FIRST ON FOX: Amid Harvard’s battle with the Trump administration, which has already pulled billions in federal funding from the university and floated taking even more, fiscal watchdog OpenTheBooks decided to take a peek at how much money the top-tier Ivy League school actually stands to lose.

Harvard has received at least $4.4 billion in federal funding through grants, contracts, sub-grants and subcontracts since the first Trump administration in 2017, the watchdog found through open-source analysis of government spending records and other publicly available data. Meanwhile, based on these numbers, Harvard collected more in federal grants and contracts than they stood to gain through tuition, room and board in any given year.

OpenTheBooks also unearthed that Harvard’s $53.2 billion endowment has grown by $14 billion, or $2 billion annually, since 2018. In total, the top-tier Ivy League school has more than $7 million per undergraduate student, the watchdog’s report indicated. 

TRUMP FROZE FUNDING FOR HARVARD. MONEY TO THESE UNIVERSITIES MAY ALSO BE ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK

The analysis of Harvard’s finances from OpenTheBooks comes as the institution is suing the Trump administration over the freezing of its federal funds. 

After refusing to comply with President Trump’s executive directives on antisemitism, DEI, viewpoint diversity and more, the Trump administration pulled $2.2 billion in multi-year grants and $60 million in multi-year government contracts. The Trump administration has indicated the potential for further cuts as well if the school does not fold to the president’s demands, and is also considering stripping Harvard’s tax-exempt status. 

TRUMP SIGNS EDUCATION-FOCUSED EXECUTIVE ORDERS ON AI, SCHOOL DISCIPLINE, ACCREDITATION, FOREIGN GIFTS AND MORE  

Harvard’s lawsuit against the Trump administration sets up a fight over higher education autonomy, with the university alleging in its suits against multiple federal agencies that the Trump administration’s demands infringe on the school’s right to educate and learn free of government coercion. 

Harvard University did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on this story.

“America’s university system is still the envy of the world and maintaining that advantage is a matter of national security,” OpenTheBooks CEO John Hart told Fox News Digital. “Harvard can lead the way in that process by rejecting totalitarian progressive fundamentalism and reviving America’s commitment to classical liberalism, true free speech, true science over ‘the science’ and rigorous, open debate.”

GREGG JARRETT: AMERICAN TAXPAYERS ‘SHOULDN’T PAY’ FOR HARVARD’S INDOCTRINATION, ANTISEMITISM

In addition to Harvard’s failure to comply with the president’s executive orders, the Trump administration also accused Harvard of failing to report large foreign donations, as required by law, and has opened an investigation into the matter. On Wednesday, the president signed an executive order threatening to cut off federal funding from colleges and universities that fail to disclose their sources of foreign money.

Using data that Harvard has reported to the government pertaining to its foreign donations, OpenTheBooks found that, since 2017, Harvard has accepted at least $1.1 billion in gifts or contracts from foreign sources. 

The top countries contributing to Harvard are England and China, which have each given over $100 billion to Harvard over the last eight years. Per federal law, universities are required to report payments that exceed $250,000 from foreign sources.

EVEN BEFORE TRUMP’S ENGAGEMENT, HARVARD UNDERSTOOD IT HAD A REAL PROBLEM ON THE ANTISEMITISM SIDE, EXPERT SAYS 

“As a private university, they’re free to pursue any topic they like – as long as their campus stays within the confines of the Constitution – but that doesn’t automatically entitle them to our tax money,” Hart added in his comments to Fox News Digital about the Ivy League school’s finances. 

“Harvard can revive its commitment to academic freedom by explaining why it’s receiving millions from China, and potentially Iran proxies, and why it’s spending tax dollars on far-Left research and race-based identity politics.”

Alex Soros, the son of notorious billionaire George Soros and chair of the Open Society Foundations, took aim at a left-wing climate group, saying: “All they do is talk about Palestine.”

In an interview with New York Magazine in which he detailed his plans to fund efforts to foil the Trump administration’s agenda, Soros expressed his frustration with the leftist environmentalist group “Sunrise Movement,” which is heavily funded by Soros-backed organizations.

“What the hell did they do, by the way?” Soros, who is Jewish, complained. “We gave them money, and now all they do is talk about Palestine. It’s ridiculous.”

During the 2020 election season, Sunrise Movement, whose website says it wants to “force the government to end the era of fossil fuel elites,” received nearly a third of its funding from the Soros-backed Democracy PAC and Sixteen-Thirty Fund, totaling $750,000.

MUSK CLAIMS GEORGE SOROS, LINKEDIN CO-FOUNDER REID HOFFMAN ARE FUNDING ‘PROTESTS’ AGAINST TESLA

Shortly after receiving these funds, Sunrise stepped into a massive controversy sparked by its Washington, D.C., chapter posting an antisemitic statement in which it vowed to boycott any events co-sponsored by “Zionist” Jewish groups.

In an October 2021 statement on “future coalition spaces with Zionist organizations,” Sunrise DC said it was declining to participate in a D.C. statehood rally specifically because of the inclusion of the Jewish Council on Public Affairs, the National Council of Jewish Women and the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, which it said “are all in alignment with and in support of Zionism and the State of Israel.”

Sunrise DC called Israel a “colonial project” that “treats all Palestinians, as well as Black and brown Jewish-Israelis, as second-class citizens.” The group went on to ask the event organizers to remove the Jewish groups from participation, saying that the D.C. statehood movement is “incompatible with Zionism.”

The statement was quickly slammed as blatantly antisemitic.

FORMER BIDEN OFFICIAL ‘PLEASED’ TRUMP ADMIN TACKLING ANTISEMITISM

One user named Blake Flayton, a Jewish podcaster, called out the group, commenting, “You are intentionally pushing Jewish people outside of your movement.”

“You are associating Jews in the United States with the actions of Israel,” added Flayton. “This is antisemitic. You are antisemites.”

In a follow-up post published several days later, Sunrise DC apologized for singling out the three Jewish organizations while not mentioning other groups associated with the event “with similar positions.” The group doubled down on its stance against Zionism, calling it an “ideology that has led to Palestinians being violently pushed out of their homes since 1948.”

The group said it was “committed to learning and growing as we continue to stand against Zionism, antisemitism, anti-Palestinian racism, and all other forms of oppression.”

ANTISEMITIC INCIDENTS BREAK RECORD FOR 4TH STRAIGHT YEAR, ADL FINDS

This post was also widely panned as antisemitic, with one user named Joel Petlin commenting that Sunrise was “trying to get out of a hole they dug for themselves by digging it deeper.”

“*We apologize for singling out 3 Jewish organizations when we should’ve singled out everyone who doesn’t hate Israel* is not actually an apology. It’s just doubling down on Antisemitism,” said Petlin.

This past October, Sunrise Movement published a long Instagram post railing against Israel, saying, “Climate justice means freedom for Palestinians.”

“Why? Because Israel’s ongoing oppression of Palestinians means they will suffer some of the most devastating impacts of climate change, and Israel’s constant bombing harms the climate, ultimately harming us all,” Sunrise Movement continued. “While committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, the Israeli military – which is backed and armed by the US – has released more carbon emissions than 20 of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations combined.

Democrats and left-wing leaders have long called criticisms of George Soros, who is a Hungarian-born Jew, antisemitic attacks. However, the Soros family’s funding of progressive anti-Israel agitators across the country, including those who mobilized at New York City’s Columbia University, has raised eyebrows as well.

Fox News Digital previously reported on Israel’s minister of diaspora affairs and social equality, Amichai Chikli, saying that Alex is a mirror image of his father’s anti-Israel agenda.

CAIR PANELIST ACCUSES TRUMP ADMIN OF USING AI AND ANTISEMITISM AGAINST FREE SPEECH

When asked if Alex will continue to fund anti-Israel entities that bash the Jewish state, Chikli said it “looks like the son is a replica of his father. We have no expectation that his son will be a big Zionist.”

Chikli noted that the Soros foundation “gives money to radical small Palestinian organizations in Israel that describe Israel as a colonial state and a moral sin.” 

Fox News Digital reached out to Open Society Foundations and the Sunrise Movement for comment, but neither responded in time for publication.

Benjamin Weinthal and Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

A federal judge on Wednesday gave the Justice Department another week to provide information on its efforts to return deported illegal migrant and suspected MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia back to the U.S.

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis granted the Justice Department a seven-day stay until April 30 to provide testimony and documents related to a case which has drawn a sharp wedge between Democrats and Republicans. 

Drew Ensign, a deputy assistant attorney general, filed a sealed motion requesting the stay, with lawyers for Abrego Garcia filing a response in opposition to the government’s motion to halt the order. It was under seal in the Maryland federal court.

Xinis didn’t explain her legal reasoning but wrote that it was made “with the agreement of the parties.”

WHITE HOUSE PHOTO BLUNTLY SHOWS WHERE PARTIES STAND ON IMMIGRATION AMID ABREGO GARCIA DEPORTATION

The administration was also seeking relief from having to file daily updates, but Xinis’ stay did not make any changes to that requirement.

The Wednesday evening order came just one day after Xinis blasted the administration’s lawyers in a written filing for ignoring her orders in refusing to provide the daily status updates on the case, saying that they had been acting in “bad faith” by obstructing the legal process.

“That ends now,” said Xinis, who was nominated to the bench by former President Barack Obama.

“For weeks, defendants have sought refuge behind vague and unsubstantiated assertions of privilege, using them as a shield to obstruct discovery and evade compliance with this Court’s orders,” Xinis wrote in an eight-page order. “Defendants have known, at least since last week, that this court requires specific legal and factual showings to support any claim of privilege. Yet they have continued to rely on boilerplate assertions.”

She gave the administration until 6 p.m. Wednesday to provide daily status updates.

The U.S. has claimed that much of the information is protected because it involves state secrets, government deliberations and attorney client privilege. But Xinis has rejected the argument and demanded that the Trump administration provide specific justifications for each claim of privileged information.

Abrego Garcia, 29, was deported last month by the Trump administration, which says he is an MS-13 gang member who also violently beat his wife. President Donald Trump has declared MS-13 a terrorist organization and is looking to deport all members of the violent gang.

Trump displayed a picture of Abrego Garcia’s hand last week, showing what the president said were gang tattoos. Abrego Garcia was also pulled over on Dec. 1, 2022, by a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper and was suspected of participating in human smuggling as he had eight individuals in the SUV with no luggage. Abrego Garcia has never been charged with a crime. 

Abrego Garcia, whose attorneys deny that he is a member of the gang, was deported to the El Salvadoran megaprison “Terrorism Confinement Center” (CECOT) last month, and officials acknowledged in court his deportation was an administrative error. However, now some top Trump officials say he was correctly removed and contend he’s a member of the notorious MS-13 gang. 

He had been living in Maryland with his wife and children.

The Justice Department unveiled documents last week detailing domestic violence allegations that Abrego Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez, made where she accused him of beating her.

DEPORTED ‘MARYLAND MAN’ CHAMPIONED BY DEMS WAS PULLED OVER DRIVING CAR BELONGING TO HUMAN SMUGGLER

Both a federal district court and the U.S. Supreme Court have ordered the Trump administration to “facilitate” his release and return to the U.S. for proper deportation proceedings.

Abrego Garcia entered the U.S. illegally in 2011 and was issued a deportation order in 2019. Two previous judges found he was likely affiliated with MS-13.

One immigration judge in 2019 found that Garcia had not sufficiently refuted evidence of MS-13 affiliation and was thus removable to anywhere other than El Salvador because of a threat from a rival gang. This is called a withholding order.

The Supreme Court acknowledges that Abrego Garcia was subject to a 2019 withholding order forbidding his removal to El Salvador and that the removal to El Salvador was “therefore illegal.” The court stressed that the government must facilitate his release from custody in El Salvador and treat his case as if he were never deported.

White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said last week that when Trump declared the violent gang a terrorist organization, Abrego Garcia was no longer eligible for any form of immigration relief in the United States.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said Abrego Garcia would not be allowed back into the U.S. unless El Salvador were to decide otherwise. “He is not coming back to our country.” 

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The case has made national headlines and drawn a wedge between Democrats and Republicans.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s, D-Md., flew to El Salvador last week to meet with Abrego Garcia in an attempt to spur his return to the U.S. Van Hollen’s trip, which he said was paid for by the taxpayers, was followed by another group of Democratic lawmakers traveling to the Central American nation to advocate for his return. That party included Reps. Robert Garcia of California, Maxwell Frost of Florida, Yassamin Ansari of Arizona, and Maxine Dexter of Oregon.

Fox News’ Greg Wehner and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is continuing to advocate for the destruction of Iran’s nuclear program.

“Waste that s—,” the lawmaker declared to the Washington Free Beacon. “You’re never going to be able to negotiate with that kind of regime that has been destabilizing the region for decades already, and now we have an incredible window, I believe, to do that, to strike and destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities.”

“Years ago, I completely understood why Trump withdrew from the Obama deal. Today, I can’t understand why Trump would negotiate with this diseased regime. The negotiations should be comprised of 30,000-pound bombs and the IDF,” Fetterman noted, according to the outlet. The IDF is the Israel Defense Forces.

US CONFIRMS THIRD ROUND OF NUCLEAR TALKS WITH IRAN AFTER ‘VERY GOOD PROGRESS’

Fox News Digital reached out to Fetterman’s office to request a comment from the senator on Thursday morning but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

The lawmaker, who is a staunch supporter of Israel, had already been calling for the elimination of Iran’s nuclear program.

Fetterman declared last week in a post on X, “The only purpose of Iran’s nuclear program is to create weapons. We can’t allow that or negotiate with this regime. Provide our comprehensive military support and whatever else Israel requires to destroy Iran’s capabilities.”

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

President Donald Trump noted earlier this week that he had spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“I’ve just spoken to Prime Minister of Israel, Bibi Netanyahu, relative to numerous subjects including Trade, Iran, etc. The call went very well – We are on the same side of every issue,” Trump said in a Tuesday post on Truth Social.

JOHN FETTERMAN AND LINDSEY GRAHAM ADVOCATE FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM

Fetterman declared in part of an X post in January, “Whatever remains of Iran’s nuclear program needs to be destroyed and I fully support efforts to do so.”

In the years immediately following 9/11, Republican lawmakers successfully drafted and passed REAL ID legislation that was promoted as a tool to prevent a similar act of terror from unfolding again. 

Twenty years after President George W. Bush signed the legislation into law, it is set to take effect next month as the Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) looks to bolster national security while also further cracking down on crime and illegal immigration in the U.S. 

Americans will need to obtain a REAL ID, which is a federally-compliant driver’s license or other identification that meets higher standards than state-issued licenses, in order to easily travel by air, DHS explains on its website. Only legal U.S. citizens or residents can obtain an identification card, while valid U.S. passports can also still be used instead of a REAL ID for domestic air travel. 

Ahead of the law taking effect on May 7, Fox News Digital took a look back on what top Republicans in 2005 had to say about the legislation and its passage — including the 9/11 Commission’s support of heightening standards for government-issued IDs. 

BLUE STATES RALLIED FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO OBTAIN DRIVER’S LICENSES AHEAD OF TRUMP’S REAL ID CRACKDOWN

Former Wisconsin Republican Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, while serving as House Judiciary Committee chair, introduced the REAL ID Act of 2005 in January of that year as an additional security measure to prevent “terrorist entry” to the U.S. 

Terrorists behind the 9/11 attacks used phony driver’s licenses to enroll in flight classes and board the planes on Sept. 11, 2001, according to the 9/11 Commission’s report. Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley’s office has previously reported that “18 of the 19 hijackers had acquired some form of fraudulent ID, including 30 driver’s licenses from various states.” 

HOUSE REPUBLICAN’S BILL WOULD RIP FEDERAL FUNDS FROM STATES THAT GIVE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS DRIVER’S LICENSES

The REAL ID Act of 2005 passed both chambers of Congress in May of that year, with Bush signing it into law on May 11, 2005. The House passed the legislation by a 368-58 vote, while the Senate unanimously passed it. 

The legislation received widespread support from lawmakers, most notably Republicans, who controlled both chambers of Congress and the White House at the time. This was after the 9/11 Commission recommended the government set standards for forms of government-issued identification, such as driver’s licenses. 

“The federal government should set standards for the issuance of birth certificates and sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses,” the commissioners wrote in their report, which was published in 2004. “Fraud in identification documents is no longer just a problem of theft. At many entry points to vulnerable facilities, including gates for boarding aircraft, sources of identification are the last opportunity to ensure that people are who they say they are and to check whether they are terrorists.”

PANDEMIC, PRICE TAGS AND PRIVACY CONCERNS: WHY IT TOOK 20 YEARS TO IMPLEMENT REAL ID

The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States — better known as the 9/11 Commission — was established in 2002 to investigate the terror attacks on Sept. 11, including how to prevent such a tragedy in the future. The commission dissolved in 2004 after publishing its final report that year. 

The Bush administration was also supportive of the legislation ahead of its passage, arguing it would further protect the country against acts of terror.

“The Administration strongly supports House passage of H.R. 418, to strengthen the ability of the United States to protect against terrorist entry into and activities within the United States. In particular, the legislation tightens procedures for non-citizen entry into and presence in the United States, facilitates the building of physical barriers where appropriate to protect U.S. borders, and facilitates the strengthening by the States of the standards for the security and integrity of drivers’ licenses,” a Bush administration statement published on Feb. 9, 2005 stated. 

Sensenbrenner celebrated that the REAL ID Act would prevent terrorists from “hiding in plain sight” while on U.S. soil. 

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

“By targeting terrorist travel, the REAL ID will assist in our War on Terror efforts to disrupt terrorist operations and help secure our borders,” Sensenbrenner said in a statement following its passage in Congress. 

Activist groups at the time of its passage railed against the legislation as an attack on immigrants and promoting “post-9/11 xenophobia,” NBC News reported at the time. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Bush’s office for comment on the measure and his support for the legislation in 2005, but did not immediately receive a response. 

Twenty years later, the Trump administration’s DHS is implementing REAL IDs after decades of setbacks, including some states initially refusing to comply, and delays during the coronavirus pandemic. 

“Passed by Congress in 2005, the REAL ID Act enacted the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that the Federal Government ‘set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses.’ The Act established minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards and prohibits certain federal agencies from accepting for official purposes licenses and identification cards from states that do not meet these standards,” DHS states on its website, alongside a countdown clock to May 7. 

A DHS memo exclusively obtained by Fox Digital on April 15 outlined that part of the motivation for the Trump administration to enforce the REAL ID law is to prevent those in the country illegally from flying — unless they are looking to self-deport on an international flight.

TOP TRUMP AGENCY REVEALS KEY REASON WHY REAL ID WILL BE ENFORCED

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

“This closes the gaping vulnerabilities Biden’s policies created, preventing criminals and potential terrorists from exploiting our aviation system, as seen during 9/11 when fraudulent IDs enabled attacks,” the memo continues. 

The agency emphasized that the measure prevents people in the country illegally from traveling within the U.S.

“DHS and TSA [Transportation Security Administration] are clear, the only place an illegal alien should be flying is home. Under Secretary Kristi Noem’s leadership, illegal aliens will be barred from domestic flights, with one exception: illegal aliens self-deporting on international flights will be allowed to board without a REAL ID, encouraging their exit from the U.S.,” it states.

The law has come under fire from some Republicans who say it bolsters the oversight “Big Brother” holds over the country, while Democrats, such as Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, have sounded the alarm that many Americans still lack access to REAL IDs. 

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“REAL IDs make identification harder to forge, thwarting criminals and terrorists. Eighty-one percent of air travelers hold REAL ID-compliant or acceptable IDs. DHS will continue to collaborate with state, local, and airport authorities to inform the public, facilitate compliance, curb wait times and prevent fraud,” DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital in a statement last week. 

Fox News Digital’s Cameron Arcand and Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.

The U.S. Supreme Court will consider the establishment of the nation’s first religious charter school next week, a case that could have key implications for school choice across the country.

A huge majority of states have implemented some form of school choice in recent years, but only a little more than a dozen have adopted programs that make private school choice universally available to K-12 students.

Here is the full list and a timeline of the school choice movement in recent years.

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Alabama passed its CHOOSE Act in 2024, which establishes an education savings account (ESA) that will soon be open to all families in the state.

Arizona became the first state to offer universal school choice for all families in 2022, launching an $800 million program that gives parents $7,000 to put toward their children’s tuition.

Arkansas’s S.B. 294 established choice programs open to all students, regardless of income or disability status.

The accounts allow families to spend state money not just on tuition but also on other approved expenses, such as tutoring, online courses and instructional materials.

Florida’s H.B. 1, passed in 2023, established choice programs open to all students, regardless of income or disability status.

The accounts allow families to spend state money not just on tuition but also on other approved expenses, such as tutoring, online courses and instructional materials.

Idaho launched its first private school choice program through a refundable tax credit. Families can receive up to $5,000 per child for private educational expenses, with $7,500 available for students with disabilities. The program is capped at $50 million annually and prioritizes families earning up to 300% of the federal poverty level (about $96,450 for a family of four).

SUPREME COURT TO DECIDE IF FAMILIES CAN OPT OUT OF READING LGBTQ BOOKS IN THE CLASSROOM

Iowa’s H.F. 68, passed in 2023, established choice programs open to all students, regardless of income or disability status.

The accounts allow families to spend state money not just on tuition but also on other approved expenses, such as tutoring, online courses and instructional materials.

The Indiana Choice Scholarship Program grants a voucher to qualifying K-12 students that they can put toward private school tuition.

In order to qualify, students must be residents of Indiana and a member of a household that makes an “annual income of not more than 400% of the amount to qualify for the federal free and reduced price lunch program.”

Montana has two major school choice programs, but only one of them is universally available. The more restricted program is a standard ESA, but students must have special needs or have some other form of disability in order to qualify.

The more expansive program is a statewide tax credit scholarship program that “allows individuals and corporations to claim a 100% tax credit for contributions to approved Student Scholarship Organizations,” according to EdChoice.

The average scholarship value for participating students is $2,190.

North Carolina has a major voucher program that is available to all students across the state, but is limited by a budget cap.

Qualifying students will get an average voucher value of $5,701 to put toward private school tuition costs, transportation, equipment or other costs associated with attending school.

After baseline qualifications are met, vouchers are granted based on household income. 

Ohio’s school choice program awards $6,166 for grades K–8 and $8,408 for grades 9-12 to qualifying students.

Students must meet one of a series of qualifications in order to receive the award, and parents must submit their income information.

Like Montana, Oklahoma employs a tax credit system to allow for school choice in the state.

“The Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit provides parents of students in private school with a refundable tax credit ranging from a minimum of $5,000 up to a maximum of $7,500 per child to cover the cost of private school tuition and fees, or it provides parents of students in home school a refundable tax credit of $1,000 to cover the cost of unbundled educational expenses,” according to EdChoice.

Tennessee passed the Education Freedom Act of 2025, creating a universal ESA program. Families receive $7,000 per student, which must first be used for tuition but can also cover other educational expenses. The program starts with 20,000 scholarships, with half reserved for students from families earning up to 300% of the free and reduced-price lunch threshold and students with disabilities. If at least 75% of scholarships are awarded, the cap will rise to 25,000 students in 2026.

Utah’s H.B. 215, passed in 2023, established choice programs open to all students, regardless of income or disability status.

The accounts allow families to spend state money not just on tuition but also on other approved expenses, such as tutoring, online courses and instructional materials.

West Virginia employs an ESA program to allow universal school choice for private schools, and it also has “intra-district and inter-district public school choice via open enrollment,” according to EdChoice.

The ESA program grants an average of $4,299 toward private school tuition costs.

Wyoming passed HB 199 in 2025, expanding its ESA program by removing income restrictions and making it fully universal starting in 2025-26. Renamed the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship, the program will provide families with $7,000 and be funded through a $30 million appropriation. Participating students must be assessed on academic progress.

An aversion to tax increases has long been one of the Republican Party’s core pillars, but tradition was upended in recent weeks as discussions of a potential new millionaires’ tax hike hit Capitol Hill.

It’s baffled some members of the GOP’s old guard, though Republican operatives who spoke with Fox News Digital were less surprised. They said those conversations were largely ushered in by the party’s growing populist wing.

“I’m not sure if I’m surprised anymore, because the party has changed so much in just a short period of time. But it is noteworthy,” longtime GOP strategist Doug Heye told Fox News Digital. 

Heye recalled his time as a senior House leadership aide in 2012, when a Republican proposal for a uniform tax rate for people making under $1 million per year was blown up “by a rebellion within our own ranks” over raising taxes.

WHITE HOUSE QUIETLY FLOATS MILLIONAIRE TAX HIKE PROPOSAL IN CONGRESS AS GOP LEADERS SIGNAL OPPOSITION

“It all exploded in our faces,” he said. “And now this is what more and more of those Republicans who rejected the idea in 2012 want to do.”

Sources told Fox News Digital this month that the White House was socializing a plan among Republicans to create a new 40% tax bracket for people making more than $1 million.

Various reported plans floated among House Republicans included raising taxes on the ultra-wealthy to rates between 38% and 40%. 

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has been seeking to quash that this week, even posting a purported message from President Donald Trump himself on X that said, “If you can do without it, you’re probably better off trying to do so.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House on Wednesday morning for comment on Gingrich’s note, including the context of the message and why Trump described that he would “love” increasing taxes, but did not receive a reply.

The top income tax rate is currently about 37% on $609,351 in earnings for a single person or $731,201 for married couples. It was lowered from just over 39% by Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

“The politics are good for raising taxes on wealthy Americans,” said John Feehery, a partner at EFB Advocacy and veteran of House GOP leadership staff. “The downside is it does have an impact on economic growth. So if you want the cheap political score, that’s the way to go. On the other hand, if you want a solid economy where people are working, you want to be careful on how you do that.”

Asked if the discussions caught him off guard, Feehery said, “I’m not surprised by it because Trump is such a populist, and he has a lot of folks who are populist.”

He signaled the appeal of higher taxes for the wealthy was born from that shift.

“If you look at the constituencies, the biggest constituency, it’s really interesting because the parties have kind of changed,” he continued. “It used to be the country-club Republicans and working-class Democrats; now it’s working-class Republicans and country-club Democrats.”

Heye said when asked about the increase in tax hike talks, “I think it’s a mixture of Trump and populism.”

“Raising taxes used to be an anathema to Republicans, and you know, when George Bush did it after saying ‘Read my lips,’ that was the beginning of the end of his presidency,” Heye said. “That world just doesn’t exist anymore.”

House GOP leaders have publicly made clear that they’re opposed to raising taxes on anyone. But Republicans must find a way to pass Trump’s budget, including new tax policies eliminating duties on tipped and overtime wages, while meeting conservatives’ demand to cut at least $1.5 trillion in government spending to make up for it.

House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, R-Md., previously signaled that he is open to the idea if spending cuts can’t be reached by other means.

“What I’d like to do is, I’d actually like to find spending reductions elsewhere in the budget, but if we can’t get enough spending reductions, we’re going to have to pay for our tax cuts,” Harris told “Mornings with Maria” on FOX Business last week.

SCOOP: PENCE URGES REPUBLICANS TO HOLD THE LINE ON TAX HIKES FOR THE RICH AS TRUMP WEIGHS OPTIONS

“Before the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the highest tax bracket was 39.6%; it was less than $1 million. Ideally, what we could do – again, if we can’t find spending reductions – we say, ‘OK, let’s restore that higher bracket, let’s set it at maybe $2 million income and above’ to help pay for the rest of the president’s agenda.”

Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., similarly floated raising the top tax bracket to 38.6%.

He later told Fox News Digital in a statement, “I believe we must help the president deliver on his promise of a tax and regulatory plan that supports pro-American economic and manufacturing growth, and delivers for the vast majority of Americans – while creating savings and promoting fiscal responsibility. Any adjustments in taxes to accomplish these goals should be considered.”

Both Meuser and Harris declined to provide more comment for this story.

Former Vice President Mike Pence, who refers to the 2017 tax cuts as the “Trump-Pence tax cuts,” last week urged House Republicans to stand firm against raising taxes on the country’s top earners and to make the 2017 tax cuts permanent. 

One House GOP lawmaker told Fox News Digital last week that reaction among their colleagues to possible tax hikes was “mixed.”

But a former Republican member was skeptical on Wednesday.

“Raising taxes is a short-term high, which ultimately does more harm than good,” the former House Republican said. “This strategy is contrary to conservative values.”

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Meanwhile, Marc Goldwein, senior policy director at the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said it was “healthy” that lawmakers are entertaining fiscal ideas outside their party norms.

He was wary about the push for a tax hike, however.

“I’m not a fan of doing things that look fiscally good at the same time that you’re doing things that actually are fiscally bad … on top of that, I don’t think raising tax rates is the best way to raise revenue,” Goldwein said. “But with those two things said, I think it is very healthy move that the GOP kind of is talking about that rates actually can go in both directions.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Gingrich for an interview for this story but did not receive a response.

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.

A top Democrat refuted claims she ignored correspondence from a constituent whose son was abducted by Venezuela’s military while she was publicly advocating for Salvadoran deportee Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. — who, until Republicans retook the Senate, was third in line to the presidency — told Fox News Digital through a spokesperson on Monday they have no record of correspondence from Scott St. Clair asking for help for his imprisoned son.

“Our office has no record of an inquiry from the St. Clair family; however, our staff is ready and willing to help support the return of Joseph however possible,” the Murray spokesperson said, after Fox News Digital asked about comments from St. Clair to KTTH radio host Jason Rantz, wherein the father said he received “nothing” in response from Murray.

“We’ll be working to get in touch with the family directly,” the Murray spokesperson said, adding constituent service is a “top priority.”

PATTY MURRAY WENT FROM A MOM IN TENNIS SHOES TO SECOND-IN-LINE FOR THE PRESIDENCY

Joseph St. Clair, a four-tour Afghanistan War veteran from Hansville, Washington, first went missing in November while getting PTSD treatment in Colombia. 

In February, his father got a call from the Colombian consulate telling him neighboring Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro’s regime had taken him hostage.

As for her Abrego Garcia advocacy, her office said Murray “is also committed to protecting the fundamental right to due process in America — and will not shy away from condemning the Trump administration’s dangerous efforts to undermine the rule of law.”

On Thursday, Murray retweeted Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s, D-Md., photo with Abrego Garcia in El Salvador, writing, “We’re with you, Senator Van Hollen.”

“In America, we don’t send people to foreign prisons for life with no trial and no due process. We’ll keep fighting. This is about protecting our democracy,” she continued.

She also released a video saying the Trump administration “abruptly ripped Garcia off the streets.”

“They admitted that this deportation was a mistake. Now the president is trying to pretend that he has no power to bring him back from one of the most horrific prisons in the world. This is un-American. It is immoral. It is illegal. And it needs to stop,” Murray said.

VENEZUELAN OPPO LEADER JOINS CUBAN-BORN GOP LAWMAKER PRAISING TRUMP FOR CANCELING BIDEN-MADURO OIL DEAL

Rantz lambasted Murray’s tweet, saying that while she “pretends to care about an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, she’s ignoring the father of an American USAF vet who was kidnapped by the Maduro regime in Venezuela.”

Another Seattle figure, Discovery Institute’s Jonathan Choe, recounted Murray’s comments on Abrego Garcia, and then the plight of the St. Claires, remarking on X, “Make it make sense.” Several other people slammed the senator on X over the situation, while a hostage aid group reprinted part of Rantz’s report on the matter.

Scott St. Clair told Rantz that his son was held alongside several other Americans whom President Donald Trump envoy Ric Grenell was able to bring home during a Jan. 31 meeting with Maduro.

Joseph St. Clair’s military credentials originally drew the Venezuelans’ attention, his father said.

Another Trump envoy, Adam Boehler, reached out to the family to assist them, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio officially designated Joseph St. Clair “wrongfully detained.”

Rantz shared apparent screenshots of Scott St. Clair’s purported attempts to contact Murray, before “a senator from another state would agree to intervene.” That lawmaker turned out to be Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., to whom Fox News Digital reached out for comment.

Scott St. Clair appeared to reach out to Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., by email, and Murray via Twitter direct message on March 23 after Rubio officially designated his son captive.

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In one email from February shared with Rantz, Scott St. Clair wrote that “as a matter of record” he also sent a letter to Murray “via web form” and appeared to include text of the letter in a prior reply that was partially hidden.

He also shared a screenshot of his X direct message to Murray where he shared a “Bring Joe Home” graphic and the message: “I am a Washingtonian and need advocacy to secure the release of our son from captivity in Venezuela. I sent your office an email and received no reply.”

Scott St. Clair said he received some response from Cantwell but ultimately pivoted to Schmitt.

“We need all the help we can get. Congress needs to demand that Maduro release our citizens held hostage as political pawns,” he wrote to Murray, according to one screenshot viewed by Fox News Digital.

“We do not have our state’s backing from congressmen or senators,” Joseph’s mother Patty added in a Monday night interview on “Fox News @ Night.” “Thank God we do have some senators stepping up from other states to help us, but nothing at all from ours.”

“We would welcome [Murray’s] advocacy, yes, but I don’t think it’s coming,” Scott St. Clair added.

FIRST ON FOX: Longtime Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur is facing a new Republican challenger in Ohio’s 9th Congressional District in the form of Air Force veteran Alea Nadeem, who spoke exclusively to Fox News Digital about her campaign.

“This country saved me, I owe my life to this country,” Nadeem, a northwest Ohio native, told Fox News Digital, recounting her harrowing life story of being kidnapped by her father and taken to Iraq, where she lived under the rule of Saddam Hussein before the U.S. government worked to bring her back.

Nadeem joined the Air Force in response to the events of 9/11 and never planned on leaving the nonpartisan military world for politics until she spent time on Capitol Hill in recent years and realized that life for people in her district was not improving.

“I got to see firsthand all the things that were happening, and I’ve got to tell you, my hometown where I grew up was not better off,” Nadeem said. “I was seeing the policies that people were voting on, and especially the current person, Marcy Kaptur, who’s been here for almost 43 years. I didn’t think they were voting in a way that actually helped the way I grew up, blue-collar families.”

‘NEW LOW’: LONGTIME HOUSE DEM RIPPED FOR ‘DISGUSTING’ QUESTIONING OF MUSK’S LOYALTY TO US AS AN IMMIGRANT

Kaptur, who narrowly won re-election in 2024 by less than 1 percentage point, is widely considered one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the House. Her district will be home to one of the most highly watched races as Republicans attempt to hold a thin majority in the chamber.

Cook Political Report ranks the race as a “Democrat toss up” in a state that Trump carried by over 10 points.

Kaptur faced criticism during last year’s campaign for introducing only five bills that became law in 41 years.

REPUBLICANS TROLL DEMS’ EL SALVADOR VISITS WITH OFFER TO FOOT TRAVEL BILL – IN EXCHANGE FOR ONE THING

Nadeem told Fox News Digital that even people she talks to who “love” Kaptur agree that 22 terms in Congress is too much.

“It’s time to pass the torch,” Nadeem said. “One of the things that they’ve all said to me is they were really scared to pass a torch the last two times. They didn’t feel like they had a candidate who could really step into her shoes. And so I’ve heard, I call it kitchen table talk. They haven’t found somebody worthy to pass the torch to, but they also fully understand it’s time. Everyone has been like, it’s enough. We get it, 43 years. So I think they’re looking for the next guardian to be able to do that. Someone they can trust. And I’m really hoping to step into that.”

Nadeem spoke to Fox News Digital about the issues she plans to focus on during the campaign. At the top of the list are jobs and manufacturing.

“This is near and dear to my heart,” Nadeem said, adding that making sure “we’re not hollowing out the northwest and these blue-collar jobs” is her “number one priority.”

Nadeem said bringing fiscal responsibility to Washington, D.C., will be another priority.

“I looked at 1983, when Marcy Kaptur was in office, I think the debt was around, that the United States debt was around like $1.6 trillion, and now it’s $36 trillion,” Nadeem said. “So you can just see like, under Democratic leadership, we have not done better. So we need to get our fiscal house in order because I know people in northwest Ohio really rely on Social Security and Medicare. And I call those earned benefits. And if we can’t balance our checkbook, we can’t pay for those things. And so I do think people deserve that.”

President Donald Trump is slated to hold a rally in Michigan next week in celebration of the first 100 days of his second term in office, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt noted in a post on X.

“President Trump is excited to return to the great state of Michigan next Tuesday, where he will rally in Macomb County to celebrate the FIRST 100 DAYS!” Leavitt declared in the tweet.

Trump, who was sworn in on Jan. 20, is the second U.S. president elected to two non-consecutive terms — the first was President Grover Cleveland in the 19th century.

FOX NEWS POLL: THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF PRESIDENT TRUMP’S SECOND TERM

Trump won the state of Michigan in 2016 and 2024, but lost it in 2020.

His 2016 win in the state snapped a lengthy Republican losing streak — the last time Michigan had gone to a Republican in a presidential contest was in 1988.

REPUBLICAN REP. JOHN JAMES ANNOUNCES RUN FOR GOVERNOR: ‘MAKE MICHIGAN GREAT AGAIN’

“There is no better place to celebrate Day 100 than Macomb County,” House GOP conference chair Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., declared in a post on X, adding, “Welcome, @POTUS!

Rep. John James, R-Mich., said in a tweet, “Macomb County is honored to welcome President @realDonaldTrump back to MICHIGAN to celebrate the first 100 days of America’s New Golden Age. Together, we will Make Michigan Great Again.”

TRUMP PRAISES DEM GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER AFTER SLAMMING HER LAST YEAR: ‘VERY GOOD PERSON’

James launched a gubernatorial bid earlier this month.

President Donald Trump elicited laughter in the Oval Office on Wednesday after asking a wounded veteran about his “Let’s Go Brandon” sticker.

While meeting with wounded veterans, the president appeared to notice the sticker, asking: “Who is that picture on there?” 

“That is Joe Biden,” the veteran replied. “And it says, ‘Let’s go, Brandon.’” Attendees inside the iconic office erupted with laughter. 

“I’m saying, ‘what was that picture?'” Trump said through laughter. “That’s great.”

‘DOWN TO ZERO’: VETERAN SUICIDE CRISIS TARGETED IN VA BILL BY BIPARTISAN HOUSE COALITION

The “Let’s Go Brandon” phrase was coined during a 2021 NASCAR interview when a sports reporter misheard a crowd chant. Following Brandon Brown’s victory at the NASCAR Xfinity Series race, a crowd began chanting “F— Joe Biden” in the background of his interview.

NBC reporter Kelli Stavast apparently misunderstood what people were chanting, claiming they were saying “Let’s Go Brandon!”

NASCAR DRIVER BRANDON BROWN ADDRESSES ANTI-BIDEN ‘LET’S GO, BRANDON’ CHANT

The video quickly went mega-viral and people have since used the phrase as a way to rebuke former President Biden. 

Trump’s lighthearted Oval Office moment took a heartfelt turn following the sticker exchange. Trump then addressed the group of veterans and their families, many of whom he had previously visited during his first term.

“These are amazing people, great heroes,” Trump said.

DOGE UNCOVERS MASSIVE VA CONTRACT FOR ‘SALARY SURVEY DATA AND ANALYSIS’ – SAYS IT CANCELED IT, SAVING MILLIONS

One veteran offered his gratitude to the former president: “Mr. President, we just were very happy with the energy that this administration is bringing, and it’s an administration that says it does what it promises. We’re behind you. We believe in you. And I think we all love you.”

Another veteran added: “Thank you for loving America, sir.” 

The event marked the rollout of several new executive orders, including major education initiatives.

Among them: reforms to the accreditation system for higher education, new transparency measures to expose foreign influence at U.S. universities, and a nationwide push to enhance artificial intelligence education for American youth.

Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz contributed to this report. 

The Justice Department released some of its “greatest hits” when it continues to slash millions of dollars of wasteful grants, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Wednesday. 

Among the money that will be saved is $2 million that was used for “national listening sessions of individuals with lived experience,” as well as $695,000 for “a parallel convergent mixed-methods case study research design to assess the efficacy of police departments’ LGBTQ liaison services.”

The agency will save another $250,000 used to fund a grant for “working with incarcerated transgender individuals providing gender-affirming care to including housing in gender-appropriate facilities.”

“More to come,” Bondi wrote on X. 

PAM BONDI CALLS OUT ‘DETACHED FROM REALITY’ DEMS FOR DEMANDING ALLEGED MS-13 GANG MEMBER BE RETURNED TO US

The moves are part of a larger effort by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to get rid of wasteful spending and downsize the scope of the federal government. 

TEXAS POISED TO CREATE ITS OWN VERSION OF DOGE AS BILL PASSES BOTH CHAMBERS

“Great work by @AGPamBondi @TheJusticeDept,” a DOGE post on X stated. 

Last week, DOGE announced it had worked with the U.S. National Science Foundation to cancel 402 “wasteful” diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) grants, which will save $233 million, including $1 million for “Antiracist Teacher Leadership for Statewide Transformation.”

“Today, NSF announced it is terminating awards not aligned with agency priorities, ensuring current & new awards are consistent with our mission,” the NSF said at the time.  

Elon Musk may be easing off his role at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE ), but President Donald Trump isn’t easing off his praise. 

On Wednesday, Trump praised Musk’s smarts and patriotism during an executive order signing in the Oval Office, brushing off critics and defending the tech mogul’s work on federal reform.

“He’s an incredible… brilliant guy,” Trump said. “He was a tremendous help both in the campaign, and in what he’s done with DOGE.”

DOGE, launched in 2025, has served as a hallmark of Trump’s second-term agenda to cut waste, streamline federal agencies, and apply private-sector principles to federal operations. 

FOX NEWS POLL: THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF PRESIDENT TRUMP’S SECOND TERM

Musk’s informal advisory role in the effort has drawn both attention and criticism.

In an exchange with a reporter, Trump addressed what he described as unfair treatment of Musk and Tesla. “They took it out on Tesla, and I just thought it was so unfair because he’s trying to help the country, but he has helped the country… He didn’t need to do this. He did it,” he said.

Trump’s remarks came as tensions have hit an all-time high for Musk’s electric vehicle company Tesla. 

DAVID MARCUS: WHAT AMERICA OWES ELON MUSK AFTER DOGE

A Kansas City dealership was recently firebombed, causing over $200,000 in damage. In Europe, a Tesla executive canceled a scheduled appearance in Rome over reported security threats. These incidents have occurred alongside ongoing protests at Tesla’s Berlin gigafactory.

Trump continued his praise, referencing Musk’s aerospace work with SpaceX: “When you see those rockets go up and come back and land in the same gantry, nobody else can do that but this man. So he’s just an incredible person, and he’s a friend of mine as a nice person too, as a very nice person.”

He also noted Musk’s broad technological contributions. “He’s a great patriot… he makes a great product… it’s a great car. It’s [a] great everything. Starlink is great. What he does is good. He’s doing medical things that are amazing.”

Wrapping up his response, Trump said he hoped Musk would continue to be involved, even as he turns his attention back to his business empire. 

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“I told him… whenever you’re ready, I’d like to keep him for a long time.”

A recent Fox News poll shows that while 49% of Americans think DOGE will make the government more efficient, 52% believe the Trump administration has not been “competent and effective” in managing federal operations — a sentiment unchanged from 2017.

President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs are facing a major legal challenge from New York and 11 other states, who argue the president overstepped his authority and put the U.S. economy at risk by imposing them without congressional approval.

Filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade, the lawsuit challenges Trump’s use of emergency powers under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose broad tariffs on imports from countries worldwide.

“Once again, Democrats like Letitia James are prioritizing a witch hunt against President Trump over protecting the safety and wellbeing of their constituents,” White House spokesman Kush Desai wrote exclusively to Fox News Digital. “The Trump Administration remains committed to using its full legal authority to confront the distinct national emergencies our country is currently facing—both the scourge of illegal migration and fentanyl flows across our border and the exploding annual U.S. goods trade deficit.”

The 12 states, however, argue that the Constitution gives Congress, not the president, the power to impose taxes and tariffs, and that IEEPA was never intended to authorize trade policy on this scale.

LONGTIME TRUMP FOE LETITIA JAMES REVIEWING POSSIBLE INSIDER TRADING OVER PRESIDENT’S TARIFF PAUSE

“President Trump’s reckless tariffs have skyrocketed costs for consumers and unleashed economic chaos across the country,” said Gov. Kathy Hochul. “New York is standing up to fight back against the largest federal tax hike in American history. Attorney General James and I are partnering on this litigation on behalf of New York consumers, because we can’t let President Trump push our country into a recession.”

“The president does not have the power to raise taxes on a whim,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James. “His tariffs are unlawful and, if not stopped, they will lead to more inflation, unemployment, and economic damage.”

Since February 2025, Trump has signed multiple executive orders imposing new tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China, and nearly all other U.S. trading partners.

The administration cited national emergencies as the basis for the tariffs, including drug trafficking, illegal immigration, and unfair trade practices. The states in the lawsuit claim the president’s justifications are vague and legally insufficient.

The IEEPA, enacted in 1977, allows presidents to respond to specific international threats, such as terrorism or hostile foreign actors. But according to the lawsuit, no president in the 48 years since its passage has used it to impose tariffs.

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The complaint argues that the new tariffs were imposed without congressional approval or the necessary legal findings to justify sweeping trade actions. 

The lawsuit also claims that tariffs are not connected to any specific “unusual and extraordinary” threat, as required under IEEPA, which the Trump administration cited as its authority. The states claim the tariffs will significantly raise consumer prices, drive inflation, lead to job losses, and create widespread economic instability.

The legal challenge doesn’t just focus on economics. It argues the tariffs are unconstitutional because they usurp congressional authority over taxes and trade. The lawsuit also claims the administration’s shifting policy — which they claim is often modified by executive orders or social media — has created chaos in trade and financial markets.

Supporters of the Trump administration say the tariffs are a bold move to protect American industries and correct longstanding trade imbalances. 

At a February 2025 press conference, President Trump said, “We took in hundreds of billions of dollars [with past tariffs]… It’s going to make our country rich,” framing the measures as a continuation of his America First economic agenda.

But the lawsuit paints a different picture of legal overreach and a lack of transparency. It argues that if President Trump’s actions are allowed to stand, any future president could impose taxes under the label of emergency authority, bypassing Congress entirely.

Gov. Hochul and Attorney General James, both vocal critics of the Trump administration, have frequently clashed with the president over a range of issues, from immigration to environmental policy. This latest lawsuit marks another high-profile confrontation.

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Alongside New York, the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, and Vermont have joined the case.

The coalition is asking the court to block further enforcement of the tariffs and declare the orders invalid under both the Constitution and federal law.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered the state to review any investments and business with El Salvador, a move that could lead to a boycott over the Central American nation’s assistance with the Trump administration in the deportation of criminal illegal migrants. 

In a statement, the Democratic governor said the move was in response to the administration’s defiance of court orders and the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a suspected MS-13 gang member with connections to human trafficking, who is being detained in El Salvador. 

“The United States Constitution guarantees due process. We are witnessing Donald Trump erode our fundamental Constitutional rights in real time, and we must fight to restore the balance of power,” Pritzker said in a statement. “The State of Illinois will stand up for the Rule of Law and do everything in our power (to) stop the Trump Administration from ripping apart our most basic rights.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.

4 MORE DEMS TRAVEL TO EL SALVADOR TO PUSH FOR ABREGO GARCIA’S RETURN TO US

Pritzker said he was requesting the Illinois State Board of Investment, the State Universities Retirement System and the Teachers’ Retirement System to “identify any fund investments” that are wholly or partially managed, owned or controlled by the Salvadoran government or have ties to businesses in El Salvador.

He also directed the Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) to identify any state contracts awarded to companies with ties to the Latin American country. 

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Office of Trade and Investment has also been ordered to analyze trade between Illinois and El Salvador, including the scale and nature of imports and the extent to which goods produced in El Salvador are in the supply chain of products manufactured in Illinois.

DEPORTED ILLEGAL ALIEN AND SUSPECTED MS-13 GANG MEMBER TRANSFERRED FROM NOTORIOUS EL SALVADORAN MEGA-PRISON

Pritzker’s order came as at least five Democrats have traveled to El Salvador with the intention of meeting with Abrego Garcia. Four of them were denied a meeting by the Salvadoran government. 

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., met with him amid the legal battle over his return. 

The Trump administration previously admitted to mistakenly deporting Abrego Garcia, an illegal immigrant with alleged ties to MS-13 who was living in Maryland, but has since said it would not help bring him home.

The Supreme Court has ordered the administration to “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s return to the U.S. However, it said El Salvador is responsible for his return. 

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has said he will not return him. Democrats contend Abrego Garcia was deprived of due process, which the Trump administration denies. 

The Justice Department unveiled documents last week detailing domestic violence allegations that Abrego Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez, included in a court filing in 2021. She alleged that her husband beat her and that she had documentation of the bruises he left on her.

Additionally, a 2022 Homeland Security Investigations report obtained by Fox News claims that Abrego Garcia was suspected of partaking in labor and human trafficking. The report said a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper pulled Abrego Garcia over in 2022 after swerving. The patrol officer found eight other individuals in the car with Abrego Garcia, who had just begun driving three days prior. 

Department of Homeland Security sources confirmed to Fox News Digital that the SUV Abrego Garcia was driving belonged to a confessed human smuggler.

Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace, Peter Pinedo and Cameron Arcand contributed to this report. 

The lawyer for a Maryland school district and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch had a wild exchange this week about a children’s book amid an ongoing case brought by parents who want to be able to opt their children out of reading LGBTQ storybooks in their public school.

Gorsuch was asking Alan Schoenfeld, the attorney representing Montgomery County Public Schools, about “Pride Puppy!” a 32-page book that tells the story of a family celebrating Pride Day when their dog gets lost in the parade and the effort to reunite the pup with his loved ones.  

The rhyming alphabet book, which was described as “affirming and inclusive” by its publisher, allows readers to spot items starting with each of the letters of the alphabet while offering “a joyful glimpse of a Pride parade and the vibrant community that celebrates this day each year.”

The book was previously used in the district’s pre-kindergarten curriculum.

THE SUPREME COURT APPEARS TO SIDE WITH PARENTS IN RELIGIOUS LIBERTY DISPUTE OVER STORYBOOKS 

“And they’re being used in English language instruction at age 3?” Gorsuch asked. 

“‘Pride Puppy!’ was the book that was used for the pre-kindergarten curriculum. That’s no longer in the curriculum,” replied Schoenfeld. 

“That’s the one where they’re supposed to look for the leather and things – and bondage – things like that,” Gorsuch responded. 

“It’s not bondage. It’s a woman in a leather…”

A “Sex worker?” asked Gorsuch. 

“No. That’s not correct. No,” replied Schoenfeld. 

PARENTS TELL SCOTUS: LGBTQ STORYBOOKS IN CLASSROOMS CLASH WITH OUR FAITH

“Gosh, I read it…drag queen?” said Gorsuch. 

Schoenfeld said the leather is actually a woman in a leather jacket and that “one of the words is drag queen.” 

The high court was hearing arguments in the case brought by religious parents who say young children can’t be expected to separate a teacher’s moral messages from their family’s beliefs. 

Eric Baxter, the attorney representing Maryland parents in Mahmoud v. Taylor, told the justices that the school district violated the First Amendment by denying opt-out requests for books that “contradict their religious beliefs,” even while allowing exemptions for other religious objections – such as books depicting the Muslim Prophet Muhammad.

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Baxter said teachers were required to use the materials in class after the district approved certain LGBTQ-themed curriculum books in 2022. 

“When the books were first introduced in August of 2022, the board suggested they be used five times before the end of the year,” he said. “One of the schools, Sherwood School, in June for Pride Month said that they were going to read one book each day.”

The district initially allowed parents to opt out their children for religious concerns but reversed course by March 2023, citing concerns about absenteeism and administrative burdens.

Among the other storybooks at the center of the case is “Prince & Knight,” a modern fairy tale aimed at children ages 4 to 8, which tells the story of two men who fall in love after joining forces to defeat a dragon and later marry. 

Another book frequently referenced during oral arguments was “Uncle Bobby’s Wedding,” which follows a young girl processing her favorite uncle’s decision to marry another man.

The Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling in the case by late June.

Fox News Digital’s Jamie Joseph contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump signed multiple Executive Orders relating to education Wednesday afternoon, with several tied to the theme of returning meritocracy back to the education system. 

The orders, seven in total, included actions to integrate artificial intelligence into K-12 school curricula, reforms to school discipline and accreditation guidelines, requirements related to the disclosure of foreign funding to schools and enhancements to the country’s workforce development programs. 

Trump’s slew of education-focused orders also included another directive demanding an end to DEI ideology in schools, specifically the use of “disparate impact theory,” on top of his previous executive order from January ordering an end to DEI-like programming and ideology in K-12 schools. An Executive Order setting up a White House initiative supporting the efficiency and effectiveness of Historically Black Colleges and Universities was also signed by the president on Wednesday.

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“They’re allowing people into school – they can’t do math – and yet kids who have worked really hard and are number one in their class out of high school – some place in New Jersey or Mississippi – they can’t get into the best schools,” Trump said as he signed his order implementing new school accreditation requirements. “What is that all about?”

“I think that gets to your policy, sir, of meritocracy – that we should be looking at those who have real merit to get in,” Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon, who was standing over Trump’s shoulder as he signed, chimed in. “And we have to look harder at those universities that aren’t enforcing that.” 

The accreditation reforms, along with the president’s Executive Orders on school discipline and “disparate impact theory,” were all connected to pulling back from the Biden administration’s era of prioritizing DEI over meritocracy. Specifically, the accreditation reforms seek to prevent accreditors from imposing “discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)-based standards,” while compelling them to “prioritize student outcomes.”  

‘THIS IS INDOCTRINATION, NOT EDUCATION’: PLAINTIFF IN SCOTUS CASE SLAMS SCHOOLS FOR FORCING LGBTQ+ CURRICULUM

Meanwhile, under the Biden administration, the Department of Education released student discipline guidance contending that persistent racism clouds school disciplinary systems. Trump’s Wednesday Executive Order rescinds that guidance.

“Under, I believe it was the Biden administration – first Obama and then Biden – the Department of Justice issued guidance that made it almost impossible for schools to enforce adequate disciplinary policies,” Trump’s executive assistant Will Scharf said of the order as Trump was signing it. “Basically they focused on CRT and diversity ideology, instead of actually just enforcing the rules in classrooms to ensure a safe learning environment.”    

The prohibition of “disparate impact theory” builds on the president’s past orders on ridding “discriminatory” DEI programs and influences from educational settings.

“This is a theory that underlies a lot of the modern DEI and CRT-driven diversity culture,” Scharf explained. “The basic idea is instructing your department and agencies to no longer rely on disparate impact theory as they’re regulating, as they’re issuing guidance, as they’re making rules. We want to focus on results, we want to focus on actual fairness, we want to focus on merit, not things like disparate impact theory and the whole sort-of diversity, equity and inclusion cult.”

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ASKS SCOTUS TO APPROVE DEI-RELATED EDUCATION CUTS

Besides focusing on returning meritocracy to the education system, the president’s Executive Orders also sought to modernize American education and workforce preparation through the implementation of AI education in schools and through a commitment to add 1 million new apprenticeships.  

The AI order, Trump’s latest pro-AI measure, established a White House task force for AI and education that will work with federal agencies and the private sector to help draft AI programs for schools. 

The president previously signed an Executive Order in January, which worked to rescind Biden-era policies that critics say restricted the nation’s AI growth.

The so-called deported “Maryland man” Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whom Democrats have been demanding the Trump administration return to the U.S., was previously pulled over by a highway patrol officer while driving a car belonging to a confessed human smuggler, multiple sources in DHS confirmed to Fox News Digital.

The sources confirmed documents reported by Just the News that revealed Abrego Garcia was pulled over driving an SUV belonging to Jose Ramon Hernandez Reyes, another illegal alien who in 2020 confessed to human smuggling across the U.S.-Mexico border.

As previously reported by Fox News Digital, Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old illegal alien whom the Trump administration recently deported back to El Salvador, was pulled over on Dec. 1, 2022, by a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper who stopped him after he was “observed speeding” and unable to stay in his lane.

The trooper noticed eight individuals in the car with Abrego Garcia, who said he began driving three days prior from Houston, Texas, to Temple Hills, Maryland, via St. Louis, Missouri, to “perform construction work.” The report on the stop states that the trooper suspected it was a human trafficking incident, as there was no luggage in the vehicle. Additionally, the individuals in the car reportedly gave the same address as Abrego Garcia’s home address.

KILMAR ABREGO-GARCIA SUSPECTED OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN REPORT OBTAINED BY FOX NEWS

When speaking with the trooper, Abrego Garcia allegedly “pretended to speak less English than he was capable of and attempted to put encountering officer off-track by responding to questions with questions.” After the incident, the officer decided not to give Abrego Garcia a citation for the driving infractions, but rather to give him a warning for driving with an expired license. 

New documents further reveal that Abrego Garcia was driving a black 2001 Chevrolet Suburban that he said belonged to his “boss.” The Suburban was identified by DHS as belonging to Hernandez Reyes, who pleaded guilty to human smuggling after being caught in Mississippi in a car with passengers from Mexico, El Salvador and Honduras.

According to another document also confirmed by DHS sources, the Homeland Security Investigations Baltimore field office further flagged the vehicle being driven by Abrego Garcia as belonging to a target they suspected of human trafficking or smuggling.

The office said that the “vehicle is used by HSI Baltimore target in human smuggling/trafficking operation. Vehicle makes trips to southern border to pick up non-citizens.”

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According to police and court records shared with Fox News Digital, Abrego Garcia was arrested in Hyattsville, Maryland, in October 2019, at which point he was identified by the Prince George’s County Police Gang Unit as a member of the notorious Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang.

A federal immigration court in Baltimore further determined Abrego Garcia was not eligible for release because he “failed to meet his burden of demonstrating that his release from custody would not pose a danger to others, as the evidence shows that he is a verified member of MS-13.”

The court held that “the fact that a ‘past, proven, and reliable source of infonnation [sic]’ verified the Respondent’s gang membership, rank, and gang name is sufficient to support that the Respondent is a gang member” and that Abrego had “failed to present evidence to rebut that assertion.”

Court records involving Abrego Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez, have further shown that he is a “violent” repeat wife-beater.

DEPORTED ILLEGAL ALIEN AND SUSPECTED MS-13 GANG MEMBER TRANSFERRED FROM NOTORIOUS EL SALVADORAN MEGA-PRISON

Fox News obtained the written domestic violence allegations filed in court against Abrego Garcia by his wife in 2021.

In the filing, written in Vasquez’s own handwriting, she alleges Abrego Garcia repeatedly beat her, writing: “At this point, I am afraid to be close to him. I have multiple photos/videos of how violent he can be and all the bruises he [has] left me.”

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Vasquez alleged that Abrego Garcia punched and scratched her on her eye, leaving her bleeding. He also allegedly threw her laptop on the floor.

She wrote that on another day, Abrego Garcia got angry again, started yelling, and ripped her shirt and shorts off before grabbing her arm and leaving marks.

LEAVITT GOES OFF ON DEMOCRAT FOR TAXPAYER-FUNDED TRIP TO SUPPORT DEPORTED SUSPECTED MS-13 GANG MEMBER

Vasquez recalled two times in 2020 that Abrego Garcia hit her.

“In November 2020, he hit me with his work boot,” she wrote. “In August 2020, he hit me in the eye leaving a purple eye.”

Local Fox affiliate Fox45 reported that court documents further showed that a man named Edwin Ramos, who claimed to be the father of two of Vasquez’s children, filed for custody of the children because he was concerned about the children’s safety, alleging that Vasquez “is dating a gang member.”

A second U.S. judge scolded the Trump administration on Tuesday night for failing to answer questions in an ongoing deportation case, raising the threat that some Trump officials could be held in contempt of court.

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis of Maryland upbraided Trump officials for failing to comply with the court’s requests for information in a case involving the deportation of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia — accusing officials in a blistering eight-page order of submitting “vague, evasive and incomplete” responses that she said demonstrated “willful and bad faith refusal to comply with discovery obligations.”

She further described the Justice Department’s “false premise” objections as “a willful and bad faith refusal to comply with discovery obligations.”

Xinis is not the first federal judge to raise the possibility of holding the Trump administration in contempt for failing to abide by court orders. Just 15 miles away, at a courthouse in Washington, D.C., another judge had already threatened the same.

FEDERAL JUDGE JAMES BOASBERG FINDS PROBABLE CAUSE TO HOLD TRUMP IN CONTEMPT OVER DEPORTATION FLIGHTS

At issue in both cases is President Donald Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime immigration law the administration invoked last month to immediately deport certain individuals from the U.S. to El Salvador.

Hours after Trump’s March 14 proclamation that he would use the law to deport certain migrants — including alleged members of the gangs MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, or TdA — the U.S. sent more than 260 migrants to El Salvador to be detained in the country’s maximum-security prison.

The weeks since have been characterized by a wave of frantic court proceedings, appeals, and emergency Supreme Court orders, as judges across the country weigh the administration’s use of the wartime law. 

WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S DEPORTATION EFFORTS?

But Trump’s lawyers have appeared less than willing to share certain information with the courts. Their behavior has sparked fury from federal judges, who have accused them on more than one occasion of acting in bad faith and willfully defying their orders.

Xinis took umbrage Tuesday night at the administration’s refusal to respond to at least one interrogatory, saying their refusal is “based on the false premise that the United States can or has been ordered to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s release from custody” in El Salvador.

She also rebuked officials for their failure to comply with her earlier order to return Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man and alleged MS-13 member who was wrongfully deported last month to El Salvador. “For weeks, Defendants have sought refuge behind vague and unsubstantiated assertions of privilege, using them as a shield to obstruct discovery and evade compliance with this Court’s orders,” she said.

Her earlier ruling was upheld by the Supreme Court in an emergency order. The ruling said the government must “facilitate” his release — a definition that was subsequently clarified again by Xinis and by judges on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.

“‘Facilitate’ is an active verb,” U.S. Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III, a Reagan appointee, said in authoring the circuit court opinion. 

“It requires that steps be taken as the Supreme Court has made perfectly clear,” he added.

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At a hearing last week, Xinis ordered an “intense” and expedited two-week discovery period to determine whether the Trump administration has acted in good faith to comply with her order to return Abrego Garcia. Should they fail to supply the required information, or indicate they acted in bad faith, she could have sufficient information to move to consider possible contempt proceedings.

Additionally, in a related case, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg said there was probable cause to find Trump administration officials in criminal contempt for defying his order to return deportation flights to El Salvador on March 15.

In a 48-page ruling, Boasberg accused the government of “willful disregard” for court directives, citing missed deadlines to submit flight details and identify officials who knew about his emergency order halting removals. Although a federal appeals court in D.C. has paused the contempt proceedings, Boasberg has requested further declarations and warned that officials may be required to testify under oath.

If they fail to comply, the judge could refer the case to the Justice Department for prosecution or appoint outside counsel if DOJ declines.

JUDGE BOASBERG POISED TO HOLD TRUMP ADMIN IN CONTEMPT, TAKES DOWN NAMES OF DHS OFFICIALS: ‘PRETTY SKETCHY’

The appeals court that paused Boasberg’s contempt proceedings did so temporarily, requesting additional briefing from both the Justice Department and ACLU attorneys representing the plaintiffs.

What happens next remains uncertain. Trump officials have repeatedly railed against so-called “activist judges,” accusing courts of obstructing the administration’s immigration agenda. In an earlier emergency appeal, officials claimed Boasberg’s actions amounted to a “massive, unauthorized imposition on the Executive’s authority to remove dangerous aliens,” arguing those individuals “pose threats to the American people.”

Meanwhile, Judge Xinis’s order in Maryland comes amid a flurry of immigration-related legal battles nationwide, as Trump pushes forward with his border security priorities.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court ruled 5–4 that the administration can continue using the Alien Enemies Act to deport migrants, provided they receive due process protections, including the right to challenge removals in court.

Separately, federal judges in New York and Texas temporarily blocked use of the Alien Enemies Act in specific cases, siding with plaintiffs who argued certain migrants could be removed without a chance to seek habeas relief.

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on next steps in the Abrego Garcia case, or on the possibility that Xinis might move on possible contempt proceedings.

A Minnesota state employee avoided criminal charges after vandalizing at least six Tesla vehicles, the local district attorney announced this week, prompting outrage from local leaders who spoke to Fox News Digital.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office (HCAO) said it would seek “diversion” over charges against Minnesota Department of Human Services data analyst Dylan Bryan Adams after causing $20,000 in damages. The diversion approach “helps to ensure the individual keeps their job and can pay restitution,” according HCAO. 

When reached for comment by Fox News Digital, the Minnesota Department of Human Services did not clarify Adams’ employment status, but said: “We are reviewing the matter at this time. State employees are expected to follow our code of conduct and hold themselves to the highest ethical standards through their words and actions.”

Republicans across the North Star State have condemned County Attorney Mary Moriarty’s decision, as President Donald Trump’s administration has identified Tesla vandalism as “domestic terrorism” and led a nationwide effort alongside the Justice Department to hold vandals accountable. 

WALZ STAFFER ACCUSED OF VANDALIZING TESLAS MIGHT NOT FACE CHARGES: REPORT

“In Tim Walz’s Minnesota, there is a two-tiered justice system that does everything possible to protect Democrats. As the victim of a domestic terrorism attack in Minnesota myself, I know first-hand that Minnesota’s justice system does not work for me nor Conservatives in our state. If Dylan Adams was a police officer and not part of Walz’s Minnesota state government, Mary Moriarty would have tried to charge him with a felony,” Kendall Qualls, Founder of TakeCharge and former Minnesota gubernatorial candidate, told Fox News Digital in a statement.

DEMS WHO RAILED AGAINST DOMESTIC TERRORISM SILENT AS TRUMP FLOATS 20-YEAR JAIL SENTENCE FOR TESLA VANDALS

Qualls was targeted in a suspected arson case that left three conservative group offices heavily damaged in Minnesota in 2024. Qualls said on Wednesday that authorities never found the arsonist. 

“Minnesota is again bucking the national trend: While the Justice Department and FBI are investigating the nationwide vandalism and attacks against Tesla as acts of domestic terrorism, Minnesota Progressives are giving them a free pass,” Matthew RJ Brodsky, President of Red Ax Strategies and Board Chair of the American Center for Counter Extremism, told Fox News Digital. 

Adam Schwarze, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota, told Fox News Digital that Minnesota vandals “get a free pass if they have the approved political philosophy.”

“This would have been an obvious opportunity for the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office to make clear that the right to political protest doesn’t include the right to destroy personal property. We must reaffirm that our commitment to justice means ensuring all individuals, regardless of their political affiliations or employment status, are held to the same legal standards,” Adam Schwarze said. 

Republicans told Fox News Digital that Moriarty refusing to criminally charge a Minnesota state employee, following a string of targeted violence, could invoke domestic terrorism. 

“This is a dangerous precedent that tells every Minnesotan that political violence is acceptable here. After Gov. Tim Walz cheered on the loss of Tesla’s stock to the detriment of his own pension. Now we have one of his employees damaging a Tesla and a Democrat country attorney letting him get away with it. It’s a Democrat double-whammy: They insult the professional law enforcement officers of our state by ignoring their work, and then let their political allies and supporters off the hook for breaking the law,” Minnesota Sen. Mark Koran said. 

John Nagel, a retired police lieutenant in Minnesota and former candidate for the Minnesota state legislature, said diversion can be a “great tool for someone who is younger and dumber, but this individual had a responsible job and was old enough to know better.”

WISCONSINITES KICKED OUT AND DENIED ENTRY TO THIS DEMOCRAT’S ‘FAKE TOWN HALL’

“This sends a bad message to an already hostile group of politically charged individuals,” Nagel said. “As a police officer, I have had several people tell me that if they had spent even a few nights in jail, they wouldn’t have committed a crime the second and third time.

Brodsky added that Moriarty’s latest legal blunder is consistent with her legacy in Walz’s home state. Moriarty, who handed Adams a “pre-charge diversion” on Monday, has been backed by groups tied to money from megadonor George Soros, one of the most prominent backers of progressive issues in the United States.

“It would be an understatement to say that Progressive County Attorney Mary Moriarty has been soft on crime since she took office in 2023. She has consistently shown undue leniency for violent criminal suspects charged with sexual assault and even murder. It is one of the many reasons the Minneapolis Police Department has been at loggerheads with the county attorney’s office, to say nothing of the outrage among the victims’ families,” Brodsky said. 

Nagel questioned how many tax dollars were invested in finding Adams “only to have their efforts wiped out by a progressive prosecutor” and leaving Minnesota dealerships on alert “knowing someone can come into their lot and damage cars.”

As Republicans ripped the state’s “soft on crime” practices, they tied Walz’s own anti-Telsa rhetoric to the string of violence against Elon Musk’s multi-billionaire electric vehicle business. Amid the string of attacks on Tesla as its stock was taking a tumble, Walz told a Wisconsin town hall that he checks Tesla’s stock when he wants to feel better. 

“Gov. Walz’s rhetoric on Tesla stock, Democrats all over the country spewing,’We need to rise up and take it to the streets’ is all fueling the fire. Angry elected Democrats are encouraging this kind of behavior. Refusing to hold adults accountable for attacks based on their political hatred is bound to end badly for regular folks,” Nagel added. 

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Brodsky said each Tesla vandalized is a felony, adding: “These crimes didn’t take place in a vacuum either, with progressives focusing their anger at Elon Musk and DOGE’s effort to shrink the bloated federal workforce.”

“It’s likely not a coincidence that the suspect in this case is a State of Minnesota employee with the Department of Human Services. Moreover, these attacks began the same day that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz made controversial remarks where he cheered the decline of Tesla stocks and disparaged Elon Musk at a Wisconsin event on March 18. The double-standards here speak for themselves. Political violence appears to be acceptable if carried out by progressives. Needless to say, this will undoubtedly embolden pProgressive activists to engage in further attacks,” Brodsky said. 

Gov. Walz, Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Minneapolis Police Department and Hennepin County Attorney’s Office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.