Donald Trump Poll News

A senior White House official on Wednesday defended the Biden administration’s response to Iran, while admitting Tehran’s “broad complicity” in Hamas’ attack on Israel. 

John Kirby, the National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications, also said there was no intelligence to date suggesting Iran was directly linked to Saturday’s attack. 

“Nobody has turned a blind eye to Iranian destabilizing behavior,” Kirby said. “We’re obviously recognize that there’s broad complicity here by the Iranians, I mean, because of the longstanding support to Hamas. Hamas wouldn’t have been able to function at all had it not been for propping up by the Iranian regime. But we haven’t seen any specific evidence that tells us they were wittingly involved in the planning or involved in the resourcing and the training that went into this very complex set of attacks over the weekend.” 

Fox News White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich pressed Kirby on how the Biden administration would define a “direct link” between the Hamas attack on Israel and Iran. In response, Kirby noted what White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Tuesday. 

“We haven’t seen anything that tells us they knew specifically date time, method that they were that they were witting to this it. We haven’t seen anything that tells us they specifically cut checks to support this set of attacks or that they were involved in the training and that obviously this required quite a bit of training by these terrorists or that they were involved in any directing of the operation,” Kirby said Wednesday. “We’re not one and done here either. We’re going to continue to look at the intelligence stream and see if it leads us to a different conclusion. All I can do is be honest with you about the conclusions we’re coming to today, and we just haven’t seen that.” 

WHITE HOUSE SILENT ON IRAN NUKE DEAL AFTER CLAIMS TEHRAN HELPED PLAN ATTACKS ON ISRAEL

“Is it the position of the administration that at this stage Iran was not involved?” Heinrich asked. “I guess my question is, how can we know this was in the planning for over a year and within a few short days say that Iran was not behind it?” 

“Because that’s what we think,” Kirby responded. “Again, we have not seen any evidence, specific evidence that Iran was directly involved with these specific sets of attacks.” 

“Look, we’re going to keep looking at it. The book is not closed on it. We’re going to keep looking at that. But that’s just where we are right now,” he added. 

This comes as former President Donald Trump and others have criticized the Biden administration’s $6 billion prisoner swap deal with Iran and called for the U.S. to rescind those funds. 

DEMOCRATS JOIN REPUBLICAN PUSH FOR BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO REFREEZE $6B IRANIAN ASSETS

At the White House press briefing, Kirby earlier reiterated to reporters that Iran has been “supporting Hamas and Hezbollah and other terrorist networks.” 

“Hamas is one of the most highly sanctioned terrorist networks on the planet, largely because of what we’ve been doing here in the United States to — to target them,” he said. 

Since the start of the Biden administration, Kirby said the United States sanctioned some 400 plus entities with more than 40 different sets of sanction regimes, including 30 the past year alone. He also stressed the Biden administration has increased U.S. military presence in the Gulf region because of attacks on maritime shipping. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“We have added additional sanctions because of their support to Russia and the fact that they’re still providing drones and technology to Mr. Putin so he can kill innocent Ukrainians. And now we’ve added our military capability. We’ve added to it from a naval perspective in the Eastern [Mediterranean],” Kirby said. 

Prosecutors are recommending a prison sentence for a former Republican candidate for Michigan governor who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for his participation in the 2021 U.S. Capitol riot.

Ryan Kelley’s arrest in 2022 gave his campaign a burst of notoriety in a conservative multi-candidate field, but he ended up finishing far behind other supporters of former President Donald Trump in the GOP primary election. Conservative commentator Tudor Dixon won the Republican primary but ultimately lost to incumbent Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat.

GOP MICHIGAN GOVERNOR CANDIDATE PLEADS GUILTY TO JAN. 6 MISDEMEANOR CHARGE

Prosecutors, citing Kelley’s lack of remorse, are urging a judge to lock him up for three months when he returns to a Washington court Oct. 17, The Detroit News reported.

“For two years, Kelley posted statements on Facebook and other social media, making light of the riot, falsely denying that any violence took place, and insisting that he engaged in no wrongdoing,” prosecutors said in a court filing.

In July, Kelley, who lives in Ottawa County, pleaded guilty to a charge of illegally entering a restricted area.

ILLINOIS MAN GETS OVER 4 YEARS FOR J6 ASSAULTS ON REUTERS PHOTOGRAPHER, POLICE OFFICER

He climbed an “architectural feature” outside the Capitol and then gestured for other rioters behind him to move toward stairs leading up to the building, prosecutors said.

Kelley has said he was “protesting the government” because he did not like the results of the 2020 election.

Defense attorney Gary Springstead said probation, not prison, is an appropriate sentence.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Mr. Kelley has proven over the last 42 years that he is capable of being a law-abiding citizen and this is his first brush with the law,” Springstead said.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was chased from an event in Baltimore on Tuesday evening after left-wing climate activists stormed the stage and demanded he stop fossil fuel infrastructure projects.

Buttigieg was forced to depart the event — a Maryland policy forum at the city’s Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall hosted by local outlet Baltimore Banner — after more than a dozen activists with the group Climate Defiance stormed the stage yelling slogans. The protesters called on Buttigieg to reject two proposed oil transport projects, the Sea Port Oil Terminal and Texas GulfLink, under review by his agency’s Maritime Administration.

“Petro Pete is a coward. As we write he is ramming down our throats the Sea Port and GulfLink oil terminals – each worse than Keystone,” Climate Defiance tweeted following the event. “We must resist him with all we’ve got. And we will.”

“Your DOT just approved the Seaport Oil Terminal, a project that will have 80 coal plants worth of greenhouse gas emissions and will worsen air quality in areas that already live in cancer clusters,” one of the Climate Defiance activists told Buttigieg on stage. “This is about environmental racism and it’s about climate impacts this project will have. Will you commit to stopping these projects?”

REPUBLICANS URGE BIDEN ADMIN TO STOP DELAYING MAJOR GAS PIPELINE PROJECT

During the protest, activists were filmed calling Buttigieg “Petro Pete,” demanded he “end fossil fuels,” and chanted “which side are you on, Pete?” repeatedly.

When the event’s moderator then asked about the specific projects the protesters mentioned, Buttigieg said he didn’t want to “speak off the cuff.” But he added he respected “where they’re coming from” in reference to the protesters.

BIDEN ADMIN QUIETLY REVERSES TRUMP-ERA RULE, BANS TRANSPORTING FOSSIL FUELS BY TRAIN

“I get the urgency. By the time my kids are old enough to ask, we’re going to have a really good answer to get out of climate change,” he said, according to the Baltimore Banner.

“But my hope also is that some of those folks who are just here saw what happened when I was in front of the Transportation Infrastructure Committee two weeks ago trying to persuade or help the members of Congress [understand] that the seasons changing is not the same thing as climate change,” Buttigieg continued. “And if this literally came up, and so we’ve got literal climate deniers… who can’t be bothered to admit that climate change is real.”

The Seaport Oil Terminal project was proposed years ago and would consist of an offshore pipeline network in the Gulf of Mexico along the coast of Texas. The project, which is expected to enter operations in 2025 and allow for greater U.S. oil exports, received an initial approval by the Maritime Administration last year, but has yet to receive a license.

And the Texas GulfLink crude oil export terminal is also located off the coast of Texas, but has yet to receive approval by the Maritime Administration.

BIDEN ADMIN STONEWALLING ON PETE BUTTIGIEG’S PRIVATE GOVERNMENT JET RECORDS: WATCHDOG

Environmental groups have loudly opposed both projects, pointing to the expected greenhouse gas emissions that would be produced indirectly by the oil that would be transported. Groups led by the Sierra Club and Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit in January challenging the record of decision for Seaport Oil Terminal project, listing Buttigieg as a defendant.

“Considering the administration’s stated commitment to ‘tackle the climate crisis’, it is particularly troubling that MARAD’s review of SPOT’s environmental and community impacts entirely fails to account for the project’s significant contributions to climate change, including impacts from excessive greenhouse gas pollution that will push temperatures higher in the Houston area and disrupt global climate,” said Sierra Club senior attorney Devorah Ancel.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The event Tuesday is one of many that Climate Defiance has interrupted and shut down as part of its goal to force lawmakers to do more on climate issues. They have also targeted events featuring federal officials like Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and senior White House climate adviser John Podesta.

The White House has remained silent on any future relationship with Iran in light of Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist leaders claiming Iran helped plan the surprise attacks against Israel. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House at least three times this week inquiring if the U.S. would participate in negations and return to the nuclear deal if evidence is found that Iran helped plan the brutal attacks against Israel. The White House’s press office ultimately referred Fox News Digital to the National Security Council Monday, which did not respond to the inquiry. 

News broke Sunday that Iranian security officials allegedly approved Hamas’ plan to attack Israel during a meeting in Beirut last Monday, The Wall Street Journal reported. Hamas and Hezbollah leaders said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps worked with Hamas since August on air, land and sea attack plans. 

Following the report, U.S. leaders said they have not found direct evidence of Iran planning the attacks in coordination with Hamas but noted that Iran has long supported Hamas, and the nation holds “a degree of complicity” in the attacks. 

HAMAS, HEZBOLLAH SAY IRAN HELPED PLAN DEADLY ATTACK ON ISRAEL: REPORT

“We are looking through the information streams. We haven’t seen hard, tangible evidence that Iran was directly involved in participating in or resourcing and planning these sets of complex attacks that Hamas pulled off over the weekend,” Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council John Kirby said Tuesday, something echoed later on in the day by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who again stressed that the U.S. has no evidence that Iran knew about the attacks in advance or that it helped Hamas.

BIDEN’S APPEASEMENT OF IRAN LOOMS OVER ISRAEL ATTACK: ‘IT’S DUMB POLICY AND IT’S EVIL’

Both Sullivan and Kirby’s comments this week echo what a U.S. official told Fox News Digital on Sunday evening, that “of course” Iran is in the picture, but that U.S. officials currently do not have information corroborating the report. 

REPUBLICAN SENATORS BASH BIDEN’S $6B IRAN DEAL IN PUSH TO SUPPORT ISRAEL 

When asked specifically about the future of the U.S. relationship with Iran, however, the White House has not said if leaders would return to the negotiating table for the Iran nuclear deal or if the U.S. strategy with Iran will change in light of terrorist leaders claiming Iran helped with the attacks. 

World powers, including the U.S. and the United Kingdom, reached a nuclear deal with Iran in 2015, formerly known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, after years of international tensions that Iran was working to build a nuclear bomb. The agreement limited some of Iran’s nuclear activities, while allowing international authorities to carry out inspections. Sanctions on Tehran were lifted in exchange. 

Former President Trump pulled the U.S. out of the agreement in 2018 after slamming it as “defective at its core.”

IRAN-LINKED TERRORISTS, GUERRILLAS SURROUND ISRAEL: HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THEM

“At the heart of the Iran deal was a giant fiction, that a murderous regime desired only a peaceful, nuclear energy program,” Trump said at the time. “Today, we have definitive proof that this Iranian promise was a lie.”

Under the Biden administration, officials have signaled they hope to return to the deal if Iran comes back into compliance. 

“The JCPOA has not been on our agenda since September, when Iran turned its back on a deal that was on the table, but we are still very much open to diplomacy,” a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital back in April. 

The Biden administration has also come under scrutiny this week for a $6 billion prisoner swap deal with Iran last month. Republicans have claimed that the money helped free up resources to fund the attacks, though Biden administration leaders have pushed back on the claims. 

“I think it’s important for people to remember that not a single dollar … of those funds has gone into Iran,” Kirby told Fox News’ Bret Baier on “America’s Newsroom” Tuesday. “Not one… not any. Nothing’s been allocated out of that fund, and we’re going to watch it.”

Chaos broke out in Israel early Saturday morning when Hamas launched attacks that took the nation by surprise. The terrorist organization has since fired more than 4,500 rockets at residential areas from the Gaza Strip, which has contributed to killing an estimated 1,000 Israelis and injuring thousands of others. 

The U.S. confirmed that 14 Americans are among those killed in Israel, and an undisclosed number of other Americans are unaccounted for and being held hostage under Hamas terrorists. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has meanwhile praised the attacks on social media, saying at the beginning of the war, the “Zionist regime will be eradicated at the hands of the Palestinian people and the Resistance forces throughout the region,” WSJ reported. 

A federal judge in Texas on Tuesday evening ordered the discovery phase of a lawsuit accusing the Biden administration of knowingly providing funds that benefited Palestinian terrorists get underway.

America First Legal (AFL) first filed the lawsuit in 2022, alleging that President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken resumed payments to the Palestinian Authority (PA) that former President Trump ended in order to be in compliance with the Taylor Force Act — a federal law that prohibits the government from sending American taxpayer dollars to the PA until it stops supporting terrorism. 

The lawsuit claims the Biden administration has transferred nearly half a billion American taxpayer dollars “to directly benefit and subsidize the Palestinian Authority” while admitting that the PA still operates its “Pay to Slay” program – which encourages terrorist attacks against persons living in and visiting the State of Israel.

Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, of the Northern District of Texas, found Tuesday that AFL’s “recent production of records shows that the Government knew its economic support fund (ESF) funding in the West Bank and Gaza was benefiting Palestinian terrorists, thereby ‘increasing the risk of terrorist attacks against the Plaintiffs and others similarly situated.’”

BLINKEN DELETES SOCIAL MEDIA POST CALLING FOR ISRAEL-HAMAS ‘CEASE-FIRE’

“And they aver that the Government’s ‘admission that its activities in the West Bank and Gaza benefit Hamas suggests, with reasonable particularity, the possible existence of other facts, currently hidden, establishing traceability,’” the order says.

“These reasons, in concert with Hamas’s recent attack on Israel that killed fourteen Americans and resulted in others being held hostage, provide a sufficient basis for Plaintiffs Request,” Kacsmaryk wrote. 

AFL asked the court to grant what is called expedited and limited jurisdictional discovery, which will require the Biden administration to produce related documents and testimony for the court. 

The legal group represents Congressman Ronny Jackson, R-Texas; Stuart and Robbi Force, parents of West Point graduate Taylor Force murdered by a Palestinian terrorist in Tel Aviv – after whom the Taylor Force Act was named; and Sarri Singer, the survivor of a suicide bombing on a Jerusalem bus. 

“This case is about the Palestinian Authority’s decades-long program of financial payments, social services, misinformation, and indoctrination to incentivize terrorist attacks against persons living in or visiting the State of Israel. The program is known as ‘Pay to Slay,’” the lawsuit states. 

WHITE HOUSE SPOX PRESSED ON IRAN’S $6 BILLION IN UNFROZEN FUNDS AFTER HAMAS UNLEASHES TERROR IN ISRAEL

“Under Pay to Slay, the Palestinian Authority rewards terrorists and/or their families with increased rewards in proportion to the casualties inflicted. Terrorists who are married, or have children, or are Israeli residents/citizens receive an additional payment. Terrorists who spend more than 5 years (in a single term or cumulatively) in prison are paid a guaranteed salary by the Palestinian Authority for the rest of their lives,” the lawsuit explains.

“Every terrorist, regardless of their affiliations or the identity of their victims, is paid by the Palestinian Authority. This includes members of designated terror organizations, such as Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, who kill U.S. citizens,” the lawsuit alleges. 

According to the suit, the “Pay to Slay” program beneficiaries include the family of Bashar Masalha who stabbed 11 people and murdered 28-year-old U.S. Army Iraq and Afghanistan war Taylor Force on March 8, 2016. Mr. Force was visiting Israel as part of his graduate program. Shortly after his death, Congress passed the legislating in his memory. 

WHITE HOUSE ROASTS ‘SQUAD’ DEMOCRATS FOR ‘REPUGNANT’ COMMENTS AFTER BRUTAL HAMAS MURDERS: ‘DISGRACEFUL’

In the Taylor Force Act, Congress determined that “The Palestinian Authority’s practice of paying salaries to terrorists serving in Israeli prisons, as well as to the families of deceased terrorists, is an incentive to commit acts of terror.”

Through the Act, Congress prohibited the Executive Branch from providing any grant or award from U.S. taxpayer funds available for assistance under chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 that “directly benefits the Palestinian Authority” unless the Secretary of State certifies that the Palestinian Authority is taking credible steps to end acts of violence against Israeli citizens and United States citizens and has terminated “Pay to Slay.”

Congress also made it clear that the Palestinian Authority could directly benefit from U.S. taxpayer-funded projects in the West Bank or Gaza, or operate the “Pay to Slay” program, but not both. 

The lawsuit outlines that the Palestinian Authority chose “Pay to Slay” and consequently, the Trump Administration terminated funding. 

AFL alleges, however, that when President Biden took office in January 2021, his administration transferred “hundreds of millions of dollars from U.S. taxpayers to the Palestinian Authority despite “Pay to Slay” and contrary to the Taylor Force Act.”

“Contrary to law, they have transferred nearly half a billion American taxpayer dollars to directly benefit and subsidize the Palestinian Authority. Among other things, the defendants are unlawfully laundering U.S. taxpayer funds through non-governmental organizations to directly benefit the Palestinian Authority,” the lawsuit alleges. 

The lawsuit says that at the time the complaint was filed in court, President Biden and Secretary Blinken “admit that the Palestinian Authority operates ‘Pay to Slay’ to encourage terrorist attacks against persons living in and visiting the State of Israel.” 

The lawsuit was filed in December 2022. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

As of July 2023, both Democratic and Republican lawmakers were still requesting an update from Blinken on the administration’s plan to end “Pay to Slay.”

On Sept. 27, the House Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing on efforts to stop “Pay to Slay.”

Former Deputy Assistant to the President and National Security Adviser Elliott Abrams testified before the committee that he believes the Biden administration has been encouraging other nations, like Saudi Arabia, to give the PA case, undermining the Taylor Force Act. 

Blinken is expected Wednesday to meet with senior Israeli officials and “reiterate his condolences for the victims of the terrorist attacks against Israel and condemn those attacks in the strongest terms,” a statement from his office said Tuesday. 

“ The Secretary will also reaffirm the United States’ solidarity with the government and people of Israel,” the statement said. “ He will also discuss measures to bolster Israel’s security and underscore the United States’ unwavering support for Israel’s right to defend itself.”

The State Department and White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment,

Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., made his pitch to fellow Republicans to become the next House speaker on Wednesday.

Scalise appeared on Fox News to discuss ongoing Republican deliberations on who will replace former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Scalise is facing a challenger in Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who has been endorsed by former President Trump.

“One of the things I’ve been talking about as Speaker Steve Scalise is I will be challenging Joe Biden on day one to focus on securing the border,” Scalise said when asked about the U.S.-Mexico border.

Scalise went on to say that McCarthy has chosen not to enter the speaker race for a second time, and he argued that he has the votes necessary to secure the position.

‘UNMITIGATED S—SHOW’: HOUSE REPUBLICANS FUME OVER SPEAKER VACANCY AMID ISRAEL CRISIS

“Our momentum has been growing. I feel like we have the votes to do it – and not only do it today, but to go up on the House floor and get 218 votes, and then get back to work for the American people that elected us,” he said.

Scalise later said that he is confident the House will have a speaker by the end of the day, regardless of who it is.

HOUSE VOTES TO REMOVE KEVIN MCCARTHY AS SPEAKER IN HISTORIC FIRST

Not all Republicans are so confident, however. GOP lawmakers are expected to hold their interparty election at 10 a.m. after getting briefed on the unfolding crisis in Israel – which adds a sense of urgency as lawmakers scramble to restore order in Congress.

“I don’t know if by the end of this week we will have a speaker. If you were to ask me a couple days ago, pre-Israel being horrifically attacked by Hamas, I would have told you that it would have been a month before we had a speaker,” Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., told reporters after a closed-door GOP meeting Tuesday night.

GAETZ ‘OPEN-MINDED’ ON RULES CHANGE TO ELIMINATE MOTION TO VACATE, WOULD SUPPORT JORDAN OR SCALISE AS SPEAKER

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., was also doubtful a candidate will be chosen by the end of the day.

“I think there’s some [lawmakers] that have some problems with past behavior and each other, and so I think it’s going to take more than one day to get this done,” Murphy told Fox News Digital.

Fox News’ Liz Elkind contributed to this report.

The White House has remained silent on any future relationship with Iran in light of Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist leaders claiming Iran helped plan the surprise attacks against Israel. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House at least three times this week inquiring if the U.S. would participate in negations and return to the nuclear deal if evidence is found that Iran helped plan the brutal attacks against Israel. The White House’s press office ultimately referred Fox News Digital to the National Security Council Monday, which did not respond to the inquiry. 

News broke Sunday that Iranian security officials allegedly approved Hamas’ plan to attack Israel during a meeting in Beirut last Monday, The Wall Street Journal reported. Hamas and Hezbollah leaders said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps worked with Hamas since August on air, land and sea attack plans. 

Following the report, U.S. leaders said they have not found direct evidence of Iran planning the attacks in coordination with Hamas but noted that Iran has long supported Hamas, and the nation holds “a degree of complicity” in the attacks. 

HAMAS, HEZBOLLAH SAY IRAN HELPED PLAN DEADLY ATTACK ON ISRAEL: REPORT

“We are looking through the information streams. We haven’t seen hard, tangible evidence that Iran was directly involved in participating in or resourcing and planning these sets of complex attacks that Hamas pulled off over the weekend,” Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council John Kirby said Tuesday, something echoed later on in the day by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who again stressed that the U.S. has no evidence that Iran knew about the attacks in advance or that it helped Hamas.

BIDEN’S APPEASEMENT OF IRAN LOOMS OVER ISRAEL ATTACK: ‘IT’S DUMB POLICY AND IT’S EVIL’

Both Sullivan and Kirby’s comments this week echo what a U.S. official told Fox News Digital on Sunday evening, that “of course” Iran is in the picture, but that U.S. officials currently do not have information corroborating the report. 

REPUBLICAN SENATORS BASH BIDEN’S $6B IRAN DEAL IN PUSH TO SUPPORT ISRAEL 

When asked specifically about the future of the U.S. relationship with Iran, however, the White House has not said if leaders would return to the negotiating table for the Iran nuclear deal or if the U.S. strategy with Iran will change in light of terrorist leaders claiming Iran helped with the attacks. 

World powers, including the U.S. and the United Kingdom, reached a nuclear deal with Iran in 2015, formerly known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, after years of international tensions that Iran was working to build a nuclear bomb. The agreement limited some of Iran’s nuclear activities, while allowing international authorities to carry out inspections. Sanctions on Tehran were lifted in exchange. 

Former President Trump pulled the U.S. out of the agreement in 2018 after slamming it as “defective at its core.”

IRAN-LINKED TERRORISTS, GUERRILLAS SURROUND ISRAEL: HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THEM

“At the heart of the Iran deal was a giant fiction, that a murderous regime desired only a peaceful, nuclear energy program,” Trump said at the time. “Today, we have definitive proof that this Iranian promise was a lie.”

Under the Biden administration, officials have signaled they hope to return to the deal if Iran comes back into compliance. 

“The JCPOA has not been on our agenda since September, when Iran turned its back on a deal that was on the table, but we are still very much open to diplomacy,” a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital back in April. 

The Biden administration has also come under scrutiny this week for a $6 billion prisoner swap deal with Iran last month. Republicans have claimed that the money helped free up resources to fund the attacks, though Biden administration leaders have pushed back on the claims. 

“I think it’s important for people to remember that not a single dollar … of those funds has gone into Iran,” Kirby told Fox News’ Bret Baier on “America’s Newsroom” Tuesday. “Not one… not any. Nothing’s been allocated out of that fund, and we’re going to watch it.”

Chaos broke out in Israel early Saturday morning when Hamas launched attacks that took the nation by surprise. The terrorist organization has since fired more than 4,500 rockets at residential areas from the Gaza Strip, which has contributed to killing an estimated 1,000 Israelis and injuring thousands of others. 

The U.S. confirmed that 14 Americans are among those killed in Israel, and an undisclosed number of other Americans are unaccounted for and being held hostage under Hamas terrorists. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has meanwhile praised the attacks on social media, saying at the beginning of the war, the “Zionist regime will be eradicated at the hands of the Palestinian people and the Resistance forces throughout the region,” WSJ reported. 

The Biden administration issued regulations impacting air conditioners and refrigerators in an effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions, but experts warn the rules will drive consumer prices higher.

As part of the administration’s efforts to combat “climate-damaging” hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule to accelerate an economy-wide transition to more advanced refrigeration and cooling technologies that don’t use HFCs, and proposed a second rule to manage HFCs in existing products. HFCs are chemicals common in household appliances, but environmentalists say they contribute to global warming.

“Today’s actions embody President Biden’s leadership on the climate crisis by tackling these planet warming chemicals while investing in American technology and innovation,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement after unveiling the regulations late last week. 

“This final rule supports our transition away from HFCs and positions our nation to be competitive on the global stage, while the proposed emissions reduction and reclamation program will help ensure we achieve our national HFC phasedown,” he continued.

BIDEN ADMIN CRACKS DOWN ON AIR CONDITIONERS AS WAR ON APPLIANCES CONTINUES

White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi added that the “ambitious new action from EPA” would combat “climate-damaging HFCs” and create jobs.

However, energy experts warned that the EPA’s regulations targeting HFCs will ultimately drive prices higher for new products and repairs while harming consumers.

FAILED BIDEN NOMINEE QUIETLY APPOINTED TO TOP ROLE OVERSEEING WAR ON HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES

“This is likely to raise the costs — it may raise it substantially — of your next new air conditioning system,” Ben Lieberman, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, told Fox News Digital in an interview. “One of the issues is that the new refrigerants, the new eco-friendly refrigerants, are classified as flammable. So, there are all kinds of precautions that have to be taken when you have an air conditioning system with flammable refrigerants.”

“This is putting the climate agenda above the best interests of consumers,” Lieberman continued. “Anybody who wants the eco-friendly version is free to buy it regardless. The only thing that these regulations do is make the more expensive, but supposedly environmentally-friendly option, the only option. And that could only be bad news for prices, especially when you’re restricting competition in this manner.”

The actions Friday, which are set to go into effect in early 2025, came years after Congress passed and former President Donald Trump signed bipartisan American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act in December 2020 as part of a sweeping omnibus package. The legislation authorized the EPA to implement the 15-year phase-down of HFCs and was first introduced by Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., in 2019.

Additionally, in September 2022, Democrats and more than a dozen Republicans voted in favor of ratifying the Kigali Amendment, a global agreement first introduced in 1987 under the United Nations’ Montreal Protocol which requires signers to reduce usage of HFCs by 85% by 2033. The provision has been ratified by 138 international parties including the European Union.

BIDEN ADMIN BEGINS ENFORCING NATIONWIDE LIGHTBULB BANS, IGNITING BACKLASH FROM GOP: ‘LIBERAL FANTASIES’

“We’re dealing with a situation now where American consumers are being hit by inflation on goods such as food, fuel, products, appliances and then we’re going to add on top of that a regulatory restriction that increases costs for all Americans related to something that is really important for people — especially in hot climates in southern states or in the southwest — which is air conditioning,” Brett Schaefer, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, previously told Fox News Digital.

“It also deals with businesses such as convenience stores, grocery stores, and others who use a lot of air conditioning and cooling equipment in the course of their normal businesses,” he added. “So, this potentially could add significant costs for Americans down the road.”

Schaefer argued the federal government should pursue HFC restrictions via domestic legislation to allow a reversal if consumer costs become too onerous.

In 2018, Schaefer co-authored a report highlighting how the Kigali Amendment would lead to higher costs. The report stated that the Kigali Amendment is mainly supported by environmentalists who advocate for the elimination of all greenhouse gasses and business interests “who stand to profit from the phase-out of cheaper HFCs.”

BIDEN ADMIN ISSUES RESTRICTIONS ON GAS FURNACES IN LATEST WAR ON APPLIANCES

At the same time, industry groups — including the National Association of Manufacturers; the Chamber of Commerce; American Chemistry Council, Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI); and the Alliance for Responsible Atmospheric Policy — have supported federal efforts to curb HFC usage.

“We are heartened that the EPA respected our sincere comments on the Technology Transitions Rule, addressing many of our concerns, and creating the certainty that is so important for industry innovation and job creation,” AHRI president and CEO Stephen Yurek said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital.

“The rule establishes a very reasonable, 3-year sell-through period for HFC-containing equipment; and establishes effective dates that are within the first major step-down period under the AIM Act,” Yurek said. “While we and our member companies will – as always – carefully review the rule, we appreciate what we’ve seen in our initial review.”

Climate activists and Democrats broadly have pushed for HFC reductions, arguing that the chemical is a potent greenhouse gas which contributes to climate change.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Pound for pound, HFCs are one of the most potent sources of climate pollution, and this is a significant step forward in reducing the products that use them,” Alex Hillbrand, a technical director on the industry team at the Natural Resources Defense Council, a far-left environmental group, said in a statement following the EPA announcement last week. 

“Climate-friendlier alternatives to these HFCs are available that make these products work as well as – or better than – before,” Hillbrand continued. “Industry, environmental advocates and lawmakers from both parties are united in support of phasing down the use of these super pollutants. Now we will need to get to work bringing these climate-friendlier appliances to market while preventing the release of HFCs already in use out in the world.”

A culling of the field is underway in the 2024 Republican presidential nomination race.

With the thresholds to qualify for the next GOP presidential debate rising, crucial fundraising reports from the campaigns due in the coming days, and facing upcoming filing deadlines for the first two primaries, the still relatively-large field of Republican White House hopefuls may be further slashed in the weeks to come.

Former Rep. Will Hurd, facing a steep climb for the Republican nomination, ended his bid on Monday.

“It has become clear to me and my team that the time has come to suspend our campaign,” the former CIA spy turned three-term congressman from Texas said in a statement.

WILL HURD ENDORSED THIS RIVAL AS HE DROPPED OUT OF THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL RACE

Hurd, who fell short of qualifying for the first two GOP nomination debates, became he second Republican presidential candidate to drop out of the race. Mayor Francis Suarez of Miami, Florida called it quits in August after failing to qualify for the first showdown.

THIS IS HOW MUCH DONALD TRUMP HAULED IN THE PAST THREE MONTHS IN FUNDRAISING

So who could be next?

All eyes are on two other long-shot contenders who, like Hurd, were unsuccessful in making the first two debates — Larry Elder and Perry Johnson.

Elder, a former nationally syndicated radio host and 2021 California gubernatorial recall election candidate, is no longer at the statehouse in Concord, New Hampshire, to file paperwork to appear on the ballot in the first-in-the-nation primary.

And Elder is also no longer on the New Hampshire GOP’s schedule to speak Friday at the First in the Nation Leadership Summit, which is a major Republican presidential cattle call in the state that holds the second overall contest in the GOP nominating calendar.

But Elder’s campaign manager told Fox News Digital that “he’s still in.”

Elder, asked by Fox News if he’s still a White House contender, responded that “Yes, I am still a candidate for president.” He said that “clearly, the way the RNC [Republican National Committee] shafted me-by preventing me from participating in the first debate despite my meeting their criteria-has hurt my campaign.” 

He pledged to “remain committed to campaigning on several issues.”

HAMAS ATTACK ON ISRAEL INSTANTLY ROCKS THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

Johnson, a business leader and quality control industry expert, is now mulling a pivot to run for the open Senate seat in his home state of Michigan.

“Obviously, it’s no secret that I’ve had a lot of calls to run for this seat because they do want to win this seat. But at this point in time, my focus is right on the presidential [race], and, believe me, that’s taking all my time and energy at this point,” Johnson told Fox News Digital earlier this month.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, the only one of the eight candidates on the stage at the first debate in August who failed to qualify for last month’s second showdown, is back campaigning in New Hampshire this week. 

His campaign told Fox News that he would file on Wednesday morning to place his name on the state’s presidential primary ballot.

But Hutchinson has said if he fails to make the stage at the third GOP presidential nomination debate, he’ll consider dropping out.

“If I don’t make that, we’ll re-evaluate where we are,” Hutchinson told reporters two weeks ago, as he referred to the third debate, which will be held Nov. 8 in Miami, Florida.

When asked for clarification if his response meant he would consider dropping out, Hutchinson answered, “Sure.”

Besides the RNC’s rising debate thresholds to make the stage at the next showdown, the candidates also face upcoming filing deadlines. They have until Oct. 27 to place their names on the ballot in New Hampshire, and face an Oct. 31 deadline in South Carolina, which holds the fourth contest — and first southern primary in the GOP nominating calendar.

The candidates also must file their July-September third quarter of fundraising figures with the Federal Election Commission by Oct. 15.

A lackluster fundraising report could be the death knell for some of the candidates struggling to make the debate stage.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“The third quarter report is incredibly important for all the campaigns, but certainly those who are struggling to break out right now and garner attention, this will be the last financial indicator we see until very close to Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary for these campaigns,” longtime New Hampshire based Republican consultant Jim Merrill told Fox News.

Merrill, a veteran of numerous GOP presidential campaigns, said that “whether it’s making the next debate stage or just evidence in grassroots momentum for the campaign, it’s going to be really important for these campaigns to show that they not only have strong numbers of cash on hand, but also grassroots support for a growing national audience.”

Alex Castellanos, a GOP strategist with decades of experience, also pointed to the fundraising reports and predicted that some of the candidates will “soon run out of gas as they try to drive to the next debate in Miami.”

Fox News’ Andrew Murray contributed to this report

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Former Arizona gubernatorial candidate and conservative firebrand Kari Lake formally announced Tuesday she will seek the Republican nomination for Senate in what is expected to be one of the most closely watched races of 2024.

“I am not going to retreat. I’m going to stand on top of this hill with every single one of you. And I know you’re on my side as I formally announce my candidacy for the United States Senate,” Lake told a crowd in Scottsdale, Arizona as they cheered the longtime former television anchor turned MAGA champion who narrowly lost her race to be the state’s governor last year. 

She will face off with Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, the only other major candidate in the race for the GOP nomination, and the winner will likely face Phoenix-area Democrat Rep. Ruben Gallego, who is seen as the front-runner for his party’s nomination.

KARI LAKE BOOSTS NATIONAL PROFILE AS TOP TRUMP SURROGATE, GOP CAMPAIGNER AHEAD OF LIKELY SENATE RUN

Incumbent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who left the Democrat Party to become an independent last year, has not yet said whether she will run for re-election.

Lake spent the months leading up to her announcement boosting her national profile by hitting the pavement as a top surrogate for former President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and campaigning for Republican candidates across the country.

In the past three months alone, Lake has traveled to 14 states to headline events and address Republican organizations at the state and county levels, and has even thrown her support behind candidates in other Senate races. 

GOP, DEMS TEAM UP TO RIP ‘DELUSIONAL’ SINEMA OVER ‘PLAN’ TO SWIPE THEIR VOTERS IN INDEPENDENT REELECTION BID

In a statement following Lake’s entry into the race, Lamb said he was the “only one proven conservative winner” running for Senate in Arizona.

“I am a lifelong conservative who has dedicated my life to protecting Arizonans and keeping them safe when Democrat policies make that job almost impossible. I have been in Arizona fighting for the people that call this great state home. I’m not a talker, I’m a doer, and I win elections. That is what separates me from my opponents,” he said.

Gallego’s campaign reacted to Lake’s announcement by predicting voters would reject her “again,” referencing her loss to current Democrat Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs last year.

FORMER SPECIAL FORCES SOLDIER GETS ANOTHER BIG NAME ENDORSEMENT IN RACE TO FLIP SWING HOUSE SEAT FROM DEMS

“Arizonans — including a significant chunk of Republicans — already rejected Kari Lake once because of her dangerous plans to ban abortion and undermine our democracy. Her extremism should disqualify her from public office — and it will. Again,” Gallego campaign spokesperson Hanna Goss told Fox News Digital.

Fox also reached out to a spokesperson for Sinema, but did not receive a response.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Democrats currently hold a narrow one-seat majority in the Senate, with three independent senators, including Sinema, caucusing with them.

Arizona is one of Republicans’ top targets to flip from the Democrats in their efforts to regain the majority in 2024, in addition to the Pennsylvania, Ohio, Montana, Nevada and West Virginia seats also up for grabs.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub

Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. 

Subscribe now to get Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox.

All eyes on Israel

UNWAVERING: Biden shuns calls to de-escalate after Hamas terror attacks, vows support to Israel …Read more

‘IMMEDIATE PRIORITY’: GOP Rep demands Biden take action to rescue ‘many’ Americans stuck in Israel …Read more

‘ABHORRENT AND HEINOUS’: Top Republican slams Harvard after student orgs blame Israel over Gaza attacks …Read more

BAN IRAN: DeSantis declares support for Israel during war, announces new proposals to block Iranian businesses in Florida …Read more

‘ALL WEAPONS’ NECESSARY: Republican lawmaker ramps up pressure on Biden admin amid bloody war in Israel …Read more

‘SQUAD’ GOALS: Rep. Ilhan Omar suggests ‘solution’ for Israel is not through military, but negotiating with Hamas …Read more

‘IT SICKENS ME’: Dem lawmaker blasts ‘Squad’ over calls to end Israel funding …Read more

NUMBERS SPEAK: Democrats support Palestinians over Israel, GOP overwhelmingly stands with US ally: 2023 poll …Read more

DELETED TWEET: Blinken removes tweet calling for cease-fire in Israel after backlash …Read more

White House watch

SPECIAL COUNSEL: Biden interviewed by special counsel in classified documents case …Read more

‘FLAGRANTLY UNLAWFUL’: GOP attorneys general push for fix to ‘catch-and-release loophole’ at border …Read more

SECURITY CONCERNS: Border Patrol sees thousands of ‘special interest’ illegal immigrants …Read more

TRIP CANCELED: Blinken suspends plans Middle East trip including Saudi Arabia visit amid Hamas-Israel war …Read more

IN FOCUS: Biden’s depletion of emergency oil supply may come back to haunt amid Israel-Hamas war …Read more

Seeking a speaker

HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE: Here’s where we stand with the House speaker race …Read more

JORDAN V SCALISE: Jordan leads Scalise in public endorsements ahead of House speaker vote …Read more

MAD HOUSE: Republican weigh rules change for secret speaker ballot …Read more

EXPERTS WEIGH IN: Experts give their take on whether empty speaker’s chair affected Hamas’ attack on Israel …Read more

‘BIGOTRY AND CALLOUSNESS’: AOC, other liberals slam Democratic Socialists over pro-Palestine rally in NYC …Read more

Campaign trail

FOREIGN POLICY POSITIONING: Middle East Conflict spills into the Road for The White House …Read more

CALLING IT QUITS: A second Republican presidential candidate drops out of the 2024 nomination race …Read more

GAME CHANGER: GOP candidate reveals millions raised in race that ‘will determine control of the Senate’ …Read more

CHANGE OF PLANS: Trump will not visit Capitol Hill as previously planned amid speaker fight, source says …Read more

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

FIRST ON FOX: A group of House and Senate Republicans penned a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the nation’s top energy regulator, asking it to stop slow-walking approval for a key natural gas project in the Pacific Northwest.

In the letter sent Friday, the eight lawmakers — led by Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Ore., and joined by fellow Oregon GOP Rep. Cliff Bentz, four other House Republicans and Idaho GOP Sens. Mike Crapo and James Risch — called for the immediate approval of the Gas Transmission Northwest XPress Project (GTNXP). The project would upgrade three existing compressor stations, increasing capacity on an existing system that has transported natural gas for decades.

“This delay has created significant uncertainty for energy users in the states and districts we represent and will likely subject them to higher priced energy alternatives,” the group wrote in the letter first obtained by Fox News Digital. “It is unreasonable for a project like GTN XPress, which meets all the Commission’s criteria and impacts no landowners, to be subject to such lengthy delays. It is time for FERC to act.”

“Further, according to FERC’s FEIS (final environmental impact statement) the project would not have significant environmental impacts,” they continued. “Regarding GHG (greenhouse gases) emissions more generally, increasing natural gas use in electricity generation has already helped the nation achieve significant reductions in GHG emissions, with electric sector emissions dropping 32% between 2005 and 2019 largely driven by the transition from coal to natural gas.”

WHITE HOUSE PROHIBITING OFFICIAL TRAVEL TO FOSSIL FUEL CONFERENCES, INTERNAL MEMO SHOWS

The letter added that an increase in natural gas power generation would help states like Oregon meet carbon reduction goals, since it relies on coal for about 25% of its electricity generation. Coal produces greater emissions than natural gas.

GTNXP’s developer TC Energy first proposed the project in October 2021. According to its application filed with FERC at the time, the project would leverage existing infrastructure to increase GTN’s incremental mainline capacity by 150,000 dekatherms per day, enough to power thousands of additional homes in the region. The GTN pipeline travels through Idaho, Washington and Oregon and serves California customers.

BIDEN ADMIN PROPOSES PLAN TO HOLD FEWEST OFFSHORE OIL DRILLING LEASES IN US HISTORY

However, FERC — which is chaired by Willie Phillips, a President Biden appointee and Democrat — has inexplicably delayed granting final approval for TC Energy to move ahead with construction in the project despite greenlighting in its environmental impact statement published in October 2022. Democrats and environmental groups have urged FERC to reject the project, potentially causing the delays.

In July, FERC removed the project from its open meeting agenda without explanation. One day before the meeting, though, Democratic Oregon Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden wrote to the regulator, imploring it to reject the project. The commission again opted against discussing it during its following meeting on Sept. 21, which earned a pointed rebuke from TC Energy.

“This unprecedented delay is adding undue uncertainty for our constituents’ energy certainty and diverging from FERC precedent as well as the intent of the Natural Gas Act,” the lawmakers concluded in their letter Friday. “The Commission should provide certainty to providers and consumers across the Northwest, and issue their decision on this important project as soon as possible.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

A FERC spokesperson previously declined to comment to Fox News Digital on the repeated delays, citing the agency’s policy of not discussing internal pending matters. The next FERC meeting where GTNXP may be discussed is slated for Oct. 19.

In addition to GOP lawmakers, local labor unions, electric utility companies and energy groups have rallied in favor of GTNXP, arguing it will produce jobs and solidify energy supplies.

The White House is standing by President Biden’s statement earlier this year that climate change poses the largest threat to humanity, even as thousands of people have been killed or wounded after a radical Iran-backed terrorist group unleashed violence across Israel over the weekend.

John Kirby, the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, reaffirmed Monday that the president and his administration still believe climate change is the largest threat facing the U.S. and world since it is capable of “wiping out all human life.” His comments came as thousands of people, including hundreds of innocent civilians, have been killed or injured during the conflict triggered over the weekend after a series of unprovoked attacks by the Hamas terrorist group.

“Absolutely he does,” Kirby told Fox News when asked whether Biden stands by his comments on the risks posed by climate change. “Climate change is an existential threat. It actually threatens and is capable of wiping out all human life on earth over time.”

“The president believes wholeheartedly that climate change is an existential threat to all of human life on the planet. That’s just science,” he continued. “But it doesn’t mean that we turn our back on the other challenges facing this country and our allies and partners around the world.”

BIDEN’S DEPLETION OF EMERGENCY OIL STOCKS COMES BACK INTO FOCUS AMID ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR, PRICE SURGE

Biden remarked in January that climate change poses the “single-most existential threat to humanity we’ve ever faced, including nuclear weapons,” adding that it is a “real big problem.” Months earlier, he said global warming is “literally an existential threat to our nation and to the world” and posed a clear and present danger to the entire world.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

POMPEO TORCHES KIRBY AS WH SHIFTS BLAME TO TRUMP FOR AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL

Since taking office in early 2021, Biden has pursued an aggressive climate change agenda, pushing for a rapid transition to green energy while issuing regulations to curb the future use of fossil fuels which generate the vast majority of power across U.S. sectors.

Meanwhile, of those reported dead as a result of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, at least 11 were confirmed to be American citizens.

Overall, the escalating conflict has claimed the lives of at least 1,600 people, including at least 1,000 Israelis, according to the latest information.

BLINKEN DELETES POST CALLING FOR CEASEFIRE

“We have only started striking Hamas,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address. “What we will do to our enemies in the coming days will reverberate with them for generations.”

Earlier Tuesday, Israeli warplanes unleashed an aerial bombardment of downtown Gaza City, and the nation is considering sending its troops on the ground into Palestinian territories.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Our countries will support Israel in its efforts to defend itself and its people against such atrocities. We further emphasize that this is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks to seek advantage,” the governments of the U.S., U.K., France, Germany and Italy said in a statement Monday.

“Over the coming days, we will remain united and coordinated, together as allies, and as common friends of Israel, to ensure Israel is able to defend itself, and to ultimately set the conditions for a peaceful and integrated Middle East region,” they added.

Fox News Digital’s Lawrence Richard and Charles Creitz contributed to this report.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Tuesday a wave of new proposed policies demonstrating his administration’s solidarity with Israel amid its war against Hamas terrorists.

DeSantis made the announcement during a news conference at the Shul of Bal Harbour synagogue in Florida. He connected Iran to the violence perpetrated by Hamas this weekend and urged President Biden’s administration to take more drastic action.

“When Iran gets more money, they are not using it to make life better for the people of Iran,” DeSantis said. “What they use it for is to fund terrorism throughout the Middle East and throughout the world. They send the money to Hezbollah, they send the money to Hamas, and that’s exactly what we’ve seen. And yes, Iran was involved in orchestrating this attack against Israel. We know that, it’s been reported. They deny it, but we’re smarter than that.”

“We know that we have an opportunity to do something forceful that will make a difference in terms of the substance. But I think symbolically, but also important, and that is today our proposal that as we stand with Israel, we sanction Iran,” the governor continued. “And so we are going to roll out for the next legislative session a proposal to increase Florida sanctions on Iran and to block Iranian business in our state.”

HAMAS ATTACK ON ISRAEL ROCKS 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN, ALTERING THE POLITICAL CONVERSATION

“We should use all available avenues to choke off money going to the Iranian regime,” he added.

DeSantis’ new policies expand existing bans on Iranian-owned businesses from operating in Florida.

Iran has a long history of funding terrorism in Israel through both Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah to Israel’s north. The Israeli military has already carried out more than 1,000 airstrikes against Hamas targets in Gaza following Saturday’s bloodshed.

TRUMP CLAIMS HAMAS ATTACK ON ISRAEL WOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED IF HE WERE STILL PRESIDENT

Hamas’ surprise assault killed at least 900 Israelis and left more than 2,000 wounded.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS COVERAGE OF ISRAEL’S WAR WITH HAMAS

Israel has deployed tens of thousands of troops to the Gaza border, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has suggested that a ground invasion may be imminent. He told Biden in a Monday phone call that “we have to go in.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

DeSantis said Tuesday that it is Israel’s right to respond forcefully to the Hamas assault. He encouraged Israeli leaders to be severe enough in their response to dissuade any future attacks.

EXCLUSIVE — Iraq’s top judge, Faiq Zidan, who seeks the arrest of former President Donald Trump, confirmed through his spokesperson to Fox News Digital that he has indeed been invited to Washington, D.C. Fox News Digital first broke the story that Zidan had been invited to Washington.

There had been confusion about the controversial judge’s visit to Washington, D.C., when it was revealed that he was to meet with officials at the Department of Justice. A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital last week, “The Supreme Judicial Council President Faiq Zidan is going to be hosted by the Department of Justice, so we defer to the DOJ to discuss their meetings. We engage with a wide range of counterparts in Iraq, and we value engaging the Iraqi judiciary. The DOJ meets regularly with foreign judicial leaders.”

Yet conflicting with the State Department spokesperson’s statement, a source familiar with the situation told Fox News Digital last Thursday that “Zidan will not be meeting with any DOJ officials.”

On Monday, Zidan’s spokesperson texted Fox News Digital on the WhatsApp messaging service, writing, “His visit to Washington was postponed due to the current war conditions. When he visits Washington, he will hold a meeting with you to clarify many matters that are not clear to American public opinion.”

MYSTERY SURROUNDS VISIT TO DC OF IRAN-BACKED IRAQI JUDGE WHO ISSUED WARRANT FOR TRUMP’S ARREST

Fox News Digital called Zidan’s spokesperson before publication of its first article on his planned visit. She declined to comment on the telephone or via WhatsApp. After Fox News Digital sent the Iraqi spokesperson its published story, she issued the statement that the war in Israel was preventing Zidan from traveling to Washington.

According to a source familiar with Zidan’s invitation to the DOJ, the judge told many U.S. officials that the DOJ invited him to Washington, D.C.

In January, Zidan said that Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council had filed an arrest warrant for Trump with regard to the U.S. targeted killing of Iranian Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, who reportedly oversaw the murders of more than 600 American military personnel in the Mideast.

IRAQ OPENS INVESTIGATION INTO KIDNAPPING OF ISRAELI-RUSSIAN CITIZEN WHO HAS BEEN MISSING FOR MONTHS

According to an article on the website of U.S.-sanctioned Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the Iraqi judge said during a meeting earlier this year with the Raisi, “One of the most important examples of judicial cooperation between the two neighboring and brotherly countries is the trial of all those who participated in the terrorist crime of martyring the commanders of fighting against terrorism.”

Zidan’s reported statement was said in a discussion on pursuing “justice for the martyrs Soleimani, al-Muhandis.”

LAWMAKER DEMANDS ANSWERS AFTER BIDEN OFFICIAL IMPLICATED IN IRANIAN INFLUENCE SCHEME: ‘UNBELIEVABLE!’

Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis was the head of the pro-Iran Kata’ib Hezbollah militia in 2020. The U.S. military killed Soleimani and al-Muhandis with a lethal drone strike  near Baghdad International Airport.

Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser for the Washington, D.C.-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital, “The Justice Department should be focused on protecting Americans targeted by IRGC assassinations and kidnapping plots, not hosting the IRGC’s man in Baghdad who wants to prosecute Americans for killing terrorists. Zidan should not be allowed in America.”

Michael Knights, a fellow of the Washington Institute who has written about Zidan, told Fox News Digital that “Zidan issued one order after another that has disadvantaged opponents of Iranian militias.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Knights said that after the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, Soleimani and al-Muhandis “were the architects of moving Zidan up through the judicial system. He was running counterterrorism courts so that none of Iran’s friends got prosecuted under Iraqi law.”

The lack of modern judicial norms in Iraq was noted by Knights, who said Zidan “is a supreme court judge who can hire and fire other judges. Iraq has one supreme court judge. He is as powerful as the prime minister of Iraq. He is unelected, installed by Iran and has no term limit.”

Republican presidential candidate former Rep. Will Hurd of Texas is ending his long-shot bid for the White House and endorsing one of his rivals for the GOP nomination.

Hurd, a former CIA spy turned three-term congressman who in June launched an uphill bid for the 2024 Republican nomination announced on social media Monday that “it has become clear to me and my team that the time has come to suspend our campaign.”

He becomes the second Republican presidential candidate to call it quits, following Mayor Francis Suarez of Miami, Florida, who dropped out of the race in August.

And Hurd – a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump, who’s the commanding front-runner for the GOP nomination as he makes his third straight White House run – endorsed former ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

LATEST FUNDRAISING REPORTS COULD BE DEATH KNELL FOR SOME GOP PRESIDENTIAL LONG-SHOTS

“Our nation deserves a leader who can unite us and navigate the complex challenges we face, particularly when it comes to our national security. I believe Ambassador Nikki Haley is the best person in this race to do that,” Hurd wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, and in an email to supporters.

Hurd emphasized that Haley, who served as ambassador to the United Nations during the first two years of the Trump administration, “has shown a willingness to articulate a different vision for the country than Donald Trump and has an unmatched grasp on the complexities of our foreign policy. I wholeheartedly endorse Ambassador Haley and look forward to supporting her for the remainder of this race.”

HERE’S HOW MUCH FUNDRAISING HALEY HAULED IN THE PAST THREE MONTHS

Responding to Hurd’s endorsement, Haley wrote in a social media posting that “America is at a crossroads and it’s time to come together and make Joe Biden a one-term president. Thank you @WillHurd for your support and confidence. We have a country to save!”

Haley, thanks in part to well received performances in the first two Republican presidential debates, has been rising in the polls and is now second to Trump in some of the latest surveys in New Hampshire – which holds the first primary and second overall contest in the GOP nomination calendar – and her home state of South Carolina, which holds the first southern contest.

Hurd, who garnered little support in the GOP nomination surveys, failed to reach the polling and donor thresholds mandated by the Republican National Committee for candidates to make the stage at the debates. 

Hurd, who for part of his tenure in Congress was the only Black Republican in the House, decided against running for re-election in 2020.

THIS IS HOW MUCH DONALD TRUMP HAULED IN THE PAST THREE MONTHS IN FUNDRAISING

He grabbed national attention last year during a well-publicized book tour for “American Reboot: An Idealist’s Guide to Getting Big Things Done.” In his book, Hurd urged his party to rethink its style of politics and offered ideas to reform America’s political system and keep the nation competitive against China and other powers. 

Hurd’s book — which is partly a memoir about growing up in Texas with a Black father and White mother and his CIA and congressional careers, and partly a prescription for his party and the country as a whole — appeared to some political pundits as a roadmap for a possible 2024 White House run.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

As he launched his presidential campaign, Hurd took aim at Trump, telling Fox News Digital at the time that “the GOP will continue to lose to Democrats if Donald Trump is the nominee.”

And four months later, as he dropped out of the race, Hurd reiterated that “if the Republican party nominates Donald Trump or the various personalities jockeying to imitate his divisive, crass behavior, we will lose.”

He emphasized that “while I appreciate all the time and energy our supporters have given, it is important to recognize the realities of the political landscape and the need to consolidate our party around one person to defeat both Donald Trump and President Biden. I urge donors, voters, and other candidates to unite around an alternative candidate to Trump.”

And looking back at his presidential campaign, Hurd highlighted in his statement that “in 14 short weeks, my team and I matched the accomplishments of many of the other candidates in the race who had significantly higher name ID and cash advantage. I am honored to have had the support of the people who made this possible.”

Fox News Paige Dukeman, Mike Emanuel, and James Levinson contributed to this report

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

President Biden was interviewed as part of an investigation into his handling of classified documents by Special Counsel Robert Hur, the White House counsel’s office said.

The interview was voluntary and concluded Monday, White House Counsel’s Office spokesperson Ian Sams told Fox News.

“The voluntary interview was conducted at the White House over two days, Sunday and Monday, and concluded Monday,” he said. 

BIDEN CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS STORY LIGHTS UP SOCIAL MEDIA: ‘WATCH HOW FAST THIS DISAPPEARS’

The investigation is being led by Hur, who was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland to oversee the probe.

“As we have said from the beginning, the President and the White House are cooperating with this investigation, and as it has been appropriate, we have provided relevant updates publicly, being as transparent as we can consistent with protecting and preserving the integrity of the investigation,” Sams said. 

“We would refer other questions to the Justice Department at this time,” he added. 

The interview played out as war broke out in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas. Biden was speaking with foreign leaders about the matter and meeting with his national security team. 

LIBERAL MEDIA ROASTED FOR EXCUSING BIDEN DOCUMENT SCANDAL: ‘WHEN WILL THE FBI RAID HIS HOME?’

The probe stems from a batch of records from President Biden’s time as vice president, including a “small number of documents with classified markings,” that were discovered at the Penn Biden Center by the president’s personal attorneys on Nov. 2, 2022. 

The documents were found in a locked closet while preparing to vacate office space at the center, which the president used from mid-2017 until he began the 2020 campaign. The National Archives were notified of the finding and took possession of the documents on Nov. 3, 2022, Sauber said. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Special counsel Robert Mueller’s team negotiated with lawyers for then-President Donald Trump for an interview but Trump never sat for one. His lawyers instead submitted answers to written questions.

President George W. Bush sat for a 70-minute interview as part of an investigation into the leak of the identity of a CIA operative. President Bill Clinton in 1998 underwent more than four hours of questioning from independent counsel Kenneth Starr before a federal grand jury.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

One thing to watch for as House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) pursues the Speakership:

There is still an outstanding lawsuit filed against Ohio State University by a number of former varsity athletes – including wrestlers – stemming from a sexual abuse scandal which goes back decades. They are listed as “John Does.” Ohio State previously argued that the statute of limitations had run out. But a federal court disagreed. The Supreme Court refused to reconsider the case earlier this year. That allowed the case to proceed.

TRUMP ENDORSES JIM JORDAN FOR SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: ‘COMPLETE & TOTAL ENDORSEMENT’

Jordan is not named in the suit as a defendant and has never been accused of alleged sexual abuse. But the plaintiffs intend to call all possible relevant Ohio State employees from the timeframe of the alleged abuse. That could help them determine potential culpability for allowing the abuse to continue after being made aware of it. 

The question is whether Jordan – as a possible Speaker of the House – could be called away for days if not longer for a deposition in the case. 

USER’S MANUAL TO THE EFFORT BY SOME GOPERS TO RETURN MCCARTHY TO THE SPEAKERSHIP

Jordan was an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State from 1987-1995.

Dr. Richard Strauss is a former Ohio State athletics department doctor who died in 2005. Scores of former OSU varsity athletes have accused Strauss of sexual abuse. 

HOW THE MIDDLE EAST CRISIS COULD EXPEDITE THE ELECTION OF A HOUSE SPEAKER

Multiple former wrestlers – including Dunyasha Yetts and Mike DiSabato – contend that Jordan was aware of the abuse by Strauss against wrestlers and never did anything about it. Jordan was repeatedly denied that he saw abuse or had abuse reported to him by his wrestlers. He has reiterated those denials earlier this summer.

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

One alleged victim alleges that Jordan was aware of inappropriate behavior exhibited in a shower by Strauss toward a wrestling referee. Legal documents appear to allege that Jordan dismissed the complaint by the referee.

If Jordan is deposed, it is unsure who would pay the legal bills on Jordan’s behalf. One source suggested it might be the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). Jordan is not known for having a robust campaign war chest. He has not demonstrated the fundraising prowess of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.).

Former President Trump will not visit Capitol Hill Tuesday to meet with congressional Republicans as they consider a next speaker of the House, a source familiar with the 2024 GOP front-runner’s plans told Fox News Digital.

The former president told Fox News Digital last Thursday that he would visit Washington, D.C., and Capitol Hill to take part in a House Republican Conference as members considered who would become the next speaker of the House, following the ouster of Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

A source familiar, though, told Fox News Digital on Monday that the president’s plans had changed, and he will no longer visit Washington or Capitol Hill to take part in those discussions or the House GOP candidate forum set to begin Tuesday evening. 

Trump, early Friday morning, endorsed Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, to serve as House speaker.

TRUMP EXPECTED TO VISIT CAPITOL HILL NEXT WEEK AMID HOUSE SPEAKER RACE: SOURCES

Jordan, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, is up against House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., for the role.

Meanwhile, Trump, last week, said he would accept a short-term role as speaker of the House of Representatives to serve as a “unifier” for the Republican Party until lawmakers reach a decision on who should take on the post.

McCarthy was removed as speaker of the House last Tuesday after Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., introduced a measure against him known as a motion to vacate, accusing him of breaking promises he made to win the speaker’s gavel in January.

“I have been asked to speak as a unifier because I have so many friends in Congress,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “If they don’t get the vote, they have asked me if I would consider taking the speakership until they get somebody longer term, because I am running for president.” 

TRUMP WOULD ACCEPT HOUSE SPEAKERSHIP FOR A ‘SHORT PERIOD’ WHILE REPUBLICANS DECIDE ON A PERMANENT REPLACEMENT

“They have asked me if I would take it for a short period of time for the party, until they come to a conclusion – I’m not doing it because I want to – I will do it if necessary, should they not be able to make their decision,” Trump said.

Trump did not specify who had asked him, although a number of GOP lawmakers have said he is their preference for speaker.

Trump stressed that if Republicans cannot come to a consensus, he would take the speakership for a short “30, 60 or 90-day period.” 

“I would only do it for the party,” he said, emphasizing that his focus is on his presidential campaign. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

Back in January, as the House considered who should become the speaker after Republicans took the majority in the chamber, Gaetz opted not to vote for McCarthy or Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida, who was floated as an option, but voted instead for the former president.

When Gaetz’s name was called during the seventh round of voting, he responded: “Donald John Trump.”