Author: NOVA Corp

FIRST ON FOX: Virginia Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger is being asked not to release yet another criminal illegal immigrant as Northern Virginia, a major suburb of Washington, D.C., continues to be rocked by a migrant crime spree.

Fox News Digital has learned that the Department of Homeland Security has asked Spanberger and “sanctuary politicians” in Arlington, Virginia, to honor a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer on a Guatemalan illegal immigrant charged with attempted rape.

The illegal immigrant, Luzvin Orvando Garcia Moran, 28, faces charges of abduction of a person with intent to defile, sodomy by force or victim helplessness, and assault in connection with an attempted rape, according to DHS.

Local outlet ABC7 reported that Garcia Moran allegedly approached a woman waiting on a rideshare around 6 a.m. on Sunday and attempted to force himself on her. She attempted to escape multiple times but was grabbed, shoved against a wall, and assaulted. The outlet reported that two good Samaritans intervened to stop the assault but that the assailant escaped.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT RELEASED UNDER BIDEN CHARGED WITH GROPING FEMALE STUDENTS AT VIRGINIA HIGH SCHOOL

Garcia Moran was arrested in connection to the assault and is being held without bond.

Since Arlington has several sanctuary policies limiting local cooperation with ICE, DHS said the agency lodged a detainer request with the Arlington County Jail to ensure that Garcia Moran is not released back into the community.  

DHS said that Garcia Moran entered the U.S. illegally at an unknown date. Citing Arlington County Court records, the agency said he has “at least” 25 prior charges dating back to 2020, including nine counts of being intoxicated in public, assault and battery, disorderly conduct, attempting to disarm a law enforcement officer and several probation violations.

SPANBERGER DODGES QUESTIONS ON WHETHER SHE WOULD REVERSE SANCTUARY POLICY AS DHS TURNS UP HEAT

This comes as Spanberger is facing mounting pressure from ICE and local citizens to reverse her executive order limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities in the face of a slew of attacks and a sexual assault in nearby Fairfax County.

Recent crimes by illegal aliens in Fairfax County include multiple murders by stabbing, a baby killing and a string of gropings by an 18-year-old of minor girls at a high school. Illegal aliens committed 75 percent of the murders in Fairfax County thus far in 2026, according to DHS.

Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis charged that it is “Virginia’s sanctuary policies [that] allowed this illegal alien to go on a crime spree.”

“Despite prior arrests by law enforcement, this criminal was released from jail multiple times before he went on to commit this heinous rape,” said Bis. “We are calling on Arlington County sanctuary politicians and Governor Abigail Spanberger to commit to not releasing this criminal from jail back into our communities.”

ICE LODGES DETAINER FOR ILLEGAL MIGRANT CHARGED WITH STRANGLING WIFE AND DUMPING BODY NEAR OKLAHOMA HIGHWAY

She asked, “How many more times must they release criminals into our neighborhoods to create more innocent victims?”  

Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger’s office and Arlington County for comment.

Deputies from the United State’s Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia (USADC) showed up earlier this week, unannounced, at the Federal Reserve’s construction site in Washington, D.C., which is part of an investigation tied to congressional testimony from Chairman Jerome Powell.

After speaking with construction workers, two prosecutors from the USADC were reportedly turned away and told they could not be permitted access because they had not gotten preauthorized clearance, the Wall Street Journal first reported. They were then reportedly given the contact information of the appropriate Fed staff to reach out to.

The visit underscores U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro’s view of the case the Trump administration launched in November against Powell. In January, the Trump administration’s Department of Justice served the Federal Reserve with grand jury subpoenas amid an investigation into the Federal Reserve’s multi-billion dollar D.C. headquarters renovation that began in November and is tied to whether Powell lied to Congress about the $2.5 billion renovation or failed to comply with the appropriate permitting rules.

BOASBERG BLOCKS SUBPOENAS AGAINST FED CHAIR JEROME POWELL

A Fed spokesperson did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s inquiry and it declined to comment when contacted by the WSJ.

“Any construction project that has cost overruns of almost 80% over the original construction budget deserves some serious review,” Pirro said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “And these people are in charge of monetary policy in the United States?”

An outside attorney for the Federal Reserve, Robert Hur, reportedly objected to the visit in a letter to Pirro’s office.

Hur, in his letter, pointed to U.S. District Judge James Boasberg’s ruling last month that threw out the subpoenas in a 27-page ruling describing them as an effort to “harass and pressure Powell.” Boasberg is an appointee of former President Barack Obama.

TRUMP’S PICK TO LEAD THE FEDERAL RESERVE MEETS GOP SENATOR HOLDING UP HIS CONFIRMATION

Powell has been pressured by President Donald Trump to lower interest rates and to step down as Chairman of the Federal Reserve. His term as chair ends in May, but the probe also threatens President Trump’s pick to replace him, Kevin Warsh.

Outgoing Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., has said he would withhold his vote to confirm Warsh if the Fed investigation is not dropped.

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., head of the Senate Banking Committee, proposed that Pirro’s investigation would be completed in a few weeks during an interview with Fox News. However, when pressed on whether he knew for sure the investigation would end, Scott indicated he did not have any evidence of that.

President Trump, meanwhile, thanked Pirro and others for having “courage” to persevere in the investigation.

“We have a moron at the Fed. Who wouldn’t be lowering interest rates right now?” Trump said last month. “I want to thank Jeanine Pirro and Pam and her group for having the courage to bring this suit. And I believe that the contractor on that job is probably one of the richest men in the country right now. I believe that it’s not possible to spend that kind of money — $3 billion, $4 billion — nobody knows, nobody has any idea what it is. But it’s over $3 billion and it’s probably going to be over $4 billion by the time they finish and it may never get finished, unless I take it over. I’ll get it finished. But it can never be what it was.”

Former first son Hunter Biden has reportedly moved out of the United States just a year after his father left the presidential office in 2025. 

Hunter’s attorney, Barry Coburn, disclosed his client’s current living situation in an April 6 court filing tied to a civil lawsuit over unpaid legal fees.

“Mr. Biden lives abroad,” the document stated. “He cannot pay his current lawyers.” 

It remains unclear where Hunter Biden has relocated. However, he indicated late last year that he had been visiting Cape Town in South Africa, where his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, is originally from.

PRESIDENT BIDEN PARDONS HIS SIBLINGS JUST MINUTES BEFORE LEAVING OFFICE 

“When all of the political and personal stuff came to an end in the last six months, I had always promised that we would spend some time over here,” Biden said during an interview on The Wide Awake Podcast, based in South Africa. “We’re trying to be between Cape Town and the States, go back and forth.” 

“I’ve fallen madly in love with Cape Town,” he added. “You guys do not know how good you have it here. It’s the most beautiful city in the world.”

DAVID AXELROD QUESTIONS BIDEN’S MASCULINITY AFTER LAST-SECOND FAMILY PARDONS: ‘MAN UP’

The recent filing was submitted in a Washington, D.C., civil court by Winston & Strawn LLP, which is suing Hunter Biden for unpaid legal fees tied to its prior representation of him in a felony gun trial in Delaware and a tax crimes prosecution in California. 

Former President Joe Biden pardoned him on all federal charges before leaving office in 2025. 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt closed Wednesday’s daily press briefing with more renderings of President Donald Trump‘s new 250-foot “United States Triumphal Arc.”

The Interior Department will submit plans for the “architectural masterpiece” to honor the “enduring triumph of the American spirit” in Washington, D.C., as part of the nation’s 250th birthday celebrations, Leavitt told the White House press corps.

“It’s quite beautiful, as you can see,” Leavitt said, sharing poster renderings. “And this monumental arch will beam at 250 feet tall in honor of 250 years.”

It will rise on vacant green space at Memorial Circle on Columbia Island, a National Park Service-managed island in the Potomac River, according to Leavitt, adding that plans would be submitted Thursday.

AMERICA 250 ORGANIZERS UNVEIL SWEEPING PLANS FOR THE COUNTRY’S HISTORIC BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

“The United States Triumphal Arch will be outfitted with beautiful artwork and depictions celebrating the success of the American people over our 250 year history and the enduring triumph of the American spirit,” she continued.

“Long after everyone in this room is gone, our children and grandchildren will remain inspired by this national monument. Beginning construction this year on the architectural arch is a fitting way to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence.”

While Trump has faced obstruction on his building of his privately funded $400 million White House ballroom, Leavitt said the arch project should draw bipartisan backing.

FAMED NATIONAL PARK DROPS ‘ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANT’ BAN AHEAD OF AMERICA’S 250TH BIRTHDAY

“Great nations build beautiful structures that cultivate national pride and love of country, and this Triumphal Arch should be a project that all Americans of all political persuasions can support, because it’s a monument for every American to celebrate 250 years of our nation’s proud history,” Leavitt concluded.

The announcement adds a large-scale capital project to the White House’s expanding Freedom 250 agenda, which the administration has been promoting across official White House channels in recent weeks.

Leavitt did not disclose a cost estimate, construction timeline beyond this year, or details on how the project would be reviewed under federal planning and preservation rules. She also did not say whether Congress would need to authorize funding.

The proposed site, Memorial Circle at the northern end of Columbia Island, sits just off the approaches to Arlington Memorial Bridge and near the George Washington Memorial Parkway, placing the project in a prominent ceremonial corridor linking Washington and Arlington.

Leavitt said the administration would have “many more announcements” tied to the 250th anniversary in the coming months.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt slammed Democrats on Wednesday over mounting sexual assault allegations against Rep. Eric Swalwell, questioning what they knew and why no one spoke out sooner.

“I think the accusations and allegations against former Representative Swalwell are despicable and disgusting,” said Leavitt.

“It’s also quite plausible that there were many other Democrats in this town on Capitol Hill who knew about his, perhaps illegal behavior, certainly his disgusting and inappropriate behavior,” said Leavitt.

Swalwell announced Monday that he would step down from the House after four women came forward accusing the longtime congressman of assault. The mounting allegations, which ultimately derailed his political future, followed his decision to exit California’s 2026 gubernatorial race just a day earlier. 

KASH PATEL TAUNTS SWALWELL WITH FBI SIT-DOWN AS RESIGNATION FALLOUT GROWS

Leavitt urged journalists to press lawmakers on why no one spoke out sooner, specifically calling out Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz.

“Ask Democrats in power how they knew about such despicable behavior from one of their elected representatives for so long, but never said or did anything about it,” said Leavitt.

Gallego on Monday accused his close congressional ally and longtime friend of living a double life.

“I want to be clear: I had no knowledge of the allegations of assault, harassment, and predatory behavior against Eric Swalwell,” Gallego said in a statement following Swalwell dropping out of California’s 2026 gubernatorial race.

5TH ACCUSER COMES FORWARD AGAINST REP ERIC SWALWELL AHEAD OF EXPECTED RESIGNATION

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has also denied having any knowledge of Swalwell’s alleged behavior, saying she had “none whatsoever” in response to a reporter.

Pelosi added Swalwell’s resignation announcement Monday was a “smart decision” and the “right thing to do” after a wave of allegations threatened to force his ouster.

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

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

Republicans aren’t ready to jump ship against President Donald Trump’s Iran war, as evidenced by another failed attempt to handcuff his war powers in the Middle East, but they also aren’t lining up to support a prolonged conflict.

Senate Republicans blocked another war powers resolution from Senate Democrats for a fourth time on Tuesday as Operation Epic Fury entered its 46th day. It comes as a fragile ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. is nearing its end, and talks toward a broader peace agreement remain tenuous.

Democrats initially started their war powers strategy to compel Secretary of State Marco Rubio and War Secretary Pete Hegseth to testify publicly on the administration’s rationale behind the conflict. They argued that Iran posed no imminent threat, making the war unconstitutional without congressional approval under the War Powers Resolution.

ROGUE DEM BUCKS PARTY ON TRUMP WAR POWERS, CALLS IRAN ‘47-YEAR-OLD WAR CRIME’

Now, they’ve loaded up six new resolutions to continue that push.

“We’re going to have a debate and a vote every week in the United States Senate until either this war comes to an end or our Republican colleagues decide to do their constitutional duty,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said.

Most Republicans, for now, aren’t breaking with the president. But a 60-day deadline that will require either Congress to weigh in or Trump to cease hostilities is fast approaching, and it’s raising questions among some in the GOP.

Under the War Powers Resolution, Trump has 60 days until Congress is required to weigh in and either authorize or disapprove of the war. If the latter, the administration has 30 days to draw down forces in Iran.

SCHUMER BLASTS TRUMP’S IRAN WAR AS FAILURE, MOVES TO REIN IN HIS WAR POWERS AMID CEASEFIRE

“The president needs to come to Congress in the absence of some imminent threat to the country or an attack on the country, to seek an authorization,” Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said. “Otherwise, it’s illegal to make war as he’s doing.”

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who has bucked Trump before on Venezuela but toed the party line on Iran, is drafting an Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) on the war in Iran, describing the effort in an interview with The New York Times as a way to put parameters around Operation Epic Fury.

When asked by Fox News Digital if she was still working on the AUMF, she said, “Uh huh, I’m working on so much.”

Whether Republicans will support the administration and authorize the war remains an open question. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who has sided with Senate Democrats on each effort to handcuff Trump’s war powers, wouldn’t say how he’d vote on a potential AUMF.

TOP GOP HAWK GRAHAM WARNS IRAN DEAL HAS ‘TROUBLING ASPECTS’ AS CEASEFIRE BEGINS

“I’m not for the war in Iran, I think it’s a war of choice but not my choice,” he said.

Others see an AUMF as a potentially useful tool, if successful, for Trump and his efforts in the Middle East.

“I think maybe an AUMF could be an advantage for the president, to say, even Congress is here for the long time, removing the political calculation that maybe the president doesn’t have Congress’ support,” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said.

Still, the economic toll at the pump and on goods is making Republicans’ constituents feel the immediate pain of the conflict.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., acknowledged the crunch that the war was having on the cost of fertilizer in his agriculture-heavy state, but he questioned the authority of the War Powers Resolution.

“If you accept the war powers as being constitutional, it would be the threshold under which that law would apply,” Thune said. “But I think, you know, at least right now, the steps that have been taken so far I think have been very effective and successful. But we do, they need a plan out, how to wind this down, how to get an outcome.”

Democrats still argue that the war was illegal to begin with and have no plans of letting up on their war powers push, even as the deadline nears.

“If the president has a plan, he can come to Congress and ask for authorization, and we can have the debate we should have had beforehand,” Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said.

President Donald Trump said he is “prepared” to appoint up to three Supreme Court justices if vacancies arise, signaling he is ready to further reshape the high court as speculation swirls around a potential retirement from Justice Samuel Alito.

Trump told Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo that Alito, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, could retire and that he has a shortlist of nominees in mind, though he did not mention any names. 

The remarks sharpen the stakes around any potential vacancy, as Trump signaled he is ready to seize the opportunity to deepen the court’s conservative majority. With retirement speculation around Alito intensifying and Republicans eyeing the window before the 2026 midterms, the prospect of an opening is already putting fresh focus on succession politics. 

“In theory, it’s two — you just read the statistics — it could be two, could be three, could be one,” Trump said. “I don’t know. I’m prepared to do it. But when you mention Alito, he is a great justice.”

JONATHAN TURLEY: KAMALA HARRIS BACKS RADICAL PLAN TO BLOCK TRUMP SCOTUS PICKS

Rumors about Alito, 76, potentially retiring have grown because of his age, his two-decade tenure on the bench and speculation that he may want to make sure a conservative successor is confirmed by the current Republican-led Senate, especially before the upcoming midterm elections in which Republicans are at risk of losing or seeing a diminished majority.

The rumors were further fueled when it was revealed Alito was treated last month for dehydration after becoming ill at a Federalist Society dinner. A Supreme Court spokesperson clarified at the time that the justice was “thoroughly checked” and returned to the bench the following Monday.

TRUMP DISMISSES CALLS FOR ALITO, THOMAS TO STEP DOWN FROM SUPREME COURT, CALLING THEM ‘FANTASTIC’

Justice Clarence Thomas, an appointee of President George H.W. Bush, has drawn less retirement speculation despite being one year older than Alito at 77 and his own lengthy tenure. Thomas has been a conservative fixture on the court for more than three decades and holds a record as the second-longest serving justice in history.

Trump noted what he viewed as an upside to replacing Alito, who sides with him on nearly every high-profile court case, but said it would come at a cost.

“Justice Alito is an unbelievable justice, and a brilliant justice, and he gets the country,” Trump said. “He does what’s right for the country. It’s the law, and he goes by it as much as anybody, but he gets to the point. That’s good for our country. So … one way you should be, ‘Oh, I’m thrilled,’ but he’s so good.”

While many prominent conservative judges, from appellate court Judge James Ho to Florida-based federal Judge Aileen Cannon, have been floated as options in legal circles, Trump has not publicly revealed any of his preferences at this stage.

Senate Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, told reporters this week he would recommend Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, or Mike Lee, R-Utah, as top candidates if Alito were to retire. Grassley emphasized that he hoped Alito would not step down but said his committee is “fully prepared” to process a nominee before the upcoming midterm elections if needed.

Cruz said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital that having his name in the mix was a “high honor” but that he did not want the job.

“The reason I’ve said no is that a principled federal judge stays out of policy fights and stays out of political fights. … But I don’t want to stay out of policy fights. I don’t want to stay out of political fights,” Cruz said. “I want to be right in the middle of them.”

Lee’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

No president since Ronald Reagan has influenced the Supreme Court more than Trump, who secured three appointments during his first term, underscoring how Trump has shaped the 6-3 ideological divide on the court in favor of conservatives. 

George H.W. Bush appointed two, as did George W. Bush and former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. Former President Joe Biden appointed one, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

FIRST ON FOX: Financial officers from 12 states are backing a proposed Department of Labor rule that targets healthcare “middlemen” by demanding more transparency, rallying behind the Trump administration’s waste, fraud, and abuse crackdown as well as the goal of lowering healthcare costs.

In a letter to the Labor Department obtained by Fox News Digital, over a dozen state financial officers in the State Financial Officers Association (SFOF) offered their support of a proposed rule being evaluated by the Labor Department targeting pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) that would expose hidden fees, conflicts of interest and overcharging that drive up costs.

“Healthcare purchasers are operating in the dark, paying inflated costs because hidden pricing and middlemen obscure where every dollar goes,” OJ Oleka, CEO of the State Financial Officers Foundation, told Fox News Digital. “By bringing those hidden prices into the light, companies can finally identify waste, negotiate better deals, and redirect those savings toward higher wages, more jobs, stronger benefits for workers, and increases to shareholder value.” 

Oleka went on to explain that on a state level, the transparency brought on by the new rule is “essential to safeguarding taxpayer resources and fulfilling fiduciary responsibilities.”

LABOR DEPT DEPLOYS ‘STRIKE TEAM’ TO CALIFORNIA OVER $21B UNEMPLOYMENT DEBT, FRAUD CONCERNS

“Transparency isn’t just about accountability; it’s critical to detecting waste, preventing fraud, and ensuring that healthcare spending delivers value to the workers, businesses, and taxpayers who ultimately bear these costs.”

If implemented, the rule would require full disclosure of these “middlemen” revenue streams, expand beyond pharmacy benefit managers to insurers and third-party administrators, and allow access to claims and pricing data, which SFOF says will be a key tool in combating fraud while outlining in the letter that the administration shouldn’t stop there.

“As the guardians of billions of taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars, we support the Labor Department’s proposed rule and hope the administration goes even further,” Tina Cannon, Utah’s state auditor, told Fox News Digital.

“Enforcing price transparency is essential for us to perform our fiduciary duties effectively,” she said. “Greater oversight and accountability for employer-based health plans will help prevent waste, fraud, and abuse in federal healthcare programs, such as the $463.7 million in inappropriate hospital payments my office uncovered in Utah last year. Expanding this rule would help us do our jobs, root out fraud and waste, and reduce the cost of healthcare for all Americans.”

A “complex web” of hidden rebates, fees, and incentives, driven by pharmacy benefit managers, has allowed fraud to go undetected for years, according to the letter.

SENATE DOGE LEADER MOVES TO FORCE ‘RECEIPT’ FOR EVERY TAX DOLLAR AFTER MINNESOTA FRAUD SCANDAL

The push follows months of action from the Trump administration and SFOF to crack down on waste, fraud, and abuse across government. Trump recently named Vice President JD Vance the nation’s “fraud czar” to lead an anti-fraud task force, and in February the SFOF uncovered billions in taxpayer waste.

Treasurers and auditors from 12 states — including Nebraska, Louisiana, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, North Dakota, Indiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, Mississippi and Kansas — signed onto the effort.

More than $50 billion annually in undisclosed rebates and fees is retained by top pharmacy benefit managers, which has “prevented effective oversight,” according to the letter. The letter details methods used to generate this hidden fraud.

“Healthcare overcharging in the United States erodes shareholder value by driving up costs for employers (and patients),” the letter states.

VANCE REVEALS $19B FRAUD UNCOVERED IN MINNEAPOLIS, HINTS CALIFORNIA IS NEXT TARGET

One major concern is that pharmacy benefit managers charge more for a drug than they pay at the dispensing pharmacy “to keep the difference or ‘spread’ as profit.” In turn, money hidden from regulators drives price spikes. 

The letter also states that pharmacy benefit managers are buying more expensive drugs from manufacturers for higher rebates without those incentives ever being disclosed.

“These arrangements are generally not made public, so plan sponsors often do not have insight into how much pharmacy benefit managers are actually paying for drugs on their formularies,” according to the letter.

It adds that pharmacy benefit managers are steering patients away from cheaper pharmacy options to their own affiliated pharmacies to boost profits.

In 2023, U.S. healthcare spending reached nearly $5 trillion, about 17.6% of GDP, while employers spent roughly $1.3 trillion in 2024, with costs rising more than 5% annually, according to the letter.

The letter builds on recent pressure from these same officials on Fortune 500 companies to more closely examine healthcare spending data, signaling a growing investor-driven push for cost transparency.

It also follows a recent SFOF report showing that financial officers prevented $28 billion in waste and abuse in 2025 alone, along with new polling indicating that Americans view fraud as a major driver of rising living costs.

David Axelrod, a senior advisor to former president Barack Obama, put out a statement on X quelling rumors that a Thursday meeting between himself and Pope Leo XIV was a precursor to a potential Leo-Obama summit.

“To be clear, I was gratified and honored that Pope Leo XIV granted my request for an audience and thrilled to spend a some time with him last week,” Axelrod wrote.

“It was scheduled months ago and unrelated to any prospective meeting with President Obama,” his Tuesday post concluded.

Despite the statement, Obama has been open about his desire to meet with Pope Leo. Obama-Biden White House alum Christopher Hale posted on X that there are “early talks” about a potential one-on-one.

POPE WARNS ESCALATING IRAN CONFLICT COULD TIP MIDDLE EAST INTO ‘IRREPARABLE ABYSS’

Axelrod, now a CNN analyst, was responding to a video from his own network in which conservative commentator Hal Lambert accused Pope Leo’s recent criticisms of President Donald Trump and the war in Iran of being politically motivated.

“David Axelrod goes and visits Pope Leo last week. They’re talking about Obama going to visit. Pope Leo is from Chicago. All of a sudden, now Pope Leo is out attacking Trump and the policies of the United States and Israel,” Lambert said during a CNN panel show.

“Axelrod is the chief strategist for Obama. The pope was saying he’s not political. Why is he meeting with the chief strategist for both Obama’s campaign and in the White House?” Lambert asked.

POPE LEO PICKS NEW VATICAN AMBASSADOR TO US AS TRUMP TENSIONS MOUNT OVER POLICIES

In addition to being a senior advisor to Obama in the White House, Axelrod was also the chief strategist for both Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns and was widely seen as the brains behind his successful runs.

The veteran politico met with Pope Leo on April 9. The pope’s criticism’s of Trump’s military actions predate the meeting. He’s been critical of both military actions in Venezuela and in Iran, telling a Palm Sunday Mass in March that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.”

But one day after his meeting with Axelrod, Pope Leo wrote what appeared to be a direct rebuke to the administration.

POPE LEO CALLS OUT ‘DELUSION OF OMNIPOTENCE’ FUELING IRAN WAR IN VIGIL FOR PEACE AT ST. PETER’S BASILICA

“God does not bless any conflict. Anyone who is a disciple of Christ, the Prince of Peace, is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs,” Pope Leo wrote in an April 10 post on X.

“Military action will not create space for freedom or times of Peace, which comes only from the patient promotion of coexistence and dialogue among peoples,” he concluded.

The post, which has been followed with at least 10 direct or indirect references to war and peace in the five days since, came days after Secretary of War Pete Hegseth spoke of the rescue mission to save a downed airman in Iran.

POPE LEO XIV INVOKES POPE FRANCIS’ FINAL WORDS IN EASTER PLEA AGAINST GROWING ‘INDIFFERENCE’ TO WAR

“Shot down on a Friday — Good Friday — hidden in a cave — a crevice — all of Saturday and rescued on Sunday,” Hegseth said. “Flown out of Iran as the sun was rising on Easter Sunday, a pilot reborn. All home and accounted for. A nation rejoicing. God is good,” Hegseth said in an April 6 press conference.

Trump responded to comments from Pope Leo, calling him “weak on crime and “terrible for foreign policy,” in a post on Truth Social.

“Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church,” Trump also wrote.

FROM IRAN TO THE FAKE JESUS IMAGE, TRUMP IS FACING A GROWING BACKLASH FOR HIS INFLAMMATORY RHETORIC

The heightened rhetoric has contributed to an atmosphere that many are increasingly viewing as political.

“It’s not about when it was scheduled. It’s about why? David Axelrod is a powerful Democrat political strategist. That’s his job for the past 30 years. Millions of people would like a private audience with the pope, but he is meeting with a powerful strategist for the opposition party to President Trump,” Lambert told Fox News Digital.

“This is all about the midterms and trying to turn Catholics against President Trump and Republicans,” Lambert concluded.

BISHOP BARRON SAYS TRUMP ‘OWES THE POPE AN APOLOGY’

Besides incurring the pope’s ire, Trump has also irked Christians across the board after posting an AI-generated image of himself on Truth Social that many viewed as depicting himself as Jesus Christ.

Trump deleted the photo and denied the charge, claiming he thought the photo was depicting him as a doctor.

“I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor and had to do with Red Cross… which we support, and only the fake news could come up with that one,” Trump told reporters.

“As a Chicagoan, I’ve been eager to meet Pope Leo from the moment he stepped out on the balcony,” Axelrod told Fox News Digital.

“My admiration for him as a great moral leader has only grown since. The audience, which I requested, was scheduled months ago. No one sent me and the only mission I was on was to visit with him and pay my respects,” he concluded.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Vatican and an Obama representative for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

House Democrats filed formal articles of impeachment against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, accusing the Trump Cabinet member of abusing his office and committing war crimes.

Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., introduced six articles of impeachment against Hegseth along with 12 other House Democrats.

“Pete Hegseth broke his oath to the Constitution, put U.S. troops at grave risk through the unauthorized disclosure of classified information, engaged in abuse of office and conduct beneath the dignity of his office, and carried out unlawful military actions despite his obligation to refuse — including strikes on civilians and a girls’ school in Minab, Iran,” Ansari said in a statement announcing formal filing of the resolution.

She further claimed Hegseth’s “conduct meets the threshold of high crimes and misdemeanors and warrants immediate removal by Congress.”

HEGSETH REVEALS COVERT VISIT TO TROOPS FIGHTING IN OPERATION EPIC FURY

Axios first reported the impeachment push after obtaining a copy of the resolution.

The first article of impeachment accuses Hegseth of an “unauthorized war against Iran and reckless endangerment of United States service members.” It focuses on strikes the U.S. launched without seeking a formal mandate from Congress and accuses Hegseth of recklessly endangering U.S. service members by signing off on ground operations that involved extreme and unnecessary risks.

The second article accuses Hegseth of “Violations of the Law of Armed Conflict and targeting of civilians,” alleging the secretary of authorizing or failing to prevent operations that resulted in significant civilian casualties. It cited the bombing of a girls’ school in Minab, Iran, and reports of “double tap” strikes on alleged drug vessels in the Caribbean.

LONGTIME TRUMP CRITIC REVEALS WHY SHE THINKS HIS IRAN ACTIONS ARE WRONG, WARNS IT’S A ‘MUCH BIGGER WAR’

The third article accuses Hegseth of “Negligence and Reckless handling of sensitive military information,” focusing on an incident in which Hegseth and other top officials used a Signal chat to discuss active strikes in Yemen — and inadvertently included a prominent magazine editor in the chat.

The remaining three articles accuse Hegseth of obstructing congressional oversight, abuse of power and the politicization of the armed forces, and a broader charge of bringing “disrepute” upon the U.S. and its armed forces.

Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson told Fox News Digital in an emailed statement that the impeachment push “is just another charade” by Democrats.

“This is just another Democrat trying to make headlines as the Department of War decisively and overwhelmingly achieved the Presidents’ objectives in Iran,” Wilson said. “Secretary Hegseth will continue to protect the homeland and project peace through strength. This is just another charade in an attempt to distract the American people from the major successes we have had here at the Department of War.” 

The other Democrats who signed onto the resolution include Reps. Sarah McBride, D-Del., Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., Al Green, D-Texas, Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, Nikema Williams, D-Ga., Dina Titus, D-Nev., Dave Min, D-Calif., Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., Mike Quigley, D-Ill., and Brittany Pettersen, D-Col.