Donald Trump Poll News

White House chief of staff Susie Wiles is opening up about the grueling reality of fighting breast cancer while holding one of Washington’s most demanding jobs, revealing that some days simply getting out of bed and going to work took all the strength she had.

In an op-ed published Sunday in USA Today, Wiles described what it was like to undergo chemotherapy while continuing to lead the White House staff for President Donald Trump. 

The disease occupied her thoughts from the moment she woke up and sometimes even while she slept, she wrote.

“Fighting cancer is brutal and unrelenting,” Wiles wrote. Questions about treatment, test results and what might come next could overtake even a strong mind. At times, she acknowledged, they overtook hers.

CANCER-RELATED BRAIN FOG MAY IMPROVE WITH 2 SIMPLE TREATMENTS, SCIENTISTS SAY

Some days, Wiles said, she poured her strength into fighting the disease. On others, getting out of bed, getting dressed and going to work was its own test. “Most days, I carried the full weight of both,” she wrote.

Work gave her a purpose beyond appointments, scans and side effects. “Cancer can make your world very small,” Wiles wrote. She said she pushed herself to stay focused on the people who depended on her, even as she knew others might question whether she could still lead effectively.

KAI TRUMP REVEALS HOW FAMILY RALLIED AROUND MOM VANESSA AMID BREAST CANCER BATTLE: ‘IT’S A LONG JOURNEY’

The treatment did take a toll on her stamina, mobility and, at times, her focus. Wiles said she could not always be everywhere she wanted to be. Colleagues inside and outside the White House stepped in, while her two daughters, extended family, friends and medical team helped carry her through the illness.

Wiles made clear that working through treatment would not be right or possible for everyone. For her, she wrote, the job helped her hold on to a sense of who she was beyond the disease.

CANCER SURVIVORS MAY SEE SURPRISING BENEFITS FROM ONE SPECIFIC EXERCISE, STUDY SAYS

After successful surgery, pathology showed no residual cancer, Wiles wrote. She said she now faces the work of rebuilding what treatment took from her.

“Chemotherapy is, in a word, a b—-,” she wrote.

DOLLY PARTON’S PRIVATE CANCER BATTLE HIGHLIGHTS WHY SOME PATIENTS DON’T SHARE THEIR DIAGNOSES

In a post on X Sunday, Wiles said she rarely writes about herself but wanted to share what it was like to fight cancer while continuing to do a job she loves.

“Cancer tried to make my world smaller. I was determined not to let it,” she wrote, adding that she hoped her account could offer strength to someone still fighting the disease.

VANESSA TRUMP REVEALS BREAST CANCER DIAGNOSIS IN EMOTIONAL STATEMENT: ‘I AM STAYING FOCUSED AND HOPEFUL’

Wiles announced Sept. 16 that she was cancer free after receiving clear pathology results following an appointment at the Mayo Clinic. She had disclosed her early-stage breast cancer diagnosis in March.

Trump praised Wiles during her treatment, saying in a prerecorded May tribute that she was winning her cancer battle. Wiles thanked him for his kindness and compassion, and credited her family, friends, colleagues and doctors with helping her through the ordeal.

For others going through treatment, Wiles offered a message of hope. “Cancer does not have to take away who you are,” she wrote. She said that for her, life beyond the disease includes serving Trump and the country and being a mother, grandmother and friend.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

One of those daughters, Katie Wiles, responded to her mother’s account on X. “A strong woman isn’t loud in her strength; she’s steady and unshakable,” she wrote. “You are our champion. So incredibly proud of you, Mom.”

Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin rejected claims that Ireland’s sharp criticism of Israel has crossed into antisemitism as tensions flared around a politically charged soccer match between the countries Sunday, with Irish players holding a last-minute vote over whether to boycott the game.

Martin, in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital this week in New York, outlined why Ireland has taken such a staunch position against the Israeli government’s conduct of the war in Gaza, calling its military response “absolutely disproportionate” while pressing Israel to “change strategy” and calling for increased humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Martin argued that Ireland’s own history — particularly its experience ending decades of conflict in Northern Ireland — gives the country a role to play as a voice for peace on the international stage, a theme he returned to while discussing Ukraine and the ongoing debate over Irish reunification.

“I think for the vast majority of people it does not,” Martin said when asked directly whether anti-Israel sentiment in Ireland had crossed the line into antisemitism.

“We have no toleration for antisemitism, none,” Martin added.

NEW YORK TIMES ISSUES CORRECTION, DELETES LINE QUESTIONING IF ISRAELIS WERE VICTIMS OF OCT 7 TERROR ATTACK

The extraordinary player vote came after months of pressure surrounding the UEFA Nations League fixture on Sunday, with more than 160 Irish sports figures calling for a boycott and players themselves publicly questioning whether the match should go ahead.

A “significant majority” of players ultimately voted on Saturday to play the game, while one player left the squad after expressing his wish not to take part.

In the interview, Martin strongly condemned Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack and defended Israel’s right to exist in security.

“First of all, we condemned, absolutely, the outrageous terrorist attack by Hamas in October,” Martin told Fox News Digital.

“We believe in a two-state solution,” Martin said. “We believe that Israel, of course, has a right to exist in security and its people need to be guaranteed of security. But likewise, Palestinians should have a right to live in their homeland in a peaceful way.”

“There are many peaceful voices in Palestine that I’ve met who want peaceful coexistence with Israel.”

Martin said Ireland’s strongly pro-Palestinian position was rooted partly in its own history.

“There’s a very strong pro-Palestinian position in Ireland,” Martin said. “Ireland, the Irish government and the Irish people, probably because of our own history, but also because of a sense of right and justice and fairness.”

Thousands have taken to the streets across Ireland since the war began, while national broadcaster RTÉ refused to air this year’s Eurovision Song Contest after Israel’s participation was confirmed.

Ireland spent centuries under British rule before most of the island gained independence a little more than a century ago, while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom.

He said Israel’s military response to the Oct. 7 attack had resonated deeply in Ireland and called for increased humanitarian aid into Gaza.

“We want humanitarian aid going into Gaza. There’s not enough humanitarian aid going in,” Martin said, pointing to the conditions facing roughly 2 million people there, including shortages of food and shelter and children without access to education.

Martin said Ireland wanted Israel to reconsider its conduct of the war, asking whether it would “change strategy” and “change its approach to the whole issue.”

“So that’s the background to the Irish position,” he said. “People are angry in terms of what’s going on in the Middle East and that’s the manifestation of it.”

ANTISEMITIC VIOLENCE REACHES DEADLIEST LEVEL SINCE 1994, NEW GLOBAL REPORT FINDS

Soccer flashpoint

Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson said his players were uncomfortable with the games, declaring: “We’re not playing with genocide, we’re playing against genocide.” The Israeli Football Association accused him of “stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy,” prompting Martin to call the remarks “unacceptable.”

The FAI previously sought Israel’s suspension from international competition. Separately, Irish soccer officials later voted to fulfill the Israel fixtures after being warned a boycott could cost the association at least $6.3 million and trigger UEFA sanctions.

Sunday’s game will be played in Hungary, while Ireland’s Oct. 4 home fixture has been moved to Serbia and will be played behind closed doors. Irish supporters will not have access to either game.

An organized campaign dubbed #StopTheGame has, meanwhile, spent months pressuring Irish soccer officials and players not to fulfill the Israel fixtures, staging protests and urging the national team to refuse to play.

The campaign has also spilled onto the field. During a friendly against Qatar in May, protesters threw tennis balls bearing “Stop The Game” messages onto the pitch in opposition to the Israel fixtures.

Martin has resisted calls for Ireland to boycott Israel, arguing that unilateral action could be “self-defeating” and may hurt Irish soccer without having any effect on Israel.

Antisemitism concerns

The dispute over the games reflects a broader debate over whether Ireland’s criticism of Israel has crossed a line.

The American Jewish Committee raised concerns directly with Martin in Washington in March 2025 about antisemitism and what it called the “vilification of Israel in Ireland.” An Anti-Defamation League official also participated in the meeting. The AJC alleged that antisemitism had become “pervasive” in Ireland.

Martin pointed to Ireland’s annual Holocaust commemorations and the historic contribution of Jewish communities in Dublin, Cork and elsewhere in rejecting the suggestion that antisemitism was broadly tolerated in Ireland. He also pointed to Ireland’s participation in international efforts against antisemitism and said the country campaigns against it globally.

“We cherish that contribution that the Jewish community has made to Ireland,” Martin said.

Martin’s defense of Ireland’s position came before he addressed world leaders at the United Nations on Thursday, where he delivered a sharply critical assessment of Israel’s conduct in Gaza and the West Bank, declaring that the international community had “failed Palestine.”

“When the full truth of what has happened, what is still happening in Gaza, is finally known, when the evidence is gathered, when the testimonies are heard, when the true horrors are finally and fully revealed, it will shame the world,” he said. “Nobody will be able to say that we did not know.”

Martin accused violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank of acting with “near-total impunity” and said Palestinian communities faced displacement and destruction “amounting to ethnic cleansing.”

He reiterated his support for a two-state solution, saying the only viable outcome was for “a State of Palestine and a State of Israel” to live side by side “in peace, security and dignity.”

Ireland as a peacemaker

During his Fox News Digital interview, Martin connected Ireland’s position on the Middle East to its experience ending decades of violence in Northern Ireland, saying “we feel we can make a contribution to that conflict resolution pathway.”

That role has taken on added significance as Ireland holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, giving it an elevated diplomatic role at a time of multiple international conflicts.

Martin also pointed to a personal experience that shaped his thinking, recalling meeting Israeli Rami Elhanan and Palestinian Bassam Aramin in Israel, two fathers who each lost a daughter in the conflict and later worked together for peace. Their stories are told in Colum McCann’s novel “Apeirogon.”

“That’s an inspiration to me,” Martin said, adding that he had met both men in Israel. He said their work reflected Ireland’s own efforts to reconcile communities divided by generations of conflict.

Ukraine and a united Ireland

Beyond the Middle East, Martin addressed Russia’s war in Ukraine, saying a ceasefire along existing battle lines could provide a starting point for negotiations while rejecting territorial gains by force.

“Ukraine can’t cede territory that Russia hasn’t even conquered, despite four years of war,” Martin said. “From our perspective, no one has the right to go into another country and take its territory.”

Ireland has maintained its military neutrality while providing humanitarian and non-lethal assistance to Ukraine and taking in more than 120,000 Ukrainians since Russia’s invasion. Martin rejected suggestions that such support compromised Ireland’s neutrality, noting that Dublin has not supplied lethal weapons. “We want the war to end,” he said.

Martin’s focus on ending long-running conflicts also extends to Ireland’s own divided island. He and his Fianna Fáil party support reunification with Northern Ireland, but he said greater trust between the two communities must come first.

“I believe in unity and my party believes in unity, but we have to work on it,” Martin said. “We have to build reconciliation amongst the different traditions on the island of Ireland.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Under the Good Friday Agreement, a referendum would be called if it appeared likely that a majority in Northern Ireland supported reunification — an issue that gained fresh attention when Trump said during his recent visit to the country that he would “love” to see a united Ireland.

Martin also pointed to Ireland’s unique relationship with the United States, crediting Washington with playing a “critical” role in the Northern Ireland peace process in the 1990s.

Asked whether Washington could play a role again in a future reunification process, he replied: “To a degree maybe, potentially, yeah.”

A Michigan man who is facing backlash for speaking out against the growing Islamic population in his town refused to back down during an interview with Fox News Digital.

“This is my home, this is where I was born and raised, this city, this state,” said Justin Tye, 57, of Warren, Michigan.

Tye’s address was doxxed in the wake of a Fox News Digital story where he described how his town and neighborhood have been transformed by mostly Muslim immigrants over the past decade or so. He said he’s received some hate mail, including a package addressed to “Justin Tye, Bigot at Large.”

WORKING-CLASS AMERICANS SAY THEIR TOWN IS THE NEXT DEARBORN — AND THEY’VE HAD ENOUGH

One package contained stickers reading “F— Trump and f— you for voting for him,” along with a box of feminine hygiene products.

But Tye isn’t afraid of any backlash.

“Some things are worth the trouble, and this is worth the trouble that could come from it,” he said. “Being doxxed, I’m not afraid. I kind of figured this was gonna come with the territory.”

He also vowed to keep speaking out.

BILL MAHER RIPS IMMIGRANTS WHO REFUSE TO ADAPT, SAYS AMERICAN VALUES ARE ‘NOT NEGOTIABLE’

“I’m not gonna stop. I mean, you come here from another country and you disrespect the people who have lived in this neighborhood for decades, and in many cases like myself, there’s several people I went to school with that bought their parents’ homes and live back here,” he said, adding that he is speaking up for his neighbors too.

“And that’s what I’ve been hearing mainly is, ‘finally a voice,'” he said. “These people here, these Muslims … you need to respect the people, the Americans that are here. Stop disrespecting the people that lived here for decades.”

Tye said he’s received encouragement from residents around town.

“I’m getting a lot of support,” he said. Like I was out, I had to go do some shopping. I went to Meijer, I went to the bank, and then I stopped at a pizza place to get a pizza, and all three places I was stopped by people, asked if I was the Justin that was interviewed by Fox, and I said ‘yes.’ And the support I’m getting is incredible.”

Tye and several of his neighbors spoke to Fox News Digital several weeks ago in Warren.

PASTOR UNLEASHES ON DEARBORN AS RELIGIOUS TENSIONS ERUPT AT CITY COUNCIL MEETING: ‘ENOUGH IS ENOUGH’

“It all started when they bought the mosque, roughly six years ago,” said Tye.

“After Ramadan, they would have their [Eid al-Fitr] prayer service. It was unannounced. We didn’t know anything,” he continued. “All of a sudden, we were just woken up to 100-plus people behind the mosque, with an imam on a podium with big amplifier speakers, belting out his prayer service. So it woke up the whole neighborhood.”

TRUMP INAUGURATION PASTOR SAYS DEARBORN CHRISTIANS ‘AFRAID’ TO SPEAK OUT IN MUSLIM-MAJORITY CITY

He described his neighborhood now as “chaos.”

He also took Fox News Digital on a guided tour of Warren, and pointed out five new mosques built or under construction within a seven-mile radius of his house.

SWING STATE MAYOR SUED AS CITY’S MUSLIM HOLIDAY DISPLAYS IGNITE RELIGIOUS-FAVORITISM FIGHT

An old industrial machinery business is now a mosque, as is a former Baptist church. Another towering mosque is under construction in the area.

“Seems like every restaurant that closes up — American restaurant — there’s a Muslim restaurant that opens up. I’ve seen four or five of them so far,” one of Tye’s neighbors told Fox News Digital.

“I’m normally laid back. Things don’t bother me,” said another. “But it’s like, this is my neighborhood and they’re just taking it over, and that’s what bothers me. And they don’t care.”

After the initial story was published, the city released a message on social media titled, “One Warren: Stronger Together, No Room for Hate.”

Friday afternoon, the city responded to Tye’s doxxing, and unequivocally denounced the practice.

“Every Warren resident deserves to feel safe in their own community. No one should have to fear being threatened, harassed, or intimidated, simply because they chose to speak up or raise a concern.”

“Targeting someone at their home crosses a line,” the statement said. “A person’s home should be a place of safety and privacy, never a place where they are made to feel unsafe because of their views. Regardless of where we stand on an issue, every resident deserves dignity and respect.”

The city noted that while not everyone will always see eye to eye, “disagreement should never become an excuse for personal attacks, intimidation, or retaliation.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“There is room for everyone in Warren. There is room for disagreement, debate, protest, and advocacy. But there is no room for threats, harassment, intimidation, or hate. We should hold ourselves and one another to a standard that protects both the safety of our neighbors and the freedom to speak openly.”

Greenland may be covered in ice, but beneath its surface could be resources critical to the global economy — including rare earth minerals, nickel, copper, palladium, cobalt, oil and natural gas.

The Arctic island’s location is just as valuable.

Positioned between North America and Europe, Greenland sits along key military and shipping routes. As conflicts in Ukraine and Iran expose vulnerabilities in global energy and supply chains, the island has become increasingly important to the United States and other world powers.

WHY TRUMP ZEROED IN ON GREENLAND, THE WORLD’S LARGEST ISLAND, MOSTLY COVERED IN ICE — IN 3 CHARTS

Those factors help explain why President Donald Trump has spent years pushing for greater American control and influence in Greenland and why his administration recently reached a new security agreement with Denmark and Greenland.

The deal, which Trump signed on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, will expand the U.S. military presence on the island while keeping Greenland under Danish sovereignty.

Here are three reasons Greenland has become one of the world’s most strategically important places.

1. Greenland could hold critical minerals the U.S. needs

The United States is seeking to reduce its dependence on China and Russia for critical minerals used in electronics, batteries, energy infrastructure and defense technology.

“We don’t want to be dependent on China for our rare earth minerals, and we don’t want to be dependent on Russia for them either,” Robert Price, CEO of Greenland Energy Company and president of USFM Corporation, told Fox News Digital.

FLOURISH CHART EMBED HERE: 30309299

Price’s USFM is exploring nickel, copper, palladium and cobalt deposits around Disko Island in western Greenland. He said the region could eventually rival Russia’s mineral-rich Norilsk district, though its potential remains unproven as drilling continues.

2. Greenland could become an energy source

Greenland’s potential riches extend beyond minerals. Price’s Greenland Energy Company is pursuing permits for an exploratory oil well planned for 2027 on the island’s eastern side, where he said the geology resembles the petroleum-producing North Sea.

“Our licenses are similar to the same petroleum system as the North Sea,” Price said, adding that the company has sampled oil on and below the surface.

TRUMP’S AMBITIOUS ENERGY BET COULD BE A WINNING HAND AS THE WORLD BURNS MORE OIL, GAS THAN EVER

The project comes as the Iran war disrupts global energy markets and threatens shipping through the Strait of Hormuz a critical artery for the world’s oil supply.

“One of the reasons that we are exploring for oil in Greenland is because of what’s going on in the Strait of Hormuz right now,” Price said.

Greenland’s oil and gas potential remains unproven and would require additional permits, exploration and investment.

3. Greenland occupies a critical military position

Greenland’s strategic value also comes from its location between North America and Europe, near key air, sea and missile routes connecting the United States, Russia and Europe.

The U.S. has maintained a military presence on the island for decades. Pituffik Space Base, formerly known as Thule Air Base, is the northernmost Defense Department installation and supports missile warning, missile defense and space surveillance.

Melting Arctic ice is opening new shipping routes and increasing interest from the United States, Russia and China.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Trump’s agreement with Denmark and Greenland would expand the U.S. military presence while preserving Danish sovereignty, according to the administration. Price said the deal could also boost investor confidence in long-term oil, gas and mineral projects.

“What it does is it shores up long-term investment in Greenland, and that’s what our projects are,” Price said. “They’re long-term investments from oil, gas and minerals.”

The Trump administration denied reports Saturday evening that Immigration and Customs Enforcement had temporarily instructed agents to limit arrests to illegal immigrants with criminal records.

The clarification comes as immigration enforcement remains a central pillar of President Donald Trump’s agenda. The administration has promised an aggressive crackdown on illegal immigration and expanded deportations, and officials said that effort has not been scaled back.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S IMMIGRATION PUSH FUELS ICE’S BIGGEST ARREST MONTH IN AGENCY HISTORY

Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin, who spoke with Trump and nine ICE and Department of Homeland Security sources, reported that verbal guidance instructing field offices to prioritize the “worst first” was distributed nationwide earlier this week.

The guidance alarmed some ICE agents, who described it as shocking and frustrating, Melugin wrote on X.

Sources later said the confusion stemmed from internal conversations about prioritizing the most serious offenders and that the directive was the result of a “miscommunication,” rather than a formal change in policy.

“There is no change in immigration enforcement policy,” Melugin wrote on X.

New guidance was sent to ICE field offices Saturday evening to reaffirm that the administration’s enforcement policy had not changed, according to the sources.

DHS BOSS REVEALS OVAL OFFICE PLAN TO ‘WITHHOLD FUNDING’ FROM SANCTUARY CITIES AFTER AGGRESSIVE NEW YORK BUST

Trump told Fox News that ICE can still arrest and deport anyone who is in the country illegally.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

ICE agents will also continue arresting illegal immigrants without additional criminal histories, including “collaterals,” or individuals encountered during an operation targeting someone else.

The sources said the administration’s broader immigration enforcement agenda remains in place.

NEW YORK — Trump officials say Iran is miscalculating if it believes rising prices and the midterm elections will weaken President Donald Trump’s hand in negotiations to end the nearly seven-month conflict.

The administration is projecting confidence that mounting economic pressure will push Tehran toward a deal, even after three hours of talks this week ended without an announced breakthrough.

“The president holds all of the cards here,” State Department principal deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott told Fox News Digital in an on-camera interview on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.

Americans, meanwhile, are facing a mounting cost at home. The national average for regular gasoline reached $4.49 per gallon Friday, according to AAA, up from $3.16 a year ago. AAA said volatility in the Strait of Hormuz and high crude oil prices have driven the national average to its highest level ever recorded for this time of year.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged those costs Wednesday while arguing that allowing Iran to eventually obtain a nuclear weapon would carry a far greater price.

THE TOP MOMENTS FROM IRAN PRESIDENT’S TENSE VISIT TO US SOIL AS WAR RAGES

“It comes at a price and at a cost, there’s no doubt about it,” Rubio told reporters. “But the cost of not doing something about it is substantially higher, especially for future generations.”

Trump himself laid out the stakes in stark terms during his address to the U.N. General Assembly Tuesday, presenting Tehran with a choice between reaching a deal that would allow Iran to rebuild or facing potentially devastating further U.S. action.

“Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?” Trump said. “Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations?”

But Trump predicted Tehran would ultimately choose a deal, arguing that Iranian leaders are waiting to see whether the November midterm elections weaken his position.

“They’re waiting to see how I do in the midterm election,” Trump said. “What they don’t realize is that I’m not running.”

“I gave absolutely no credence and will not give credence to the election when it comes to Iran,” Trump added. “It doesn’t even enter my mind.”

A U.S. official told Fox News Digital Friday that discussions through mediators remained “positive and constructive,” but said the administration was in no hurry to reach an agreement.

“The United States is in a very strong position with control of the Strait of Hormuz, so we are not in a rush,” the official said, adding that nearly 40 million barrels of oil had transited the strait over the previous 48 hours. The official predicted oil and gas prices would fall back to pre-conflict levels as the U.S. continues to maintain control of the strait.

Trump said U.S. officials held a “very good” three-hour meeting with Iranian officials Tuesday as part of a renewed diplomatic push to end the conflict. But Rubio cautioned Wednesday against characterizing the talks as a “major breakthrough,” saying they were largely a continuation of previous conversations.

“I think it was significant that at least there was a conversation,” Rubio said.

Rubio also said the administration would make public any “good outcomes or things to announce jointly” stemming from its diplomatic engagements. No such announcement immediately followed the Iran meeting.

Iran has since put forward a proposal of its own. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran presented U.S. mediators with a seven-day plan this week that would restore passage through the Strait of Hormuz at the end of the seven days if certain conditions are met, followed by renewed negotiations toward a broader agreement.

The proposal draws from the memorandum of understanding Trump and Iran reached in June. A mediator told CBS News the latest discussions were positive but remained in their early stages.

The stakes in Hormuz remain high. Commercial traffic through the critical oil chokepoint has been sharply disrupted during the conflict, although U.S. officials say the amount of oil moving through the strait is increasing.

TRUMP BETS ECONOMIC PRESSURE CAN SQUEEZE IRAN AS REGIME’S OWN FAILURES DEEPEN THE PAIN

“The diplomatic door is always open. The president is a deal maker,” Pigott said. “But he’s going to see the fundamental principle that they cannot have a nuclear weapon accomplished one way or another.”

Pigott pointed to growing oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz and the economic pressure Washington has imposed on Tehran as evidence that the balance remains in Trump’s favor.

“We are seeing oil move [through] the Strait of Hormuz, increasing every single day,” Pigott said. “We’re seeing the devastating effects on the Iranian regime from economic [actions]. Hundreds of millions of dollars are being denied to the regime through this blockade that we’re seeing.”

Rubio offered a similar assessment Wednesday when asked about Trump’s assertion that Iran may be waiting for the outcome of the midterm elections before making a deal.

“I think the Iranians misread our system,” Rubio said. “I think the Iranians are under this illusion that Democrats are going to win in November, and the president will no longer be able to do things against them.”

Rubio said Congress remains an important branch of government but argued Tehran misunderstands the limits of congressional power over sanctions and military action.

“The president has extraordinary powers. Every president does,” Rubio said. “He’s the commander in chief, both constitutional and otherwise, to be able to carry out those functions.”

“So I think that the Iranians are fundamentally misreading our political system,” Rubio continued.

The administration is also confronting threats to energy infrastructure elsewhere in the region. Iran-backed Houthi rebels have targeted Saudi Arabia as the conflict has expanded, adding another source of uncertainty for global energy markets.

Rubio said Wednesday that the restart of a Saudi pipeline following attacks was “critical for their economy” and “critical for the global economy.” He said energy infrastructure had been targeted by the Houthis as well as Shiite militias in Iraq that the U.S. says are backed by Iran.

“Every time you guys ask me a question about the Middle East, it goes back to someone who’s supported by Iran,” Rubio said.

Rubio said the U.S. would continue honoring its defense commitments to Saudi Arabia while declining to discuss what additional military options Trump could consider.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“They are a strategic defense partner,” Rubio said. “The U.S. made commitments to them. We will live up to those commitments. We are living up to those commitments now.”

A Supreme Court battle over whether certain noncitizens with criminal records are entitled to bond hearings during lengthy deportation proceedings could become a public safety concern by making it harder for the federal government to keep some detainees behind bars, legal experts warn.

The Trump administration is asking the justices to take up Genalo v. D.C., a case involving a Dominican citizen with four criminal convictions who has been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement while fighting removal.

The dispute centers on a Second Circuit precedent requiring a bond hearing when mandatory immigration detention becomes “unreasonably prolonged.” At that hearing, the government must prove by clear and convincing evidence that the detainee poses a flight risk or danger to the community.

MACHETE-WIELDING MS-13 GANGSTER WANTED FOR MURDER WALKS FREE AFTER BIDEN-APPOINTED JUDGE RELEASES HIM: DHS

Chad Mizelle, chair of litigation at the America First Policy Institute and a former acting associate attorney general and Justice Department chief of staff, told Fox News Digital the implications extend beyond immigration law.

“We are talking about criminal aliens here,” Mizelle said. “Those are individuals who have been accused of or convicted of an aggravated felony. Accused or convicted of murder. Accused or convicted of child rape. Accused or convicted of grievous harm upon another human being.”

“So these are the worst of the worst individuals,” Mizelle continued. “Do we want those individuals walking the streets, re-committing, harming other individuals?”

Mizelle argued Congress imposed mandatory detention on certain noncitizens with criminal records to keep them detained during removal proceedings, while the Second Circuit’s prolonged-detention rule could incentivize some detainees to drag out their cases long enough to seek bond.

DOJ MOVES TO STRIP CITIZENSHIP FROM 17 PEOPLE ACCUSED OF HIDING DISTURBING CRIMES

The man at the center of the administration’s latest petition, identified in court papers as D.C., is a 62-year-old Dominican citizen who illegally entered the United States and has four criminal convictions, according to court records.

In 1997, D.C. was charged with multiple drug offenses, including selling and possessing a controlled substance. He failed to appear for trial, was convicted by a jury and sentenced in absentia to three to nine years in prison, but did not serve that sentence until 2024. In 2007, he was charged with possessing a forged instrument after presenting false identification to police and again failed to appear in court.

In 2016, D.C. faced several charges stemming from a domestic dispute, including second-degree strangulation, third-degree assault and acting in a manner to injure a child under 17. He pleaded guilty to criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation and also resolved his earlier forged-instrument case with a guilty plea. Later that year, he pleaded guilty to criminal contempt.

D.C. was finally arrested on the outstanding warrant from his 1998 drug conviction in April 2024. After completing his state sentence in September 2025, ICE immediately detained him while his removal proceedings continued.

FEDERAL APPEALS COURT COMPARES TRUMP MIGRANT DETENTION POLICY TO JAPANESE AMERICAN INTERNMENT

The district court subsequently ordered that D.C. receive a bond hearing under binding Second Circuit precedent but denied his separate request for immediate release. The government is now asking the Supreme Court to take the case before the Second Circuit itself rules — an unusual procedure known as certiorari before judgment.

The administration turned to D.C.’s case after two other noncitizens at the center of the same legal fight saw their cases become moot.

One, Carol Williams Black, had been detained for roughly seven months. His case became moot after he received a final order of removal and permanently left the United States. Black was convicted of sexually abusing a child in 2000. The Supreme Court therefore granted review in June only as to the second detainee, G.M.

G.M., a lawful permanent resident from the Dominican Republic, pleaded guilty to second-degree assault in May 2015 after being accused of attacking and robbing a man during a 2012 incident in New York City. He was sentenced to two years in prison and was released early on parole in December 2016 after serving 19 months. ICE arrested G.M. at his home on Oct. 5, 2020, and detained him for 21 months without a bond hearing while removal proceedings continued.

TRUMP’S FIGHT OVER RARELY USED 18TH-CENTURY DEPORTATION LAW LIVES ON IN LATEST COURT CLASH

The Supreme Court was scheduled to hear his case Oct. 13. But in late August, New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul granted G.M. a full and unconditional pardon for the assault conviction that had formed the basis for his deportation proceedings and mandatory detention. Solicitor General John Sauer agreed the case was moot, and the Supreme Court dismissed it Sept. 11 without ruling on the merits.

The administration then identified D.C. as its replacement vehicle and asked the justices to hear the same constitutional questions this term.

FEDERAL JUDGE TIES ICE AGENTS’ HANDS WITH RULING ON WARRANTLESS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ARRESTS

Carrie Severino, president of Judicial Crisis Network (JCN), said the dispute is likely to affect many similar immigration cases nationwide.

“This is not a question that’s only going to affect D.C., the criminal Dominican national at issue in this case,” Severino told Fox News Digital. “This is an issue that’s going to affect criminal aliens across the country.”

A victory by D.C. would impose new hurdles on the government, including additional hearings and use of resources, Severino said.

“As we know, immigration cases, skipping out on showing up for court dates is incredibly common,” she added. “This is not something that I think the court ought to be granting on a regular basis that they’d be letting people out on bond simply on their word that they’re going to be coming back when they know that they are likely to be removed.”

The case also raises questions about who must prove whether continued detention is necessary. The Second Circuit ruled that the government must prove by clear and convincing evidence that a detainee should remain in custody.

“And so, if the Supreme Court winds up affirming what the Second Circuit held, that means it’s going to be harder for the government to be able to detain this particular population of criminal aliens or terrorism-linked aliens,” Florida State University law professor Michael Morley told Fox News Digital. “There are going to be situations where the government is not able to show that a particular person is either likely to flee or poses a risk of danger and this dangerousness by a heightened or clear and convincing standard.”

“It means that these criminal aliens who are already subject to removal proceedings are more likely to be released into the community while those underlying removal proceedings continue to make their way slowly through the adjudicative process,” Morley continued.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The Supreme Court has not yet agreed to hear D.C.’s case.

A massive five- day ICE operation that netted 426 arrests across Indiana is fueling Hoosier Sen. Jim Banks’ push for Congress to cement President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown into law before a future administration can reverse course.

Banks hailed “Operation Safe Community: Indiana” in a Fox News Digital interview this week after federal immigration officers fanned out across his home state from Aug. 30 through Sept. 3, arresting 426 people with records involving sex crimes, assault, domestic violence, drug trafficking and weapons offenses, according to ICE.

“This is why Donald Trump was elected in 2024: for mass deportation,” Banks told Fox News Digital. “It was one of his key agenda items during the campaign. And in this case in Indiana, you see the direct result of it.”

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S IMMIGRATION PUSH FUELS ICE’S BIGGEST ARREST MONTH IN AGENCY HISTORY

ICE also credited cooperation with state and local law enforcement agencies in carrying out the operation, something Republicans have flagged as a key aspect to successful enforcement.

But Banks argued the operation also underscores a limitation of Trump’s crackdown: aggressive executive enforcement today does not guarantee that the same immigration policies survive the next administration.

DHS BOSS REVEALS OVAL OFFICE PLAN TO ‘WITHHOLD FUNDING’ FROM SANCTUARY CITIES AFTER AGGRESSIVE NEW YORK BUST

“It is important that we codify Trump border security measures and tough-on-immigration policies and make them the law of the land,” he said.

The busts build on the lawmaker’s seven-bill immigration package, previously reported by Fox News Digital, which targets issues including birthright citizenship, family-based immigration, H-1B visas, noncitizens’ CDLs and congressional authority over Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to limit judicial intervention.

“If this could happen in Indiana, it could happen anywhere,” he added, arguing that the opposition has made it tougher to achieve immigration goals after displacing ICE from the 2025 immigration appropriations legislation.

“They’ve made that one of their biggest priorities in this Congress to defund our federal law enforcement, to stop ICE from doing their job, to deport violent criminals who are here illegally,” he said.

OMAR’S NEW LEGISLATION TARGETING ICE SPARKS OUTRAGE WHEN THE INTERNET SEES WHAT’S IN IT: ‘UN-AMERICAN’

“So it is important that we codify Trump border security measures and tough-on-immigration policies and make them the law of the land so that the next time, God forbid, a Joe Biden ever gets elected back to the White House or someone that comes from that radical wing of the Democrat Party…”

Banks also directed his frustration at his own party, criticizing the Republican-led Senate for failing to advance separate election legislation that he says should be another priority.

Many on the right have pressed for passage of the SAVE Act, a bill requiring documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.

“That’s one of my biggest disappointments with this Republican Senate – we haven’t passed [it],” he said.

“I hope by the end of the year that we can find a way to pass it. I’m going to keep fighting for it, but at the end of the day, the Trump administration and the Department of Justice is doing a lot crack down on illegals voting in our elections.”

In a separate Indiana case, DHS arrested an illegal immigrant on Sept. 18 who had entered the U.S. during the Obama administration and later cast a federal ballot.

ICE Enforcement Division Assistant Director Patricia Hyde said the right to vote is the “cornerstone of democracy” in announcing the capture of Guatemalan national Helda Mendez-Merida for “poisoning our elections.”

“We cannot allow that sacred right [to vote] to be perverted,” she said.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Banks said such incidents keep surfacing “because Joe Biden and Democrats flooded our country with tens of millions of illegals – they’re still here [and] mass deportation is important.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has repeatedly pushed back on criticism he is not working hard enough to pass the SAVE Act or advance the Trump agenda.

Thune previously told Fox News Digital that he is an original co-sponsor of a previous version of the bill and that the 50-vote threshold needed to pass provisions that qualify for the parliamentary maneuver known as reconciliation remains a sticking point.

SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER

“I keep asking the question, am I the only one in this town that can count to 50? Because it seems like these questions recur and there are a lot of people out there who haven’t seemed to internalize the fact that there aren’t Democrats that are going to flip and vote for this,” Thune said.

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

Rapper Nicki Minaj urged young Americans to get involved in the upcoming midterm elections and “vote red” while doubling down on her support for President Donald Trump in an interview on Saturday.

The Grammy-nominated hip-hop star said on “My View with Lara Trump” that young voters shouldn’t assume their voices don’t matter as Americans prepare to head to the polls Nov. 3.

“Now is not the time to think that your voice will not be heard,” Minaj said. “Your voice will not only be heard, but your voice is very necessary right now for the country and for the world. We need you guys involved. We need you guys involved more than ever before. This is your country, this is your world. You are the ones that have to reap the benefits of whatever vote decisions we make now.”

Minaj encouraged young voters to become engaged in their communities and participate in elections beyond presidential contests.

2026 MIDTERMS STATE OF PLAY: KEY RACES UNFOLD AS STEVENS, EL-SAYED BATTLE IN MICHIGAN

“Think about how much you want a say in what happens and realize that the only way to have that is by voting — not just voting for the president, but just voting in all of the local elections,” she said.

The music superstar then urged young voters to support Republican candidates in November.

“Please, and vote red now,” Minaj said.

BLACK CONSERVATIVE REVEALS HOW GOP CAN LOCK DOWN MINORITY VOTERS WITHOUT TRUMP ON BALLOT

Minaj’s midterm message comes as she has become increasingly outspoken about her support for Trump.

The “Super Bass” and “Starships” singer also recently partnered with the Trump administration on the Small Business Administration’s Million Dollar Pitch Competition, serving as one of the celebrity judges.

Trump has praised Minaj, calling her a “fantastic person.”

During her interview with Lara Trump, Minaj described the president as “a very authentic person” and said his willingness to speak without appearing scripted appeals to her.

“He brings this candid, unedited vibe to the White House that we’ve never before seen,” Minaj said. “And it’s refreshing because for a very long time, people started feeling like we don’t know who we can trust.”

“When you see someone that goes off script, it’s like you come alive again, you feel alive,” she continued.

NICKI MINAJ TORCHES ANTHONY FAUCI IN MOCK DIARY VIDEO AFTER EXPLOSIVE SENATE APPEARANCE

The rapper said she would not shy away from defending Trump.

“I’ve made it my mission to be someone that supports him,” Minaj said.

Lara Trump noted that Minaj works in an industry where the president is frequently criticized and asked what had shaped her political views along with what she had seen from Democrats that discouraged her.

LIZ PEEK: THE LEFT SAYS THE AMERICAN DREAM IS DEAD, BUT MILLIONS PROVE OTHERWISE

“I think the Democrats have gotten way too caught up in pop culture, for lack of a better term,” Minaj said. “I think that they’ve allowed their relationships with artists to cause them to act like children and to be so petty and childish.”

Minaj also reflected on arriving in the U.S. and building her music career from very little.

“My fan base, they got to see me come from absolutely nothing. They really saw the struggle in real time,” she said.

“Overall, yes, it has been the American dream,” Minaj added. “That’s why I love this country.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital’s Nora Moriarty contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump said Saturday that 25,000 people were killed last month and another 32,000 the month before in the war between Ukraine and Russia

“Last month, 25,000 people died in the Ukraine-Russia war, okay? 25,000,” he told reporters on the White House lawn Saturday.

“The month before that, 32,000 people died … mostly soldiers, 97% soldiers. But whether they’re soldiers or civilians, think of it: 32,000. Two months ago, 33,000 people; this month, 25,000 people died. What a shame,” he added.

PUTIN UNLEASHES NEW FURY ON UKRAINE AS REPORT EXPOSES FEAR HANGING OVER WAR’S END

Russia alone has lost as many as 450,000 soldiers since invading Ukraine in 2022, according to the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS).

Trump also told reporters he wants to see an end to the war soon, revealing he spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently.

KUSHNER, WITKOFF SET FOR KYIV TALKS AFTER PUTIN MEETING IN US PUSH FOR PEACE

“I spoke to him a lot, and he’s going along and Putin’s going along. And someday, hopefully in the not too distant future, maybe before the heavy winter, they’ll make a deal,” he told reporters.

He claimed that he pushed Zelenskyy to try to make a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

TRUMP NEGOTIATORS WITKOFF, KUSHNER MEET WITH PUTIN IN MOSCOW AS US PUSHES FOR END TO RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

“I agreed with Zelenskyy that we talked about a lot of different subjects, and many of those subjects, very strong agreement. But you know what I want him to do? Make a deal. I want him to settle with Putin, and I want Putin to settle with him.

Zelenskyy announced Friday that Trump had agreed to give approval to Ukraine to license and produce U.S. Patriot missile interceptors.

TRUMP SAYS US WILL LET UKRAINE MAKE PATRIOT MISSILES IN MAJOR POLICY SHIFT

“There are concrete agreements regarding Patriot licenses. At our meeting, President Trump stressed that he had made his final decision: Ukraine will receive licenses to produce Patriot missiles,'” Zelenskyy posted Friday.

President Trump had previously hesitated to grant Ukraine the licenses.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital contacted the White House for comment.

Palm Beach County — home to President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago — passed a one-year moratoriam on the planning and construction of data centers as commissioners seek to conduct a thorough review of data centers’ impacts on the environment, noise pollution, and electric bills.

The moratorium, passed on Thursday, comes just weeks after Trump said that communities that reject data centers would “end up being backwards and poor.” Among the wealthiest counties in the country, Palm Beach County includes the town of Palm Beach, home to 65 billionaires.

“If you want to go through poverty, crime and squalor, I would say don’t approve of data centers,” Trump said from the Oval Office on Sep. 4.

The Palm Beach County Commissioners’ 6-0 vote doesn’t put a permanent ban on data centers. Instead, it gives county leadership time to conduct environmental impact reviews before updating zoning rules for where data centers can be built.

TRUMP’S DATA CENTER PUSH FRACTURES CONGRESS AS LOCAL ANGER EXPLODES: ‘GRASPING AT STRAWS’

The moratorium applies to all new applications for data centers with an anticipated peak electrical load of at least 50 megawatts.

“Many communities want the economic benefits a data center brings, but we all fear the higher power bills, the negative environmental impact, disruptive noise, the depletion of water resources,” a Palm Beach County resident shared during Thursday’s meeting.

Trump has made expanding data centers and accelerating artificial intelligence a cornerstone of his agenda, arguing that the United States cannot afford to lose the AI race to China and warning that opposition to data centers only benefits Beijing.

Data centers are the physical backbone of artificial intelligence, housing thousands of powerful computers that store and process digital information while providing the computing power needed to train and run AI systems.

Palm Beach County has already approved in 2016 the construction of “Project Tango” — a proposed 202-acre AI data center, which is located 20 miles from Mar-a-Lago. The data center will also be built near an elementary school and homes.

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS QUESTION WHETHER AI’S PROMISE OUTWEIGHS ITS RISKS

In July, commissioners voted 6-1 to reject a proposal to expand Project Tango by roughly 1.67 million square feet. But existing approvals for two 100,000-square-foot data center buildings remain in place.

Residents at the Thursday meeting said Project Tango was the driving factor behind the push to hit pause on data center project approvals, with several residents advocating for no data centers to be built.

“I think the best good neighbor data center is no data center,” resident Sergei Kelly said. “We have the Everglades to our South and to our West. The coast to our East. I don’t think data centers, especially large data centers they want to build desperately should be here at all.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital reached to the White House and Palm Beach County Commissioners for comment.

America’s AI race against China, which has become a major point of debate as midterms approach, is a race filled with “coordinated” propaganda, warned Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.

In recent months, data centers and AI policy have been debated in Congress and at the kitchen tables of American families. But Cruz, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, told Fox News Digital that much of the new opposition to data centers is being manipulated by a well-funded and coordinated campaign.

“It’s the same reason we saw Middle Eastern countries paying for anti-fracking movements,” Cruz said. “Because if they can convince America, ‘Don’t develop your oil and gas, just buy it from us,’ well, that’s great for them and terrible for us. The same is true on data centers. If they can convince Americans, ‘You don’t want data centers here, you want to just rely on the Chinese for AI,’ that’s great for China, and it’s terrible for America.”

CHINA EXPERT WARNS BEIJING WANTS AMERICANS — NOT THE CCP — TO SPREAD ITS MESSAGE

Direct funding from the Chinese government into the U.S. on data center policies has not been revealed. However, in June, OpenAI announced it had banned ChatGPT accounts believed to have originated in China, and said that the accounts were generating social media comments and images alleging that data centers are raising electricity costs for Americans.

OpenAI said in a statement that it shut down “two clusters of ChatGPT accounts likely originating from China that [OpenAI] banned after they used our models in support of apparent covert influence operations that promoted narratives in an attempt to manipulate a legitimate debate about American AI and wider tech policies.”

Cruz called the effort to craft policy to ensure the U.S. wins the AI race is “the single most important economic question facing America today.”

INSIDE THE FAR-LEFT’S ANTI-DATA CENTER PUSH AND WHAT EXPERTS SAY IS DRIVING IT: ‘PLAYBOOK WE’VE SEEN BEFORE’

“If China wins, AI will be focused on espionage and propaganda and control and surveillance, because that’s the Chinese Communist Party,” Cruz said. “It will be their values. They will use AI to try to control you. If America wins, I want American values to be reflected in AI. I want free speech and individualism and free enterprise and privacy to be reflected in AI, not control and power.”

Cruz called opposition to AI advancement and data centers the “dominant position on the Democratic side.” The third-term Republican said the Democrats’ position is aligned with that of big industry players including Anthropic that he said want exemption from antitrust laws and to “get in bed with government” to control AI development.

THE HIDDEN LEFT-WING NETWORK POWERING A ‘CONSERVATIVE’ REBELLION AGAINST A MAJOR TRUMP PRIORITY

Cruz associated this position with leftist ideology and the emerging tech philosophy known as “effective altruism.”

“These folks from effective altruism are all hardcore leftists, and they want to use AI to push their leftist ideology,” Cruz said. “Part of what we’re seeing is a money grab, where there’s an old concept in economics called rent seeking, which is big companies typically go to government and say, ‘Give me a benefit, entrench me.’ We’re seeing the giant AI companies going to government saying, ‘Hey, why don’t you put us in charge of government and let’s set the rules so no one could compete with us.'”

Parker Thayer, an investigative researcher at Capital Research Center in Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital last week that effective altruism is associated with what he called the “AI doomerism movement.”

Facebook co-founder and billionaire Democratic mega-donor Dustin Moskovitz and his wife Cari Tuna have been leading financial backers of organizations associated with the effective altruism movement. Moskovitz left Facebook in 2008.

The couple founded Coefficient Giving, formerly known as Open Philanthropy, and remains its “main funders,” according to the organization. Tuna serves as its president.

Coefficient Giving says its artificial intelligence work has expanded rapidly, with $168 million committed to AI safety, security and field-building in 2024 and $351 million in 2025. The organization says it is on track to commit more than $1 billion to AI policy advocacy in 2026.

In a 2021 grant application description, the organization said it seeks “to fund programs and events in a variety of areas of interest to Coefficient Giving — including effective altruism, global catastrophic risks, biosecurity, AI for epistemics, forecasting, and other areas.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

In 2015, Coefficient Giving launched “Project Tailwind,” an initiative where the Moskovitz-funded organization issued a “call for founders to launch ambitious AI safety initiatives.”

The United States and China agreed to lower tariffs on $30 billion worth of goods traded between the two countries following a three-day summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington, D.C.

According to the White House, the $30 billion in reciprocal tariff reductions apply to “non-sensitive goods.”

U.S. exports including agricultural products, fish and seafood, logs and wood products, cosmetics and medical devices will receive favorable tariff treatment in China. Meanwhile, U.S. imports of Chinese-made small appliances, toys, holiday decorations and children’s car seats will also receive preferential treatment.

The agreement was reached through the U.S.-China Board of Trade, a body first proposed during Trump’s visit to China in May and formally established during Xi’s visit to Washington this week.

XI PRAISES US STATE VISIT ‘PERFECTION’ AS TRUMP CALLS MEETINGS ‘VERY PRODUCTIVE’

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told CNBC on Friday that “a lot more details” about the new trade agreement will be released on Monday.

Greer said the tariff terms were hammered out after weeks of negotiations. Neither country has released the final tariff rates or all the products that will receive favored status going forward.

This marks one of the most significant cooldowns in the trade war Trump launched against China in February 2025, when he levied a 10% tariff on all Chinese imports, citing Beijing’s alleged role in the fentanyl crisis and illegal immigration. China hit back with levies on U.S. coal, liquefied natural gas, crude oil and cars.

BESSENT REVEALS EXTENSION TO BUSAN AGREEMENT WITH CHINA UNTIL JANUARY

At their peak, U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods reached a staggering 145% in April 2025, shortly after Trump unveiled his “Liberation Day” reciprocal tariffs. China responded with tariffs of up to 125% on U.S. goods.

U.S. and Chinese negotiators met in Geneva in May 2025 and agreed to a 90-day truce that lowered U.S. tariffs to 30% and China’s to 10%. The agreement was extended for another 90 days in August.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Trump and Xi reached another tentative agreement during talks in South Korea in October 2025. Under the deal, China agreed to crack down on fentanyl precursors, resume purchases of U.S. soybeans and ease restrictions on rare-earth exports, while the United States agreed to further ease tariffs.

The two countries will now use the Board of Trade to negotiate additional tariff reductions and other trade disputes, leaving open the possibility of broader agreements in the months ahead.

NEW YORK — Russia is trying to scare Europe into backing off its defense in the region, claims European Union’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas, who warns it will only lead to Moscow becoming more aggressive if it succeeds.

“Their goal is to intimidate us from not supporting Ukraine, from refraining to support them and pressuring Russia,” Kallas told Fox News Digital in an interview on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.

“What is important for us is that we are not afraid,” she continued. “Because otherwise this kind of intimidation actually pays off, and then we will see more of it across the world.”

For Kallas, Russia’s attempts to intimidate its European neighbors carry a history that reaches well beyond the war in Ukraine.

Her mother, Kristi, was just six months old in 1949 when Soviet authorities deported her — along with her mother and her grandmother — to Siberia during Stalin’s mass deportations from the Baltic states. Kallas’ maternal grandfather was separately sent to a Siberian prison camp.

Kallas has recounted how her mother was transported east in a cattle car, with fellow deportees drying the infant’s diapers against their own bodies during the freezing journey. The family spent roughly a decade in Siberia before they were allowed to return to Soviet-occupied Estonia in 1959.

Kallas was born in Tallinn in 1977 and spent the first 14 years of her life under Soviet rule. Estonia restored its independence in 1991 as the Soviet Union collapsed.

FRONTLINE NATO ALLY SHARES SHOCKING TAKE ON RUSSIAN INVASION THREAT

Her family would go on to become deeply entwined with the new democratic Estonia. Her father, Siim Kallas, became the first president of the Bank of Estonia after gaining its independence, later serving as foreign minister and prime minister before moving to Brussels as a European commissioner.

Kaja Kallas followed her own path from lawyer to member of Estonia’s parliament and then the European Parliament.

In 2021, she became Estonia’s first female prime minister and three years later was chosen as the European Union’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy. It was a historic moment — putting a politician who grew up under Soviet occupation at the center of Europe’s response to Russian aggression on the continent.

That history has made Kallas one of Europe’s most prominent voices on Moscow — even as officials in her native Estonia and elsewhere along NATO’s eastern flank now caution against interpreting Russia’s recent provocations as preparations for a conventional invasion.

Russia invaded Ukraine more than four-and-a-half years ago and shows no signs of backing off despite repeated promises that negotiations for an end of war are ongoing.

Asked whether she agreed with Estonian and other Baltic officials who say they do not currently see Russia preparing for such an attack, Kallas instead pointed to Moscow’s growing use of sabotage and the importance of deterrence.

“We see that Russia is actually increasing their sabotage acts in Europe,” Kallas said. “But of course how far they will go depends very much on us and whether we are investing enough in defense so that it acts as a deterrent.”

The debate comes as NATO countries confront a string of Russian aircraft and drone incursions, along with suspected sabotage and other hybrid activity across Europe. The incidents have fueled warnings in some European capitals that Moscow is probing the alliance for weaknesses, while officials closer to Russia have cautioned against equating those provocations with preparations for an invasion.

US ALLIES NEED TO SHOOT DOWN RUSSIAN AIRCRAFT TESTING NATO BOUNDARIES, CZECH PRESIDENT WARNS

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna told Fox News Digital in a separate interview this week that his country’s intelligence services see no indication Russia is preparing for a full-scale attack on NATO.

“We have more and more this kind of panic in Europe that Russia will invade and will be full-scale aggressive against NATO and Europe and the Baltic states, Poland, but we don’t see it,” Tsahkna said. “Our intelligence, we see very, very deep into Russia, we don’t see any change.”

Kallas, however, argued that Moscow’s actions are designed to weaken Western support for Ukraine rather than simply test NATO’s defenses.

“Their goal is to intimidate us from not supporting Ukraine, from refraining to support them and pressuring Russia,” she said.

The pressure campaign comes as Washington continues its push for a negotiated end to the war. Kallas said Moscow has yet to demonstrate that it is serious about reaching one.

“They should start with stopping bombing the civilians,” she said, pointing to recent Russian attacks on Kyiv. “If they are serious about this, they should agree to a ceasefire, sit down at the negotiation table and talk to the Ukrainians.”

Kallas said Ukraine has already agreed to an unconditional ceasefire while “Russia is just playing games,” arguing that coordinated pressure from Washington and its European allies could change Moscow’s calculations.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“If America, Europe, UK, other strong players are all acting together in the same way to put in the sanctions, then actually we could have the effect that Russia understands that this is serious and they will sit down and negotiate,” she said.

The Trump administration announced Friday that it was canceling $810 million in congressionally approved spending for programs serving illegal immigrants, diversity initiatives and other efforts the administration argued do not benefit American citizens.

To claw back the funds, President Donald Trump used a “pocket rescission,” a budget maneuver the executive branch contends is within its authority but that Congress and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) say exceeds the president’s authority.

The vast majority of the cuts, some $567 million, were aimed at Health and Human Services programs that provided funding to non-government organizations supporting refugees, asylees and other non-citizens.

The White House is also seeking to rescind $25 million for education programs for migrant students, claiming they supported things such as “an LGBT youth summit” and “Therapy for Latinx workshops.”

TRUMP ADMIN AXES TIES TO DOZENS OF PROGRESSIVE GROUPS IN ‘DIRECT OPPOSITION’ TO MISSION: ‘DECISIVE ACTION’

Programs the administration labeled “Woke International Education” were also selected for $70 million in cuts. The White House said the funding supports bringing foreign students and faculty to the United States and, in some cases, has funded doctoral dissertations on “queer and trans community building in foreign countries.”

Other programs receiving the axe included a Justice Department office focused on reducing racial tensions, a business development initiative for minority entrepreneurs, Housing and Urban Development Department counseling services, and a series of Health and Human Services grants the administration described as “outright harmful and blatantly ideological.”

The White House’s announcement about the rescissions noted that several of the organizations are led by former officials in President Barack Obama’s administration.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who faces a tough re-election campaign, condemned Trump’s cuts and called it “the most recent attempt by this Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to undermine Congress’s Constitutional power of the purse.”

WHITE HOUSE LAUNCHES INTERACTIVE MAP TRACKING BILLIONS IN SUSPECTED FRAUD

Under the most recent pocket rescission, the White House proposed canceling the funding near the end of the federal fiscal year on Sept. 30.

Collins argued that this was intentional on the part of the Trump administration, because if the money remains unspent until Sept. 30, it expires before Congress’ 45-day review period can be completed.

On top of that, the House of Representatives will be out of session through the November election, making it essentially impossible for Congress to respond.

“The independent Government Accountability Office has concluded that pocket rescissions are unlawful and not permitted by the Impoundment Control Act,” Collins said in a statement. “I will work with my colleagues to address these illegal actions.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The OMB under Trump has argued that the Impoundment Control Act does not explicitly forbid the president from rescinding funds near the end of a fiscal year, according to a summary from the Congressional Research Service (CRS). OMB Director Russ Vought has repeatedly said the same.

That same CRS summary said the GAO has likened pocket rescissions to a line-item veto, which would allow a president to strike portions of legislation without congressional approval — a power the Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional.

A year ago, Trump issued the first pocket rescission in nearly 50 years, seeking to cancel $4.9 billion in congressionally approved foreign aid. The Supreme Court declined to block the move, citing the president’s authority over foreign affairs as it allowed litigation to continue.

The last pocket rescission took place under former President Jimmy Carter, who proposed it well before the 45-day congressional review deadline.

A bipartisan team of senators is proposing legislation that they say will broaden the pool of qualified judges available to serve on two powerful federal courts with nationwide jurisdiction.

Sens. Chris Coons, D-Delaware, and Ashley Moody, R-Florida, introduced a bill on Tuesday that would remove the requirement that judges sitting on the Court of Federal Claims and the Federal Circuit live within 50 miles of Washington, D.C.

Both courts have nationwide jurisdiction, though their specialized dockets differ. The Court of Federal Claims primarily handles claims against the federal government, while the Federal Circuit hears appeals involving patents, trademarks, government contracts and other areas.

A decision from either court, for example, could affect Coons’ constituents in Delaware or Moody’s in Florida. The claims court hears arguments from entities seeking money or other relief from the federal government whereas the circuit court, which is a feeder for Supreme Court justices, reviews decisions from lower courts and agencies in relation to the federal government.

MIKE DAVIS: FEDERAL COURT SETS DANGEROUS PRECEDENT AGAINST 99-YEAR-OLD JUDGE

“Americans deserve the best, most qualified judges, especially in areas like intellectual property law where expertise is key to understanding complex cases and fairly deciding the future of many entrepreneurs’ businesses,” Coons said of the legislation. “For too long, we have limited the pool of judges available to take on the toughest IP and federal contract cases to those willing to uproot their lives and move to Washington, D.C. No longer. This bipartisan bill ensures that courts of national jurisdiction can draw from a pool of national talent.”

Legal scholars who spoke with Fox News Digital saw merit in the senators’ proposal.

“It’s often difficult to recruit top-level talent from across the country to relocate to the District of Columbia for these judgeships,” Heritage Foundation senior legal fellow Zach Smith told Fox News Digital, noting that the Court of International Trade in New York City has a similarly broad geographic jurisdiction and lacks a residency requirement for judges.

“Many other circuit courts of appeal cover multiple states and often the judges on those courts sit throughout the states that that court covers and then they often come together to meet and hear cases and hear oral arguments in a specific location. This type of geographic dispersal it’s not an unusual arrangement.”

Thomas Berry, the director of the libertarian-aligned Cato Institute’s Center for Constitutional Studies largely agreed.

‘UNPRECEDENTED’: JUDGES REVEAL BEHIND-THE-SCENES COORDINATION ON TRUMP IMMIGRATION CASES

“These courts have jurisdiction based on the issue involved, so potentially if this meant that the judges were able not just to live elsewhere, but even hear oral arguments elsewhere, that could potentially be more convenient for some types of cases if they’re, say, involved parties on the opposite side of the country,” Berry told Fox News Digital.

Critics may argue that the proposed legislation could increase travel costs to taxpayers by requiring frequent travel for judges to and from D.C. Legal experts may also feel that the ability of judges to regularly meet face to face could lead to a loss of judicial collegiality.

Berry noted that some studies show that, during the Coronavirus pandemic, court decisions saw less dissents as judges spent less time in person with one another, but qualified possible concerns by stating that “all of the other regional courts of appeals have been basically working under such a system for over 100 years, and clearly it hasn’t gotten in the way from them doing the work that they’re meant to do.”

SUPREME COURT CHIEF JUSTICE PINPOINTS WHAT AMERICANS MISUNDERSTAND ABOUT HIM AND HIS COLLEAGUES

Neither expert felt that travel costs would be an issue in implementing this proposal.

“For a court that covers the entire country, we should be considering nominating judges from everywhere in America based on merit — not their proximity to the D.C. bubble,” Moody, herself a former Florida circuit judge and federal prosecutor, said of the legislation. “My Better Bench Act removes an outdated residency requirement to expand the pool of qualified Americans who can serve and allows our courts to be a better reflection of the nation as a whole.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The offices of Coons and Moody did not respond to requests for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Thursday.

President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to Washington this week, one day after signing a Greenland security agreement that, once in force, would bar non-NATO states such as China from establishing a military presence there, sharpening the Arctic-security backdrop to their face-to-face talks.

Xi’s three-day state visit unfolded against that backdrop, with Trump hosting a formal White House arrival ceremony, holding high-stakes talks, joining Xi for a tour of the National Archives and presiding over a state dinner attended by some of America’s most prominent technology executives.

A senior U.S. official told Fox News Digital that Trump and Xi discussed the economy, trade, “Super Intelligence” and cooperation on a range of shared priorities, though it remained unclear what concrete agreements emerged from behind closed doors.

TRUMP-XI REUNION COMES WITH UNFINISHED BUSINESS — AND A BIGGER BATTLE LOOMING

Trump has so far stopped short of announcing a concrete agreement from Xi’s Washington visit, a contrast to his May trip to Beijing.

Trump was already telling reporters before leaving China that the two countries had made “some fantastic trade deals,” even though the White House did not release its full economic deal package until two days after the summit.

Thursday’s state dinner drew 134 guests, including the two leaders and prominent technology figures such as Jensen Huang of Nvidia, Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Lisa Su of AMD, Tim Cook of Apple, Sam Altman of OpenAI, Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Satya Nadella of Microsoft and Sundar Pichai of Google.

Christine Balling, senior vice president for professional affiliations at The Institute of World Politics, told Fox News Digital that inviting America’s top AI tycoons to Thursday night’s state dinner was a strategic move to show Xi that the United States is the world’s top dog in the AI race.

‘RED CARPET FOR A DESPOT’: TRUMP’S LAVISH XI WELCOME COLLIDES WITH GOP ANTI-COMMUNISM MESSAGE

“I think the significance of the timing of this meeting, whether it’s intentional or not, shows that the Trump administration is taking The future of AI and the world very, very seriously,” she said. “I think that is the most significant takeaway. But the bottom line is, I think the most important images were those of all of the AI techs who were invited to that state dinner.”

Greenland has emerged as a backdrop to Trump’s two meetings with Xi this year. Negotiations over an expanded U.S. security role there began months before Trump traveled to Beijing in May, while Trump renewed his public pressure over Greenland during the summer as his administration continued negotiations aimed in part at limiting Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic.

Five days before Xi arrived in Washington, Trump announced a Greenland security agreement that was formally signed Sept. 22 and, once in force, would expand the U.S. military position while restricting Chinese military presence and certain sensitive investments in the territory.

China has had its eye on Greenland for years, especially as it looks to expand its role in the Arctic. Beijing has shown interest in Greenland’s infrastructure and natural resources, including its valuable rare earth and critical mineral deposits. U.S. officials have also pointed to past Chinese efforts involving a former U.S. naval base and airport projects as signs of Beijing’s broader ambitions in the region.

Balling is an expert in foreign policy, particularly in the Western hemisphere, and says Trump’s historic deal with Greenland struck a massive blow to China.

TRUMP DECLARES VICTORY IN HISTORIC DEAL WITH GREENLAND AS HE SECURES ‘PERMANENT’ US MILITARY RIGHTS

“Number one, that is a tremendous victory for the United States and frankly, the free world,” she said. “It means that the United States has the ability to establish two more bases at present. So we have a Space Force base … and now secured land, air, and sea rights across Greenland. We have the ability to screen out any other country who expresses interest in either establishing any sort of military presence and or investment.”

“That means that the United States and NATO allies are going to have first right of refusal when it comes to mining, and not only for rare elements, but also oil and gas and data centers.”

SECURITY EXPERT HAILS TRUMP’S GREENLAND PACT AS A ‘BIG DEAL’ ON PAR WITH ALASKA PURCHASE

China has long sought a larger Arctic role, declaring itself a “near-Arctic state” and promoting a “Polar Silk Road” encompassing commerce, research and resource development.

Balling argued that Beijing had reason to oppose the U.S.-Denmark-Greenland agreement because the United States remains heavily reliant on China for several critical-mineral supply chains.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“I also have to say for all of those who were mocking the Trump administration and President Trump’s talk about buying or invading Greenland, they have an egg on their faces now,” she said. “I never for a moment thought that President Trump was serious about this. I think that what he was serious about, was exactly what was achieved in the agreement that was just signed.”

EXCLUSIVE: Black bishop and author Earl Walker Jackson blasted Democrats and the left over what he called the “deeply insulting” and “deeply offensive” claim that minorities and African Americans cannot get I.D.s to vote.

Debate erupted this week over voter I.D. requirements after Reuters reported that an investigation found 30,000 noncitizens were “erroneously” registered to vote in 11 states. Jackson, a nondenominational Christian leader and descendant of enslaved ancestors, said the findings underscored what he described as a growing problem of noncitizen voting that disenfranchises American citizens.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Jackson charged, “Why the Democrats are so committed to this can only be explained one way: they think it empowers people who shouldn’t vote to vote, and they believe those people are going to vote for them.”

“This is nothing but a power grab,” he posited, emphasizing that “every vote by a noncitizen does in fact cancel out the vote of an American citizen, or it amplifies it in a way that’s illegal or inappropriate.”

BOMBSHELL VOTING SCANDAL ADDS TO PATTERN OF NONCITIZEN VOTERS AS TRUMP WARNS OF THREAT TO ‘HEART’ OF DEMOCRACY

Reuters reported on Wednesday that more than 30,000 self-declared noncitizens were added to U.S. voter rolls since 2000.

The outlet attributed the erroneous registrations to “software glitches and clerical errors” and said its review suggested “inadvertent bureaucratic failures, ‌rather than organized efforts to register immigrants illegally.” Reuters said it was unable to determine how many noncitizens actually cast ballots.

The errors occurred in California, Illinois, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Virginia.

Don Palmer, the senior legal fellow for election integrity with the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital that due to legal loopholes and loose reporting requirements, he believes the 30,000 number “is actually quite low.”

“I think it’s undercounting it. I think those are the identified non-citizens that have been accidentally or erroneously placed on the voter rolls through the mistake of the driver’s license agency. I think it’s much more because we don’t know in a lot of states, either they have not conducted the audits or they’re not using tools to find noncitizens that may have accidentally been placed on the rolls,” he said.

Palmer said “the answer really is that there needs to be more care taken to developing a system of verifying citizenship and you just don’t see that in most states.”

BIDEN ADMINISTRATION GRANTED WOMAN GREEN CARD MONTHS BEFORE SHE ILLEGALLY VOTED IN 2024 ELECTION: DHS

“If they’re going to do voter registration, they need to make sure that there’s a verification in place for identity and for citizenship, just as if you come into an agency and you’re getting a driver’s license or identification card, you’ve got to show that I.D., you’ve got to make sure that your identity is confirmed, similarly, if you’re going to register someone to vote at the driver’s license agency, there needs to be a verification process or a documentation process to ensure that you are a citizen,” he said.

Meanwhile, after hearing the 30,000 figure, Jackson told Fox News Digital that “the sad reality is I’m not shocked.”

“I wonder if it’s more,” he said, adding, “We’ve been told, particularly by Democrats, that that’s not happening, that there’s nothing to see here, and yet we hear again and again documentation that it is happening.”

With this in mind, he decried efforts to resist more stringent voter eligibility verification and identification. He took particular issue with those equating voter I.D. requirements as anti-Black and a new form of Jim Crow.

“Forgive me for being personal about this for a moment, but I just find this deeply insulting and deeply offensive because the implication is that somehow if you are black, no matter how wealthy, educated, well-to-do, somehow getting an ID is a problem for you,” he said.

“But on the other hand, if you’re white, no matter how poor, no matter how uneducated, no matter what your circumstances are, somehow you can get an I.D., that’s not a problem, I mean, it’s preposterous.”

DESCENDANT OF SLAVES SHAMES SMITHSONIAN’S WOKE ‘INDOCTRINATION’ AGAINST THE ‘GREATEST NATION ON EARTH’

He pointed to the hotel where he was staying as an example.

SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER

“Look, I’m in a hotel right now … What was the first thing they asked me for when I walked up to the counter? May we see your I.D., please? Should I say, ‘Wait a minute, oh, you’re discriminating against me. You know Black people can’t get I.D.s; how dare you ask?’ he said. “I mean, it’s ridiculous.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“I don’t hate illegal aliens, I don’t want to see them harmed or hurt, but they don’t have a right to vote in our elections, and they shouldn’t be permitted to do so,” he concluded. “Anybody who wants to say, well, ‘You’re a bigot, you are a hater,’ I mean, they’re going to say that. But I think most Americans are people of goodwill and don’t feel that way at all; we’re simply trying to preserve the integrity of our electoral system.”

Former Vice President Kamala Harris used yellow and pink flowers to explain how social media algorithms can repeatedly feed users similar content, arguing that the technology can influence what people see online.

Harris made the remarks during an appearance on “Off Air with Big Boy” after host Big Boy asked about AI, TikTok, Instagram and the role personalized algorithms could play in shaping how Americans consume information, including ahead of the midterm elections.

“There is a part of this that is about understanding that, you know, if you keep seeing the same thing over and over again, know that you are being targeted,” Harris said.

“Because you looked at it the first time, they’re just going to keep sending it to you, which means they’re trying to dumb people down with the assumption that people don’t have any interest beyond what they’ve already seen,” she continued.

CHRIS MURPHY CALLS FOR ‘REGULATING THE INTERNET’ SO PEOPLE WON’T FALL FOR A ‘DEMAGOGUE LIKE DONALD TRUMP’

Harris, who previously played a leading role in the Biden administration’s work on artificial intelligence, continued with a colorful example.

“The algorithm’s suggesting I have no more interest — because I’m looking at this yellow flower, I’m only interested in yellow flowers, as though my brain can’t handle the fact that there may be a pink flower that I might be interested in looking at,” Harris said.

“Part of it is understanding how the algorithm is manipulating us and figuring out how we’re going to psych it out a bit,” she added.

Harris’ explanation drew a mocking response from Fox News hosts, including Sean Hannity.

“What was that?” Hannity said while reacting to the soundbite.

HARRIS KEEPS 2028 DOOR OPEN AS SHE HITS MIDTERM CAMPAIGN TRAIL, WARNS ‘28 WON’T MATTER’ WITHOUT 2026

Hannity’s guest, Fox News host Jimmy Failla, joked that Harris thinks “AI is Allen Iverson from the Philadelphia 76ers.”

Harris, the Democratic Party’s 2024 presidential nominee, has not said whether she will seek the White House again in 2028.

She has faced criticism in the past over her explanations of artificial intelligence, including remarks she made while serving as vice president in 2023.

“AI is kind of a fancy thing,” Harris said at the time. “First of all, it’s two letters. It means artificial intelligence, but ultimately what it is is it’s about machine learning.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Harris’ latest comments come after she called on President Donald Trump earlier this month to pursue an international agreement – including with China – aimed at limiting dangerous uses of AI and establishing global testing standards.

Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: Republicans are being given a new playbook on an issue that is all but certain to be the biggest political lightning rod of the November midterms.

Conservative group Club for Growth is sending a memo to Capitol Hill lawmakers on Friday arguing that Americans’ struggle with high living costs cannot be ignored — and that the fault lies with an expanding federal government.

“Americans are not asking whether the inflation rate has slowed; they are asking why the same basket of goods is permanently more expensive,” the information packets being distributed to Republican lawmakers read. “[G]overnment made core costs higher through deficit spending, subsidies, mandates, and restrictions on supply.”

It’s an argument that could be a lifeline for the GOP as it fights an uphill battle to keep control of the House and Senate. While Democrats attack Republicans for how Americans feel about prices today, Club for Growth’s memo is urging Republicans to point to the rapid federal expansion the Biden administration presided over during the COVID-19 pandemic.

REPUBLICANS JUST GOT A POWERFUL NEW PLAYBOOK FOR THE BATTLE FOR CONGRESS. HERE’S WHAT’S INSIDE

The materials, a two-page memo for lawmakers and a more in-depth 76-page policy packet, also urge Republicans to push policies that Club for Growth says will actually lower those costs.

AMERICA’S BROKEN PERMITTING SYSTEM IS QUIETLY RAISING YOUR COST OF LIVING

The strategy would be a gamble, given the midterms are traditionally a referendum on how people feel about how they are doing under the party currently in power. But it gives Republicans a potential economic platform and a roadmap to pitch for lowering costs if they keep the majority for the next two years.

“The free-market answer is structural cost relief: spend less, build more, produce more energy, make healthcare compete, let workers earn, and let families choose,” the memo said.

BILLIONS SPENT BY KEY FEDERAL AGENCY HASN’T MADE AMERICAN DREAM OF HOMEOWNERSHIP ANY EASIER: REPORT

It urged Republicans to resist calling for subsidies for areas of the economy where prices are skyrocketing, arguing that handing out taxpayer money would only increase costs in the longer-term. An example the memo used is Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits, which Republicans have long blamed for skyrocketing healthcare costs before the COVID-era subsidy expired at the beginning of this year.

“Subsidies and regulation function as a back door for government control and involvement in private industry,” the memo argued. “The only way to address the affordability crisis properly is to undo misguided government intervention and stop pretending more of the same will suddenly work.”

But it could put GOP lawmakers at odds with President Donald Trump and his promise to give each American adult $5,000 if Republicans win the midterms. Several GOP lawmakers who spoke with Fox News Digital last week were hesitant to embrace the idea.

Among the solutions offered are reforming Social Security, which fiscal hawks have long warned will soon run out of cash if changes are not made to current age requirements and other guidelines.

GOP FISCAL HAWK SOUNDS ALARM ON ‘OUT OF CONTROL’ FEDERAL SPENDING, SAYING ‘BOTH PARTIES HAVE FAILED US’

On high housing costs, the memo urges lawmakers to increase supply by targeting land use and building regulations rather than offering subsidies to make existing housing more affordable.

Energy costs, which were a flashpoint in the 2025 off-year elections as well, could be brought down by furthering the Trump administration’s goals to unleash U.S. energy sources rather than Democrats’ push for net-zero carbon emissions, the memo said.

A focus on nuclear energy policies could also help drive down energy costs, which will be at the forefront of most Americans’ minds during the November election.

And while Democrats have pushed free early childcare as a solution for struggling families, the Club for Growth memo is urging Republicans to find a more lasting solution in reforming regulations surrounding the industry.

“Health and safety training in specific areas, adherence to building, fire, and health codes, and comprehensive background checks, including fingerprinting, are reasonable,” the memo said. “However, strict and complex rules about work-child ratios, rigid staffing mandates, and regulations on facility specifications, including equipment requirements and zoning classifications, increase operating costs without demonstrable improvements in child wellbeing.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The election is less than 50 days away, and both sides are working overtime to prove they are best positioned to help ease rising costs.