Author: NOVA Corp

Dennis Coyle, an American man held by the Taliban for more than a year without charges, landed Wednesday on American soil following his release Tuesday from Taliban captivity in Afghanistan.

Video and images showed the 64-year-old walking off a plane at a base in San Antonio, Texas, before embracing family members.

Coyle, an academic who spent nearly two decades working in Afghanistan, was taken from his home in Kabul in January 2025 by Taliban intelligence and held in near-solitary confinement, Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Adam Boehler told Fox News on Tuesday, adding that Coyle committed no crime and was used as leverage.

“The United States welcomes the release of American citizen Dennis Coyle, who was wrongfully detained in Afghanistan for more than a year,” Boehler said in a statement to Fox News. 

AFGHANISTAN FREES US CITIZEN DENNIS COYLE OVER A YEAR AFTER TALIBAN ARREST

“President Trump made clear: the United States will not tolerate the unjust detention of its citizens — anywhere. His personal determination — executed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and a fully aligned interagency team — has driven a shift to accountability, pressure and results.”

IRAN CONFLICT WON’T TRIGGER BIDEN-STYLE REFUGEE REPLAY, EXPERT PREDICTS

Coyle’s family said he had been legally working in Afghanistan to support language communities as an academic researcher.

Rubio welcomed Coyle’s release, saying it was a “positive step by the Taliban,” but added that the United States is still seeking the immediate return of Mahmood Habibi, Paul Overby and all other unjustly detained Americans. 

“The Taliban must end their practice of hostage diplomacy,” Rubio said. “President Trump is committed to ending unjust detentions overseas – Dennis joins over 100 Americans who have been freed in the past 15 months under his second term in office.”

Fox News’ Trey Yingst contributed to this report.

A little over a year after Donald Trump took office for the second time and began going after what he described as “discriminatory” Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) practices, including gender extremism and racial preferences in education, his administration is touting several “wins” it says are shifting the culture war on college campuses and beyond. 

Over 300 colleges and universities have rooted out DEI, according to numbers in a Department of Education press release laying out various “wins” against DEI during President Trump’s second term. Other numbers the administration shared showed 45 colleges and universities have also removed DEI statements and messaging from university programs or websites, at least 15 have eliminated the use of diversity statements in hiring faculty or staff, at least 95 have either eliminated, renamed or shifted staff or faculty positions related to DEI, at least 175 have removed or restructured their current DEI offices, and over a half-dozen recently abandoned racially segregated graduation ceremonies. 

Furthermore, College Board, best known for administering standardized tests like the SAT, revised criteria for their National Recognition Program, which the Department of Education says favored racial groups and awarded scholarships disproportionately to students from underrepresented ethnic groups. 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION CELEBRATES PROGRESS AFTER A YEAR OF TRUMP ADMIN’S FIGHT TO SAVE WOMEN’S SPORTS

Here are five more striking DEI “wins” the Trump administration has had since the beginning of the president’s second term:

After finding UPenn violated Title IX, the department announced in early July that it got the school to sign a resolution agreement requiring UPenn to restore individual women’s swimming records and titles, issue a public compliance statement, adopt biology-based definitions of “male” and “female,” and send personalized apology letters to affected female swimmers. The move stripped transgender swimmer Leah Thomas of her 2022 national title, according to UPenn’s records.

“From day one, President Trump and Secretary McMahon vowed to protect women and girls, and today’s agreement with UPenn is a historic display of that promise being fulfilled. This Administration does not just pay lip service to women’s equality: it vigorously insists on that equality being upheld,” said Riley Gaines, the former University of Kentucky swimmer who competed against Thomas. “It is my hope that today demonstrates to educational institutions that they will no longer be allowed to trample upon women’s civil rights, and renews hope in every female athlete that their country’s highest leadership will not relent until they have the dignity, safety, and fairness they deserve.” 

Earlier this year, the Education Department Student Privacy Policy Office found the California Department of Education to be in “continued violation” of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a federal law granting parents access to their child’s school records. 

The announcement was followed by the U.S. Supreme Court intervening in a case this month, where they sided with parents who were challenging California law that allowed staff to hide students’ gender transitions from their parents. 

“Gender dysphoria is a condition that has an important bearing on a child’s mental health, but when a child exhibits symptoms of gender dysphoria at school, California’s policies conceal that information from parents and facilitate a degree of gender transitioning during school hours,” the court’s decision read. “These policies likely violate parents’ rights to direct the upbringing and education of their children.”

Meanwhile, at least 20 university-affiliated hospitals have ended, or suspended puberty blockers, hormone therapies, gender transition surgeries, or other transgender care for minors, according to the Education Department.

IVY LEAGUE WATCHDOG WARNS TRUMP’S ANTI-DEI WINS ARE TEMPORARY AS COLLEGES ‘WAIT HIM OUT’

Trump’s Education Department entered into another resolution agreement with the Jefferson County Public Schools District in Colorado after it found that the district was allowing transgender students access to female bathrooms, locker rooms, overnight accommodations, and to compete in female sports. 

According to the department, the district committed to rescinding or revising any policies that allowed male students to use female intimate facilities, share overnight accommodations with them, or compete in female sports. The district must also issue and prominently post a public statement committing to Title IX compliance using biology-based definitions of “male” and “female,” stating Title IX applies regardless of state law or sports governing-body rules, and explaining how students can report or file sex-discrimination complaints.

Trump’s Department of Education secured 31 resolution agreements with universities and colleges who were partnering with The Ph.D. Project, an organization that helps hopeful doctoral students get into programs. The department’s Office of Civil Rights found the program “unlawfully limits eligibility based on the race of participants.” 

“After initiating investigations several months ago into forty-five institutions of higher education for collaborating with the Ph.D. Project, OCR later determined that these institutions violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) by partnering with an organization that discriminates on the basis of race,” a February press release from the department states.

TRUMP ADMIN DETERMINES SJSU VIOLATED TITLE IX WITH HANDLING OF TRANS VOLLEYBALL PLAYER BLAIRE FLEMING

In Feb. 2025, the NCAA revised its transgender participation rules to restrict the women’s category to student-athletes assigned female at birth, barring athletes assigned male at birth from competing on women’s teams, though they are still allowed to practice with women’s teams and receive related benefits. The men’s category remains open to all eligible athletes, and the change took effect immediately on Feb. 6, 2025.

“Just over a year ago, we saw men claiming victories in women’s athletics. Colleges and universities were focused more on diversity, equity, and inclusion than ensuring graduates were prepared for success in life after graduation,” a Trump administration fact sheet on “wins” during the president’s second term stated. 

“Institutions required DEI statements from faculty and held segregated affinity graduation ceremonies for students. Academic standards fell, admissions were skewed to favor race over merit, and students graduated with a massive pile of debt and degrees that led to no job prospects,” the sheet continues. “Today, institutions of higher education are changing the game because President Trump is bringing back America’s Golden Age — shifting the culture and restoring our nation’s institutions to greatness.”

In the fact-sheet, the Trump administration also touted an end to “test-optional admissions” at “dozens” of colleges and universities, including several Ivy League campuses and others that it says are reinstating SAT and ACT admissions requirements.

Maryland Del. Kathy Szeliga, R-Baltimore County, is calling out Maryland Democrats for backing a bill that would stock tampons in men’s bathrooms in state-owned buildings—an idea she says is emblematic of Annapolis’ misplaced priorities.

Szeliga said that after she was made aware of HB 941, she took to the House floor to question which public buildings would be impacted. In particular, she wanted to know if the state’s professional sports facilities, such as where the Ravens and Orioles play, would be impacted. During her remarks, the GOP Maryland lawmaker also questioned language in the bill ordering “appropriately sized tampons” be placed in all public restrooms in all public buildings.

“What are appropriately sized tampons?” Szeliga asked, earning laughter from parts of the House. “I’ve never heard of such a thing. What do you consider appropriate?”  

MARYLAND GOVERNOR RESPONDS TO ALLEGATION THAT HE EMBELLISHED STORY ABOUT HIS FAMILY FLEEING FROM KKK

In response, Del. Ken Kerr, D-Fredrick County, said that the language “just means that tampons are offered, there’s no specific size.” Szeliga shot back, arguing that if that is the case, it should say so, and not talk about sizing.

Meanwhile, Szeliga then pivoted to inquire with Democrats about which public buildings would be impacted, with emphasis on the football stadium where the NFL franchise Baltimore Ravens play and the baseball stadium, Camden Yards, where the Baltimore Orioles play. According to Szeliga, both are owned by the Maryland Stadium Authority. 

“If it is a state-owned building, then yes, it would go in – it’s a public building,” Kerr said when asked about the football stadium, even though he refused to answer the question in any certain terms. “If Raven stadium is a state building, then yes, it would apply …  If it applies to the Raven stadium it would also apply to Oriole park.”

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Szeliga pointed out that this latest legislative proposal is not the first time Maryland Democrats have tried to put tampons in men’s bathrooms. She questioned whether it was a priority being pushed from out-of-state. 

NJ SENATE VOTES 38-0 TO REQUIRE FREE MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS AT PUBLIC COLLEGES UNDER ‘MENSTRUAL EQUITY’ BILL

“There seems to be an obsession with feminine hygiene products in Maryland, in Annapolis, in the legislature. It must be coming from some national movement, but they have tried in the past to make sure that there was adequate, as they would say, or, you know, feminine hygiene products, but this is now taking it to a whole new level,” Szeliga said. 

The previous bill, Szeliga pointed out, focused on colleges and universities in the state. She also noted that Republicans were able to amend it, eventually whittling down the bill so that it applied only to health centers at colleges or universities that house students on campus, which she said was already occurring when the law passed. 

Szeliga said that with Democrats’ latest bill trying to put tampons in all public bathrooms in all public buildings, including male ones, the move will encompass a wider swath of infrastructure, including M&T Bank Stadium, where the Ravens play, and Camden Yards, where the Orioles play, since they are operated by the Maryland Stadium Authority. She also pointed out that the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, will likely have to begin putting tampons in men’s bathrooms as well, if the bill is ultimately passed. 

“The fiscal note on the bill said ‘undetermined’ because there are so many state-owned public buildings,” the GOP Maryland lawmaker said. “And they wanted it to be paid for by taxpayers.”

Szeliga lamented that while Democrats were prioritizing putting tampons in men’s bathrooms at an unknown cost to taxpayers, little has been done to rein in the state’s “massive” budget deficit.

“Even if they determine to shift some of the cost to the consumer, this still creates hundreds-of-thousands of dollars worth of administrative costs to put tampons in men’s bathrooms – just
for the administrative costs,” Szeliga pointed out, noting Democrats “couldn’t even determine how many state buildings this would apply to.”

WBAL-TV 11 News reported that “Several state agencies, without officially opposing the bill, expressed concern about the cost of carrying it out,” and highlighted that the Maryland Department of Natural Resources projected that the upfront costs would be about $400,000.

“This is the kind of thing that we see happening in radical Democrat states with super majorities, where they’ve run out of ideas,” Szeliga concluded. “Instead of tackling actual problems like out of control spending and other real problems, electric bills that people cannot afford, they pivot to nonsense like putting tampons in men’s bathrooms.”

The legislation to bring tampons to public men’s bathrooms was sponsored by more than 10 Democratic delegates and was introduced on Feb. 5. The bill has yet to pass either chamber in the state legislature. 

Top Republican in the North Carolina Senate Phil Berger conceded his GOP primary race Tuesday after a second recount left him behind by a mere 23 votes, ending Berger’s long hold on the Triad-area seat and setting up a leadership shake-up in a key battleground state.

“While this was a close race, the voters have spoken, and I congratulate Sheriff Page on his victory,” Berger wrote in a statement Tuesday after the results of the second recount confirmed Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page won the District 26 race.

“Over the past 15 years, Republicans in the General Assembly have fundamentally redefined our state’s outlook and reputation. It has been an honor to play a role in that transformation.”

Berger’s defeat is a major upset in North Carolina politics, particularly after President Donald Trump had endorsed him and fellow state Republicans had reportedly urged Page to end the primary challenge. Unofficial state election results showed Page with 13,135 to Berger’s 13,112.

NC SENATE SHOWDOWN ESCALATES AS TRUMP RALLIES BEHIND WHATLEY TO KEEP GOP SEAT

Berger has led the Senate since 2011 and has been one of the state’s most influential Republican figures, while Page’s narrow win is expected to usher in a new era of GOP leadership in the General Assembly.

Page, who had pressed Berger to concede, said voters in Guilford and Rockingham counties had placed their trust in him and called for Republicans to unite ahead of the November general election. Berger will remain in office until January, presiding over the state Senate in one of the nation’s biggest political battleground states.

“Looking ahead, I remain committed to working with my colleagues in the short session to ensure North Carolina continues to be the best state in the nation in which to live, work, raise a family, and retire,” Berger’s concession statement concluded. “In the months ahead, I will also do everything I can to support all Republican Senate candidates and protect our supermajority.”

Trump’s endorsement came several weeks after the legislature redrew the state’s U.S. House district map in an attempt to flip a Democrat seat amid the ongoing fight to retain the narrow GOP House majority in this year’s midterm elections.

IN DIVIDED NORTH CAROLINA, WHATLEY AND COOPER EMERGE FOR SENATE BATTLE THAT COULD TIP WASHINGTON

Unofficial results on primary election night showed Page leading Berger by just two votes out of more than 26,000 counted in the 26th Senate District that includes part of Greensboro and neighboring areas.

Page’s lead expanded as elections boards in the two counties within the district reviewed provisional, absentee and other ballots. Later recounts were conducted and Berger’s campaign filed formal protests. But Berger gave up after a hand recount of a small portion of the ballots Tuesday morning showed no change in Page’s razor-thin lead.

“I thank him for wishing me the best moving forward,” Page said in a statement after Berger called him to concede. “Now it’s time for our community to come together and focus on winning in November.”

Page will now advance to the November general election in the GOP-leaning district against Democrat Steve Luking, whom Berger defeated in 2024.

Page’s campaign was outspent by Berger’s campaign by more than 40-to-1 through mid-February, finance reports show. That does not include several million dollars that a pro-Berger independent expenditure group spent on mailers and advertising.

North Carolina state senators will pick a new chamber leader in early 2027.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., has spent months hammering President Trump and his Justice Department (DOJ) over their handling of Jeffrey Epstein records, accusing them of trying to sweep evidence under the rug and even teasing that his “follow the money” work “ties back to Donald Trump.” 

However, emails reviewed by Fox News Digital in the DOJ “Epstein files” show Wyden’s own family connection – an April 2016 appointment at Epstein’s Manhattan mansion between his son Adam and the disgraced financier. 

An email chain from late April 2016, after it was already public that Epstein was a convicted child sex offender and was accused of operating an under-age “sex slave” ring, shows Adam Wyden sought investment backing from Epstein during a meeting at Epstein’s home in Manhattan where Epstein allegedly engaged in some of his criminal activity. The senator’s son founded his own private investment fund, ADW Capital, in 2010.

“Jeffrey, I wanted to thank you for taking the time to meet with me. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation and hope my passion and dedication for my business came through in the meeting. I live and breathe this business and take my returns, integrity, and reputation quite seriously. And, I believe I have the mental fortitude and energy to stick through the tough times and drive value when others are fatigued,” the younger Wyden said in an email in April 2016 to Epstein. “I intensely appreciate like minded individuals and would very much look forward to having you join us at the fund.”

CHILD SAFETY NONPROFIT FOUNDED BY TOM STEYER’S BROTHER HAS MULTIPLE EPSTEIN TIES: ‘NO CONCERNS’

Other emails inside the tranche of Epstein documents released by the DOJ show Epstein and the younger Wyden communicating about a time and location for the meeting. Meanwhile, another document appearing to be a ledger of Epstein’s daily engagements and activities on April 28, 2016, marks the meeting as taking place at 10:00 a.m. that day.

The same scheduling document also describes the young Wyden, in parentheses, as “Jonathon Farkas’ friend.” Farkas appears to refer to the husband of President Trump’s ambassador to Malta and the brother of Andrew Farkas, who had a “profound friendship” and business ties with Epstein, according to the New York Times. 

“I don’t speak to my kids about their business activities, and I read about this a few months ago on social media just like everybody else,” Sen. Wyden said in a statement to Fox News Digital when reached for comment. “My investigation began four years ago and continues unchanged. I want transparency and accountability across the board.”

WATCH: HILLARY CLINTON STORMS OUT OF EPSTEIN DEPOSITION AFTER HOUSE LAWMAKER LEAKS PHOTO FROM INSIDE

Adam did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment in time for publication. 

Wyden has repeatedly hammered the Trump administration over access to Epstein-related records and has argued his “follow the money” investigation “ties back to Donald Trump.”

“One of the most important questions that comes out of this is why were America’s leading banks – a number of them – basically sleepwalking throughout this whole Epstein matter,” Wyden said in a video chronicling his probe into the Epstein scandal as the Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee. “They should have been watchdogging this. They should have brought to law enforcement what they believed was going on.” 

Wyden also touted his plans to author a bill that would hold banks accountable in the future if they turn a blind eye to such illegal activity.

At the time of the April 2016 meeting between Epstein and the senator’s son, Epstein was already a convicted sex offender who had pleaded guilty in Florida to sexually abusing a minor, and the Palm Beach investigation that led to Epstein’s plea had identified dozens of possible Epstein victims, many of which were reportedly minors. 

FIRST ON FOX: An Angel parent is set to testify before the Senate on Wednesday as Republicans intensify scrutiny of sanctuary city policies after the fatal shooting of Chicago student Sheridan Gorman, allegedly by an illegal immigrant.

Joe Abraham, whose daughter was killed in a hit-and-run crash involving an illegal immigrant last year, is set to testify before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Consitution on Wednesday about sanctuary city laws, which he says led to the deaths of his daughter, Katie Abraham, and Gorman.

“An 18-year-old college student — someone just beginning life — has been killed,” Abraham wrote in a Fox News Digital opinion piece on Tuesday. “And once again, the circumstances raise the same painful questions about policy, enforcement and accountability.”

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED IN COLLEGE STUDENT’S MURDER HAULED INTO COURT IN LATEST ARREST

“Once again, we are confronted with the possibility that this tragedy, like the one that took my daughter, might have been prevented,” he continued.

Abraham’s daughter was killed when a drunk illegal immigrant crashed into her vehicle and fled the scene. Julio Cucul-Bol was later arrested and sentenced to 30 years in prison. 

Authorities said Cucul-Bol, from Guatemala, had previously been deported from the U.S. in 2016. 

The hearing, titled Protecting American Citizenship II: Federalism, Sanctuary Cities, and the Rule of Law, will be led by Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., who chairs the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution.

CNN, MS NOW AVOID COVERING LOYOLA STUDENT SHERIDAN GORMAN MURDERED BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT IN CHICAGO

Schmitt told Fox News Digital that the hearing had been in the works before Gorman’s death, but noted, “sadly, you have these policies in place, this is not going to be the last time.”

“I think it’s important to highlight in the hearing of what does it means [when] people hear the term [sanctuary cities], what does it mean? It means that sanctuary jurisdictions are just not going to tell ICE when criminals, including rapists and murderers, are being released from jail in prison,” Schmitt said. “That’s insane.” 

Schmitt had just come from the Senate floor Tuesday evening where he read a portion of a statement from the Gorman family. Schmitt said he had not spoken with the family, but said, “as a dad, I can only imagine the grief that they’re feeling.”

“When you send your daughter off to college, it’s just not what you expect, and it’s totally preventable,” Schmitt said. 

The hearing will focus on the legal and policy issues surrounding sanctuary cities and how those policies affect federal immigration enforcement, public safety and the constitutional balance between federal and state authorities.

It will also be the first hearing on sanctuary city policies following Gorman’s death. Her alleged killer, 25-year-old Jose Medina-Medina, a Venezuelan national, was arrested on Friday in connection with the Chicago shooting, and faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder.

Medina-Medina was taken into custody twice in 2023 under the Biden administration, once by U.S. Border Patrol and again for shoplifting in Illinois. He was released both times, according to the Department of Homeland Security. 

Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker’s policies will likely be a focal point of scrutiny during the hearing, which will feature former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares and Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies, as witnesses alongside Abraham.

MY DAUGHTER WAS KILLED, AND I WARNED SANCTUARY CITY POLICIES WOULD COST LIVES AGAIN

Abraham has also demanded answers over Pritzker’s policies.

In a separate opinion piece for Fox News Digital, Abraham wrote that he sent a letter to Pritzker seeking answers “about the sanctuary policies he champions.”

“I asked for a response by January 19, 2026, the one-year anniversary of Katie’s death,” Abraham wrote. “To this day, I have received nothing.”

Retiring Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino revealed one of his few regrets from his time in Homeland Security is that he did not arrest more illegal aliens, according to a recent interview. 

Bovino, who is retiring amid national controversy over his leadership in several high-profile immigration enforcement operations over the past year, told The New York Times he does not regret his aggressive, frontline leadership. He added, “I wish I’d caught even more illegal aliens.”

Turning 57 this week, Bovino has served in the U.S. Border Patrol since the nineties. He is expected to retire at the end of the month.

His decision to depart the agency after three decades comes shortly after he was removed from his prominent role as Border Patrol “commander at large.” As commander, Bovino became the face of President Donald Trump’s deportation operations in cities including Minneapolis, Chicago and Los Angeles. He was regularly criticized by the mainstream media and Democratic politicians, with California Gov. Gavin Newsom accusing him of emulating Nazi secret police.

Despite this, Bovino told the outlet, “We went as hard as we could, but there’s always a creative and innovative solution to catching even more.”

‘AMERICANS FIRST’: ICE SWEEPS UP CHILD PREDATORS, RAPISTS ACROSS US AS MULLIN TAKES HELM OF DHS

According to the outlet, Bovino touted the effectiveness of his enforcement tactics, including seeking out illegal aliens on the streets, questioning them openly and arresting those who attempt to interfere with operations.

Much like his leadership style in the interior, Bovino said that as Border Patrol chief of the El Centro Sector in California and Arizona, his goal was to “dominate” the border, not just control it. “We wanted total border domination,” Bovino told The New York Times.

“When you use terms like that, perhaps it scares some of the weaker-minded people. Domination. I want you to dominate that border. I’m not going to ‘control’ it. We’re going to dominate the hell out of that damn place,” Bovino said.

He criticized several of his former superiors as “status quo” bureaucrats holding him and his team back. According to the outlet, he also criticized “border czar” Tom Homan, who replaced him as leader of the Minnesota operation. He ribbed Homan over an alleged bribe, saying, “You’re not going to see me talking to anyone for a bag of money.”

The Department of Justice investigated the alleged bribe and found no credible evidence of wrongdoing. Homan has previously told Fox News host Laura Ingraham, “I did nothing criminal. I did nothing illegal.”

MOM OF VIRGINIA HIGH SCHOOLERS WHERE ILLEGAL ALIEN ALLEGEDLY GROPED GIRLS OUTRAGED: ‘TERRIFYING AS A PARENT’

Despite these critiques, Bovino hailed Trump as the most effective president he served under. He said Border Patrol “got a lot of kudos from the Trumpster.” He also lauded now former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem as the “best secretary I’ve ever worked for, bar none.”

In response to Bovino’s comments, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital that “Tom Homan and Rodney Scott are American patriots and career law enforcement officials” and that “they have done an excellent job implementing President Trump’s agenda which has resulted in the most secure border in American history.”

She added that the American people “are safer because of the Trump Administration’s America First policies.” 

She also reiterated her previous statement following the investigation into Homan, in which she said: “This was a blatantly political investigation which found no evidence of illegal activity.”

“It was yet another example of the Biden DOJ using its resources to target President Trump’s allies rather than investigate real criminals and the millions of illegal aliens who flooded our country,” said Jackson.

ANGEL MOM WHOSE 13-YEAR-OLD SON WAS EXECUTED BY ILLEGAL GANG MEMBER URGES INCOMING DHS CHIEF TO ACT

For his part, even amid the height of the controversy over the killings of Minnesota activists Renee Good and Alex Pretti, Trump said the administration’s removal of Bovino was not a pullback.

“Bovino is very good,” Trump told Fox News host Will Cain. “But he’s a pretty out there kind of a guy, and in some cases, that’s good; maybe it wasn’t good here.”

Rather than place the blame for the fatal confrontations on Bovino or federal officers, Trump blamed “paid insurrectionists” and “agitators” for the unsafe operational environment as agents attempted to clear the streets of criminal illegal aliens.

President Donald Trump is urging Sydney Gruters, the wife of Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters, to run for Congress, pledging to endorse her if she runs in Florida’s 16th Congressional District.

“Word is that Sydney Gruters, the wife of our GREAT Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Joe Gruters, is considering launching her Campaign for Congress in Florida’s 16th Congressional District!” Trump wrote in a Tuesday Truth Social post.

“Should she decide to enter this Race, Sydney Gruters has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, SYDNEY, RUN!” the president said.

BALLOT BOX UPSET: DEMOCRATS FLIP FLORIDA LEGISLATIVE SEAT IN TRUMP’S STOMPING GROUND

GOP Rep. Vern Buchanan, who currently represents the Sunshine State’s 16th Congressional District, is not seeking re-election.

Joe Gruters, who became RNC chair last year, is also serving as a Florida state senator.

MEET JOE GRUTERS, THE TRUMP ALLY NOW AT THE HELM OF REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE

“I am deeply honored to have the endorsement of President Donald J. Trump,” Sydney Gruters noted, according to Florida Politics. “His leadership transformed our country and continues to inspire millions of Americans who believe in putting America First. I’m especially committed to advancing policies that lower the cost of living for hardworking families across our community. I’m grateful for his support and look forward to making an announcement about the path ahead very soon.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Gruters, who is the executive director and vice president of advancement of the New College Foundation.

FLORIDA GOP GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE CALLS FOR SWEEPING FEDERAL LIMITS ON MUSLIM IMMIGRATION

“A Highly Successful Civic Leader and Public Servant, Sydney has dedicated her life to serving her Community, and she and her family are fierce advocates for our Movement to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!,” Trump wrote in his Truth Social post. 

“As your next Congresswoman, Sydney will fight tirelessly to Grow our Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Support our Military/Veterans, Safeguard our Elections, Champion School Choice, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment.”

A progressive Chicago lawmaker issued an apology Tuesday after facing backlash for suggesting a slain college student was in the “wrong place at the wrong time.”

Last Thursday, Sheridan Gorman, 18, of Westchester County, New York, was gunned down while taking a walk with friends around 1:30 a.m. along Chicago’s lakefront.

Alderwoman Maria Hadden sparked outrage on social media after she suggested in an interview with Fox 32 Chicago that the Loyola University Chicago student was in the “wrong place at the wrong time” and that she may have “startled” the individual who shot and killed her.

The local Democrat’s comments were slammed as insensitive and also prompted a response from Gorman’s family, who referenced her remarks.

PRITZKER BREAKS SILENCE ON MIGRANT CHARGED IN STUDENT’S MURDER, BLAMES TRUMP FOR ‘POLITICIZING’ CASE

Hadden, a progressive ally of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, released a statement Tuesday saying her interview on Fox 32 had “gone viral on conservative media,” and that her comments were in response to a question comparing Gorman’s murder to a separate 2018 case.

“In an effort to make sense of a senseless situation, I said things that landed wrong with some people,” she said. “My comments were never intended to blame the victim or to imply that Sheridan should not have been out enjoying the park or that it was her fault that she was shot.

“In the interview, I tried my best to share what limited information I had with our community as fast as possible while helping to address the fears people had about the shooting,” Hadden continued. “I sincerely apologize for any additional pain that my comments may have caused.”

MASKED GUNMAN KILLS LOYOLA CHICAGO COLLEGE STUDENT IN SHOOTING NEAR CAMPUS; POLICE HUNT FOR SUSPECT

She added, “The fact that some media outlets are intentionally creating sound bites to misconstrue my words during this tragedy is also unfortunate.”

Gorman’s family referenced Hadden’s remarks from the Fox 32 interview, saying the slain college student “deserved the future that was stolen from her.”

“What happened to Sheridan cannot be reduced to the idea of someone being in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is not an abstraction. This is the loss of a daughter. The loss of a sister. The loss of a future filled with milestones that will now never come. Our family is forever changed.”

CHICAGO LAWMAKER RIPPED OVER ‘DISGUSTING’ RESPONSE TO COLLEGE STUDENT KILLED BY ALLEGED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT

The family added: “We cannot accept a world where moments like this become something people grow used to. We cannot allow ourselves to become desensitized to violence. When we begin to accept these tragedies as inevitable, we all become vulnerable to them. Apathy is not harmless—it allows these moments to repeat.”

Jose Medina-Medina was arrested and charged with Gorman’s murder.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Medina is an illegal immigrant who entered the U.S. during the Biden administration before being apprehended and released into the country.

DHS said the 25-year-old Venezuelan national was previously arrested for shoplifting in Chicago.

Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.

A Florida GOP gubernatorial candidate is pushing a “permanent” federal ban on Muslim immigration, arguing Islam is incompatible with American law and values.

Former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, who launched his gubernatorial bid in the Sunshine State last summer, said Tuesday he would propose and promote a federal ban on Muslim immigration that is “permanent and comprehensive.”

“We have to be realistic and be honest that the long-term compatibility of Islam in this country does not exist,” he said. “We cannot have long-term compatibility with the American Constitution and with the American way of life.”

Renner added that anyone with terrorist ties, who has defrauded taxpayers or who has been convicted of a serious crime should be denaturalized and deported.

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Renner made the comments during a news conference while speaking in front of a “No Sharia Law” sign. Sharia law is a religious legal framework derived from Islamic texts that governs aspects of life for some Muslims.

The gubernatorial candidate pointed to the passage of a bill in the Florida Legislature prohibiting the use of certain foreign laws, including Sharia law, in state courts.

Renner asserted that “only American law can be used in American courts and that should go without saying.”

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He added that he would also end all funding for schools that promote what he described as Sharia law concepts.

Renner said he would pursue legislation designating the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis previously issued an executive order last December designating the groups as FTOs, but a federal judge issued a temporary injunction citing First Amendment concerns, according to The Floridian.

In his announcement, Renner cited a “recurring pattern of conflict and violence” in the years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, including a recent shooting at Old Dominion University in Virginia that left one person dead and two others injured.

The suspected shooter, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, was a former Army National Guard soldier convicted of supporting ISIS, according to the DOJ.

“The simple fact is while there may be people in this country that will live peaceably with us, as a system there will continue to be increased division, increased conflict, and increased violence, which we have seen over the decades since 9/11, and we have to be realistic about that and put a stop to it so that we protect Americans,” Renner said. “That is the first order of business for any governor or any elected official and that is what I will do as governor.”

DeSantis, who is serving his second consecutive term, is not permitted to run again in 2026. President Donald Trump has previously backed U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds for the job.