Category: USA Politics

President Donald Trump couldn’t resist turning a fun moment into a roast — and a sales pitch — all at once.

The president yucked it up with a group of kids who were coloring pictures at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday. Trump joked that the kids might as well turn his signature into a side hustle, telling them he could sign autographs for them.

“Then tonight, you could sell them for $25,000 on eBay,” Trump joked, drawing laughs from the crowd. 

But the comedian-in-chief wasn’t done yet. The president rarely passes up an opportunity to shade his predecessor.

EXCLUSIVE: TRUMP WHITE HOUSE TORPEDOES BIDEN ATTEMPT TO SHIELD ‘AUTOPEN PRESIDENCY’ FILES

“Biden would use the autopen,” Trump said. “He was incapable of signing his name, so they’d follow him around with this big machine. You know what it was called? An autopen!”

The roast of Biden wasn’t the only viral moment. At one point, a young boy wandered behind Trump as he sat at a table and blurted out, “Donald Trump, you’re the best president!” 

To which the president responded: “Thank you, honey. I agree.”

WHITE HOUSE MARKS HOLY WEEK, EASTER WITH DAYS OF PRAYER CENTERED ON RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

The theme of this year’s Easter Egg Roll was “patriotic spirit.” The South Lawn was packed with kid-friendly attractions, from the traditional egg roll to hands-on stations like military card writing, space-themed activities, egg decorating and even mini golf.

According to the Office of the First Lady, the event aimed to bring families together to celebrate Easter while highlighting the values of freedom and tradition central to the American story.

There was more fun to be had, including an AI-Creation Station, flower bouquet building, a flight lab, a sensory-friendly egg hunt — and live chickens.

America250 hosted an immersive experience celebrating America’s historic monuments through a “George the Star’s Journey” activity.

Spotted at the Egg Roll were some of the president’s children, including son Eric Trump and his wife Laura Trump, as well as daughter Tiffany and her husband Michael Boulos.

Fox News Digital’s Ashley J. DiMella contributed to this report.

EXCLUSIVE: An Arizona border county considering multiple ordinances targeting ICE will be investigated after State Senate leaders forced the Democratic attorney general to conduct a review, the top Republican in Phoenix told Fox News Digital.

Officials in Pima County, which encompasses Tucson, have directed county authorities to deny immigration enforcement agents access to county property unless they have judicial warrants. Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, told Fox News Digital that the chamber’s resolution, SB 1487, will start a 30-day clock for Mayes to respond and ultimately determine whether Pima County has violated state law or the U.S. Constitution.

Petersen, who was joined in the move by Senate President Pro-Tempore TJ Shope of Coolidge and Senate Majority Leader John Kavanagh of Fountain Hills, told Fox News Digital that Democrats in places like Pima are putting “radical political agendas ahead of public safety.”

“Instead of supporting law enforcement and protecting their citizens from crime, they’re creating barriers that make it harder to enforce the law and easier for criminals to stay in our communities,” he said.

STATE TOP COP MOVES TO CRUSH ALLEGED DHS RECORDS RESTRICTION AS COUNTY DENIES ICE-OUT

Depending on Mayes’ findings, the county may be required to change the policy, face a loss of state-shared revenue, or the case could be referred to the Arizona Supreme Court, Senate leadership told Fox News Digital.

“This is about making sure our laws are applied consistently across Arizona,” Shope said. “When one county decides to go rogue, it creates gaps that undermine enforcement statewide. Arizonans expect coordination between all levels of government, not policies that tie the hands of law enforcement.”

Kavanagh also faulted Mayes for taking a similarly confrontational tack with DHS and ICE, saying that she doesn’t get to ignore laws she disagrees with.

“Given her record and her public opposition to immigration enforcement, there is a serious question about whether she can review this case objectively. This is not a policy debate. The law is clear, and it must be applied,” Kavanagh said.

Mayes made waves in recent months with some of her rhetoric, including conjecture that ICE operations could run afoul of stand-your-ground laws, according to FOX’s Phoenix affiliate.

MONTANA GOVERNOR LAUNCHES SANCTUARY CRACKDOWN, PROBES CAPITAL CITY OVER ICE LIMITS

“I will not be deterred from speaking out or criticizing the Trump administration for its ongoing abuses of power and its trashing of our sacred Constitution,” Mayes said in response in January.

She also released a statement after the DHS-involved shooting deaths of agitators in Minnesota, saying that “right-wing media” has mischaracterized her previous comments, including those regarding the “danger to public safety” posed by ICE.

Asked about such criticisms on Monday by Fox News Digital, a Mayes spokesman said, “President Trump promised to go after drug cartels, but in reality, his administration is pulling federal agents off drug cases by the thousands to target immigrant workers.”

“Attorney General Mayes will continue to go after the actual threats to public safety: the drug traffickers flooding Arizona communities with fentanyl and other illicit drugs.”

When reached for comment on the criticisms, a Pima County official provided text of the resolution to Fox News Digital, which read in part:

“Recent arbitrary and unfocused civil immigration activities conducted by the Department of Homeland Security and ICE have trampled on civil and constitutional rights, recklessly endangered citizens and non-citizens alike, and culminated in the deaths of detainees and peaceful protesters.”

JONATHAN TURLEY: DEMOCRAT POLITICIANS ARE RISKING LIVES WITH RECKLESS ANTI-ICE RHETORIC

Pima County Supervisor Jennifer Allen followed up, telling Fox News Digital, “What is there to criticize? The county’s action is in response to the egregious and abusive behavior of federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, Los Angeles and elsewhere in the country over the past year.”

“Americans protesting this outrageous behavior were killed while peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights. Pima County has no interest in allowing property intended for the benefit of the people of Pima County to be used in support of such lawless actions by the federal government,” Allen said.

She said that criticism, if any, should be directed at DHS and not at counties trying to prevent alleged abuses.

Allen added that any law enforcement with proper warrants can still access Pima property.

The county also passed a resolution seeking to prevent immigration enforcement agents from wearing face coverings, but details, including an enforcement mechanism, have yet to be ironed out, according to a county official.

FIRST ON FOX: Montana will again have a new face coming to the Senate, with Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., bowing out. His chosen successor knows he was picked to stop Democrats from taking the seat.

Former U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme was handpicked by Daines at the last minute to replace him, and he has no qualms about it as Republicans try to maintain their majority in the upper chamber in a midterm election cycle that is historically a referendum on the party — and president — in control.

“Knowing how important it was for Republicans to hold the Senate, I told him if he decided to retire, I would be interested,” Alme told Fox News Digital in an interview.

TOP TRUMP ALLY STEVE DAINES EXITS MONTANA SENATE RACE, PLANS TO RETIRE

Daines, who was seeking a third term in the Senate, dropped out of the race in early March, withdrawing his name just as the registration deadline in Montana was approaching. As he bowed out, Alme leapt in.

The move drew heavy criticism from Daines’ opponents in the state and from Democrats in Washington, D.C., but Alme described the plan as one geared toward maintaining the balance of power in the upper chamber.

Seth Bodnar, the former University of Montana president who jumped into the race as an independent hours before Daines’ exit, said on X that the lawmaker had “so little respect for Montana Republicans that he withdrew at the last minute to coronate his handpicked successor instead of giving them a voice at the ballot box.”

“This is the disgusting arrogance of Washington politicians and their party bosses who trade power back and forth like candy while Montanans are crushed under higher costs and fewer opportunities,” Bodnar said.

10 SENATE RACES THAT COULD DECIDE CONTROL OF THE CHAMBER IN THE 2026 MIDTERMS

It’s a move fitting for Daines, given that he has become one of Washington’s savviest political operators and played a key role in clinching Republicans’ Senate majority while serving as National Republican Senatorial Committee chair during the 2024 election cycle.

“The way it happened was Senator Daines called me a few days before the filing deadline, and he said he wanted to retire, but he didn’t want to lose the seat and the Senate to the Democrats,” Alme said. “He said he’d only retire if he knew someone like me would step up and keep the seat in Republican hands.”

“So then, the morning of the filing deadline, he let me know that he would withdraw if I stepped up. So I resigned as U.S. attorney and entered the race, and now, with President Trump’s endorsement, we’re moving forward full speed with the election,” he continued.

Alme quickly racked up endorsements from President Donald Trump, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte and his possible future colleague Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont. It’s no surprise, considering Trump twice tapped Alme to serve as U.S. attorney in the Treasure State and that he previously served as Gianforte’s budget director.

Trump said on Truth Social that “if Kurt didn’t have the highest level of aptitude and talent, Steve would have remained exactly where he is.”

SCHUMER, JEFFRIES SUE TRUMP, ACCUSE HIM OF TRYING TO ‘RIG’ MAIL-IN VOTING

“But Kurt is exceptional, and I will be giving him, based on Steve’s strongest recommendation, my Complete and Total Endorsement,” Trump said.

Though Trump won Montana by nearly 20 points in 2024 and has consistently notched double-digit wins in his three bids for the White House, Alme’s ascension to the upper chamber isn’t guaranteed.

He’ll have to prevail in a three-way statewide contest against Bodnar, the independent, and the expected Democratic nominee, former Montana state Rep. Reilly Neill, who believes Daines’ exit will give her a boost.

“His stepping down opens the field for the United States Senate, and this is a good development for Montana,” Neill said.

Still, Alme is leaning into his bona fides in his pitch to Montana voters, particularly when it comes to bringing back “fiscal discipline” and continuing the Trump administration’s crackdown on crime.

“I’ve got to go out and prove who I am, and I’m going to have to earn people’s votes,” Alme said.

“We think that the Republican platform — and certainly President Trump’s approach to governing — is a winner in Montana,” he continued. “And we think that if we stick to our conservative roots, we’re going to perform well against anyone.”

President Donald Trump joked that he might run for president of Venezuela, claiming he polls higher than any other politician in the South American country.

Trump made those remarks during a Monday press conference centered on the rescue mission of an Air Force officer who had gone missing after a fighter jet was shot down over Iran.

“The people of Venezuela, they say, if I ran for president of Venezuela, I’m polling higher than anybody has ever polled in Venezuela, so after I’m finished with this, I can go to Venezuela,” Trump said. “I will quickly learn Spanish. It won’t take too long. I’m good at language and I will go to Venezuela. I’m going to run for president. But we’re very happy with the president-elect that we have right now.”

TRUMP TOUTS AIRMAN RESCUE MISSION, BOASTS IRAN COULD BE ‘TAKEN OUT IN 1 NIGHT’ 

Trump mentioned Venezuela on several occasions during the press conference. He compared the Easter weekend rescue mission’s success to the Pentagon’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. He also suggested that the outcome in Iran would be similar to Venezuela. He described the conflict with Venezuela as being “over in 45 minutes,” and boasted that the United States has now taken hundreds of millions of barrels of oil from the country.

During a cabinet meeting late last month, Trump joked that he “may run” for president against acting President Delcy Rodriguez, whom he installed as the leader after Maduro was captured.

TRUMP TEASES VENEZUELA AS 51ST STATE AFTER TEAM ADVANCES TO WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC FINAL

“The people — actually, I’m the highest polling person. In other words, after the presidency, I think I may go to Venezuela and run for president,” Trump said.

Trump described the prospect as a “wonderful option” for him.

While Trump boasted his “good” language skills at Monday’s press conference, last month he told Latin American leaders at the inaugural Shield of the Americas Summit that he would not learn a new language.

During his address, Trump praised Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who, as the son of Cuban immigrants, speaks fluent Spanish.

“He’s got a language advantage over me, ‘cause I’m not learning your damn language,” Trump said. “I don’t have time. I was okay with languages but I’m not gonna spend time learning your language. That much I won’t do.”

FIRST ON FOX: Hillsdale College told War Secretary Pete Hegseth it would be “honored” to help educate senior U.S. military officers — aligning itself with the administration’s push to cut ties with Ivy League schools over concerns about ideological influence.

In a March 30 letter to Hegseth, Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn thanked the Department of War for including the school among institutions selected for the Senior Service College Fellowship Program, which sends senior military officers to civilian universities for advanced education as they prepare for top leadership roles.

“Thank you for including Hillsdale College among the institutions qualified to educate America’s military leaders,” Arnn wrote, adding that he supports Hegseth’s goal of equipping the military with “the lethality necessary to protect our national interest.”

The letter comes weeks after Hegseth announced the Department of War would end partnerships with several elite universities, including Harvard and Princeton, arguing that “woke” ideology had weakened military education. 

HEGSETH ENDING MILITARY EDUCATION TIES WITH HARVARD AMID TRUMP FEUD: ‘WE TRAIN WARRIORS, NOT WOKESTERS’

A February memorandum shows the Department of War canceled 93 fellowship positions across 22 institutions, including Harvard, MIT, Georgetown, Columbia and Princeton.

“We train warriors, not wokesters,” Hegseth said at the time.

Hegseth himself is a graduate of Princeton University and later earned a degree from Harvard University’s Kennedy School.

In their place, the Pentagon is steering officers toward a new set of schools, including Hillsdale, Liberty University, George Mason University, Pepperdine University and Texas-based Baylor University, along with large public universities such as the University of Florida, Auburn University and the University of North Carolina.

The new list also includes senior military colleges such as The Citadel and Virginia Tech, as well as Pentagon-affiliated programs like the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies in Alaska. 

The institutions were selected based on criteria including “intellectual freedom,” limited ties to foreign adversaries and alignment with the department’s mission, according to the memo. 

WHY ELITE COLLEGES FEAR TRUMP AND MCMAHON’S NEW ACADEMIC COMPACT TYING FUNDING TO FREE SPEECH

In his letter, Arnn pointed to Hillsdale’s curriculum and mission, saying the school emphasizes the U.S. Constitution and the “political philosophy of the West.” He also echoed criticism of higher education, writing that “anti-American ideologies” have “infect(ed) so many of our colleges and universities.”

Arnn said Hillsdale “refuses all government money to preserve its independence” and that any role in the program would be funded through private sources.

The shift away from traditional academic partners marks a significant change in how senior military officers may receive advanced education, with the administration steering the program toward institutions that more closely align with its views on education and national identity.

Hillsdale has also worked with the White House on initiatives tied to America’s 250th anniversary, including contributing historical material for the administration’s “Freedom Trucks” campaign and collaborating on a video series featuring President Donald Trump.

It remains unclear when the Department of War will finalize new partnerships under the program or how many officers will ultimately be sent to schools like Hillsdale.

Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth drew parallels between the rescue mission of an Air Force officer shot down in Iran on Good Friday and Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.

Hegseth spoke Monday during President Donald Trump‘s press conference centered on the Easter weekend rescue mission. He described how the airman “evaded capture for more than a day, scaling rugged ridges while hunted by the enemy.”

“When he was finally able to activate his emergency transponder, his first message was simple and it was powerful. He sent a message: ‘God is good,’” Hegseth said. “In that moment of isolation and danger, his faith and fighting spirit shone through.”

Hegseth continued to describe the experience of the airman, suggesting that it was a spiritual experience for him.

TRUMP TOUTS AIRMAN RESCUE MISSION, BOASTS IRAN COULD BE ‘TAKEN OUT IN 1 NIGHT’

“You see, 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.”

Throughout the press conference, Trump also gave thanks to God for the success of the rescue mission, claiming multiple times that “God was watching us.”

‘GOD IS GOOD’: INSIDE THE HIGH-RISK US MISSION TO SAVE A WOUNDED AIRMAN SHOT DOWN IN IRAN

On Friday, Iran shot down an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet. The pilot and weapons systems officer ejected. A rescue mission was immediately deployed, and the pilot was rescued later that day.

The Iranian government soon became aware of the U.S. military crash, posting photos online. Meanwhile, the weapons systems officer avoided capture by hiding in a mountain crevice. He climbed 7,000 feet to his hiding spot and remained missing for nearly 48 hours before being rescued in a coordinated effort involving 155 aircraft.

“No American lives were lost,” Hegseth said. “We leave no man behind. And that is not luck. It’s the result of unmatched training, superior technology and unbreakable warrior ethos and sheer American grit. Our special operators, pilots and support crews performed with near perfection under fire, and they were lethal.”

“Just ask any Iranian soldier who dared attempt to get anywhere near that pilot before or during that mission. Death from above. Our troops turned a potential tragedy into a resounding demonstration of American resolve and capability.”

Democratic leaders in Virginia’s most populous county are facing criticism over an ongoing “epidemic” of violence by illegal immigrants that has left 13 dead in a major American suburb near the nation’s capital.

Seven illegal immigrants have been arrested in Fairfax County, a suburb of Washington, D.C., in recent years for violent attacks ranging from infanticide to a machete killing and gang activity.

Despite these arrests, critics of Fairfax County leaders say they are prioritizing criminal illegal immigrants over Americans’ safety by maintaining sanctuary-type policies that limit cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Virginia’s new Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger is also facing criticism for a day-one executive order that reversed the state’s policy of cooperating with ICE.

One critic, Katie Gorka, chair of the Fairfax County GOP, referred to the spate of violence as an “epidemic” ravaging her community. She blamed local Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano and the Democratic-controlled Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

‘VIRGINIA FATHER’ CHARGED WITH MURDERING INFANT DAUGHTER IS ILLEGAL ALIEN, SAYS DHS

Meet the illegal immigrants behind the ongoing spate of violence in Fairfax County.

ICE has lodged a detainer, or request to hold, with the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office for Misael Lopez Gomez, 28, who is charged with murder and felony child abuse for allegedly killing his three-month-old daughter.

According to the Fairfax County Police Department, the three-month-old was in the care of Lopez Gomez at the time of the incident at a home in Bailey’s Crossroads, Virginia. The department said that during the investigation, detectives and hospital staff observed evidence consistent with abuse. Preliminary results from an autopsy by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma.

Lauren Bis, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, called Lopez Gomez a “cold blooded killer” and “monster.” DHS said that Lopez Gomez crossed the border into the country illegally in New Mexico in July 2023, under the Biden administration.

The same week, ICE lodged a detainer request asking Fairfax County not to release Anibal Armando Chavarria Muy, 38, following his arrest in connection with a fatal stabbing the prior weekend.

ICE PRESSURES SPANBERGER AS FAIRFAX MURDER SUSPECTS TRIGGER NEW DETAINERS IN ‘SANCTUARY’ CLASH

Chavarria Muy is charged with second-degree murder in connection with the stabbing, which also took place in a home in Bailey’s Crossroads. Local outlet WUSA9 reported that officers responding to the scene found a man with multiple stab wounds inside the home. The man was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

According to DHS, Chavarria Muy is in the U.S. illegally and entered the country at an unknown place and time.

A month before Chavarria Muy’s arrest, Fairfax County Police arrested and charged Abdul Jalloh, 32, with second-degree murder in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 41-year-old Virginia woman named Stephanie Minter.

Officers responding to the incident, which took place at a bus stop in the Hybla Valley neighborhood in Fairfax County, found her with multiple stab wounds in her upper body. She was pronounced dead at the scene on Feb. 23.

Surveillance footage captured Jalloh and Minter exiting a bus at the stop where she was killed, and Fairfax County detectives determined Jalloh was allegedly responsible for the stabbing. He is charged with second-degree murder. He is also charged with larceny that occurred the day after the fatal stabbing.

According to DHS, Jalloh is an illegal alien from Sierra Leone who entered the U.S. illegally under the Obama administration in 2012.

DHS said that before his arrest for murder, Jalloh had been arrested more than 30 times and faced charges including rape, malicious wounding, assault, drug possession, identity theft, trespassing, larceny, firing a weapon, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and pickpocketing.

On Dec. 19, DHS said that it “vehemently condemns Fairfax County’s sanctuary policies” after Salvadoran illegal immigrant Marvin Fernando Morales Ortez, 23, was charged with second-degree murder for a fatal shooting the day after the agency said local authorities released him after declining to honor a detainer request.

DHS said that ICE had lodged a detainer request for Morales Ortez after he was arrested for assault and brandishing a firearm on Sept. 14. Morales Ortez had prior arrests for aggravated assault of a police officer, larceny and disorderly conduct, according to DHS.

Morales Ortez was charged with second-degree murder in connection with a fatal shooting at a home in Reston, Virginia, which is in Fairfax County.

He illegally entered the U.S. in Sept. 2016 near Hidalgo, Texas. DHS said he was released into the country by the Obama administration and that in 2022, the Biden administration dismissed his immigration proceedings and marked him as a non-enforcement priority.

Maldin Anibal Guzman, 27, a Honduran illegal immigrant, was convicted of second-degree murder by mob in connection with a July 2024 killing in Oakton, within Fairfax County.

Local outlet ABC7 reported that Guzman was given a plea deal by Descano’s office, allowing him to serve only five years in prison. Local affiliate Fox 5 reported that Guzman entered the country illegally through the Texas border under the first Trump administration in 2018. The outlet said that ICE lodged multiple detainers for Guzman with the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office that were not honored, allowing Guzman back into the community before the mob murder.

Elmer De Jesus Alas Candray, 28–29, a Salvadoran illegal immigrant and member of the MS-13 gang, was convicted of six murders, including conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise; five counts each of conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering and murder in aid of racketeering; and three counts of using a firearm during a violent crime resulting in death.

Five of the murders took place in Fairfax County from 2018 to 2022. The killings were carried out by Candray and co-conspirators using pistols and machetes. One of the killings, which took place in Reston in 2020, involved Candray and co-conspirators luring a young woman under false pretenses and taking turns shooting her in the face.

In Herndon, a community in Fairfax County, Jose Iraheta Palacios, another Salvadoran illegal immigrant MS-13 member nicknamed “Little Crazy,” murdered his girlfriend, Claudia Menjivar, and two children, ages 9 and 10, before jumping to his own death in June 2021.

Palacios had previously pleaded guilty in Fairfax County Circuit Court in 2015 to human trafficking, gang recruitment of a juvenile and three counts of gang participation and was sentenced to nine years. That sentence would have kept him behind bars until 2024, but a judge suspended the sentence, allowing Iraheta Palacios to serve just two years in state prison. He was deported, though later made it back into the U.S.

ILLEGAL MIGRANT CHARGED IN DEADLY 124 MPH CHASE THAT KILLED PREGNANT TEEN, UNBORN CHILD

Officers next encountered Iraheta Palacios around 6 a.m. Saturday, sitting on top of a parking garage on Democracy Drive in Reston Town Center in Herndon, Va., and threatening to jump. An affidavit and police radio transmission revealed he told officers he killed his girlfriend, Claudia Menjivar, and her children after arguing over infidelity.

Officers attempted to talk Iraheta Palacios off the ledge for nearly an hour before he ultimately jumped and died from the fall.

Commenting on a post showing the mugshots of the illegal immigrant murderers, the Virginia GOP wrote, “These are the criminals that Virginia Democrats care about more than your family’s safety.”

Gorka, who leads the local Fairfax County Republican committee, asserted that the county is “experiencing an epidemic of crime because of Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano’s unwillingness to prosecute violent offenders.”

“Under Descano, felony convictions, trials, and guilty verdicts have dropped sharply, which means repeat offenders are out on our streets,” she said, adding, “This is compounded by the fact that Fairfax County’s ‘Public Trust and Confidentiality Policy,’ adopted by the Democratic-majority Board of Supervisors, functionally makes Fairfax a sanctuary county.”

According to Gorka, the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office under Democratic Sheriff Stacey Kincaid has declined more than 1,150 detainers in roughly two and a half years.

She said that former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, had “partially addressed” the problem through an executive order requiring law enforcement cooperation with ICE before Spanberger rescinded the order.

“Virginia Democrats prioritize criminals over victims, illegal aliens over citizens, and Fairfax County citizens have had enough,” Gorka told Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger, Descano, Kincaid, and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for comment.

President Donald Trump touted the “historic” rescue of the downed F-15E airmen behind enemy lines and issued a warning to Iran to make a deal before Tuesday night’s 8 p.m. ET deadline or face being “taken out.”

“This is a rescue that’s very historic,” Trump told the White House press corps in a Monday news conference. “It’ll go down to the books.”

“Late Thursday night, an American F-15 fighter jet went down deep inside enemy territory in Iran while participating in Operation Epic Fury, where we’re doing unbelievably well. Well, at a level that nobody’s ever seen before.”

Trump quickly paused his hailing of the rescue to add a warning for Iran to come to peace.

“The entire country can be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night,” Trump said.

This is a breaking news update. Check back for more on this story.

A custody hearing in Ada, Oklahoma, last month took a turn for the unexpected — and the incredibly loud — after an attorney who identified himself as transgender was arrested and dragged from the courtroom where he had appeared to represent his client just minutes before.

The exchange occurred during a custody hearing in Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, some 90 minutes southeast of Oklahoma City. The attorney, Rob Hopkins, was jailed for contempt after sparring repeatedly with the judge, Lori Jackson, during an otherwise unremarkable proceeding.

Surveillance footage, audio, and body camera footage reviewed by Fox News Digital has shed new light on the extraordinary confrontation, in which Hopkins can be seen actively resisting arrest by bailiffs. At one point, Hopkins can be seen splaying his body across the judge’s bench, resulting in a pile of documents being swept off its finely polished wood surface. 

“You’re HURTING ME!” Hopkins bellowed, as bystanders looked on. “I can’t BREATHE!” he shrieked again, louder.

Attendees in the courtroom could be seen looking on quietly as Hopkins twisted, turned, and contorted his body to evade the handcuffs that officers used to restrain him.

“I felt very threatened by this person,” one individual could be heard telling the judge.

SHELTERS, JESUS, AND MISS PAC-MAN: US JUDGE GRILLS DOJ OVER TRANS POLICY IN DIZZYING LINE OF QUESTIONING

The meltdown in question, and the arrest, occurred during a custody hearing punctuated by repeated interruptions from Hopkins and warnings from Jackson that he would be held in contempt. 

Hopkins then suggested she was discriminating against him for his transgender status, escalating tensions inside the courtroom. 

“It’s because I’m a transgender attorney practicing all over the state,” Hopkins leveled sharply, to which Jackson shot back: “I don’t know what you are.” 

“I don’t know you from Adam,” Jackson said later, describing his conduct as “entirely inappropriate.”

Shortly after, bailiffs entered the courtroom, prompting the hearing to descend into complete chaos.

 “Do NOT HURT ME!” Hopkins yelled at the officers. 

“I’m being thrown down!” he bellowed, as he threw himself on the bench before the officers eventually forced him onto the floor.

‘BLANKIES,’ ICE TACTICS AND LUXURY JETS: TOP MOMENTS FROM NOEM’S HOUSE TESTIMONY

More officers streamed in to help restrain Hopkins, whose uproarious exclamations had, at that point, drawn a crowd — not only in the courtroom, but also in the hallways surrounding it, as the body camera footage shows. 

“Get a female officer, now!” Hopkins demanded. “Call 911!” he shrieked, as the officers attempted to place him in handcuffs. 

“I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe!” he declared.

From the floor of the court, Hopkins accused the officers of “throwing his glasses” onto the floor — a claim that surveillance footage reviewed by Fox News Digital appears to refute — and ordered the officers to place them back on his face. 

“Put them on my face,” Hopkins demanded repeatedly, as the officers attempted to place Hopkins into a seated position and escort him from the court. “PUT THEM ON MY FACE!” Hopkins screamed once more, the volume and urgency unchanged from his request for emergency services just seconds before.

 ‘YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED!’: PROTESTER DRAGGED FROM KRISTI NOEM’S SENATE HEARING

Hopkins said he has since shuttered his law firm following the contempt charge and fallout from the hearing.

He did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment regarding either the proceedings in question or the reason for his firm’s closure.

In a scene that unfolded like a Hollywood script, hundreds of American troops descended into the rugged mountains of southwestern Iran on Saturday to rescue a wounded airman who had spent nearly two days hiding from Iranian forces. 

What followed was a high-stakes combat search-and-rescue mission deep inside Iran, with U.S. forces racing to locate and extract the wounded officer before Iranian troops could reach him, deploying a large contingent of special operations forces and aircraft into hostile territory.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe compared the mission to find the downed airmen to finding “a grain of sand in the desert” in a news briefing Monday.

In total, the U.S. sent in more than 150 aircraft, President Donald Trump Monday, which took on “very, very heavy enemy fire” during the rescue operation. Several different teams: Navy SEALs, Air Force Special Operations, Army Special Operations Aviation, search and rescue and combat medics, also took part.

US PILOT RESCUED FROM DOWNED F-15E FIGHTER JET IN IRAN, SEARCH FOR SECOND CREW MEMBER ONGOING

One of the two crew members was flown to Landstuhl regional medical center in Germany, typically the first stop for U.S. soldiers wounded in combat zones, and the other is being flown there Monday, a senior U.S. defense official told Fox News.

As the rescue unfolded Easter Sunday, the pilot radioed a brief message to help U.S. forces identify him: “God is good,” a senior U.S. defense official confirmed to Fox News.

Here’s a look at how the scene unfolded. 

A U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet was shot down over Iran Friday, according to U.S. officials. Both the pilot and the weapons systems officer ejected from the aircraft. 

The aircraft was operating as part of ongoing U.S. combat operations over Iran when it was shot down, though officials have not publicly detailed its specific mission.

While details of the incident were not immediately clear, Iranian state media released images of an ejection seat and debris that appeared consistent with an F-15E. Iran initially claimed it had downed a more advanced F-35 stealth fighter, but U.S. officials later confirmed the aircraft was an F-15 Strike Eagle. 

The F-15E Strike Eagle is a two-seat fighter jet flown by a pilot and a weapons systems officer, who manages targeting, sensors and weapons. The aircraft is designed for both air-to-air combat and deep strike missions against ground targets, allowing it to operate far inside enemy territory.

After the crew ejected and aircraft went down, U.S. forces quickly launched a combat search-and-rescue mission, deploying rescue helicopters into Iranian territory to recover the downed pilot.

The pilot was rescued later that day, within hours of the shoot down, in what Trump described as a daylight operation.

Rescue helicopters, including HH-60W Jolly Green II aircraft, came under Iranian small-arms fire as they moved in to extract the pilot, according to U.S. officials. Crew members aboard the helicopter carrying the pilot were injured, but the aircraft was able to fly safely out of Iranian territory.

An A-10 Thunderbolt II providing close air support for the rescue effort was also hit by enemy fire, according to U.S. officials. The aircraft was damaged, and the pilot later ejected over Kuwaiti airspace and was recovered.

While the Pentagon remained tight-lipped about the mission, Iranian state media blasted images from the crash and called on civilians to join in the search for the second crew member, an Air Force colonel, according to Trump.  

The Pentagon has not publicly released the names of the crew members, a standard practice while operations are ongoing. Both airmen have been recovered and are receiving medical care at a U.S. military facility, according to officials. 

Iranian state media urged civilians to help locate the missing crew member and offered a reward for his capture, while Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces launched a search in the region.

The weapons systems officer, a colonel with SERE training, was using his survival and evasion training to stay one step ahead of Iranian forces. He reportedly climbed 7,000 feet up a ridge and remained hidden there for nearly 48 hours, a senior defense official told Fox News. 

“He was injured quite badly,” Trump said during a news briefing Monday. “He scaled cliff faces, bleeding rather profusely, treated his own wounds.”

The colonel hid in a mountain crevice while the CIA launched a deception campaign to convince the Iranian regime they had already located him and were moving him to the ground for exfiltration. While the Iranians were confused and uncertain of what was happening, the agency used its specialized capabilities to locate the American airman, a senior administration official told Fox News.

AIRMAN RESCUE SHOWS U.S. CAN PENETRATE ENEMY TERRITORY ‘ANYWHERE’ IN IRAN, FORMER PENTAGON OFFICIAL WARNS

Trump said the American aviator was being “hunted down” by enemies who were “getting closer and closer by the hour.” 

The U.S. used MQ9 Reaper drones to protect the area around where the U.S. believed the airman was hiding and fired on anything that came close to that area and any area where U.S. forces were operating, an administration official told Fox News. 

“At the president’s direction, we deployed both human assets and exquisite technologies,” Ratcliffe said, calling it “a daunting challenge, comparable to hunting for a single grain of sand in the middle of a desert.”

At the same time, the U.S. launched strikes on nearby areas to keep Iranian forces away.

“We executed multiple large scale strikes in the surrounding area using every tactical jet in the U.S. inventory + B-1 Bombers to keep him safe,” a senior U.S. official said. 

In between the rescue of the pilot and the rescue of the weapons officer, U.S. forces flying B2 bombers from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri dropped “bunker buster” massive ordnance pentetrator bombs on an IRGC headquarters, a senior defense official told Fox News.

At the right moment, Trump said, he directed the military to send dozens of heavily armed aircraft to rescue the crew member, who the president said is “seriously wounded” but will recover. 

When the colonel finally made radio contact to coordinate the pickup, he sent the message: “God is good.” 

U.S. officials were not sure it was him at first. Trump told Axios they feared it was a trap. But those who knew the colonel said he was a man of deep faith. 

Rescue helicopters, including HH-60 Pave Hawk aircraft, came under Iranian small-arms fire during the extraction, sources told Air and Space Forces magazine. 

U.S. forces established a remote airstrip inside Iran to support the rescue. 

“This was not much of a runway,” Trump said. “This was a farm, not a runway.” 

Problems with two other transport planes prompted U.S. forces to blow them up rather than leave them behind in Iran, according to The Associated Press.

“The fact that we were able to pull off both of these operations, without a SINGLE American killed, or even wounded, just proves once again, that we have achieved overwhelming Air Dominance and Superiority over the Iranian skies,” Trump said on social media.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for additional details on the mission.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.