, one of the country’s main natural gas pipelines that goes to Europe. 

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

The Politico report claimed Rubio has tried to derail the efforts, saying there is an ongoing rift between U.S. energy export proponents and those who want to improve ties with Russia. 

When reached for comment, a Politico spokesperson said the outlet stands by its reporting.    

“There isn’t even a kernel of truth to this story – Politico was played by their ‘sources’ yet again,” Witkoff said in a separate statement posted by his X account after the report was published. “It’s embarrassing that they print this type of fake crap.”

“More bulls— from the liars at Politico smearing Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff with pure fake news,” Donald Trump Jr. posted on X. “How do they get away with continuing to run these fake stories????”

TRUMP HAS HIS OWN DEADLINE, ‘NO ALLEGIANCE TO ANYBODY’ IN UKRAINE-RUSSIA PEACE DEAL

“I hope Politico has good defamation insurance coverage,” Utah GOP Sen. Mike Lee wrote on social media. “Or maybe I don’t.”

“Politico is a C-rated tabloid, fraught with poor sourcing and a TDS epidemic, pretending to be serious news,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly added. “This story is one of many pathetic tall tales that have been debunked, but their reporters are too desperate to report fake drama to discern truth from fact.”

Sanctions on Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline were established during the first Trump administration and waived by President Joe Biden a few months after he entered office. However, Biden reinstituted the sanctions after Russia’s decision to enter into war with Ukraine. 

US–RUSSIA FLASHPOINT LOOMS OVER PUTIN’S PLANS FOR AFRICAN NAVAL BASE 

The energy sector has played a central role in the ongoing negotiations for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. The U.S. has reportedly proposed taking control of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants and is pushing to ink a critical minerals deal to help repay America’s military assistance. The U.S. has also reportedly floated the idea of taking over Ukrainian natural gas pipelines to help with the repayment. 

Russia and Ukraine recently ended a U.S.-brokered temporary truce, agreeing not to attack each other’s energy infrastructure, earlier this month.

But the negotiations reached a critical point after Vice President JD Vance said the U.S. is prepared to walk away from further ceasefire negotiations if the two sides do not strike a deal. Vance’s remarks were followed up by a post on Truth Social by the president, who blasted Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for refusing to accept the annexation of Crimea as part of a peace deal.

“We are very close to a Deal, but the man with ‘no cards to play’ should now, finally, GET IT DONE,” Trump said of Zelenskyy in his post. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment on this story but did not receive a response in time for publication.   

U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., urged people to call and threaten congressional lawmakers over the Trump administration’s immigration policies following a visit to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, Wilson visited ICE Krome Detention Center in Miami before holding a news conference on Instagram Live.

“So I’ve been giving out the phone numbers to the House of Representatives and to the Senate,” she said. “It’s one number that number you call and you threaten it, and you say, this is wrong. This is not America. This is not what we stand for. We need a change. You have to do that. It’s going to take the people. We’ve done it.”

FEDERAL JUDGE ALLEGES ‘WILLFUL AND BAD FAITH REFUSAL’ TO COMPLY IN ABREGO GARCIA DEPORTATION CASE

“We need the people. We needed an uprising where people are taking to the streets and the phones and writing letters. That’s what we need,” she added. 

Before going into the ICE facility, Wilson said she expected to see criminals with “cases tattooed with gold teeth.”

“I wanted to see where were these dangerous people that they had picked up off the street and put them in a detention center,” the representative said. “I didn’t see that. I saw hard working men. Some more literate than others. I even saw some who are mentally disturbed and have mental issues.”

Wilson, who has feuded with President Donald Trump in the past, also blamed the Laken Riley Act for the increase in migrant detentions. 

Trump signed the bill into law days after taking office. It directs ICE to detain illegal immigrants arrested or charged with theft-related crimes, or those accused of assaulting a police officer.

TRUMP-APPOINTED JUDGE ORDERS ADMINISTRATION TO RETURN SECOND DEPORTED MIGRANT

The law also allows states to sue the Department of Homeland Security for harm caused to their citizens because of illegal immigration.

The bill was named after Riley, a nursing student who was killed while jogging on the University of Georgia campus by an illegal immigrant. Jose Ibarra, who had previously been arrested but never detained by ICE, was sentenced to life in prison for the killing. 

“The Laken Riley Act has caused an increase in detainees, and these are people who have… you could have been here forever,” said Wilson, who said that illegal migrants can get arrested “walking across the street, jaywalking, or shoplifting, they will detain you and bring you right here.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Wilson’s offices in Washington and Florida. 

The Trump administration is giving migrants as few as 12 hours to contest their deportation after being formally notified, according to an unsealed document released Thursday.

The filing came from a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official. The document was revealed in Texas federal court in a pending challenge from lawyers representing detained migrants held in the state.

“Although there may be fact-specific exceptional cases, in a general case, after an alien is served with Form AEA 21-B, the alien is given a reasonable amount of time, and no less than 12 hours, including the ability to make a telephone call, to indicate or express an intent to file a habeas petition,” the document states. 

“If the alien does not express any such intention, then ICE may proceed with the removal, though such removal may not actually occur for many more hours or days, giving the alien additional time to express an intent.”

ACLU APPEALS TO SUPREME COURT TO STOP VENEZUELAN DEPORTATIONS; BOASBERG HOLDS EMERGENCY HEARING FRIDAY NIGHT

Typically, those set to be deported would be allowed to file a habeas petition under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 within a 24-hour time period, which the document also addresses.

“If the alien does express an intent to file a habeas petition, the alien is given a reasonable amount of time, and no less than 24 hours, to actually file that petition,” the unsealed document reads. “If the alien does not file such a petition within 24 hours, then ICE may proceed with the removal, though such removal may not actually occur for many more hours or days, giving the alien additional time to file the petition.”

DEMOCRAT SENATOR VAN HOLLEN MEETS, SHAKES HANDS WITH ABREGO GARCIA

The document’s unsealing came days after the Supreme Court moved to halt President Donald Trump‘s deportations of Venezuelan criminals under the Alien Enemies Act.

The decision, which was issued early Saturday morning, was contested by Justice Samuel Alito and Justice Clarence Thomas.

“I refused to join the Court’s order because we had no good reason to think that, under the circumstances, issuing an order at midnight was necessary or appropriate,” Alito wrote in his dissent.

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“Both the Executive and the Judiciary have an obligation to follow the law. The Executive must proceed under the terms of our order in Trump v. J. G. G., 604 U. S. ___ (2025) (per curiam), and this Court should follow established procedures.”

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content.

Here’s what’s happening…

-What did the Bush administration, 9/11 Commission say about REAL ID legislation?

-Ahead of key Supreme Court arguments, here’s which states have passed school choice measures

–Democrats’ vice chair gets ultimatum: stay neutral in primaries or step down from party leadership

Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair Ken Martin, aiming to quell a raging firestorm in the party, is making it crystal clear the DNC will stay neutral in intra-party primaries.

“No DNC officer should ever attempt to influence the outcome of a primary election, whether on behalf of an incumbent or a challenger,” the recently elected national party chair said during a conference call with reporters Thursday.

Martin’s comments were directed at DNC vice chair David Hogg, who recently pledged to shell out $20 million through his outside political group, Leaders We Deserve, to primary-challenge some older Democrats in blue districts… READ MORE

‘I AM NOT HAPPY’: Trump tells Putin ‘STOP’ after deadly Russian strikes on Kyiv

‘EXTREMIST RHETORIC’: Trans inmate who killed baby blames Trump admin for alleged assaults in prison

TIME FLIES: Trump to hold rally Tuesday in celebration of first 100 days, Leavitt says

PUTIN’S NAVAL GAMBIT: US–Russia flashpoint looms over Putin’s plans for African naval base

PEACE IS POSSIBLE: A weakened Hezbollah leads some in Lebanon to talk of peace with Israel as U.S. pushes sides together

BRAZEN ATTACK: Russia blamed for overnight strike on Kyiv that killed at least nine, injured dozens, including children

‘IDENTIFY, TRACK AND PUNISH’: India vows to hunt terrorists ‘to the ends of the earth’ as tensions with Pakistan rise after deadly Kashmir attack

MAX TAX: GOP talks on millionaire tax hike come from party’s populist streak, strategists say

DEM DENIAL: Top Dem denies ignoring constituent abducted by Maduro after being lambasted for Abrego Garcia advocacy

‘TIME TO PASS THE TORCH’: Air Force veteran jumps into race to unseat 22-term vulnerable Dem in key race

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT: Top union calls cops on itself to orchestrate ‘civil disobedience’ stunt at GOP office

FOLLOW THE MONEY: GOP governor hopeful pushes anti-China policy after years of Chinese investments

JUDICIAL SHOWDOWN: Federal judge gives DOJ another week in Abrego Garcia deportation case

‘TAX DOLLARS’: Harvard’s endowment holds $7 million per student, still receives $550M from government annually

‘WHAT THE HELL’: Alex Soros fumes at left-wing climate group over ‘Palestine’ obsession

‘NO CHANCE’: Chicago residents react to possible Pritzker presidential run: ‘No chance to win’

Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

The Trump administration has renamed the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge in Texas after a Houston girl who, prosecutors said, was brutally killed last year by two Venezuelan illegal immigrants.

The park, now known as the Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge, hosted a renaming ceremony on Thursday. The 39,000-acre sanctuary along the Texas Gulf Coast in Anahuac serves as a home for migratory birds and wildlife managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“Let this land speak her name. Let its quiet strength echo her spirit. And let it stand as a testament that her life mattered,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said during the ceremony attended by Nungaray’s mother. “And that her story, however heartbreakingly brief, needs to be told and retold and never forgotten.”

JOCELYN NUNGARAY’S MOTHER REVEALS HORRIFIC TIMELINE OF DAUGHTER’S MURDER IN HEARING ON OPEN-BORDER CRIME

During his joint address to Congress in March, President Donald Trump announced the renaming of the refuge to honor Nungaray, showing his signature on an executive order that changed the name of the park. 

“I had no idea that was going to happen. It was a really big shock and surprise,” Alexis Nungaray, Jocelyn’s mother, told FOX 26 at the time. “I was stunned. I didn’t really know how to react. It was very surreal, very bittersweet.”

TRUMP HONORS LIVES OF LAKEN RILEY, JOCELYN NUNGARAY WHILE CELEBRATING STRIDES ON SECURING BORDER 

During Thursday’s ceremony, Burgum noted that Nungaray loved animals while offering his condolences to her mother, who did not speak. 

“May Jocelyn’s family find peace in the tranquility of the Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge. It’s a lasting tribute to a beautiful young soul taken from us too soon,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said. 

Nungaray’s death drew national attention amid criticism of the Biden administration over millions of illegal immigrants, some with violent criminal records and street gang ties, who entered the United States during his presidency. 

In December, prosecutors said they would seek the death penalty for her accused killers, 22-year-old Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel and 26-year-old Franklin Jose Peña Ramos.

Both men kidnapped Nungaray and caused her death by applying pressure to her neck, authorities said. They also allegedly sexually assaulted her before leaving her body under a bridge. 

Search warrants later revealed the men were possibly members of the bloodthirsty Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and entered the U.S. illegally before the slaying.

With the upcoming departure of longtime Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., in 2026, a battle will soon commence for his coveted role as Senate minority whip, the second-highest leadership role in the caucus next to Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer.

“There comes a point in your career when the torch must be passed, and I’ve reached that point,” Durbin said during a press conference in Springfield Thursday. “I will not be seeking re-election to this United States Senate seat.”

Several names have already been floated for the whip job, including some typically vocal senators and others whose quiet policy chops appear just as attractive.

One candidate mentioned has been Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz.

ZELDIN GRILLED BY DEMOCRATS ON CLIMATE CHANGE, TRUMP’S STANCE ON CARBON EMISSIONS DURING EPA HEARING

Schatz, 52, is in his third term and is Durbin’s current chief deputy whip as well as deputy conference secretary, a job involving communication and strategy for Senate Democrats.

He is also the top Democrat on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, given the Aloha State’s heavy native population.

Schatz has been active behind the scenes for liberals, placing holds on hundreds of Trump nominees for State Department positions in response to the president’s efforts to shutter USAID.

A former member of the Green Party in Hawaii, he is also considered a bridge between progressives and mainstream liberals.

A former top aide to previous Senate mainstays Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., told The Hill it’s hard to tell how leadership elections will go because they’re closed-door votes, but “as far as I can tell, Sen. Schatz seems to be in a pretty good position if he wants to take the leap.”

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

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., is rumored to be a possible successor to Durbin as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, according to Politico.

Whitehouse has raised his profile as another one of President Donald Trump’s loudest critics, regularly creating viral clips of combativeness with administration nominees in the various hearings he’s sat in on.

Another lawmaker mentioned is Washington Sen. Patty Murray, who had been third in line to the presidency until the GOP took back the Senate.

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa., now holds that role, which is typically held by the longest-serving senator of the majority party.

Murray is also the top Democrat on the influential Senate Appropriations Committee.

Frequently called the “mom in tennis shoes” who ran for the Senate in 1992 as a relative political newcomer, Murray once said she and others “got into the U.S. Senate because we were mad.”

She lobbied officials in Olympia to save an education program from budget cuts when she was told “you can’t make a difference,” according to a biography from the Washington Secretary of State’s office.

That populist history, along with Murray’s long tenure and closeness with leadership, could also make her a lock to succeed Durbin.

Fox News Digital reached out to Schatz, Whitehouse and Murray for comment but did not immediately hear back.

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Durbin spoke tearfully about his decision to retire during a press conference outside the same Springfield home where he announced his first Senate run nearly 30 years ago.

He hearkened back to his risky move to give up a “safe House seat.”

“So, for the last 29 years, I’ve been vindicated that that decision paid off,” said Durbin.

“I love this job. I think it’s a terrific job, but I also know reality.”

An Obama-appointed federal judge in California who issued a ruling blocking the Trump administration from cutting funding to sanctuary cities has deep financial ties to the Democratic Party, records indicate.

The judge has also spoken at events in support of former Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Barack Obama and held leadership roles on committees to elect Obama and John Kerry.

Judge William Orrick of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued a ruling on Thursday that said President Donald Trump’s executive orders against sanctuary cities are unconstitutional.

Orrick said that Trump’s orders instructing Attorney General Pam Bondi and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to withhold federal funds from sanctuary cities and counties that do not cooperate with federal immigration law would violate the Constitution’s separation of powers principles and the Spending Clause, as well as the Fifth and 10th Amendments. 

PRESIDENT TRUMP BLASTS COURTS FOR GETTING IN THE WAY OF DEPORTATION AGENDA

The judge said Trump’s orders — titled “Protecting the American People Against Invasion” and “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders” — are “unconstitutionally vague and violate due process” and “impose coercive condition intended to commandeer local officials into enforcing federal immigration practices and law.”

Orrick wrote that “the threat to withhold funding causes them irreparable injury in the form of budgetary uncertainty, deprivation of constitutional rights, and undermining trust between the Cities and Counties and the communities they serve.” 

According to donation records stored in the Federal Election Commission database, Orrick, who was nominated by Obama in 2012, has donated $113,600 to Democratic candidates and committees throughout the years.

Democrats that Orrick has donated to include Obama, Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton and Diane Feinstein.

MEXICAN POLICE BRING IN MAJOR CARTEL BOSS IN ICE-ASSISTED RAID: ‘MAJOR MILESTONE’

Orrick made two donations to the Obama Victory Fund of $2,300 and $28,500 in 2008. He has also contributed a total of $53,500 to the Democratic National Committee and made a $3,000 donation to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and a $2,000 donation to the Iowa Democratic Party.

Besides his financial contributions, a Senate Judiciary Committee questionnaire further reveals that Orrick served as co-chair of the Bay Area Lawyers to Elect John Kerry 2003-2004 as well as the Bay Area Lawyers to Elect Barack Obama 2006-2008.

In 2009, he introduced then-California district attorney candidate Harris at a campaign fundraiser in San Francisco.

Orrick has also stumped for Obama and Kerry at several events dating back to 2003.

Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

Orange County, California, District Attorney Todd Spitzer said there was not a “plea deal” made in the case of an illegal immigrant convicted of manslaughter in the death of two teens after new scrutiny over the man’s early release from a California prison.

“A convicted felon who was twice previously deported is being released after serving just a fraction of his sentence for killing two 19-year-olds because California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature refuse to hold criminals accountable,” the Republican said in a news release Wednesday.

“This was not a plea deal. This was a defendant who pled to the court and was sentenced by a judge under California law, over the objection of Orange County prosecutors, who unsuccessfully argued for the maximum sentence.”

TWO FEDERAL JUDGES MAY HOLD TRUMP IN CONTEMPT AS HE DEFIES COURTS IN IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN

“California’s creative concoction of good time, education and other credits has resulted in criminals being released quicker than ever before, fulfilling Gov. Newsom’s plot to empty California’s prisons and put dangerous and violent felons back on the street,” Spitzer added.

Oscar Eduardo Ortega-Anguiano was driving drunk and high and speeding at nearly 100 mph on the 405 freeway in Orange County in November 2021, when he crashed into a car carrying 19-year-old Anya Varfolomeev and Nicholay Osokin. Both were killed and burned alive. In the spring of 2022, he was convicted of two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.

The victims’ families were notified on Easter Sunday that Ortega-Anguiano would be released early on July 19, more than six years before his 10-year sentence is up.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CONVICTED OF KILLING TEENS IN HIGH-SPEED CRASH TO BE RELEASED EARLY: ‘IT’S DISGUSTING’

However, after Fox News’ reporting, Democratic Gov. Newsom’s office said it would comply with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer and transfer him into federal custody. The Department of Justice announced it was filing federal charges against him, and border czar Tom Homan said his agency would do everything possible to keep him in custody.

“After being deported in 2013, this individual unlawfully re-entered the US & committed heinous crimes. A GOP DA then gave him a plea deal instead of pursuing 2nd-degree murder. [California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation] will again coordinate with ICE — as they have w/ 10,000+ inmates — to transfer him before release,” the governor’s press account tweeted on Wednesday afternoon. 

In response to Spitzer’s comment, the governor’s office told Fox News on background that district attorneys get a say in what charges are prosecuted in cases. The governor’s office said it was the Orange County District Attorney’s office that dropped great bodily injury enhancements and other charges. Still, it does not play a role in the fact that the individual was scheduled to be released several years sooner, which could have been a part of the state’s credit system to get out early. 

“For safety and security reasons, CDCR cannot provide information on an incarcerated person’s release date or location in advance of their release. Incarcerated persons may earn credits for participating in rehabilitative programming, which may move their parole dates to an earlier date,” the corrections department previously told Fox News.

TOP TRUMP OFFICIALS FILE CHARGES AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT AFTER FOX NEWS EXPOSES EARLY RELEASE PLANS

On Thursday morning, Bill Essayli, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, told “America’s Newsroom” why the DOJ is pursuing federal prosecution.

“This is what happens when you have an open border policy like we did in the prior administration. But those days are over. Under this administration, our borders are closed,” Essayli said.

“I’ve made it a top priority in my office, and I know throughout the United States, to enforce our immigration laws. So this defendant, he’s not gonna get free. He’s not going to be deported. He’s coming to my jurisdiction, and we’re gonna prosecute him. And once he’s convicted, he’s gonna spend many years in federal prison, and then he’ll be deported again.”

The Navy will no longer pursue a zero-emissions goal instituted under the Biden administration, Secretary John Phelan announced on Wednesday. 

“We need to focus on having a lethal and ready naval force, unimpeded by ideologically motivated regulations,” Phelan said in a video announcing he would rescind the Navy Climate Action 2030 Plan.

The plan had called for the Navy to use 100% emissions-free vehicles by 2035 and to use 100% carbon pollution-free electricity sources by 2030, with a 65% reduction in Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions. 

HEGSETH MAINTAINS WHITE HOUSE BACKING AMID ‘SMEAR CAMPAIGN’ ALLEGING LIKELY OUSTER

Naval installations all along the coast are threatened by rising sea levels and increased storms, Meredith Berger, the former assistant secretary for energy, installations and environment, argued at the time. 

“2030 is the marker that we laid down initially because the scientific community and others have said that this is the decade of decisive action, and so we’re taking that very seriously,” she told reporters.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth applauded Phelan’s move in a post on X: “Well done.”

DEFENSE SECRETARY PETE HEGSETH REBUFFS NEW GROUP CHAT ALLEGATIONS AS ATTEMPT TO ‘SABOTAGE’ TRUMP’S AGENDA 

Under Biden’s Navy secretary, Carlos del Toro, the service branch produced a 32-page document deeming climate change “one of the most destabilizing forces of our time.” 

It laid out a series of climate change-related threats to the Navy: destructive storms, black flag days at or above 90 degrees Fahrenheit where strenuous training is curtailed, and strains on the energy grid as people compete for power. The document followed Biden’s own bold plan to make the U.S. economy net-zero-emissions by 2050. 

During the Obama administration, then-Navy Sec. Ray Mabus launched an effort dubbed the “Great Green Fleet,” aimed at renewable energy sources for warships. The effort was canned by the first Trump administration in 2017. 

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In February, Hegseth ordered Pentagon agencies to identify 8% of their budget that could be cut, “low-impact and low-priority” Biden-era programs, and the funding redirected to Trump priorities. 

Programs that could be on the chopping block include “so-called ‘climate change’ and other woke programs, as well as excessive bureaucracy,” according to Acting Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Salesses.