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North Carolina’s discovery of 34,000 dead people on its voter rolls has sparked renewed calls for voter roll cleanup measures, including increased pressure on Congress to pass the SAVE America Act.

After a state election official said the number of dead people found on North Carolina’s voter rolls was “higher than we anticipated,” Republican Rep. Mark Harris of North Carolina called for immediate action to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, commonly known as the SAVE America Act.

“North Carolina confirms 34,000 deceased individuals on our voter rolls,” he wrote in an X post. “This isn’t a mistake—it’s a failure. Election integrity is non-negotiable. Fix it now. Pass the SAVE America Act!”

This discovery has also prompted questions about how many other states have deceased voters still on their rolls. Jason Snead, executive director of Honest Elections Project Action, said he is especially concerned about blue states he believes have been refusing “commonsense” measures to clean up voter rolls.

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Earlier this month, the North Carolina State Board of Elections submitted over 7.3 million voter records to the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database as part of an initiative to strengthen the accuracy and integrity of the state’s voter registration list. Following a comprehensive data comparison with the federal database, the elections board identified approximately 34,000 dead people on the state’s voter rolls.

Sam Hayes, executive director of the State Board of Elections, said in a press release after the discovery, “While we expected to find some cases, this is higher than we anticipated.”

“The benefit of entering into cross-state and federal database checks is that it allows us to uncover issues like this. Our goal is to use every available and legal tool at our disposal to achieve the most accurate voter rolls possible,” he continued. “Now, we must roll up our sleeves and begin the hard work to act of verifying that every person registered to vote in North Carolina is eligible. Our team, along with our state and federal [partners] will do what’s necessary to meet this responsibility.”

The state board said it will work with county boards of elections to remove the deceased individuals from the voter rolls in accordance with state and federal law. 

WATCH: CHAOS ERUPTS AS FLORIDA DEM IN PINK JUMPSUIT GRABS BULLHORN MID-VOTE: ‘IT’S ILLEGAL!’

While North Carolina is collaborating with the federal government and taking steps to clean up its rolls, Snead expressed concern that Democratic-run states are not doing the same.

“Voter list maintenance takes effort from state officials,” he told Fox News Digital.

He called North Carolina “another example of a state doing the work to root out bad registrations using federal records like the SAVE system.”

“But too many Democrat-controlled states are refusing to do the commonsense work of cleaning up bloated voter rolls or stopping ineligible people from registering in the first place,” he said.

“That’s why it’s so important for Congressional Democrats to end their obstruction of the SAVE America Act, a commonsense, popular piece of legislation that keeps it easy to vote and makes it harder to cheat,” he added.

The SAVE America Act would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. It mandates states to verify voter rolls using citizenship data, remove ineligible registrants and impose civil and criminal penalties on officials who register voters without required proof.

The legislation is currently stuck in limbo in the Senate. Last week, a cohort of Senate Republicans joined Democrats to sink a late-night attempt to attach a version of the voter ID and citizenship verification legislation to the GOP’s bill funding federal immigration enforcement.

Sens. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.; Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska; Susan Collins, R-Maine; and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., all voted against a modified version of the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act.

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President Donald Trump has repeatedly pushed for passage of the SAVE America Act. Last month, he vowed not to sign any other bills until it gets through, and said he wouldn’t approve of a “watered down version.”

Last month, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif.; and Rep. Joe Morelle, D-N.Y., released a statement explaining their opposition to the legislation. The statement posited that the legislation would “disenfranchise up to 21 million citizens who can’t readily access their passports and birth certificates.”

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If enacted, the three asserted the SAVE America Act would be “sowing chaos in state election administration and fueling attacks against hardworking election officials by exposing them to new criminal liability.”

Schumer charged “MAGA Republicans” with “trying to make it harder for Americans to vote.” He asserted that “they know their agenda is failing, so they’re changing the rules.”

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

A bipartisan group of House lawmakers moved Thursday to strip out a controversial pesticide provision from legislation setting U.S. farm and nutrition policy after Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., threatened to “slaughter” the legislation if her measure did not receive a floor vote.

Lawmakers voted 280 to 142 to approve Luna’s amendment, which removed language from the farm bill shielding pesticide manufacturers from legal liability. 

The successful vote could be a sign of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement’s growing influence over congressional Republicans, who splintered over the issue. Leading MAHA advocates applied public pressure on Republicans to back the amendment, arguing that failing to do so would be a betrayal of the MAHA movement.

73 Republicans backed Luna’s measure, while 142 GOP lawmakers rejected it.

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The provision that lawmakers struck would block lawsuits against pesticide companies for failing to disclose potential health risks as long as they are in compliance with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations on labeling. States and localities would be barred from issuing pesticide labeling guidance that diverges from the EPA. 

“I have a little boy, and the amount of articles I have seen on pesticides and herbicides popping up in children’s products (to include organic) is very bad,” Luna, a MAHA-aligned Republican, wrote on social media earlier this week. “On behalf of all the moms and dads that aren’t in office, I am not going to be bullied into supporting a bill that is providing protections and immunity to corporations that are responsible for giving children and adults cancer.”

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, policy chair of the House Freedom Caucus, also endorsed Luna’s amendment, arguing it would “protect Americans from dangerous pesticides.”

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Republican critics, however, contended that Luna’s amendment would raise costs for consumers if the pesticide provision was stripped from the farm bill. 

“If the EPA says the label is good, I don’t see why every state municipality should have to have another label that would simply raise the price for the American consumer,” Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., said in opposition to Luna’s measure.

“We’re not talking about the pesticide in the jug as has been misrepresented to the American citizens and especially the MAHA movement,” Scott continued. “We’re talking about just the label on the jug. There is no liability shield for the pesticide in the jug. 

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., also sharply criticized Luna’s measure.

“The arguments on the other side are pretty shallow, and they’re emotional,” Thompson said on the House floor. “They’re not science-based.”

Democrats also widely backed the effort to remove the pesticide provision from the bill.

“Put simply, this language puts chemical company profits over the health of Americans,” Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, said during debate on the House floor. 

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The floor battle over the pesticide provision also comes as the Supreme Court heard oral arguments this week about whether pesticide manufacturers like Bayer, which acquired Monsanto in 2018, should be given legal preemption from failing to warn consumers that its weedkiller product Roundup could cause cancer.

The Trump administration sparked controversy among MAHA advocates earlier this year when it declared domestic production of glyphosate, the main ingredient in Roundup, a national security priority. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an influential MAHA voice, publicly defended the move despite railing against glyphosate for years.

Bayer has repeatedly maintained that its product is safe to use and has not been found to cause cancer.

The Department of Justice’s investigations and prosecutions of Christians during the Biden administration signal that the government discriminated against people based on their faith, according to a sweeping 200-page report released Thursday by the Trump DOJ. 

“The Biden Administration generally tolerated religious beliefs that were privately held but zealously pursued actions to limit Christians’ ability to act in accordance with their faith,” the report found.

The document, released by a DOJ task force, serves as an internal deep dive into concerns critics have already publicly raised surrounding prosecutions of pro-life protesters, investigations into Catholics, the administration’s posture toward religious concerns with COVID-19 vaccines and more. The report contended that the Biden administration showed a pattern of making enforcement choices that de-prioritized religious liberty protections at the expense of Christians.

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“No American should live in fear that the federal government will punish them for their faith,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who chaired the task force, said in a statement. “As our report lays out, the Biden Administration’s actions devastated the lives of many Christian Americans. That devastation ended with President Trump. The Department of Justice will continue to expose bad actors who targeted Christians and work tirelessly to restore religious liberty for all Americans of faith.”

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The report, drafted in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order called Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias, laid out corrective measures the DOJ has taken, including engaging with faith groups, holding hearings featuring alleged victims, shifting law enforcement priorities and revising legal interpretations of court precedents.

Fox News Digital reached out to a Biden representative for comment.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills dropped out of the race for U.S. Senate in her home state on Thursday.

Mills announced the move in a statement posted on X, saying she failed to raise enough funds to support her campaign.  Mills was vying with other Democrats for a chance to challenge Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.

“While I have the drive and passion, commitment and experience, and above all else – the fight – to continue on, I very simply do not have the one thing that political campaigns unfortunately require today: the financial resources,” Mills wrote.

Mills’ departure leaves political newcomer Graham Platner the front runner in the Democratic primary. Platner has run a deeply controversial campaign, in addition to being the subject of various scandals, including his having a “Totenkopf” Nazi SS tattoo.

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The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) declared Mills’ withdrawal as essentially a coronation for Platner in the Democratic primary.

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“Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats just coronated a phony who is too extreme for Maine. Susan Collins has always put in the work for her constituents and delivered. Washington Democrats always fall short in Maine and will again, because they just nominated a dishonest radical,” NRSC Chairman Tim Scott said in a statement on Thursday.

Mills had the full backing of the Democratic machine when she entered the Senate race last year, receiving endorsements from Sen. Chuck Schumer, R-N.Y., and prominent Democratic groups.

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Platner, meanwhile, has received backing from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., as well as Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz.,  and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M.

This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.

News that a local steel manufacturing company would soon pour $43.4 million into expanding its Michigan-based operations prompted praise from the White House — but not for the state’s Democratic governor.

“Democrats like Gretchen Whitmer spent decades talking about fixing broken trade deals and creating manufacturing jobs here in America for American workers,” Kush Desai, a White House spokesperson, told Fox News Digital, referring to the Michigan governor who is often floated as a potential Democratic candidate for president in 2028.

“President Trump is actually delivering — and he’s delivering with the same agenda of tariffs, deregulation.”

The investment underscores President Donald Trump’s recent restructuring on tariffs for steel, aluminum and copper — even as both parties claimed victory over Michigan’s expanding steel production.

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“Michigan is on the move and open for business, competing for and winning big projects in industries like steel manufacturing,” Whitmer said in a statement.

The investment, made by the Adrian Steel Company, would create at least 40 new jobs as the company expands its existing facilities in the southeast part of the state through a new 112,000-square-foot addition, according to the governor’s office.

The venture is Adrian Steel’s largest expansion since 1953, Whitmer’s office claimed..

“The expansion will enhance Adrian Steel’s manufacturing capabilities with additional space dedicated to raw material storage, cutting, forming, welding, painting, assembly, office functions and shipping operations,” Whitmer’s office said in a press release.

Whitmer’s office said the state had attracted the expansion, in part, through state-level incentives and added that the state will bolster Adrian Steel’s venture through a State Essential Services Assessment (SESA), a kind of tax break for manufacturers that could be worth up to $228,750.

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In the past, Whitmer has criticized Trump’s tariffs, claiming that their overall effect has hindered industry development in Michigan.

“The pain of these increased costs from tariffs has not been offset by any of the promised economic gain,” Whitmer said in a press release earlier this month. “Michigan’s industries have been hit hard, with a recent analysis finding that the tariffs cost U.S. automakers $35 billion last year. Tariffs are estimated to have cost working families $1,000 per year.”

Under Trump’s re-worked tariff framework announced earlier this month, products made almost entirely of aluminum, steel or copper would pay a flat 50% tariff on their full value, while derivatives made only mostly of one of those elements would only pay 25%.

The new parameters also create lower rates for foreign products sourced from American materials and drop the tariffs entirely for products comprised of less than 15% steel, aluminum or copper.

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“This buildout — and the continued health of these vital American industries — is only possible through the continued implementation and strengthening of the President’s Section 232 tariff programs,” the White House said.

Whitmer’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A federal appeals court declined to take up President Donald Trump’s request to rehear his appeal of the $83 million judgment in the defamation case brought by writer E. Jean Carroll on Wednesday.

Trump had sought a hearing by the full 12-judge Second Circuit Court of Appeals, but a majority of the judges denied Trump’s motion. The development now allows Trump to appeal the case directly to the Supreme Court.

Lawyers for Trump argue he has presidential immunity from Carroll’s accusations.

Trump’s quest for appeals began after a federal jury found that Trump defamed Carroll when he called her a liar for accusing him of sexually abusing her in the 1990s.

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If Trump appeals the $83 million case, it would be the second of his contests with E. Jean Carroll to appear before the justices. He also appealed a separate $5 million ruling against him to the court in November 2025.

Carroll, a journalist and advice columnist, sued Trump twice after she released a book in 2019 in which she claimed that he raped her in 1996 in the dressing room of New York City’s Bergdorf Goodman department store across the street from Trump Tower. Trump has repeatedly denied Carroll’s claims and said the case was “a complete con job.” He also said that Carroll was “not my type.”

“I don’t know this woman, have no idea who she is, other than it seems she got a picture of me many years ago, with her husband, shaking my hand on a reception line at a celebrity charity event,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in October 2022.

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Trump’s repeated criticisms of Carroll and denial of her claims led to the journalist’s defamation allegations.

In May 2023, a jury found Trump was not liable for rape but was liable for sexual abuse and defamation. Carroll was awarded a total of $5 million in damages.

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The Supreme Court is currently weighing whether to take up that case.

Fox News’ Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.

Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas has endorsed former Rep. Colin Allred ahead of the candidate’s May Democratic primary runoff against Democratic U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson in the Lone Star State’s 33rd Congressional District.

“Colin has the record, the grit, and the heart to stand up for working families and communities under attack by this administration. He will fight to abolish ICE and go toe to toe with Donald Trump to stop his extreme agenda,” Crockett declared in a statement.

“I’ve seen Colin’s fight firsthand. We worked together to bring hundreds of millions in federal investments to North Texas for affordable housing, health care, and transportation. Colin doesn’t just talk about fighting for the community that raised him. He wins. That’s why I’m proud to stand with him,” Crockett noted.

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Sharing Crockett’s statement of support in a post on X, Allred wrote, “Proud to receive the endorsement of my friend @JasmineForUS. Jasmine has never been afraid to speak truth to power, fight for our communities, and stand up for Texans who deserve better. I’m grateful to have her support in this fight to lower costs, protect our rights, and deliver real leadership for Texas.”

Crockett has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since early 2023.

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Last month she lost a Democratic Texas U.S. Senate primary to state Rep. James Talarico.

Allred, who had been running in the Texas Democratic U.S. Senate primary, dropped out of the contest the same day in December that Crockett jumped in.

Allred had endorsed Crockett before she lost that primary race.

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“She’s tough. She speaks truth to power. She’s fearless in the face of vitriolic attacks from Donald Trump and the far right. She works day in and day out to protect our fundamental rights and strengthen our democracy. She’s a colleague, and she’s a friend. Her name is Jasmine Crockett. And I’m incredibly proud to be endorsing her in Texas’ U.S. Senate race,” he noted on Substack.

“Shark Tank” star and investor Kevin O’Leary backed President Donald Trump’s push for a White House ballroom as a way to showcase the “American Dream” and serve future administrations of both parties, days after the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting.

“I don’t think the ballroom’s a partisan issue. It’s bipartisan because one day there’ll be a Democratic president that’ll use the ballroom,” O’Leary told Fox News Digital.

The comments come as congressional Republicans push to approve the ballroom following the shooting at the Washington Hilton ballroom during the annual event attended by hundreds of journalists and Cabinet officials. Lawmakers believe this would offer a secure venue for future events.

O’Leary argued the project, opposed by many Democrats, would also elevate the “American brand” on the world stage.

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“I want the ballroom because I believe in pomp and circumstance, the American brand,” he added.

He said the nation’s image is more than just the economy.

“People think it’s exporting technology or exporting energy,” he said. “It’s not. It’s the American dream and so you want to showcase that.”

He added the ballroom would bring this image to life.

“Let’s get that ballroom fired up and show the world the American dream,” he said. “That’s what it is.”

He noted the project would not rely on taxpayer dollars. President Trump said the project would be privately financed through personal contributions and outside donors.

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“My lobbyist over here said the taxpayers are not paying for it,” he said. “So, then, why not let them have a ballroom? I don’t get it.”

However, Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; Katie Britt, R-Ala.; and Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., proposed new legislation this week that would fund the project using customs fees on imports to cover the cost.

A lawsuit and court-ordered injunction halted construction of the 90,000-square-foot, $400 million ballroom. A federal court ruled in March that construction must stop without congressional approval, but an appeal allowed limited below-ground construction to continue.

O’Leary addressed Saturday’s shooting, saying it unfolded “at a moment’s notice.”

“No one was hurt, thank goodness,” he said. “I think there’ll be a lot of investigations on that stuff.”

The suspect was identified as Cole Allen, 31, of Torrance, Calif. He is facing charges of attempting to assassinate the president of the United States, transporting a gun across state lines and discharging a gun during a crime of violence.

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Authorities said the suspect sent a manifesto to family members outlining his intent to target President Trump and other Cabinet officials.

President Trump said at a news conference Saturday night the shooting reinforces the need for a White House ballroom.

“We need the ballroom,” he said. “That’s why the Secret Service, that’s why the military are demanding it. They’ve wanted the ballroom for 150 years for lots of different reasons. But today is a little bit different, because today we need levels of security that probably nobody’s ever seen before.”

O’Leary expressed doubts about the future of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and raised concerns about securing large-scale events.

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“I also wonder about long-term if that dinner’s going to survive, because providing the security for 2,600 people is next to impossible,” he said.

Fox News Digital’s Adam Pack and Alex Miller contributed to this report.

The leadership of a prominent Arab-American advocacy group active in anti-Israel campus protests is under fire after Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., blasted the group over past sexual harassment allegations, while a former board member says he was ousted after raising harassment concerns with the DC attorney general’s office.

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), one of the country’s oldest Arab-American civil rights organizations, came under renewed scrutiny after former board member Dr. Ed Hasan filed a formal complaint on April 22 outlining concerns about the organization’s internal handling of allegations.

Tlaib said she was sexually harassed while working for the group early in her career and has accused the organization of failing to properly address the issue, renewing attention to longstanding allegations in a recent video posted to social media. The group has played a visible role in campus protests tied to the Israel-Hamas war, including providing legal support and advocacy for student demonstrators.

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Hasan, a Georgetown University adjunct lecturer, said he filed a formal derivative demand on April 22 seeking corrective action — including the removal of board leadership — and shared those concerns with the attorney general’s office.

He said he raised concerns about harassment and governance failures and expected an independent investigation, but instead alleged the organization conducted an internal review and removed him from his board position within days, which he described as retaliation.

Hasan also criticized how the review was handled, saying the board investigated the matter internally despite his objections that it should be handled by an independent third party, creating what he described as a conflict of interest.

“A board cannot investigate itself,” he said.

“Since then, additional survivors have shared deeply painful experiences with me, making it clear that these are not isolated incidents but part of a systemic problem,” he added. Fox News Digital has not independently verified those claims.

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“In my professional view, meaningful change will require the resignation of the current board and the creation of a community-driven interim transitional board to rebuild trust and safety,” he added.

In a public statement, ADC said it had been reviewing concerns raised “across various platforms” and acknowledged that some allegations reference incidents from more than a decade ago.

“Because we recognize that the passage of time does not erase harm, we reiterate our previous apology sincerely and without reservation,” the organization said.

ADC added that it maintains a “zero-tolerance policy for harassment” and warned against the spread of misinformation, saying it would defend itself against “false claims.”

Tlaib described her experience working at the group’s Michigan office early in her career in a video posted to social media last week.

She said she was sexually harassed while working at the organization and that the alleged misconduct later escalated to involve multiple women, with more than two dozen individuals coming forward with similar accounts.

Tlaib accused the organization of failing to properly address the allegations, saying the individual accused of misconduct “didn’t get fired” and was instead “paid… to just go away.”

She also suggested leadership sought to minimize the issue, saying they “threw it under the rug.”

Tlaib said she spoke out again after discovering the organization was using her image on its website.

“Shame on you for using the image of a victim of your organization and continuation of a toxic work environment. You all haven’t changed,” Tlaib wrote.

“I stand with all of ADC’s survivors who were shamed instead of protected and believed,” she added.

The allegations referenced by Tlaib were publicly reported more than a decade ago, when multiple women came forward with claims of misconduct involving a senior staffer, distinguishing them from Hasan’s more recent governance-related claims.

Other activists have echoed similar criticisms.

Palestinian-American political analyst Omar Baddar, who previously led a regional ADC chapter, said he stood with Tlaib outside an ADC event 13 years ago, demanding accountability over sexual harassment allegations involving a senior staffer. Fox News Digital has not independently verified those claims.

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It is not clear whether any criminal charges were filed in connection with the past allegations.

ADC referred Fox News Digital to a statement posted on its social media accounts when asked for additional comment. Fox News Digital has also reached out to Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s office and the attorney general’s office for comment.

FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump’s ‘America First’ immigration overhaul would be codified into law under a House Republican bill that would significantly narrow legal immigration pathways by shifting the system toward high-skilled workers, eliminating most family sponsorship categories and ending the diversity visa lottery.

Immigration — both illegal and legal — remains a contentious topic in Washington, with Democrats pushing to expand pathways for migrants to obtain citizenship, while Trump and his Republican allies are seeking to restrict migration, including proposals such as ending birthright citizenship.

Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., introduced the Americans First Immigration Act, which would amend several key provisions in the Immigration and Nationality Act, in an effort to “putting American citizens first.”

“My bill draws a hard line – the days of putting illegals, random diversity lotteries and foreign labor ahead of American workers are over,” Moore said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Our immigration system should serve the American people, not undercut them, and that means selecting individuals who will strengthen our economy, respect our laws, and share our values.”

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The 70-page bill seeks to codify many of the actions already taken by the Trump administration to tighten legal immigration pathways. In December 2025, President Donald Trump paused the green card lottery program in the wake of two shootings on college campuses, and last September, Trump signed an executive order placing restrictions on the issuance of H1B1 visas, a work visa offered for specialty occupations.

“If you want to come to the United States, you should earn it through merit, not diversity lotteries or loopholes. The Americans First Immigration Act restores fairness and accountability by protecting American jobs, prioritizing the nuclear family and ensuring that every immigrant admitted is prepared to contribute and succeed,” Moore told Fox News Digital.

While Moore’s bill seeks to end the diversity lottery visa, it includes a provision to ensure that the allotment of visas for religious workers, equal to 3,000 a year, is preserved.

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Julie Kirchner, a senior advisor at the America First Policy Institute, supports Moore’s bill, particularly the measure to eliminate lottery visas.

“The Visa Lottery has a long, documented history of fraud and national security concerns and should be abolished. Under a merit-based, America First system, any immigrant would have to demonstrate their skills, ability to assimilate, and how they will contribute to the U.S.,” Kirchner told Fox News Digital.

One of the other provisions in Moore’s bill seeks to put “American workers first” by overhauling the current employment-based immigration visa program and replacing it with a points-based merit system. Under the new points-based system, applicants are ranked and will receive points on factors such as their level of English proficiency, education, their level of compensation, military service and age. All applicants must have a salary that is at least 200% above the median wage of the state they’ll reside in, and they must meet English proficiency requirements.

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Employers must also prove that they “took good faith steps” in recruiting American workers for the job offered to the foreign worker for equal compensation. The legislation also requires employers to share with the government the name and contact information of American workers who were offered the job and their offered wage. The Department of Labor will oversee and investigate compliance.

And migrants offered a visa are required to sign a petition pledging they support the U.S. Constitution and its values. The pledge also includes a requirement to disavow political groups or social groups that partake in honor killings, female infanticide or genital mutilation.

“Ideally the government has the information in advance to bar these people from immigrating to the U.S.,” Kirchner said. “However, if a newly-arrived immigrant engages in behavior that demonstrates the statements he made to our immigration agencies were false, that can become the basis for deportation or denaturalization.”

The act would also curtail family-sponsored immigration to only be accessible to spouses of U.S. citizens, minor children, spouses of green card holders and children of green card holders. Parents, siblings, and adult children of U.S. citizens are barred.

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“What the bill does is eliminate the ability of extended family members to get a preference under the law,” Kirchner said. “Extended family members can still apply – but they would have to do so based on their own skills, merit, and ability to assimilate.”

A group of cultural and historic preservation groups on Wednesday called on a federal judge to block President Donald Trump from making major renovations to The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which has undergone significant changes since the president returned to office last year.

The groups asked U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper to issue a preliminary injunction to prevent any construction ahead of the scheduled July 6 project launch, saying they worry the president and the center’s board of trustees will ignore historic preservation rules that aim to maintain the building.

Attorney Greg Werkheiser said after the hearing that the laws that govern the process “go to the very fundamental question of: Do we slow down and take stock before we make changes to properties that define the American experience?”

Justice Department attorneys, representing the president and board, argued that the administration’s plans for the building are limited in scope and well within the authority of the board as they claimed extra approvals were not needed.

TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER’S BOARD VOTES UNANIMOUSLY TO APPROVE $257M RENOVATIONS AND TWO-YEAR CLOSURE

After returning to the White House, Trump ousted the center’s previous leadership and replaced it with a handpicked board of allies who named him chairman, a move that sparked backlash from many artists. Trump’s name was also later added to the building’s facade so that it reads: “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”

Trump announced the scheduled renovations for the center earlier this year.

The hearing on Wednesday came after a separate one the day before regarding the future of the center.

Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, has also filed a lawsuit to stop renovations as an ex officio member of the board, and Cooper is also overseeing that case.

The center’s executive director, Matt Floca, a former facilities manager who was bumped up to the Trump-selected board, testified that the scheduled renovations are simply to repair decades of wear and tear, including extensive water damage to a part of the building that was nicknamed “the swamp.”

“The most efficient and effective way to complete the magnitude of projects we need to complete is to close the center,” Floca said.

Attorneys for the preservation groups questioned claims about the limited scope of the project, citing Trump’s statements that he would “fully expose” the building’s steel skeleton.

Justice Department attorney Yaakov Roth said those concerns have been blown out of proportion.

“There’s no risk that there will be unilateral changes … that we’ll wake up and the building will be gone,” Roth said.

TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER’S NEW LEADER REVEALED AS RIC GRENELL EXITS TOP ROLE

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The lawsuits regarding the Kennedy Center’s fate come amid other fights against Trump’s efforts to change historical landmarks in the nation’s capital.

Since he returned to office last year, Trump has frustrated preservationists, including by paving over the White House’s Rose Garden. Last year, the White House tore down its East Wing to make room for the president’s proposed $400 million ballroom, although construction of the ballroom has been halted by a judge as litigation continues.

Trump also has plans to erect a 250-foot “triumphal arch” to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Congressional Republicans are racing to extend a controversial spying program before it is scheduled to lapse Friday at midnight. 

House lawmakers voted 235 to 191 in a bipartisan manner to extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) for the rest of President Donald Trump’s term.

The vote split Republicans, with more than 20 GOP privacy hawks voting against a three-year extension of the warrantless surveillance program.

The successful vote leaves the Senate little time to act before the fast-approaching April 30 deadline.

SPEAKER JOHNSON ONE STEP CLOSER TO RENEWING CONTROVERSIAL SPY PROGRAM AFTER CONSERVATIVES FALL IN LINE

A swath of House conservatives voted against the FISA renewal bill, citing concerns that the measure does not include more stringent privacy safeguards, such as a requirement for intelligence agencies to obtain a warrant before accessing Americans’ data. 

The spy law, considered one of the government’s most powerful surveillance tools, allows the U.S. government to gather intelligence on foreigners abroad who are using U.S. platforms, even when those communications involve Americans.

“We should all be standing up for the Fourth Amendment,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a leading GOP privacy hawk, said during debate on the FISA renewal bill Tuesday.

House leadership attempted to win over some conservative holdouts by adding language permanently banning the Federal Reserve from issuing central bank digital currencies (CBDC) to the FISA renewal bill.

But Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has warned that the sweetener for privacy hawks will be interpreted as a poison pill in the Senate, where Democrats fiercely oppose a CBDC ban.

“They know that,” Thune told reporters Tuesday, referring to House Republicans. 

DEMS PULL OUT ALL THE STOPS TO KEEP OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES FIGHT ALIVE AFTER VOTE TO REOPEN GOVERNMENT

Johnson has voiced optimism that the upper chamber will take up the House bill without modifications. 

“I speak with Leader Thune all the time. They’re watching this very closely, and hopefully they can process what we send them,” Johnson told Fox News Wednesday. 

“No one, on the Republican side anyway, wants to play around with letting these critical national security tools go unfunded or expire,” he added. “So, I think they’ll move it expeditiously.”

The Trump administration has pressured House Republicans for weeks to back an extension of the spy law, arguing the surveillance authority is too vital for national security to expire.

“This department strongly supports the reauthorization of FISA 702,” Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers Wednesday. “It is not hyperbole to say many of the most important missions we have executed could not have happened without the intelligence gathered through FISA 702.”

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House Democrats, many of whom have fierce objections to a clean extension of the spy law, voted en masse against the measure. 

“I’m suspicious. The way it’s proposed right now, particularly under this administration,” Rep. Andre Carson, D-Ind., told Fox News, referring to the FISA renewal bill. “I was more comfortable when I voted for it in 2024. Under this administration, I’m not as comfortable.”

Just 42 Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, crossed party lines in support of the measure.

“I’ve seen countless, countless instances where the intelligence obtained through section 702 quite literally saved lives,” the Connecticut Democrat said. “So, given the binary choice between reauthorization and expiration, the responsible choice is reauthorization.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom attempted to mock President Donald Trump this week by parodying a limited-edition U.S. passport featuring the commander-in-chief’s image.

The exchange began after the State Department announced that it will roll out special passports to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence, prominently featuring Trump’s image on the inside cover.

Not to be outdone, Newsom — a frequent critic who often takes to social media to needle the president — jokingly posted an image of a California driver’s license featuring his own portrait.

BESSENT MOCKS NEWSOM AT DAVOS AS ‘PATRICK BATEMAN MEETS SPARKLE BEACH KEN’

“IN HONOR OF CALIFORNIA’S 175TH ANNIVERSARY, WE WILL BE ROLLING OUT A VERY SPECIAL DRIVER’S LICENSE FOR EVERY CALIFORNIAN THIS SUMMER!” Newsom’s press office wrote on X. “IT WILL FEATURE A HANDSOME, HIGH-QUALITY PHOTO OF ME, GAVIN C. NEWSOM. MANY PEOPLE ARE SAYING IT’S THE BEST LICENSE EVER MADE IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD. THIS IS ABOUT CELEBRATING OUR BEAUTIFUL STATE (IT IS NOT ABOUT ME, DESPITE THE VERY HANDSOME PHOTO!). ENJOY! — GOVERNOR GCN.”

In a statement to Fox News Digital, the White House said that Trump “is focused on saving our country—not garnering recognition.”

“Anyone who finds an issue with President Trump celebrating the greatness of our country during our historic semiquincentennial celebration clearly suffers from a severe and incurable disease known as Trump Derangement Syndrome,” a White House spokesperson added.

Since last summer, Newsom has increasingly adopted a Trump-like rhetorical style on social media, mimicking the president’s tone and penchant for self-celebration while criticizing his policies.

EXCLUSIVE: TRUMP STATE DEPARTMENT UNVEILS BOLD NEW DESIGN FOR AMERICA250 PASSPORTS

“It’s fun to laugh at our s—-for-brains president who is trashing our great country,” a Newsom spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “The best way to deal with Trump’s absurd leadership is to call it out with a mirror until he takes his job seriously.”

In another provocative post, Newsom’s office shared a mock image of a U.S. passport featuring Trump alongside the deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein.

In a separate weekend post, Newsom hurled insults at Trump, calling him a “loser,” a label Trump himself famously uses against his critics.

“VERY IMPORTANT PEOPLE ARE COMING UP TO ME, GAVIN C. NEWSOM, IN DC (INCLUDING A TOP REPUBLICAN, I WON’T SAY WHO!) TELLING ME, ‘GAVIN, SIR, YOU ARE AMAZING. AS GOVERNOR OF THE FREE WORLD, YOU MUST GO TO THE WHCA DINNER,’” his office wrote, referring to Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner.

The event gained additional notoriety after a gunman allegedly shot a U.S. Secret Service agent nearby before being arrested.

SOUTH CAROLINA DEMOCRAT SAYS NEWSOM MUST EXPLAIN ‘MANY FAILURES IN CALIFORNIA’ BEFORE PRESIDENTIAL RUN

“‘YOU WILL DO MUCH BETTER THAN THAT LOSER TRUMP!’ VERY KIND! I WAS NOT PLANNING ON GOING… BUT NOW EVERYONE IS BEGGING ME BECAUSE I AM MAKING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY ‘HOT’ AGAIN. WE’LL SEE. I AM VERY BUSY TONIGHT! THANK YOU!”

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Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s office for further comment.

The House of Representatives approved a budget blueprint funding immigration enforcement for the rest of President Donald Trump’s term over Democrats’ fierce objections on Wednesday.

Lawmakers voted 215-211 along party lines to take a critical step toward ending the record-breaking Department of Homeland Security funding lapse that began on Feb. 14.

Rep. Kevin Kiley, I-Calif., who caucuses with Republicans, voted present. House Democrats united in opposition to the immigration enforcement measure while every Republican present voted in support.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., could spare just a handful of defections with Republicans’ slim majority.

REPUBLICANS CAN FUND ICE FOR AN ENTIRE DECADE WITHOUT A SINGLE DEM VOTE: SEN CRUZ

The House’s approval of the Senate-passed budget framework unlocks the partisan budget reconciliation process, which Republicans are using to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection without support from congressional Democrats.

Trump has given Republicans a June 1 deadline to send a budget reconciliation bill to his desk, giving GOP leadership little room for error.

“We have a real sense of urgency about getting this done,” Johnson told Fox News Wednesday.

The successful vote came after more than a dozen GOP lawmakers ranging from conservatives to farm-state and Midwestern Republicans withheld their votes over concerns unrelated to the budget framework.

Republican leadership held the vote open for more than five hours to win over the numerous holdouts and six GOP lawmakers who voted “no” before flipping to “yes.”

Those lawmakers included Reps. Max Miller, R-Ohio, Andy Harris, R-Md., Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., and Michael Cloud, R-Texas.

“This is why they say lawmaking is like watching sausage be made,” Johnson told reporters Wednesday. “That’s what this is, but we’ll get it done.” 

The budget resolution teeing up funding for Trump’s immigration agenda is just one piece of Republicans’ DHS funding strategy.

SENATE BORDER BUDGET TRIUMPHS AFTER ALL-NIGHT SESSION WHILE TRUMP-BACKED HOUSE BILL LAGS

House GOP leadership has not specified when it plans to take up a Senate-passed measure funding the rest of the department.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., agreed on a two-track approach to fund DHS by steering around Democratic opposition weeks ago. But Johnson has so far declined to put the Senate’s partial DHS bill on the House floor over concerns that it zeroes out funding for immigration enforcement. 

Johnson said earlier this week that some “modifications” to the measure may be necessary but has not gone into detail about specific changes.

The White House on Tuesday sent Hill offices an internal memo, obtained by Fox News Digital, urging passage of the Senate’s partial DHS bill, raising the pressure on Johnson to act.

Many rank-and-file House Republicans want ICE and the Border Patrol funded before the rest of the department, which could mean a delay for several more weeks.

“I think that there’s a serious problem with the bill in that it zeroes out, ICE and CBP,” Rep. Eric Burlison, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, told Fox News. “It’s one thing to not do the funding, but it’s a whole other thing to put zeros in the bill.”

“I know that the speaker’s working on making sure that we have all the assurances and even maybe the cash in hand in terms of reconciliation being wrapped up, finalized before we take the 95% of the rest of Homeland Security,” House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, said.

Meanwhile, the White House is warning that it will be short on funds to pay the department’s hundreds of thousands of employees beginning in May.

“If this funding is exhausted, the Administration will be unable to pay DHS personnel beginning in May, which will once again unleash havoc on air travel, leave critical law enforcement officers—including our brave Secret Service agents—and the Coast Guard without paychecks, and jeopardize national security,” the White House memo published Tuesday states.

House Republicans’ approval of the Senate blueprint also effectively shuts the door on adding other GOP priorities to the budget package. Some GOP lawmakers had floated adding affordability-focused provisions, defense supplemental funding and the SAVE America Act to the bill.

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GOP leadership had argued for weeks that a larger bill risked derailing the budget reconciliation process.

“We’re focused on funding Homeland Security and stopping the Democrat shutdown and, in particular, using reconciliation to fund ICE and CBP because Democrats refused to fund it,” Arrington said. “Everything else is not germane to this conversation.”

Rick Jackson, a Republican gubernatorial hopeful in Georgia, is facing heat from critics calling him a “fraud” and claiming he lied during a debate earlier this week when the candidate struggled to answer whether he has illegal aliens working for him.

“I don’t know,” Jackson replied when his fellow Republican frontrunner in the race, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, asked him point-blank whether he has any illegal aliens working for him. 

Jackson explained he was not directly involved in the hiring process in question, but he also said on the debate stage that anyone making hires for him “obey[ed] the laws,” including verifying employment eligibility using the appropriate federal “verification” measures despite saying the opposite during a sworn deposition.

After his contradictory remarks on the debate stage Monday night, Jackson’s critics leaped at the opportunity to call him out, pointing to his sworn remarks from a worker’s compensation case, during which Jackson admitted that new hires were not vetted using mandatory federal I-9 forms meant to ensure employees are eligible to work.

FLORIDA GOV DESANTIS TANGLES WITH REPORTER OVER ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, TELLS HER ‘YOU SEEM TO HAVE NO SYMPATHY’

“Rick Jackson is lying to someone. Either he lied in his deposition under oath or he lied to Georgians on the debate stage,” political strategist Phil Vangelakos said after the debate. “It’s pretty clear that he knows he’s employed illegal immigrants.”

“Richie Rick Jackson is a fraud that will say what he needs to in order to win and is pretending to be a Trump Conservative, when in fact, he is a Bush moderate,” said Georgia Tea Party activist Debbie Dooley, who is unrelated to the football coach turned Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Georgia, Derek Dooley. 

“He campaigns against illegals, yet he hires them.”

The criticism against Jackson stems from a worker’s compensation lawsuit Jackson found himself embroiled in, which included documents and records indicating he was paying at least one landscaper at his mansion who is undocumented, possibly more. The story was first reported by the New York Post ahead of Monday night’s debate.

The suit was filed against Jackson Investment Group, LLC, and JIG Real Estate, LLC, which is owned by the former firm. Jackson is publicly listed as the CEO of both companies as well.

SCOOP: TRUMP ALLY TO LAUNCH KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE CAMPAIGN IN BID TO FLIP DEMOCRAT-HELD SENATE SEAT

According to the case’s filings, Jackson “maintained a long-standing workforce of multiple laborers performing landscaping and property maintenance work for decades, including individuals without work authorization who nonetheless performed continuous employment for the employer.”

Jackson was deposed as part of the case, during which Jackson indicated he was unaware that his hires were undocumented immigrants. However, according to the deposition, Jackson was aware that his new hires were not being vetted using mandatory I-9 verification forms.

“No,” Jackson replied when asked in the deposition if he does any employment verification through the I-9 system.

In other parts of the deposition, Jackson echoed what he said Monday night, that he was not directly involved with the hiring of workers and only engaged with the landscaping superintendent.

DEMOCRATS VYING FOR NYC MAYOR SPAR OVER DEFUNDING POLICE, COMBATING ICE

“I know that sounds confusing,” Jackson explained in his deposition. “But most of our — if we have other employees, we usually hire them through JIG or another entity. I’m talking about if JIG has employees, we hire them through another entity. I’m not sure that we have any direct employees, from a payroll standpoint, out of JIG Real Estate.”

Greg Bluestein, a reporter with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, pointed out Wednesday that it “didn’t take long” after Monday night’s debate for one of Jackson’s leading opponents in the GOP primary battle, which will culminate with a May 19 primary election, to attack Jackson over the inconsistency of his statements.

“No I-9’s, no background checks for decades,” says a narrator in an attack ad from the Jones campaign. The ad then cuts to Jones asking Jackson on the debate stage whether he has any illegal immigrants working for him, to which Jackson responds, “I don’t know.”

TRUMP FRONT-AND-CENTER AS NATION’S BIGGEST CITY HOLDS PRIMARY ELECTION FOR MAYOR

“He knew,” the narrator chimes in. “He’s not just hiring illegal immigrants, he’s lying to Georgians.”

When asked for a response to the backlash, Jackson’s team said the takeaway from the debate “is the universal agreement that Burt Jones has used his office corruptly to enrich himself and attack his political opponents.” The campaign spokesperson also alleged that much of the criticism targeting Jackson stems from people from the Jones campaign.  

“It’s like a corrupt politician to attack Rick over someone hired by his landscaper,” the spokesperson added. “In the debate exchange, Rick talked about hiring thousands of people per year, a reference that could only be about Jackson Healthcare, which has used E-Verify since 2012. 

“Rick would never knowingly hire someone in the country illegally and, as governor, he’ll make Georgia No. 1 in criminal illegal deportations.”

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The primary election on May 19 will also include GOP frontrunners Attorney General Chris Carr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

EXCLUSIVE: First Lady Melania Trump is carving out a forward-looking role in the White House, positioning herself as a leading voice on artificial intelligence and education as the administration embraces emerging technology, according to an exclusive interview with her senior advisor.

The first lady this week hosted an immersive event at the White House tennis pavilion — a space she designed during her husband’s first term — where students used Meta virtual reality headsets and AI-powered glasses to explore British landmarks and examine historical artifacts.

The event, which coincided with a visit from Queen Camilla, highlighted Melania Trump’s broader initiative, Fostering the Future Together, a global effort focused on expanding access to technology and education for children.

“She wanted to create an innovative cross-cultural educational experience,” senior advisor Marc Beckman told Fox News Digital, describing the event as part of her ongoing push to integrate artificial intelligence into learning.

TRUMP, ALONGSIDE FIRST LADY, TO SIGN BILL CRIMINALIZING REVENGE PORN AND AI DEEPFAKES

Students first used VR headsets to virtually visit sites including Buckingham Palace, Stonehenge and the Giant’s Causeway before engaging directly with Queen Camilla. They later used AI-enabled glasses to examine curated artifacts from the White House collection and the National Archives, with the technology providing real-time historical context.

The artifacts included a portrait of John Adams, the first U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom, a World War II-era map associated with President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and a bust of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill — all selected to underscore the longstanding relationship between the two nations.

Beckman said the initiative reflects a broader focus by the first lady on artificial intelligence and education, which has become a central theme of her work during the administration.

FOX NEWS AI NEWSLETTER: CHATGPT ‘CODE RED’

“She has been a champion of artificial intelligence and education for children,” he said.

Her interest in AI predates her return to the White House. Before reentering public life, Melania Trump worked to develop an AI-powered audiobook version of her memoir, released in multiple languages — an effort Beckman said gave her firsthand experience with the technology.

That background has informed her support for the Presidential AI Challenge, a program aimed at engaging students across all 50 states in technology-focused education and competition.

Beckman also pointed to her recent appearance at the United Nations Security Council, where she emphasized the role artificial intelligence could play in expanding access to knowledge and education worldwide.

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“This theme just keeps going — children, education, technology,” he said.

With additional partnerships, regional initiatives and research efforts already in development, Beckman said the first lady plans to continue expanding her AI-focused agenda in the months ahead.

President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday the U.S. is weighing a potential drawdown of American troops in Germany, opening a new front in his escalating feud with the country’s leadership just days after he blasted Chancellor Friedrich Merz over Iran.

In a Truth Social post Wednesday afternoon, Trump said the U.S. is “studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany.”

He said a determination will be made “over the next short period of time.”

The announcement comes after the president on Tuesday criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, saying he “doesn’t know what he’s talking about” regarding Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

TRUMP VOWS TO HIT IRAN ‘VERY HARD’ AFTER OBLITERATING NEARLY ’90 PERCENT’ OF REGIME MISSILES

“The Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Tuesday. “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about! If Iran had a Nuclear Weapon, the whole World would be held hostage.”

“I am doing something with Iran, right now, that other Nations, or Presidents, should have done long ago. No wonder Germany is doing so poorly, both Economically, and otherwise!” he added.

The president’s comments were seemingly in response to Merz’s speech in Marsberg Monday, where he said the U.S. was being “humiliated by the Iranian leadership.”

ECONOMIST EDITOR SAYS EUROPEAN LEADERS NOW FEAR A TRUE NATO ‘DIVORCE’ AFTER TRUMP PULLOUT THREAT

Merz added he hopes the war ends “as quickly as possible.”

During both of Trump’s terms, the leaders have publicly clashed on issues including tariffs and defense.

Earlier this month, Merz said he did not believe NATO should be involved in the war with Iran, as Trump urged allies to secure Strait of Hormuz.

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As of December 2025, there are more than 36,000 active U.S. service members stationed in Germany, more than any other European country, according to the Defense Manpower Data Center.

It is unclear how much the president may slash troops.

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

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., traded barbs with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin in a fiery Senate hearing on Wednesday over cost-benefit analysis of coal plants — and whether the EPA, under Trump’s leadership, had enough to weigh whether hospital bills and insurance claims should factor into the calculus.

The heated back-and-forth left Zeldin taking a thinly-veiled dig at Whitehouse long after the Democratic environmentalist had concluded his line of questioning.

“We just want to stick to the truth,” Zeldin said.

“We want to stick to the science. If you don’t agree with them, you don’t follow their logic, then they’ll want to vilify you… and I’m not going to take morality lessons from people who join all-white country clubs,” he added, referring to reports of Whitehouse’s family membership at Bailey’s Beach Club, a beach club formerly known as Spouting Rock Beach Association.

EPA CHIEF TAKES ON MEXICAN ‘SEWAGE CRISIS’ FLOWING INTO US WATERS WHERE NAVY SEALS TRAIN

“I think the people who are running the place are still working on that and I’m sorry it hasn’t happened yet,” Whitehouse said in 2017, referring to allowing minority members. “It’s a long tradition in Rhode Island and there are many of them and we just need to work our way through the issues.”

The interaction comes as lawmakers weigh President Donald Trump’s 2027 budget request for the EPA, a framework that has alarmed Democrats for its proposed 50% slash to the agency’s funding. 

Zeldin’s clash with Whitehouse also underscores sharp divisions between the administration and Democrats in Congress over what threat, if any, climate change poses and what resources the U.S. should devote to combating it.

Whitehouse, who panned the proposed budget, argued that Zeldin was ignoring secondary costs brought on by fossil fuels.

“One plant in Michigan has already cost Michiganders $600 million in excess health costs. That is money out of consumers’ pockets, and into the pockets of your fossil fuel polluters, Trump’s big donors. Are you even tracking the consumer costs of those coal plants?” Whitehouse asked Zeldin.

“We’re going to get to talk about math?” Zeldin retorted. “Oh, this is great; I don’t even know where to start.”

“Are you even tracking the consumer costs of those coal plants?” Whitehouse asked again. “Answer that question: Are you even tracking the consumer costs of those coal plants?”

ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS PRESENT DIFFERING OPINIONS OF TRUMP’S ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT APPOINTEES

Zeldin began replying that the EPA did, in fact, track consumer costs of energy but was cut off.

“Where are you tracking the consumer costs of those coal plants?” Whitehouse interjected.

Zeldin, setting aside the matter of tracking, turned to confront Whitehouse’s underlying argument about the cost-benefit of coal across the country.

“Are you kidding me? Coal plants even staying open – you think that the math is that it’s better for West Virginia if you close down their coal plants and put these people out of work and tell them to learn how to code?” Zeldin said.

“According to you, in your mind, that’s saving West Virginia? Is it saving them on energy access? Is it saving them on jobs?” Zeldin added.

Whitehouse, running out of his allotted time, closed his line of questioning by proposing that Trump’s administration stood to gain from energy-aligned donors.

NEW SEN. JIM JUSTICE ‘ABSOLUTELY’ SHOCKED BY DEMOCRATS’ RESPONSE TO ELON MUSK’S DOGE REVELATIONS

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“You’re raising costs on purpose because the money that you get when you raise costs from consumers goes to Trump’s big fossil fuel donors,” Whitehouse said.

The EPA was given roughly $8.82 billion in the 2026 fiscal year. For 2027, Trump has requested just $4.2B for 2027 — a drop that would represent a 52% decrease year over year.

First lady Melania Trump’s senior adviser is opening up about how the first lady reacted the night an armed suspect stormed the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in an alleged effort to assassinate President Donald Trump and administration officials. 

“She was not frightened. She was in full control. She knew what had to be done,” senior adviser Marc Beckman told Fox News Digital in a Zoom interview. 

Chaos broke out at the Washington Hilton on Saturday evening just as the annual event was kicking off, when an armed suspect stormed the event in what authorities say was an attempt to assassinate the president. The incident prompted Secret Service agents to rush the president and first lady from the room as guests scrambled for cover.

While this was not the first attempt on Trump’s life, it was the first time his wife was present.

MELANIA TRUMP LAUNCHES ‘ON THE MOVE’ DIGITAL PHOTO SERIES HIGHLIGHTING HER ‘FAST-MOVING LIFE’

“She’s a strong person. She was not injured. Nobody was hurt, fortunately. She was really happy at the end of the day that everyone, in fact, in that room was in good health and was not injured,” he added.

Beckman said the first lady quickly took cover at the Secret Service’s direction and then urged others at the table to do the same.

During the chaos, a moment of shock was seen on the first lady’s face, with many assuming it was in reaction to the gunshots. 

Beckman, however, said it was due to something different.

“She was learning that the mentalist [Oz Pearlman] was able to guess what Karoline Leavitt’s child, soon-to-be child, was going to be named, which is remarkable. It’s shocking. Hence, the expression. Coupled with literally Secret Service charging through the center of the room,” said Beckman.

The first lady joined her husband and administration officials in the briefing room after they were evacuated from the dinner.

MELANIA TRUMP HOSTS STAR-STUDDED WHITE HOUSE SCREENING AHEAD OF HER FILM’S RELEASE

During an educational event with the Queen of England and students on Tuesday at the White House, Trump told members of the media that she was doing “very well” after the assassination attempt.

Beckman shared that Trump echoes her husband’s stance that the Secret Service did their job well on Saturday.

COREY COMPERATORE’S WIDOW SHEDS NEW LIGHT ON FINAL MOMENTS WITH HER HUSBAND

“The Secret Service is very of great value to the first lady. She holds them out with the highest level of respect,” he said. “They’ve done a tremendous job time and time again.”

“She has a tremendous amount of respect for the Secret Service, the military and beyond,” Beckman added.

Beckman shared that Trump is well aware of the risks that follow being a member of the first family. 

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“She’s very proud to be first lady. She’s very hard working, she’s decisive, and she’s going to keep pressing ahead,” he said.

California gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter sent an email to donors that included the phrase “F*** Trump” four times — once even in the subject line — just a day after the most recent assassination attempt on President Donald Trump’s life at the White House Correspondents Association dinner on Saturday.

The “F*** Trump” email from Porter’s campaign is the latest controversy to trouble Porter, who has previously been scrutinized for shouting and using expletives on camera at a staffer and for threatening to quit an interview with a journalist. Her behavior has raised questions in California and across the country about whether she is fit to run the state.

Republican National Committee spokesman Nick Poche said Porter’s “F*** Trump” email show’s she’s not fit to be governor.

“Katie Porter is a degenerate loser who is sick in the head, and it’s telling that failing Democrat candidates think their path to victory is to fan the flames of violence right after an assassination attempt,” Poche said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “The Democrat Party has completely lost its mind, and anyone who refuses to condemn Porter’s remarks is just as responsible for the rise in left-wing political violence as Porter is.”

PATTERN OF LEFTIST VIOLENCE GROWS AS TRUMP NEARS 10 MONTHS IN OFFICE

Porter’s email sent out Sunday made no mention of the third assassination attempt on Trump’s life that occurred just the day prior.

“Today, I wanna start with one simple, powerful message we all agree on,” the email stated. :Say it with me. Ready, 1 … 2 … 3 … F*** Trump.”

“Yeah, that’s right, F*** Trump,” the email continued. “Together, we’re going to kick Trump’s a** in November and stop him in his tracks.”

DEM SENATE HOPEFULS UNDER SCRUTINY FOR ‘CHOKE THEM OUT’ RHETORIC AFTER TRUMP ATTACK SCARE

Writer and X influencer Bethany Mandel shared with Fox News Digital the email sent by Porter’s campaign.

“Imagine Barack Obama surviving three assassination attempts and 18 hours later, a Republican sent a fundraising email like this,” Mandel posted on X.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Porter’s campaign for comment.

The latest assassination attempt on Trump’s life comes as political rhetoric and tensions between Democrats and Republicans have reached a boiling point. Just days before the assassination attempt, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Democrats are in an “era of maximum warfare.” Even in the wake of the assassination attempt and GOP condemnation, Jeffries is not backing down from his comments.